Football League Championship Season 2014/15

[Ork1927]

We won, it was a bloody awful game, Fulham looked pretty poor and McCormack looks like Jan Molby.

And what once went wrong was put right. Pre-game the atmosphere was like we'd won promotion.

[Rsdio]

We got a well-deserved win against Watford, with our third being an overhead kick by Joel Lynch (a centre-back) just to cap it off.

As ever in this league you have two or three good results on the bounce and the table looks vastly different. Amazing that we're level with Forest now after our respective starts.

[Timmo]

Had to happen - awards for Performance of the Week and Player of the Month, Mick nominated again for Manager of the Month, and we lose 1-0 to a hopeful punt upfield our defence doesn't cope with.

Eustace should have been sent off in the first half for barging McGoldrick off the ball, and yet again we have been denied a penalty by a poor refereeing decision.

I can't agree with it being a penalty, I watched the replay 10+ times and couldn't tell if it hit his arm or chest, plus he was trying to get his arm away.

In any case a draw would have been the fair result, neither side threatened.

[smithstock]

Went to the match yesterday and actually lol'd when Tomlin scored the second for Boro. Every person in the stand was shouting "Shoot!" and he just caressed the ball into an open net in slow motion.

More of the same on Tuesday night.

[Rsdio]

Good illustration of our striker issues there. Vaughan goes off (as he often tends to do, unfortunately) and there's isn't any sort of replacement on the bench so that's any game plan out the window. Hogg off injured at half-time will have compounded that as his chasing and energy is pretty crucial.

Sounded like we did alright considering though, second half at least. I don't think anyone expected us to come away with anything beforehand. How was your view of our penatly shout for handball? Our lot were saying it was pretty obvious but then they would, wouldn't they.

[merman]

Well, a good end to a tough week. The Hunt sisters combining, and Freddie Sears doing a great job when he got on. Just counting down to the end of the transfer deadline hoping we don't sell anyone - got to bring in a keeper though as Gerken is injured.

[smithstock]

Another weekend, another penalty, another win. We just need Derby to slip up today so we can occupy second spot.

[Rsdio]

Glad I couldn't make it today. Sounds like we got what we deserved - three important players (Wells, Smith, Lynch) off injured obviously doesn't help but if you sit back looking for a draw at home against a struggling side in a local derby you can't really complain if it goes tits up.

Squad was already looking very light with all our outgoings but this has really highlighted the need for some bodies.

[Timmo]

Another weekend, another penalty, another win. We just need Derby to slip up today so we can occupy second spot.

I still think Boro and Derby for the top two spots. Sounds like Brentford were on top for most of today but you're the best defence with us second. (Derby 7 clean sheets in 8)

[smithstock]

Yeah I've said it for ages, defence wins titles. There's a few people I know who would be happy with a play-off spot for the Wembley experience but I'll take guaranteed promotion every day of the week.

I wouldn't mind seeing Derby up there with us even though I was never McClaren's biggest fan, but I heard Newcastle may plump for him anyway so it could be a poisoned chalice for your lot.

[Rsdio]

Cracking day for us, grinding out a win with 10 men at The Den where we generally struggle. Only Rotherham below us won by the looks of it too.

Stark contrast with the doom and gloom last week!

[Baring]

Wtf is up with Wigan?

[Plissken]

Not adjusting well to relegation and they seemed to be holding their own against Bournemouth until the linesman missed an offside decision - off by at least two yards. Sort of thing that kills you when you are at the bottom.

[merman]

Definitely deep into a bad patch for Ipswich, echoes of so many games over the last five years. Possession and chances but no goals to show for it, then concede from two set-pieces.

[Rsdio]

Sounded like an odd game tonight at our place, according to the BBC we had 31 shots to Wolves' 10 and lost 1-4. If you're gonna stop being someone's bogey team, best to do it in style I guess.

[elmo]

This season has sucked for two reasons. 1. We've been beyond shit and 2. I've only managed to get to one game. The first game of the season against Leeds.

I know if I was going to miss a season of football then this has been the one to miss but it's been genuinely shitty not going especially when you consider what a landmark season this has been for us.

The chairman has taken a completely different approach than the norm. Instead of noticing how bad we're doing and sacking one man (the manager) he's said 'fuck that' and let a ton of players go instead. 8 out and 8 in during January and it seems to be working. Two wins and a draw in the four games since this new side has come together and there is now a glimmer of hope that we might actually get out of this mess.

Personally I think the chairman has been bang on. We've been shit for three seasons now and this group of players have been poor under three managers. You can't go around blaming one bloke for all the problems and if we got rid of Holloway who the hell would we get in to replace him? Because of the chairmans actions, we COULD be saved from relegation.

Fingers crossed.

[dr_manhattan^]

If you're gonna stop being someone's bogey team, best to do it in style I guess.

About time! First win there since 1997! I thought the same thing having seen the stats.

