Well, can we make it into a play-off place by end of the season?

[norfolk white]

Well, can we make it into a play-off place by end of the season? Here is my annual run-in towards the end of the season.

Below are the remaining fixtures for all those who are still possibly in contention of a top 6 place (I have included teams who, if they win their games in hand could be on the same points as us as it stands. I will knock teams off this list when they are no longer in contention). I have put in bold the games where teams who are in contention play each other and in italics when it is a local derby. I will up-date this on at least a weekly basis.

Norwich City

March:

2nd Millwall (A); 8th Swansea City (H); 13th Hull City (H); 16th Rotherham (A); 30th Middlesbrough (A)

April:

6th QPR (H); 9th Reading (H); 13th Wigan Athletic (A); 19th Sheffield Wednesday (H); 22nd Stoke City (A); 27th Blackburn Rovers (H)

May:

5th Aston Villa (A)

Possible Points total = 102 pts.



Sheffield United

March:

4th Sheffield Wednesday (A); 9th Rotherham United (H); 12th Brentford (A); 16th Leeds (A); 30th Bristol City (H)

April:

6th Preston North End (A); 10th Birmingham City (A); 13th Millwall (A); 19th Nottingham Forest (H); 22nd Hull City (A); 27th Ipswich Town (H)

May:

5th Stoke City (A)

Possible Points total = 100 pts.



Leeds United

February:

26th QPR (A)

March:

1st WBA (H); 9th Bristol City (A); 12th Reading (H); 16th Sheffield United (H); 30th Millwall (H)

April:

6th Birmingham City (A); 9th Preston North End (A); 13th Sheffield Wednesday (H); 19th Wigan Athletic (H); 22nd Brentford (A); 27th Aston Villa (H)

May:

5th Ipswich Town (A)

Possible Points total = 103 pts.



West Bromwich Albion

March:

1st Leeds United (A); 9th Ipswich Town (H); 13th Swansea City (H); 16th Brentford (A); 29th Birmingham City (H)

April:

6th Millwall (A); 9th Bristol City (A); 13th Preston North End (H); 19th Hull City (A); 22nd Reading (A); 27th Rotherham United (H)

May:

5th Derby County (A)

Possible Points total = 96 pts.



Middlesbrough

2nd Wigan Athletic (A); 9th Brentford (H); 13th Preston North End (H); 16th Aston Villa (A); 30th Norwich City (H)

April:

2nd Bristol City (H); 6th Swansea City (A); 9th Bolton Wanderers (A); 13th Hull City (H); 19th Stoke City (H); 22nd Nottingham Forest (A); 27th Reading (H)

May:

5th Rotherham United (A)

Possible Points total = 96 pts.



Bristol City

February:

Birmingham City (H)

March:

2nd Preston North End (A); 9th Leeds United (H); 12th Ipswich Town (H); 30th Sheffield United (A)

April:

2nd Middlesbrough (A); 6th Wigan Athletic (H); 9th West Bromwich Albion (H); 13th Aston Villa (A); 19th Reading (H); 22nd Sheffield Wednesday (A); 27th Derby County (H); 30th Millwall (A)

May;

5th Hull City (A)

Possible Points total = 95 pts.



Derby County

March:

2nd Aston Villa (A); 5th Wigan Athletic (H); 9th Sheffield Wednesday (H); 13th Stoke City (H); 30th Rotherham United (H)

April:

6th Brentford (A); 9th Blackburn Rovers (A); 13th Bolton Wanderers (H);

19th Birmingham City (A); 22nd QPR (H); 27th Bristol City (A)

May:

1st Swansea City (A); West Bromwich Albion (H)

Possible Points total = 90 pts.



Nottingham Forest

March:

2nd Stoke City (A); 9th Hull City (H); 13th Aston Villa (H); 16th Ipswich Town (A); 30th Swansea (H)

April:

6th Rotherham (A); 9th Sheffield Wednesday (A); 13th Blackburn Rovers (H); 19th Sheffield United (H); 22nd Middlesbrough (H); 27th QPR (A)

May:

5th Bolton Wanderers

Possible Points total = 86 pts.



