The Championship 2007/08 Season

[Decadence]

So now that the dust is beginning to settle it looks like The Championship is in for a very interesting season. I reckon this will be the last season where many clubs will get a look in for promotion. The 2008/09 season will have some Nouveau Riche clubs dropping out of The Premiership making it more difficult to keep the league as open and interesting as it is currently.

As for my team, Hull City, it looks like we might be getting Dean Windass permanently who, despite his age, makes a HUGE difference to our morale on the pitch. £100,000 plus £1,000 per appearance is not a bad transfer fee for a 48 year old...I think Bradford should be VERY happy about that!

I think the new season will see us finish mid table and am sure that the pairing of Phil Brown and Brian Horton (on 1 year rolling contracts) as Manager and Assistant is a very good move.

So how is it down your way? I feel sorry for West Brom fans, was certain that you would go up. Good luck to Derby in The Premiership, they always gave a good spectacle when they came to the KC Stadium.

Oh and Leeds fans are NOT invited to participate in this thread! Have fun down there...muahahahahahahahaha!!! Maybe someone should create a League 1 thread for your participation?

[overkill]

Bit hard to call tbh Decadence. With Robson in charge, Sheff Utd, who with a manager I would have booked to challenge, are more likely to go straight down, WBA look set to lose their best players now, Wolves might be able to mount a serious challenge, but are still players short, while neither Watford nor Charlton inspire much confidence. Maybe time for a few of the outsiders to step up?

Can Preston recover and make a real go of it, or will they lose their best players as well? Cardiff lost their way late on, looked good early in the season, but need a few new faces to create and finish chances. Sheff Wed had a real turnaround after a terrible start, and are hungry enough to mount a challenge next year.

Of them all, the team I would feel most confident in calling is the Saints.

So, for going up:-

Southampton

To challenge:-

Wolves
Sheff Wed
Preston
Cardiff
WBA (if they can hang on to their players)
Charlton (simply because of the parachute payment)

To struggle/go down?

Barnsley
Scunthorpe (been a great year, but I think it'll be too tough in the 'championship')
Bristol City (limped home in the end, they didn't really inspire me all season)
Palace (no chance - but you live and hope! )
QPR

But, with a few summer signings all this could be way off.

[Decadence]

I'd go along with your predictions except for Sheffield Wednesday, they have a decent enough manager but I think he will choke it if they start to get too high up. I know they did ok last season but don't think it will be the same this season.

My prediction for automatic this season would still be WBA in spite of the possible player losses.

Scunthorpe, with the loss of their best three players, especially Billy Sharp, have zero chance of staying up...unless they spend the predicted £2.5 million transfer fee wisely. As a Hull fan it is my duty to put money on them being bottom of the table at the end of the season.

[Sonic67]

Bear in mind WBA with their players (Robsons players) only finished fourth. Wolves buying cheap finished fifth. To be honest there's a few at WBA who ought to move on as they didn't do it last season.

[Ian J]

One racing certainty for all us Eagles is that Palace will probably continue to excite and exasperate in equal proportions.

This is the team that slaughtered Derby in the penultimate game of the season but also made history by being the only team to lose to Leeds in the last 100 years.

We could end up the season as Champions or relegated but on past form I'm sure we won't have the same manager this time next year

[Decadence]

Poor old Peter Taylor eh...he should never have put himself forward for the Charlton job, our Chairman wouldn't have taken the hump and squeezed him out. Both Peter and Hull lost in that situation unforunately as we ended up with Phil Parkinson who almost send us down. I wouldn't wish Palace's chairman on anyone, let alone a Hull hero like Peter Taylor.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Decadence

I wouldn't wish Palace's chairman on anyone,

If you asked most people how many chairmen of Championship clubs can you name most would say "Simon Jordan, erm erm erm erm - one"

[tjradiohead]

Originally Posted by Ian J

One racing certainty for all us Eagles is that Palace will probably continue to excite and exasperate in equal proportions.

This is the team that slaughtered Derby in the penultimate game of the season but also made history by being the only team to lose to Leeds in the last 100 years.

We could end up the season as Champions or relegated but on past form I'm sure we won't have the same manager this time next year

Slaughtered is a bit strong... we were bloody aweful that day and if that is the best that palace get, id predict mid table.

hope to get another season like last, always entertaining.

