Championship 2025/26 Season

[Dan]

7 draws this weekend. It feels as if there is so little between a lot of the sides.

 

5th in the league but you take just a couple off us, which I think the performances probably warrant, we're in midtable.

[ealingfox]

3 minutes ago, Dan said:

7 draws this weekend. It feels as if there is so little between a lot of the sides.

 

5th in the league but you take just a couple off us, which I think the performances probably warrant, we're in midtable.

 

Equally if Mavidoggo buries that easy chance last weekend we're clear in 2nd

 

[JimJams]

1 hour ago, Dan said:

5th in the league but you take just a couple off us, which I think the performances probably warrant, we're in midtable.

Well to be fair the performances warrant what they got. If you add a couple more we're in the automatics. We've got what we've got and we are where we are.

 

 

Sincerely,

Captain Obvious

[Dan]

I'd say on the whole we're very fortunate to have 12 points.

 

Deserved it against Wednesday (although lucked out getting them when we did). Dreadful at Preston and fully deserved loss. Extremely fortunate to win at Charlton. Probably deserved it on the whole against Birmingham. Got away with it at Oxford, got away with it yesterday. Only one I think we were a bit unlucky was last week.

 

If we're going up the route of the old guard (which we have so far) then I want a convincing promotion. We really do not look one of the best three teams at all, and I'm amazed anybody thinks we do.

[STEVIE B]

2 hours ago, Noahfence said:

The league is seriously bad. 

It is, but what are we comparing it to ? 
The Premier League is by far the best league in world footbal.
I was in Italy last week (Cremona), saw a dreadful Serie A game (Cremonese v Parma).

The locals don’t rate their league & watch lots of The Prem.

The gap between where we are now & where we want to be is massive & growing.

The Premier League is all that matters to the Kingmakers. 

 

[Chelmofox]

2 hours ago, Dan said:

7 draws this weekend. It feels as if there is so little between a lot of the sides.

 

5th in the league but you take just a couple off us, which I think the performances probably warrant, we're in midtable.

A lot of whataboutism there. Mavadidi takes his chance against Cov and we are 2nd. Ayew takes that early chance against West Brom and we have a very different game.

 

I think we are bang on where we deserve to be.

[Paninistickers]

47 minutes ago, Dan said:

I'd say on the whole we're very fortunate to have 12 points.

 

Deserved it against Wednesday (although lucked out getting them when we did). Dreadful at Preston and fully deserved loss. Extremely fortunate to win at Charlton. Probably deserved it on the whole against Birmingham. Got away with it at Oxford, got away with it yesterday. Only one I think we were a bit unlucky was last week.

 

If we're going up the route of the old guard (which we have so far) then I want a convincing promotion. We really do not look one of the best three teams at all, and I'm amazed anybody thinks we do.

Who looks better then? 

[Number 6]

At the moment nobody on the champ is looking consistently good. The standard is clearly not great either. We can be both a poor side, and one of the better sides in the division.

[Dan]

22 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

Who looks better then? 

On the performances so far? Was looking through the league and I'd say at least half of the league. We don't create chances and we're pretty inconsistent at the back as well to be honest.

 

The entire basis for us doing well this season from virtually anyone who is saying this is that we have to pick up so they're accidentally agreeing. I'm talking about what's happened so far. People are calling out Coventry for example, who yes, were pretty bad last week, but they've obviously been better than us.

 

Nobody has been that good but we've certainly not been one of the better sides. Average.

Edited 27 September 2025 by Dan

[Bert]

30 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

A lot of whataboutism there. Mavadidi takes his chance against Cov and we are 2nd. Ayew takes that early chance against West Brom and we have a very different game.

 

I think we are bang on where we deserve to be.

Yep. Table doesn’t lie. 
 

I think strangely a lot of people don’t want us to do well, they want this weird “I told you so” so their own feelings on the club can be vindicated whilst continuing with a holier than thou kind of front. Have no problem with anyone’s opinion and calling out when we’ve played bad but some people are simply knocking every little thing that can be possibly knocked simply because they feel that they have the right to do so, it’s baffling.
 

As a collective fanbase we have the most negative fans I’ve encountered. Nothing is ever good enough, even when we play well they still want to moan. We are quite clearly a work in progress and I’m surprised a lot of people on here can’t actually see that. 
 

