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Between now and the end of July, we travel to Bradford, York and Hunslet (they have something in common other than being in Yorkshire). We also entertain Oldham.

If there isn't some sort of dramatic improvement, the play offs will, by then, be a distant dream.

Then the Keepmoat will be more like the Mary Celeste.....

It is a good job we have over 600 season ticket holders .

It appears the club and Carl seem more interested in trying to get a World Cup game at the Keepmoat than what is going on on the pitch currently. I just can’t see us anywhere near the playoffs at the end of the season the way things are going.

Marie Celeste ...
But in mock Japanese you're right ... we are 'crewless'.

Let's try and put some more meat on the bones and see what we're probably going to have to do to make the top five.

We're exactly half way through the season. The 5th placed teams have 16 points from 13 games. The fifth placed sides have won 8 and lost 5. It's perhaps fair to say that 16 points from the next 13 games has got to be the minimum target to stay in the top five.

The Dons fixtures are as follows:

Bradford A
Hemel A
York A
W Wales H
Hunslet A
Oldham H
Coventry A
Skolars H
Whitehaven A
Newcastle H
Keighley A
N Wales A
Workington H

So, we've got to win 8 and lose no more than 5 to reach the 32 point target. Assuming we lose to Bradford and York, that would mean we could only lose on three more occasions.

Hemel, West Wales, Coventry, Skolars, and North Wales are must win games.

The key games, of which we might be able to lose three and still finish fifth, are: Hunslet (A), Oldham (H), Whitehaven (A), Newcastle (H), Keighley (A), and Workington (H).

If other results go against us (ie Bradford and York drop points to our rivals) then we might only be able to lose two of the above.

If we lose to Hunslet and Oldham, we probably then couldn't afford to lose another game.

For me, the York game is critical. Beating them seems unlikely given our present form but we must come out of it with respectability and more self-belief if we're going to get back towards our best for the challenges against Hunslet and Oldham.

We need a settled side between now and then with our best 17 in the team. If we can get back to playing like we did in the home game against Newcastle there's no reason why we can't do it. If we can't get back to those levels, we're clearly going to struggle.

We need five of the following from Hull in our squad between now and the end of the season: Miloudi, Harris, Osborne, Bienek, Jordan Lane and Jez Litten.

Thirteen games left & 26 league points available
Wins
Hemel A
W.Wales H
Coventry A
Skolars H
Newcastle H
N.Wales A
Workington H

At the end of the normal league season this would give us a total of 30pts

We need to pick up some extra points in the remaining 6 fixtures against
Bradford A
York A
Hunslet A
Oldham H
Whitehaven A
Keighley A

The games against Oldham,Whitehaven & Keighley look like our best chance of wins but Oldham is the only home fixture of those three games

Wanderer (Gary) can we make this remaining fixtures -play off scenario a separate thread? The discussion is very valid and not one IMO to get lost in the Workington debacle topic.

Thanks Al

As you state Al, well worth it's own thread.

Done.

Unless we break the current drop in form/confidence, call it what you will, the wins highlighted by Geoff may not include North Wales away and Newcastle at home. The players have to start giving it back, I am at a loss to explain where on Earth the form that saw them take Whitehaven to the cleaners at home has disappeared .

The coach is now public stating what SO told us months ago that the 'middles' are failing to compete with their counterparts. No platform has a consequence and under the cosh. RH must have an idea by now of his best 17 given of course the injury situation and the availability of Hull players.

I really hate coming out with this but it just seems that yet another season is drifting away. I hope to goodness that I'm wrong.

PS Wanderer