Remaining Fixtures

[Gary the Enfield]

Okay

I want this season to finish as soon as possible. I still think Lennon, with a fit squad, can get us to at least the play-offs next season. We currently have more than half the team made up of loanees and out of contract players who don't know where they will be playing next season so don't really buy into the fight. We won't, I'm sure, get dragged into the relegation scrap even though we currently lie 18th on 41. We've enough games against lower opposition to limp over. So given the fixtures below, what would be your prediction for final points and position?

14/03/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Millwall W

17/03/2015 19:45 Ipswich Town v Bolton Wanderers L

21/03/2015 15:00 Wigan Athletic v Bolton Wanderers W

04/04/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Blackpool W

06/04/2015 15:00 Cardiff City v Bolton Wanderers L

11/04/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Norwich City D

14/04/2015 20:00 Bolton Wanderers v Charlton Athletic L

18/04/2015 15:00 Brentford v Bolton Wanderers L/b]

25/04/2015 15:00 A.F.C. Bournemouth v Bolton Wanderers D

02/05/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Birmingham City D

I reckon 12 more points to give us 53 and 14th.

Go

[Harry Genshaw]

Our away form means I just cant see us winning at Wigan. Hope to God we get a draw though as a loss will really make things twitchy

[LeverEnd]

The 2 following away games make beating millwall extra important. If they beat us, we've still got 7 points on them, but they now having a terrace hero in charge and would get a huge boost. Could get closer than we think.
Having said that I'm confident the bottom 3 will go.

[thebish]

14/03/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Millwall L

17/03/2015 19:45 Ipswich Town v Bolton Wanderers L

21/03/2015 15:00 Wigan Athletic v Bolton Wanderers L

04/04/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Blackpool D

06/04/2015 15:00 Cardiff City v Bolton Wanderers L

11/04/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Norwich City L

14/04/2015 20:00 Bolton Wanderers v Charlton Athletic L

18/04/2015 15:00 Brentford v Bolton Wanderers L

25/04/2015 15:00 A.F.C. Bournemouth v Bolton Wanderers L

02/05/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Birmingham City L

with an optimistic edge for the blackpool game - I make that 1 more point and certain relegation.

hurrah for our legendary bouncebackability - champions of the third division next season!

[Worthy4England]

I'm sure someone will be along shortly to tell us how good that prospect will be, change from the mid-table/lower half drudgery of the Championship. New grounds to visit and so forth, like they did when it looked like we might drop from the Prem...Can't wait meself!

[bwfcdan94]

I think we will get 24 points.

[jaffka]

I think we will stay up. Get this season out of the way and let's see what happens in the close season. Lennon certainly can move players on and he clearly isn't happy with some off them. Which ones, I don't know?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Let's hope Lennon can get rid of some shite and get some decent players in.

For the record, more than half of last night's starters were his signings; I doubt he enjoys scrabbling round for has-beens (Heskey), never-weres (McCarthy), might-bes (Janko) and might-never-bes (Coke), but he's picking them above others in the squad. Note though that he hasn't spent much, in fact I think all bar Twardzik are loanees or short-term deals, so a fascinating summer awaits - with maybe twice as much turnover as even that hectic January.

[Jonah]

Important that we beat millwall . Without a clough or a cyl we lack a bit if guile . Can't see us scoring many now and we're pretty reliant on the wingers greeting something . Should be fine but should we manage to snatch a draw from the clutches of victory on Saturday things may become a little tense ! And expectations for the games left will take on a different hue though surely not as bleak as the bish's predictions hopefully .

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Should be fine but should we manage to snatch a draw from the clutches of victory on Saturday things may become a little tense !

If we drop points again it will be annoying, but I think only an away win will give Millwall a real chance of catching us: a draw would leave them 10 behind with 9 games left, and once you're in point-per-game territory you're really relying on the others slipping up as much as your own suddenly-brilliant form. In addition, there are others they would overhaul first - Brighton, Rotherham, Fulham - although as there's only two points between us and the final safe spot, I agree that a draw could see us slipping down toward the dotted line, which wouldn't be good for morale.