[Decadence]

Originally Posted by Ian J

If you asked most people how many chairmen of Championship clubs can you name most would say "Simon Jordan, erm erm erm erm - one"

I would go along with that statement for sure except it would go more along the lines of "Simon Jordan, he's a right erm erm erm erm - one"

He is the human form of Marmite.

[overkill]

Originally Posted by tjradiohead

Slaughtered is a bit strong... we were bloody aweful that day and if that is the best that palace get, id predict mid table.

hope to get another season like last, always entertaining.

Prepare to be disappointed....... Not because of Derbys efforts mind. Many clubs promoted from the Championship, oh heck Division two!, find the Premiership frustrating, as apart from one or two clubs, it's not what you are led to believe it will be. You can play good football against the likes of City, Arsenal, Pompey, Spurs, heck even Utd (at your peril mind! ), but after that, if you try and entertain rather than just dig out results, woe betide you! You'll be eaten alive by the (vastly) numerous grinders in the Prem.

The biggest problem promoted teams face is consistently getting goals, and not leaking silly ones, not playing football.

You may well be right Decadence. Sheff Wed is one of those teams with 'big club' aspirations, and as such if the manager isn't up to 'pressure' it could tell in the run-in. Hull to go down! How unpatriotic! You might well be right though.

Ian, how do Palace fans feel about SJ? He gives the impression it's a 'lurve thang'.

[Decadence]

Originally Posted by overkill

Hull to go down! How unpatriotic! You might well be right though.

I must have mistyped something, somewhere to make you say that...in my first post I wrote that I think Hull will finish mid table this season. I think that the management team is good and there will be some new investment to allow for a couple of decent signings.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by overkill

Ian, how do Palace fans feel about SJ? He gives the impression it's a 'lurve thang'.

Mixed feelings. We're all grateful that he rescued Palace from Administration but his first act as chairman was to fall out with Steve Coppell who promptly left to be replaced by a succession of managers who were nowhere near as good.

He has these lofty ideals that would be good for the game if a few more chairmen adopted them but currently work against Palace, with his stance against agents being one of them. We were all set to sign Tim Cahill a couple of years ago but backed out at the last minute as Jordan wouldn't pay the agents fee of £100,000 as he hadn't contributed anything to the deal. Cahill went to Everton instead and provided enough goals from midfield in his first season that if he had done the same for Palace on top of AJ's goals we would still be in the Premiership.

[WelshBluebird]

For cardiff, I think it depends on the players we can bring in.
Sadly, as we shown last season we couldn't keep up the pace. We had a brilliant start, but couldn't keep it up. If we get a few players in that can help us keep that form over a period of time, then I think we have a pretty good chance of at least making the playoffs.

I think sunderland will probably win the title, or west brom if they can keep hold of Koumas (looking very unlikely atm).

It's going to be interesting with Cardiff V Wolves though, after what happened last season. I can't see us banning them from Ninian park, but I can see them banning us from their place again. Will be as p****d off as last season if they do though lol.

[Decadence]

I seem to remember Hull having a couple of good results against Cardiff...hopefully we'll do the same this season.

[tjradiohead]

Originally Posted by overkill

Prepare to be disappointed....... Not because of Derbys efforts mind. Many clubs promoted from the Championship, oh heck Division two!, find the Premiership frustrating, as apart from one or two clubs, it's not what you are led to believe it will be. You can play good football against the likes of City, Arsenal, Pompey, Spurs, heck even Utd (at your peril mind! ), but after that, if you try and entertain rather than just dig out results, woe betide you! You'll be eaten alive by the (vastly) numerous grinders in the Prem.

The biggest problem promoted teams face is consistently getting goals, and not leaking silly ones, not playing football.

You may well be right Decadence. Sheff Wed is one of those teams with 'big club' aspirations, and as such if the manager isn't up to 'pressure' it could tell in the run-in. Hull to go down! How unpatriotic! You might well be right though.

Ian, how do Palace fans feel about SJ? He gives the impression it's a 'lurve thang'.

You seem to forget that ive been watching Derby all season! we havent played any "entertaining football" but i have been thoroughly entertained, if you catch my drift.