Who is the favorite to win next year's Championship division?

[Crazy_Yank]

I'm gonna go with Leeds United, but that's my Eddie Lewis bias showing thru. Perhaps one of Sunderland, Birmingham, or West Brom will bounce right back?

[act smiley]

US! :p
Well, maybe not. Playoffs, though, are what I'm hoping for - realism but ambition at the same time.
Birmingham have a strong team, but a dodgy manager, West Brom are the same. Playoffs I'd say, really, although it wouldn't be too suprising if they did a bit better. Sunderland need god for a manager to do anything - mid table. Wouldn't suprise me to see Leeds up there maybe - doubt they'll walk it but the playoffs again wouldn't suprise, would have said Palace if they hadn't gone and got Taylor of all people as it is... well. Coventry are looking impressive and I think they'll get into the playoffs. Wolves will have a revolving door of managers who fail to deliver instant success. Cardiff will probably struggle without Jerome and probably won't be pushing for the playoffs this time.
So, to sum up - theres a lot of decent teams out there but no clear amazing ones.

[sterock85]

Sunderland...with Niall Quinn and the consortium...money to spend...over 40,000 fans again at the stadium of light......and with martin o'neil or sam allardyce favourites for the job they will probably win the league........again lol. would be the fourth time in ten years if they win it again.
birmingham, leeds, WBA, norwich, preston and maybe even leicester will all be up there too

[lanman]

Sunderland...with Niall Quinn and the consortium...money to spend...over 40,000 fans again at the stadium of light......and with martin o'neil or sam allardyce favourites for the job they will probably win the league........again lol. would be the fourth time in ten years if they win it again.

My understanding is that while there will be some money available it won't be anymore than the other main contenders in the division.

[sterock85]

My understanding is that while there will be some money available it won't be anymore than the other main contenders in the division.

£5-6 million...i believe that to be alot more than the other teams in this league.

[lanman]

£5-6 million...i believe that to be alot more than the other teams in this league.

I've heard that, but I've also heard other figures around half of that. Birmingham will have at least £5m having just sold Heskey.

[sterock85]

the thing is though its not the case of having only 5-6 million , if needed they would be more funds available...but there isnt the need to spend too much as with a few quality signings we'd have a team more than capable of gaining promotion...remember most of the team we have won this league 2 years ago. im not saying its gonna be easy but we certainly will be right up there with birmingham etc...i hope ;) we are also looking likely to get a good manager as it eems to be one of o'neil, curbishly or allardyce.

another thing today is quinn has spoken to julio arca asking him to stay....lets hope.

[hammer_paul]

1st cardiff
2nd birmingham
3rd coventry


PJ:)

[leg_breaker]

Why the hell would Allardyce go to Sunderland?

[DevilDave]

If Bryan Robson can overcome his fits of madness and ego, the Albion will be there near the top at end of season. Thanks to great finances, we...

1) haven't sold any of our top players from last season's team (which was certainly a poor Premiership side but one that could possibly wreak havoc in the Championship)

2) have added the likes of John Hartson and Chris Perry and possibly more before the transfer deadline.

We have high expectations for the season. If we're not in a promotion spot or one of the play-off places at mid-season, there will be calls for Robson's head.

[sterock85]

Why the hell would Allardyce go to Sunderland?

because he wants a new challenge? he knows that Sunderland are a bigger club...get bigger crowds...48,000 now that murray has gone. he's done all he can at bolton maybe and whats to repeat the same at sunderland

[sbybil]

Ipswich Town

[RichardL]

If Bryan Robson can overcome his fits of madness and ego, the Albion will be there near the top at end of season. Thanks to great finances, we...

1) haven't sold any of our top players from last season's team (which was certainly a poor Premiership side but one that could possibly wreak havoc in the Championship)

We have high expectations for the season. If we're not in a promotion spot or one of the play-off places at mid-season, there will be calls for Robson's head.
the question mark against all relegated sides is whether they have the stomach to battle away for promotion, or do they expect they'll be so good that it'll be handed to them on a plate? The quality may not be fantastic, but it's a rather unforgiving place for teams with the wrong attitude. There are loads of clubs who'll love nothing better than sticking a few goals past teams who think it'll be easy against clubs who only get 8000 fans.

[DevilDave]

the question mark against all relegated sides is whether they have the stomach to battle away for promotion, or do they expect they'll be so good that it'll be handed to them on a plate? The quality may not be fantastic, but it's a rather unforgiving place for teams with the wrong attitude. There are loads of clubs who'll love nothing better than sticking a few goals past teams who think it'll be easy against clubs who only get 8000 fans.

