This just goes to show how the Championship is truly a league where any-one can compete against any-one. It's one of the things I'll miss about the 2nd tier. Here is the 'mini-league' table containing Pompey and the top 6. 1..Cardiff City .......12...6...4...2...17...14...22 2..Reading.............12...6...1...5...18...14...19 3..West Ham..........12...5...3...4...22...18...18 4..Birmingham City...12...3...5...4...15...17...14 5..POMPEY.............12...3...4...5...16...16...13 6..SAINTS.............12...2...7...3...15...17...13 7..Blackpool...........12...3...4...5...15...22...13
Just goes to show how unfair a points deduction during the season actually is, the rule should be changed so that you start the season on -10 , although having said that we are still not out of the woods and may get get a further penalty ahead of next season's promotion drive!
It was against mid-table that it all went pear shaped. The same comparison table consisting of the bottom 7 sees us at the top, but if you do one pitting us against the middle six (10th - 15th) we are EIGHT points adrift at the bottom!
No, it suggests to me that Southampton fared somewhat poorly against stronger teams. Or they opted for a very defensive style against them, but I don't think this was the case. They were excellent against teams who could not cope with their passing game, but when faced with a well drilled back four and a midfield that closed things down smartly, they had no answer to that. Hence, a lot of drawn matches, they didn't lose too many of these games, but found it difficult going forward when they couldn't prevail with the passing game. If Southampton can find other attacking options they should do well in the PL, if not they are going to come up against teams well rehearsed in closing down games.
Ye if we lose 3 games against the top 6 sides in the Premier, we are doomed. Only a team relegated could find this interesting.
Well my take on it was that most of the teams in the PL will be of a higher standard, have better squads, tactics etc; than the top six championship teams, featured in this mini league. The fact that my team was relegated, doesn't prevent me from being interested in making this summary one way or the other really.
I would defend Meowths right to comment of course, but I don't agree on this occasion. Where it not for a wonder strike in the last few seconds of the Derby we would be in the middle of that group and would probably gone up as champions. It's too small a sample to make the extrapolation. What does Bristol taking 6 points off us mean? That the opposite is true?
No, otherwise there would be no punishment for the overpaid players playing that you couldn't afford...
Hasn't sinking blue touched rock bottom yet? Not that much to do in the long evenings in Cyprus, eh, Frattoniser? When you get fed up with drawing up fantasy tables, might I recommend air guitar?
Actually, the confounding factor is your presence as much as anything: we fared worse against yourselves than most of the other teams listed. Remove Pompey and four of the teams (West Ham, Southampton, Birmingham and Blackpool) end up with either 11 or 12 points against the remainder of the top six; only Reading (16) and Cardiff (18) distinguish themselves...Reading is deservedly going up, while Cardiff are doing their damnedest to dispel any notion of themselves as giant-killers at the moment.
Would anyone care to explain the point of this claptrap. FACT - Saints are promoted to Premier League - Pompey relegated to League 1 is anything else relevant? And anyone thinking the Saints side will be the same next season must be deluded
Ok, here we go guys. Everyone run around really fast, try and get the ball and kick it into the other teams goal.
No wonder your crowds dropped if that is the style of football you had to watch every week or I suppose by the end of season you must have slowed up with all that running.
No-one seems to like it, when I try and talk seriously! I'm sticking to the eccentricity from now on. Quite a lot don't like that either, it's all (attendances) or nothing on here. Expect changes for the future.
