mark82
Super Moderator
In fairness, probably not a game we go into for the rest of the season as underdog unless our form dips.
Championship thread 25/26! (56 Viewers)
- Thread starter shepardo01
- Start date
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Were super streaky under Lampard. I wouldn’t be surprised if we win six or seven in a row again or four of the next five.
Sky Blue Pete
Well-Known Member
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
The home form has held up throughout all the streakiness on the road. If it continues to we’re in business.
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shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Yes. It’s the Mandala effect
David O'Day
Well-Known Member
He's ok, not the 2nd coming of Baresi they painted him to be though.
Chris1987
Well-Known Member
You're being very naughty again
Ipad Boro
Well-Known Member
The chances of your not going up from here is minute tbh, tonight was never going to change that.
As a lot of your posters have surmised, even fairly decent results on average for you will see you over the line very nicely for promotion and the title is very achievable, not that that matters as much as going up, that's just the cherry on the cake.
A 5 point advantage (or more if Ipswich drop any points in their games in hand) a "slightly" more favourable set of fixtures left and you've came up with a different way to get wins from earlier in the season that's reliable too.
Speaking of the last, we finally found a different way to play. Granted Brum went for it more which helped, Beadle's face made me suspect he was hampered and I'm still surprised they sent him out for the 2nd half, but 5 at the back meant Fry could do the lion's share of defending whilst Ayling was more responsible for playing it forward.
Other than that... My take on tonight was that This wasn't the "hellball" we're used to either.
Far less rapid passing and moving that can slice through teams but is vulnerable to a hard press at times too.
We didn't use our midfield as much, relying more on work down the channels & looping long balls (and even a headed goal relying on a decent hit ball and a striker's perfect positioning, bloody hell, not seen us have one of those in a while)
We let them have about 60% of the possession as well, content just to break and let the ball travel the distance for us. It meant we were under the cosh for periods, but ultimately if we just outscored them and were clinical enough we had nothing to worry about.
As a result we had far less shots than we usually do, but every single one we hit on target went sailing in.
Oh and if all else failed, yes I know this will meet with some scepticism to say the least, but we had the power of Hoodoo to back it up (7 wins on the bounce against Brum now very coincidentally, which is probably the biggest reason I was chilled about this game beforehand despite it being at their ground and them being in form. Even if we weren't as clinical, something else was overwhelmingly likely to go wrong for them, again see Beadle's face.)
We found another way to win that was damned effective.
Remind you of any team in particular?
I think Hellberg actually learned a fair bit from our game against you as our altered style tonight showed..It may not be as attractive to watch, but it IS efficient, which is far more important right now. Whether it will be as effective against the myriad of low block teams we will doubtless face before season end, who knows? But as you discovered with the difference from your own more expansive playing style earlier in the season, it's another way to win, which at this stage of the campaign is vital.
As a lot of your posters have surmised, even fairly decent results on average for you will see you over the line very nicely for promotion and the title is very achievable, not that that matters as much as going up, that's just the cherry on the cake.
A 5 point advantage (or more if Ipswich drop any points in their games in hand) a "slightly" more favourable set of fixtures left and you've came up with a different way to get wins from earlier in the season that's reliable too.
Speaking of the last, we finally found a different way to play. Granted Brum went for it more which helped, Beadle's face made me suspect he was hampered and I'm still surprised they sent him out for the 2nd half, but 5 at the back meant Fry could do the lion's share of defending whilst Ayling was more responsible for playing it forward.
Other than that... My take on tonight was that This wasn't the "hellball" we're used to either.
Far less rapid passing and moving that can slice through teams but is vulnerable to a hard press at times too.
We didn't use our midfield as much, relying more on work down the channels & looping long balls (and even a headed goal relying on a decent hit ball and a striker's perfect positioning, bloody hell, not seen us have one of those in a while)
We let them have about 60% of the possession as well, content just to break and let the ball travel the distance for us. It meant we were under the cosh for periods, but ultimately if we just outscored them and were clinical enough we had nothing to worry about.
As a result we had far less shots than we usually do, but every single one we hit on target went sailing in.
Oh and if all else failed, yes I know this will meet with some scepticism to say the least, but we had the power of Hoodoo to back it up (7 wins on the bounce against Brum now very coincidentally, which is probably the biggest reason I was chilled about this game beforehand despite it being at their ground and them being in form. Even if we weren't as clinical, something else was overwhelmingly likely to go wrong for them, again see Beadle's face.)
We found another way to win that was damned effective.
Remind you of any team in particular?
