Post by El Morto La Hoja! on Aug 3, 2010 13:09:32 GMT -1
Predicted table:
Middlesbrough
Nottingham Forest
Burnley
Hull City
Leicester
Cardiff
Reading
QPR
Bristol City
Swansea
Sheffield United
Portsmouth
Doncaster
Crystal Palace
Ipswich
Norwich
Derby
Coventry
Leeds
Preston
Millwall
Watford
Barnsley
Scunthorpe
The Reasoning....
The Championship has established a reputation down the years for being ultra competitive, with it becoming increasingly difficult to call how any given season will play out.
The likes of Nottingham Forest and Leeds United have found the going tough at this level in the not too distant past, while unfancied outfits such as Watford, Burnley and Blackpool have enjoyed fairytale adventures which have led all the way to the Premier League.
The 2010/11 campaign promises to offer more of the same, with any number of sides harbouring realistic promotion aspirations ahead of the big kick-off.
Among those expected to lead the charge are Middlesbrough, with Gordon Strachan having given Steve Gibson's chequebook another hammering in order to acquire the services of tried and tested performers such as Kris Boyd, Nicky Bailey and Kevin Thomson.
Nottingham Forest went close last year and will be looking to go one better this time around, under the careful guidance of second tier specialist Billy Davies, while the likes of Leicester City, Swansea City, Queens Park Rangers, Cardiff City, Reading and Bristol City will all enter the season in a positive frame of mind.
The three relegated sides must also be given due respect, as Burnley have managed to retain the core of their squad, Hull City have appointed the highly-rated Nigel Pearson at their helm and Portsmouth appear to be getting their house in order after a hectic 12 months on the South Coast.
The feel-good factor carried into the campaign by those sides promoted out of League One should not be underestimated either, with the success of Leicester last season proving the Championship should hold no fear.
Attitude
Norwich City have been busy in the transfer market building a squad capable of handling the rigours of life in the second tier, while Millwall's 'no-one likes us, we don't care' attitude should see them grind out the odd result or two.
Then, of course, there is the long-awaited return of Leeds United, who are back at this level following a three-season dalliance with the third tier.
It may be asking too much of the promoted trio to mount a sustained promotion push, but they all appear to have enough about them to avoid an immediate return from whence they came.
Among those who could struggle are Scunthorpe, who have seen top scorer Gary Hooper head for Celtic and they could see their small squad pushed to breaking point.
Watford, Barnsley and Preston have also done little over the summer to suggest that they are heading in the right direction and it could be a long nine months for their loyal followers.
However, as previously alluded to, the Championship has a habit of producing the unexpected, so there is every chance the form book will be thrown out of the window and all pre-season predictors will be made to look very foolish!
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Looks pants to me...
Middlesbrough
Nottingham Forest
Burnley
Hull City
Leicester
Cardiff
Reading
QPR
Bristol City
Swansea
Sheffield United
Portsmouth
Doncaster
Crystal Palace
Ipswich
Norwich
Derby
Coventry
Leeds
Preston
Millwall
Watford
Barnsley
Scunthorpe
The Reasoning....
The Championship has established a reputation down the years for being ultra competitive, with it becoming increasingly difficult to call how any given season will play out.
The likes of Nottingham Forest and Leeds United have found the going tough at this level in the not too distant past, while unfancied outfits such as Watford, Burnley and Blackpool have enjoyed fairytale adventures which have led all the way to the Premier League.
The 2010/11 campaign promises to offer more of the same, with any number of sides harbouring realistic promotion aspirations ahead of the big kick-off.
Among those expected to lead the charge are Middlesbrough, with Gordon Strachan having given Steve Gibson's chequebook another hammering in order to acquire the services of tried and tested performers such as Kris Boyd, Nicky Bailey and Kevin Thomson.
Nottingham Forest went close last year and will be looking to go one better this time around, under the careful guidance of second tier specialist Billy Davies, while the likes of Leicester City, Swansea City, Queens Park Rangers, Cardiff City, Reading and Bristol City will all enter the season in a positive frame of mind.
The three relegated sides must also be given due respect, as Burnley have managed to retain the core of their squad, Hull City have appointed the highly-rated Nigel Pearson at their helm and Portsmouth appear to be getting their house in order after a hectic 12 months on the South Coast.
The feel-good factor carried into the campaign by those sides promoted out of League One should not be underestimated either, with the success of Leicester last season proving the Championship should hold no fear.
Attitude
Norwich City have been busy in the transfer market building a squad capable of handling the rigours of life in the second tier, while Millwall's 'no-one likes us, we don't care' attitude should see them grind out the odd result or two.
Then, of course, there is the long-awaited return of Leeds United, who are back at this level following a three-season dalliance with the third tier.
It may be asking too much of the promoted trio to mount a sustained promotion push, but they all appear to have enough about them to avoid an immediate return from whence they came.
Among those who could struggle are Scunthorpe, who have seen top scorer Gary Hooper head for Celtic and they could see their small squad pushed to breaking point.
Watford, Barnsley and Preston have also done little over the summer to suggest that they are heading in the right direction and it could be a long nine months for their loyal followers.
However, as previously alluded to, the Championship has a habit of producing the unexpected, so there is every chance the form book will be thrown out of the window and all pre-season predictors will be made to look very foolish!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Looks pants to me...
Forever without exception. x
