[Archived] The Championship 2015-2016

[Lancaster Rover]

I can see Sheff Wed making a march for automatic promotion, Boro look the team most likely to fall away at the moment. Burnley and Sheff Wed look the most likely to stake a claim for automatic at this stage.

[DE.]

I can see Sheff Wed making a march for automatic promotion, Boro look the team most likely to fall away at the moment. Burnley and Sheff Wed look the most likely to stake a claim for automatic at this stage.

What happens to Hull in this scenario?

[Lancaster Rover]

What happens to Hull in this scenario?

I've got Hull as certs to go up, I think they will win it. I've watched all the top 5 or 6 teams play this season and they impressed me immensely, I think the others are all prone to several off days and/or have lost momentum. At this stage of the season and especially in the championship momentum counts for so much, hence my tips on Burnley and Sheff Wed, both are steaming along at the moment. Sheff Wed look very strong offensively with their January acquisitions.

[chaddyrovers]

Hull and Sheff Wed for the automatic places

[DE.]

I've got Hull as certs to go up, I think they will win it. I've watched all the top 5 or 6 teams play this season and they impressed me immensely, I think the others are all prone to several off days and/or have lost momentum. At this stage of the season and especially in the championship momentum counts for so much, hence my tips on Burnley and Sheff Wed, both are steaming along at the moment. Sheff Wed look very strong offensively with their January acquisitions.

Sheffield Wednesday's recent form is admittedly excellent, but I think they'll just miss out on automatic. Unfortunately I think Burnley will go up in second place along with Hull, and one of Sheff Weds/Boro will join them.

Meanwhile, as the TV money increases in the PL, the Championship will become much harder to get out of for the likes of us.

[onlyonejackwalker]

Maybe it's time for a thread titled 'Rhodes watch' so the chief mud slingers can fire away on a regular basis.

Yeah and a 'Suicide Watch' thread for all those struggling to cope now he has gone.

Its already very boring listening to those claiming Rhodes would have made the difference with each low scoring performance. Truth is he scored 3 goals in the last 17 matches for Rovers, two of which were penalties. He wasn't making the difference in those games now was he? Two in eleven under Lambert. If he had contributed half as much as people pretend over that period and justified his outlandish salary we wouldn't be so desperate for points now.

[tomphil]

We can only really judge the loss of Rhodes at the end of the season. Get back to playing like v Boro the other week on a consistent basis and things will look ok although I think we'll still struggle badly for goals. The team should be more fluid across the front though so it should help us not lose many.

On the other hand continue to struggle and his sale will not have helped the team in the slightest and I think we all know sooner or later he'd have starting pinching vital goals again. That could have made a huge difference come May.

The jury is well and truly out and i'll remain silent on it now until it's verdict time at the end of the season

[den]

Vital goals again?

Rhodes goals made little difference to league position. During his time here we've been top half and near bottom. The thing that dictates league position more than anything else is how good of a footballing side you are. Hasn't it always been the way that the best footballing sides are at the top of the league, while the worst are at the bottom - no matter how the goals are shared around?

[JHRover]

I can't see Sheffield Wednesday having enough tbh. They will almost certainly get a play off spot but the gap to Middlesbrough is 5 points and the top 2 have a game in hand on them. A 5-8 point gap is a huge gap in the scheme of things when they've only got 15 games left.

Wednesday's home form this season has been excellent, it has been their away form which has held them back, and I expect will continue to do so.

Hull will almost certainly get one of the top two spots. They were the best side we've played at Ewood this season, have experience and quality throughout and a manager who has done this job numerous times before and knows how to grind out the results in this division.

Middlesbrough are having a bit of a wobble like they did at this stage last season when they dropped out of the top 2 and let Watford/Bournemouth pull clear. Whilst defensively resolute they don't score many which has been their problem for a while. Now they've bet the ranch in January to try and see them over the line it would be very enjoyable to see them miss out, although I doubt they would get the punishment they deserve by way of FUP embargo.

Brighton are dark horses, nobody seems to be looking at them as serious top 2 contenders but if they win their game in hand on Burnley they could potentially go joint top.

Derby are going to drop out of the top 6 again like last season which for side of that cost is a disgrace and I hope they get their comeuppance for trying to buy their way to promotion.

In the end as long as Burnley aren't in the top 2 I'm not too bothered who is. Personally I'd prefer it if Hull and Brighton went up automatically and then Ipswich won the play-off, thus removing two horrible away journeys so long as we survive into next season.

