Ups & Downs 23/24

[Pepe the Horseman]

Leeds, Southampton, WBA, Norwich, has gotta be one of the "strongest" playoffs ever. All ex Prem in the last 3 years.

[Winston Biscuit]

the thought of any of them 4 going up is somewhat disappointing tbh

Can't stand Southampton, I don't have the same dislike of Leeds everyone else seem to have but still would rather see them not go up, Norwich are the ultimate boring club and will do nothing to try and stay up, and the other is, well, West f*cking Brom.

not even a 'fun' team in there who would be lolz in the PL so you kind of root for them. 4 clubs of total and utter dullness

If Hull get into the play offs then I guess I would rather them go up due to Rosenior. But if he wasn't there they would also be a boring as hell option for promotion

[Brum Royal]

Ipswich won last night at Cov so only need a point in their last game to secure promotion to the Prem. LOLeeds look to be joining the list of clubs to achieve 90+ points and not get promoted.

First time it's happened, isn't it?

This was the post I was remembering. I thought it was 90+ and fail to go up, rather than just hitting 90 (where they are now)

It is mathematically possible for a Championship side to reach 100 points this season and not be promoted. Max points - Leicester 106, Ipswich 105, Leeds 104.

A record will surely go though - the most points accumulated by a side that failed to win promotion in the EFL is 90, held jointly by Sheffield United (2011/12, League One) and Sunderland (1997/98, Championship). In fact there is a chance that even Southampton pass the 90-point mark and finish 4th.

[Sanguine]

Yep. Leeds or Ipswich will become the third team to reach at least 90 points in the EFL and fail to achieve promotion. If Leeds avoid defeat, a new record will be set at either 91 or 93 points, Sunderland and Sheffield United both having previously scored 90 exactly.

Southampton can finish 4th with 87 points. In 1997/98, Charlton came 4th on 88 points.

[Pepe the Horseman]

the thought of any of them 4 going up is somewhat disappointing tbh

Can't stand Southampton, I don't have the same dislike of Leeds everyone else seem to have but still would rather see them not go up, Norwich are the ultimate boring club and will do nothing to try and stay up, and the other is, well, West f*cking Brom.

not even a 'fun' team in there who would be lolz in the PL so you kind of root for them. 4 clubs of total and utter dullness

If Hull get into the play offs then I guess I would rather them go up due to Rosenior. But if he wasn't there they would also be a boring as hell option for promotion

Yeh agreed. Out of the 4 I'd probably want West Brom, for Swift. But really not arsed other than that. As long as it ain't Leeds.

[Sanguine]

Some very good young players at Hull (albeit some loans) - Carvalho, Philogene, Morton, Delap. Rosenior has done a great job after they looked like relegation candidates last season. The Reading link makes them the obvious team to root for, surely.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Some very good young players at Hull (albeit some loans) - Carvalho, Philogene, Morton, Delap. Rosenior has done a great job after they looked like relegation candidates last season. The Reading link makes them the obvious team to root for, surely.

Yeh, just not expecting them to make it. WBA only need a point at home to Preston. Hull are away at Plymouth, who also need to win.

[Sanguine]

I've only just noticed this - is it the first time the SPL has split into two halves for the final five games of the season?

Also - with fixtures for this 'second phase' not set until the top and bottom six were decided, it seems a little silly of the SPL not to have set Celtic v Rangers for the final day.

[Clyde1998]

I've only just noticed this - is it the first time the SPL has split into two halves for the final five games of the season?

Also - with fixtures for this 'second phase' not set until the top and bottom six were decided, it seems a little silly of the SPL not to have set Celtic v Rangers for the final day.

No - it's the same format as has been in place since 2000-01.

It's still one table: https://spfl.co.uk/league/premiership/table

[Sanguine]

I've only just noticed this - is it the first time the SPL has split into two halves for the final five games of the season?

Also - with fixtures for this 'second phase' not set until the top and bottom six were decided, it seems a little silly of the SPL not to have set Celtic v Rangers for the final day.

