Will It Come Down To The Final Game?

[The Prisoner]

Did the league predictor on the BBC website this morning for the top 6 teams, going into the last match I had it as follows:

Wolves 83
Brum 83
Reading 82
Cardiff 79

So in answer to the thread title, yes, it will, and it will be bloody exciting/nervy.

Just did it too and got....

1 Reading 85
2 Wolves 85
3 Brum 83
4 Cardiff 79
5 Sheff U 75
6 Burnley 72

Us: Palace (A) D, Coventry (A) W, Sheff Utd (H) W, Blackpool (A) W, Barnsley (H) W, Derby (A) D, Norwich (A) D, Birmingham (H) W
Wolves: Forest (A) D, Birmingham (A) D, Southampton (H) W, Derby (A) D, QPR (H) D, Barnsley (A) D, Doncaster (H) W
Birmingham: Norwich (H) W, Wolves (H) D, Charlton (A) W, Plymouth (H) W, Watford (A) D, Preston (H) D, Reading (A) L

Assuming that everyone from Doncaster above is (theoretically) safe and everyone from and including Ipswich above (theoretically) has playoff ambitions we have five relegation fighters to play (although they may be safe by the time we play them obviously) and two promotion chasers to play
Wolves have four and one, Brum three and four (all of their games).

If you look at the table above we will go into the last game 2nd with Brum top, with both us and Wolves overhauling them to come 1st and 2nd.

Birmingham vs Wolves is a pivotal game. With Wolves having four away games left all against teams fighting for something they could really struggle if they come out of that with nothing. I think Birmingham have the easiest run in, but Preston and Reading would not be the last two games you would pick.

There is also an odd pattern emerging whereby we seem to either beat teams home and away (Doncaster, Sheff W, Wolves) or not at all (Southampton, Ipswich, Charlton, Forest etc). The last eight games we play are all against teams we have already beaten this season in the reverse fixture...... (Swansea, Bristol City and Burnley are the only teams where there has been a 50/50 points split).

What does it all mean? Cock all.

[Stranded]

When the fixtures came out last summer I thought it would and I've not seen much to change my mind.

[watfordroyal]

Hope it's sorted by then,
how awful is it gonna be if we get beat with 4000 Brummies going mental in our ears!!!

[rhroyal]

I hope it goes down to the final game. It would be epic if we pulled it off.

[brendywendy]

Hope it's sorted by then,
how awful is it gonna be if we get beat with 4000 Brummies going mental in our ears!!!

but how sweet if we won

[RobRoyal]

I bloody hope so, because if it doesn't come down to the last game it will probably be because we've blown it. I can't see us having a 3 point cushion over B'ham come the last day.

If it does, though, I'd be cautiously optimistic. I think any team offered a one-off home game to win promotion at the start of the season would happily take it. After the way we took them apart at St. Andrews, I'd fancy our chances. Basically B'ham are rubbish, let's face it. Really piss-poor.

[Chaney]

people seem to be forgetting that Cardiff city could easily come and spoil the party for both of us, they host Watford tonight followed by three more consecutive home games, they could easily take ten points or more from those four games.

[Skyline]

For some reason it would be strangely satisfying if we were to be three points ahead of them going into that last game, but with similar GDs to what we have at the moment. Even if they win the game, all those games where they nicked it by a single goal would come back to haunt them as they couldn't overturn our goal diff, which is like an extra 0.5 points at the moment.

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

people seem to be forgetting that Cardiff city could easily come and spoil the party for both of us, they host Watford tonight followed by three more consecutive home games, they could easily take ten points or more from those four games.

Wouldnt fancy Cardiffs run-in - once into April - 7 games in 20 days??

Wed 18 Mar Watford H League 19:45
Sun 22 Mar Sheffield United H League 15:00
Sun 05 Apr Swansea City H League 11:00
Wed 08 Apr Derby County H League 19:45
Sat 11 Apr Crystal Palace A League 15:00
Mon 13 Apr Burnley H League 15:00
Sat 18 Apr Preston North End A League 15:00
Tue 21 Apr Charlton Athletic A League 19:45
Sat 25 Apr Ipswich Town H League 15:00
Sun 03 May Sheffield Wednesday A League 15:00

[brendywendy]

people seem to be forgetting that Cardiff city could easily come and spoil the party for both of us, they host Watford tonight followed by three more consecutive home games, they could easily take ten points or more from those four games.

cardiff and swansea have stuttered slightly recently too though
just dont see them putting the kind of run they need to produce together
starting tonight with a draw with watford

[RobRoyal]

Agreed on Cardiff - I don't think they will be able to produce the level of form they need given that severely busy run-in. They might catch one of Reading or B'ham, but I very much doubt both. Shame for them - if only they'd put out a reserve team in the cup...

[Ian Royal]

It should go down to the final game, but we could easily blow it before then.

TBH it's no surprise, this season has looked destined to go to the wire since the fixtures were announced.

[Royal-DLG]

Last time (2005) i was only 15 so couldnt "celebrate" as i was living in Northamptonshire, so didnt even see the celebrations

It was going down to the Brum game at the start of the season, and at 38 games gone, it still is.

I hope it does go down to it to the last game, it would be immense, and i can actually celebrate this time!

Bring it on!

[andrew1957]

If it does go to the final game in some ways I hope we need to win. If we just need a draw to go up I fear we would sit back and lose 1-0. Far better to know you have to go forward and win.

It will be exciting that is for sure!!

[The 17 Bus]

Last time (2005) i was only 15 so couldnt "celebrate" as i was living in Northamptonshire, so didnt even see the celebrations

It was going down to the Brum game at the start of the season, and at 38 games gone, it still is.

I hope it does go down to it to the last game, it would be immense, and i can actually celebrate this time!

Bring it on!

what did we celebrate in 2005??

[The whole year inn]

Come game 46, there is going to be 3 points or less between Brum and Reading.

I am in no doubt it will come down to the final day

[papereyes]

The complete and utter masochist in me hopes it comes down to a three or four way race in the last game. 3 pts separating us, Birmingham, Cardiff and Wolves.

[papereyes]

Last time (2005) i was only 15 so couldnt "celebrate" as i was living in Northamptonshire, so didnt even see the celebrations

It was going down to the Brum game at the start of the season, and at 38 games gone, it still is.

I hope it does go down to it to the last game, it would be immense, and i can actually celebrate this time!

Bring it on!

what did we celebrate in 2005??

Losing to Wigan really pointlessly in a game that the side clearly didn't give two sh1ts about.

[Royal-DLG]

2006 then!

pedantic people

[SteveRoyal]

I bloody well hope not - but if it does, I'll be there.