The Championship Thread 2023/2024

[Lad1966]

Just now, Stadt said:

McKenna has performed miracles at Ipswich. With the squad and budgets we have they should be nowhere near us - he's only managed about 65 more games than Maresca too.

 

 

What I would say, Ipswich are playing without the pressure of the 3 relegated teams, hence they have the freedom to play in the why that they do. I think with us, it’s not necessarily the tactics, but the pressure doesn’t allow us to play these tactics in the way Enzo wants, also it’s obvious that our engine room is tried, injuries has meant that players like KDH and Winks have played more then they needed to and as a result we’ve lacked fluency in our passing. I am hoping we can get a positive result on Saturday and use the 3 week break from the league to get some fluency back🏆🏆🏆

[Les-TA-Jon]

The upcoming games...

 

Leeds and Ipswich both play their next game before us. Which isn't ideal. Then they both play game 38 before us. 

 

So worst case scenario, lose to Hull, with Ipswich and Leeds win their 2 games and it's:

 

Ipswich 84

Leeds 82

Leicester 81 (with a game in hand)

 

Then our next two fixtures after that come before the others play, but we'll have an annoying game in hand for a while...

 

Weds 6th

• Southampton vs Preston

Fri 8th

• Shef W vs Leeds

Sat 9th

• Cardiff vs Ipswich (12:30)
• Hull vs Leicester
• Southampton vs Sunderland

Sat 16th

• Ipswich vs Shef W

Sun 17th

• Leeds vs Millwall

Fri 29th

• Bristol vs Leicester (12:30)
• Southampton vs Middlesbrough (15:00)
• Blackburn vs Ipswich (17:30)
• Watford vs Leeds (20:00)

Mon 1st April

• Leicester vs Norwich (12:30)
• Ipswich vs Southampton (17:30)
• Leeds vs Hull (20:00)

[Nod.E]

While the form of Ipswich is impressive, it's just their turn to beat the teams we breezed past as well. 

 

I'm not saying they'll fall off a cliff, but they'll drop points more regularly from here.

 

If we put together solid 2ppg form, that should be enough.

 

Only ourselves to blame if we can't manage that.

[Les-TA-Jon]

1 hour ago, Nod.E said:

While the form of Ipswich is impressive, it's just their turn to beat the teams we breezed past as well. 

 

I'm not saying they'll fall off a cliff, but they'll drop points more regularly from here.

 

If we put together solid 2ppg form, that should be enough.

 

Only ourselves to blame if we can't manage that.

W7 D2 L1 gives us 104

The maximum points for the others:

Ipswich 108

Leeds 106

Southampton 103

 

EDIT: And of course they can't all get those totals due to Ipswich vs Southampton 1st April and Leeds vs Southampton 4th May

Edited 6 March 2024 by Les-TA-Jon

[Nobbyburton]

5 minutes ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

The upcoming games...

 

Leeds and Ipswich both play their next game before us. Which isn't ideal. Then they both play game 38 before us. 

 

So worst case scenario, lose to Hull, with Ipswich and Leeds win their 2 games and it's:

 

Ipswich 84

Leeds 82

Leicester 81 (with a game in hand)

 

Then our next two fixtures after that come before the others play, but we'll have an annoying game in hand for a while...

 

Weds 6th

• Southampton vs Preston

Fri 8th

• Shef W vs Leeds

Sat 9th

• Cardiff vs Ipswich (12:30)
• Hull vs Leicester
• Southampton vs Sunderland

Sat 16th

• Ipswich vs Shef W

Sun 17th

• Leeds vs Millwall

Fri 29th

• Bristol vs Leicester (12:30)
• Southampton vs Middlesbrough (15:00)
• Blackburn vs Ipswich (17:30)
• Watford vs Leeds (20:00)

Mon 1st April

• Leicester vs Norwich (12:30)
• Ipswich vs Southampton (17:30)
• Leeds vs Hull (20:00)

 

The order of games could really have an impact and we'll need a really good mentality to get through this. The Hull game is so important, get to the international break on top and have a mini reset. 

 

Will be interesting to see how Southampton react to the other 3 teams winning before they play tonight. 

 

[Noahfence]

I know you can’t predict anything in this league and I was backing us to go unbeaten at home before the Boro game (so sorry about that) but if we beat Hull I’m back to being almost certain we’re up 

[st albans fox]

28 minutes ago, Tuna said:

Enzo was complaining of a small squad in his radio Leicester Post match

Of course he was!

 

 

[Happy Fox]

Cannot see Ipswich beating Norwich away, so they will drop points.
 

[HankMarvin]

16 minutes ago, Happy Fox said:

Cannot see Ipswich beating Norwich away, so they will drop points.
 

