Football

[61653 HTAFC]

Thanks Huddersfield!

Chelsea can now only get a maximum of 73 points, so if Liverpool only manage to get a draw against Brighton on Sunday, then it wouldn't mean we miss out on finishing in the top four.

Happy to help!

Didn't think we'd get a point from our last 3 games, and I was right...

Chelsea's equaliser sounded a bit lucky, but we'd have been lucky if they'd not scored at some point. Just glad to be mathematically safe with a game to spare...

Then in 3 months, the dogfight starts all over again!

 

[507021]

Happy to help!

Didn't think we'd get a point from our last 3 games, and I was right...

Chelsea's equaliser sounded a bit lucky, but we'd have been lucky if they'd not scored at some point. Just glad to be mathematically safe with a game to spare...

Then in 3 months, the dogfight starts all over again!

I'm made up Huddersfield have stayed up, I've been rooting for them all season.

Except when they've played Liverpool of course.

 

[Antman]

Arsenal remain the only team in the English football league not to have picked up a single point away from home in 2018.

 

[Antman]

You'd have to ask them, but given their achievements this season perhaps one can forgive them from taking their collective feet off the gas slightly. At the start of the season, Arsenal beating Burnley 5-0 would not have been considered an outrageous prediction anyway. In any case, that game isn't really relevant as there are no play-offs in the top-flight.

On current form a 5-0 score line is somewhat unexpected.

And you'll often find a team that qualifies for play offs with a few games remaining resting players.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

La Liga...Wednesday, 9th May

Barcelona 5...Villareal 1
Sevilla 3...Real Madrid 2

A apt reflection on how both Barcelona and Real Madrid have fared in this current La Liga season.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

On current form a 5-0 score line is somewhat unexpected.

And you'll often find a team that qualifies for play offs with a few games remaining resting players.

Though form is always temporary... as tonight's results show!
Ultimately, if your team is relying on the results of others it's because they didn't earn enough on their own. It's tempting to blame others ("Team X were already on the beach when they played our rivals") when things don't go our way- I've done it myself out of frustration, but teams always sink or swim based on their own results, not those of another team.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I'm made up Huddersfield have stayed up, I've been rooting for them all season.

Except when they've played Liverpool of course.

I extend the same courtesy to your team of course (well, the red one anyway: the less said about that other team, the better!), not just because of our head-coaches are besties but because I have a couple of uni mates who are Liverpool fans.

 

[Cowley]

Thanks Huddersfield!

Chelsea can now only get a maximum of 73 points, so if Liverpool only manage to get a draw against Brighton on Sunday, then it wouldn't mean we miss out on finishing in the top four.

Fully in agreement.
It’s been a mad season, and proof again why the PL is so much more exciting than the other top European leagues...

 

[roversfan2001]

While we're talking about clubs fielding weakened teams once play-off qualification is confirmed, I do immediately think of Huddersfield losing to Birmingham last season, a result that sent us down.

 

[Cowley]

While we're talking about clubs fielding weakened teams once play-off qualification is confirmed, I do immediately think of Huddersfield losing to Birmingham last season, a result that sent us down.

Yes ouch. There used to be a lot of talk about that sort of thing ten years ago, but nobody seems to say much now...
It can have a massive effect though.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

While we're talking about clubs fielding weakened teams once play-off qualification is confirmed, I do immediately think of Huddersfield losing to Birmingham last season, a result that sent us down.

That's all well and good, but prior to that weekend Blackburn had played 43/44 games in which they had the opportunity to gain the points they needed to survive. That they failed to do so is no fault of Huddersfield Town. I also question the idea of a weakened team, as all players selected bar one or two had already made multiple appearances in first-team games. Our "weakened" team also drew with Manchester City in the FA Cup that season, so it's not as if we threw the U-17s in. The Huddersfield side picked that day should have beaten Birmingham, but didn't. That's football.

 

[Antman]

While we're talking about clubs fielding weakened teams once play-off qualification is confirmed, I do immediately think of Huddersfield losing to Birmingham last season, a result that sent us down.

My point exactly.

If we have to have play offs then there should be an advantage for higher clubs as in the non league set up, should keep things competitive until the last game.

 

[DarloRich]

Well done Huddersfield. It is good to see small unfashionable teams doing well. No champions league for Chelsea either. Shame.

The play offs should stay as they are. We don't need them messing about to please the plastic premier league fans ( most of whom never go to the match or understand what being a fan is about) or make it easier for rubbish premier league teams to stay in the premier league.

I don't actually like the non league play off system. I think it offers to much of a bonus to the team finishing second and being one legged there is no chance for recovery if something goes wrong. In any event I wonder how often the team who sneaks into the playoffs on the last day in the midst of a great run end up winning the promotion?

 

[SteveP29]

We used to have that in England, indeed I remember Charlton famously retaining their top flight status by beating Leeds.

and sunderland being relegated from Division 2 by Division 3 Gillingham

From what I recall they were originally introduced because the number of clubs in the top flight had to be reduced in the late 80's?

They relegated an extra club to reduce the numbers, so instead of 3 down, 3 up, it was 4 down and 3 up etc

 

[Antman]

and sunderland being relegated from Division 2 by Division 3 Gillingham



They relegated an extra club to reduce the numbers, so instead of 3 down, 3 up, it was 4 down and 3 up etc

Thanks, I knew it was something along those lines.

 

[Antman]

Well done Huddersfield. It is good to see small unfashionable teams doing well. No champions league for Chelsea either. Shame.

The play offs should stay as they are. We don't need them messing about to please the plastic premier league fans ( most of whom never go to the match or understand what being a fan is about) or make it easier for rubbish premier league teams to stay in the premier league.

