The Championship Thread 2023/2024

[Bert]

Southampton’s upturn in form could also hold big implications for the final day of the season too. 

[LVFox]

I'm predicting we finish top on 95

Leeds second on 94

Ipswich third on 94

Saints fourth on 93.

 

For what it's worth, Saints beat us, Leeds beat Saints.

[STEVIE B]

I expect Southampton to take one of the Automatic places.

They have nothing to lose, can play with a fair amount of freedom. Play off place guaranteed. 

Hopefully I'm wrong, but they will just go all out for it now. 

[lcfc278]

1 hour ago, STEVIE B said:

I expect Southampton to take one of the Automatic places.

They have nothing to lose, can play with a fair amount of freedom. Play off place guaranteed. 

Hopefully I'm wrong, but they will just go all out for it now. 

You could say the same for all 4 teams really, Leeds and Leicester would have expected to go up automatically prior to 3/4 weeks ago so a lot more pressure on us to do it now but we have to try and have the same mentality. Nothing to lose now, try and attack from the off in the next 4 games and keep it in our own hands.

[Saxondale]

Please not Leeds as Champions. They’re insufferable as it is with all their Yorkshire bullshit. They need to be losing in the playoffs.

[STEVIE B]

1 hour ago, lcfc278 said:

You could say the same for all 4 teams really, Leeds and Leicester would have expected to go up automatically prior to 3/4 weeks ago so a lot more pressure on us to do it now but we have to try and have the same mentality. Nothing to lose now, try and attack from the off in the next 4 games and keep it in our own hands.

I just feel ourselves & Leeds are failing at the worst possible time.

 

Neither look very confident, we are  conceding 1st too often, struggling to respond & Leeds are feeling the pressure.

 

Like you say, hopefully we attack from the off, get the goals & the 3 wins required.

Edited 17 April 2024 by STEVIE B

[An Away Move]

Anyone read Oedipus Rex by Sophocles? A play that suggests you can’t escape fate no matter how much you try. 
I can’t shake this horrible feeling that a player we rejected, a local lad, might score the goals for Southampton - and against us - to stop us getting promoted and fall into a catastrophic financial abyss. A horrible script. Hopefully just a nightmare and not a premonition! 

Edited 17 April 2024 by An Away Move

[An Away Move]

3 hours ago, Bert said:

Southampton’s upturn in form could also hold big implications for the final day of the season too. 

We’re going to have to put them to the sword in our game. 

[lcfc278]

1 hour ago, STEVIE B said:

I just feel ourselves & Leeds are failing at the worst possible time.

 

Neither look very confident, we are  conceding 1st too often, struggling to respond & Leeds are feeling the pressure.

 

Like you say, hopefully we attack from the off, get the goals & the 3 wins required.

Yeah agreed. I hoped after we lost to Millwall and then Ipswich and Leeds didn't capitalise, that it might give the lads a kick up the backside. Then losing again to Plymouth and somehow still not being fully punished by Ipswich and Leeds, it has finally now go to be the point where they pull their fingers out - we've been gifted a chance where it's still in our hands so we need to take it or otherwise we've got no one to blame but ourselves if we don't go up.

[Guest ChrisWalken456]

4 minutes ago, An Away Move said:

Anyone read Oedipus Rex by Sophocles? A play that suggests you can’t escape fate no matter how much you try. 
I can’t shake this horrible feeling that a player we rejected, a local lad, might score the goals for Southampton - and against us - to stop us getting promoted and fall into a catastrophic financial abyss. A horrible script. Hopefully just a nightmare and not a premonition! 

Three out of the last four seasons we've been pipped to something on the final day. One must go our way, surely! 

[An Away Move]

2 minutes ago, ChrisWalken456 said:

Three out of the last four seasons we've been pipped to something on the final day. One must go our way, surely! 

God I hope so!

[cruzFOX]

It’s squeaky bum, sweaty balls time.

Players and manager need to pull together and take the initiative now. Fans will follow 

[Raj]

Championship A 1st Leg (6th v 3rd)*
Monday 13 May 2024
20:00
Championship B 1st Leg (5th v 4th)*
[17/04, 14:12] .: Thursday 16 May 2024
20:00
Championship A 2nd Leg (3rd v 6th)*
Friday 17 May 2024
20:00
Championship B 2nd Leg (4th v 5th)*
[17/04, 14:13] .: Sunday 26 May 2024

Championship Play-Off Final

 

 

Just incase

[CrispinLA in Texas]

Anyone watch the Southampton game yesterday.....have they ditched the possession based football they were playing at the start of the season?

[Blarmy]

3 hours ago, STEVIE B said:

I just feel ourselves & Leeds are failing at the worst possible time.

