[Archived] The Championship 2013/14

[BrisRover]

Yeah that's why I had the team to watch part in quotation marks. I hope we do better but a fair analysis overall

[S60tti_BRFC]

Charlie Austin gone to QPR. Done Deal. Great news!

[Clitherover]

Charlie Austin gone to QPR. Done Deal. Great news!

Without his goals they are buggered, be surprised if they don't go down this season...

[Blue blood]

Without his goals they are buggered, be surprised if they don't go down this season...

That is an apt summation of their position.

Of course they now have a bit of money to spend, which with the right signings could save them. Not sure they have the right manager to bring in those bodies though.

Having said all of that Jones is a good signing for them and a good signing for most teams this level. But one man does not make a team, and Jones won't solve their shortage of goals.

[alexanders]

How much did they get for aUSTIN?

[S60tti_BRFC]

Around 2.2 million, possibly rising to 3 million with add ons.

I think they may be in for a hiding when they face Bolton live on Sky this saturday

[alexanders]

Bolton have signed Andre Moritz.

Would people be happy with him?

[Jimmy612]

Around 2.2 million, possibly rising to 3 million with add ons.

I think they may be in for a hiding when they face Bolton live on Sky this saturday

And we want £10m+ for Rhodes? Madness - Actually on reflection, when was Austins contract up. Would play a big part. Next season wasn't it?

I'd love them to get walloped first game of the season.

[G Somerset Rover]

Not really looked into this financial fair play thing enough, but surely QPR aren't and won't be complying given the size of their wage bill? How are they going to avoid getting burnt?

[longsiders1882]

That is an apt summation of their position.

Of course they now have a bit of money to spend, which with the right signings could save them. Not sure they have the right manager to bring in those bodies though.

Having said all of that Jones is a good signing for them and a good signing for most teams this level. But one man does not make a team, and Jones won't solve their shortage of goals.

Around 2.2 million, possibly rising to 3 million with add ons.

I think they may be in for a hiding when they face Bolton live on Sky this saturday

And we want £10m+ for Rhodes? Madness - Actually on reflection, when was Austins contract up. Would play a big part. Next season wasn't it?

I'd love them to get walloped first game of the season.

Now now boys, as blue blood said, one player does not make a team and that includes Austin. We've had a decent pre season large

Y without his goals. I'm not saying he isn't a huge loss but I still think we have greater issues elsewhere, not least of which is having not a lot past the first 11 in the squad.

By the way, I hope you get walloped every game, regardless of whether you are on TV, playing whoever or have just sold Rhodes etc :-)

[S60tti_BRFC]

longsiders do you know of anyone you've been looking to bring in as a replacement?

[longsiders1882]

Honestly not a clue.

My gut feeling is he will buy a couple of players rather than look for a direct replace to, lets be honest a proven 20+ a season man is going to cost more than we got for Austin.

That said he's signed 4 keepers, maybe one of them can play centre forward.

[West Yorks Rover]

And we want £10m+ for Rhodes? Madness - Actually on reflection, when was Austins contract up. Would play a big part. Next season wasn't it?

I'd love them to get walloped first game of the season.

I think for once i'd like to see Bolton get wallopped ,some of their fans are far too arrogant, at least most of the dingles

know their place.

[Damien]

I'm more concerned with rovers keeping hold of our big players. If we lose Rhodes later on in this window we could be in trouble.

Fingers crossed we won't have to worry.

[Jimmy612]

Honestly not a clue.

My gut feeling is he will buy a couple of players rather than look for a direct replace to, lets be honest a proven 20+ a season man is going to cost more than we got for Austin.

That said he's signed 4 keepers, maybe one of them can play centre forward.

What's your prediction for the season for you lot? 4 keepers, wow, maybe Dyches' thinking they might be a bit busy this season

Don't know much about your squad but my gut feeling is that we're supporting two bad teams here. Two or three signings might have us looking a tad better than you.

[S60tti_BRFC]

I hope these reports from sky about Doncaster signing Louis Tomlinson from One Direction are aload of @#/?.

[Tom]

I thought I heard the Burnley chairman or similar hint that Austin wouldn't be replaced and someone else would get a chance

[Blue blood]

Think Burnley need at least a couple of strikers in to replace Austin. Question is who? Most decent strikers available have bee taken. And by what Longsiders says, they've a fair few other positions which need strengthening as well. Not sure that the £2.2-£3 million will stretch far enough.

