The play-off's - what it takes Teams are self-extinguishing as quickly as the Olympic torch in the Championship. Stoke and Bristol City each contrived to lose last weekend and then Watford blew it last night at home to Barnsley, booed off by 16,000 people at the end. Get them. But this sure is a crazy old league.

Mind you the people's champions WBA finally got their act together in the last 9 minutes at Bloomfield Road to grab top spot Tuesday and it is hard to imagine that they will now not go on to take the title, especially if they can beat Watford on the box Saturday evening.

The only other real form team are bloody Hull City. They have won 7 out of their last 9 games scoring 21 goals in the process. They have a game in hand too, away at Barnsley next Tuesday and if they can take 6 points from QPR at home this weekend and then at Barnsley, then the top tier will finally welcome the biggest city never to play at the highest level and probably for good reasons.

Of course we don't need to concern ourselves with all that title talk, that was back in August, but the play-off's do hold a small beacon of light. However it is ourselves not Tibetan protestors who have made it just a small spark. We know all about the play-off's and so does Mr Pardew and undoubtably what happened in the previous 42 games doesn't mean one iota, if we can scrape into the top six by the evening of May 4th.

The play-off's are a wonderful thing, invented by the American's, who also now give graduation parties to 4-year olds at pre-school, there is no such thing as a loser. Just four not quite winners. Fortunately they put us out of our misery in England and the play-off's only last 14 days, unlike in the NBA or the NHL, when they go on for about 3 months.

The play-off's are all about the form team and to me it's about having a player or players who can grab you that vital goal out of nothing in a one-off cup tie. And having a confident settled team converging into the all or nothing game post-season or best out of 21 if you're talking baseball!

So ignoring the top 5, unless Watford really have sprung a leak and 1 win in 10 does suggest a requirement for a plumber, which teams in contention for a play-off place are in the best position to be that 3rd promoted team?

Lets take a look at what we've got:

Crystal Palarse
Last 6 games: WDWDDW
Games left: 4
Top scorer: Morrison 14
Players used: 38

Wolves
Last 6 games: DLWWDW
Games left: 6
Top scorer: Ebanks-Blake 9 (in 14 games)
Players used: 27

Ipswich
Last 6 games: LWWDLD
Games left: 4
Top scorer: Counago, Walters 12
Players used: 29

Charlton
Last 6 games: LLLDLW
Games left: 4
Top scorer: Iwelumo 10
Players used: 36

Plymouth
Last 6 games: LLWDLL
Games left: 4
Top scorer: Ebanks-Blake 11 (left in January)
Players Used: 33

Burnley
Last 6 games: DWLLWL
Games left: 4
Top scorer: Gray 11 (yes folks, the very same)
Players used: 26 players

Sheff Utd
Last 6 games: WWWLWD
Games left: 4
Top scorer: Beattie 20
Players used: 31

Cardiff
Last 6 games: WDWWDD
Games left: 5
Top scorer: Parry 9
Players used: 25

Hum, doesn't look good for us does it? Nor Plymouth. Hate to say it but Cryst.... oh nope, can't bring myself, what about Wolves? Two games in hand, a settled side, a shit-hot striker and a manager who has been there before, just like, errr Pards. What do you think?   ¶ 08:07