Championship season 2019-20

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Stuart said:

Downing nets off with Conway but Raya and Reed (and even Rodwell if used correctly) are greater losses than we’ve gained.

If we had replaced Leutwiler (not Raya) with Walton, and Smallwood with Johnson (and kept Reed) I’d agree with you.

Johnson is a better option in the middle than Reed and Rodwell , neither of whom really played there enough. Obviously if either were played there, it could be a different story. The "good" thing is I don't thing Johnson can play anywhere else. 

Downing is a big upgrade on Conway and could even be a better option on the wing than Reed imo

Gallagher is a big unit who will be a great addition either starting or from the bench. Gives us another option. 

The goalkeeper situation is a bit underwhelming due to the fact we sold an academy player and replaced him with a loan, but the signs suggest we may be better off in the short-term with that. 

Not amazing , but moving in the right direction. Compared to other clubs , I think we are doing ok. 

[chaddyrovers]

2 hours ago, Oldgregg86 said:

Well that's my tenner on brereron gone 

he has got a girlfriend who is stunning btw. 

[chaddyrovers]

my prediction league for championship 2019/20

1 Fulham

2 Cardiff

3 WBA

4 Brentford

5 Rovers

6 Stoke

7 Bristol City

8 Preston

9 Swansea

10 Boro

11 Leeds

12 Huddersfield

13 Barnsley

14 Derby

15 Forest

16 Birmingham

17 QPR

18 Hull

19 Sheff Wed

20 Luton

21 Millwall

22 Reading

23Wigan

24 Charlton

[JHRover]

My predictions:

1) West Brom 

2) Stoke City

3) Fulham

4) Cardiff City

5) Bristol City 

6) Derby

7) Preston 

8) Leeds

9) Nottingham Forest 

10) QPR

11) Wigan

12) Reading

13) Huddersfield 

14) Brentford 

15) Rovers

16) Luton

17) Middlesbrough 

18) Barnsley 

19) Wednesday 

20) Millwall 

21) Swansea

22) Birmingham 

23) Charlton

24) Hull

Man City, West Brom, Sunderland and Scunthorpe to win the 4 divisions.

Edited July 31, 2019 by JHRover

[chaddyrovers]

My predictions to win each league are

Prem League - Spurs

Championship - Fulham

League 1 - Rotherham 

League 2 - Bradford City

[rovers11]

I think we’re very much in the dark horses category next season, probably along with Brentford. I think a top 6 finish is a real possibility as we’ve got a decent squad and it’s a weak league this year. 

Fulham have got the best team by miles and Leeds will be decent too, but then there’s not a lot in it. The two other teams who’ve come down from the prem are nothing to worry about, and some of the teams who did well last year (West Brom, Derby, Middlesbrough) have lost good players and are under new management. Even other teams who finished above (e.g Forest and Brum, if you discount their points deduction) have had unstable summers. 

[USABlue]

Personally think Fulham will struggle in this league.  Mid table finish for them.

[K-Hod]

Fulham have a great squad, but an inexperienced manager. 

History tells us these arrangements don’t usually result in immediate success. 

Edited July 31, 2019 by K-Hod

[roversfan99]

Cardiff have a squad packed with proven Championship quality, especially in defence, but also with plenty of attacking quality (Bobby Reid, Hoilett, Murphy, Mendez-Laing and now Whyte and a new striker from Germany) and most importantly, a proven manager at this level.

Hard to look past them for me.

[bluebruce]

5 hours ago, K-Hod said:

Fulham have a great squad, but an inexperienced manager. 

History tells us these arrangements don’t usually result in immediate success. 

It feels like whoever comes down as favourites to go back up by storming the league almost invariably fail to even make the playoffs. Purely an anecdotal recollection thing, be interesting to see if there are stats on it. Certainly happened to us, and last season to Stoke.

[MarkBRFC]

5 hours ago, bluebruce said:

It feels like whoever comes down as favourites to go back up by storming the league almost invariably fail to even make the playoffs. Purely an anecdotal recollection thing, be interesting to see if there are stats on it. Certainly happened to us, and last season to Stoke.

Apart from Newcastle, who did it twice!

1st - Cardiff

2nd - Stoke

Rovers - anywhere between 12-16th

Haven't a clue where the rest will finish.

[Sparks Rover]

10 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Cardiff have a squad packed with proven Championship quality, especially in defence, but also with plenty of attacking quality (Bobby Reid, Hoilett, Murphy, Mendez-Laing and now Whyte and a new striker from Germany) and most importantly, a proven manager at this level.

Hard to look past them for me.

Aye imagine if warnock came instead of Tony...we would be in the premier league by now 

[philipl]

Just now, Sparks Rover said:

Aye imagine if warnock came instead of Coyle...we would be in the premier league by now 

Corrected for you.

Warnock was on his way to Rovers but something hijacked the position for Coyle.

Warnock was mightily angry and gave the Rovers a piece of his ming in private with edited highlights for public consumption.

So no way would Warnock ever come here when Coyle was sacked or indeed ever- he's 71 by the way...

[philipl]

I haven't looked forward to a new football season with such anticipation and pleasure since Mark Hughes was our manager.

 

I know that the odds are that I am destined to be disappointed and frustrated but sitting here without a ball being kicked, I believe that Rovers are sitting very pretty indeed.

 

For a start, there is no reason to have any realistic fear of relegation. We had bad runs last season but the causes of those runs  are being addressed and we forget that we also went on some very good runs as well and were rarely comprehensively out-played while in some matches out-performing form teams and promotion challengers.

