Main Threat - Other teams

[KiwiScot 1,436]

12 games in who do we think are the teams who will challenge us for the automatic places. Newcastle of course...will Huddersfield do a Leicester...Will the lesser teams(Wolves, Bristol) with big money backing do it. There is Fulham if they get their home form sorted and expect a Derby/Villa to improveFinally will Hughton book us a place in the Championship yet againMy own opinion would be its Newcastle, Brighton, but mainly ourselves that would stop us getting top 2.

[king canary 7,580]

I think Villa will sort themselves out but too late to challenge for top two.

Brighton look good as do Huddersfield but I believe us and Newcastle should be clear favourites right now. We had players yesterday that didn''t even make the bench that I think would start at most other Championship clubs.

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

I was thinking about this too, especially having watched quite a few of the televised games this season.

Yesterday''s encounter between Villa and Wolves was good stuff. Wolverhampton, the team our suspect defensiveness contained for most of the game last time out, ripped Villa a lesson in the second half and I was left thinking that they looked eminently top-six.

If we go up and they fail then both Costa and Dicko would be well worth ''poaching'' for what would be considerable sums of money, although greater clubs would likely be interested too.

I think Bruce will do a good job at Villa Park, but it is surely too late this season. He will need time to settle things and they remain vulnerable but they could well be favourites by next season.

Newcastle are our main rivals, but I think we are stronger.

Brighton are the other ones to be concerned about, but they could have done with Alex Pritchard (smiley.)

I just cannot see Huddersfield keeping it up when the season becomes a slog and they may even lose a couple in the next window.

Norwich, Toon, Brighton, Wolves are certs for top six it would seem. The rest (Bristol City, Brum, Huddersfield, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading) are in the lottery.

I actually do not think that this league is as strong as many anticipated despite the inpouring of extra cash, and continue to maintain that there are more easy games than hard games.

Next season will be harder.

[lake district canary 4,531]

Looking at recent teams doing well, Leeds are on the up as are Fulham.  Wolves Brighton Huddersfield are going to be strong. Imo there is some awesome talent around the championship.   But as long as we do well against those teams we should stay ahead of them. Fulham is going to be a very hard match as they have their tails up after Saturday. 

[king canary 7,580]

I didn''t see the game yesterday but I''m not convinced by what I''ve seen of Wolves this season- seem a bit one dimensional.

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

"I didn''t see the game yesterday but I''m not convinced by what I''ve seen of Wolves this season- seem a bit one dimensional."

May be now, but they have the manager and the money to get better by the week.

I think that we were fortunate to play them at Molyneux when we did as they seem on the up.

Likewise, we could have done with facing Villa under Matteo rather than Bruce or the Derby that started the season so badly until they made the change, but you cannot have things all ways.

[SwindonCanary 455]

I was thinking that the table would look so much better if we didn''t count the extra time at Newcastle !

[Daz Sparks 1,151]

king canary wrote:

"I didn''t see the game yesterday but I''m not convinced by what I''ve seen of Wolves this season- seem a bit one dimensional. "

I did, and Wolves were by far and away the better team in the 2nd half, desperately unlucky. They will be there, or thereabouts by the end of the season. Villa have may well rally, but I doubt it will soon enough for them to threaten the auto places. Newcastle are the obvious threat for the title, as for the rest, I can see Huddersfield, Brighton being in there, with several others pushing for the top 6, including Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham. It''s going to be very interesting.