Championship Play Offs

[Wymsey]

48 minutes ago, Bilo said:

Nothing to change my mind that none of the teams in the playoffs have the minerals to survive next season without very large investment. 

But look at Luton this season.

 

They've gone close to the wire to surviving right just before the very end, and they arguably had a smaller budget than the current play-off contender when they achieved promotion.

[purpleronnie]

2 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

But look at Luton this season.

 

They've gone close to the wire to surviving right just before the very end, and they arguably had a smaller budget than the current play-off contender when they achieved promotion.

Thanks to Forest's point deductions.

[Tuna]

1 minute ago, purpleronnie said:

Thanks to Forest's point deductions.

Exactly

 

Most seasons Luton would be bottom with their current points total

[Chelmofox]

7 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

But look at Luton this season.

 

They've gone close to the wire to surviving right just before the very end, and they arguably had a smaller budget than the current play-off contender when they achieved promotion.

They've got 26 points. We had 31 points after 37 games last year. 

 

It's been a seriously shite season at the bottom of the table.

[Bilo]

17 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

But look at Luton this season.

 

They've gone close to the wire to surviving right just before the very end, and they arguably had a smaller budget than the current play-off contender when they achieved promotion.

The only reason they weren't relegated weeks ago is because Forest not only had a points deduction, but have been absolutely awful. Even without the points deduction, they'd only be on 33 points and in deep trouble most seasons as a result. Without it, they'd have been safe two weeks ago. Decent opposition with no points deduction and I reckon they'd have been done by Easter.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Whoever will be shittest next season. So probably Norwich.

[KingsX]

2 hours ago, Col city fan said:

I think you’re missing the point mate.

How teams choose to set-up is all a mentality thing.

There is no reason why Norwich couldn’t have seen today’s game as ‘their’ final.

They could have planned to win the game by getting forward, creating chances and trying to fashion a situation that put Leeds under real pressure to play well at Elland Road.

Instead, they chose to play defensively, to play safe, in the hope of probably nicking a 1-0 in the return fixture.

It’s incredibly negative thinking. And if Leeds now turn up on Thursday and win convincingly (THEY will now be massively bouyed by the home support!), Norwich will leave thinking that they didn’t even have a real go at home.

Playing safe is a choice. Norwich clearly decided that’s how they’ll go.

Re Southgate, this isn’t his job, it’s his personality. He seems an incredibly ‘safe’ person. I

imagine he’s navigated his way through life, according to a blue-print and is overjoyed that it’s come to fruition.

Possibly the best example of this is the Euro final v Italy. We were playing well in that tournament, the country was up for it and it was at Wembley. We even went in front and he STILL set us up not to concede, rather than to go and score again to finish the job!

Its mentality and it pervades contemporary football.

 

Oh, I get the point.  You want to be excited and entertained.

 

What you don’t get is that a manager’s plan of attack may depend on the situation and stakes.

 

League football: take risks to favor the attack -- you might win and if it costs you, you live again, it’s a long old season.

Playoff/tournament football: take risks to favor the attack -- you might win but if it costs you, you are out before the second leg/knockouts.

 

Easy for me to understand why so many managers favor caution in 50-50 playoff ties like these.

[Ric Flair]

6 hours ago, when_you're_smiling said:

Wasn’t there actually quite a lot of action in that, it was just all one end and our keeper (Pool or Ward) played a blinder?

Yeah he pulled off some great saves. We were crap if I recall, was a properly turgid game. In fact the entire 2 legs were extremely nervy and tight.

[Deeg67]

8 hours ago, Matt said:

Those games were a disgrace to the playoffs.

 

 

And this is a surprise? 

 

Playoffs are almost always turgid affairs. Championship all the more so, with the spectre of losing Premier League promotion hanging over teams. And the first leg of two-game playoffs all the more. The problem is the mentality is almost always “you can’t win the tie in the first leg, but you can lose it”. Which is basically true, more or less, so it’s not like you can really blame clubs for thinking that way.

 

Especially for Leeds (who’ve been a shambles defensively of late) and Southhampton, what’s the motivation to take risks away? Farke set up his side to be solid in the center of the pitch (played an extra MF) and stop the bleeding from the past few matches, and he got what he set up for. It was like Norwich tentatively attempted a few forays early and then, when they didn’t break through, decided to just go into a shell and ride it out scoreless with the occasional counter or over the top ball to Sargeant.

 

Awful football in both ties. And entirely predictable.

[KFS]

I reckon Leeds - Southampton at Wembley and Leeds to do it.

[Foxmeister]

13 hours ago, when_you're_smiling said:

Wasn’t there actually quite a lot of action in that, it was just all one end and our keeper (Pool or Ward) played a blinder?

It was Poole, pulled off a blinding save from a point blank header amongst others.

[Foxmeister]

2 hours ago, Deeg67 said:

And this is a surprise? 

