Championship - 2023/24

Probably but I wouldn't count out Norwich of those.

Sobering to think we finished above them last season...

 

Yeah and beat them at home too! Something we’ve not been able to say about any other opponent since!

How that seems a long time ago now!

Sighs.

 

I like you when you’re flirty

 

Two divisions down but there could be quite a remarkable battle at the bottom of League 2.

It involves Haydn Mullins' old club Colchester (tongue-in-cheek as he hasn't managed anyone of note since - to his credit he did play a part in the near great escape after the disastrous QSF second spell in helping the team regain a bit of confidence but it was clear over his two caretaker spells that he wasn't really manager material long term and it wasn't surprising that Colchester didn't keep him on). They are fighting against Sutton United to avoid the last relegation spot and really it should be done and dusted by now as they only need a point in their final two games (both at home) while Sutton have MK Dons away who are very strong at home. But they really bottled it on Tuesday night against a Doncaster side (albeit one who are in incredible form) after taking an early lead and now even the goal difference which had looked relatively healthy is in doubt.

Sutton still need Colchester to lose again to Crewe while they win at MK Dons and there needs to be a five goal swing, unless Sutton miraculously match or beat Colchester in goals scored. But it's not beyond the realms of possibility that Sutton win 3-2 while Colchester lose 3-0, collapsing again against a Crewe side who may decide to go for goals as Doncaster did to try to secure home advantage in the play-offs - there's very little between those two top sides. I have linked to the Sky Sports league table as the BBC doesn't show the goals for and against on a mobile even when you view it horizontally: League Two Table & Standings - Sky Sports Football

So, if the above results did happen, Colchester and Sutton would be exactly on the same number of points, goal difference, goals scored and against, and what's more, both results between them ended 1-1. What would happen in that scenario? Would they go into a play-off, or would Colchester stay up because they would still have won more games than Sutton?

 

Even later than that - probably fair to say that the 96th minute penalty at Sutton was the turning point - and to think the BBC described that game as a "basement battle"...

Sutton United 1-1 Doncaster Rovers - BBC Sport

 

For how long have QPR played 'London Calling' as the last song on the tannoy before kick-off? They're hardly "on the river" as Fulham are.

 

Leeds busy blowing it ?

 

Looks like the promotion and relegation races are about to get a lot less interesting, Sky in the mud. Meanwhile QPR are on course to go level on points with us, and that's with us beating them twice 6-1 on aggregate...

 

Colchester fan at work told me that if they are level on points and goal difference with Sutton then Colchester stay up because they have won more games.

 

"Come on QPR" isn't something I'm inclined to say much... but when you have to live amongst Weeds fans...
COME ON QPR!

 

Makes our draw against them look even less worth the hype.

 

My impression is that when it comes down to the crunch Leeds have bottled it more often than not, with them having to play Southampton and/or an in-form Norwich, there's no guarantee they'll win the play-offs in the likely event they don't make automatic.

Well done though to QPR for securing safety if the score stays this way, they really looked in trouble when we robbed them of three points three months ago, but 32 points from 18 games is very impressive for a relegation-fighting side. Makes me wonder though, and not for the first time when it comes to teams who for some reason can only put together form when it really matters, why they didn't make themselves safe weeks ago if they were capable of this...

 

And now it's 3-0.

Fantastic stuff.

 

In fairness to QPR, they have been consistently good the entire time Cifuentes has been there (think they'd be challenging for the top 6 if you just count the form since he arrived), they just started the season with a manager woefully out of his depth who hadn't even done a good job with them last season

 

Their form didn't really pick up until after they played us at home - they've picked up 45 points from 31 games under Cifuentes, which is good but not play-off qualifying form, it's not even half the points available. They started well but had a concerning run which left them five points from safety, but they weren't playing badly by all accounts - I guess it was a matter of confidence and players improving.

 

Could be a repeat of 2018/19 when Leeds looked good to win automatic but they were pipped to the post by a Sheffield Utd team who like Ipswich had just come up from League 1.

 

My plumber’s a huge Leeds fan. I think I’ll arrange a boiler service.

 

Honestly can't believe anyone kept up with the relegated sides so much that at least one of them is staying down. Ipswich (and QPR) take a bow.

 

When was the last time a team achieved 2 successive promotions to get into the prem ……and managed to stay up ? Southampton? Did Sheff Utd do it ages ago under Bassett ? Much tougher these days with the gap getting wider every season. If Ipswich do go up, that’s one of the relegation slots booked for next season.

 

Didn’t your calculations a while back suggest that Leicester would lose out on automatic promotion?

#1919.

 

Well done to Leicester. They’ve been the best team this season, bar their little wobble, which was probably inevitable at some point having been runaway leaders for so long.

Congratulations to that poster too who used to mistake this place for a Leicester City forum and post endlessly about his club here.

Not an accurate snapshot I know, but the knives were out for Farke last night on thr post-match phone-in I heard.

It would be refreshing for Ipswich to go up, if only to break the possibility of all last season’s relegated clubs going straight back up and the three promoted clubs coming straight back down.

The play-offs have the potential to be an even bigger bun-fight than usual!

 

Southampton did it in 2012-13, and while Sheffield United didn't quite go straight from L1 to the Prem, they only spent 2 seasons in the Champ and then subsequently surprised everyone in the Prem by threatening Europe for a long time

 

Yes I was right that they achieved it in 89/90 under Bassett but I guess that was a season or two before football aka the premier league was born !

 

Mind your language please @The undeniable truth

 

Here's a crazy stat following Leicester's promotion yesterday (assuming they will go up as Champions now):

Whoever has been the away team in Huddersfield's first home game of the Championship season, has gone on to win the league that season for the last 4 seasons!

Norwich 20/21
Fulham 21/22
Burnley 22/23
Leicester 23/24

 

They can still get 100 points - not that hard They had a bit of a helping hand from Leeds but they did their bit in beating West Brom and thrashing Southampton when it mattered.

Makes all those Leicester fans who were posting sack the board/managers/players not long ago pretty foolish now...

 

So if it's Leeds, Soton, WBA and Naaarw'ch for the playoffs, I fancy the canaries.