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West Bromwich Albion FC Forums => West Bromwich Albion FC => Topic started by: Webby on January 23, 2020, 10:09:06 AM
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Aware this could change vastly depending on a good performance or not but if you had to give 1 prediction on final league position what would you say?
After our abysmal run topped by Stoke I did a little lay on Betfair saying we wont finish top 6. £20 gets me £300 back. But surely that wont happen!?
Going for 5th.
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If we can see this dip through and with a few additions to the squad I'd still expect us to be top 2
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i will go 4th, just getting over the playoff line. more anguish at the end of the season
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Still confident of 1st, a lot of dross in this div, we have enough "quality" smattered through the squad to see us through
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The only thing that everyone can be sure of is we wont be relegated. ;)
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Massively depends on if we get a couple in, in my opinion.
If we make zero signings I can't see how the downturn in form will be rectified, and I'd struggle to see us keep our playoff spot, I'd go with 8th.
With the right signings, 1st/2nd.
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Best 1st
Worst 5th
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I'll be disappointed if we don't finish top two, as others have said, we do have a quality squad.
We've been really unfortunate with injuries this season, far more than last.
It's the business point of the season, teams are scrapping to avoid relegation, we're going to see more games like the Stoke one, especially at home.
I think we've got the determination to get there this time, but IMO, it will go down to the wire.
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I would say 4th. Which to be honest given where we were a month ago, is a disaster.
If Bilic doesnt get us promoted this season (by the play offs if necessary), I honestly dont think his career here will recover from it.
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Top 2.
We haven't won in 6 games now, and it is going to realistically take teams another 3 without a win to overtake us.
This purple patch will end soon and other teams will go through one.
We'll be fine, just ride the rollercoaster!
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Hoping this is just a bad patch and we come out of it fairly soon, then I can’t see anything other than top 2, teams in this league are far too inconsistent. We have taken 4 points in 6 games and still 4 points clear of Fulham in 3rd with a game in hand over them.
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Win the league. Confident. No idea why so many are panicking.
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I would say 4th. Which to be honest given where we were a month ago, is a disaster.
If Bilic doesnt get us promoted this season (by the play offs if necessary), I honestly dont think his career here will recover from it.
I'm not sure how you arrive at that conclusion, when Bilic came here, it was a two year project. If he gets us up this season, he will have over achieved.
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If he doesn't get us up this year though i can't see how next year is going to be any better with a massive drop in our income.
I would expect the best players to be sold not added too. Hopefully i'm wrong.
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I'm not sure how you arrive at that conclusion, when Bilic came here, it was a two year project. If he gets us up this season, he will have over achieved.
Things change. Going in to the second half of the season he had a 14 point lead.
If we were to finish in the play offs and not win them, our form over the second half of the season will probably have us around mid table. So that is a very average period, or worse. Our belt then has to be tightened further as parachute money is chopped again and our only real salable asset is Pereira. The monkey / shadow, whatever you want to call it, of one of the worst capitulations ever then surrounds Bilic. Fan moral is hammered. Questions about his inability to halt a slide are everywhere. Three more ex premiership sides desperate to get back up are with us.
It might sound pessimistic and like a merchant of doom and I am really not generally, but it will take something incredible to over come messing this up. To some extent he may have made a rod for his own back by the points he got on the board, but that is his reality now.
Also - the two year project was propaganda in the first place. The aim this year was promotion, no doubt about it.
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Things change. Going in to the second half of the season he had a 14 point lead.
If we were to finish in the play offs and not win them, our form over the second half of the season will probably have us around mid table. So that is a very average period, or worse. Our belt then has to be tightened further as parachute money is chopped again and our only real salable asset is Pereira. The monkey / shadow, whatever you want to call it, of one of the worst capitulations ever then surrounds Bilic. Fan moral is hammered. Questions about his inability to halt a slide are everywhere. Three more ex premiership sides desperate to get back up are with us.
It might sound pessimistic and like a merchant of doom and I am really not generally, but it will take something incredible to over come messing this up. To some extent he may have made a rod for his own back by the points he got on the board, but that is his reality now.
Also - the two year project was propaganda in the first place. The aim this year was promotion, no doubt about it.
