The Play-Offs | Vital Football

The Play-Offs

K

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
Without wishing to tempt fate, below is the play-offs schedule if we manage to get there.
Our last fixture of the season is Watford v Swans, Sat 8 May 12:30

EFL Championship Play-Offs:
Third v Sixth - Fourth v Fifth
Semi-finals first leg on Mon May 17
Semi-finals second leg on Sat May 22
Final – Sat May 29 Wembley 15:00

The first match of the semi-finals is played at the lower ranking side's home ground while the second match takes place at the higher-ranking side's ground. According to the EFL this is designed to give the highest finishing team an advantage.
The winner of each semi-final is determined by the aggregate score across the two legs, the team with the higher aggregate progressing to the final. If the aggregate score is level at the end of 90 mins of the second leg, then the match goes into extra time, two halves of 15mins. If the score remains level at the end of extra time, the tie is decided by a penalty shootout.
 
A shock result in the early match today and a huge win for Brentford as they beat Bournemouth 0-1 at the Vitality Stadium.
Bournemouth’s Jansson was sent off after 50 mins for two yellow cards.
Brentford sub Mbeumo scored the goal on 77 mins after a Toney shot rebounded off goalkeeper Begovic for him to fire home.
Brentford leapfrog Bournemouth into third place and secure a play-off place for the second season running.
Bournemouth had won the last seven games and gained 21 points as a result before today and were flying under Jonathan Woodgate’s leadership.
Two ex-Swans loanees played for Bournemouth, centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers and striker Sam Surridge.
 
This afternoon Brentford won, Barnsley won, Watford won, and Norwich won.
We are down to sixth in the table, our lowest position this season.
Watford are promoted with Norwich
 
Two league games left in the next two weeks, then a nine day break before the play-offs begin.
Plenty of time between matches to re-group and get our mojo back:

Sat 1 May Swans v Derby
Sat 8 May Watford v Swans
Mon 17 May Play-Off Semi-finals first leg
Sat 22 May Play-Off Semi-finals second leg
Sat 29 May Wembley Play-Off Final
 
Five points dropped just this month alone by conceding goals in the final minutes of matches. We would still have been in contention for second place with those lost points:
Reading 2 Swans 2 - conceded 93’, dropped 2 points
Swans 0 QPR 1 - conceded 91’, dropped 1 point
Swans 0 Preston 1 - conceded 89’, dropped 1 point
Birmingham 1 Swans 0 - conceded 91’, dropped 1 point
 
There’s a full week before the next match, so plenty of time on the training ground to prepare for Derby.
I assume our intention will be to finish as high as possible.
Brentford are favourites for third spot and are a point ahead of the rest of us on 78 points and have a game in hand which they play tonight. They are at home to lowly Rotherham, who are on the brink of relegation and have lost the last four matches.
If the table stays as it is we play Bournemouth over two legs and Brentford play Barnsley
 
Sat 8 May 12:30
Barnsley v Norwich
Bournemouth v Stoke
Bristol City v Brentford
Watford v Swansea

3 Brentford 84 (GD 35)
4 Swansea 80 (GD 19)
5 Bournemouth 77 (GD 29)
6 Barnsley 77 (GD 8)

Third plays Sixth
Fourth plays Fifth

The highest-finishing team of the four plays the team that finished lowest, with the first leg being held at the home of the team that finished lowest and the second leg being held at the home of the team that finished highest. This is designed to give the highest finishing team an advantage.
 
Mon 17 May
TBC Championship Play-Off Semi-Final 1st Leg 18:00
Sky Sports Football
TBC Championship Play-Off Semi-Final 1st Leg 20:15
Sky Sports Football

Sat 22 May
TBC Championship Play-Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg 12:30
Sky Sports Football
TBC Championship Play-Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg 18:30
Sky Sports Football

Sat 29 May
TBC Championship Play-Off Final 15:00
Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football / Sky Sports Ultra HD
 
Last edited:
Three recent home matches that defined our season.
If we’d won these three matches we would be on 89 points, sitting in second place in the table, one point ahead of Watford.
20/3 Swans 0 - Cardiff 1 (8’)
5/4 Swans 0 - Preston 1 (90’ og)
20/4 Swans 0 - QPR 1 (90’)
 
Mon 17 May
Bournemouth v Brentford Championship Play-Off Semi-Final 1st Leg 18:00
Sky Sports Football
Barnsley v Swansea Championship Play-Off Semi-Final 1st Leg 20:15
Sky Sports Football

Sat 22 May
Brentford v Bournemouth Championship Play-Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg 12:30
Sky Sports Football
Swansea v Barnsley Championship Play-Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg 18:30
Sky Sports Football
 
Last edited:
I was surprised to learn that Ivan Toney (31 goals in the Championship this season) and Adam Armstrong (29 goals in the Championship this season) were both Newcastle players that didn’t make it, and were sold on at bargain prices.
Ivan Toney Newcastle to Peterboro 650k
Adam Armstrong Newcastle to Blackburn £1.75m
 
Alan Curtis commenting on Conor Hourihane during the Watford game:
“Conor is a great player, we know that, but we don’t see enough of him contributing when it matters. He needs to increase his work rate, that’s lacking”
The enigma that is Conor Hourihane. Such a great talent, he was on fire when he arrived and promptly scored five goals, after that nothing. He strolls through games and looks disinterested, what has happened to him?
He missed a few matches with a hamstring injury and just hasn’t been the same since. On his day he is a match winner, let’s hope he gets his mojo back for these next few games, we need him.
 
Although it was highly unlikely they would be considered, our returning loanees will not be eligible to play in the play-offs anyway.
There’s Declan John, 21 games at left-back for Bolton, who have just won promotion to League One.
The other players are -
Winger Jordan Garrick - Swindon
Midfielder George Byers - Portsmouth
Midfielder Barry McKay - Fleetwood
Defender Cameron Evans - Waterford
In 2018 a new system began and all loans extended right up until the next registration period begins.
Essentially, the rule means no returning loan player can turn out for the team until the new transfer window opens.
The Football League’s player registration rules spells the situation out in black and white.
Regulation 53.1.4 states: “A player whose standard loan expires (or terminates) at the end of the season of the transferee club but prior to the completion of the league matches of his parent club (where it is a member club) will not be eligible to play in any remaining league matches in that season.”
 
Play-Off Final, Wembley Stadium, 29 May 3pm, Brentford v Swansea

It will be like a home match for them. Brentford’s new Community Stadium is 6.9 miles from Wembley Stadium, approximately 19 mins drive down the A406.
 
We could make up a team of ex-Swans from the Premier League:

GK Lucasz Fabianski - West Ham
LB Neil Taylor - Aston Villa
CB Fed Fernandez - Newcastle
CB Joe Rodon - Spurs
RB Ben Davies - Spurs
MF Pablo Hernandez - Leeds
MF Jack Cork - Burnley
MF Gylfi Sigurddson - Everton
MF Dan James - Man U
FW Jordan Ayew - Crystal Palace
FW Tammy Abraham - Chelsea

Subs
Conor Gallagher - Chelsea
Oli McBurnie - Sheff Utd
Joe Bartley - WBA
Morgan Gibbs-White - Wolves
Rhian Brewster - Sheff Utd
Alfie Mawson - Fulham
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.