Birmingham City

February:

26th Bristol City (A)

March:

2nd Hull City (A); 10th Aston Villa (H); 13th Millwall (H); 16th Preston North End (H); 29th West Bromwich Albion (A)

April:

6th Leeds United (H); 10th Sheffield United; 13th Ipswich Town (A); 19th Derby County (H); 22nd Rotherham United (A); 27th Wigan Athletic

May:

5th Reading (A)



Us

March:

2nd Bristol City (H); 9th Blackburn Rovers (A); 13th Middlesbrough (A); 16th Birmingham City (H); 30th Reading (A)

April:

6th Sheffield United (H); 9th Leeds United (H); 13th West Bromwich Albion (A); 19th Ipswich Town (H); 22nd Wigan Athletic; 27th Sheffield Wednesday (H)

May:

5th Brentford (A)

Current Points = 47

Possible Points total = 83 pts.



Aston Villa

March:

2nd Derby County (H); 10th Birmingham City (A); 13th Nottingham Forest (A); 16th Middlesbrough (H); 30th Blackburn Rovers (H)

April:

6th Sheffield Wednesday (A); 10th Rotherham (A); 13th Bristol City (H); 19th Bolton Wanderers (A); 22nd Millwall (H); 27th Leeds United (A)

May:

5th Norwich City (H)

Possible Points total = 81 pts.



Swansea City

March:

2nd Bolton Wanderers (H); 8th Norwich City (A); 13th West Bromwich Albion (A); 30th Nottingham Forest (A)

April:

2nd Brentford (H); 6th Middlesbrough (H); 9th Stoke City (H); 13th QPR (A); 19th Rotherham United (H); 22nd Ipswich Town (A); 27th Hull City (H)

May:

1st Derby County (H); 5th Blackburn Rovers (A)

Possible Points total = 83 pts.



Hull City

February:

26th Millwall (H)

March:

2nd Birmingham City (H); 9th Nottingham Forest (H); 13th Norwich City (A); 16th QPR (H); 30th Ipswich Town (A)

April:

6th Reading (H); 10th Wigan Athletic (H); 13th Middlesbrough (A); 19th West Bromwich Albion (A); 22nd Sheffield United (H); 27th Swansea City (A)

May:

5th Bristol City (H)

Possible Points total = 83 pts.

Blackburn Rovers

March:

2nd Rotherham United (A); 9th Preston North End (H); 12th Wigan (H); 16th Sheffield Wednesday (A); 30th Aston Villa (A)

April:

6th Stoke City (H); 9th Derby County (H); 13th Nottingham Forest (A); 19th QPR (A); 22nd Bolton Wanderers (H); 27th Norwich City (A)

May;

5th Swansea City (H)

Possible Points total = 80 pts.



Sheffield Wednesday

February:

26th Brentford (H)

March:

4th Sheffield United; 9th Derby County; 12th Bolton Wanderers; 16th Blackburn Rovers (H); 30th Stoke City (A)

April:

6th Aston Villa (A); 9th Nottingham Forest (H); 13th Leeds United (A); 19th Norwich City (A); 22nd Bristol City (H); 27th Preston North End (A)

May:

QPR (H)

Possible Points total = 83 pts.



Brentford

February:

Sheffield Wednesday (A)

March:

2nd QPR (H); 9th Middlesbrough (A); 12th Sheffield United (A); 16th West Bromwich Albion (H); 30th Wigan Athletic (A)

April:

2nd Swansea (A); 6th Derby County (H); 10th Ipswich Town (H); 13th Reading (A); 19th Millwall (A); 22nd Leeds United (H); 27th Bolton Wanderers (A)

May:

5th Preston North End (H)

Possible Points total = 85 pts.

 

[Henry Weston]

Not sure about our chances but based on those fixtures Norwich look home and hosed for the title!

 

[Henry Weston]

I think realistically a top 6 place is beyond us. I’d say we’d need about another 30 points from our remaining 12 games which equates to an average of 2.5 points per game.....a massive ask imho. I am however thoroughly enjoying the ride at the moment.

