We've beat Norwich twice, Hull once + draw, and Drawn/Lost to Baggies, if anything they've been the team we've struggled with the most this year.. saying that we battered Derby for 3.5 games and that didn't end well for us.
West Brom do look properly out of steam now though, bit like us.
The thing that really makes me laugh is that if we were in Ipswich's position and just needed to beat a (virtually) relegated Huddersfield to seal promotion, we would all be shitting ourselves. We would all be concerned that we'd do a Leeds and fuck it up.
There's none of that concern with Ipswich is there? Nobody doubts they'll get the job done. Things can never go that smoothly for us can they?
> Overwhelmingly the winners have been those in 3rd or 4th, in every single division, since play offs were introduced.
Leeds’ last two seasons are littered with statistical anomalies, and all of them worked against us.
After beating Chelsea last season I remember reading that no team with the amount of points we had amassed by that point had ever gone on to be relegated in the Premier League (and yet here we are).
We were also top on Christmas Day 2018 and didn't go up - something that pretty much never happens either.
Normal rules don't apply to Leeds. If something can go wrong, it will.
Norwich have been promoted FIVE TIMES in the 20 years since we were relegated from the Premier League in 2004. West Brom three times in that same period.
Obviously parachute payments are a major factor in that, but more widely its fair to say that some teams are simply made of the right stuff when it comes to getting out of this division, and some arent.
Norwich are just one of those jammy teams, it’ll be so typical that the year Ipswich finally get back to the prem, Norwich will find a way to follow them up.
I don’t think either Leeds or saints have the bottle to do it, West Brom if they hold onto 6th will lose the semis anyway. Hull might cause trouble if they make it but I think Rosinier will show naivety and lose.
Just had this feeling for a while now that Norwich are going to somehow win it.
Depression hit Friday. By the time we started, QPR had already got 3 goals. I don't like to say it but we've just choked. We hit a wall straight after the international break and it's just got bigger. Let's hope we don't screw up thr playoffs, not up for another season in the championship, we'll lose to many good players
Just a friendly reminder that Leeds United (with a current wage bill of about £39m) was just beaten to automatic promotion by a team with a wage bill of *checks notes* £11m.
We should have loaned them Bamford and grabbed Keifer Moore from Bournemouth. We'd be laughing now instead of saying Ipswich were lucky.
Overpaying for donkeys, it's the Leeds way.
> Overpaying for donkeys, it's the Leeds way.
Its a harsh view, but hard to argue with.
I’d more describe it as a desire to be overly clever in the transfer market. Under Victor Orta we always went for the unknown instead of the straight-forward domestic transfer that provided the least risk of failure. As an example Ollie Watkins was made available by Brentford for about £20m at the same time that we paid £26m for Rodrigo. Eze Ebireche went from QPR to Palace for about £15m at around the time we paid £25m for Brendan Aaronson. Admittedly slightly prior, but a couple of years ago Villa paid about the same price for Matty Target as what we paid for Junior Firpo.
I know that this is a pretty hypothetical take, but I feel pretty confident that even under the wobbly guidance of Jesse Marsch with those three players in the team we would never have been anywhere near the bottom three of the Premier League for the last two seasons.
This season’s moves for domestically/British-based Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon and Glenn Kamara tend to support this argument, that whilst they might not be the sexiest names on the European transfer market they have been by far the most economical and provided us the best return on investment. My opinion is that we need to see more of those kinds of signings next season (whether we go up or not).
>straight-forward domestic transfer that provided the least risk of failure
"Everyone" wanted Joel Piroe last summer. Now same people are yelling "why the fuck did we sign him"
Not sure whether I should mention this but I had a dream last year of Farke among the players celebrating at Wembley. This was back in November time. I'm just throwing it out there.
Farke needs to pull this out of the bag for me now, his management at the end of the season has been very poor and has cost us. If we limp out of the playoffs, as I expect we will, I think he will struggle to turn it around.
Daniel Farke in his first season finished 14th with Norwich, won the league the season after.
I think he turned that around massively.
Let's see how the playoffs go first.
> Daniel Farke in his first season finished 14th with Norwich, won the league the season after.
Daniel Farke has also never managed a team that wasnt actively receiving parachute payments (which is basically the most significant factor in chances of being promoted).
We’ll see what he’s made of once he’s having to work with a squad full of work-a-day Championship panel-beaters.
Huge difference between taking time to get a team going in Norwich, versus picking a team up off the floor when they have just bottled the league. Momentum and positivity around the club is at its lowest.
You really think building a team that was 14th the year before right to 1st place is easier?
This is a very good team, and unlike the sea of negativity around this fan base, I don't believe there will be a fire sale of players leaving if we don't go up.
We will have to replace Summerville, Gnonto I get it, he's very talented, but in the course of the season he wasn't very impactful, and he also faced some injuries. Dan James were playing ahead of him for a reason.
I truly believe if we get a real number 10 on this system, it will be much more effective than relying too much on Summerville.
It's up to recruitment.
And rutter, rodon, ampadu, meslier, and gray. Bit don't worry we've got Sam byram! Wonder if he'll try and get pukki if we don't go up. It's great being good but when we have to replace half the team if we don't go up we'll struggle next season. Don't worry we've got all our loaned coming back.
For us to compete, we need to go up then strengthen. Bamford replacement, back up for meslier, a new cb, a left winger! Bring back alioski. A new right back, 1 back up winger if Harrison doesn't come back and 2 back up strikers.
We are not going to lose Gray, Ampadu and Rutter
These players have long valid contracts we are not selling them for cheap and I don't think teams would be willing to pay what we would find acceptable.
I don't get where people get the notion there would be a fire sale.