Surely the reality now is we still have a 4 point lead and a game in hand over 3rd place, and we have lost 3 games all season. We are having our first blip (2 defeats and 5 draws) and its all doom and gloom, if we win our next 2 which we are more than capable of things become rosier again, people seem way to quick to jump on the doom and gloom bandwagon even though we are still top of the league (which is both fact and reality all in one). Anyway I diverse.... still top 2 for me!
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Top two for me. We will recover from this blip.
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Top 2 for me too. We've hit a dodgy patch of form and it has coincided with losing key players. Next few weeks will be rough but we'll be fine.
Especially if the board pull their finger out.
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Outside of top 6. This situation is looking very Alan Pardew in the defence department.
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To be honest we need new blood so if we get new players in top 2, if we don't playoffs.
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We will win the league
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I think we will scrape 2nd place by a hairs breath
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4th. I hope I’m wrong.
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Surely the reality now is we still have a 4 point lead and a game in hand over 3rd place, and we have lost 3 games all season. We are having our first blip (2 defeats and 5 draws) and its all doom and gloom, if we win our next 2 which we are more than capable of things become rosier again, people seem way to quick to jump on the doom and gloom bandwagon even though we are still top of the league (which is both fact and reality all in one). Anyway I diverse.... still top 2 for me!
True, although I think the capitulation will be far more prominent and will be overwhelming should it materialise.
It is hypothetical at the moment and we still have a great chance of making it a good season, but he has to turn it around now.
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I think we'll finish in the top 2. I'll say Champions.
For purely selfish reasons I hope we don't end up in the play offs as I'm in Copenhagen with work from 10th-17th May!
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I'm confident we'll turn our form around. If we bring in the one or two players Slav is after then I fancy us to finish 1st.
If we don't bring anyone in then I think we'll finish either 2nd or 3rd.
Fourth will be our worst case scenario, but I don't think that will happen.
9 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses from the last 18 should be enough IMO.
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2nd keep the faith.
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Win the league. Confident. No idea why so many are panicking.
I agree with you again.
I’m still confident we will be promoted. Despite our recent run of poor form
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Think Fulham are our only real threat for the title. Will stick with us going up as Champions. It's a poor league.
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Think Fulham are our only real threat for the title. Will stick with us going up as Champions. It's a poor league.
Leeds will **** the league now even when they were on their bad run they were still dominating teams unlike us and their win Tuesday night coming back from 2 nil down is like a double boost.
Think we will just scrape the play-offs
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Leeds will **** the league now even when they were on their bad run they were still dominating teams unlike us and their win Tuesday night coming back from 2 nil down is like a double boost.
Think we will just scrape the play-offs
We'll see. They down tools in March. Well maybe that's a bit harsh, they run out of steam badly though.
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I wish I had the confidence of some on here. They wouldn’t have thrown the lead away this quickly if they’d been bribed.
Leeds will go on and win it now. The entire top 6 are a threat to us at the moment. Hopefully we do some good business today. Probably need to let some out too.
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Leeds will **** the league now even when they were on their bad run they were still dominating teams unlike us and their win Tuesday night coming back from 2 nil down is like a double boost.
Think we will just scrape the play-offs
Leeds have collected 2 more points than us since 14/12 when we last won in the league. During our and their bad runs we have pretty much done the same. They may have dominated teams but their results were pretty much the same as ours.
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I wish I had the confidence of some on here. They wouldn’t have thrown the lead away this quickly if they’d been bribed.
Leeds will go on and win it now. The entire top 6 are a threat to us at the moment. Hopefully we do some good business today. Probably need to let some out too.
Surely the entire top 6 are also a threat to Leeds as well though?
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I don't get all this knicker wetting over Leeds. If they go on and win then so be it, but for all of their possession they had against us they only had two shots on target compared to our 6, and we had to score for them. Like us, if they don't solve that then they could be in trouble. Our problem is Forest if the Gayle deal comes off, or the 'starting to become consistent' Fulham, or BMW Brentford
We have scored a lot of goals this season and we have Grady and Periera to come back, as well as the new guys. For me the icing on the cake today would be pacey forward who doesn't give the goalkeeper any time at all.
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Think Fulham are our only real threat for the title. Will stick with us going up as Champions. It's a poor league.
