Last chance saloon

The automatic promotion train is preparing to leave the station and I don't believe we will be on it. However, I just cannot see Stoke and Bristol City both holding onto their seats. It looks increasingly likely that one of them might just do it against the odds and the next six games should decide the issue.

For our part, we have four of the next six at home. If we are to get up via the play-offs, we need to finish with a bit of a flourish to get some real belief in the team and the supporters that we can do it via Wembley. Bristol City and Preston can both be beaten at the Valley this week. We won at Ashton Gate and Deepdale and we have plenty of options at our disposal at home. Six more points this week would probably cut the gap on the four above us. It would certainly increase the gap on the chasers and probably give us a four point safety net. We would then need to get something at Burnley and Ipswich. That's asking a lot but we are capable of it. Several of the sides above us will play each other in the coming weeks and that offers us a chance. If we can get through the next four on track we have West Brom and Wolves at home. Those games will be tough (and are televised which is usually a portent of doom) but we owe both of them a defeat.

If, and I know it's a big if, we can finally put this run together, we might emerge stronger than the those around us and the pressure might just affect them more than us. It would also set us up for the play-offs if we miss the guaranteed placings. A couple of convincing home wins are what we need to get the ball rolling and I think we can complete the first leg of the treble!

The team line-up for Tuesday will be interesting. Andy Gray looks to have fallen out with Pards very quickly and his absence from the 16 on Saturday for "personal reasons" suggests an unprofessional response to being subbed at Blackpool - unless we hear that the "personal" reference is family related. He would probably have been feeling under pressure to get his first goal and he missed the opening goal-scoring opportunity in the Blackpool game. Add to that Iwelumo's scoring return and Big Chris looks set to start on Tuesday. Pards has learnt that we need to play 4-4-2 at home, so I suspect Luke Varney to return to a more central striking role. Unless the Andy Gray issue was really "personal," I would expect him to be incentivised with a bench start. The midfield is full of possibilities; in addition to the new wingers, Jose Semedo looks back in favour, so I won't even hazard a guess at this. The back four though look like they have selected themselves. Greg Halford has hung on at right-back and his long throw helped us get the lead at Bramall Lane. Paddy McCarthy is in on merit and Sam Sodje has again dislodged the laid back Jonathan Fortune. Kelly Youga has made himself first choice at left back and there's little question of anyone other than Weaver starting in goal if he's fit.

Get behind the team this week - six more points will ease any worries of slipping out of the top six and could represent the start of the long awaited winning run.

C'mon you Reds!