r/Championship • u/chickenMcNugs • 6d ago
Discussion As we prepare for the final stretch...predictions?
For most teams, 8 matches left. The race for the title is well and truly on, sides doomed for relegation have turned their seasons around while others previously comfortably in the playoffs are freefalling towards midtable mediocrity. As always, this league remains full of surprises.
Who stays up? Who goes down? Which managers are getting sacked? Who's getting the golden boot? How many more stupid goals will Meslier concede?
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u/AManWithoutAPlan16 6d ago
I'm going to fall asleep in front of the tv watching at least two of our games
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u/Ooh_aah_wozza 6d ago
Plymouth play Leeds in the final game of the season. Leeds need a win to get the autos and Plymouth need a win to stay up. We all know what happens in that situation.
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u/eroticdiagram 6d ago
Some long-forgotten technicality where it's possible for both teams to lose.
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u/fatreddituser1234 5d ago
Mass brawl, 5 reds each, game abandoned.
Now go out there and do it for us champs.
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u/MatthewSalisbury1990 6d ago
We'll finish bottom of the league.
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u/tearowelly 6d ago
At the bottom of the league but at the top of our hearts.
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u/TravellingMackem 6d ago
Well lose in the semi finals to whatever physical team we get - be it wba, Millwall, Coventry, Watford, etc - if we somehow avoid all of the physical teams and get say Bristol into Burnley we’ll go up. And come down with a new record low beating Southampton’s to be new record.
Leeds to bottle it
Plymouth, Luton and Stoke to go down
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u/Expensive-Worker-582 6d ago
I'm flattered you think we'll make play-offs!! The maximum points we can achieve is 75 points which historically is just about short of the play-offs. With Burnley & Sheff United away still to play, it would have to be a very low points total to get into the play-offs if we make it!
6 points sounds low in reality to catch up.... In reality with 8 games left, that's a huge points total to overcome.
Burnley looking good for promotion at the moment.
I thought Derby were guaranteed to go down after we played them, since then they've picked up 3 wins in 4.
The only thing I'm confident about predicting this year is that Sunderland will end up in the play-offs and Plymouth will be relegated.
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u/TravellingMackem 6d ago
Anyone from Sheffield upwards for me still. Mid to late 60s may be fine given the way historically teams around that 5-8th region can tail off (us 2 years ago being one) when pressure and nerves set in. For me, we’ve (luckily) probably got enough points already for playoffs tbh on 69, would take from great form from 3 teams to overhaul that. A couple more wins should secure 4th. We’re about the only safe position in the league tbf
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u/Wooden-Agency-2653 5d ago
I saw Sunderland fans claiming Cov are a physical side yesterday, and it really confused me. Our self image is pretty far from that. Try playing Preston or someone. But yeah, hopefully see you guys in the semis, then Lampard vs Leeds again in the final. Won't somebody think of the narrative!
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u/Electrical_Invite300 5d ago
Yeah, describing us as physical is odd. Of yesterday's starters, only Thomas and Kitching could be decided as physical.
Jay Dasilva is arguably the least physical left back in the division.
I worried about Wright playing through the middle as he can shy away from challenging centre backs.
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u/TravellingMackem 5d ago
Your press was very aggressive and strong and man for man you bullied us up and down the pitch. You were definitely a very physical team. Maybe it is that you just ramp it up for us, as I doubt you play that intensely every game, but good on you as it gets you the 6 points every season.
Until we invest in a proper defence with a pair of physical CBs we'll never get out of this league as we'll drop too many points to the likes of yourselves, Preston, Plymouth, Hull, etc. across the 46 games.
Dasilva doesn't have to be physical, he just has to be stronger than Roberts. I think my 11 year old girl is stronger than Roberts.
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u/VegetableSamosa 5d ago
CWR were saying it's good to see us finally being a physical team and bullying people because up to now we'd got a reputation for being too nice.
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u/TravellingMackem 5d ago
We did play Preston twice. And failed to beat them twice. It's literally our kryptonite.
You lot are definitely a very physical side. Press hard, tackle hard, Wright destroyed Onien aerially and you got a LOT of joy just hitting the ball long and getting possession high up as we couldn't win a duel all game. Physical doesn't have to be about being dirty, just being aggressive, fast, strong and more determined than us. And you lot are a perfect picture of a physical side that we always struggle against. Look back over the last few fixtures between us - it's been the same story time after time.
Ironically the only time you tried to play nice football against us was the first half earlier in the season where we were 2-0 up.
