Playoff run in

[DelightInE10]

Of the playoff places - either Wrexham or Wycombe are locked in for 3rd (Charlton will fall off after posh today surely, shocked them almost like their 2 late goals against us affected us), Stockport and Charlton both look certain for playoffs barring an incredible loss of form, so its 6th that's up for grabs for 4 teams - Huddersfield, Bolton, Reading, and us.

Huddersfield (61): Charlton (A), Lincoln (A), Mansfield (H),Wycombe (H), Burton (A), Cambridge (H), Stockport (A), Exeter (A), Us (H)

Bolton (60): Blackpool (A), Wigan (A), Gas (H), Rotherham (H), Barnsley (A), Wycombe (H), Lincoln (A), Posh (A), Stevenage (H)

Reading (59): Posh (H), Blackpool (A), Wycombe (H), Shrewsbury (A), Northampton (A), Lincoln (H), Mansfield (A), Gas (A), Barnsley (H)

Us (56): Stevenage (H), Burton (A), Wigan (H), Mansfield (A), Crawley (A), Barnsley (H),Cambridge (A), Wycombe (H), Huddersfield (A)

Huddersfield look like they have a really tough run - Charlton have been on a great run and that will be a tough game, but the loss to Posh will surely hit them, Wycombe at home is tough, Burton will put up a fight, Stockport are obviously tough to beat, and we will surely give them a good game on the final day. The 5-1 win v Crawley surely means new manager bounce, but for how long? I reckon win 6 draw 1 lose 2 so 80 points - pretty high for 6th

Bolton have an improved Blackpool (minus their finishing against us - that Fletcher miss might be the worst miss I've ever seen!) away, and Wigan who will surely improve under Ryan Lowe. They'll win around 5, draw 2, and lose 2 - 77 points - very high.

Reading is an interesting one. They look like they have a fairly easy run - especially past Blackpool and Wigan but they might be expelled from the league if their owner doesn't sell in the next month (I think?). Judging by how previous talks have stalled and the lack of care Dai Yongge has, I wouldn't be too surprised if that happens. I think in general no fans of any team would want to see a club die like that - not least a fairly big proper club with a decent history like Reading, and I feel our fans in particularly - with he who must not be named - would sympathise more with Reading. There may be potential point deductions coming (probably next season though), or they get expelled altogether, which may mean that we lose the 6 points we got from doing the double over Reading (which would f*** us over if we weren't already), or the teams that have to still play reading will get the 3 points (which wouldn't impact us in our playoff push because neither of the other 2 need to play Reading again. I'd be surprised if they make playoffs - win 4, draw 3, lose 2 - 74 points

If the teams above us maintain form then it will be nigh on impossible to make playoffs. We need to win 8 of our next 9 - although our only genuine tough games are Wycombe and Huddersfield and potentially Barnsley. Stevenage will make it tough and we will have to fight hard to win, as will Burton, Wigan will surely be much improved with the new manager bounce, Mansfield should be fairly easy, Crawley might be difficult with Scott Lindsey back, Barnsley may have the new manager bounce, Cambridge are doomed so it should be easy, and Wycombe and Huddersfield speak for themselves. Best case scenario Bolton continue losing and Huddersfield's new manager bounce will run out of steam quick. We will need around 76 at the absolute very least to make playoffs and we will probably need 78-80 realistically.
I reckon we will win 5 draw 2 lose 2 - 17 points, 73 points
We definitely have the potential to make playoffs, even considering how hard it is - we could win 6 or 7 if we get to the same level we were at in December, January time. Beckles, OON, TJ, Happe are all back for Stevenage and should be fit for the rest of the season - so our defence should improve so we shouldn't concede as many - especially from corners now we have height and physicality back with Beckles and Happe. No one thought Keeley would score - and set us on that run that got us from 21st to 6th. No one thought we'd give Man city a great game and lead them for 60 minutes. Even Richie himself said playoffs were impossible at the start of the season, yet we were there just a month ago. Oxford had a tough run last year around the same time and look at where they are now.
It will be very tough, almost impossible but never write us off under Richie Wellens.
COYOS.

[RedDwarf 1881]

I can see us coming close but missing out by about two or three points . Saying that it's still not impossible so we'll see what happens .

[BIGRON]

Stevenage will beat us , then everyone can put the play-offs out of their calculations

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Win our game in hand and only 6 behind Stockport. It’s still on.
Beat hudds last game of the season and sneak into 6th

[Hoover Attack]

Thursdays game is the toughest one to get through, without Galbraith and Donley presumably missing. Win that and we are properly back in it.

Thereafter it starts getting easier as more and more players return.

[The Reverend]

Play-offs went for us when Charlton scored those two injury time goals. The two losses after that made it almost certain but a morale destroying loss like that Charlton game can derail an entire season, and certainly it can kill a play off run in.

Mathematically it’s still possible for now but realistically it ain’t going to happen. Would love to be proven wrong, of course.

[EliotNes]

I can see us coming close but missing out by about two or three points . Saying that it's still not impossible so we'll see what happens .

Sorry to say it but I agree.

Those 3 home defeats in February & March are going to cost us dearly.

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Guarantee that other teams in the race will go on a similar run before the end of the season. People seem to think everyone will win every game

[EliotNes]

This and similar discussions are a bit of deja vu from when this Board started in April 2019. We were making similar comments, permutations and predictions then. Ain't it funny peculiar what comes around again, just like fashions.

