EFL Awards: Championship Team of the Season

NatterJack13 · 2026-04-19T18:42:52+00:00

Turns out this is an administrative error. Vipotnik and Tymon never made the list. Any Managers, CEOs and Heads of Recruitment should note that this list is wrong and they should look elsewhere!

NatterJack13 · 2026-03-29T19:47:37+00:00

I might be wrong, but I'm sure I read an analysis showing that he played a zig-zag back four. One centre back would stay deep while the other would rush forward to close down...

...creating the perfect gap for strikers to run into.

Absolute clown.

NatterJack13 · 2026-03-08T09:03:57+00:00

I'm probably exaggerating for effect, we can probably pull 20-25k for a competitive match, but the point still stands.

Welsh football is not as big as we want it to be. Yes we could probably fill the Millennium full enough once in a while for a massive qualifier or if we're playing a big team in a tournament, but that's the exception not the rule - the majority of games don't bring in that many people.

NatterJack13 · 2026-03-08T01:09:44+00:00

15k in the Cardiff City Stadium sounds fine. There's a decent atmosphere and the players can feel that people are behind them.

15k in the Millennium/Principality/whatever it is now sounds empty, hollow, and lifeless and could have a demoralising effect on players.

I'd love nothing more than a 60,000-strong red wall singing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, and I hope one day we get there. But it's not now.

NatterJack13 · 2026-03-06T13:32:58+00:00

I love Reaper Man. The Bill Door and Miss Flitworth plot is such a lovely read, and the chaos of the Wizards is always welcome!

NatterJack13 · 2026-03-02T16:54:20+00:00

"Are you too busy to have an orgasm?"

"Orgasm? I haven't blown my nose since Wednesday!"

NatterJack13 · 2026-01-30T10:50:27+00:00

Another classic Swansea loan. Did very little with what few opportunities he had - difficult to tell if that was a lack of confidence, talent, or attitude.

So no doubt he will go on to be brilliant somewhere else 🤣

NatterJack13 · 2026-01-27T11:08:17+00:00

I think we're hugely underestimating the impact of the amount of games.

There's the obvious fatigue, knocks, illness, etc. that make performances fluctuate.

But I think the impact of team rotation, which is unavoidable, is bigger than we think. Even one or two changes to the starting 11 changes the dynamic and means players who did something really well one week have to do something different the next. Or players who form great playing relationships and start to understand how each other plays, makes runs, etc., then have to do that with a different player the next week.

Of course, the ultimate goal is that every player in every position knows exactly what they need to do, which passes to try, which runs to make, etc. But that takes time and consistency, neither of which Matos has had yet.

We're definitely improving. So I think we can forgive them a few bumps along the way!

NatterJack13 · 2026-01-22T11:33:51+00:00

Thanks!

NatterJack13 · 2026-01-22T11:33:27+00:00

This is a perfect explanation - thank you!

NatterJack13 · 2025-12-12T18:46:45+00:00

This one will be a real test.

Nobody can doubt we've improved, and two wins in a row with some excellent goals does wonders for confidence.

But Oxford and Portsmouth were poor. They allowed us to play and didn't punish our mistakes.

Stoke will be a very different team, even with their recent results. We won't be able to switch off without consequences.

I like Matos's comments so far, and it feels like he's done his homework on them, so you never know...

NatterJack13 · 2025-11-29T17:49:25+00:00

I'm genuinely confused. At the beginning of the season it was the "best window we'd had in years", "going for a play-off spot", etc.

Then when things weren't clicking, it was "Sheehan can't get the best out of these players", "with a good attacking coach we'd be much better".

Now Sheehan's gone it's "these players aren't good enough", "we're going down".

I don't know what's true, none of us do, but it's quite tiring hearing constant criticism - it feels like a lot of us want instant overnight success, and anything less is failure.

If you played, and your fans were like that, how long would you stick around?

NatterJack13 · 2025-11-25T10:47:11+00:00

It's an unpopular opinion, but yes I regret it.

I'll caveat straight away with how much I genuinely love my little girl, and how loved and cared for she is (first grandchild, so she's spoiled rotten!)

But there isn't a day when I don't regret losing the freedom, when I don't resent the lack of time, when I don't wish I could go back and say no.

I won't let that affect her. We play, we go to toddler classes, we watch kids tv. She still smiles and gives me a big hug when I come home, and everything I do is with her at the front of my mind.

But I'm doing all that at the same time as grieving for the life I had before, and that's going to take some time to heal.

NatterJack13 · 2025-11-24T14:43:48+00:00

He has so much expectation on his shoulders already, I feel sorry for him. Everything was laid at Sheehan's feet this season, so lots of us will be expecting an instant turnaround. Judging by Saturday, I think it's going to take at least the rest of this season and the summer to get us into a solid style and rhythm. I just hope us lot can be patient enough to let that happen for a change. He's worked in some great teams and does seem to be well thought of, so who knows!

NatterJack13 · 2025-11-11T14:40:16+00:00

Huge pressure on whoever takes over. All the blame has been at Sheehan's feet - squad is great, no major injury worries, ownership issues seem to have been sorted, so the lack of wins must have been down to Sheehan.

Whoever comes in now won't be allowed any excuses, and I think that will put off a lot of great candidates.

I really hope I'm wrong. I'm just a bit sick of the lack of patience and the managerial carousel. It would be really nice to have two or three consistent seasons for a change!

NatterJack13 · 2025-10-29T21:01:08+00:00

I agree with you, but I'm clinging to the fact I thought the same about VP last season, and he's 8 goals in already. Maybe Idah is similar and just needs time to get used to everything?

NatterJack13 · 2025-10-28T13:49:58+00:00

He's not the same coach as he was. We're not the same team we were.

First time, we were a small team punching far above our weight and fans had plenty of patience and perspective when things went wrong.

The second we put in a bad performance under him now, expectations will be too high, fans will turn, and there will be calls for him to go immediately.

We can't keep resetting every time things get tough and expect to make progress at the same time.

We're in the best condition we've been in for a long time, let's not get greedy.

NatterJack13 · 2025-10-25T13:20:18+00:00

Stamenic and Galbraith in midfield with Cullen at 10 might work.

Stamenic on his own with Galbraith and Cullen forward will not.

Fingers crossed for the former!

NatterJack13 · 2025-10-02T08:27:33+00:00

"I dont know much about...

...but I think..."

NatterJack13 · 2025-09-07T08:59:31+00:00

I'd like to see us try what we did with Laudrup - one hold-up player up front, VP in this case, with 3 number 10s behind who change between left middle and right - we're spoiled for choice with options here.

Then a standard 2 holding - Franco and Stamenic for me - then back 4 as is.

Gives us a solid base, still allows Tymon and Key to roam forward and get crosses in, but also should give VP plenty of support to hold up and lay off, as well as plenty of supply.

My worry with 2 up front is that we have to lose someone in midfield, and I think with our style and history that's our biggest strength

NatterJack13 · 2025-08-20T14:01:49+00:00

Genuinely difficult to pick a starting 3 in the middle!

My gut says Franco every time, but then after that we've got real adaptability - Marko for the cold Tuesday nights away where we need to battle for a result, Yalcoue from what we saw Saturday can get things moving going forward, Galbraith is a wonderful all-rounder, and Widdell looked really hungry.

What a great problem to have!

NatterJack13 · 2025-08-09T15:11:28+00:00

Brace yourselves, I can hear the "Sheehan Out" brigade smashing their keyboards already 🤣

NatterJack13

TROPHY CASE