6 points clear. 10 games to go.

[Sam_Brown]

I’m nervous. I know most would settle for promotion but I’d be disappointed not to win the title at this point. Considering most teams in the top have to play each other 8 wins should do it.

Barnsley have potentially the easier run in for the remainder of the season. I can see them sneaking into the automatic places.

Blackpool
Peterborough
Derby
Bolton
Barnsley

Some absolutely massive games coming up for us.

Fingers crossed.

[BlueinPLtwenty]

Just watched the highlights of the Barnsley Bolton match. Bolton were all over them but couldn`t finish, they even missed the penalty but were fortunate to get the rebound in the 8th minute of injury time. Barnsley were lucky to get a point quite frankly. In the last 20 minutes or so Bolton doubled the number of shots executed to 20, they also hit the post and had shots cleared off the line. The Barnsley goals were rather freaky and Bolton should have taken the three points.

[New Forester]

Football is a strange game. The best team often loses. The luckiest often does. But we love it still.

[PompeyinAnjou]

Anything could happen in the run in. We are in a great position and deservedly so.

If we are better than the sides around us, we'll take points off most of them and go up, probably as champions. If we're not the play offs beckon and almost certainly the momentum loss will lead to another season in this league.

The 1/8 odds on promotion are so unattractive and reflect our huge support and the optimism of our fans, far more than a cold assessment of our chances of promotion.

The huge plus point for me is this squad's ability to come back against adversity either in matches or related to injury related setbacks. The belief is there in the squad and amongst the fans. This, with the points advantage and recent additions to the squad, should get us there.

The reaction to the next defeat or two has to be right. The fans know there role here and I think the players will react in a positive way too.

[Pompey1984+1]

Anything could happen in the run in. We are in a great position and deservedly so.

If we are better than the sides around us, we'll take points off most of them and go up, probably as champions. If we're not the play offs beckon and almost certainly the momentum loss will lead to another season in this league.

The 1/8 odds on promotion are so unattractive and reflect our huge support and the optimism of our fans, far more than a cold assessment of our chances of promotion.

The huge plus point for me is this squad's ability to come back against adversity either in matches or related to injury related setbacks. The belief is there in the squad and amongst the fans. This, with the points advantage and recent additions to the squad, should get us there.

The reaction to the next defeat or two has to be right. The fans know there role here and I think the players will react in a positive way too.

The next few games are absolutely key for us, and I can see using losing one of the next two, BUT I can also see the teams around us dropping points between now and the end of the season.

For us to fall out the automatics I think two things need to happen - the teams below us need to show form they haven't all season, and we need to drop so far below the form we have shown all season.

I'm not saying it won't happen, and I'm not saying we aren't capable of total implosion but I don't think the players or the management are going to let us get too carried away by highs, or lows.

[GreenBlue]

This might sound a little defeatist, and I am of course hoping for more but, I think a Pompey draw against Barnsley, Derby, Bolton and Peterborough may not be a terrible return. Although we would only get 4 points from 12 based on those matches only, it would also mean that none of those 4 could surpass our total points, even if they all win the other 3 games (which they won't as some of them are against each other).

If offered 7 points from those 4, I would take them in a flash and anything more would be amazing, but barring defeats against 3 or all 4 of them, the race would still be very much on.

[Betelgeuse]

I’m nervous. I know most would settle for promotion but I’d be disappointed not to win the title at this point. Considering most teams in the top have to play each other 8 wins should do it.

Barnsley have potentially the easier run in for the remainder of the season. I can see them sneaking into the automatic places.

Blackpool
Peterborough
Derby
Bolton
Barnsley

Some absolutely massive games coming up for us.

Fingers crossed.

6 wins is enough I reckon, maybe 5 and a few draws.

[New Forester]

Like everyone, I’m nervous about our prospects. But look at the other league tables. Pompey are best placed of all the leaders. There will be many more worried than us.

[StMonkton]

All well and good but I want to know now!


As ever, I’ve been in a permanent state of ‘will we? Won’t we?’ Since the season began. It does wear one out but is inevitable I fear.

Much of our fan dialogue is at heart really about ‘but will we go up?’. All the criticism of recruitment, moaning about selections and worries about lucky wins boil down to the same question in the end.

Well, we will soon know and , like everyone, I hope it’s good news. How ever hard we try we can’t forecast and analyse our way to the truth yet.

Still can’t stop doing it though.


PUP

[Sam_Brown]

All well and good but I want to know now!


As ever, I’ve been in a permanent state of ‘will we? Won’t we?’ Since the season began. It does wear one out but is inevitable I fear.

Much of our fan dialogue is at heart really about ‘but will we go up?’. All the criticism of recruitment, moaning about selections and worries about lucky wins boil down to the same question in the end.

Well, we will soon know and , like everyone, I hope it’s good news. How ever hard we try we can’t forecast and analyse our way to the truth yet.

Still can’t stop doing it though.


PUP

Very true. This topic was made to vent my anxiety at the upcoming remaining games. It’s the hope that kills you!

[NSRailings]

This might sound a little defeatist, and I am of course hoping for more but, I think a Pompey draw against Barnsley, Derby, Bolton and Peterborough may not be a terrible return. Although we would only get 4 points from 12 based on those matches only, it would also mean that none of those 4 could surpass our total points, even if they all win the other 3 games (which they won't as some of them are against each other).

I was thinking the same thing about draws. Although Mousinho and co. won't be. We all have a massive part to play in the run in.

[Jack_Tinn]

I think 5 wins from here will be sufficient - that would give Pompey 91 pts and I can't see that two other teams will finish with more than that.

[jam tomorrow]

We’ve just got to hold onto our nerves I’m sure the players feel the same the same way as us however

Qué será, será
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Qué será, será
What will be, will be

[Selsey Bill]

The huge plus point for me is this squad's ability to come back against adversity either in matches or related to injury related setbacks. The belief is there in the squad and amongst the fans. This, with the points advantage and recent additions to the squad, should get us there.

100% agree with this and was saying exactly that to my lads on the way home on Saturday. This team seem to have a way that ones in the past didn't. Oxford were the better team on Saturday and deserved at least a draw from the game, but yet again we found a way to grab a winner.

[Pompey1984+1]

The huge plus point for me is this squad's ability to come back against adversity either in matches or related to injury related setbacks. The belief is there in the squad and amongst the fans. This, with the points advantage and recent additions to the squad, should get us there.

100% agree with this and was saying exactly that to my lads on the way home on Saturday. This team seem to have a way that ones in the past didn't. Oxford were the better team on Saturday and deserved at least a draw from the game, but yet again we found a way to grab a winner.

I think the main factor contributing to this is we can defend. When teams are better than us, or have more pressure than us we are staying in the game. Look at Reading for an example.

All the while your still in the game your a treat to the opposition.

Obviously having the mental strength for these things is a big part of it, but having a 0-0 mentality at 3-0 down rarely wins you games.