Collins: Play-Offs Still Possible
Tuesday, 20th Dec 2011 08:53

Exiting central defender Danny Collins says the Blues can still make the play-offs despite sitting in 19th in the Championship at present. Collins returned to Stoke at the end of his 93-day loan yesterday.

The 31-year-old said: “I definitely think the play-offs are still possible. The games come thick and fast in December and January and if you put a run of wins together, I don’t see why we can’t be around the top six.

“I’ve had opposition players come up to me in matches and say ‘What’s going on here?’. They look round the talent of our squad and think we should be up near the top of the table, and I still think they should be at least pushing around the play-offs at the end of the season.”

Like his manager, Collins feels self-belief has been the big issue during his time at Portman Road: “Confidence is crucial. If you have four or five boys in the team where the confidence isn’t there, it is easy to see heads go down when you concede goals. I think that has happened in a couple of the games.

“Against Barnsley, it seemed to get to the point where the lads thought enough’s enough and we rolled our sleeves up and did it for the fans, the manager and ourselves. We turned it round and showed what we could do.”

Despite continuing links with Wolves and his one-time Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy, Collins says he’s not ruling out a return to the Blues or perhaps another Championship club in January: “I’m never going to say no. The Premier League is not the be-all and end-all. Of course I would consider offers from Championship clubs.

“The offer would have to be right but what matters most is being happy where you are and with how things are going.”

Collins, who has 18 months remaining on his contract with Stoke, made 16 starts for Town and scored three goals.

Photo: Action Images

Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.

Page:
1
2

AlanMahon2011 added 09:04 - Dec 20 LMFAO this is a complete and utter joke right?
0

spanish_archer added 09:05 - Dec 20 The Championship is such an unpredictable league...but it's strange comment after such a hard time Hope he's right though....COYB
0

simonsays added 09:23 - Dec 20 LOL LOL LOL
0

MickMillsTash added 09:24 - Dec 20 Would be good to hear from Portman Road about the hard work on the training pitch bedding in a new centre back pairing- if Delaney is not fit - I suggest that it may lack some pace.
0

walberswick added 09:39 - Dec 20 Without reinforcements and sitting 19th in the table this is just more hot air from another wind bag.
0

bobble added 10:08 - Dec 20 we can look at the table and work that one out ourselves
0

itfc1981 added 11:17 - Dec 20 He must know we are signing Rhodes to say that.
0

s6blue added 11:21 - Dec 20 ''it seemed to get to the point where the lads thought enough's enough and we rolled our sleeves up and did it for the fans, the manager and ourselves'' what so noone could be bothered at all before? great attitude lads
0

davidsc1971 added 11:24 - Dec 20 Actually he's not wrong. But the same applies to every team in the division too. And other teams are playing better football with less resources and so have a much better chance than us. The really interesting point here is that our opponents think we're under-performing too. So, it begs the question - what exactly is going on here then?
0

BlueVelvet added 12:18 - Dec 20 What do the stats show on this. How many clubs in the last 10 seasons have been in the end of season playoffs when they were 19 place beofre xmas
0

DiamondGezzer added 12:26 - Dec 20 I love the way that throughout most of that interview he was talking as though he were still part of the squad ?
0

farquinell added 12:29 - Dec 20 Crystal Palace did it under Dowie !
0

MathieandMarshall added 12:32 - Dec 20 There is always one team that makes a late run for the play offs. There is no reason why it can't be Town. HOWEVER, we need to replace Collins at the back and Andrews goals in Midfield (i'd like to see Bullard step up now) to stand a chance.
0

bath_blue added 12:39 - Dec 20

Look at it from this perspective:

To get to 6th spot history dictates you need 75 points (or thereabouts) after 46 games. We have 26 after 21 so we need to pick up 49 from the remaining 25 games to stand a chance of being up there. That's pretty much 2 points a game, which if we averaged over the whole season, would give us 92 points and put us in the top 2. So the question is, can we reach and then maintain the form of a top two team for the remainder of the season...?

stu_ward27 added 12:41 - Dec 20 Is he off his rocker? on current performances 1 decent performance in 9 games is not play-off form mind you if some of the more experienced experienced players pulled their socks up then who knows.......
0

ElvisMariner added 13:26 - Dec 20 either he has real belief that its possible or he's had one too many glasses of Mulled Wine at the Xmas Fancy Dress Party !
0

WarkyWonderLand added 15:34 - Dec 20

If we reduced the goals against column then you never know. Look where Reading are now in the league and they were not great.

The 3 games which did most the damage were forest, reading and watford and failed to hold the lead.

Those below 6th place are not brilliant and we are one of those.

Leicester next up and in the paper today Pearson was questionning his teams committment and that they have a soft underbelly! We have heard that here too.

On paper we have players who should be competing at the top of this division. Looks like they are still playing for PJ and want to play so you never know. We could get some excitement at the right end of the table.

Coyb

Saltashblues99 added 15:47 - Dec 20 I agree with mick mills tash, we lack in pace.I think it is time to get a pacey mid. COYB!
0

irishtim added 16:02 - Dec 20 No playoffs tis year & lets be realistic lets hope we have good 2nd half of season & then push on. If we wer in premier with tis lot ? tink we all know d answer
0

Lathers added 17:14 - Dec 20

With tough Xmas away trips to Leicester and Reading, a loss at home to Forest on the 2nd Jan, could even drop us in to the bottom 3 so to talk about the play-offs is ridiculous. Then we have Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds and West Ham to follow! Bottom 6 is far more likely, I just pray we can do enough to stay up. I think Collins is just saying some nice things before he joins Wolves or another Championship midlands club on loan in January. I just hope we can keep Andrews and a few of the under achieving big names start hitting form again.

ipswich_ac added 17:27 - Dec 20 Obviously, this is a very difficult target to achieve but not impossible. I believe we've had our bad run but all the talk of 'more like bottom 6' because of tough games coming up...remember a while back when we were winning - the quality is in our squad. Can they produce? Lets find out...
0

jas0999 added 17:30 - Dec 20

Although it would be great - I simply can't see it. Still nearer relegation than Play-offs and with CB a real issue over the next couple of games (due to PJ's failure to address this area properly before 1 september), it will be tough to build on the last couple of results. There is still much for Pj to do in january and over the Summer as loans must be replaced as will many of the injury prone has beens he signed. Simply can't see how PJ's tact constitutes building for the future?

IvorFeeling added 17:39 - Dec 20

Playoffs well wide of the mark and a typical 'thanks for having me' message of someone not coming back.

My gut feeling is that we are heading for a spot between 12-15th come the end of the season. 48 points is the first place to head for, below this relegation usually awaits.

Half term report reads a bit ones I used to get in the subjects I didn't enjoy! D&E for effort and D for achievement. Let's look to put a marker down from now until May and use it as a springboard for next season. Don't get this right and we will again have a hangover into 2012/2013 season.

tractorboy2434 added 19:29 - Dec 20

More absolute rubbish from the PR spin doctors, the only way this load of tripe will make the play offs is if the others cancel the 2nd half of the season, be lucky to make the top half but far more likely to be battling away in the bottom 6, so ludicrous its laughable, they really do have an awfully inflated opinion of themselves, we are a poor, poor side, what a joke.