Play offs Time

[ROLAND]

The Sherrif will be happy as his boys have crept in but will they make it to Wembley ?

Championship 1st Legs

Nottingham Forest v Swansea
Reading v Cardiff

League 1 1st Legs

Bournemouth v Huddersfield
MK Dons v Peterboro

League 2 1st Legs

Torquay v Shrewsbury
Stevenage v Accrington Stanley

[InCider]

The Sherrif will be happy as his boys have crept in but will they make it to Wembley ?


Yes, I've got a feeling they will handle the big occasion better than the others and get promoted.

[gonzo]

Yes, I've got a feeling they will handle the big occasion better than the others and get promoted.

Don't see it myself, was gutted we drew and got Reading, Forest are awesome at home but shite away.

[ROLAND]

Don't see it myself, was gutted we drew and got Reading, Forest are awesome at home but shite away.

Won 3-0 away today

[gkp]

Won 3-0 away today

Yeah v us and we were shocking today

[gkp]

Cardiff V Swansea would be good for us neutrals

[BigBadSi]

forest v reading would be better , dont want any welsh teams in prem dancing

seriously i think swansea will go up

[ROLAND]

My pick are Swansea, bang in form and hopefully smash the Sherrifs boys in the 1st leg :frypan:

[ROLAND]

Latest odds

Championship

Swansea 5/2
Cardiff 11/4
Reading 3/1
Forest 3/1

League 1

Huddersfield 7/4
Peterboro 5/2
MK Dons 7/2
Bournemouth 4/1

League 2

Shrewsbury 9/4
Accrington 3/1
Stevenage 7/2
Torquay 7/2

[gonzo]

Yeah v us and we were shocking today

Swansea Reading I reckon, our form is shit.

[old crust]

Police authorities all the way along the M4 will be dreading a Welsh final.

Of the four, Cardiff are potentially the best side left from what I have seen. I really cannot see Forest being consistent enough over three games.

[ROLAND]

First match tonight

Forest v Swansea

Hope Forest get stuffed :flyswat:

[ROLAND]

Both so far ended 0-0 so all to play for in the second legs, wouldn't like to predict who would get through now

[old crust]

I watched most of the two games and would say Swansea look the best bet. The other tie looks too close to call.

[gonzo]

I watched most of the two games and would say Swansea look the best bet. The other tie looks too close to call.

Yeah, even though it pains me to say it, Swansea are looking good at the moment, Jack cunts. I think a lot of Cardiff's chances depend on whether Bellamy plays on Tuesday, we didn't look anywhere near as sharp last night after he went off.

[old crust]

Yeah, even though it pains me to say it, Swansea are looking good at the moment, Jack cunts. I think a lot of Cardiff's chances depend on whether Bellamy plays on Tuesday, we didn't look anywhere near as sharp last night after he went off.

I have thought for sometime a Welsh final is on the cards. Cardiff do need Bellamy fit and its handy that Jimmy Kebe must be injured for Reading, as he is a match winner. I'll go for a Whittingham winner, he is from around our way and a good bloke.

Oh, and good luck (though not too much) with the real football competition.

[gonzo]

I have thought for sometime a Welsh final is on the cards. Cardiff do need Bellamy fit and its handy that Jimmy Kebe must be injured for Reading, as he is a match winner. I'll go for a Whittingham winner, he is from around our way and a good bloke.

Oh, and good luck (though not too much) with the real football competition.

Cheers OC, I'll be very happy if Whittingham seals it for us, I thought him and McNaughton were head and shoulders above the rest of the team last night.

Seeing as you're in so generous a mood this morning though, fancy telling me how many transfers you've made in the fantasy footie this week? :whistling:

[old crust]

Twoish

[gonzo]

Twoish

Ah, I made 3 as I was banking on you making a load considering you're overloaded with Spurs (away to the scousers) and Man City (possible post FA cup fatigue and rotation).Telling me after the 11:30 deadline doesn't count either! :laughing:

[old crust]

Did'nt get back from the Co op 'till 11.30.... honest. Man City may rotate, but also they may go for third. I was tempted to get Adam back, as I have had him from the start.

[ROLAND]

Well the dust is settling, Clit and Gonzo's lads have been dumped out and at the halfway stage we have

Swansea v Reading Championship Final
Huddersfield v P'boro or MK

[gonzo]

I could piss and moan about that cunt Webb all night and all you hear around town is talk of how it's once a pig always a pig and the police getting the result they wanted but Reading took their (few) chances and we didn't play (again) so fair play to the royals and I hope they stuff the jacks.....although head over heart I can't see them stopping Swansea.

[old crust]

Looks like Webb's gone from hero to villain.

"A special thank you to Howard Webb for sending off OC's captain prior to Liverpool's 2nd game thus giving me a chance to close the gap a bit"

[gonzo]

Looks like Webb's gone from hero to villain.

"A special thank you to Howard Webb for sending off OC's captain prior to Liverpool's 2nd game thus giving me a chance to close the gap a bit"

Didn't say he was right though, just grasping at anything to help out a generally woeful FF season. As an avid football fan and an impartial in the match in question were we denied 2 valid penalties plus at least a card for their keeper handling outside the area or was I lost in a blue mist?

