| Difficult league 16:34 - Feb 15 with 2688 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
I have read on here a few times that the standard in the Championship is poor this season and the logic appears to be that anyone is beating anyone (aside from Sheff Wed who still gave Millwall a bit of a fright for a while) and there isn't a team or a few of them running away with it.
However, my thoughts are that it is when a league is easy, one or two teams run away with it. In a low quality league one or two teams that are better win most of their matches. The fact that teams like nodge, Leicester, West Brom and Blackburn are in the lower third (and nodge are 2nd in the form table), and that teams like Millwall and Preston are doing well (when traditionally they might be expected to struggle) only goes to prove how difficult the division is this time around. |  |
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| Difficult league on 16:43 - Feb 15 with 1882 views | algy |
It's a very competitive division this season with a half perhaps up to three quarters of teams still having a chance for promotion, playoffs enable that, with a third of a season to go. Much prefer that to where teams get close to it exceed a century of points, which is only good when your own team does! |  |
| Never forget that for ITFC the game changed in April 2021. |
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| Difficult league on 16:44 - Feb 15 with 1884 views | ITFC_Forever |
Anyone who has functioning eyes can see what a poor division it is this season.
Hull were appalling when we played them and no better when Boro played them soon after and are fifth.
Preston were awful both times against us and are seventh.
The standard is dreadful, keep it tight, sh1thouse every game and play a low block against anyone who might score against you and job done.
The only decent teams have been us at times, Cov before they imploded and Boro. Possibly the Blunts when they can be bothered. |  |
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| Difficult league on 16:57 - Feb 15 with 1808 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| Difficult league on 16:44 - Feb 15 by ITFC_Forever |
Anyone who has functioning eyes can see what a poor division it is this season.
Hull were appalling when we played them and no better when Boro played them soon after and are fifth.
Preston were awful both times against us and are seventh.
The standard is dreadful, keep it tight, sh1thouse every game and play a low block against anyone who might score against you and job done.
The only decent teams have been us at times, Cov before they imploded and Boro. Possibly the Blunts when they can be bothered. |
Don't you think teams are poor when the opposition stops them from playing? And that teams have bad games and better games. Are nodge a poor side because we comfortably beat them? Or are they an excellent side because they are 2nd in the form table?
We battered Preston but lost 1-0 at their place. That was partly about us not taking our chances but it was also very much about them giving absolutely everything to stop us scoring. All of their players were totally spent by the end. I thought that was probably a one-off performance from them but they have clearly been like that all season. All credit to them. Does that make them a poor side? Not in my book. It makes them a very difficult side to play against.
Leicester have players like Vestergard, Faitawu, Mavididi, Faes,etc, etc. and are fighting relegation (and wouldn't be that far clear of it without their points deduction).
We thrashed Sheffield United 5-0 at our place but they are far from a poor side. How teams play against us and Boro is no yardstick for whether they are good sides on other days. Sheffield Wednesday are by some way the poorest team in the division but still gave Millwall a game.
If you want to say the only decent teams, I would add Leicester at times and nodge right now. Why is effectively playing a low block something to be discounted too? Is a division only good if every team is playing like Barcelona? Teams effectively playing a low block only goes to reinforce my point that it is a difficult division! | |
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| Difficult league on 17:05 - Feb 15 with 1773 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Nah, Leeds and Burnley of last year would been 10 points clear. |  |
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| Difficult league on 17:08 - Feb 15 with 1759 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Difficult league on 16:44 - Feb 15 by ITFC_Forever |
Anyone who has functioning eyes can see what a poor division it is this season.
Hull were appalling when we played them and no better when Boro played them soon after and are fifth.
Preston were awful both times against us and are seventh.
The standard is dreadful, keep it tight, sh1thouse every game and play a low block against anyone who might score against you and job done.
The only decent teams have been us at times, Cov before they imploded and Boro. Possibly the Blunts when they can be bothered. |
Correct. Think of Hull in 4th and look at the Southampton team of 2024.
If we go up this year with under 90 points we’d have got away with one really. Although maybe we were due after the last 3 years, in which it was basically the opposite. | |
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| Difficult league on 17:19 - Feb 15 with 1707 views | Radlett_blue |
| Difficult league on 17:08 - Feb 15 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Correct. Think of Hull in 4th and look at the Southampton team of 2024.
If we go up this year with under 90 points we’d have got away with one really. Although maybe we were due after the last 3 years, in which it was basically the opposite. |
It's really quite painful that a team as ordinary as Millwall are above us in the league (yes, we do have 2 games in hand). Hull are also neck & neck despite also looking pretty ordinary when we played them. We have also beaten Coventry twice.