[RevidgeBlue]

And we want £10m+ for Rhodes? Madness - Actually on reflection, when was Austins contract up. Would play a big part. Next season wasn't it?

I'd love them to get walloped first game of the season.

I honestly don't understand your obsession with Rhodes' transfer fee/value Jimmy.

We paid 8m for him which you might argue was over the odds but it was no doubt the case that had we offered less than that we would not have got him at that particular time. We were looking for guaranteed goals and got them - in a very poor side. We all hoped his goals would push us to promotion but with the benefit of hindsight they were arguably even more valuable in keeping us up and making it theoretically possible to return to the Prem. before the parachute payments ate halved.

You might argue that the 8m would have been better spent elsewhere. That's pure conjecture and the money could easily have been squandered on two or three players who didn't fire at all.

We don't want to sell Rhodes therefore anyone wanting to buy him at this stage will have to give us a decent profit. I can't see a problem with that notion at all neither do I have any problem with the thought we might get a bit less for him as his contract runs down, as long as he keeps scoring 25-30 goals a season whilst he's here.

Austin isn't comparable in my view. Has a medical problem seemingly and is at a different stage of his contract.

[arbitro]

Now now boys, as blue blood said, one player does not make a team and that includes Austin. We've had a decent pre season large

Y without his goals. I'm not saying he isn't a huge loss but I still think we have greater issues elsewhere, not least of which is having not a lot past the first 11 in the squad.

By the way, I hope you get walloped every game, regardless of whether you are on TV, playing whoever or have just sold Rhodes etc :-)

Strange one this Longsiders with him only failing a medical at Hull a few weeks ago. There was a story doing the rounds then which now makes some sense given the circumstances. Steve Bruce's terse one line comment at the time was strange too.

[longsiders1882]

What's your prediction for the season for you lot? 4 keepers, wow, maybe Dyches' thinking they might be a bit busy this season

Don't know much about your squad but my gut feeling is that we're supporting two bad teams here. Two or three signings might have us looking a tad better than you.

One thing we have been and remain is defensively solid under Dyche. I don't see this changing. It is an odd but genuine Stat but our points return in games without Austin last season would have had us top 2 if repeated throughout the season. Not sure on the keepers thing really, we didn't have any so I can see signing 2 but 4? Like you say, maybe we plan to field 2 per game :-). My prediction has always been lower bottom half - even though as the first game approaches I am getting that inevitable buzz and dreaming of a brilliant season where we battle for the top 6. Football fans, we are all mad.

I thought I heard the Burnley chairman or similar hint that Austin wouldn't be replaced and someone else would get a chance

Think Burnley need at least a couple of strikers in to replace Austin. Question is who? Most decent strikers available have bee taken. And by what Longsiders says, they've a fair few other positions which need strengthening as well. Not sure that the £2.2-£3 million will stretch far enough.

If we sign someone as a striker I suspect it will be a younger lower league prospect. Don't worry, by the end of the season you'll all be chasing Ings anyway

Strange one this Longsiders with him only failing a medical at Hull a few weeks ago. There was a story doing the rounds then which now makes some sense given the circumstances. Steve Bruce's terse one line comment at the time was strange too.

Can you elaborate, I don't think I heard the story - please PM me if you'd rather not post it publicly

[Jimmy612]

I honestly don't understand your obsession with Rhodes' transfer fee/value Jimmy.

We paid 8m for him which you might argue was over the odds but it was no doubt the case that had we offered less than that we would not have got him at that particular time. We were looking for guaranteed goals and got them - in a very poor side. We all hoped his goals would push us to promotion but with the benefit of hindsight they were arguably even more valuable in keeping us up and making it theoretically possible to return to the Prem. before the parachute payments ate halved.

You might argue that the 8m would have been better spent elsewhere. That's pure conjecture and the money could easily have been squandered on two or three players who didn't fire at all.

We don't want to sell Rhodes therefore anyone wanting to buy him at this stage will have to give us a decent profit. I can't see a problem with that notion at all neither do I have any problem with the thought we might get a bit less for him as his contract runs down, as long as he keeps scoring 25-30 goals a season whilst he's here.

Austin isn't comparable in my view. Has a medical problem seemingly and is at a different stage of his contract.

Well look at it this way Rev - there is no way on earth you need to spend £8m on a striker of Rhodes quality. An out and out striker who can't play back to goal, can't run the channels, isn't particularly good in the air, can't bring others into the game and can't play on his own up front. I'd say in a 4-2-3-1 formation that's quite a serious flaw in your game plan.

