Tractor boys are top.

[Workingman]

What a season for them. Oh, I do hope they do it. It might be too early and they might do a Derby once in the PL, but why not try?

The top three in the Championship are now in the play-offs so can calm down a bit.

Saints?

Baggies and Canaries watch out, Coventry might sneak in.

[miasmum]

I had just come to post this.

Obviously I am so thrilled and proud of Ipswich and Kieran, but I am also scared of promotion. This has been the most amazing year so far. Getting promoted from league 1 and then sitting pretty much in the top 3 all season has been an amazing ride. But what of the premiership?

We have rubbish days, days when we cant been Maidstone United, how are we going to fare in the Premier? I truly hope we dont do a Burnley who also bossed the Championship and are heading straight back down.

That would be worst case scenario, but then again sitting mid table will be a downer after this year, but it will take years before we can truly compete with the big boys. Year of expenditure and selling our soul. Like the day Arsenal fielded a team, none of whom would have known Highbury if they fell over it.

The days of Ipswich in the premier or league 1 as it was with Sir Bobby Robson, have gone now. It is all money talking. I actually love the Championship, its a great league, well matched, everyone has a chance and still lots of home grown academy talent through the teams

Anyway forget all that, all that truly matters to us fans is beating Norwich on Saturday, then we will be truly top of our league

[Workingman]

Anyway forget all that, all that truly matters to us fans is beating Norwich on Saturday, then we will be truly top of our league

Ah, the 'wich v 'wich East Anglia cup final.

Been there as was stationed at RAF Honington. "Who do we support this week?"

Norfies for me next week so we get auto, Tractors win the play-offs. Sorted.

[miasmum]

Should that not be the other way round WM?

[cromwell]

Obviously I am so thrilled and proud of Ipswich and Kieran, but I am also scared of promotion. This has been the most amazing year so far. Getting promoted from league 1 and then sitting pretty much in the top 3 all season has been an amazing ride. But what of the premiership?

We have rubbish days, days when we cant been Maidstone United, how are we going to fare in the Premier? I truly hope we dont do a Burnley who also bossed the Championship and are heading straight back down.

That would be worst case scenario, but then again sitting mid table will be a downer after this year, but it will take years before we can truly compete with the big boys. Year of expenditure and selling our soul. Like the day Arsenal fielded a team, none of whom would have known Highbury if they fell over it.

The days of Ipswich in the premier or league 1 as it was with Sir Bobby Robson, have gone now. It is all money talking. I actually love the Championship, its a great league, well matched, everyone has a chance and still lots of home grown academy talent through the teams

I'm increasingly feeling like this too MM.
One of the best teams in the Premiership is Brentford. Why? Because they have managed to stay up for four or five years with virtually zero money; and you are right, it's all about money now.

It's very, very hard for a team coming up from the Championship. Burnley and Sheffield United are finding that out.
The longer you stay in the premeriership, the more money you make. The more money you make, the better players you can attract.
For any team going up it's a scrap. If you manage to stay up for six or seven seasons you might get established, if you do everything right.

But I watched Chelsea v Man U the other night. The difference in class from the Championship was very marked. Regardless of the flack that ManU get, they still have a squad that is light years ahead of anything in the Championship; same with Chelsea.

A club like Arsenal can afford to chuck £72 million pounds down the drain by signing Nicholas Pepe. (Who? Exactly). That's more than the entire Leeds first team cost!
Chelsea can spaff £100 million on Enzo and another £100 million on Caicedo; money beyond the Championship clubs' wildest dreams.

[miasmum]

Cromwell that is all so true. Villa have taken 5 years to get back to top 6 in the prem after was it 3 years in the championship? And that’s with premiership money and experience behind them

And what of today? Fifteen years we haven’t beaten Norwich. I knew we wouldn’t. We don’t do well under pressure, and God forbid promotion pressure will knock facing the budgies into a cocked hat

Luckily Coventry beat Leeds which has kept us in the top 2 (Sorry Frank) but that’s just luck and we still have Coventry and Leeds to play

We are truly in an everything to lose and nothing to win situation. Nothing but automatic promotion will really be good enough, we’ll lose the play offs, see above ⬆️ but the best we can hope for in the premiership is bottom to middling, despite our deluded fans thought, and we’ll lose Kieran even quicker that way. This has been the type of season that comes along once in a blue moon and I wish it had come along after a couple of years longer in the championship.

[miasmum]

So big night tonight. Leeds did us a huge favour Friday by being thrashed by QPR but we struggled against Hull, which was always going to be tough with them looking for a play off place

So tonight has to be a win really. A draw would do but then we would have to beat Huddersfield and those bottom of the table playing for fun teams can be a nightmare

[TheOstrich]

You're doing alright - 1-0 up after 39m!

[miasmum]

We did the usual Ossie, start well, flake in the middle then send the subs on and sort ourselves out, praying it's not too late. Quite how that will go down in the prem who knows.

Its so hard not to get caught up in the excitement of promotion, especially back to back promotions and it will be so special for the team, the fans and especially Kieran, but I still, hand on heart wish, it hadn't come to this.

There was a quote earlier that is so so true 'We're so lucky to have the Championship. Premier League steals most of the headlines, but there isn't another place on the planet with a second division as strong as this.' and that is absolutely correct and a fantastic league is it, I shall be sorry to leave it. Well we havent yet, lets not get ahead of ourselves

[Workingman]

The tractors have ploughed up the Championship field so well done on going up, it's deserved.

However, and I am not just saying it this year because it's Leeds in third, but the play-offs need a rethink but I don't know what. 2nd and 3rd on same (similar) points but 18 to 20 points between 3rd and 6th for a promotion chance seems ridiculous.

RL has a good system: 5th and 6th play off; winner plays 4th; winner of that plays 3rd; winner of that get promoted. All done in one week.