2015-16 Championship Thread

[Fernando]

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.

[dyrewolfe]

Little pressie for Nick...

[NickisBHAFC]

Well that was one hell of an away game!

First half was a drub 0-0 (had me thinking here we go again)

Second half was mental. Hemed completely changing the game. Scoring a brace, before they get one back. The officials then taking centre stage with 3 wrong decisions. Sending of there lardy centre back, never a sending off, disallowing our goal for a terrible offside call and then shockingly giving Fake club a penalty right at the death, thankfully there player has been watching me take penalties and missed it!

Second in the league, heading into the final international break, absolutely mental that we are even discussing automatic promotion, still a long way to go.

Finally Milton Keynes, what a strange place, just one huge industrial estate. Not pleasant, ground was cracking though, despite Brighton fans only to be seen!

[Nico the gman]

Well that was one hell of an away game!

First half was a drub 0-0 (had me thinking here we go again)

Second half was mental. Hemed completely changing the game. Scoring a brace, before they get one back. The officials then taking centre stage with 3 wrong decisions. Sending of there lardy centre back, never a sending off, disallowing our goal for a terrible offside call and then shockingly giving Fake club a penalty right at the death, thankfully there player has been watching me take penalties and missed it!

Second in the league, heading into the final international break, absolutely mental that we are even discussing automatic promotion, still a long way to go.

Finally Milton Keynes, what a strange place, just one huge industrial estate. Not pleasant, ground was cracking though, despite Brighton fans only to be seen!

Your at the Riverside last game of the season same as last year, strange one how that's happened.

[NickisBHAFC]

Yeah, football league idiots coming up with a stupid schedule.

Longest away game of the season for a 12:30 kick off, absolutely stupid. Good thing it's a weekend in Newcastle though!

[Nico the gman]

Yeah, football league idiots coming up with a stupid schedule.

Longest away game of the season for a 12:30 kick off, absolutely stupid. Good thing it's a weekend in Newcastle though!

A weekend in Newcastle Nick, you'll come back a corrupted man, and you won't be able to understand a word they're saying, best take a linguist with you

[dyrewolfe]

Yeah, football league idiots coming up with a stupid schedule.

Longest away game of the season for a 12:30 kick off, absolutely stupid. Good thing it's a weekend in Newcastle though!

A weekend in Newcastle Nick, you'll come back a corrupted man, and you won't be able to understand a word they're saying, best take a linguist with you

Either that or watch a few episodes of Geordie Shore first.

[NickisBHAFC]

Shameful defending by QPR.

[NickisBHAFC]

What a strike that is!

[NickisBHAFC]

3 soft soft soft soft soft goals.

QPR are sooooooo bad!

[GSC]

Justice for Burnley that

[NickisBHAFC]

Delighted with how Brighton played today, 100% the better side and Burnley grabbed an undeserved point. We're in a fantasy position something I never imagined we would be, splendid work.

Burnley were a disgrace though. How Joey Barton wasn't sent off was beyond belief. An elbow to the face, and a stamp on Berham Kayal, the fact he couldn't handle he was bossing it.

Maybe I'm being bitter I probably am, but it is very frustrating. But o well we get on with it, Birmingham away on Tuesday night, one of my favourite night outs, happy days.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Bottled it

[Marky]

They f*cked it up. Burnley didn't deserve anything and got a draw because Brighton f*cked it up.

Also Joey Barton is funny as hell. Deliberate elbow and deliberate stamp, complains when someone tapped his ankle

[Marky]

Chat sh*t get Bartoned

[NickisBHAFC]

He's a disgrace, just seen that stamp again and that is absolutely wreckless. I play football and if some cu*t did that to me, I'd ensure they wouldn't kick a ball again.

But like I say delighted and proud of my side, no one had us to be where we are, and we're punching well above our weight. We were outstanding today.

[dyrewolfe]

3 soft soft soft soft soft goals.

QPR are sooooooo bad!

Have a word with yerself!

Granted Rhodes' goal was a gift, but Ramirez and Gibson's were well-worked. We nearly had a couple more when QPR were all over the place early in the second half...and thats not even counting Leadbitter's saved penalty!

Boro thoroughly deserved that win, but as usual we made it hard for ourselves, missing good chances and backing off from Chery, allowing him to shoot from distance and pull it back to 2-3.

Think someone's just slightly bitter we nicked 2nd place back.

