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Thread | MarkTWTD Runs in 2025
by MarkTWTD at 12:08 12 May 2025
Hey everybody!
Just 6 days until my first running event of 2025 - the Great Manchester 10k.
You may remember that I ran my first half marathon (21Km, 13.1miles) in September last year, for Bowel Cancer UK along side my mate Ken (and TWTDer) NewcyBlue and my personal trainer Matty Schmid.
If you feel the urge, you can track me on the day (Sunday 18th May) on the Great Run app by downloading it, selecting the Manchester 10K event and entering my bib number (1891). I'm scheduled to start in the Orange wave (first) at 11.45am. I dread to think what target time I put on my application last year in order to start in the Fast Pace/Orange wave!!!
I'm running the Great North Run again in September with more ambitious targets, along with other events throughout the summer. Rather than have individual fund raisers for each event, I've rolled my runs in 2025 into one single appeal. If you would like to and are able to, please donate to my JustGiving fund raiser and help them continue their work to save lives.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/mark-brierley-runs-in-2025
I'm also waiting to hear if I have a place on #teambowelcanceruk for the London 2026 Marathon next April!
You can read all about my fitness and running journey on my website at https://www.gnr2025.co.uk
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Thread | Summer window
by IPSWICHFANITFC at 11:46 12 May 2025
Who stays? Who moves on?
Woolfenden, Davis, Morsy, Burns, Chaplin & Hirst were ever presents under McKenna in the promotion winning L1 & Championship seasons - will most of them be the spine in the Championship again next season as they understand the way we play the most and suit the system? And we look to add a couple of quality additions to the starting 11 and bolster the squad out with more strength in depth, ie, centre midfield and another Hirst.
Personally, I don't see Luongo or Harness here next season. I think Walton, Al-Hamadi and possibly Broadhead might move on in positions where they're quite stacked already. Obviously I don't see Delap or Hutchinson playing Champ football next season, but I think we will do well to hold on to O'Shea and Greaves too, possibly Tuanzebe.
As for players like Jack Taylor, I don't think he will be good enough to nail down a starting role, but as it's an area we will be thin in, does he stay for another year? Or are we ruthless and really upgrade our midfield with a bit of financial power behind us? |
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Thread | Your Top 3, plausible, signings for this Summer
by Len_Brennan at 11:09 12 May 2025
It's going to be tricky window, as this season has shown the gap between Premier League & Championship level players. We have to work on the basis that we will be pushing to go straight back up & try to sign players that will be capable of stepping up with us.
If we found it difficult to get PL level players to join us last summer, it should be even harder now that we have gone back down. The foreign markets are a must, but who do you think we might have a reasonable chance of bringing in from the domestic market?
Our 3 main areas to look at are centre forward (x2), centre midfield (x2), and probably right back.
I have liked the look of Ivanovic at Millwall any time I saw him, he's young, has undoubted quality & will only get better.
Wouter Burger from Stoke would be a decent shout for our midfield & looks like he wants to get out. He has played at a high level in Europe before, so may well be suited to a PL style.
If Sheffield United don't go up, & if they are under pressure to reduce their budget further, de Souza Costa is a smashing player, but who will undoubtedly have interest from the PL.
As for right back, Jimmy Dunne at QPR made the Championship team of the year, despite being in a poor side; maybe a relatively affordable option to test out during the year?
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Thread | The ridiculous shytehousery in the penalty box at corners CAN be ended….
by ArnieM at 09:19 12 May 2025
The quickest way to end the ridiculous free for all in the penalty box at corners, is for the refs to blow his whistle and hand out 3-4 yellow cards…. Commence play, fouls re committed, second bookings and OFF. Yes it’ll make the game a 5 a side for a few games but the game is a farce in its current state anyway. Players being banned (several players in a team) for a game or two will sharpen the mind if they know they will be booked and eventually sent off. This is totally down to the players. |
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Thread | The gap between the Premier league and the Championship
by BlueRaider at 08:44 12 May 2025
We've seen it with our eyes, it's huge
I thought I would make a statistical comparison between the leagues, and have used 6 teams - Leeds, Burnley, Sheffield United, Leicester, Southampton and us.
I looked at the difference between the goals for per game, and goals against per game and how these compare when teams were in the Premier league against the Championship.