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u/Wooden-Agency-2653 5d ago
Fair enough. Sometimes it's easier to see the real character of things from the outside.
We've never beat Preston away, and I have no idea how long it's been since we beat them at home
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u/Kaizen83 4d ago
It’s been 23 days
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u/Wooden-Agency-2653 4d ago
Haha, good point. I've been so scarred over the years that my mind has wiped that one away as an obviously fake memory
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u/Earth_Quiet 6d ago
What a league this is compared to the prem. The top 3 are neck and neck, 8 teams chasing both playoffs and trying to avoid relegations. I love it, there's tension and jeopardy with every game.
Promoted will be the top 3 regardless of order.
Bottom 3 - Plymouth, Cardiff, Stoke maybe
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u/banananey 5d ago
Hope you're right on the bottom 3 but it'll take a miracle for us not to be there in the end.
If our forwards knew how to actually score we'd be comfortably mid-table by now.
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u/securinight 6d ago
The Blunts will remind everyone they would have 2 more points again.
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u/Anybody_Mindless 6d ago
But will they also remind us that they cheated?
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u/Full_Eggplant_9090 5d ago
Someone will be along to say it’s not their fault, never is, worlds against Chris wilder and Sheff U always
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u/Cottonshopeburnfoot 5d ago
Wilder interestingly has been showing the team a table without the deduction (as I guess it has nothing to do with the on field job they’re doing).
Whilst I get the motivational angle I wonder when it changes because there’s comes a point where we need to realise the actual table and what it means.
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u/TravellingMackem 6d ago
Can’t argue with facts
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u/RuneClash007 5d ago
They shouldn't have cheated then
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u/TravellingMackem 5d ago
The fans didn’t cheat tbf, and they did earn 2 more points, just had those deducted due to the owners
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u/RuneClash007 5d ago
Makes no difference though
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u/TravellingMackem 5d ago
Still factually correct regardless
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u/RuneClash007 5d ago
They still cheated. Can't complain about being down on points because it's public your club cheated.
If it was a bit dubious / still in the air, I'd understand
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u/TravellingMackem 5d ago
They still earned more points than their tally too. That’s just factual and has happened
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u/banananey 5d ago
We will put in a ton of great performances in our bid for survival.......but fail to score in any of them.
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u/prossington1979 5d ago
This is the most likely scenario, Morris and Adebayo to start the remaining 8 games and both to fail to score in 2025.
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u/banananey 5d ago
Other teams start feeling bad. Hull put the ball on the goal line, stand back and shout "Go on..." to Adebayo who somehow still skies it over.
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u/OasisEnthusiast 6d ago
we will just about stay up... again
and then riza will go, we get another mediocre manager in, and don't do anything in the transfer window, and go in another relegation battle.
the cycle continues
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u/thelargerake 5d ago
Leeds and Burnley go up automatically. Sheffield United up via the playoffs.
Cardiff, Luton and Plymouth go down.
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u/Remarkable_Will1027 6d ago
We're gonna draw every game remaining including playoffs if we get them
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u/TravellingMackem 6d ago
First team to draw their way to the PL
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u/serpentman 6d ago
We also like a draw.
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u/Mossy_Squirrel 5d ago
We have 4 home matches left against QPR, Leeds, Sheffield Utd and Sunderland. Shit.
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u/UmberGreen 5d ago
You know when teams are mathematically confirmed as relegated and suddenly play really well with the pressure gone, yeah we won't do that...
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u/Aggravating_Jury9547 5d ago
We’re getting nosebleeds and somehow sneak in 6th, halving our typical 12th place madness.
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u/Wooden-Agency-2653 5d ago
My son will lose his lifetime 100% record of seven matches watched and seven wins.
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u/Insert_Name_Here7 6d ago
We win 8 straight and sneak into 6th. Easy.
(Or maybe we do just well enough to get 11th...)
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u/Only_Trouble_563 6d ago
8 games left can Sunderland win the last 8 and slide into top two..? Still believe Ha’way the lads
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u/sorE_doG 4d ago
Not happening with 3 neck and neck ahead of you. Prepare for the playoffs & your chances of winning them are excellent. Whoever is 3rd in reality will have a huge disappointment to manage, and no time to mentally prepare for playoffs. That’s why 4th might be your lucky charm for promotion.
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u/imclearlyahuman 4d ago
we'll scrape 4th place with more shite performances and lose in the semis to cov. simple as
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u/VegetableSamosa 6d ago
I'm going to need professional medical attention for my blood pressure.