Beating them at home isn’t a given either, they are top 3 for form over the last 10

[Blarmy]

This is why, months ago, I didn’t understand people wanting Ipswich to win.

[Aus Fox]

55 minutes ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

W7 D2 L1 gives us 104

The maximum points for the others:

Ipswich 108

Leeds 106

Southampton 103

Those maximums need slightly adjusting as they all can’t get that with Southampton still having to play all three teams, someone has to drop points along the way. 

[KrefelderFox666]

We will win the league. Leeds will finish 2nd. Ipswich will win the playoffs.

[Happy Fox]

Just now, KrefelderFox666 said:

We will win the league. Leeds will finish 2nd. Ipswich will win the playoffs.

If Coventry finish 6th reckon they do it.

[Mike the Metal Ed]

57 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Of course he was!

 

 

Tbf I took a mate to the game last night who bought a programme and the first thing he pointed out was how big Sunderland's listed squad was compared to ours. We've also used the 4th fewest players in the division this Championship season, and we've used a fair amount of the resources available to us.

 

The last few weeks has shown that it doesn't take much in the way of injuries to leave us light.

Edited 6 March 2024 by Mike the Metal Ed

[K789]

6 wins 1 draw for promotion 

[Happy Fox]

6 minutes ago, K789 said:

6 wins 1 draw for promotion 

100 points would see us win the league.

 

As for automatic promotion I reckon 5 more wins does it.

[Les-TA-Jon]

14 minutes ago, Aus Fox said:

Those maximums need slightly adjusting as they all can’t get that with Southampton still having to play all three teams, someone has to drop points along the way. 

Yes sorry forgot to add that note. I'm not going to adjust them because it's really tricky to figure out. But I should have had the note. 

[Les-TA-Jon]

17 minutes ago, Aus Fox said:

Those maximums need slightly adjusting as they all can’t get that with Southampton still having to play all three teams, someone has to drop points along the way. 

I suppose the other thing as well is, for us to not get Autos, 2 of them need to overtake us. With Southampton involved in both fixtures but also the team furthest behind, the whole 'they still play each other' thing has less relevance, since Ipswich and Leeds could win both games. 

[HankMarvin]

18 minutes ago, Mike the Metal Ed said:

Tbf I took a mate to the game last night who bought a programme and the first thing he pointed out was how big Sunderland's listed squad was compared to ours. We've also used the 4th fewest players in the division this Championship season, and we've used a fair amount of the resources available to us.

 

The last few weeks has shown that it doesn't take much in the way of injuries to leave us light.

They have used the same amount of players 29 with less rotation 

[Chelmofox]

1 hour ago, Noahfence said:

I know you can’t predict anything in this league and I was backing us to go unbeaten at home before the Boro game (so sorry about that) but if we beat Hull I’m back to being almost certain we’re up 

I remember those days! Lady behind me at the KP went for surgery earlier in the season and said she couldn't come back until February. I jokingly said we would be promoted by then. Im such a tool.

[RowlattsFox]

I didn't realise it was so tight in the bottom half, I mean I know it always is pretty compact but anyone in bottom half can go down. 

[st albans fox]

41 minutes ago, Mike the Metal Ed said:

Tbf I took a mate to the game last night who bought a programme and the first thing he pointed out was how big Sunderland's listed squad was compared to ours. We've also used the 4th fewest players in the division this Championship season, and we've used a fair amount of the resources available to us.

 

The last few weeks has shown that it doesn't take much in the way of injuries to leave us light.

Firstly, kudos for going to Sunderland on a Tuesday night 

secondly, that’s normal on home programmes where the home club list their 25 man squad and also loads of U21 players that can be elected . The away team is usually just the 25 man squad. 
using the 4th fewest players reflects the coach’s confidence in them rather than the number available.  Perhaps the very technical nature of our approach makes a difference to that but the numbers are there 

[LCFCJohn]

21 minutes ago, RowlattsFox said:

I didn't realise it was so tight in the bottom half, I mean I know it always is pretty compact but anyone in bottom half can go down. 

4 of them on 38 points spanning the relegation zone as well!

 

What a job Danny Rohl is doing at Wednesday as well! If he keeps them up he’d be manager of the season for me, closely run by McKenna.

[foxes_rule1978]

I have only just realised Rotherham only have 19 points, nearly 20 adrift on the team in 23rd! 

Edited 6 March 2024 by foxes_rule1978

[Leicester_Loyal]

Southampton game tonight is massive, they need to win about 9 of 11 games to stand a chance of automatics IMO. Wouldn't fancy them with that kind of pressure, especially when they've got to play us, Leeds and Ipswich.