Leeds - on relegation in 2022/23, they had a negative goals per game difference (GPGD) of -0.79, last season in the championship they had a positive GPGD of 0.82 so a difference of 1.62, this season their GPGD improved to 1.41
Leicester - on relegation in 2022/23, they had a negative GPGD of -0.44, in the Championship last season it was 1.04, a difference of 1.48. This year in the premier league it is -1.31, a huge drop off of -2.35.
Southampton - on relegation in 2022/23, they had a negative GPGD of -0.97, last season it was 0.52, and this year back in the premier league it is -1.58, so they improved by 1.48, but have then regressed by 2.11
Ipswich - In last seasons championship, our GPGD was 0.76, which has deteriorated to -1.17 in the Premier league, a difference of 1.92
Burnley - On promotion in 2022/23 their GPGD was 1.13, which fell to -0.97 in the Premier league, a difference of 2.1, they registered a GPGD this season of 1.15, an almost idential swing back
Sheffield United - In their promotion in 2022/23 they had a GPGD of 0.74, last season it was -1.82 (comfortably the worst of anyone) a drop of 2.56 ! This year they have a GPGD of 0.59, a recovery of 2.41.
These show the gap is enormous, teams are at least 1.5 goals per game worse off in the Premier league than in the Championship.
Clearly I am not comparing apples with apples, players will be bought and sold etc
To survive in the premier league you need to probably have a GPGD of no worse than -0.6 and some luck. If GPGD continues to deteriorate by between 1.5 and 2.5 you are going to need to record one on promotion of at least 1, if not 1.5.
Leeds perhaps then have a chance, a drop off of 2 from their 2024/25 figure of 1.41 would give -0.59. They have excellent goals for and against ratios (2.06 and 0.65)
Burnley would have to have a lot go for them, their GPGD of 1.15 is built almost entirely on their crazy defensive record.
Sheffield United (if they win the play offs), only have a GPGD of 0.59, the minimum drop off of 1.5 leaves them close to our performance, so very little chance.
For the 3 relegated sides in the championship, to better the best of the rest (Sunderland) who recorded a GPGD of 0.3 this season they will have to improve as follows :
Ipswich + 1.46
Leicester + 1.61
Southampton + 1.88
The average gap between the divisions has been 2.08, therefore statistically, these should be the top 3 in the championship next season (although there is the wildcard of Birmingham (GPGD of 1.15 this season) - for reference our GPGD fell by 0.67 between league one and the championship. |
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Thread | Sacked off the prem on tv today
by Ftnfwest at 20:38 11 May 2025
To make my annual visit to the non league camp finals day. Two very good games as well, congrats to whitstable and aldershot, the latter must have had 16-17,000 there |
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Thread | Mings thrown under the bus by BBC again
by Edmundo at 20:11 11 May 2025
BBC headline on Sports page, "Very violent" Mings elbow fractured Scott Jaw.
Firstly, this is a quote from the Bournemouth boss.
Secondly, there's no confirmation of a fracture thus far.
Thirdly, Mings does have form but do any of us really think he is some kind of hatchet man? BBC have a history of analyzing his fouls and jumping to conclusions. |
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Thread | Wycombe v Charlton
by Wickets at 18:31 11 May 2025
On Sky sports football. Cam Humpreys and Richard Kone who we have been linked with I believe. |
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Thread | I hate getting wrapped up in modern football fandom
by Garv at 18:05 11 May 2025
and all the online nonsense and overload of public opinion
...but I can't help myself...
Have Liverpool just formally announced themselves as the most idiotic fan base in all the land with their treatment of Alexander-Arnold just now having come on as a sub? Full on booing a boyhood Liverpool fan and academy player who has won everything meaningful there is to win with your club, because he's decided to go and live in and play for Madrid...
As I type they've just conceded as well, have to admit I'm absolutely buzzing with that. What a bunch of tits. What are they going to do if he scores?
YNWA? Have a day off. |
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Thread | Is this the worst season in our history then?
by vapour_trail at 17:26 11 May 2025
Must be from a statistical perspective. Especially at home. That’s been dreadful. And after 130m spent on recruitment.
Obvs there’s the whole league one journey, fighting against the odds, but it must be our worst season, right?
Maybe some older blues will have something worse? |
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