[Archived] Championship 2016/17 Season

[ABBEY]

Naive ? More lack bordering on insanity if you actually expect a reply unless with my man flu I missed sarcasm

[chor808]

Naive ? More lack bordering on insanity if you actually expect a reply unless with my man flu I missed sarcasm

Just wishing it was true Abbey then I can get back to normal again on a home saturday. I think a lot of us have gone insane waiting for them to bugger off.

[tomphil]

I wonder if that now Desai and her husband are out of the equation, Bala and Venketash would be more receptive to a potential sale?

They obviously don't give a toss anymore (well ever really but you get what I mean) and surely selling us wouldn't make too much difference to them? Although there is the "minor" issue of being £100m in the red. No one's clearing that anytime soon.

Always seems to come down to the big guy and i bet if there are skeletons they're in his closet.

[Stuart]

Surely Balaji is all about prestige, image, kudos. He has celebrity pals, bling and cars. Being seen as the owner of a PL football club probably suited his ego.

There is no prestige in 2017. Just a constant reminder of what a @#/? idiot he is.

[philipl]

Surely Balaji is all about prestige, image, kudos. He has celebrity pals, bling and cars. Being seen as the owner of a PL football club probably suited his ego.

There is no prestige in 2017. Just a constant reminder of what a @#/? idiot he is.

The problem with Mrs D having stepped back (if true) is that Balaji will play with his toy forever- he had completely screwed up his film business but it was only when it was really hurting the Vs back in India that Mrs D stepped in and ruthlessly liquidated it.

[chaddyrovers]

When Forest takeover is complete then their new owner will look to appoint Gary Rowett has next manager from the Sun article online

[G Somerset Rover]

Good win for QPR. They now look firmly out of trouble.

[alcd]

Burton, Wigan and Rotherham are the only lifelines left

[Tom]

At least 2 out of Burton, Wigan, Bristol and Cardiff are guaranteed points this weekend.

Big big big trouble if we don't come away with something

[Blue blood]

Good win for QPR. They now look firmly out of trouble.

You never know with batnuts owners and Holloway hasn't been great, but I pretty much agree. They have a fair bit of quality still in the squad (for this level) which should give them enough wins to survive.

Burton, Wigan and Rotherham are the only lifelines left

True, but the positive thing is all three look very likely for relegation. Burton have signed Varney, which is a level below the type of players we have - even with our current offloading of talent. We've a better squad than all three of them, and the managers at Wigan and Rotherham are unproven and not looking astute choices (though Rotherham's may be a caretaker guy?) so whilst ours is clueless I'm not sure theirs are any better.

All in all I feel there is a decent chance even under mismanagement that we can get more points than these three teams. Admittedly this conviction wavers, but seeing us fluke a result against the barcodes has got me a bit more convinced that we can do this. Not that that's an achievement.

[JHRover]

You never know with batnuts owners and Holloway hasn't been great, but I pretty much agree. They have a fair bit of quality still in the squad (for this level) which should give them enough wins to survive.

True, but the positive thing is all three look very likely for relegation. Burton have signed Varney, which is a level below the type of players we have - even with our current offloading of talent. We've a better squad than all three of them, and the managers at Wigan and Rotherham are unproven and not looking astute choices (though Rotherham's may be a caretaker guy?) so whilst ours is clueless I'm not sure theirs are any better.

All in all I feel there is a decent chance even under mismanagement that we can get more points than these three teams. Admittedly this conviction wavers, but seeing us fluke a result against the barcodes has got me a bit more convinced that we can do this. Not that that's an achievement.

We've firstly got to hope that Wigan stick with Joyce until it's too late to get out of trouble and that neither they nor Rotherham have the capacity to pull off a great escape.

Burton will be more tricky. They're clearly a side short on quality and yet they are a club pulling together, striving to achieve what would be the greatest achievement in their history if they avoid relegation this season. Clough is a shrewd operator at this level and their home form is half decent.

I never thought I'd see the day that finishing above Burton Albion in a relegation scrap would be seen as a success, but that day has arrived. Still I suppose 'that's our level' these days if you accept Cheston's spreadsheet.

