The Championship

[New York Red]

There's lots to be talked about from that division, I'm sure. Rafa getting the barcodes a promotion. Wondering how Brighton will do next year in the Premier League. Blackburn, former Premier League champions, getting the drop to the third tier.

 

But I never noticed how truly terrible Rotherham are. I mean, totally disastrous. Like there must have been some disaster that happened to the team. They are dead last and 20 points (!) adrift of the next-to-last team. They have a goal difference of -58 when the next lowest is -22. 

 

Is there an inside story there?

[cymrococh]

No

[New York Red]

They're just absolutely atrocious?

[KBR]

I try to follow the championship. Its a really topsy turvy league full of drama.... only 2 weeks ago the wheels came for Leeds. They were coasting to a play off place and now been pipped with 1 game to spare by Fulham.

 

Reading, Huddersfield, Shef Wed and Fulham in the play offs.... wouldn't mind seeing Huddersfield come up.

[muleskinner]

Notts forest could still go down if Blackburn have a better result than them next week.

[New York Red]

We could have Forest. What a mortifying thought.

[Earl Hafler]

Notts forest could still go down if Blackburn have a better result than them next week.

 

You should know better.

[muleskinner]

You should know better.

It's intentional

[Ibby]

Burton Albion staying up is the biggest achievement going fully deserved too.

[PhilM]

Went to see Brighton vs Bristol City last friday. Brighton could have secured first place if they'd won. Turns out that they couldn't be arsed.  Brighton are going to get seriously smashed about next season though. They don't have a Premier League quality player in their entire squad from the four or five games that I've seen of them this season. There's a severe lack of pace across the squad and a lack of line breaking attacking midfielders. 

 

That Tammy Abraham lad on loan from Chelsea was playing for Bristol City and he looks a player. Big rangy striker, good movement, strong, quick etc. Would be a good third or fourth choice for us, to be fair.

 

They still have the best pies that I've ever tasted at a football ground, but the booze selection is terrible. Carlsberg, Strongbow, or the local bitter, Harveys. Great access to the ground, with a station right next to it, although the concourses are a big tight. Rubbish crowd though.

[Tosh]

only 2 weeks ago the wheels came for Leeds. They were coasting to a play off place and now been pipped

I should feel sorry for them, given what they've gone through but I don't

[Conrad]

Went to see Brighton vs Bristol City last friday. Brighton could have secured first place if they'd won. Turns out that they couldn't be arsed.  Brighton are going to get seriously smashed about next season though. They don't have a Premier League quality player in their entire squad from the four or five games that I've seen of them this season. There's a severe lack of pace across the squad and a lack of line breaking attacking midfielders. 

 

That Tammy Abraham lad on loan from Chelsea was playing for Bristol City and he looks a player. Big rangy striker, good movement, strong, quick etc. Would be a good third or fourth choice for us, to be fair.

 

They still have the best pies that I've ever tasted at a football ground, but the booze selection is terrible. Carlsberg, Strongbow, or the local bitter, Harveys. Great access to the ground, with a station right next to it, although the concourses are a big tight. Rubbish crowd though.

harveys is great.

 

how did you get tickets?

[PhilM]

harveys is great.

 

how did you get tickets?

 

My pint tasted pretty watered down. I can imagine that it's decent from a proper bar though.

 

My stepdad is a season ticket holder. It was dead Chelsea though. Plastic flags on every seat, iPads for pictures, and lots of copies of other club's songs.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

Went to see Brighton vs Bristol City last friday. Brighton could have secured first place if they'd won. Turns out that they couldn't be arsed.  Brighton are going to get seriously smashed about next season though. They don't have a Premier League quality player in their entire squad from the four or five games that I've seen of them this season. There's a severe lack of pace across the squad and a lack of line breaking attacking midfielders. 

 

That Tammy Abraham lad on loan from Chelsea was playing for Bristol City and he looks a player. Big rangy striker, good movement, strong, quick etc. Would be a good third or fourth choice for us, to be fair.

 

They still have the best pies that I've ever tasted at a football ground, but the booze selection is terrible. Carlsberg, Strongbow, or the local bitter, Harveys. Great access to the ground, with a station right next to it, although the concourses are a big tight. Rubbish crowd though.

 

Have to see what the summer has in store. I watched the last 5 of the game Newcastle got promoted. At the end everyone's celebrating, as you do, and as the camera panned around the players I was thinking that probably half of them will be moved on in the summer. Fight all season to get promoted, celebrate your achievement & then never get to live it out. I mean that's the way it is if Newcastle want to stay up & ultimately push on

[PhilM]

Yeah, but Brighton have a very poor squad. Their best players are Anthony Knockaert, Glenn Murray, Shane Duffy and Dale Stephens, and it's arguable whether any of them would get a game at any of the current Premier League sides. Murray couldn't even get a game at Palace. They're going to need to buy almost a completely new squad and their turnover is similar to Burnley's before they got promoted, so it seems that their transfer market ability will be really restricted.

 

Newcastle at least have a squad of players who could probably hold their own in the Premier League already.

[Conrad]

My pint tasted pretty watered down. I can imagine that it's decent from a proper bar though.

 

My stepdad is a season ticket holder. It was dead Chelsea though. Plastic flags on every seat, iPads for pictures, and lots of copies of other club's songs.

ah, right, ta

 

Yeah Harveys is lovely. From Lewes, so should taste good a couple of miles away! Must have been watered down

[KBR]

Yeah, but Brighton have a very poor squad. Their best players are Anthony Knockaert, Glenn Murray, Shane Duffy and Dale Stephens, and it's arguable whether any of them would get a game at any of the current Premier League sides. Murray couldn't even get a game at Palace. They're going to need to buy almost a completely new squad and their turnover is similar to Burnley's before they got promoted, so it seems that their transfer market ability will be really restricted.

 

Newcastle at least have a squad of players who could probably hold their own in the Premier League already.

Agreed. they'd need to improve the quality of the squad quite a bit to make a go of it... maybe even 1 or 2 Gary Mac type signings. Older players, no huge fee's... who know their way around playing in the bigger leagues across Europe.

 

If they were to go down, I think the financial benefits of just getting to the PL would help them come back up.

[PhilM]

Agreed. they'd need to improve the quality of the squad quite a bit to make a go of it... maybe even 1 or 2 Gary Mac type signings. Older players, no huge fee's... who know their way around playing in the bigger leagues across Europe.

 

If they were to go down, I think the financial benefits of just getting to the PL would help them come back up.

 

You're not wrong there. Looking at the turnover figures of promoted clubs, they triple just by getting promoted to the Premier League.

[Hightown Phil]

Yeah, but Brighton have a very poor squad. Their best players are Anthony Knockaert, Glenn Murray, Shane Duffy and Dale Stephens, and it's arguable whether any of them would get a game at any of the current Premier League sides. Murray couldn't even get a game at Palace. They're going to need to buy almost a completely new squad and their turnover is similar to Burnley's before they got promoted, so it seems that their transfer market ability will be really restricted.

 

Newcastle at least have a squad of players who could probably hold their own in the Premier League already.

 

The weird thing about Brighton is that they won't give any thought whatsoever to changing their manager. Nor does any promoted club. Teams always look for better players but rarely, if ever, do they look for better coaches. It makes no real sense. Some players can make the step up, some can't. But teams just assume that managers can.