[NickisBHAFC]

Well worked? Both were from corners because QPR decided to not put any defenders on posts. Sunday league defending.

[Nico the gman]

Well worked? Both were from corners because QPR decided to not put any defenders on posts. Sunday league defending.

Poor defending yes, our slight disappointment was that we didn't score 7 or 8, QPR scored 2 long range goals, but apart from that our keeper never had a worthwhile shot to save, 3-2 flattered QPR.

[NickisBHAFC]

Fantastic win, with Burnley slipping up its very interesting indeed. Down to the 3 of us to fight it out for promotion, think the very least we should look to settle for now is 3rd/4th but what an unbelievable season it has been.

Very hungover. Birmingham is a cracking night out.

[dyrewolfe]

Excellent display against Huddersfield (after a pretty turgid first half hour anyway). Shame we didn't do this a few more time against lower-placed teams. Would've taken a lot of anxiety out of the season.

Burnley away is an obvious banana skin. Ipswich seem to be our perennial bogey team, home or away and the Seagulls could crap all over us Otherwise looks a fairly straightforward run-in.

[Nico the gman]

Excellent display against Huddersfield (after a pretty turgid first half hour anyway). Shame we didn't do this a few more time against lower-placed teams. Would've taken a lot of anxiety out of the season.

Burnley away is an obvious banana skin. Ipswich seem to be our perennial bogey team, home or away and the Seagulls could crap all over us Otherwise looks a fairly straightforward run-in.

Superb performance very comfortable win, Ramirez was brilliant, our keeper never had a shot to save.

With regard to Ipswich being a bogey side, last 6 games at home against them, Won 4 (including last 3) Drawn 1 lost 1, hammered them 4-1 at the Riverside last season and beat them away this season, another stat Dave Nugent has scored 15 goals in 14 games against Ipswich.

[dyrewolfe]

Ugh! Well that was definitely a game of 2 halves.

Don't remember seeing a more schizophrenic display from Boro. Totally bossed the first half - should have buried Preston with the chances we created.

Second half was the polar opposite. We just never got going while Preston looked like the home side. Some last ditch defending and good work from Dimi required to keep a clean sheet.

We could barely string two passes together, frequently gave the ball away far too easily and lumped far too many aimless long balls into empty space...or the opposition. Just dire. Think Stuani was lucky not to see red for his elbow (looked very intentional to me) and Ayala likewise fortunate not to get booked for some very "physical" defending.

I was almost hoping Preston would score, just to punish us for being so awful. A barely deserved win. Hope AK had some stern words for the players afterwards. Surprised to hear Adomah admit in the post-match interview that the lads were nervous.

On a positive note, it keeps us a point behind Burnley with our game in hand.

[NickisBHAFC]

Good half. Nottingham forest are an incredibly dirty side, hope our players keep there heads.

Big 45 minutes ahead, here's to us messing it up!

[GSC]

You be good enough to get past this team, need to step it up a level from this against better sides.

[GSC]

Jesus, Blackstock did a goal.

Must've been by accident.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Dunk should be off

[GSC]

Well I totally didnt see that coming

[NickisBHAFC]

What is it with last minute winners at Forest! Absolutely incredible scenes again.

Second half we were terrible, no ifs no buts. Forest battered us. But some magic at the end from Knockheart and Ginger Sidwell in the right place and the right time! I'll take ugly wins all day any day!

Still in the race. Still Burnley's and Middlesbrough's to lose.

[Marky]

Hope Fulham smash you on Friday

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Should've been down to 10, Lansbury misses a sitter, last minute scrappy goal

All signs point to it being Brightons year

[NickisBHAFC]

Should've been down to 10, Lansbury misses a sitter, last minute scrappy goal

All signs point to it being Brightons year

All decisions even themselves out. You finish where you deserve to finish.

I also thought it was a yellow card personally.

[GSC]

Good teams find way to win games, bad teams find ways to lose them.

Brighton are a good team and we are a bad one. Its that simple.

[GSC]

Pearson was in the crowd apparently. Thatd be a funny 10 minutes before he left.

[NickisBHAFC]

Yeah he was, so was Alan Irvine.

Silly rumour that Villa are gonna get Hughton, we're gonna get Pearson.

[westisbest]

Would rather Pearson than Houghton.

Houghton has done well though in championship.

[Nico the gman]

Super Adam Forshaw, puts the Boro top in injury time.

