Wouldn't it be nice if...

[non-scoring strikers 113]

29 minutes ago, BroadstairsR said:

WBA seem the hardest nut to crack for us.

We beat them comfortably at home and lost away by one goal mainly due to playing most of the match with 10 men.

I think we’d breeze past them. Only team up there that would cause me concern is Leeds.

[Capt. Pants 4,234]

Leeds still have to play Hull, Coventry and Southampton. 

Ipswich have also got Hull and Coventry plus Southampton and ourselves. If they beat Southampton they're pretty much guaranteed top 3.

[Well b back 3,208]

19 minutes ago, non-scoring strikers said:

We beat them comfortably at home and lost away by one goal mainly due to playing most of the match with 10 men.

I think we’d breeze past them. Only team up there that would cause me concern is Leeds.

And Leicester who could drop down yet.

[ron obvious 1,502]

11 hours ago, Foxy2600 said:

Wouldn't it be nice if...
we were older and we didn’t have to wait so long

 

 

[Monty13 2,234]

1 hour ago, dylanisabaddog said:

They have played 7 times against top 6 teams and won once. 

This. Ipswich is objectively the team you want to play in the playoffs regardless of any other rival reasons.

[Christoph Stiepermann 1,138]

I'd want and fancy us against Ipswich in the semi's. Their fans would be a bag of nerves at their place which would transmit to the team and we're exceptional at CR so I think we'd have a really good chance of beating them. I do think honestly though they're a bit better than us on their day and in a one off game at a neutral ground I think they might have the edge so i don't want them in the finals. My assessment of them v us is just me being realistic I'm not soft on them in anyway, both teams are good in attack and shaky at the back and I'd say if we hadn't had injury crisis after crisis all season our goals for would be pretty similar to theirs but I think they're tighter defensively than we are giving them a bit of an edge. 

Then if WBA can beat Southampton to face us in the finals we'll find ourselves in with a really good chance. So for me I actually think we'd be better off finishing 6th than 5th if it means avoiding Southampton over 2 legs. Hopefully Leeds keep up their form too because I don't fancy facing them in any play off game. 

[ZLF 274]

Leicester would probably feel crushed to finish third so could be the ideal opponent.  

Getting into the play offs has to be the aim and frankly whoever the opponents are it's gonna be tough; the five above us continue to pick up points at an impressive rate.   Maintaining a lead over hull & cov is the priority.  The first two games in April are going to be key

Given our form we can face anyone with confidence

[Coneys Knee 956]

My dream scenario, I put out on here before would actually be to see them sneak second, then we take the gloss off their celebrations by wining at Wembley, then next season (and this is the really unlikely bit) see them do an “us” in the premier league whilst we do “Brentford”. That’d be amazing. 

[littleyellowbirdie 2,550]

So how are people feeling about this now it's starting to look more likely?

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,821]

9 minutes ago, littleyellowbirdie said:

So how are people feeling about this now it's starting to look more likely?

I'd much, MUCH rather play them in the semis than the final. There is no safety net in the final if the worst happens.

Also, beating them in the playoffs after they've had their best season for over two decades whilst ours has been pretty average would be absolutely delicious.

[Bomber 48]

On 16/03/2024 at 22:04, Creedence Clearwater Couto said:

It’s going to be interesting if we play them. I think our key players in Sarge, Sara, Sainz and Rowe are pound 4 pound better than theirs, but their squad has far more quality in depth. 

I still wouldn’t fancy us against them, especially over two legs, but I’m a pessimist!

Especially with the 2nd leg at their place

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,821]

4 minutes ago, Bomber said:

Especially with the 2nd leg at their place

I know the generally accepted belief in football is that it's an advantage to play the second leg at home, but I've always felt it's better to play at home first. 

The common view is that it's best the keep it tight away and then you know what you need to do at home, but I think that taking the initiative and getting a lead at home before defending it away is preferable.

