Championship - 2023/24

Anyone can edit www.worldfootball etc etc ..

 

Although the nuances of it are such that it is possible two teams could be similar enough in how poor they are that some big refereeing errors which cost one of them 2 points a pop could be enough to separate them.

 

Maybe we should get VAR in the Championship to resolve these bad decisions?! **** that by the way, I hate VAR with a passion

 

As it stands, we can finish 22nd, but we could be mathematically safe by Saturday even if we lose, as long as Brum lose AND Huddersfield don't win, or by Sunday if Sheffield Wednesday don't win at Ewood Park. One more point for us would mean that the only way one of Brum and Huddersfield (who play each other next week) and Sheffield Wednesday can overtake us is with 3 wins (and a hefty goal difference swing), 2 more points and everything below us is academic. For the record, Stoke (5 points behind us) and Plymouth (4 points) also have to play each other this weekend. Sorry for clogging up the forum, I'm not worried about relegation, I just like permutations

 

Sheff Wed and Huddersfield to make it a triple Yorkshire pudding of relegation.

 

Never had you down as a hairdresser TBH.

 

Huddersfield, Rothers and Sheffield W to be relegated from Championship, Sheffield Utd from PL, and Leeds to fluff the playoffs. Glorious. It always irritates me how Yorkshire folk seem to think there is something special about being from Yorkshire.

 

Aye, nowt as queer as folk.

 

I’ll reply while us snap, lad.

 

Nah then, 'appen that sounds like a reet tasty scenario for those there Yorkie wasaks and no mistake.

 

'Arl sithee.

 

Oi

 

Preston are poor aren't they, can sort of understand why they didn't just go for it the other day against us!

 

Amazing what a few wins in a row can do, after their 0-0 at Blackburn and a run of 10 points in 9 games Southampton looked pretty much dead and buried just 10 days ago, being 12 points behind Ipswich with two games in hand but with one of them at Leicester.

Now with the form Leicester are in, Southampton can be confident they can drag them (further) into the scrap to avoid the play-offs...

 

Having something to get excited about with your team; that must be nice, eh.

 

Scarcely relevant now, but Rotherham have sacked Leam Richardson. Say what you like about the job he's done there, but it seems an odd time considering they've been doomed pretty much his entire time there, with relegation confirmed two weeks ago

 

He should have been sacked long ago for misspelling his own name.

 

Not so sure about that, this could just be an attempt to secure Tommy Tuchel or Jose Mourinho at the AESSEAL New York Stadium before any other vultures start to circle. Far-sighted effort to give the Millers an opportunity to bounce back from League 1 (again), I applaud their ambition!!

 

Yes, like us in 2014/15 and 2020/21, whatever the faults of our managers and playing style in the latter season.

There did seem to be something to get excited about after the wins at Blackburn and to a lesser extent QPR, but ultimately the table doesn’t lie; when you’ve not been in the top six all season apart from a very brief period at the start and have only won three times against top half opposition, you know you’re not a very good team.

 

How about trying to find a manager that can build a squad good enough to stay in the Championship for more than two seasons (to be fair it would have to be someone better than Paul Warne, who seems to be doing a decent job at Derby, and at least as good as Neil Warnock, which isn’t easy at a club of Rotherham’s size) with the possibility of a few years of stability and improvement in League 1, as it can’t be easy planning for the future not knowing what division you’re going to be in one season after another!

 

They've gone for Steve Evans. Probably best to hold off on the applause!

 

Really childish I know, but I always want to call him Tommy Tickle.

 

Tummy Tickle.

 

But he did only lose out on Manager of the Year to Mousinho, so it's nearly the same.

 

If I'd known that Big Steve Evans was the 3rd name on their shortlist I wouldn't have bothered to post. With Stevenage being offered compo by Rotherham and Steve himself tempted back north with a £50 steak night voucher redeemable here, Rotherham's number 1 restaurant Toby Carvery, all bets were off.


At least this news gives us an opportunity to enjoy Big Steve's trousers-down episode at Wembley with the Millers before...
Steve Evans celebration (youtube.com)

 

Will never forget when early on in my footballing journey, I got seats slightly behind the away dugout at the Vic for Watford vs Rotherham (I think in the promotion season with Joka) when Steve Evans was there before. I was excited to hopefully be able to absorb some footballing insights from a Championship manager. Instead I got 90 mins of him shouting every possible cliche you'd hear on any given Sunday on any recreation ground around the country.

 

Listen to this podcast from former hornet David Noble. The whole concept of the show is around hilarious stories off the field but there is a large piece about Steve Evans. Sounds like a complete tw**!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4abhuoI8umcRL3P4dEKKjQ?si=16d8a7c11878450c

 

Haha great listen, yeah I've read a book before (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Journeyman-odyssey-through-leagues-football/dp/1849548544) that featured him heavily. Even a decade ago the players thought his approach was prehistoric, christ knows how he's got a job at what should be a challenger for the L1 title next season!

 

Well, his record in 20+ years in non-league and the lower leagues is quite impressive - six promotions (even if some were achieved by dubious means) and I'd guess he got the job at Rotherham based on what he achieved there before and what he's done lately at Stevenage (taking a team from 21st in League 2 to automatic promotion in one season and pushing for the League 1 play-offs almost all of this one in their first season back in League 1. But he does seem like a less likeable version of Neil Warnock, and it's probably fitting that the clubs he's managed are in pretty ****** locations - Crawley, Rotherham, Mansfield, Peterborough, Gillingham, Stevenage.

 

Similar they both managed Leeds! (As well as Rotherham)

 

Maybe not such a dead rubber for Hull today as West Brom's poor form continues