We are a team that’s perhaps still low on confidence after a horror season just gone, whilst also trying to implement something new and with how late the manager was appointed in pre-season I actually think we’re behind where we would’ve been if Marti was appointed earlier. 
 

People can laugh it off or deny it all they want but this squad of players is one of the strongest in the league. Let’s hope that soon things begin to properly click because we could be devastating. 

 

Edited 27 September 2025 by Bert

[Paninistickers]

4 minutes ago, Bert said:

Yep. Table doesn’t lie. 
 

I think strangely a lot of people don’t want us to do well, they want this weird “I told you so” so their own feelings on the club can be vindicated whilst continuing with a holier than thou kind of front. Have no problem with anyone’s opinion and calling out when we’ve played bad but some people are simply knocking every little thing that can be possibly knocked simply because they feel that they have the right to do so, it’s baffling.
 

As a collective fanbase we have the most negative fans I’ve encountered. Nothing is ever good enough, even when we play well they still want to moan. We are quite clearly a work in progress and I’m surprised a lot of people on here can’t actually see that. 
 

We are a team that’s perhaps still low on confidence after a horror season just gone, whilst also trying to implement something new and with how late the manager was appointed in pre-season I actually think we’re behind where we would’ve been if Marti was appointed earlier. 
 

People can laugh it off or deny it all they want but this squad of players is one of the strongest in the league. Let’s hope that soon things begin to properly click because we could be devastating. 

 

It goes back decades. I can remember the old  Bentley's roof tipping us for relegation the season we walked it under Pearson. Not playing offs or midtable.. Relegation. 

 

And opposition fans would come on on those first few games and say, wtf,.you have all the best players 

 

 

[Dan]

I'm gobsmacked by some of the positivity as much as anything. I'd accept this level of output if we had actually made some sort of progress, had tried to refresh the team, bring the average age down, add some value to the squad organically (for example, played Nelson and stuck with him).

 

So far I think quite literally the only difference from last season is the level of opposition. This could quite easily be Van Nistelrooy's Leicester. It's largely the same side, which by the way is more on the board / usual suspects than the manager, but he's really not helping either.

[Noahfence]

1 minute ago, Dan said:

I'm gobsmacked by some of the positivity as much as anything. I'd accept this level of output if we had actually made some sort of progress, had tried to refresh the team, bring the average age down, add some value to the squad organically (for example, played Nelson and stuck with him).

 

So far I think quite literally the only difference from last season is the level of opposition. This could quite easily be Van Nistelrooy's Leicester. It's largely the same side, which by the way is more on the board / usual suspects than the manager, but he's really not helping either.

Great post. 
 

I’m guilty of being overly negative but I do think some people are kinda lying to themselves about what they’re seeing on the pitch. 

[Dan]

1 minute ago, Noahfence said:

Great post. 
 

I’m guilty of being overly negative but I do think some people are kinda lying to themselves about what they’re seeing on the pitch. 

Yeah I'm a self confessed mardy arse nowadays  but I'm really not buying it. The big one is "work in progress" that I keep seeing on here and that just isn't remotely what I'm seeing.

 

Replicate this exact performance from us so far with Nelson, Page, Monga, James, Okoli, Aluko all playing regularly I would be genuinely more forgiving because I would at least give the credit that they are trying to change the direction.

 

Cifuentes' old guard favouritism is making this all promotion or bust and so far, I'm really not seeing us as one of the best three teams. I mean if we're being that pedantic, we're 5th in the league, so obviously.

[Noahfence]

8 minutes ago, Dan said:

Yeah I'm a self confessed mardy arse nowadays  but I'm really not buying it. The big one is "work in progress" that I keep seeing on here and that just isn't remotely what I'm seeing.

 

Replicate this exact performance from us so far with Nelson, Page, Monga, James, Okoli, Aluko all playing regularly I would be genuinely more forgiving because I would at least give the credit that they are trying to change the direction.

 

Cifuentes' old guard favouritism is making this all promotion or bust and so far, I'm really not seeing us as one of the best three teams. I mean if we're being that pedantic, we're 5th in the league, so obviously.

Look at the names that were on the pitch at full time yesterday. Daka, Faes, Vestergaard,  Kristiansen, Soumare & Reid (who admittedly got us the goal) then you add in the Ayew experiment which doesn’t even need any words at this point. 
 

