Championship next season

[MSC]

Doubt it.

Last year, I honestly thought it was shite. There is no way a team like ours should have been able to squeak play-offs. Yes, Mowbray and the lads showed tremendous character and skill, but it doesn’t scream strong League to me.

And Luton. 3rd? I’d hardly put them at the level of our first Quinn-Phillips year, when we lost to Charlton?

Weak league. Even if you think the teams coming down are good - I’m not sure I do, Leicester and Southampton are a mess, Leeds haven’t got a clue how they want to play - then there’s a lot of ground to make up.

I actually think the league is weaker. I can’t see two teams being like Burnley and Sheffield United. Potentially Boro could be like the latter. Leeds have the player profile to be like Burnley, but they have no direction. Nobody coming up is as good as we were.

Nope.

Fair assessment.
Actually think even the likes of wba and Watford are going to be struggling. We've got a big chance along with Boro this season imo.

 

[HoxtonMackem]

Leicester and Leeds are both in financial trouble, along with about half a dozen clubs who competed in the champ last year.

Southampton I personally would tip to win league.

Coventry losing a few key players will knack them.

We have a great chance of at least play offs (although I think 2nd place is well within our reach should we nail the summer) again.

 

[FatDrummer]

Some great clubs in the Championship next season.
Will look good in every weekend fixture list.
BUT until we know who is staying, who is going, who will sign (and those parameters includes ourselves) and who is gonna be skint….then they are just names.
Lots of juggling with players to be done yet.

If LND signs a new contract….Simms signs either on loan or permanent….Clarke stays….Patto stays…..then we have a nucleus to add to with young , up and coming targets.
ITHICS…..but HAWAY!!!

 

[Comeback_Kenwyne]

Fair assessment.
Actually think even the likes of wba and Watford are going to be struggling. We've got a big chance along with Boro this season imo.

I would definitely say the three non-promoted play-off teams - us, Boro, Coventry - feel right now to be the favourites. Swansea maybe, depending on who gets their job.

Too hard to read the relegates teams. Yes, Maddison will be a cheat code in this league, but he’s not going to be here, is he.

 

[Mak70]

Big clubs but not really very good teams. We have as good a shout as anyone and a bit of a different edge to us, as we proved this season. Really looking forward to it and happy to be in the Championship amongst this lot. Prem would have become a headache very quickly, maybe not so much in a year or two if we keep going the way we have been.

 

[PS]

It's a voyage into the unknown right now. Who is going and coming in? What is the financial state of many clubs?

Just forget about it until August.

 

[The Rolls Royce]

Aye

Boro spent 55m
Reading 15m
Sheff wed 15m
Fulham 20m
Leeds 30m
Norwich 15m
Derby 10m
Brentford 11m
Cardiff 13m
Barnsley 7m
Wolves 25m
Bristol City 13m
Birmingham 18m

We spent 1.4m

Every year I see fans of relegated premier league clubs worrying about "doing a Sunderland". It's very hard to get the double relegation. Only us and Wolves in the last 10 or so years?

You have to be just unbelievably bad to pull it off, and spend no money at all.

We got 30 million for Pickford AND parachute cash and just gave up from day 1.

 

[MSC]

I would definitely say the three non-promoted play-off teams - us, Boro, Coventry - feel right now to be the favourites. Swansea maybe, depending on who gets their job.

Too hard to read the relegates teams. Yes, Maddison will be a cheat code in this league, but he’s not going to be here, is he.

Coventry could easily lose Robins, haymer and goickeres - but then there's no guarantee we will be keeping all our better players and are down already without Amad. Should have a much better idea in 6 weeks but feeling confident in the recruitment so long as we see a cenrral striker through the door.

 

[McGregor]

Leeds
Leicester
Southampton
Sunderland
Middlesbrough
Coventry
West Brom
Ipswich
Sheffield Wednesday
Blackburn
Watford
Norwich

It's a canny tough league like.

Add Stoke, Bristol City, Millwall, Preston and Swansea. All of which will be tough fixtures. Certainly far from a weak league.

