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The Chase For The Top Six


Rickoza
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With things beginning to head towards the split, I thought it interesting to look at the respective run-ins and the likelihood of Motherwell making it. Anyone as far as Aberdeen could make it and even though Hibs are on 22 they have a chance albiet a rank outside one. There's no doubt the top three places are already secure, so there are realistically 7 teams fighting for three places. Aberdeen have five consecutive home matches this month but, once into March, they'll have five left - and four away back-to-back (including perhaps a key one at Fir Park). Saint Johnstone have 9 left, six at home but three of their nine are against the Old Firm. Dundee United are perhaps the best placed potentially given they still have 11 games before the split, but you'd have to think that so many games crammed into such a short space of time will take it's toll. They've just began four away games on-the-trot before five at Tannadice (and that's not including a further home match against Rangers), and the old adage of points on the board being more important than games in hand might be their undoing. Inverness have to face most of those competing for the top six at home in the next month but their home record being worse than away that's the thing which possibly sees them missing out. As for Kilmarnock, it was remarked on the radio yesterda that teams have now sussed out the Paataleinen way of playing. Certainly, no-one could have forseen them losing 5 at Pittodrie and perhaps this is the start of their slide at the wrong time. Again for Kilmarnock, they have key home fixtures against fellow top six contenders coming up soon. And ourselves. Two wins this week have seen Motherwell go from no hopers to real contenders so it would seem. Our run-in is perhaps kinder than those around us. The key for ourselves is the four league matches between 5th March and 6th April, we go to Inverness and Kilmarnock and then face Aberdeen and Dundee United. Those four matches, coupled with the Tannadice cup tie will define our season. Can we do it - why the heck not?

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There really is nothing much between the seven teams. You could make a case for any of them. If 4th had a real chance of being Europe it would make the league immensely exciting as really anyone down to Aberdeen has a chance and the race to be in the six would be crucial to let you compete for it in the last five games.

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There really is nothing much between the seven teams. You could make a case for any of them. If 4th had a real chance of being Europe it would make the league immensely exciting as really anyone down to Aberdeen has a chance and the race to be in the six would be crucial to let you compete for it in the last five games.

 

 

there's still an decent chance of 4th getting europe. the scenario would be that the old firm side that comes 2nd wins the cup.

 

it could be quite controversial as if us, dundee united, st johnstone, or ict make the cup final against an old firm side and the top six we'd know which team winning the league guaranteed us europe. by the same token kilmarnock and whatever sides aren't in the final would know that their only chance of europe is of the other team winning the spl. there's a lot of potential for for manipulation.

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Thought a few weeks ago that we had not a chance in hell of making the top 6 and a few people on here thought we were going to get relagated. The run in is going to be really interesting and with killie getting pumped yesterday gives us a right good chance. As it has been said i would rather have the points on the board than the games in hand

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Celtic v Rangers DRAW

 

St. Mirren v Hibs DRAW

 

Tuesday, 22 February 2011

 

Aberdeen v Hamilton, ABERDEEN WIN

 

St Johnstone v Dundee Utd, DUNDEE WIN

 

Wednesday, 23 February 2011

 

Motherwell v St Mirren, 19:45 WELL WIN

 

Saturday, 26 February 2011

 

Aberdeen v Hearts, 12:00 HEARTS WIN

 

Hamilton v Dundee Utd, 15:00 DUNDEE WIN

 

Hibernian v Inverness CT, 15:00 HIBS WIN

 

Kilmarnock v St Mirren, 15:00 KILLIE WIN

 

Sunday, 27 February 2011

 

Motherwell v Celtic, 12:45 CELTIC WIN

 

Rangers v St Johnstone, 15:00 RANGERS WIN

 

Tuesday, 1 March 2011

 

Hamilton v Hibernian, 19:45 HIBS WIN

 

Inverness CT v Dundee Utd, 19:45 DRAW

 

Wednesday, 2 March 2011

 

Kilmarnock v Celtic, 19:45 CELTIC WIN

 

St Johnstone v Aberdeen, 19:45 DRAW

 

Thursday, 3 March 2011

 

Dundee Utd v Rangers, 19:45 RANGERS WIN

 

Saturday, 5 March 2011

 

Celtic v Hamilton, 15:00 CELTIC WIN

 

Hearts v Kilmarnock, 15:00 HEARTS WIN

 

Inverness CT v Motherwell, 15:00 MOTHERWELL WIN

 

St Johnstone v Hibernian, 15:00 ST JOHNSTONE WIN

 

Sunday, 6 March 2011

 

St Mirren v Rangers, 12:45 RANGERS WIN

 

Monday, 7 March 2011

 

Dundee Utd v Aberdeen, 19:45 DRAW

 

Thursday, 10 March 2011

 

Dundee Utd v Hamilton, 19:45 DUNDEE UNITED WIN

 

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

 

Celtic v Hibernian, 19:45 CELTIC WIN

 

Dundee Utd v Hearts, 19:45 DRAW

 

Saturday, 19 March 2011

 

Kilmarnock v Motherwell, 12:00 MOTHERWELL WIN

 

Dundee Utd v Inverness CT, 15:00 DUNDEE UNITED WIN

 

Hamilton v St Johnstone, 15:00 ST JOHNSTONE WIN

 

Hearts v St Mirren, 15:00 HEARTS WIN

 

Saturday, 2 April 2011

 

Inverness CT v Celtic, 12:00 CELTIC WIN

 