 

There is also every reason to expect progress over last season and looking around the rest of the league,  there really aren't any clubs that we need to unduly fear. Certainly there are stronger clubs than Rovers but nobody we should regard in the same way that Burnley will “look forward” to playing  Manchester City or Liverpool for example.

 

Notwithstanding the possibility of a nightmare transfer window ending,  we have had no sleepless nights over losing key players II's which is quite a novelty as a Rovers fan and a very pleasant experience at that.

 

In-Comings have not been spectacular but man for man there is every prospect of the new signings being without exception improvements over the players who have left  in each position. I was sad to see Raya go but need to remind myself of Birmingham City at home as only the worst example for all the stunning saves he produced.

 

I like the way we have added players in the twilight of their careers bearing in mind we have so many tremendous prospects coming through from the Academy.  If Downing and Johnson in combination with Mulgrew and Graham give us a fabulous last year in this season only, Rovers will undoubtedly be there or thereabouts. 

 

Last season,  we had the second youngest squad in the championship. Inevitably, young players on average improve so we should should be stronger by the simple passage of time and accretion of experience.

 

What I have also come round to is liking the season start,  probably facing the league's bottom Club on the opening day two seasons running followed by Fulham away before they have got back into the habit of winning again.

 

I am not  predicting a playoff place,  but I would not be surprised to see Rovers and Brentford both upsetting a few apple carts by finishing in the top 6.

[MarkBRFC]

18 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Aye imagine if warnock came instead of Tony...we would be in the premier league by now 

He might took us up can't argue with that, I'd also bet that he would have took us straight back down again.

The clubs financial situation would look a lot better though.

[G Somerset Rover]

Found this interesting - https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12028/11774103/sky-bet-championship-201920-fans-predict-their-clubs-fate

Most fans seem to think their club has a shout for 6th. Going to be a very open season.

[rigger]

1 hour ago, philipl said:

Corrected for you.

Warnock was on his way to Rovers but something hijacked the position for Coyle.

Warnock was mightily angry and gave the Rovers a piece of his ming in private with edited highlights for public consumption.

So no way would Warnock ever come here when Coyle was sacked or indeed ever- he's 71 by the way...

I think you misunderstood the original post

[rovers11]

1 hour ago, philipl said:

I haven't looked forward to a new football season with such anticipation and pleasure since Mark Hughes was our manager.

 

I know that the odds are that I am destined to be disappointed and frustrated but sitting here without a ball being kicked, I believe that Rovers are sitting very pretty indeed.

 

For a start, there is no reason to have any realistic fear of relegation. We had bad runs last season but the causes of those runs  are being addressed and we forget that we also went on some very good runs as well and were rarely comprehensively out-played while in some matches out-performing form teams and promotion challengers.

 

There is also every reason to expect progress over last season and looking around the rest of the league,  there really aren't any clubs that we need to unduly fear. Certainly there are stronger clubs than Rovers but nobody we should regard in the same way that Burnley will “look forward” to playing  Manchester City or Liverpool for example.

 

Notwithstanding the possibility of a nightmare transfer window ending,  we have had no sleepless nights over losing key players II's which is quite a novelty as a Rovers fan and a very pleasant experience at that.

 

In-Comings have not been spectacular but man for man there is every prospect of the new signings being without exception improvements over the players who have left  in each position. I was sad to see Raya go but need to remind myself of Birmingham City at home as only the worst example for all the stunning saves he produced.

 

I like the way we have added players in the twilight of their careers bearing in mind we have so many tremendous prospects coming through from the Academy.  If Downing and Johnson in combination with Mulgrew and Graham give us a fabulous last year in this season only, Rovers will undoubtedly be there or thereabouts. 

 

Last season,  we had the second youngest squad in the championship. Inevitably, young players on average improve so we should should be stronger by the simple passage of time and accretion of experience.

 

What I have also come round to is liking the season start,  probably facing the league's bottom Club on the opening day two seasons running followed by Fulham away before they have got back into the habit of winning again.

 

I am not  predicting a playoff place,  but I would not be surprised to see Rovers and Brentford both upsetting a few apple carts by finishing in the top 6.

Good summary. 

[Brigger68]

Top 6 in no particular order.. 

Leeds United 

Fulham 

Cardiff City

West Bromwich Albion 

Preston North End 

Stoke City 

 

Bottom 3

Millwall 

Charlton Athletic 

Barnsley 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Not a single fan predicts that their team will finish 1st. Just shows what the Championship is like. 

https://www.skysports.com/transfer/news/11096/11774103/sky-bet-championship-201920-fans-predict-their-clubs-fate 

I think every club, bar Cardiff maybe, would take 6th right now if offered it. 

[Mattyblue]

Just now, Brigger68 said:

Top 6 in no particular order.. 

Leeds United 

Fulham 

Cardiff City

West Bromwich Albion 

Preston North End 

Stoke City 

 

Bottom 3

Millwall 

Charlton Athletic 

Barnsley 

5th?

I know you were excited about Bauer, but come on.

[frosty]

Struggling to come up with predictions for the top end of the division. Cardiff and West Brom you'd fancy to be top 6 due to their squads and (especially for Cardiff) managers, probably Fulham too due to their attacking talent, though Parker is an unknown.

Apart from that it's anyone's game. Anything could happen to Leeds - but they lost loads of games in the second half of last season, are supposedly weak at centre back and upfront, while Bielsa's second seasons at clubs have had a tendency to carry on where the first left off (i.e. on a downward spiral).

 

[benhben]

This sky sports poll has us as finishing 3rd bottom!

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11688/11774037/sky-bet-championship-2018-19-predict-how-the-24-teams-will-finish-in-the-table

[Silas]

Am I missing something Ben?

I clicked on it and has us 14th. 

[frosty]

19th for me, very odd.