The Championship & Smaller Clubs: '13-'14

[dirtynine]

I thought I'd start this off as the lower leagues have kicked off in England.  While Palace sits on its ass waiting for its Premier League beatings to commence, Brighton has already lost its first match and been kicked out of the League Cup by Newport. In fact, since losing to Palace in the playoffs last year, the summer has been a disaster for Brighton; manager Gus Poyet (who had been a beloved talisman) was suspended and eventually fired in very mysterious and acrimonious circumstances.  There is probably some connection to the fact that human poo was left smeared around the visitor's locker bathroom facilities during that second playoff leg that Brighton so crushingly lost to Palace.  (Seriously.) And now most Albion fans, used to the blows of fate, are nervously eyeing the Championship relegation zone already. 
 
The Championship '13-'14, after a match played:
 
3 Wigan
3 Blackpool
3 Bournemouth
3 Leeds
3 Leicester
3 QPR
3 Reading
3 Nottm Forest
3 Watford
3 Yeovil
1 Blackburn
1 Bolton
1 Burnley
1 Derby
0 Brighton
0 Charlton
0 Ipswich
0 Middlesbrough
0 Sheff Wed
0 Birmingham
0 Huddersfield
0 Millwall
0 Doncaster
0 Barnsley

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Wednesday traveled to QPR last Saturday and looked real good against a squad that has carried over almost all of its Premier league talent (don't know how long they'll be able to keep it together, but we'll see). Wednesday lost 2-1, but could have won and certainly should have tied had they buried one of two PKs the officials neglected to award.  And then they promptly got knocked out of the League Cup 2-1 by Rotherham United in a S. Yorkshire derby that apparently only mattered to one of the two teams. 
 
I'm hopeful that this is year two of the plan, moving up the standings to a middle of the pack team, away from the frightening relegation zone. They have some quality young players, but it's going to be a matter of Dave Jones finding how the parts fit, and I'm not positive I trust that, but we'll see.
 
This division is so brutal, between the parity and the 46 game season.

 

[bsj]

Wednesday traveled to QPR last Saturday and looked real good against a squad that has carried over almost all of its Premier league talent (don't know how long they'll be able to keep it together, but we'll see). Wednesday lost 2-1, but could have won and certainly should have tied had they buried one of two PKs the officials neglected to award.  And then they promptly got knocked out of the League Cup 2-1 by Rotherham United in a S. Yorkshire derby that apparently only mattered to one of the two teams. 
 
I'm hopeful that this is year two of the plan, moving up the standings to a middle of the pack team, away from the frightening relegation zone. They have some quality young players, but it's going to be a matter of Dave Jones finding how the parts fit, and I'm not positive I trust that, but we'll see.
 
This division is so brutal, between the parity and the 46 game season.

 
Funny how that game came off. As a QPR fan, I was buoyed by the effort for one reason alone. it had been SO long since the team got 3 points. 
 
I'll take it.
 
Charlie Austin looked good in the Cup game vs Exeter. I like the direction that the team is going in, although the Taraabt loan to Fulham just sucks from a rivalry perspective....at least it is just a loan...

 

[swiftaw]

Burn and raised in Wigan. They looked good in their opening match but my two concerns are 1) how many of their top players will leave in the transfer window and 2) will the Europa league take too much out of them.

I do like their signings so far, think Holt was a great deal. Probably need one more striker though.

 

[Phil Plantier]

Forest Green Rovers with a ho-hum 8-0 win to open the Skrill (no idea) Premier Campaign. 
 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23558736
 
It's great to have a (whispered) million pound salary budget to buy all of the good players...

 

[inter tatters]

Along with my love of Glasgow Rangers (see the thread where I'm hated), my other club is the nearest town to where I live, and also the place where I went to College many moons ago - Chesterfield FC.
 
Good start to the season for the Spirites, being one of only 3 clubs in League 2, along with Oxford United and Fleetwood Town, to have a maximum 6pts after two games - with 2 straight 2-0 wins, including a home win over Cheltenham today.

 

[tulse_luper]

Rangers and scabs. You know how to pick em eh?

 

[Infield Infidel]

Inter tatters, did you fill the trifecta and support Milton Keynes? 
 
Good start to this season for AFC Wimbledon, 4 points from 2 matches. Rebuilt defense has only given up one goal. The offense has only two goals, but has mostly the same dudes from last season, a nice hi-lo game up front from Jack Midson and the other Luke Moore. Also brought in some tall youngsters. They'll get more goals eventually. 
 
Last season, AFC Wimbledon had no right to stay in League Two. Most goals against, worst GD. However, their offense was close enough to par to nick a few wins down the stretch to stay in the Football League. 

 

[inter tatters]

Inter tatters, did you fill the trifecta and support Milton Keynes? 
 

 
'Fraid not, I want them to be relegated every season, though not as much as you I suspect!
 
