While I still remain confident about the Villa, I think the logical stance is that it’s going to be a big ask that we’re going to beat Leeds and Norwich while Albion lose to Derby too.
Which means overtaking the Baggies looks doubtful, although still not impossible.
Derby might well beat Swansea away and Albion at home, which means they can overtake us, if we lose our remaining two games.
Why did I think we were guaranteed 5th place as we stand? So much for that “O” level maths.
For clarity, if you don’t know already, third place plays sixth place and fourth place plays fifth place in the play-offs.
My mind is blown, given the myriad of options, but it looks to me like we face the Albion and Leeds face Derby.
I’d take us to do the Albion over two legs, although it would by no means be easy.
Leeds-Derby is also a tough call, but I’d plump for Leeds, which means we’d face them in the final.
Which all in all makes tomorrow a game that we should try to win.
While losing to them tomorrow wouldn’t be the end of the world, it would give them a psychological edge and we don’t want that.
Beating them on their own turf means we’d have the edge, obviously.
Squad news and it’s looking pretty good for us.
Gianji Alioski, who did well against us in the last meeting, is out for the season with a torn meniscus.
Kemar Roofe, Leeds’ top scorer, is also out with a hip problem.
Tammy and Hause are still out, but we know we have decent back up and Tuanzebe is available.
Dean Smith has hinted that he won’t play a weakened side and I fully expect Grealish and McGinn to start and I don’t see more than the odd change happening.
So while I remain fully confident, unless we’re going to win fifteen games on the trot, the winning streak continues to concern me.
I think I’d prefer us to drop that and instead maintain our unbeaten run.
Where maybe a draw would keep me happy.
Except I see a few goals in an open game, meaning a draw is unlikely.
I’m drawing a deep breath, but I’m going for yet another win.
2-1 to us.
UTV!
Derby draw so we will finish 5th whatever the Norwich result. Any one of Derby, Middlesbrough or Bristol City can finish 6th – Derby need a win home to West Brom to be certain of 6th spot.
Would Leeds prefer Derby to Middlesbrough as I can’t see them losing 3rd spot to Albion?
3 teams battling for one play off position on last day will be a good watch. Sky cameras confirmed for Derby v Albion. Hopefully it will get physical 🤔
Watched Barcelona v Liverpool and got to say the level they play at is one we will probably not see at Villa. Got to feel sorry for Liverpool because they deserved more from game but Messi is best player I have ever seen and made the difference with outstanding free kick.
Going back to Villa and play offs, I know 1st leg is Saturday 11th May but getting tense because 2nd leg is either 14th or 15th May. I’m praying it’s 15th because I have already committed to going out 14th! Thinking hard of potential excuses I can use if worst happens.
Holte – better start working on those excuses – second leg is 14th May. Do you need us all to put in a word 🙂 ?
Hitch, any suggestions really appreciated! I’m thinking is it possible to turn my phone off and get back and watch recorded game without finding out score beforehand when I will be in Brum all night?
As long as you can avoid all the Villa fans coming back from the game!
The results from last night players playerof the year, no contest for me.
Amazing night at the Villa End of Season awards John McGinn got Players’ Player and Supporters’ Player of the Year and Jack Grealish Goal of the Season v Rotherham though he said he would have given it Alan Hutton for his legendary strike after that foray against Blues 🤣
Dean Smith, Jack and John Terry all spoke about the camaraderie in this squad and the unique bond between them and how they plan to keep on winning every game – no let ups, no rotation just out to win
Fantastic night fantastic hospitality as always by our club
Purslow also spoke of the way the club had changed these last few months and how happy the owners were with Deano and the way he’s galvanised the troops.
From Facebook.
After years in troubled waters have we finally sailed into calmer seas with an optimistic horizon. Just need to safely navigate through the tricky waters of the play offs to reach it. 🙂
Leeds striker Patrick Bamford has been banned for two matches by the Football Association after being found guilty of “successful deception of a match official” in the draw with Aston Villa. He will miss the final lwague game and the first leg of the play off.
Gerry Kidd, couldn’t happen to a nicer dirty conman.
Bamford – I really hope that the little s**t being missing deprives Leeds of a place in the final.
But how thick is he as well? Did he forget it was being televised or something?
The Semi-finals play off at Villa Park sold out, we must have the best fans in the game.
I was surprised to see Mitch Clark was released. I thought he looked good in pre-season and was surprised to see him go out on loan when we needed the cover, and then he’s had lots of really good compliments at Port Vale and we just let him go. I can’t image it’d cost much to keep him around – just seems a really poor decision to me.
Does seem strange but I suppose we have to trust Smith and his team to make the right decisions – that doesn’t mean they always get them right though!
Agreed, very strange seeing as he was being promoted as the next best thing.
Might end up another embarrassing mistake, like Cahill. Or could be another Ridgewell. Time will tell…
i don’t believe for one minute that we have released any superstars. clark did look tidy in preseason and reports say he was tearing up division 2 lol but every manager has his own ideas and systems. he will be looking for his types of players and those being released might not have fitted into his systems. i liked that taylor he seems to also be a tidy player, loves taking on his full backs and crossing some decent balls. but smith doesn’t play wingers of what i remember of the role. smiths winger are wingers, second strikers and covering fullbacks. they also tuck inside midfield to cover there if needed.
smith will totally reshape the squad,to how he sees best this summer, whether we go up or remain in the second tier. if we go up we can attract better quality players obviously. but we stay in this league, we will bring in smith type players and that will suit smiths system better. not taking away the current squad, they av adapted very well, after the return of grealish and introduction of mings.
watched the under23s last night and Dominic Revan was bringing the ball out of defence like mings and tuanzebe, only not as good. the under 23 thou they lost they were trying to play the way the first team are. finally we have a manager who is managing the whole club. i can see in a few years we will be producing our own players again and they will be good enough. we need some patience and support the manager he knows whats best
p/s we will 5 nil today lol and draw tomorrow hate sunday games why arent we playing today so annoying my sundays are busy
Really, really nice to have a stress free last game. I feel a little sorry for Derby, Boro and Bristol whose fans will have to be scraped off the ceiling by the end of today.
Odds on that it will be Derby but you never know. I’d love Derby to go through and then beat Leeds in the semis. Facing a team that we’ve put seven goals past home and away this season wouldn’t do our chances any harm.
Anyway we can relax until next Saturday…when we’ll be scraping ourselves off the ceiling. Fingers and everything else crossed for that one.