Next Five League Games | Vital Football

Next Five League Games

hulloutpost

hulloutpost

Vital Champions League
So we have Portsmouth, Doncaster, Gillingham, Hull and Accrington.

By the time we have played those we have taken a mouthful out of the second half of the season and we will know what our squad will be for the remainder of it.

I would argue that those matches will give us a pretty good idea of how this year is going to pan out. Will we still be in the top three and comfortably in contention for one of the most memorable seasons in our history or will we have slipped to lower playoffs/just outside and instead be on course for a still fantastic season of over achievement?

Of course even if we don't have a 'great' next five games there's nothing to say we couldn't go on a decent run thereafter and drag ourselves back into contention for the automatics. The other sides must have tricky runs of fixtures where teams will take points from one another.

I have to say though that confidence and momentum are a big part of football so I do believe these next five games will define where we are headed. I do get the feeling that the belief is really starting to flow through our young squad.

I don't see any inferiority complex, I like the way the team bounced back after the different types of reverses against Sunderland and Shrewsbury and I was really impressed how they patiently went about overcoming the awkward challenge that Northampton presented.

Provided there is sufficient physicality and ability, combined with a youthful, energetic squad that should be learning all the time I see no portents of doom and can't wait to see how we fare over these upcoming fixtures.
 
To add to that and crucially is who we bring in, will they bring experience or youth. I hope, they will add some experience to the squad. Appreciate it doesn’t come cheap but I think that is needed, I don’t think we have the time now to bed anymore youth in tbf, it’s now the business end.

Whatever happens it’s been a blast.
 
Yes, it's squeaky bum time. It's would be easy to say that those games might define our season, but actually I think we've already done that. However well we do, we now all know what MApp's here for: young players and attacking football.

If we don't do so well, not just in the next five but for the rest of the season, we need to remember that we've massively exceeded expectations. If we do do well in the next five - well, then I think we can justifiably start getting carried away.
 
Croozey said:
i think we need some experienced heads for these games. Can't be carrying anyone.
Click to expand...
Good point and I think this is where we could see just how vital an injury free and match fit Liam Bridcutt is.

Equally I don't see Morgan Rogers starting too many games at this point of his development.
 
Last edited:
hulloutpost said:
Good point and I think this is where we could see just how vital an injury free and match fit Liam Bridcutt is.

Equally I don't see Morgan Johnson starting too many games at this point of his development.
Click to expand...

Yes, I thought Morgan Rogers looked slightly lost yesterday, which is understandable, but I would think McGrandles and or Jones will come back into midfield and Brennan Johnson back up front which will limit Roger's starting options in any case. Hopefully he can make an impact off the bench when required.
 
I agree with everything Hully has said. I really hate to inject a note of pessimism, or reality into the scenario, but let’s all hope that this wonderful group of people, who have so far given us a more than memorable season, aren’t hijacked by whatever Covid decides to throw up 🤞🤞🤞🤞. Let’s hope the vaccines kick in and keep things on track for the rest of the season uninterrupted.
 
I would like to see us being in some more youth and athleticism. It's why we are where we are.

We already have a much more experienced squad than we had at the start of the season. Scully, Montsma, Edun, Eyoma, Brennan were all inexperienced players but you would not want to replace them with some journeyman now.


Far too early to make any judgement on Rodgers other than I would be amazed if he isn't a better player after four or five professional matches than starting his first.

We will be right up there all season, why wouldn't we be.
 
A tricky set of games, impossible to predict what will happen but cautiously optimistic that we will keep up the 2 points per game ratio.
Every game am prepared for the wheels to come off the Applecart, every week they don’t is a bonus.

Joint top after 22 games, still in dreamland and long may it continue.
 
A really tough run but once we're through them we'll still be in the mix and the current top 6 will have the following volume left to play against the current top 6:

Hull: 0 home / 4 away
Lincoln: 1 home / 2 away
Posh: 4 home / 2 away
Portsmouth: 0 home / 2 away
Doncaster: 4 home / 1 away
Charlton: 3 home / 1 away

Still lots of points to be dropped. If I'm honest I don't know what to expect from us really but we'll still be 'there or thereabouts' whatever.
 
I think after that run of games and still top 4 we would have to have a Tilson'esque disaster not to be in the play off mix at the very least at the end of the season.
 
starting with portsmouth... we will have bridcutt in, who was missing in the home defeat. walsh - where we previously had eyoma at centre back. previously the two full backs were gotts and roughan.

i hope the players recognise that half the season has gone and we have been top 6 for all of it. with our full team we are a match for all of the other 23 - we pretty much have our full team back now.

it is going to be a big test for edun, defensively, imo. and also a big test for grant - to show he is capable of a stand out performance against a top level league 1 team.

i would like to see us start from the first whistle, and go toe to toe with them for the whole game. no sitting back - like peterborough. no fear factor. no sloppy passing. see what happens. we are aiming to produce championship-ready players. tuesday is going to be close to a championship-level game. we will probably need 7 or 8 on mom-level performances. confidence will go through the roof if we play well in this one - and get a result.

looking forward to seeing more signs of our 'belief'... hope it doesn't get snowed off. uti.
 
Just to add a little mathematical reality to where we are and what the end of the season usually looks like.

We are on 45 points (five from safety) about half way through the season. The worst team in the league have 16 points and the team in 12th have 30. If we collapse in the second half of the season to be the worst team in the league we could finish on 61 points and if we collapse into a middling League 1 team we could finish with as many as 75 points.

In 2018/19 61 points would have got us to 11th. 75 points would have seen us finish 5th. The year before 12th and 6th. The year before that 12th and 6th. 2015/16 14th and 6th and the year before that 13th and 5th. Basically 75 points would have won a play-off place in each of the previous 5 full seasons.

A top two position has required between 86 and 96 points, so is much more variable, and a much harder ask, depending on the year.

In conclusion, I think we can expect to at least stay in and around the play-off positions for the rest of the season and still be in with a shout of automatic promotion at Easter. No pressure lads.
 
Tough run of games ahead.
We could either see a promotion place put well in our grasp, or see even the play-offs looking a long shot.
Hopefully the former or at least something in between.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.