The Championship Thread 2023/2024

[Ric Flair]

Leeds on paper look like they have such a piss easy final 15 games, bar us and Southampton. But their nemesis all season has been the games where teams make it absolutely horrible. 

 

I think they'll get to near 100 points so we will need to average 2 points per game to get comfortably over the line.

[Stopharage]

Never forget Leeds’ ability to implode with on-field indiscipline. 

[Jazzy_Jeff]

As the end of season nears there will be teams wanting points for different reasons. Whether it be staying up, trying to get into the playoffs or chasing automatic promotion.

 

We need to keep our nerve and play as we have been. If anything, teams having to attack us may help. Hope to see Souttar back on the bench for if teams go route 1 late in games. 

 

The likes of Leeds and Saints will face the same challenges as us and may struggle against teams who go more direct against them. Will come down to nerve and temperament from now on in regardless of ability. 

[Jobyfox]

The other thing is that, as you get to the last 5 games, you probably want to be playing teams that are already ‘on the beach’ rather than in a relegation scrap. 
 

The problem is that’s it’s impossible to predict who those teams might be. Looking at the table you’d probably say that every team from Cardiff in 14th upwards has a chance of the play offs and every team from Plymouth (in 15th) downwards is in a relegation battle. 
 

I’d say that the only team whose fate is fairly certain at this point is Rotherham 

[Bert]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Leeds on paper look like they have such a piss easy final 15 games, bar us and Southampton. But their nemesis all season has been the games where teams make it absolutely horrible. 

 

I think they'll get to near 100 points so we will need to average 2 points per game to get comfortably over the line.

Especially away from home. 
 

I think their fixtures are pretty much on par with ours. Both got to play each other, Southampton, Hull & Sunderland & Middlesborough with a few of the fodder teams thrown in. 

[BertFill]

2 minutes ago, Jobyfox said:

The other thing is that, as you get to the last 5 games, you probably want to be playing teams that are already ‘on the beach’ rather than in a relegation scrap.

I've never been convinced by this theory. Teams with nothing at stake can just play without pressure, which makes them potentially really dangerous.

[PhillippaT]

7 minutes ago, Stopharage said:

Never forget Leeds’ ability to implode with on-field indiscipline. 

  (If nothing else, just to annoy my ex  )

 

EDIT: (Assuming she's still living in/nr Leeds and/or still supports them.)

Edited 11 February 2024 by PhillippaT

[Number 6]

28 minutes ago, BertFill said:

I've never been convinced by this theory. Teams with nothing at stake can just play without pressure, which makes them potentially really dangerous.

Probably very few of those teams in the Championship too. Teams down to 14th probably thinking about playoff possibilities, those below not yet safe from relegation. I'm sure some will have nothing left to play for in the very last few games, but I don't think the beach effect is as strong here.

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

Looking at Leeds remaining games I had them finishing on 98 points, only guesswork but it’ll be in that ballpark 

[Mickyblueeyes]

The next two are so big for us. Going into Leeds with the cushion we currently have, places all the emphasis on them to attack us. Let them attack. Cue Winks laying it off to KDH, KDH driving forward and laying it off to either Mavidid, Daka or Fatawu with a free run at goal. 

[coolhandfox]

45 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Leeds on paper look like they have such a piss easy final 15 games, bar us and Southampton. But their nemesis all season has been the games where teams make it absolutely horrible. 

 

I think they'll get to near 100 points so we will need to average 2 points per game to get comfortably over the line.

You do know we only need 1.67 poing per game to get a 100? 

 

 

[KFS]

42 minutes ago, Stopharage said:

Never forget Leeds’ ability to implode with on-field indiscipline. 

I reckon they’re down for a few years if it’s them in the playoffs. Terrible discipline and bottle

[UniFox21]

1 hour ago, Tommy Fresh said:

Ipswich will have an interesting summer if they don't go up, McKenna is going to be linked to any mid to lower half Premier League job that becomes available and probably Everton if they go down and Dyche goes. 

I'm unsure outside of McKenna.

 

Many of their players fit brilliantly into the system they have, but don't always show the individual qualities to work as well in other teams or systems. 

Ipswich are a great side, I'm just unsure how individual players would do in other sides 

[BertFill]

If I was a Southampton fan I'd look at the league table and see that we have to drop a minimum of eight points for them to catch us even if they win every game. I'd be thinking it's far from impossible that we won't even drop that many in the remaining games. They'd also have to make up 17 on goal difference, so it's probably nine points really. Lose to us and it's twelve.

If I was a Southampton fan I'd reckon there's no way they're catching us.

 

 

But I'm a Leicester fan, so of course what I see is that when Southampton win their game in hand and beat us they're only five points behind us, and five points is basically nothing...

[Chelmofox]

1 minute ago, BertFill said:

If I was a Southampton fan I'd look at the league table and see that we have to drop a minimum of eight points for them to catch us even if they win every game. I'd be thinking it's far from impossible that we won't even drop that many in the remaining games. They'd also have to make up 17 on goal difference, so it's probably nine points really. Lose to us and it's twelve.

If I was a Southampton fan I'd reckon there's no way they're catching us.

 

 

But I'm a Leicester fan, so of course what I see is that when Southampton win their game in hand and beat us they're only five points behind us, and five points is basically nothing...

If i was a Southampton fan (shudder), i would only give a toss about getting promoted.

[winteriscoming]

That last game of the season Southampton vs Leeds will decide who finishes second. Ipswich will finish 4th. 

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

2 tricky away games coming up for Saints, hopefully the gap will be increased by next Saturday, if they fail to beat WBA on Friday it’ll give us a huge boost before we play Middlesbrough 

[tinpot_fox]

11 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

If i was a Southampton fan (shudder), i would only give a toss about getting promoted.

As a Leicester fan I look at the table and see that Huddersfield in 21st can technically still catch us lol.

[tinpot_fox]

35 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

Probably very few of those teams in the Championship too. Teams down to 14th probably thinking about playoff possibilities, those below not yet safe from relegation. I'm sure some will have nothing left to play for in the very last few games, but I don't think the beach effect is as strong here.

I’ve always thought the beach effect worked more and more in reserve depending on how much people talk about it.

[UniFox21]

 

How was this not seen by the lino?

[MattFox]

Leeds have form for imploding in March/April

[ithuriel]

Currently my team are akin to a really obese Godzilla having tripped, rolling downhill crushing everything in its path, at times not pretty but you can't look away and once it has finished rolling it will jump up again ready to terrorise defenceless Japanese everywh....ok, forget that last bit.

[HitchinFox]

14 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

 

How was this not seen by the lino?

Standard of refereeing across the EFL is atrocious, that's how. 

[ithuriel]

15 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

 

How was this not seen by the lino?

Refs will tell their assistants to keep an eye out for Bamford now because they will not want to be shown up for being incompetent and they know the opposition manager will pull them up for it when he does it again, he knew what he was doing, deliberate handball with no hesitation or remorse. 

[BKLFox]

8 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

 

How was this not seen by the lino?

How any of them miss the exaggerated movement of the arm is beyond me, this then sets them up for the win as game changes, so a huge moment in the game.

It’s no goal and a yellow to Bamford but we can’t want VAR just when we feel like it I guess 🤷‍♂️ 

 

As for commentators this is my biggest bug bear, although this is probably local / official club commentary so it will always be biased but in those premier Lge games when a player goes down feigning injury or by the slightest of touches you then get commentators excusing them by saying “well the defender does put a hand on his shoulder…” or something as feeble…. No! they / it should be called out for what it is, stop protecting these Prema Donna’s and just whinge about refs/var when a lot of the issues stem from the players (cheating)