[boingboing]

Well it's certainly hotting up now with only 10/11 games left there are 9 teams in with a shout of promotion Brumigham, Derby, Sunderland, Preston, Wolves, West Brom, Cardiff, Southampton, Stoke City.

Teams are slipping up all over the place and no-one is showing themselves to be clear winners like Reading did last year.

I would like to see a Birmingham, West Brom 1st & 2nd with Wolves going up through the play offs (West Midlands bias!)

And if I was a betting man 1st-Birmingham, 2nd-West Brom, Play-Offs-Sunderland. Who knows itd could be 3 from the other six as like i say every team is inconsistent at the moment. Birmingham and West Brom have got very strong squads and the baggies are playing some damn good stuff at the moment. Sunderland are very well organised (would you expect anything less from Mr Keane) and could well sneak in automatically.

What do you think?

[overkill]

Sad to say, as I can't stand them, Brum must still be favourites as they keep winning while others drop points. Last night was a rare lapse (sadly). Derby have starting dropping points, and had Sunderland not bottled it against Stoke (oh to have been a fly on the wall in that dressing room after the game! ) they could have closed the gap right up. Still think it will be Brum & Derby auto, Sunderland, WBA, Preston (hopefully) and Cardiff in the play offs. Of those Sunderland will be favourites. Having seen the others, WBA are good at home, but not so clever away, Cardiff ditto, and Preston looked good in the first half of the season but not so good now. Sunderland, with a few wise buys, could also survive if they went up. Not so sure about the other three - if any of them make it to the play offs that is!

[mrtbag]

I'd like to see Derby & Preston come up. I think out of all the Championship teams, these 2 seem to like to play entertaining football.

[hottstuff]

Would like to see Sunderland & Wolves come up myself.
But would settle with Preston & wolves

[overkill]

Originally Posted by mrtbag

I'd like to see Derby & Preston come up. I think out of all the Championship teams, these 2 seem to like to play entertaining football.

Ditto. Hence I'm not that keen on Brum either. Lot of 'physical' not much 'brains'.

[DJT75]

Before the season started, in a prediction league/bet thing, I predicted Birmingham, West Brom & Leeds Ha! to go up. How wrong I was.

I can see Derby & Sunderland knocking Birmingham off the top - Preston to win the playoffs.

I'd like to see Derby & Preston given a go in the Prem + 1 other, but not Cardiff! Like to see Southampton back up where they should be too - they still have a decent playoff chance..

What a league though (money & reasoning aside Overkill we all know why it'll never happen ), wouldn't it be great to have that sort of competition in the Prem!!

[Tsunami]

The Mackems were awful last night but they are the form team & have the momentum (which Keane will surely not let slip). I think they will go up automatically (Derby in the play-offs). Their supporters deserve it (albeit they can be a bit fickle & parochial).

It'd be good to see the Mackems back in the top flight for a season which is their usual trick

Mind you they may stop up this time & give us a game - I've changed my mind - come on Derby

[Marc]

I'd like to see Preston and Cardiff go up, and perhaps Scum too, would be nice to have some new blood, it gets boring having Sunderland, West Brom and Wolves propping up the table every time they go up, and I miss the south coast derby...

[overkill]

Originally Posted by DJT75

Before the season started, in a prediction league/bet thing, I predicted Birmingham, West Brom & Leeds Ha! to go up. How wrong I was.

I can see Derby & Sunderland knocking Birmingham off the top - Preston to win the playoffs.

I'd like to see Derby & Preston given a go in the Prem + 1 other, but not Cardiff! Like to see Southampton back up where they should be too - they still have a decent playoff chance..

What a league though (money & reasoning aside Overkill we all know why it'll never happen ), wouldn't it be great to have that sort of competition in the Prem!!

Don't worry DJT, I backed Leeds and WBA as well!

Hope you're right with the second prediction.

As for the bit in bold, yup, agree totally. I'd love to see a return to the, at least 6-7 club interest in the title at Christmas, and still 5-6 in May, but, for the reasons you've stated, it won't happen.

Bar the fans en-masse rising up and blanket refusing to attend matches until the FA's (I think fans everywhere are tired of the current situation) and clubs agree to what they want, ie low gate prices, wages slashed, draconian rules to end cheating, and the end to the elitist CL and national leauge structures now in place. That way the money would be spread out more, and the current trend of the vast majority of it flowing towards a tiny minority of clubs would end.

That lot should happen right about the time we see Satan skating to work...........

[DJT75]

Originally Posted by overkill

Bar the fans en-masse rising up and blanket refusing to attend matches until the FA's (I think fans everywhere are tired of the current situation) and clubs agree to what they want, ie low gate prices, wages slashed, draconian rules to end cheating, and the end to the elitist CL and national leauge structures now in place. That way the money would be spread out more, and the current trend of the vast majority of it flowing towards a tiny minority of clubs would end.