WHY??? Why did you say this?
Your predictions always fail, we're doomed!!! :P
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SSN at Newcastle and said this morning they are trying to get a striker done today and if they do Gayle can go on loan. Hopefuly they don't get that striker.
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We will have ourselves to blame if we don't finish top two or even win the league. It's really there for the taking IF we sign the players we need today and Bilic can instill a greater desire in them to defend better.
I don't think I've seem the Championship so poor at the top. We should push the boat out big time today to try to capitalize on that.
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Surely the entire top 6 are also a threat to Leeds as well though?
I think Leeds overcoming a 2-0 deficit on Tuesday, and having a five point gap will see them swing back in to good form. The fact they’ve been dominating teams and been a little unlucky in their results is also important. How you are losing does matter.
We on the other hand have got what we have deserved and I don’t think beating Luton at home will be the end of our trouble. Not with the form team (Millwall) away straight after.
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I think Leeds overcoming a 2-0 deficit on Tuesday, and having a five point gap will see them swing back in to good form. The fact they’ve been dominating teams and been a little unlucky in their results is also important. How you are losing does matter.
We on the other hand have got what we have deserved and I don’t think beating Luton at home will be the end of our trouble. Not with the form team (Millwall) away straight after.
You could be right, but just to add a bit of balance....
Prior to playing Millwall Leeds lost 2-0 at home to a Sheffield Wednesday side who are in very poor form. They then were 2-0 down to Millwall at half-time.
Leeds might dominate teams, but they often struggle to create clear cut chances. Even when we are not playing well we have been creating chances. I also think Leeds were fortunate to come away with a draw against us, as they created very little and scored a flukey goal.
Leeds had also won only one in 7 prior to Millwall, a barely dissimilar run to our previous 7 matches.
We deserved at least a draw against Leeds and Brentford, largely dominated away to Charlton and even though we didn't play well against Stoke, an observer with no idea about the position of the respective teams wouldn't have said we deserved nothing from that game.
Also, Millwall may be the form team, but Stoke are also the 2nd or 3rd form team and Cardiff have been the form team at home all season, having only lost once in 14. Most of our games during this run haven't been as easy as the league table suggests they might have been.
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You could be right, but just to add a bit of balance....
Prior to playing Millwall Leeds lost 2-0 at home to a Sheffield Wednesday side who are in very poor form. They then were 2-0 down to Millwall at half-time.
Leeds might dominate teams, but they often struggle to create clear cut chances. Even when we are not playing well we have been creating chances. I also think Leeds were fortunate to come away with a draw against us, as they created very little and scored a flukey goal.
Leeds had also won only one in 7 prior to Millwall, a barely dissimilar run to our previous 7 matches.
We deserved at least a draw against Leeds and Brentford, largely dominated away to Charlton and even though we didn't play well against Stoke, an observer with no idea about the position of the respective teams wouldn't have said we deserved nothing from that game.
Also, Millwall may be the form team, but Stoke are also the 2nd or 3rd form team and Cardiff have been the form team at home all season, having only lost once in 14. Most of our games during this run haven't been as easy as the league table suggests they might have been.
As horrible as the Cardiff result was, we were by far the better side and it took a wonder save to stop Zohores shot, we could and should have taken all 3 points there.
Stoke we were the better side but we got Pulised
Charlton, I would say a draw was a fair result
Leeds was a game of 2 halves, could have taken a point
Brentford, I cannot comment as I missed it
All in all, cut out the errors and a bit of luck in front of goal and we would be in a similar postion to that which Liverpool are in.
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If the manager learns to utilize barry and brunt better and isn't afraid to drop the likes of Livermore sawyers Phillip's when playing badly we can still win the league.
Some shrewd signings. Gorlicki the pick of the bunch
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Our season will end depending on cutting stupid mistakes out at the back and finding a way of converting the chances at the other end. The midfield is not the problem.
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Our season will end depending on cutting stupid mistakes out at the back and finding a way of converting the chances at the other end. The midfield is not the problem.
If we did a poll to pick which position needs a fix, I would have thought goalkeeper would have been in the top 2....but we were not in for one nor do we ever look like we are going to drop Johnstone
My gut feeling is we will go up in 2nd....I can’t see us winning the league with butterfingers in goal
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I'm going for champions.