Not sure I follow the 'Scabs' reference, but why not be everyone's "playground villain"? :blink:

 

[Spacemans Bong]

I thought Mansfield Town were the scabs?
 
For those who don't know, Mansfield was one of the mining communities that crossed the picket line during the miners' strike in 84 after being promised extra pay and a future. Of course Mrs Thatcher had plans for neither and their mines got closed too, but their actions meant that Nottinghamshire clubs receive a very bad welcome from clubs in Derbyshire and Yorkshire.

 

[Stanley Steamer]

And what of Leeds United this year? Is it finally time to end their exodus from the EPL? Methinks not, but will root for same anyway. A late winner over Brighton and a stalemate with Leicester away isn't a bad start to the season. Not sure how their squad stacks up against some of the division, but I'm willing to believe they might have a good manager for the fight. New investors, yes, but not exactly Sheik Mansour. You'd think with one of the largest gates in the Championship, they'd find their way up sooner or later, but once you muck it up with the likes of Millwall and Doncaster, you tend to resemble one another most of all. It would be refreshing to be able to watch them more than once or twice a year. Go Lilywhites! (How come that name hasn't caught on in college football?)

 

[Bailey10]

Wigan have to be favorites to go back up. Grant Holt and James McLean were fabulous singings and they have thus far kept most of their talent from last year. Remains to be seen whether everyone will still be there after deadline day, but I like their chances, especially after bringing in a solid manager with EPL and Championship experience in Owen Coyle.
 
Main worry, like swiftaw said, is that the grind of the championship and being in Europe proves to be too much. 

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Wednesday gets their first point of the season at Eiland Road against L**ds. Nice to finally get on the board and always good to get points off the neighbors.

 

[bsj]

QPR wins with a 90th minute goal off the foot of 20 year old Tom Hitchcock, a late sub playing in his first (not last) game. 
 
Really important for this club to start strong. 7 points in 3 games. Took 16 to get 7 last season.

 

[dirtynine]

Brighton with its first win of the year, at Birmingham.  For some reason I get the sense that a top group of 4-5 clubs is going to break away quickly in the Championship this year. 

 

[bsj]

Brighton with its first win of the year, at Birmingham.  For some reason I get the sense that a top group of 4-5 clubs is going to break away quickly in the Championship this year. 

 
Not sure I disagree....lots of people like my Rangers although I am still holding off on QPR until I can see how the transfer window shakes out (I do like what I am seeing thus far however)...
 
Wigan is also favored by many. Nott Forest, Watford....
 
Should be interesting. 

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Reading should be right there, and I thought Leicester was as good as anyone until the last 6 weeks or so. I think Europe is really going to hurt Wigan in the league if they push to succeed there- we've all seen what those TH games do to PL teams who can afford the kind of depth that a Wigan cannot right now.
 
You may be right that those 5-6 teams will be better than everyone else, but the rest of this league is going to be a mess again. The season is just far too long.

 

[Stanley Steamer]

They should change the name from the Championship to the Attrition. I'm not sure I buy the 5-6 team theory. It could happen, sure, and it cant be as tight as last year, but I only see 6-8 teams in the division that I can rule out from promotion. Let's see how it looks in November.

 

[Snakebauer007]

sooooooo
 
http://blog.foxsoccer.com/post/59206452530/millwall-forgets-to-pack-has-to-wear-sheffield

 

[SoxFanInCali]

That kit man is so fired.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

The ref should have been fired too. Fucking Stuart Attwell neglects to call a clear penalty when Antonio got taken down in the box, and then the linesman awarded the Lions a dodgy PK with 4' to go.
 
In all honesty though, all the blame lies with Wednesday. Millwall is shite this season (Sorry Mark), and while the Owls dominated the 1st half (OG 5 minutes in aside), they couldn't put the game away. To Millwall's credit, they had a better second half and slowed Wednesday's attack. If Wednesday can't beat this Millwall side at home, they've got bigger problems than disgraced officials.

 

[inter tatters]

So the Spirites sit top of League 2 with 13pts from 5 games, though not without a *hint* of controversy in their win over Portsmouth on Saturday - It went something like this...
 
Pompey striker Gary Connelly went down with what looked like a fairly good penalty shout in first half stoppage time. No Penalty given. One of the Ches players, sorry I can't remember the name off-hand, ran up to him and obviously said something Connelly didn't like. Connelly put his hands into said player's chest and gave him a small push to say "Back Off". Said player hits the deck, holding his face, like he'd been shot. Connelly given a straight red. Chesterfield score 2 goals in the last 10mins to win 2-0.
 
I hate players that fake things like that, even on my own team and, in some ways, I hope the FA review team get hold of the player and at least warn him about his behaviour. It's cringeworthy to put it mildly!

 

[Dummy Hoy]

146 years ago today.
 

