Championship 24/25 rival watch

[IlsonDerby]

Oxford just signed Dembele from Brum

[Ambitious]

I remember looking throughout preseason where Cardiff fans were adamant they were a top six club and I thought they were one of the weakest teams in the league. They’ve started in absolute honking form, clearly lack quality and they’re still coming up with s*** like this? 

The most delusional fanbase in the Championship, by a distance. 

[Animal is a Ram]

 

[Crewton]

I can't remember if Forever Blue is Annis Abraham, 'alleged' notorious hooligan with the Cardiff Soul Crew, or the ar*h*le who petitioned the EFL for us to get a points deduction for Snowgate.

Either way, I'm sure their manager has watched more of our games than they have.

Edited September 2 by Crewton

[Animal is a Ram]

26 minutes ago, Ambitious said:

I remember looking throughout preseason where Cardiff fans were adamant they were a top six club and I thought they were one of the weakest teams in the league. They’ve started in absolute honking form, clearly lack quality and they’re still coming up with s*** like this? 

The most delusional fanbase in the Championship, by a distance. 

<snipped>

I think we'll see a lot of these types of comments this year. We haven't made any 'marquee' signings in the eyes of the rest of the championship, plus PW's reputation as a solid, not flamboyant squad builder.

I say we print them on a wall, and say prove them wrong. I'm all for a underdog, siege mentality season. It may end up with some games like Boro, but also some games like Bristol City. 

How many times over the years has the shoe been on the other foot? Grossly underestimating teams who come up from L1 simply because we were an established Champ team?

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

39 minutes ago, Ambitious said:

I remember looking throughout preseason where Cardiff fans were adamant they were a top six club and I thought they were one of the weakest teams in the league. They’ve started in absolute honking form, clearly lack quality and they’re still coming up with s*** like this? 

The most delusional fanbase in the Championship, by a distance. 

This is the same vibe that Bristol City have. I just listened on their website to the post match analysis. They are convinced they are by far the better team and we are a group of triers. Very condecending. 

[Eoghan1884]

1 hour ago, Ambitious said:

I remember looking throughout preseason where Cardiff fans were adamant they were a top six club and I thought they were one of the weakest teams in the league. They’ve started in absolute honking form, clearly lack quality and they’re still coming up with s*** like this? 

The most delusional fanbase in the Championship, by a distance. 

If we play with even 80% of the intensity we did against Bristol we should beat them, they’ve Aaron Ramsey in midfield who’s absolutely useless now. His legs are gone and is constantly picking up niggles, beside him then is 5 foot 6 siopis and then Alex Robertson who’s a tidy player but if your not dominating the ball his assets become near void. Ozoh and Ebou should be able to bully them and allow Kenzo to roam free again. I also seen the Cardiff manager saying about the team lacking fitness, if they lack fitness and intensity they certainly would not want to play us. 

[Comrade 86]

1 hour ago, The Scarlet Pimpernel said:

This is the same vibe that Bristol City have. I just listened on their website to the post match analysis. They are convinced they are by far the better team and we are a group of triers. Very condecending. 

They've always been this way. Every season they flatter to deceive but their delusions of grandeur are clear to see. They are a decent outfit for the level, but mid-table in the Championship is their level and that's as good as it gets. Decent rugby team though, whose fans are also a deal more gracious than their football counterparts. 

[Ram@Lincoln]

1 hour ago, The Scarlet Pimpernel said:

This is the same vibe that Bristol City have. I just listened on their website to the post match analysis. They are convinced they are by far the better team and we are a group of triers. Very condecending. 

I had the Radio Bristol post match on driving home to give a outsiders reflection. They had a guy ring up basically in tears that they played fantastic football and we just muscled in kicking them off the park. They apparently were far superior, had all the chances, should've been 5-0 up before we scored the first and the second half they were superior with us just scoring totally against the run of play. Fair play for the presenter actually trying to counter his crying with the match stats before the caller hung up on them. 

Edited September 2 by Ram@Lincoln

[Carnero]

1 minute ago, Ram@Lincoln said:

I had the Radio Bristol post match on driving home to give a outsiders reflection. They had a guy ring up basically in tears that they played fantastic football and we just muscled in kicking them off the park. They apparently were far superior, had all the chances, should've been 5-0 up before we scored the first and the second half they were superior with us just scoring totally against the run of play. Fair play for the presenter actually trying to counter his crying with the match stats before the caller hung up on them. 

