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Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 9:30 am

For those interested. Taken from my Twitter, which is why each club is squashed into 280 characters. :bluescarf:

24th Charlton – Lost key players including outstanding loanee Krystian Bielik who seems destined for Derby. Keeping boss Lee Bowyer – just about – gives them a chance, but simply won’t have enough quality despite a dangerous forward duo in Lyle Taylor and new signing Chuks Aneke.

23rd Birmingham – With two tough opening fixtures against Brentford and Bristol City, the atmosphere could soon turn toxic amongst fans following Garry Monk’s departure, given the tremendous job he did last season. Lost key players too in Che Adams and Jota.

22nd Blackburn – Even Scooby Doo couldn’t solve the mystery of why clubs haven’t been queueing to sign goal scoring midfielder Bradley Dack. Smart signings in Sam Gallagher, Bradley Johnson and old-timer Stewart Downing, but the defence is a massive concern. Tough season ahead.

21st Swansea – Lack quality given a failure to replace Dan James and losing top scorer Oli McBurnie. Add an untried boss in Steve Cooper and it doesn’t look promising. Still, I’ve got them to stay up… just. Experience of Dyer and Routledge, plus guile of Celina should be enough.

20th Hull – Like Dack, Jarred Bowen is another who bigger clubs might have looked at. Made signings from League One with the prolific Tom Eaves and even new manager Grant McCann. Not guaranteed they won’t end up back there next season but Bowen (if he stays) should keep Hull up.

19th QPR – Signing big bully Jordan Hugill to lead the line seems odd when new boss Mark Warburton will play out from the back at all costs; they’ll need to utilise Hugill’s strengths. Made some astute and experienced signings though in Marc Pugh and Lee Wallace. Should be safe.

18th Nottingham Forest – Struggling to justify putting them so low other than saying I couldn’t justify putting them higher either. Difficult to predict. New, untried boss in Sabri Lamouchi, cluttered squad sprinkled with the odd good player such as Joe Lolley. Poor man’s Wolves.

17th Luton – May quietly target higher but this would be a good finish for Luton. Replaced Jack Stacey well with the reliable Martin Cranie, and the signing of Callum McManaman will excite. Goals a given with Hylton and Collins. Not many will relish playing at Kenilworth Road.

16th Barnsley – Had five players in the League One Team of the Year last season, and although they’ve lost two of them (Davies to Stoke and Pinnock to Brentford), they’ll take a few teams by surprise with their positive style under latest German revelation Daniel Stendel.

15th Reading – Will be looking to push on after showing steady signs of improvement under Jose Gomes at the end of last season. But having barely strengthened their squad this summer, avoiding a relegation battle is the best they can hope for right now.

14th Sheffield Wednesday – Gone from Playoff hopefuls to probable mid-table mediocrity within a few weeks after Steve Bruce’s departure. Forestieri’s six-game ban won’t help either. With the right appointment and some quality additions though, don’t write them off completely.

13th Middlesbrough – Whilst new boss Jonathan Woodgate is saying the right things, I’m not convinced he was the right appointment. Under pressure to win games whilst changing their style of play, he will have to do it with a Tony Pulis squad having made minimal additions.

12th Derby – After flirting with promotion under Frank Lampard, it’s back to reality under Phillip Cocu – and reality for Derby usually means mid-table. Losing young talents Wilson and Mount is a massive blow. They do still have the league’s best finisher in Jack Marriott though.

11th Preston – Alex Neil is doing a great job despite constantly losing his best players (Callum Robinson the latest). Fan favourite David Nugent is back and his work-rate epitomises everything good about PNE which will drive them into the top-half. Playoffs still a big ask.

10th Bristol City – The ‘Premier League club in training’ have never finished above 8th in the Championship under Lee Johnson and this could be his last shot at promotion before patience runs out. Losing Player of the Year Adam Webster would be a blow to their lofty expectations.

9th Wigan – Predicted to struggle after losing Reece James and Nick Powell, I have a feeling Wigan will surprise a few. Paul Cook is a good manager and will be looking to push on in their second season back in the Championship. Goalkeeper David Marshall is an excellent signing.

8th West Brom – New striker Kenneth Zohore must replace the goals lost with Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez – a huge ask. Lost experience too in Craig Dawson, Gareth Barry and James Morrison. Promotion will be tough for new boss Bilic, despite signing the superb Romaine Sawyers.

7th Stoke – I don’t know what to make of Stoke. Jack Butland and Joe Allen should be playing in the Premier League, but I’m not sure signing Lee Gregory will convince them they’re on their way back. Should still have enough quality to challenge for Playoffs under Nathan Jones.

