The Championship Thread 2023/2024

[Les-TA-Jon]

Southampton aren't going to make up a 11 gap (likely 12 with our 18 better GD) in 12 games. 

 

Just got to finish above 1 of Leeds/Ipswich. I don't see them both making up a 6 point gap. 

[KrefelderFox666]

The next 6 games are huge for us. We come out still in 1st place after those and we will be champions. My opinion. After QPR we have a really tricky run of 5 matches but nothing to be afraid of.

 

Assuming the FA Cup doesn't postpone any games, we have these batches:

 

QPR, Sunderland, Hull and Southampton.

 

Bristol City, Norwich, Birmingham, Millwall and Plymouth.

 

West Brom, Preston and Blackburn.

 

You could even break the middle batch into two. After each batch we can reassess the table and judge because a lot will still change.

 

Even if we get to last game of the season needing a win, I can't see Blackburn being any trouble.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Can't shake the feeling that we've fvcked it. Probably not promotion but the title, which could and arguably should have been sewn up. 

 

Usually get the positivity back by now after a defeat but it's nowhere to be seen. The CL bottles and "too good to go down" scars are very much still there. 

[Lionator]

6 minutes ago, KrefelderFox666 said:

The next 6 games are huge for us. We come out still in 1st place after those and we will be champions. My opinion. After QPR we have a really tricky run of 5 matches but nothing to be afraid of.

 

Assuming the FA Cup doesn't postpone any games, we have these batches:

 

QPR, Sunderland, Hull and Southampton.

 

Bristol City, Norwich, Birmingham, Millwall and Plymouth.

 

West Brom, Preston and Blackburn.

 

You could even break the middle batch into two. After each batch we can reassess the table and judge because a lot will still change.

 

Even if we get to last game of the season needing a win, I can't see Blackburn being any trouble.

We need to win 8 I think. You can see us doing that but you can also see us bottling it and only winning 2 or 3. 

[WestLothianFox]

On 25/02/2024 at 10:31, Plastik Man said:

Having recently undergone a prostatectomy I can confirm there's a 6 week period after surgery you are restricted from any sport, driving, etc. I did wonder when 6 weeks was mentioned. 

 

I'll be 4 weeks tomorrow!

Get well soon, I had my prostatectomy 7 years ago, hope they got your prostate out with clear margains

[FrankieADZ]

22 minutes ago, KrefelderFox666 said:

The next 6 games are huge for us. We come out still in 1st place after those and we will be champions. My opinion. After QPR we have a really tricky run of 5 matches but nothing to be afraid of.

 

Assuming the FA Cup doesn't postpone any games, we have these batches:

 

QPR, Sunderland, Hull and Southampton.

 

Bristol City, Norwich, Birmingham, Millwall and Plymouth.

 

West Brom, Preston and Blackburn.

 

You could even break the middle batch into two. After each batch we can reassess the table and judge because a lot will still change.

 

Even if we get to last game of the season needing a win, I can't see Blackburn being any trouble.

some of them games you really dont know what you are going to get, like Hull, they look decent away from home but at home they can be a little iffy, same with Sunderland

 

be the leicester thing to go and win all of them now tbf

[Les-TA-Jon]

14 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Can't shake the feeling that we've fvcked it. Probably not promotion but the title, which could and arguably should have been sewn up. 

 

Usually get the positivity back by now after a defeat but it's nowhere to be seen. The CL bottles and "too good to go down" scars are very much still there. 

Just got to hold our nerve. With the respective run of 4 games with us playing QPR, Hull, Sunderland and Southampton and Leeds playing 4 in a row vs bottom-6 sides, it could get worse before it gets better. But I think we'll still be OK for Autos. But yeah the title itself is now in the balance. 

[FrankieADZ]

also on Leeds, a massive massive worry for them is the international break in March, theyve got a number of important players who should be playing for Wales in the Euro play off games,

Roden, Ampadu, Roberts, Dan James too

injuries to all of them would be nice.... I mean would be a shame

[KFS]

Can’t be arsed to go back but where did this Ipswich confidence come from? Best manager in the league? You’re not lucky?

 

I’ve seen more deflections this year from them than a politician trying to escape a PR disaster. They will get well and truly found out in the premier league. 

[UniFox21]

22 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Can't shake the feeling that we've fvcked it. Probably not promotion but the title, which could and arguably should have been sewn up. 

 

Usually get the positivity back by now after a defeat but it's nowhere to be seen. The CL bottles and "too good to go down" scars are very much still there. 

Annoyingly in the exact same boat. Once we missed 2/3 chances it felt inevitable we'd concede. 

 

Just see us struggling with how inconsistent our finishing is so inconsistent 

Edited 26 February by UniFox21

[Les-TA-Jon]

1 minute ago, UniFox21 said:

Annoyingly in the exact same boat. Once we missed 2/3 chances it felt inevitable we'd concede. 

 

Just see us struggling with how inconsistent our finishing is so inconsistent 

I wouldn't say our finishing is particularly inconsistent - it's just that when we have dropped points (in only 9 of 34 games) it's largely been down to our finishing. So it feels more pronounced. 

[Daggers]

On 24/02/2024 at 10:19, Raj said:

If your not slightly worried about us blowing the title then your either deluded, insane or abit stupid.

 

I’m not slightly worried. 

[Royston.]

I don't think we are bottlers, the style of play which can be and has been really effective also leaves us open to the occasional defeat.

 

We were looking more than comfortable v leeds but missed chances and no VAR ****ed us and their equaliser created the perfect storm.

