Football league 2014/15

[budgetmeansbudget]

Three different teams topped the Championship today.

Budget will be happy that Bournemouth are the ones on top at the end of the day.

Too right, but it's all starting to get very stressful. Affected the side a tad get in the first half hour, should have been 3-0 down. Great recovery but fortuitous going in 2-2 at time.

Need Pugh back on the left hand side but he may be out for the season. Brighton on Friday, although they have nothing to play for nor did Birmingham today. A tough game for sure.

Keeping my eye on div two, wasn't looking good for Hartlepool and Wycombe going into the last 20 minutes but Morecombe turning round the Bury game and Luton getting a late winner against Tranmere meaning a poor day wasn't too bad.

[Aidan11]

Three different teams topped the Championship today.

Budget will be happy that Bournemouth are the ones on top at the end of the day.

Too right, but it's all starting to get very stressful. Affected the side a tad get in the first half hour, should have been 3-0 down. Great recovery but fortuitous going in 2-2 at time.

Need Pugh back on the left hand side but he may be out for the season. Brighton on Friday, although they have nothing to play for nor did Birmingham today. A tough game for sure.

Keeping my eye on div two, wasn't looking good for Hartlepool and Wycombe going into the last 20 minutes but Morecombe turning round the Bury game and Luton getting a late winner against Tranmere meaning a poor day wasn't too bad.

I think all the bottom 5 lost today so it wasn't too disasterous. Once again the ref adds loads of time on at the end.

[Gingerfinch]

A bad Easter for Wycombe, though we are still in control of our own destiny.

[st_brendy]

Three different teams topped the Championship today.

Budget will be happy that Bournemouth are the ones on top at the end of the day.

Too right, but it's all starting to get very stressful. Affected the side a tad get in the first half hour, should have been 3-0 down. Great recovery but fortuitous going in 2-2 at time.

Need Pugh back on the left hand side but he may be out for the season. Brighton on Friday, although they have nothing to play for nor did Birmingham today. A tough game for sure.

Keeping my eye on div two, wasn't looking good for Hartlepool and Wycombe going into the last 20 minutes but Morecombe turning round the Bury game and Luton getting a late winner against Tranmere meaning a poor day wasn't too bad.

I can recall being 2-0 down at home to MK Dons, shortly after HT, in 2010/11 in L1. Automatic promotion looked over for us - before three goals changed everything.

And then the following season in the Championship we were 2-1 down away to Millwall with just minutes left (including injury time) and again it looked like our automatic hopes were going to take a massive blow. Before two late penalties turned it right around.

Both times I knew at FT that we were destined to get automatic promotion. It's the same with Bournemouth today.

[Aidan11]

Wigan have sacked Malky Mackay.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Three different teams topped the Championship today.

Budget will be happy that Bournemouth are the ones on top at the end of the day.

Too right, but it's all starting to get very stressful. Affected the side a tad get in the first half hour, should have been 3-0 down. Great recovery but fortuitous going in 2-2 at time.

Need Pugh back on the left hand side but he may be out for the season. Brighton on Friday, although they have nothing to play for nor did Birmingham today. A tough game for sure.

Keeping my eye on div two, wasn't looking good for Hartlepool and Wycombe going into the last 20 minutes but Morecombe turning round the Bury game and Luton getting a late winner against Tranmere meaning a poor day wasn't too bad.

I can recall being 2-0 down at home to MK Dons, shortly after HT, in 2010/11 in L1. Automatic promotion looked over for us - before three goals changed everything.

And then the following season in the Championship we were 2-1 down away to Millwall with just minutes left (including injury time) and again it looked like our automatic hopes were going to take a massive blow. Before two late penalties turned it right around.

Both times I knew at FT that we were destined to get automatic promotion. It's the same with Bournemouth today.

I hope your right Brendy but I prefer to remain cautious and pessimistic. That way if we end up in the play offs I won't be too disappointed (yeah right!).

I thought up to this point that they were holding their nerve well, but the first half an hour today they were all of a jitter. Still a bit of character got them back into the game, and by the second half they were back to normal.

