Apologies if this has been brought up elswhere but I was bored with all the election speculation and thought it might be interesting to see how the 4 play-off team's results compare, for the matches against each other:
Millwall
Millwall 3-1 Hudds
Swindon 1-1 Millwall
Charlton 4-4 Millwall
Millwall 4-0 Charlton
Hudds 1-0 Millwall
Millwall 3-2 Swindon
Won 3, Drawn 2, Lost 1
Charlton:
Charlton 2-1 Hudds
Charlton 4-4 Millwall
Charlton 2-2 Swindon
Millwall 4-0 Charlton
Hudds 1-1 Charlton
Swindon 1-1 Charlton
Won 1, Drawn 4, Lost 1
Swindon
Swindon 1-1 Millwall
Swindon 2-1 Hudds
Charlton 2-2 Swindon
Swindon 1-1 Charlton
Hudds 2-2 Swindon
Millwall 3-2 Swindon
Won 1, Drawn 4, Lost 1
Huddersfield
Charlton 2-1 Hudds
Swindon 2-1 Hudds
Millwall 3-1 Hudds
Hudds 2-2 Swindon
Hudds 1-1 Charlton
Hudds 1-0 Millwall
Won 1, Drawn 2, Lost 3
Based on the previous results, you would probably make Millwall favourites, although the form book traditionally goes out of the window with the play-offs.
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Comments
We're the only team out of that 4 to beat the other 3.
Now watch us fuck it right up!
We're the only team out of that 4 to beat the other 3.
Now watch us fuck it right up![/quote]
happily
Millwall are favourites because they came third.
I still fancy us v Huddersfield at Wembley ... where we win 7-6. But whether we do or whether we don't, it won't have much to do with previous results this season. For example, part of the reason that we lost at The New Den was down to Parkinson playing Kyel Reid on the right wing. I don't see that happening again. Each game is different.
Well, by 1 point. So the difference is pretty negligible
On form, I would personally make us favourites. Although I hate saying it at the risk of tempting fate!
Reid? Semedo? Sam?
Would say Dailly but he might be a hard sell to the Millwall fans..
Centre midfield I like Bailey.
Right midfield Hackett has got 11 assists, 1 more than Sam, Reid doesn't even figure in the stats? So maybe put Sam on the left.
Up front, Morison has scored 20 goals, so he gets in. Burton & Harris, different players, but similar amount of goals.
Is Semedo defensive midfielder? Our Abdou & Trotter ain't bad, Bailey & Semedo may well be all round better as a pair? You tell me!
So Forde, RB? Ward, Robinson, Craig, Hackett, Abdou, Bailey, Sam, Morison, Harris/Burton for me. 3 or 4 Charlton. Possibly 4 or 5 if I put Semedo in.
I would personally definitely have Semedo in there (many fans' player of the season) and think Burton would win out over Harris. Frazer Richardson is the RB you're looking for
Millwall are favourites because they came third.
[/quote]
Well, by 1 point. So the difference is pretty negligible[quote]
Agreed, but it's a difference nonetheless. Plus a better goal difference. I make Millwall favourites, but not by much.
Is Richardson as good as Dunne? I feel Dunne (not being a 'proper' right back) has perhaps been at fault for a few goals, but going forward he is exceptional and offers back up & options to Hackett. So maybe we don't need Richardson....
Either way, whichever way you look at it, this Charlton are the best team on paper, or Millwall are the worst, doesn't seem to ring true. I think both are very evenly matched overall.
As shown by the final positions, we are all within a few points, there are no clear favourites "on paper" or on form in my view. It's just going to be a very tight, nervy week ahead.
Bailey and Semedo in the right team, with the right players around them, will perform just as well in the Championship IMO. If everything went well, Bailey could score plenty just like Ambrose has. Not that I've been that impressed with Bailey in the last few months, he's decent all round without standing out in most areas. There are more skilful players than Bailey, better passers, better athletes, he just doesn't have any big weaknesses at this level.
Richardson's a good right back in this league, like I said though, I can't say if he's the best in the league. Just don't know enough about other right backs in the league. Though League One players did vote him as the best, he is in the team of the year.
Reid's only been here since the end of January. I'd say there are probably a lot of wingers like him around, good for us yes, but other players can do the same job as him, we just don't see them play. He's quick, direct, scores a few goals, doesn't set up as many as Sam though.
Richardson made the PFA League 1 team of the year alongside Bailey. The guy's class
I like how you tend to break down players into football manager style sub categories ;-) What's his 'giving it all for the team' stat?
Good point about performing just as well in the championship though. I think that's what often separates truly class players at this level, from ones that are merely performing well: the ability to repeat that level of performance in a better league. There's often an expectation that a player who does well in the championship will automatically destroy teams at a lower level, so if Bailey scores 13 goals in the championship he'll score 20 in League 1, but that isn't always true.
Class players won't necessarily outperform less talented colleagues at this level, but the difference is that once they step up a league they can still perform, whilst the others will be found out.
And thats with missing loads of games... If he didnt get injured he wouldve been a POTY contender
For me, Semedo is the best midfielder in this league.
I just can't help doing that for some reason ;-)
Very true about players not being able to destroy teams at a lower level. Last summer a lot of us thought/hoped our midfield would control games comfortably, but it hasn't worked out that way. The midfield probably isn't quite as good as we thought it was, but also I'd say opponents just find ways to deal with them. Sam often gets 2/3 players crowding him out for example.
Will be interesting go see how Shelvey looks in the Prem, if he gets any games for Liverpool. At times you could see he'd have done more with better players around him.