No - it's the same format as has been in place since 2000-01.

It's still one table: https://spfl.co.uk/league/premiership/table

Lol. Never knew this was a thing!

The 'table' option on a google search splits it into 'Championship' and 'Relegation' groups of six.

[Sutekh]

I've only just noticed this - is it the first time the SPL has split into two halves for the final five games of the season?

Also - with fixtures for this 'second phase' not set until the top and bottom six were decided, it seems a little silly of the SPL not to have set Celtic v Rangers for the final day.

No - it's the same format as has been in place since 2000-01.

It's still one table: https://spfl.co.uk/league/premiership/table

Lol. Never knew this was a thing!

The 'table' option on a google search splits it into 'Championship' and 'Relegation' groups of six.

Final 5 games instead of 11!? Would that not create the possibility of clubs playing 5 games against each other in one season? e.g. division of 12 clubs; club 1 plays club 2 on match week 1, match week 14, match week 23 and again on match week 35 so if both clubs are in the top half the league after that wouldn't they get to play each other for a 5th time while only playing some other sides 3 times? If the league doesn't "split" when there's one round of games left for everyone then there's no integrity - but then this is Scottish domestic football.

[Clyde1998]

No - it's the same format as has been in place since 2000-01.

It's still one table: https://spfl.co.uk/league/premiership/table

Lol. Never knew this was a thing!

The 'table' option on a google search splits it into 'Championship' and 'Relegation' groups of six.

Final 5 games instead of 11!? Would that not create the possibility of clubs playing 5 games against each other in one season? e.g. division of 12 clubs; club 1 plays club 2 on match week 1, match week 14, match week 23 and again on match week 35 so if both clubs are in the top half the league after that wouldn't they get to play each other for a 5th time while only playing some other sides 3 times? If the league doesn't "split" when there's one round of games left for everyone then there's no integrity - but then this is Scottish domestic football.

You'd play each other three times before the league splits (11 * 3) and the sides in your half once more (5 * 1) to have a 38-match season.

Not saying it's like that to maximise how many Old Firm games there are each season (without playing too many league matches), but...

[From Despair To Where?]

The Old Firm don't play each other in the league any more times than they used to before the split was introduced.

It does mean that pretty much every game from now on matters, whether it's for the title, European qualification or relegation so I'd say it's a decent enough innovation in what is otherwise a quite lopsided league.

[Sutekh]

The Old Firm don't play each other in the league any more times than they used to before the split was introduced.

It does mean that pretty much every game from now on matters, whether it's for the title, European qualification or relegation so I'd say it's a decent enough innovation in what is otherwise a quite lopsided league.

Should make it more interesting and split at 2nd place, then you can have Rangers v Celtic every weekend while the other 10 sides have more fun playing amongst themselves.

[From Despair To Where?]

To be fair, the SPL hasn't been great this season.

Celtic and Rangers have been poor.

Hearts are a clear cut above the rest. Solid defensively and in Shankland, have genuine quality up front

Kilmarnock have been functional but hard to beat.

St Mirren got off to a flyer but have been pretty poor since about November.

Dundee have been good. Came up last season and have played some decent stuff. They have some decent young players but 11 loanees' tells it's own story.

The bottom half.

Hibs and Aberdeen have quality in their squad but havem been hilariously inept at times.

Motherwell are solid but don't have that cutting edge. Very rarely outplayed but just don't have a quality forward.

St Johnstone are really poor. Don't score nearly enough and are prone to falling asleep at the back.

Ross County actually play decent football and are good to watch. They just don't have the budget.

Livingston are hopelessly out of their depth.

[genome]

Goals being scored in other games and news filtering around the stadium is one of my favourite football things

[LUX]

+1.

It was Blackpool at the SCL last week. They were more deflated by the news of the Oxford score than by our equaliser.

[Winston Biscuit]

7 of the bottom 8 all winning. Crazy last day.

With 15 to go it's Birmingham who are heading down (yay!)

[genome]

Not sure about pitch invasions for staying up

[Winston Biscuit]

BiROFLmingham