COYOs

[Hoover Attack]

Play-offs went for us when Charlton scored those two injury time goals. The two losses after that made it almost certain but a morale destroying loss like that Charlton game can derail an entire season, and certainly it can kill a play off run in.

Mathematically it’s still possible for now but realistically it ain’t going to happen. Would love to be proven wrong, of course.

Like when we threw away a 2-0 lead v Colchester in injury time in our title winning season?

[Rich Tea Wellin]

It’s unlikely, of course but it’s far from done. There’s always twists and turns and if we can regain form and go on another run, which isn’t a ridiculous thing to happen then we still have a chance

[RedDwarf 1881]

I'm hoping that the rest we've had can be used as a springboard to go on another good run . We're getting our injured players back ( apart from Graham and Archibald ) and we've already shown we're a match for anybody in this league . I still think we'll just miss out but it's the hope that kills you .

[Hoover Attack]

It’s unlikely, of course but it’s far from done. There’s always twists and turns and if we can regain form and go on another run, which isn’t a ridiculous thing to happen then we still have a chance

It wasn't that we were in form, it's that we were a really good team. Losing TJ, Beckles and Happe to injury then Currie to suspension made us not such a good team.

If those players are about to return and get up to full speed sharpish, we become a good team again, even more so with the addition of the players in January.

[cymruO]

Said before - still on but it's no longer entirely in our hands. We don't have fixtures with anyone above until end season - could be all on or all over by then.

[The Reverend]

Play-offs went for us when Charlton scored those two injury time goals. The two losses after that made it almost certain but a morale destroying loss like that Charlton game can derail an entire season, and certainly it can kill a play off run in.

Mathematically it’s still possible for now but realistically it ain’t going to happen. Would love to be proven wrong, of course.

Like when we threw away a 2-0 lead v Colchester in injury time in our title winning season?

We didn’t lose that game, only one of the goals was in injury time and Colchester weren’t a title contender.

Charlton feels different because both goals came in injury time, we lost the game as a result, and the opposition is a direct playoff contender.

We also managed to go unbeaten for the next 5 matches after that Colchester draw.

Obviously you can’t pin an entire season on a single result but that Charlton game felt like a significant loss. The players would have felt it and it was quite the blow for fans as well. Never fun having that happen in your own backyard, especially when the away end is packed.

[Lifelongfan]

Let it go. We won't make it

[Give it to Jabo]

Simple…have to go for it, especially as we have the services of Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley this season.

[Max B Gold]

Let it go. We won't make it

Given that we haven't done that well against teams above us it's probably best that we consolidate and push for promotion next season.

If we went up this season then there is only total and utter misery ahead as we get a hounding every week. It would make our fan base very unhappy.

[Hoover Attack]

Play-offs went for us when Charlton scored those two injury time goals. The two losses after that made it almost certain but a morale destroying loss like that Charlton game can derail an entire season, and certainly it can kill a play off run in.

Mathematically it’s still possible for now but realistically it ain’t going to happen. Would love to be proven wrong, of course.

Like when we threw away a 2-0 lead v Colchester in injury time in our title winning season?

We didn’t lose that game, only one of the goals was in injury time and Colchester weren’t a title contender.

Charlton feels different because both goals came in injury time, we lost the game as a result, and the opposition is a direct playoff contender.

We also managed to go unbeaten for the next 5 matches after that Colchester draw.

Obviously you can’t pin an entire season on a single result but that Charlton game felt like a significant loss. The players would have felt it and it was quite the blow for fans as well. Never fun having that happen in your own backyard, especially when the away end is packed.

Not sure Charlton are title contenders either? Col Utd's goals were in the 89th and 90th minutes, think that's late enough to treat as comparable.

I think you're confusing how upset you were about it (which I get, the packed away end, their players and managers going overboard with the celebrations etc) with how it impacts on professionals.

[The Reverend]

Like when we threw away a 2-0 lead v Colchester in injury time in our title winning season?

We didn’t lose that game, only one of the goals was in injury time and Colchester weren’t a title contender.

Charlton feels different because both goals came in injury time, we lost the game as a result, and the opposition is a direct playoff contender.

We also managed to go unbeaten for the next 5 matches after that Colchester draw.

Obviously you can’t pin an entire season on a single result but that Charlton game felt like a significant loss. The players would have felt it and it was quite the blow for fans as well. Never fun having that happen in your own backyard, especially when the away end is packed.

I think you're confusing how upset you were about it (which I get, the packed away end, their players and managers going overboard with the celebrations etc) with how it impacts on professionals.

That’s a fair point. It really was an unpleasant end to the afternoon!

[Hoover Attack]

Should have left early like me and missed all that nonsense.

[gshaw]

I think you're confusing how upset you were about it (which I get, the packed away end, their players and managers going overboard with the celebrations etc) with how it impacts on professionals.

Richie did say in one of his match previews that result hit the squad hard.

[Bandy Legs]

Charlton 2 up v Huddersfield

[RedDwarf 1881]

Charlton 2 up v Huddersfield

Yeah , I'm currently watching the game . So far Huddersfield's defence has been poor woeful . Hoping Charlton can go on to win this and keep Huddersfield within our grasp.

[RedDwarf 1881]

Now 3-0 to Charlton . I was just thinking that while not at full strength we gave Charlton a far better game than Huddersfield are this afternoon . I hope Huddersfield play this badly again when we play them away on the last day of the season .