I don't actually like the non league play off system. I think it offers to much of a bonus to the team finishing second and being one legged there is no chance for recovery if something goes wrong. In any event I wonder how often the team who sneaks into the playoffs on the last day in the midst of a great run end up winning the promotion?

Well that's your opinion, and yes the whole point of the non league system is that the team finishing second gets an advantage. And why should they be over two legs, apart from obviously more money? And the non league ones are done and dusted before the football league ones even start.

And Chelsea could still get 4th place if they win and Liverpool lose, unlikely perhaps but not totally out of the question.

 

[DarloRich]

Well that's your opinion, and yes the whole point of the non league system is that the team finishing second gets an advantage. And why should they be over two legs, apart from obviously more money? And the non league ones are done and dusted before the football league ones even start.

we don't need premier league fans with no experience of play offs messing about with things for their advantage. Why should they be over two legs? Because it is fun, because it is exciting, because it is uncertain and when you win it is fantastic.

Seeing the Hartlepooh United captain score an own goal at our ground to send us to Wembley was great but going to their place and beating them 2-0 playing them off the park in a proper old school derby game was even better. Goals from club legend Craig Liddle and magic man Marco Gabbiadini won us the first leg. Superb. The atmosphere knowing we were 2 up with the game at our place to come was electric. It wouldn't have been quite the same with an own goal in a one off game.

 

[Antman]

we don't need premier league fans with no experience of play offs messing about with things for their advantage. Why should they be over two legs? Because it is fun, because it is exciting, because it is uncertain and when you win it is fantastic.

Seeing the Hartlepooh United captain score an own goal at our ground to send us to Wembley was great but going to their place and beating them 2-0 playing them off the park in a proper old school derby game was even better. Goals from club legend Craig Liddle and magic man Marco Gabbiadini won us the first leg. Superb. The atmosphere knowing we were 2 up with the game at our place to come was electric. It wouldn't have been quite the same with an own goal in a one off game.

Who said anything about premier league fans?

What experience do you have?

You're entitled to your opinion but it's no more important than anybody else's opinion.

Rugby league play offs also give an advantage to the higher placed teams.

 

[DarloRich]

What experience do you have?

Plenty - of both the league and non league play offs.

You're entitled to your opinion but it's no more important than anybody else's opinion.

I never suggested it was!

 

[507021]

I extend the same courtesy to your team of course (well, the red one anyway: the less said about that other team, the better!), not just because of our head-coaches are besties but because I have a couple of uni mates who are Liverpool fans.

I've been rooting for Huddersfield since I found out Patrick Stewart (one of my favourite actors) supports them. I think David Wagner is a very good manager too, I really rate him.

Best of luck for next season.

Fully in agreement.
It’s been a mad season, and proof again why the PL is so much more exciting than the other top European leagues...

Liverpool never do things the easy way!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Who said anything about premier league fans?

What experience do you have?

You're entitled to your opinion but it's no more important than anybody else's opinion.

Rugby league play offs also give an advantage to the higher placed teams.

The higher-placed teams DO get an advantage- they play second-legs (and thus extra time and penalties) at home.

As a supporter I've only ever known promotion through the play-offs, and they're fantastic if you win them. I don't like the relegation play-off concept though, offering survival as a prize in a one-off game seems odd to me.

It is worth noting that when the top flight was reduced from 22 teams to 20 (and the others standardised at 24) in 1995, promotion and relegation were 2 up/4 down apart from between div.3/4 which was 3 up/5 down. In that season they still had the play-offs, which shows they have some value.

 

[Antman]

The higher-placed teams DO get an advantage- they play second-legs (and thus extra time and penalties) at home.

As a supporter I've only ever known promotion through the play-offs, and they're fantastic if you win them. I don't like the relegation play-off concept though, offering survival as a prize in a one-off game seems odd to me.

It is worth noting that when the top flight was reduced from 22 teams to 20 (and the others standardised at 24) in 1995, promotion and relegation were 2 up/4 down apart from between div.3/4 which was 3 up/5 down. In that season they still had the play-offs, which shows they have some value.

It's not much of an advantage though, the National League system is much fairer.

No I wouldn't agree with relegation play offs, just wrong!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

It's not much of an advantage though, the National League system is much fairer.

No I wouldn't agree with relegation play offs, just wrong!

Nor should it be much of an advantage. If you've finished 3 places and maybe 10 points ahead of your play-off opponents, you shouldn't need an advantage.

 

[DarloRich]

It's not much of an advantage though, the National League system is much fairer.

not if you finished 5th

 

[Antman]

Nor should it be much of an advantage. If you've finished 3 places and maybe 10 points ahead of your play-off opponents, you shouldn't need an advantage.

Why not? Or should the fact that you've finished 10 points ahead count for nothing? It's like running a marathon and the 3rd,4th,5th and 6th placed runners having to do a 100m sprint to decide who gets the bronze medal.

 

[DarloRich]

the 3rd,4th,5th and 6th placed runners having to do a 100m sprint to decide who gets the bronze medal.

that is exactly what it is - it means that after Christmas anyone in the top half still has a crack at promotion.

 

[DarloRich]

Middlesbrough 0 v Aston Villa 1 - a big step towards the premier league for Villa in what was a fairly dull game which I had to listen to on that most terrible of radio stations: Talksport.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Good to see that Tranmere Rovers will now be promoted back into the Football League.

 

[DarloRich]

They played 89 minutes with 10 men !

Good to see that Tranmere Rovers will now be promoted back into the Football League.

 

[Minilad]

Middlesbrough 0 v Aston Villa 1 - a big step towards the premier league for Villa in what was a fairly dull game which I had to listen to on that most terrible of radio stations: Talksport.

Pulis v Bruce. Was you really expecting excitement?!