It now looks like its 2 from 4 for the automatic spots and you wouldn't back the 2 that miss out to fare well in the play offs.

Nice to hear alot of supporters from down the road wishing us well and hoping we make it.

[st_brendy]

It depends how the two sides miss out - and who.

Take Norwich. They've been flying for months now. If they continue that for five more games, but ultimately still miss out on the top four because you and Watford drop few, if any, points, then I don't see that impacting them. They'd be my favourites to win the play-offs.

On the other hand, you've been in the top two most of the season. Finishing 3rd or 4th I suspect would kill your season there and then. Likewise if someone finds themselves in the top two after, say, games 44 and 45 - but then get pipped on the last day. You would not back them in the play offs.

[st_brendy]

Just been looking at what fixtures we have left:

Week 42
BOURNEMOUTH v Brighton
Bolton v NORWICH
MIDDLESBROUGH v Rotherham
Millwall v WATFORD

Derby v Brentford
Birmingham v Wolves
Ipswich v Blackpool

Aside from at least one of Derby and Brentford are going to drop points, I can't see too much moment going on between the top eight here.

Week 43
Leeds v NORWICH
MIDDLESBROUGH v Wolves
Reading v BOURNEMOUTH
Forest v WATFORD

Derby v Blackpool
Sheff Wed v Brentford
Ipswich v Cardiff

Different story here. There are some sticky looking fixtures amongst that. If Derby beat Brentford above, then this week could just see their top two hopes reignited in the nick of time, if others do indeed come unstuck above them.

Week 44
NORWICH v MIDDLESBROUGH
BOURNEMOUTH v Sheff Wed
WATFORD v Birmingham

Wolves v Ipswich
Brentford v Bolton
Huddersfield v Derby

Two big games involving Middlesbrough and Wolves, which is not ideal for either given that they play each other in week 43. If either lose both, it could be terminal. Those games aside, a fairly straightforward looking week for the other four teams.

Week 45
Brighton v WATFORD
Fulham v MIDDLESBROUGH
Rotherham v NORWICH
BOURNEMOUTH v Bolton

Ipswich v Forest
Millwall v Derby
Reading v Brentford
Wigan v Wolves

The week where the status of the relegation battle could have a big say in the promotion race. If Rotherham, Millwall, Fulham and Wigan are all still scrapping away down there, points could be dropped by the top eight. You can't even totally rule out Brighton and/or Reading being safe by this time.

Week 46
MIDDLESBROUGH v Brighton
NORWICH v Fulham
Charlton v BOURNEMOUTH
WATFORD v Sheff Wed

Blackburn v Ipswich
Brentford v Wigan
Derby v Reading
Wolves v Millwall

What was I saying above about those relegation battlers?

[Gingerfinch]

Just realised that Blackpool have been relegated.

[sussexpob]

Just realised that Blackpool have been relegated.

Really? They have been since early August

[Alviro Patterson]

The League One playoff race is becoming more clearer with Sheffield United 5pts clear in 5th and Chesterfield 4pts clear in 6th, although Rochdale do have a game in hand.

[mikesiva]

Wigan have sacked Malky Mackay.

Wigan should never have hired him....

[sussexpob]

Wigan have sacked Malky Mackay.

Wigan should never have hired him....

It was a very bizarre appointment

[Alviro Patterson]

Wigan have sacked Malky Mackay.

Wigan should never have hired him....

It was a very bizarre appointment

The timing of it was bizzare considering Malky Mackay is still under FA investigation, but footballing reasons he did get Cardiff promoted to the Premier League.

Sacking Uwe Rosler and setting a short term target of Premier League promotion was a huge mistake by Dave Whelan, especially when the squad was far from settled with a number of departures.

Assuming Wigan do go down, they will do well to bounce back at the first time of asking when League One is a very competitive division.

[budgetmeansbudget]

This attempt to gain promotion to the Premier League is getting a touch stressful to say the least and seemingly affecting the players. A hard fought win tonight but not particularly convincing. Mind you Norwich scraped a win here on Good Friday. Have done the double over Brighton this season, both games live on sky, and both games Brighton probably deserved a bit more out of.