 

[inter tatters]

Another good win for the Spirites, this time over AFC Wimbledon 2-0. Not so much controversy this time, though 2 Wimbledon players receiving yellow cards after the final whistle for dissent gives away the fact they weren't particularly happy.
 
Great pickup of Gary McSheffrey for Chesterfield, who made his debut off the bench. Old heads like that and Ritchie Humphreys, will give the young talent experienced, calm, heads towards the end of the season and, should they be in the same situation, hopefully avoid a meltdown like last year.

 

[bsj]

Bournemouth has a -7 GD through 6 games. And they are 3-3.
 
Wow
 
QPR still looking good. Just enough offense yet again. 

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Wednesday down 3-0 at the half at Birmingham. Shitty shitty Birmingham.
 
I'm not sure how much more I can take. I'm not going back to fucking league one again.

 

[Infield Infidel]

Lots of news on the AFC Wimbledon front. A 3-1 win over Burton Albion put the Dons in 3rd place in League Two. Looks as if chesterfield is going to run away with the League title, but AFCW are in the promotion places in this early juncture
 
Also, they put in a bid to redevelop Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, hoping to build an 11,000 seater (expandable to ~20,000) for £16m, and also 600 residences. It would put them back in Merton and away from the groundshare with Kingstonian at Kingsmeadow. (AFC posess the leasehold)

 

[dirtynine]

Brighton pull out a come-from-behind 3-1 win over basement-dweller Bolton.  Following draws to contenders QPR and Reading, I'd call it progress.  Mid-table and within striking distance of the top pack. 

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Enjoy the three free points tonight.

 

[dirtynine]

A draw seemed fair, though Wednesday almost had it won.  And they're out of the relegation zone!  Congrats! 

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Ugh...I listened to a bit, no doubt Brighton should have come away with three. Will take the point obviously and continue hating football.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Solid small piece on the sad state of Wednesday and football in Yorkshire generally.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Wednesday remains the only win-less member of the 92 with a 1-1 draw at Bolton.
 
Consider the source, but Wednesday announcers thought a called back goal (offsides) was dead wrong and a Jose Semedo send off in the 85th was crap. It sounded like Wednesday controlled play for most of the match and then survived an onslaught while down a man.
 
They're on Sky Sports next week so i can be tortured visually too. 

 

[bsj]

 
Current standings. 3 teams fighting for the 2 promotion spots My R's currently on the outside of that looking in based on goals scored. But a very long way to go. I still like QPRs chances to get one of those two spots. 

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Complete shitshow on the blue side of Sheffield. Lolloped around the pitch for 89 minutes this weekend against Huddersfield before coring a useless goal. The North stand started singing "you'll be sacked in the morning" at Dave Jones and even his most ardent supporters (a group that does not include me) have been forced to admit it's not working. Embarrassing performance in front of the home crowd, which has been averaging over 20K to watch that fucking mess of a squad.  Word is Jones has one last shot after a stern conversation with Mandaric, but with the Club's $$ issues, who in the hell can they bring in? I guess someone who knows what position to play his men at may be a good start...
 
Edit: I'm having a legit crisis about my fandom. I do NOT want to deal with League One again. I'm almost certainly not going to raise my son as an Owl if they still look like this in a few years. As long as he roots for a blue team (or a black and white one), I'll be happy I guess.

 

[Stanley Steamer]

Sorry to hear of your plight, DH, but you won't change your stripes, you can't. Don't suggest to your son that he should root for Wednesday, but at worst he'll regard you as a sort of patron saint of lost causes, which helps build his character indirectly. Still, I know what you mean about the notion of being relegated again to the First (or is it 3rd?) division. It's so cruel knowing how far you have to go just to get up to the big leagues. My team, Leeds, is in the same boat. Sure, they are suddenly in the playoff spots, but they rarely convince, and relegation seems not much less likely than promotion year to year. I wish I could watch more games in the Championship, because it's this tortuous balance that means there is so much to play for.

 

[americantrotter]

Bolton are on a roll. Three wins in a row. Now if they have started to gel properly there may be enough time this year to get a decent spot for the playoffs.

Staying in the championship after this year will be costly. But Beckford seems to be leading the way. May the goalie always drop the ball in his path.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Sorry to hear of your plight, DH, but you won't change your stripes, you can't. Don't suggest to your son that he should root for Wednesday, but at worst he'll regard you as a sort of patron saint of lost causes, which helps build his character indirectly. Still, I know what you mean about the notion of being relegated again to the First (or is it 3rd?) division. It's so cruel knowing how far you have to go just to get up to the big leagues. My team, Leeds, is in the same boat. Sure, they are suddenly in the playoff spots, but they rarely convince, and relegation seems not much less likely than promotion year to year. I wish I could watch more games in the Championship, because it's this tortuous balance that means there is so much to play for.

