Unless we're in the top six I'll always say we're outsiders. But it could happen and if it does we'll be in good form going in to them, which would give us a good chance.

No doubt about it our midfield is as good if not better then anything in this league. We should be one of the best up top but for one reason or another our strikers aren't doing it. We're better at the back than we have been but a good loan or two would help us out in that department.

Whatever happens the mood around the club has improved no end. If not this season I'd fancy us next

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it's no coincidence in the transformation since Billy came back
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My hat goes off to him! The turnaround has been miraculous, and you can't put it down to anything else other than the change in management

I still don't particularly like him after his last spell in charge, but there's no doubting he's a fantastic Championship manager. Put it this way, he's winning me back over .. let's hope he can keep his gob shut and do what he's paid to do!

millwall winning

Definitely an outside chance now, but still maybe too much to ask for. Realistically we need to win at least 8 of our last 12 and I don't think we are quite there yet. The mood has definitely changed though, as Sutton says.

just keep picking up points and you never know there is a chance that we thought had gone just keep the faith plus millwall 1 up against boro you never know king billy sorry a san miguel day

Millwall winning, 4 points off and we are playing well with 12 games left.

Yeah if we keep up the way we are playing then it is definetly a possibility!

Brighton have their game in hand on Tuesday though as well which will have to keep an eye on.

Glad we have them at home later in the season though!

I don't think there was ever a doubt Billy would do a good job. Personally I just didnt think him coming back would ever happen and to be fair it took a pretty exceptional set of circumstances for it to happen.

Winning games right every wrong at a football club and it remains to be seen how things will pan out long term. But so far so good.

I'm a firm believer to much is made of long term planning in football nowadays. You get the best manager you can, give him the best backing you can in order to assemble the best squad possible and it's 11 v 11. Iit doesnt take long for a decent manager to get the best out of his players if the quality is there and it is at forest at the monent. I'm not saying you don't want a good youth system and the rest but that's for others to sort out.

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Just realized Halford is out for two games now as he picked up his 10th yellow card

Oh well back to Collins we go, hopefully he would have learnt a few things from BD and his team on how to defend.
I wonder though if Cohen will keep the captaincy though as to be fair I would let him keep it!

Pretty sure Ayala is almost back to fitness .. Would rather see him at CB than Collins!

My Stokey mate laughed his t*ts off when we signed Collins, it's a shame I agree with him

He won't change SBD. No guarantee it will be Collins, just a tad to early for Hutch?

Actually Hoons you are right Billy said last week, Ayala was a few days away so he may be back for the Wednesday game. To be fair I really rated Ayala at the start of the season but then he lost his way a bit, so hopefully he can get back up to form again.

Also isn't Hutchinson nearly back as well?

Now he was good before he got injured which was after 2 games

I would put Ayala in the team over Collins.

Also I would rather have halford missing these next two games after picking up 10 yellow cards then games we have against Brighton e.t.c as he is a good defender.

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SBD - I thought the yellow card count went back to zero on 1st January?

Playoffs?

Under King Billy, anything is possible. Just don't be too disappointed if we just miss out this season.

without any shadow of doubt the play-offs are a reality, in the space of a week we have narrowed the gap to 4 points. we have a particularly key game against brighton and there are no severe long term injuries and we have the wee man billy on our side, and apart from cardiff and watford, there is no team on a fantastic run keep the faith and BELIEVE

Hoons, I wouldn't really say the play-offs are realistic as of today. They games in hand are making the table look much better than it actually is. Realistically we need to catch up with a team like Palace and that means removing a 10 point gap. It can be done but the other teams above us like Brighton and Leciester have two games in hand which is potentially 6 points.

It's quite common for new managers to get teams playing well in the first few games but huge credit has to go to Davies and Kelly for this job. But I won't be creaming my pants just yet (unlike some cough SBD cough). Billy is absolutely the right man for the job right now but after the play off loss to Swansea it was time for him to go. The team had gone a bit stale and the moaning wasn't healthy. With time to heal it looks perfect for Billy to be back now but so far he's not achieved anything except stop the terrible rut we were in under McLeish. But he certainly looks capable of taking this team up and I agree with SBD that if we don't go up and Billy brings in a couple of defenders over the summer we will be very strong next season.

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Rev yeah I hadn't properly looked at it and of course we could beat them. I suppose the point I'm making is that it's not as simple as closing a 4 point gap on Boro. There is Brighton storming up the league too. Then Blackburn (who I think are a force) and Leeds (who aren't) that can go above us when they play their games in hand. It's a very open league and in that way there is always a chance to sneak into the top 6. Hull looked very strong but were hammered by a weak Bolton side today. Watford look good for 2nd but were beaten easily by Bristol City recently. Cardiff and Leicester have lost to bottom half teams at times this season. I'm starting to convince myself it can be done now! who knows

Agreed cannigia Although if we had the chance this season we should grab it by the balls and take it as far as we can!

You know I've found the whole Billy idolisation completely cringeworthy since he's come back. He's been treated like a Deity and he's anything but! BUT .. like I said he's transformed the form of the starting XI, and my hat goes off to him for that. If he can get us to the play offs this season then no matter what happens, he'd have done a fantastic job, and I'll be looking forward to next season much more than I would have otherwise.

Next season looks promising no matter what the outcome of this season

Leicester in their remaining games have to play
Blackburn
Ipswich
Leeds
Wednesday
Cardiff
Derby
Millwall
Barnsley
Brighton
Brum
Bolton
Palace
Watford
Forest
Their last 3 games are very tough!

Looking at the other teams too, a lot of the top teams still have to play each other. Points will be taken from each other.

Therefore, we must concentrate on who we play and grinding away the results. We have some tough ones still to come yet. Cardiff, Hull, Brighton,M'boro and Leicester... Burnley away won't be easy either as it is 2 days after Brighton at home

I think we need at least another seven points from our next three games.