It also goes along with the old saying of 'you can't win a two-legged tie in the first leg, but you can lose it'. Less chance of losing it at home.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,760]

If ipswich f#ck it up and blow automatic promotion, any celebrations will now be muted in the knowledge we'll have an unbearably stressful week ahead in playing them twice

We're not even allowed that!!

[littleyellowbirdie 2,550]

I really think that after our last meeting they're just going to implode if this happens. 😂

[Robornio 107]

I’m hoping West Brom drop points and we finish 5th (which sadly looks unlikely, against Shef Wed and Preston). We’ll happily take Southampton home and away, then look forward to the Binners having another mental collapse against us, at Wembley.

[BroadstairsR 2,168]

On 16/03/2024 at 21:49, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

The nerves would kill me before kick off. I'd hate it, personally.

Whilst I cannot possibly get nervous about the outcome of a football match, I too am wary about facing them in the play-offs and have said before that I would prefer them to be eliminated by any of the other contenders.

Reason? I love our superiority over them, our hold over them and dislike their current success and cling to any straw to undermine it (their house of cards backing, the thought of McKenna being lured away etc.) and whilst I don't feel that they have been particularly lucky this season I do consider that, at times they have had a fair wind.

I could easily see them crumbling at the hands of Leeds, Saints and West Brom in the play-offs and wish them to now falter sufficiently from now on to miss out on the automatics.

This rivalry was bred in me from an early age, although I refuse to ever use the word scum when referring to them as I am sure that their fan-base, as deluded as it, probably is as a whole, any different in its makeup than any other, including City's. Only the nasty minority element of their fans want to actually resort to violence, same as with us.

Another consolation is that they seem to be equally wary of meeting us in any crucial game that may be in the immediate pipeline. We have the Indian sign over them. Let's preserve it. 

https://www.twtd.co.uk/forum/581646/its-all-wildest-dreams-or-worst-nightmares-at-the-moment-isnt-it.../#0

Edited Wednesday at 07:22 by BroadstairsR

[Hairy Canary 704]

I want us to go up without playing them at all. Southampton in the semis and West Brom at Wembley please.

Firstly, no first day at Wembley for them. Second we go up and they stay down. Third our 15 years becomes 16 for certain (baring cup draw).

I don’t buy this West Brom have an easy last two games. Sheffield away is a tough game for them. Wednesday are out of the bottom 3 for first time in months and a last home game win will see them safe. I wouldn’t fancy it. 

Edited Wednesday at 06:59 by Hairy Canary

[Robert N. LiM 4,356]

2 hours ago, BroadstairsR said:

Whilst I cannot possibly get nervous about the outcome of a football match, I too am wary about facing them in the play-offs and have said before that I would prefer them to be eliminated by any of the other contenders.

Reason? I love our superiority over them, our hold over them and dislike their current success and cling to any straw to undermine it (their house of cards backing, the thought of McKenna being lured away etc.) and whilst I don't feel that they have been particularly lucky this season I do consider that, at times they have had a fair wind.

I could easily see them crumbling at the hands of Leeds, Saints and West Brom in the play-offs and wish them to now falter sufficiently from now on to miss out on the automatics.

This rivalry was bred in me from an early age, although I refuse to ever use the word scum when referring to them as I am sure that their fan-base, as deluded as it, probably is as a whole, is any different in its makeup than any other, including City's. Only the nasty minority element of their fans want to actually resort to violence, same as with us.

Another consolation is that they seem to be equally wary of meeting us in any crucial game that may be in the immediate pipeline. We have the Indian sign over them. Let's preserve it. 

https://www.twtd.co.uk/forum/581646/its-all-wildest-dreams-or-worst-nightmares-at-the-moment-isnt-it.../#0

Great post, agree entirely, including the bit about calling them 'scum'.

Was amused by this from your link:

Quote

Supporting Man City must be incredibly dull, equally for a team that has never had real success, like Norwich, it must be dull and beating their local rivals holds more significance. It's little brother syndrome.