If we win at Millwall we will be almost back onto 2 points per match.
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Champions, never a doubt (cough)
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Leeds will **** the league now even when they were on their bad run they were still dominating teams unlike us and their win Tuesday night coming back from 2 nil down is like a double boost.
Think we will just scrape the play-offs
Do you still believe this?
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Do you still believe this?
Of course he does, he likes Leeds, more than some of us like the Albion!! {Tongue emoji} still can't do these by the way.
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Of course he does, he likes Leeds, more than some of us like the Albion!! {Tongue emoji} still can't do these by the way.
And some love the cheating scousers more..😛
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;D We should be 1st,with what we have and pre Xmas form. But this is Albion who I have supported for 56 years and had many ups and downs so we will have to make do with 2nd. ;D ;D ;D ;D
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I’m going to stick my neck out and predict Leeds will still win the league this year. If they change their keeper (they have some interesting reserve keepers), plus integrate their new striker, I think they will prove they are the best team in the league.
I hope to God we get second place, but I worry at the moment that we have lost our edge. I’m saying 4th place for us.
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Almost impossible to call at the moment. For me its between us, Leeds, Fulham, Brentford and Forest for the top two. It depends who puts the best run together. Brentford, Forest and Fulham currently in the best form but us and Leeds in the pole position at the moment. It is for us to lose still. I really hope we can go on another good run now. Should we do that I believe we can put distance between ourselves and the pack again. There are often surprising results towards the end of the season where sides at the bottom pick up.
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Hard to say. I think Forest won't quite manage top 2 so I'd say it's between us, Leeds, Fulham and Brentford.
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I’m going to stick my neck out and predict Leeds will still win the league this year. If they change their keeper (they have some interesting reserve keepers), plus integrate their new striker, I think they will prove they are the best team in the league.
I hope to God we get second place, but I worry at the moment that we have lost our edge. I’m saying 4th place for us.
Augustin has scored 1 goal in 13 games for Monaco and that was in the French league cup. I'm not sure he's going to get the goals they need. Is he an improvement on Bamford?
Once we have Diangana and Gibbs fit I think we too will seriously improve.
However in Robinson we look to have someone who can cross and shoot with accuracy and Grosicki will improve us further (even if just as an option off the bench).
It'll be interesting to see how Robinson links with Periera.
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Next three games are key, if we can prove that the slump is over and get 7 points minimum, I think we will go on to finish top 2 and probably win it. We have brought in good additions and have real quality to come back in Pereira and Diangana. Still concerns about keeper and midfield duo, but we should have the firepower to outscore the opposition.
Amazing what a scrappy win, against poor opposition, can do for the confidence but, as I have always admitted, I am incredibly fickle!!
Just hope the manager and players feel the same boost!
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Augustin has scored 1 goal in 13 games for Monaco and that was in the French league cup. I'm not sure he's going to get the goals they need. Is he an improvement on Bamford?
Once we have Diangana and Gibbs fit I think we too will seriously improve.
However in Robinson we look to have someone who can cross and shoot with accuracy and Grosicki will improve us further (even if just as an option off the bench).
It'll be interesting to see how Robinson links with Periera.
We certainty have the personnel to go up now, even with Diangana, Gibbs and Ferguson out, we have some very strong options and probably the strongest bench in the league. I just have doubts that we will recover from such a dramatic slump.
As for Augustin, his time in France suggests he has lost his way, but ligue 1 is a notoriously difficult league to score goals in and he is still very young. 2 years ago he hit double figures in the Bundesliga, so a step down to the championship, for a team that creates more chances than any other in the league might be just what he needs. It is 50/50 whether he finds his feet for me, but as a french under 21 international, if he does figure the league out quickly, his "ceiling" is probably higher than any other player in the championship.
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Just put together a predictor and have us joint 2nd on 83 with Brentford (didn't go down to GD level)
Pos Team Predicted
1 Leeds 84
2 WBA 83
3 Brentford 83
4 Fulham 80
5 Forest 77
6 Bristol City 72
7 Swansea 70
8 Preston 65
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All depends on our defence performs, champions very rarely concede as many goals as we do. Many times this season and last we give very soft goals away which immediately puts pressure on ourselves to score two or three, this was an issue last year but was masked by the fact we had Rodriguez and Gayle . Sometimes you are not going to score more than one in a game and if the defence does it’s job that’s enough to win the game.
