The football league play offs

[TightEnd]

The Burton Albion story is incredible. Playing Aston Villa on equal footing next season. 7 years ago there were four divisions between them.


anyway

brighton v sheff wed
hull v derby

millwall v bradford
walsall v barnsley

portsmouth v plymouth
accrington v wimbledon


who is your money on and why and at what prices?

[superwomble]

I'm hoping that Accrington will be affected by only missing out on automatic promotion in injury time of the last games and that our timely run of form continues.

[aaron1867]

It looks an absolute mine field for all of them as usual. However, I do like the look of Barnsley after beating Wigan 4-1, they also have won at Wembley this season too.

[hector62]

Plymouth will fail.

[DungBeetle]

Derby, Walsall, Pompey for me.  I think Walsall finished strong and will keep that momentum, Pompey to take advantage of Accrington disappointment and just have a feeling that Derby will finally get it right although Brighton deserve to go up.

[Doobs]

Derby, Walsall, Pompey for me.  I think Walsall finished strong and will keep that momentum, Pompey to take advantage of Accrington disappointment and just have a feeling that Derby will finally get it right although Brighton deserve to go up.

I backed Bradford City for the play offs, as I knew they were in form and were the outsider of 4.  But all 4 are pretty much in form right now, with only Burton, of the top 6, getting wobbly in the last weeks.  Walsall did have a big wobble away at Valley Parade, but the rest of their recent results have been good.  With hindsight, I think the best thing to do with league 1is to wait and see if we get a drifter  

[Horneris]

Walsall are the ones I really don't fancy, based solely on the 4-0 defeat to Bradford a couple of weeks ago and the manager coming out post match questioning the desire and quality of their side in the aftermath. They've been deece again since though.

I'll go for

Cship: Hull have a real solid spine with Dawson and Davies at CB and the former Spurs boys in CM and also possess real difference makers such as Snodgrass, Clucas and Hernandez. Huge that Snodgrass is fit and firing. Derby would be my 2nd choice so will go for the winner of that tie to make it.

League One: Millwall and Bradford are solid and that tie could go all the way (I'll go for two 1-1s) but its difficult to forget the run Barnsley have been on since December. They were bottom 6 for ages and have a lot of quality in Winnall, Hourihane, Mawson, Isgrove etc.

League Two: Don't know enough about it but probably a challenge Portsmouth will relish and seem to have a hell of a lot of good experienced players at that level (Hollands, Roberts, McGurk, McNulty etc). They also haven't had to face any real disappointment about not making the automatic places as they've been out of the running for a while and as such have probably been coasting and resting a bit recently unlike the Dons. Would like to see Wimbledon make it though then destroy MK Dons next season.

[luther101]

Simples      ...........        Wednesday (Forestieri Factor), Miiiiiiiiiiiiiillwaaaaaaaaaaaaall (Neil Harris - great young manager) and Pompey (The fellah with the handbell just simply will not have it any other way).

[Sheriff Fatman]

I'm a teensy bit biased on the League One play-offs, but I'm hoping that we:
1) get to Wembley;
2) avoid playing Millwall there (nothing to do with the team, just the ability to ruin the day as the Cardiff fans did at the FA Cup Semi-Final in 2008);
3) beat Bradford in the final.

Walsall will be tough over 2 legs, and it could be an odd one, as both teams seem to play better away from home.  We beat them at their ground (and vice versa) but that was before they sacked O'Driscoll and returned to form.


Championship - I hope Brighton do it, due to how close they were to automatic promotion.  However, if Wednesday beat them in the semis, then (local rivalries aside), I'd like to see them go up as they've genuinely been a surprise package in the Championship this season and it would be good for another non-parachute money team to go up.

League 2 - Accrington missed out on automatic promotion thanks to a ludicrous decision by the worst referee in football (Trevor Kettle) when he blew for half-time just as the ball was going in the goal vs Wimbledon.  Hoping that football karma prevails.

[superwomble]

Accrington must really hate injury time...

[superwomble]

[TightEnd]

good luck

how did you get on against plymouth this season?

confident? hopeful?

are you going?

[superwomble]

Thanks 

We lost against them away first match of the season, then beat them at home in March.

I can't call it. Both teams are in good form - Plymouth obviously had the better season overall and will have had a few days more recovery time, plus we had to play extra time last night, but I don't think that will be a factor. Our hope will lie in our defence I think - has been so solid in recent weeks and hardly conceded at all. Then upfront we have great skill and of course Akinfenwa who made a big difference in both play off games. Always hopeful, never confident!

I cant go as I'll be in Las Vegas. I can't even watch it as I'll be in a hot air balloon above Vegas for the duration of the match! 

[redsimon]

Thanks 

We lost against them away first match of the season, then beat them at home in March.

I can't call it. Both teams are in good form - Plymouth obviously had the better season overall and will have had a few days more recovery time, plus we had to play extra time last night, but I don't think that will be a factor. Our hope will lie in our defence I think - has been so solid in recent weeks and hardly conceded at all. Then upfront we have great skill and of course Akinfenwa who made a big difference in both play off games. Always hopeful, never confident!

I cant go as I'll be in Las Vegas. I can't even watch it as I'll be in a hot air balloon above Vegas for the duration of the match! 

Never thought that game would finish after the floodlights went off.

Is your hot air balloon trip very early then?

[superwomble]

No I was worried about what was going to happen then, my nerves were shot as it was without that happening too!

Yes we're getting picked up about half 5 in the morning I think and won't be back for about 4 hours - just the right timing to miss the whole game!