The Championship Thread - 2025/26

2-2 now.

 

Aaaaaand they won again, and scored another 4 goals. They are on +30 GD already...fair play to them. Still a long way to go though and it will be interesting to see how they do if they suffer a few injuries to crucial players for any extended period of time as I assume they don't have the quality of depth that the likes of us and Ipswich have.

 

Can't see them not winning it now tbh. Even if they did have a sustained wobble who's good enough to take advantage?

Second is wide open though.

 

Maybe I was a tad cautious when I said 4 or 5 points off 2nd by Christmas!

 

Apparently both of Sorba Thomas goals for Stoke last night were crosses that went in and what's more, apparently they are the 3rd and 4th crosses he's put in that have gone in the back of the net this season. Crazy.

 

Sheff Wed doing well against Millwall so far. Millwall looking quite average.

 

That jinxed it.

 

Skates three goals and one man down at Bramall Lane.

 

WBA only have themselves to blame.

 

Shame we're not playing the skates around this time. They're in horrific form at the minute.

 

You always said we had them too early on.

 

Yeah frustrating really. Though at least it wasn't at Fratton as reckon we'd have got battered if it was.

A lot can change form wise for both teams in next 8 weeks.

 

Approaching the halfway point now. A much clearer idea now of how the league is going to pan out.

Cov look absolutely set for the autos. So that leaves one spot, which looks to have Ipswich’s name on it imo. Birmingham and Wrexham both looking good to get playoff spots, as do we. So I’d say room for one more from Boro, Stoke and Leicester if they change their manager.

Saints vs Wrexham in the playoff final would be epic.

Opinions?

 

Coventry look set as you say. I think that's in part to the rest not being able to hang off their coat-tails. In our promotion season, Leicester were on 42 points after 17 games and very nearly screwed that up in the second half of the season.

As for the rest, I think 2nd and the playoffs are wide open. I'd expect Ipswich to be up there along with us, purely due to squad strength if nothing else. As for the rest - I have no idea ... it could be anyone!

 

It has no one's name on it right now. Completely up for grabs. Ipswich were held at home by Wrexham the other day. They're on a nice unbeaten run but they've dropped 4 points from home games against Wrexham and Watford. I think us and Ipswich will end up fighting for it but can't rule out the likes of Boro and Stoke right now.

 

I think we might end up being the Reading to Coventry’s Southampton.

 

Yep fair. I can honestly only see us or Ipswich getting the auto spot, not because of form, but because of squad depth. Neither Boro nor Stoke will maintain their good starts once injuries and fatigue become a factor. They’ll both go on a patch of bad form and maybe not recover. Plus Boro just changed their manager so that could be a big factor.

 

Yeah Leicester started to crumble because the chasing pack was so relentless. Cov don’t have that problem so far, and I can only really see one team maximum improving enough to put them under pressure. So they will still get autos if not 1st spot.

 

I said the same about Coventry after the weekend. Even with a sustained wobble I don't think anybody else is good or consistent enough to fully take advantage.

Agree that rest of top 6 is wide open too. I wouldn't write Leicester off either if they change manager.

 

Further to my earlier prediction that we would emulate Reading in 2011-12, here is the table from November 2011 after 17 games. Look where Reading were at that point compared to us, and they finished top, a point ahead of us.

I believe the last time I made a similar prediction to this was earlier in 2011, when we were outside the playoff positions and people were losing faith that we would even make the top 6.