Matches Top 6 Race 2023/24

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holdsteady said:
How many points will be enough from the next four games to get in the playoffs? I reckon 8 with 7 if we are lucky. That’s a good run from a tough run of 4 games, if we took at 8 points from this run of fixtures at any other time of the season I would be very happy.
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I think it depends who we beat; a win against Lincoln will make a huge difference. We could get away with DWDW or maybe DWDD…
 
holdsteady said:
How many points will be enough from the next four games to get in the playoffs? I reckon 8 with 7 if we are lucky. That’s a good run from a tough run of 4 games, if we took at 8 points from this run of fixtures at any other time of the season I would be very happy.
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7 if the draw is with Lincoln, tough ask to win all their other games. Takes Blackpool and Stevenage out of the equation as well.

7 much less likely to be enough if we draw with Posh and lose to Lincoln. Would just need to win 2 of the other 3 then.
 
The roller coaster is labouring up to the top of a drop...........the anticipation, the excitement is tangible.

Will we last the ride eyes open & hands in the air or plummeting to our doom?

Love it, and really hoping it goes to the wire on the final day of the season where we are all glued to our transistor radios awaiting other results.... :)
 
If you want some positive stats
No team has taken six points from us this season and P’boro are the only team that might
Lincoln have only one win all season against teams currently in the top six
Stevenage have not won away at any team currently in the top eight.
 
Whatever happens it's going to be a rollercoaster.

5 teams in a battle for the two remaining play off places.

Barnsley are in pole position on 74 points with 4 games remaining. They can finish on max of 86 points with 4 wins but have some tough fixtures.
Reading at home (who aren't safe from relegation yet)
Pompey away ( who depending on Saturday's game against Bolton could either be guaranteed promotion already or only be 4 points clear of 3rd)
Blackpool away (currently still in with a shout of the play offs)
Northampton at home ( could be on the beach at this point but currently 11th in the table and will want a top half finish)

Now us , 70 points with 4 games remaining, we can finish on max of 82 points. Tough games but 3 of them are at home.
Posh at home (playing tonight and if they win they will only be 5 points away from 2nd with a game in hand)
Lincoln at home (only 2 points behind us and a slightly easier run in than us)
Stevenage at home (Beat Barnsley last night and still in with a shout for the play offs)
Exeter away (comfortable mid table side)

Lincoln currently on 68 points, 4 games remaining and can finish on a maximum of 80 points. Couple of tough games for them in their run in.
Wigan at home ( mid table and would be top half if they didn't have a points deduction)
Us away ( currently 2 points ahead and it's surely whoever wins this gets the final place)
Cheltenham away (scrapping to avoid the drop,)
Portsmouth at home ( may not be promoted by then or maybe trying to win the title)

Blackpool currently on 67 points but only 3 games left. Can finish on a maximum of 76 points, 2 hard fixtures
Carlisle away (relegated already so won't put up much fight)
Barnsley at home (currently 7 points ahead in the play offs)
Reading away (will be safe by then but Reading seem hard to beat currently)

Stevenage currently on 67 points but only 3 games left, can finish on maximum of 76 points ,1 hard fixture left.
Burton at home (not relegated just yet )
Us away (currently 3 points ahead with 1 less game played, will need to beat us)
Cheltenham at home (could still be scrapping to avoid the drop)

Verdict

Stevenage and Blackpool need to win their next 3 to stand any chance in my opinion. This would mean they finish on 76 points but would require slip ups elsewhere.

If Barnsley win their 2 home games they will be on 80 points and will be guaranteed a spot. We can finish on 82 or 80 points but if we do it would mean Lincoln could only finish on a maximum of 78.

It will come down to who wins the Oxford v Lincoln game to who gets in unless Barnsley fail to win anymore games this season.
 
Pretty exciting stuff. The opposition hasn't been of the highest quality in recent games, but we do seem to have finally developed an identity under Des and are hitting form at the right time. I hope we stick with the single pivot (4-1-4-1) from here on in. Maybe not Cam's best position but everyone seems to know their job when we set up like this. And we have a lot more options with the AMs. Wins against Posh and Lincoln and we're all but in.
 
MustardYellow said:
I think Lincoln will beat Wigan, especially as they're at home. If we fail to beat Peterborough that would put a lot of pressure on us on Tuesday, especially with an expectant home crowd. It concerns me it's a pressure the team will struggle to handle.
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There's lot of this sort of supposition on the board. I suspect a lot of people are looking forward, albeit nervously, to Saturday, see how we go and what happens around us and then pick it up again on Tuesday.

