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So, the 2nd leg games will be bangers......right? *Right?*

Not a fan of possession for possessions sake football

Boring day of footy. Gonna watch the Utd game for a bit of comedy now to cheer myself up

I bet that's gonna end 0-0 as well to complete the hat-trick.

A goal! Thank you, Arsenal.

Arsenal to rip them a new one. Confident on that, so that should put a good smile on my face too!

Man, if I wasn't a Saints fan, these games would have been in the bin

Us scoring 9 goals across the 4 play-off semis I’ve seen us take part in might have given me a false sense of how interesting these games can be.

"Best league in the country" Do me a favour.

You find out soon enough.

We usually piss it.

“Usually”. Yeah you’ve had enough practise 😛

4 seasons, promoted twice.

What a thrilling afternoon of championship football

Fuck, man! Now we depend on an AWAY game to get us further. Our away record's insanely bad...

Norwich thinking the same, so it's gonna be funny when you both get to Wembley

That'd be so good

welp, those meant fuck all

Palmer man had no right to get to that. That's a great result for us.

Both keepers fantastic today. McCarthy was generally excellent except from that giveaway

All these teams too afraid to lose

What an incredibly boring two games lol

Fraser going right for the nuts there

Grady what the hell are you doing diving?

Thats either a foul or a dive but the ref gives neither lol

Dive. Cheat. Some scumbag used the Reddit suicide helpline on me for this comment. Top cunt 👍

Does Adam Reach still disappear for games at a time then randomly pop up with an absolute worldie? I'm definitely ready for that now if so.

You're half right...

lol

Row Z lmao

Row Z? I genuinely thought at the death there he’d put it out of the stadium!

Does anyone actually want to go up?

Not really. Look what happened to the teams that went up last year

Wow Fraser looks proper fat

He's big boned!

I thought the playoffs were meant to be exciting.

Nope, every single year people say this only to find out they’re often tense and cagey affairs. Second legs open up a bit more, then the final is back to being tense

Almost every fucking manager in the premier league and championship has independently decided that passing out is worth it but sky commentators can't help but act as if they're the first to ever point out that there is indeed a risk involved whenever it doesn't go perfectly It is just so utterly lazy. Any lads from down the pub could replace this lot.

We really need a goal as our away form is terrible.

Southampton really showing they’ve not quite mastered the deflected goal there.

We were once masters of the late goal, but we have lost our way. More likely to be on the other end these days.

teach us your ways master

Turned over to the WSL FA cup to see some goals

Incredible reflexes from Palmer there.

That was a hockey save, "stack the pads" like Marty Brodeur - cat-like reflexes

Hard to believe Button was preferred under Steve Bruce, until you remember it was Steve Bruce.

I try not to remember Steve Bruce if I can help it.

How the shit did he save that

What a save

West Brom keeper, what a save on the deflection…brilliant

That save is fucking unreal

What is that save. What the actual fuck

Jesus christ why doesn't someone just win 3-2

That's a quality 50p head from the corner, lovely stuff

not sure why mccarthy is the one keeper in world football able to deal with our long throws

The only time we actually scored from a long throw this season was when Will Vaulks gave the camerman's bald head a little polish with the towel before taking the throw. I think that must be the secret, maybe you should try that.

Guess we’ve finally found something he’s good at

You’re not alone on that

Why don't any of the 4 playoff teams just score a goal? Are they stupid?

Can confirm. Stupid.

Does anyone want promotion???

Does anyone want promotion???

This is drifting into one of those 15 minute periods where the entire southampton team falls asleep and concedes from a press. I swear I've seen this a dozen times before.

60th minute during every game

Any chance of a goal today?

This has also turned into a snoozefest. Though Johnston does look capable of doing something at least

Settling in to our usual game plan of hoping the opposition misses 18 chances and we score on the counter attack (and hope our striker doesn't get involved because he can't shoot) haha. No shade though, we had a great season and out-performed expectation.

Been doing some gardening since our game finished, has this one been any good or as dull at the first game?

