Resigned to playoffs now

[Jim Smith 2,314]

Which, to be fair, had you offered me at the start of the season I would have bitten your hand off for and will still represent an excellent season. Shame it will now feel like second prize but i am sure we will give it a good crack.

I just can''t see us bettering Cardiff or Reading over the last five games and personally having seen him pull up and grab his hamstring then hobble round for 10 minutes I can''t see Holt playing for several weeks (despite what Lambert says about cramp).

Sadly, our leaky defence and inability to cope with pacy players running at us out wide and from midfield has cost us in the end. It was always our weakness and teams are now starting to exploit it more regularly. A few other players (Surman, Crofts) are also showing a bit of inconsistent form at a crucial time. It does not bode well for the playoffs looking at the teams we may face but i am sure that we will still give it a real go.

I also think Lambert (for once) got the team wrong last night as their defence was even more brittle and slow than ours yet we played into their hands by playing two big men up front. looked much more dangerous with Jackson and (a surprisingly electric) Macnamee for the last half hour.

I have not completely given up hope as anything can happen over the last 5 games and i am sure this team will continue to give its all but i just think top two is looking like it might be a bridge too far.

 

 

 

 

[Cantiaci Canary 556]

We have spent virtually the entire season in the playoff spots and that is where I think we will end up. Either way we are guaranteed a nerve jangling finale!

[blahblahblah 2]

Do you remember the season we crept into the play-offs on the last game of the season ?  Come on Jim, it''s not over till it''s mathematically impossible.1 point behind Cardiff, and they are playing the league leaders at home this weekend.  We win against Forest (as we should do at home) and the pressure is all on them come Saturday.

[Excited Canary 19]

[quote user="blahblahblah"]Do you remember the season we crept into the play-offs on the last game of the season ?  Come on Jim, it''s not over till it''s mathematically impossible.1 point behind Cardiff, and they are playing the league leaders at home this weekend.  We win against Forest (as we should do at home) and the pressure is all on them come Saturday.[/quote]Wrong, they are playing Portsmouth at home and then QPR at home the week after.

[CRAZY LEGS 0]

2nd is between us and reading, cardiff and swansea will fall away

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

[quote user="Jim Smith"]

Which, to be fair, had you offered me at the start of the season I would have bitten your hand off for and will still represent an excellent season. Shame it will now feel like second prize but i am sure we will give it a good crack.

I just can''t see us bettering Cardiff or Reading over the last five games and personally having seen him pull up and grab his hamstring then hobble round for 10 minutes I can''t see Holt playing for several weeks (despite what Lambert says about cramp).

Sadly, our leaky defence and inability to cope with pacy players running at us out wide and from midfield has cost us in the end. It was always our weakness and teams are now starting to exploit it more regularly. A few other players (Surman, Crofts) are also showing a bit of inconsistent form at a crucial time. It does not bode well for the playoffs looking at the teams we may face but i am sure that we will still give it a real go.

I also think Lambert (for once) got the team wrong last night as their defence was even more brittle and slow than ours yet we played into their hands by playing two big men up front. looked much more dangerous with Jackson and (a surprisingly electric) Macnamee for the last half hour.

I have not completely given up hope as anything can happen over the last 5 games and i am sure this team will continue to give its all but i just think top two is looking like it might be a bridge too far.

 

 

 

 

[/quote]We''re 1 point off the automatic places with 5 games to go and you''re resigned to the play-offs? If Lamberts tenure has taught us anything its to expect the unexpected, to pull wins out of tough situations and, most importantly, to get results under pressure.Everyone said there would be lots of twists and turns left a few games ago, because we''ve dropped to 3rd does that mean there wont be anymore? No team in the top 6 bar QPR have really proven to me that they''re that consistent and capable of holding onto 2nd place.Cardiffs run in, Portsmouth, QPR, Preston, Middlesborough and Burnley - Id rather have ours.Swansea run in, Burnley, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Millwall and Sheff Utd - Id rather have ours.Reading run in, Leicester, Leeds, Sheff Utd, Coventry and Derby - The easiest of the three but id still take ours.I find it stupid that after one loss and a draw that any fan can say thats it, im resigned to the play-offs. I find it more stupid that it could all change round again on saturday, we''re back in 2nd and suddenly we''re planning the parade again, and i find the most stupid thing of all is ive bitten and responded to a (expected) pessimistic reaction to 2 poor results when it probably sums up and voices the thoughts of many fans today.

[Mr. Bump 0]

A bit silly really when we''re only 1 point behind. I think it''s brilliant for us that we play before the rest because if we win on Friday the pressure is on them all over again.

[Rocky Rocastle 0]

OP: I''ve not even read your post but the title is enough to drive me to anger!!

Why do people need to start waving white flags?????

We''ve been incredible this season, shown more consistency, more quality and a greater desire than any other side I''ve seen.

Rather than wasting energy on pessimistic statements lets all throw our

efforts into proving how much this means to the us and sing our club

into the prem!

