Rotherham United 1-4 Watford Fc - 16/03/2021

It's about being positive, and needing to win.

Think about your logic when you say that if Norwich don't need to win against us, then they might not try so hard. I agree, and that logic would apply to Watford as well.

So that is why we need to have that "need to win" mentality every game from now on so we try our hardest to win every game, rather than thinking that we could "hang on" to second spot where we may able to drop a point or two.

And no way should we be scared of our run in, those teams will be scared of us, and those games will be great opportunities to not only get three points, but to force the others to drop three points.

Anyway, what really matters is not what we think, but what Munoz and the players think. I hope they havn't given up on the top spot.

 

I'm glad I watched on Sky red button and only got to see Success fall over 3 times in the first two minutes he came on in one camera angle. As for Grays meteor velocity through ball at the end there I can only imagine he heard a whistle and booted the ball into the stand thinking it was full time......

 

If we are still in this form in 5 games time....

 

Yes, promotion is the main goal, I agree. But think how disappointed we were not to have been Champions when we last went up.

They are ripe for a drop off in results. If that hunger goes, then they will drop points, and then nerves start to set in. It is all about their mental attitude now.

I see Liverpool, having achieved the Premiership last year after 30 odd years without, they lost their hunger, and before you know it, it becomes a bit of a crisis. The same happened to Leicester when they won the League. Maybe Norwich think (in the back of their minds) they have it sewn up and will stop trying quite as hard .

 

The problem with Success is he has been on the cusp since we have had him, trying to claim a foul within 10 seconds of coming on by falling over which resulted in him fouling the opposition player last night, shows he hasn’t learnt anything by watching from the stands I’m afraid!

 

quite right, usually at this time of the season clubs in our position and around us would be fighting for two promotion places, however Norwich are around 10 points better off than us and not going to slacken off, therefore it’s anyone of us, Brentford and Swansea for the other automatic place, if we treat all of the remaining games the same as we have done the previous nine, we will be second, take our foot off the pedal we won’t!

 

That was a definite foul...

Remember, he's only 25 and he's now past the polling brasses phase that we all go through, so there are no more road blocks on his route to superstardom.

We will go up and next season and he will be the jewel in our crown.

 

I wish I was as optimistic as you are re him, hope I’m wrong!

 

Sorry, but why are they ripe for a drop off in results?

If they are then we are surely?

They’ve won the championship before so I don’t see why they’d care. Win their game in hand and they’re 10 ahead of us, 13 Swansea and 15 Brentford with 9 games to go, if you scroll up you’ll see they’re currently 98% likely to be promoted.

Don’t get me wrong I get the notion of having something to chase and we certainly shouldn’t give up on that, but there is quite literally no evidence that they’re ripe for a drop off in results, their performance over the prior 35 games is evidence directly to the contrary.

Edit:

Yes, so as ripe for a drop off in results as we are:

 

I don't really understand this. Our players are obviously going to try their best to win every game, it's clear to everyone that we're in a really tight promotion race. You seem to be suggesting as soon as a team gets into second place, they're happy to settle for draws and don't do their best to win games? I don't think there's any evidence for that at all, it seems a bit illogical to me.

 

We're much better than them so they are more likely to fade than us.

 

Taking one of those to the thigh in shorts!

 

Raffles was a burglar from the late Victorian era.

 

Well there is fade then there is complete collapse. A team that has identical form to us over the past 10 games isn’t going to fade so much they lose 10 points over the following 9. It’s just wishful thinking with no logic attached to it what so ever.

That’s not even allowing for the fact that our own form had been so equally phenomenal over the past 10 games that there is no way for it to actually improve, it can only get worse, if anything.

 

Norwich are out of sight. They would need a significant downturn in form combined with us not dropping a point from here.

 

Am a little surprised that Percia isn’t being used as a sub option, particularly with Zinc putting some quality in the box, unless of course he is injured?

 

Zinc looks a natural as a centre mid/attacking mid. Along with Nate and Hughes we've now got a midfield that pisses over anything else in the league and it's showing with our rampant form.

I would suspect Norwich have an unassailable lead but you never know with a few draws they might start to feel the heat.

