English Championship & Football League Thread

[StringerBellend]

It’s even worse than Evertons failed badge change 

[lloydy136]

2 hours ago, MartinTyler said:

Echoes of the Smurfs new badge this season

Of all the ridicule that leeds fans have copped over the past 24 hours - this one cuts the deepest.

[Smoggy]

Baahaaaaaahaaaa at the new Leeds badge lol! 

[Davo]

The latest theory is that the badge is a picture of someone covering up the awful badge on their jersey.

[MartinTyler]

16 hours ago, lloydy136 said:

Of all the ridicule that leeds fans have copped over the past 24 hours - this one cuts the deepest.

Good !!

[DamnedUnited]

Go Tmmys Millwall. Helped us heaps by taking points from Cardiff. Nineteenth minute sub go figure. Smiling Ram.

[lloydy136]

football hasn't dished me up enough misery over the past week - so here I am watching Leeds vs Boro

[Paul01]

27 minutes ago, lloydy136 said:

football hasn't dished me up enough misery over the past week - so here I am watching Leeds vs Boro

Cheer up. You can watch Kenny Lowe tomorrow.

[Smoggy]

8 hours ago, lloydy136 said:

football hasn't dished me up enough misery over the past week - so here I am watching Leeds vs Boro

lol bad luck Lloydy, I think that just about puts to bed any Leeds play off aspirations, but then Boro will likely just miss out also. Volunteers went to great effort to shovel snow to get this game on, glad they did. 

[Smoggy]

The **** has happened to this thread...you all either stuck mid table or something lol.

 

Will do another football leauge summary of the ups and downs later.

[Smoggy]

Well, even of no one else is interested in lower division football any longer I am, a review of the 2017/18 season with 1 game to go in the Championship and the play offs about the start in div 1, 2 and the conference....

Championship

Wolves have run away with the title as expected. They have been streets ahead of the rest all season and in Ruben Neves they have a player who is far too good for the Championship, an EPL player all day long. The race for second places goes to the final day, Cardiff should get the job done at home to Reading, Fulham away at Birmingham, both will likely win and Cardiff go up. 

In the play offs, Villa and Boro have both booked their place and Derby have been doing their best to mess it all up yet again. They should make the last play off spot by beating Barnsley at home, any slip up could let Preston in though, unlikely. 

Hard to look past Fulham for winning the play offs, they have been flying and look a level above the other play off contenders. Some may hope they get the second automatic spot rather than Cardiff to avoid them. Villa are strong and Boro have finally found a system and form under Pulis. Villa v Boro probably in the play offs semi, will be close.

Down the bottom Sunderland have long since been relegated Bolton look like following them but have a winnable home game against Forest but need results elsewhere to go their way.  The good news for Bolton is that Burton are away to Preston who are chasing 6th and Barnsley are away to Derby who need a result to finish 6th. That could let Bolton through. Burton have done amazingly well to get in to this position, they go to Preston with confidence a a good chance.  Birmingham could also still go down, they finish at home to Fulham who will be looking to finish 2nd. Bolton have by far the easiest game but the most to do sitting 2nd bottom.

Elsewhere - most disappointing / underachieving, Leeds as always. Forest a season of big change, they won't score many under Karanka but should improve next season. Bristol City and Millwall have over achieved 

Division 1 

Both Wigan and Blackburn far ahead of the pack and promoted. Shrewsbury, Rotherham in the play offs already. Charlton in 5th but have played a game more. S****horpe and Plymouth who sit 6th and 7th play each other Tuesday night. Charlton will finish at Rochdale who will be looking for a result to stay up so S****horpe and Plymouth will both fancy getting in the play offs at Charlton' s expense.

At the bottom Bury, MK Dons and Northampton have already been relegated. Rochdale need that result against Charlton and hope Oldham slip up at already relegated Northampton. Oldham should get the job done.

 

Division 2

At the top Accrington, Luton, and Wycombe all promoted. Exeter and Notts County in the play offs, tight between Coventry, Lincoln and Mansfield for the final play off spot. Coventry and Lincoln in the places at the moment. Coventry are at home to Morecambe who need a result to stay up, Lincoln host Yeovil and Mansfield play Crawley, all 3 will likely win and Mansfield miss out.

At the bottom Chesterfield are long gone. Shame for one of the bigger clubs in the lower reaches, remember Boro playing them in the FA cup semi final in 1997! Barnet are second bottom  and play at home against Chesterfield. 3rd bottom Morecambe are at play off chasing Coventry, a chance for Barent but they will need to win and Morecambe lose, draw won't do.

National League 

Macclesfield have been promoted and Tranmere and Sutton United sit in the play off semi final positions in an extended play off system, they both qualify automatically for the play off semi finals. Boreham Wood, Aldershot, Ebbsfleet and Flyde will play off to get through to playing Tranmere or Sutton in the semi's.

Down at the bottom Guiseley, Chester, Torquay and Woking go down to the regional north / south league system.

There what has happened and where things are at anyway.

[Wanderboy]

17 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

 

Down the bottom Sunderland have long since been relegated. 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

See you later Mackems.

[Smoggy]

1 minute ago, Wanderboy said:

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

See you later Mackems.

