Championship 21/22

[Oldgregg86]

I always hated it until it became the soundtrack to our season 💪🏻

[Blue blood]

On 21/12/2021 at 10:46, Admiral Nelsen said:

 

Certainly getting there, although a bad January on and off the pitch could change expectations very quickly. 

 

We'd probably need somewhere between 70-75 points to be confident of securing a top 6 spot. Our 6 fixtures before the end of January are:

Hull (a)

Barnsley (h),

Hudds,

Cardiff (a), 

Middlesbrough (h)

Luton (a).

 

If we keep the squad together, and get something like 3 wins and a draw from those 6 games, then really average form until the end of the season should be enough for the top 6. 

A very winnable set of games. Personally 10 points is the bare minimum I'd expect from these given our current form and with most fit. Ideally think 12 would be my minimum - 3 wins, 3 draws. That said it's such a topsy turvy league and anyone can have a shocker of a blinder so maybe that's over optimistic from myself. But I think if we are going to go up I'd be aiming high in this run of games. 

[arbitro]

Nobbers Boxing Day game against Sheffield United called off due to positive Covid tests.

I expect there to be a lot more games off in the next couple of days.

[rigger]

11 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Nobbers Boxing Day game against Sheffield United called off due to positive Covid tests.

I expect there to be a lot more games off in the next couple of days.

Or the nobbers don't want to play Sheff United whilst they are on a good run.

[Cherry Blue]

34 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Nobbers Boxing Day game against Sheffield United called off due to positive Covid tests.

I expect there to be a lot more games off in the next couple of days.

Means that after boxing day this season Championship clubs have played a total of 20 games less:

Barnsley	1
Cardiff	2
Coventry	2
Derby	1
Luton	1
Millwall	1
Peterborough	1
PNE	2
QPR	2
Reading	2
Sheff Utd	2
Stoke	2
Swansea	1
	20

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by Cherry Blue

[only2garners]

39 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Nobbers Boxing Day game against Sheffield United called off due to positive Covid tests.

I expect there to be a lot more games off in the next couple of days.

Presumably whichever team is affected will lose their midweek game as well. Any team which gets cases in the next day or two runs a big risk of having their next three games postponed.

[arbitro]

1 minute ago, only2garners said:

Presumably whichever team is affected will lose their midweek game as well. Any team which gets cases in the next day or two runs a big risk of having their next three games postponed.

It's Preston who have requested the game be called off. After this mornings round of testing it looks like there have been a significant number of positive results shown. Two PL games have also gone bringing the total number of games cancelled in the EFL and PL to 16.

[only2garners]

47 minutes ago, arbitro said:

It's Preston who have requested the game be called off. After this mornings round of testing it looks like there have been a significant number of positive results shown. Two PL games have also gone bringing the total number of games cancelled in the EFL and PL to 16.

Presumably PNE's game at West Brom next Thursday will be looking very doubtful then.

I can't help thinking that pretty soon this is really going to mess up the league. By 3rd January some teams will be 3/4 games behind others. It might be great for any teams that manage to get their games played particularly whilst they're in good form like us but it can't be good for the game as a whole.

[MarkBRFC]

On 21/12/2021 at 11:58, only2garners said:

You're right - I was confusing the two weekend schedules.

Fulham's game on Boxing day is off, NOW we can go top with that 18-0 win...

[arbitro]

15 minutes ago, only2garners said:

Presumably PNE's game at West Brom next Thursday will be looking very doubtful then.

I can't help thinking that pretty soon this is really going to mess up the league. By 3rd January some teams will be 3/4 games behind others. It might be great for any teams that manage to get their games played particularly whilst they're in good form like us but it can't be good for the game as a whole.

And of course the season is due to finish earlier than normal because of next season's early start to accommodate the World next which gives the clubs falling behind an extra headache where to fit the games in. The integrity of each competition could be brought into question.

[chaddyrovers]

40 minutes ago, only2garners said:

Presumably PNE's game at West Brom next Thursday will be looking very doubtful then.

