2015-16 Championship Thread

by Fernando Tue Jun 30, 2015 5:11 pm

First topic message reminder :

With Sky announcing their live games for the start of the Championship season i figured we could use a thread

Who do we think will head up and down this season?

August
Fri 7: Brighton & Hove Albion v Nottingham Forest (7.45pm)
Sat 8: Leeds United v Burnley (12.30pm)
Sun 9: Preston North End v Middlesbrough (12 noon)
Sun 16: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Hull City (12 noon)
Fri 21: Birmingham City v Derby County (7.45pm)
Sat 22: Leeds United v Sheffield Wednesday (12.30pm)
Fri 28: Blackburn Rovers v Bolton Wanderers (7.45pm)
Sat 29: Derby County v Leeds United (12.05pm)

September
Fri 11: Reading v Ipswich Town (8pm)
Sat 19: Nottingham Forest v Middlesbrough (12.30pm)
Fri 25: Fulham v Queen’s Park Rangers (7.45pm)

October
Fri 2 Oct: Rotherham United v Burnley (7.45pm)
Sat 3: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Huddersfield Town (12.30pm)

*Other games may be added.

by westisbest Sat Mar 12, 2016 8:38 pm

Olly wrote:Derby county - the ultimate bottlers

Ill bet they go up.

Lets hope so at least.

by **owen10ozzy** Sat Mar 12, 2016 10:22 pm

Wow, well I didn't expect these developments in the slightest. Whilst we certainly had unsettlement amongst fans I wasn't sure that was the case with players. Whilst I haven't been the biggest fan of Karanka despite us being 2nd in the table my concern lies with the apparent players at the centre of these falling outs. Downing...Adomah..and now Woodward..3 who clearly hold grudges. I wouldn't want us to become a club of player egos and would expect more from a club ran by a certain Steve Gibson.

Will look for further developments in the coming days but safe to say it will be interesting to see how the team respond tomorrow. The big thing to ensure is to make it plain that regardless of where we are in the table right now....Steve Agnew is NOT the man to take us forward!

As if our season couldn't get any more disrupted right now though...poor form followed by this :/

by dyrewolfe Sun Mar 13, 2016 10:52 am

Nico the gman wrote:
dyrewolfe wrote:I hate being brought down a peg or 3. Especially by GSC...so humiliating!

As if we weren't already doing enough to sabotage our chances of getting promoted.

Funny thing is Karanka's tactics and managerial style had us 6 points clear at the top of the league 2 months ago...so whats changed since then? We've lost 8 games this season and 4 of them have been in our last 10 matches.
If Karanka's gone then he's gone our seasons far from over, we still have it all to play for, not the 1st to leave the club and won't be the last, life goes on and so does our footy club.

True but we couldn't have picked a worse time for this to kick off.

If AK is gone, can Agnew and the others pick up where he left off and steer us to a top 2 finish? Season isn't over but the outcome is far less certain than it was looking a few weeks ago.

GSC wrote:
McClaren would make a lot of sense to be honest.

Come over here and say that again...I dare you... boxing

by GSC Sun Mar 13, 2016 12:08 pm

Knows the club, knows the division, Boro need a quick fix to the summer. Dont recall him having a fallout with the club while leaving but could be wrong.

by **owen10ozzy** Sun Mar 13, 2016 12:28 pm

Fans wouldn't want him back; following the incredible UEFA cup run he wasted money on failed signings and had the team playing some of the most dire football seen on Teesside in a long time....whilst he guided us to the uefa cup final the quarters and semi finals showed that tactically he was rather inept (losing both ties comfortably before he was forced to make attacking changes which saw remarkable turn arounds). Our league form in the last season and a bit was diabolical given the funds at his disposal and he left the team heavily weighed down with aging stars and big wages. Don't get me wrong forever grateful for the incredible memories we have under his reign but a lot of that era was down to Gibson pumping his money into the club and in a way buying success..we saw how that turned out over the next 7 years...its why we are where we are now.

