StantonRam

Plus ca change, plus ca la meme chose...

Sombreros...I turned up in mine last time to find that only about 6 people in the whole place had also bothered, so stuff that for a game of soldiers.

Sombreros...I turned up in mine last time to find that only about 6 people in the whole place had also bothered, so stuff that for a game of soldiers.

Sombreros...I turned up in mine last time to find that only about 6 people in the whole place had also bothered, so stuff that for a game of soldiers.

Sombreros...I turned up in mine last time to find that only about 6 people in the whole place had also bothered, so stuff that for a game of soldiers.

Sombreros...I turned up in mine last time to find that only about 6 people in the whole place had also bothered, so stuff that for a game of soldiers.

As someone said above, Posh can't finish with more than 89 points, same as Bolton, and we still have GD advantage over both.
So - if we reach 90 points it doesn't matter what either of them do.
Bolton's result last night puts them behind what I predicted, and makes it unlikely that they can now overtake us unless bizarre things happen on the final day.
Possible scenarios Rams v Trotters:
We win the last 2 games and we are 2nd no matter what.
We win and draw the last 2 games and we have 90 points and are still 2nd no matter what.
We draw both games, and if Bolton win both theirs then they are 2nd (89 points to our 88).  Same thing would also be true if Posh won their last 3.  However, since Posh play Bolton BOTH of those scenarios happening at once is impossible, it would be either one or the other above us but not both, and we would finish 3rd, with all the playoff advantages that brings.  Let's hope however that it doesn't come to that.
That seems to me to be a reason to really go for it on Saturday, as a win would really take the pressure off.  No point accepting a point on Saturday, as this would only increase the pressure to win on the last day. 
If we won on Saturday and got to 89 points then GD would kick in, and we would still finish 2nd no matter what happens on the last day.  Or at the very least we would go into the last day knowing that only the combination of both a heavy loss for us and a big win for Trotters or Posh (possible but unlikely) would change anything.

As someone said above, Posh can't finish with more than 89 points, same as Bolton, and we still have GD advantage over both.
So - if we reach 90 points it doesn't matter what either of them do.
Bolton's result last night puts them behind what I predicted, and makes it unlikely that they can now overtake us unless bizarre things happen on the final day.
Possible scenarios Rams v Trotters:
We win the last 2 games and we are 2nd no matter what.
We win and draw the last 2 games and we have 90 points and are still 2nd no matter what.
We draw both games, and if Bolton win both theirs then they are 2nd (89 points to our 88).  Same thing would also be true if Posh won their last 3.  However, since Posh play Bolton BOTH of those scenarios happening at once is impossible, it would be either one or the other above us but not both, and we would finish 3rd, with all the playoff advantages that brings.  Let's hope however that it doesn't come to that.
That seems to me to be a reason to really go for it on Saturday, as a win would really take the pressure off.  No point accepting a point on Saturday, as this would only increase the pressure to win on the last day. 
If we won on Saturday and got to 89 points then GD would kick in, and we would still finish 2nd no matter what happens on the last day.  Or at the very least we would go into the last day knowing that only the combination of both a heavy loss for us and a big win for Trotters or Posh (possible but unlikely) would change anything.

We are now 2 points ahead of my original prediction and require a win and a draw to reach 90 points.
Bolton are exactly as I predicted and need 2 wins and a draw to reach 89 points.
Added to which our GD margin has increased thanks to the 3 goals and clean sheet on Saturday.
Once Bolton have played tomorrow things will become much clearer.
A win for us on Saturday might just do it, depending on Bolton's results as well.
Even a draw for us on Saturday might not be the end of the world, but it probably would mean a very tense and nervous last day. 
Let's hope we can get it done on Saturday, get the win and pray that Bolton don't win twice.