Was the caller Scott T'whine?

[Anag Ram]

9 minutes ago, Ram@Lincoln said:

I had the Radio Bristol post match on driving home to give a outsiders reflection. They had a guy ring up basically in tears that they played fantastic football and we just muscled in kicking them off the park. They apparently were far superior, had all the chances, should've been 5-0 up before we scored the first and the second half they were superior with us just scoring totally against the run of play. Fair play for the presenter actually trying to counter his crying with the match stats before the caller hung up on them. 

35% possession but 19 shots. We set the trap, they fell into it.

Jackson, Yates and NML poised like greyhounds in their traps.  Goudmijn and Ozoh waiting to release them.

Thatchers is weak enough without salty tears.

 

[Ghost of Clough]

2 hours ago, Ambitious said:

I remember looking throughout preseason where Cardiff fans were adamant they were a top six club and I thought they were one of the weakest teams in the league. They’ve started in absolute honking form, clearly lack quality and they’re still coming up with s*** like this? 

The most delusional fanbase in the Championship, by a distance. 

There are a few players I would have in our squad, but I don't think any would be starting - Willock would be a rotation option on the wings, Robertson would battle with Goudmijn, maybe Al Ghazi (but he has barely played for over a year), and Deland looks like a tidy CB on the ball, but wouldn't get in over Cashin.

I think they're the weakest side in the league. Plymouth have a couple of very good players who will get them points out of no where, whislt Portsmouth and Oxford are well coach and recruited smartly for their budgets. Only 3 sides conceded more and 3 sides had a worse GD last season too. It's no surprise to me they find themselves at the bottom of the table already.

[Ambitious]

4 minutes ago, Ghost of Clough said:

There are a few players I would have in our squad, but I don't think any would be starting - Willock would be a rotation option on the wings, Robertson would battle with Goudmijn, maybe Al Ghazi (but he has barely played for over a year), and Deland looks like a tidy CB on the ball, but wouldn't get in over Cashin.

I think they're the weakest side in the league. Plymouth have a couple of very good players who will get them points out of no where, whislt Portsmouth and Oxford are well coach and recruited smartly for their budgets. Only 3 sides conceded more and 3 sides had a worse GD last season too. It's no surprise to me they find themselves at the bottom of the table already.

My thoughts exactly - I’m not exactly sure where they have this level of expectation over their own side. They’re taking the piss out of Jerry Yates and what he did at Swansea - in the same year would’ve comfortably been their highest scorer.

[Kernow]

To be fair, for most teams in this league, they will look at us home or away and think it’s a game they should be winning. I also think teams will think that about Cardiff, Oxford, Portsmouth, Plymouth etc. If you’re expected to be battling near the bottom you focus on games you have the best chance of picking up points.

It doesn’t distract from the fact that whoever wrote that post is completely clueless, though. It would be nice if the players/coaches of teams had the same opinion as I’d quite like to be underestimated. However I expect most of the players/coaches will have an ounce of intelligence.

[SaintRam]

Early in the season, any opinion we (or anyone else) forms about a player who isn't an established Championship player is purely conjecture; and our opinions of where a team should or shouldn't be come the end of the season is really just the combination of our collective opinions of the team's players.

The idea of having a "got to be winning this" opinion about a team 4 games into a season of the Championship is ridiculous to me.

Got to at least get 25% into a Championship season to start forming opinions of where your team is compared to everyone else's imo.

I've absolutely no idea where our team *should* be finishing, this season. Could be 1st for all I know. I'm just hoping it's above 22nd 😂

[BathRam72]

16 hours ago, Carnero said:

Was the caller Scott T'whine?

No his name was

Wayne-Ker

[Castor]

8 hours ago, SaintRam said:

Early in the season, any opinion we (or anyone else) forms about a player who isn't an established Championship player is purely conjecture; and our opinions of where a team should or shouldn't be come the end of the season is really just the combination of our collective opinions of the team's players.

The idea of having a "got to be winning this" opinion about a team 4 games into a season of the Championship is ridiculous to me.

Got to at least get 25% into a Championship season to start forming opinions of where your team is compared to everyone else's imo.

