OFFICIAL: It’s back on

[r00fie1]

Defeatist…. Or realist?
Sorry, but the club made clear that it had given up on the play offs in January when it let two regular starters leave an injury ravaged squad and replaced them with…….no-one. And didn’t buy a striker despite playing the previous 2 months without one.
I’m an optimistic Boro fan. I *normally believe we will win every game, no matter who the opposition is. I have always been very much a glass-half-full fan. I’m that weird fan when we are 2 down with ten minutes to go who is saying ‘I honestly think we’ll get something from this’….while actually believing it.
However, this year I’m not wasting any more of my hope on the minuscule chance that we will finish top 6. I shall enjoy watching how we get on in the knowledge that it’s all about having a proper go next season, as I believe we’ll never have a better chance, with Luton, Burnley and Sheffield Utd all likely to come down.
If we beat Ipswich, Hull and Leeds then I’ll jump onboard the late run to playoff glory. However…..we won’t. We just won’t. We’ll be doing well to get 3 points from those 3 games, so I’ll just enjoy watching how we get on and hoping for some entertainment to see out the season, hopefully with the unearthing of a young lad or two who can make the step up.

Neither the Club, Carrick nor anyone else, gave up on the play-offs in January!

Crooks wanted to leave for family reasons and take up the unmissable, opportunity to play abroad.
Rogers made the club a small fortune, and it would have been stupid if a club like ours turned away millions. Rogers wanted to go to Villa, and we couldn't really say no to that return on our investment.

Keep the faith! (y)

 

[Frozen Horse]

Just shows the poor standard of the championship stick with the same squad with maybe 3 top quality signings and we could easily do it next season

Whether it means the standard is high or low, I don't know: if there were 24 great teams in the championship, 3 would still be relegated and only 3 would be promoted. Teams would still lose, and look bad when getting beaten.

However, I agree with your main point. I think 18-20 clubs have 6 or 7 starters who are good enough to be in a promotion team. Any of them could be contenders next year with the right handful of new starters, and sufficient squad depth to cope with the inevitable injuries, suspension and fatigue.

 

[The Card Cheat]

Neither the Club, Carrick nor anyone else, gave up on the play-offs in January!

Crooks wanted to leave for family reasons and take up the unmissable, opportunity to play abroad.
Rogers made the club a small fortune, and it would have been stupid if a club like ours turned away millions. Rogers wanted to go to Villa, and we couldn't really say no to that return on our investment.

Keep the faith! (y)

I completely agree with those reasons as to why we allowed those two players to leave but should we maybe have invested more of the money we got for them in the team? Mind I suppose you look at Hull, they invested heavily in January and have got worse!

Regarding promotion id say about 5% chance of reaching the play offs, then if we reach them maybe 10% chance of winning them.
But that's about the same chance I and most other fans gave us of beating Chelsea at home, so it's definitely not impossible.

 

[equaliser]

If we win and Norwich lose on Saturday, then we'll all be forced to sit up and be optimistic. Coventry, Preston & Hull all have 'lose-able' games, so we could be 7th, 3 points off (granted those 3 teams have a game in hand). We'd be going to Hull and Ipswich with a loud following, players coming back, momentum.

Being Boro, we'll beat Swansea, Hull, Ipswich & Leeds then lose to Cardiff and Watford. You know it.

 

[indeedido]

I completely agree with those reasons as to why we allowed those two players to leave but should we maybe have invested more of the money we got for them in the team? Mind I suppose you look at Hull, they invested heavily in January and have got worse!

Regarding promotion id say about 5% chance of reaching the play offs, then if we reach them maybe 10% chance of winning them.
But that's about the same chance I and most other fans gave us of beating Chelsea at home, so it's definitely not impossible.

Maybe 5% thought we would beat Chelsea at home and then having done so may be 10% thought we would make Wembley. Making the final was immensely long odds, as is us getting promoted.
The fact is we were thumped in the second leg, as I think we would be even if we actually made the play offs.

I hope we do make it, even if we do get dumped in the play offs, otherwise what's the point in bothering at all?
But we won't get near it.

 

[The Card Cheat]

Maybe 5% thought we would beat Chelsea at home and then having done so may be 10% thought we would make Wembley. Making the final was immensely long odds, as is us getting promoted.
The fact is we were thumped in the second leg, as I think we would be even if we actually made the play offs.

I hope we do make it, even if we do get dumped in the play offs, otherwise what's the point in bothering at all?
But we won't get near it.

Yeah exactly, I mean those cup games were still brilliant even though we eventually got hammered. First leg because of the game, second leg because of the fans. Maybe play offs would be similar but still would love us to be involved.

 

[FabioPorkpie]

I’m actually of a different mindset to many.
I don’t think we’ve got a cat in hell’s chance of getting to the playoffs.
However, should the extremely unlikely happen and we do sneak 6th, I think we’ll go up. The players have the experience and pain of last seasons underwhelming play off exit to draw on, and in order to make 6th from here, we will have hit peak form and timed our run to perfection, unlike last season when we peaked too soon and lost momentum. The buzz around the club would be incredible, pulling off 6th from here would be one of the most exciting and best run-ins in our history, so the belief and feel good factor would be sky high.

 

[kuepper]

pity about the run-in though

Swansea (H)

Hull (A)

Ipswich (A)

Leeds (H)

Cardiff (A)

Watford (H)