Personally still think we have enough in our locker especially if we can get pierra,digana, Roberts back on form to get automatic promotion hopefully champions as unfortunately I don’t think our defence is going to massively improve this season at least.
A footballing cliche (can’t remember who first said it ) that forwards win you matches but defenders win you championships, but never a truer word in Albion’s case as I feel that it won’t be goals scored but goals against that will define our season
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All depends on our defence performs, champions very rarely concede as many goals as we do. Many times this season and last we give very soft goals away which immediately puts pressure on ourselves to score two or three, this was an issue last year but was masked by the fact we had Rodriguez and Gayle . Sometimes you are not going to score more than one in a game and if the defence does it’s job that’s enough to win the game.
Personally still think we have enough in our locker especially if we can get pierra,digana, Roberts back on form to get automatic promotion hopefully champions as unfortunately I don’t think our defence is going to massively improve this season at least.
A footballing cliche (can’t remember who first said it ) that forwards win you matches but defenders win you championships, but never a truer word in Albion’s case as I feel that it won’t be goals scored but goals against that will define our season
Think I've said previously, only 4 teams have conceded less than us
Brentford 8 less
Leeds 4 less
Forest 3 less
Fulham 1 less
No one has scored more goals than us.
With the January additions, I'm confident we have enough for a top 2 spot.
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Think I've said previously, only 4 teams have conceded less than us
Brentford 8 less
Leeds 4 less
Forest 3 less
Fulham 1 less
No one has scored more goals than us.
With the January additions, I'm confident we have enough for a top 2 spot.
Those four with better defensive records are though the four teams immediately behind us and now breathing down our necks. Three points between the five sides as we sit here tonight.
I’d say I’m hopeful but I’m not confident - this is such a competitive league and we’ve only beaten Luton (who’ve lost 9 of the last 11) in almost 2 months.
But I very much hope you’re right and your confidence proves justified.
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We've missed Grady and Pereira, get these two back in and hopefully the new additions gel, then we should have enough for a top two spot.
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If this game goes ahead today it’s a must win if we want the top two. Otherwise I see a similar situation to last year where it slipped out of our hands (Which happened after Sheffield United last Feb).
The next week is make or break. We could be back on form and in poll position or we could extend terrible form to a quarter of a season.
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I don't get how today is a must win. We are top of the league and whatever the result today we remain top of the league after this round of games.
Of course a win is most desirable but you cant have a must win when failure to do so doesn't alter your placing in the table ...... surely?
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I don't get how today is a must win. We are top of the league and whatever the result today we remain top of the league after this round of games.
Of course a win is most desirable but you cant have a must win when failure to do so doesn't alter your placing in the table ...... surely?
It’s momentum. It’s the Wigan result not being a flash in the pan and Bilic being able to turn it around.
Otherwise I don’t see how anyone can believe we will suddenly change from a team that has been extremely poor for a quarter of a season, to suddenly keeping pace with the best in the league.
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It’s momentum. It’s the Wigan result not being a flash in the pan and Bilic being able to turn it around.
Otherwise I don’t see how anyone can believe we will suddenly change from a team that has been extremely poor for a quarter of a season, to suddenly keeping pace with the best in the league.
It still isnt a must win though is it? If we lose today then win at Reading in midweek then we head into the Forest game still top and on the back of a win. A defeat today doesn't write off our season.
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It still isnt a must win though is it? If we lose today then win at Reading in midweek then we head into the Forest game still top and on the back of a win. A defeat today doesn't write off our season.
If you take a snapshot of the table no. I know this is an exaggeration but a snapshot of the prem table in August suggest Norwich have as much chance of winning the league as everyone else.
The truth will be though that over the last 10 games or so, Forest, Fulham and Brentford have all take around 12 points more than we have. Over the 14 remaining games they will need to take just 4 more than we do, and they all play us.
There will be very little reason to see us winning that battle, other than blind faith.
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If you take a snapshot of the table no. I know this is an exaggeration but a snapshot of the prem table in August suggest Norwich have as much chance of winning the league as everyone else.