[Dean]

In the end as long as Burnley aren't in the top 2 I'm not too bothered who is. Personally I'd prefer it if Hull and Brighton went up automatically and then Ipswich won the play-off, thus removing two horrible away journeys so long as we survive into next season.

Don't we have a vested interest in Boro going up?

£2 million is a huge sum of money to us!

[tomphil]

Vital goals again?

Rhodes goals made little difference to league position. During his time here we've been top half and near bottom. The thing that dictates league position more than anything else is how good of a footballing side you are. Hasn't it always been the way that the best footballing sides are at the top of the league, while the worst are at the bottom - no matter how the goals are shared around?

I would have thought that any goal in any game that leads to gaining points or a point would count over the course of a season. Or have I got football all wrong ?

On your other point then again no not always where the top is concerned, Burnley great example of that both now and when they went up before, Derby last season. Leicester for a few seasons before they went up were the best footballing sides in the div but it took more than that.

[onlyonejackwalker]

We can only really judge the loss of Rhodes at the end of the season. Get back to playing like v Boro the other week on a consistent basis and things will look ok although I think we'll still struggle badly for goals. The team should be more fluid across the front though so it should help us not lose many.

On the other hand continue to struggle and his sale will not have helped the team in the slightest and I think we all know sooner or later he'd have starting pinching vital goals again. That could have made a huge difference come May.

The jury is well and truly out and i'll remain silent on it now until it's verdict time at the end of the season

We have struggled all season Tomps, with or without him. That's the whole point about cashing in while his value remains high and then hopefully using that cash to try and improve the team.

We just have to hope we don't go down in the meantime and that the owners demonstrate their billionaire status in the summer. Lots of ifs and buts at this stage, but I remain hopeful things are heading in the right direction although our faith and patience is again being tested.

[tomphil]

I fully understand the struggle bit regardless of JR but he will, or the goals at least, need replacing properly. It just won't be a case of us doing ok because all of a sudden others will start scoring just because we play a bit different in his absence.

Like you say to do it properly it will need money. Losing a scorer of his consistency needs one of proven recent ability bringing in. When you've sold a player for 9 mill and released poss 40k+ off the wage bill per week it's not unreasonable to expect them to buy someone for a few mill to plug that hole. That still leaves room for the odd gamble on the likes of Watt.

Fact is in his time here just as much as his presence might have affected the way we're able to play his goals covered up all sorts of cracks all over the team. The rest of them performed just as badly as he often did and that gets ignored. I can cope with him going for the money but I can't cope with a bit of it not being reinvested in a bona fide striker to plug that hole and keep us competitive in this league.

[Mercer]

Unimpressed and bored with M'boro last night. Much preferred the aggression and verve of Leeds.

Rhodes had three chances. First was unfairly chalked off but you would have expected the £13million man to bury at least one of his other two chances - second chance he should have driven further into the box but perhaps, psychologically, his lack of pace forced him to take the shot earlier and, IMV, he 'chickened' out on his third chance, frightened of getting clattered.

For me, it's Hull and Burnley for the two automatic places.

[tomphil]

Leeds played well and showed how a limited side can handle a good side in this division. They just never stopped harassing and getting amongst what is also a hardworking Boro side and basically bullied them. They call it the A1 derby so a bit of needle and atmosphere also helped them I suppose.

[oldjamfan1]

Rhodes had three chances. First was unfairly chalked off but you would have expected the £13million man to bury at least one of his other two chances - second chance he should have driven further into the box but perhaps, psychologically, his lack of pace forced him to take the shot earlier and, IMV, he 'chickened' out on his third chance, frightened of getting clattered.

For me, it's Hull and Burnley for the two automatic places.

If you think back to the first game of the season against Wolves, he did exactly the same thing with the shot that hit the post - a striker with even reasonable pace would have been clean through on goal but he had to shoot early because he was being caught up by the centre half.

[VinjayV4]

Leeds played well and showed how a limited side can handle a good side in this division. They just never stopped harassing and getting amongst what is also a hardworking Boro side and basically bullied them. They call it the A1 derby so a bit of needle and atmosphere also helped them I suppose.

Distance between Leeds and Middlesbrough is further than Blackburn is to Manchester. So really if Bolton is considered a "derby" (hate that word need something contemporary and modern) Man United should be as well.