Odd thing is we score a very low number of goals generally, however we changed the team a lot last night and played four attacking players rather than one.

[Baring]

Up The Boro!

(16 games left, PLEASE STAY THERE!)

[Pants McSkill]

This season has sucked for two reasons. 1. We've been beyond shit and 2. I've only managed to get to one game. The first game of the season against Leeds.

I know if I was going to miss a season of football then this has been the one to miss but it's been genuinely shitty not going especially when you consider what a landmark season this has been for us.

The chairman has taken a completely different approach than the norm. Instead of noticing how bad we're doing and sacking one man (the manager) he's said 'fuck that' and let a ton of players go instead. 8 out and 8 in during January and it seems to be working. Two wins and a draw in the four games since this new side has come together and there is now a glimmer of hope that we might actually get out of this mess.

Personally I think the chairman has been bang on. We've been shit for three seasons now and this group of players have been poor under three managers. You can't go around blaming one bloke for all the problems and if we got rid of Holloway who the hell would we get in to replace him? Because of the chairmans actions, we COULD be saved from relegation.

Fingers crossed.

Bang on. I couldn't agree more - to a point where I've also failed to get to games.

The most difficult element to put up with that we have looked a long way from a real Millwall side for most of this season. In past seasons, even when we have a poor team, there's an element of fight about us, especially at home. This season though there's been a horrendous lack of impetus from a lot of the squad, too many seem to accept their fate of 'another loss' in games.

Now I think that's shifting.

[Rsdio]

About time! First win there since 1997! I thought the same thing having seen the stats.

Odd thing is we score a very low number of goals generally, however we changed the team a lot last night and played four attacking players rather than one.

Most who went to the game said it was a strange one but that they couldn't really argue with the defeat as we were so shonky at the back. With Joel Lynch out we have no mobility at centre-back and you've got the pace to exploit that. It was probably just a good away performance - soak up the pressure, counter and be clinical.

Odds-on Afobe would score as well!

[Ork1927]

I think we are going straight through the Championship and into League One. The only thing that might sad us is Wigan and Blackpool looked doomed already.

I know it's said a lot - but last night's 0-0 against Brighton was possibly the worst game I've seen for decades. It was Bottom f League 2 standard - Brighton were poor, but we were something else.

We have the look of a doomed team - can't do the basics, corners not beating the first man, losing the ball to no-one and players look suicidal. At one point last night, we played a 40 yard ball back to our keeper for no reason and he furiously kicked it into touch.

We signed the top scorer in the English League and after a decent performance on Saturday away we benched him for last nights game - he then did nothing in the 2nd half. And with the game winding down, with 1 sub left, we left our other newish striker on the bench and made no changes.

Crowds are plummeting, Tan doesn't turn up anymore and we are off to the lower leagues again.

Thankfully, we are back in Blue, but it won't make any difference to where the club is headed. Crazy to think a year ago we played Swansea in the Prem with just 3 points between us.

[Plissken]

It seems that there is a trend that clubs get relegated from the Premier League and then drop through to League One the following season or next. Pompey, Wolves, Blackpool, Wigan. I think Blackburn flirted with it a couple of years ago, Birmingham just about survived.

I'm not sure what it is, apart from maybe mental owners not realising that you need a mildly functioning club in the Championship as it is so ferociously competitive.

[OneDvBmbr]

I'm not even sure it even is that ferociously competitive at the bottom. By all rights we were that awful we should have been relegated the previous two seasons but were saved by some real and utter dross at the bottom.

There's no redemption this time as we've gone completely batshit mental, even for us, but I don't think the bottom 6-8 teams in the Championship have been this bad in the last 10 years.

Both us and Wigan are gone now, and I suspect Charlton will be the ones to join us. Yet another club who are operated as a basket case.

[merman]

A good three points for Ipswich against Wednesday on Tuesday...

[layten]

Fucksake Brentford.

[merman]

Same old story against Reading, possession dominated and a host of chances - but still manage to lose.

[Rev]

It would be nice if Wednesday won a match. This drop in form when we sign interesting new players and have a new owner is just silly.

[Baring]

Long may it continue Rev, I'm going on Saturday

[merman]

That's more like it, 4-2 against Birmingham and two for Freddie Sears (a class player who took the brave move to drop down the divisions and work hard to get back to the top).

All set up for an interesting derby clash with a certain East Anglian team on Sunday. Just annoyed by the number of games going to be shown on Sky for the rest of the season. We do not have a good record in front of the cameras...

[Rsdio]

Top half! Nosebleed time.

As much as his tendency to be negative in his approach is a niggle, it's got to be said that Powell's done really well considering the horrific start we had (one win in the first eight games). At that point it was pretty much 'keep us up however you do it'. A couple more wins and he'll have achieved that I think. I'm not sure it's in his nature but I hope he'll throw caution to the wind a little bit more now, especially at home, and give some minutes to the younger players who haven't really been trusted much so far.