We're up

Billy Balfour · Post by **Billy Balfour** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:22 am

I'm glad you SWIDT, Lancs. Seriously though. It's best to leave the fates well along, rather than provoke them.

Lancasterclaret · Post by **Lancasterclaret** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:23 am

Billy Balfour wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:22 am
I'm glad you SWIDT, Lancs. Seriously though. It's best to leave the fates well along, rather than provoke them.

I'm in a "wearing copper armour in a storm shouting at the gods to show me a sign" type of mood

Billy Balfour · Post by **Billy Balfour** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:26 am

You do that, while I put my none-hexing cloak on.

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:27 am

Winstonswhite wrote: ↑
Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:18 pm
I don’t know if anyone heard Glenn Little on Radio Lancs commentary tonight. He was saying as much as the OP.

He sees big similarities with his Championship winning side, even going as far as saying their record 106 points could be under threat!

I’m not so sure about that. This was the top 10
In 2005/06 after 25 games. Reading were 9 points better off than we are now. If we’d have won the games we threw away into draws a few months ago maybe.

agreenwood · Post by **agreenwood** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:32 am

Lancasterclaret wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:08 am
More to do with the complete inability of anyone to reach 3rd and put a run together

And our squad is probably one of the strongest in the league, and it would have to be an absolutely catastrophic injury/suspension crisis from here on in I feel

I am slightly taking the p**s a bit, but I'm very, very confident now

I think we’ve got an abundance of full backs and attacking midfielders at our disposal and that makes our bench very strong should we ever find ourselves chasing a game.

I also think we’ve been fortunate that Jay, Cork, Cullen, Brownhill, Beyer, Harwood-Bellis and even Muric have stayed fit, because they are key to how we play. In my view what’s in reserve to replace them is a fair drop off.

We’ve been fantastic all season, but my cautiousness is more about what would happen if a couple of the above were injured for a month or so simultaneously. Particularly as we head into a couple of months where we’re almost exclusively playing teams vying for the top 6.

It happened to Sheffield United a few months ago. From memory they went 6-7 games without a win in Sept/Oct when they had key players missing.

Cooclaret · Post by **Cooclaret** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:35 am

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑
Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:02 pm
When are people going to realise we are the Man City of this league.

Sheffield are Liverpool.

The rest are Nottingham Forrest or southamptons haha.

Whose Arsenal then?

fatboy47 · Post by **fatboy47** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:47 am

Somewhere down on the Shadsworth aonb a warty little adolescent is busy in his bedroom... No, not knocking one out over old videos of Red Rum or faded pics of Ripley in his England shirt...rather he's cutting and pasting lumps of this thread.

Just be careful chaps....this lad will be lying in wait and ready to pounce if anything goes tits up.

CrosspoolClarets · Post by **CrosspoolClarets** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:11 am

dsr wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 1:56 am
I'm not saying there is virtually no chance that another club will get 82 points. I am saying that there is virtually no chance that 82 points will be mathematically certain of promotion with 7 games to play.

That wasn’t what I was posting dsr, what I was observing was that to go on a run you were saying sides could go on in the next 14 games would be the equivalent of an 82 point season (to get to about 60+ pts by March 18th), and nobody has hit that form yet.

In other words, while celebrating now is OTT I would agree, statistically no other team outside the top two has come close to the form you suggested, and getting promotion at Deadwood is a realistic possibility if we keep getting over 2 pts per game ourselves.

G0foste · Post by **G0foste** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:18 am

It's a marathon not a sprint, however 8 to 1 on to be promoted now. Looking so good.

AGENT_CLARET · Post by **AGENT_CLARET** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:23 am

G0foste wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:18 am
It's a marathon not a sprint, however 8 to 1 on to be promoted now. Looking so good.

1/16 with sky, them down the road 12/1

: Screenshot_20221230-224209_Sky Bet.jpg (217.9 KiB) Viewed 2766 times

Zlatan · Post by **Zlatan** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:35 am

All I’ll say is this. Some teams get beat over Christmas and all looks lost for them after a promising but unremarkable start and they may be sat in about 5th in the league.

Then they manage to string together 23 unbeaten…

mdd2 · Post by **mdd2** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:35 am

Apart from us and Sheff U the present table is a real close thing with only 9 points between 6th and 21st and 12 between 6th and 24th

HiThere · Post by **HiThere** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:42 am

mdd2 wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:35 am
Apart from us and Sheff U the present table is a real close thing with only 9 points between 6th and 21st and 12 between 6th and 24th

I have a friend who is a Huddersfield fan and he was really down in the dumps. They looked all but down with a mountain to climb. Now after 2 wins if they win their game in hand, they could be only 8 points from the playoffs!
I guess that's what can happen though if you have 2 runaway leaders. We are both taking points off the rest of the table, so it's closer.

claretspice · Post by **claretspice** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:45 am

In some respects the most significant results last night were at Swansea and Norwich rather than Stoke.

