48 pts (14 Viewers)

[Sky Blue Harry H]

Appreciate stating the obvious but the two games against both Ipswich and Southampton will define our destiny.

If we pick up 1 point from the 2 Ipswich games, I think that will be enough. It means they can only gain 3 points on us over the 2 games. Still leads a healthy gap. I've said elsewhere that I wouldn't be shocked to lose all 3 of those fixtures , but it needn't be catastrophic if we hold our form in the other games. Doug's purse strings in the Jan window will be key. Reggie le Fee for Sunderland type signing would be nice. Need a minimum of 2 serious players.

 

---

[Robinshio]

If we pick up 1 point from the 2 Ipswich games, I think that will be enough. It means they can only gain 3 points on us over the 2 games. Still leads a healthy gap. I've said elsewhere that I wouldn't be shocked to lose all 3 of those fixtures , but it needn't be catastrophic if we hold our form in the other games. Doug's purse strings in the Jan window will be key. Reggie le Fee for Sunderland type signing would be nice. Need a minimum of 2 serious players.

But if we got 6 from the 2 Ipswich games ??
I am also loving April when the pressure will be on

City

Derby H
Hull A
Wednesday H
Blackburn A
Portsmouth H
Wrexham H

Ipswich

Southampton A
Birmingham H
Norwich A (Derby)
Boro H
Charlton A
Baggies A

 

[Londonccfcfan]

If we pick up 1 point from the 2 Ipswich games, I think that will be enough. It means they can only gain 3 points on us over the 2 games. Still leads a healthy gap. I've said elsewhere that I wouldn't be shocked to lose all 3 of those fixtures , but it needn't be catastrophic if we hold our form in the other games. Doug's purse strings in the Jan window will be key. Reggie le Fee for Sunderland type signing would be nice. Need a minimum of 2 serious players.

Yup agree 100% ipswich and soton games are not be all and end all. Draw a couple will be worth a win with our lead.

Just gotta win the other games.

 

[Londonccfcfan]

Some interesting fixtures coming soon

Just like our double header with Ipswich.

Soton play Birmingham twice in December...they cant both win...draws will be good. Both teams in good form now.

Really cant see Stoke and boro sustaining top 2 challenge. They will be in mix for play offs tho.

 

[shmmeee]

For all their shit starts Ipswich are a game in hand behind 2nd, Soton and Leicester 6 points behind. That sort of difference can be a couple of games in the Championship. Even our ten point lead can be down to four with two Ipswich wins. Things can turn very quickly.

 

[pusbccfc]

Top 6 by January will include Birmingham, Southampton and Ipswich.

Still think Stoke may fall away but they are scoring a decent number of goals now. Makes our result against them even more impressive.

 

[SwanLane]

Taking the upcoming away games against Ipswich and Southampton in isolation, 2 points would be better than 3. That pair plus Brum are undoubtedly starting to flex. Although they are all dangerous opponents (especially away) the pressure is now massively on them to try and claw back ground.

If we don’t lose to Ipswich and win at North End, it’s written in the stars

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Taking the upcoming away games against Ipswich and Southampton in isolation, 2 points would be better than 3. That pair plus Brum are undoubtedly starting to flex. Although they are all dangerous opponents (especially away) the pressure is now massively on them to try and claw back ground.

If we don’t lose to Ipswich and win at North End, it’s written in the stars

How can less points be better? A win v Ipswich would be huge, even if we lost v Southampton.

Birmingham’s home form has been impressive to be fair.

 

[M&B Stand]

49 is the record after 20 games, Leicester.

Win next 3 and that’s equaled, bettered if you included goal difference.

what is going on? Am I dreaming?

 

[SwanLane]

How can less points be better? A win v Ipswich would be huge, even if we lost v Southampton.

Birmingham’s home form has been impressive to be fair.

Because we are in the box seat. 2 draws keeps them both further away than one gaining more ground on us

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

For all their shit starts Ipswich are a game in hand behind 2nd, Soton and Leicester 6 points behind. That sort of difference can be a couple of games in the Championship. Even our ten point lead can be down to four with two Ipswich wins. Things can turn very quickly.

In fairness, Ipswich’s issue is that they’re drawing too much. They’ve only lost 3 games which, before last night, only Boro and us have lost less matches.

If we were to do the double over Ipswich, there just isn’t anything that’ll stop us. Statistically, they’re the only team close to us.

 

[Londonccfcfan]

Because we are in the box seat. 2 draws keeps them both further away than one gaining more ground on us

Win 10 games at home from 15.
win 5 more away from 14.

Thats 85pts.

Thats 2nd place done and dusted.
Goodbye charlie championship.

 

[sc1940]

66 points is to get to 90 points is 22 wins from 29. It’s technically doable but it’s not likely imo.

Without getting too carried away, they beat QPR, Sheff W, Charlton and Leicester. The manner of the last 2 wins were genuinely impressive and given the xG table, I believe that Southampton will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.