I think Hellberg actually learned a fair bit from our game against you as our altered style tonight showed..It may not be as attractive to watch, but it IS efficient, which is far more important right now. Whether it will be as effective against the myriad of low block teams we will doubtless face before season end, who knows? But as you discovered with the difference from your own more expansive playing style earlier in the season, it's another way to win, which at this stage of the campaign is vital.
I listened to the large majority of that game in the car travelling up to Cov . It was a very poor game but Pompey were the better team for certain
bigfatronssba
Well-Known Member
We’re going to end up with the slightly bizarre scenario of wanting Boro to beat Ipswich
skybluelee
Well-Known Member
Not as bizarre as the scenario of some of our fans wanting them to beat Birmingham last night.
Ipad Boro
Well-Known Member
It's not THAT bizarre (though Ipswich somehow imploding between now and our head to head, leaving them 11 points behind you and us 4 behind you say, with 4 to play, which I CAN'T see happening, we'd actually be the win to actually send you up, but would the lesser satisfaction of the title kick in for you by then? All academical anyway) as I think more would like to see another non-parachute side go up and you're more likely to get points off us than Ipswich next season.
Major Tom
Well-Known Member
Surely a draw would be better
Ccfcisparks
Well-Known Member
Matt Grimes' Beard
Well-Known Member
Our worst run of form over an 11 game period this season was Ipswich (h) to Norwich (a), over which period, we managed to accumulate 15 points.
If we were to replicate that, it would put us on 86 which would probably be there or thereabouts for promotion.
All we need to do is not be as shit as we were at our shittest and we're there!!
skybluebristol
Well-Known Member
This is interesting.... so bar a complete and utter collapse and a string of losses...
KenilworthSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
This also coincided with probably our toughest run of the season when we had to contend with fatigue, illness, out of form players and injuries. Lampard's tactics were also all over the shop at times which from recent results looks to have been rectified.
We're more than capable of being able to win 6 of our remaining 11. That should be enough to see us over the line.
SonofErnie
Well-Known Member
We're not going to know what a favourable result is until all the prior games have been played. As it stands today a win for either of them would be most beneficial.
AFCCOVENTRY
Well-Known Member
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
As it stands I would prefer to gain two points on both of them as opposed to 3 on one and 0 on the other.
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
The game is truly gone…
Johnnythespider
Well-Known Member
Isn't this because Easter has moved to an earlier weekend next year, the international calendar has been set for some time.
David O'Day
Well-Known Member
yep the international break is the same period in 2026 as it is in 2027, it is just as you say Easter has moved earlier
SonofErnie
Well-Known Member
It's a straight forward mathematical calculation. If one of them wins our points target (for guaranteed promotion) is lowered to 96 as opposed to 97 with a draw.
Once the fixture actually comes around a draw might be the outcome we want.
Shannerz
Well-Known Member
Ideally, what we need from tonight is for both sides to completely lose their heads, end up in an enormous brawl involving all players, subs, managers, backroom staff and police. Someone may even punch the ref. The fall out from this is such that both sides suffer a significant points deduction, effectively putting them out of the promotion picture entirely.
Failing that, it's probably better Hull win, as it's likely they'll pick up fewer points than Ipswich over the remaining games of the season.
Failing that, it's probably better Hull win, as it's likely they'll pick up fewer points than Ipswich over the remaining games of the season.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Reckon the ecclesiastical calendar has it beat by a few hundred years tbf.
KenilworthSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
Personally I'd much rather see Hull win than both pick up a point.
Ideally we want Ipswich gaining minimal points from their games in hand so we can keep them at an arms length.
Ideally we want Ipswich gaining minimal points from their games in hand so we can keep them at an arms length.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Yeah I see Ipswich as by far our biggest threat. Then Boro then a fair distance to Millwall and Hull. Famous last words maybe but still
KenilworthSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
After tonight Ipswich have a fairly favourable run over the next three games where I can very much see them picking up maximum points. Leicester (h), Stoke (a) and Sheff W (a).
Add in a potential W against Hull and that 11 point gap suddenly becomes a lot smaller, not helped by our game this weekend against Bristol likely to be moved.
Warwickhunt
Well-Known Member
I had a few quid on Port Vale to go through to the 5th round
SafeAsMilk
Active Member
Synod of Whitby in 664
KenilworthSkyBlue
Well-Known Member
I had a few quid on Port Vale to go through to the 5th round
I genuinely hope they do pull off an upset.
A 11 day gap between two fixtures when momentum is with us isn't necessary a good thing.