 

Neither look very confident, we are  conceding 1st too often, struggling to respond & Leeds are feeling the pressure.

 

Like you say, hopefully we attack from the off, get the goals & the 3 wins required.

Was going to make a very similar post. Just have a feeling in my bones it’s not going to go our way. Bloody hope I’m wrong though!

[SafewayFox]

5 hours ago, whoareyaaa said:

I’m sure all the players want a holiday not have to endure the play offs so go and win the next three and get yourself on the beach 

You could argue the players have played like they’re already on the beach 👀

 

Might explain Daka’s finishing that he’s been wearing flip flops.

[moore_94]

23 minutes ago, CrispinLA in Texas said:

Anyone watch the Southampton game yesterday.....have they ditched the possession based football they were playing at the start of the season?

78% possession with 721 completed passes - been quite a while since even we have had that much possession with that many passes

 

So very much still possession based however it looks like they very good attacking wise as they had 23 shots, 2.83xG and 4 big chances created

Edited 17 April 2024 by moore_94

[OnlyOneCity]

On 15/04/2024 at 16:23, CosbehFox said:

Can’t wait for the social media posts about the stadium only being half full for a  trophy lift 

Half full for the GOAT’S last match? Shame on anyone who’s thinking of boycotting it. Second thoughts, give your ticke5 t9 someone who will support the team.

[Supergray22]

5 hours ago, STEVIE B said:

I expect Southampton to take one of the Automatic places.

They have nothing to lose, can play with a fair amount of freedom. Play off place guaranteed. 

Hopefully I'm wrong, but they will just go all out for it now. 

So they are in exactly the same position as all the top four contenders?

 

sorry just seen this has been raised already. 

Edited 17 April 2024 by Supergray22

[Dan]

10 hours ago, iancognito said:

They've done what everyone else has done this season, had a decent unbeaten run and either side of it been a bit underwhelming. Leeds started poorly had their run from Jan and are struggling again, we had the two unbeaten runs early and are now struggling to get over the line. Ipswich's wobble was January, Saints had a nightmare September before their 25 match run.

 

Could be that Leeds have peaked too early and Saints take them out on the final day.

 

9 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Brussell and Enzo are very similar except Maresca's perhaps not quite as irritating to listen to or his mannerisms. But football wise although slightly different, their principles are aligned and enough to drive you to the brink.

 

They'd just gone 9 points from 9 and us 10 from 10 so it's welcome to the club in that regard. Even if they do get over the line it's because everyone around them has choked. Fair enough if they do, I've been extremely dismissive of his credentials and I still would not be surprised to see them throw it away on the last day.

 

My post was more a general point about their performance last night in that they handled it exactly how I've wanted us to many games this season. We've won loads of games, but we have made a lot of games tighter than they needed to be and I think it's entirely self-inflicted limitation.

 

Bit of a red flag to me how many they're scoring compared to us as well.

 

Ironically the only game we scored 3 in the first half this season was at Southampton. I think this side was capable of doing that more often.

[Bert]

2 hours ago, An Away Move said:

We’re going to have to put them to the sword in our game. 

👀

[MPH]

To be honest I don’t care who goes up with us just as long as it isn’t Leeds!!

[Ric Flair]

6 hours ago, STEVIE B said:

I expect Southampton to take one of the Automatic places.

They have nothing to lose, can play with a fair amount of freedom. Play off place guaranteed. 

Hopefully I'm wrong, but they will just go all out for it now. 

If they have a shot at the top 2 come the last game, I still think they'll flop. Brussell has that about him, you can smell it a mile off.

[STEVIE B]

20 hours ago, Supergray22 said:

So they are in exactly the same position as all the top four contenders?

 

sorry just seen this has been raised already. 

Saint are now chasing us, Leeds & Ipswich, who are all faltering to varying degrees.

 

They have little to lose, probably feeling little pressure......so far.

If they reach a position of 'It's ours to throw away now', hopefully they have their squeaky bum time. 

 

We all see it differently, I'm certain. That's just my take on it.

Edited 18 April 2024 by STEVIE B

[Chelmofox]

1 hour ago, CrispinLA in Texas said:

Anyone watch the Southampton game yesterday.....have they ditched the possession based football they were playing at the start of the season?

lolz - yesterday was nothing about Southampton. Preston were exactly as effective as when they visited us at the KP. I think they were probably the worst team i have seen at our ground. Southampton played pure Brussel ball and Preston looked like the biggest bag of shite i have seen since they played at the KP.

 

This league does my head in, because you see teams like Preston who can get decent results against the mid / lower table dross and finish upper middle table themselves. But Preston i think play some of the worst garbage in the Championship. Then you can get Millwall who get results against us and Southampton but can't get themselves up for games against lower table dross.