Beyond that the only potential outsiders are Forest, Bristol City and Ipswich. Forest hinges on when their takeover is complete and what their new owners do next, including who they sign in January. Ipswich will be fine as long as McCarthy is there, so things will only get interesting if their fans hound him out. Bristol are collapsing but have already added 3 new signings to their squad in January. Fancy that, a club at risk of relegation that goes and strengthens their squad in January rather than hiding behind FFP rules.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

As satisfying as it is (particularly for those with a tiny bit of OCD like me) to box off exactly who our relegation rivals are, with nearly half the season still to play I don't think you can rule anyone out from at least Brentford down. If Rovers keep on the current trend of about a point a game, we'll definitely be in trouble but will always remain within short reach of a few teams, whoever they are.

[frosty]

QPR should be fine now, despite losing to us they've won 3 in a row in the league.

Bristol City will be right down there at this rate - they've lost 9 out of their last 10 league games.

[JHRover]

Reading have posted losses of £15 million for the last year with debts now at £73 million

http://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2017/1/13/14264132/reading-fc-finances-2015-16-madejski-stadium-efl-championship

[tomphil]

Despite all that they've still reinvested circa 7 mill from their sales. Meanwhile in Blackburn..........

[chaddyrovers]

Leeds very impressived. Played some great football. Monk is taking them to PL. James Beattie there as first team coach

Nottingham Forest takeover falls through http://dailym.ai/2jhaHzpvia http://dailym.ai/android

[the original david brent]

When Forest takeover is complete then their new owner will look to appoint Gary Rowett has next manager from the Sun article online

Fell through last night. Forest fans are now calling for protests against their owner. Rowett has confirmed he is not going there now.

I actually think their owner has been a notch up on the Venkys in the sense that at least he communicates with fans, he has attended games and he has accepted he has made mistakes.

In the dog eat dog world of the championship relegation fight I guess it's good news for us.

Edit: apologies chaddy I see you have already mentioned this in the above post

[G Somerset Rover]

With the takeover collapse and Lansbury soon-to-be off, they could actually be in a spot of bother.

[tomphil]

The mon at Forest seems another clueless crackpot BUT he comes across as having gone into it with the right intentions and tried to have a go. These people should just not get near British football clubs but with the ongoing need for quick cash injections they always will.

I sometimes wonder if it isn't in some cases them that get stitched up. Buyers need a new stricter due diligence rulebook i think before they dive in and burn what bit of cash they bring with them in the blink of an eye then get cold feet and start running up more debt.

As always it's the agents/agencies and middlemen who set these things up then run off into the sunset who need monitoring as to their involvement in takeovers.

[Dunnfc]

The proposed takeover of Reading by a Chinese-based consortium is hinging on approval by the Premier League.

Businessman Dai Yongge and sister Dai Xiu Li began negotiations in November to buy the club from its Thai owners.

The Premier League, who have a say in takeovers of clubs who could compete in their league, are said to be cautious.

Yongge failed in an attempt to buy Hull City in September after reportedly not meeting the Football Association's fit and proper persons test.

One insider at Reading sees the Chinese offer as the "dream ticket".

However, the deal is dependant on convincing officials that Yongge and his associates are suitable additions to the English game.

Reading sit third in the Championship in manager Jaap Stam's first season in charge, but following a 1-0 defeat by QPR on Thursday, Dutchman Stam made his frustrations public at the uncertainty off the pitch.

"Everybody's asking me questions about what's going to happen," he told BBC Radio Berkshire.

"I don't know if there is going to be any more transfers.

"You need to have clarity within the group, a certain structure within the club with what's going to happen.

"What I thought was going to happen when I joined Reading was to build a team and hopefully make steps towards the Premier League.

"But, with the club for sale, you don't know what the new owners want to do."

Reading have been owned by the Thai consortium of Lady Sasima Srivikorn, Sumrith Thanakarnjanasuth and Narin Niruttinanon since September 2014.

They are understood to have become increasingly squeamish over the outlay required to bankroll the club from month-to-month.

Enthusiasm seems to be waning, despite Reading's exceptional form on the pitch, which has put them in promotion contention.

Meanwhile the Venkys sailed through and still continue to reign over possibly the most obvious damage to a football club i've ever seen in English football.

[perthblue02]

Meanwhile the Venkys sailed through and still continue to reign over possibly the most obvious damage to a football club i've ever seen in English football.

Mr Yongee needs to get himself a good agent with links to a former FA business partner , he will sail through as well

[tomphil]

Would help maybe if they had a silent FA man on their board as well

[chaddyrovers]

Cardiff won 3-2 against Bristol City

[G Somerset Rover]

Surprise surprise, Warnock pulling away.

[DE.]

Bristol City have now lost 7 in a row. Brutal.