Championship 2017/18

[K-Hod]

Managerial appointments are absolutely vital and fans often have a blindspot to this when they feel entitled to watch 'good football' (whatever that is), even when their club hasn't got a pot to whizz in.

This just in- good football and good players cost money! Lots of it!

[old darwen blue]

4 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

It was a cracker. And here’s a fan’s eye view of it 

 

Who doe he think he is, Tugay?

[Vinjay]

15 hours ago, DE. said:

The fans should be looking to get rid of the owner then, not the manager, else it's just rearranging deckchairs on the titanic.

Hey I've had very limited discussions about that kind of subject in the past! 

I'm not sure about Ipswich yet. Evans has his faults but there's a lot of irony with people on here saying he hasn't invested enough. Not just talking about Venkys I'm also referring to the WFIT. Like Evans they have spent in the past but they have also caused 2 relegations, insulted the fans and made idiotic decision after idiotic decision. Evans has made bad decisions too of course though even the worst probably can't come close to Venkys past errors. Incredibly Evans has managed to top the trustees when it comes to delivering interviews, etc. He's given one in the past and at one time people didn't even know what he looked like! If you can't take the club any further (or you're capable of more but won't deliver the goods) then he probably should try to sell. He's not at the level where fans would seem ungrateful to call for a sale.

I've edited this by the way and removed a lot more about the trustees, Walker family etc. So I'm trying to cut down on my obsession with them for the sake of my own stress levels if nothing else. It's impossible not to mention them though looking at the irony with people like Chaddy questioning Evans for not investing more. Some people have claimed Evans has nefarious motives for wanting to keep the club for stuff like tax reasons, etc. He's a tax exile though so I'm not sure where that theory would fit.

Edited April 13, 2018 by Vinjay17

[DE.]

8 hours ago, Vinjay17 said:

I'm not sure about Ipswich yet. Evans has his faults but there's a lot of irony with people on here saying he hasn't invested enough. Not just talking about Venkys I'm also referring to the WFIT. Like Evans they have spent in the past but they have also caused 2 relegations, insulted the fans and made idiotic decision after idiotic decision. Evans has made bad decisions too of course though even the worst probably can't come close to Venkys past errors. Incredibly Evans has managed to top the trustees when it comes to delivering interviews, etc. He's given one in the past and at one time people didn't even know what he looked like! If you can't take the club any further (or you're capable of more but won't deliver the goods) then he probably should try to sell. He's not at the level where fans would seem ungrateful to call for a sale.

I pretty much agree with everything you say, my only point is that if you're an ambitious Ipswich fan you shouldn't be happy with Marcus Evans running the club, nor should you expect a change of manager to suddenly make the match day experience more exciting. Whoever comes in will still have no money, a weak squad and will be tasked with defending the owner and deflecting journalists questions about lack of funding. I suppose a relegation battle is in theory more exciting than plodding along in mid table, but I imagine the fans will be booing just as loudly nonetheless.  

[DE.]

Apparently these were posted around the Stadium of Light at the last home match  gotta love a bit of gallows humour.

[Vinjay]

Really wish everyone would call it FUP though. Everytime people refer to it the other way a little part of me dies inside.

Edited April 13, 2018 by Vinjay17

[Rover_Shaun]

A bit behind the times but did anyone else have a wry chuckle when Junior Hoillet fluffed Cardiff's 2nd injury time penalty last week?

Another player who thought he was all that and had regressed to a tier two plodder.

[arbitro]

Some interesting games today including Barnsley v Bolton, Sheffield United v Millwall, Middlesbrough v Bristol City and Fulham v Brentford.

I would really like Bolton to go down especially if we go up. I would rather have a long away trip somewhere that go to that soulless retail park.

[perthblue02]

On 4/13/2018 at 19:48, Vinjay17 said:

Really wish everyone would call it FUP though. Everytime people refer to it the other way a little part of me dies inside.

Refer to what, Financial Fair Play?

[LDRover]

Cairney looks a 30 million player tonight with his range of passing and how good is Ryan Sessegnon?

[Cherry Blue]

It just doesn't happen to us then as Brentford score in 4th minute of added on time.

Fulham 1 Brentford 1

[DE.]

Sunderland almost certainly down now. 6 points adrift with only three games remaining. They need to win all three of their remaining matches (only won 6 all season) and hope pretty much every team above them fails to win.

[Bigdoggsteel]

16 minutes ago, DE. said:

Sunderland almost certainly down now. 6 points adrift with only three games remaining. They need to win all three of their remaining matches (only won 6 all season) and hope pretty much every team above them fails to win.

 I'm not surprised, said they were going down since pre-season. The owner sounds absolutely toxic and they have blown millions on arguably as much rubbish as we did. In one way they are probably better off in the long run going down twice quickly. We had a miserable prolonged journey down to here. It seems it some ways to have been a turning point,led to us getting rid of a lot of crap. If Sunderland keep Coleman and spend well, they shouldnt be down too long. Need the owner to clear off for a start though 

[Butty]

I've been saying all season Bolton's squad is nowhere near good enough to stay up and I've had too keep quiet for a while as they looked safe at one point. I'll be piping up in this thread if they do go down  wouldn't mind playing them next season though and I'd prefer it too be in the championship too be fair  

[DE.]