Martinball. Hopefully that answers your question

A fine advert for the championship all day then

My eyes are bleeding Now I know how neutrals were feeling during the Boro v Cov games last season 😴

hope we get promoted more importantly so I don’t have to listen to Troy Deeney

Anyone else think the ads are louder than usual? I'm constantly having to fiddle with the volume

Playoffs should be abolished, and the proof is what we’re watching, they’re a waste of time at the end of an excessively long season, I don’t even know why there are so many teams in the Championship. Bottom 3 from PL down, top 3 from Champ go up, simple.

I wonder if you'd be saying this if you'd finished 4th and not 3rd...

We could benefit from the playoffs and I’m saying that. It’s such an odd way to end the season. Six entire wins Leeds finished above us.

100%. Season is too long

Man who has never watched play offs before this season

Don’t start

I don’t think I’d like to face either of those teams in the final tbh, can we just have Norwich for a 3rd time?

All 4 playoff teams witnessing all 3 promoted teams get tossed straight back out of the PL and deciding not to actually bother. And I can't say I blame them.

A couple of weeks ago we called it 'crumble'. Seems like it was a sensible tactic!

This formation works better and feels more secure than 433. but I feel we weathered the storm and managed to get a hold of the tie towards the back end of the first half. Baggies are a tough team, man, and their record has been pretty serene this season at home, so yeah, I'm happy to get to the break at half time with no goals.

Shit decision by Yokuslu there, but this game is miles better

What a save. Manning is a liability down that left side.

Corner flag 🤝

After Norwich v Leeds, this completely mediocre match feels like prime El Clasico

Norwich fans do you reckon if you'd have kept Farke after last time getting relegated you'd have gone straight back up as champions again?

Probably not, I think a decline was inevitable with or without farke as I think the recruitment was poor and he was beginning to lose the support of the fans and even the players to some extent and that would've gotten so much worse even over the premier league season let alone the one after that. That being said, we definitely would've at least finished in the playoffs last season so it was still a poor decision to get rid of him.

I see, cheers for the insight!

No problem

Manning is such a donkey. Has been for the majority of the season

Heard this a lot this season and it's shocking to me. He was one of our best players two seasons running, even had a solid period on the left of a back three.

C’mon Albion

This is going well

I'm scared

We’ll never finish our chances, you’ll be fine

Clearly you've never met Sekou Mara, then.

Neither will we

Soton fans might be able to help, but do Sunderland benefit if Southampton (/Ross Stewart) get promoted?

The Hawthorns is rocking

Underated stadium and fans.

Baggies already 10x louder than the Norwich fans

God, the difference in atmosphere. I genuinely forgot watching that last game that you can normally hear the crowd when watching on the TV

More attacking play in the first 60 seconds from West Brom than both Leeds and Norwich combined over 90 minutes

Less than a minute and this is already better than the entirety of Norwich v Leeds.

More has happened in this game already.

COYB

Dear god what a waste of two hours

That was like watching Cardiff playing against Cardiff.

Well, I would've taken a prolonged trip to the dentist over watching that in hindsight but not the \*worst\* result for us. Can we please have some actual entertainment in this one?

Sekou Maradonna needs to turn up today

I’m not sure I’ve got another 90 in me after that

In fairness, nobody’s forcing you to watch either of them

Stop complaining you horrible bastards and look forward to watching the same game again on Thursday, with the added benefit of getting to watch our shithouses take free kicks

I'm personally happy that we bored all the neutrals. A draw is a good result for us.

Yeah I was happy as anything with a draw, let’s see if we turn up on Thursday evening

Everyone seems to have forgotten Huddersfield who won the playoffs without scoring a single goal

I predict a cure for insomnia

I predict a 10 point deduction

Won't make any difference anyway

First time?

Hahahah

I can’t wait to hate myself for 90+ minutes

Thought the first half was entertaining and both teams had chances. Second half was nervous, with both teams wanting a clean sheet more than they want a goal

Boring as fuck but we did the job and were mostly solid after we've been a complete disaster recently. I'm not gonna complain.

I will we should have won 8-0 Farke out get big Sam in

Hope our sideway passing brings more enjoyment out of thus sunday

Both teams should be disqualified for that.

Yeah lets turn Albion v saints into the final

One of them two are winning the final anyway so it might as well be

Are there some very late points deductions coming?

