Strength of the Championship this year

[brightonmark1234]

i said mid table before the season started but if we get 2 or 3 big name signings in between now and the end of the transfer window i feel we could push top 6

 

[Rugrat]

People assuming Prem teams automatically will be bad are ignoring the unique problems of that particular batch, the terrible managers at Wolves, the basketcase owners at Blackburn, only the stumble of Bolton was a surprise and they recovered well enough. Contrast that with the glittering squad of QPR, the solid look of Reading and the well run club that is Wigan.....maybe the Wigan manager has something to prove but other than that there looks no weak links

Totally. I'd add that Bolton did get it together once Freedman had got them sorted and his methods took hold. Blackburn and Bolton will be challenging this year. No doubt in my mind its going to be a lot tougher and I'd be delighted with anything even close to play offs.

With the increased money for those coming down, and FFP and perhaps Blooms hesitance to perpetually throw money into a bottomless pit it would be fascinating to be a fly on the wall at some of the "where are we going" planning meetings at the Amex

 

[Gwylan]

I think the difference this season is the respective managers are much better and more clued up.

This doesn't make any sense. One of those managers is Owen Coyle, who can he be better and more clued-up than Owen Coyle? (and I think the Blackburn manager who got relegated would have got them up again, while the one they have now is clued-up, it's the ones in between that were a disaster)

 

[maltaseagull]

I am not too sure that it is any tougher than last year.

A lot of posters were saying similar things about the 3 relegated teams plus Birmingham and Leicester. Not saying it's easy mind. It's probably the toughest league to get out of. (going upwards)

 

[supaseagull]

We've had one game...make a judgement at the end of September.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

We've had one game...make a judgement at the end of September.

My assessment - and those of many on this thread - is not based on our result, it's based on the relative strength of the opposition v. last season. Playing a few games will show who is right but won't change my belief that this is going to be a tougher division.

 

[Seasider78]

Too early to say but we aren't going down so worst case scenario we are in the roller coaster of excitement that is the championship again.

It's win win for me

 

[Billy the Fish]

A lot of people are getting carried away with the credentials of QPR, Reading and Wigan. We had exactly the same punditry last season with Blackburn, Bolton and Wolves. It won't last. They won't all stay up there, although I do think they will show better than the other three.

It's not a fair comparison though, you have to take each season on it's merits. Blackburn, Bolton and Wolves all had massive problems behind the scenes and a lot of people said they wouldn't take the top spots. That just isn't the case with at QPR, Reading and Wigan - looking at the situation objectively those thre teams will take 3 places in the top 6 IMHO, that is taking into account the state of the squad, manager and board.

 

[dougdeep]

Three came up and 3 came down the same as every season. A good team doesn't worry about the strength of others it looks inward and plays to it's ability.

 

[GingerBeerMan]

Blackburn and Bolton will be challenging this year.

I don't agree about Blackburn. Their squad is very average now and I can see them finishing mid-table at best. The Championship isn't very strong this year, if we can get a good formula and high morale we will make the playoffs.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I would subscribe to the view that many teams are better placed this year than last - Forest, Leeds, Bolton, Blackburn and the three relegated teams (vs their counterparts last season) all seem better prepared. Watford, Leicester and Middlesbrough seem unchanged.

But even if the rest of the league is the same strength as last year, we've inarguably gone backwards by changing manager.

 

[worthingseagull123]

I don't agree about Blackburn. Their squad is very average now and I can see them finishing mid-table at best. The Championship isn't very strong this year, if we can get a good formula and high morale we will make the playoffs.

I disagree. I think there are 3-4 clubs thst can win it. 14 that could make play offs (inc ourselves) and 3-4 that look certs for relegation.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Wigan will piss this league and we will finish lower half table

 

[Gwylan]

I would subscribe to the view that many teams are better placed this year than last - Forest, Leeds, Bolton, Blackburn and the three relegated teams (vs their counterparts last season) all seem better prepared. Watford, Leicester and Middlesbrough seem unchanged.

But even if the rest of the league is the same strength as last year, we've inarguably gone backwards by changing manager.

