Championship 2018-19

[Cherry Blue]

Just now, Ewood Ace said:

Incredible that Eddie Smart couldn't  spot Chelsea scoring a goal a few yards offside at Cardiff yet today he managed to see a foul by Bogle on Harrison that no one else did.

Games full of mistakes. Even Sky caption had Roofe coming on when he was going off and then "Kenny Jackett Portmouth Manager" when it they interviewed Jack Ross Sunderland Manager. 

[AllRoverAsia]

Bolton food bank for unpaid staff. Shameful for Football in general.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48268140

[DE.]

Warnock staying on as Cardiff manager next season. A shame, that will likely make them competitive. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

4 minutes ago, DE. said:

Warnock staying on as Cardiff manager next season. A shame, that will likely make them competitive. 

For sure. Could very well do a Burnley 

I can't help but feel the clubs who were relegated from the Premier league this season will hit the ground better than Swansea and Stoke did this year 

[JHRover]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

For sure. Could very well do a Burnley 

I can't help but feel the clubs who were relegated from the Premier league this season will hit the ground better than Swansea and Stoke did this year 

Not sure about Fulham and Huddersfield. The Warnock factor will ensure Cardiff are thereabouts unless he loses his motivation. I expected him to move elsewhere to keep things fresh and have a clean start somewhere. Fulham and Huddersfield both managed now by rookies who have never managed in the Championship before. I wouldn't be comfortable with either of their managers. Huddersfield also being sold as we speak so anything could happen there. Might work wonders like Wagner but will lightening strike twice there?

[davulsukur]

West Brom V Villa.

Villa players, play acting, constantly at the ref for every decision, John Terry now on the sidelines in the 4th officials ear.

Really gone off Villa all of a sudden.

[SBlue]

Dean Smith turned Brentford into the biggest shithouses in the league - doing the same at Villa. Never off their arses.

It plays against them too - boy who cried wolf syndrome led to a foul not being given that ended in the WBA goal.

Edited May 14, 2019 by S8 & Blue

[blueboy3333]

Like A Hourihane is one of my favourite Neil Young songs. 

[davulsukur]

Tammy Abraham got a free kick and still complained about it.

(Presumably he was trying to get someone booked)

[bazza]

Penalty shoot out coming up. Come on the Villa.

[DE.]

WBA got absolutely battered after Brunt got himself stupidly sent off so they can't have any complaints. 

[Pedro]

I really don't like Villa. From their awful club colours to Jack Grealish's hair. I hope they fail in the final.

[Stuart]

What a cynical, conniving team Villa have turned into. Rolling about the place at every opportunity, Grealish histrionics to ensure Brunt got sent off. They are like the new Leeds only less likeable.

Meanwhile West Brom have 40 minutes with 10 men, away goals count for nothing in the play-offs (in typical inconsistent football fashion), the pens are right in front of the Villa fans and they don’t have a penalty taker amongst them.

Really hope Villa get a hammering in the final. Especially so just to see FKW’s face.

Will they face dirty Leeds (can’t they both lose) or FLDC to set up the Sky Sports love-in?

Really feel for West Brom. The only proper club to make the play-offs.

Football out! 

[Butty]

Just now, DE. said:

WBA got absolutely battered after Brunt got himself stupidly sent off so they can't have any complaints. 

Before that silly sending off they were well on top whilst lacking the cutting edge to punish Villa who were very sloppy before West Brom went down too 10 men. Brunt will be gutted tonight.

[SBlue]

Well, sacking Darren Moore worked out well.

[Butty]

Just now, S8 & Blue said:

Well, sacking Darren Moore worked out well.

9 points off the automatics when he was sacked so it’s unlikely he’d have got them in too the top two. Plus the way the game went tonight I believe they’d have beat villa had they kept 11 players on the pitch.. Missing Gayle and a couple of other key players I don’t think they disgraced themselves at all over these two legs. 

[SBlue]

Chris Wilder beats Pep, Klopp, Pochettino etc to win LMA manager of the year.

Well deserved imo.

 

But Mogga was robbed.

[AllRoverAsia]

5 hours ago, Stuart said:

What a cynical, conniving team Villa have turned into. Rolling about the place at every opportunity, Grealish histrionics to ensure Brunt got sent off. They are like the new Leeds only less likeable.