I guess I was just being naive expecting the team to feel fresh and youth sprinkled throughout the squad. Like you said, then you could excuse the work in progress line. 
 

Nelson isn’t the answer to all our problems but he’s not even in the squad. wtf is that all about? 
 

I know Page is just 17 and will get chances again but not sure what I think of him immediately dropping out the squad once he signs a new deal. 

 

Edited 27 September 2025 by Noahfence

[Bert]

15 minutes ago, Noahfence said:

Great post. 
 

I’m guilty of being overly negative but I do think some people are kinda lying to themselves about what they’re seeing on the pitch. 

I think that we are yet to see a complete performance, although that’s quite obvious. But last week against Coventry was the best we’d played over 90 minutes and funnily enough the only game we haven’t scored in so far yet a lot of people were just so over the top. We’ve got no given right to win any game but I’m also yet to see anyone we’ve played this season open up and try and attack us. Every single game has been sit in deep and soak it up and try and hit us on the break. 
 

The most alarming thing for me is 7 games in and 2 of the teams we’ve played are in the top 6 and West Brom who are a point off it, we’ve failed to beat any of them. That’s got to improve. 

[Dan]

1 hour ago, Noahfence said:

Look at the names that were on the pitch at full time yesterday. Daka, Faes, Vestergaard,  Kristiansen, Soumare & Reid (who admittedly got us the goal) then you add in the Ayew experiment which doesn’t even need any words at this point. 
 

I guess I was just being naive expecting the team to feel fresh and youth sprinkled throughout the squad. Like you said, then you could excuse the work in progress line. 
 

Nelson isn’t the answer to all our problems but he’s not even in the squad. wtf is that all about? 
 

I know Page is just 17 and will get chances again but not sure what I think of him immediately dropping out the squad once he signs a new deal. 

 

Yeah back in April time I cynically said "it'll be 8 of this lot in the team next year" not realising that in fact it was going to be 10.

[Finnegan]

Says a lot about the league that if we'd won one of the last three we'd be in the autos despite all the other dropped points.

 

[Wymsey]

2 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Says a lot about the league that if we'd won one of the last three we'd be in the autos despite all the other dropped points.

 

Can see something is going to click next week, if the manager changes personnel up front - reckon a big win is coming soon.

[PhillippaT]

Is the Premier League getting better, or the Championship getting worse? 

Edited 28 September 2025 by PhillippaT

[1972 Fox]

13 hours ago, FrankieADZ said:

 

how can anyone defend the officials in this country, like who is that not a red

Ref didn't have a clear view of it. 

[Gazza M]

We dont know what the remit is between Marti and the board. As we know, it is radio silence. The gaffer may not have the luxury of just playing the kids and building for the future (as much as we would like to see youth given a chance.) 

The expectation may be results and he can't afford to experiment too much especially with points deduction likely round the corner. 

Nelson is a strange one, as demonstrated he is good enough at Oxford last season. Was quite concerning not on the bench even, but maybe fitness concerns still. He will get a chance through injury suspension to others later on. He then must take it. 

I'm confident enough in Marti and the squad that we will win the next 2 and be in top 3 going in to next break. 

[BKLFox]

Not sure people are being overly positive they’re just saying we haven’t been great but still only a point off 2nd.

As poster have said we haven’t had a complete performance yet in fact we & Norwich are the most Ying Yang team in the whole league going on 1st half 2nd half performance. Taking all games as standalone halves we are in the relegation places 22nd for 1st halves and top [1st] for 2nd halves but sit 5th & Norwich Lead the 1st halves & then 23rd in 2nd but sit 14th.

Coventry do look to be the most consistent team with a 5th & 3rd split and currently sit 2nd.

We only need to produce a 2nd half performance for the entire 90 in just 1 game and we jump the most consistent team in the league, so whilst in the ‘minds eye’ it don’t look good there is positives to be had 🤷‍♂️ 

 

Obviously scoring goals wins matches, we start hitting the target more often & as it settles I’m sure we will then our base performance will start to push us to the fore I’m sure.

 

 

 

Edited 28 September 2025 by BKLFox

[Super_horns]

There were chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning “ from our own fans directed at the manager yesterday!

You know one  isn’t popular when fans seem disappointed we actually won a game to probably keep him in a job .

[FrankieADZ]

who we guessing then?
I'm guessing Southampton