Motherwell v Aberdeen, 15:00 DRAW

 

Rangers v Dundee Utd, 15:00 RANGERS WIN

 

St Johnstone v Kilmarnock, 15:00 DRAW

 

St Mirren v Hamilton, 15:00 ST MIRREN WIN

 

Sunday, 3 April 2011

 

Hibernian v Hearts, 12:45 HEARTS WIN

 

Wednesday, 6 April 2011

 

Motherwell v Dundee Utd, 19:45 DUNDEE UNITED WIN

 

St Mirren v Aberdeen, 19:45 ABERDEEN WIN

 

Saturday, 9 April 2011

 

Aberdeen v Hibernian, 15:00 ABERDEEN WIN

 

Celtic v St Mirren, 15:00 CELTIC WIN

 

Dundee Utd v St Johnstone, 15:00 DUNDEE UNITED WIN

 

Hearts v Motherwell, 15:00 HEARTS WIN

 

Kilmarnock v Inverness CT, 15:00 KILLIE WIN

 

Sunday, 10 April 2011

 

Hamilton v Rangers, 12:45 RANGERS WIN

 

Saturday, 16 April 2011

 

Inverness CT v Hearts, 15:00 HEARTS WIN

 

Rangers v Kilmarnock, 15:00 RANGERS WIN

 

St Johnstone v Celtic, 15:00 CELTIC WIN

 

Sunday, 17 April 2011

 

Hibernian v Hamilton, 12:00 HIBS WIN

 

 

 

 

1 Celtic 82

2 Rangers 75

3 Hearts 73

4 Dundee Utd 50

5 Motherwell 44

6 Kilmarnock 43

 

7 Inverness CT 33

8 St Johnstone 29

9 Aberdeen 38

10 Hibernian 32

11 St Mirren 20

12 Hamilton 14

 

 

There is my predictions. What do we think?

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All I can say is we better hope that we get into the top six. After what I saw yesterday Accies will be relegated and possibly isolated by the time the split comes. Our games in the bottom six will be totally meaningless and will be a taster for a lot of games in a proposed 16 team league.

I am old enough to remember the 18 team league in the sixties and we usually finished mid table with around 34 points from 34 games (two points for a win) and we had nothing to play for during the last few weeks of the season.

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Starting to get very tight for the last three places,with Hivees now in the the mix and they have 2 games left against the Accies.

 

With 3 home (Smellic,Sheep,Arabs) and 3 away (Calley,Killie,Tarts) SPL games left can we do it ???

 

Calley have almost the same run in as us except the Sheep but Arabs twice.

 

Arabs have the fixture congestion but have Accies at home, h**s away.

 

Sheep/Judas next four away :rolleyes: from home StJonstn+Arabs+Us+ St Midden then home Hivees

 

St john have games in hand but have both of the Bigot brothers

 

Think wednesday night might be the result that could come back to haunt us :doh:

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we got 3 points that no one predicted today so we just need to keep going and pick up as many points as we can until the split and see where we finish and if we end up in the top 6 then great and if not then its only because we never got enough points and can only blame ourselves but dont right us off just yet

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Saturday now becoming a massive game.......we have to avoid defeat and hope that Killie dont take anything from Swinecastle and a Sheep/arab draw would be nice on Monday :evilgrin:

Saturday, 5 March 2011Celtic v Hamilton, 15:00 Hearts v Kilmarnock, 15:00 Inverness CT v Motherwell, 15:00 St Johnstone v Hibernian, 15:00 Sunday, 6 March 2011St Mirren v Rangers, 12:45 Monday, 7 March 2011Dundee Utd v Aberdeen, 19:45 Thursday, 10 March 2011Dundee Utd v Hamilton, 19:45

 

Then Arabs pick up a few injuries before the 1/4 final !!!

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Indeed. Inverness are nowhere near the side they were pre-Christmas. I know we have been a bit inconsistent, but even when we've lost we have not been dominated. We can go there on the back of Sunday and take confidence from it. Do the chasing and closing like we did and it'll be another crucial three points in the bag.

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A reckon if we win on Sat, that should see us through. Expecting Utd to clinch the other slot, with Aberdeen n Hibs scrapping out 5 meaningless games in the bottom half :ph34r: Hibs have just had a kind fixture list the past 5 games, making it look like "A revival"

 

Whats the deal with 4th place getting a Europa spot this season, Celtic need to win the Scottish Cup?

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A reckon if we win on Sat, that should see us through. Expecting Utd to clinch the other slot, with Aberdeen n Hibs scrapping out 5 meaningless games in the bottom half :ph34r: Hibs have just had a kind fixture list the past 5 games, making it look like "A revival"

 

Whats the deal with 4th place getting a Europa spot this season, Celtic need to win the Scottish Cup?

 

celtic would need to come 2nd in the league and win the scottish cup.

 

i think win on saturday sees us in as well. it would put us 8 points ahead of ict with them having to play dundee united (a), celtic (h), killie (A), hearts (h) and they'd be doing well to get 8 points from that.

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Indeed. Inverness are nowhere near the side they were pre-Christmas. I know we have been a bit inconsistent, but even when we've lost we have not been dominated. We can go there on the back of Sunday and take confidence from it. Do the chasing and closing like we did and it'll be another crucial three points in the bag.

 

 

Our record in Inverness is great, last Sundays performance and result will give us confidence, so i predict a good win for the Well :wallbash: .

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