English Championship

[Bamboo Grove]

Guess, I don't give a flying f..t what the Millwall boys thing about the Seagulls, but as discussed today, I'll try to start a new topic on league one. Anybody else have a team to follow there?

[PJG]

Nothing to do with the topic but just heard latest Spurs 2- Chelsea 1. Get in there!!!

[lomuamart]

Guess, I don't give a flying f..t what the Millwall boys thing about the Seagulls, but as discussed today, I'll try to start a new topic on league one. Anybody else have a team to follow there?

What's wrong with Millwall, BG?
They were my local team in London.
Elephant and Castle? Stick it up your ars*****.
Only joking

[Joni]

I'm little interested Championship leaque. At the moment I have nothing favourite team, because my team Blackburn Rovers play in Premierleague. But there is few teams, those who get little sympathy.
One team is Norwich. Besides Essex teams Southend and Colchester.
It's big miracle that now two team from Essex (shire) play second level in England. Usually peoples speak from Essex -> there is no good football teams only sexy blondie girls. I don't now that because I never been in Essex, but if there is nice lady I go. (joke)
From Essex is come to good footballplayer for example Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking, Tony Adams, David Beckham, Frank Lampard and John Terry. Many England captains.

Burnley and Preston is teams whose I hate because the are at the worst local rivals. At the moment is good Blackburn play up and Burnley and Preston play down. So we are pride of East Lancashire.

Now Cardiff (Soul Crew) leading, Preston is second position and Burnley is third in CL.

It's always very hard say before season what is the three teams those who stand up. Hmmm... my option is WBA, Southampton and Crystal Palace.

Hi,
I'm a n Ipswich supporter

Very interesting you are Tractor Boys supporter and you living Norwich.

What's wrong with Millwall?
They were my local team in London.

Nothing. I hope Millwall back to Championship quickly. But now their position is 22 League One, not good.

[chelsea]

In relation to the championship teams, if I was to have a team to support, it would have to be Luton. It was the closest team to my home (only 7miles to the ground).
If you look at their ground now, it is hard to think that they used to get crowds of between 25-30,000 in that ground before all of the seats went in all around the ground. I think the max is now about 9,000.
I do not know how they will get on if they every got into the premiership and try and survive on gates of that size and having to pay premiership wages.

[JD]

Yes a very sad day indeed. This year's home form is almost relegation stuff.

Just think yourself lucky you don't support The Saints

Started the season quite well, I sometimes go to other teams forums after a match, to see what the supporters thought of the Saints, really peed when you hear comments like, The best team we've played this season, or, I can't believe we won that, Saints were awsome. Still I think George Burley is a good manager and we should come on strong again in the New Year.

We've won a few, but lost so many against teams we shouldn't of, and we really need a striker who can stick it in the net on a regular basis.

Midfield looks awsome though.

I wouldn't want to be Davis when we visit Sunderland soon. They said they were well rid of him, after the mistakes he's made for us this season, I tend to believe them.

Anyway, you can't help who you support.

So, COYR

[Bamboo Grove]

There's nothing wrong with Millwall, Lomu. I just don't care if they don't like Brighton.

[Big Boy]

JD wrote:

Just think yourself lucky you don't support The Saints

One of only 3 teams to beat the Green Army this season - quite a mean feat in itself.

[lomuamart]

There's nothing wrong with Millwall, Lomu. I just don't care if they don't like Brighton.

Was only jesting, BG.
I had mates from around "The Elephant" who went to all home games with their daughters and cried in the local bar after they came back, their team having lost.
Amazing what children can do to a person, isn't it?
Nothing wrong with SE London

[Joni]

I think the max is now about 9,000.

Luton Town stadion Kenilworth Road capasity is at the moment 10300.

[Joni]

Today league cup result Southend U -ManU 1-0

[JD]

Found this table which I've found very interesting. (Couldn't find a comparative premiership table. Might be good for IKNTS predictions).

From a purely saints perspective, as you can see on the following table, Saints have, by some margin, the most efforts on goal so far this season in the Championship... but we are one of the worst at converting our chances. There is our story in a nutshell and why we find ourselves half way in the table that matters, instead of at, or near the top.

It may not have felt like it at times, especially at home, but with an average of 14 efforts on goal per game, it could be argued that Saints are the most attacking and entertaining team in the division, but unless we start improving our ratio of shots per goal, we won't be celebrating Promotion or a play-off place.

For every 12 shots Saints make, we score one goal. Only Southend and Hull have a worse record. Only Southend have a worse record for shots on target converted into goals. No surprise that Cardiff are the most accurate in front of goal, which reflects in them topping the League table right now.

Worth doing a comparison to the three teams promoted last season, Reading, Sheff Utd and Watford. The Royals had a freak season and as the stats show, almost scored a goal with every 2 shots on target they had. I guess that partly reflects how confidence can manifest itself into the whole team being more cool in front of goal. Sheff Utd and Watford both had on average, less shots per game than Saints currently do, but accuracy is the key once again.

So the good thing is that Saints are making lots of chances, but the bad thing is we are having big problems converting them. Of course, the responsibility mostly lies with the strikers and Rasiak apart, they haven't delivered in front of goal and been far too wasteful. Stats like the ones featured here mean more pressure on Burley and the club to push the boat out to find a quality striker in January, because if we could convert just a fraction more of these chances, then surely it would reflect in our number of wins and catapult us up the table.

Something else to ponder on as well... If Saints had scored ONE more goal in each of the games we drew or lost this season, we'd now have 40 points, which would mean we'd top the league table.

We need a striker badley. 24 shots on target against Sunderland and only a late, defleceted, Gareth Bale (defender) goal to give us a point. Sad indeed.

[Big Boy]

JD,

I keep hearing this about a Saint's striker, why on earth did they get rid of Dexter Blackstock?

He did a great job on loan to Plymouth, was an England u.21 international and is still a regular on the Championship scoresheet now.

[JD]

JD,

I keep hearing this about a Saint's striker, why on earth did they get rid of Dexter Blackstock?

He did a great job on loan to Plymouth, was an England u.21 international and is still a regular on the Championship scoresheet now.

This is the talk of most Saints fans at the moment, who really knows, talk was that he wanted a promise of a start in every game and Burley said no, you have to earn that right, so he went. Big mistake to let him go, I really rated him, did a good job for us the end of last season, and seems to be knocking 'em in now.

If you had a free £100 bet on who would score next in the CCC would you take (1) Dexter Blackstock or (2) Any Saints striker. I know where my money would be. And that's not just because QPR play Friday.

[Guess]

JD

Interesting stats and I too would like to see a Premiership equivalent. However it only takes one half of the game into consideration.

If you look at the standard Prem stats you will find that the teams at the top are not scoring many goals. However they are hardly letting any in either.

The point here, that has been proved by Chelsea for the last two years, is to get your defence established along with a selection of striking midfielders and you will win matches. At the moment the best at that startegy in Manu but Chelsea and Arsenal are not far behind.