6th Millwall – Yes, you read that right. Millwall are my dark horses. Horrible to play against on any day, the signings of set-piece specialist Connor Mahoney and unplayable (when used effectively) target-man Matt Smith could help recapture their near Playoff-worthy form of 2018.

5th Huddersfield – A better side than they showed last season. Lost quality in Philip Billing, Tommy Smith and others but kept Aaron Mooy, crucially. Add the guaranteed goals of Karlan Grant and Huddersfield could go under the radar and find themselves amongst the promotion mix.

4th Leeds – Early-season automatic promotion form fell apart after ‘spygate’ last season. Has Bielsa lost his secret weapon? Leeds will come close again, no doubt. Especially given the signing of Helder Costa. Just fancy them to be pipped in the Playoff Final by a familiar face…

3rd Brentford – Bentley, Konsa, Sawyers – all gone. Canos, Benrahma, Watkins, Maupay – all wanted, possibly gone by next week. So why am I predicting them to do so well? I don’t actually know. Maybe because they’re known for signing well, I guess. Oh, and the familiar face… Pontus Jansson.

2nd Cardiff :bluebird: – Lost key players from the last promotion campaign in Manga, Gunnarsson and Zohore, but their squad still looks incredibly strong. Pace to burn out wide in Mendez-Laing and Murphy, and without doubt the league’s best defence. Neil Warnock, by the way… enough said.

1st Fulham – Just impossible to look past Fulham doing anything but storming the league with a front three of Knockaert, Cavaleiro and Mitrovic. Got their old, trusted midfield back of McDonald, Johansen and Cairney too. The only (big) question mark still lies with their defence.

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 9:34 am

swansea at 21st is showing you up as a little biased imo.

theyll be strong at home and have enough to at least finish mid table.

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 9:36 am

Pretty honest assessment in my opinion. Well thought out.

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 9:40 am

paulh_85 wrote:swansea at 21st is showing you up as a little biased imo.

theyll be strong at home and have enough to at least finish mid table.

Genuinely believe they will struggle as their squad looks poor, but time will tell. :ayatollah:

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 9:40 am

jimmy_rat wrote:Pretty honest assessment in my opinion. Well thought out.

Cheers. :ayatollah:

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 9:47 am

scott_w_ccfc wrote:
jimmy_rat wrote:Pretty honest assessment in my opinion. Well thought out.

Cheers. :ayatollah:


Obviously you won't be right about all of them. But as long as one is correct I don't care! You've acknowledged some expected to so well struggle and some surprise. And you've added your reasoning. This is the hardest league after all! Now go chuck a fiver on them, you'll be gutted if it comes in. Hahaha

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 10:08 am

:D That did make me chuckle.

I would say a similar season to last for us 10th-12th finish after another season of consolidation and focus on youth, outside chance of play-offs.

We have been very impressive pre season, won every game including against a team that finished 3rd in Serie A last season.

I think you guys will be hovering around 5th and probably seal a play-off spot, the good thing about being not very good in the Premier League is that you dont stay there long enough to accumulate the costs of it, so you are in a fair position.

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 2:15 pm

To predict the top six is impossible, who will fall away? who will make a late run? this is why we love it.

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 2:33 pm

JackSensealot wrote::D That did make me chuckle.

I would say a similar season to last for us 10th-12th finish after another season of consolidation and focus on youth, outside chance of play-offs.

We have been very impressive pre season, won every game including against a team that finished 3rd in Serie A last season.

I think you guys will be hovering around 5th and probably seal a play-off spot, the good thing about being not very good in the Premier League is that you dont stay there long enough to accumulate the costs of it, so you are in a fair position.



Bookies aren't often wrong by too much, it's between Leeds, Fulham and Cardiff, I don't think they have factored in the extra goals from Gatzel and Flint, teams won't be able to stop us scoring from corners anymore by sticking three players on Morrison and wrestling him to the ground.

I think when you factor in the loss of Dan James and McBurnies 24 odd goals, and an inexperienced Bluebird manager you will be much closer to the bottom than the top!

So I would go with Fulham and Cardiff first and second, Swansea between 16th and 24th depending on the start!

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 3:07 pm

Bluebina wrote:

Bookies aren't often wrong by too much, it's between Leeds, Fulham and Cardiff, I don't think they have factored in the extra goals from Gatzel and Flint, teams won't be able to stop us scoring from corners anymore by sticking three players on Morrison and wrestling him to the ground.