Last season, Cardiff's top scorer was Heidur Helguson with 8 league goals. But that didn't matter because he's good enough to bring the other quality players into the game e.g. Bellamy, Mason, Gunnarson etc who all scored 6,7 or 8 goals. Our next top scorer was Scott Dann.

Now for £8m I think that Blackburn would have been much better served building a good team which created more chances rather tha paying a lot of money for a striker that fair enough can score but more particularly can't bring others into the game, thus we can never build an attack. Combine this with a lack of desire to want the ball in midfield and Dann and Hanley pumping it forward to absolutely no one, and you can see where we failed badly last season.

Now i'm not saying Rhodes is a bad player, he's a good honest hard working lad who does score goals. Unfortunately for him he was never worth £8m and I believe that Shebby Singh spent what was a very generous amount of money very poorly. It's lovely to have a guy that scores a lot of goals but when his overall play doesn't contribute enough and the team is sliding down the Championship table it's very difficult not to think the money would be much better spent creating strong, organised, balanced side, capable of challenging in this league.

[Blue blood]

Well look at it this way Rev - there is no way on earth you need to spend £8m on a striker of Rhodes quality. An out and out striker who can't play back to goal, can't run the channels, isn't particularly good in the air, can't bring others into the game and can't play on his own up front. I'd say in a 4-2-3-1 formation that's quite a serious flaw in your game plan.

Last season, Cardiff's top scorer was Heidur Helguson with 8 league goals. But that didn't matter because he's good enough to bring the other quality players into the game e.g. Bellamy, Mason, Gunnarson etc who all scored 6,7 or 8 goals. Our next top scorer was Scott Dann.

Now for £8m I think that Blackburn would have been much better served building a good team which created more chances rather tha paying a lot of money for a striker that fair enough can score but more particularly can't bring others into the game, thus we can never build an attack. Combine this with a lack of desire to want the ball in midfield and Dann and Hanley pumping it forward to absolutely no one, and you can see where we failed badly last season.

Now i'm not saying Rhodes is a bad player, he's a good honest hard working lad who does score goals. Unfortunately for him he was never worth £8m and I believe that Shebby Singh spent what was a very generous amount of money very poorly. It's lovely to have a guy that scores a lot of goals but when his overall play doesn't contribute enough and the team is sliding down the Championship table it's very difficult not to think the money would be much better spent creating strong, organised, balanced side, capable of challenging in this league.

Interesting. Didn't realize how much of a team effort Cardiff's attack was. Shows the importance of it being a team game.

Given that we seem more set up for a 4-2-3-1 perhaps we should be more bothered about holding onto Rochina rather than Rhodes. Or getting in players that'd enable us to play better to Rhodes strengths - a ball playing midfielder, a striker who can play with Rhodes.

My biggest pre-season concern is that I'm not sure if GB is going with either of these plans, or whether we'll remain somewhere in the middle with square pegs for round holes.

[Jimmy612]

Interesting. Didn't realize how much of a team effort Cardiff's attack was. Shows the importance of it being a team game.

Given that we seem more set up for a 4-2-3-1 perhaps we should be more bothered about holding onto Rochina rather than Rhodes. Or getting in players that'd enable us to play better to Rhodes strengths - a ball playing midfielder, a striker who can play with Rhodes.

My biggest pre-season concern is that I'm not sure if GB is going with either of these plans, or whether we'll remain somewhere in the middle with square pegs for round holes.

i think the way to play to Rhodes strengths would have been in the 1990's with two wingers whipping crosses in. Unfortunately 4-4-2 is being overtaken by 4-5-1/4-2-3-1, ultimately meaning that a striker whilst weighing in with goals must be able to bring others into play. Ball retention and finding your 3 supporting players is vital. Otherwise it ends up in the situation of last year whereby the ball just doesn't stick and there is no way to build an attack.

I like the guy - he's honest, hard working and gives 100% - Unfortunately I don't see him as a PL striker unless he seriously develops his all round game.

I might add that £8m for Rhodes was the transfer dealings by a man who doesn't understand football. Singh thought he could solve all of our problems by buying a goalscorer, our version of a marquee signing. Unfortunately the @#/? failed to recognise that we had the most unbalanced squad in the top three divisions.

[blueboy3333]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11689/8848719/championship-guide

team-by-team guide, including all transfers.