Boro are obviously decent & should go up; if we don't make it, McKenna has seriously under-achieved with the resources he has been given. |  |
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| Difficult league on 17:26 - Feb 15 with 1675 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Difficult league on 17:19 - Feb 15 by Radlett_blue |
It's really quite painful that a team as ordinary as Millwall are above us in the league (yes, we do have 2 games in hand). Hull are also neck & neck despite also looking pretty ordinary when we played them. We have also beaten Coventry twice.
Boro are obviously decent & should go up; if we don't make it, McKenna has seriously under-achieved with the resources he has been given. |
Coventry got really hot to start the season, Boro now look a proper team but have hardly been flawless. It’s a really poor Championship. Right? Millwall and Hull!
Hull are under a transfer embargo! McBurnie obviously an important free signing for them. | |
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| Difficult league on 17:35 - Feb 15 with 1637 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Difficult league on 16:57 - Feb 15 by Nthsuffolkblue |
Don't you think teams are poor when the opposition stops them from playing? And that teams have bad games and better games. Are nodge a poor side because we comfortably beat them? Or are they an excellent side because they are 2nd in the form table?
We battered Preston but lost 1-0 at their place. That was partly about us not taking our chances but it was also very much about them giving absolutely everything to stop us scoring. All of their players were totally spent by the end. I thought that was probably a one-off performance from them but they have clearly been like that all season. All credit to them. Does that make them a poor side? Not in my book. It makes them a very difficult side to play against.
Leicester have players like Vestergard, Faitawu, Mavididi, Faes,etc, etc. and are fighting relegation (and wouldn't be that far clear of it without their points deduction).
We thrashed Sheffield United 5-0 at our place but they are far from a poor side. How teams play against us and Boro is no yardstick for whether they are good sides on other days. Sheffield Wednesday are by some way the poorest team in the division but still gave Millwall a game.
If you want to say the only decent teams, I would add Leicester at times and nodge right now. Why is effectively playing a low block something to be discounted too? Is a division only good if every team is playing like Barcelona? Teams effectively playing a low block only goes to reinforce my point that it is a difficult division! |
Wow! How on earth are you comparing Norwich under Liam Manning to their rejuvenated version now? Same with Sheffield United your argument holds absolutely no water.
Leicester is a club in turmoil, a mess with players not playing for the shirt. | |
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| Difficult league on 17:46 - Feb 15 with 1588 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| Difficult league on 17:19 - Feb 15 by Radlett_blue |
It's really quite painful that a team as ordinary as Millwall are above us in the league (yes, we do have 2 games in hand). Hull are also neck & neck despite also looking pretty ordinary when we played them. We have also beaten Coventry twice.
Boro are obviously decent & should go up; if we don't make it, McKenna has seriously under-achieved with the resources he has been given. |
I think people responding are confusing quality with difficulty.
I don't deny that there is less quality than when we were last in it. What I am saying is that generally teams are more difficult to beat. The fact that teams that have as little quality as Millwall and Preston are doing so well is a case in point. Teams with the quality of Leicester, Southampton, Sheffield United, Coventry, Middlesborough, us, even nodge are fiding it difficult to beat teams like Hull, Oxford, Blackburn, Preston, Millwall, Wrexham, Birmingham, etc and that makes it a tougher league.
Would Leeds have blown this division apart this time around? I think not but we will never know because that Leeds team isn't playing in this division. | |
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| Difficult league on 17:54 - Feb 15 with 1577 views | waveneyblue |
Its usually trotted out by those looking for a stick to beat McKenna et al with.
I think the Championship is an tough tough league. Burnley did their stuff last year by having an incredible defence. Leeds did it by managing to keep hold many of their top top players.
I dont think the quality is any different, just teams have different styles now which are clearly not based on "sexy" football. |  | | |
| Difficult league on 18:03 - Feb 15 with 1539 views | FrimleyBlue |
Its a more difficult league depending on who you are as a club yourself.
If sides played us like they do most other sides we'd be flying top by a mile. The fact is most sides make it more difficult for us than they do for others because they simply dont play the same way.
I think the GD shows this. Once we overtake millwall.. it will be sides from 4th downwards with single figure gds. That for me show how competitive the league is. It might not high quality but most games are open affairs.
We've come across sides who weekly play 4 2 3 1 or 4 3 3. Play us and its 5 3 2 etc
I'm hoping the less games left the more sides cant afford to try and take a point from our games. That may open things up for us more. |  |
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| Difficult league on 18:10 - Feb 15 with 1513 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Difficult league on 17:46 - Feb 15 by Nthsuffolkblue |
I think people responding are confusing quality with difficulty.
I don't deny that there is less quality than when we were last in it. What I am saying is that generally teams are more difficult to beat. The fact that teams that have as little quality as Millwall and Preston are doing so well is a case in point. Teams with the quality of Leicester, Southampton, Sheffield United, Coventry, Middlesborough, us, even nodge are fiding it difficult to beat teams like Hull, Oxford, Blackburn, Preston, Millwall, Wrexham, Birmingham, etc and that makes it a tougher league.
