Half way through the season, a very successful calendar year finished (just read we got 92 league points in 2023)… nail your colours to the mast, where will we finish this season?

None of this “depends what we and others do in the window” - there are always variables and that’s all too sensible.

I’m 100% convinced we go up, I’d like to think as champions (not only because I’ve got a decent amount on us at 8/1 to win the league) but I think Derby will push us all the way.

2nd for me, with Derby as Champions and then Barnsley through the play offs.

8 minutes ago, Steejay said:

And I’ll be at all of them, celebrating for you if we do 😉

Don't celebrate for me 

My bets are selfless 

And profitless, generally

Pompey have got 1 easy game left and then have a shocking run in.

Derby ground out another win but had 2 shots on target at home and have no fit strikers.

Posh have fucked it.

We didn’t get the result we wanted today but I still maintain that it’s not all rosey at the other clubs up there either. 

15 games is a long long way to go.

10 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Pompey have got 1 easy game left and then have a shocking run in.

Derby ground out another win but had 2 shots on target at home and have no fit strikers.

Posh have fucked it.

We didn’t get the result we wanted today but I still maintain that it’s not all rosey at the other clubs up there either. 

15 games is a long long way to go.

I share your optimism.

I keep seeing Derby picking up points but I really don't care as I really stand by my belief that we are a much better team than them.

Grinding out results can win promotion, but they're really not a good side at all. They beat teams due to having superior individual quality and struggle when being given possession.

They've also just lost their only fit striker and top scorer, James Collins for the rest of the season.

2nd place is ours for the taking, if we don't grab it with both hands then it's completely down to us.

10 minutes ago, Lostock Whites said:

I share your optimism.

I keep seeing Derby picking up points but I really don't care as I really stand by my belief that we are a much better team than them.

Grinding out results can win promotion, but they're really not a good side at all. They beat teams due to having superior individual quality and struggle when being given possession.

They've also just lost their only fit striker and top scorer, James Collins for the rest of the season.

2nd place is ours for the taking, if we don't grab it with both hands then it's completely down to us.

See I honestly don’t think Pompey have got 1st all wrapped up either. I know they’ve got the points on the board but it could look very different after their next 5 games with the injuries they have.

If there’s still so much of a gap after those then I’ll probably write them off, but at the moment they’re winning the games you’d expect them to.

15 minutes ago, Eddie said:

See I honestly don’t think Pompey have got 1st all wrapped up either. I know they’ve got the points on the board but it could look very different after their next 5 games with the injuries they have.

If there’s still so much of a gap after those then I’ll probably write them off, but at the moment they’re winning the games you’d expect them to.

Here's hoping, things can change so suddenly and like you said, 15 game to go so so much can happen.

Last season Sheff Weds looked unstoppable and then ironically after drawing to us just before Wembley in mid March and after 30 or something unbeaten, they could barely win any games for the rest of the season.

Ipswich were comfortably worse off than us now at this point last season, yet they went on an incredible run, winning something like 13 of their last 17 games.

I don't believe we will need to see 96+ points for autos this season again. I think 90ish should get it.

7 hours ago, Lostock Whites said:

Here's hoping, things can change so suddenly and like you said, 15 game to go so so much can happen.

Last season Sheff Weds looked unstoppable and then ironically after drawing to us just before Wembley in mid March and after 30 or something unbeaten, they could barely win any games for the rest of the season.

Ipswich were comfortably worse off than us now at this point last season, yet they went on an incredible run, winning something like 13 of their last 17 games.

I don't believe we will need to see 96+ points for autos this season again. I think 90ish should get it.

Ipswich also giving the championship a go at moment too 

Have we all calmed down now?

We'll all drop points between now and the end of the season. We are likely to have 3 important players back in somewhere between 1 & 3 more games.

Pompey have a tough run in with loads of injuries.

We are going straight up with Derby. 

Edited February 18, 20242 yr by Biggish Dave

19 minutes ago, Biggish Dave said:

Have we all calmed down now?

We'll all drop points between now and the end of the season. We are likely to have 3 important players back in somewhere between 1 & 3 more games.

Pompey have a tough run in with loads of injuries.

We are going straight up with Derby. 

Plus we may have johnstone and Williams back for the last few games

These three upcoming away games are an acid test. Two derbies against clubs who deeply hate us and a fixture against a rugged mid-table side. I'd love us to be up level or a point beyond Derby by the time that phase of fixtures is done. 

Appreciate everything folk are saying about Derby's weaknesses but I'd rather seeing it showing up in their results before I belive it. Hopefully soon. I think Pompey signed wisely in January and will go up. Posh look like they've blown up now, but Barnsley remain dark horse material. Don't see top two threats outside of those. 

Bottom line: It's in our hands. 

Oh - and surely now we are due that elusive run of games without lots of injuries knocking about in the squad.

20 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

These three upcoming away games are an acid test. Two derbies against clubs who deeply hate us and a fixture against a rugged mid-table side. I'd love us to be up level or a point beyond Derby by the time that phase of fixtures is done. 

