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Everyone, understandably, considers Swindon as favourites to finish the season as League Two champions. Everyone looks at the remaining games which each promotion contender has to play to see who has the easier run in and who is likely to finish in what position. It's a fun game to play. But we should not take it too seriously.

The truth is, as Martin Ling has indicated, that there are no easy games for any team at this stage of the season, whether playing against fellow promotion candidates, teams fighting to avoid relegation, or mid-table teams whose players may be aiming to impress for new contracts next season. Every match is a potential banana skin where any team could slip up.

This applies to Swindon too. They were favourites to win today's JPT final at Wembley, but lost to Chesterfield who are bottom of League One. They are four points ahead of the Gulls with games in hand. They look odds-on to stay at the top. But it ain't necessarily so!

From next Saturday, Swindon must play seven games, twice a week, in just over three weeks, three home and four away, followed by their final two Saturday games of the season. And most of them are very tricky games: a resurgent Bristol Rovers, likewise Northampton, Plymouth and Port Vale, all at home. With their home record it will be no surprise if Swindon win most or all of them, but they're not easy games. Similarly, away games at Barnet fighting against relegation, Aldershot, Gillingham and Bradford.

Swindon will need to play at their best to remain at the top, just as the teams below Torquay will need to keep winning to overtake us. Those with games in hand, such as Swindon and Crawley, will still have to win those games. And all teams are going to drop points.

So nobody should be too concerned with what other teams may or may not be achieving during the run in. What is serious and essential for the rest of the season is that the Gulls need only concentrate on their own game (Ling and Taylor will ensure that), and we should support them one hundred per cent, and those idiotic few among the Plainmoor crowd who do nothing but whinge and moan should keep their mouths shut. Yes, if we simply make the play-offs it will have been a wonderful and miraculous season. But there are seven games to go, and they are all winnable.

The Gulls can be League Two Champions..!!!

I think Swindon are nailed on for the title Mick and we have much the harder run in than Crawley and Shrewsbury so i am very worried about getting top 3. You're right though in saying a play off spot would cap off a miraculous season and that is pretty much now in the bag. We shoud be indebted to Martin and the players for achieving this against all the odds and just enjoy the remaining games.

Finishing as League 2 Champions although possible, is probably unlikely. Finishing in an automatic promotion place is not guaranteed either, even if we win all our remaining games, because if both Shrewsbury and Crawley win their games in hand and match our results, we'll miss out by 2 points. Final totals would be Shrews 95pts, Creepies 95pts, Gulls 93pts.

I don't feel 82pts will be sufficient for automatic, even if both the Shrews and the Creeps drop the required amount of points. As it stands, if either the Shrews or the Creeps drop 3pts more than us, we'll be up automatically, that's on the condition we all three stay in front of the chasing pack.

The 3rd placed team might well have to match or even surpass an 88pts finish.

I agree with all these comments, but who was it (Browning?) who wrote (and I trust I quote correctly): "A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" Why be content to aim for the play-offs, when a first-place finish, although unlikely, is still a possibility?

Current points gained, set targets and maximum totals take second place to the correct strategy.

The correct strategy is to prepare for each game as it comes and put 100% effort into gaining the maximum points possible from each game.

What we get is what we've got. Where we get is where we'll be.

Hopefully we'll get what we need, and we'll be where we want to be, and that is up automatically.

Trojan 67 wrote:Finishing as League 2 Champions although possible, is probably unlikely. Finishing in an automatic promotion place is not guaranteed either, even if we win all our remaining games, because if both Shrewsbury and Crawley win their games in hand and match our results, we'll miss out by 2 points. Final totals would be Shrews 95pts, Creepies 95pts, Gulls 93pts.

I don't feel 82pts will be sufficient for automatic, even if both the Shrews and the Creeps drop the required amount of points. As it stands, if either the Shrews or the Creeps drop 3pts more than us, we'll be up automatically, that's on the condition we all three stay in front of the chasing pack.

The 3rd placed team might well have to match or even surpass an 88pts finish.

Exactly how I feel Troj. Really worried about those games in hand, so I'm desperate that Bradford take something off Crawley & Vale beat Shrews tomorrow night!

I'd be much more confident had we all played the same games, but you can't help but look at the run-ins of Crawley and Shrews and see it's a favourable one..

As for 82 points.. think we'll need about 86/87 for top 3..

I said 86 and it will defo be more than 82 needed for us. It might not be more than 82 for Shrews and Crawley who both have a much easier run in than we do. Crawley's toughest game is at home to Crewe and I still fancy them to win that. Shrewsbury have 5 of their last 8 at home.

Was a massive result Saturday, could do with a favour from Port Vale on Tuesday. i think it'll be down to us and Shrewsbury for the 3rd place with Swindon and Crawley being the top 2.

Nothing wrong with thinking positive, however I think it's already been said unless the JPT final defeat has a big effect on Swindon they will go to win the League 2 title with out doubt.

As for the run-in, any one who thinks that one promotion rivals run-in is any easier than another team's are mistaken, as Martin Ling say's pressure will kick in matchs are often played in a team's head rather than thier legs, and as we all know he is not wrong, the very games you expect , us, Crawley, Shrewsbury to win, will be the one's where a slip up will happen, I would be very suprised if any team up there takes maximun points, 82 points maybe not enough, 84 will be.

please,let's go up auto... I couldn't bear the thought of the Oxf^ckers in the play-offs and the subsequent ridicule here if we lost to them..

chippygull wrote: please,let's go up auto... I couldn't bear the thought of the Oxf^ckers in the play-offs and the subsequent ridicule here if we lost to them..

Me neither chippy!! it's bad enough living in the Bicester enclave of Oxfans and listening to to Jack FM praising them up every day and then listening to my OUFC mates, one of which lives in Chipping Norton and is a senior manager for Buildbase, going on about how great they are. Lets go up and then look down on them once again :devil:

I too am cautious about the game(s) in hand Shrewsbury and Crawley have got. If Crawley win their two games in hand and Shrewsbury win their one game in hand, I think that it will be difficult for us to go up automatically. But I so hope we do! I don't think I can take another play off journey. I should be greatfull that my club could be yet again in the play offs as some clubs don't get into the top half, let alone the play offs! But I really hope that Crawley and Shrewsbury slip up in their games in hand and we can go on to fight for a automatic promotion spot! COYY!!!!

For us to finish in the top three, the bottom line is either the Shrews or Creepie have to drop at least 3 more points than us.


Now back to the "bottom" line . . .


Well stocked up on air freshener and "sheetpaper" for the coming squeaky bum time.

Well it's way better than sweating on league survival at the bottom, which was our lot for years and years. Those dark days will come again as it's all cyclic and what goes around comes around and all that so I am enjoying the ride and looking positive about a top three finish. Who would have thought it eh???? Little old Torquay 2nd heading into the home straight but it's true And why not dream???? you just never know for sure what Swindon, Shrews and Gatwick will do in their games and maybe, just maybe, we can keep things going and get over the finish line and into league one (third division) and maybe stay there this time.

You gotta have a dream