 
Appreciate the thought. It really comes down to access I think. Since Wednesday has been back up I've gotten to see a bunch of live games each season (4 already this year...which maybe isn't a good thing, Reading aside) and there's press about them outside of the Sheffield Star. The third division is a black hole- with no TV $$ and shitty revenue from playing pisspot teams, it can be incredibly hard for a team to pull themselves out of the orbit of suck. I guess I shouldn't bitch because I used to follow Wednesday by reading scores in the Sunday Globe, but, ugh.
 
I tried to become an Everton fan a while back...Since it was Harkes' presence that made me a Wednesday fan, I figured I could root for another team with an American playing for them, and one that (presumably) wouldn't be relegated to the piss of the Football League (my platonic love for James McFadden may have helped steer me in that direction as well). Couldn't get the heart into it though.
 
It's tough with teams like Leeds and Wednesday- squads whose history, grounds, and fan base should put them in the top tier of British Football. Financial mismanagement and corporate incompetence have left once proud squad like them languishing in the lower leagues. I suppose rooting for teams in those situation builds character or something, but given that I live some 3000+ miles away, it sucks trying to root for a team like Wednesday. But hey, My boy is real young...by the time he can really watch footy in 4-5 years, maybe things will be better.
 
And oh, don't forget- everyone hates L**ds scum and Neil Warnock is a cunt. 
  :stare:  

 

[Stanley Steamer]

Yeah, I half-expected your last line would be your entire post. And I'm not going to argue the point about Warnock.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

"Ohhhhhhhh You're getting sacked in the morning!"

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Football, man.
 
Sheffield Wednesday fires Dave Jones on Sunday (he did indeed get sacked in the morning), names Stuart Gray caretaker manager, deals with Neil Warnock rumors, and then picks up only their second win of the season by knocking off table leading Leicester City. Still 3 points down in relegation, although they have a game in hand.

 

[mgoblue2]

I think Burnley looks like a team that can get automatic promotion from what of the Football League Show I've seen. Ings and Vokes are a fantastic duo. It's pretty wide open as for a second team, Brighton and QPR and Forest look good too. Long season though. I have an unexplained soft spot for Blackpool too so seeing them back in the EPL would be nice. Hope the playoffs are as dramatic as last year.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Leicester was as good as anyone last season but faded badly down the stretch...despite the embarrassment of losing to SWFC, they should be there in the end. Good call on Burnley as well, they're pretty well balanced. It's going to be a zoo (not as crazy as last season, but few seasons are). My focus remains on the bottom of the league.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Guess who's not in the relegation zone anymore! And with a game in hand!
 
Bitches.
 

 

[Titans Bastard]

Guess who's not in the relegation zone anymore! And with a game in hand!
 
Bitches.
 

 
Blades of Steel was a classic.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Hey Stanley Steamer- if you're up and near a computer, L**ds is at Hillsborough streaming right now. 
Reda Johnson has the owls up 1-0 nearly 30 minutes in.
 
"Paddy, Paddy, What's the score?"
"Can we play you every week, can we play you every week?"
"4-0, we don't need to sing, 4-0"
"He looks like and egg, he looks like an egg, Brian McDermott he looks like an egg"
 
Credit to the Leeds fans at the game. It's been a disaster the whole game, they've been banned from the seats near the field, but they've remained in full voice, often comically so. 
 
Caolan Laverly puts in his second of the game in injury time to make it 6-0.

 

[Stanley Steamer]

Hey Stanley Steamer- if you're up and near a computer, L**ds is at Hillsborough streaming right now. 
Reda Johnson has the owls up 1-0 nearly 30 minutes in.
 
"Paddy, Paddy, What's the score?"
"Can we play you every week, can we play you every week?"
"4-0, we don't need to sing, 4-0"
"He looks like and egg, he looks like an egg, Brian McDermott he looks like an egg"
 
Credit to the Leeds fans at the game. It's been a disaster the whole game, they've been banned from the seats near the field, but they've remained in full voice, often comically so. 
 
Caolan Laverly puts in his second of the game in injury time to make it 6-0.

Just woke up to see the score-- ouch!
I wonder what the worst moment of McDermott's career is now?
Leeds is quickly becoming the West Ham of the Championship.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

Honestly, 6-0 flattered Leeds. Wednesday played great, but LFC had nothing today. Just one of those days, wipe the slate clean and move on.

 

[DLew On Roids]

Sad news from Conference North, where Vauxhall Motors has announced that they are resigning from the league pyramid at the end of the season.  I've always like stumbling across them in the table, with their unusual name putting them alongside the likes of Marine, Bishop's Stortford, and Metropolitan Police.  And from what I can tell, the pyramid loses its second-highest-ranked club not named for its location.  #1 is in the spoiler.
 

Spoiler

Port Vale

 

[Phil Plantier]

I think you mean third highest: