Season 23/24 | The Official Match Thread | Norwich City vs Swansea City | The EFL Championship

[PSumbler]

We won't have the likes of Leicester, Leeds and Southampton in the division next year and as you mentioned those heading down have been absolutely bang average and that's being generous.

Burnley walked the division last season and Sheffield United were equally head and shoulders above everyone else

Forest will buy a few hundred players if it ends up being them and will push hard, less so Luton although they wont have the same issues that many have when they drop out of the PL

Portsmouth and Derby will take great confidence from what Ipswich have achieved and fancy this division

Most of the time this is a bang average division with one or two sides flying every year, its the main reason why sides that are going up look so out of their depth this season

 

[cadleigh]

Ronald often had two or even three people on him every time he got the ball. A few times he passed it to Key looking for a give and go but it never materialized. His flick to key in the 2nd minute was exquisite as was Key's cross, it absolutely deserved a goal at the end of it.

In the second half the game became way more open as Norwich chased a winner and Ronald was getting more joy as a result. He was the fastest to react to Cullen's blocked shot which is what won the penalty for our equalizer and his shot was only barely saved by Gunn around the 75th minute or so.

It’s the issue with having a danger man on only one flank (and not even the most generous of us will call Cooper a danger man). Getting another player with genuine pace and product for the left wing will be crucial in how LW wants to play as will be finding a striker to reliably finish the opportunities that the wingers create.

Ronald often had two or even three people on him every time he got the ball. A few times he passed it to Key looking for a give and go but it never materialized. His flick to key in the 2nd minute was exquisite as was Key's cross, it absolutely deserved a goal at the end of it.

In the second half the game became way more open as Norwich chased a winner and Ronald was getting more joy as a result. He was the fastest to react to Cullen's blocked shot which is what won the penalty for our equalizer and his shot was only barely saved by Gunn around the 75th minute or so.

Its the issue with having a danger man on only one flank (and not even the most generous of us will call Cooper a danger man). Getting another player with genuine pace and product for the left wing will be crucial in how LW wants to play as will be finding a striker to reliably finish the opportunities that the wingers create.

Excellent post. Only thing I’d quibble with is that those incidents with Key in the first half didn’t feel like the full-back’s fault - he didn’t provide a through ball because Ronald didn’t look like he was going anywhere. Maybe (as we both said) it was because he had two defenders on him and knew it was pointless. The important thing is that he took his chances in the second half.

 

[Smurph]

Burnley walked the division last season and Sheffield United were equally head and shoulders above everyone else

Forest will buy a few hundred players if it ends up being them and will push hard, less so Luton although they wont have the same issues that many have when they drop out of the PL

Portsmouth and Derby will take great confidence from what Ipswich have achieved and fancy this division

Most of the time this is a bang average division with one or two sides flying every year, its the main reason why sides that are going up look so out of their depth this season

True, they have been strong in previous seasons.

All depends what happens in the summer, will Burnley keep hold of Kompany, how will Sheffield United respond to being one of the worst teams in premier league history.

In terms of the teams coming up their summers will also hinge on how well they recruit and if they carry on momentum built up from their previous successful season. A few dodgy results at the beginning and all that goes out of the window.

Forest could be the team to watch, they could also implode.