March 2020 - Key Month

[Jack_Tinn]

Pompey start the month of March 2020 in 3rd place and just 4pts separate them from an automatic promotion spot - since Rotherham have a plus 6 goal difference lead on Pompey at this point - but Pompey have a game in hand on Rotherham. It is all to play for and Pompey have done so very well over the last three months to haul themselves up the table to get to this position where it is all to play for.

But now March is here and it presents the hardest test of the season IMHO but if Pompey can come through this month and be 3rd or better then promotion could be there for the taking.

Pompey have the following league games in March:

@ Peterborough (current league position 7th)
Fleetwood (8th)
Accrington Stanley (16th)
Doncaster (10th)
@Ipswich (9th)
@Oxford (6th)

So that's six games three home and three away and we play every team in league position 6-10 during this period. We play 6th, 7th and 9th away and 8th and 10th at home. Those away games are going to be key and our home form has to stay strong this month if we hope to be ready to tackle the run in

Burgess will miss both the Peterborough and Fleetwood games too due to suspension but thankfully Pompey have no injury concerns and have a relatively fit, confident and strong squad to choose from.

Can they do it? the first five league games all come in 21 days and it will be a battle for all of those games. Only Accrington Stanley won't be a six pointer!

I don't care about the Arsenal game tbh and all I want from the game is to avoid picking up any key injuries or leaving players tired before these run of games. We will need to approach the Peterborough and Fleetwood games with our best xi at least and seek to get 4pts from those games. If we can do that and then add 3pts vs Accrington with some rotation to keep players fresh then terrific 7pts from 9 to stat.

Donny at home is a tough game but our home form - and a motivated Marquis - may be the difference and I'd take 6pts from the last three games: Donny, Ipswich and Oxford to give 10pts from 18 for the month.

this may see Pompey drop out of 3rd place but they should be in the playoffs and ideally positioned to make a strong push during April to get out of the division. Less than 8pts during the month and it will be playoffs at best I suspect this season.

The team has to put in some stellar performances this month - particularly away from home - if they want to be celebrating at the end of the season. Forget Arsenal and the Wembley game....any lack of focus on the league in March is likely to be fatal.

No other teams has quite the challenging run of fixtures as Pompey in March but here the other key games:

1st March: Coventry vs Sunderland (currently 1-0 Coventry)
3rd March: Ipswich vs Fleetwood
7th March: Ipswich vs Coventry
21st March: Fleetwood vs Roherham: and
Wycombe vs Oxford
24th March: Coventry vs Wycombe

[Pompey Penguin]

It's getting to that point where every game is "the most important game of the season so far".

[rumourmonger]

The one non-six pointer just happens to be the team that inflicted our heaviest league defeat of the season. No lack of motivation for that one.

[Jack_Tinn]

good point vs Accrington.

[pompeygunner]

It's getting to that point where every game is "the most important game of the season so far".

This.
For some teams now any poor result could really puncture their hopes. Funnily enough I think we'll get something @ Peterborough & that would just heap pressure on those around us.

[Selsey Bill]

I would have thought we probably need to win 8 or 9 of our last 11 games to gain automatic promotion? Possible, but a big ask.

[BlueinPLtwenty]

[quote="Selsey Bill" post_id=893962 time=1583136756 user_id=237]
I would have thought we probably need to win 8 or 9 of our last 11 games to gain automatic promotion? Possible, but a big ask.
[/quote]

I am not sure we will need that many, 7 wins gives us 80 points. The important thing is not to let any other of the contenders to beat us.

[Pompey1984+1]

Wins against those around us are effectively more than 3 points - due to them not getting any.

I think most teams will drop points in their run it's. So the trick will be to drop the least, or at least don't drop them to teams around you. A lot of the teams in the mix also have to play teams on the cusp of play off spots and those fighting relegation, it's good that very few teams are looking like their season is already over.

Fleetwood is a big game for is given their form, and a game in hand against Tranmere.