The Top Six Crunch

[topcat(The most tip top)]

Thinking back to the early part of the season where OF, Hearts, Aberdeen, Hibs and Utd were all in the Top 6 and there were was a heavy "FINALLY! Things are back to *Normal*!" energy in the media. 
I wonder if the Top 6 has ever been made up of the ageing hacks ideal line-up? (I'm guessing not)

Given that Kilmarnock we’re still enjoying media darling status at the time, 2006 is the closest I can think of

[DC92]

17 minutes ago, topcat(The most tip top) said:

Given that Kilmarnock we’re still enjoying media darling status at the time 2006 is the closest I can think of

2008/09 finished exactly according to size order.

Edited April 10, 2022 by DC92

[topcat(The most tip top)]

2008/09 finished exactly according to size order.

Natural order etc..

This is actually the first time in 10 seasons that all six have been in the top 12

Both United and Rangers have had 4 seasons out, Hibs 3 and Hearts ended up slumming it for two

Aberdeen are overdue

[Dunning1874]

3 hours ago, Swello said:

Thinking back to the early part of the season where OF, Hearts, Aberdeen, Hibs and Utd were all in the Top 6 and there were was a heavy "FINALLY! Things are back to *Normal*!" energy in the media. 

I wonder if the Top 6 has ever been made up of the ageing hacks ideal line-up? (I'm guessing not)

As covered above, 08/09 is the only time it's happened since the move to the current format. In the pre-split days those six also finished as the top six in 88/89 & 91/92, but it's a very rare occurrence.

[johnnydun]

3 hours ago, DC92 said:

2008/09 finished exactly according to size order.

I am deeply offended by this.

[Swello]

As posted by @ZX1886 on our thread - quite interesting (and in one very specific way, quite funny)

 

[betting competition]

Is this the first season that every club in top 6 (excluding Rangers and Celtic) have finished the next season in the bottom 6?

Edited April 11, 2022 by betting competition

[Phillips455]

For the bottom 6 fixtures, it's a bit complicated. 

See the table above. St Johnstone have 20 home and 18 away games scheduled if it remains as is. Dundee meanwhile only have 18 home and 20 away.

An easy way to resolve this would be to switch the St Johnstone and Dundee game right? Well unfortunately that tie is already scheduled to take place at Dundee (thier only scheduled home game right now) so it will means the other teams will be impacted.

I haven't bothered to identify what fixtures could be changed to accommodate Dundee and St Johnstone.

[Big Shedboy]

20 hours ago, johnnydun said:

I am deeply offended by this.

You really, really shouldn't be.

[Insert Amusing Pseudonym]

17 minutes ago, Phillips455 said:

For the bottom 6 fixtures, it's a bit complicated. 

See the table above. St Johnstone have 20 home and 18 away games scheduled if it remains as is. Dundee meanwhile only have 18 home and 20 away.

An easy way to resolve this would be to switch the St Johnstone and Dundee game right? Well unfortunately that tie is already scheduled to take place at Dundee (thier only scheduled home game right now) so it will means the other teams will be impacted.

I haven't bothered to identify what fixtures could be changed to accommodate Dundee and St Johnstone.

You'd probably be best moving Livvy v Dundee to Dundee,  and St Johnstone v Hibs to Easter Road.

Hibs and Livvy are the two least likely to be in the playoff and it's no very fair on Livvy, but you can't have 1 of the two bottom sides having a massive advantage

Edit:  you could then switch Aberdeen's games v Livvy and Hibs and that would mean everyone 19 and 19 I think

Edited April 11, 2022 by Insert Amusing Pseudonym

[topcat(The most tip top)]

27 minutes ago, Phillips455 said:

For the bottom 6 fixtures, it's a bit complicated. 

See the table above. St Johnstone have 20 home and 18 away games scheduled if it remains as is. Dundee meanwhile only have 18 home and 20 away.

An easy way to resolve this would be to switch the St Johnstone and Dundee game right? Well unfortunately that tie is already scheduled to take place at Dundee (thier only scheduled home game right now) so it will means the other teams will be impacted.

I haven't bothered to identify what fixtures could be changed to accommodate Dundee and St Johnstone.

