Championship 2025/26 Season

[Ric Flair]

10 minutes ago, LCFCJohn said:

Do you reckon it’ll take 95+ points this season? Feels a bit tighter than when us, Ipswich and Leeds (even Southampton to an extent) ran away with it).

No i think somewhere around 88 will do it. But I also think there might be 3-4 around 80 odd so it'll be tight.

[RowlattsFox]

Coventry wouldn't be the first team to start brilliantly and fade away. But so far they look the best team, simply because they can score goals. 

Also helps when the offside rule doesn't apply to them  at least 2 of their goals today looked offside in the highlights. 

 

 

[Raj]

Sad to see what's going on at Sheff Wednesday.

 

[LCFCJohn]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

No i think somewhere around 88 will do it. But I also think there might be 3-4 around 80 odd so it'll be tight.

Yeah more teams bunched together with a lower overall requirement is my thoughts too. 

[Bert]

I think with Coventry they’ve got a settled squad, and have some decent momentum from last season. They’ll defo be there or thereabouts.  

[Ric Flair]

34 minutes ago, Pliskin said:

They will hit a run of poor form. There’s weaknesses in that team, as there are in many, but I genuinely wasn’t impressed when they came to us. We sussed them out fairly easily, and had it not been for poor subs from Marti we would have nicked that game. They barely laid a glove on us. 
 

I was really encouraged with what I saw yesterday from us, we just need a number 9 who will score some goals……

I don't draw any confidence out of them being mediocre thst day, many teams two years ago could have said the same about us and it counted for very little as we steamrolled on and on in to the new year.

 

It's not just a shit load of goals they're scoring, they are barely conceding. Bith of those metrics dropping off drastically is more unlikely to happen than it is us getting regular goals from one of the 3 dubious strikers we have. 

 

We'll be amongst the top 6 but with the points deduction coming, i'd be astonished if we're a 90 point team to get over line with 80-85 points that'll likely be needed.

 

[Ric Flair]

Just now, Bert said:

I think with Coventry they’ve got a settled squad, and have some decent momentum from last season. They’ll defo be there or thereabouts.  

Seen it many a time before, look at the pattern of the likes of Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth the 1st time they all went up and they were patiently waiting for their chance after a few years of learning and evolving. There's no standout relegated team to overpower by the looks of it and they're poised to seize the opportunity.

[MattFox]

3 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Seen it many a time before, look at the pattern of the likes of Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth the 1st time they all went up and they were patiently waiting for their chance after a few years of learning and evolving. There's no standout relegated team to overpower by the looks of it and they're poised to seize the opportunity.

I’d say us in 13/14 is probably the best example albeit without changing manager

[ClaphamFox]

8 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I don't draw any confidence out of them being mediocre thst day, many teams two years ago could have said the same about us and it counted for very little as we steamrolled on and on in to the new year.

 

It's not just a shit load of goals they're scoring, they are barely conceding. It think that's more unlikely to happen than it is us getting regular goals from one of the 3 dubious strikers we have. 

 

We'll be amongst the top 6 but with the points deduction coming, i'd be astonished if we're a 90 point team to get over line with 80-85 points that'll likely be needed.

 

I’m not so sure. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if by the end of the month we’re averaging the two points per game ratio we’ll need to get 90+ points. And while Coventry have been playing under Lampard for a while and are probably close to the peak of their potential with their current squad,  we’re much earlier in our cycle under Cifuentes and will likely get a lot better. 

[Ric Flair]

2 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

I’m not so sure. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if by the end of the month we’re averaging the two points per game ratio we’ll need to get 90+ points. And while Coventry have been playing under Lampard for a while and are probably close to the peak of their potential with their current squad,  we’re much earlier in our cycle under Cifuentes and will likely get a lot better. 

Hmmmmm I'm yet to be convinced. Don't see any sign of consistent goals from thr patterns of play in this team. It's a common theme of previous Cifuentes teams as well, whilst he wants attacking football i'm not so sure he's thst good at coaching it. Seems to either never have a striker who can score more than about 5 a season or his methods don't create enough chances to provide that platform.

 

 

[Happy Fox]

Top 2 should be the aim, I think Coventry win the league in some style. They have the goal threat. We will be fighting with the likes of Stoke, Middlesbrough , Ipswich if they pick up form for that 2nd spot.

[Pliskin]

10 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Hmmmmm I'm yet to be convinced. Don't see any sign of consistent goals from thr patterns of play in this team. It's a common theme of previous Cifuentes teams as well, whilst he wants attacking football i'm not so sure he's thst good at coaching it. Seems to either never have a striker who can score more than about 5 a season or his methods don't create enough chances to provide that platform.

