The Championship Thread 2023/2024

[Tommy Fresh]

44 minutes ago, StanSP said:

I find it amusing how fans on here, after a Leicester loss, think Leeds will absolutely blast away now like we did, and not drop a point or many and just stroll it.

 

This league just doesn't do it. They'll have a little bit of another wobble. Most likely we will too...

People forget Leeds lost to Stoke 2 games before beating us

[Wymsey]

Sheffield Wednesday seem doomed.

[Deeg67]

17 hours ago, Corky said:

Southampton are back involved now.

Most definitely.  I'm not a believer in the manager, and that's an advantage for us and Leeds, but their squad is very good for this level.

 

I think it will come down to the three demoted sides and Ipswich for the two automatic promotion slots, with the last playoff spot wide open.  I don't think Ipswich is just lucky - they've legit been very good, but I don't think they have the depth to stay in the top two all season.  We'll see.  We have probably the most balanced team across the whole pitch, Leeds has the most dangerous group of attackers.  If Spence comes back after the break and plays at the level he was at his best, that's going to help them a lot.

[Tielemans63]

Some good, clean fun here

 

 

 

[ant83]

17 hours ago, Tommy Fresh said:

People forget Leeds lost to Stoke 2 games before beating us

Leeds rested Summerville, James and Kamara for that game. And they were still only a Bamford penalty miss away from winning. They won’t make that mistake again.

[Dahnsouff]

6 minutes ago, ant83 said:

Leeds rested Summerville, James and Kamara for that game. And they were still only a Bamford penalty miss away from winning. They won’t make that mistake again.

So you are saying their manager is prone to stupidity? Sounds like the sort of thing that could be habitual then…

[Tommy Fresh]

20 minutes ago, ant83 said:

Leeds rested Summerville, James and Kamara for that game. And they were still only a Bamford penalty miss away from winning. They won’t make that mistake again.

Lost though didn't they, we were denied a point against Leeds by a world class save and lost to a ridiculous free kick yesterday. What's your point.

[Sir Shep]

16 hours ago, Wymsey said:

Sheffield Wednesday seem doomed.

Till they play us 

[Ric Flair]

3 hours ago, ant83 said:

Leeds rested Summerville, James and Kamara for that game. And they were still only a Bamford penalty miss away from winning. They won’t make that mistake again.

They won't all play every game, very few players do.

[MrsJohnMurphy]

3 hours ago, ant83 said:

Leeds rested Summerville, James and Kamara for that game. And they were still only a Bamford penalty miss away from winning. They won’t make that mistake again.

We're talking about Dan James right? He'd be rested for every game if he played for City

[ant83]

1 hour ago, MrsJohnMurphy said:

We're talking about Dan James right? He'd be rested for every game if he played for City

Sure.

[ARM1968]

Real story of the Championship is Ipswich, not us. What they are doing is frankly sensational. 

[Deeg67]

5 hours ago, MrsJohnMurphy said:

We're talking about Dan James right? He'd be rested for every game if he played for City

James has 4 goals and 4 assists and is 6th in the league in xG contributions per 90.

[FoxOnWheels]

We just lack a plan B I think sometimes when are style isn’t working we need to just go to more standard football and back that our 11 is going to be better than there 11

[Chelmofox]

15 minutes ago, FoxOnWheels said:

We just lack a plan B I think sometimes when are style isn’t working we need to just go to more standard football and back that our 11 is going to be better than there 11

What should a plan b be?

[Deeg67]

1 hour ago, Chelmofox said:

What should a plan b be?

The one that works…

 

Fans have short memories.  13 wins in 16 is pretty phenomenal, and I doubt anyone would have complained if offered that two months ago.  Perhaps the league is figuring out Enzoball a little, perhaps we were just a a bit lucky to be 13-1.  We haven’t had to adjust much because we were winning doing exactly what Enzo wrote on the white board.  Now we have to adjust, whether you call that plan B or something else.  I think we could stand to be a little more direct at times and occasionally (against strong opposition) let the other team have some possession and hit on the counter, just to keep the rest of the league guessing a bit.

[FoxOnWheels]

8 hours ago, Chelmofox said:

What should a plan b be?

I think if we aren’t at it when we’re playing are slow possession based football with lost of passes side to side to open the space then just go to basic football and play a bit more freely and direct. I’m not slagging us one bit it’s still been an amazing start but we tend to just hope what’s not worked for 80mins is going to pay off last 10 mins and it doesn’t always and we drop points where maybe if we just changed things up a bit

[Chelmofox]

7 hours ago, Deeg67 said:

The one that works…

 

Fans have short memories.  13 wins in 16 is pretty phenomenal, and I doubt anyone would have complained if offered that two months ago.  Perhaps the league is figuring out Enzoball a little, perhaps we were just a a bit lucky to be 13-1.  We haven’t had to adjust much because we were winning doing exactly what Enzo wrote on the white board.  Now we have to adjust, whether you call that plan B or something else.  I think we could stand to be a little more direct at times and occasionally (against strong opposition) let the other team have some possession and hit on the counter, just to keep the rest of the league guessing a bit.