I don't think he has a chance of getting the job to be frank, not just because there isn't a lot of love for him on Teesside but because he has just been at our neighbours Newcastle and failed miserably in his last two English club appointments.

Nigel Pearson would likely be the first choice and probably the best option..old club hero..knows the area and the fans and knows how to take a team up and survive once their

by GSC Sun Mar 13, 2016 4:05 pm

Freedmans gone. Our owner has all the patience of a 2 year old

by NickisBHAFC Sun Mar 13, 2016 4:13 pm

Strange appointment from the off.

Still classic forest, get a manager in, he does well, it goes wrong sack him. And repeat.

by **owen10ozzy** Sun Mar 13, 2016 4:23 pm

What a horrendously dull game of football! Can see that our form or lack of is not all down to Karanka based off this..looking devoid of ideas and the final ball from both of our wide men has been attrocious at best. Rhodes looking like a lost lamb up top on his own again.

Yawnnnnn..

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:13 pm

So the players revolt has gone well...idiots

by dyrewolfe Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:17 pm

Bunch of useless bastards!

I'm calling it now - our season is officially over. We may still finish in the play-offs, but if thats all we can muster against relegation candidates, we may as well not bother turning up.

Okay Charlton are a bunch of dirty bastards, happy to take yellow cards to stop us playing.

Their fans are even worse...balloons on the pitch before kick-off...whistling all through the 1st half and making Ramirez think the ref had blown...the moron who walked onto the pitch after their 1st goal.

They are a disgrace and I hope Charlton are docked 3 points by the FA for their utter lack of crowd control, to help send them down.

But all that aside it was another anaemic performance by Boro. Our best chance of the first half came when a Charlton player nearly headed into his own net just before half time...luckily for him the keeper's feet got in the way.

It took until the 70th minute before we created some genuinely good chances of our own, with efforts from Adomah and Clayton. We had 3 players inside the 6 yard box for one cross and not one of them was able to get onto the ball!

Once again we showed we're good at passing the ball around but can't fashion clear goalscoring chances to save our lives (or promotion campaign, for that matter).

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:23 pm

Yeah damn those Charlton fans for protesting their owners who are ruining their football club....

by dyrewolfe Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:27 pm

Olly wrote:Yeah damn those Charlton fans for protesting their owners who are ruining their football club....

You can protest without messing up a match for someone else. Rolling Eyes

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:28 pm

dyrewolfe wrote:
Olly wrote:Yeah damn those Charlton fans for protesting their owners who are ruining their football club....

You can protest without messing up a match for someone else.

They've already tried that numerous times.

Your own team did enough to ruin the match by being atrocious tbf

by NickisBHAFC Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:30 pm

Great work by Charlton on and off the pitch today!

by **owen10ozzy** Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:38 pm

Absolute load of dog Poopie! If the players were hoping to shift the blame of poor form onto a lack of man management from AK then it's failed miserably. Everything he has questioned in the last week has shown up in that game; no commitment...lack of desire and fighting spirit. We lack cutting edge an Downing couldn't muster a decent cross if his life depended on it...for that matter neither could Leadbitter. We played a team with the worst defence against set pieces yet couldn't even muster a worthwhile chance from any of them. Simply unacceptable.

That looked like, and has looked like 11 players who think promotion is already secure and they need not try anymore. It's a disgrace when you drop 18 points out of 33 to the likes...Rotherham...Leeds..Blackburn...Bristol.

As dyre says..that's the confirmation that our season is over...fully expect an absolute pasting at the hands of hull on Friday followed by a collapse to make Derby's look like a mini stutter. Would be shocked if we even made the playoffs.

As much as I haven't been completely behind AK, if I was Steve Gibson I would bring him back into the fold and allow him to drop whoever he wants. Make a point of showing that the players are in no position to have egos and demands with shambolic performances like that!

by dyrewolfe Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:47 pm

Olly wrote:
dyrewolfe wrote:
Olly wrote:Yeah damn those Charlton fans for protesting their owners who are ruining their football club....

You can protest without messing up a match for someone else.

