Topsy-Turvy Championship: 2025 Calendar Year Overview
A Tale of Two Halves
The 2025 Championship tells a story of drastic shifts and stark contrasts if we were to consider only performances from January onwards. In this alternate reality, usual league strugglers like Plymouth and Portsmouth show resilience, while traditional powerhouses such as Sunderland stumble, shifting the expected outcomes dramatically.
The Rise of the Underdogs
In an unexpected turn, Millwall secures a playoff position, edging out Premier League hopeful Sunderland. This intriguing twist underlines the Lions' formidable run, contrasting sharply with the Black Cats' disastrous sequence of losing five consecutive games. Portsmouth, too, almost dips their toes into playoff waters, showcasing a remarkable turnaround from near relegation doom.
Leadership Changes Making Waves
Coventry City, revitalized by Frank Lampard’s mid-season takeover, climbs to an impressive third place. Their hypothetical clash with Bristol City in the playoffs replaces what would have been a routine fixture against Sunderland in the real timeline. This hypothetical scenario underscores the imapact of managerial shifts on team fortunes.
Decliners and Fallers
Conversely, Middlesbrough’s season took a nosedive post-January, a slump which led to Michael Carrick's departure from the managerial helm. Norwich City, despite their aggressive forward play, appears to have struggled defensively, conceding more goals than any other side in the league during 2025. This defensive leakiness nullified their scoring efforts, epitomizing the challenging season for the Canaries.
A Rock Bottom Outing for Watford
Watford's fall from grace in 2025 is stark, winning a mere five out of 23 games and rightfully taking the bottom spot in this alternative table. Tom Cleverley’s sacking post-season seems justified given their abysmal performance, characterized by joint-worst goal differences alongside Cardiff, who joined them in relegation misery.
Statistical Standouts and Goal Droughts
Lastly, Luton and Derby’s struggle upfront is evident with both scoring the least number of goals this year, underscoring long-standing attacks issues. Their poor offensive output directly influenced their league positions, resulting in Luton facing back-to-back relegations, while Derby just clung on due to a slightly better goal difference.
Looking Forward
For Norwich City, the goal moving forward must be to bolster their backline while maintaining their scoring prowess. As a passionate Canaries supporter, I'm hopeful that we can turn these defensive woes around. With the right adjustments and perhaps a bit of historical grit and determination exemplified in seasons past, Norwich could yet make a triumphant push in the Championship.
A Light-Hearted Derby Dig
And for a light finishing touch, here's today’s joke aimed at our main rivals Ipswich Town: “How many Ipswich Town fans does it take to keep a clean sheet? Even if we gave them the whole linen department, they’d still find a way to lose it!” Keep the faith, fellow Canaries!
