Re: Promotion discussion thread

[Dazzle]

Blues are good in the air with Adams & Jukevic (spelling)
Mings & Hause are decent in the air, play them in the middle & bring Taylor in at LB.

That’s the only serious option, and it’s the one that’ll happen. We’re now only one injury or suspension away from a defensive crisis again. We really need our awful luck to change with injuries. We have to cross our fingers that we navigate the next 3 games without picking up anymore injuries or suspensions, we should have Tuanzebe & Chester available again after the international break.

[Dazzle]

A favourable result for us this evening with Norwich beating Swansea. We’ll all be cheering for Leeds tomorrow.

[Saunders82]

A favourable result for us this evening with Norwich beating Swansea. We’ll all be cheering for Leeds tomorrow.

Too true, this will happen quite a lot too as the pressure builds up we just need to show our best form of the season.

[Dazzle]

A favourable result for us this evening with Norwich beating Swansea. We’ll all be cheering for Leeds tomorrow.

Too true, this will happen quite a lot too as the pressure builds up we just need to show our best form of the season.

Indeed. I said some time ago that we needed to be going into the final games with our new players integrated and showing good form. In my mind we’re a good month behind where I’d hoped we’d be because of Jacks injury lasting a month or so longer than we’d thought, and also subsequent injuries to Carrol & Lansbury that have slowed up progress. Whether we are too far behind now remains to be seen, we simply need to capture the form we had going into December last year. If we do that then anything is possible, but we have very little wriggle room for dropping points in the final 11 games.

[deadbuzz]

I want to see how we do in these next two games coming up before I start thinking about challenging for the play-offs. As it stands we've still only won three in about fifteen games, and whilst the Derby win was promising, they did have half of their first team missing, we need to show that result wasn't a one off.

Despite the fact that we've dropped down to fourteenth, results have actually gone in our favour today, Bristol City losing, and Derby only drawing, means that if we win tomorrow, it will leave us only four points off top six, got to win first though, hopefully we can do it.

[Dazzle]

I want to see how we do in these next two games coming up before I start thinking about challenging for the play-offs. As it stands we've still only won three in about fifteen games, and whilst the Derby win was promising, they did have half of their first team missing, we need to show that result wasn't a one off.

Despite the fact that we've dropped down to fourteenth, results have actually gone in our favour today, Bristol City losing, and Derby only drawing, means that if we win tomorrow, it will leave us only four points off top six, got to win first though, hopefully we can do it.

Very decent set of results today, the main two being the Derby and Bristol City results. We now have a scenario in our own hands where IF we win our next two games we potentially go 7th, with home games against Boro & Blackburn to follow. Come on Villa!

[Saunders82]

I can't disagree Dazzle, this is a season defining week IMO, 2 wins and we are bang in the mix anything less and its gone just like the doom mongers/realists keep saying.

[Dazzle]

I can't disagree Dazzle, this is a season defining week IMO, 2 wins and we are bang in the mix anything less and its gone just like the doom mongers/realists keep saying.

I think we can afford a draw in the next two games. If I had to choose, I’d take a draw tomorrow and the win against Forest. My reasoning being that the blues will have points deducted for FFP, Forest need their wings clipping. Two wins obviously the target, though.

[Dazzle]

WBA have sacked Darren Moore. The panic button has been thumped at the Hawthorns.

[Dazzle]

Fucking game on! Bring on midweek against a less thuggish rival. If jack has survived today then we go to forest and win. Let this be the pivot that galvanises us and sends us onwards. UTV

[Saunders82]

Fucking game on! Bring on midweek against a less thuggish rival. If jack has survived today then we go to forest and win. Let this be the pivot that galvanises us and sends us onwards. UTV

Looks like we are building a little momentum, its going to be tough at Forest but we can do it if we want too.

[big ming]

Still prefer to think it's not on for the play offs. Delighted if wrong. Has anyone else noticed that we have gone from no left sided centre-backs to no right sided ones in a few weeks? Hause looks less comfortable playing on the right side.

[VTID85]

Still prefer to think it's not on for the play offs. Delighted if wrong. Has anyone else noticed that we have gone from no left sided centre-backs to no right sided ones in a few weeks? Hause looks less comfortable playing on the right side.

He certainly did I would agree, fortunately Mings kept him just about in check. A shame as after damning him for his first couple of appearances he has been really growing into the team. Hopefully just a blip, as I've said before I can't wait to see Chester and Mings in the centre with Hause back on the left although Taylor wasn't bad today, just needs more protection/support than what El Ghazi offers.

[big ming]

Still prefer to think it's not on for the play offs. Delighted if wrong. Has anyone else noticed that we have gone from no left sided centre-backs to no right sided ones in a few weeks? Hause looks less comfortable playing on the right side.

He certainly did I would agree, fortunately Mings kept him just about in check. A shame as after damning him for his first couple of appearances he has been really growing into the team. Hopefully just a blip, as I've said before I can't wait to see Chester and Mings in the centre with Hause back on the left although Taylor wasn't bad today, just needs more protection/support than what El Ghazi offers.

I'm fairly confident that neither of our starting wingers will be at the club next season.