Appreciate everything folk are saying about Derby's weaknesses but I'd rather seeing it showing up in their results before I belive it. Hopefully soon. I think Pompey signed wisely in January and will go up. Posh look like they've blown up now, but Barnsley remain dark horse material. Don't see top two threats outside of those. 

Bottom line: It's in our hands. 

Oh - and surely now we are due that elusive run of games without lots of injuries knocking about in the squad.

It’s a massive three games; take 4 points now

29 minutes ago, RUREADY2ROLL said:

It’s a massive three games; take 4 points now

I’d take 5 points and then beat Cambridge at home.

2 points a game average.

2 hours ago, RUREADY2ROLL said:

It’s a massive three games; take 4 points now

4 points wouldn't be bad from 3 tough aways but I think if we are happy to win 1 in 3, we are then on a run of 2 wins in 7.  That's not good enough for top 2.  The fixtures don't get a lot easier after Wigan, so we either go to these places and continue to average 2 points a game or accept the fixtures are too tough for us to realistically aim for top 2.  IMO we have to win at Cambridge (to make up for Northampton/Charlton) and then minimum 3 points from the 2 local derbies (although it pains me to think of losing either of those).

We are on a poor run.

get santos back , hopefully go on a 6-7 game of wins again, it will be close, fingers crossed we can go up

3 minutes ago, victor meldrew said:

We are on a poor run.

get santos back , hopefully go on a 6-7 game of wins again, it will be close, fingers crossed we can go up

If we're on a poor run with just 1 loss in 11 league games, 7 wins and 3 draws, then Im sure we will be more than okay! 

Been off the pace for some time now and definitely rode our luck in a few (apart from Carlisle), although as Gonzo pointed out performances mean nowt it’s all about results I do worry our luck will run out at the crucial part

10 minutes ago, Lostock Whites said:

If we're on a poor run with just 1 loss in 11 league games, 7 wins and 3 draws, then Im sure we will be more than okay! 

11 games is a selective starting point.

We got one point from the 3 games before that. 

3 hours ago, captainmed said:

I’d take 5 points and then beat Cambridge at home.

2 points a game average.

Yep, that's where I'm at.

5 minutes ago, radcliffe white said:

Been off the pace for some time now and definitely rode our luck in a few (apart from Carlisle), although as Gonzo pointed out performances mean nowt it’s all about results I do worry our luck will run out at the crucial part

“Luck” normally runs out away from home.

It’s a big 3 aways and that will equal up our home/away ratio. 

1 hour ago, Johnnyrotten said:

4 points wouldn't be bad from 3 tough aways but I think if we are happy to win 1 in 3, we are then on a run of 2 wins in 7.  That's not good enough for top 2.  The fixtures don't get a lot easier after Wigan, so we either go to these places and continue to average 2 points a game or accept the fixtures are too tough for us to realistically aim for top 2.  IMO we have to win at Cambridge (to make up for Northampton/Charlton) and then minimum 3 points from the 2 local derbies (although it pains me to think of losing either of those).

Or we just take one game at a time and see where it gets us

3 hours ago, Lostock Whites said:

If we're on a poor run with just 1 loss in 11 league games, 7 wins and 3 draws, then Im sure we will be more than okay! 

Alternatively, 1 win in 4 including 3 home games and Wycombe will feel hard done by with that defeat

Now we have 3 away at a time we need to be getting some wins under our belt 

So personally I'm looking for an up turn in our recent form, we need to play well for longer spells in games, in both halves

3 hours ago, radcliffe white said:

Been off the pace for some time now and definitely rode our luck in a few (apart from Carlisle), although as Gonzo pointed out performances mean nowt it’s all about results I do worry our luck will run out at the crucial part

 

5 hours ago, captainmed said:

I’d take 5 points and then beat Cambridge at home.

2 points a game average.

It’s a big 3 games. As @captainmedsays I’d take 5, it would keep us there/thereabouts.

A statement win at Blackpool or Wigan would be massive though wouldn’t it?

I know people are being cautious/realistic but surely we’ve bought tickets for Blackpool/Wigan believing/hoping it will happen? 

3 hours ago, radcliffe white said:

Been off the pace for some time now and definitely rode our luck in a few (apart from Carlisle), although as Gonzo pointed out performances mean nowt it’s all about results I do worry our luck will run out at the crucial part

Luck? What luck with the run of injuries and suspensions we’ve had to endure to a ruck of key players? We’ve done bloody well to do what we’ve done and I’ll bet all these “tough” teams we’ve got coming up are every bit as worried about us as we are of them. In fact I’m not really worried about them because in the next week or so we’ll have most of our important players back and with them I think we’re better than anybody else in this league.

1 hour ago, Whitesince63 said:

Luck? What luck with the run of injuries and suspensions we’ve had to endure to a ruck of key players? We’ve done bloody well to do what we’ve done and I’ll bet all these “tough” teams we’ve got coming up are every bit as worried about us as we are of them. In fact I’m not really worried about them because in the next week or so we’ll have most of our important players back and with them I think we’re better than anybody else in this league.

Love it.

4 hours ago, onefinfrandsen said:

Or we just take one game at a time and see where it gets us

That would be the end of this thread then 😀