There's always been a reluctance to have a head to head imbalance in actual derby matches
As far as I understand Dundee vs St Johnstone is only a derby for one party but it's as close as the bottom six  has to one and with the stakes so high this time round it's liable to be a bigger deal than normal so it's probably good not to mess with it

There are two obvious solutions 

Both Hibs and Aberdeen are lined up to go to Perth and host Dundee

So choose one of that pair and swap those round (St Johnstone at Home, Dundee Away)

Given that Hibs are 7th and, supposedly, the least likely to be concerned with relegation it should probably be them that get their fixtures swapped



 

Edited April 11, 2022 by topcat(The most tip top)

[Insert Amusing Pseudonym]

13 minutes ago, topcat(The most tip top) said:

There's always been a reluctance to have a head to head imbalance in actual derby matches
As far as I understand Dundee vs St Johnstone is only a derby for one party but it's as close as the bottom six  has to one and with the stakes so high this time round it's liable to be a bigger deal than normal so it's probably good not to mess with it

There are two obvious solutions 

Both Hibs and Aberdeen are lined up to go to Perth and host Dundee

So choose one of that pair and swap those round (St Johnstone at Home, Dundee Away)

Given that Hibs are 7th and, supposedly, the least likely to be concerned with relegation it should probably be them that get their fixtures swapped



 

That's much more straightforward than what I said, so aye.  Hibs would make most sense

[Hoose Rice]

On 23/03/2022 at 15:22, Hoose Rice said:

It means a lot in terms of money to be made in big games.  I don't think we will make top six and that means losing a derby (sell out) and a visit of the ****. 

Yep.  Cheers Maloney.  Great decision makinf by Ron and Ben.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

Is the first time that 4 of last year's Top Six have dropped out?

[ropy]

We sneaked in but have romped it, nothing matters now

[Lex]

Here we go again then.

Livingston obviously look in a great position to make it. They've played the least games, have the most points, have the best manager and the best team. Would be amazed if they don't make the cut, what a job Martindale does every single year. St Johnstone are probably out of it, but if they can rattle off a winning run (lol) they could get in amongst it. so they just made the screenshot.

Realistically it's two from Hibs, St Mirren and Aberdeen joining Livi, the bigots and Hearts in the top six post split. Who's going to miss out? I don't fancy our chances much tbh. Our squad got worse over the January window and we have picked up injuries to key players and our form has nose dived as a result. Back to back losses against Hibs and Motherwell have heavily dented our chances. Although we do have two very winnable games coming up at home to County and away to St Johnstone, so we will know more after them. Six points there and we will be in great shape. 

Aberdeen and Hibs both have wage budgets and squads that put the fact we are competing with them into a bit of perspective. They will both surely make it, won't they?

Edited February 16, 2023 by Lex

[RandomGuy.]

26 minutes ago, Lex said:

Here we go again then.

St Johnstone are probably out of it, but if they can rattle off a winning run (lol)

4 of our next 6 games are against bottom half sides. The other 2 yourselves and Hearts.

Realistic chance we sit on ~38pts by the end of that run if Davidson has no brain farts.

Would require St Mirren collapsing but St Mirren gonna St Mirren at this time of year so theres always a chance. 

FWIW i dont think we'll make it.

Edited February 16, 2023 by RandomGuy.

[Widge]

23 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

4 of our next 6 games are against bottom half sides. The other 2 yourselves and Hearts.

Realistic chance we sit on ~38pts by the end of that run if Davidson has no brain farts.

Would require St Mirren collapsing but St Mirren gonna St Mirren at this time of year so theres always a chance. 

FWIW i dont think we'll make it.

This is the crux of it. Our form against bottom 6 sides is generally very good and we've shown this year that we can go on 6-7 game unbeaten runs, so I wouldn't rule us out just yet.

But likewise, I don't think we'll make it either and I doubt you'd get many saints fans who would think we'll manage it. Aberdeen to replace St Mirren and I think that's your top 6 for the season. 

[ATLIS]

We bottled it last year, we’ve tended to bottle a few things in the last few years so I can do us chucking this. 
 

Apparently as a set of players they’re aiming for European football, so here’s hoping they can deliver on that one

[coprolite]

St Mirren, Hibs and Aberdeen each have to play the cheeks, Hearts and Livingston once each and don't play each other again. Livingston don't have to play Hearts or Celtic again.

If Livi chuck the top six from here I'll be flabbergasted. 

They'll have a big say in which of the other three makes it though. 

All three, us particularly, have looked utter dross at different points this season. That two will still get the top six is an indictment of the league. 

I've ignored the fermers, just because, you know...