[Dazzle]

The league table tells us that it’s back on. We still need other clubs to slip up, as they did this weekend, and not slip up ourselves. It’s probably perverse to say, but it could be that what the retarded thug did to Jack turns out to be a season defining moment that galvanises our football club and spurs us on even more. It might even result in Jack getting the protection he deserves from officials on the pitch. The sooner we get a CB or 2 back from injury the better, ditto anyone currently injured. We’ll need a fully fit and inform side going into any potential playoffs that’ll include one of Leeds, Sheffield Utd, or Norwich. Comfortably the 3 best teams this season and teams you wouldn’t want to meet until a final, if at all!
That’s 2 direct rivals beaten in the last 2 games, we mustn’t lose Wednesday evening. I honestly thought we were out of it just a couple of weeks ago, just goes to show how topsy turvy this league can be. I might be wrong, but I don’t seem to remember beating many direct rivals last season, the 4-1 against wolves aside? Whereas this season we’ve beaten a few in and around us?

[Dazzle]

I think we can expect Bristol City to win this evening, Sheffield Wednesday & Brentford could well drop points in away games.

[Dazzle]

A little bonus thrown in from this evenings fixtures with Bristol City failing to beat Ipswich at home. Are the wheels falling off for Bristol City now? Brentford also beaten. All in all, another useful set of results mostly in our favour this evening. A win at Forest will take us 8th, possibly only 1pt from 6th spot. Things have turned around very quickly.

[deadbuzz]

I don't think a draw tonight would be the worst result for us. Forest have won five out of the last six at home, have just beaten an in form Hull side 3-0, will go into the top six tonight if they win, and then there's the O'Neill factor, so they're going to be very motivated, and it will be a difficult game.

Would be nice if we could take advantage of other results though, and take three points, would leave us just one point off top six, a big opportunity for us.

[Saunders82]

Leading at half time 1-2, super John McGinn with two smart shots, Tammy has had a certain goal saved, not looking too bad to be honest IMO.

[deadbuzz]

If results go our way at the weekend we could be in the top six going into the international break. We're at home, and Bristol City are away to Sheffield United, the only problem being, is that Derby are playing Rotherham, a game they should win, and it will be their fourth home game in a row.

Also of note is the form of Preston, over the last ten games only Norwich have more points than them. I'm glad they won today, considering we won as well, but from now on we need them to start losing games.

[Dazzle]

If results go our way at the weekend we could be in the top six going into the international break. We're at home, and Bristol City are away to Sheffield United, the only problem being, is that Derby are playing Rotherham, a game they should win, and it will be their fourth home game in a row.

Also of note is the form of Preston, over the last ten games only Norwich have more points than them. I'm glad they won today, considering we won as well, but from now on we need them to start losing games.

Good post. Bristol City don’t, I think, play until after the international break. You’re right about Preston, they have a fairly decent fixture list also which, on current form, you’d expect to see them very much keep touch with the playoff places over the next few games. I hadn’t expected it but Boro are faltering which could open up an opportunity for 5th place, if we beat them this Saturday we go to within 1pt of them, we’ve gained 8pts on them in a little over one week. Crazy league! And let’s not beat around the bush, 5th place would be far preferable than 6th where a 2leg playoff awaits against either Leeds or Sheffield Utd, in all likelihood. Whatever, it’s just great to be in the mix again and coming into form at the business end of the season. Where will it all go horribly wrong, as is the Villa way?!

[deadbuzz]

Sheffield United, Leeds, and Norwich are some distance ahead of us in the leauge, but I think that paints a false picture of their superiority over us. If Grealish hadn't have been injured for thirteen games, then we'd be much closer to them, in fact with him in the side under Smith our form is pretty much better than anyone else's with the exception of Norwich, and even that's close.

Also I've just noticed that if it wasn't for Albion cheating against us with that handball, we'd be in the play-off positions now, on goal difference.

[Dazzle]

The league table tells us that it’s back on. We still need other clubs to slip up, as they did this weekend, and not slip up ourselves. It’s probably perverse to say, but it could be that what the retarded thug did to Jack turns out to be a season defining moment that galvanises our football club and spurs us on even more. It might even result in Jack getting the protection he deserves from officials on the pitch. The sooner we get a CB or 2 back from injury the better, ditto anyone currently injured. We’ll need a fully fit and inform side going into any potential playoffs that’ll include one of Leeds, Sheffield Utd, or Norwich. Comfortably the 3 best teams this season and teams you wouldn’t want to meet until a final, if at all!
That’s 2 direct rivals beaten in the last 2 games, we mustn’t lose Wednesday evening. I honestly thought we were out of it just a couple of weeks ago, just goes to show how topsy turvy this league can be. I might be wrong, but I don’t seem to remember beating many direct rivals last season, the 4-1 against wolves aside? Whereas this season we’ve beaten a few in and around us?

Add another direct rivals scalp to the list. This season we’ve beaten Derby(twice), Forest(win/draw), Boro, Birmingham(twice)Swansea(twice) Hull(win/draw)and had a win at the hawthorns stolen from us in injury time. The top3 aside, we’ve actually done really well against what were/are direct rivals. We have games against the current top2 to come where we can make that record even better. As I said in the previous post, I don’t remember us having such a set of results against similar clubs last season. I think that would bode well going into any potential playoff matches/final.

[Dazzle]

If you had to choose between playing Leeds or Sheffield Utd in a playoff final, who would you choose? I’d rather play Leeds.

[deadbuzz]

As long as we've got no major injury concerns, and a fit Grealish, I think we can beat anyone in this league in a one off game. The hardest part for us is going to be getting into the play-offs to begin with.

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