Life outside the Premiership

[barty]

Rather than wading through pages and pages of Premiership waffle about teams I care little for, let's see what happens if I start another thread just for Championship football.

I'm not gonna reveal who I support yet, suffice to say they are in the Championship......

Who's gonna dominate the Championship in the coming season? Newcastle straight back up? Moneybags QPR who can't hold onto a manager? Unlucky Reading? The Welsh contingent, Cardiff and Swansea???

[mockney piers]

We've witnessed a few teams go into free fall once they finally drop out of the Premiership, and with the set up Newcastle have at the moment, it wouldn't surprise me to see really struggle this season.

I guess the Reading has to be in with a shout....again and I'd be surprised not to see Sheffield Utd contenders. QPR seem to be proving the old adage that money can't buy you...well anything necessarily.

[barty]

Yeah, there are a few aren't there....Leeds, Leicester, Charlton....

Relegation might be the kick up the arse that Newcastle need in order for them to pull themselves together and go back up. But I'm inclined to agree with you, it might take another season or two, or maybe even another relegation, before reality dawns.

QPR will never succeed until Briatore stops meddling in team selection. If he wises up, he'll attract a decent manager down there who will sort it out. Some big names are out of work right now.....Sven maybe?

[Sandperson]

barty Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Yeah, there are a few aren't there....Leeds,

> Leicester, Charlton....

Don't forget the originals Sheff Weds. Do we think Boro will be another free fall team? I like Southgate and would like to see him back up but I'm not sure it's a goer.

[Mick Mac]

"barty" - welcome

I suspect you may have a Newcastle link?

Are you ......................Joey Barton???

[????]

Barty=Rs fan

More interesting in The Championship for sure and anything to get away from the constant and tedious insults between, Man U, Licerpoool and that ranty gooner bloke on the other thread.

Tough division this year - West Brom I realy fancied until they lost mowbray, Newcastle in for a shock, competition from Sheff U, Midds, Bristol C, cardiff (I think Swansea will miss the spanish bloke) QPR, Reading etc plus a surprise no doubt. My three guesses Sheff u (spits), Midds and a surprise, Leicster

[bigbadwolf]

BREAKING NEWS EVERYONE!!!!!

Top gear have just revealed who the STIG is.

Michael Schumacher!!!

[barty]

Barty is indeed an R's fan, sorry MM! Lucky guess was it ???? Or prior knowledge from somewhere?!

Not sure about our new manager.....Ipswich sacked Magilton cos he couldn't get them into the Championship play-offs.....so he goes to......Queens Park Rangers who are supposed to be aiming for the Premiership this season.

Briatore's next poodle. I'll give him till Xmas if he's lucky. Then Ainsworth back as caretaker.

[????]

Ipawich too must be considered.

barty- you showed too much knowledge on QPR for a neutral

[barty]

The game's up. What can I say, I was born in Acton!

[????]

I shall welcome you with this song from my youth

"Go by train, go by car. Take the piss at QPR"

(sometimes 'have a laugh at");-)

[barty]

Ah yes, but at least I didn't defect to the big four when the Rs sank to the depths of League one.

[matthew123]

Next season's Championship is going to be very difficult for everyone. I don't think Newcastle will do anything with Shearer in charge, and of course because he is a legend up there, they'll wait for him to retire gracefully by which time it'll be too late. Not expecting much from West Brom now they're lost Mowbray, and same applies to Reading with Coppell gone. It's Middlesbrough who I expect to dominate next season - I think they have a good squad but the key maybe the youth in their ranks to show the necessary hunger. Cardiff City is the other team I expect to be banging on an automatic place - I think they'll be doubly motivated by how they let slip a play off spot last time out. Swansea I'd have fancied to have been strong but like West Brom and Reading you don't know how the new manager is going to gel. The good thing about Swansea is it appears from comments the chairman has made this week - that they want to play a particular style of football or at least that was the reasoning for offering job to ex-QPR boss Sousa.

[capt_birdseye]

As a long-suffering Newcastle fan I'm actually really looking forward to next season. Being in such a competitive league will make a pleasant change from the tedious procession that the Premier League has become.

[????]

I think you'll only be in it for a year...... but you should walk the First Division the year after that

[Mick Mac]

:))

[Annasfield]

Is there any? Ha, I'm joking of course.

Am hoping and praying that Norwich make it back to the Championship next season. Crazy to think they were playing European football in the ninties.

[SimonM]

The Championship gets harder and harder to predict. The opening day looks interesting - WBA v Newcastle & Boro v Sheff Utd IIRC, but then its 46 games to the end of the season, and last year the final automatic promotion place was not settled until after that 46th game. I don't think Boro or Newcastle will do it next season - despite the parachute payments bouncing straight back up after a relegation seems to be getting harder. Brum did it only by the skin of their teeth last season.

I hope it is Sheffield United this time round - but that means hanging on to Naughton & Kilgalon as well as finding a decent striker....

[Tony.London Suburbs]

A pleasing diversion from hearing about ManU/Arsenal/Liverpool et al.

Shame that the gap between the Top Division and the others seems to get wider each year.

Long gone are the days of seasoned Internationals not playing in the Top Division, sadly.

Prediction: Hull to go close to regaining their Prem. status in 2010/11.

[????]

er.........Hull?

[Annasfield]

They never lost it did they? Our last game is away to them.

[barty]

Check out the years, people! Tony says Hull will go close to a Premiership return in 2010/11 season....we just finished 08/09 and about to start 09/10.....so Tony sees Hull relegated from the Prem in the coming season.

FWIW Barty agrees with him.....now get out of this Championship thread :))

[david_carnell]

And he makes a living betting?!

Anyway hopefully Leeds will finally go up this season. But it'll have to be via the automatic promotion places. We can't win in the play offs seemingly. Holding on to Beckford looks possible mind you. Greedy little bugger.

[capt_birdseye]

Championship footy is apprently on the BBC next season. Anyone know if this is in the form of live games or just highlights?

[????]

I'm beginning to wish we weren't in the Premiership...and this threads already far better than the Football focus one :(