The Guardian's Championship Preview

[Pantani]

Seems about right to me. We had a good defence last season, nearly got relegated. We will have a good defence this season, unless we score goals though we will be down there again. Two wingers/attacking midfielders of the highest quality are needed to change that. Unfortunately, a half crocked 34 year old striker will not make a difference to our number of goals if there is no one to supply him.

 

[Insel affe]

Seems about right to me. We had a good defence last season, nearly got relegated. We will have a good defence this season, unless we score goals though we will be down there again. Two wingers/attacking midfielders of the highest quality are needed to change that. Unfortunately, a half crocked 34 year old striker will not make a difference to our number of goals if there is no one to supply him.

Bring us down to earth with bump why don't ya.....

might aswell not bother going Friday night now....

Thanks for that.

 

[Pantani]

Bring us down to earth with bump why don't ya.....

might aswell not bother going Friday night now....

Thanks for that.

It isn't my fault. If there was not a ring of truth to what I have just said, it would not affect you...

I am really looking forward to it personally, I have missed the football despite a British winner at the Tour de France and a superb Ashes series. Brighton being a bit shit? Surely historically that is what we should always expect.

 

[mona]

Bit difficult to pick likely relegation teams. I suspect Bolton might struggle....possibly Rotherham but it's not easy.

 

[SAC]

Bit difficult to pick likely relegation teams. I suspect Bolton might struggle....possibly Rotherham but it's not easy.

Indeed. Last season one place was taken before the season had even started.

 

[Phat Baz 68]

If we get anywhere near relegation this season I will wear a Palarse shirt for a week, at the Amex thats how confident I am.

 

[Paris]

Bit difficult to pick likely relegation teams. I suspect Bolton might struggle....possibly Rotherham but it's not easy.

Agreed. If Bolton lose Neil Lennon to another club over the coming months, once the managerial merry-go-round starts up, they'll be in trouble. Rotherham and Blackburn to go as well.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

"If there's one thing you can be sure of, the Albion won't be getting promoted this season." John Vinicombe, November 1978.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

It doesn't seem that outrageous to me. We're put in a group of 9 teams of relegation contenders. That's positions 16-24th. As it stands it's difficult to see us finishing much higher than 16th. Our big problem was scoring goals and we've not done enough over the summer to greatly rectify it. If we bring in a couple of quality wingers then we can look at comfortable mid table and the top half. Until then we're going to be a bottom half team.

 

[Macca the attacker]

Hope they put these 'season predictions' up on the wall in the dressing room. The best motivation to stuff it down their throats and have a great season.

 

[WhingForPresident]

I really don't believe we will be in a dogfight this season, and I'm surprised so many journos seem to think we will be.

 

[Macca the attacker]

Sums up the premiership obsessed media to me. They don't really spend much time caring about the championship in the papers until the play-offs come.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Sums up the premiership obsessed media to me. They don't really spend much time caring about the championship in the papers until the play-offs come.

There's more than a grain of truth in that. Jacob Steinberg (who wrote the Grauniad piece) is a decent enough bloke but I don't think I've ever seen him at a Championship game before Easter. He's heard of Bobby Zamora, so he incorrectly assumes that we must be pinning all our hopes on him (instead of it being a bit of a flyer on both sides IMHO).

Unfortunately the papers are all cutting down their staffs so most people who actually report Championship games are freelancers, and they won't be asked to write anything while there are staffers sitting around being paid.

 

[Hornblower]

There's more than a grain of truth in that. Jacob Steinberg (who wrote the Grauniad piece) is a decent enough bloke but I don't think I've ever seen him at a Championship game before Easter. He's heard of Bobby Zamora, so he incorrectly assumes that we must be pinning all our hopes on him (instead of it being a bit of a flyer on both sides IMHO).

Unfortunately the papers are all cutting down their staffs so most people who actually report Championship games are freelancers, and they won't be asked to write anything while there are staffers sitting around being paid.

Bang on. We have a much better squad and manager than we had at the start of last season so I think the predictions of relegation fodder are wide of the mark. There are some very strong teams in the Champ this year though so I reckon mid table is a fair bet.

 

[Peteinblack]

Yeah but there are plenty of cool guardianistas also.

 

[Don Quixote]

I reckon we'll avoid relegation.

 

[Pantani]

I reckon we'll avoid relegation.

Agreed, but with this squad can you expect much more than that? Two or three more proper signings needed to compete at the top end of the table. The Guardian article is broadly correct, imo.

 

[WhingForPresident]

http://blog.paddypower.com/2015/08/...-of-the-new-championship-season/?AFF_ID=16562

Paddy Power tipping us as a good value bet for relegation now as well.

 

[ewe2]

We have to all admit,unless we can score,not just a few,but a lot more goals ,then yes we are in real danger.IMO no one signed to-date this summer has addressed the problem yes even Zamora ie proven at this level(,and staying fit ),plenty of potential ,i agree. The remainder of the window,will shape our season,we still have time. At the moment the Guardian article is correct,lets hope by 1/9/15 its wrong !!!!!

 

[Seasider78]

Whilst I do not think we will be tearing up this division I don't think we are relegation candidates this season. Comfortably mid table is my prediction