Road To The Autos?

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by hornetboy1, Feb 17, 2021.

  1. miked2006

    miked2006 Premiership Prediction League Proprietor

    No team has been truly consistent this season, so I'm not sure why we are assuming our competitors will go on a long, successful run.

    We have a side capable of beating anyone above us. They also have to play each other.

    So, in all likelihood, I can definitely see us getting one or two more wins than two of Norwich, Brentford and Swansea in the non-top 4 contests, and still getting promoted as long as we beat Norwich and Swansea in the 6 pointers.

    This depends on Sarr, Sema, Pedro and Hughes staying fit however. If one of them is injured for a prolonged period, it is probably game over.
     
  2. Heidar

    Heidar Squad Player

    Sarr getting relentlessly kicked all season has made him stronger. He's throwing defenders about a bit, running past them at long last and is going to be the difference.

    We probably won't, but we've got a formation that doesn't concede many chances. Bachmann hasn't had a lot to do since coming in. I just feel we'll draw too many games.
     
  3. ForzaWatford

    ForzaWatford Squad Player

    My prediction:

    We narrowly come third, with Brentford and Norwich going up. We beat Reading in the play-off semi's to face Bournemouth in the final. We lose an awful game, rife with controversy after Bournemouth win 1-0 from an unjust penalty.
     
  4. Johnny Todd Sings

    Johnny Todd Sings First Year Pro

    These are the fixtures for the top six:

    upload_2021-2-18_12-16-17.png
     
    99mph and UEA_Hornet like this.
  5. LondonOrn

    LondonOrn Squad Player

    So far I've enjoyed this more than the Mazarri season and last one, probably about equal with the Flores and Silva/Gracia seasons, but certainly not as much as 2018/19. But that could change quite a bit depending on our form in the last 16 games and the outcome!
     
  6. ITK platypus

    ITK platypus Squad Player

    This outcome is all but certain. I expect Bournemouth to imminently appoint Ian Holloway as their permanent manager too.
     
  7. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    That's the spirit :D
     
    I Blame Pozzo likes this.
  8. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    I will say again there is no stand out team in this division. I was watching Swansea yesterday but the stream was awful. Forest caused them problems and were unlucky not to win let alone fall to an 87th minute winner. Admittedly I did give up after 70 minutes. Teams playing Brentford just need to press high because the defenders do like to give the ball away and cause themselves problems. Anyways we got 48 to play for and I cant see us dropping another point :D
     
  9. Dorset-Orn

    Dorset-Orn First Year Pro

    The thing is, the way we'd been playing up until Bristol City gave us zero hope of a play off win, so top two seemed our only hope even tho we were miles from that possibility.
    Now we've seen a change in formation and spirit it just makes the whole run in more engaging now and I even see the play offs as something we can win if it came to it. We don't leak many goals and with 433 we can beat anyone in this division on a good day....
     
    W4BS and La_tempesta_cielo_68 like this.
  10. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Probably jinxed it now talking about the top 2.

    Bound to lose tomorrow.
     
  11. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    Right now, our destiny as far as the top two is concerned, is not in our hands. Even if we win all remaining games, beating Swansea and Norwich along the way, and considering they have to play each other with at least one of them dropping points.....we'll still be 3 points behind them both if they win all their games (apart from against with other and us of course)

    So we have to hope Swansea and Norwich start dropping points. Brentford are now catchable for us, as we have to play them. We're 3 points behind on level games, so it's in our hands as to how we overhaul them.

    What is concerning is that after 30 games Norwich and 28 games Swansea, both are averaging at least 2 points per game.

    You have to consider this is the benchmark we have to aim towards, meaning we need 92 points to equal Swansea's current average.

    For us to get that, it's 12 wins and 2 draws from 16 remaining games, or 13 wins in order to take GD out of the equation.
     
  12. Our best 11 433 is better than any other team in the division. Whether we are promoted depends on 2 things: no tinkering, and no injuries.
     
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  13. lowerrous

    lowerrous First Team

    Yeah, HMS PTL can only travel via sea and wide rivers.
     
  14. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    Why are people trying to predict what happens in this league? Teams will have good runs, like us at the moment, some will have mini bad runs, like Brentford are currently. Teams will lose games you don't expect them to lose, some may panic a little in the final few games. Impossible to know what will happen with 16 games left. If we are in the hunt approaching the last few games I will be happy.
     
    zztop and La_tempesta_cielo_68 like this.
  15. YellowKicks

    YellowKicks Squad Player

    Watched Swansea last night and it was a miracle they got a point let alone three. It seems we're all **** - whoever gets promoted will be whoever is the least ****. The only team I am scared of in playoffs weirdly remains Bournemouth.
     
  16. Dorset-Orn

    Dorset-Orn First Year Pro

    True, and when we were on that naff run we were never really beaten hands down, we just gave up too much in midfield and struggled to get good ball forward. The only time I really felt we could get djcked was Brentford where Toney had our defence on toast, but we're just not that team anymore.! (I think I convinced at least myself there)!??
     