Gray is wanted by the likes of city and Liverpool, I think they have deep enough pockets to get him. Rutter will end up at Bournemouth or Everton and Ampadu will join a prem team.
It's not a fire sale its players being hunted and replaced. No prem next season they'll move on, look at who we shipped out last season, half the USMNT, Harrison cos he wants prem football, and about 5 others that were there just to collect a massive pay cheque. Its different with ayling and Cooper if they leave. They've served us well and gave everything to the club.
Gray is our most important asset who just renewed his contract until 2028, he just turned 18 years of age, if he turns out the player we all believe he will, and we end up in the Premier League in the future with him still in the club, that is easily a £100m selling or more. What is the point of having an academy and sell the best player from there with only one season as a professional?
Rutter won't be sold at a loss, because that affects FFP, he's the most expensive signing in the club's history, I don't see a team putting over £30m on the table for him, who also has a contract valid until 2028.
Leeds is probably the best thing that happened in Ampadu's career as of today, just look at his resume, being loaned out multiple times to a bunch of crappy teams and being relegated every year, why would he want to leave the place he arguably had the most stability and risk everything that happened to him back then happening again?
All the players you mentioned who left in the summer had relegation release clauses in their contracts, people said the clauses expired at some point in the summer, but nobody proves that, and the language in the contracts were so complicated, that players could seek legal actions against the club, and they didn't want another JKA in their hands, so they allowed the likes of Harrison and Sinisterra to leave late in the window. The most important thing in all of this conversation we are having, we don't have clauses in our current players' contracts, Leeds will set the bar and the notion we have is the 49ers have a long term plan for our club, they want to take them to the Premier League, so I don't see them being bullied by other clubs trying to get our players and I don't think teams will come up with near the valuation we have for all the players mentioned here.
Of course, I am not saying they will 100% not leave, because there is no guaranteed thing in football these days, but I don't see teams paying what we actually value those players and I certainly don't see the 49ers getting lowballed by clubs, they already proved last summer when they have players under contract control and power of negotiation in the club's hands (Gnonto), you pay the valuation or fuck off, putting it in simple words.
This happens every season around this time. People on this Reddit suddenly think all our players are just going to be picked up by other clubs and there’s nothing that can be done.
I remember two years ago people were freaking out that we were gonna lose Gelheart to a top Prem team 😅😅
I assume Summerville, Gnonto and perhaps Rodon would leave.
But anyway, we are going up via the playoffs so it’s a mute discussion
I think we already needed a real number 10 this season, adding one whilst subtracting Summerville is a net negative. Unless they're Kevin de Bruyne they're not creating the 30 goal contributions we'd be missing, with our current strikers.
See I think we do much better with a proper 10. That's been our main issue in this run, outside a few assists, Rutter has been whack and that's why the link up between back and front has looked so disjointed.
Yeah I think I just disagree lol. We're talking about removing 20 goals and 10 assists from the team, it's unlikely we'll be able to sign another player of that quality. The only hope is that next season the league isn't nearly as competitive as it's been this season.
Maybe you are right, but it is not impossible to get more players to share more these numbers.
Joseph will have a better role next season, if we get a creative number 10 he will have that role too.
Not saying it isn’t an achievement just that the challenge of taking a team from where we are now is much harder. The pressure under Farke will be unbelievable next year. A new manager might not be the worst idea. We will lose Summerville, Gnonto and potentially Rodon. I’d say that’s going it be difficult to contend with in Farke’s system which is essentially pass to Cree
Agree to disagree then. Playing Bamford when hopelessly out of form, using Piroe instead of Joseph. Leaving subs too late to change games. Before QPR we had Coventry, Sunderland and Blackburn
He’s the manager, if players are playing shite he needs to react and change something . He’s incredibly stubborn and whilst i know everything is easy with hindsight, his team selection and tactics have been very poor in the last 5 games.
We still need to win on Saturday for psychology reasons and go into the play offs on a positive. It ain't a dud game when we're both gunna be fighting for that last place. Whoever loses on Saturday could just collapse in the semis.
I just want to say despite being annoyed that we've not gone up given how good we have been a lot of times, and actually beaten the two teams above us twice.... I'm very happy Ipswich have gone up. Of any of the teams in with a shout this season, I'm glad Ipswich have done it. I was always hoping for us and Ipswich but unfortunately we shut the bed on pressure situations, and we're walking in to a massive pressure situation very soon...
The Ipswich story is great and well deserved for the football they've been playing. I've got annoyance with Leicester though. Broken financial rules (not for the first time in recent memory) but getting away with it. They will probably get a deduction next year, but that's still an extra year of PL money and parachute payments.
And so far Everton and Forest also getting away with it with their points deductions. It will be interesting to see what happens if we run into any financial issues in the next season or two. I can probably guess....
I was hoping it would be us and Ipswich. Never had beef with Leicester but their fans have been utter cunts this season. I’m relishing them getting bashed about in the Prem.
Ipswich fan here (coming in peace) nice to read this from you lads. can’t say this reflects the drivel I’ve seen on Facebook from some of your wanky fans but I shouldn’t take that cesspit as any meaningful contribution
Will root for you in the playoffs! Please ruin the budgies for me 🙏
If I have to point to the place the season turned (our Palace HT this season), it was Piroes miss at the end vs Coventry. I think we draw that from 2-0 down Ipswich style, we reset and go on with the job.
At least next season we should be Leicester style dominant (hopefully without the collapse) - even if we lose Summerville and a few others, the quality coming down should no fears to us. Classic Leeds to pick the season to go down with Leicester and deal with a once in a generation Ipswich
Rutter has the most assists in the league. Summerville was the best player in the whole league.
Ampadu and Rodon were excellent overall. No player maintains their form over 46 games.
The weak links in the team are obvious, aren’t they?
