Championship - 2023/24

This is how the current top 3 have been performing in their last 8 matches compared to the season as a whole:



I'm going to eat my tea now.

 

Exactly. Leicester have had a blip. Doesn’t mean it will continue.

 

Ilkley can't take your post right now. If you want to leave a message, please post after the beep..... BEEEEP!

 

Nearly happened in League 1 last season, IIRC Barnsley tailed off when they realized they had no chance of getting automatic and focused on the play-offs - it’s looking likely to be a repeat where one team is going to miss out on auto with an incredibly (probably record-breakingly) high total.

BTW how on earth has the gap between Ipswich and Wednesday got as big as the scoreline suggested? The two were neck-and-neck most of last season and Ipswich didn’t go back above them until the closing weeks of the season. They may have improved substantially under Rohl (could hardly get worse, mind) but based on ppg their form since he took over would only put them 12th, whereas Ipswich’s over the same period would put them 5th, and they still can barely beat anyone at least half-decent. I did think Ipswich’s brand of football would be more successful in the Championship than Wednesday’s, but I didn’t think the gulf would be that big (which it has been even after Xisco’s departure).

 

Continuing to talk about Wednesday and similar to what I said above, their big problem has been getting results against the better teams - 9 points in 21 games against top-half opposition and 29 points in 17 games against the bottom half tells its own story. Their only two wins against the top half teams were at Preston (who are inconsistent and also lost at home to QPR and Stoke) and at home to Hull (who were done to ten men long before Wednesday scored, Tyler Morton who seems to be an influential player for Hull having been sent off after 35 mins). They’re also largely reliant on their home form, and while their fixture list seems to be kinder than those of at least some of their relegation rivals, having to play two of their home games against Norwich and WBA is not ideal. While Huddersfield (wonder if it was so wise to get rid of Moore) and Birmingham seem to be favourites to join Rotherham in League 1, I think for Wednesday it’s 50/50.

 

Other than the psychological blow of such a drubbing, it's not been too bad a day for them, their GD was already very poor anyway, and Swansea were the lowest side to win, with the teams below them not exactly having a Murderers' Row of opponents. Think they'll stay up while Plymouth, Huddersfield and Rotherham drop

 

I make it that Rotherham can be mathematically relegated in the next round of games, if at least 2 of Huddersfield, Brum or QPR win and Stoke and Plymouth draw. Unlikely I know, but it's coming, it can't be too often that a team is relegated from the Championship over Easter

 

Minimum points needed to stay up each season

2023/24 - ?
2022/23 - 45
2021/22 - 38
2020/21 - 44
2019/20 - 49
2018/19 - 41
2017/18 - 42
2016/17 - 52
2015/16 - 41
2014/15 - 42
2013/14 - 45
2012/13 - 55
2011/12 - 49
2010/11 - 43
2009/10 - 48
2008/09 - 47
2007/08 - 53
2006/07 - 47
2005/06 - 43

AVERAGE - 45.7

On average we should now have enough to stay up. Thankfully even if we don’t pick up a single point from now until the end of the season, not all the teams beneath us will all of a sudden become world beaters.

Thank goodness this season is over. Bring on next season as we continue to have so much fun in the championship.

 

I think Blackburn will be relegated.

I think Blackburn will be relegated.

 

Unless Easter is deep into April.

 

I think Wednesday's next five games are crucial:

Swansea (H)
Middlesbrough (A)
QPR (A)
Norwich (H)
Stoke (H)

If they can gain at least 9 points from those matches, they stand a chance.

 

Brum still have some 6-pointers to come, but yesterday was the last game they had at home against a team in the bottom half. The biggest thing they have going for them really is that Mowbray is due to be back in the dugout soon, I'm sure Mark Venus is a good bloke and a good coach, but his spell as interim boss has been a disaster for them

 

You'd hope for his and their sake that he's back in business by then!

 

I have been through all the final tables in the playoff era (tiers 2 to 4) and it would indeed be a record.
The nearest to this is 97/98:
Forest 94
Middlesbrough 91
Sunderland 90
Charlton 88

It is usual for the 4th placed side to get 77 to 83 points.
Source: https://www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk/final/f1997-98.html#d2

 

Went and predicted every score from now until the end of the season and this is what I got, though if you ask me again, I'll probably come up with something completely different (QPR going down did surprise me)! I was quite optimistic and predicted us to win the 3 home games we've got left against teams not in the top 4, but either way, I don't think we'll end up in tooooo much trouble

 

Ultimately no-one is incorrect on this subject if it’s personal opinion.

I can only speak for myself but the main thing I care about when I watch us is seeing us score goals and win matches. In the premier league era we score more goals per game and win more games in the championship. No surprise really.

I enjoy getting promoted, the greater media attention, bigger signings and I love it when we do beat a big team, but it’s pretty crap being a whipping boy season after season trying to cling on so we can do it all over again.

Of course the fear is in another 5 years I’ll be making this same statement about the championship and league 1.

 

Looks like Gary Rowett will take over at Birmingham until the end of the season.

 

Ironically, a few years ago, he was sacked when well placed in the league when the old owners came in as they wanted a sexier name, only for them to slide dramatically into a relegation battle, it's almost the same situation again this season!

 

Assuming you meant game as we got three draws against Southampton, Stoke and Swansea

 

I thought Birmingham were doomed but Rowett is one of those managers who could get them out of trouble.

 

Final day games confirmed as 12:30 kick offs. Means either staying the night on the Friday or a very early start on the Saturday in order for us to get to Middlesbrough for half past 12

 

They do. Likewise I’ve never eaten it but it does seem very popular in the North East.

The EFL may have a dilemma on their hands if Coventry reach both the FA Cup final and Championship Play Off Final, with these taking place on the same weekend.

One would assume they’d have to move the PO Final to the weekend after but would have to be the Sunday as the Champions League final, also at Wembley, is on Saturday 1st June! If they moved it to two weeks later it’s then only a week before the Euros start so who knows what they’ll do

 

Play it in August. It's not like anything's riding on it. Or how about hosting it in Saudi Arabia instead?

 

Sim it on FC24.

 

It’s clear Skyla simply forgot to add in ‘except against teams beginning with the letter S’.

 

Or just don't go!

 

Just as well this game isn’t on a Sunday then - I noticed after entering the wrong arrival date in Google Maps that you’d have to take an overnight coach and try to find something to do during the many hours between arrival and KO, in Middlesbrough of all places - surely there are trains running to Middlesbrough on a Sunday?