The truth will be though that over the last 10 games or so, Forest, Fulham and Brentford have all take around 12 points more than we have. Over the 14 remaining games they will need to take just 4 more than we do, and they all play us.
There will be very little reason to see us winning that battle, other than blind faith.
I disagree, once we get over taken I think it will be such a massive blow and can’t see us recovering.
Today is a must win.
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In benign weather conditions, I'd have backed us to win today.
In these conditions the game will be a lottery, the ball will move about all over the place.
A loss or a win is unlikely to define the rest of our season.
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I disagree, once we get over taken I think it will be such a massive blow and can’t see us recovering.
Today is a must win.
I think you are agreeing with me!
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Dont care where we finish as long as its 1st or 2nd
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Time to bump this thread. Here are our last 14 games:
Forest (H)
Bristol (A)
Preston (H)
Wigan (H)
Swansea (A)
Birm City (H)
Brentford (A)
Sheff Wed (A)
Hull (H)
Derby (H)
Blackburn (A)
Fulham (H)
Huddersfield (A)
QPR (H)
A possible 42 points on offer, so how many do we get by the end?
Interestingly we play teams in the top half of the comp 7 times and the same figure in the bottom half of the comp.
Can we get to 90 points?
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What do we think. 25ish points to guarantee top 2? Keeping in mind we play a few of the other contenders.
8/9 wins few draws few losses?
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Having a bit of a flick through previous years...
Since 01-02 season
Highest: first place - 106 points, second place - 93 points, third place - 89 points
Lowest: first place - 81 points, second place - 79 points, third place - 75 points
Average: first place - 94 points, second place - 88 points, third place - 83 points
I reckon 85 will be enough for automatic this year given that the teams below us would need to win 10 of their remaining 14 games to reach 86 points, therefore we are looking at 23 more points from our remaining 14 games.
8 wins, 6 losses
7 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses
Should both see us go up. Easily achievable given the fixtures ahead, and the strength and depth of our squad. I am very optimistic about our prospects. I actually think we will go up as champions on around 90 points.
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Having a bit of a flick through previous years...
I reckon 85 will be enough for automatic this year given that the teams below us would need to win 10 of their remaining 14 games to reach 86 points, therefore we are looking at 23 more points from our remaining 14 games.
Based on this estimate Sheffield away could well be the clincher but given our occasional propensity to blip I think I must prioritise getting in for tickets for every remaining away game 'just in case'
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Having a bit of a flick through previous years...
Since 01-02 season
Highest: first place - 106 points, second place - 93 points, third place - 89 points
Lowest: first place - 81 points, second place - 79 points, third place - 75 points
Average: first place - 94 points, second place - 88 points, third place - 83 points
I reckon 85 will be enough for automatic this year given that the teams below us would need to win 10 of their remaining 14 games to reach 86 points, therefore we are looking at 23 more points from our remaining 14 games.
8 wins, 6 losses
7 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses
Should both see us go up. Easily achievable given the fixtures ahead, and the strength and depth of our squad. I am very optimistic about our prospects. I actually think we will go up as champions on around 90 points.
My updated predictions based on this week's results.
Pos Team Predicted
1 WBA 85
2 Leeds 84
3 Fulham 83
4 Brentford 81
5 Forest 76
6 Preston 70
7 Bristol City 69
8 Swansea 65
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next 3 games are the defining ones, if we can win 2 of them, we're going up as champs IMO
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My updated predictions based on this week's results.
Pos Team Predicted
1 WBA 85
2 Leeds 84
3 Fulham 83
4 Brentford 81
5 Forest 76
6 Preston 70
7 Bristol City 69
8 Swansea 65
I bet dirty leeds supporters would love to know where you think those points are going to come from? They look to be in total free fall ATM
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Just seen this
https://twitter.com/WBAReport/status/1227913827125202944/photo/1
This season we have the most league away points of any team in the top four divisions!
COYB
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I bet dirty leeds supporters would love to know where you think those points are going to come from? They look to be in total free fall ATM
:D
I'm a bit pessimistic when predicting ours whilst being a bit over generous with our competitors.
It's borne out of being a 40 year baggies veteran. :D