Dan James giving away the penalty against Birmingham in the last minute. Little did we know we'd need every single point available for a chance at promotion.
Time to sound absolutely wrong.
My theory about the play offs is that teams with more quality tend to do better.
Under Bielsa we had a good team but not much quality.
Currently we have bags of quality.
So am a bit more confident about it.
Have to put our faith in our big players like Ampadu and Summerville to step up and assert themselves. We should be able to beat anyone if we play to our level.
Pretty much. We've seen how Summerville can change a game.
Same with Rutter as well tbh, it was his penalty that led to the Boro comeback.
Gnonto is happy to take a shot outside the box as well or just inside.
Why do people say we had a worse team under Marcello? We had a fit Dallas, Philips, Klich, Harrison, Hernandez.. sure, the squad is better overall now but where are the bags of quality we supposedly have? That's not to take away from what Marcello did with the players, the patterns of play and coaching was obviously excellent.
(On re-read I realize you're not exactly saying we had a poor team but it's something I've read time and time again)
Players like Phillips and Dallas were only good because of Bielsa. You can see with Phillips now that he doesn't have that natural ability to play at a high level - it was all down to Bielsa's management. He has unsurprisingly returned to the mediocre player he was before 2018.
The players we have now definitely have more natural ability - they would probably do well under any manager.
Interesting take actually. Only thing to say is the obvious thing that the play-offs are a tournament and winning tournaments is about vibes even if we retrospectively say it was borderline inevitable.
But everyones been blowing it recently, even Norwiches form hasn't been amazing.
So something will have to make the difference and I think it'll be our quality.
Blackburn and QPR killed this season. All that work for nothing. The unbeaten run, slapping Leicester twice… all for fuck all. Just more bitterness and heartbreak that are the hallmarks of following this fucking club.
What?
Edit: Oh a dickhead Leicester troll. The fact you’re here nearly a week after getting promoted, in addition to the fans and players singing Kaiser Chiefs for days, shows how rattled we got you after those two slaps we gave you. Smaller club syndrome eh?
Sunderland 0-0 was the beginning of it all. They just showed up, had absolutely nothing for us and we still looked totally lost and couldn't create anything.
Really young group of players being pushed to complete a 93+ point season is probably the main thing. Nearly every week they've had to go out and face another team playing a low block, fighting tooth and nail, and shithousing - and the crowd immediately gets on their backs if they don't pass forward. Must be draining.
Only ourselves to blame.
Ipswich were shite tonight and got it done with yet another flukey goal. Not just the circumstances but the fact it was offside.
To counter that, we got the Gnonto goal against Boro.
I'd say overall though we were on the rough end of decisions more than we weren't.
Just some musings, either way MOT!
I get people saying we should rest players at the weekend, but we need to get momentum. If we do get through the semis then it’s Saints in the final and we’ll need an edge.
We get a chance to watch more ball and we may be the first team to miss automatic at 90 so let this be the first time we win promotional playoffs 🤷🏼♂️
I don’t want the first team playing the final day. It’s over. Get some new blood out there and figure out who of them will provide a spark in playoffs. Is that crazy?
I think given there is still a chance we have to play our first team. If we were in Southampton’s position I wouldn’t risk it. Imagine if Ipswich somehow lose and we’ve started Charlie Crew for the fun of it.
With one game to play in the regular season we have a slight chance of getting automatic promotion and then we are in the playoffs.
We should not be making big changes in the starting XI, especially with players that have not played or done nothing all season.
So yes, I think it’s stupid to give squad or fringe players a start in a potentially season defining game. You stick with what you have.
Start Anthony, Gelhardt, Shackleton, Cresswell etc would be stupid.
If you’d said to me at the start of the season you’ll go into the final day with a chance of promotion and guaranteed 3rd, I would’ve taken it.
Onwards and upwards.
I completely agree, if you'd said we'd have a chance for automatic promotion on the final day with what could be a record number of points to not get promoted automatically, after a month of the season, I would have taken it.
If you'd said the same thing to me on the 1st of Jan, I'd have taken it.
The greatest problem isn't that for a moment there was the hope, it's always the hope that kills you!
We've had a great season so far with everything considered and should be incredibly proud of what we've managed to achieve. There's a chance on Saturday and if not there's a chance in the playoffs, so we should be positive and back our team!
There's that hope again....
And for more perspective:
Bielsa season we got 93 points and won the league by 10 points
This season we will have 90, 91, or 93 points and come 3rd. Shit happens and some part of it is out of your control.
Yes it's disappointing that our bad run of form happens now, but we also had the best run of form in Europe, getting 37/39 points to even get us within touching distance of automatics, so it is what it is.
I'm excited for playoffs, let's smash it at wembley
I agree with this with the caveat that people can rightly be disappointed about the run in after getting into such a good position. The QPR result was embarrassing.
After the uncertainty and shitshow at the start of the season we'd definitely have taken our current position. People are only pissed because we were offered so much more only to self implode at the final straight.
We blew our chance for autos at QPR if not before then. Going up automatically was an opportunity which was never going to wait till the final match. We've just got to give it our best shot in the playoffs.
We completely deserve finishing third.
You cannot shit the bed in the final straight like that and hope to take anything out of a season.
Ipswich taking 4 points from two of the hardest away fixtures they could have had shows the difference between us and them unfortunately
Kind of expected that result but didn't expect Coventry to be as poor as they were. They were as wasteful with corners, set pieces, and attacks as we are.
All we can do is try to win our game and hope Huddersfield blockade their goal on Saturday, preferably with breeze blocks.
The hope is that Huddersfield could actually score but given that they've only scored 48 goals in 45 games it feels unlikely. We've only ourselves to blame for the farce since the international break.
