' Top over Xmas '

Without getting overly carried away, I firmly believe we will be in the top two coming out of Xmas and if this can happen we have a real chance. All games are difficult, and as we have seen this year we have been better against the better teams. Having said all that the fixture list is a lot kinder over the next 3 months and a real chance to consolidate our position.

February onwards our away matches are very difficult, so vital we are in that top two come Jan. Opinions?

Without getting overly carried away, I firmly believe we will be in the top two coming out of Xmas and if this can happen we have a real chance. All games are difficult, and as we have seen this year we have been better against the better teams. Having said all that the fixture list is a lot kinder over the next 3 months and a real chance to consolidate our position.

February onwards our away matches are very difficult, so vital we are in that top two come Jan. Opinions?

Well the xmas and new year period can often make or break a season. That tends to be when we find out the strength of our squad as well as the squads of the other contenders. Need a bit of luck with injuries and suspensions as the chances are we will have to call on players who are not regularly in the starting line up. Need a bit of luck in this league, hopefully we will get some this Winter.

As you know we have to play every team twice in the league once home and once away so while a set of fixtures can look favourable or easier, we have to play them just like every other team does in this division.

We could pick up say 10 points out of 12 against 4 of the so called 'bigger teams' and then only get 4 points against relegation threatened clubs. It does not matter if we have 7 or 8 of the 'easier teams' all after each other or more evenly spaced out, if we want to get promotion we have to beat what is put in front of us and that is all that matters on the day.

In my opinion no team can have easier fixtures than another because everyone plays everyone. The thing that comes into it is the form of the team. I bet we are all glad we played Sheff united when we did because they look like a quality team now, Villa have also found form, we battered them on the second weekend and they struggled, Bruce's job looked in danger but now they are only 5 points behind us. Come February they could be the team to beat or one of the teams at the bottom end of the league.

Anyways gone on a bit but back to the main post if we are top 2 come december 30th after Preston(H) then I firmly believe we will secure playoffs, if we are top 2 March going into april I think we have a great chance of being champions as Warnock will really be relishing fighting for the title let alone promotion. Long way to go yet to be thinking of that, early signs are really promising though and I have never felt more confident watching us, with Warnock in charge he always makes me believe we have a chance in every game.

I feel like NW is making us a team to be feared again, people are starting to take us seriously again but clubs fans like Wolves still think they are the bees knees but there isn't the same steel about them as there is us, I can see us going all the way not so sure about them.

I feel like we will soon be the team to beat.

End of November will be interesting to see where we are with others - As to this point no one is running away with it

we've got 11 games coming up which are easier (on paper yes) than the last 11 we've played.
So it looks good.

But this is the championship after all

If we can get through Feb and April which are both difficult months on paper we will automatic promotion.

We have had a very hard first quarter or so of the season, playing the 4 other sides who are in the top 5 and beaten them all. In fact Leeds, Villa and Sheff United were well beaten - we could have put five passed Leeds and Villa. Add to that the fact that we have drawn with other fancied sides - Fulham, Derby and Sheff Wed - and beaten Middlesbro the pre season favourites on their own ground and you have to say the run in to Christmas looks a lot easier. But I remember that great start we had in 2006/2007 under David Jones. Six points clear at the end of October and we finished 13th! Still I would be very surprised if we are not in the top six at least at Christmas and even if not in the top two I think we will still be automatic promotion challengers then.

November was the month under MM - When we stayed top to the end of that season - Let's hope for the same this one .