Championship 2018-19

[JacknOry]

34 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I was looking over my shoulder after our pretty dismal Xmas defeats. Next week will be a good test, win that playing well and we'll be looking good for the run in. Will it be too late to encourage the Chicken Chokers to get the cheque book out again though ?

Yeah didnt someone suggest that it would depend if we're in the top 10?  Well we are now - get on the phone and get us some players !

[blueboy3333]

25 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

Yeah didnt someone suggest that it would depend if we're in the top 10?  Well we are now - get on the phone and get us some players !

Yep, someone claiming to be ITK said after the failed WBA Dack bid that he would instead be sold in Jan if someone made a bid and we weren't in the Top 10. If we were in the top 10 Mogga would have a transfer budget to make a crack a the top 6...or words to that effect. 

[Admiral Nelsen]

Reports from the North East that Boro aren't playing Downing as if gets one more appearance, it triggers an improvement in his contract and Boro are looking to reduce the wage bill.

Looking at the current top 6, I'd say Boro are looking the one with the most potential to drop out of the pack for us to target.

[CP Company Lad]

Leeds away at Rotherham next weekend and Norwich v Sheffield United

Week after Leeds v Norwich

2 big weekends coming up. 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

17 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

Reports from the North East that Boro aren't playing Downing as if gets one more appearance, it triggers an improvement in his contract and Boro are looking to reduce the wage bill.

Looking at the current top 6, I'd say Boro are looking the one with the most potential to drop out of the pack for us to target.

I've noticed Downing has been on the bench quite often lately. Could be Pulis isn't keen on wingers.

[Rogerb]

Came across a programme this evening from 2014/15 season Jan 17th Wigan away. League table within has us 10th P25 w9 d8 l8 pts 35 and six points off the play offs perhaps were back to where we were four years ago but on an upwards progression this time!

[blueboy3333]

4 hours ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

Reports from the North East that Boro aren't playing Downing as if gets one more appearance, it triggers an improvement in his contract and Boro are looking to reduce the wage bill.

Looking at the current top 6, I'd say Boro are looking the one with the most potential to drop out of the pack for us to target.

Indeed they are. Boro's next 4 league  games are Leeds (home) and Sheff Utd, WBA and Rovers (all away) They are 7 points ahead of us. If we do well over the next two or 3 games we could be overtaking them by the time they visit Ewood.

Massive month coming up for Rovers. 

[47er]

24 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

Indeed they are. Boro's next 4 league  games are Leeds (home) and Sheff Utd, WBA and Rovers (all away) They are 7 points ahead of us. If we do well over the next two or 3 games we could be overtaking them by the time they visit Ewood.

Massive month coming up for Rovers. 

The thing is, whenever we are on the fringe of top 6 we always seem to slip back.

[blueboy3333]

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17362886.rovers-boss-comments-on-leeds-united-spygate-scandal/

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17372722.rovers-in-support-of-efl-investigation-in-to-spygate/

We're on of the 11 Championship clubs that have complained to the EFL about Bielsabub.

[Admiral Nelsen]

Wonder if this could backfire for Norwich. Would be surprised if they get a deduction and the last they need is to give Leeds a siege mentality. 

[arbitro]

8 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

Wonder if this could backfire for Norwich. Would be surprised if they get a deduction and the last they need is to give Leeds a siege mentality. 

Norwich are at Leeds on February 2nd. The sales of blood pressure tablets in Leeds should spike in the days before. And if Leeds are deducted points and don't go up every Anger Management course in West Yorkshire will be fully booked.

[Mattyblue]

Morally not the done thing in this country, perhaps.

But if there’s nothing in the regulations about it, what are they trying to achieve?

[Bigdoggsteel]

It's sneaky and low, but I can't them being docked points for it, nor should they. I hope they don't go up now though 

[DE.]

3 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Morally not the done thing in this country, perhaps.

But if there’s nothing in the regulations about it, what are they trying to achieve?

No idea. If the EFL want this to be illegal then make the necessary regulations. Don't see how you can punish someone for breaking a rule that doesn't exist. 

Not sure why we're complaining about it, anyway. We beat them first time around, and were about to do the same the second time around before our team collectively shit the bed in the final minutes. Nothing to do with spying. In fact, if Leeds' performance against us was the result of them spying on our training we should invite them round next time.

