[Football] The race to become cannon fodder

[Palacefinder General]

Can't stand Norwich nor Leeds, in fact barring Bristol City the current Championship top ten is full of (arguably) clubs with an irritating sense of entitlement. I've always been bemused as to how a backwater rural club like Norwich have consistently punched above their weight in bothering the top two divisions down the decades, much of that in the top flight, with a middling sized, although admittedly loyal, fan base and no billionaire investment. How? Back to the question though - anyone but Leeds.

 

[MattBackHome]

Well we all know from bitter experience that three into two doesn't go, so which one of Norwich, Leeds and Sheff Utd are going to miss out?

I know there are quite a few people on here who can't stand Leeds but personally I'm indifferent to them. They have a great manager but still strike me as a bit of a basket case club if he ever decides to walk. If they got promoted I think they'd throw a lot of money at staying up. Would they though? They would either end up as Wolves or as Fulham. I reckon they'd be like Fulham.

Norwich are a well run club and my suspicion is that they would recruit sensibly if they went up, probably a bit like us last season. Sheffield United too, and their manager knows what he's doing. I have them down as next season's Cardiff - they'll give themselves a chance of survival, I'm fairly confident of that, and they'll do it by not alienating the squad of players that got them up.

For all this, let's hope we are still in this league to find out. Regardless, I can't help shuddering when I look at the top of the Championship because the similarities to our disappointment of 3/4 years ago are striking!

It's been such a brilliant season to watch, and it makes me irrationally envious of the spectacle, cut-and-thrust and, you know, prospect of actually winning something.

FWIW I want Norwich and Leeds to go up but suspect that Leeds will miss out.

 

[ferring seagull]

Norwich will be the steady ones like us.

Leeds will spunk a load of money and get circa 1 point for every 5mil. Much rather they were promoted than Villa or even West Brom who will both probably do alright.

Not easy to judge the others.

Narch may do better than we imagine as Farke has gradually got his act together and, his relatively ordinary looking team, appears to have become increasingly impressive !

 

[Palacefinder General]

Pritchard back to Norwich?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

The average AGE of the teams put out this season by both Norwich and Leeds, is very, very impressive. Leeds have had matchday squads this season featuring as many as NINE academy products, and the likes of Max Aarons at Norwich have been superb.

Fair play.

 

[Easy 10]

Narch have done it without spending much as well. Championship player of the season Pukki (26 goals so far) was a free transfer, and they spent less than £5m in the transfer market Considering they lost their best player Maddison to Leicester as well last summer, they are having a quite phenomenal season. I really didn't see that coming, being as they finished a distant 14th last year and were never in the running. Some brilliant coaching and recruitment has gone on there, and they kept faith with Farke, who looked like being on borrowed time this time last year.

Amazing turnaround.

 

[dangull]

Narch have done it without spending much as well. Championship player of the season Pukki (26 goals so far) was a free transfer, and they spent less than £5m in the transfer market Considering they lost their best player Maddison to Leicester as well last summer, they are having a quite phenomenal season. I really didn't see that coming, being as they finished a distant 14th last year and were never in the running. Some brilliant coaching and recruitment has gone on there, and they kept faith with Farke, who looked like being on borrowed time this time last year.

Amazing turnaround.

As a person who has a slight interest in Scottish football, Pukki was a complete flop at Celtic, so the manager there has done some job.

 

[dangull]

Norwich are virtually up, so 2 clubs not likely to spend huge money would be my hope for the Albion next season. So Sheff Utd and Bristol City for me.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Norwich are virtually up, so 2 clubs not likely to spend huge money would be my hope for the Albion next season. So Sheff Utd and Bristol City for me.

I think your faith in Bristol City not spending big, is misplaced. The owner (Lansdowne) is one of Britain's richest men, and has spent a fortune already on the impressive rebuild of Ashton Gate. They are destined to be a fairly significant force in the not too distant future, IMO.

 

[Easy 10]

As a person who has a slight interest in Scottish football, Pukki was a complete flop at Celtic, so the manager there has done some job.

That would be weird - a striker stinking the place out in the MTL, then carving it up in the EPL.

Be interesting to see how he copes with the step-up in class.

 

[dangull]

I think your faith in Bristol City not spending big, is misplaced. The owner (Lansdowne) is one of Britain's richest men, and has spent a fortune already on the impressive rebuild of Ashton Gate. They are destined to be a fairly significant force in the not too distant future, IMO.

Thanks for that info, wasn't aware of that.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

That would be weird - a striker stinking the place out in the MTL, then carving it up in the EPL.

Be interesting to see how he copes with the step-up in class.

To be fair to the lad, he was only 22 or something in his one season at Celtic, and he did still score (according to soccerbase) 7 times in 14 SPL starts. Hardly 'stinking the place out'.

 

[Glawstergull]

I dislike Norwich a lot, but they're smashing it at the moment and can see them being comfortable next season. Sheffield United because I've lived in the area for a while and been to Bramall Lane a couple of times whilst at Uni. I also hate Wednesday, so a good reason to see them up.

Leeds can **** off, would not mind seeing Bristol City going up via play offs.

Having watched them “smash” QPR on Saturday I’m interested to understand how that equates to them being comfortable next season. The defending was comical. Not to say that they don’t have some good players.

 

[SollysLeftFoot]

Having watched them “smash” QPR on Saturday I’m interested to understand how that equates to them being comfortable next season. The defending was comical. Not to say that they don’t have some good players.

Because of their recruitment... has been very fruitful. But okay.

 

[Glawstergull]

Ok understood.

 

[Weststander]

Villa will spend big if they go up. It’s the Villa way. Hopefully they’ll do a Fulham and not a Wolves.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Might be cannon fodder but it's EXTREMELY well paid cannon fodder. SOMEBODY'S got to play patsy to our PL Harlem Globetrotters.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Narch bag a brace in the final 5 mins - was 0-1, now 2-1.

 

[Exile]

Narch bag a brace in the final 5 mins - was 0-1, now 2-1.

Then concede an equaliser 90+7

 

[The Large One]

Blimey.

I wonder what our largest ever relegated points tally was (over, say, a 46 game season). I wish I could be bothered to find out.

Ah well.

48 points in 1962/63 (or it would have been under three points for a win).