[Mercer]

Distance between Leeds and Middlesbrough is further than Blackburn is to Manchester. So really if Bolton is considered a "derby" (hate that word need something contemporary and modern) Man United should be as well.

Would think the two places are over 60 miles apart. Think the 'needle' comes from a lunatic fan fringe both clubs seem to suffer.

[K-Hod]

Distance between Leeds and Middlesbrough is further than Blackburn is to Manchester. So really if Bolton is considered a "derby" (hate that word need something contemporary and modern) Man United should be as well.

Not really, it's just that there aren't really that many clubs in the vicinity!

[ABBEY]

Distance between Leeds and Middlesbrough is further than Blackburn is to Manchester. So really if Bolton is considered a "derby" (hate that word need something contemporary and modern) Man United should be as well.

Oh god it's really him . We don't give a crap about them get over it

[VinjayV4]

Not really, it's just that there aren't really that many clubs in the vicinity!

Of course there are. Far more than between Leeds and Middlesbrough not that its really relevant talking about distance.

Anyway I appear to have hurt someones feelings (at least he didn't call me a paedophile) so better get this back to Championship football.

[VinjayV4]

Just to point out the likes of Giggs and Ferguson have referred to the fixture as a derby. It was a reasonable geographical point not a rant about how much I hate United compared to other local clubs. I've even seen Blackpool/Wigan referred to as derby fixtures so far as I'm concerned United counts as one. Could have mentioned City too but its no secret I have an affinity for them (no apologies for that) which is why I only mentioned United. As for my responses ABBEY berated me recently for simply mentioning United's FA Cup game v Derby County on the FA Cup thread that night. Also as most of you can probably recall it was on BBC and nobody else was playing in the FAC that evening. He can say "bore off" if he wants (retort to an insult when you can't debate a fair point) but can't blame me for firing back a bit after such unprovoked and blatantly personal attacks.

Anyway lets get back to the thread subject please...

Hull drew 0-0 with Brighton last night. Hull's game was postponed because of FAC progress too (Brighton got knocked out in 3rd round away to Hull so a better result there for them last night) so there's no Championship games this evening. Clearly they didn't maintain their Ewood performance level so consistency is a problem all across the league. Hull have won 18 but there's another 13 they haven't won. Of course Rovers can improve but at this level its unlikely to be perfect. I can see that being the case for the rest of this season at least with good performances followed by a mediocre display. That's why Championship players aren't at the top level you can't really "coach it out of them" in most cases.

[oldjamfan1]

Just to point out the likes of Giggs and Ferguson have referred to the fixture as a derby. It was a reasonable geographical point not a rant about how much I hate United compared to other local clubs. I've even seen Blackpool/Wigan referred to as derby fixtures so far as I'm concerned United counts as one. Could have mentioned City too but its no secret I have an affinity for them (no apologies for that) which is why I only mentioned United. As for my responses ABBEY berated me recently for simply mentioning United's FA Cup game v Derby County on the FA Cup thread that night. Also as most of you can probably recall it was on BBC and nobody else was playing in the FAC that evening. He can say "bore off" if he wants (retort to an insult when you can't debate a fair point) but can't blame me for firing back a bit after such unprovoked and blatantly personal attacks.

Anyway lets get back to the thread subject please...

Hull drew 0-0 with Brighton last night. Hull's game was postponed because of FAC progress too (Brighton got knocked out in 3rd round away to Hull so a better result there for them last night) so there's no Championship games this evening. Clearly they didn't maintain their Ewood performance level so consistency is a problem all across the league. Hull have won 18 but there's another 13 they haven't won. Of course Rovers can improve but at this level its unlikely to be perfect. I can see that being the case for the rest of this season at least with good performances followed by a mediocre display. That's why Championship players aren't at the top level you can't really "coach it out of them" in most cases.

Have you watched their game? Just because they didn't win 2-0 doesn't mean they didn't play every bit as well as they did on Saturday. They were playing different and better opponents, who more than likely didn't gift them a couple of goals in the way that we did. Your point about consistency is valid as a general point but I think you're making massive assumptions about last night's game based on the scoreline.

[VinjayV4]

Bruce said they didn't do enough.

[oldjamfan1]

Bruce said they didn't do enough.

But they were playing a better team than they did on Saturday.........I'm sure Bruce isn't distraught at last night's scoreline. Better examples of inconsistency played each other at Ewood last night. Going off Saturday's results you would have expected Fulham to have won 3-0, rather than us.