❔ Score, scorers and attendance predictions vs. Dover Athletic 02.05.22 [NL]

[SwalePie]

I've got everything crossed, but they will be clear favourites in the play offs if that's what they end up in. They beat Fulham last week who thrashed play-off bound Luton 7-0 last night - who they would most likely play in the SF, so I've not got much confidence in the other teams up there. Luton did beat Fword recently, but over 2 legs and at the City Ground in the 2nd leg, I wouldn't give Luton much chance. I was hoping Wilder would do it with Middlesbrough but he seemed to be totally distracted by the the possibility of landing the Burnley job. So we're probably looking to Sheff Utd to do us a favour again, with no Des Walker around to score an OG this time.

Maybe Agent Yates can help? Fingers crossed.

[keldsyke]

Maybe Agent Yates can help? Fingers crossed.

Forest are in the sort of position mentality wise and form wise I'd hoped we would be in approaching the playoffs, that I'm afraid boils down to the people at the helm, good luck to them as I've said before Cooper has done an amazing job to turn it around in such a short period of time. The one thing that intrigues me though with the past Forest managers is that there has always seemed to be interference on recruitment, who plays from the Forest owners. I'm wondering if they have completely left him alone and perhaps that's down to the new chief exec who came from (Barnsley I think?)

[nw6pie]

I've got everything crossed, but they will be clear favourites in the play offs if that's what they end up in. They beat Fulham last week who thrashed play-off bound Luton 7-0 last night - who they would most likely play in the SF, so I've not got much confidence in the other teams up there. Luton did beat Fword recently, but over 2 legs and at the City Ground in the 2nd leg, I wouldn't give Luton much chance. I was hoping Wilder would do it with Middlesbrough but he seemed to be totally distracted by the the possibility of landing the Burnley job. So we're probably looking to Sheff Utd to do us a favour again, with no Des Walker around to score an OG this time.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they win at Bournemouth tonight, beat Hull at the weekend and avoid the playoffs entirely. As you say, though, if it is the playoffs, they’ll be firm favourites. I don’t think many in the Championship would argue that they’re one of the best three teams in the division (especially given their appalling start to the season).

Mansfield look like they’ll have to make do with the playoffs. Northampton need to win at Barrow to go up, and if they slip up, Bristol Rovers are at home to S****horpe. The Stags are impossible to predict. I thought they were going to make the top 3 at one stage, but maybe the glut of midweek fixtures caught up with them.

As for us, despite our dodgy away form, you could argue that finishing 7th is an easier route to the final than finishing 5th (and definitely 6th) if the league stays as it is: Away games against Solihull and Halifax, rather than Grimsby/Chesterfield and then away at Wrexham. Then again, Halifax could still finish second - in which case we’d definitely want to finish 5th.

Due to the ever-idiotic National League, whoever finishes in the top three out of Halifax and Solihull will have a two-week gap between their last league game and the semifinal (with the FA Trophy final in-between). Not sure if that’s an advantage or not - didn’t do Torquay any harm last season, of course, but it adds to the uncertainty. Then again, the quarterfinal winners only get three days to recover before the semifinal this season.