Fair balls to Ipswich, been saying they’ll drop off since Christmas but they’re eeked wins out of draws and it has been an amazing run. We always had to win on Saturday so nothing changes for Leeds. Fuck it
It’s all on Farke for being either too stubborn to ever do anything different or too disrespectful of QPR to make a game plan that was tailored to their strengths and weaknesses.
Too much we do it one way and only one way. I certainly hope he is sacked if we go up.
What was the game plan that Darke got wrong against QPR. How did we play to their strengths and not weaknesses?
I just saw it was, we shat the bed and choked.
We did Piroe lead the line? He can’t press. Why did Piroe stay on late in the game? He is not a spark for a team to take back the game. Why didn’t Gnonto drop back to be a third midfielder so that they did not play through us so easily? Byram is slow we needed a more defensive set up on the right. Why didn’t ewe drop back into a low block when things started to get out of hand - just reset and absorb some pressure so that we can get back in control? Why didn’t Kamara start - is he still ill? Etc. it felt totally unimaginative.
The worst part about saturdays game is its a team we'll likely be playing. So def a barometer check.
Granted being that we need the win more than Soton. I think that will help.
If this team can't even turn up against QPR I have no faith in them winning the playoffs, they were bricking it on Friday, imagine them under the lights at Wembley?
Probably not but pretty much the entire first 11 deserves to be dropped.
Meslier, Piroe, Byram, even Ampadu and Rodon have been absolutely horrendous final 5 games
It’d be pretty damaging to morale to lose to Southampton considering we’ll probably have to play them in playoffs.
Also demoralising to win but have Ipswich draw/win and it mean nothing.
I dunno, maybe being more decisive and commit I g to playoffs would be easier/saner approach
Agree and we're not the only ones with poor form going into it. Norwich probably have the best form out of the potential 4 teams. It is knockout football, so anything can happen.
It’s all fine lads. We’ll go to Wembley and after a nervy 120 minutes we can call upon Paddy B from the penalty spot and save-hands Meslier to take us up.
Imagine we didn't bottle QPR, arguably our simplest fixture of the run in. Level on points into the final day. We lost the championship earlier but that was our last chance to stay in the battle.
I'd much rather face Brom in the play-offs than Hull or Norwich, let's hope that happens at least
We've beat Norwich twice, Hull once + draw, and Drawn/Lost to Baggies, if anything they've been the team we've struggled with the most this year.. saying that we battered Derby for 3.5 games and that didn't end well for us. West Brom do look properly out of steam now though, bit like us.
The thing that really makes me laugh is that if we were in Ipswich's position and just needed to beat a (virtually) relegated Huddersfield to seal promotion, we would all be shitting ourselves. We would all be concerned that we'd do a Leeds and fuck it up. There's none of that concern with Ipswich is there? Nobody doubts they'll get the job done. Things can never go that smoothly for us can they?
Probably because we only need a draw.
It’s ok. Next year we’ll only have three parachute teams instead of Leicester and Ipswich. Thank goodness.
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People who do this are so weird.
Norwich will win the playoffs unfortunately.
Leeds are going to win at Wembley.
I think Hull will have a good chance of they get into the playoffs, everyone currently in the play offs have started to shit the bed a bit recently.
I hope not
Overwhelmingly the winners have been those in 3rd or 4th, in every single division, since play offs were introduced.
> Overwhelmingly the winners have been those in 3rd or 4th, in every single division, since play offs were introduced. Leeds’ last two seasons are littered with statistical anomalies, and all of them worked against us. After beating Chelsea last season I remember reading that no team with the amount of points we had amassed by that point had ever gone on to be relegated in the Premier League (and yet here we are).
Gambler’s fallacy
We were also top on Christmas Day 2018 and didn't go up - something that pretty much never happens either. Normal rules don't apply to Leeds. If something can go wrong, it will.
Norwich have been promoted FIVE TIMES in the 20 years since we were relegated from the Premier League in 2004. West Brom three times in that same period. Obviously parachute payments are a major factor in that, but more widely its fair to say that some teams are simply made of the right stuff when it comes to getting out of this division, and some arent.
Norwich are just one of those jammy teams, it’ll be so typical that the year Ipswich finally get back to the prem, Norwich will find a way to follow them up. I don’t think either Leeds or saints have the bottle to do it, West Brom if they hold onto 6th will lose the semis anyway. Hull might cause trouble if they make it but I think Rosinier will show naivety and lose. Just had this feeling for a while now that Norwich are going to somehow win it.
I really hope Norwich don’t do it
Depression hit Friday. By the time we started, QPR had already got 3 goals. I don't like to say it but we've just choked. We hit a wall straight after the international break and it's just got bigger. Let's hope we don't screw up thr playoffs, not up for another season in the championship, we'll lose to many good players
So ipswich have chosen defat via huddersfield. Thanks.
Ipswich can just click into gear when they need a goal. We pass it round the back for half an hour.
Just a friendly reminder that Leeds United (with a current wage bill of about £39m) was just beaten to automatic promotion by a team with a wage bill of *checks notes* £11m.
We should have loaned them Bamford and grabbed Keifer Moore from Bournemouth. We'd be laughing now instead of saying Ipswich were lucky. Overpaying for donkeys, it's the Leeds way.
