[Archived] Relegation Next Season

[Quack]

Bolton

Big Club

Derby

Although I really really want West Ham to go down.

Rovers - 11th

[Sandiway Blue]

18th notlob

19th foolham

20th derby

rovers to finish 4th assuming injury free and not selling anybody worth selling!

uh oh! white van with square wheels just pulled up outside.

bu*ger they found me lol

[Hughesy]

3 of 6 for me at this stage.

Fulham

Wigan

Boro

Derby

Birmingham

Reading

[1864roverite]

A prediction of a Rovers finish outside of the top 10 is unrealistic is it not ?

With all the injuries we have had last season we managed 10th spot and that was with the distraction of good cup runs in the FA Cup and Europe.

I think we have a much stronger squad with Nelsen, Savage,Oijer,Ried and Ritgers already added to that lot from the off. I see Rovers pressing for a top 6 spot at least. We have the players and staff to ensure a cracking start to the season.

For me Rovers have to hit the groudn running and sto the rot against the lesser teams. That means we must take points off the bottom 5 sides both home and away. After that, Rovers can easily progress and take a further 10-15 points than we did last season.

My blue and white crystal ball sees us at Wembley in the Carling Cup Final and 6th spot in the Premiership.

[Sandiway Blue]

as much as other fans may laugh at me,i honestly don`t see why, with a bit of luck, we can`t finish 4th this season.we have as good a squad as anybody outside the top 3 and with arsenal not looking as strong as in previous seasons i think that 4th spot is well and truly up for grabs

[philipl]

The good news for Rovers is that there are several clubs looking like they will struggle.

Derby just seem to be short of what is needed all round but Billy Davis is a very good manager.

BIG CLUB have been at the liquorish allsorts jar in the transfer market. They might have picked gems but is Steve Bruce a good enough manager to realise if he has- I doubt it.

Fulham are buying well but they are starting from a position of being too poor to stay up. Sanchez does not inspire so far.

Wigan. Looking probable goners then they signed Boumsong- Gone.

Man City. £50m looks a lot but it isn't when you need ten players and have to pay the wages. If the season started and the window closed today, they would beat Sunderland's record lows without any diffculty.

Reading. Looking candidates for second season syndrome. They know it and not doing much about it. Sidwell is a big loss.

Boro. At this stage, have lost and are losing the core of the team and not looking very clever in the transfer market. Yet another hugely questionable manager in Southgate.

Bolton. Again key players gone or going and a very tough act in BFS to follow. Will be amazed if they make the top half next season.

West Ham. Ignore the hype- they avoided relegation on the last day of last season and the transfer dealings being done (even if you generously add Belamey) add up to a much weaker side today than was at Old Trafford in early May.

Sunderland will finish top half in my opinion.

However, that still leaves nine clubs I am very confident Rovers will finish ahead of. Too early to say who will go down with Wigan as there is much transfer activity still to be done.

[des]

well i cannot see west ham going down after all the players that they have signed so for me its

wigan

derby

boro

[HairwayToSteven]

well i cannot see west ham going down after all the players that they have signed so for me its

wigan

derby

boro

They look the most likely to me as well. But the teams that go up always seem to have a good first season, so I'm swapping Derby with Reading.

[OhmiBRFC]

B'ham

Fulham

Derby

[frosty]

I also think City will be down there this season if they don't spend their cash wisely. After all, they've already sold their two best players and have no strikers that can score.

[The1mattjansen]

In trouble:

Derby - Weakest squad by miles.

Wigan - Hutchings = disaster

Fulham - Weak squad - Sanchez not up to it

M'boro - I'm not sure Southgate is a manager

Reading - Difficult second season - No stars

Birmingham - Signing too many average players

Sunderland - As above

It wouldn't suprise me at all if the following ended up in trouble:

Bolton - Allardyce an impossible act to follow

City - Sven, Man City, Takeover etc something doesn't add up.

West Ham - Too much money, not enough heart.

Thats just about Bob on there Martin...perhaps with the exception of Fulham...if they can get a couple of the strikers there after they should be alright.

[RovertheHill]

Typically there seems to be one club that comes up and does well in the first year. I expect that to Be Sunderland with Keane at the helm. Also the club that did well the previous year struggle. That will be Reading. There is always one "unexpected" club in the mix too. Expect that to be Bolton and/or Middlesboro

So I think it will be

Derby and Wigan going down

Reading, Bolton, Birmingham, Middlesboro trying to avoid the 3rd spot.