 

Sods law it happened in such an important game and now there is an uncertainty hanging over us but one thing is for sure Maresca will not change anything.

 

Just have to sit back and enjoy the ride

[Tractor]

36 minutes ago, KFS said:

Can’t be arsed to go back but where did this Ipswich confidence come from? Best manager in the league? You’re not lucky?

 

I’ve seen more deflections this year from them than a politician trying to escape a PR disaster. They will get well and truly found out in the premier league. 

'ello. Another Ipswich fan here (I spend way too much time browsing other fans' forums instead of working, cos ours is full of weirdos, tbh) 

I dunno about overconfidence, but we're pretty happy with where things are going. You say that we'll be found out in the Premiership and you're right about that as it stands, I think. But isn't that *exactly* why we think we've got the best manager around? You look at Leicester, Leeds and Southampton's squads and they're a world away from ours - so much so, that you'd all be way better placed than us if we were all to go up to the Prem today. 

But KM has us keeping pace with Leeds, beating Southampton and hanging on to your coat tails. It's pretty amazing. You can call it luck that we get deflections or last minute goals, but our stats for most games (even the ones we lose) have us with the lion's share of possession, more shots on goal and more time in the opponent's half. If that results in a dodgy deflection or an OG or whatever, it's not really luck as much as us putting on the pressure. 

Anyways, the main reason I come on here to see what's happening is that I always had a soft spot for you lot and I hope you go up with us cos Leeds are unbearable . This thread makes for pretty gloomy reading. You're top by 6 points, for God's sake! That's a lovely place to be at this stage of the season.

Good luck for the run-in 
 

[HighPeakFox]

1 hour ago, Daggers said:

I’m not slightly worried. 

So are you deluded, insane or a bit stupid?

 

I mean if @Raj says you must be one of them, he HAS to be right, surely?

 

[-sodapop]

Just seen this - obviously us often leading by 75' means that there are more points to lose, but still a pretty damning condemnation of our ability to see out games when we're tied first place for most points dropped near the end of a game.

[Les-TA-Jon]

9 minutes ago, -sodapop said:

Just seen this - obviously us often leading by 75' means that there are more points to lose, but still a pretty damning condemnation of our ability to see out games when we're tied first place for most points dropped near the end of a game.

Particularly interesting because for the first 20 odd games we were so incredibly dominate in the final 15 mins. We were something like 19 For and barely any Against. 

 

Not really sure what's triggered the change over the last 14 games or so. There's not been any noticeable tactical or personnel changes. Might just be the rest of the division being braver 

 

 

[Leicester_Loyal]

19 minutes ago, -sodapop said:

Just seen this - obviously us often leading by 75' means that there are more points to lose, but still a pretty damning condemnation of our ability to see out games when we're tied first place for most points dropped near the end of a game.

That's shocking.

[KrefelderFox666]

20 minutes ago, -sodapop said:

Just seen this - obviously us often leading by 75' means that there are more points to lose, but still a pretty damning condemnation of our ability to see out games when we're tied first place for most points dropped near the end of a game.

It gets worse if you take out the first chunk of games, 15 or so. We seemed to win endless matches in the final 15 minutes. However, the trend has recently completely reversed.

[KrefelderFox666]

If we get to the international break with a 6 point lead (or more), then we are as good as done.

[Les-TA-Jon]

3 minutes ago, KrefelderFox666 said:

It gets worse if you take out the first chunk of games, 15 or so. We seemed to win endless matches in the final 15 minutes. However, the trend has recently completely reversed.

It's 13 points dropped after the 75 min mark, across 6 games in the last 19 games. All have mitigating circumstances but we still managed it...

 

Think that's 13 goals conceded after 75mins across the season and 10 of them have resulted in dropped points. 

[Daggers]

33 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

So are you deluded, insane or a bit stupid?

 

I mean if @Raj says you must be one of them, he HAS to be right, surely?

 

Can't remember a time he's ever been wrong to be fair.

[LCFCJohn]

11 minutes ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

It's 13 points dropped after the 75 min mark, across 6 games in the last 19 games. All have mitigating circumstances but we still managed it...

 

Think that's 13 goals conceded after 75mins across the season and 10 of them have resulted in dropped points. 

I was thinking this. Were a lot of the goals we scored early in the season in the last 15 minutes not ‘point winning’ goals. I’m thinking a couple late on when already leading at Blackburn as an example.

 

Whereas it seems apart form Birmingham and Millwall where they gave late scares but we still won, the late goals have all lost us 2/3 points, Wednesday away, Ipswich x 2, Coventry, Leeds, even Middlesbrough away was 83 mins or something. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

1 hour ago, -sodapop said:

Just seen this - obviously us often leading by 75' means that there are more points to lose, but still a pretty damning condemnation of our ability to see out games when we're tied first place for most points dropped near the end of a game.

That's a disgrace. We should be so far out of sight we could be playing kids for a laugh from Easter.

[Ricey]

47 minutes ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

Particularly interesting because for the first 20 odd games we were so incredibly dominate in the final 15 mins. We were something like 19 For and barely any Against. 

 

Not really sure what's triggered the change over the last 14 games or so. There's not been any noticeable tactical or personnel changes. Might just be the rest of the division being braver 

 

 

I think during the first half of the season we were often losing or drawing going into the last 15 minutes and had to force things a bit more to get goal or two. More recently we've been ahead going into the last 15 minutes with something to lose.

 

I think the lack of rotation and subs also plays a part. Earlier in the season the rotation was fluid and our fitness looked great towards the end of matches.