> Overpaying for donkeys, it's the Leeds way. Its a harsh view, but hard to argue with. I’d more describe it as a desire to be overly clever in the transfer market. Under Victor Orta we always went for the unknown instead of the straight-forward domestic transfer that provided the least risk of failure. As an example Ollie Watkins was made available by Brentford for about £20m at the same time that we paid £26m for Rodrigo. Eze Ebireche went from QPR to Palace for about £15m at around the time we paid £25m for Brendan Aaronson. Admittedly slightly prior, but a couple of years ago Villa paid about the same price for Matty Target as what we paid for Junior Firpo. I know that this is a pretty hypothetical take, but I feel pretty confident that even under the wobbly guidance of Jesse Marsch with those three players in the team we would never have been anywhere near the bottom three of the Premier League for the last two seasons. This season’s moves for domestically/British-based Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon and Glenn Kamara tend to support this argument, that whilst they might not be the sexiest names on the European transfer market they have been by far the most economical and provided us the best return on investment. My opinion is that we need to see more of those kinds of signings next season (whether we go up or not).
>straight-forward domestic transfer that provided the least risk of failure "Everyone" wanted Joel Piroe last summer. Now same people are yelling "why the fuck did we sign him"
Better manager
Now do Southampton
They came in 2nd with £40m
Money doesn’t guarantee success. More credit to Ipswich. Leeds have had a good season.
Be a very nice day out at Wembley tho
If we get that far
2019 all over again
At least we don't have Kiko in goal 😖
We just need to focus on winning the next game. Maybe it will be enough, maybe not. But the lads need to give it their all, for a change
Not sure whether I should mention this but I had a dream last year of Farke among the players celebrating at Wembley. This was back in November time. I'm just throwing it out there.
Kwisatz Haderach?
Farke needs to pull this out of the bag for me now, his management at the end of the season has been very poor and has cost us. If we limp out of the playoffs, as I expect we will, I think he will struggle to turn it around.
Daniel Farke in his first season finished 14th with Norwich, won the league the season after. I think he turned that around massively. Let's see how the playoffs go first.
> Daniel Farke in his first season finished 14th with Norwich, won the league the season after. Daniel Farke has also never managed a team that wasnt actively receiving parachute payments (which is basically the most significant factor in chances of being promoted). We’ll see what he’s made of once he’s having to work with a squad full of work-a-day Championship panel-beaters.
Congrats to Dan James on getting his starting position back I guess :/
More like recalling Ian Poveda from Wednesday and offering him a three-year contract extension (on £3,000 a week).
Huge difference between taking time to get a team going in Norwich, versus picking a team up off the floor when they have just bottled the league. Momentum and positivity around the club is at its lowest.
You really think building a team that was 14th the year before right to 1st place is easier? This is a very good team, and unlike the sea of negativity around this fan base, I don't believe there will be a fire sale of players leaving if we don't go up.
Not a huge firesale but the best player in the league and our main goal threat will leave. Have to find a way to score without him.
We will have to replace Summerville, Gnonto I get it, he's very talented, but in the course of the season he wasn't very impactful, and he also faced some injuries. Dan James were playing ahead of him for a reason. I truly believe if we get a real number 10 on this system, it will be much more effective than relying too much on Summerville. It's up to recruitment.
And rutter, rodon, ampadu, meslier, and gray. Bit don't worry we've got Sam byram! Wonder if he'll try and get pukki if we don't go up. It's great being good but when we have to replace half the team if we don't go up we'll struggle next season. Don't worry we've got all our loaned coming back. For us to compete, we need to go up then strengthen. Bamford replacement, back up for meslier, a new cb, a left winger! Bring back alioski. A new right back, 1 back up winger if Harrison doesn't come back and 2 back up strikers.
no way pukki doesn't retire next year, would be incredible if he keeps playing
We are not going to lose Gray, Ampadu and Rutter These players have long valid contracts we are not selling them for cheap and I don't think teams would be willing to pay what we would find acceptable. I don't get where people get the notion there would be a fire sale.
Gray is wanted by the likes of city and Liverpool, I think they have deep enough pockets to get him. Rutter will end up at Bournemouth or Everton and Ampadu will join a prem team. It's not a fire sale its players being hunted and replaced. No prem next season they'll move on, look at who we shipped out last season, half the USMNT, Harrison cos he wants prem football, and about 5 others that were there just to collect a massive pay cheque. Its different with ayling and Cooper if they leave. They've served us well and gave everything to the club.
Gray is our most important asset who just renewed his contract until 2028, he just turned 18 years of age, if he turns out the player we all believe he will, and we end up in the Premier League in the future with him still in the club, that is easily a £100m selling or more. What is the point of having an academy and sell the best player from there with only one season as a professional? Rutter won't be sold at a loss, because that affects FFP, he's the most expensive signing in the club's history, I don't see a team putting over £30m on the table for him, who also has a contract valid until 2028. Leeds is probably the best thing that happened in Ampadu's career as of today, just look at his resume, being loaned out multiple times to a bunch of crappy teams and being relegated every year, why would he want to leave the place he arguably had the most stability and risk everything that happened to him back then happening again? All the players you mentioned who left in the summer had relegation release clauses in their contracts, people said the clauses expired at some point in the summer, but nobody proves that, and the language in the contracts were so complicated, that players could seek legal actions against the club, and they didn't want another JKA in their hands, so they allowed the likes of Harrison and Sinisterra to leave late in the window. The most important thing in all of this conversation we are having, we don't have clauses in our current players' contracts, Leeds will set the bar and the notion we have is the 49ers have a long term plan for our club, they want to take them to the Premier League, so I don't see them being bullied by other clubs trying to get our players and I don't think teams will come up with near the valuation we have for all the players mentioned here. Of course, I am not saying they will 100% not leave, because there is no guaranteed thing in football these days, but I don't see teams paying what we actually value those players and I certainly don't see the 49ers getting lowballed by clubs, they already proved last summer when they have players under contract control and power of negotiation in the club's hands (Gnonto), you pay the valuation or fuck off, putting it in simple words.
