Scunthorpe Match Thread

[Snowball]

Since people are talking about it, here are the contenders' run-ins at a glance (and Burnley have a match in hand)

ALLCAPS denotes HOME fixture; lowercase = away


Cardiff (72 pts): POMPEY QPR Preston BORO Burnley



Quite the battle for sixth has formed up, really

BORO will be tough. They have hit a really hot streak. One defeat in 8 (by Reading)

QPR is obviously not easy.

Preston are putting in a shift and grabbing points.

Two weeks ago I'd've had Pompey winning, but they seem to have given up. We can only hope.

[Snowball]

We only need to win a maximum of 3 of our remaining 5 games to secure our play-off place now. Very likely with three at home

Surely we should be aiming for auto now? A real chance, and remember, 3rd might be enough.

To drop 6 points in 5 games would be some collapse

[SLAMMED]

and remember, 3rd might be enough.

QPR won't get a 20 point deduction

[RoyalJames101]

We only need to win a maximum of 3 of our remaining 5 games to secure our play-off place now. Very likely with three at home

Surely we should be aiming for auto now? A real chance, and remember, 3rd might be enough.

To drop 6 points in 5 games would be some collapse

Never said we shouldn't, just saying and all that.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

We only need to win a maximum of 3 of our remaining 5 games to secure our play-off place now. Very likely with three at home

Surely we should be aiming for auto now? A real chance, and remember, 3rd might be enough.

To drop 6 points in 5 games would be some collapse

I'd hardly call 3 wins from 5 & ending up on 78 pts a collapse. Bloody hell don't expect much do ya?!

[Ian Royal]

and remember, 3rd might be enough.

QPR won't get a 20 point deduction

We're 13 points behind them so 15 would do it at the moment... we could conceivably get it down to less than 10.

[Royal Rother]

and remember, 3rd might be enough.

QPR won't get a 20 point deduction

Agreed. More likely 30 I should think.

[Snowball]

I can see it coming down to GD between us and Cardiff for 2nd spot, with both teams on 82pts........Swans on 80, Norwich 79.

But we won't make the play-offs...

[MmmMonsterMunch]

I think 80 pts might do it. Its squeaky bum time & points will be dropped by all.

[Sarah Star]

I can see it coming down to GD between us and Cardiff for 2nd spot, with both teams on 82pts........Swans on 80, Norwich 79.

If it did then it would make up for the pain of being relegated from the PL on GD rather nicely

[Snowball]

We only need to win a maximum of 3 of our remaining 5 games to secure our play-off place now. Very likely with three at home

Surely we should be aiming for auto now? A real chance, and remember, 3rd might be enough.

To drop 6 points in 5 games would be some collapse

I'd hardly call 3 wins from 5 & ending up on 78 pts a collapse. Bloody hell don't expect much do ya?!

Sorry. I meant we are 5 points clear of 6th place, 6 clear of 7th, so would need a major collapse by RFC not to be in the POs

One more win by RFC and we would be on 72, so one win requires Forest to get 9 points from 5 games.

A Norwich VERY tough place to go. I hope they win there!
H Leicester Still chasing the play-offs themselves, and a local derby
A Bristol IN-FORM, very tough game
H Scunthorpe WIN
A Palace undefeated at home since September

[RoyalChicagoFC]

contenders' run-ins at a glance
ALLCAPS denotes HOME fixture; lowercase = away

Cardiff (72 pts): POMPEY QPR Preston BORO Burnley

BORO will be tough. They have hit a really hot streak. One defeat in 8 (by Reading)

QPR is obviously not easy.

It's a foregone conclusion on both counts, but the facts remain (and let's both assume that QPR defeat Derby next Monday and ignore goal-difference in all calculations and comparisons):

--QPR could clinch both promotion and the title outright with a home win over Derby on Monday; but

--If Norwich beat Forest on Friday, and if Cardiff avoid defeat at the hands of Pompey on Saturday, then QPR's soonest opportunity to clinch promotion will come when they play Cardiff away on Saturday week; also

--If Norwich fail to beat Forest, but if Cardiff take at least a point off of Pompey on Saturday, then QPR would clinch promotion by beating Derby but not have their first chance to win the title outright until they play at Cardiff

So to sum up, I strongly suspect that as it unfolds, the champions in waiting will have incentive aplenty to go all out for victory in the Welsh capital on the 23rd

[Barry the bird boggler]

Looking at the run ins it looks to me that Cardiff are favourites for the automatic spot

[Libertine]

Looking ahead to this weekend we need a Pompey win or draw, a Forest win or draw, a Burnley win or draw, and a Leeds, oh, who cares about them they are behind us, and of course a Reading win.

If that plays out, using the worst and best case scenarios with those results, positions 2-5 look like this;

Cardiff - 73 or 72
Norwich - 72 or 71
Swansea - 71 or 70
Reading - 72

I am sure the teams above us will drop some points. If we can manage to hold our form we are right there for a top 2. I was very encouraged to see us get the 3 against Scunny. We had an off game, compared to our recent form on the pitch, and still found a way to win the game. We really seem to have a well disciplined, focused and motivated team on our hands right now. Gotta keep taking one at a time, as McD and the team have, and see where the chips land. We are right there though...

[Mr Angry]

I can see it coming down to GD between us and Cardiff for 2nd spot, with both teams on 82pts........Swans on 80, Norwich 79.

But we won't make the play-offs...

And at the rate we are going, we won't be making the Play-Offs...........

[Snowball]

Agreed, Mr A.


I'll be frank, every game I keep expecting a horrible reverse.

I said it would be a miracle if we beat Preston and then won at Forest.

Just have to hope we keep doing it.


But a word of warning.


We have had a series of bad first halves in this run.


Palace away. Barnsley Away. Scunthorpe Away. Preston and Pompey at home. That's just off the top of my head.

If we keep doing that, someone is going to go 0-3 up

[Silver Fox]

Looking at the run ins it looks to me that Cardiff are favourites for the automatic spot

The denouement of Cardiff (A) gets harder to take every day

[Mr Angry]

Looking at the run ins it looks to me that Cardiff are favourites for the automatic spot

The denouement of Cardiff (A) gets harder to take every day

Or the decision NOT to award a goal against them at our place when the ball looked as if it crossed the line.....

It never ceases to amaze me how a single incident throughout a long arduous season can have such a bearing on the future of a football club.

[FiNeRaIn]

To both of you, norwich fans will be saying the same thing over grant holts sending off at our place. Gave us two points. Swings and roundabouts.

[Kitson12]

To both of you, norwich fans will be saying the same thing over grant holts sending off at our place. Gave us two points. Swings and roundabouts.

One point.