Even More Speculation!

It makes such a refreshing change to be looking at the run-in come March and instead of looking at where we can nick the points from we need to ensure survival, actually be looking at how many teams we can take points from with a view to sneaking into the Play-Offs.

I am therefore duly encouraged to do even more digging into the run-in, just for fun, to see where we might end up given certain results.

The idea of picking random results I personally think we will get isn`t all that entertaining because as a Barnsley fan I am inclined to be over-optimistic. Instead I have chosen, again - to all intents and purposes - just for fun, to employ a couple of systems to predict the outcome of the season for the Reds.

Barnsley Til I Die`s points per game systems have intrigued me and inspired me to use a couple of different predictive systems.

Firstly, as the table stands I assume that we will:

a) Win all games against the teams that currently reside in the bottom eight of the table.

b) Draw games against those in the middle eight of the table.

c) Lose to those in the top eight.

Stay with me here!

Regardless of others` results and fluctuations thereafter in their positions in the table, as the table stands now, we would, by the end of the season have accrued an additional eighteen points, leaving us on an irresistably classic mid-table total of 63.

The second system I thought of employing to mystically predict the future (Oh, crystal ball! Crystal ball!) was to assume that we will simply repeat our results against each team from earlier in the season, e.g. draw with Newcastle, draw with Palace, beat Peterborough etc. This however does mean that despite being 4-1 up at Plymouth after 58 minutes and the game subsequently being abandoned, the return fixture at Oakwell where we lost 3-1 would unfortunately mean that we would lose at Plymouth, having played so well there for 58 minutes but to no reward. That`s life. Well it`s not, it`s just conjecture but never mind.

With this system of simply repeating our previous results against each team, we wouldn`t fair much better. In the end, we`d end up on just 64 points - enough to sit nicely outside the Play-Offs and encourage stay away fans that "next year is our year!"

So, looking at it in a completely systematic way, we are destined for mid-table. Looking at it through Robins tinted glasses, we stand a good chance of a trip to Wembley. Looking at it if you wear blue and white, we're going down with you!

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