Championship 24/25

[JHRover]

Just think, two out of Coventry, Bristol City, West Brom, Middlesbrough and yes Millwall are going to end up in the top 6.

Had we shown even average form in recent weeks during a kind run of fixtures we would be right in there and probably in the driving seat for it.

Had we kept hold of Eustace I would be pretty confident of being able to overcome any of those sides in a play-off contest, then you have a Sheff Utd side self-destructing, losing to sides like Plymouth and Oxford recently, and a Sunderland side in the strange situation of having nothing really to do for weeks on end as they wait for the play-offs to start - could take their momentum away as we saw yesterday.

Another gaping, glorious opportunity squandered and now we get to watch on as dingles get automatic promotion and the likes of Coventry, Bristol City etc, clubs with no advantage over us, get a shot at the Premier League.

And our CEO is busy telling us how hard it is and hiding behind 'trampoline payments' 

The anger and contempt I have towards these people is hard to put into words.

[chaddyrovers]

Boro should have been challenging the top 2 this season with that squad and I still think they were crazy to sell Latth and his replacement has done very little so far. 

Down the bottom of the league is getting interesting and it could be three from 8 teams now. 

 

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The only comfort of a Burnley Promotion will be watching them take a clobbering every week.

[Gav]

Peterborough giving Big club a dressing down today on the biggest of stages. 

One for the smaller clubs, in a final you just never know.

[joey_big_nose]

On 05/04/2025 at 18:17, wilsdenrover said:

First half of the season form since our return to the Championship = average of 8th

Second half of the season form (same time period) = average of  18th

Great bit of analysis this... Second half of season form absolutely abysmal for seven seasons now. There has to be some reason for that.

Poor january windows and a small squad are the obvious candidates... but I am not that convinced that other non parachute teams that have made the play offs have had that much better windows or bigger squads (Coventry, Luton, Huddersfield, Barnsley, Sunderland etc).

[1874]

On 12/04/2025 at 15:02, StHelensRover said:

Yes he had a go at the Sheff Utd fans in the media as well after the loss to Oxford last week. Whether you agree or disagree with their fans booing, the manager is always best staying out of all that, he's made himself look an idiot now. I can't stand him 

So galling that this implosion is gonna gift that lot promotion, so another 3 years of parachute payments this time next year. 

 

 

Only 2 years if they come straight back down and they get nothing for this season.

[Mercer]

On 13/04/2025 at 13:33, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

The only comfort of a Burnley Promotion will be watching them take a clobbering every week.

I wish were going to be in the PL next season even if it meant taking "a clobbering every week"!

A 'yo yo' club should get stronger with every PL season - build, build and build (the infrastructure et al).

With the right management (from executive through to coaching) you can establish a sustainable position - Brentford and Bournemouth being just two examples.

 

[1874]

You'd put up with a season that Southampton have just had?

[Upside Down]

2 hours ago, 1874 said:

You'd put up with a season that Southampton have just had?

They've only been so shit because they for some unknown reason appointed that complete bell end as their manager.

If they'd have appointed a decent manager then they'd have fared much better.

[sharpysharps86]

On 13/04/2025 at 10:48, chaddyrovers said:

Boro should have been challenging the top 2 this season with that squad and I still think they were crazy to sell Latth and his replacement has done very little so far. 

Down the bottom of the league is getting interesting and it could be three from 8 teams now. 

 

I'm glad Plymouth won at the weekend, it keeps it very exciting down there.

I suspect Derby's final 4 games will be massively influential in who goes down as they play 3 of their relegation rivals.

[roversfan99]

6 hours ago, Upside Down said:

They've only been so shit because they for some unknown reason appointed that complete bell end as their manager.

If they'd have appointed a decent manager then they'd have fared much better.

They replaced him and picked up even less points under his replacement. Their squad is nowhere near good enough.

[JHRover]

Leicester, Southampton and Ipswich will all be dominant in the Championship next season unless they get things very wrong in the summer. 

The days of relegated Premier League clubs imploding and spiralling down the divisions in chaos seem to be well and truly over, as they are mostly now structured to cope with a relegation and be pretty stable for at least a few seasons to allow them to bounce back. 

Even those that you might expect to struggle horrifically after failing to bounce back - West Brom, Stoke, Swansea, Norwich - have been fine because they've been able to rely on substantial support from their owners or have been taken over just as things were about to get nasty

The only semi-outlier to that has been Luton if they go down this season but I'd argue they were always an anomaly in their promotion and set up and financially are probably set for years once they get their new stadium built. 

[jim mk2]

20 hours ago, Mercer said:

n - Brentford and Bournemouth being just two examples.

 

Brentford and Bournemouth as established top flight clubs - who would have thought that 60 or even the more recent past? They were bog standard fourth division clubs when I were a lad.

Hats off to them but it just shows what brilliant management and organisation can do and why Rovers fans should never accept our fate as a "small town" club. Same for Burnley too - it pains us to say it but they are a very well run club.

Meanwhile the agony goes on at Ewood. It was good to hear the Venky's Out and anti-Waggott songs at Kenilworth Road on Saturday but supporters need to keep up the pressure on Friday and every match to the end of the season. 

 

 

 

[Mattyblue]

Get a result on Friday and I would wager you won't be hearing much (apart from the corner of  BBE NO1) dissent for the rest of the season.

[1874]

Luton being relegated would actually be better for them. They will get their first parachute payment and won't have the financial restrictions of the championship. A bit like what Birminham have done.

If they do go down expect them to win league 1 by a record points

[simongarnerisgod]

1 hour ago, 1874 said:

Luton being relegated would actually be better for them. They will get their first parachute payment and won't have the financial restrictions of the championship. A bit like what Birminham have done.

If they do go down expect them to win league 1 by a record points

really,i don`t see them spending what birmingham did to virtually assure promotion and i can`t see their better players like morris and kaminski settling for playing league one football

[47er]

1-0 to Luton, half an hour gone. Must say Derby look absolute rubbish, definitely  had fresh manger bounce which seems to be wearing off.

[Tugayisgod]

4 minutes ago, 47er said:

1-0 to Luton, half an hour gone. Must say Derby look absolute rubbish, definitely  had fresh manger bounce which seems to be wearing off.

 

Not a great game on a poor pitch as well but Luton the better of the sides at the moment

[simongarnerisgod]

looking at the table,if pne don`t pick up another few points  they`ll be getting dragged into the drop zone😆

[Hasta]

1 minute ago, simongarnerisgod said:

looking at the table,if pne don`t pick up another few points  they`ll be getting dragged into the drop zone😆

As plenty of teams play each other (e.g Derby play Stoke and hull), it would take a freak set of results for them all to catch Preston. It would mean they would all need to start beating top half sides.

[philipl]

Two ridiculously rubbish sides Derby V Luton

[Cherry Blue]

27 minutes ago, philipl said:

Two ridiculously rubbish sides Derby V Luton

Game over with massive 3 points to Luton and JE hearing Derby boos for first time.

[DeeCee]

Tbh I'd like Derby to stay up, proving to the idiots that Eustace was well worth backing and on a personal note I have soft spot as father came from Derby and supported them but still took me on Ewood every week.

[chaddyrovers]

Very tight at the bottom of the league

I reckon Plymouth, Cardiff and Hull will go down.

PNE fans not happy with the tactics or Heckingbottom as manager there tonight

[Mattyblue]

They were saying how marvellous ‘Hecky’ was a month or so back…