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The EFL Thread

Would getting promoted be good for the club? It seems a bit of a jump and I wonder if you would be strong enough. Another season in league one and go up as champions with more stability

Having spent over a decade in the Championship recently it's not actually that good quality wise, bar the top 3 teams and their parachute money. If we went up I'd expect to stay up fairly comfortably. We've actually got 5-6 players who are easily Championship quality which is why we've done well this season as the rest of our squad is really poor. Our recruitment since 2023 has been brilliant and I'd back on us recruiting well especially with the restrictions lifted.

You make a good point though and in an ideal world another season in League One and going up as Champions would be great. Get the fans that have stayed away in protest back, hopefully get the average upto 20,000 and actually look forward to building a team, rather than worrying about who will be sold next.
 
I truly hope that you fans get a satisfactory resolution to this sooner rather than later. Having been through similar trauma with my Club I appreciate how depressing it can be.

However I can't share your feelings regarding League One.

A single season has been more than enough.

Cheers! If we get a new owner half as good as yours I'd be very happy.

Your gates have been up, sold out every away game and won the title....winning can't have become boring already? ;)
 
Having spent over a decade in the Championship recently it's not actually that good quality wise, bar the top 3 teams and their parachute money. If we went up I'd expect to stay up fairly comfortably. We've actually got 5-6 players who are easily Championship quality which is why we've done well this season as the rest of our squad is really poor. Our recruitment since 2023 has been brilliant and I'd back on us recruiting well especially with the restrictions lifted.

You make a good point though and in an ideal world another season in League One and going up as Champions would be great. Get the fans that have stayed away in protest back, hopefully get the average upto 20,000 and actually look forward to building a team, rather than worrying about who will be sold next.
I think there is a bigger gap than the top three. I think there is around 12 clubs that can get into a play off in each season and the rest will be in or around a relegation fight. You are assuming you'll keep the good players as well
 
Cheers! If we get a new owner half as good as yours I'd be very happy.

Your gates have been up, sold out every away game and won the title....winning can't have become boring already? ;)
Certainly winning games is an enjoyable habit.

But I was one who thought the description by some of our fans of League One football was just a lazy cliche and certainly there have been a number of teams, including your own, whose footballing abilities have impressed me there remain a fair number who are somewhat agricultural.

Still the big plus of promotion is that it will maintain, at least for the time being, the feeling of positivity and hope around the Club that hadn't been present for many years.

I hope Reading can have a similar outcome for you fans.
 
I think there is a bigger gap than the top three. I think there is around 12 clubs that can get into a play off in each season and the rest will be in or around a relegation fight. You are assuming you'll keep the good players as well

There's a top 3 then a group who are much of a muchness down to 14 or so, the rest is really poor. We had a really terrible team in 21/22 and 22/23 and only went down due to having -6 points being taken off us in the latter season. If Oxford can stay up this season with such a poor side, we'll do alright.
 
Certainly winning games is an enjoyable habit.

But I was one who thought the description by some of our fans of League One football was just a lazy cliche and certainly there have been a number of teams, including your own, whose footballing abilities have impressed me there remain a fair number who are somewhat agricultural.

Still the big plus of promotion is that it will maintain, at least for the time being, the feeling of positivity and hope around the Club that hadn't been present for many years.

I hope Reading can have a similar outcome for you fans.

Very true, there's only a handful of teams who play football in this league. I'd say even Wrexham and Wycombe are very direct. Birmingham, Stockport, Blackpool, Charlton and ourselves try and play the right way. That said, there's been games where we've been pressed and had to pump it long on many occassions. Hunt has turned us into a very dangerous counter attacking side and sorted out the defence, we're not the same footballing side as we were under Selles but it's improved our away form massively.

I think one of our best performances was the opening day against you, felt we should've won that won. The game at our place was more even and we played well but you missed that golden chance.
 
Great day in Bristol and returned with 3 points. Usual rubbish start but then a few moments of quality won the game. Another cracker from Lewis Wing, this time a dummy before running off his marker, great ball back to him and a tidy finish. A goal that wouldn't look out of place in the PL.

A shame Orient won but at least it'll come down to the final game and hopefully we can fill the place with 22,000+ next week.
 
Seems strange to be nothing much more than a mildly interested observer for the final weeks of the season.

Many of our fans are obsessing over the points record but personally, whilst it would be nice, I am not overly bothered.
 
Wycombe have well and truly bottled automatic. Losing to Wrexham, us, Charlton and now Orient. Even a few draws there and they're in pole position.

Not bothered about Wrexham but pleased for Sam Smith and Parky 👋
 
Seems strange to be nothing much more than a mildly interested observer for the final weeks of the season.

Many of our fans are obsessing over the points record but personally, whilst it would be nice, I am not overly bothered.

It's in the bag surely.

Although with the gap between the top of League One and the Championship, I'm happy our Championship record will get most of the attention going forward!
 
Massive game on Saturday for the Bantams. Win and we're up, draw and we're relying on Walsall and Notts County. Fully sold out so a 23/24k crowd. Alsorts been planned by various supporters clubs before the game and as usual on the last game of the season we send our respect to the 56 who tragically died in the fire, which was 40 years ago. Are the stars aligned for us to do it on the 40th anniversary?? I really hope so. We need to get out the division..
 
Massive game on Saturday for the Bantams. Win and we're up, draw and we're relying on Walsall and Notts County. Fully sold out so a 23/24k crowd. Alsorts been planned by various supporters clubs before the game and as usual on the last game of the season we send our respect to the 56 who tragically died in the fire, which was 40 years ago. Are the stars aligned for us to do it on the 40th anniversary?? I really hope so. We need to get out the division..
Amazing average attendance figures for the season for you. They alone should get you out of the division. Hopefully you do it 👍
 
Amazing average attendance figures for the season for you. They alone should get you out of the division. Hopefully you do it 👍
Yes, had some record breaking attendances this plus the tifo/scarf parades have been great too. Lot of the younger fans are really getting the ground looking fantastic after a fair few years of dullness on and off the field. Fingers crossed
 
Wo
Massive game on Saturday for the Bantams. Win and we're up, draw and we're relying on Walsall and Notts County. Fully sold out so a 23/24k crowd. Alsorts been planned by various supporters clubs before the game and as usual on the last game of the season we send our respect to the 56 who tragically died in the fire, which was 40 years ago. Are the stars aligned for us to do it on the 40th anniversary?? I really hope so. We need to get out the division..
Would be a nice present on the 40th anniversary. Scary that its that long ago. Remember the shocking images as the tragedy unfolded
 
Just reading that Leeds are considering replacing Farke. Absolutely ridiculous after the job he has done this season.
Thing is, he's a promotion manager. Modern day Neil Warnock. Has any of his teams survived in the Prem yet? Correct me if I'm wrong, of course. But how many times do we see teams playing great footy in the Championship, come up, try and play the same way and get absolutely spanked? Especially in the last two seasons given that nobody has stayed up. A totally different approach is required and I don't think it's the worst idea in the world to bring in a different manager.
 
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