22 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

 I'm not surprised, said they were going down since pre-season. The owner sounds absolutely toxic and they have blown millions on arguably as much rubbish as we did. In one way they are probably better off in the long run going down twice quickly. We had a miserable prolonged journey down to here. It seems it some ways to have been a turning point,led to us getting rid of a lot of crap. If Sunderland keep Coleman and spend well, they shouldnt be down too long. Need the owner to clear off for a start though 

Maybe a little harsh there chief! Our first season in the Championship was pretty miserable and chaotic, granted, but the season we finished 7th under Bowyer wasn't too bad. The season we finished 9th was frustrating but I wouldn't call it miserable. The next two seasons were horrendous but we at least had a little hope before Venky's screwed us over again. Sunderland are in a very steep downward spiral which shows no sign of abating. I mean, we had problems, but we never had a Jack Rodwell on £73k pw, for example...

We got to see some decent players during our time in the Championship as well. Admittedly some of them never came close to reaching their potential for whatever reasons, but others had arguably the best periods of their careers with us. The likes of Cairney, King, Gestede, Rhodes and Conway (when he was good) gave us some really good moments. No such luck for Sunderland. Even worse for them their owner is trying to give them away for free and nobody wants them (except possibly Niall Quinn, seems to have gone quiet though). 

[Bigdoggsteel]

On 4/14/2018 at 23:57, DE. said:

Maybe a little harsh there chief! Our first season in the Championship was pretty miserable and chaotic, granted, but the season we finished 7th under Bowyer wasn't too bad. The season we finished 9th was frustrating but I wouldn't call it miserable. The next two seasons were horrendous but we at least had a little hope before Venky's screwed us over again. Sunderland are in a very steep downward spiral which shows no sign of abating. I mean, we had problems, but we never had a Jack Rodwell on £73k pw, for example...

We got to see some decent players during our time in the Championship as well. Admittedly some of them never came close to reaching their potential for whatever reasons, but others had arguably the best periods of their careers with us. The likes of Cairney, King, Gestede, Rhodes and Conway (when he was good) gave us some really good moments. No such luck for Sunderland. Even worse for them their owner is trying to give them away for free and nobody wants them (except possibly Niall Quinn, seems to have gone quiet though). 

I never felt like we would get into the play-offs though. I enjoyed our team under Bowyer more in hindsight through the fog of the Coyle era.

It feels like our relegation was a turning point in refocusing and most importantly, clearing out dross. In the plaster comparison(pulling it off quickly is less painful in the long run), my point was that Sunderland might be better off getting to that point now, rather than floating around relegation and mid table in the championship. Another relegation will cleanse them of their owner and the Jack Rodwells in their squad. 

Edited April 16, 2018 by Bigdoggsteel

[DE.]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

I never felt like we would get into the play-offs though. I enjoyed our team under Bowyer more in hindsight through the fog of the Coyle era.

It feels like our relegation was a turning point in refocusing and most importantly, clearing out dross. 

For me we had a couple of turning points in the Championship - firstly when Bowyer was hired after that torrid first season. He was able to hold the ship above water and brought in some very good players on a fairly small budget. The next turning point was when the taps were turned off and we sold all of our best players. That led to Bowyer's sacking, Lambert's brief stint and ultimately the hiring of Coyle and relegation.

I think it remains to be seen whether our relegation is a turning point or just evidence of what we can expect going forward. If Venky's fail to invest adequately next season and/or sell the likes of Dack and Mulgrew then we will be back to square one and could end up yo-yoing between the Championship and L1 for a while, as a succession of managers come and go.  

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, DE. said:

For me we had a couple of turning points in the Championship - firstly when Bowyer was hired after that torrid first season. He was able to hold the ship above water and brought in some very good players on a fairly small budget. The next turning point was when the taps were turned off and we sold all of our best players. That led to Bowyer's sacking, Lambert's brief stint and ultimately the hiring of Coyle and relegation.

I think it remains to be seen whether our relegation is a turning point or just evidence of what we can expect going forward. If Venky's fail to invest adequately next season and/or sell the likes of Dack and Mulgrew then we will be back to square one and could end up yo-yoing between the Championship and L1 for a while, as a succession of managers come and go.  

Don't say that

Ya, it does depend on whether we go up or not of course. I have a good feeling about the summer and following season if we do  

[Norbert Rassragr]

Don't do it to yourself BDS. Next season, I'd be happy with mid table mediocrity and really happy with a play off push.

[Bigdoggsteel]

7 minutes ago, Norbert Rassragr said:

Don't do it to yourself BDS. Next season, I'd be happy with mid table mediocrity and really happy with a play off push.

By good feeling I mean mid table with hopefully a play-off push. I would see that as huge progress 

Sad, isn't it? 

 

Edited April 16, 2018 by Bigdoggsteel

[DE.]

In all honesty I'd take promotion this season and survival next. I can't bring myself to dream beyond that with Venky's in charge.

[Norbert Rassragr]

1 hour ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

By good feeling I mean mid table with hopefully a play-off push. I would see that as huge progress 

Sad, isn't it? 

 

Yep, but two consecutive promotions, and then ending up about 10th in the Premier League (and thus reversing Venky's reign of terror) is too much to ask for. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Norbert Rassragr said:

Yep, but two consecutive promotions, and then ending up about 10th in the Premier League (and thus reversing Venky's reign of terror) is too much to ask for. 

Hard to imagine alright 

[Norbert Rassragr]

Great if it did, but I think it'll take a pretty long time unless that gobshite agent who has his hand up Paul Pogba's bum decides to join in with some takeover from a foreign trillionaire. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Norbert Rassragr said:

Great if it did, but I think it'll take a pretty long time unless that gobshite agent who has his hand up Paul Pogba's bum decides to join in with some takeover from a foreign trillionaire. 

After wolves season, fans all over will be wishing they are next. Should be careful what they wish for