That lot should happen right about the time we see Satan skating to work...........

Oh no - you got it in anyway

Slightly off topic but hey, what the heck. Although I originally didn't like the fact that, that wonderful footballer/terrible politician frenchman got the UEFA job - I'm coming round to it. His idea of reducing us to just 3 Champs League places is still utterly pointless for the tournament itself (3x 1/4 finalists from England & the ones not there are last years Runner-ups) - however, having just 3 places up for grabs would actually bring some decent competition stuff to our very own Premiership. You'd have the usual fight for 1st place, but 3rd then becomes super important. We would have one of the so called "big 4" losing out each year. Not that it's all that long ago this happened anyway but Chelsea weren't quite a super rich force then.

Not sure if it would help the gap or make it bigger but it sure would makes things more interesting.

Anyway - Leeds eh? Pah - rubbish!

[overkill]

Originally Posted by DJT75

Oh no - you got it in anyway
Slightly off topic but hey, what the heck. Although I originally didn't like the fact that, that wonderful footballer/terrible politician frenchman got the UEFA job - I'm coming round to it. His idea of reducing us to just 3 Champs League places is still utterly pointless for the tournament itself (3x 1/4 finalists from England & the ones not there are last years Runner-ups) - however, having just 3 places up for grabs would actually bring some decent competition stuff to our very own Premiership. You'd have the usual fight for 1st place, but 3rd then becomes super important. We would have one of the so called "big 4" losing out each year. Not that it's all that long ago this happened anyway but Chelsea weren't quite a super rich force then.

Not sure if it would help the gap or make it bigger but it sure would makes things more interesting.

Anyway - Leeds eh? Pah - rubbish!

Hey, you wouldn't want me to disappoint would you?

I suppose the only danger would be that rather than creating a big 'four' it would just reduce it down to a big 'three'. I hate to be negative, but tbh the only way around it would seem to be returning to champions only. That way a real dogfight would emerge for the top spot again in the natioanl leauges. One of the big problems for a football fan is boredom, regardless of how your club is doing, and the lack of interest in the prem race year on year is getting silly. Now it's become just a two horse race all the time, and if one gets away early......

We should go back to a CL, UEFA cup, and tourni for the lesser lights. It says it all when the likes of the six place club in a leauge (and Newcastle ) is playing in what was once a tough competition to compete in.........

[DJT75]

I don't mind that - just the Champs & then a UEFA Cup for the next 2.

You gotta bring back the Cup Winners Cup - that was the best of the bunch

[DJT75]

ps. + once you've lifted the European Cup at least........say..........5 times, you get an automatic (US Masters style) wildcard into all future European Cup tournaments....obviously!


pps. What the flip has happened to Luton?!!

[overkill]

Originally Posted by DJT75

ps. + once you've lifted the European Cup at least........say..........5 times, you get an automatic (US Masters style) wildcard into all future European Cup tournaments....obviously!


pps. What the flip has happened to Luton?!!

I wouldn't know. Bar a European wide collapse of biblical proportions, or the whole rotten lot being caught doing iffy deals, I'm never likely too either.

On the latter, not sure really!? They started well, had a good season last year, Newell seemed to have created a good footballing side, if a bit weak at the back, but since December it all seems to gone pear shaped.

[Tiger Feet]

I just hope we (Preston) dont have more playoff heart brake! Altho i am kinda getting used to it now!

[boingboing]

May have to change my predicition on West Brom, 3rd straight defeat and losing Curtis Davies for the rest of the season may mean will have to settle for the play-offs.

[tjradiohead]

Id say none of the top 7 are playing that well at the moment, maybe wolves, and then they go and lose to coventry.

Well done crystal palace!

[boingboing]

Originally Posted by tjradiohead

Well done crystal palace!

Cheer for that!

[Tiger Feet]

Theres some huge games this weekend... Derby v Cardiff, Preston v Burnley (Burnley havnt won for 17 games, wots the betting they do us!) West Brom V Birmingham

I'd love to see Leeds go down too!

Friday, 16 March 2007
Southampton v Colchester, 19:45

Saturday, 17 March 2007
Coventry v Barnsley, 15:00
Derby v Cardiff, 15:00
Leicester v QPR, 15:00
Luton v Ipswich, 15:00
Norwich v Stoke, 15:00
Plymouth v Crystal Palace, 15:00
Preston v Burnley, 13:00
Sheff Wed v Wolverhampton, 15:00
Southend v Leeds, 15:00
Sunderland v Hull, 15:00

Sunday, 18 March 2007
West Brom v Birmingham,

[WelshBluebird]

Originally Posted by DJT75

I'd like to see Derby & Preston given a go in the Prem + 1 other, but not Cardiff!!!

lol. Blasphemy!

I think Brum are going to keep their place in the top two, but for derby, IMO it depends on the result of the game today. If we beat them, then I can't see them staying there, if they beat us, then I think they will stay there.

Originally Posted by DJT75

I can see Derby & Sunderland knocking Birmingham off the top - Preston to win the playoffs.

Tbh, based on preston's performance at Ninian park, I can't see preston getting into the playoff final, let alone winning it. There were ok until Nugent collided with our GK, and from then on, they were pretty poor IMO.

As for my side Cardiff, its going to be very close. I think we just need to win our next two games (derby and sunderland), or at least get 4 points from those two games.

[tjradiohead]

Lets hope you are right bluebird

[Steven]

Taking a break from the twists and turns of the relegation fights in the Championship and Premiership, Sunderland are now top of the Championship! Stunning and I hope they keep it up. I freely admit I doubted Keane and predicted a fight to stay in the division for them.

[Spacecat]

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

I Freely admit I doubted Keane and predicted a fight to stay in the division for them.

THERES ONLY ONE KEANO!

great player potentially great manager (poss Man U one day)

The sunderland lads are too scared too lose!

[WelshBluebird]

Well done to them fair play lol.

Gutted about cardiff though, dunno whats happening to us. We've shown we can easily beat teams in this divison earlier this season, yet now we just can't score. Having a 2nd striker who's only scored 6 goals doesn't help mind you (thompson).

And so much for my prediction about Birmingham lol. Thats the attraction of the championship though. Even with just a few games left its still changing, and what was said 3 weeks ago is total rubbish now.

[overkill]

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

Taking a break from the twists and turns of the relegation fights in the Championship and Premiership, Sunderland are now top of the Championship! Stunning and I hope they keep it up. I freely admit I doubted Keane and predicted a fight to stay in the division for them.

Got to give Keane credit. He's turned around a (really!) dire start, survived a few wobbles, and he's getting results when others are falling by the wayside now the pressure is on. Mark of man who's been there, seen it and done it all, and has the ability to transfer that confidence to the players. If they can keep it up, it will be a great fight to the tape.

Derby, Brum, WBA and Preston have all fallen to the 'run-in' jitters. Wolves after a great run, then suffered a real hammering at home to Saints in the middle of a poor streak of four games without a win. Whereas Stoke are slowly grinding out the results they need to sneak that last play-off place. What surprises me most, is that where there was also a fair gap at one point between the play-off spots and the chasing pack, now even Colchester are within 3 points of the sixth place spot!

[DJT75]

& I thought they were mad to pay Keane that sort of wonga with no management experience

If promoted, Sunderland could actually stay up for once

[overkill]

Originally Posted by DJT75

& I thought they were mad to pay Keane that sort of wonga with no management experience

If promoted, Sunderland could actually stay up for once

Now that would be an achievement!

[Kazman]

Originally Posted by DJT75

pps. What the flip has happened to Luton?!!

Think Newall is also the reason for their position now as well as how well they were playing early on in the season.

Once that scandal with regard to the female official sprouted up, his mind hasn't been in the game. It got to the point where he had to be sacked, I'm wondering if he was sabotaging things from the inside to get back at the current Luton board for not supporting him fully.

Who knows.

But it will be a shame to see Luton go down, would be great to see them back in the top flight. I still remember that Littlewoods cup final against Arsenal all those years ago, what a game, and one in the last minute by an injury time header by that man Stein! Fabulous final.

Luton should also be getting a new stadium soon, which should help things

[overkill]

Originally Posted by Kazman

Think Newall is also the reason for their position now as well as how well they were playing early on in the season.

Once that scandal with regard to the female official sprouted up, his mind hasn't been in the game. It got to the point where he had to be sacked, I'm wondering if he was sabotaging things from the inside to get back at the current Luton board for not supporting him fully.

Who knows.

But it will be a shame to see Luton go down, would be great to see them back in the top flight. I still remember that Littlewoods cup final against Arsenal all those years ago, what a game, and one in the last minute by an injury time header by that man Stein! Fabulous final.

Luton should also be getting a new stadium soon, which should help things

I wonder if you're right.................... Newell was a bit of a 'bitter' player so it wouldn't surprise me if that carried on into his managerial career.

I must admit, thanks to events in the 80's (plastic pitch, politically motivated away fan ban) and of course doing us over in the LC final, I won't be sorry to see Luton go down.

Sour grapes? Moir?!

[DJT75]

Originally Posted by overkill

I must admit, thanks to events in the 80's (plastic pitch

I played on that pitch in 1986, the prematch team photo was painful enough on my knees, let alone the game.

We lost 2-1 to Luton Youth but I did hit the crossbar with a wonderful freekick..