We are now 2 points ahead of my original prediction and require a win and a draw to reach 90 points.
Bolton are exactly as I predicted and need 2 wins and a draw to reach 89 points.
Added to which our GD margin has increased thanks to the 3 goals and clean sheet on Saturday.
Once Bolton have played tomorrow things will become much clearer.
A win for us on Saturday might just do it, depending on Bolton's results as well.
Even a draw for us on Saturday might not be the end of the world, but it probably would mean a very tense and nervous last day. 
Let's hope we can get it done on Saturday, get the win and pray that Bolton don't win twice.

Stanton in Peak, beautiful place, actually moved in 2019 but for some reason only just got around to the name change on here.
Am surprised that my attempt at humour, satirising the modern trend for people to make earth shattering announcements on social media about totally mundane and unimportant things, has attracted so much interest.  
In other news, and in keeping with the modern trend for everything to be preceded by a commercial, this message was brought to you by Lavazza espresso and the Roderigo Guitar Concerto (Concerto de Aranjuez).

An announcement:
As of today, the artist formerly known as LondonRam2 wishes to be known as StantonRam because that's where I live now.
Message ends.
Thanks for reading.

Stanton in Peak, beautiful place, actually moved in 2019 but for some reason only just got around to the name change on here.
Am surprised that my attempt at humour, satirising the modern trend for people to make earth shattering announcements on social media about totally mundane and unimportant things, has attracted so much interest.  
In other news, and in keeping with the modern trend for everything to be preceded by a commercial, this message was brought to you by Lavazza espresso and the Roderigo Guitar Concerto (Concerto de Aranjuez).

The conclusion that can be drawn from watching overperforming teams end up in the PL (Burnley, Norwich etc, the so called "yo yo" teams, prime example probably being West Brom) is that the momentum to be gained from having players who all know each other's games very well can take a club a long way.  In the last decade we have had quite a few examples of teams that have been promoted from League 1 (or even League 2, Bournemouth as the classic example) and then from the Championship and into the PL within a few years afterwards with pretty much the same players (Ipswich this season for example).
That, however, is often when things come unstuck.  It's also a proven fact that newly promoted teams have had to dig deep financially to strengthen in the PL or go straight back down.  This season, for example, Luton and Forest have spent big (too big in Forest's case) and are in with a chance of staying up, whereas Sheff Utd and Burnley have not and look destined for the drop.  In 2007-8 we most definitely fell into this category, and we all saw the results of trying to stay in the PL on the cheap.  It simply can't be done.
Our more experienced players probably could cut it in the Championship, but by the time we went up again (if we did) they would have retired.
The younger bunch (Cashin etc) are a mixed bag, but again I would trust them to compete in the Championship, at least initially.
Ergo, the first season in the Championship would be a period of transition.
Apart from the administration and the embarrassment of being in League 1 for 2 seasons, perhaps the biggest setback has been having to sell so many good players (Bird and Knight to name but 2), whereas had we stayed in the Championship they might still be here.
 

Stanton in Peak, beautiful place, actually moved in 2019 but for some reason only just got around to the name change on here.
Am surprised that my attempt at humour, satirising the modern trend for people to make earth shattering announcements on social media about totally mundane and unimportant things, has attracted so much interest.  
In other news, and in keeping with the modern trend for everything to be preceded by a commercial, this message was brought to you by Lavazza espresso and the Roderigo Guitar Concerto (Concerto de Aranjuez).

Stanton in Peak, beautiful place, actually moved in 2019 but for some reason only just got around to the name change on here.
Am surprised that my attempt at humour, satirising the modern trend for people to make earth shattering announcements on social media about totally mundane and unimportant things, has attracted so much interest.  
In other news, and in keeping with the modern trend for everything to be preceded by a commercial, this message was brought to you by Lavazza espresso and the Roderigo Guitar Concerto (Concerto de Aranjuez).

Stanton in Peak, beautiful place, actually moved in 2019 but for some reason only just got around to the name change on here.
Am surprised that my attempt at humour, satirising the modern trend for people to make earth shattering announcements on social media about totally mundane and unimportant things, has attracted so much interest.  
In other news, and in keeping with the modern trend for everything to be preceded by a commercial, this message was brought to you by Lavazza espresso and the Roderigo Guitar Concerto (Concerto de Aranjuez).