They've already tried that numerous times. [1]

Your own team did enough to ruin the match by being atrocious tbf [2]

1. Not our problem and still inexcusable under any circumstances.

2. I believe I mentioned that in my original post.

owen10ozzy wrote:
As much as I haven't been completely behind AK, if I was Steve Gibson I would bring him back into the fold and allow him to drop whoever he wants. Make a point of showing that the players are in no position to have egos and demands with shambolic performances like that!

Totally agree!

The players can't blame Karanka for this shambolic performance...its 100% on them.

If I were Gibson I'd do everything I could to get AK back and tell the players to man up and accept a bollocking when they don't perform.

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:50 pm

Imagine having that attitude towards fellow football fans plight

Jesus

by **owen10ozzy** Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:54 pm

Agnew looks clueless! He's kidding himself if he believes anything he said in that interview..

I hate that people are to scared to come out and say...yes we're in a mini crisis, the players are not performing and need to front up and accept that there fight and desire is right to be questioned'

Though given what's happened to AK having basically said that you can see why.

I'm massively disappointed that Gibson has allowed this to happen to be fair; you would have thought he'd have nipped this in the bud early doors...and to allow the egos to grow and player power to develop is appalling. He has to get right behind Karanka now and if the players don't respond or don't like it stick them in the reserves and let them rot. That includes MR Boro..Downing himself.

If Karanka goes the players have won and more importantly they will believe that they are doing well and none of the problems and lack of form has been down to them in the past month and half...that is a frightening message to put out and would lower Gibsons standing hugely with myself and most Boro fans.

I would not like to be a Boro player on Friday should they walk out without Karanka...

by dyrewolfe Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:59 pm

Olly wrote:Imagine having that attitude towards fellow football fans plight

Jesus

Nope, I'm not Jesus...but I'm almost as great! Wink

You do know there are rules regarding crowd control that all clubs are expected to follow?

by dyrewolfe Sun Mar 13, 2016 6:03 pm

owen10ozzy wrote:Agnew looks clueless! He's kidding himself if he believes anything he said in that interview..

I hate that people are to scared to come out and say...yes we're in a mini crisis, the players are not performing and need to front up and accept that there fight and desire is right to be questioned'

Though given what's happened to AK having basically said that you can see why.

I'm massively disappointed that Gibson has allowed this to happen to be fair; you would have thought he'd have nipped this in the bud early doors...and to allow the egos to grow and player power to develop is appalling. He has to get right behind Karanka now and if the players don't respond or don't like it stick them in the reserves and let them rot. That includes MR Boro..Downing himself.

If Karanka goes the players have won and more importantly they will believe that they are doing well and none of the problems and lack of form has been down to them in the past month and half...that is a frightening message to put out and would lower Gibsons standing hugely with myself and most Boro fans.

I would not like to be a Boro player on Friday should they walk out without Karanka...

Once again agree with you 100%.

And it will be interesting to see what kind of reception the players get at the Riverside, if Karanka is not there.

Even more so if the performance and result are anything like this one...

The travelling support are usually very loyal and applaud the players at the end of a game, regardless of the result, so I was a bit shocked to hear they booed the players after the Rotherham match.

by Nico the gman Mon Mar 14, 2016 12:17 pm

Olly wrote:Imagine having that attitude towards fellow football fans plight

Jesus

Charlton fans would have done us a favour by invading the pitch on 66 minutes, put us out of our misery.

by Nico the gman Mon Mar 14, 2016 4:38 pm

NickisBHAFC wrote:Great work by Charlton on and off the pitch today!

Yep just shows you how poor the league is, we've only won 3 in 11, and are still above you lot in 2nd place.

by GSC Mon Mar 14, 2016 4:53 pm

Harry Redknapp to become DoF at Derby.

