2024-25 Championship Match Day Thread

[SF_]

We kick off with Sheff Utd at home on Friday night.

Could say it's a good time to play them but they still have a quality eleven, especially if Keiffer Moore is available.

We'll probably line up with that box formation and try to just contain them. I'll be seriously pissed off if he benches Riis but he probably will.

Woodman has missed our last 2 friendlies and Cornell is a very weak replacement. Not remotely confident.

Cornell
Whatmough, Lindsay, Hughes
Potts, Whiteman, Thordarson, Brady
Greenwood, Frokjaer
Keane​

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

We have to wait for the parade to go by as we aren’t playing Burnley until Monday night.

Hopefully gives us some time to bring in some defensive cover (although chucking them in the opening game having had no time to bed in over pre season less than ideal) and for Mengi to recover as we are desperately thin in defence.

With the injury issues and our lack of ability to cover them so far, a point would be a more than creditable start for us imo

 

[BarrieOwl]

Despite all our early transfer work we still lack a clinical striker but we are hoping to bring Ugbo back before Sunday.

If we do then I predict a home win, the issue is I don't know who will play with all the newbies coming in.

 

[91SPP]

Blackburn away, both teams will be cautiously optimistic about getting all three points. It doesn't look like we will be getting anyone in to play last minute, so suspect we go with what we have - just not sure on formation.

Yates is suspended, otherwise he would've started upfront. We have moved to a 4 at the back in the last couple of friendlies which isn't the norm but have looked more comfortable doing so. Still, I almost expect us to switch to a back 3/5 again with us being away from home and having Ebou and Ozoh just looking to break everything up.

Vickers
Nelson Bradley Cashin
Wilson Ebou Ozoh Osborn
Kenzo
Jackson Mendez-Laing
​

I'm expecting a scrappy game, with a draw the most likely result.

 

[FarehamPompey]

Looking forward to playing Leeds as our first game back in the league.

Team doesn’t appear as strong as i’d have hoped. Expect to lose, but hopefully not a thrashing. A point would be a huge result to start the season.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Sounds like Mengi is fit, so we’ll likely go with the following…

GK Thomas Kaminski
RWB Chieo Ogbene
LWB Alfie Doughty
CB Teden Mengi
CB Reuell Walters
CB Tom Holmes
CM Shandon Baptiste
CM Jordan Clark
AM Tahith Chong
FW Carlton Morris
FW Elijah Adebayo
Subs: James Shea, Cauley Woodrow, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Joe Taylor, Andros Townsend, Aidan Francis-Clarke, Zack Nelson, Joe Johnson, Jayden Luker

 

[Tea Towel]

Blackburn away, both teams will be cautiously optimistic about getting all three points. It doesn't look like we will be getting anyone in to play last minute, so suspect we go with what we have - just not sure on formation.

Yates is suspended, otherwise he would've started upfront. We have moved to a 4 at the back in the last couple of friendlies which isn't the norm but have looked more comfortable doing so. Still, I almost expect us to switch to a back 3/5 again with us being away from home and having Ebou and Ozoh just looking to break everything up.

Vickers
Nelson Bradley Cashin
Wilson Ebou Ozoh Osborn
Kenzo
Jackson Mendez-Laing
​

I'm expecting a scrappy game, with a draw the most likely result.

What an awful front 2 that is, Christ

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Didn’t watch the game but just seen the goals, some absolutely suicidal defending for Derby for those Blackburn goals. Just leaving players totally unmarked in the middle of the box

 

[SF_]

Unless we get rid of Lowe were doomed

 

[masi51]

Unless we get rid of Lowe were doomed

yea..........Heard Evatt is top of your wish list
Holloway coming in as his assistant

 

[Tea Towel]

Unless we get rid of Lowe were doomed

I flicked between the two last night but from what I saw PNE were really poor. Didn’t look a threat at all, slow, predictable play. Similar to us before Rohl took over but not as bad.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Didn’t watch the game but just seen the goals, some absolutely suicidal defending for Derby for those Blackburn goals. Just leaving players totally unmarked in the middle of the box

Derby will be using set plays for a lot of goals this season based on what I saw last night

 

[Muttzzer]

Didn’t watch the game but just seen the goals, some absolutely suicidal defending for Derby for those Blackburn goals. Just leaving players totally unmarked in the middle of the box

Watched the highlights and it looks like Derby just the lost the plot, defensively, after they scored. Blackburn's 2nd goal, for example. A long, hard season unless that kind of stuff is sorted out.