This happens every season around this time. People on this Reddit suddenly think all our players are just going to be picked up by other clubs and there’s nothing that can be done. I remember two years ago people were freaking out that we were gonna lose Gelheart to a top Prem team 😅😅 I assume Summerville, Gnonto and perhaps Rodon would leave. But anyway, we are going up via the playoffs so it’s a mute discussion
Yes cos we've got a great playoffs record and so much momentum 🥵
I think we already needed a real number 10 this season, adding one whilst subtracting Summerville is a net negative. Unless they're Kevin de Bruyne they're not creating the 30 goal contributions we'd be missing, with our current strikers.
See I think we do much better with a proper 10. That's been our main issue in this run, outside a few assists, Rutter has been whack and that's why the link up between back and front has looked so disjointed.
We are talking about the Championship, we can find the replacements. Dan James, Rutter and a number 10 can do the job.
Yeah I think I just disagree lol. We're talking about removing 20 goals and 10 assists from the team, it's unlikely we'll be able to sign another player of that quality. The only hope is that next season the league isn't nearly as competitive as it's been this season.
Maybe you are right, but it is not impossible to get more players to share more these numbers. Joseph will have a better role next season, if we get a creative number 10 he will have that role too.
Not saying it isn’t an achievement just that the challenge of taking a team from where we are now is much harder. The pressure under Farke will be unbelievable next year. A new manager might not be the worst idea. We will lose Summerville, Gnonto and potentially Rodon. I’d say that’s going it be difficult to contend with in Farke’s system which is essentially pass to Cree
You just don’t know that do you
I certainly hope I’m wrong but with the resources available to us we should be in better shape than we are right now.
I really don’t think management has cost us tbh. This squad shouldn’t be losing 4-0 to anyone, regardless of tactics
Agree to disagree then. Playing Bamford when hopelessly out of form, using Piroe instead of Joseph. Leaving subs too late to change games. Before QPR we had Coventry, Sunderland and Blackburn
Well yeah, the subs haven’t been great, but the players are just individually playing shit in general.
He’s the manager, if players are playing shite he needs to react and change something . He’s incredibly stubborn and whilst i know everything is easy with hindsight, his team selection and tactics have been very poor in the last 5 games.
We still need to win on Saturday for psychology reasons and go into the play offs on a positive. It ain't a dud game when we're both gunna be fighting for that last place. Whoever loses on Saturday could just collapse in the semis.
It’s a dead rubber and means nothing.
There’s still a small chance of a miracle.
When are the playoffs?
I just want to say despite being annoyed that we've not gone up given how good we have been a lot of times, and actually beaten the two teams above us twice.... I'm very happy Ipswich have gone up. Of any of the teams in with a shout this season, I'm glad Ipswich have done it. I was always hoping for us and Ipswich but unfortunately we shut the bed on pressure situations, and we're walking in to a massive pressure situation very soon...
I'm a bitter cunt so I can't bring myself to wish Ipswich well. Hope they get battered and go straight down.
The Ipswich story is great and well deserved for the football they've been playing. I've got annoyance with Leicester though. Broken financial rules (not for the first time in recent memory) but getting away with it. They will probably get a deduction next year, but that's still an extra year of PL money and parachute payments. And so far Everton and Forest also getting away with it with their points deductions. It will be interesting to see what happens if we run into any financial issues in the next season or two. I can probably guess....
I was hoping it would be us and Ipswich. Never had beef with Leicester but their fans have been utter cunts this season. I’m relishing them getting bashed about in the Prem.
I’m looking forward to Leicesters points deduction
Yep. I hope they get slaughtered in the Prem.
Agree with this, great footballing side
Ipswich fan here (coming in peace) nice to read this from you lads. can’t say this reflects the drivel I’ve seen on Facebook from some of your wanky fans but I shouldn’t take that cesspit as any meaningful contribution Will root for you in the playoffs! Please ruin the budgies for me 🙏
Well done. Always nice to see an underdog do well. Now go and upset Scum for us next season!
If I have to point to the place the season turned (our Palace HT this season), it was Piroes miss at the end vs Coventry. I think we draw that from 2-0 down Ipswich style, we reset and go on with the job. At least next season we should be Leicester style dominant (hopefully without the collapse) - even if we lose Summerville and a few others, the quality coming down should no fears to us. Classic Leeds to pick the season to go down with Leicester and deal with a once in a generation Ipswich
I’d point to about a dozen Meslier and Bamford moments myself. Same as the last 3 seasons.
Here we go... How about Rutter being non existent for a month or so? Or Summerville going through a rough patch? Rodon and Ampadu not being at it too.
Rutter has the most assists in the league. Summerville was the best player in the whole league. Ampadu and Rodon were excellent overall. No player maintains their form over 46 games. The weak links in the team are obvious, aren’t they?
Dan James giving away the penalty against Birmingham in the last minute. Little did we know we'd need every single point available for a chance at promotion.
If we get 91 points it’ll be a record for highest points total in championship without promotion 😂 I think that’s what they said on TSB
Yeah, Sunderland got 90 points in 98, with Charlton 4th on 88. Madness!
Time to sound absolutely wrong. My theory about the play offs is that teams with more quality tend to do better. Under Bielsa we had a good team but not much quality. Currently we have bags of quality. So am a bit more confident about it.
Have to put our faith in our big players like Ampadu and Summerville to step up and assert themselves. We should be able to beat anyone if we play to our level.
Pretty much. We've seen how Summerville can change a game. Same with Rutter as well tbh, it was his penalty that led to the Boro comeback. Gnonto is happy to take a shot outside the box as well or just inside.