More important games this weekend though.....who you captaining? :detective:

[old crust]

Didn't say he was right though, just grasping at anything to help out a generally woeful FF season. As an avid football fan and an impartial in the match in question were we denied 2 valid penalties plus at least a card for their keeper handling outside the area or was I lost in a blue mist?

More important games this weekend though.....who you captaining? :detective:

The problem is having Premier refs for Championship matches. We've had a couple at City this year and all they are worried about is their own self importance. Cardiff were done, especially when the 'keeper handled outside the area, but Webb's decision would be based more on him 'showing a hostile home crowd' who was boss than bothering with the minor matter of the laws of the game.

It has all the makings of a good final. Readings chances will be enhanced if Kebe is fit, could go either way though.

As for my captain, I have written to the FF people and asked if I can be exempt from having one. I've not picked a good un all year. Might pick Reina and hope he takes Liverpool's four penalties at the Villa, that's about my only chance now.

[ROLAND]

Peterboro v Huddersfield final at Old Trafford

[techno kev]

Peterboro v Huddersfield final at Old Trafford

thank fuck peterborough knocked franchise f.c out the play offs,they shouldn't be in the league !

[InCider]

Don't see it myself, was gutted we drew and got Reading, Forest are awesome at home but shite away.

i didn't really think Forest would get promoted - I just said that to try and get Winnie posting again :holiday:

[Bilbobaggins]

thank fuck peterborough knocked franchise f.c out the play offs,they shouldn't be in the league !

Totally agree Kev and how sweet was it to see AFC Wimbledon get back in the league yesterday? I loved it!

Hope they usurp them twats at MK soon.

[gonzo]

How much did the jacks pay that Khizanishvilli clown then? Gifted them promotion and will probably be beaten to death unless he moves far far away from Reading by the end of the day.

At least we've gotten rid of Dave Jones though, I'm not as anti Jones as most Cardiff fans but he should have gone at xmas really. Hopefully some other team will come in for him soon so we're not paying his wages for the whole of the next year. Only a couple of names look favourable from the list of potential replacements.

Here's the initial SkyBet odds:

Craig Bellamy 5/1
Chris Hughton 6/1
Alan Curbishley 8/1
Roy Keane 8/1
Roberto Di Matteo 8/1
Iain Dowie 8/1
Ian Holloway 10/1
Peter Reid 10/1
Gary Megson 12/1
Gareth Southgate 12/1
Gary Megson 12/1
Martin O'Neill 14/1
Malky Mackay 14/1
Sean O'Driscoll 16/1
Gus Poyet 20/1
Sam Allardyce 20/1
Ryan Giggs 25/1

I reckon it's a 3 man shortlist of Hughton, Curbishley and Di Matteo though. No chance of Poyet moving, we couldn't afford O'Neil and most of the rest are just making up the numbers.

[old crust]

You don't want O'Neill, too much drama attached to him. Of the one's in the list I would want Di Matteo or O'Driscoll.

What is the financial position there now? Seems there were a lot of loan players, will there be money to replace them?

[penetrator]

I hear Avram Grant has been sounded out.

[gonzo]

You don't want O'Neill, too much drama attached to him. Of the one's in the list I would want Di Matteo or O'Driscoll.

What is the financial position there now? Seems there were a lot of loan players, will there be money to replace them?

All depends on the Malaysians who're being pretty quiet at the moment. Their business plan relies on getting us promoted by 2013 (and seems tied in in ways I won't pretend to understand with VT's planned gaming license application) so hopefully they'll be prepared to throw some more money in. Of course how much will be made available to any new manager will have a hell of a lot of bearing on what managers will be interested. There's a bloke on one of the Cardiff forums that seems to get inside info well in advance but even he reckons we'll only know the budget when we see who they announce as Jones' replacement. Di Matteo would be my pick from the list and most other Cardiff fans I reckon.

[KeeNeow]

What odds is Gordon Strachan?

[gonzo]

What odds is Gordon Strachan?

16/1 on Skybet this morning but I hope the Malaysians aren't that stupid!

Here's the latest list:

Next Permanent Cardiff City Manager

Martin O'Neill 6/4 Billy Davies 5/1
Craig Bellamy 7/1 Roberto Di Matteo 9/1
Chris Hughton 9/1 Peter Reid 14/1
Alan Curbishley 14/1 Paul Ince 14/1
Mark Robins 14/1 Sean O'Driscoll 16/1
Malky Mackay 16/1 Gareth Southgate 16/1
Iain Dowie 16/1 Neil Warnock 16/1
Alan Irvine 16/1 Aidy Bothroyd 16/1
Gordon Strachan 16/1 Phil Brown 20/1
Lee Clark 20/1 Ian Holloway 20/1
Sam Allardyce 20/1 Gary Megson 20/1
John Toshack 20/1 Roy Keane 20/1
Ryan Giggs 33/1 Guy Poyet 33/1