Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
jimbo

People who feel that the Championship will be easier than 2 yrs ago....

Recommended Posts

are so wrong. If Harry stays at Saints they will be very strong. If Dowie and AJ stay at Palace they will be very strong. Wolves will be very strong and today i see that Camara has gone back there. Now if Hoddle can sweet talk him in to staying for a season and it is an if they will be awesome in the Championship. I have been speculating that it is very possbile that the Championship next season will be the toughest it has been for a few years and that the race for automatic promotion will be as tight as the race to avoid the drop has been this season in the prem. The race for promotion could well go to the wire and will involve us, Wolves, Palace and Soton all vying for the top 2 places.

For me it is impossible to start making predictions on how we will fair next season though at the moment. There too many uncertainties at the moment regarding players and managers coming and going at our club and other clubs for anyone to be able to make a sensible accurate prediction on how we and other teams will perform next season in the Championship.

Just imagine this as a worst case scenario. Over the next 2 and half months we lose Green, Helveg, Francis, Svennsson and Ashton. These 5 players leaving is realistic. If we lose these five i will not be confident of us coming straight back up Hux or not.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You are so right. As soon as we were confirmed relegated my instant thoughts were "oh well, we''ll be back!" But the more I thought about it - i suddenly remembered that two other teams who were very close to staying up have come down with us, plus we will be going down to a league where 3 decent sides have just lost in the playoffs, and others have just missed out on the playoffs. So it will be anything but easy.

However, we do have a better chance I feel than 10 years ago. When we went down then, everybody stayed loyal and we did not get rid of any players, so we were basically playing our Premiership squad. But the difference between now and then is that now all our players are relatively young, whereas back then we had the likes of Gunn, Bowen, Polston, etc who had probably already reached their peak and were moving towards the end of their careers (plus a certain manager resigning might have had something to do with it)

But yeah, I still feel we have a great chance.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Not sure about this to be honest. For the last few seasons there have been really big spenders who proved that money talks.

With Wigan up along with Sunderland it only leaves a couple of other teams in the league with big spending abilities. It really is down to who can sign who, and who doesnt go up through the play-offs.

Camara wont stay at Wolves, he went on loan because he didnt want to play championship football, exactly the same position a year later.

I would fear West Ham if it wasnt for the fact their money is drying up. Leeds sign everyone that isnt quite good enough.

It will be tough but I dont see any giants left in the league, it is open to anyone that can find the most consistancy. Something that Worthington is good at getting out of the squad.

I would fear any of the teams that finnished in the top half of the table because they are the teams that will be looking to threaten for the play-offs and more. But in a way we have to be fearless or we will not get back up. Thats not to say the team need everybit of support - lord only knows they will.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I agree that it won''t be easy, but just remember this. In Huckerby we have a player who tore apart defences and scored bag full of goals as well as creating bag fulls. He was the best player in the 1st div by miles during 03/04 season. Also, if we keep hold of him we have the deadliest striker in the championship by a country mile. He scored just under 20 goals in half a season for a team that can''t win without them. Imagine what Ashton will do in a top of the table team where he''ll receive more support and a lot more chances. Plus lets not forget we have one of the best up and coming central defenders in Shackell who will be superb for us i''m sure. With these three players in one team we are bound to be up there come the end of the season. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote]Not sure about this to be honest. For the last few seasons there have been really big spenders who proved that money talks. With Wigan up along with Sunderland it only leaves a couple of other teams ...[/quote]

Yep - any of the top half teams could be a threat...I think if they can hold onto their players, Reading will reach the top 6 next season. They have been edging closer and closer in recent years and do have the financial backing to do well...that is unless we get Sidwell of them!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Camara''s on his way, he wants to play Premiership football.

As of now, it''s difficult to say who will go and who will stay from any club. Rednapp I think will stay, but he''ll loose players like Crouch in order to get a decent transfer budget together. Saints are in deep do do, and Rednapp wants to totally restructure the side. I''d fully expect a summer of unrest and it might take a season to settle down there at St Marys.

Palace are a side I think that will do well, with or without AJ. They have a decent squad, and I think if AJ goes you''ll see his money go to good use.

Wolves I think are good, but not that good. I''ll wait and see, but I think we overestimate their ability.  

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote]Camara''s on his way, he wants to play Premiership football. As of now, it''s difficult to say who will go and who will stay from any club. Rednapp I think will stay, but he''ll loose players like Crouc...[/quote]

But Wolves did just finish the season on a 20 game unbeaten run or something. There might have been a lot of draws in there but they improved dramatically in the 2nd half of the season and if they can turn those draws into wins I have no doubt that they will be up there.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I refer to the post I made on Monday in a different thread -

I suppose it''s a natural reaction to say "well we will just go straight back up next season" and I''ve seen plenty of posts on here conveying this very thought. Some seem to think it''s a mere formality and all we''ve got to do is turn up and we''ll win every game and get automatic promotion - if only it was going to be that simple.

