Will there / won't there be a meeting? Who cares.

 

No match thread for the Falkirk match? This is a massive match for us. I'm feeling confident about it. Surprised we're still in with a chance of a play-off place but pleased all the same. How will we line up? 

Having looked at the remaining championship fixtures, I think if we win our next 3 games Falkirk and Dumbarton x2 (all very winnable IMO) then qualification for the playoffs will be in our own hands even if Dundee Utd, Dunfermline and Morton win their remaining games.  9 points from our next 3 games would put us 5 behind Dunfermline and 3 behind Morton with a game in hand on each and still to play both teams (assuming both win their games, even better if not!).  A big ask, but win our remaining games and we'd be guaranteed a playoff place finishing in 3rd (I think!?).

Same team as against QoS?

I think if we win all our games, then we are guaranteed a play-off spot?

Just do that and we don't have to worry about other team's results.

Simples!

1 hour ago, CaleyD said:

I think if we win all our games, then we are guaranteed a play-off spot?

Just do that and we don't have to worry about other team's results.

Simples!

Yup. Entirely in our own hands. 

As I alluded to in another thread and as concisely expressed by one of the CJT elect - every game is a must-win. It is not in our hands as we need other results clearly to go our way. DISCIPLINE is the big issue. Need the anoraks to inform as to who is on the suspension "cliff". The next three are "should wins" and that in itself is a concern. If we get all nine points THEN it will be very, very interesting to look at the potential outcomes again. As ma old mucker Rudyard once said to me in a close run previous season - "If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew, To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you, Except the will which says to them: 'Hold on!'"

10 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

It is not in our hands as we need other results clearly to go our way

We don’t. If we win all our games, we finish no lower than fourth. 

Whether we are able to do that is a completely different matter. 

Edited April 9, 20188 yr by HawkeyeTheGnu

9 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

As I alluded to in another thread and as concisely expressed by one of the CJT elect - every game is a must-win. It is not in our hands as we need other results clearly to go our way. DISCIPLINE is the big issue. Need the anoraks to inform as to who is on the suspension "cliff". The next three are "should wins" and that in itself is a concern. If we get all nine points THEN it will be very, very interesting to look at the potential outcomes again. As ma old mucker Rudyard once said to me in a close run previous season - "If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew, To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you, Except the will which says to them: 'Hold on!'"

That's a big if !!

Are some supporters drifting into us playing our final 6 games on the computer where they select the players and results?? We need to take each game as it comes and Falkirk is a very difficult game.

16 hours ago, HawkeyeTheGnu said:

We don’t. If we win all our games, we finish no lower than fourth. 

Whether we are able to do that is a completely different matter. 

I reckon Hawkeye is bang on, but it looks pretty complicated!

If ICT win all their games, they finish on 59 points. Against that....

St Mirren and Livingston are away and clear and If Dundee United (who don't have to play ICT) win all their games, they finish on 64 points. So it's not in ICT's hands to catch these three. However.....

If Dunfermline win all their games, except ICT, they finish on 58 points.

If Morton win all their games, except v ICT, they finish on 56 points.

If QoS, who don't have to play ICT, win all their games, they finish on 52 points.

So I agree with Hwkeye. ICT winning all their games would guarantee finishing above Morton, QoS and Dunfermline, but not necessarily DU, but that's enough for 4th. However I also agree with Hawkeye..... whether that is possible is a different matter.

 

If we win all our remaining games we'll have won eight games in a row, our best run since we won nine in a row in 2010 on the way to winning the First Division title.

It's a lovely thought but it's very unlikely.  We've barely won eight games all season. 

11 hours ago, Charles Bannerman said:

I reckon Hawkeye is bang on, but it looks pretty complicated!

If ICT win all their games, they finish on 59 points. Against that....

St Mirren and Livingston are away and clear and If Dundee United (who don't have to play ICT) win all their games, they finish on 64 points. So it's not in ICT's hands to catch these three. However.....

If Dunfermline win all their games, except ICT, they finish on 58 points.

If Morton win all their games, except v ICT, they finish on 56 points.

If QoS, who don't have to play ICT, win all their games, they finish on 52 points.

So I agree with Hwkeye. ICT winning all their games would guarantee finishing above Morton, QoS and Dunfermline, but not necessarily DU, but that's enough for 4th. However I also agree with Hawkeye..... whether that is possible is a different matter.

 

It's definitely possible....you've just agreed to that.  It's the likelihood that's in question.

Not sure I'd be wagering the outcome one way or the other....after all, this is the Caley Jags we're talking about!!

12 hours ago, Charles Bannerman said:

I reckon Hawkeye is bang on, but it looks pretty complicated!

If ICT win all their games, they finish on 59 points. Against that....

St Mirren and Livingston are away and clear and If Dundee United (who don't have to play ICT) win all their games, they finish on 64 points. So it's not in ICT's hands to catch these three. However.....

If Dunfermline win all their games, except ICT, they finish on 58 points.

If Morton win all their games, except v ICT, they finish on 56 points.

If QoS, who don't have to play ICT, win all their games, they finish on 52 points.

So I agree with Hwkeye. ICT winning all their games would guarantee finishing above Morton, QoS and Dunfermline, but not necessarily DU, but that's enough for 4th. However I also agree with Hawkeye..... whether that is possible is a different matter.

 

It's all about the 'Big Mo' ... momentum.... and the squad.

People say we have a small squad (which I don't buy), but you can look at virtually every member of the squad who've played, and say that everyone of them has been capable of putting in eye-catching performances.

First things first.  It's as well we are on a good run at the moment, not so much from a possible top four position but because of the recent form of Falkirk and Dumbarton.  Both have taken 9 points from their last 6 games and without our recent run our next three games against these two sides would be taking on a very different significance.  As it is, if we beat Falkirk tonight and Dumbarton fail to beat Morton, then we will be mathematically safe from the relegation  play off.  That should be a good motivator.  And even if we lose to Falkirk, victory against Dumbarton on Saturday would seal their fate.

We tend to do better when we are the underdogs, and the final down in Perth showed just what a hard side Dumbarton can be to break down.  If we are to have any chance of getting up to 4th, it will be essential not to underestimate the the opposition in our next 3 games.

I am excited about the chase. However I am only excited about the excitement as I feel we have no chance of the overall goal of promotion, even if we make the playoffs. Think even if we somehow win our next 6 fixtures the schedule will catch up with us. As to the final would mean another 3 weeks of Tuesday Saturday's.

It's very reminiscent of the 2003/2004 run in to promotion - Robbo had a great squad for that push and their team spirit helped them enormously. The Irn-Bru cup win seems to have helped gel this squad together, they have shown they've got the ability and although it's a tough task (and most likely a forlorn hope) I wouldn't bet against Robbo pulling off an unbeaten run for a 4th place finish. 

Given the toughness of this league though, others will drop points along the way so we may not need to win them all to do it. Whatever happens, after where we were back at the start of October, I'm just delighted to see us in a position where it's still possible and we're the masters of our own destiny - go fer it!

Hit the nail on the head CC - the fact this late in the season and we have a chance is to be heavily credited.