Lets not forget the players read forums so the more negative comments

that get posted on here, the more the players might just start to

question their chances........

OTBC

[urdie_Canary 33]

Yeh i would take the place offs. But Cardiff and Swansea have bottled it the last few years.

[smooth 114]

1 point off second we have had 1 point in two games and the two teams around us have made up ground.

Thats fine, I think it will come down to the last game of the season. Play offs is great but to throw in the towel now is astonishing.

Swansea play Burnley which will not be easy and if Cardiff have pompey and qpr they will struggle to stretch a lead there.

We have to beat forest, then I can see us in second when we go to portman road. Whatever result there is fine as long as injuries don''t come to haunt us. I do think this game could be the catalyst we need, but pressure will be on if we do not get maximum points on Friday.

Remember the Pompey away game we play on the Monday following all other games, again I would take that.

Yes we may have some injury scares, but they are scares. Both players will hopefully be fit for the playoffs if needed but I am also hoping that they could be the boost we need for the next few games. Although I would not want to risk too much with Ipswich, if hoolahan or holt got injured in that game it could haunt us.

But right now I think we are in the play offs, but we have a chance still to be in second this week so no need to get all low

[. 0]

[quote user="Jim Smith"]

Which, to be fair, had you offered me at the start of the season I would have bitten your hand off for and will still represent an excellent season. Shame it will now feel like second prize but i am sure we will give it a good crack.

I just can''t see us bettering Cardiff or Reading over the last five games and personally having seen him pull up and grab his hamstring then hobble round for 10 minutes I can''t see Holt playing for several weeks (despite what Lambert says about cramp).

Sadly, our leaky defence and inability to cope with pacy players running at us out wide and from midfield has cost us in the end. It was always our weakness and teams are now starting to exploit it more regularly. A few other players (Surman, Crofts) are also showing a bit of inconsistent form at a crucial time. It does not bode well for the playoffs looking at the teams we may face but i am sure that we will still give it a real go.

I also think Lambert (for once) got the team wrong last night as their defence was even more brittle and slow than ours yet we played into their hands by playing two big men up front. looked much more dangerous with Jackson and (a surprisingly electric) Macnamee for the last half hour.

I have not completely given up hope as anything can happen over the last 5 games and i am sure this team will continue to give its all but i just think top two is looking like it might be a bridge too far.

 

 

 

 

[/quote]There''s nothing wrong with having a plan B.Better a pleasant surprise than an abject disappointment.

[Jules 0]

All of the teams in the mix will drop points.  I''d hope that QPR will

get at least a draw at Cardiff. I''d wager that Cardiff will get draws at either

Middlesborough and Burnley or both as well. Preston are a wild card given their

recent performances. They turned over Swansea and could conceivably take points off

Cardiff.  Swansea will also possibly drop points against Burnley and Millwall and may

be also Ipswich IMO.  If the right Leicester side turns up they could

take points of Reading, as could Leeds who will want to be sure of a

play off place. Sheff U, Cov and Derby look like bankers though. Our

remaining fixtures are no more difficult than any of the above. I hope for full points from

Forest, Derby and Cov. Pompey away is never easy for us, though Cov

stuffed them 3 nil last week so maybe they''ve already gone on holiday.   As with any derby game Ipswich away can

go either way. So I think we still have a great shout to end in 2nd

place. Getting Wes back for Friday and having Holty available for some of these

games is clearly really important though. 

[Jim Smith 2,314]

I''m not giving up. I will still be there at all the games getting behind the team and am hopeful we can win every game. I just think that with the way things have gone for us in the last two games and the way some of the other teams are picking up its going to be hard. If we finish top two then i will be delighted but for me it will be a nice surprise rather than what i expect, especially as i think Holt will be missing for most of it.

Cardiff may have a couple of tricky games on paper but Burnley away on the last day of the season with nothing to play for is far from Burnley at home a month into Eddie Howe''s new reign when it was a really difficult game. Who knows what effect already being up might have on QPR if thats the the case when they go to Cardiff in 2 games time.

[Chunky Norwich 0]

May I have any season ticket you have then, for the remainder of the season?

[Mello Yello 2,273]

[quote user="Chunky Norwich"]May I have any season ticket you have then, for the remainder of the season?[/quote]

If you were a true fan, you would already have one........

[priceyrice 123]

We are still going up guys, keep positive and back the team otherwise it will resinate to the players on the pitch, 5 games to go, 12 points will do nicely, win against Nott forest and i think we will do itcoventry and scum will be very winnable, think the other is pompey (could draw that one) and not sure about the other one off the top of my head, but we will win it!Cardiff have burnley and QPR i think still to play, very tough, Reading cant keep this run of wins up, they just cant! lol and Swansea will lose another couple yetIf we beat Forest we will go up, lose saturday then i would say it is prob the play-offs

[Tangible Fixed Assets anyone? 0]

Don''t panic, keep calm!

It''s not over yet.