Leicester City fans' hopes of reaching play-offs fading fast
A play-off spot is looking an increasingly distant prospect for Leicester City, according to Cliff Ginnetta, chairman of the club's official supporters group.
Some supporters have suggested during the past few days that Saturday's 1-0 Championship defeat at Brighton signals the end of the promotion push.
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Cliff Ginnetta
Ginnetta would not go that far, but cites City's inconsistency as one of the main reasons for the club's failure to break into the top six.
They have failed to record back-to-back wins in the league for just a week short of a year.
They won four in a row under former boss Sven-Goran Eriksson before the run was ended at Cardiff, City's opponents at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
City are in 13th spot, eight points adrift of sixth place with 39 points from 29 games.
If 70 points is the minimum benchmark for making the play-offs, City have to get 31 points from their remaining 17 games.
They could do that by winning 10 of their remaining 17 matches and may exceed that figure if they pick up points elsewhere.
Their current form is nine points from the last eight games, and Ginnetta said: "I've not entirely given up hope but, to be honest, I think we will struggle to make the play-offs.
"If we could win two games in a month that would be something, never mind all this talk about two in a row.
"I'm not quite saying that the season is over, but I'm not thinking about booking a hotel for a Wembley final."
Ginnetta believes that, given time by the club's Thai-based owners, manager Nigel Pearson will deliver promotion to the top flight.
"He is bringing in young players, such as Danny Drinkwater and Ben Marshall, and that is the way forward for the club," said Ginnetta.
"The manager is a good organiser and a good motivator, and has a track record in developing youngsters.
"I think the fans will be right behind him in getting us up next season."
Lance Tomlyn, chairman of the Independent Supporters Association, says the teams currently in the promotion mix will be difficult to shift.
"West Ham and Southampton are at the top and I can't see the likes of Birmingham, Cardiff, Blackpool and Middlesbrough slipping out of the play-offs," he said.
"I never say never with Leicester, but I think the best we can hope for is fifth or sixth place.
"We are playing better but it may be a bit too late. Another couple of defeats could spell the end of it, but I've not entirely given up hope and we could go on a good run."
Tomlyn believes the 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough last week could be a pivotal result.
"A victory there could have given us the momentum to take into the Brighton game," he said.
"Instead, that was dented and everything went against us."
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by leicesterusa
Thursday, February 09 2012, 10:19PM
“At least we are still in the FA cup and making a good run at that.I say give NP another year to develop some of our players and gell this team for next year for a prmier league push”
by Norman09
Thursday, February 09 2012, 9:30PM
“Agree, lay of Cliff, he is a true blue Leicester City supporter. Also very realistic in his comments that we are up against it reaching the play-offs. But nothing short of a miracle will get us there. Put this season down to experience and develop a team that can stay in the first two placings in this league next season. Then once we do we will have a team that will possibly stay up. We all dream the dream of a play of spot. But if we did somehow get promoted we would probably come straight back down like Blackpool did after only one season. Let common sense prevail and lets just concentrate on staying up in this division. Because another 2 or 3 losses on the trot could see the knives out for Nigel. (dare I say it) or fighting for our lives to stay in Championship league.”
by ghostof66
Thursday, February 09 2012, 6:42PM
“We can't and shouldn't "expect" anything. We can however "hope"...
I don't believe that 70 points will be good enough for 6th place. More like 74-75. So it's a tall order but not impossible.
Our maximum points haul is still 90 and we need to aim for 75 so it's not over yet but this anticipated run of positive results needs to start tghis month and take us on a 4-5 win run with an unbeaten run of about 10 games..
We have to dream... It's all we've got just now...”
by Jani88
Thursday, February 09 2012, 5:50PM
“The simple answer to this is so – Leicester haven't won a back-to-back league match all season. How can you expect to be in the top 6 play-off places with such a poor record?”
by Luxpaul
Thursday, February 09 2012, 3:34PM
“As of today, we've played 29 games and compared with last season we are 3 points and 3 places worse off than we were then having played the same number of games. We finished the season in 10th place and unless we do make progress and quick!! I really can't see us bettering that this time around. Two wins in the last 10 games and 10 points from thirty in those games is surely not playoff form, in fact more like bottom three!! With injuries and possible suspensions coming up, plus a tough game on Saturday can anyone truthfully say we can still make it now?"
.”
by rossi82
Thursday, February 09 2012, 3:28PM
“remember when we were favourites for the league and everyone thought we were gona steam roll it at ease ? as jim royale would say "my a**se"”
by Adric
Thursday, February 09 2012, 2:59PM
“rajsingh mentioned 1976. Cliff Ginetta was rude to me in 1976. I've never forgotten or forgiven. It was when I ducked into the supporters club on Burnmoor Street to avoid some trouble outside. Nasty man”
by foxyrod
Thursday, February 09 2012, 12:52PM
“pearsons start has been a lot better than o niells and look what he achieved . id rather be consistent in the last 17 games of a season. who"s to say we wont suddenly click and go on a long unbeaten run ? up the mighty blue foxes 51 points coming up”
by foxfan1
Thursday, February 09 2012, 11:56AM
“Said it loud & clear we made a massive mistake getting rid of Sven after 15 games & Pearson hasn't really done anything to change my mind. I (like many others) believe Sven would have turned it round by now & we'd be sitting comfortably in the play-off's (at least) had the young owner not panicked.
It's laughable when so called fans have a pop at Sven's signings...take the blinkers off & you'll realise that it's only HIS signings that are giving anything like consistent performances. It's Perason's "old school" that are letting us down.
Pearson's had one less game in charge than Sven, yet we're lower in the league now....what does that tell you? Our Nigel isn't quite the Messiah many are making him out to be?”
by no1fox
Thursday, February 09 2012, 11:04AM
“I realised on BOXING Day after the Ipswich game that we had no chance off the play offs and I have seen nothing since to make me change my mind.And as for Cliff Ginnetta saying lack of consistency is the main problem,that's stating the obvious,winning promotion is all about consistency,whatever team it is if you don't have consistency you don't win promotion. incidently I also think we will finish roughfly whwere we are now.”