The 2009/10 Championship Thread...

[The Brain Trust]

So, less than a month to kick off and I have a feeling that this years Championship is going to be the toughest for a long time.

With the Toon, Boro and the Baggies having come down getting into the play offs is going to be tough.

I can see West Brom going up with perhaps Boro. I think Newcastle are going to struggle. They'll be seen as the team to beat and teams will be out to prove a point. Boro may find the same whereas West Brom have done it all before.

My team Reading need to get a couple of decent signings. Last season we were in relegation form for the 2nd half and we have now lost Doyle meaning our goals will have to come from somewhere else. Not sure Long et al have the calibre to get 20 plus in a season.

Other teams with a decent shot...possibly Sheff Utd, Ipswich, Cardiff etc.

I love the Championship; the Premiership was all prima donas and stupid kick off times. I only went to about 5 home games where I thought we should win, all the other clubs have bags on money and have been in the Premiership a while. You can pretty much predict who will be in the top 10 and who will be in the bottom 6. Don't get me wrong, the Premiership was great whilst we were there but it was also overpriced and all about the ££££ regardless of the fans. The Championship is a great league and I am looking forward to another rollercoaster of a season.

At least in the Championship anyone can beat anyone, no one is certain of where they will finish.

Anyone else have any thoughts? Promotion / Relegation predictions?

Ooops, sorry Mods

Edited by The Brain Trust on Monday 20th July 22:04

[Mx_Stu]

The Brain Trust said:

I think Newcastle are going to struggle. They'll be seen as the team to beat and teams will be out to prove a point.

Newcastle will be everyones cup final!

I'm a Peterborough season ticket holder and can't wait for the Championship to kick off. I think alot of teams will severly underestimate us. We have a young and hungry squad with a manager who has a bit of football knowledge in his genes!

Edited by Mx_Stu on Monday 20th July 22:48

Edited by Mx_Stu on Monday 20th July 22:49

[Legend83]

I'm a Swansea City man but I reckon our season will not be as fruitful as last. We have lost our manager, plus Scotland and Gomez who contributed 30 goals between them last season.

But we do have Paulo Sousa now!

I can see Reading, West Brom and Newcastle making headway this season.

[anonymous-user]

cant see newcastle making an instant impact unfortunately, i think that Boro, WBA and Ipswich will be early front runners.

Hope Bristol City have another comfy mid table season, top ten would be nice but cant see it on the basis of the pre season friendles so far as there are a lot of new faces and it looks like it will take a while to become a cohesive team....

still marvellous marvin elliot is with us for anohter season, Orr and Fontaine at the back get better and better each year, we have the top scorer outside the old firm from last year and surely Nicky Maynard has to come good too?!?!?

to anyone visiting the gate this year, just humour the fifteen year olds in the east end if they get too cocky and vocal, they are young and dont know any better....

[Rob13]

As a toon fan, this is unchartered territory for us (in its latest incarnation).

I think we'll struggle this year and will find ourselves at best mid-table. This transfer embargo and farcical sale situation is damaging us further with every day that goes by.

[hornetrider]

Legend83 said:

I'm a Swansea City man but I reckon our season will not be as fruitful as last. We have lost our manager, plus Scotland and Gomez who contributed 30 goals between them last season.

But we do have Paulo Sousa now!

I can see Reading, West Brom and Newcastle making headway this season.

Yeah massive shame for the Swans, this season could have been so good but I feel the heart has been ripped out of the team.

[Legend83]

hornetrider said:

Legend83 said:

I'm a Swansea City man but I reckon our season will not be as fruitful as last. We have lost our manager, plus Scotland and Gomez who contributed 30 goals between them last season.

But we do have Paulo Sousa now!

I can see Reading, West Brom and Newcastle making headway this season.

Yeah massive shame for the Swans, this season could have been so good but I feel the heart has been ripped out of the team.

I am still holding out some hope. We have done well in our friendlies so far, beating FC Twente.

I think Gorka Pintado could come through this season and make up for the loss of Scotland. Pintado did not get many games last season but when he did he looked dangerous. I hope Sousa gives him a decent run.

But I think you are right about the heart. It was such a tight-unit under Martinez...I just hope it does not all collapse.

[Mx_Stu]

Rob13 said:

As a toon fan, this is unchartered territory for us (in its latest incarnation).

I think we'll struggle this year and will find ourselves at best mid-table. This transfer embargo and farcical sale situation is damaging us further with every day that goes by.

Have you got a manager yet or an owner that actually knows what he's doing? (I promise i'm not trying to take the P**S, just haven't seen anything in the news about it)

Posh played Spurs last night. Pretty strong performance from us in the first half despite the fact we were missing two of our more established first team players. We held Spurs to 1-0 in the fist half then fergie put more squad/ youth players out in the second half and we conceded 3 more goals.

