Season 2019/20 Can We Finally Go Up?

[Paplane]

So after that transfer window are we going up automatically or via the play offs?

Play off's for me, on the basis that I still think the strength of Leeds and West Brom will tell. But, if Leeds or West Brom do slip up, I think we have just as good a chance of getting into the top 2 as any other team.

Incidentally, in the play offs, based on how the league has panned out so far, would there be a team who you'd fancy to beat us? I can't see an obvious one. So again, I think we'd be no weaker than any team in it and so it would come down to performances on the day.

[Paplane]

I reckon we have about a 25% chance of going up.

[ThePromisedLand]

In which case Betfred’s 6/1 is good value?

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

So after that transfer window are we going up automatically or via the play offs?

You don't get more points or less points for having a good or bad transfer window  :)

It will be decided on the pitch.

One man is absolutely vital to our chances though.

We must keep Samba Sow fit and then we have a good chance of glory.

[Strawberry Avenger]

So after that transfer window are we going up automatically or via the play offs?

You don't get more points or less points for having a good or bad transfer window  :)

It will be decided on the pitch.

One man is absolutely vital to our chances though.

We must keep Samba Sow fit and then we have a good chance of glory.

Sow or bust.

SA.

[Sausage Roll]

So after that transfer window are we going up automatically or via the play offs?

You don't get more points or less points for having a good or bad transfer window  :)

It will be decided on the pitch.

One man is absolutely vital to our chances though.

We must keep Samba Sow fit and then we have a good chance of glory.

Or we must learn how to mitigate his absence when he doesn't play.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

So after that transfer window are we going up automatically or via the play offs?

You don't get more points or less points for having a good or bad transfer window  :)

It will be decided on the pitch.

One man is absolutely vital to our chances though.

We must keep Samba Sow fit and then we have a good chance of glory.

Or we must learn how to mitigate his absence when he doesn't play.

Yes, in an ideal world SR that would be great. Unfortunatley we have not been able to achieve that so far.

[Strawberry Avenger]

So after that transfer window are we going up automatically or via the play offs?

You don't get more points or less points for having a good or bad transfer window  :)

It will be decided on the pitch.

One man is absolutely vital to our chances though.

We must keep Samba Sow fit and then we have a good chance of glory.

Or we must learn how to mitigate his absence when he doesn't play.

They had the transfer window to find a solution.  They didn't take it.

And now we'll see if they can find a way to mitigate his absence.  They couldn't last time and huffed and puffed their way down to 9th/10th?

Being positive, let's hope (PRAY?) Sow doesn't get injured again between now and the end of the season.

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

So after that transfer window are we going up automatically or via the play offs?

You don't get more points or less points for having a good or bad transfer window  :)

It will be decided on the pitch.

One man is absolutely vital to our chances though.

We must keep Samba Sow fit and then we have a good chance of glory.

Or we must learn how to mitigate his absence when he doesn't play.

Yes, in an ideal world SR that would be great. Unfortunatley we have not been able to achieve that so far.

SA.

[optimistic_red]

In the Birmingham game it was previously mentioned that Yates and Watson played well together, it was only when Yates was replaced by Semedo that the midfield lost the plot.
Sow has been immense but we have the squad to cope, as I doubt he will play every remaining minute (unfortunately).

[wassy04]

Without wanting to sound negative I do get his point. I think we've been a bit lucky this year. Not denying some excellent performances too eg brentford. 

Expected goals which is a vague chances to success ratio has us around 18th. 

All that said most teams that go up are lucky, just look at Sheff U and Norwich. We remind me of norwich, rode our luck in the early part winning a lot of games by 1 now we need to step it up and accelerate. Hopefully the greater options on the bench will help. I'm very hopeful of that painful few weeks in may when the playoffs are on

I don't think we have been lucky to be honest chap. What results do you think we've got that we weren't due?

We've been lucky in that Grabban and Watson have remained fit, but take key players out of other sides and they struggle too.

We keep it tight at the back and win games by the odd goal.  I accept that Grabban is scoring most of those odd goals but without him we probably wouldn't play the way we do. As he's remained fit, we've been able to play to plan A all season. 

Only Sheffield Wednesday have managed to beat us by a margin of more than 1 goal this season. That's excellence, not luck.

Barnsley (H), Wigan (H), Blackburn (H), Luton (H), Fulham (A), derby (H), Stoke (A).

Not saying we were lucky in all these wins but we wkn these games and at times we were heavily under siege and could've easily not won. 

I agree we've done a good job of being awkward opposition and I'd love to be proved wrong and we start winning more comfortably or even just continue to scrap out tight wins and go up that way. I just dont think we want to be over confident so that when we dont win there is so much anarchy and anger.

[wassy04]

One of the oldest sayings in football- the league table doesnt lie.

Ive yet to see any evidence including chances created stats etc that disproves the above statement. Including the Brentford rule that apparently states they should be awarded promotion by default on basis of 70% possession.

We are currently the 4th best team in the Championship. End of.

Completely disagree with the "table doesn't lie" mantra. So much luck and randomness in football and sport in general. A league season allows for some of this to level out but it can be perfectly conceivable for a team to be lucky and successful. 

A lazy example but no-one would've said leicester were the best team in the league that year until at least April. They got a lot of lucky tight 1 goal victories and rode their momentum to glory combined with underperformance from the top sides with the most expectation.