[des]

well the way most teams are investing in there teams, it might be a long haul for us this season, while i do not think we will be in the bottom half, a top ten finish will be hard. I do hope that we buy some midfield players and soon

[Billy Castell]

We have loads of midfielders already. Perhaps a Tugay Mk II would be a great help.

Anyway as things stand, I'll say it'll look something like this:

Reading

Bolton

Birmingham

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

Boro

Derby

Wigan

Wigan will suffer from a bad manager and Tit Bramble being there. Derby are a 'good 1st division side' and Boro will feel the loss of Viduka and possibly Yakubu should he go. I think Sunderland will be like Reading last season.

[des]

while a agree with have alot of midfield players there all play in the same stykle expect tugs, so a young midfield playmaker is something that I think that we need

[bluebruce]

They look the most likely to me as well. But the teams that go up always seem to have a good first season, so I'm swapping Derby with Reading.

Ey??? Watford had a good season did they? Sunderland the year they came up? There is pretty much alway one club from the three promoted ones that gets relegated. I can't personally think of any exceptions to this. Often the playoff-promoted team isn't strong enough and goes down. I imagine Derby will. I aso think Wigan are in trouble...Hutchings is unlikely to be the manager Jewell was, and they barely managed last season with him. And let's not even start on Bramble. People trying to poach their main striker again too, maybe Baines as well. Relegation beckons. The third team I find harder to call...I see Boro being there or thereabouts though.

In my dreams, United Bolton and Brum go down. But they are only dreams (Which incidentally I should be having at this time of course)

[Cocker]

There is pretty much alway one club from the three promoted ones that gets relegated. I can't personally think of any exceptions to this. Often the playoff-promoted team isn't strong enough and goes down.

I am sure the year we came up that all three teams stayed up - could be wrong though :ph34r:

[bluebruce]

I am sure the year we came up that all three teams stayed up - could be wrong though :ph34r:

You are correct- us, Fulham, Bolton. Apart from that though...and even if it happens occasionally, it's pretty rare.

[philipl]

Not only did the three of us stay up- we are still here!

Unique in the history of the Premiership I believe.

[Flopsy]

does Dunny not count as a youngish play maker?

our midfielders are

Dunn

Savage

Reid

Bentley

Mgp

Peter (who will play much more this season I'm sure)

Tugay (who wont)

Emerton

Who've I missed out?

[philipl]

Mokoena and the young Irish left winger.

If you are including Emo as a midfield option then I suppose you have to add Gallagher as well.

[pleasure]

18. BIRMINGHAM

19. WIGAN

20. MIDDLESBOROUGH

with derby and fulham narrowly avoiding the drop.

[Cheshireblue]

Taking it as read that Rovers will be pushing for Europe this year, and that the usual 4 suspects will be pushing for the champions league, the interesting end of the table is relegation.

As much as I might like to see West Ham go down this year, I feel that Bellamy et al will be too good to drop out of our division.

So who will go down?

For my money Wigan are absolutely nailed on to go down this year. Sold off more players, a nobody appointed as a manager, and an utter gobshite as a chairman. They will be botom in my view.

Sunderland - For all the hype about Roy Keane, he is a thick arsed irishman who's man management skills and tactical nouse appear to be based around a lot of shouting. I think he will be found wanting this year as he steps up a division and has to deal with players of genuine quality and flair.

The third spot could go to any of Derby, Reading, BIG CLUB or Fulham. Reading will get found out this year as they are no longer a surprise package. Fulham have an almost total absense of quality in their team, BIG CLUB are just a bunch of [please don't use that word again] and Derby will be there or there abouts. Todd is a good signing for them though and should make them difficult to beat easily. Middlesboro may also drop into the mix as they are without Viduka now, but my ten bob at the bookies wil go on Fulham, just because it will be good to see Al Fayed whinge a bit more.

Perhaps a poll might be in order?

[Jim J]

clicky clicky

[Pugg]

This year is difficult one. I was trying to think who I thought would finish in the top half etc and I'm really struggling.

I agree with you on Wigan.I thought about Man City but with the money and Sven, I think they'll be ok. I think the three that have come up will have a really tough time of it. The teams that seem to do well are attacking, 'footballing' teams. If I remember correctly all three of the teams coming up were just managing to churn out results at like 1-0 a lot of the time.

I think reading may have a difficult second season, but I think they will be ok. I too love seeing West Ham suffer hehe, as well as Newcastle and a few others, but I think they will all improve this season. Boro may struggle, but if Woodgate keeps fit and the strikers Southgate has bought come good then I think they'll be ok. Fulham may struggle too, as like you said, the quality isn't really there.

Ok, I'll go for Wigan, Derby and Sunderland.