Championship, Division 1 and 2 and Conference 2014-15

Mushy

Bournmouth match in injury time, possibly a great comeback if they can nab one more. Leeds sinking again!

efb

Wolves got a late one against Cardiff!

Dozen Wicked Words

Yet again I was posting Northampton had lost, this time to Shrewsbury who played with 10 for about an hour. Poor, normal service had resumed at Sixfields........

Until yet another very late equaliser. Sinclair saved a point this week.

ctrl-alt-delete

Forest had a great start last year too but faded away when it mattered, the test will be to see if they have learned from it.

Fulham thrashed today, similar start to the last time Sunderland went down.

Paully D

Fulham looking likely to do a "Wolves" and suffer successive relegations unless they get their act together soon. I looked through their squad today and being honest I didn't recognise many players. I doubt Magath will be there too much longer.

grenache

ctrl-alt-delete wrote: »

Forest had a great start last year too but faded away when it mattered, the test will be to see if they have learned from it.

Fulham thrashed today, similar start to the last time Sunderland went down.

Forest had Billy "it's all about me" Davies in charge of them last season who ran his players into the ground. Chronic injuries were par for the course through both of his stints at the club. We were 4 points off automatic promotion in mid February before the injuries hit. By season's end when I went to see them play Brighton on last day, we had 16 first team members injured. 2 lads made their debuts that day, so short of players were we.

Stuart Pearce, Steve Wigley, Brian Eastick and Tim Flowers are highly intelligent and experienced football men - none of them will repeat the bizarre mistakes of Davies' tenure. And unlike last season, we have strikers who score goals - both Assombalonga & Fryatt can hit 20 goals each. It would take Simon Cox four seasons to score that many! And that's why he's now at Reading. We now also have two out and out natural wingers in Chris Burke & Michail Antonio, with 5 goals between them so far this season. Burke is the best winger in the division, he used to terrorise us when playing for Cardiff & Birmingham. I'm not saying we will definitely go up, but this is the best equipped Forest side in many years. Certainly the best since our last promotion in 1998. And I'm normally very pessimistic & ultra cautious about bigging up our chances.

On Fulham, they had 7 players starting today who were 21 or under, which is absolute suicide if you ask me. Parker, Kacanikilic, Woodrow & McCormack are the only ones I knew. Magath seems to be totally underestimating the quality of The Championship. They look very watery, not enough metal in that side.

Johner

Another cracking result for Burton beating QPR 1-0 at home. Rewarded with a home match against Brighton. What a start to the season it's been for the Brewers.

kensutz

Finally secured Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe from Brugge. Fantastic signing for Norwich and good replacement for Fer.

boccy23

kensutz wrote: »

Finally secured Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe from Brugge. Fantastic signing for Norwich and good replacement for Fer.

Congrats for last week. Thought we were very flat. Lacked any real bite and Norwich showed how they are equipped to get out of the Championship this season. A bit of unrest for the Ipswich locals with MM coming under some pressure for his conservative/negative tactics.
Ipswich off to Derby tomorrow for more fun and games.

kensutz

I think we needed to be more clinical in front of goal. Grabban could've had a hat trick in the game. It was a total different performance than the Blackburn and Watford games where we dominated them and attacked non stop. Think the derby made the team a bit more cautious.

Dozen Wicked Words

Cobblers left it late, again. Making a real habit this season of very late goals. Marc Richards popped up with an overhead kick in the 89th minute at Sixfields. Beat a injury ravaged, embargoed Exeter City 1-0

Future footballing star Ivan Toney (seriously this lad will go much higher than league 2, best prospect Northampton have had in donkey's years) made the difference off the bench.

Dozen Wicked Words

Good win again for the Cobblers, win every year at Dagenham though. Marc Richards with 2 more today. Into the heady heights of the play offs, just need to hang on there for 30 odd more games now!

Dozen Wicked Words

Burton Albion definitely look the real deal this season. Cobblers heading for defeat at Newport

Mr.Prodston

Great comeback from Norwich today.