I think when you factor in the loss of Dan James and McBurnies 24 odd goals, and an inexperienced Bluebird manager you will be much closer to the bottom than the top!

So I would go with Fulham and Cardiff first and second, Swansea between 16th and 24th depending on the start!


I don’t buy into that philosophy and history is aligned to that. If you lose your keeper it doesn’t mean you will lose 399 goals as there is nobody there to save them anymore, he gets replaced.

If you believe bookies don’t often get it wrong then I am safe in the knowledge they also agree with me, we are 12th in their odds list for the title, which is round about where we should finish. 12th that is.

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 4:13 pm

I don't think Swansea will be close to relegation, and I don't think Fulham will win the league.

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 5:02 pm

JackSensealot wrote:
Bluebina wrote:

Bookies aren't often wrong by too much, it's between Leeds, Fulham and Cardiff, I don't think they have factored in the extra goals from Gatzel and Flint, teams won't be able to stop us scoring from corners anymore by sticking three players on Morrison and wrestling him to the ground.

I think when you factor in the loss of Dan James and McBurnies 24 odd goals, and an inexperienced Bluebird manager you will be much closer to the bottom than the top!

So I would go with Fulham and Cardiff first and second, Swansea between 16th and 24th depending on the start!


I don’t buy into that philosophy and history is aligned to that. If you lose your keeper it doesn’t mean you will lose 399 goals as there is nobody there to save them anymore, he gets replaced.

If you believe bookies don’t often get it wrong then I am safe in the knowledge they also agree with me, we are 12th in their odds list for the title, which is round about where we should finish. 12th that is.



Ha ha typical Roathy, if we had finished mid-table in the Championship table last year, sold our Manager and two best players, and replaced the Manager with Leighton James Son, who had never managed a league team in his life and not replaced the players, you wouldn't be saying I think you will be in and around the playoffs :laughing6: :laughing6: :laughing6: :wave:

On paper, we are one of the top contenders for promotion, and you are tipped for the bottom half not twelfth!

We all know anything can happen but that's the position as things stand!

https://www.justbookies.com/championship-odds/

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 5:05 pm

Steve Zodiak wrote:I don't think Swansea will be close to relegation, and I don't think Fulham will win the league.



We might win it, tipped by a few on talksport today, but Fulham on paper should be right up there with Cairney and Mitrovic and the rest, but hopefully, their defence will keep leaking goals, time will tell :thumbup:

I think Swansea will struggle, again time will tell!

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 7:47 pm

Bluebina wrote:
JackSensealot wrote:
Bluebina wrote:

Bookies aren't often wrong by too much, it's between Leeds, Fulham and Cardiff, I don't think they have factored in the extra goals from Gatzel and Flint, teams won't be able to stop us scoring from corners anymore by sticking three players on Morrison and wrestling him to the ground.

I think when you factor in the loss of Dan James and McBurnies 24 odd goals, and an inexperienced Bluebird manager you will be much closer to the bottom than the top!

So I would go with Fulham and Cardiff first and second, Swansea between 16th and 24th depending on the start!


I don’t buy into that philosophy and history is aligned to that. If you lose your keeper it doesn’t mean you will lose 399 goals as there is nobody there to save them anymore, he gets replaced.

If you believe bookies don’t often get it wrong then I am safe in the knowledge they also agree with me, we are 12th in their odds list for the title, which is round about where we should finish. 12th that is.



Ha ha typical Roathy, if we had finished mid-table in the Championship table last year, sold our Manager and two best players, and replaced the Manager with Leighton James Son, who had never managed a league team in his life and not replaced the players, you wouldn't be saying I think you will be in and around the playoffs :laughing6: :laughing6: :laughing6: :wave:

On paper, we are one of the top contenders for promotion, and you are tipped for the bottom half not twelfth!

We all know anything can happen but that's the position as things stand!

https://www.justbookies.com/championship-odds/


So you reckon the bookies are wrong then?

We are around 12th favourite for the title at most of the top bookmakers.

As far as I am aware Leighton James’ son never won the World Cup for England at any level as manager...

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Fri Aug 02, 2019 8:55 pm

Steve Zodiak wrote:I don't think Swansea will be close to relegation, and I don't think Fulham will win the league.


Pretty good effort by the OP but inclined to agree with Steve especially about Fulham who I think will struggle.

Re: Championship preview & predicted table.

Sat Aug 03, 2019 9:15 am

Steve Zodiak wrote:I don't think Swansea will be close to relegation, and I don't think Fulham will win the league.


This.