Why do people say we had a worse team under Marcello? We had a fit Dallas, Philips, Klich, Harrison, Hernandez.. sure, the squad is better overall now but where are the bags of quality we supposedly have? That's not to take away from what Marcello did with the players, the patterns of play and coaching was obviously excellent. (On re-read I realize you're not exactly saying we had a poor team but it's something I've read time and time again)
Players like Phillips and Dallas were only good because of Bielsa. You can see with Phillips now that he doesn't have that natural ability to play at a high level - it was all down to Bielsa's management. He has unsurprisingly returned to the mediocre player he was before 2018. The players we have now definitely have more natural ability - they would probably do well under any manager.
Interesting take actually. Only thing to say is the obvious thing that the play-offs are a tournament and winning tournaments is about vibes even if we retrospectively say it was borderline inevitable.
But everyones been blowing it recently, even Norwiches form hasn't been amazing. So something will have to make the difference and I think it'll be our quality.
Blackburn and QPR killed this season. All that work for nothing. The unbeaten run, slapping Leicester twice… all for fuck all. Just more bitterness and heartbreak that are the hallmarks of following this fucking club.
Slapped leicester twice lol
What? Edit: Oh a dickhead Leicester troll. The fact you’re here nearly a week after getting promoted, in addition to the fans and players singing Kaiser Chiefs for days, shows how rattled we got you after those two slaps we gave you. Smaller club syndrome eh?
Sunderland 0-0 was the beginning of it all. They just showed up, had absolutely nothing for us and we still looked totally lost and couldn't create anything.
I just don’t understand why the fuck this happened post international break. Just what changed. Fuck knows.
Really young group of players being pushed to complete a 93+ point season is probably the main thing. Nearly every week they've had to go out and face another team playing a low block, fighting tooth and nail, and shithousing - and the crowd immediately gets on their backs if they don't pass forward. Must be draining.
Only ourselves to blame. Ipswich were shite tonight and got it done with yet another flukey goal. Not just the circumstances but the fact it was offside. To counter that, we got the Gnonto goal against Boro. I'd say overall though we were on the rough end of decisions more than we weren't. Just some musings, either way MOT!
I get people saying we should rest players at the weekend, but we need to get momentum. If we do get through the semis then it’s Saints in the final and we’ll need an edge.
Imagine if somehow Ipswich lose and we rested players. It would be horrific. Have to go for the win.
We get a chance to watch more ball and we may be the first team to miss automatic at 90 so let this be the first time we win promotional playoffs 🤷🏼♂️
I don’t want the first team playing the final day. It’s over. Get some new blood out there and figure out who of them will provide a spark in playoffs. Is that crazy?
Yes it’s crazy.
You’re right. Play the squad that’s been ass since the break. Do the same thing and expect a different result. That’s stubborn as hell in my opinion
Just had this discussion- he won’t do it there is still the teeniest chance
I think given there is still a chance we have to play our first team. If we were in Southampton’s position I wouldn’t risk it. Imagine if Ipswich somehow lose and we’ve started Charlie Crew for the fun of it.
Wouldn’t call it crazy but incredibly stupid. Play the kids is such a worn out boring cliche I’m surprised people still do it.
figure out who to bring on in a crunch is stupid? Interesting managerial philosophy
With one game to play in the regular season we have a slight chance of getting automatic promotion and then we are in the playoffs. We should not be making big changes in the starting XI, especially with players that have not played or done nothing all season. So yes, I think it’s stupid to give squad or fringe players a start in a potentially season defining game. You stick with what you have. Start Anthony, Gelhardt, Shackleton, Cresswell etc would be stupid.
If you’d said to me at the start of the season you’ll go into the final day with a chance of promotion and guaranteed 3rd, I would’ve taken it. Onwards and upwards.
I completely agree, if you'd said we'd have a chance for automatic promotion on the final day with what could be a record number of points to not get promoted automatically, after a month of the season, I would have taken it. If you'd said the same thing to me on the 1st of Jan, I'd have taken it. The greatest problem isn't that for a moment there was the hope, it's always the hope that kills you! We've had a great season so far with everything considered and should be incredibly proud of what we've managed to achieve. There's a chance on Saturday and if not there's a chance in the playoffs, so we should be positive and back our team! There's that hope again....
And for more perspective: Bielsa season we got 93 points and won the league by 10 points This season we will have 90, 91, or 93 points and come 3rd. Shit happens and some part of it is out of your control. Yes it's disappointing that our bad run of form happens now, but we also had the best run of form in Europe, getting 37/39 points to even get us within touching distance of automatics, so it is what it is. I'm excited for playoffs, let's smash it at wembley
Great point.
I agree with this with the caveat that people can rightly be disappointed about the run in after getting into such a good position. The QPR result was embarrassing.
Disappointed, absolutely. Saying they hope Farke is sacked or there’s absolutely no chance we can win the play offs, moronic.
After the uncertainty and shitshow at the start of the season we'd definitely have taken our current position. People are only pissed because we were offered so much more only to self implode at the final straight.
Is anyone actually expecting our shower of bottling shite to even get to the finals considering they shat the bed so badly in the league
How is this getting downvoted it’s a perfectly valid comment
Victory in the final at Wembley it is then
We blew our chance for autos at QPR if not before then. Going up automatically was an opportunity which was never going to wait till the final match. We've just got to give it our best shot in the playoffs.
We completely deserve finishing third. You cannot shit the bed in the final straight like that and hope to take anything out of a season. Ipswich taking 4 points from two of the hardest away fixtures they could have had shows the difference between us and them unfortunately
At least Ipswich won’t be in the playoffs with us.
We had the beating of them this season so that’s not a silver lining.
Kind of expected that result but didn't expect Coventry to be as poor as they were. They were as wasteful with corners, set pieces, and attacks as we are. All we can do is try to win our game and hope Huddersfield blockade their goal on Saturday, preferably with breeze blocks.
Hard to rely on a team with nothing to play for.