 

 

I don’t think that’s particularly fair, I think we can’t underestimate what mess Martin inherited. This is a completely different challenge to Enzo’s. 
 

Probably the worst relegation in history for us, and the worst season we’ve probably had in modern history, it was nothing short of pathetic last season, and we’re carrying that into this. It takes an age to appoint him, so we’ve had a very long hang over from last season, he then isn’t able to bring anyone in until deadline day, and that’s three loans. 
 

We’re only just starting to really come to life, this should have been happening by week 4 of the season, not 9…. So he’s had a really tough start and I think he’s done well. 
 

There are some red flags appearing, but yesterday proved that he does learn, he got it absolutely spot on, and we looked a constant threat all game, and comfortably beat a side that hasn’t lost at home for a long time. 
 

The balance of the squad was much better, the energy was much better, and there was probably only a 10-15 minute spell after they scored that Swansea looked any good, other than that, we kept them at arms length for 90 minutes. 
 

It seemed like something clicked yesterday for us.

 

Yes the 9 is an issue, we know Ayew and Daka aren’t getting you double figures, but I was slightly encouraged by Carranza yesterday, he took up some good positions, and looked much sharper. 
 

What will be interesting, is to see what Evans could achieve in a confident team playing upfront. I’d like to think Marti might give him a go, because I think confident Evans in a confident Leicester team scores goals. 

[Nalis]

Coventry are the best team in the league this season so far whether we like it or not.

 

Focus on ourselves and we'll be thereabouts the top 6 with or without the points deduction.

[coolhandfox]

We have been doggo, but somehow we are 3 point behind the mighty Coventry.

 

The league will become clearer after the chunk of fixtures between this break and Christmas.

[Chrysalis]

1 hour ago, RowlattsFox said:

Coventry wouldn't be the first team to start brilliantly and fade away. But so far they look the best team, simply because they can score goals. 

Also helps when the offside rule doesn't apply to them  at least 2 of their goals today looked offside in the highlights. 

 

 

I like how you have written your post.

 

I know FT has got used to immaculate looking football is what makes you a winning team, but it is exactly what you said in this post, scoring lots of goals.  Cov are by far the best team in the league right now and its an excellent result the 0-0 with them.

[Walshy5]

Is the standard of the championship worse than ever?

 

The fact we have been so poor and are still 3rd got me thinking this. Everyone is beating everyone too which in some ways makes it exciting but it's there to see how poor the standard is. Thoughts?

[Noahfence]

Ipswich haven’t beaten Norwich since 2009!! 
 

Probably said it 2 years ago but Ipswich won’t have a better chance than today. If it doesn’t happen today you have to wonder what Norwich have got over them 

[iancognito]

40 minutes ago, Walshy5 said:

Is the standard of the championship worse than ever?

No its exactly the same. It's missing a runaway leader or two but the rest are as they were. The same mix of post-parachute has beens and one good season wannabe's. Mixed early form from a few favourites like Ipswich and Sheff U mean it'll take longer to settle. For all the praise it gets for being a competitive league its  the same messy bunfight as it was a decade ago

[FrankieADZ]

up the norwich

[Lionator]

Funny that the widely mocked Palace v Brighton Derby actually has a shorter distance than Ipswich v Norwich 

[foxfanazer]

2 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Funny that the widely mocked Palace v Brighton Derby actually has a shorter distance than Ipswich v Norwich 

It's a good derby thought this one. They do hate each other 

[ClaphamFox]

1 hour ago, Chrysalis said:

I like how you have written your post.

 

I know FT has got used to immaculate looking football is what makes you a winning team, but it is exactly what you said in this post, scoring lots of goals.  Cov are by far the best team in the league right now and its an excellent result the 0-0 with them.

We were the better side and should have beaten them.

[FrankieADZ]

bit windy at Portman Road.....might give McKenna an excuse if they lose

[Foxontherocks]

1 hour ago, Noahfence said:

Ipswich haven’t beaten Norwich since 2009!! 
 

Probably said it 2 years ago but Ipswich won’t have a better chance than today. If it doesn’t happen today you have to wonder what Norwich have got over them 

The Sky graphic of "since Ipswich last beat Norwich" including 8 Ed Sheeran albums is quite funny

[Sharpe's Fox]

Teams can get points and flatter to deceive after 10 games but when they're top with a goal difference 15 greater than anyone else Coventry going to be up there the whole way through, I'm afraid.