Rival Watch

[Orion1871]

"Bed wetters"

[CountryRoyal]

Yes, absolutely no surprises Bournemouth won - no matter how unlikely it may have seemed 10 minutes in - can’t be looking at these games for anything. Season ended when we didn’t win our must win game.

The clue was in the name.

[CountryRoyal]

Todd Cantwell really looks like a girl doesn’t he.

[The Prisoner]

Not posted for an age.

Proud of the season compared to what went before.

Ultimately too many games where we dominated possession but didn’t press home the advantage and couldn’t create enough. Wycombe away, both games vs Birmingham, Coventry away spring to mind just from what I saw. There will be others.

Bossed all of those but somehow (and deservedly) lost.

Not as good as Norwich or Brentford. Watford I think should be third. Then Swansea, Bournemouth and us much of a muchness. I don’t rate Barnsley, and that letting them off a few weeks ago has proved to be defining - but they have found a way to play and ultimately taken our play off spot, so good luck to them.

Regroup and build for next season.

Table won’t lie after 46 games.

[Jackson Corner]

I bet Norwich won’t play like that against us.

[Pepe the Horseman]

I bet Norwich won’t play like that against us.

Even if they do we still won't beat them.

[CountryRoyal]

I bet Norwich won’t play like that against us.

Even if they do we still won't beat them.

Yeah just imagine if they had a man sent off against us. They would still dominate and likely win

[tidus_mi2]

I bet Norwich won’t play like that against us.

Even if they do we still won't beat them.

Yeah just imagine if they had a man sent off against us. They would still dominate and likely win

Haven't we played terrible against most teams who have had a man sent off?

[Orion1871]

Even if they do we still won't beat them.

Yeah just imagine if they had a man sent off against us. They would still dominate and likely win

Haven't we played terrible against most teams who have had a man sent off?

"10 men are often more difficult to play against" and in our case so are 9 and 8.

[CountryRoyal]

Even if they do we still won't beat them.

Yeah just imagine if they had a man sent off against us. They would still dominate and likely win

Haven't we played terrible against most teams who have had a man sent off?

A mixture of playing terribly and at times doing ok but without that final bit of quality to break them down.

Though at one point this season it did feel like the only way we could beat a team would be if they had a man sent off.

[Zip]

Yeah just imagine if they had a man sent off against us. They would still dominate and likely win

Haven't we played terrible against most teams who have had a man sent off?

A mixture of playing terribly and at times doing ok but without that final bit of quality to break them down.

Though at one point this season it did feel like the only way we could beat a team would be if they had a man sent off.

We don’t have enough width to stretch ten men. All season our lack of a true winger has held us back. I do wonder what difference a Mo Barrow type player would have made to the team.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Looking at the top 8, it's 3 relegated sides, 3 playoff losers, us and Barnsley. Is it just becoming more stratified and harder to crash the top end of the league?

[Pepe the Horseman]

Looking at the top 8, it's 3 relegated sides, 3 playoff losers, us and Barnsley. Is it just becoming more stratified and harder to crash the top end of the league?

The Tilehurst End posted something from The Athletic, which suggests just that. https://twitter.com/TheTilehurstEnd/sta ... 78629?s=19

[bcubed]

Is the season over yet?!

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Is the season over yet?!

No, we have have four games to play

[Snowflake Royal]

Looking at the top 8, it's 3 relegated sides, 3 playoff losers, us and Barnsley. Is it just becoming more stratified and harder to crash the top end of the league?

Need a far larger sample size. And some actual comparison data.

[Snowball]

Looking at the top 8, it's 3 relegated sides, 3 playoff losers, us and Barnsley. Is it just becoming more stratified and harder to crash the top end of the league?

The Tilehurst End posted something from The Athletic, which suggests just that. https://twitter.com/TheTilehurstEnd/sta ... 78629?s=19

But Barnsley have proved you can (occasionally) buck the system

[Pepe the Horseman]

Looking at the top 8, it's 3 relegated sides, 3 playoff losers, us and Barnsley. Is it just becoming more stratified and harder to crash the top end of the league?

The Tilehurst End posted something from The Athletic, which suggests just that. https://twitter.com/TheTilehurstEnd/sta ... 78629?s=19

But Barnsley have proved you can (occasionally) buck the system

I think the point is that going forwards the gap between those coming down and those already down is going to get bigger and bigger.

[Snowball]

The Tilehurst End posted something from The Athletic, which suggests just that. https://twitter.com/TheTilehurstEnd/sta ... 78629?s=19

But Barnsley have proved you can (occasionally) buck the system

I think the point is that going forwards the gap between those coming down and those already down is going to get bigger and bigger.

Yes, it's a problem

I think we need a premiership 1 & 2 with the money split 2/3 Prem 1, 1/3 Prem 2

[Snowflake Royal]

The Tilehurst End posted something from The Athletic, which suggests just that. https://twitter.com/TheTilehurstEnd/sta ... 78629?s=19

But Barnsley have proved you can (occasionally) buck the system

I think the point is that going forwards the gap between those coming down and those already down is going to get bigger and bigger.

People have been saying for years that the PL will effectively become a closed shop with about 6 sides swapping up and down. It hasn't happened.

In that time we've had a wide array of clubs getting up there for the first time (in years) and dropping through the leagues.

Is it consistently much worse than it's ever been? Or getting substantially worse? I suspect if you actually compared 90s through now it's probably a bit more extreme but nowhere near as bad as is suggested.


Brighton, Huddersfield, Sheff Utd, Norwich, Watford, Leeds, Palace, Burnley... they've all broken in from times in L1 or long stints outside the PL in recent years.