So I guess it could be worse

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Mon Mar 14, 2016 5:59 pm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2834976/Harry-Redknapp-Directors-football-joke.html

censored

by GSC Mon Mar 14, 2016 6:22 pm

It gets better, Glenn Hoddle to be head coach

by Nico the gman Mon Mar 14, 2016 9:50 pm

Official, Karanka stays after lengthy meeting with Sir Steve Gibson,looks like we won't be getting McClaren or Harry the spiv after all damn.

by Fernando Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:19 pm

Neil Lennon leaves Bolton.

by dyrewolfe Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:27 pm

Nico the gman wrote:Official, Karanka stays after lengthy meeting with Sir Steve Gibson,looks like we won't be getting McClaren or Harry the spiv after all damn.

Hmm. Mixed feelings about that.

I'm glad that player power wasn't able to get rid of a manager who has done a lot of good for the club.

On the other hand, I wonder if he'll be able to get them to co-operate for the rest of the season, or is our downward spiral going to continue?

I think there needs to be some sort of compromise. Karanka needs to learn to be tactically more flexible, put players in their best positions where possible and not accommodate players for the sake of it...and crucially play with 2 strikers when circumstances merit it.

In return the players need to make sure they give 100% every game.

by **Crimey** Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:38 pm

Fernando wrote:Neil Lennon leaves Bolton.

Really poor choice of club when he left Celtic. Going to have a hard time convincing any better clubs to take him, think he'll end up with a role in League One at best.

by Nico the gman Tue Mar 15, 2016 2:51 pm

dyrewolfe wrote:
Nico the gman wrote:Official, Karanka stays after lengthy meeting with Sir Steve Gibson,looks like we won't be getting McClaren or Harry the spiv after all damn.

Hmm. Mixed feelings about that.

I'm glad that player power wasn't able to get rid of a manager who has done a lot of good for the club.

On the other hand, I wonder if he'll be able to get them to co-operate for the rest of the season, or is our downward spiral going to continue?

I think there needs to be some sort of compromise. Karanka needs to learn to be tactically more flexible, put players in their best positions where possible and not accommodate players for the sake of it...and crucially play with 2 strikers when circumstances merit it.

In return the players need to make sure they give 100% every game.

Yes I totally agree with you, I have the same mixed feelings and concerns, I think the problem would have been bringing in an interim manager and hoping he could adapt, especially at this late stage.

If we don't go up this season were do you draw the line, we will have spent a lot of money with no reward for it, and it is a lot of money for a championship club.

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Tue Mar 15, 2016 9:48 pm

http://mobile.cafc.co.uk/news/article/statement-3009419.aspx

The charlton owners are genuinely barmy

by NickisBHAFC Tue Mar 15, 2016 11:35 pm

Solid 1-0 win tonight and our 5th clean sheet in a row. Wilson getting back on the score sheet as well.

Hull screwing up moves us up to second as well, Gary Gardner doing more for us tonight than he did in his entire loan spell last season!

MK Dons away on Saturday, another ground to tick off and I'll be joined by 7,000 Albion fans!

by NickisBHAFC Tue Mar 15, 2016 11:52 pm

Reading fans should be ashamed as well. Well and truly living up to there plastic tag, 299 fans visiting tonight when it's one of there closet away games of the season!

by dyrewolfe Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:53 pm

Olly wrote:http://mobile.cafc.co.uk/news/article/statement-3009419.aspx

The charlton owners are genuinely barmy

Hmm. Its a generally sensible statement...until you get to the last paragraph.

I can see what the problem is now. They clearly don't understand what it means to be a football fan and see the club as just another kind of business. Sadly thats probably typical of many club owners these days.

Its this kind of thing that makes me glad Boro have a chairman who has supported the club since he was a kid and rescued it when it went into liquidation 30 years ago.

by dyrewolfe Wed Mar 16, 2016 1:00 pm

NickisBHAFC wrote:Reading fans should be ashamed as well. Well and truly living up to there plastic tag, 299 fans visiting tonight when it's one of there closet away games of the season!

Are you saying more Reading fans need to "come out"? Wink

Seriously though, its hardly "close".

I could understand your comment if it had been at QPR, Brentford, Fulham or MK Dons but the south coast is still a fair way away.

Plus midweek matches are usually less well attended.