Watford and Norwich are the two teams who look best equipped to go on the sort of run necessary to overhaul us if we do stumble- but they're now leaving it awfully late. To get to 83 points they'd need 46 more from 21 games which is a hell of an ask at the best of times - and neither have shown the consistency to suggest its in their locker.

I agree with AG, we've not had the squad tested with injuries and suspensions yet and I daresay that will come. But our margin for error is now massive and the bookies have as near as damn it a certainty for a reason.

jrgbfc · Post by **jrgbfc** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:53 am

If West Brom potted Bruce a bit sooner they may have been a threat. But I agree, even if we have a bad run I don't think anybody else is good enough to put a run together to catch up.

distortiondave · Post by **distortiondave** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:55 am

It's not just one team that needs to go on a run, it's two - so for two teams to find 2 points per game from now on AND for us to fall to around 1 point per game is so astronomically unlikely as to be impossible.
It's not even close - only us and Sheff Utd have 2 points per game. Our nearest challenger is 11 points off that target and can at best reach 2 points per game by game 36 (72 points), so winning 11 on the trot. And people think 2 teams might do this AND we halve our current points output?

Pickles · Post by **Pickles** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:56 am

Sit back and enjoy the show.

Rileybobs · Post by **Rileybobs** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 11:09 am

Of course we’re up. We’ve absolutely p!ssed it. We could lose our next 9 games and would still probably be in an automatic promotion position. The only thing keeping the season interesting, other than the fantastic football, is the battle with Sheff Utd for the trophy.

Longsider · Post by **Longsider** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 11:11 am

fatboy47 wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:47 am
Somewhere down on the Shadsworth aonb a warty little adolescent is busy in his bedroom... No, not knocking one out over old videos of Red Rum or faded pics of Ripley in his England shirt...rather he's cutting and pasting lumps of this thread.

Just be careful chaps....this lad will be lying in wait and ready to pounce if anything goes tits up.

Exactly. I hate this thread. Can someone get all political quick so it gets removed.

quoonbeatz · Post by **quoonbeatz** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 11:14 am

Zlatan wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:35 am
All I’ll say is this. Some teams get beat over Christmas and all looks lost for them after a promising but unremarkable start and they may be sat in about 5th in the league.

Then they manage to string together 23 unbeaten…

The team most likely to string together 23 unbeaten this season is the team at the top.

I've been confident for some time that we'll win this league as we're the best team. It's very true though that we are a couple of injuries and suspensions away from missing vital players whose replacements aren't quite as good. Apart from that, there's only complacency that is likely to be our downfall. Our experienced players are going to be key in making sure our young team avoid that and can handle getting over the line.

Full of confidence we'll do it but there's plenty to do yet. And I'd rather it be that way as I'd rather we keep an edge to games rather than it be a procession.

Stanbill05 · Post by **Stanbill05** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 11:26 am

Even if it's true there is nothing at all to be gained from saying it. As long as the players and staff don't believe it, I suppose it doesn't matter too much. I think it would be a shock we'd struggle to recover from if things fall apart from here, but all the more reason to stay humble and switched on. Anyone remember Plymouth pre-booking the Wembley coaches before John Francis ripped them up, it's just not a good look.

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 11:31 am

We are not up until the table says so.

Spijed · Post by **Spijed** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 11:33 am

claretspice wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:45 am
In some respects the most significant results last night were at Swansea and Norwich rather than Stoke.

Watford and Norwich are the two teams who look best equipped to go on the sort of run necessary to overhaul us if we do stumble- but they're now leaving it awfully late. To get to 83 points they'd need 46 more from 21 games which is a hell of an ask at the best of times - and neither have shown the consistency to suggest its in their locker.

I agree with AG, we've not had the squad tested with injuries and suspensions yet and I daresay that will come. But our margin for error is now massive and the bookies have as near as damn it a certainty for a reason.

In the 23 match unbeaten run we managed 51 points from the last 21 matches. But it would require two teams to go on a fantastic run of form, which never happens.

claretspice · Post by **claretspice** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 12:16 pm

Not sure I understand why it needs 2 teams to go on that sort of run. Sheff United are already matching us so if we wobble, it needs one other club to go on that sort of run, not 2. But either way, it's becoming increasingly unlikely that anyone will go on the sort of run that would be required.

Billy Balfour · Post by **Billy Balfour** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 1:03 pm

Modz, please fire this thread into the sun.