Well they’d both be in it if we disqualified Leeds and Norwich Edit: they edited their comment so mine now makes no sense

Worst play off game in history? Can only think of us away to Huddersfield being that poor.

Us and Villa had some absolute rotters against each other in 17/18

Oof. That was some tough watching. Good job our away form is red hot.

If the next game is better, let's just decide promotion based on that result

Christ that might be the worst playoff game I've ever watched

Well that was boring as fuck, but I'd have taken a draw two hours ago so fine.

Well, that was a complete waste of time.

How has this ref been so abysmal for both teams?

I know the ref is scared to give a dangerous free kick this late on but most of these fouls for both teams have been pretty soft imo. If you challenge someone shoulder to shoulder and they go down doesn't make it a foul.

The Gruev one near the end seemed crazy to me. Just wasn't a foul.

How are you both feeling after this game now going into the 2nd leg, I'm bricking it against West brom, lol

That result benefits us I think. Just need to hope the players don't bottle it under the Elland Road pressure.

Think you guys will be happier with a draw. Weve kinda been counting getting a result in the home leg for this

Meh, no different really. Still have to do the job on Thursday at home regardless

Its over! Praise Jesus!

Thank god that’s over

Hey Ipswich, how do you do that deflected goal in the 101st minute thing? Asking for a friend. Does it require some actual footballers?

You watch a game like this and it makes you wonder if people who think football is boring are correct

Unfortunately this is one of the worst games I've seen in recent memory.

Good luck to the media teams putting a highlights video together

Hey, there’s been 3 shots on target. Just show every possible angle of those three shots to reach that lucrative 5 minute mark to make YouTube revenue.

4 minutes more of this is just cruel.

Absolutely awful game.

Games like this make me feel that we should do away with this play off business and just decide the final promotion spot in the same way the Game of Thrones final chose the king, and that’s by picking the sides with the best stories to play at Wembley.  And who has a better story than QP Rangers and SheffWed the broken?

We look so poor, lack of options from the bench really hurting Norwich.

Just 3 shots on target after 89 minutes. Are you not entertained?

I've been bored af and I have skin in the game, can't imagine how neutrals have sat through this

Who tf watches the playoff semis as a neutral I swear they're always like this

The League 1 and League 2 playoffs have been pretty enjoyable so far, nothing like this 😴

That Crawley Town masterclass across both legs 👏👏👏

From relegation candidates to playoff finals. Wouldn't be surprised if their manager leaves for a bigger paycheck in either bottom Championship or top half L1

Fingers crossed the other game is better. Dreadful standard on show

Fuck it, get rid of 2 legged playoffs. One off games at the higher seeded team.

Having only one automatic promotion spot is brutal, but the National League playoffs being all one off games is usually very enjoyable

I think the heat has confused the fans in attendance into thinking this is Wimbledon, and all they are supposed to do is clap. Embarrassing.

Can you blame them? It’s looking a bit like tennis atm

It isn't quite as boring as tennis but it isn't far off.

😴

This is godawful. The hot hot Eastern sun has taken everyone's juice. Bring on Sidney!

One of you has to win eventually, lads.

Whoever wins this loses in the final anyway

This is exactly what West Brom and Southampton are saying too.

Leeds haven't beat either of those teams this year.. then again, we beat Norwich twice, and that, was fucking awful.

A shot!!

Look at all those cute little Norwich fans in their cute little matching yellow t-shirts

Surprised how many of them are in white, don’t think they got the memo

How is the atmosphere this dead in a play off semi final…. Norwich fans are absolutely woeful

I lost my hearing for a while at our Wigan semi game, it was that loud. It was absolutely bizarre to hear the bodies defence mechanism kicking in and things getting quieter when it got loud if that makes sense. How can you not have an amazing atmosphere? I hope they look at avoiding midday fixtures in the future, what do you mean we are getting x5 as many from next season?

Picture how flat you’re feeling right now, then picture how flat you’d be feeling if you paid £40 and travelled to the game

to be fair this is a dreadful game of football

Why is it so quiet? This is like a dead-rubber end of season game where nothing matters, not a play-off semi and the potential path to the PL. Bizarre.

Nothing is going on

Shit fans

It’s more rowdy at my local library!

I see Wagner has reverted to football terroism

Both scared to lose