In the same period we’ve beat 2nd place in the table away from home twice. That’s objectively more impressive.

Charlton was a good result for them but Charlton's form has fallen off a cliff it would seem, at least temporarily. Leicester also a good result for them but Leic have only won 2 of their last 6. Millwall, Bham, West Brom upcoming games will give us a better idea of whether Soton can maintain their improved results

 

[Flying Fokker]

Appreciate stating the obvious but the two games against both Ipswich and Southampton will define our destiny.

I can’t see us drawing all 4 of them but it would be a result for us. But it’s a must win each game.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Charlton was a good result for them but Charlton's form has fallen off a cliff it would seem, at least temporarily. Leicester also a good result for them but Leic have only won 2 of their last 6. Millwall, Bham, West Brom upcoming games will give us a better idea of whether Soton can maintain their improved results

Beating anyone 5-1 away from home is a fantastic result particularly because Charlton’s home form has been good (4-2-2). It’s a game they go and win if they’re going to have a chance of fighting for automatic promotion.

Thankfully for them, the current projection for automatics is 82 points (Stoke & Boto on 1.764 PPG) which will obviously change, it means 2nd place is realistically in place down to 13-16th.

This weekend we should be looking to win against Charlton comfortably because their away from is not good (2-3-4). 7 points from the next 3 will be huge.

 

[COVKIDSNEVERQUIT]

Said that before the Stoke and Middlesbrough games.

Its games against poorer teams that have cost us points, Hull, Leicester, Norwich and Wrexham for example.

We actually play better against the better teams.
Last night Borough conceded 4 goals which is equal to what they've conceded at home all season, and yet we only started playing well in the last 15 minutes.

It was the same against WBA on Saturday, we played well for 15 minutes at the start of the second half and blew them away.

Against better teams we will just play well for a bit longer and blow them away too.

Probably means that Charlton will Park the bus.

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Said that before the Stoke and Middlesbrough games.

Its games against poorer teams that have cost us points, Hull, Leicester, Norwich and Wrexham for example.

We actually play better against the better teams.
Last night Borough conceded 4 goals which is equal to what they've conceded at home all season, and yet we only started playing well in the last 15 minutes.

It was the same against WBA on Saturday, we played well for 15 minutes at the start of the second half and blew them away.

Against better teams we will just play well for a bit longer and blow them away too.

There’s an element of game state though

As soon as we went 3-2 up v WBA, we had 1-2 more attacks and then saw the game out. Last night, going 2-0 up after 15m will impact how you see out the game.

It’s a 3 game week so wherever you can save energy, bank it.

Looking at the schedule:
22-29th Nov - 3 game week
6-13th Dec - 3 game week
20th Dec - 4th Jan - 5 games in 9 days

If we can blast Charlton with 2-3 goals quickly this Saturday, that’d be a best case scenario to rotate the team.

 

[KenilworthSkyBlue]

Said that before the Stoke and Middlesbrough games.

Its games against poorer teams that have cost us points, Hull, Leicester, Norwich and Wrexham for example.

We actually play better against the better teams.
Last night Borough conceded 4 goals which is equal to what they've conceded at home all season, and yet we only started playing well in the last 15 minutes.

It was the same against WBA on Saturday, we played well for 15 minutes at the start of the second half and blew them away.

Against better teams we will just play well for a bit longer and blow them away too.

I think that's a bit of a myth.

Also a bit of context needed here, Hull aren't a poor side and are currently 8th (and we should've won that game), Leicester have just come down from the PL and on their day will pose a threat, our defensive line was significantly altered for Wrexham which had an adverse effect, and Norwich cheated their way to a draw. The only other game I thought we struggled in was vs Oxford in the second half as we lost control of the game and allowed them to dictate play.

If you assess the wins we've had at present now the table is starting to take shape:

Half of our wins so far this season have come from sides in bottom half of the table. We've beaten Sheff W, Sheff U, Portsmouth, Blackburn, West Brom and QPR.

The other half of our wins are vs Stoke, Middlesbrough, Derby, Birmingham, Millwall and Watford.

I'd also say it's pretty even between both groups in terms of sides we've genuinely dominated for the majority of the game.

 

[ccfcricoh]

There’s an element of game state though

As soon as we went 3-2 up v WBA, we had 1-2 more attacks and then saw the game out. Last night, going 2-0 up after 15m will impact how you see out the game.

It’s a 3 game week so wherever you can save energy, bank it.

Looking at the schedule:
22-29th Nov - 3 game week
6-13th Dec - 3 game week
20th Dec - 4th Jan - 5 games in 9 days

If we can blast Charlton with 2-3 goals quickly this Saturday, that’d be a best case scenario to rotate the team.

especially when Ipswich have the rescheduled Blackburn game squeezed in before we play them, and we get a weeks rest

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

especially when Ipswich have the rescheduled Blackburn game squeezed in before we play them, and we get a weeks rest

I hope this tips things in our favour, but this was the case v Wrexham and we lost!