We're nearly there (2 Viewers)

[Ipad Boro]

I agree with what you are saying but it makes sense to take each game at a time and not get ahead of ourselves

No that makes perfect sense too.

It's the mantra of almost every successful coach for one, to keep his players focussed upon the task at hand and not on future events that they have no way of affecting yet.

Whilst as fans of course we get more free reign to dream, it's also an in-built defence mechanism to protect us somewhat for when things go tits up from positions of strength. $hite always stinks worse when it's unexpected.

Plus we learn through experience and both of our clubs have had plenty of experience of heartache, including recently.

 

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[Otis]

As a Boro fan we're well acquainted with this feeling.

However, while you're certainly capable of a "bad run" for yourselves, outside of a freak meteor stike wiping out the team coach, there's no way on God's Green Earth that with your level and that run in you're going to have a bad run of Sheff Wed proportions. If your next 10 results mirror Oxford United's or Charlton's last 10 for example ( coincidentally equalling the statistically Worst 10 game period of your entire season - WITHOUT SHEFF WED FEATURING IN IT- when some fans were unbelievably calling for Lampard's head) you'd reach 86 points.

To beat that, the 2 nearest challengers BOTH have to win 7 and 8 games respectively out of their 11 left, when they play each other in that run AND they both also play the third even darker horse challenger.

You're practically as good as promoted.

To describe it succinctly (almost as it does the disservice to Millwall of not being involved in an auto battle, but it fits this setting more as they've the very least risk of catching you), flip a coin in the air. If it lands on Heads, we miss out on promotion. If it lands on Tails, Ipswich miss out on promotion. If it lands on it's edge then you miss out on promotion.

Yeah, but I think in terms of suspensions and injuries etc.

Lati got sent off for us yesterday and Thomas is seemingly out for 4-5 games.

So, if we then got an injury or suspension for Kitching and/or Woolfenden, we could then be absolutely buggered.

So, unlikely as it is, it's just the worry of bad situations happening.

As FL says, there's still 10 games left and 30 points to play for is a huge amount of points.

I will be confident of promotion once there's 2 games left and we are 7 points clear.

Then I will think we are in with a pretty good chance.

 

[Grendel]

Yeah, but I think in terms of suspensions and injuries etc.

Lati got sent off for us yesterday and Thomas is seemingly out for 4-5 games.

So, if we then got an injury or suspension for Kitching and/or Woolfenden, we could then be absolutely buggered.

So, unlikely as it is, it's just the worry of bad situations happening.

As FL says, there's still 10 games left and 30 points to play for is a huge amount of points.

I will be confident of promotion once there's 2 games left and we are 7 points clear.

Then I will think we are in with a pretty good chance.

Lati is only missing one game

 

[Robinshio]

We could wrap it up before the international break. 3 wins now with 7 to go including Wednesday at home would as good as see us there. Minimum of 5 points from these 3 for me is needed

 

[Otis]

Lati is only missing one game

Yeah, I know.

I know it's all highly unlikely, but if say Woolfenden got injured on Wednesday and Kitching got sent off and was missing for 3 games, we would be in the mire.

Then we would just have Lati and Bidwell and no cover.

All hypothetical and as I say, unlikely, but having now watched us for nigh on 60 years, I just know anything can happen, especially where the City are concerned.

I just always cast my mind back to 1980. We faced Liverpool, with the likes of Dalgleish and Soundness in their ranks. They were at the top and reigning champions and we beat them 1-0. Paul Dyson the goalscorer. Shock win.

The following week we had third division Blackburn away (they were a poor side back then) in the FA Cup

Travelled up on masse with the Sky Blue faithful, really confident of the win and we lost 1-0.

So beating the top of league and champions Liverpool one week and losing to a third division club the next.

Since then, I have always expected the unexpected.

 

[SBT]

“In the mire”

At some point guys we do just need to accept that we are going up.

 

[DT-R]

Lati is only missing one game

It is all highly unlikely, but say Woolf picks up the obligatory calf issue between now and Wednesday in training? That leaves us going in to a bogey-team game with 1 recognised CH. Its all ifs, buts, and maybes, but its still genuine concerns and a situation we "could" find ourselves in.

Sent from my SM-S711B using Tapatalk

 

[SBT]

It is all highly unlikely, but say Woolf picks up the obligatory calf issue between now and Wednesday in training? That leaves us going in to a bogey-team game with 1 recognised CH. Its all ifs, buts, and maybes, but its still genuine concerns and a situation we "could" find ourselves in.

Sent from my SM-S711B using Tapatalk

Who cares?

 

[BackRoomRummermill]

If all else fails stick Frank the tank in the back 4

 

[lord_garrincha]

Barcelona won a Champions League with Yaya Toure & Mascherano as CBs.

Teams adapt... or we can sign them both as free agents when the defender nightmare people are foreseeing happens!

 

[Grendel]

It is all highly unlikely, but say Woolf picks up the obligatory calf issue between now and Wednesday in training? That leaves us going in to a bogey-team game with 1 recognised CH. Its all ifs, buts, and maybes, but its still genuine concerns and a situation we "could" find ourselves in.