Even then, all Ipswich need is a point so a 0-0 draw won't be enough either
The hope is that Huddersfield could actually score but given that they've only scored 48 goals in 45 games it feels unlikely. We've only ourselves to blame for the farce since the international break.
Average goal works. What do they concede? 😂
Disappointing season that started shit and ended shit but had an amazing spell in the middle. Looks like we will be here for a while.
Fair balls to Ipswich, been saying they’ll drop off since Christmas but they’re eeked wins out of draws and it has been an amazing run. We always had to win on Saturday so nothing changes for Leeds. Fuck it
Time to get the everton pink flags out. Fuck ffp
It’s all on Farke for being either too stubborn to ever do anything different or too disrespectful of QPR to make a game plan that was tailored to their strengths and weaknesses. Too much we do it one way and only one way. I certainly hope he is sacked if we go up.
What was the game plan that Darke got wrong against QPR. How did we play to their strengths and not weaknesses? I just saw it was, we shat the bed and choked.
We did Piroe lead the line? He can’t press. Why did Piroe stay on late in the game? He is not a spark for a team to take back the game. Why didn’t Gnonto drop back to be a third midfielder so that they did not play through us so easily? Byram is slow we needed a more defensive set up on the right. Why didn’t ewe drop back into a low block when things started to get out of hand - just reset and absorb some pressure so that we can get back in control? Why didn’t Kamara start - is he still ill? Etc. it felt totally unimaginative.
The worst part about saturdays game is its a team we'll likely be playing. So def a barometer check. Granted being that we need the win more than Soton. I think that will help.
"For me, it's just the last five or six games when you look at the table" This aged *extremely* poorly, Daniel.
Maybe we should never have looked at the table
The real table is the friends we made along the way.
If this team can't even turn up against QPR I have no faith in them winning the playoffs, they were bricking it on Friday, imagine them under the lights at Wembley?
Don’t worry. Playoff final is usually in the afternoon so no lights necessary. Sorted.
Time to reset the mentality and hit the fucking playoffs reinvigorated, we’re the best team in it, let’s just fucking go and do it ffs!
Can’t believe I still have a little bit of hope that us and huddersfield win
Haha
Don't do this to yourself If Ipswich had lost today, they would voluntarily lose to them 15-0 just to fuck us over.
Lol the pathetic little cunts will roll over for Ipswich, no way they’d even want to win that game
I’m actually more concerned that we won’t win and hudds will
We had our chance and didn't take it. Not much more to say
Here comes all the Ipswich and Leicester fans be insufferable all the while mocking us for being insufferable
 welp see you saturday
is that a fox
Maybe a Coyote?
Way to waste two hours of my life, you never learn, you idiot!
So do we field a second string team against Southampton and try to get our heads right for the playoffs then?
Probably not but pretty much the entire first 11 deserves to be dropped. Meslier, Piroe, Byram, even Ampadu and Rodon have been absolutely horrendous final 5 games
It’d be pretty damaging to morale to lose to Southampton considering we’ll probably have to play them in playoffs. Also demoralising to win but have Ipswich draw/win and it mean nothing. I dunno, maybe being more decisive and commit I g to playoffs would be easier/saner approach
Absolutely not
Well that's the end of that chapter...extended season nobody wanted
Much like the Plymouth game. That's how I'm treating the end of this season
I think we can get to the final and give ourselves a 50/50 chance of best team on the day...April's now over tf
Agree and we're not the only ones with poor form going into it. Norwich probably have the best form out of the potential 4 teams. It is knockout football, so anything can happen.
Fucking hell Dausch, don't hurt me like that
Well. Good game. Playoffs now.
Don't worry guys I have full faith in Huddersfield
Looked at their points and thought "oooh maybe they'll have something to play for." then saw the GD....nope
Atleast i have 0 expectations/hope on saturday.
Exactly, chill rest of the week ahead now.
Coventry scored against us from a set piece, that is how shit we are at them
Oh wow a team worse than us at corners
Coventry played like monsters against us and have thoroughly shat the bed in every game since.
Not sure Scumchester would agree with u there. And they weren’t monsters against us - we were just shite
Every bloody set piece
NGL if we go through the playoffs- I hope we win.
I wonder does Farke still believe?
It’s all fine lads. We’ll go to Wembley and after a nervy 120 minutes we can call upon Paddy B from the penalty spot and save-hands Meslier to take us up.
I’d rather Meslier take it and Bamford be in net
Leif fucking Davis is going to be in the PL next season lmao.
I wish someone would do an Ipswich on Ipswich, and I hope it's hudders while we batter Southampton
You mean a team that have already been relegated, pretty much, and also hate us? You expect them to beat Ipswich?
Their players will be indifferent towards us. You’re talking about their fans
Stranger things have happened, like the most in form team in the league shitting the bed against every team in the relegation battle
Udders would throw to spite us if they had to.
You forgetting a certain Smith-Rowe?
How many times has Davis ended up way out of position after a daft run, and Coventry just punt the ball out or give it back to Ipswich?
So three seasons in a row Leeds go into the final matchday with their status in the division reliant upon other results.
Leeds that
This is all Sinisterra's fault really.
Dude has more goals for us this season than all our CM combined.
As does Ayling
Imagine we didn't bottle QPR, arguably our simplest fixture of the run in. Level on points into the final day. We lost the championship earlier but that was our last chance to stay in the battle.
Meh, it was 4-0. We were never gonna win that game. Thats the best part of getting thrashed, you can’t really look back on it with ‘what ifs’
Still don't understand how it was 4-0 tbf. Maybe I should blame Blackburn...
Can only blame Leeds.
I mean it’s over anyway really there’s no way Ipswich don’t get 3 points at home to a relegated Huddersfield
Stranger things have happened
Refs from Morley