An announcement:
As of today, the artist formerly known as LondonRam2 wishes to be known as StantonRam because that's where I live now.
Message ends.
Thanks for reading.

Stanton in Peak, beautiful place, actually moved in 2019 but for some reason only just got around to the name change on here.
Am surprised that my attempt at humour, satirising the modern trend for people to make earth shattering announcements on social media about totally mundane and unimportant things, has attracted so much interest.  
In other news, and in keeping with the modern trend for everything to be preceded by a commercial, this message was brought to you by Lavazza espresso and the Roderigo Guitar Concerto (Concerto de Aranjuez).

An announcement:
As of today, the artist formerly known as LondonRam2 wishes to be known as StantonRam because that's where I live now.
Message ends.
Thanks for reading.

I originally predicted that we would get 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, and 3 points from the last 6 games - 12 in all, bringing us up to 90 at the end.
We are currently ahead of that because we have 4 points from 2 games not 2.
I also predicted that Bolton would get 1, 3, 3, 1, 3, 1 and 3 points from their last 7 games - 15 in all, bringing them up to 89 points at the end, plus we should still have a superior GD.
They are exactly as predicted so far.
It is possible that they might overtake us at some point briefly, but I still think that we will secure 2nd place in the end.
If Pompey beat them and we beat Orient then it's difficult to see how they would haul themselves past us with 3 games to go.

Stanton in Peak, beautiful place, actually moved in 2019 but for some reason only just got around to the name change on here.
Am surprised that my attempt at humour, satirising the modern trend for people to make earth shattering announcements on social media about totally mundane and unimportant things, has attracted so much interest.  
In other news, and in keeping with the modern trend for everything to be preceded by a commercial, this message was brought to you by Lavazza espresso and the Roderigo Guitar Concerto (Concerto de Aranjuez).

An announcement:
As of today, the artist formerly known as LondonRam2 wishes to be known as StantonRam because that's where I live now.
Message ends.
Thanks for reading.

I originally predicted that we would get 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, and 3 points from the last 6 games - 12 in all, bringing us up to 90 at the end.
We are currently ahead of that because we have 4 points from 2 games not 2.
I also predicted that Bolton would get 1, 3, 3, 1, 3, 1 and 3 points from their last 7 games - 15 in all, bringing them up to 89 points at the end, plus we should still have a superior GD.
They are exactly as predicted so far.
It is possible that they might overtake us at some point briefly, but I still think that we will secure 2nd place in the end.
If Pompey beat them and we beat Orient then it's difficult to see how they would haul themselves past us with 3 games to go.

The conclusion that can be drawn from watching overperforming teams end up in the PL (Burnley, Norwich etc, the so called "yo yo" teams, prime example probably being West Brom) is that the momentum to be gained from having players who all know each other's games very well can take a club a long way.  In the last decade we have had quite a few examples of teams that have been promoted from League 1 (or even League 2, Bournemouth as the classic example) and then from the Championship and into the PL within a few years afterwards with pretty much the same players (Ipswich this season for example).
That, however, is often when things come unstuck.  It's also a proven fact that newly promoted teams have had to dig deep financially to strengthen in the PL or go straight back down.  This season, for example, Luton and Forest have spent big (too big in Forest's case) and are in with a chance of staying up, whereas Sheff Utd and Burnley have not and look destined for the drop.  In 2007-8 we most definitely fell into this category, and we all saw the results of trying to stay in the PL on the cheap.  It simply can't be done.
Our more experienced players probably could cut it in the Championship, but by the time we went up again (if we did) they would have retired.
The younger bunch (Cashin etc) are a mixed bag, but again I would trust them to compete in the Championship, at least initially.
Ergo, the first season in the Championship would be a period of transition.
Apart from the administration and the embarrassment of being in League 1 for 2 seasons, perhaps the biggest setback has been having to sell so many good players (Bird and Knight to name but 2), whereas had we stayed in the Championship they might still be here.