The EFL Thread

Billysboots

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Like to see Leeds go up, proper club and way too big for that league.

Sadly, I have very vivid memories of policing games involving Leeds over the years, and I’m sorry to say their travelling support caused serious trouble whenever they visited, long after hooliganism as we know it had been kicked into touch. Pubs often got trashed, pitched battles in the streets, you name it, they were involved in it. Along with Millwall and Birmingham City, the nastiest bunch I had the misfortune to have to try and control.

For that reason I’m afraid I struggle to agree.
 

4LEX

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Sadly, I have very vivid memories of policing games involving Leeds over the years, and I’m sorry to say their travelling support caused serious trouble whenever they visited, long after hooliganism as we know it had been kicked into touch. Pubs often got trashed, pitched battles in the streets, you name it, they were involved in it. Along with Millwall and Birmingham City, the nastiest bunch I had the misfortune to have to try and control.

For that reason I’m afraid I struggle to agree.

Would love to sit down and have a few drinks and listen to some of these tales! Never really experienced much of Leeds due to different leagues but seen plenty of Millwall and Birmingham. I've got family from Southwark so do have a lot of friends at Millwall, they are what they are. Birmingham have a weird away support.
 

sunshine

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Sadly, I have very vivid memories of policing games involving Leeds over the years, and I’m sorry to say their travelling support caused serious trouble whenever they visited, long after hooliganism as we know it had been kicked into touch. Pubs often got trashed, pitched battles in the streets, you name it, they were involved in it. Along with Millwall and Birmingham City, the nastiest bunch I had the misfortune to have to try and control.

For that reason I’m afraid I struggle to agree.

I hate Leeds for this reason.

And Millwall, Birmingham, Stoke.
 

Canary_Yellow

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I hate Leeds for this reason.

And Millwall, Birmingham, Stoke.
I would stick Wolves on that list too.

I’m currently wondering what it’s going to be like when I leave St Andrews on Saturday if we’ve relegated them…. I don’t think I’ll wear club colours for this one.

However, I think it’ll be ok as they will likely beat us. We have more or less nothing to play for.
 

Canary_Yellow

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It’s not over yet. Playing for a draw can be a dangerous thing.

Not that I expect the dog fiddlers to do us any favours.
They won’t play for a draw. They’ll beat Huddersfield 4 or 5 nil.

Think they’ve only lost one home game this season.

As a Norwich fan, it pains me to say they’ve been brilliant and thoroughly deserve their promotion. Great to see clubs come through doing things the right way, with a squad of hungry well coached players with no hint of ego or entitlement. It gives hope to all the similar sized clubs languishing in the championship, and in some cases league 1.
 

HomerJSimpson

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Got for or five Leeds fans at the club including one who was really gobby when they were in the PL and Fulham weren't calling all other football "non league". has hated having to hear that each week and been giving the big 'un all season until the last few weeks. Add that and I think the guy is contender for "King of the knobs" in my club (and it's a high standard) and I'd love it (in best Keegan voice) if they don't get up. The others to be fair have been really realistic about resoults in recent weeks and to the point where going up this season would make it a blood bath next season as they don't think they'd be strong enough, especially if some of their best players get nicked to a "bigger" club
 

Tashyboy

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Would love to sit down and have a few drinks and listen to some of these tales! Never really experienced much of Leeds due to different leagues but seen plenty of Millwall and Birmingham. I've got family from Southwark so do have a lot of friends at Millwall, they are what they are. Birmingham have a weird away support.
Once went to a City game v Birmingham. Apparently it was a “ anniversary “ of a “ famous” battle that the Birmingham “ Zulus”/ hooligans were involved in back in the day of football hooliganism. They came with the sole intention of causing trouble. The atmosphere in the ground was toxic. Horrible bunch.
 

babylonsinger

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Surprised Cardiff haven't been added to the list yet. We tend to have a pretty poor reputation - justified from my experiences following them
 

Lord Tyrion

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They won’t play for a draw. They’ll beat Huddersfield 4 or 5 nil.

Think they’ve only lost one home game this season.

As a Norwich fan, it pains me to say they’ve been brilliant and thoroughly deserve their promotion. Great to see clubs come through doing things the right way, with a squad of hungry well coached players with no hint of ego or entitlement. It gives hope to all the similar sized clubs languishing in the championship, and in some cases league 1.
Assuming Ipswich go up, how do you think they will manage next season? Will they have a chance or will they be a Sheffield Utd?

I heard an interesting chat about Sheff Utd last weekend. Similar to Forest when they came up, too many of the team were loan signings, that then were returned. Their two best players were also then sold. That left them short of players and having to re-build over the summer that they came up. Are Ipswich more stable than that?
 

Canary_Yellow

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Assuming Ipswich go up, how do you think they will manage next season? Will they have a chance or will they be a Sheffield Utd?

I heard an interesting chat about Sheff Utd last weekend. Similar to Forest when they came up, too many of the team were loan signings, that then were returned. Their two best players were also then sold. That left them short of players and having to re-build over the summer that they came up. Are Ipswich more stable than that?

You're asking the wrong person as I'm biased - I'd happily see them lose every game from now until forever.

As an outsider looking in, Ipswich look to be very stable. They won't need a rebuild, but they'll need to add some players. I would expect they will go down the relatively sensible spending route, as compared to Forest / Fulham / Villa's approach of dropping £100m.

I think the problem is that the way to get promoted is generally to play good football, have lots of possession, press up the pitch, pass out from the back, score lots of goals and probably concede a few too. Full backs are key attacking players, I think Leif Davis has something like 16 assists. However, once in the EPL, that approach for most teams outside the top 10, and particularly newly promoted sides, is suicide. I'd say the way Brentford play is pretty ideal for newly promoted sides; a good mixture of playing good football, but having players that mean you can go a bit more direct when needed and hurt teams on the counter. I don't think that's Ipswich right now, so some changes will be needed, but Kieran McKenna is clearly an excellent manager, so you never know. In all likelihood, I suspect they might need to use next season to improve the overall squad of players, with an eye on the possibility of relegation, and taking a longer term view.

Then again, maybe their American investors will give them lots of cash to spend? I'd think they're more Burnley than Sheff United or Luton, if we're looking for a comparison.
 

Billysboots

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We can add pretty much every football club in the land to lists of clubs with degenerates who support them.

Absolutely agree with that. It’s an undeniable fact.

But as a group I regret to say Leeds, Birmingham and Millwall always seemed hell bent on wreaking havoc when they visited.

To put it into context the Force I worked for didn’t have its own mounted section. But whenever those clubs visited we paid a neighbouring Force and drafted their police horses in to support our efforts in keeping the peace. Sorry to say it, but that’s how bad they were.
 

4LEX

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Quite pleased to see Birmingham go down. Loud mouthed owner with clueless football knowledge that resulted in them sacking their manager when they were 6th and replacing him with Rooney. I don't think they could've done more wrong if they tried. Even recently he was walking around the pitch hollering cringeworthy statements.
 
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