 

[sports rehab]

thanks for the work.....

Norwich seems easier run in but partly because some of their games havent been put in bold.....and their nearest derby is Ajax!

 

[paddysr]

What I notice about that is there are lot of teams that could take a lot of points off each other.

Still all to play for.

 

[Sid Snot]

I am however thoroughly enjoying the ride at the moment.

Still all to play for.

Yes, it's all very interesting. Sadly, I reckon we'll end up depending on other teams to 'win this one', 'lose that one', 'a draw would be good', whilst trying to maintain, as Henry says, 2.5 points per game.

Enjoy each game as it comes up boys and girls

(Ivor, thanks for all the work )

 

[Kathryn]

I think realistically a top 6 place is beyond us. I’d say we’d need about another 30 points from our remaining 12 games which equates to an average of 2.5 points per game.....a massive ask imho. I am however thoroughly enjoying the ride at the moment.

Our current unbeaten run we are averaging 2.25 points per game so we’re not far off. A few consecutive wins could improve that.

 

[royribble]

Good work thanks and puts our chances into perspective.

 

[stf4ever]

I'm not wholly optimistic about our chances, we've got a tough run in. However, if we take points off all those around us, there's nothing to say we can't!

 

[Liberation]

Be Nice Wouldn't It ?

 

[Grimbeard]

Our current unbeaten run we are averaging 2.25 points per game so we’re not far off. A few consecutive wins could improve that.

From what I've worked out then 2.25 is actually bang on what we need, so if we can carry this form through to the end of the season we might actually just do it.

Average points needed for 6th is 74 points (taken from here: https://www.thestatszone.com/how-ma...otion-in-the-championship-playoffs-efl-skybet). We're currently 27 points off that target with 12 games left to play. 27/12 = 2.25.

The total might end up being higher than that, but with so many teams still needing to play each other there are plenty of points to be dropped and ground to be made up. We're in a slightly worse position than we were this time last year (51 points after 34 games and 4 points off 6th) but given our current form I think we stand a half decent chance.

 

[PNEESSEX]

thanks for the work.....

Norwich seems easier run in but partly because some of their games havent been put in bold.....and their nearest derby is Ajax!

Ipswich may have a different view of that

 

[PNEESSEX]

I suspect we will fall just short....I reckon we may get 68-70 points with luck, but that won't be enough for a top 6 I don't think.

 

[norfolk white]

(Ivor, thanks for all the work )

No problem Sid

 

[MrHodgeheg123]

Of course we can. Loads of points still to play for. Look where we were after ten games. Let them all worry about us.

 

[Baldygit]

We can always dream. Considering our nightmare period when injuries and suspensions were the norm, who would have thought wewould ever be considering the possibility of making the playoffs. If Lady Luck is with us and a fair wind behind us - we WILL make it

 

[pnenycx]

Highly unlikely but beat Bristol City on Saturday and it will get interesting.

 

[epsilon]

I take a different view nycx.

However, it is a 6-pointer - that is if either team wins. So it's a good one to win and it would provide more cushion.

But it's not the end if it isn't won.

The 20-game forecast allowed for 6 draws/losses. 3 down, 3 to go. When all 6 are gone [plus 1], then you have highly unlikely, imo.

 

[epsilon]

One thing to look out for is the form of Nottingham Forest. I feel that could be the biggest remaining threat, rather than Franky or Bristol City.

 

[sedgwick__7]

Our home form needs to improve in order to properly have a go at the top 6.

Obviously our away form is outstanding, as it has been for most of the time Neil has been here, but beyond the brilliant Norwich result our home form has been mediocre at best for a couple of months now. Too many draws. Turn those home draws into wins and we'll be there or thereabouts.

Getting early goals at home is crucial imho, the Norwich game being the perfect example of how much it can help us. Same with Forest really in that if we'd taken an early chance or two against Forest it would've been a totally different game as they'd have started playing more expansively. Hopefully the lesson has been learned.