Where will we finish?

[Worthy4England]

A lot of people on social media are plugging in fairly generic numbers and forgetting that we have a number of 6-pointers against promotion rivals.

When you plug in form numbers, but then drop them 3 points for their fixtures at our place, the picture changes fairly dramatically.

I will accept that my optimism is based on my belief that we will win every home game. If we lose tonight I may change my tune somewhat.

Yes - but then Blackpool last year played one of their rivals twice (Sunderland) and beat them twice....Mr Swing meet Mr Roundabout.

[GhostoftheBok]

Yes - but then Blackpool last year played one of their rivals twice (Sunderland) and beat them twice....Mr Swing meet Mr Roundabout.

This is it. We need to win every home game and then it's not just about winning enough away games (unless we were to win every game, which we won't), but about which away games we will get results from.

I think we will win tonight. That's the first step and then we can look at MK Dons, which will be come a very, very important game.

[Worthy4England]

Yes - but then Blackpool last year played one of their rivals twice (Sunderland) and beat them twice....Mr Swing meet Mr Roundabout.

This is it. We need to win every home game and then it's not just about winning enough away games (unless we were to win every game, which we won't), but about which away games we will get results from.

I think we will win tonight. That's the first step and then we can look at MK Dons, which will be come a very, very important game.

I believe 13 Cup Finals is what you're looking at.

[bw@bw]

I can see us ending above Wycombe or Plymouth but still missing out behind Sheffield Wednesday or Ipswich
They are both on a good run

Our games against Sheffield and Plymouth are as important as MK Dons

[sonicthewhite]

I plumped for 6th purely on the basis that I think we'll have enough momentum to get us over the line. As ever watch the Gods of Fate and Fortune laugh in my face

[Worthy4England]

ok so it takes a while with 13 games to go....

But you can go in and fill in the missing games on Worldfootball.net

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[Worthy4England]

Oh - if you're messing with that - don't forget they're missing games from earlier gameweeks

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Those six-pointers are indeed #massive

Not only winning, not only stopping them winning, but also maintaining momentum and belief on our side and sowing seeds of doubt on theirs

Again: Sheff Wed have a relatively gentle (if busy) six weeks ahead, but then they finish with four out of five games potentially being hyooj: Bolton (A), McDons (A), (Crewe H), Wycombe (A), Pompey (H). An injury or a wobble there could be serious.

And also, as Ghost notes, they can't all win all those six-pointers. Oxford-Pompey, Bolton-Plymouth, Ipswich-Pompey, Pymouth-Pompey, Oxford-Ipswich, Wycombe-Pompey, Ipswich-Plymouth, Bolton-Pompey – and that's just in March. There's another 10 in April. Just over the two games of Easter alone, you've got McDons-Wednesday, Wycombe-Plymouth, Oxford-McDons and Plymouth-Sunderland. Meanwhile we're playing Donny and Accy and watching teams around us hack each other to bits.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I can't escape the feeling that our away performances will have to significantly improve if we're to give ourselves a real chance.

We've played four since the tactical rejig and new-player input: Shrewsbury, Morecambe, Oxford, Burton. Results have been W2 D1 L1, but you mention performances: I'd say Shrewsbury was the sort of stubborn performance we might need, Morecambe was a roar of defiance under very bad conditions, and Oxford we came from behind twice at a top-six club. Only Burton was bad, and even then only for a 15-minute spell (albeit a costly one).

What we need is not to have "Burton episodes", and we don't have too many more "physical"/long-ball sides to play. There's Gillingham, but they're playing very badly; Morecambe to an extent, but at home so we should be fine unless they get our players incorrectly sent off; Accy, again at ours, so we'll maybe just have to outscore 'em; Cheltenham away, but they haven't got Mr Throw It From Anywhere any more.

[Worthy4England]

My league table in which we finish 9th and get 78 points takes account of all of that. It is of course factually correct.

[GhostoftheBok]

My league table in which we finish 9th and get 78 points takes account of all of that. It is of course factually correct.

I am constitutionally incapable of accepting its accuracy. Awful optimist that I am.

[Worthy4England]

My league table in which we finish 9th and get 78 points takes account of all of that. It is of course factually correct.

I am constitutionally incapable of accepting its accuracy. Awful optimist that I am.

Well I did get us to 78 points! Just that is wasn't good enough

[Bruce Rioja]

My league table in which we finish 9th and get 78 points takes account of all of that. It is of course factually correct.

I am constitutionally incapable of accepting its accuracy. Awful optimist that I am.

Well I did get us to 78 points! Just that is wasn't good enough

78 points, you say?!

[Worthy4England]

[bw@bw]

Nowhere near so scientific
I think that 76 points will get in the playoffs
But that we may only get to 73

Home 5 wins 2 draws
Away 2 wins 2 draws. 2 losses

I hope I am wrong

[TANGODANCER]

I foolishly imagined I'd be standing on those steps when Nat brought the F.A.Cup back in 58. I was 19. What a hope. It was madness and I finished up on the wrong side of the Cenotaph. Saw it though...

[Burnden Paddock]

I have gone for 5th, because I think we will finish 5th.

Burnden Paddock. If Gooner Girl's still up here, can you nip her into town to show her the Town Hall steps? That way she'll have a better understanding as to how we celebrate the unexpectedly successful conclusion of a most unlikely event?

Ha. GG what were you saying yesterday, whilst standing at the bottom of those very steps?

[Gooner Girl]

I have gone for 5th, because I think we will finish 5th.

Burnden Paddock. If Gooner Girl's still up here, can you nip her into town to show her the Town Hall steps? That way she'll have a better understanding as to how we celebrate the unexpectedly successful conclusion of a most unlikely event?

Ha. GG what were you saying yesterday, whilst standing at the bottom of those very steps?

Was definitely too wet and cold to moon on those steps Sunday Bruce! (Impressive town hall you have there though!)

[Bruce Rioja]

Was definitely too wet and cold to moon on those steps Sunday Bruce! (Impressive town hall you have there though!)

How very southern.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Voting is over (who said second? ) but I guess we may as well make this the What Our Rivals Did thread.

Cambridge 2-0 Plymouth - yay!
Charlton 0-2 McDons - boo!
Crewe 0-1 Oxford - close!
Ipswich 0-0 Cheltenham - useful!
Shrewsbury 1-2 Pompey - comeback!
Sunderland 1-1 Burton - insufficient!
Wycombe 1-3 Wigan - pie-faced!

Of the seven rivals who played tonight, 3 won, but 2 drew and 2 lost. A few more matchdays like that will be very welcome indeed.