[dyrewolfe]

Dammit! I always seem to miss these midweek games.

Great result but what was the game like? Was our overall performance good or did we just get lucky with Forshaw's last-gasp winner?

From the BBC's report we missed some good chances to put the game to bed (Adomah, Nugent & Gibson) and got lucky when Vydra shot over the bar, late on.

[Nico the gman]

Dammit! I always seem to miss these midweek games.

Great result but what was the game like? Was our overall performance good or did we just get lucky with Forshaw's last-gasp winner?

From the BBC's report we missed some good chances to put the game to bed (Adomah, Nugent & Gibson) and got lucky when Vydra shot over the bar, late on.

We were well in control and should have been 2or3 up before the break we were well in control, but we decided to sit back 2nd half and invite pressure.

Dimi should have done better with the shot that lead to the goal parried it straight to Cox, still trying to work out what Adomah was trying to do when he should have scored, Downing was man of the match for me he was superb, we woke up after their goal and upped the tempo, to be honest apart from Reading's goal every other shot they had went in the stand.

We made it hard for ourselves by sitting back, players who performed well for me, Adomah, Downing, Nsue, Ayala, and Forshaw when he came on, and Rhodes held the ball up well, wasn't given any clear opportunities to score but put himself about, Ramirez was awful when he came on.

Reading keeper had to make a few good saves 2nd half, and the game should have been over by half time, taking into account Vydra's chance and ours 5-2 would have been a fair result, we more than deserved the win

[dyrewolfe]

Cheers Nico. Well it sounded a lot less of a nail-biter than the Preston game anyway. Good to see we showed plenty of attacking intent (when we weren't sitting back).

[Nico the gman]

Cheers Nico. Well it sounded a lot less of a nail-biter than the Preston game anyway. Good to see we showed plenty of attacking intent (when we weren't sitting back).

Its a naughty little habit we have sitting back too deep and inviting pressure, we did it against QPR when well in control and against Preston & Reading, need to stop doing it.

[NickisBHAFC]

Nervous. Can't see us keeping a clean sheet, but hopefully we can out score Fulham.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Nervous. Can't see us keeping a clean sheet, but hopefully we can out score Fulham.

Just about. Sounds like the penalty decision was a shocker

[NickisBHAFC]

Outstanding 60 minutes of football!

First half hour was all Fulham, but we then got a penalty (looked the correct decision from where I was haven't seen any replays mind) and after that it was just a complete one sided game. We battered Fulham and played some sensational football. Absolute joy to watch. Only dissapointment was we only scored 5! Could of been a lot more!

All the pressure on Burnley and Boro tomorrow. Both should easily win.

[NickisBHAFC]

Devastating news coming out the ground tonight, a fan suffered a fatal heart attack at the station post match. Really puts it into perspective. At least there final hours, they enjoyed a superb game.

RIP

[Nico the gman]

Super Jordan Rhodes you beauty.

[owen10ozzy]

Scrappy...nail biting..and a nervous 1 goal win.. When all is said and done it's a massive massive 3 points. But as has been the story of our season the game should have been done and dusted long before we clawed our way back!

Two key areas we struggle in and have done all year; taking our chances at vital times and once ahead sitting back and inviting pressure. We are getting away with it at this level but boy will we be punished if we go up! I'll say one thing for us...we love to make things difficult!

[dyrewolfe]

Agreed.

It wasn't pretty, but we got there in the end. Rhodes looking worth every penny we paid for him. Could have had a hat-trick in the last 10-15 minutes.

We were in control for the first half hour, but didn't create any notable chances. Bolton grew in confidence, caused us a few problems before half time and picked up where they left off in the 2nd half...ultimately leading to their opener.

Was beginning to despair until we equalised...the usual good build-up play wasted by poor finishing / final balls. Still guilty of giving possession away easily with poor passing, as well as sending aimless long balls into empty space - or straight at the opposition.

We looked a lot better after we levelled but still looked vulnerable to counter-attacks. Zack Clough (son of Nigel?) in particular was a constant threat. Can't believe Emile Heskey is still playing!

Boro are like Fergie's Man Utd at the moment...very good at scoring VERY late winners.

[GSC]

Assombalonga in the squad tomorrow for the first time in about 15 months. Great news.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Late equaliser for Burnley leaves the table like this

Boro 86
Burnley 84
Brighton 84

Tight

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I presume this is about the time someone comes to moan about Karanka not playing two up top?

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