[Archived] The Chumpionship

[Tom]

I have no doubts West Ham will be back up, their squad is too strong for the league and Sam will have them organised if nothing else

[Balwer]

EDIT: removed

[cn174]

92pies Tom Dickinson 92PIES

If I hear the lazy cliché of 'West Ham's tradition for attractive football & Allardyce's direct style' one more time I will murder a kitten.

[beerwins]

92pies Tom Dickinson 92PIES

If I hear the lazy cliché of 'West Ham's tradition for attractive football & Allardyce's direct style' one more time I will murder a kitten.

I think they will be seeing the direct style soon, 84 mins and one 2-1 up and Sam brings on another striker to please the West Ham fans game ends 2-2.

He wont make that mistake again in a hurry.

[mode_m]

watching forest vs leicester and must say its turned out to be a good game.

[thenodrog]

I think they will be seeing the direct style soon, 84 mins and one 2-1 up and Sam brings on another striker to please the West Ham fans game ends 2-2.

He wont make that mistake again in a hurry.

Two injury time goals in two home matches else WHU would be sitting pretty in 3rd spot..... just 3 places below us in fact! If they were up there there wouldn't be cheep from the ammers fans even if he sent out a keeper and 10 centre halves.

[FourLaneBlue]

Robbie Savage has us finishing 18th with QPR and Swansea below us.

Cant believe he sees Norwich and Wigan better than us

http://lockerz.com/s/128881128

I can. They don't have a complete novice as their manager.

If they pot Kean before too long, we have a chance. The squad is capable of turning things around and staying up. Not sure it could if The Thinker is there though.

[neophox]

###### thread...close this!

[American Rover12]

Grass is always greener, isn't it David Bentley?

[Plastic Head]

Tonight sees the start of the Championship season so I thought we needed a thread.

Teams to look out for at the top end:

WHU - Will Sams style suit the media darlings fans? Not sure. 3rd

Blackpool - Much changed team, can Holloway get the defence sorted out? 6th

Reading - Looked a good side at the end of last season, haven't spent much but could they do it this season? 2nd.

Middlesbrough - Decent manager and should be much improved. 4th

Leicester - Spent big and expectations will be high. 1st.

Forest - Still not quite good enough. 5th

..and the the bottom:

Burnley - Fingers crossed (all 12) but likely mid-table again. 15th

Barnsley - Hoping Keith Hil will do well but he will be up against it. 22nd

Peterborough - Ferguson has already failed at this level twice. 24th

Portsmouth - Make even Rovers look well run. More problems ahead.20th

Donny Rovers - perennial strugglers. 23rd

Bristol City - Surprise strugglers? 21st

Let the mediocrity begin...

Some good efforts here...some wrong uns as well.

[joey_big_nose]

Shows how out of the blue Southamptn were.

[jim mk2]

Some good efforts here...some wrong uns as well.

How about next season - top six and bottom six ?

[BPF]

We are 16/1 to win it. That says it all.

[budha]

8th favourites to win in average. Leicester, Wolves, Bolton, Birmingham, Leeds, Brighton and Blackpool have shorter odds in average.

[Pitty]

8th favourites to win in average. Leicester, Wolves, Bolton, Birmingham, Leeds, Brighton and Blackpool have shorter odds in average.

With whats happening at the moment should we not be looking at the odds to be relegated from the championship not promoted.

[Clitherover]

8th favourites to win in average. Leicester, Wolves, Bolton, Birmingham, Leeds, Brighton and Blackpool have shorter odds in average.

Not quite sure why Bolton's odds are so good, they are in turmoil by the sounds of things.

[Stuart]

Poor old Sheff Utd fans must hate Carlos Tevez more and more every year.

Really feel for Steve Simonstone, Sheff Utd's keeper. Every player on the pitch took a penalty and he fired his over the bar to consign the Blades to another year in L1.

Well done to the Terriers!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Will enjoy the short trip to Udders,always a good following back in the day.

8th favourites to win in average. Leicester, Wolves, Bolton, Birmingham, Leeds, Brighton and Blackpool have shorter odds in average.

When our 'better' players throw the dummy out the pram and leave soon those odds will look very good indeed!