Didn't see much of PNE and Sheff Utd, but the latter will do damage to teams this season.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Watched the highlights and it looks like Derby just the lost the plot, defensively, after they scored. Blackburn's 2nd goal, for example. A long, hard season unless that kind of stuff is sorted out.

Didn't see much of PNE and Sheff Utd, but the latter will do damage to teams this season.

I watched part of the SUFC game… I thought they looked pretty tidy. But it’s too early to judge.

 

[mase]

Very impressive first half display by us against Norwich. Certainly not over yet in this game; but if we can play like this for most of the season we should do ok.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Thought Oxford were great fully deserved win, really controlled that game from start to finish. Look confident and comfortable

 

[Muttzzer]

Farke is going to earn his bread this year, or he's out the door.

 

[Super_horns]

Some surprise results already !

Excellent win for us.

Probably fortunate but hey ho.

 

[BarrieOwl]

Thought Oxford were great fully deserved win, really controlled that game from start to finish. Look confident and comfortable

Yeah they made Norwich look very poor.

 

[nelsonpfc]

Considering both our 1st and 2nd choice 2nd CB were out, 1st and 2nd choice forwards out and our best left winger Murphy out injured we did well. Lang caused no end of problems, we got luck at times, but Mousinho has instilled a no excuses next man up mantra. Leeds had more of the ball and chances, but we dug in. We are still 3 or 4 players light in our squad. Gutted we couldn't hang on to the win, but point is a fantastic result.

 

[91SPP]

Defensively we have been excellent under Warne for the most part, we conceded 20 in our last 30 games last season, but got off the a slow start last season and defensively unsure. I feel that a brand new midfield three playing together for the first time and a change of system seemed to cause some confusion, especially when defending on the counter. I’m confident we will iron it out and be fine.

That being said: Blackburn’s decision making and quality in the final third was superb, though. They were really excellent. The striker they’ve signed is going to be a big problem for a lot of teams this season, physical and backs it up with high level technique - excellent find. The Japanese player they brought on was also very good.

I wouldn’t be surprised, on the back of that, to see them in the top 6 this season. Reminded me of when we played Huddersfield the first game of the season when they were tipped for relegation, they went on to finish third.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Considering both our 1st and 2nd choice 2nd CB were out, 1st and 2nd choice forwards out and our best left winger Murphy out injured we did well. Lang caused no end of problems, we got luck at times, but Mousinho has instilled a no excuses next man up mantra. Leeds had more of the ball and chances, but we dug in. We are still 3 or 4 players light in our squad. Gutted we couldn't hang on to the win, but point is a fantastic result.

I was impressed with PFC going forward for sure.

I keep hearing that this league is “weak”. I’m not having any of it. A lot of the play that I caught yesterday I was impressed with the standard. Whenever Luton is in the league, automatically it feels that the division is deemed below par.

This league is wide open.

 

[nelsonpfc]

I was impressed with PFC going forward for sure.

I keep hearing that this league is “weak”. I’m not having any of it. A lot of the play that I caught yesterday I was impressed with the standard. Whenever Luton is in the league, automatically it feels that the division is deemed below par.

This league is wide open.

Pack can pick a pass, Lang is a pain to play against as he doesn't stop running and his technique is top quality. Hits through the ball fantastically well. Saydee isn't going to score a ton of goals, but he's a unit and knows how to use his body well, defenders don't know how to cope with him. Just going to take some of the players a few matches to get up to the pace of the league. There are players how have moved for £20 plus million in this league. Think Leeds first 11 combined for £100m worth of fees.

