If you look at it like this...

[Splendid Rush 0]

If you look at it like this:

OK, say we had the same 8 game run-in as we did last season (4 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses), which was not spectacular by any means, and included that shocking defeat at home to Wolves. This form wasn''t good enough to get us into the playoffs, we weren''t playing great, but we acheived 14 points.

If we replicated that mediocre form, this would put us on 87 points. Therefore, in order for Sunderland to catch and overtake us, they would require no worse than 7 wins and 2 draws from their remaining 9 games. This is from a run that includes home games against the likes of Millwall, Sheff Utd, West Brom and us, and away games at Palace and Wigan.

If I''m not mistaken, and without trying to sound too confident, I just might be able to say that I think... we might do it.

[mistersparkle 0]

excellent point SR.

at the start of last season and i looked at our run in, I thought no way will we reach the playoffs if it''s close again.

at the start of this season when i looked at our run in, i thought yes, we can do this if we''re nicely poised. well u can''t get any better than nicely poised than top so we''ve got a fantastic chance. i thought it in december and i backed us to win accordingly (since laid some ot it off so i get nicely compensated if we dont do it!).

having said that, apart from the cash, i''m not a massive fan of the premiership. the sooner we can lose the top three or four to a european super league the better as far as i''m concerned.