EFL Championship 2018/2019

[J4MES OX4D 10,034]

Aston Villa have sacked Steve Bruce after one win in 9 games despite only being two points off the playoffs. I think it's a bad decision but they are really paying the price for not going up last year. Not sure if sacking him will solve anything though as they have to pay him off and source a new manager. It's amazing how much financial shit they are in and could easily end up like Sunderland and Charlton. Not even bumper crowds can mitigate the loss of the Premiership income and their huge outgoings.

 

Retaining Jack Grealish in the summer instead of taking £20m and paying John Terry huge bucks last year is two decisions that could prove fatal in the long run. 

[GazzaGarratt 11,049]

Derby are starting to turn it on with a good run before Christmas. Sgeff Utd to me are the stand out team that you must not underestimate. Billy Sharp is prolific.

 

I fear for Ipswich. They may need to go down to start again, sometimes it is the right thing for clubs to regain some stability.

 

Swansea aren't the club I thought was going to be challenging. Whilst they beat us (Blackburn) in the midweek they aren't that dangerous and too technical in some parts for the Championship. Teams will take some aggression to them I'm sure.

 

Leeds are doing their best to stay there but I'll stand my ground to think they'll start to tire after Christmas.

 

I'm hoping we can stay in contention around 6th for a playoff spot. We looked very composed this year and there's a hope that we can kick on after Xmas with Sack and Graham scoring for fun. Fingers crossed 🤞

[Plumbers Crack 4,062]

11 minutes ago, GazzaGarratt said:

 

I fear for Ipswich. They may need to go down to start again...

 

This.

 

I don’t have a problem with this as no team has a divine right to a certain level of football. We’ve enjoyed the good times in the past as well as enduring bad times for a variety of reasons, so let’s get over it and get on with it

[J4MES OX4D 10,034]

Bit of  a weird one for Ipswich because they were sitting comfortably mid-table for years and when they do try and make a positive change with a promising manager and a bit of money injected; they find themselves bottom. I think the league has also got much harder this year as well and when you see teams like Aston Villa sliding along with Stoke plus the amount of big teams that have been in League One last few years, it's a tough league to stay in unless you have parachute payments on tap or have a huge budget with a squad of quality and depth.  

 

Still very early days and much can change at either end of the table.  

[Baabcat 1,646]

Top of championship is insane, 2 points separating  6 teams. 

 

And congrats to Plumber Dave for being able to remember Ipswich’s good times, top memory that man!

[Plumbers Crack 4,062]

Oh well, here we go ahain......

 

Ipswich Town have sacked manager Paul Hurst after just one win from 14 Championship games since his appointment in May.

The former Grimsby and Shrewsbury boss, 44, replaced Mick McCarthy but had to wait until October for his first - and only - league victory in charge.

A 2-0 defeat at Leeds on Wednesday was the seventh of his reign at Portman Road and proved to be his final match.

Hurst leaves the Tractor Boys bottom of the table and four points from safety.

"I have decided that it is in the best interests of the football club that we appoint a new manager to take us forward," said Ipswich owner Marcus Evans.

"Paul's arrival here in the summer was welcomed by us all and we worked tirelessly to support him fully with his plans for player recruitment, training methodology and backroom staff.

"But unfortunately those plans haven't turned into positive results, which is why I have had to take this decision today."

Head of coaching and player development Bryan Klug will take caretaker charge of the team at Millwall on Saturday, with Ipswich's next three games against sides in the bottom six of the table.

Hurst's assistant Chris Doig, who joined him with from Shrewsbury, has also left the club.

"I am actively looking to appoint a new manager as soon as possible with experience, who will embrace the long term vision we all have for the club and who can deliver the success that every Ipswich Town supporter craves," Evans added.

New era fails to take off

Ex-Wolves and Sunderland boss McCarthy was the longest-serving manager in the Championship when he left the club in April after five and a half years.

Ipswich never finished lower than 16th under him but the relationship with some fans became fractured towards the end of his tenure, with McCarthy labelling them "numbskulls".

Hurst was supposed to mark a new era at the Suffolk club, signing a three-year deal after leading Shrewsbury to the League One play-off final in 2017-18.

But he had to wait 13 games for a win, having also gone out in the Carabao Cup first round to League Two Exeter.

Victory at Swansea on 6 October was seen as a potential turning point, but was followed by consecutive 2-0 defeats at home to QPR and at Elland Road.

The club's four highest scorers last season - Martyn Waghorn, Joe Garner, Bersant Celina and David McGoldrick - all left Ipswich as part of wholesale changes to the squad.

They were replaced largely by players who spent last season in Leagues One and Two, who were unable to adapt to the higher level fast enough to save Hurst's job.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45972183

[GazzaGarratt 11,049]

16 hours ago, Plumbers Crack said:

Oh well, here we go ahain......

 

Ipswich Town have sacked manager Paul Hurst after just one win from 14 Championship games since his appointment in May.

The former Grimsby and Shrewsbury boss, 44, replaced Mick McCarthy but had to wait until October for his first - and only - league victory in charge.

A 2-0 defeat at Leeds on Wednesday was the seventh of his reign at Portman Road and proved to be his final match.

Hurst leaves the Tractor Boys bottom of the table and four points from safety.

"I have decided that it is in the best interests of the football club that we appoint a new manager to take us forward," said Ipswich owner Marcus Evans.

"Paul's arrival here in the summer was welcomed by us all and we worked tirelessly to support him fully with his plans for player recruitment, training methodology and backroom staff.

"But unfortunately those plans haven't turned into positive results, which is why I have had to take this decision today."

Head of coaching and player development Bryan Klug will take caretaker charge of the team at Millwall on Saturday, with Ipswich's next three games against sides in the bottom six of the table.

