Royal_jimmy Derby are finishing above us aren't they
Unless we buck up our ideas, yes they will.
This week will go a long way to show how this season is going.
Between now and 16th February, the following happens (just focussing on us and Derby currently):
Tonight
Bristol City v Reading
Saturday
Boro v Derby
Reading v Coventry
16th Feb
Peterborough v Reading
So we play our 2 games in hand. Derby's away form is rotten, but they are playing Boro so a bit of needle there, lets say they get a point.
So if we carry on losing then we'll be 3 points clear of Derby but in the bottom 3.
A draw or two means the gap is 4 or 5 points
One win, 2 defeats - gap is 6
1 win, 1 draw, 1 defeat - gap is 7
2 wins, 1 defeat - gap is 9
2 wins, 1 draw - gap is 10
3 wins - gap is 12.
We have been awful in January, no argument there but the point everyone seems to overlook is who those fixtures were against, we lost too:
1st, 4th,5th, 7th and 8th - based on this morning's table.
Games that no-one would have been surprised if we lost especially given we had what 1 defender for part of that run.
The performances were unacceptable but I doubt any team will have a prolonged run of fixtures like that - the only game we had against a side outside the top 8 was the Derby game that we should have won.
We need to stop the rot tonight with a draw minimum, ideally a win, and we should be able to open up a gap.
If we can't stop losing then Derby could play Man City every week for the rest of the season and still probably pick up enough points to squeeze past us.
Over the past 12 games, Derby have managed a decent 18 points. If they keep up that form, they will get to 42. We need 21 points from 18 to get passed that. Before this run we managed 28 from 22, so we are capable of doing that, just need the win.