Would Leeds have blown this division apart this time around? I think not but we will never know because that Leeds team isn't playing in this division. |
Are you suggesting that teams in Championship have completely changed their style against bigger teams compared to last year?
The difference is Leeds had Piroe and co taking chances tbh. Burnley barely conceded a goal.
The likes of Hull are occupying the space that Sunderland did with Bellingham, Neil etc.
Some better sides had terrible managerial decisions that cost them at the start of the season and the other two recently relegated parachute sides are unstable, have imploded with manager after manager, one with a massive financial implication hanging over them.
The league is what it is without the couple of elite team that’s going to score 100 points when 3 or more sides basically managed that the two seasons before. | |
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| Difficult league on 18:13 - Feb 15 with 1505 views | blueoutlook |
| Difficult league on 16:44 - Feb 15 by ITFC_Forever |
Anyone who has functioning eyes can see what a poor division it is this season.
Hull were appalling when we played them and no better when Boro played them soon after and are fifth.
Preston were awful both times against us and are seventh.
The standard is dreadful, keep it tight, sh1thouse every game and play a low block against anyone who might score against you and job done.
The only decent teams have been us at times, Cov before they imploded and Boro. Possibly the Blunts when they can be bothered. |
Coventry haven’t imploded. They are still going to take some catching. I’m sorry,but I don’t believe we are the team to do it either. We look bang average. Truth hurts,but that is the truth. |  | | |
| Difficult league on 18:14 - Feb 15 with 1496 views | Mullet |
| Difficult league on 16:44 - Feb 15 by ITFC_Forever |
Anyone who has functioning eyes can see what a poor division it is this season.
Hull were appalling when we played them and no better when Boro played them soon after and are fifth.
Preston were awful both times against us and are seventh.
The standard is dreadful, keep it tight, sh1thouse every game and play a low block against anyone who might score against you and job done.
The only decent teams have been us at times, Cov before they imploded and Boro. Possibly the Blunts when they can be bothered. |
Quite. The lack of star power this year across the division is really noticeable. An injury prone, aged Bamford was being talked about like some sort of assassin etc. but I think there’s very few players elsewhere we’d look at and want.
Hackney being someone we went for, down from there maybe some of the strikers we’ve discussed. |  |
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| Difficult league on 18:15 - Feb 15 with 1481 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Difficult league on 18:10 - Feb 15 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Are you suggesting that teams in Championship have completely changed their style against bigger teams compared to last year?
The difference is Leeds had Piroe and co taking chances tbh. Burnley barely conceded a goal.
The likes of Hull are occupying the space that Sunderland did with Bellingham, Neil etc.
Some better sides had terrible managerial decisions that cost them at the start of the season and the other two recently relegated parachute sides are unstable, have imploded with manager after manager, one with a massive financial implication hanging over them.
The league is what it is without the couple of elite team that’s going to score 100 points when 3 or more sides basically managed that the two seasons before. |
Let's not forget the 56 odd clear cut chances missed Joey.
Whilst we had a bad opening month which has meant we've been chasing everything since and why this season seems so 'bad' compared to last
But the season hasnt been bad. We havent had the Xmas blip we suffered in the league 1 campaign nor the championship campaign. Id say alot of this season is strong that the previous. Our issue has been those clear cut chances missed.
Some of draws become wins and we are sitting top with boro below us.
Lots of talk about walking football. Not beating a low block etc.. weve had so many chances to win more of those games or win from losing behind but we just missed so many chances | |
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| Difficult league on 18:17 - Feb 15 with 1483 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Difficult league on 18:03 - Feb 15 by FrimleyBlue |
Its a more difficult league depending on who you are as a club yourself.
If sides played us like they do most other sides we'd be flying top by a mile. The fact is most sides make it more difficult for us than they do for others because they simply dont play the same way.
I think the GD shows this. Once we overtake millwall.. it will be sides from 4th downwards with single figure gds. That for me show how competitive the league is. It might not high quality but most games are open affairs.
We've come across sides who weekly play 4 2 3 1 or 4 3 3. Play us and its 5 3 2 etc
I'm hoping the less games left the more sides cant afford to try and take a point from our games. That may open things up for us more. |
He’s clutching at straws, this sentence should tell our all you need to know
“Are nodge a poor side because we comfortably beat them? Or are they an excellent side because they are 2nd in the form table?“
Norwich were an absolutly abysmal side under Manning!! | |
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| Difficult league on 18:20 - Feb 15 with 1464 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Difficult league on 18:15 - Feb 15 by FrimleyBlue |
Let's not forget the 56 odd clear cut chances missed Joey.