[blueboy3333]

If there was no advantage to spying then Leeds wouldn't do it. As Mowbray points out, if a manager knows what the other team is working on in training then they have an obvious advantage and can plan accordingly.

Just because there are no rules against it, it doesn't make what Leeds did right.

 

 

[AllRoverAsia]

1 hour ago, blueboy3333 said:

If there was no advantage to spying then Leeds wouldn't do it. As Mowbray points out, if a manager knows what the other team is working on in training then they have an obvious advantage and can plan accordingly.

Just because there are no rules against it, it doesn't make what Leeds did right.

Precisely.

If spying on sessions just prior to a game when teams will be perfecting their formations and tactics specifically to play Leeds then an advantage is being sought by covert if not currently illegal operations.

Just because it's ok in Argentina does not make it ok in England. If it was ok Bielsa would ask permission, surely.....

The EFL will not deduct points, Sky want Leeds in the PL.

They will get a wrist slap and a fine and be glorified on TV, Leeds not the FA or EFL.

Bielsa will write a book which will be serialised, lots of episodes, 2 featuring Rovers.

Meanwhile a local lad and Rovers fan filming a couple of minutes match video at Ewood gets banned from doing it and threatened if he continues. It such a fair world and a big Sky.

Edited January 21, 2019 by AllRoverAsia

[DE.]

https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/sport/ipswich-town/stuart-watson-s-sunday-verdict-blackburn-2-ipswich-0-1-5859004

An interesting if not somewhat baffling insight into the mind of an Ipswich Town supporter/reporter these days. 

TL;DR: Lambert's record is as bad as Hurst's statistically and he's bringing in a ton of loans despite saying that's exactly what the club shouldn't be doing, and he's freezing the youngsters out of the team, but that aside it's good that he's said he's staying. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

11 minutes ago, DE. said:

https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/sport/ipswich-town/stuart-watson-s-sunday-verdict-blackburn-2-ipswich-0-1-5859004

An interesting if not somewhat baffling insight into the mind of an Ipswich Town supporter/reporter these days. 

TL;DR: Lambert's record is as bad as Hurst's statistically and he's bringing in a ton of loans despite saying that's exactly what the club shouldn't be doing, and he's freezing the youngsters out of the team, but that aside it's good that he's said he's staying. 

Anything about them hounding McCarthy out? 

[DE.]

1 minute ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Anything about them hounding McCarthy out? 

Same old stuff, "nothing to do with us guv" ... although apparently Paul Lambert has "genuinely fallen in love with the club", which is just hilarious. 

[DE.]

From a different article:

Quote

Lambert is doing all the right things – applauding the fans, publicly thanking us, paying for away travel, inviting club legends to training. It’s absolutely brilliant stuff.

Even old-stagers like McCarthy could learn so much from this.

 

It's enough to make me wonder if the Ipswich Star is actually a parody site.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, DE. said:

Same old stuff, "nothing to do with us guv" ... although apparently Paul Lambert has "genuinely fallen in love with the club", which is just hilarious. 

It must have dawned on Lambo that a League 1 rebuilding job at a "big club" is the best he can hope for job wise. 

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

To continue my fickle wave of positivity after the last three results I thought I'd work out where we "should" be in the league;

Gained Points 

Derby away +2

Stoke away +2

QPR home +2

Bolton away +2

Lost Points

Birmingham @ home -2

Ipswich away - 2

Leeds away - 2

Reading home - 2

Forest home - 2

Villa home - 2

I've therefore got us 4 points worse off than we "should" be which feels about right overall.

You could possibly argue Rotherham home and Borough away we didn't get what we deserved either but I didn't want to be silly about it. Obviously.

How lovely. 

 

Edited January 21, 2019 by CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber

[Darrenbot]

Derby sign Ashley Cole,cant see him being that great these days at 38 years old.

[JacknOry]

11 minutes ago, Darrenbot said:

Derby sign Ashley Cole,cant see him being that great these days at 38 years old.

Galaxy didnt want to renew his contract - so take that how you want.

[Silas]

3 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

Galaxy didnt want to renew his contract - so take that how you want.

And I'd say MLS is around Championship level,  if not a bit below it.

So, seems a strange one.