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Post by Pricey on Feb 1, 2004 11:38:12 GMT
Stoke City fixtures, 7th February-27th March
Millwall (A)
Crystal Palace (A)
Wigan (H)
Crewe (A)
Ipswich (H)
Watford (H)
Reading (A)
Sunderland (A)
West Brom (H)
Norwich (A)
Only 1 (yes 1) team in the current bottom 10 of our division!
If we are still within 9-12 of the play-offs after these games I'll be very happy.
Of course we could always just storm this run of matches and finish with a sterling victory over Norwich at Carrow Road, leaving us third and only a couple of points off the automatic promotion places...
...would everyone like to predict the outcome of each game and say how many points we'll be on come the end of March? I'm too scared!
;D
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Post by Hooky on Feb 1, 2004 11:55:09 GMT
I'll take 5-6 pts from that lot any more is a bonus  |
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Post by RipRoaringPotter on Feb 1, 2004 12:09:27 GMT
Millwall (A)------------1-1
Crystal Palace (A)-------1-2
Wigan (H) -------------1-0
Crwho? (A)------------ 0-0
Ipswich (H)-------------2-2
Watford (H)------------3-0
Reading (A)------------2-0
Sunderland (A)--------2-0
West Brom (H) --------1-0
Norwich (A)-------------3-0
I fancy us to stay unbeaten until encountering Reading at The MadStad. I think the hardest out of the opening games will be Millwall next week. If we don't lose tht game then I don't think we will lose uintil Reading game. Palace and Watford are easily winnable games as long as we've got the right frame of mind. Reading and Sunderland are a step too far for us I believe. For some reason I fancy us to knick a win against The Baggies. Big crowd, good atmosphere, lets put the shitters up them. Norwich away I think will be a step too far again.
So, all in all, 15 out of 30. Would be delighted with that
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Post by andyk on Feb 1, 2004 12:18:14 GMT
Well with that kind of thinking we won't get very far will we? (Edit: this was in response to Ilford Dave's post)
Actually there are 3 teams in that list who are below us in the league, and 5 more within a handful of points of us. Obviously we should be looking to get 3 points from Crwho? and Watford. Reading and Sunderland we beat easily at home, and we also outplayed Millwall, with onlt Jeff Winter denying us the win. And we've improved considerably since we played those teams. Wigan at home should hold no fears for us. Ipswich outplayed us at Portman Road, so that'll be a tough game. We never get anything from Crystal Palace. Obviously anything more than a defeat at Norwich would be a bonus, but West Brom at home is the kind of game where, with a big crowd and if the players are up for it, we are quite capable of winning. It depends on the circumstances at the time. If West Brom were coming to the Brit next, they wouldn't exactly be relishing it, would they?
When will people get out of the relegation battlers mentality?
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Post by Hooky on Feb 1, 2004 12:24:52 GMT
sorry AndyK. but this sequence is SO much tougher.
we are talking about playing the TOP teams in the division, it will be a REAL test, and I don't want to get over optemistic.
IMHO we will get more than I reackoned, but lets be honest they will be a VERY tough sequence
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Post by Scrotnig on Feb 1, 2004 12:34:05 GMT
sorry AndyK. but this sequence is SO much tougher. we are talking about playing the TOP teams in the division, it will be a REAL test, and I don't want to get over optemistic. IMHO we will get more than I reackoned, but lets be honest they will be a VERY tough sequence Tough sequence...yes. Great, bring them on. We're more than capable of beating all of those sides on a good day. That's not to say we will, but I firmly believe we can. We are honestly one of the better sides in the division now, and the only reason we're not near the top is because it took us until December for the completely new team to gel properly. We must go out, and believe we can beat each team, no matter how good they are. If we fail to do so, fine, we gave it a bloody good shot, now let's go out and beat the next team instead...and so on. This club, and all fans, needs to start thinking positively, tough I know after all we've been through, but when the good times are rolling, get behind the team and the club, we CAN do ANYTHING if we believe it enough!! If we go out there with both fans and players believing we will probably lose....then lose we most certainly shall! |
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Post by Hooky on Feb 1, 2004 12:40:00 GMT
If we go out there with both fans and players believing we will probably lose....then lose we most certainly shall! Well How many of us 500 or so @ West Ham gave us a cat in hells chance, I didn't, mind you enough seemed to take the bookies for a £10 @ 7/1 ;D |
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Post by Scrotnig on Feb 1, 2004 12:41:32 GMT
Well How many of us 500 or so @ West Ham gave us a cat in hells chance, I didn't, mind you enough seemed to take the bookies for a £10 @ 7/1 ;D Certainly I guess the fans didn't....I know I didn't after that bad run of results.....however, you can bet the players did, and that's the key difference. |
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Post by tel2u on Feb 1, 2004 13:10:23 GMT
Ilford Dave
It's not many weeks ago that ALLl the teams we've beaten in our recent run (apart from Wimbledon) were ABOVE us in the table, we are moving in the right direction, not only in the league but also as a team, I fully expect us to be very hard to beat from now until the end of the season.
Imho, at the moment I see keeping Taggart as the priority, if that can be done, or someone is brought in that has the same influence as Taggart has, then I really expect an exciting remainder of the season.
I think we are already safe from relegation, so if the motivation is to be retained, then striving for a higher position in the league seems a reasonable aim now for the players and TP.
I would hate to think that our season is 'over' already!.
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Post by browneyedboy on Feb 1, 2004 16:03:45 GMT
Looking at the home games, I'd say that all four are winnable games and I'd like to think we'd win at least two of them, drawing the others.
Of the away games, I think Crystal Palace, despite their recent good run, are beatable, as are Reading and Crwho? I'd hope we win at least one of those, drawing one and losing the other. As for the other 3 teams, Millwall, Sunderland and Norwich, I'd settle for a couple of draws and a loss.
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