The Amex featured in today's edition of The Times / Predictions for the Championship

Seagull over Canaryland · Aug 1, 2011

Double page feature on The Amex in The Times footie supplement 'The Game' today.

Three items in total covering Dick Knight (by Nick Szczepanik), Tony Bloom (by Tom Dart) & the Goldstone/Priestfield/Withdean/Amex (by Magnus Cohen). Nice panoramic photo from East Stand.

Also The Times preview of the Championship says about us:

Strengths: Brand new stadium, well respected manager
Weaknesses: Squad is weaker than the one that won them promotion

Best case/worse case scenario: Every chance of following recent examples of Norwich/Leeds & Millwall and making an impression on the division. A bottom half finish would be considered disappointing

Prediction: 12th

West Ham, Leicester & Forest predicted to be the top three. Southampton below us in 16th. Palace are predicted to be 22nd 'Safety is all they can hope for...' (snigger)

From my perspective I am would not agree with The Times suggesting our squad is weaker than last season.....yes we lost Benno who we may well miss, but I feel it is as least as good, especially when the defence tightens up, everyone is fit and all get a chance to gel. I am mindful that we haven't seen our strongest team play together yet. Plus there will be more signings.

The Large One · Aug 1, 2011

'Squad is weaker' really just means 'haven't replaced Bennett yet'.

ees complicated no? · Aug 1, 2011

weaker ?!?!?! I would say stronger, not by much but defo stronger, but if we get a new gk and defender in THEN I feel we would be alot stronger, with the team atm I would expect a top 10 finish, with 2 or 3 new signing a top six with out a doubt .... palace 22nd ?? if they are lucky i really hope they have a poor season and murray holds his head in shame and regrets leaving us

Shooting Star · Aug 1, 2011

Weaker? We're - Murray and Bennett, but + CMS, Hoskins, Buckley, LuaLua (as he missed the second half of last season) and have promising players in Bergkamp and Vincelot.

Biscuit · Aug 1, 2011

Our squad is stronger. No doubt about it.

Rookie · Aug 1, 2011

Biscuit said:
Our squad is stronger. No doubt about it.

Disagree we have lost our best player and not really replaced with a like player. Creativity wise we are down on what we had last year, yes we have people to put the ball in the net but without Bennett do we have anyone to create as many chances as last season?

Not Andy Naylor · Aug 1, 2011

I notice the predictions weren't credited, therefore probably written by someone on work experience or bought in from an agency. It didn't mention the acquisitions of Hoskins, Buckley or LuaLua. Unlike the far superior predictions in the Independent on Sunday.

Napper · Aug 1, 2011

Debatable yes but the prediction of 12th came up in a few papers yesterday. I would certainly take that with victory's over Palace and Pompey

clippedgull · Aug 1, 2011

Buckley will be be Bennetts equal or better when he settles in.

bhaexpress · Aug 1, 2011

Rookie said:
Disagree we have lost our best player and not really replaced with a like player. Creativity wise we are down on what we had last year, yes we have people to put the ball in the net but without Bennett do we have anyone to create as many chances as last season?

Disagree, I think with a fully fit LuaLua let alone Buckley we are stronger. We have far more fire power with CMS and Hoskins as well, I just hope we sign another decent centre back and maybe a keeper but there's no way we are weaker than last season.

Drebin · Aug 1, 2011

The times is basing the 'weaker squad' comment on us losing bennett and murray. They haven't bothered to find out that we've got more strength in depth (certainly up top) this season with hoskins, cms, buckley and bergkamp coming in.

Some of the big papers are doing really sh1t, lazy previews of the championship. On guardian unlimited they've pretty much just listed all the clubs with a few words about where they're hoping to finish. They've got half the league challenging for promotion. Tells us nothing about other clubs, who to watch out for etc...

Drebin · Aug 1, 2011

Also think that if we get one more centre back and dunk matures into the player we hope he'll be we'll have plenty of cover/options at the back.

DarrenFreemansPerm · Aug 1, 2011

Drebin said:
Also think that if we get one more centre back and dunk matures into the player we hope he'll be we'll have plenty of cover/options at the back.

Agree, just getting in that elusive Centre Back will, for me, confirm we have a stronger team than last season!

trueblue · Aug 1, 2011

I'd take those predictions with a pinch of salt. They have Watford pushing for promotion on the basis that they still have the same manager .... Erm, wakey wakey... Sean Dyche wasn't in charge last season. And they've lost Graham and Buckley.

HastingsSeagull · Aug 1, 2011

Stronger for sure. Hoskins replaced Murray and CMS is an enormous boost on top of that! Buckley and important resigning of Lua Lua make up for Bennett realisticly and Vincelot is an upgrade on all the reserves we ditched. He and the emergence of JFC (best England player at U17s world cup) should balance out the loss of Kish who was old and immense at L1 level but probably wouldn't have been at his age at this level.

On the defence apart from Vincelot's flexibility I think Dunk will emerge first month of the season as a starter so just feel only position we need a player is a top Championship Keeper or a loan of someone incredible.

Seaber · Aug 1, 2011

Our reserves have stepped up a gear from last season too. The emergence of JFC, Dunk, Cook, Kasim and Agdestein, plus Bergkamp have given us a good young set of alternatives for the team, with players like Barker and Hall coming on well.

I would say we are stronger, but only slightly. However, that could change depending on how well Buckley and the rest of the midfield compensate for the loss of Bennett.

Biscuit · Aug 1, 2011

Rookie said:
Disagree we have lost our best player and not really replaced with a like player. Creativity wise we are down on what we had last year, yes we have people to put the ball in the net but without Bennett do we have anyone to create as many chances as last season?

Buckley's a good enough replacement for Bennett. Hoskins is better than Murray. LuaLua will be making the chances along with Buckers once he gets into the rhythm.

Colossal Squid · Aug 1, 2011

Nice to see us fill a double page spread in a major national broadsheet.

I did note they didn't mention any of our new recruits other than CMS and in their assessment of Watford they hadn't mentioned Buckley's big money move so I rather suspect they hadn't done a great deal of research when making the comment that our squad was weaker.

I also took great delight in pointing out the Times' prediction of Palace's finish this season to a Selhurst STH mate. To my surprise he agreed with it and said he thinks they will go down this year. Kind of stopped me gloating a bit because to be honest I'd like to reignite the rivalry for a few seasons yet, not just play them twice on their way down.

Dawn Korus · Aug 1, 2011

Or does it mean squad isn't as strong as it was last season due to the level opposition we will be facing this year

Rookie · Aug 1, 2011

Biscuit said:
Buckley's a good enough replacement for Bennett. Hoskins is better than Murray. LuaLua will be making the chances along with Buckers once he gets into the rhythm.

not knocking Buckley as I have only seen him in pre season but what are you basing that on? Can't even see Buckley starting at the moment let alone taking the Bennett role. While I agree that Hoskins and CMS are a better front 2 its getting the chances to them that I cannot see us being as strong as last season

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