Relegation Battle? (9 Viewers)

[Liquid Gold]

I would do some research and look back in the last 5 seasons of the Championship and specifically the league table between game 22 and game 30 period. The league position changes are quite significant.

Even more so between game 30 and the end of the season.

Every single season, because of this movement people say “it’s a poor Championship this year”.
But the place fluctuation is the norm (other perhaps the top 2 or 3).

It doesn’t make it a poor league in my eyes, it’s what makes it the best league in the world.

It’s a poor championship this year because it’s dominated by the same teams and the promoted teams are not offering much.

It’s exciting that you can’t predict 4-15 with any uncertainty and adds to the league but it doesn’t mean it’s got a lot of quality this year.

 

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[Sky Blue Pete]

Some melts on here
Anyway 3 off the top 6 and 14 away from relegation zone

 

[jto123]

I created the thread and have to admit I got it wrong. To be honest the thing I love about football, and sport in general, is how quickly things can change and make you look foolish (it was similar with the England test team under McCullum). There’s just no way I would have predicted us winning four in a row. It won’t stop me having opinions on the game as that’s half the fun as a fan. Important thing is to hold your hands up when you get it wrong. On that note, I still think play-offs might be stretch, but looking forward to finding out

 

[Osullivan18]

To be fair you wouldn't have been the only one, I struggled to see how we would pick up enough points to not be in a relegation fight. I love I was wrong

 

[Otis]

I created the thread and have to admit I got it wrong. To be honest the thing I love about football, and sport in general, is how quickly things can change and make you look foolish (it was similar with the England test team under McCullum). There’s just no way I would have predicted us winning four in a row. It won’t stop me having opinions on the game as that’s half the fun as a fan. Important thing is to hold your hands up when you get it wrong. On that note, I still think play-offs might be stretch, but looking forward to finding out

Yeah, and because of how quickly things change, I never believed for a single second that we were in a relegation battle

If there were just 6 or 7 games to go and we were where we were, then I would have felt a little differently, but even now, we still have 16 games to go.

When the thread was created, there were just far too many games still to play to cast that judgement, I felt.

As you say, fortunes can change so quickly.

 

[clint van damme]

I created the thread and have to admit I got it wrong. To be honest the thing I love about football, and sport in general, is how quickly things can change and make you look foolish (it was similar with the England test team under McCullum). There’s just no way I would have predicted us winning four in a row. It won’t stop me having opinions on the game as that’s half the fun as a fan. Important thing is to hold your hands up when you get it wrong. On that note, I still think play-offs might be stretch, but looking forward to finding out

I always have a little sigh of relief when we hit what I think will be the points target I think will guarantee safety.
I've seen us plummet down the league too many times to be complacent about it.
Comes from years of perennially staving off relegation by the skin of our teeth.

 

[jto123]

I always have a little sigh of relief when we hit what I think will be the points target I think will guarantee safety.
I've seen us plummet down the league too many times to be complacent about it.
Comes from years of perennially staving off relegation by the skin of our teeth.

Yeah 50 to be safe. You’d hope even by Cov standards we can reach that, but you never know.

 

[Cally Fedora]

Something Lampard will have to address is our slow starts to the season. It’s the one thing I always found odd with Robins - he seemed quite willing to write the first few games off as getting rid of the rust etc. A professional team should be ready on match 1.

 

[clint van damme]

Yeah 50 to be safe. You’d hope even by Cov standards we can reach that, but you never know.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think for one minute we'll crash and burn this season, and haven't done in many recent seasons.

But it's just a habit built up over the years.

 

[clint van damme]

Something Lampard will have to address is our slow starts to the season. It’s the one thing I always found odd with Robins - he seemed quite willing to write the first few games off as getting rid of the rust etc. A professional team should be ready on match 1.

I think it might have happened this year if he'd kept the band together as the squad was fairly stable but I think the high profile departures screwed us.
Hopefully, as you say, it's sorted for next season.

 

[fernandopartridge]

I've had a bit of a mare on this thread, though TBF I was at Norwich and in a heightened state of emotion . Thank god our defensive situation has improved as that has been the basis for everything.

