The Championship final 5 games thread

The Championship final 5 games thread

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Puggit

Original Poster:

48,355 posts

247 months

Thursday 9th April 2015
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Neck and neck between Bournemouth, Norwich, Watford and Boro for the 2 promotion spots. Play off hopes for Derby, Wolves, Brentford and Ipswich.

All to play for at the top - there's going to be 4 very upset teams come the final day (2 of the promotion hopefuls and 2 missing out on playoffs).

Is the Championship the most exciting league in the world?

Shame the bottom isn't so alluring wink

nicanary

9,751 posts

145 months

Friday 10th April 2015
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Puggit said:
Neck and neck between Bournemouth, Norwich, Watford and Boro for the 2 promotion spots. Play off hopes for Derby, Wolves, Brentford and Ipswich.

All to play for at the top - there's going to be 4 very upset teams come the final day (2 of the promotion hopefuls and 2 missing out on playoffs).

Is the Championship the most exciting league in the world?

Shame the bottom isn't so alluring wink
It depends on what you consider "exciting". It doesn't always provide the best actual football. Yes, it's heart-stopping if you support one of the top teams. Unless, like me, you dread the disappointment once you reach the Premiership, and get shown up for the second-rate team you are.

If you think it's exciting to get handed millions of quid-type substances from TV rights, then it's exciting. I don't give a toss quite frankly - I go back to the days pre-Murdoch when footie was for the fans. Whether we go up or not doesn't matter to me - it's just a game.

On the ball, City......

simoncrouch

1,136 posts

118 months

Friday 10th April 2015
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nicanary said:
It depends on what you consider "exciting". It doesn't always provide the best actual football. Yes, it's heart-stopping if you support one of the top teams. Unless, like me, you dread the disappointment once you reach the Premiership, and get shown up for the second-rate team you are.

If you think it's exciting to get handed millions of quid-type substances from TV rights, then it's exciting. I don't give a toss quite frankly - I go back to the days pre-Murdoch when footie was for the fans. Whether we go up or not doesn't matter to me - it's just a game.

On the ball, City......
I'll nail it to the flag, I support Watford and have had more than my fair share of disappointment, I really genuinely would love to see us promoted automatically, my heart can't take another set of playoffs !!!!

Come on you 'orns.

Charlie1986

2,016 posts

134 months

Friday 10th April 2015
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For me the fairy tale would be Bournemouth and Eddie Howe coming up to play with the big boys

nicanary

9,751 posts

145 months

Friday 10th April 2015
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Charlie1986 said:
For me the fairy tale would be Bournemouth and Eddie Howe coming up to play with the big boys
As a Canary, I will admit I'd be quite happy for Bournemouth and Brentford to go up, and see the fat cats looking up maps to find out where these towns are. Good luck to 'em both, they livened up things no end.

That bast*rd who owns Brentford needs a ball-crusher attached - what sort of man is he when he acknowledges all season that he's going to sack his manager if they reach the Prem.? Are they a sort of Leeds Utd in waiting? Ideas above his station - a dangerous thing.

Hub

6,413 posts

197 months

Saturday 11th April 2015
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It's really close, and everyone keeps winning! I'd love Bournemouth to do it, it's hilarious (and I live there!) but I'm not getting my hopes up. A traditional dip in form could cock it all up.

nicanary

9,751 posts

145 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
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And still the top 4 plough on. Watford away tonight at Forest, which won't be easy for them. For many fans this is really stressful - automatic promotion is a must to allay additional stress in the playoffs.

Me? Couldn't care less. All that dosh from promotion doesn't always ensure a future in the top flight. Remember - it's just a game.

Hub

6,413 posts

197 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
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I know what you mean. but it is different for Bournemouth, they've never scaled these heady heights before!

Norwich - Middlesborough on Friday will be interesting. Hoping for a draw!

nicanary

9,751 posts

145 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
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Hub said:
I know what you mean. but it is different for Bournemouth, they've never scaled these heady heights before!

Norwich - Middlesborough on Friday will be interesting. Hoping for a draw!
Three more points for the Hornets, although by all accounts Forest made it tough for them. I have to say, I think City will find Friday's game very hard going. It could be a crunch match in more than one way.

As an unbiased Canary, I hope you Cherries do go up. Good on you. Where the hell do you get your support from? When I was last in the town the average age was 80+. It's "Dunroamin"-by-the-Sea.

Hub

6,413 posts

197 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
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nicanary said:
When I was last in the town the average age was 80+. It's "Dunroamin"-by-the-Sea.
Must have been a while ago. Very young and studenty these days, and one of only two places in the country where the agerage age is going down. The biddies all live in neighbouring Christchurch (Highcliffe), which does have the highest average age of any Borough!