They're having their best season for twenty years, yet we could all think very easily of more successful seasons than that for us just in the last five. Would just be hilarious if even this one ends with us going up and not them...

[king canary 7,607]

Ideal scenario for me is this...

3rd- Ipswich

4th- Southampton

5th- Norwich

6th- West Brom

We knock out Southampton, West Brom knock out Ipswich, we go up via playoffs.

[Robert N. LiM 4,356]

8 minutes ago, king canary said:

Ideal scenario for me is this...

3rd- Ipswich

4th- Southampton

5th- Norwich

6th- West Brom

We knock out Southampton, West Brom knock out Ipswich, we go up via playoffs.

Is the correct answer. 

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,760]

1 hour ago, Hairy Canary said:

I want us to go up without playing them at all. Southampton in the semis and West Brom at Wembley please.

Firstly, no first day at Wembley for them. Second we go up and they stay down. Third our 15 years becomes 16 for certain (baring cup draw).

I don’t buy this West Brom have an easy last two games. Sheffield away is a tough game for them. Wednesday are out of the bottom 3 for first time in months and a last home game win will see them safe. I wouldn’t fancy it. 

However hard Sheff Weds is for WBA , Birmingham is potentially harder for us.

I can see WBAs goal diff trumping us

[Capt. Pants 4,234]

4 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

However hard Sheff Weds is for WBA , Birmingham is potentially harder for us.

I can see WBAs goal diff trumping us

Yeah I think we missed our opportunity to get 5th. WBA will do all they can to retain it.

A play-off semi against the Binners more likely now.

[BroadstairsR 2,168]

6 minutes ago, Capt. Pants said:

Yeah I think we missed our opportunity to get 5th. WBA will do all they can to retain it.

A play-off semi against the Binners more likely now.

Not so sure.

We both have easy ish fixtures, but they could go either way, of course.

Their better goal difference could be telling. 

Edited Wednesday at 08:18 by BroadstairsR

[Hairy Canary 704]

20 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

However hard Sheff Weds is for WBA , Birmingham is potentially harder for us.

I can see WBAs goal diff trumping us

Fair enough. But I’m still hoping that we will be 5th when we kick off against Brum and they need to win to be sure of staying up, which will suit our style of play. They might even be already relegated before we kick off. 
 

 

[Capt. Pants 4,234]

It remains unclear if 5th or 6th is better. We'll have more idea after the weekend when one of the top 2 will probably have been sorted.

You'd fancy Leeds now for 2nd as Southampton will probably rest players for the final game of the season and/or be pulling out of challenges.

 

[Sufyellow 222]

On 16/03/2024 at 22:36, Robert N. LiM said:

It's also pretty difficult to see how it happens. They're going to finish third at worst, and while we might overhaul West Brom, at this point our likeliest play-off place is sixth. Pretty sure that if we do meet in the playoffs, it'll be in the semis. Personally I will laugh until August if we beat them, having finished twenty points behind them. It'll be like the year we beat Wolves, but on crack.

I think we will play Southampton,  and if Leeds win Friday Ipswich will miss out and play WBA. 

[Indy 3,300]

On 16/03/2024 at 21:43, littleyellowbirdie said:

We made the playoffs, met Ipswich in the playoff final, and beat them at Wembley?

I think that would be quite nice. 😈💚💛

I’m not sure how many of our supporters could take that pressure! Be nice if we could guarantee that win! Yeh why not! Bring it on. 

[Indy 3,300]

31 minutes ago, Sufyellow said:

I think we will play Southampton,  and if Leeds win Friday Ipswich will miss out and play WBA. 

The way Southampton are playing I’d take them

in the playoffs rather than the final. I think Leeds will sneak it, Hull will draw with Binners and Covvy will beat them.

[GodlyOtsemobor 2,310]

I really do not want those lot anywhere in the Play offs. Their win has to come eventually and could you imagine it if it came in those! 

Nope. Let them go up 2nd, give us Leeds or Southampton depending on where we finish, if we go out to one of those then fine.