 

41 minutes ago, FoxOnWheels said:

I think if we aren’t at it when we’re playing are slow possession based football with lost of passes side to side to open the space then just go to basic football and play a bit more freely and direct. I’m not slagging us one bit it’s still been an amazing start but we tend to just hope what’s not worked for 80mins is going to pay off last 10 mins and it doesn’t always and we drop points where maybe if we just changed things up a bit

 

I think people are misjudging 'going direct' with us not being 'clinical'.  In the last 2 defeats we've not been battered, and were a Meslier fingertip away (and a Fatawu shot) from a draw, and we were all over Middlesbrough in the second half. Against borough in particular, the issue was our 2 central offensive players were way off it, and i don't really think we had anything on the bench that was going to change that (assuming Cannon just isn't ready to come on yet).

 

If we were on the receiving ends of batterings and completely out of games I would understand why a plan b should be mooted. But it's a million miles away from that. 16 games in, if the team haven't trained extensively in a completely different formation, then i don't see any sense in chucking 2 up top and 'giving it a go' just for the sake of it. 

 

Enzo will work at this and tweak what he thinks is needed. Work needs to done with the strikers, and the KDH/Cassadei role. If we are clinical and a bit more direct there then it changes a huge amount without ripping up the formation. Defenders will be less inclined to double on the wingers because the threat centrally is too great, which in turns releases the wingers more.

 

Lastly, i think we all forget that Enzo likely didn't get everything he wanted in the summer window. We know Daka should have been on the way out and it was very likely a more creative attacking player was coming in. I expect reinforcements to enforce the plan in the winter, now the whole management team have a clearer vision on what's needed.

 

 

[FoxOnWheels]

3 hours ago, Chelmofox said:

 

 

I think people are misjudging 'going direct' with us not being 'clinical'.  In the last 2 defeats we've not been battered, and were a Meslier fingertip away (and a Fatawu shot) from a draw, and we were all over Middlesbrough in the second half. Against borough in particular, the issue was our 2 central offensive players were way off it, and i don't really think we had anything on the bench that was going to change that (assuming Cannon just isn't ready to come on yet).

 

If we were on the receiving ends of batterings and completely out of games I would understand why a plan b should be mooted. But it's a million miles away from that. 16 games in, if the team haven't trained extensively in a completely different formation, then i don't see any sense in chucking 2 up top and 'giving it a go' just for the sake of it. 

 

Enzo will work at this and tweak what he thinks is needed. Work needs to done with the strikers, and the KDH/Cassadei role. If we are clinical and a bit more direct there then it changes a huge amount without ripping up the formation. Defenders will be less inclined to double on the wingers because the threat centrally is too great, which in turns releases the wingers more.

 

Lastly, i think we all forget that Enzo likely didn't get everything he wanted in the summer window. We know Daka should have been on the way out and it was very likely a more creative attacking player was coming in. I expect reinforcements to enforce the plan in the winter, now the whole management team have a clearer vision on what's needed.

 

 

I get a lot of what your saying but let’s not over complicate football there’s always a time and a place to chuck an extra attacker on and just get the ball into dangerous areas as quick as possible and keep throwing enough shit til it sticks! I like our style and what we’re doing but it isn’t going to work every game as we’ve seen and instead of coming off saying that didn’t work for 90 mins why not change it up for the last 10 and see what happens, we’ve came away with zero points anyway so nothing to lose from it

[Fox92]

16 hours ago, ARM1968 said:

Real story of the Championship is Ipswich, not us. What they are doing is frankly sensational. 

Helps that they got promoted and take that momentum with them. They won't be the first team to do back to back promotions, if they do go up.

[Richmondfox]

13 hours ago, Chelmofox said:

What should a plan b be?

They could try to get the ball to the wingers quicker for them to run at back tracking defenders. 
 

By the time they get the ball they are on the halfway line with their backs to goal in a standing position. 
 

They shouldn’t need a plan b though if they start to take chances which we know they should be finishing. 
 

[ARM1968]

31 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

Helps that they got promoted and take that momentum with them. They won't be the first team to do back to back promotions, if they do go up.

Ohh I know. But what they are doing is incredible and a step above what we’ve been doing in reality. They are the story for me, not us. 

[Chelmofox]

43 minutes ago, Richmondfox said:

They could try to get the ball to the wingers quicker for them to run at back tracking defenders. 
 

By the time they get the ball they are on the halfway line with their backs to goal in a standing position. 
 

They shouldn’t need a plan b though if they start to take chances which we know they should be finishing. 
 

That's not a plan b. And agree, it's all about working out  how to be more clinical and opportunist with the current plan.

Edited 13 November 2023 by Chelmofox

[Lambert09]

14 hours ago, FoxOnWheels said:

We just lack a plan B I think sometimes when are style isn’t working we need to just go to more standard football and back that our 11 is going to be better than there 11

I think we should go old school and put vesty up front for the last 10. 

[Number 6]

Just caught up on highlights...do Ipswich score one 20+ yarder per game or something? I swear every time I see their highlights they're just banging them in from all over the place.