[Hughesy]

Not quite sure why Bolton's odds are so good, they are in turmoil by the sounds of things.

Maybe, maybe not.

Yes they have lot alot of their squad but if you look at the bare bones they still have then its a decent championship team - just depends if they can keep them all.

-----------------Bogden----------------------

--Reilly----Ream------Wheater * --- Alonso

--C Y Lee --Pratley---Holden------- Petrov

------------Sordell---Davies----------------

Mark Davies, Eagles, Ricketts, N'Dog, Josh Vela

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

To chear us all up in these bad times and a reminder as to how important this proud old football club is ...

Hold your head high,10th most successful side in the country!

We are THE most successful club in the Championship tha' knows!

[neophox]

Has any player left yet at Rovers, at the moment we have all players, Hoilett excluded.

I expect these to leave:

Hoilett £4m if joining another Prem Club

Olsson £6-7m

Nzonzi £6-7m

Yakubu £2m

Robinson £3m

Dann £3m

Salgado free

Grella free

Total: Around £25 in player sales:

To buy: A good striker and a good defender.

That leaves us with this potential lineup:

Bunn

Lowe, Hanley, Givet, Henley

Formica, Vukcevic or Dunn, Petrovic, MGP, Olsson

Rochina or Goodwillie upfront

Bench: Hugo Fernandez, Bradey Orr, O'Sullivan, O'Connor, Raheem Hanley, Slew, Goodwillie, Dunn, Kean, Blackman, Morris.

Its quite a good squad even if in the championship with eight players leaving.

I would love to see a midfeld of Vukcevic with Petrovic and MGP in the middle in the championship. Strong players.

The IFS:

Is Ribeiro championship standard?

Will Myles Anderson get the boot?

Will alot of youngsters coming through?

Will Steve Kean and Venkys p*** off?

[K-Hod]

Maybe, maybe not.

Yes they have lot alot of their squad but if you look at the bare bones they still have then its a decent championship team - just depends if they can keep them all.

-----------------Bogden----------------------

--Reilly----Ream------Wheater * --- Alonso

--C Y Lee --Pratley---Holden------- Petrov

------------Sordell---Davies----------------

Mark Davies, Eagles, Ricketts, N'Dog, Josh Vela

Petrov and Lee will be off like a shot IMO. Mark Davies is rumoured to be going to Newcastle as well.

[jehrover]

We could spend £50 million this summer AND retain most of our squad and I still don't think we would challenge for promotion. The club is in turmoil. We have a manager who simply does not have the ability to send a team out to win games, who does not have the support of the people at Ewood and a massive decrease in ticket holders. I expect most teams will come to Ewood next season hoping to take advantage of the dissent. Playing infront of 10,000 maximum crowds in a 30,000 stadium will have a massively detrimental effect e.g. like Middlesbrough and Coventry have had in their half empty stadia. Compare our amateur set up to the likes of Leicester, Leeds, Cardiff and Wolves. Doesn't bear thinking about. We'll be down with the likes of Barnsley, Palace, Peterborough and Burnley in the bottom half.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

We will be seen as a big scalp for most team in that division,not one easy game coming our way and the thought of that p!llock still being in charge sends shivers dowm my spine.

[Waggy76]

We could spend £50 million this summer AND retain most of our squad and I still don't think we would challenge for promotion. The club is in turmoil. We have a manager who simply does not have the ability to send a team out to win games, who does not have the support of the people at Ewood and a massive decrease in ticket holders. I expect most teams will come to Ewood next season hoping to take advantage of the dissent. Playing infront of 10,000 maximum crowds in a 30,000 stadium will have a massively detrimental effect e.g. like Middlesbrough and Coventry have had in their half empty stadia. Compare our amateur set up to the likes of Leicester, Leeds, Cardiff and Wolves. Doesn't bear thinking about. We'll be down with the likes of Barnsley, Palace, Peterborough and Burnley in the bottom half.

If Kean isn't removed , we will be bottom of the bottom half !!!

I am very serious with the comment. The man is useless !

We will be seen as a big scalp for most team in that division,not one easy game coming our way and the thought of that p!llock still being in charge sends shivers dowm my spine.

Doubt we will be seen as a 'big scalp' , those days are long gone !