Rival Watch

[Simmops]

Looks like Neil might be on his way out of Preston with just 2 wins in 13

Lots of talk about staying patient with managers and I agree to an extent but it’s interesting how Neil has almost got his side in a worse position each season four times in a row, sometimes you just have to cut your losses

Preston are a team that should really always be challenging or in the top 6 but just never are

[genome]

Hadn't realised how close they were to the drop zone. Yikes

Final game of the season: Fulham v Newcastle.

Horrible run-in too. Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester, Man City, all in a row.

[Simmops]

It was funny seeing the meltdown last time they went down. All their fans were saying it was a travesty and they were too big to go down.

The problem is they pissed the league and BBC proclaimed them and wolves the 2 best ever teams in the championship because we apparently dont exist


English Football League: The best teams to grace the Championship and old Division Two - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52416054

[Notts Royal]

Looking like Newcastle away next season then...an absolutely tepid display against Brighton tonight, which is a shame as Brighton bore me to death!

Never seen such a gutless performance in the PL. no pressing , no energy, no nothing, their fans must be fuming.

They are a joke team. JoeLOLinton has to be one of the worst strikers I've ever seen in football, and I saw Gregorz Rasiak play for us.

Worse then ade akinbiki, soldado, Jo, Bosko BaLOLoban (9 oxf*rd games in 3 years ), probably just as bad as Ricky van wolfvinkel

Haha I agree. There’s some players you see and just question why they are playing in the Prem. Joelinton is 1 of them, Jordan Ayew is another

Having said that, I was wrong about Shane Long when he turned to magic that season

[CountryRoyal]

They are a joke team. JoeLOLinton has to be one of the worst strikers I've ever seen in football, and I saw Gregorz Rasiak play for us.

And yet Gregorz Rasiak has scored 1 less goal than Sam Baldock in less than half the appearances!

[Simmops]

Never seen such a gutless performance in the PL. no pressing , no energy, no nothing, their fans must be fuming.

They are a joke team. JoeLOLinton has to be one of the worst strikers I've ever seen in football, and I saw Gregorz Rasiak play for us.

Worse then ade akinbiki, soldado, Jo, Bosko BaLOLoban (9 oxf*rd games in 3 years ), probably just as bad as Ricky van wolfvinkel

Haha I agree. There’s some players you see and just question why they are playing in the Prem. Joelinton is 1 of them, Jordan Ayew is another

Having said that, I was wrong about Shane Long when he turned to magic that season

After he left us he has had a complete piss poor scoring record

[Pepe the Horseman]

Hadn't realised how close they were to the drop zone. Yikes

Final game of the season: Fulham v Newcastle.

Honestly think Newcastle will be dead and buried by then.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Looking like Newcastle away next season then...an absolutely tepid display against Brighton tonight, which is a shame as Brighton bore me to death!

Never seen such a gutless performance in the PL. no pressing , no energy, no nothing, their fans must be fuming.

They are a joke team. JoeLOLinton has to be one of the worst strikers I've ever seen in football, and I saw Gregorz Rasiak play for us.

Worse then ade akinbiki, soldado, Jo, Bosko BaLOLoban (9 oxf*rd games in 3 years ), probably just as bad as Ricky van wolfvinkel

I think the best thing about Joelinton is imaging how the locals pronounce him. Wye-aye man, it's Joe Linton! Maybe that's what Ashley was thinking of.

[Simmops]

Ivan Toney needs just 3 more goals to break the record for the most Championship goals in a single season:

• Glenn Murray - 30
• Teemu Pukki - 29
• Ross McCormack - 28
• Jordan Rhodes - 28
• Ivan Toney - 28

He still has 9 games to go!

Newcastle are probably kicking themselves

[skipper]

Why is there this big fuss about Bournemouth?

Yes they have a game in hand, but their first-team just got beat in the cup, so will be weary off the back of said defeat. They're playing Middlesborough, who we know will be physical, and are hardly a bad team. A win for Borough puts them on equal points with Bournemouth, and a chance of the play offs.

It's hardly a done deal.

Their form in the last 6 is 3 wins, 2 losses and a draw. Those losses were to Cardiff and Barnsley (bottlers!) and the draw was against Preston.
Admittedly they did beat Watford and Swansea. Which if it does anything, it highlights their consistency issues. Ring any bells?

I fully expect Middlesborough to get something out of the game.

[Ascotexgunner]

Why is there this big fuss about Bournemouth?

Yes they have a game in hand, but their first-team just got beat in the cup, so will be weary off the back of said defeat. They're playing Middlesborough, who we know will be physical, and are hardly a bad team. A win for Borough puts them on equal points with Bournemouth, and a chance of the play offs.

It's hardly a done deal.

Their form in the last 6 is 3 wins, 2 losses and a draw. Those losses were to Cardiff and Barnsley (bottlers!) and the draw was against Preston.
Admittedly they did beat Watford and Swansea. Which if it does anything, it highlights their consistency issues. Ring any bells?

I fully expect Middlesborough to get something out of the game.

They didn't play badly against the scummers yesterday. They do look like they are getting better. Wilshire is looking pretty imperious in that midfield. He is giving them an extra dimension going forward that wasn't there earlier. I can't believe he had stayed fit this long. I do wonder if he were injured they might look more ordinary. If they do lose him though I'm convinced they may not look as impressive.

[South Coast Royal]

Why is there this big fuss about Bournemouth?

Yes they have a game in hand, but their first-team just got beat in the cup, so will be weary off the back of said defeat. They're playing Middlesborough, who we know will be physical, and are hardly a bad team. A win for Borough puts them on equal points with Bournemouth, and a chance of the play offs.