Meanwhile West Brom have 40 minutes with 10 men, away goals count for nothing in the play-offs (in typical inconsistent football fashion), the pens are right in front of the Villa fans and they don’t have a penalty taker amongst them.

Really hope Villa get a hammering in the final. Especially so just to see FKW’s face.

Will they face dirty Leeds (can’t they both lose) or FLDC to set up the Sky Sports love-in?

Really feel for West Brom. The only proper club to make the play-offs.

Football out! 

Give over. The Ref had an easy task in sending Brunt off, the only surprise was that he did not go earlier.

Villa quite comfortably the best team over the 2 legs and Grealish is a top quality player.

They do go to ground easily but most sides do these days. They were much more a refined footballing team than an agricultural West Brom.

Any manager that lets Mason Holgate take a penalty needs serious help. To let him take the first is just plain mental.

Give a choice of Villa, scum Leeds or the likeable Derby I will take Villa any day, plus they are not Sky sweethearts. 

Edited May 15, 2019 by AllRoverAsia

[Stuart]

1 hour ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Give over. The Ref had an easy task in sending Brunt off, the only surprise was that he did not go earlier.

Villa quite comfortably the best team over the 2 legs and Grealish is a top quality player.

They do go to ground easily but most sides do these days. They were much more a refined footballing team than an agricultural West Brom.

Any manager that lets Mason Holgate take a penalty needs serious help. To let him take the first is just plain mental.

Give a choice of Villa, scum Leeds or the likeable Derby I will take Villa any day, plus they are not Sky sweethearts. 

Oh, and they have a crap kit. ? 

[AllRoverAsia]

38 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Oh, and they have a crap kit. ? 

One thing I would mention is that I do not like the Dean Smith inspired tactic of getting his front player(s) to fake injury hoping to stop a counter-attack by a Ref whistle.

I have now seen them do it enough times to consider it a deliberate cheating tactic and Refs need to be aware of it.

It paid dividends in the League v scum Leeds but enough is enough.

I think the Villa kit is one of the best around, always have 

[arbitro]

57 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

One thing I would mention is that I do not like the Dean Smith inspired tactic of getting his front player(s) to fake injury hoping to stop a counter-attack by a Ref whistle.

I have now seen them do it enough times to consider it a deliberate cheating tactic and Refs need to be aware of it.

It paid dividends in the League v scum Leeds but enough is enough.

I think the Villa kit is one of the best around, always have 

Feigning injury is pretty endemic now and most teams do it in the knowledge that the other team will put the ball out or the referee will stop the game. Throw ins are another restart that is abused. Far too often, when their team is winning the taker will deliberately move up the pitch several yards from where it went out. If he gets away with it fine but if the referee sends him back it kills more time. Win/win. Another is a short goal kick and the defender deliberately plays the ball before it leaves the penalty area. The kick is retaken and more time wasted.

I'd like to see a time limit on all restarts. The six second rule has definitely speeded the game up although it is sometimes not applied stringently.

 

[Admiral Nelsen]

Massive summer for WBA coming up. Well paid, ageing squad who have relied heavily on some very successful loans this year (Gayle, Barnes, Holgate & Johansen). 

New manager coming in, likely cost cutting & unlikely to get as much form the loan market next term, they'll do well to be competing right at the top imo.

Never easy to predict these things, but I can see at least Fulham & Hudds not competing at the top out of the relegated teams. Also a good chance that WBA, Boro & Sheff Weds could go backwards for various reasons. I can see next season being even more open than this one. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Villa are a horrible team at the moment, full of diving little snitches who are more interested in getting opponents sent off than playing football. Horrible, I really hope they don't go up. 

[JHRover]

I'm almost at the stage where I want Leeds to beat them in the play-off final. No time for Dean Smith who seems to take great surprise that some teams turn up at Villa Park and defend. Amazing that. You spend £50 million on players in the 2nd division and have a Premier League wage bill yet teams like Rotherham turn up and defend. Wonder what Smith would be doing in the opposite dugout.

Reports today that WBA will interview Hughton for their job next week. Very sensible and will almost guarantee a promotion push next season if it happens.

[DE.]

Villa v Leeds is the nightmare playoff final for me. Two teams I despise, one of whom has grossly overspent to the point of total financial meltdown and yet may be rewarded for it with promotion. 

Still, I suppose that if Leeds go up at least the Championship will stop being Leeds Utd TV for a season.