I hope their stay in div 1 is a long a torturous one  

[Wanderboy]

1 minute ago, Smoggy said:

I hope their stay in div 1 is a long a torturous one  

Only two seasons ago, they were 1 division above Newcastle United.

Now they are 2 divisions below. ******* lol at the dirty Mackems. Good riddance.

[pseudonym]

Thanks Smoggy

 

In your opinion, what do you think brought about Sunderland's two successive relegations?

Not enough money? Wrong tactics?

[Smoggy]

47 minutes ago, pseudonym said:

Thanks Smoggy

 

In your opinion, what do you think brought about Sunderland's two successive relegations?

Not enough money? Wrong tactics?

The London based  American owner Ellis Short has killed the club but then Sunderland has been living beyond its means for a number of years, Ellis Short has refused to do anything to halt the decline and won't cover the losses, the club is in an awful financial state, to the point where Ellis says he no longer expects a fee for Sunderland and would consider walking away for free! No transfer money has been put forward for a long time and the club has been living  a hand to mouth existence. 

There is a real chance Sunderland could go the way of  administration and  start next season with a 10 point deduction like Portsmouth did, I can see that happening. I joke but financially the club is in an awful state, they have not reached the bottom yet, it is going to get worse for a few seasons.

The problem Sunderland have as well is that went crazy and built a stadium with a capacity of 50,000 lol They get gates of between 15 - 20k and historically have never had regular attendance of over 30k. Going to a Sunderland game these days is not unlike going to ANZ I would think, soul destroying. Ellis also knows nothing about the culture of North East England, he doesn't get the people and they don't get him. He hasn't been to a game since last August.

Can't see an easy way out for Sunderland.

Edited April 29, 2018 by Smoggy

[pseudonym]

ah I see. Thanks again. 

[StringerBellend]

Shame Bury getting relegated after my day out at Bury v Plymouth this year I keep half an eye on their results, great little ground and had a boss day there

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by StringerBellend
I am a bellend

[Davo]

Bolton stay up! 2-1 down in the 87th minute and come back to win 3-2, with other results going their way.

[Smoggy]

22 hours ago, Davo said:

Bolton stay up! 2-1 down in the 87th minute and come back to win 3-2, with other results going their way.

Feel sorry for Burton, they did well to take it to the last day. With 5 mins left they were still up. 

Boro in the play offs against Villa who will be favourites. Dont feel any pressure this time. I dont expect us to make the Wembley final let alone go up. I think Pulis will get things sorted for next season in the championship though.

[Smoggy]

Fulham overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit to book their place in the playoff final at the expense of Derby.

Boro have it all to do in the second leg away at Villa after going down 1 - 0 in the first leg.

Can't see anything other than a Fulham v Villa final.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Smoggy

[MartinTyler]

Yep.....Forest v Derby continues again next season !!

[Smoggy]

31 minutes ago, MartinTyler said:

Yep.....Forest v Derby continues again next season !!

Karanka will get your mob competitive and up towards the playoffs next season, but **** me, you will be dour to watch and won't score many. But you won't complain if you are challenging. Karanka is far too stubborn for his own good though, he will spit the dummy out at Forest at some point.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Smoggy

[MartinTyler]

6 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

Karanka will get your mob competitive and up towards the playoffs next season, but **** me, you will be dour to watch and won't score many. But you won't complain if you are challenging. Karanka is far too stubborn for his own good though, he will spit the dummy out at Forest at some point.

Well given our recent record it will be an achievement if he's still at the club this time next year !!

[WSWJACK]

2 hours ago, Smoggy said:

Fulham overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit to book their place in the playoff final at the expense of Derby.

Boro have it all to do in the second leg away at Villa after going down 1 - 0 in the first leg.

Can't see anything other than a Fulham v Villa final.

Fulham have been really good over last three months, rumoured even Chelsea have been looking at their manager.

My Swans finally down, been putting it off for two seasons running now, was on the cards.

[Smoggy]

Shame about Swansea, must be hard especially with Cardiff going the other way. Warnock is excellent at getting teams promoted but not so good at keeping them up so Cardiff will likely come straight down.

[MartinTyler]

26 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

Shame about Swansea, must be hard especially with Cardiff going the other way. Warnock is excellent at getting teams promoted but not so good at keeping them up so Cardiff will likely come straight down.

Swansea have over-achieved big time. For years they were struggling in Div 4.

[WSWJACK]

21 hours ago, Smoggy said:

Shame about Swansea, must be hard especially with Cardiff going the other way. Warnock is excellent at getting teams promoted but not so good at keeping them up so Cardiff will likely come straight down.

Yeah that's the flaming cherry on the cake!

Hope they can do a Burnley and come straight back up, but with the fire sale asset strip coming up, hope we can avoid a Sunderland to be honest.

[Smoggy]

Championship off and running again.

Boro scored an unlikely equalizer in the 97th min of 95 mins of injury time against Millwall  

In fact they were 2-0 down after 88mins only to come back to 2-2

Has 7 key players missing and transfers deals still to be done, more or less a reserve Boro side so will take a point all day long. 

[Davo]