Playoffs out of the question?

Our early league position raised fan expectations and our loss to West Brom all but confirms mid to upper table for me.

A few more wins to guarantee survival and much needed wins against Bristol Town and Swansea town will be a successful season based on the previous years.

It's now all about stability. Secure Bulut for the next couple of years and back him in the market with young hungry prospects, especially wingers and strikers, no more journeymen, and our future may well just look a little brighter.

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I'd rather not, this season. Absolutely mental to say that but we'd either get spanked over 2 legs or promoted to get a season of 0 shots on target.

Safety ASAP (49 points/3x wins) then start planning for next season.

Have to remember we were relegated last season save for Reading, so to turn that around with next to nothing Bulut has done well. If Ramsey can stay fit we'll have a decent run-in I think.

Have to remember we were relegated last season save for Reading, so to turn that around with next to nothing Bulut has done well. If Ramsey can stay fit we'll have a decent run-in I think.

I think people (me included) forget this

If Reading hadnt had a points deduction we would be down

The work that Bulut has done to get us 8 points off play offs with a team of new-ish players is very good. Even if the team selection and tactics are slightly annoying sometimes

The fact that we are on a bad run doesnt help but we are still going in the right direction overall.

A few decent players in the summer and Bulut being backed then who knows what may happen

We'll finish mid table, it's a step in the right direction.
One step at a time

Still possible but as others have said, we should be happy with mid table after last season. People have short memories sometimes.

I think it's the dramatic decline that is worrying fans, with no sign that the manager is able halt the slide. From W8 D3 L6 to picking up only 13 points from the next 14 games does not bode well for the future. To even mention play-offs based on our current form is ludicrous and the most we can hope for is that Bulut will be able to steady the ship and put a few smiles back on the fan's faces.

I can't see our form improving for the rest of the season if Bulut is still manager and think we'll finish about 17th or 18th.

Yes we need stability but please not with Bulut, he's out of his depth and would get us relegated next season if still in charge. All irrelevant anyway, we definitely won't get stability with the clowns that are currently running the club.

I'd rather not, this season. Absolutely mental to say that but we'd either get spanked over 2 legs or promoted to get a season of 0 shots on target.

Safety ASAP (49 points/3x wins) then start planning for next season.

Agree with this.

In the unlikely event we finished 6th, we’d probably play Leeds or Southampton in the semi finals and get destroyed.

Agree with others that mid table would be progress from last season.

All I asked for from this season was an improvement and it has in general been an improvement, despite that not being the case recently.

If we make the playoffs I’ll parade around the pitch in my boxers at the first game of next season.

If we make the playoffs I’ll parade around the pitch in my boxers at the first game of next season.

Let's hope we don't then.

If we make the playoffs I’ll parade around the pitch in my boxers at the first game of next season.

Let's hope we don't then.

Hahaha.

I'm worried about relegation, our form is terrible

If we make the playoffs I’ll parade around the pitch in my boxers at the first game of next season.

You're lucky on 2 counts:

a) We won't reach the play-offs

b) If by some miracle we did, the weather should be warm for the lap of honour in your boxers.

They were never really in question

We should have gone down last season. How people all of a sudden think we should be play offs is beyond belief

I think any manager that took over from Lamouchi,would have had his struggles with the quality he inherits, the first window with the embargo and the second with the FFP (it was a quiet window for majority of teams) add to that the apparant lack of comms at the top (which we witnessed from Buluts mouth recently) and the ever distant and dwindling relationship with our owner and sidekick and us supporters. Makes me wonder who would actually want to be our manager, particularly as were technically bottom 3 last season. So on paper EB looks to be doing a good job with our points tally and two derby wins.

I was at Watford, Preston and WBA games , all nothing special opponents (as so many are minus the top 5). Granted we took 3 points off Watford it could easily have been 3-1 to them, my point is we could have had a good go and tested them , we didnt come close. I have seen nothing from Bulut in all the games I have watched (I have missed 2 ) that convinces me he is deserving of a new contract despite our overachieving league position. What I mean is, a better coach/manager with more EFL experience and more of a nod towards different formations and more offensive fluidity would have us in the play offs or there abouts.

We keep conceding similar goals in and around the 6 yard box, over run in midfield , sideways and backwards passing, predictable and toothless up front, no crossing into the danger zone and theres only one of ours in there anyway, and on rare occasions we shoot, it goes wildly over the bar or straight at the keeper. Why is this not being addressed at The Vale? I believe some of our 1st teamers are League 1 standard, but I dont think we are the only team in our league that has that! I question the coaching and tactics. Bulut said he was attacking when he joined us!

And the stubbornness and lack of flexibilty with formation means we are easy fodder to plan and prepare for, even a winless Wayne Rooney could manage that.

Thats why I feel the playoffs are out of the question, a manager and his coaching staff who can fix the above could take us there.

Playoffs! Some people live in a different planet on this forum. Honestly

If we make the playoffs I’ll parade around the pitch in my boxers at the first game of next season.

You're lucky on 2 counts:

a) We won't reach the play-offs

b) If by some miracle we did, the weather should be warm for the lap of honour in your boxers.

Better start the diet just in case

We need to get ready for a relegation scrap. Unless tactics change and we find a new approach, it's going to be squeaky bum time again like last season.

We need to get ready for a relegation scrap. Unless tactics change and we find a new approach, it's going to be squeaky bum time again like last season.

Looking at it logically and not wishing to tempt fate, QPR have to get 12 more points than us in their remaining 14 games, plus we have a game in hand.

In some ways, it's a bit like last season. Once we reached safety, we stopped playing. It's just that we've probably reached safety about 12 games earlier this season lol

We won't and I'm normally optimistic, but bulut has lost the plot and his tactics recently have been negative

Still a fair chance of the drop with clueless bullutt in charge... can't even manage a goaless draw ,even with his negative tactics

No not out of the question as there are points to play for - Do the maths it can still happen for a few more clubs .

We are in a better position than most would have thought before a ball was kicked this season .

We should be safe this season - time to plan for next season