I think we mean arguably gone backwards: it's by no means certain that we're worse off by changing manager. For example, four of the clubs you mention as having a better chance this season have all changed their manager relatively recently. Changing a manager, per se, doesn't make a team worse, it's only if you replace him with something worse - and no-one can say that Oscar is worse then Gus on the strength of one game.

I disagree. I think there are 3-4 clubs thst can win it. 14 that could make play offs (inc ourselves) and 3-4 that look certs for relegation.

How can 3-4 clubs look certs for relegation? Surely only three clubs can be certs? I think it's broader than that too. I reckon Yeovil, Millwall, Barnsley, Huddersfield, Wednesday and possibly Middlesbrough will all be candidates for the drop.

 

[Rugrat]

I don't agree about Blackburn. Their squad is very average now and I can see them finishing mid-table at best. The Championship isn't very strong this year, if we can get a good formula and high morale we will make the playoffs.

I prefer your view to mine but I think they'll do well, unless all the internal nonsense kicks off again.

I'd say the Championship is extremely strong this year compared to last but obviously with the huge benefit of hindsight. Like others have said it's difficult to see how any of the 3 down aren't going to be top 6 and although we might have said that the previous year both B'burn and Wolves suffered with fairly unique difficulties and I'm convinced Bolton would have been there had Freedman had all season to do his stuff. Add the usual suspects into the mix and I'm thinking we might do well to stay in touch

 

[Rugrat]

I think we mean arguably gone backwards: it's by no means certain that we're worse off by changing manager. For example, four of the clubs you mention as having a better chance this season have all changed their manager relatively recently. Changing a manager, per se, doesn't make a team worse, it's only if you replace him with something worse - and no-one can say that Oscar is worse then Gus on the strength of one game.



How can 3-4 clubs look certs for relegation? Surely only three clubs can be certs? I think it's broader than that too. I reckon Yeovil, Millwall, Barnsley, Huddersfield, Wednesday and possibly Middlesbrough will all be candidates for the drop.

Agree Boro and I'd add Donny .... after that the rest are all going to think they've got enough for the play offs as a minimum.

 

[Brovion]

Lets just wait until the league settles down. There is a reason that the media always used to wait until about 4 games had been played before compiling the league tabe.

Exactly right, they never used to publish a table after ONE match. Bill Shankly used to say the table means nothing until October when after a quarter of a season you have an idea of which are the top and bottom teams. Weren't Palace bottom for a while last year? Shows how worthless early tables are and how trying to predict how the season will pan out after ONE set of matches is about as useful as reading tea leaves.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Exactly right, they never used to publish a table after ONE match. Bill Shankly used to say the table means nothing until October when after a quarter of a season you have an idea of which are the top and bottom teams. Weren't Palace bottom for a while last year? Shows how worthless early tables are and how trying to predict how the season will pan out after ONE set of matches is about as useful as reading tea leaves.

But Brov - we're not talking about who will win the League. We're discussing the relative strength of the league v. last year. We can make an assessment of that right now - based on comparing it to the competition last season can't we? The results yesterday - or next week - have very little bearing on how strong the league is, just on how strong teams are relative to each other.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I think we mean arguably gone backwards: it's by no means certain that we're worse off by changing manager. For example, four of the clubs you mention as having a better chance this season have all changed their manager relatively recently. Changing a manager, per se, doesn't make a team worse, it's only if you replace him with something worse - and no-one can say that Oscar is worse then Gus on the strength of one game.

Change a failing manager for another one - I'd agree with you. Acrimoniously change a successful manager, on the up, with a team completely formed and molded by him - however good the replacement is they will surely go backwards before rebounding. At least, thats what usually happens in football. But OK, its football, weird stuff happens

 

[L'hampton Eagle]

For what it's worth I think you'll be up there with a shout of an automatic promo place.At least a play off place again.
Look at our form last season!! Especially the later end of the season, Morale and perseverance and Palace's team spirit got us thro as you witnessed at the Amex and Wembley.
I hold my hands up and say I thought you'd annihilate us over the 2 legs.You're a good outfit and if you're not up there I'd be surprised.


Anyway that's enough of being nice, you're still