 

[Kenneth E End]

I'd say if every player is sold tomorrow, Luton's squad is worth well over £100M.

If we don't get another defender in this week or we lose another tomorrow or lose Mengi to another club, I am more than a little nervous for next weekend with it being Portsmouth's first home game back in the Championship for many years. I have a ticket - we have sold all 2200 tickets already.

For me, it's getting through to the first international break - 7 points from the first 4 would be acceptable. I've always thought that the teams that are expected to do well, sometimes have indifferent results up to that period. And that first break is when teams tend to "get their shit together" as you go into the Autumn. Luton have in recent years tend to get into top gear around that Autumn period.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Only watched the second half but Plymouth have looked so poor, fully justifying peoples scepticism of the Rooney appointment. Kept half an eye on Whittaker as hes a player ive seen a few suggest we should go in for if we lose anyone in that area of the pitch, and hes looked so lazy, almost like he wants out.

Wednesday though look really good, played really high tempo, no mean feat in this heat. Really think Rohl is onto something there with that attack of Musaba, Gassama, Lowe & Windass of course.

 

[Tea Towel]

Brilliant today, every player. It took us 12 games to get 3 points last season!

Wednesday though look really good, played really high tempo, no mean feat in this heat. Really think Rohl is onto something there with that attack of Musaba, Gassama, Lowe & Windass of course.

You can add Ugbo to that list too

 

[BarrieOwl]

It's hard not to get carried away after one game but the contrast between where we were 12 months ago is ridiculous, part of that is having a squad being fit, we looked so leggy under Xisco so that is the main difference.

Luton and Coventry have shown the way previously, cohesion within the squad and that togetherness can carry teams beyond their normal expectations, Röhl has brought an energy but more important is he's got the players to buy in to his philosophy and moreso he has got a fanbase that has been fractured to buy in as well.

Sunderland next.

 

[thewwfc]

Well there’ll be no shortage of people queuing up to say “I told you so” if Argyle continue down the path of disaster.

Obviously only the first game though (and I didn’t watch it) so maybe it was just SWFC being good rather than Argyle being shite. But time will tell.

 

[91SPP]

Well there’ll be no shortage of people queuing up to say “I told you so” if Argyle continue down the path of disaster.

Obviously only the first game though (and I didn’t watch it) so maybe it was just SWFC being good rather than Argyle being shite. But time will tell.

I watched most of it, Plymouth were an absolute mess. It was like they were playing at half-speed and the body language after the first goal was a joke. It was very laboured which must've been the most frustrating thing for the fans. Not tracking runners, shirking challenges, etc. very poor.

It's hard to truly dominate a game at Championship level, typically they're fairly competitive even if the score line says otherwise. This was dominated and got the score line. Leeds dominated the game against Portsmouth but didn't get the score line.

We will find out soon enough about both teams, ultimately Plymouth fans are going to be worried sick and Wednesday fans are going to be, rightfully, very excited for the coming season and what might happen.

 

[91SPP]

Only watched the second half but Plymouth have looked so poor, fully justifying peoples scepticism of the Rooney appointment. Kept half an eye on Whittaker as hes a player ive seen a few suggest we should go in for if we lose anyone in that area of the pitch, and hes looked so lazy, almost like he wants out.

Wednesday though look really good, played really high tempo, no mean feat in this heat. Really think Rohl is onto something there with that attack of Musaba, Gassama, Lowe & Windass of course.

Whittaker today looked very much like the player who played for us, technically decent but an absolute fanny. Lingers on the ball, easily knocked off it. He's already gone well and above whatever I expected him to with Plymouth, but today gave me de ja vu.

Even with his numbers, which have been great over the past two years, I'd be interested to know how many fans have seen him takeover a game - as opposed to scoring a very good goal with limited amount of touches, input. I assume the latter is more prevalent than the former.