Sent from my SM-S711B using Tapatalk

Bidwell and MVE would then play in a back 3

 

[Ipad Boro]

Yeah, I know.

I know it's all highly unlikely, but if say Woolfenden got injured on Wednesday and Kitching got sent off and was missing for 3 games, we would be in the mire.

Then we would just have Lati and Bidwell and no cover.

All hypothetical and as I say, unlikely, but having now watched us for nigh on 60 years, I just know anything can happen, especially where the City are concerned.

I just always cast my mind back to 1980. We faced Liverpool, with the likes of Dalgleish and Soundness in their ranks. They were at the top and reigning champions and we beat them 1-0. Paul Dyson the goalscorer. Shock win.

The following week we had third division Blackburn away (they were a poor side back then) in the FA Cup

Travelled up on masse with the Sky Blue faithful, really confident of the win and we lost 1-0.

So beating the top of league and champions Liverpool one week and losing to a third division club the next.

Since then, I have always expected the unexpected.

We're well known for that phenomenon. We even call it "Typical Boro". It happened frequently in the Prem, when we regularly walloped the Champions League sides, before losing to some no hope, bag of wank, already cast adrift relegation fodder such as Sunderland when they set the first of their record low Prem points tally that season.

Even under Carrick, we'd turn over the sides at the top and lose to ALL THREE sides that got relegated, I shit you not.

Then in the middle of our blistering start this season under Rattus Edwards, we somehow contrived to be battered 4 fucking nil, at home, in the league cup, by Doncaster's RESERVE side (Yes, they rested their first 11 by and large to concentrate on the league and chose to give their kids and backup players a run out) Thankfully it was the league cup so not many gave too much of a toss about that.

It's even been brought up on our forum the possibility of us turning over Ipswich comfortably with ease in the game between us to break their spirit, right before bugger all to play for, players not been paid in donkeys', worst sorry side that this league has ever seen Sheff Wed inexplicably spawn a win against us

 

[Otis]

“In the mire”

At some point guys we do just need to accept that we are going up.

You have included me on the wrong group.

I have never been negative about our chances and really defended us when the nonsense season has ended thread appeared.

If you read the post, it was just that niggling feeling of what if it all goes wrong.

And it's just the same as when you go on a plane and 0.01% of you thinks "what if we crash."

And my daughter is going to Japan next month and a tiny fraction of me is what an I going to do if she ends up in jail. Even though she's a lovely kid.

The mire comment was only if the worst of the worst scenarios was to happen.

 

[wantageskyblue]

Yeah, I know.

I know it's all highly unlikely, but if say Woolfenden got injured on Wednesday and Kitching got sent off and was missing for 3 games, we would be in the mire.

Then we would just have Lati and Bidwell and no cover.

All hypothetical and as I say, unlikely, but having now watched us for nigh on 60 years, I just know anything can happen, especially where the City are concerned.

I just always cast my mind back to 1980. We faced Liverpool, with the likes of Dalgleish and Soundness in their ranks. They were at the top and reigning champions and we beat them 1-0. Paul Dyson the goalscorer. Shock win.

The following week we had third division Blackburn away (they were a poor side back then) in the FA Cup

Travelled up on masse with the Sky Blue faithful, really confident of the win and we lost 1-0.

So beating the top of league and champions Liverpool one week and losing to a third division club the next.

Since then, I have always expected the unexpected.

I remember those 2 games so well and they were a perfect taster of what following us would be all about. Like you where City are concerned I take nothing for granted. Even when we are 2-0 up like yesterday I am wishing for a third just to make sure.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Yeah, but I think in terms of suspensions and injuries etc.

Lati got sent off for us yesterday and Thomas is seemingly out for 4-5 games.

So, if we then got an injury or suspension for Kitching and/or Woolfenden, we could then be absolutely buggered.

So, unlikely as it is, it's just the worry of bad situations happening.

As FL says, there's still 10 games left and 30 points to play for is a huge amount of points.

I will be confident of promotion once there's 2 games left and we are 7 points clear.

Then I will think we are in with a pretty good chance.

Still not certain though eh

 

[Gint11]

This is what its all for isnt it .. why we chose to go through all the misery

Yeah but, it’s puts us in a different stratosphere financially!

 

[Cally Fedora]

Boro at home was a massive turning point. Five wins on the bounce at the perfect time since. I think we are nearly there now. I think the only thing that could derail us would be injuries to Wright or Rushworth.

 

[shmmeee]

Yeah, but I think in terms of suspensions and injuries etc.

Lati got sent off for us yesterday and Thomas is seemingly out for 4-5 games.

So, if we then got an injury or suspension for Kitching and/or Woolfenden, we could then be absolutely buggered.

So, unlikely as it is, it's just the worry of bad situations happening.

As FL says, there's still 10 games left and 30 points to play for is a huge amount of points.

I will be confident of promotion once there's 2 games left and we are 7 points clear.

Then I will think we are in with a pretty good chance.

If we lose another CB I say we go full kamikaze ball.