 

[Gideon Gungeon]

Some dangerous teams in the champo imo. tigers can be deadly iirc and we need to make sure we dont poke the hornets nest and a provoked swan could break your arm there mate

 

[MSC]

Every year I see fans of relegated premier league clubs worrying about "doing a Sunderland". It's very hard to get the double relegation. Only us and Wolves in the last 10 or so years?

You have to be just unbelievably bad to pull it off, and spend no money at all.

We got 30 million for Pickford AND parachute cash and just gave up from day 1.

We replaced pickford with a current top 6 teams gk and he somehow turned to jelly that season. Couldn't make it up - and the loan signings were abysmal.

 

[hodge1973]

Fair enough- I Think Leicester are going to be in disarray - will have to massively reduce the wage bill but have some very sellable assets - depends what they are left with and how much they can reinvest and who gets the managers job I suppose- they’ve been woeful in goal and defensively imo.

I just think selling the likes of maddison will bring enough in for them to bounce back and Southampton have some excellent younger players they signed from City that will find their level they also will sell the goalkeeper and JWP for decent lolly so that will give them leverage, Leeds are bang in trouble imo.

 

[Deleted member 53903]

Doubt it.

Last year, I honestly thought it was shite. There is no way a team like ours should have been able to squeak play-offs. Yes, Mowbray and the lads showed tremendous character and skill, but it doesn’t scream strong League to me.

And Luton. 3rd? I’d hardly put them at the level of our first Quinn-Phillips year, when we lost to Charlton?

Weak league. Even if you think the teams coming down are good - I’m not sure I do, Leicester and Southampton are a mess, Leeds haven’t got a clue how they want to play - then there’s a lot of ground to make up.

I actually think the league is weaker. I can’t see two teams being like Burnley and Sheffield United. Potentially Boro could be like the latter. Leeds have the player profile to be like Burnley, but they have no direction. Nobody coming up is as good as we were.

Nope.

Good points made

Big clubs but not really very good teams. We have as good a shout as anyone and a bit of a different edge to us, as we proved this season. Really looking forward to it and happy to be in the Championship amongst this lot. Prem would have become a headache very quickly, maybe not so much in a year or two if we keep going the way we have been.

I think that’s fair enough

 

[MSC]

Big clubs but not really very good teams. We have as good a shout as anyone and a bit of a different edge to us, as we proved this season. Really looking forward to it and happy to be in the Championship amongst this lot. Prem would have become a headache very quickly, maybe not so much in a year or two if we keep going the way we have been.

Have to agree - our edge is the apparent hunger in the team and hopefully the natural improvement with young developing players throughout the squad - I mean you have to expect further improvement from the like of Hume, Neil, Ekwah, Cirkin, Alese, Ballard and Patterson - all on upward curves in their careers imo.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

I think I read somewhere that Leicester’s wage bill was absolutely massive.

I’m not sure what that means in terms of what money they can spend, they could be pretty much fucked.

Sky said that they borrowed against future PL payments and will have to repay it from the parachute this season after going down. There's also a rumour their player contracts don't have relegation clauses either. They could be totally buggered financially.

 

[riffraff]

Sky said that they borrowed against future PL payments and will have to repay it from the parachute this season after going down. There's also a rumour their player contracts don't have relegation clauses either. They could be totally buggered financially.

I think it’s about time that the idiot Leiceste fan who banged on and on about how they were gonna go from strength to strength with their huge county wide and beyond catchment area was allowed back on to explain himself.

 

[Luton fan in peace]

Doubt it.

Last year, I honestly thought it was shite. There is no way a team like ours should have been able to squeak play-offs. Yes, Mowbray and the lads showed tremendous character and skill, but it doesn’t scream strong League to me.

And Luton. 3rd? I’d hardly put them at the level of our first Quinn-Phillips year, when we lost to Charlton?

Weak league. Even if you think the teams coming down are good - I’m not sure I do, Leicester and Southampton are a mess, Leeds haven’t got a clue how they want to play - then there’s a lot of ground to make up.