Millwall may get a new-manager bounce, but Wigan didn't; even their three wins in the last six have been balanced by three losses, and they may need more than 1.5ppg to claw back that gap (they're eight points off safety).

Some interesting fixtures coming up between that bunch of teams, especially over the next week:

Sat Mar 14 Rotherham vs Wigan
Tue Mar 17 Millwall vs Brighton
Sat Mar 21 Wigan vs Bolton
Mon Apr 6 Rotherham vs Brighton
Fri Apr 10 Fulham vs Wigan
Tue Apr 14 Millwall vs Wigan
Wed Apr 15 Fulham vs Rotherham
Sat Apr 18 Wigan vs Brighton

Intriguingly, Wigan's remaining fixtures are against the teams currently ranked 20, 3, 18, 4, 2, 21, 23, 19, 8, 6 - five "winnable" games against relegation rivals, three against automatic-promotion chasers and two right at the end against teams (Wolves and Brentford) who may well be scrapping for the last play-off space.

[Jonah]

Agree that even a draw wouldn't see us likely to go down however these games against the bottom three are games we really need to win because they are poor teams . If we can't achieve that it will put us in a pretty poor place going into a number of difficult games in the run . We'd still most likely be ok but a faltering end to the season would put the mockers on any feel good factor . Course the other side of that is should the players underperform it may mean more changes in the summer albeit on a budget .
With the players available now we should finish lower half of mid table . A lot could depend on cravies staying fit and having the impact he had last time he was regularly available .

[Jonah]

14/03/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Millwall L

17/03/2015 19:45 Ipswich Town v Bolton Wanderers L

21/03/2015 15:00 Wigan Athletic v Bolton Wanderers L

04/04/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Blackpool D

06/04/2015 15:00 Cardiff City v Bolton Wanderers L

11/04/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Norwich City L

14/04/2015 20:00 Bolton Wanderers v Charlton Athletic L

18/04/2015 15:00 Brentford v Bolton Wanderers L

25/04/2015 15:00 A.F.C. Bournemouth v Bolton Wanderers L

02/05/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Birmingham City L

with an optimistic edge for the blackpool game - I make that 1 more point and certain relegation.

hurrah for our legendary bouncebackability - champions of the third division next season!

I can see us getting to 51 points on current form . Enough to stay up safely but a miserable end to the season unless we get momentum in the next few games .
Wins v millwall and Blackpool , draws v Wigan , Cardiff, charlton and brum c.
On current form Wigan could get around 43 points mostly away from home , their home form is abysmal and 5 of their last 10 are against the top 6.
Millwall will need a hell of a new manager bounce to turn it around and also have 4 of the top 6 to play. If we beat them today and they fail to beat Brighton at home in their next game they are pretty much gone . Blackpool have the easiest run in but are likely to be relegated before they win another game .

Even with a turn around in form its hard to see Wigan or millwall getting more than 12 points from their remaining fixtures so should the reverend's Greek tragedy come about one win would still be enough. Can't see us being that abysmal though. It will be all about looking toward next season , hopefully some of the loanies will show enough to be signed. At present janko, amos and bannan are the only ones showing enough to warrant their wages .bannan and Alf would need to take a fair drop to stay and if they require a fee as well it may be beyond our finances anyway .

[plymouth wanderer]

I rate Alfie! Hard working forward who can score goals. Got a feeling though he will be out of our price range! I get the feeling that he wants to stay imo

[Jonah]

I rate Alfie! Hard working forward who can score goals. Got a feeling though he will be out of our price range! I get the feeling that he wants to stay imo

Think you're right on both counts . Would need a fair bit of compromise I suspect but he won't be staying at Cardiff , he's unlikely to go up a level and he wants to play in the north west so who knows . Burnley may well be interested in the summer though and they will be able to afford him with parachute payments and no Ings .

[bobo the clown]

14/03/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Millwall L

hurrah for our legendary bouncebackability - champions of the third division next season!

Well, that shows what YOU know you depressive git.

[thebish]

14/03/2015 15:00 Bolton Wanderers v Millwall L

hurrah for our legendary bouncebackability - champions of the third division next season!

Well, that shows what YOU know you depressive git.