The Championship Thread 2023/2024

[Jobyfox]

1 hour ago, Clever Fox said:

Honestly, I wasn't belittling your effort far from it. I love it when the smaller clubs buck the trend and the establishment. 

You've done amazing to get this far but the pressure builds in the second half when every game becomes a virtual must win.

Injuries and signings will play a part from January,  Only time will tell but I love your enthusiasm as we've been there in 15/16

If your Club is smart they should tie McKenna on a longterm secure Contract to keep the Vultures away. The right Manager is priceless.

 

Enjoy the Game on Boxing Day and the rest of the season.  I hope we both get promoted.

 

[BenTheFox]

I have to push back against the idea that Ipswich are a "small club". In their history they have won a league title, an FA cup and what is now known as the Europa League (not in the too distant past either. These trophies were won in the 60s, 70s and 80s). Those trophies were won under two of the best managers this country has ever produced. They also fill a stadium that is bigger that holds more than a handful of premier league grounds too. I praise them for how well they are doing based on being a newly promoted side who don't have the wage bill or spent as much on transfer fees as ourselves, Southampton or Leeds, not that they are a "small club". 

Edited 13 December 2023 by BenTheFox

[bmt]

1 hour ago, Fear Of The Fox said:

My opinion hasn't changed since the early season run of games. Keep this as a 2 horse race. It's demoralising for Leeds, they will collapse under this constant pressure doing catch up and it will also have an impact on their playoff games. 

Let's make this a fun title race between us and Ipswich. And the latter really deserve all the praise, decent fan base and likeable team. We'd rather play them again in PL next year instead of Leeds. 

Agree with this and also think it pushes us to play better having a team neck and neck with us. I hope we finish top with record points but hope Ipswich push us right to the end. 

[Fox92]

43 minutes ago, BenTheFox said:

I have to push back against the idea that Ipswich are a "small club". In their history they have won a league title, an FA cup and what is now known as the Europa League (not in the too distant past either. These trophies were won in the 60s, 70s and 80s). Those trophies were one under two of the best managers this country have ever produced. They also fill a stadium that is bigger that holds more than a handful of premier league grounds too. I praise them for how well they are doing based on being a newly promoted side who don't have the wage bill or spent as much on transfer fees as ourselves, Southampton or Leeds, not that they are a "small club". 

I mean, I agree, Ipswich are not what I consider a "small club" but it's interesting that you consider trophies won 40/50 years ago as "not in the distance past" when people laugh at other clubs (such as Forest, Everton, Villa etc) for exactly the same thing.

 

Of course in more recent times Ipswich did play in Europe again.

[bmt]

If we win tonight can we redo the form analysis to prove how stupid extrapolating based on a tiny sample size is.

 

 

Buuut buuut Leeds are surely the best team in the world.

[Chelmofox]

16 minutes ago, bmt said:

If we win tonight can we redo the form analysis to prove how stupid extrapolating based on a tiny sample size is.

 

 

Buuut buuut Leeds are surely the best team in the world.

Fun fact. If we win tonight we will be equal to the great Leeds in the 6 game form table, and will have a better goal difference than them.  We are already ahead of them in the 10 game form guide.

 

They are a good team and we just need to keep doing our job, but they have had their reputation elevated somewhat. Yesterday showed (again) they are as capable of dropping points as anyone. Every game, including tonight, can be a banana skin.

[Ric Flair]

13 hours ago, ScowcroftsUglyMole said:

Lurking Ipswich fan here, can’t resist biting to this because I see so many Leicester and Leeds fans commenting on our supposedly small squad.

 

What makes you think this? Our reserve team knocked out a strong Wolves team in the cup and we have competitive depth in every position on the pitch (with the probable exception of ST).

 

Moreover, expect us to have a busy January. We made four big signings in January last season, who have all been key players this season.

 

In the summer we weren’t an attractive enough option for players that matched our budget and ambition (Auston Trusty and Ellis Simms for example). Hopefully we won’t encounter that problem as much in the transfer window due to our league position, and the opportunity for players to be coached by Kieran McKenna.
 

Will we make top two? I don’t know, probably 50/50. I’d still back McKenna to get us up in the playoffs though.

 

Exciting season though, Boxing Day has all the ingredients for a cracker.

Yeah, I think those who presume you have an effective starting XI and little else are ignorant. The biggest danger for Ipswich is probably the high energy style you play, if your squad loses confidence or fitness it can be difficult to navigate that but that's no different really to any side.

 

It's also easy to presume you'll eventually stop being as fortunate as it would appear on paper in games you go behind in and then recover to win points. People haven't watched you to grasp that most of the time it's deserved (less so last night and away at Bristol City) but plenty of other games I've seen of yours you've been relentless to overcome going behind.

