Quality in this league

[Petee]

Is it just me or does the quality in the Championship not seem as high as it has in recent years?

Looking at the clubs we have faced at the Amex, the only good away team performance was Brentford and wasn't 'blown away' by any team's performances watching the highlights on Channel 5 tonight.

Maybe an example of the low quality would be us being comfortably 2nd after not playing that well until today.

 

[portslade seagull]

We still have more in the tank

 

[Simster]

Disagree. It's broadly similar. It's just that we've tweaked our team such that we dont give teams a sniff unless they are excellent. Duffy wins everything in the air and so we don't concede set pieces, and the arrival of Murray is helping us convert a few shaky 1-0 or 0-0 games to something better.

We are, amazingly, a better team than last season. That's why it seems other teams aren't as good.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

A very quick look at the table (then turn away from it even quicker) says a 2 horse race......... GD is low for teams,i was thinking the same last week...

 

[portslade seagull]

Disagree. It's broadly similar. It's just that we've tweaked our team such that we dont give teams a sniff unless they are excellent. Duffy wins everything in the air and so we don't concede set pieces, and the arrival of Murray is helping us convert a few shaky 1-0 or 0-0 games to something better.

We are, amazingly, a better team than last season. That's why it seems other teams aren't as good.

Agree with that Simster but some seem reluctant to give praise

 

[saafend_seagull]

Villa will come into the picture.


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[Petee]

So we are 2nd in the league, a better team than last year, still have more in the tank, would this be an even bigger disappointment than last season if we don't go up. (not wanting to build up expectations)

 

[Mackenzie]

Reading look to have found a bit of form, I think they might be dark horses this season.

 

[dazzer6666]

Is it just me or does the quality in the Championship not seem as high as it has in recent years?

Looking at the clubs we have faced at the Amex, the only good away team performance was Brentford and wasn't 'blown away' by any team's performances watching the highlights on Channel 5 tonight.

Maybe an example of the low quality would be us being comfortably 2nd after not playing that well until today.

Until today, I was thinking we've somehow got into 2nd place without actually playing as well as we did when we were at our best last year. Long way to go but we've got much better strength in depth (last year we died when Kayal was out for example, but Sidwell has been outstanding and Norwood good). Goldson was great last year but Duffy is on another level due to his strength in the air - at a stroke killing our weakness last season at set-pieces. Can't see our defence conceding too many at all. I think we've got better and the division is broadly similar.

 

[Megazone]

Fulham are the team to watch out for.

 

[kingcole]

How does now compare to the same time last season

I can't remember it being this good

 

[whitelion]

Fulham are the team to watch out for.

They were my pre-season "dark horse". Reading might have a say also.

 

[The Birdman]

All clubs have injuries but we have three match winning players to come back to the squad as long as we don't have to many bad injuries and get hurt by suspensions our team feels it's the strongest and best organised team we have had since being at the Amex

 

[um bongo molongo]

They were my pre-season "dark horse". Reading might have a say also.

Hard to believe villa won't end up towards the top. Front three today of Kodija, Adomah and ayew with McCormack and Gestede on bench - pretty tasty. Expect them, Fulham and, despite yesterday, Norwich to be our main contenders for second place. Reading and Sheff Wed could be dark horses but more likely to end up in the play offs I reckon. Newcastle will walk the league unless we really get on a run.

 

[Seagull1989]

Newcastle probably have the best squad in the Championship I've ever seen but if we say that Norwich aren't up to it who do you think will be the biggest threat to push into the top two?

From our point of view I think we have a much deeper squad than previous years . The midfield especially has quality players all across it and we have more than adequate replacements in every position .

 

[NooBHA]

Disagree. It's broadly similar. It's just that we've tweaked our team such that we dont give teams a sniff unless they are excellent. Duffy wins everything in the air and so we don't concede set pieces, and the arrival of Murray is helping us convert a few shaky 1-0 or 0-0 games to something better.

We are, amazingly, a better team than last season. That's why it seems other teams aren't as good.

Perfect synopsis, although I would add to that the strength in depth that we can cover injuries and suspensions much better than we could before

 

[Icy Gull]

To illustrate how much stronger we are this season, would Calde have even got a sniff of the bench this season? He played quite a few games last year.

 

[NooBHA]

Villa will come into the picture.


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They may well do but we need to lose 5 and them win 5 games before they can overtake us. That's a lot to make up on a side like us who are not giving much away at the moment

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Exciting times indeed ...
Quite definitely our squad has better strength in depth than ever before which means we are better prepared for injuries and suspensions.

We are building a P/L ready club and the last piece is strength in depth of the squad.
Just need to deliver now ....

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I think we've got better and the division is broadly similar.

I agree.

I remember a number of posters fretting over how strong this division was supposed to be this season. No evidence of this yet.