Also good to see Conor Hourihane doing so well for Barnsley. Player of the Month for League 1 last month and 2 more goals today!

grenache

An exceptional comeback by Norwich today. Surely now favourites for the title. Quality all over the field.

kensutz

Fantastic win by Norwich and to have so many top players like Hooper, Bennett, Odjidja not featuring also today is quite comforting that we have awesome strength and depth. A real tale of 2 halves, first 30 mins were poor then started to dominate Cardiff. Second half kicked off and it was all Norwich. Turning point was Ruddy pulling off a save from Macheda at the back post. 3 quick goals turned the crowd against Cardiff.

grenache

kensutz wrote: »

Fantastic win by Norwich and to have so many top players like Hooper, Bennett, Odjidja not featuring also today is quite comforting that we have awesome strength and depth. A real tale of 2 halves, first 30 mins were poor then started to dominate Cardiff. Second half kicked off and it was all Norwich. Turning point was Ruddy pulling off a save from Macheda at the back post. 3 quick goals turned the crowd against Cardiff.

I know Hoolahan scored but how did he play in general? Grabban seems to have settled in very quickly.

A draw was probably just about right in the Forest - Derby game yesterday. Lots of huffing and puffing but not enough in the final third from either side. Cohen & Reid going off injured is a setback for Forest. Pearce has to look to the loan market now.

kensutz

Hoolahan was pretty poor in the first half but second half he turned the game around. Grabban almost had a goal on Saturday but for Turner nicking it on the line. Another test tonight against Brentford who like Wolves are having a decent start to the season.

Wrongway1985

Shame the Bees were outclassed in the end, still doin better than expected the team they beat to 2nd in L1 last year Leyton Orient struggling needed a pen to salvage a point tonight, very strong rumours that Russel Slade is set to be sacked, very sad that his overachieving last year is gonna ultimately cost him his job.

boccy23

2 wins for Ipswich. Nice comeback after the Norwich loss.

Kiwi_knock

Typical Birmingham performance, control the first half but fail to convert any chances. Then turn off for the second half and let the opposition dominate the match. Looks like we are in for a repeat of the previous two seasons, absolutely no consistency.

At least we have Norwich next, guaranteed 3 points.

Dozen Wicked Words

Cobblers went one down after 40 seconds, turned it around and won 5 1 against Hartlepool. Good news too that Alex Nicholls scored (on loan to Exeter) 2 years after a leg break that in probability would end most careers.

Harry Palmr

Cardiff about to bin Solskjaer by the looks of it.

Johner

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Burton Albion definitely look the real deal this season.

Got absolutely destroyed by Akinfenwa last night.

Johner

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Cardiff about to bin Solskjaer by the looks of it.

He's been shocking ever since he joined.

Dozen Wicked Words

Johner wrote: »

Got absolutely destroyed by Akinfenwa last night.

Many teams have been beaten when he's in Beast Mode! Thought the Cobblers were going to sign him for 3rd time at start of this season but glad they didn't now, got Marc Richards back instead.

efb

5-3 Forest beat Fulham 2-0 up then 3-2 down win 5-3!!!

Harry Palmr

I was listening to that on BBC 5live Extra, it was exciting stuff.

Blackburn beaten by Derby County 2-3

grenache

Two great games tonight, fantastic advertisement for Championship football.

Crazy game at City Ground, I knew before the game that Fulham had a kick in them. And so it proved. To come back from 2 down was very encouraging, McCormack showed his class tonight. But this Forest team under Psycho are a different animal. They are an embodiment of him on the pitch. They never give up - that's the second time this season so far they've come from behind to take all 3 points. Assombalonga and Antonio have been two revelations. What a pair of signings. 5.5m for Assombalonga looks peanuts now.

Great result for Derby too. Blackburn had looked very solid so far this season, Rhodes & Gestede look a potent pairing. Jamie Ward coming back into the Derby side tonight was the difference. They were hard to break down against Forest on Sunday. Very impressed with them again tonight. McClaren has done a great job with them.

Harry Palmr

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Cardiff about to bin Solskjaer by the looks of it.

and he's gone. Stupid job to take, clearly not ready for it having had Molde handed to him on a plate.

aodea

Harry Palmr wrote: »

and he's gone. Stupid job to take, clearly not ready for it having had Molde handed to him on a plate.

Not sure its a stupid job to take, be very hard for a manager to turn down a chance in the premership with a club who are willing to back him a bit. Championship clearly provong very hard and its a very demanding division.