I actually think the league is weaker. I can’t see two teams being like Burnley and Sheffield United. Potentially Boro could be like the latter. Leeds have the player profile to be like Burnley, but they have no direction. Nobody coming up is as good as we were.

Nope.

I am going to throw in the mix, Stoke and Bristol City. Both have serially underachieved for years considering their budgets but both showed flickers of life in the second half of the season.

Both have got decent, experienced managers and a core base of decent players. Fully expect they will still have one of the higher budgets this season.

It's difficult to predict how the three relegated clubs will fayre. I'm sure one will definitely bounce back but until we understand the financial impact, its tricky to identify which one.

You'll be up there, Middlesbrough, Norwich, maybe Ipswich and possibly Blackburn again.

Can't see WBA, Watford , Millwall and Cov doing a great deal next season.

Promotion next season really does depend on how the relegated three rebuild during the Summer. If they all get it right, it will be a tougher division. If two of them struggle with the financial impact then I don't see the league being any tougher than this season.

You'll be one of the favourites for play offs. Good transfer window and automatics would be a real possibility. Consistency is the key to automatic promotion and that's incredibly tough when anyone can beat anyone on their day.

I'd have a bet on you but my track record is so bad I'd only jinx it.

 

[Deleted member 53903]

I am going to throw in the mix, Stoke and Bristol City. Both have serially underachieved for years considering their budgets but both showed flickers of life in the second half of the season.

Both have got decent, experienced managers and a core base of decent players. Fully expect they will still have one of the higher budgets this season.

It's difficult to predict how the three relegated clubs will fayre. I'm sure one will definitely bounce back but until we understand the financial impact, its tricky to identify which one.

You'll be up there, Middlesbrough, Norwich, maybe Ipswich and possibly Blackburn again.

Can't see WBA, Watford , Millwall and Cov doing a great deal next season.

Promotion next season really does depend on how the relegated three rebuild during the Summer. If they all get it right, it will be a tougher division. If two of them struggle with the financial impact then I don't see the league being any tougher than this season.

You'll be one of the favourites for play offs. Good transfer window and automatics would be a real possibility. Consistency is the key to automatic promotion and that's incredibly tough when anyone can beat anyone on their day.

I'd have a bet on you but my track record is so bad I'd only jinx it.

Excellent post

 

[SAFC Wilks]

I am going to throw in the mix, Stoke and Bristol City. Both have serially underachieved for years considering their budgets but both showed flickers of life in the second half of the season.

Both have got decent, experienced managers and a core base of decent players. Fully expect they will still have one of the higher budgets this season.

It's difficult to predict how the three relegated clubs will fayre. I'm sure one will definitely bounce back but until we understand the financial impact, its tricky to identify which one.

You'll be up there, Middlesbrough, Norwich, maybe Ipswich and possibly Blackburn again.

Can't see WBA, Watford , Millwall and Cov doing a great deal next season.

Promotion next season really does depend on how the relegated three rebuild during the Summer. If they all get it right, it will be a tougher division. If two of them struggle with the financial impact then I don't see the league being any tougher than this season.

You'll be one of the favourites for play offs. Good transfer window and automatics would be a real possibility. Consistency is the key to automatic promotion and that's incredibly tough when anyone can beat anyone on their day.

I'd have a bet on you but my track record is so bad I'd only jinx it.

Stoke seem to be going through a huge rebuild at the moment. Neil and Martin seem to be letting loads of staff and players go. They have a huge turnover going on. Could be either genius or disasterous.

 

[SuperGerryHarrison]

Its very hard to predict what's going to happen until the state of the relegated clubs finances becomes more apparent. Logically, you'd think all three would have a great chance, but Leicester's owners are suffering financially and they look set to lose all their big names. Both Southampton and Leeds will also lose key players, but I suspect the Saints maybe the best placed team to come straight back up.

I don't think Ipswich will challenge for automatics at all, but they might go top half like we did give they have momentum, they'll need a decent transfer window.

I think we'll be up there again this season, and better placed for a more sustained challenge, we'll have another years experience in the division and a few key players back from injury. The transfer window will be key, we might not make the auto's but I expect we'll have a great shout at the play-offs and be better placed to win them.