Spiral · Post by **Spiral** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 4:41 pm

Billy Balfour wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 1:03 pm
Modz, please fire this thread into the sun.

No, let's live dangerously. Push all the way through next time you fart. Take a gamble. Be bold!!!

Roosterbooster · Post by **Roosterbooster** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 5:22 pm

Claretforever wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:27 am
I’m not so sure about that. This was the top 10
In 2005/06 after 25 games. Reading were 9 points better off than we are now. If we’d have won the games we threw away into draws a few months ago maybe.

Which site do you use to get these historic tables?

BennyD · Post by **BennyD** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 5:54 pm

Spiral wrote: ↑
Fri Dec 30, 2022 9:54 pm
This team is not going to collapse.

Why do football fans do this cautious charade? We're already up.

It's because arrogance is an ugly trait. How many other clubs have we slated on here when they assume they'll get promotion. Middlesbrough for sure when we went up instead of them. If we go up, we go up, if not, we don't. Remember, we were only hoping for the play-offs this season so anything more is a welcome bonus. Chill out, and enjoy the ride.

Claretforever · Post by **Claretforever** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 5:56 pm

Roosterbooster wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 5:22 pm
Which site do you use to get these historic tables?

Link below.

Just alter the drop down boxes above the table and you can pick the season and match day numbers, both start and finish match day.

The green and red arrows indicate whether a club has just been relegated or promoted.

https://www.transfermarkt.com/champions ... n=1&max=25

distortiondave · Post by **distortiondave** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 6:00 pm

I don't know the answer but how many teams with a 14 point cushion to 3rd place after more than half a season have failed to go up?

I'm willing to bet all of my dogs pedigree chum that it's none.

matttheclaret · Post by **matttheclaret** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 6:17 pm

distortiondave wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 6:00 pm
I don't know the answer but how many teams with a 14 point cushion to 3rd place after more than half a season have failed to go up?

I'm willing to bet all of my dogs pedigree chum that it's none.

I don't think it was quite 14 but I think it was over 10 that Wolves were clear of WBA one season with only 8 or 9 games remaining and finished in the play offs.

It's very unlikely though and I'd be stunned if we didn't do it from here

Rileybobs · Post by **Rileybobs** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 6:18 pm

This team is improving. I can only see the gap increasing.

RVclaret · Post by **RVclaret** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 6:19 pm

Just had a quick browse of the Watford message board and they can’t believe that some of our fans think they can still catch us. Fair to say they are pretty negative about their team and club right now, they reckon the Joao Pedro injury means season over.

Spiral · Post by **Spiral** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 6:20 pm

BennyD wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 5:54 pm
It's because arrogance is an ugly trait. How many other clubs have we slated on here when they assume they'll get promotion. Middlesbrough for sure when we went up instead of them. If we go up, we go up, if not, we don't. Remember, we were only hoping for the play-offs this season so anything more is a welcome bonus. Chill out, and enjoy the ride.

It's an ugly trait in others, for sure, but it's not when we do it.

It's different because it's us. Everyone loves Burnley.

Bring the dolphins back!!! E-I-E-I-E-I-O

This is a recent post from BRFCS:

"I’ll probably get some stick for this but I’d much rather see Burnley get promoted than Watford, Swansea or some other southern or Welsh lot."

See, even Rovers fans love Burnley.

BennyD · Post by **BennyD** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 6:29 pm

I applaud your enthusiasm, but that is a bit sketchy.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 6:29 pm

BennyD wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 5:54 pm
It's because arrogance is an ugly trait. How many other clubs have we slated on here when they assume they'll get promotion. Middlesbrough for sure when we went up instead of them. If we go up, we go up, if not, we don't. Remember, we were only hoping for the play-offs this season so anything more is a welcome bonus. Chill out, and enjoy the ride.

Agree we need to cool our jets somewhat, and I along with many others would have been content enough with a top 6 berth, however given where we now sit it would be classed as bottling it if we failed to gain automatic promotion, I don't think we will blow it as a good portion of our squad are old hands in this sort of situation, and crucially we along with Sheff Utd look like boasting the deep squad needed to maintain form over a 46 game season.

As fans it's understandable excitement builds as the finish line ever closer by each passing game, however I've no doubt all the coaches and players will be focussed on is getting a performance and result at Swansea, even if the one game at a time mantra is a well worn cliché..

Matt_Whalley · Post by **Matt_Whalley** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:20 pm

If Cork and Cullen are injured at the same time we’ll struggle.

