Championship 2018-2019

[tomd2103]

Won't need 90 points to get top 2, I think 85 will be enough.

They were saying on WM last week that at that time last season Woves were top with 44 points and Cardiff 2nd with 42 (I think), but at the same time this season Norwich were top with 37.  As you say, might not need as many points this season. 

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I think we're benefiting from Norwich being unlikely to win the league. So the difference between the winner and their current points total and Wolves is even bugger than 7 points.

Norwich and Leeds may continue their run. We all thought Cardiff would falter and they didnt. But I'd be surprised having seen both if either finished in the automatics.

Pity we played Norwich so early in Smith's reign. Equally that Tammy went off. Hm

[Brassneck]

I think Norwich are the best team we've played this season. I see no reason why they can't keep it up.  Leeds haven't really impressed me but they've got a top class manager who has them punching above their wait.

We only need one to go on a bad run because 2nd will see us up.

Albion worry me and to a lesser extent, Derby as well but for the short term, we need to concentrate on our own game.  I felt that at the beginning of this difficult run that the best we could hope for was to be the same distance behind the top 2 on 1 January that we were at the start.  We've managed to do that so far and have gained a point on 2nd.  If somebody had told me that at the start of October, I'd have thought they were mad.

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Norwich?! Really? Why?

A drab game we would probably win now.

[Chinchilla Bathhouse]

I agree, I think Norwich are incredibly average. We gifted them a win with lax defending. If we played them now, just four weeks on, we'd hammer them.

[DennisHodgetts]

It is there for the taking this year. Derby usually implode after Christmas whoever is in charge, Norwich are playing way above themselves and will hit a rough patch soon, Boro are too negative and can't score goals and that will not change with TP, Sheffield Utd didn't last the course last year and I do not see anything different this year, Leeds are currently riding their luck with scabbed results , that is until they visit us later this month. I suspect Albion will be close, but will drop plenty of points and Forest are also likely to buck their recent trend of slumping as they seem well organised and have some depth, but may lose the likes of Lolley in the next window. We are genuinely the best in this league, we just need to make up for lost time and go on a run like Fulham's last year, hopefully we are already on it. 

[Brassneck]

Norwich?! Really? Why?

A drab game we would probably win now.

I thought they were good.  They restricted us (which is probably why you think it was drab) and they worked their socks off to force our defenders into rushing passes that ultimately led to mistakes, as Blues did last week.  It takes a certain level of fitness to do this for 90 minutes.

Who do you think are the best team we've played then? Derby? Boro?

Whether we would hammer them now is irrelevant.  The two points are: a) Can they sustain their form? and b) Were they the best team we've played?

They've won 6 and drawn 1 of their last 7.  I don't think that is an indication that they are unlikely to win the league.

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They had one more chance than we did and it was Chester being typical Chester. The first and other effort was off a corner where Tammy would have been far better positioned to clear had he been on the pitch.

I thought they were anything but impressive.

Forest are quite easily the best side we have played. They'll pick up a lot of points away from home.

[olaftab]

There were one or two on here last season who denigrated Cardiff and, their so called jammy results, were thoroughly convinced that they will not last the distance. Same thing is now being said about Leeds however Leeds have been around the top two now all season and I think they will stay around. I am  secretly hoping they implode after January.

[footyskillz]

Leeds next two matches before they get a beating at Villa
Are QPR at home
Bolton away

Norwich next 3 matches (2away)
Bolton at home
Bristol City away
Blackburn away.

[Brassneck]

They had one more chance than we did and it was Chester being typical Chester. The first and other effort was off a corner where Tammy would have been far better positioned to clear had he been on the pitch.

I thought they were anything but impressive.

Forest are quite easily the best side we have played. They'll pick up a lot of points away from home.

Even allowing for Forest's 5 against us, Norwich have still scored more goals than them.  They lost Madison and Murphy in the summer and seem to have adjusted to suit their players.  It's not a purple patch, it's 20 games which is almost half a season.

I'm not saying that they can't be caught because I think they can.  I just feel that you shouldn't automatically write them off - Especially as they are 9 points ahead of us.  Hopefully, a couple of injuries and suspensions will knock them off course a bit.  I'm hoping that Grabban won't continue in this vein of scoring throughout a season as well - He did similar last season and began to falter from around March onwards.

[footyskillz]

Well for a start norwich should be beating beating Bolton at home Saturday .

[Richie]

We just need to keep our current form up and the remaining games this month all look tough. However, it should be noted that after Fridays trip to the Albion, there’s only Leeds, Forest, Blues and Stoke in top half that we have left to visit and I’d fancy us against anyone in the league at Home in front of a big vocal crowd. Also, last two games of the season - Leeds away, Norwich at home. Bloody hell, could be huge matches.

[Pvb1968]

We can do nothing other than concentrate on ourselves and second guessing other teams is pointless, we're not even in the top 6 yet so let's not get cocky.

[DennisHodgetts]

We can do nothing other than concentrate on ourselves and second guessing other teams is pointless, we're not even in the top 6 yet so let's not get cocky.

I partly agree, but isn't it a pleasure to concentrate on ourselves after that November and, dream again? It is a very very long time since we have had a month like that.