Who are you predicting to finish top 3 in the Championship this coming season?

[crodonilson]

Funny how many people are tipping a combination of some or all 3 of the relegated clubs to get in the top 3, I imagine had we done this a year ago Wigan, QPR and Reading would also have featured highly and the year before Wolves, Blackburn and Bolton....

 

[Brighton Mod]

What a great post, doesn't seem much confidence around for us this season. If most feel we are going to be 10-12th then that places us in a danger zone in this division given the points in the last two seasons. WE could be in for a white knuckle ride if we can't score goals again. Lets hope!

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Derby
Norwich
Cardiff

 

[The Brighton Bear]

What a great post, doesn't seem much confidence around for us this season. If most feel we are going to be 10-12th then that places us in a danger zone in this division given the points in the last two seasons. WE could be in for a white knuckle ride if we can't score goals again. Lets hope!

30 players so far have entered the http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?304884-Championship-League-Table-Prediction-Challenge

The most popular predictions for our finishing positions follows:

5th (6)
6th (6)
8th (4)

Over 70% are predicting, at least, a play-off position (I know it will be biased!)

 

[Acker79]

Relegated Prem Teams
How often do the three relegate teams all go back up? Granted over the last three years, at least two of them came down with European qualification, so their league form suffered (Birmingham and Wigan) and that isn't an issue this time, but even so

Cardiff
Cardiff were only up for one year, they wouldn't have had much of a chance to really establish themselves as a premier league team, they have lost a few players with their premier league status, they bought a couple of players new to the English league, Adam LeFondre would be a good signing, Macheda I may be wrong but I seem to think he has kinda failed to live up to his Man U potential, so may not be the talent he was thought to have been. With their poor run last season they may not have enough momentum at the club to challenge the top three this season.

Fulham
Have lost a lot of players, and brought in a bunch of new players, their manager has a good reputation, but the natives are restless, with some teams stepping up their efforts against the most established prem team to come down, a poor start could cause them a bit of trouble, so I think they could go either way. The new players could click and they could romp the division, or they could do a bolton/blackburn and have a really poor first season back down in the championship.

Norwich
Had a couple of years in the premier league, so will have a stronger squad, especially as it looks like they didn't lose too many players (Grabban being a good championship replacement for Snodgrass). I think they could make a good push.


Recently Relegated Teams
Birmingham
I don't think they are going to be top three for a while. Seems to be a lot of behind the scenes stuff that needs to be sorted before they are a threat.

Blackburn
Seem to have steadied the ship a bit more, could be a top ten team, but don't see them making the top 3.

Bolton
Like with Blackburn, they seem to have steadied the ship a bit. Dougie bringing in some old favourites may give him a chance, but suspect they could be more of a threat next season once the players have settled in

Reading
Lack of signings will be a problem. Might make a push for the play offs again, but I don't see top 3.

Wigan
If they carry over momentum from last season, they have a good shout of top 3.

Promoted
Usually at least one of the promoted teams has a good first season, especially if they were only relegated the season before. I don't see Brentford of Rotherham being that team. But, Wolves have potential. They have the infrastructure, they have momentum, they could be a southampton or a norwich a team that was "too good to go down" to league one, and who move back up quite quickly.


Other Notable
Derby - Depends on how they react to their play off disappointment.
Nottm Forest - Spending big, but buying all the strikers in the world didn't help them in the past, so are they spending wisely, and will Stuart Pearce be a success?
Watford - Seem to be back to using the loan system, picked up a few frees. Could be a threat to the top 3.
Brighton - Currently I don't even see us finishing top 6, that may change with new signings, and actually seeing how we play under Sami in a competitive match.

So for me, it's three from

Norwich
Wigan
Derby
Forest
Watford

(with outside shots for Wolves and Fulham).

 

[Rogero]

Cardiff
Derby
Forest

 

[Lurchy]

1.Cardiff
2. Derby
3.Nottingham Forest

 

[bluenitsuj]

Norwich
Brighton
Fulham

 

[Justice]

Rotherham
Brentford
Millwall

 

[Albion100]

Fulham
Wigan
Blackburn

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Move along, nothing for Albion fans to see here.

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

Rotherham
Brentford
Millwall

Now I was going to that, but with Blackpool in third

 

[ExmouthExile]

Wigan
Derby
Reading

I think we'll fiinish about 12-14th

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Wolves
Fulham
Norwich

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Norwich
Brighton (somehow)
Cardiff via play-offs