Refusing to celebrate promotion before it’s done doesn’t mean we’re not enjoying this fantastic season.

gandhisflipflop · Post by **gandhisflipflop** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:41 pm

I’m a bit worried about the Swansea game somewhat. The fact that Swansea just beat Watford 4-0, and our performance level not at our best against Stoke, I don’t want the same to happen to us as against Sheffield United when that game was just 1 too many in too short a space of time. Under normal circumstances I’d be confident, but I just have a bad feeling about the game.

RVclaret · Post by **RVclaret** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:50 pm

gandhisflipflop wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:41 pm
I’m a bit worried about the Swansea game somewhat. The fact that Swansea just beat Watford 4-0, and our performance level not at our best against Stoke, I don’t want the same to happen to us as against Sheffield United when that game was just 1 too many in too short a space of time. Under normal circumstances I’d be confident, but I just have a bad feeling about the game.

I follow a couple of Watford fans and according to them, they were absolutely woeful and anyone would have beat them. Swans were without a win in 8 before that.

It’s not an easy game, Swans have a decent home record, but don’t forget we’ll likely be able to make a few changes from Stoke (Tella, Jay and Zaroury probably) which keeps us fresh.

At Sheff we were without Brownhill and Jay too.

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:52 pm

gandhisflipflop wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:41 pm
I’m a bit worried about the Swansea game somewhat. The fact that Swansea just beat Watford 4-0, and our performance level not at our best against Stoke, I don’t want the same to happen to us as against Sheffield United when that game was just 1 too many in too short a space of time. Under normal circumstances I’d be confident, but I just have a bad feeling about the game.

We played a day earlier in midweek before the Sheffield Utd game than they did. Both ourselves and Swansea played yesterday so will be suffering the same fatigue.

Ampth7 · Post by **Ampth7** » Sun Jan 01, 2023 3:07 am

In response to the OP……. Not yet!

Quicknick · Post by **Quicknick** » Sun Jan 01, 2023 7:31 am

I just hope that if we do confirm promotion early, we keep going flat-out and make sure we win it by as many points as possible. No tailing off like Fulham did last season.

Father Jack · Post by **Father Jack** » Sun Jan 01, 2023 9:16 am

https://youtu.be/uharkAxH440

A good video if anyone wants to hear a neutral / objective opinion on whether the top two are likely to be caught or not.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Sun Jan 01, 2023 11:48 am

Quicknick wrote: ↑
Sun Jan 01, 2023 7:31 am
I just hope that if we do confirm promotion early, we keep going flat-out and make sure we win it by as many points as possible. No tailing off like Fulham did last season.

That's why the healthy competition for the title with Sheff Utd is great for both clubs, means neither can afford to relax as though both seem assured of promotion both will surely want to claim the crown.

Plus VK doesn't strike me as the type of character to accept a drop in standards, he's a serial winner as a player, and generally that transfers to management, once a winner always a winner with high standards expected.

BennyD · Post by **BennyD** » Sun Jan 01, 2023 6:03 pm

Guys, it's best not to overthink this. What will be, will be. Having said that, we are now 4 points ahead of the first half of the season; wins against Stoke and Brum have put us in the driving seat. Wins against SheffU, Watford, and Bastards would make me so f*cking happy, I could sh!t. A long way to go but, tbh, I'm happy where we are.

boatshed bill · Post by **boatshed bill** » Sun Jan 01, 2023 6:22 pm

Just noticed this:
If we'd lost our last 5 games we'd still be in a play-off place (or 1 below on GD

)

Carwin261 · Post by **Carwin261** » Sun Jan 01, 2023 6:33 pm

gandhisflipflop wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 9:41 pm
I’m a bit worried about the Swansea game somewhat. The fact that Swansea just beat Watford 4-0, and our performance level not at our best against Stoke, I don’t want the same to happen to us as against Sheffield United when that game was just 1 too many in too short a space of time. Under normal circumstances I’d be confident, but I just have a bad feeling about the game.

Swansea have a better passing stat than us,they won’t be trying to kick lumps out of us unlike Boro’
Birmingham,and Stoke.

gandhisflipflop · Post by **gandhisflipflop** » Sun Jan 01, 2023 10:44 pm

Hope my fears are misplaced. I’ve been confident in most games this season though.

Targetman · Post by **Targetman** » Sun Jan 01, 2023 11:18 pm

TheFamilyCat wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 31, 2022 10:52 pm
We played a day earlier in midweek before the Sheffield Utd game than they did. Both ourselves and Swansea played yesterday so will be suffering the same fatigue.

Well not quite the same fatigue, Swansea have 2 home games. We travelled to Stoke and back with an early hours return and then one of our longest journeys of the season to Swansea.

ElectroClaret · Post by **ElectroClaret** » Mon Jan 02, 2023 5:00 pm

Beat Coventry in the next league game and i think ill be agreeing with the OP now.

UTC