There are so many variables and the pressure is on everyone, not just us. There are teams playing for promotion, fighting relegation, players looking for contracts and some bloody minded teams just sat in the middle and playing without real pressure and/or for their pride.
 
PXL_20240410_112937503.jpg

Column 2 was not as enjoyable to fill...

Squeaky-bum-time part of the season gets me looking at goal differences, of course. Those 4-0s have helped! Currently our +18 compared to Stevenage's 11+ makes out 3-point lead essentially a 4-point lead over them, though Blackpool are much closer on our heels with +16.
 
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behindthegoal said:
I dearly hope ,if we fail, some on here don't start slagging DB off.
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Des will, quite rightly, take all the plaudits if we succeed and I'm quietly optimistic he will. Equally, I think it's a bit misguided not to expect him to cop a bit of flak if he fails from 4 games left, three at home and 2 points clear. Going from 2nd to 7th (or below) if it should happen, is a conversation for another day though. Let's remain upbeat and back him fully through these next four - that's all that matters right now. Good luck to him.
 
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OX14 said:
Whatever happens it's going to be a rollercoaster.

5 teams in a battle for the two remaining play off places.

Barnsley are in pole position on 74 points with 4 games remaining. They can finish on max of 86 points with 4 wins but have some tough fixtures.
Reading at home (who aren't safe from relegation yet)
Pompey away ( who depending on Saturday's game against Bolton could either be guaranteed promotion already or only be 4 points clear of 3rd)
Blackpool away (currently still in with a shout of the play offs)
Northampton at home ( could be on the beach at this point but currently 11th in the table and will want a top half finish)

Now us , 70 points with 4 games remaining, we can finish on max of 82 points. Tough games but 3 of them are at home.
Posh at home (playing tonight and if they win they will only be 5 points away from 2nd with a game in hand)
Lincoln at home (only 2 points behind us and a slightly easier run in than us)
Stevenage at home (Beat Barnsley last night and still in with a shout for the play offs)
Exeter away (comfortable mid table side)

Lincoln currently on 68 points, 4 games remaining and can finish on a maximum of 80 points. Couple of tough games for them in their run in.
Wigan at home ( mid table and would be top half if they didn't have a points deduction)
Us away ( currently 2 points ahead and it's surely whoever wins this gets the final place)
Cheltenham away (scrapping to avoid the drop,)
Portsmouth at home ( may not be promoted by then or maybe trying to win the title)

Blackpool currently on 67 points but only 3 games left. Can finish on a maximum of 76 points, 2 hard fixtures
Carlisle away (relegated already so won't put up much fight)
Barnsley at home (currently 7 points ahead in the play offs)
Reading away (will be safe by then but Reading seem hard to beat currently)

Stevenage currently on 67 points but only 3 games left, can finish on maximum of 76 points ,1 hard fixture left.
Burton at home (not relegated just yet )
Us away (currently 3 points ahead with 1 less game played, will need to beat us)
Cheltenham at home (could still be scrapping to avoid the drop)

Verdict

Stevenage and Blackpool need to win their next 3 to stand any chance in my opinion. This would mean they finish on 76 points but would require slip ups elsewhere.

If Barnsley win their 2 home games they will be on 80 points and will be guaranteed a spot. We can finish on 82 or 80 points but if we do it would mean Lincoln could only finish on a maximum of 78.

It will come down to who wins the Oxford v Lincoln game to who gets in unless Barnsley fail to win anymore games this season.
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Cheltenham may be “scrapping to avoid the drop” but their chance of getting anything from Lincoln is zero. I watched them lose at home to Carlisle last night and they were dreadful.
 
dickwalton1964 said:
Des will, quite rightly, take all the plaudits if we succeed and I'm quietly optimistic he will. Equally, I think it's a bit misguided not to expect him to cop a bit of flak if he fails from 4 games left, three at home and 2 points clear. Going from 2nd to 7th (or below) if it should happen, is a conversation for another day though. Let's remain upbeat and back him fully through these next four - that's all that matters right now. Good luck to him.
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It's (nearly) always tricky for managers coming into teams high in the table due to their predecessor having been pinched. Unless the new manager has the exact same personality, tactical, training and managerial approach, the team will understandably hit a slight stumbling block when readjusting.

Had Des been our manager from the start of the season, and we had started so well only to then miss out on the playoffs, then yes, I would be giving Des slack. But as it is, it would be a big, big shame, but I wouldn't consider him so hugely at fault that I would have a go at him.
 
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