I can't help thinking that pretty soon this is really going to mess up the league. By 3rd January some teams will be 3/4 games behind others. It might be great for any teams that manage to get their games played particularly whilst they're in good form like us but it can't be good for the game as a whole.

Football should continue to be played and if games need to be cancel due too many Cases then fair enough. 

Given that clubs have 25 man squads then they should be able to cope with 3 games a week

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

44 minutes ago, arbitro said:

And of course the season is due to finish earlier than normal because of next season's early start to accommodate the World next which gives the clubs falling behind an extra headache where to fit the games in. The integrity of each competition could be brought into question.

In the season 1962-63 in the aftermath of the “ Big Freeze “ Rovers played on - March 23, 25, 29. April 2, 6, 12, 13, 15, 20, 23, 27. May 1, 4, 13, 20.

[only2garners]

26 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Football should continue to be played and if games need to be cancel due too many Cases then fair enough. 

Given that clubs have 25 man squads then they should be able to cope with 3 games a week

Would you be so determined to see games played if it was Rovers who were 2/3 games behind come Monday?

Clearly plenty of clubs can't cope at the moment with one a week. As arbitro says it won't be long before the integrity of the competition will suffer.

[chaddyrovers]

16 minutes ago, only2garners said:

Would you be so determined to see games played if it was Rovers who were 2/3 games behind come Monday?

Clearly plenty of clubs can't cope at the moment with one a week. As arbitro says it won't be long before the integrity of the competition will suffer.

Yes. 

[superniko]

We just need to keep putting points on the board if we keep playing. 

Keeps the pressure on teams playing catch up in the new years. We'll be 2 ahead of QPR, Stoke, Coventry, Sheff Utd.

[1864roverite]

It’s about points in the bag for me - playing catch up heaps more pressure on other teams looking to go up or avoid the drop meaning results can often surprise 👍

[JacknOry]

Bit unfair though, not sure we'd be so happy to have so many games behind others. 

[only2garners]

We're now up to exactly half of the next round of EFL fixtures postponed, with still three days to go.......

[HowieFive0]

42 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

Bit unfair though, not sure we'd be so happy to have so many games behind others. 

Yep ..remember Rotherham last season .

10 games crammed into 28 days at the end of the season ..and went down.

[JHRover]

Points in the bag for me. We should be desperate to play Boxing Day to keep the momentum going and to take on a very average Hull side without their manager.

At the start of the season I'd have taken 51 points and survival. We should be aiming now for 75 points and the play-offs as a minimum. 11 wins needed to get there asap. Don't care what the others do if we focus on ourselves and aiming for that points target.

[Cherry Blue]

2 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Points in the bag for me. We should be desperate to play Boxing Day to keep the momentum going and to take on a very average Hull side without their manager.

At the start of the season I'd have taken 51 points and survival. We should be aiming now for 75 points and the play-offs as a minimum. 11 wins needed to get there asap. Don't care what the others do if we focus on ourselves and aiming for that points target.

Agree. Thought we'd be looking at the bottom half but now it's difficult not to dream. Remember saying as long as we survive this season but on current form promotion could happen. Also glad to hear FA cup 3rd & 4th rounds decided on the day. We don't want a fixture build up. 

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, only2garners said:

We're now up to exactly half of the next round of EFL fixtures postponed, with still three days to go.......

and the game must continue to be play where must. 

Can we really keep stop the game everytime there is an outbreak?

[booth]

2 hours ago, JacknOry said:

Bit unfair though, not sure we'd be so happy to have so many games behind others. 

It may happen yet.

[booth]

5 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

and the game must continue to be play where must. 

Can we really keep stop the game everytime there is an outbreak?

Stopping the games means less chance of an uncontrollable outbreak at Rovers, so it's working in our favour at the moment.

[1864roverite]

5 hours ago, JacknOry said:

Bit unfair though, not sure we'd be so happy to have so many games behind others. 

Rovers need to concentrate on themselves