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Post by andyk on Mar 17, 2008 19:57:27 GMT
There are many ways, psychologically, of looking at our remaining games, but if I were Tony Pulis, I would tell the players to treat these four games... Blackpool (H) Sheff Wed (A) Crystal Palace (H) Coventry (A) ...as a mini-season where if we win all our games we are promoted! Why? Mainly because they are all so winnable. With the squad we have, even allowing for suspensions, if the players play to their maximum ability for those mere 360 minutes, we can overcome each of those opponents and have promotion all but sewn up. 4 wins would leave us on 79 points, which would in itself be a total with a small chance of being good enough for automatic promotion. However, even if it's not enough, the effect of winning those games would completely take the pressure off the Bristol City game; we could even afford to lose that game, knowing that we would still have a couple of aces up our sleeve with games against Colchester (hopefully already relegated) and Leicester to reach the 82 or 83 points that would be virtually certain to see us promoted. And let's face it, history shows that for teams that are already in the position they want to be (in our case in the top two) with a game or two left, the sight of the finishing line so close is nearly always enough to carry them through (as an example, Wolves, West Brazil and Southampton on the final day last season;). Therefore, forget the last 3 games Tone, just brainwash the players into thinking they only have to win the next four to get promoted, win the league, win the champions league and have a no-holds-barred night with Scarlett Johansson - and we'll be home and dry. It's just a theory, like  |
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Post by rockapejr on Mar 17, 2008 20:13:04 GMT
id agreed with that... winnuing those does take pressure off... but i think he will be telling them its in their hands now and all the games are winable
Jr
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Post by mark71 on Mar 17, 2008 20:19:41 GMT
I'm in two minds, I believe we can beat any team in this league but our performances over the last 5 games have knocked that confidence.
3 of those games are very winnable the only tough one is against palarse. If we do win those 4 on the bounce were up, simple as that
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Post by longeatonpotter on Mar 17, 2008 21:11:20 GMT
I think the hardest of those four is the Sheff Wed away as they seem to have hit a bit of form and are really fighting to avoid relegation, bu ti agree that if we win all four we should have enough to go all the way
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Post by wakefieldstokie on Mar 18, 2008 8:30:38 GMT
The colcester game won't be easy, teams have a habit of winning games once they've been relegated.
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Post by lordb on Mar 18, 2008 8:56:22 GMT
Weds should be 3 points as they just cant score goals @ the moment.
we can all see how Stoke are not playing well but we HAVE tightened up @ the back.
sort of game we should win 1.0
Palace game see's the return of Fuller & we all saw the effect his ban had on him last year,so again fancy a (Fuller inspired) win.
Coventry are appalling,if we dont win that one we dont deserve to go up.
Blackpool is the key game,they have nothing to play for but we have our 3 best (over the whole season) players suspended.
theres no encouraging noises from the Brit to suggest there will be a goalscorer coming in so we are going to have to go with what we have got.
Time for the fringe players to step up to the plate.
The likes of Bothroyd,Gally & Cresswell need to bring their shooting boots!
AndyK has called this one 100%
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Post by sovietonion on Mar 18, 2008 8:58:36 GMT
It's tense and tight, I'm not relaxing about this at all, but I'm cynical and a pessimist (thanks Stoke) so anything else is a bonus! Potential for games to go either way- The good v the bad: The good- Blackpool (H) Winnable and outplayed on their own patch by us this season. Sheff Wed (A) Real hot and cold blowing team. On their day they can be both good and appalling. Will be afraid of Whelan. Crystal Palace (H) Finally a bogey side put to bed with 3 wins on the bounce against them. Coventry (A) In free fall and disarray. The bad: Blackpool (H) Mid table comfort for Blackpool, job done of staying up will be relaxed. A real need to be careful. McPhee is an ex fail bastard too. Sheff Wed (A) Look potentially good enough to stay up and will be buoyed at the proximity of Coventry and Leicester to them. Can still pull away. Kavanagh just might try a few 490 yard shots. Crystal Palace (H) Big physical Warnock side. Clint's playing for them-added incentive for him. Will be tough, dont like the look of this. Robbed at Bristol City as they totally stifled them for about 96 minutes! Coventry (A) Team in freefall and disarray. We all know how generous the registered charity that is Stoke City can be!!  And the ugly: Blackpool (H) Stephen 'Living the dream in Portugal' McPhee Sheff Wed (A) Graham 'Greyer than Griff' Kavanagh Crystal Palace (H) Colin 'Raging Gargoyle' Warnock Coventry (A) Michael 'sent off again' Doyle  |
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Post by onlyonesirstan on Mar 18, 2008 9:03:13 GMT
I wouldn't say that Blaackpool have got nothing to play for. If Barnsley, Coventry & Sheff Wed win their games in hand, Blackpool will not be out of the third team to be relegated. I know they are on 48 points, but it could be quite a high points total this season for the third team to go down.
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