Plus there was a good chance they would lose. Who wants to spend all that time and money going to a game you're unlikely to get a result in?

by westisbest Wed Mar 16, 2016 5:08 pm

dyrewolfe wrote:
NickisBHAFC wrote:Reading fans should be ashamed as well. Well and truly living up to there plastic tag, 299 fans visiting tonight when it's one of there closet away games of the season!

Are you saying more Reading fans need to "come out"?

Seriously though, its hardly "close".

I could understand your comment if it had been at QPR, Brentford, Fulham or MK Dons but the south coast is still a fair way away.

Plus midweek matches are usually less well attended.

Plus there was a good chance they would lose. Who wants to spend all that time and money going to a game you're unlikely to get a result in?

Villa fans Whistle

by westisbest Wed Mar 16, 2016 5:12 pm

Good point though sure on Reading fans.

Don't know how much away ticket is, but fans may not be able to attend, have other commitments, out of work etc.

Think Nick seems to look past those things.

by NickisBHAFC Wed Mar 16, 2016 8:20 pm

Come on 299, that is stupid. Yes I understand there isn't much to play for, it's always difficult on a Tuesday night, but 299 is beyond the joke.

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Wed Mar 16, 2016 8:40 pm

Why would you actively go to Brighton

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Wed Mar 16, 2016 9:12 pm

Brighton is a nice place

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Wed Mar 16, 2016 9:12 pm

And you're a Norwich fan

by Nico the gman Wed Mar 16, 2016 9:29 pm

Olly wrote:Imagine having that attitude towards fellow football fans plight

Jesus

Why didn't the Charlton fans( as supposedly planned) invade the pitch, anything to do with the fact they were winning, wonder what would have happened if they'd been 1 down, I have a good idea, match abandoned.

by westisbest Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:13 pm

Only been to Brighton once, very nice place.

by NickisBHAFC Thu Mar 17, 2016 9:59 am

Olly wrote:Why would you actively go to Brighton

One of the nicest places in the country (not my view, most fans that visit view)

And that's coming from someone who lives in Norwich? I'm done

by dyrewolfe Thu Mar 17, 2016 1:10 pm

Nick obviously thinks lots of Reading fans live on the south coast. raspberry

Never been to Brighton myself but I hear its a good place if you're into vintage car rallies, bingo and bu...er...same-sex relations. Wink

On a slightly more serious note, I've head a lot of good things about the Amex stadium (supposedly the best pies in the league), stewards aren't overly zealous and little or no hassle from home fans.

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Fri Mar 18, 2016 9:11 pm

God this same is depressing to watch

by NickisBHAFC Fri Mar 18, 2016 9:35 pm

Frak OFF BORO AND YOURE STUPID GOAL MUSIC!

Grrrrrrr

by Nico the gman Sat Mar 19, 2016 12:29 pm

Olly wrote:God this same is depressing to watch

Great result, but your spot on, awful to watch, dull, dour, uncreative (apart from the goal) performance once again from us, and Hull were equally as bad, it was more like a relegation battle.
Not many clubs can spend 25 million to look this boring it takes some doing, please have some sympathy for me I'm a season card holder.

by Nico the gman Sat Mar 19, 2016 12:32 pm

NickisBHAFC wrote:Frak OFF BORO AND YOURE STUPID GOAL MUSIC!

Grrrrrrr

Lovely header, crap music and the crowd cried out for more.

by dyrewolfe Sat Mar 19, 2016 2:20 pm

NickisBHAFC wrote:Frak OFF BORO AND YOURE STUPID GOAL MUSIC!

Grrrrrrr

Chill out dude - you'll be back above us by the end of today. Jeez...some people... Rolling Eyes

As to the game...absolute torture to watch. I think we lucked out in that Hull played exactly the same way we did. Lots of good build up play let down by atrocious final balls / finishing / dithering on the ball. Think they probably about deserved a point, but SO glad Nugent popped up with that header.

Our ONLY shot on target in the 2nd half...

Nerves shredded...don't know how much more of this I can take... Shocked

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