Whilst we had a bad opening month which has meant we've been chasing everything since and why this season seems so 'bad' compared to last
But the season hasnt been bad. We havent had the Xmas blip we suffered in the league 1 campaign nor the championship campaign. Id say alot of this season is strong that the previous. Our issue has been those clear cut chances missed.
Some of draws become wins and we are sitting top with boro below us.
Lots of talk about walking football. Not beating a low block etc.. weve had so many chances to win more of those games or win from losing behind but we just missed so many chances |
I think we will still make it up and that’s all the matters but the notion the championship isn’t weaker this year is just nonsense! | |
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| Difficult league on 18:24 - Feb 15 with 1427 views | ITFC_Forever |
| Difficult league on 18:13 - Feb 15 by blueoutlook |
Coventry haven’t imploded. They are still going to take some catching. I’m sorry,but I don’t believe we are the team to do it either. We look bang average. Truth hurts,but that is the truth. |
They have relative to their early form.
We’re five points behind, with a game in hand and in much better form.
Unless you’re a McKenna out, fold the club every time we drop points / lose a cup match simpleton, it’s clear to see it’s very possible. | |
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| Difficult league on 18:24 - Feb 15 with 1434 views | SomethingBlue |
Every year it's apparently the worst Championship ever. Every year the opposite is true. Yes there'll be variations at either end of the table but ultimately every single team is really well coached, has access to all the information they need to prepare meticulously for each opponent, and full of really high-level players. Anyone can beat anyone and it's constantly getting tougher. | |
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| Difficult league on 18:27 - Feb 15 with 1411 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Difficult league on 18:24 - Feb 15 by SomethingBlue |
Every year it's apparently the worst Championship ever. Every year the opposite is true. Yes there'll be variations at either end of the table but ultimately every single team is really well coached, has access to all the information they need to prepare meticulously for each opponent, and full of really high-level players. Anyone can beat anyone and it's constantly getting tougher. |
Deluded, there’s a lack of quality running throughout the top of the division. In the last couple of seasons, 3 or so teams would have separated. | |
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| Difficult league on 18:30 - Feb 15 with 1336 views | Mullet |
| Difficult league on 18:24 - Feb 15 by SomethingBlue |
Every year it's apparently the worst Championship ever. Every year the opposite is true. Yes there'll be variations at either end of the table but ultimately every single team is really well coached, has access to all the information they need to prepare meticulously for each opponent, and full of really high-level players. Anyone can beat anyone and it's constantly getting tougher. |
That’s just not true though.
No one said it last season, or the season before that, etc | |
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| Difficult league on 18:31 - Feb 15 with 1318 views | lazyblue |
| Difficult league on 16:44 - Feb 15 by ITFC_Forever |
Anyone who has functioning eyes can see what a poor division it is this season.
Hull were appalling when we played them and no better when Boro played them soon after and are fifth.
Preston were awful both times against us and are seventh.
The standard is dreadful, keep it tight, sh1thouse every game and play a low block against anyone who might score against you and job done.
The only decent teams have been us at times, Cov before they imploded and Boro. Possibly the Blunts when they can be bothered. |
It’s more a case of we are a far better team than the likes of Preston etc etc | | | |
| Difficult league on 18:34 - Feb 15 with 1309 views | waveneyblue |
| Difficult league on 18:27 - Feb 15 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
Deluded, there’s a lack of quality running throughout the top of the division. In the last couple of seasons, 3 or so teams would have separated. |
"Deluded" ...
Let's take a moment here.
The opinion of a football journalist or the opinion of a bloke off the Internet who enjoys a regular moan.
Forgive me, but im going with the fella who knows what he is talking about. [Post edited 15 Feb 18:39]
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| Difficult league on 18:50 - Feb 15 with 1224 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| Difficult league on 18:34 - Feb 15 by waveneyblue |
"Deluded" ...
Let's take a moment here.
The opinion of a football journalist or the opinion of a bloke off the Internet who enjoys a regular moan.
Forgive me, but im going with the fella who knows what he is talking about. [Post edited 15 Feb 18:39]
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I really don’t care what your insecurities about ITFC or anything else make you side with. You’re coming across as incredibly unlikable, so feel free to hit the ignore button. Anyone with eyes knows the division is weaker. I’m not going to change my opinion on that just because we are not winning it. | |
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| Difficult league on 19:02 - Feb 15 with 1167 views | waveneyblue |
| Difficult league on 18:50 - Feb 15 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
I really don’t care what your insecurities about ITFC or anything else make you side with. You’re coming across as incredibly unlikable, so feel free to hit the ignore button. Anyone with eyes knows the division is weaker. I’m not going to change my opinion on that just because we are not winning it. |
Im incredibly unlikeable because I dont agree with your posts and stand my ground when dealing with the likes of you.
Forgive me if I dont lose sleep over it. | | | |
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