Hurst's assistant Chris Doig, who joined him with from Shrewsbury, has also left the club.

"I am actively looking to appoint a new manager as soon as possible with experience, who will embrace the long term vision we all have for the club and who can deliver the success that every Ipswich Town supporter craves," Evans added.

New era fails to take off

Ex-Wolves and Sunderland boss McCarthy was the longest-serving manager in the Championship when he left the club in April after five and a half years.

Ipswich never finished lower than 16th under him but the relationship with some fans became fractured towards the end of his tenure, with McCarthy labelling them "numbskulls".

Hurst was supposed to mark a new era at the Suffolk club, signing a three-year deal after leading Shrewsbury to the League One play-off final in 2017-18.

But he had to wait 13 games for a win, having also gone out in the Carabao Cup first round to League Two Exeter.

Victory at Swansea on 6 October was seen as a potential turning point, but was followed by consecutive 2-0 defeats at home to QPR and at Elland Road.

The club's four highest scorers last season - Martyn Waghorn, Joe Garner, Bersant Celina and David McGoldrick - all left Ipswich as part of wholesale changes to the squad.

They were replaced largely by players who spent last season in Leagues One and Two, who were unable to adapt to the higher level fast enough to save Hurst's job.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45972183

Paul Lambert seems early favourite...good luck with that one.

[Plumbers Crack 4,062]

2 hours ago, GazzaGarratt said:

Paul Lambert seems early favourite...good luck with that one.

 

Local paper says he’s being announced as new manager tomorrow 

[J4MES OX4D 10,034]

5 hours ago, Plumbers Crack said:

 

Local paper says he’s being announced as new manager tomorrow 

No matter what happens, just be glad you swerved Tim Sherwood! 

[Plumbers Crack 4,062]

37 minutes ago, J4MES OX4D said:

No matter what happens, just be glad you swerved Tim Sherwood! 

Is he still in football management?

[J4MES OX4D 10,034]

On 10/26/2018 at 7:20 PM, Plumbers Crack said:

Is he still in football management?

He wants to get back into the game as a manager is the word on the grapevine but there's not going to many takers after his antics at Swindon where he forced the chairman to give him a job as director of football, then tried to steal the managers job by taking control and when they got relegated, he then denied he played any key role in first team affairs despite going from the stands to the touchline in his tenure and overruling their young manager.  All that after his delusional antics at Villa where after saving them from relegation; the next season he aimed for Champions League but helped them go down to the Championship in the end.  Arrogant twat really! 

[J4MES OX4D 10,034]

Aston Villa 5-5 Nott Forest! 

[GazzaGarratt 11,049]

Wigan 3-1 Blackburn

 

We were dreadful tonight. It's been one of those weeks where it would be best to forget we even existed after also losing to Preston 4-1 on Saturday. Derby games are not the ones you want to be losing as well.

 

The league remains really close up top. I don't think the Christmas table is going to be an indicator for the first time in a long time.

[Plumbers Crack 4,062]

Weee'rrre dooomed, Cap'n Lambert, weee'rrre dooomed!! [emoji17]

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[phil bottle 9,759]

Weee'rrre dooomed, Cap'n Lambert, weee'rrre dooomed!! [emoji17]

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Mick is now managing the Irish for a little while I see....

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[Plumbers Crack 4,062]

2 hours ago, phil bottle said:

Mick is now managing the Irish for a little while I see....

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Let’s hope he doesn’t pi$$ their supporters off as well then!

[J4MES OX4D 10,034]

Kemar Roofe does it again for Leeds - that's 3 goals in injury time he's scored in two matches.  What a mental finale at both Norwich and Blackburn today!  

[GazzaGarratt 11,049]

Kemar Roofe does it again for Leeds - that's 3 goals in injury time he's scored in two matches.  What a mental finale at both Norwich and Blackburn today!  

I don't want to talk about it.....

[Plumbers Crack 4,062]

I don't want to talk about it.....

Now you know how I feel....[emoji52]

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[J4MES OX4D 10,034]

Steve Bruce to Sheff Wed is a great appointment. 

 

Looks like Leeds will bottle it as per usual😀

[GazzaGarratt 11,049]

13 minutes ago, J4MES OX4D said:

Steve Bruce to Sheff Wed is a great appointment. 

 

Looks like Leeds will bottle it as per usual😀

I wouldn't have said that a week ago. They've been getting through games when they shouldn't be for the past 10 games. I'm willing to give them a little longer to see if they go back to their usual selves.

 

Blackburn ended a 5 winless streak with a fine win against West Brom. We've deserved more points if games finished at 80 minutes. It's great to see us still playing well, I'm happy even though we could've been in the playoffs easily by now if we could hold onto games.

 

Sheff Utd I think could still turn up as the surprise automatic promotion team. When the beat teams, they hammer them. Bloody Billy Sharp.

[J4MES OX4D 10,034]

On 1/2/2019 at 9:16 PM, J4MES OX4D said:

Looks like Leeds will bottle it as per usual😀

Nailed it😎

 

4 draws in a row for Norwich has brought Sheff Utd into the title race. 

[phil bottle 9,759]

Nailed it[emoji41]
 
4 draws in a row for Norwich has brought Sheff Utd into the title race. 

Have to feel sorry for Leeds but the play off place will go to a midlands club. My bet is on Villa.

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[J4MES OX4D 10,034]

2 hours ago, phil bottle said:

Have to feel sorry for Leeds but the play off place will go to a midlands club. My bet is on Villa.

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Playoffs are tasty if it stays like this - Leeds, Villa, WBA and Derby! Villa v WBA over two legs would be huge.

[Plumbers Crack 4,062]

Never feel sorry for Leeds

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