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

What is encouraging for me regarding next season, is that we are currently missing Wright and Sheaf (both of whom may well be gone and will have raised us transfer funds). We ought to have some Vik money, EMC will be back, and we may well have lost MVE, but again £££s to come in from him. Basically, we ought to have a mini war chest in the summer, but have a fairly strong base from which to rebuild. All of the above assumes we are not relegated/promoted!

 

[skybluericoh]

Don‘t think we will actually get to the play offs but can dream. Never thought we would be in battle at the other end. The season hasn’t lived up to what I had h for but, can’t help imagining beating SU at Wembley and singing ’it could have been you…….’

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Don‘t think we will actually get to the play offs but can dream. Never thought we would be in battle at the other end. The season hasn’t lived up to what I had h for but, can’t help imagining beating SU at Wembley and singing ’it could have been you…….’

With bassette in wilders face flicking his tongue and winking

 

[Sky Blue 1987]

There is a good chance this may happen! Here's hoping

Don‘t think we will actually get to the play offs but can dream. Never thought we would be in battle at the other end. The season hasn’t lived up to what I had h for but, can’t help imagining beating SU at Wembley and singing ’it could have been you…….’

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Yeah, and because of how quickly things change, I never believed for a single second that we were in a relegation battle

If there were just 6 or 7 games to go and we were where we were, then I would have felt a little differently, but even now, we still have 16 games to go.

When the thread was created, there were just far too many games still to play to cast that judgement, I felt.

As you say, fortunes can change so quickly.

How the season might unfold is not the same as where you currently find yourself. Bad games, bad results, bad league position etc. There was legitimate cause for concern but in winning 4 on the spin out of nowhere that concern is gone and we should go all hands to the pump for the top 6.

 

[mrfr]

What would constitute a success for Lampard this season? Obviously sneaking into the playoffs would be a pretty remarkable achievement, but given where we were at when he took over, and the kind of sentiment expressed in this thread and many others - would a top half finish feel like a good start?

For my money anywhere in the top ten is something you can build off with optimism going into a first full season under a new manager, with a different sort of pre-season that hopefully addresses the slow start problem, and ideally with less squad movement than we’ve had the last couple of years.

 

[Sick Boy]

What would constitute a success for Lampard this season? Obviously sneaking into the playoffs would be a pretty remarkable achievement, but given where we were at when he took over, and the kind of sentiment expressed in this thread and many others - would a top half finish feel like a good start?

For my money anywhere in the top ten is something you can build off with optimism going into a first full season under a new manager, with a different sort of pre-season that hopefully addresses the slow start problem, and ideally with less squad movement than we’ve had the last couple of years.

Considering where we were and how much the majority on here wrote him off, a top-10 finish should be seen as excellent.

 

[SBAndy]

I would do some research and look back in the last 5 seasons of the Championship and specifically the league table between game 22 and game 30 period. The league position changes are quite significant.

Even more so between game 30 and the end of the season.

Every single season, because of this movement people say “it’s a poor Championship this year”.
But the place fluctuation is the norm (other perhaps the top 2 or 3).

It doesn’t make it a poor league in my eyes, it’s what makes it the best league in the world.

Dearth of quality this season. Leeds are good. Burnley and Sheff Utd efficient but neither impressive really. Sunderland are fun. After that it’s a free for all.

 

[AFCCOVENTRY]

Dearth of quality this season. Leeds are good. Burnley and Sheff Utd efficient but neither impressive really. Sunderland are fun. After that it’s a free for all.

5th and 6th are up for grabs.

Interesting away stat is we only play Sheffield U as a top half team.

A lot in our favour to get results.

Does 10 wins get us in the play offs?

 

[jto123]

5th and 6th are up for grabs.

Interesting away stat is we only play Sheffield U as a top half team.

A lot in our favour to get results.

Does 10 wins get us in the play offs?

Sheff W too I think? But point still holds.