 

You're the real success story of this season, Boxing Day will be a massive game. The follow up game a few weeks later as big and we will have at least 4, possibly 5 away at AFCON and the Asian Cup.

[Tommy G]

2 hours ago, foxfanazer said:

Someone like Everton should look at him. Or West ham maybe

Dyche is doing a decent job under the circumstances tbf

[foxfanazer]

13 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Dyche is doing a decent job under the circumstances tbf

Yeah he is but always feels kind of limited under Dyche imo. He'll take you to a certain level but not going to progress much further

[deep blue]

Just now, alanf0x said:

Great away end at Watford…

..and a car park full of tractors? 

[Tommy G]

29 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

Yeah he is but always feels kind of limited under Dyche imo. He'll take you to a certain level but not going to progress much further

Staying up for them is an achievement at the min IMO

[foxfanazer]

Just now, Tommy G said:

Staying up for them is an achievement at the min IMO

Yeah definitely. But with the lack of quality of the promoted teams it could be the ideal time to think for the future. Simply surviving every year can't be the target

[Tommy G]

Just now, foxfanazer said:

Yeah definitely. But with the lack of quality of the promoted teams it could be the ideal time to think for the future. Simply surviving every year can't be the target

No I agree but in the near term it has to be because of the stadium and ownership - once both are sorted you go again, but thats just my thoughts.  

[Fox92]

McKenna doesn't seem the type to leave yet. You never know but I think he will have his eyes on promotion with Ipswich first.

[foxfanazer]

5 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

McKenna doesn't seem the type to leave yet. You never know but I think he will have his eyes on promotion with Ipswich first.

Not many managers achieve back to back promotions so you'd think he'd wanna see that through at least 

[TrentFox]

49 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

Yeah he is but always feels kind of limited under Dyche imo. He'll take you to a certain level but not going to progress much further

I watch Everton and think they’re one of the best watches in the league at the moment. If they had a striker - or DCL wasn’t made of glass - I think they’d be comfortably top half and possibly looking at a European spot. 

[Lambert09]

1 hour ago, Chelmofox said:

Fun fact. If we win tonight we will be equal to the great Leeds in the 6 game form table, and will have a better goal difference than them.  We are already ahead of them in the 10 game form guide.

 

They are a good team and we just need to keep doing our job, but they have had their reputation elevated somewhat. Yesterday showed (again) they are as capable of dropping points as anyone. Every game, including tonight, can be a banana skin.

I think it’s the manor of Leeds’ wins that make people react like this. They seem to either blow a team away or drop points. 
 

 Whereas we are far better at grinding out results. Which in truth, is exactly what you need. 

 

our last few years are evidence of that. If your team has no real character to scrap for a win during a bad day, then you won’t win the league. 

[danish_fox]

We 

11 minutes ago, Lambert09 said:

I think it’s the manor of Leeds’ wins that make people react like this. They seem to either blow a team away or drop points. 
 

 Whereas we are far better at grinding out results. Which in truth, is exactly what you need. 

 

our last few years are evidence of that. If your team has no real character to scrap for a win during a bad day, then you won’t win the league. 

We are so difficult to score against! 12 goals against in 20 games, no game with more than 1 goal against. Hard to take a win, when you are meeting af stonewall with goalie gloves! 

It is even harder when you also want to defend, because you are up against former PL players. 

The Enzo style is strong and relentless! Enzo is good, Enzo is life!

[Legend_in_blue]

 

I wonder if I'll be greeted with an update after tonight's game.  

 

Probably not.  

[ARM1968]

3 hours ago, foxfanazer said:

Yeah he is but always feels kind of limited under Dyche imo. He'll take you to a certain level but not going to progress much further

I absolutely hate this sort of comment. The guy worked with no money at Burnley and got them in to Europe. Extraordinary. Give him the funds and the time and he’ll do very well. He’s a good manager but he is an utter cnut. 

[foxfanazer]

9 minutes ago, ARM1968 said:

I absolutely hate this sort of comment. The guy worked with no money at Burnley and got them in to Europe. Extraordinary. Give him the funds and the time and he’ll do very well. He’s a good manager but he is an utter cnut. 

Well boohoo. There's nothing to suggest he'd do a good job at a club with funds so it's a matter of opinion 

[Leicester_Loyal]

Southampton drop points tonight. 

[UniFox21]

Listening to Steve Sidwell and Merson talk about the championship is the most disrespectful thing I've heard 

[Jobyfox]

1 hour ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

Southampton drop points tonight. 

Is that speculation or a statement of fact? 
 

 

 

Edited 13 December 2023 by Jobyfox

[The Bear]

22 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Listening to Steve Sidwell and Merson talk about the championship is the most disrespectful thing I've heard 

Merson struggles with Premier League teams never mind any other leagues. 

Edited 13 December 2023 by The Bear