It's hardly a done deal.

Their form in the last 6 is 3 wins, 2 losses and a draw. Those losses were to Cardiff and Barnsley (bottlers!) and the draw was against Preston.
Admittedly they did beat Watford and Swansea. Which if it does anything, it highlights their consistency issues. Ring any bells?

I fully expect Middlesborough to get something out of the game.

They didn't play badly against the scummers yesterday. They do look like they are getting better. Wilshire is looking pretty imperious in that midfield. He is giving them an extra dimension going forward that wasn't there earlier. I can't believe he had stayed fit this long. I do wonder if he were injured they might look more ordinary. If they do lose him though I'm convinced they may not look as impressive.

Bournemouth are a bit like us.
They are fine when things are going well but are weak mentally.
It is very much a toss-up between them, Barnsley and us for the 5th and 6th places.

Cardiff and'Boro don't seem to have quite enough but can influence the outcome for the rest of us.

Relatively speaking I have as much invested in the club as our owners as I have a number of bets just on us making the top 6 with a couple more at big prices for us to get promoted, one at 25/1.

After this past week I have in my own mind now written us off to save worrying too much and que sera sera especially as I can't do anything about the eventual outcome, not even encourage them at matches which is also most depressing.

Fcuking International breaks-let's get this over and done with.

[Hound]

Bit the same with our season. Great if we make the play offs, still been a positive season if not

Don’t think we’ve quite enough to get beyond the semis if we did. In my mind we’d either need Joao on the sort of of form he was a couple of months ago and/or Swift to be fit and firing 100%

Also strange to say but a bit bored of the season tbh. Bored of just watching everything on TV. Everything just feels a bit samey

[Snowball]

Bit the same with our season. Great if we make the play offs, still been a positive season if not

Don’t think we’ve quite enough to get beyond the semis if we did. In my mind we’d either need Joao on the sort of of form he was a couple of months ago and/or Swift to be fit and firing 100%

Also strange to say but a bit bored of the season tbh. Bored of just watching everything on TV. Everything just feels a bit samey

I think "the disappointment" is simply due to the ridiculously-good start.

Was it Charlton who came to The Madejski top of the table, beat us and were top after about ten games, then relegated?



Had we been 13th for most of the season until 8 games ago and recently had the WWWWWWDW run to take us up to sixth, we would be ecstatic.

Bristol City
Reading
Brentford
Barnsley
Cardiff
Norwich
and now Watford
and in a partial way QPR

(not sure about Swansea and Bournemouth)


have all had some very good "exceptional" runs.

That's why we have 46 games not six.

If we finish top six, we deserve it. At the start of the season most of us would've been happy with "top 8/9 and ready for next season"


We should remember that (if we miss out) as long as the disappointment doesn't affect us (I don't think it will) - next season, Holmes and McIntyre will be better, Laurent and Rhino will be just as solid or a tad better, we will have got some big wages off the books, and will find a decent LB, a 3rd/4th striker, a winger, and fitted Swift with bionic hamstrings

Yes, we will probably sell Olise but we can get a sound replacement for a coupla million (and we still have Swift).

Me, I would try to move on Moore, because of his wages and clone Morrison. In 2022-23 Holmes-McIntyre would probably be our CBs.

and who will come through from the Academy?

[Orion1871]

McIntyre is as good as gone imo. If he hasn't signed by now then I can't see it happening. Would be a very pleasant surprise if he did sign an extension.

[bcubed]

McIntyre is as good as gone imo. If he hasn't signed by now then I can't see it happening. Would be a very pleasant surprise if he did.

I really hope you're wrong

That would piss me right off

Been a star this season and tho I can just about cope with Richards and Olise going, not TMac !

[morganb]

McIntyre is as good as gone imo. If he hasn't signed by now then I can't see it happening. Would be a very pleasant surprise if he did.

I really hope you're wrong

That would piss me right off

Been a star this season and tho I can just about cope with Richards and Olise going, not TMac !

Has anyone out of contract at the end of this season actually signed a new contract? Do we even know if any of these players have been offered a new contract or if there are other reasons that nothing has been offered/announced (FFP? Chances of promotion?)

[paultheroyal]

McIntyre is as good as gone imo. If he hasn't signed by now then I can't see it happening. Would be a very pleasant surprise if he did sign an extension.

not a chance - born and bred - offer of many thousands more - the player is staying.

[tidus_mi2]

McIntyre is as good as gone imo. If he hasn't signed by now then I can't see it happening. Would be a very pleasant surprise if he did sign an extension.

not a chance - born and bred - offer of many thousands more - the player is staying.

I'm more in the optimism camp as well. I'd like to think they already have something agreed but just want to focus on the run-in. Once play-off status is confirmed one way or the other I reckon they'll announce the contract.

[Snowflake Royal]

McIntyre is as good as gone imo. If he hasn't signed by now then I can't see it happening. Would be a very pleasant surprise if he did.

I really hope you're wrong

That would piss me right off

Been a star this season and tho I can just about cope with Richards and Olise going, not TMac !

Has anyone out of contract at the end of this season actually signed a new contract? Do we even know if any of these players have been offered a new contract or if there are other reasons that nothing has been offered/announced (FFP? Chances of promotion?)

Club has been pretty open negotiations have been ongoing since before Xmas in some cases.

The players and club would certainly be thinking let's have two deals on the table, one for PL, one for Chump and see which it is.

If it's Chump, McIntyre is a huge requirement, in the first three CBs for sure. If it's PL, he's probably 4th or 5th choice at absolute best.