Robmoss2k’s comment with stats deserves to be an article for us to refer over the winter months
We’re 8 points off a play-off place and are in a fortunate spell of fixtures between now and the New Year.
Burnley will have to play Forest, Watford, Leicester and Blackpool.
Leicester will have to play Burnley, Man City in the League Cup QF, QPR and Reading.
QPR face Blackpool, Leicester, Forest and Watford.
Blackpool take on QPR, Burnley and Leeds.
Forest have Burnley, Reading, QPR and Leeds.
Reading will play Forest and Leicester.
Watford have to play Burnley, Leeds and QPR.
Leeds play Watford, Blackpool and Forest.
Bolton have to play Watford and Leicester, and apart from Wigan (OC returns – can’t wait to see that reaction), all the other teams we have to play during the rest of the year inhabit the bottom ten places in the league. And whilst those teams around the top of the table are playing each other, they can’t all win, so even if Watford and Leicester put us to the sword, we still have ample opportunity to be in the top six at the turn of the year.
Now, don’t get me wrong, we also have ample opportunity to be in the bottom six at the turn of the year if we don’t pick up enough points. But a draw away at Burnley on the opening day of the season doesn’t seem like such a bad result now, does it?
We got a point out of the Reading match, lost to Forest, QPR, Blackburn (sigh) and Leeds, drew with now 9th-placed Derby, lost to Brighton and haven’t lost any of the 7 games since.
Yes, I know we only have 16 points from our first 15 games, but the season reaches its halfway point at the end of the year, by which time everyone has played everyone else (as near as makes no difference). And whilst the ‘big boys’ have been picking up easy points off the minnows in the early part of the season, it’s now our turn to make hay whilst the sun shines and grab the opportunity to catch up by the scruff of the neck.
Our fate still lies in our own hands.