  17. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    Brentford would be a funny one in the playoffs, perennial chokers. I can’t remember which of their games it was I watched last season but it was one of their last 2/3 that they just needed to win and ballsed them all up. They went 1-0 down and I couldn’t believe how bad they were, a win and they would be promoted to the premier league but they just kind of froze and did nothing. I think there is a weight of expectation on Brentford to finally get promoted which would work in our favour. Bournemouth I would favour playing least, I wouldn’t be fussed about any of the others, Norwich will go up automatically so all the others are more than beatable.
     
  18. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    It's the hope that kills you
     
  19. Manatleisure

    Manatleisure Squad Player

    Wont be the hope...…… it will be the Deeney return. ;) :D
     
  20. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    They lost their last 2 league games to Stoke and Barnsley, in fairness, two teams who at the time were very capable, though they did play rubbish in both of them. Don't think it's a surprise that Barnsley did them again, their style definitely seems to suit them against the better teams, they were unlucky not to beat Chelsea the other day in the Cup
     
  21. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Top 2 might be a stretch (though you never know in this strangest of seasons), but with this set-up, I do feel more confident about us getting through the play-offs...if we don't just shove Deeney back in the side at the earliest opportunity
     
  22. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    Is this because they are top currently
     
  23. Manatleisure

    Manatleisure Squad Player

    Not convinced by the away form yet or that Deeney deffo won't be starting, so atm I will go the playoffs.
     
  24. folkestone orn

    folkestone orn Squad Player

    Most likely
     
  25. Hornpete

    Hornpete Squad Player

    Back Marty! Back to the Salad Brothers.
     
  26. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    If Swansea can lose one of their two remaining games in hand then it’s absolutely game on.
     
  27. Supertommymooney

    Supertommymooney Squad Player

    It's only on if we keep winning away.

    Even if we manage a good run I think we'll be 3rd or 4th.
     
  28. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    It depends on Swansea’s two games in hand. If they win one and lose one well be two points behind them and equal on points to Brentford. So to go up automatically we’ll need to better Swansea by 3 points and Brentford 1, across 15 games.

    So our form doesn’t necessarily have to be that good, it just needs to be that much better than those two teams, who at the moment, at least in Brentford’s case are in terrible form.
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2021
  29. LeedsOrn

    LeedsOrn Reservist

    Bournemouth have just announced that Woodgate will be their manager until the end of the season.
     
  30. Siohmy

    Siohmy Reservist

    After this last week all bets are off. I’ve taken the line all season that our rotation and fitness will really come into play for the run in as most other clubs do not have the luxury of squad depth. However, up to a week ago my faith in this was shaken because we were so bloody awful it almost didn’t matter how knackered the other teams were.

    Norwich may be out of sight, mainly because I think they also have a good squad so less likely to fade. As for the rest? We’ve got them lads, we’ve got them.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  31. The Voice of Reason

    The Voice of Reason First Team Captain

    We have got to play them both too, so that's it sorted WE ARE GOING UP :cool:
     
  32. zztop

    zztop Eurovision Winner 2015

    I agree with this, I struggle looking at individual games as everything is so unpredictable they can go either way.

    I think the best we can do is look at which club has the strongest squad overall, and which is less likely to slip up in general.

    On both counts, I think we are right up there and I'm pretty confident.
     
  33. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    It depends what you mean by “a good run”. If we maintain the rate of points gathering we have achieved so far under Munoz: 23 in 11 games, so more than 2 points per game, I would say we are highly likely to finish in the top two.
     
  34. Otter

    Otter Gambling industry insider

    I am confident in our defence like a lot of other people, what I'm not wholly confident in is our attack creating enough chances and converting them. Expect a lot more 1-0s between now and the end of the season but I think the odd 0-0 or 1-1 will be the most likely results to scupper our chances.
     
  35. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    How is our squad depth though realistically? We've got brilliant centre-back depth for this level, 2 of the best right-backs in the division, 2 more left-backs than we started the season with (Masina is fine, just how good Lazaar is I don't know yet), but up the field we're a lot more creaky. We've not got much depth in midfield with 4 out and out CMs competing for 3 spots, one of them a booking away from a 2 match ban (Wilmot can play there and we could use Zinckernagel as a #10, but they're arguably not natural in those positions and could be needed elsewhere), and it's starting to show a little bit. Out wide, on the left Sema looks like he could do with a rest (when is Success back? Failing that, there's Zinck and JP, and again they might be needed elsewhere), on the right Sarr has got through an absolutely incredible number of minutes without showing much sign of fatigue, with Zinck a bit of an unknown quantity as of yet if he's ever required there this season. Up front JP is arguably our only reliable option but can't play every game, I rate Perica, but he's not much use to us on the bench or on the treatment table, Success is an unknown quantity, Gray can't hit a barn door and Deeney can only play well in spurts these days

    How does this compare to other teams? **** knows!
     

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