' ONLY ONCE IN THE LAST TEN YEARS '

Only once in the last ten years in the Championship has the team who finished 6th in the league won the play offs.

That team was Blackpool and we know who they beat

The lowest amount of points that a team has entered the play offs is 68 points in those ten years, that was Leicester City, the same year that we won the Title.

In the past ten years, six of the teams that finished 3rd won the play offs.

Once in ten years has the 4th placed team won the final.

Twice the team finishing 5th have gone on to the Premier League.

The play offs are a lottery but the above goes to show that those who believe that the team who enter the play offs at the very end somehow have the momentum to go on and win it is untrue.

Cardiff City must win 8 and draw 2 of their remaining 12 games to finish on 78 points, the same as last seasons 6th placed Ipswich's total points haul.

Personally I don't see 78 points being the total amount of points needed to be in the top six this season and believe City could achieve as high as fifth.

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, I do believe it will be a roller coaster of a ride at least.

I would say that Middlesbrough are very likely to get automatic promotion, with Hull likely to join them. Although Brighton are closing in now and may sneak above one of them. But I believe it will be Boro and Hull.

That would leave Brighton and Burnley in the play-offs for sure. Then two of us, Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham and Ipswich to join them.

Now, if we compare our record against those six teams so far.

Brighton - four points from two games
Burnley - one point from one game
Derby - 0 points from one game
Sheffield Wednesday - one point from one game
Birmingham - 0 points from one game
Ipswich - one point from one game

So out of those six, we have lost against just two of them. Very unlikely that us, Derby and Birmingham will all be in the play-offs so as long as we're one of them then, to present, we have only lost against one of the teams in the play-offs. Although we still have home games against Ipswich, Derby and Birmingham as well as visits to Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley.

In truth, out of those teams I only fear Burnley. But they are beatable.

I really do believe we'll be in the top six and, no matter what the history books say, we will have a real chance then.

I would say that Middlesbrough are very likely to get automatic promotion, with Hull likely to join them. Although Brighton are closing in now and may sneak above one of them. But I believe it will be Boro and Hull.

That would leave Brighton and Burnley in the play-offs for sure. Then two of us, Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham and Ipswich to join them.

Now, if we compare our record against those six teams so far.

Brighton - four points from two games
Burnley - one point from one game
Derby - 0 points from one game
Sheffield Wednesday - one point from one game
Birmingham - 0 points from one game
Ipswich - one point from one game

So out of those six, we have lost against just two of them. Very unlikely that us, Derby and Birmingham will all be in the play-offs so as long as we're one of them then, to present, we have only lost against one of the teams in the play-offs. Although we still have home games against Ipswich, Derby and Birmingham as well as visits to Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley.

In truth, out of those teams I only fear Burnley. But they are beatable.

I really do believe we'll be in the top six and, no matter what the history books say, we will have a real chance then.

Ned, Boro and Hull for me, too!

Play-offs: Brighton (changed my mind on those); Burnley; Sheffield Weds; Derby

Sadly, I still don't see us making the to 6 but I would love to be proven wrong on that!

We won't be involved in any of those stats this year

Only once in the last ten years in the Championship has the team who finished 6th in the league won the play offs.

That team was Blackpool and we know who they beat

The lowest amount of points that a team has entered the play offs is 68 points in those ten years, that was Leicester City, the same year that we won the Title.

In the past ten years, six of the teams that finished 3rd won the play offs.

Once in ten years has the 4th placed team won the final.

Twice the team finishing 5th have gone on to the Premier League.

The play offs are a lottery but the above goes to show that those who believe that the team who enter the play offs at the very end somehow have the momentum to go on and win it is untrue.

Cardiff City must win 8 and draw 2 of their remaining 12 games to finish on 78 points, the same as last seasons 6th placed Ipswich's total points haul.

Personally I don't see 78 points being the total amount of points needed to be in the top six this season and believe City could achieve as high as fifth.

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, I do believe it will be a roller coaster of a ride at least.

There is no pressure on us to make the top 6 and if we do it will be a very unexpected bonus. We can then go into the lottery and give it our best shot just like Blackpool circa. 2010

Let's just enjoy the rest of the season. If we get there, then great. If not, then so be it. The club is doing a lot right at the moment.

Let's just enjoy the rest of the season. If we get there, then great. If not, then so be it. The club is doing a lot right at the moment.

Agreed, I expected our season to be pretty much over at this stage of the season so we have achieved more than I expected. We have the players to make play offs but I didn't think we had the stability, however that is coming and the future is looking better.

If we make it to the play offs then great, if not then we go again next year full of belief after seeing Wales perform well in the euros

so basically it's the team finishing 3rd that wins 6:10 play offs - the team finishing 4th has won it once as well as the team finishing 6th.

The stat surprised me as I had thought that more team finishing on a good run would win through irrespective of where they finished.

Anyhow - delighted we're even close to it, and won't hold it against the club/team/players/manager if we don't do it, as I believe the work ethic and effort shown by the team is much improved over the course of this season, especially without Kenwynne and/or Macheda playing.

Just because you finish 6th doesn't mean you have got there through being on a good run. Swansea went up after finishing 3rd and they overtook us on the last day to finish there.

The only other team I can think of is Preston, they got in on the last day instead of us (still sore now)

So this year we could be the second team to win the playoffs from 6th place, and the only team to have lost to a 6th place team and get promoted from 6th place.