However, we should not under estimate the enormity of the task ahead.

Firstly, it''s a long season in the Championship, you have to play a lot of games, very often two games a week, and this increases the risk of injuries, individual loss of form and fatigue.

To coin a phrase, "there are no easy games" - every team in the Championship will be fighting for something - to get automatic promotion, to get in the play offs or to avoid relegation. Many of these games will be tough encounters - ok we maybe losing some of the divers but we''re gaining a lot of kickers.

Being one of the most, if not the most, high profile Club in the Championship, every one will be out to beat us and you can bet your life that some teams will be trying just that little bit extra when they play us.

It might also be difficult for some of our players to readapt to life back in the Championship - there''s a big difference from playing to big crowd every week at the best stadiums in the Country than to turning out in front of 6,000 people at an athletics track in Brighton. 

Next season will all be about application and motivation. We''ve been up the ladder but we''ve now come down the snake and some players might not have the appetite to go through all that again. Some of the better ones might even want to leave.

Then assuming we can get all this sorted out and our house is in order, you then have the added difficulty of the other 23 teams all trying for the very same thing. Realistically we are looking at 9 or 10 potential teams fighting over the top 6 places. I''m sure we all know who they are and no doubt there will also be the odd surprise or two.

So do I think it will be easier this time around - no it won''t be easier but I don''t think it will be harder either. Never the less, it will be hard enough.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In my opinion the 1st Division has never been an easy league.  It''s bloody tough and you need to go in with the right attitude or you won''t get out for a long time.  We have the potential to bounce straight back out but we need the attitude and need to be prepared to go to places like Crewe and battle it out on a crap surface for 90 minutes. 

It''s tough but it''ll be fun

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
If we keep our squad surly it has to be easier than last time because we have more quality and depth , although it will not be a cake walk as some suggest.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote]If we keep our squad surly it has to be easier than last time because we have more quality and depth , although it will not be a cake walk as some suggest.[/quote]

When we won it last time, we had a defence.

The defence we have now could not keep us in the Premiership and I''m afraid it won''t get us out of the Championsip - at least, not out at the desirable end.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote]When we won it last time, we had a defence. The defence we have now could not keep us in the Premiership and I''m afraid it won''t get us out of the Championsip - at least, not out at the desirable end...[/quote]

For most of this season it was last seasons defence that played  - Eddy, Flem & Drury.

Since then Shacks has made a position his own and is a far better player than Malky, Flem was not good enough for the prem but champs is a different proposition, although speed and confidence may mean he is less effective & Drury is very good at that level.  Helveg is also far better that Eddy so in my books that makes this seasons ''finale'' defence better overall than last seasons.   The biggest difference between the two leagues is the attackers, they are faster and far better finishers than in the champs and that 4 will do well next season as they return to a lower standard of opponent - as long as they dont get complacent.

With both Charlie and even Doc being better than Flem in theory no defensive signings are essential as long as Worthy players his best players.

Ideally we want to plan for the future - hence a young rightback and a new partner for Shacks; but overall the defence is better this season that last, we just did not play the best four defenders at any stage during the season. 

I do agree tho that getting promoted will be difficult.

OTBC

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Again I seem to agree with Zipper on this.

Our attack is very strong- probably the best all round in the Champ although if Saints keep Crouch they will run it close. Palace are a one trick pony and will be sussed, but AJ could easily leave.

The defence does need work to make it Prem quality but in the Champ should be OK. I have advocated complete rebuilding which is my preference but I realise that may not be realistic. It might just scrape muster.

What we really need is a better midfield and some COACHING- where our defence plays and who marks whom is just as important as the players on the pitch.

It is a long slog- look how close Ipswich came with 80+ points but now heading for another year down (ha ha).

Don''t assume that Saints will be strong- relegation does funny things to morale and especially at a club which has enjoyed 27 years in the top flight. Its a much harder closer physical game down there and they won''t be used to that culturally (remember they lost 5-2 at Watford in the Cup this year). If Harry has had enough and Crouch leaves they will be in trouble.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote]All I can say is that the teams who came down last year where confidant that there going straight back up and not even got in the play offs.[/quote]

Indeed, in fact the only team I can think of who pulled off the ''immediate bounceback'' in the last few seasons has been the Baggies in 03/04, as the promoted teams the last few years have been ''upcoming'' teams like Fulham, Pompey, Wigan, Brum etc; Sunderland took 2 years, Leeds 1 and counting, Wolves have yo-yoed up and down without coming back up (despite a strong finish to the season) as have Leceister. Casting the mind back a few years more: Forest... Owls... QPR... Swindon....

It''s not going to be easy. We have a better squad than before, but surprised a lot of people by winning the league (how many people honestly thought we''d do better than scrap for 6th place?). For every bounce-back Baggies there are half-a-dozen who haven''t cut the mustard in the lower league. We''ll win games, we''ll do well - but top 2 is a tall order unless a lot goes well, consistently, all season.

But I think we *can* do it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...