Rival Watch

[Crowbar6753]

I mentioned a few weeks ago, the bottom three teams are fighting for their lives and all three have gone on little runs of winning games, and whilst this is happening we are slowly closing the gap on a few teams above and there's always that one team that capitulates at the wrong time of the season and gets dragged down.
Cardiff and Hull may have enough about them but not quite so sure about Birmingham...win our game in hand and its only 5 points difference, and especially if Barnsley keep up their good run, the Brummy natives may get restless.

[Stranded]

I think the big fear with Barnsley comes down to them winning 3 of their last 4 games really, but they've won 5 all season. They are probably going to have to keep the pace up with their results between now and May and I can't see them doing that.

If we can beat them at their place, we will survive. The positive side is we have an excellent record against Barnsley both home and away.

But that equates to just 2 more points than us over 4 games.

If we can find 12 points in the last 11 games then Barnsley can only match that with 6 wins. Would mean winning 9 of their last 16 having only managed 2 in the previous 30, if they manage it I will be first to applaud them.

[Hound]

I bet you won’t be

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I think the big fear with Barnsley comes down to them winning 3 of their last 4 games really, but they've won 5 all season. They are probably going to have to keep the pace up with their results between now and May and I can't see them doing that.

If we can beat them at their place, we will survive. The positive side is we have an excellent record against Barnsley both home and away.

But that equates to just 2 more points than us over 4 games.

If we can find 12 points in the last 11 games then Barnsley can only match that with 6 wins. Would mean winning 9 of their last 16 having only managed 2 in the previous 30, if they manage it I will be first to applaud them.

Yeah exactly so it's all in respect to what we are doing. Yes, we aren't exactly great, but neither are they. Someone referenced their fixture list but, every game looks winnable when you've won a couple, just look at a lot of us when we came to facing Blackpool for instance, we wouldn't have said anything of the sort pre-Blackpool say 2 weeks ago.

Yes, if these teams can overcome what we get, fair play, they will have deserved it. It's certainly not impossible by any means, but we have to remember that the 3 below have been worse than us virtually all season (I don't think any 3 have been above us for a significant part of the season, if at all) as well, so that's a "positive".

[Dirk Gently]

I always think that one point per match is a reasonable rate at which a team can overhaul another, barring collapses and miracles.

So Barnsley catching us up (6 points in 13 games) is perfectly plausible.

But then again us catching up Birmingham or Hull (8 points in 12 games) isn't that very different.

I'd just be a lot more relaxed if we were 20th rather than 21st right now!

EDIT to correct stupid mistake!

[tidus_mi2]

I always think that one point per match is a reasonable rate at which a team can overhaul another, barring collapses and miracles.

So Barnsley catching us up (6 points in 13 games) is perfectly plausible.

But then again us catching up Birmingham or Hull (8 points in 12 games) isn't that very different.

I'd just be a lot more relaxed if we were 19th rather than 20th right now!

What if we were 21st?

[Dirk Gently]

I always think that one point per match is a reasonable rate at which a team can overhaul another, barring collapses and miracles.

So Barnsley catching us up (6 points in 13 games) is perfectly plausible.

But then again us catching up Birmingham or Hull (8 points in 12 games) isn't that very different.

I'd just be a lot more relaxed if we were 19th rather than 20th right now!

What if we were 21st?

Bollox. Brainfart!

[Royal_jimmy]

Here is the bottom line: we have to be beating Barnsley away. If we beat them, another 11 points from the other games means Barnsley will need 20 points from their last 12 matches to overtake us. That'll be hard! Barnsley don't score many goals. Derby would need 22 points from their last 11 games. Posh are gone for me.

We should scrape 3 wins from Millwall, Swansea, Cardiff, West Brom, Stoke at home/Hull, Luton away. Give me 5 wins and 7 defeats in our next 12 including a win at Barnsley.

[Stranded]

I bet you won’t be

Metaphorically I will be. Would look a bit stupid if a bloke just starts clapping Barnsley in the middle of Frankfurt in a couple of months time.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Bookies see it as a done deal

Derby and Peterborough 1/16 to stay up, Barnsley 2/7

[Royal_jimmy]

At least Zingarevich isn't our owner still or we might be screwed!

[windermereROYAL]

I commend Barnsley for eating boro last week, fair play to them, but two of the goals were scuffed miskicks. and under intense pressure defending for their lives for the last 20 minutes.
I, m very sceptical if they will be able to maintain that form for the rest of the season, if I`m wrong then then they have done well.

[Stranded]

Bookies see it as a done deal

Derby and Peterborough 1/16 to stay up, Barnsley 2/7

Those must be the odds to drop not stay up?

[blythspartan]

I wonder if Bournemouth’s Russian owner will have to sell up? Here’s hoping.

[Hendo]

Bookies see it as a done deal

Derby and Peterborough 1/16 to stay up, Barnsley 2/7

Those must be the odds to drop not stay up?

Was just about to say, that can’t be right.

[Zip]

Bookies see it as a done deal

Derby and Peterborough 1/16 to stay up, Barnsley 2/7

Those are the relegation odds. We are 6/5 to go down so pretty much evens for relegation. So the bookies think Derby and Posh are down with Barnsley more likely than us to drop.

[The Green Programme]

Is it mathematically possible for West Brom to get relegated…

The ‘Gourlay effect’ is well and truly active….

The master at creating defeat and failure where victory and success seemed almost inevitable.

[Stranded]

I commend Barnsley for eating boro last week, fair play to them, but two of the goals were scuffed miskicks. and under intense pressure defending for their lives for the last 20 minutes.
I, m very sceptical if they will be able to maintain that form for the rest of the season, if I`m wrong then then they have done well.

Also worth noting that Boro have a terrible record at Barnsley in the League only winning 2 of the last 11 there going back to 1993 and currently on a run of D1 L5 in the last 6 at Oakwell - so that result was almost to be expected.

[Silver Fox]

At least Zingarevich isn't our owner still or we might be screwed!

I'd imagine that boat would have sailed a long time ago if he'd stuck around!

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Is it mathematically possible for West Brom to get relegated…

The ‘Gourlay effect’ is well and truly active….

The master at creating defeat and failure where victory and success seemed almost inevitable.

You're probably fishing in the wrong pond if we believe West Brom could go down. 13 games left, 39 points available (for most), it's mathematically possible that probably every club in the league could go down still, perhaps apart from Fulham.

Obviously I'm aware that clubs will have to play each other so, specifically, there's probably 5/6 teams that are "mathematically" safe, but this is just in respect to points on the board.