Wonder will lennon be in the running for this.

grenache

Felix Magath must despise Nottingham Forest, cost him a European cup winners medal in 1980 and after last night......his job

Dozen Wicked Words

Cobblers scored a few but let Accrington score at will. Disappointing defeat after the good work mid week.

A_Sober_Paddy

Mansfield don't do draws it seems...

Harry Palmr

Looks like Wolves are determined to get promoted while averaging 1 goal per game.

Kiwi_knock

Mixed feelings with Birmingham's draw. I would have been happy with a point beforehand but after the first half we had we should have won the match. We were lucky to escape with a point with the performance in the second half.

Dozen Wicked Words

Four years ago today at Anfield, Northampton Town of League Two knocked Liverpool out of the Carling Cup.

Happy days that don't come round too often at the Cobblers.

Johner

Not a good week for Burton, beaten twice easily. Bury look very strong, Burton will need to improve their away form if they want to go up, need to get back on track in their next two home games.

Beefy78

Three wins in a week for the Thames Estuary Galacticos

boccy23

2-1 win way win at Wigan and into an early season playoff place. Back from the pub after watching it and have a little hope that this season won't be the same mediocrity as the last few. Com'on the Tractor boys!!!

CSF

boccy23 wrote: »

2-1 win way win at Wigan and into an early season playoff place. Back from the pub after watching it and have a little hope that this season won't be the same mediocrity as the last few. Com'on the Tractor boys!!!

Was a very entertaining game

Harry Palmr

I'm already looking forward to a Norwich/Ipswich play off final!

ctrl-alt-delete

Are Ipswich not 7th after tonights game?

I think there are a vast amount of teams with realistic play-off ambitions. It is going to be a close run one this season. It always is I suppose.

Dozen Wicked Words

Big away win for the Cobblers against a team above us. Beat Morecambe 1 nil, clean sheet particularly good after shipping 5 last time out. Back in play off spot.

Harry Palmr

A big day for teams at the bottom

Fulham
Carlisle Utd
AFC Telford United

all winning

greendom

just love a 93rd minute goal - puts the Bees 4 points at the top of the conference

cj maxx

Whats the story with preston ne this year ? Good , bad or reallly bad ? Anyone

Harry Palmr

Oscar Garcia has left his position at Watford post his heart scare. Billy McKinlay continues in charge as new manager.

Jelle1880

Portsmouth have announced they have now cleared all debts following the club's exit from administration in April 2013.

The Pompey Supporters Trust has been in charge since striking a deal with former owner Balram Chainrai.

A club statement said they could now look "forwards not backwards, while still recognising that the rebuilding process will continue to be a difficult task in the years ahead".

Portsmouth have been in administration twice in the past five years.
The club came close to liquidation in 2013 before the Trust came together to take over.

Some 2,368 shareholders have between them raised about £2.5m through individual pledges of £1,000.

The PST owns just under 51% of the club, with a group of 13 presidents making up the remaining share.

Those presidents include Portsmouth chairman Iain McInnes and property developer Stuart Robinson.

Robinson himself owns land surrounding Fratton Park and plans have been approved for a supermarket behind the ground, a project that will finally mean the site is redeveloped and transformed.

Portsmouth's presidents have also injected £500,000 to help with ground improvements, which will take potential attendance to around 20,000.

"Everybody at the club has worked hard in reorganising our operations during the past 18 months and the legacy debts were a significant liability hanging over this ongoing process," the statement said.

"We would like to thank all staff, supporters, directors and the PFA for their assistance in enabling this to be achieved well ahead of schedule."

A new training ground is due to open before the end of the year and the club statement added that it was part of a process of "putting in place foundations to enable the sustainable growth of all aspects of the club".

Portsmouth are eighth in League Two as they look to begin the process of climbing back up through the divisions, having been in the Premier League as recently as 2010.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/pompey/pompey-clear-debts-1-6326146

Brilliant news for a club that has had to suffer a lot in the last few years.
So many false dawns.

Johner

Good win for Burton against Cheltenham at the weekend to get back on track and back to the top of the league. Home form is outstanding just need to do a bit better on the road.