 

Playoffs are almost always turgid affairs. Championship all the more so, with the spectre of losing Premier League promotion hanging over teams. And the first leg of two-game playoffs all the more. The problem is the mentality is almost always “you can’t win the tie in the first leg, but you can lose it”. Which is basically true, more or less, so it’s not like you can really blame clubs for thinking that way.

 

Especially for Leeds (who’ve been a shambles defensively of late) and Southhampton, what’s the motivation to take risks away? Farke set up his side to be solid in the center of the pitch (played an extra MF) and stop the bleeding from the past few matches, and he got what he set up for. It was like Norwich tentatively attempted a few forays early and then, when they didn’t break through, decided to just go into a shell and ride it out scoreless with the occasional counter or over the top ball to Sargeant.

 

Awful football in both ties. And entirely predictable.

I'm not sure play-offs are always turgid, there have been a lot of amazing games over the years, our second legs against Cambridge, Portsmouth, Cardiff and Watford and finals against Swindon (particularly), Derby and Palace were definitely not examples of fear football. Along with our Swindon final, Bolton vs Reading and Charlton vs Sunderland were 3 of the most captivating games ever played at Wembley.

[Deeg67]

25 minutes ago, Foxmeister said:

I'm not sure play-offs are always turgid, there have been a lot of amazing games over the years, our second legs against Cambridge, Portsmouth, Cardiff and Watford and finals against Swindon (particularly), Derby and Palace were definitely not examples of fear football. Along with our Swindon final, Bolton vs Reading and Charlton vs Sunderland were 3 of the most captivating games ever played at Wembley.

Second legs and single game playoffs are always going to be better, because teams know what they have to do to win. Desperation makes for better football.

[Ric Flair]

No surprise really, all four teams form going in to the playoffs was pretty dire.

 

That play off final might go on for weeks, wonder if they've got a contingency plan what with the Champions League final on the following week.

[Sly]

6 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

No surprise really, all four teams form going in to the playoffs was pretty dire.

 

That play off final might go on for weeks, wonder if they've got a contingency plan what with the Champions League final on the following week.

You’d think Leeds / Southampton get the job done at home.

 

I’d fancy Southampton to then beat Leeds in the final. 
 

 

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, Sly said:

You’d think Leeds / Southampton get the job done at home.

 

I’d fancy Southampton to then beat Leeds in the final. 
 

 

Yeah I think that's the outcome too

[Leeds Fox]

5 hours ago, Deeg67 said:

Second legs and single game playoffs are always going to be better, because teams know what they have to do to win. Desperation makes for better football.

3 cup finals now. The first legs are always cagey and the two 0-0s makes for a great set of game left to play. 

Edited 13 May 2024 by Leeds Fox

[Leicesterpool]

I think it's safe to say the teams involved in the play offs aren't the teams everybody would have wanted. People want to see new teams to go up. Ipswich clinched second so yeah.. good.

 

I think we would have preferred the following teams in play offs

 

Bristol City v Plymouth Arygle

Sheffield Wednesday v Preston North End

[CosbehFox]

18 hours ago, Wymsey said:

But look at Luton this season.

 

They've gone close to the wire to surviving right just before the very end, and they arguably had a smaller budget than the current play-off contender when they achieved promotion.

Luton would have been nowhere in a traditional season. Haven’t claimed 30 points 

[Foxmeister]

The idea that you can stay up with 29 points is absolute madness!

[David Lowe]

There is a 10 point gap between Forest and Brentford so it looks like the promoted teams may be relying on Forest being poor again or other teams having managerial upheaval.

[UniFox21]

What the **** is this monstrosity 

 

[SilverFox]

On 12/05/2024 at 09:57, SpacedX said:

3 points. To be fair his actual words were, "they went to Leicester" . "Mullered" is a poor choice of words though. They didn't destroy us at all because they couldn't make their chances count whilst that gallant performance from Choudhury completely ruined their day and is one of the standout defining points of our season. I do think that they were one of the toughest teams we played at home though and they are capable of causing major problems for Southampton's fragile defence. Of the four, I'd most like to see the Baggies promoted. 

 

Quite like to see Saints stay down and Pompey do the double over them next season. 

 

 

We definitely beat them twice. 

[ithuriel]

On 13/05/2024 at 06:58, Ric Flair said:

No surprise really, all four teams form going in to the playoffs was pretty dire.

 

That play off final might go on for weeks, wonder if they've got a contingency plan what with the Champions League final on the following week.

Knowing the current state of football, drawing straws live on Sky with full punditry lasting for two hours

[gurru991]

On 12/05/2024 at 10:41, Foxin_Mad said:

Farke is such a pathetic tosser. Just get on with your job. 

 

You didn't go up automatically because there were 2 teams better than you! Jog on you bell end. 

Farke is spewing a line of bullshit . He talks about what went against them but forgets to mention the dodgy ones that went in their favour. Nothing I would enjoy more than seeing the rat faced twat & his bunch of bellends knocked out of the playoffs.