It isn't a traditional football town though, and support is quite up and down depending on success!

nicanary

9,751 posts

145 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
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Hub said:
nicanary said:
When I was last in the town the average age was 80+. It's "Dunroamin"-by-the-Sea.
Must have been a while ago. Very young and studenty these days, and one of only two places in the country where the agerage age is going down. The biddies all live in neighbouring Christchurch (Highcliffe), which does have the highest average age of any Borough!

It isn't a traditional football town though, and support is quite up and down depending on success!
Ah. It was Christchurch I was in - my ex-sister-in-law. It seemed to be closed on most days. Let's hope Mourinho & Co know where to travel to, when the time comes.

Legend83

9,947 posts

221 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
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yes

As a Swansea City fan of 32 years I hope Bournemouth / Brentford can do it as I remember many years of playing both teams in the lower divisions.

Who knows what you can go on to do - we were written off as instant relegation fodder and in three seasons in the Premier League we have finished in the top half twice (assuming we do this season), won the Capital One Cup and played against teams like Valencia and Napoli in the Europa League!

10 years ago if you had said that would happen I would have had you sectioned!

F3RNY7

545 posts

163 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
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As a Bristol City ST holder I'm keeping a very close eye on this to see who we will and won't be playing next season! Really want Bournemouth to go up as it will be great to see a team in the Premiership that hasn't been yo-yoing for years between Championship and Premiership.

Norwich, Watford, Boro, Derby, Wolves...they've all been in and out of the Prem for most of my football-supporting life - be great to see someone else getting up there.

banksey

65 posts

171 months

Friday 17th April 2015
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Really not looking forward to us (Boro) playing Norwich tonight, if we lose that's us in the playoffs. Even though we beat them 4-0 last time round, can't see the same happening again!

Timbo_S2

531 posts

262 months

Friday 17th April 2015
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Sitting at work, 20 mins walk to the ground tonight, season ticket in top pocket...

Nervous as hell. Massive game, at least middlesborough have to get something from it so won't try to sit back and defend for 90mins like most teams who have come to carrow road to date...

3 point please and lots of goals to get the goal difference up!!

nicanary

9,751 posts

145 months

Friday 17th April 2015
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Timbo_S2 said:
Sitting at work, 20 mins walk to the ground tonight, season ticket in top pocket...

Nervous as hell. Massive game, at least middlesborough have to get something from it so won't try to sit back and defend for 90mins like most teams who have come to carrow road to date...

3 point please and lots of goals to get the goal difference up!!
Goal difference is the second-best in the league after the Cherries, I think, so that isn't the problem. We can score them OK, it's that creaky defence I worry about, even though it's been a bit better of late. (I've just realised my post is a "shot myself in the foot" type.)

There's just no pace in the central defence - if they get caught out of position, the opposition score. It's a six-pointer, for sure.

Puggit

Original Poster:

48,355 posts

247 months

Friday 17th April 2015
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As a Watford fan I'm looking forward to one or both teams taking a dent in their automatic hopes tonight smile

I'll be watching with my carrot crunching father in law in Albufeira - looking forward to seeing him squirm.

The fact there were hugely damaging refereeing mistakes against Watford in our games with Bournemouth and Norwich is now looking all important. Without those mistakes we might now be clear...

truck71

2,328 posts

171 months

Saturday 18th April 2015
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nicanary said:
As a Canary, I will admit I'd be quite happy for Bournemouth and Brentford to go up, and see the fat cats looking up maps to find out where these towns are. Good luck to 'em both, they livened up things no end.

That bast*rd who owns Brentford needs a ball-crusher attached - what sort of man is he when he acknowledges all season that he's going to sack his manager if they reach the Prem.? Are they a sort of Leeds Utd in waiting? Ideas above his station - a dangerous thing.
Bigger picture at Brentford. New stadium due, extremely well run club that many could learn from (academy, culture, fans treated with respect and not exploited, not to mention a pub at each corner of the ground) and an excellent manager. Mark Warburton will have plenty of opportunity when he leaves, he is moving on largely because of the proposed structure within the club next year where there would be a "director of football role" and a Head Coach. He may already have a position lined up, he certainly deserves a bigger club and will be fine. Who turns out to be more successful, MW or Brentford remains to be seen- hopefully both move on to better things.

Back on topic, looks like the blues maybe playing the yellows in the play offs- when did we last beat you? So long ago I can't remember..

essayer

9,011 posts

193 months

Saturday 18th April 2015
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Well that was an unexpected turn

Amirhussain

11,486 posts

162 months

Saturday 25th April 2015
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Watford promoted.