I've absolutely no idea where our team *should* be finishing, this season. Could be 1st for all I know. I'm just hoping it's above 22nd 😂

Yup! Likewise with Cardiff, they have had a tough start on paper and being bottom isn't reflective of where they could be, but that's purely based on the clubs they have come up against, not necessarily 'good teams' but teams you assume they will be good this season. 

Luton on paper looks a difficult game and they have had a shocking start. Likewise Derby have played three out of four games against the current top 8, which could all change towards the end of the season. Lots of ifs and buts and making sweeping statements about who people *should* be beating is daft.

[Eoghan1884]

After 10 games you want 11/12 points to be on track to stay up and worst case scenario take 10 points from 10. That means we’d need 6 points in our next 6 games when the first 10 games are done. Looking at who I think will be in that dog fight with us for the season we’ve got one of the hardest runs over the next 6 games but have also had the best start to the season. 

Derby - 6 points 

Next 6 - Cardiff (H), Sheff UTD (A), Norwich (H), Sunderland (A), QPR (H), Millwall (A)

Oxford - 6 points

Next 6 - Stoke (H), Bristol (A), Burnley (H), Luton (A), Portsmouth (A), West Brom (H)

Portsmouth - 3 points

Next 6 - West Brom (H), Burnley (A), Sheff UTD (H), Stoke (A), Oxford (H), QPR (A)

Preston - 3 points

Next 6 - Middlesbrough (A), Blackburn (H), Millwall (A), Watford (H), Burnley (A), Coventry (H)

Plymouth - 2 points

Next 6 - Sunderland (H), West Brom (A), Luton (H), Burnley (A), Blackburn (H), Cardiff (A) 

Cardiff - 1 point

Next 6 - Derby (A), Leeds (H), Hull (A), Millwall (H), Bristol (A), Plymouth (H)

 

[brady1993]

4 hours ago, Eoghan1884 said:

After 10 games you want 11/12 points to be on track to stay up and worst case scenario take 10 points from 10. That means we’d need 6 points in our next 6 games when the first 10 games are done. Looking at who I think will be in that dog fight with us for the season we’ve got one of the hardest runs over the next 6 games but have also had the best start to the season. 

Derby - 6 points 

Next 6 - Cardiff (H), Sheff UTD (A), Norwich (H), Sunderland (A), QPR (H), Millwall (A)

Oxford - 6 points

Next 6 - Stoke (H), Bristol (A), Burnley (H), Luton (A), Portsmouth (A), West Brom (H)

Portsmouth - 3 points

Next 6 - West Brom (H), Burnley (A), Sheff UTD (H), Stoke (A), Oxford (H), QPR (A)

Preston - 3 points

Next 6 - Middlesbrough (A), Blackburn (H), Millwall (A), Watford (H), Burnley (A), Coventry (H)

Plymouth - 2 points

Next 6 - Sunderland (H), West Brom (A), Luton (H), Burnley (A), Blackburn (H), Cardiff (A) 

Cardiff - 1 point

Next 6 - Derby (A), Leeds (H), Hull (A), Millwall (H), Bristol (A), Plymouth (H)

 

Just focusing on our fixtures and that's not too bad a run of six, I'm not looking at and dreading it. The bad element is having those three fixtures of sheff utd -> sunderland sandwiched together. It's the kind of mini-block that things can go wrong in and sap confidence. I think a lot depends on how those fixtures go/how we mentally come through it.

I'd put our range for those 6 at probably 3-10 points, most likely falling somewhere around 6. The two big targetable games are Cardiff and QPR.

[brady1993]

On 02/09/2024 at 22:57, Ghost of Clough said:

There are a few players I would have in our squad, but I don't think any would be starting - Willock would be a rotation option on the wings, Robertson would battle with Goudmijn, maybe Al Ghazi (but he has barely played for over a year), and Deland looks like a tidy CB on the ball, but wouldn't get in over Cashin.

I think they're the weakest side in the league. Plymouth have a couple of very good players who will get them points out of no where, whislt Portsmouth and Oxford are well coach and recruited smartly for their budgets. Only 3 sides conceded more and 3 sides had a worse GD last season too. It's no surprise to me they find themselves at the bottom of the table already.

I think the thing that other team's fans will miss when they look at us is just how much talent Goudmijn and Ozoh have. Ozoh won't play in the championship after this season, he's only here to get some sense of tactical awareness and positioning. And I wouldn't be surprised if we struggle to hold onto Goudmijn for more than a season or two.

Edited September 9 by brady1993