 

[Otis]

If we lose another CB I say we go full kamikaze ball.

I would go Hellball and hope we have caught it on the right upward circle (6 wins in a row, rather than the can't even draw a football game downwards spiral)

 

[RoboCCFC90]

I see the Blackburn away game being the moment something is confirmed, Ipswich and Boro also play each other at the same time (currently).

 

[clint van damme]

It's even been brought up on our forum the possibility of us turning over Ipswich comfortably with ease in the game between us to break their spirit, right before bugger all to play for, players not been paid in donkeys', worst sorry side that this league has ever seen Sheff Wed inexplicably spawn a win against us

I've had a feeling for a while that Wednesday will take points off of one of the 3 of us

 

[Ipad Boro]

I would go Hellball and hope we have caught it on the right upward circle (6 wins in a row, rather than the can't even draw a football game downwards spiral)

The bonus is you never quute get to a stage of "can't even draw a game" as though the performances are still not bad throughout, those shit runs either yield LDLL or LDD, with a longer run of wins in between.

It would depend which 10 game period you used, but any period of Hellball would probably be more than adequate to get you up and take the title.

There's 9 blocks of 10 games to pick from, obviously you'd want the one with the most points! Our average PPG under Hellberg is smack on 2PPG for his 18 games in charge, but the figure varies slightly, considering which 10 game period is chosen.

1st - 7th possible set of 10 games onwards all 6 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses - 19 points. (1.9PPG)
8th set 6 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses - 20 Points.(2PPG)
9th Set (Bringing us back up to date as our most recent 10 games, so 10 game form right now) 7 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss - 23 Points.(2.3PPG)

So by employing "Hellball" although your having a different set of players would doubtless need it tweaking (more towards our game against Brum strategy than our game against Sheff U strategy) to work best for you, if you adapted to it as planned you could be expected to finish on between 93 and 97 points, come season end.

 

[Grendel]

You have included me on the wrong group.

I have never been negative about our chances and really defended us when the nonsense season has ended thread appeared.

If you read the post, it was just that niggling feeling of what if it all goes wrong.

And it's just the same as when you go on a plane and 0.01% of you thinks "what if we crash."

And my daughter is going to Japan next month and a tiny fraction of me is what an I going to do if she ends up in jail. Even though she's a lovely kid.

The mire comment was only if the worst of the worst scenarios was to happen.

The players we would struggle to replace if injured are Rushworth and Wright. Onweke also to an extent as he’s clearly had an instant impact - the rest we have options

 

[Ccfcisparks]

The players we would struggle to replace if injured are Rushworth and Wright. Onweke also to an extent as he’s clearly had an instant impact - the rest we have options

Who is Onweke

 

[oneofourown]

As usual people are getting worried with the 'if' scenerio and not trusting our coaches. As far I can see Rudi, who until 3 games ago, has not played anywhere near what he ia capable of, will be missing for 3 or 4 games and although we will miss him it will allow Asante to start again and we really have missed him. Hopefully he can start his pressing game and play on the front foot again.
Please forgive me but I think Lati is missing for one game, or is it 2? If he misses one then he will be back vs the Saints and only miss PNE. People are now doubting Woolf and Kitching even when people were say a few games ago we can't trust Lati and Woolf, and Thomas and Kitching were world beaters.

 

[SBT]

The players we would struggle to replace if injured are Rushworth and Wright. Onweke also to an extent as he’s clearly had an instant impact - the rest we have options

We’ve won every game that Wright has missed through injury this season.

 

[Grendel]

We’ve won every game that Wright has missed through injury this season.

Should leave him out the squad altogether then

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Who is Onweke

Days without trolling: 0

 

[Grendel]

Days without trolling: 0

I only mentioned @Evo1883 Sunday footballer comment regarding JDS as I seem to recall Sparkes ran away from the forum for months when they once had a spat.

Given his devout religious beliefs I’m surprised he even spends time here on Sundays

 

[Broken Hearted Sky Blue]

You went there

Btw , this is my new account grendel @Evo1883 is dead to me

Get back to your original name this minute you stupid boy

 

[Evo1883]

Get back to your original name this minute you stupid boy

Done , proper silly idea tbh

 

[SBT]

Should leave him out the squad altogether then

Well that would obviously be very silly but what exactly is the evidence that we’d struggle to replace him more than other players in our first XI?

 

[Grendel]

Well that would obviously be very silly but what exactly is the evidence that we’d struggle to replace him more than other players in our first XI?

The fact he’s our best striker whose automatic first choice and BTA is unlikely to repeat what achieved prior to Christmas.

We have credible options in most positions. Wright is approaching 50 goals. I’d say that’s evidence enough.

 

[Ccfcisparks]

I only mentioned @Evo1883 Sunday footballer comment regarding JDS as I seem to recall Sparkes ran away from the forum for months when they once had a spat.

Given his devout religious beliefs I’m surprised he even spends time here on Sundays

That’s you wound up

 

[Ccfcisparks]

Well that would obviously be very silly but what exactly is the evidence that we’d struggle to replace him more than other players in our first XI?

Because he hates simms