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Settle for 3rd or aim for 2nd?


BigColin08
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4 wins and a draw required now and we have not picked up a point in two wks. Neither united or st j will finish with a perfect record so we will prob need less than this . Victory against these two wld leave us needing at the very most a point.

Still much rather be us than them.

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2 wins from 6 should see off Hearts - as they would pretty much need 4 or 5 wins from the last 6.

 

3 wins from 6 should see off United and St J as they would need 5 wins from the last 6, which would be tough given the 3 teams play each other and the Old Firm twice.

 

That is why the Hibs game is CRUCIAL. A win there would see us needing only 1 more win IMHO to guarantee European football and 2 more wins to almost guarantee Champions League qualifiers...

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We still have to wait and see what our lead will be going into the split. Somewhere between 2 and 8 points

Hopefully we can gain a point or more over United and St Johnstone next weekend and go into the split with more than a 5 point lead but regardless I think 60 points will be enough to secure third.

 

I think its unlikely that any of the 4 non OF teams will take more than 7 points.

 

 

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It's always better to have the points in hand but Dundee Utd are really playing well and I thought St Johnstone were unlucky yesterday at Darkheid. There is much to play for and it's still in our hands but anyhthing from third to fifth is still a possibility. Suspensions and injuries are crucial now and could play a part as well.

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I still think we'll go into the split with a single point lead over St Johnstone and a 4 point lead over Dundee United.

 

The omens for next Sunday aren't fantastic with 2 key players suspended, facing a team battling relegation and who have also given us a great deal of trouble this season.

 

It really is stand up and be counted time for the team. No more failing to turn up, conceding cheap goals, failing to get a shot on target etc etc. On league position alone it should be our easiest remaining game but given the above its a banana skin.

 

If we do pick up 3 points then I'll happily say "Well done" to the players.

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I still think we'll go into the split with a single point lead over St Johnstone and a 4 point lead over Dundee United.

 

That will only happen if the league have suddenly decided to award St Johnstone 4 points for a win over ICT at home :mellow:

 

 

I thought most realistic scenario would see us 5 points ahead of both teams at the split. But that meant factoring a draw for St J up at ICT, when in fact they got all 3!!

 

I think the likelihood is they will beat ICT in Perth, so will close the gap to 2 unless we pick up a point or 3. I hope the Dons give United a hard time, but again would not rule out a win for United, although hopefully the Dons players will be playing for a place in the semi final team.

 

It is going to be close for sure. Probably down to the final game.

 

Positive news is that we can afford 1 or more slip ups - they cannot. And come Sunday we will know exactly what to do to remain at least 5 points ahead of both teams and 9 ahead of Hearts.

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As I mentioned in the Rangers thread somehow, despite that defeat, I feel more positive than I did after Kilmarnock.

 

It's such a big weekend ahead but I hope we would view the fact we're playing after St Johnstone and Dundee Utd as a positive in that we will know exactly what's required of us come Sunday. Not that they don't already know that a win would be so precious but the fact we'll know how the land lies should be an advantage.

 

Perhaps some of my optimisim is that I'm hoping Dundee Utd might have peaked just a little too soon. It's a remarkable run they've been on but its one that surely can't continue indefinetely. Whilst its not uncommon for one of the Old Firm to go on a 15-20-25 unbeaten game run, once a "diddy" team starts getting towards double figures, the expectancy of the support rises, the exposure becomes greater and something usually gives sooner or later because players in teams like that generally aren't that experienced in handlingsuch situations. But If they can sustain and then do overtake us, then gutting as it would be, it would be difficult to say it wouldn't be undeserved.

 

Saturday brings it own little psychological battle for them having lost two already to Aberdeen this season. Similarly whilst we're on the subject by hook or by crook we go to Easter Road with a 100% record against them in the league this season.

 

St Johnstone are a more much difficult one to call. They benefit from, in an SPL context, a very dangerous forward line which is always going to be a threat. Those removed I look around the rest of their team and one or two apart they definitely seem to a team performing way above the levels you might expect when you look at them individually.

 

I think they'll benefit from the fact that they wont have the same expectancy level as Dundee Utd fans, who along the lines of Aberdeen retain very high opinions of themselves and they don't have the pressure of us in attempting to get over that line having been in 3rd place almost from day one.

 

With only 1 defeat in 6 against Saints and Utd I'm confident that if it does come down to it, we've got enough about us to see us through any winner takes all against either of the two of them.

 

But I still have a sneaky that this weekend is going to be a really positive one for us.

 

 

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That will only happen if the league have suddenly decided to award St Johnstone 4 points for a win over ICT at home :mellow:

 

 

I thought most realistic scenario would see us 5 points ahead of both teams at the split. But that meant factoring a draw for St J up at ICT, when in fact they got all 3!!

 

I think the likelihood is they will beat ICT in Perth, so will close the gap to 2 unless we pick up a point or 3. I hope the Dons give United a hard time, but again would not rule out a win for United, although hopefully the Dons players will be playing for a place in the semi final team.

 

It is going to be close for sure. Probably down to the final game.

 

Positive news is that we can afford 1 or more slip ups - they cannot. And come Sunday we will know exactly what to do to remain at least 5 points ahead of both teams and 9 ahead of Hearts.

 

That is actually what worries me about Saturday's game. Last season, when we played Hearts the week before the semi-final, we left out Hammell, Gunning, Jennings, Lasley, Jeffers, Murphy and Sutton with a very outside chance that we wouldn't be in the top six. Aberdeen have even less to play for on Saturday and if they prioritise the semi-final you couldn't really blame them. I do pray I am wrong and they have a full strength team.

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That is actually what worries me about Saturday's game. Last season, when we played Hearts the week before the semi-final, we left out Hammell, Gunning, Jennings, Lasley, Jeffers, Murphy and Sutton with a very outside chance that we wouldn't be in the top six. Aberdeen have even less to play for on Saturday and if they prioritise the semi-final you couldn't really blame them. I do pray I am wrong and they have a full strength team.

 

We're 5 points ahead at the moment. Our fate is in our own hands. You can't ask for better than that at this stage of the season and no reason to be worrying about what other teams do.

 

Just need to focus on taking care of our own business.

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If someone said on this forum at the beginning of the season we would be sitting 3rd, 5points ahead of 4th and 6 points behind Rangers we would have been slating him for talking crap. I hope the players keep focused till the end of what has been a good season

 

MON RA DOSSERS!!

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