 

[clint van damme]

What would constitute a success for Lampard this season? Obviously sneaking into the playoffs would be a pretty remarkable achievement, but given where we were at when he took over, and the kind of sentiment expressed in this thread and many others - would a top half finish feel like a good start?

For my money anywhere in the top ten is something you can build off with optimism going into a first full season under a new manager, with a different sort of pre-season that hopefully addresses the slow start problem, and ideally with less squad movement than we’ve had the last couple of years.

Would have said top half but think we may finish top 8 or 9 given recent form, which would be a great achievement.

 

[SBAndy]

5th and 6th are up for grabs.

Interesting away stat is we only play Sheffield U as a top half team.

A lot in our favour to get results.

Does 10 wins get us in the play offs?

I know it doesn’t play out this way but 5th and 6th currently on track for 69 and 68 points respectively. 10 wins would get us 5th.

 

[chiefdave]

Considering where we were and how much the majority on here wrote him off, a top-10 finish should be seen as excellent.

Can't imagine many clubs being sat in 11th, 4 points off the play offs, with 16 games to go saying they would be happy with top 10.

 

[JSL]

Since Lampard has been in charge, only the Portsmouth and Norwich results have been blips IMO. Otherwise, good steady progress and doing well

 

[ccfcricoh]

need 33 points from 16 games to land on 74 points - the average needed to get playoffs over the last 13 years

We need to keep very strong form up to stand a chance, but then equally we have a lot of the teams to play as well

 

[Sick Boy]

Can't imagine many clubs being sat in 11th, 4 points off the play offs, with 16 games to go saying they would be happy with top 10.

It would be great if the doom-mongers used it as a stick to beat him with, to be fair.

 

[AOM]

What would constitute a success for Lampard this season? Obviously sneaking into the playoffs would be a pretty remarkable achievement, but given where we were at when he took over, and the kind of sentiment expressed in this thread and many others - would a top half finish feel like a good start?

For my money anywhere in the top ten is something you can build off with optimism going into a first full season under a new manager, with a different sort of pre-season that hopefully addresses the slow start problem, and ideally with less squad movement than we’ve had the last couple of years.

Yeah top 10 with a view to progress next year would be successful imo.
We've had a huge amount of change over the summer and throughout the season, and so Lampard should be given time to implement his changes and style on the team

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

Since Lampard has been in charge, only the Portsmouth and Norwich results have been blips IMO. Otherwise, good steady progress and doing well

Portsmouth was a real kicker. Norwich was a definitely disappointing but taking a step back, it was one of those freak comebacks given the circumstances. It was otherwise a solid away performance and on another day we come away with a fantastic 3 points or a decent draw.

 

[Skyblueweeman]

Bit of confidence, this team flies. This squad is easily top half. This season has been a disaster and we are still 15th.

You knew. Good post.

Interesting to see which football expert laughed at your comment

 

[Sick Boy]

You knew. Good post.

Interesting to see which football expert laughed at your comment

 

[Otis]

Something Lampard will have to address is our slow starts to the season. It’s the one thing I always found odd with Robins - he seemed quite willing to write the first few games off as getting rid of the rust etc. A professional team should be ready on match 1.

Yup, agree.

Loved the bloke, but the slow starts, I really found irritating.

We looked good to go pre-season this year didn't we.

 

[Grendel]

Yup, agree.

Loved the bloke, but the slow starts, I really found irritating.

We looked good to go pre-season this year didn't we.

We would have had a struggled if the change wasn't made - we had Wright available all games prior to Robins leaving and he was instrumental in the wins we had.

 

[Calista]

With bassette in wilders face flicking his tongue and winking

Well that's shattered your choir boy image

 

[Major Tom]

Something Lampard will have to address is our slow starts to the season. It’s the one thing I always found odd with Robins - he seemed quite willing to write the first few games off as getting rid of the rust etc. A professional team should be ready on match 1.

Will give Robins the benefit when the pitches were ruined by the Rugby 7's but the last couple of seasons starts were poor, especially after a good pre season last summer. Was also the same in some matches over the last few years, only starting to perform when we went 0-1 down or in the second half.