As others have said, if we hadn't spent half the season coasting along then I suspect it would be Norwich chasing us. Shame we didn't ditch Ivic for Xisco in November, but I can't see anything stopping us getting promoted now

E I E I E I O......

 

That table makes fantastic reading. And we also have the evidence of our own eyes that we are pretty good.

Good to see Zinckernagel have a game where he had influence. Hopefully he continues this trajectory. COYH.

 

I think it is just logical "frame of mind" thinking.

It isn't about being "happy to settle for draws" as that implies a stated intention. I don't mean that. It is about what goes on in the back of the mind.

The likelihood is that all teams will drop points over the remaining games.

1) Clearly, if we are to win the league, we will probably need to win all our games, whilst Norwich drop a few, including losing against us. If Norwich don't falter enough, we will still be promoted, it is a win/win situation.

2) If we are to stay in second place, we will probably be able to drop a few points, as those below us will also probably drop a few points. If the others don't drop those points concern starts to affect our performances, then we may end up in the play-offs.

I think that creates a difference in the mental attitude.. Would a middle distance runner rather be battling to overtake the man in front down the home straight for a gold medal, or would he be better worrying about those runners coming up behind as he doesn't want to miss out on the medals altogether? I suggest the former will finish with a better time.

Just remember that only a few weeks ago many on here thought that automatic promotion was "out of sight" for us. Very recently I got into quite a nasty exchange with someone because I suggested three weeks ago that we might catch Swansea even though they were likely to be nine points ahead of us after their next game. We did catch them, and we can catch Norwich.

 

The fact is that we could win all of our 9 remaining games, Norwich could lose 3 including against us and we still wouldn't be Champions on 99 points!

 

Ok. We won't catch Norwich. That's it.

 

The only problem is the cart horse cleverley will be back soon and will be shoehorned into the team, which will ruin everything.

 

I know he’s getting better at subs and has got us playing some fantastic football, but I’m a little annoyed that Xisco didn’t take off Sarr at HT. Hope his injury isn’t serious.

Regarding Norwich, a couple of games ago on here, people were saying the automatics were out of reach.

You never know in this league. An injury to Pukki and Buendia and we’re right back in it.

 

But what happens if Norwich are champions with 3/4 games to spare, how do we motivate ourselves then according to your thinking? Our unrealistic target has disappeared from view so we'd just have to focus on... getting promotion. Would we be unable to lift ourselves?

I think you're overthinking it. Our players are obviously going to see promotion as the goal and will be busting a gut to win every game, as shown by recent performances. I don't know why they'd suddenly shift mentality.

 

You are probably right, but we should do our damnedest (is that a word?) to try.

 

Liked for the optimism of hoping our star player who is actually injured, isn't out for too long, whilst at the same time thinking that injuries that haven't yet happened to Pukki and Buendia could help us catch Norwich!

 

That's a very good point, but what happens when "you know who" is fit again and wants to play. That'll be a test for Xisco.

 

I’d accept suspensions for them too, if that helps to increase the odds.

 

I get what you're saying. Sometimes chasing is easier. You have a target and it focuses the minds. Now we're the target for Swansea and Brentford.

I hope that whatever the strategy, we manage to continue the approach that's seen us win 8/10 games. It's simple. Replicate that, or even close to it, and we go up.

I'm onboard HMS PTSPSITL now (piss second spot in the league)

 

I'm not overthinking it in what we need to do. In my mind, there is no thinking other than we need to win every game to have a chance of overhauling Norwich, and that should be our aim.

The overthinking is only because I am trying to explain to yourself and others. who want us to settle for 2nd place.

 

In 10 games we’ve made up zero points on Norwich, none.

We need to replicate our last 10 games which means winning all but one game against amongst others, Swansea, Brentford, Norwich, Reading, Luton and Boro.

That’s all while hoping in their final 9 Norwich lose 3 and draw one.

If you think that’ll happen I’ll have some of what you’re smoking.

 

Is he actually injured though? Didn't look overly serious when he came off

 

Or, if they just lost two, and drew two, then we would be champions.

 

I think we are capable of winning every one of those games. As I said earlier, we caught up Swansea who would have been 9 points ahead if they won their game in hand just three weeks ago - and they got two wins by being awarded two pens deep into stoppage time. Norwich will be 10 points ahead, if they won theirs. Not that much difference.