The spurs side was pretty strong:

Spurs (4-4-2): Cudicini (Jansson, 83); Chimbonda, Corluka (Huddlestone, 46), Dervite, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Palacios, Jenas (Boateng, 46, (Livermore, 66)), O'Hara (Modric, 46); Bent (Defoe, 46), Pavlyuchenko

[thedot]

i think forest will be there or there abouts at the end of the season. they seem to be spending a fair bit at the moment.

[Rob13]

Mx_Stu said:

Rob13 said:

As a toon fan, this is unchartered territory for us (in its latest incarnation).

I think we'll struggle this year and will find ourselves at best mid-table. This transfer embargo and farcical sale situation is damaging us further with every day that goes by.

Have you got a manager yet or an owner that actually knows what he's doing? (I promise i'm not trying to take the P**S, just haven't seen anything in the news about it)

Posh played Spurs last night. Pretty strong performance from us in the first half despite the fact we were missing two of our more established first team players. We held Spurs to 1-0 in the fist half then fergie put more squad/ youth players out in the second half and we conceded 3 more goals.

The spurs side was pretty strong:

Spurs (4-4-2): Cudicini (Jansson, 83); Chimbonda, Corluka (Huddlestone, 46), Dervite, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Palacios, Jenas (Boateng, 46, (Livermore, 66)), O'Hara (Modric, 46); Bent (Defoe, 46), Pavlyuchenko

Houghton & Calderwood are back in as head coaches, but no manager as such. Owner couldnt care less about us now and just wants rid, but doesnt want to lose any more money and there is rumour that we will be asset stripped before he sells up. There are rumours that one of our few big names will be heading out of the door this week. Its all looking pretty grim for us for next season, and I've never been more apathetic in all my years of support.

[oxford drinker]

The Brain Trust said:

My team Reading need to get a couple of decent signings. Last season we were in relegation form for the 2nd half and we have now lost Doyle meaning our goals will have to come from somewhere else. Not sure Long et al have the calibre to get 20 plus in a season.

As a Baggies fan, my main concern is also scoring goals. We've signed Simon Cox from Swindon, who's proven at Div 1 level; hopefully he'll come good in the Championship.
Roll on 8 August, and the Toon at home. Live on BBC, too, for those who wish to see just how poor Newcastle are!

[skylinecrazy]

Ah the championship..

I remember that, the inferior league we won last season.

[MPowerMark]

I'm a Queens Park Rangers fan and i think we have a decent chance of being up there around the playoff places. We were very unlucky with big injuruies to key players last year but with abit of luck should definetly be pushing at the top of the table.
To the Swansea fan, i hope Paulo Sousa changes his ways for your sake, under him we played some of the must boring football i have ever seen at loftus road, far tood defensive. However, he has managed to bring Lopez with him and i can assure you he is a top player for this league, really impressed when on loan for us last season.

With players like:

Routledge - great winger for this league, bags of pace.

Buzacky - arguably one of the best players in the league

Faurlin - new 3.5 million signing who has really impressed so far in friendlies

Rowan Vine

Rowlands

Gorkks- showed last season what a top defender he is
Matthew Connelly - ex arsenal youngster who is arguably our best defender, this boy keeps getting better.

Cerny - loads of experiance in goal and had a great debut season last year.

Lee Cook

Helguson

And rumours are we are about to resign Taarbt from Spurs for a season long loan with a view to a permanent move. If he is as good as he was last year he is another player arguably one of the best in the league.

If we can keep all these guys fit i think we will be a force this year.

You R's!!!!

[Mx_Stu]

skylinecrazy said:

Ah the championship..

I remember that, the inferior league we won last season.

See you next season...

[anonymous-user]

skylinecrazy said:

Ah the championship..

I remember that, the inferior league we won last season.

LOL! you spent long enough in it!!!

[skylinecrazy]

Mx_Stu said:

skylinecrazy said:

Ah the championship..I remember that, the inferior league we won last season.;)

See you next season...

You probably will

[D-Angle]

skylinecrazy said:

Ah the championship..

I remember that, the inferior league we won last season.

Careful mate, we're nowhere near safe from that bloody division yet...

[harryowl]

Wednesday fan here. Dont rule us out of the playoffs just yet. We have the best goalie in the league, and with three key players in esajas, sodje and simek coming back after missing nearly all of last season, coupled with our decent signings, with a bit of luck we'll be up there

[Killer2005]

harryowl said:

Wednesday fan here. Dont rule us out of the playoffs just yet. We have the best goalie in the league, and with three key players in esajas, sodje and simek coming back after missing nearly all of last season, coupled with our decent signings, with a bit of luck we'll be up there

Good luck to the Wendies

[Shreddies]

Barnsley fan here! we'll more than likely struggle again this year but should stay up!