Wouldn't it be a f*cking giggle if Ipswich win the league? After everyone doubting them the entire season. Only 3 points behind Leicester!!!
3 losses in a row for Leicester now... Swear some fans said they wouldn't bottle it... Definitely squeaky bum time atm. They are fortunate Leeds didn't win today.
Now that we're beyond the three-quarter mark of the season, and the top four are all keeping up with the two-points-per-game average (just about in our case!), I thought I'd go back and look into just how rare this is. In all 35 previous seasons of the second tier being a 46-game division, I count that 24 teams have been on 70 points after 35 games. So easily less than one per season, on average. Of those 24 teams, I count that 17 of them won the title. I count that 23 of them got automatic promotion. In no previous season has there even been three sides on 70 points after 35 games, let alone four sides. Now we have 28 teams. And to illustrate how this season's four compare to previous 24 (including their final positions and points tallies): 83 points - Reading 2005-06 - Finished 1st with 106 points 79 points - Fulham 2000-01 - Finished 1st with 101 points 78 points - Leicester 2013-14 - Finished 1st with 102 points 78 points - Charlton 1999-00 - Finished 1st with 91 points 78 points - LEICESTER 2023-24 76 points - Sunderland 1998-99 - Finished 1st with 105 points 76 points - Burnley 2022-23 - Finished 1st with 101 points 76 points - Wolves 2017-18 - Finished 1st with 99 points 76 points - Norwich 2020-21 - Finished 1st with 97 points 76 points - Newcastle 2016-17 - Finished 1st with 94 points 76 points - Fulham 2021-22 - Finished 1st with 90 points 75 points - Newcastle 2009-10 - Finished 1st with 102 points 75 points - IPSWICH 2023-24 74 points - Sheffield Utd 2005-06 - Finished 2nd with 90 points 73 points - Pompey 2002-03 - Finished 1st with 98 points 73 points - LEEDS 2023-24 71 points - Chelsea 1988-89 - Finished 1st with 99 points 71 points - Bolton 1996-97 - Finished 1st with 98 points 71 points - Newcastle 1992-93 - Finished 1st with 96 points 71 points - Brighton 2016-17 - Finished 2nd with 93 points 71 points - Cardiff 2012-13 - Finished 1st with 87 points 70 points - Burnley 2013-14 - Finished 2nd with 93 points 70 points - Leicester 2002-03 - Finished 2nd with 92 points 70 points - Cardiff 2017-18 - Finished 2nd with 90 points 70 points - Boro 2015-16 - Finished 2nd with 89 points 70 points - QPR 2010-11 - Finished 1st with 88 points 70 points - Wolves 2001-02 - Finished 3rd with 86 points 70 points - SAINTS 2023-24 Wolves (2001-02) are the one side of that list (so far) who failed to get automatic promotion. Two more sides will be joining them this season. Furthermore, they along with Boro (2015-16) are the only sides on that list who got overtaken by a non-member of the 70-point club.
Leicester have the added distraction of a FACup QF to deal with, which could mess them up. Looks like Ipswich did the right thing, losing against Maidstone.
Honestly, fair play to Ipswich. Turns out their owners are way richer than I thought, so it isn’t quite the underdog story it feels like. But regardless, they have been absolutely amazing all season considering who they’ve been up against.
We haven't really been paying attention to that end of the table for obvious reasons, but the relegation race is deranged. There are nine teams that could find themselves in the drop zone next week. Sunderland, in 10th place, is equidistant between 6th and the playoffs, and 22nd and the relegation zone.