I suppose you're right. I get the feeling there is an expectation amongst the Albion faithful that anything short of bouncing back up would be a failure, especially as we did it before. Granted, that was under a different manager and a completely different set of players than we have now. We only have a handful of players remaining from the Albion team of 2003/04 which gained automatic promotion after our first relegation from the Premiership following the 2002/03 season. I am eager to see if our current set of players have the stomach to follow their predecessors' example.

Obviously, every other club in the division will give their all to crush the relegated sides. I particularly expect those sides who have tasted life at the top level before, like Norwich, Palace and W***es, will be desperate to beat the three clubs who have more recently fallen from grace.

[Crazy_Yank]

Would you guys agree that this league is probably the best 2nd division in the world? Perhaps one of the top 15 leagues in the entire world? I definitely think it's the hardest league to win.

[RichardL]

Would you guys agree that this league is probably the best 2nd division in the world?

It's very hard to tell as there are so few match-up between clubs at this level. It's undoubtedly one of the strongest, but that's only to be expected from a country of over 45 million people. Clubs at the same level are undoubtedly weaker and less supported elsewhere, but as you don't get the same level of overseas stars being brought in, it probably doesn't effect quality that hugely. The typical Serie B team might only get 6000 instead of 16,000 here, but the only effect of that is that they pay the players less - it doesn't mean they have a smaller talent pool to choose from.


Perhaps one of the top 15 leagues in the entire world? I definitely think it's the hardest league to win.
the finances are rather different in the CCC compared to the premiership. Whereas those at the top of the premiership are often raking in huge profits, the bigger clubs in the championship are often building up large debts, either because they are still tied to premiership contracts for their players, or they are trying to build to get into the premiership, and trying to do it overnight rather than building a team. The upshot of that is that unlike the premiership you can't just back the big boys and expect them to almost certainly be at the top. To compound the issue, because pundits don't really really follow the league that closely, they'll tip the big guns to win without actually bothering to give it much thought. This gives the impression that big clubs are finding it much harder than expected to dominate the division, when in reality, people who actually know about the division would be able to see that the teams those big clubs field just aren't good enough, and it was unrealistic to expect them to challenge.

It happens throughout the league, and the result is that pundits find other excuses to explain why colchester can finish above twice european cup winners nottingham forest - the fact that colchester might actually have better players just seems incomprehensible to them.

[DestroyerDaMarc]

I've gotta give the nod to out of all teams, Burnley. I just get one of thoes feelings.

[John Boy]

the question mark against all relegated sides is whether they have the stomach to battle away for promotion, or do they expect they'll be so good that it'll be handed to them on a plate? The quality may not be fantastic, but it's a rather unforgiving place for teams with the wrong attitude. There are loads of clubs who'll love nothing better than sticking a few goals past teams who think it'll be easy against clubs who only get 8000 fans.


This (along with the manager and lack of strikers) is pretty much the main concern of Albion supporters at the moment. When we came down last time we had these qualities by the bucketload. Last season we pretty much gave away our Premiership status without a fight, so to turn it round will take a hell of alot, and many just don't think the manager is up to it. There are a few fans who think we'll romp it, seemingly based on that we havn't really sold any of our Premiership players (yet). They don't seem to remember we were a pretty rubbish Premiership team.

I suppose you're right. I get the feeling there is an expectation amongst the Albion faithful that anything short of bouncing back up would be a failure, especially as we did it before.

Yep, definitely, although I think alot of it is down to feeling cheated by the Manager and to an extent the chairman last season.

There was a nice comment on an Albion forum re: Expectations which I liked

I expect mediocrity but demand automatic promotion.

[SheffWedFan]

Would you guys agree that this league is probably the best 2nd division in the world? Perhaps one of the top 15 leagues in the entire world? I definitely think it's the hardest league to win.

I think so. Looking at this year's list of clubs, you've got:

- Last year's relegated trio wanting to straight go back up: Sunderland, West Brom, Birmingham
- The three who missed out in last year's playoffs who'll want to capitalise on the success of last season: Preston, Leeds, Palace
- Former EPL teams who think they deserve to be back there: Wolves, Leicester, Southampton, Coventry, Ipswich, Norwich, Wednesday
- The trio promoted from D1 who want to make their mark: Southend, Colchester, Barnsley
- Several teams who always seem to be up the top end of the table: Cardiff, Plymouth, Burnley, Derby

Doesn't leave many teams out of the running. Hull? Luton? QPR? Stoke? Even these guys can beat any team in the league on their day.

I'd say its certainly the most competitive league. And when you look at the teams who just missed out on promotion from the other major leagues in Europe last year, who'd win in these matchups?

Leeds vs Mantova?
Sunderland vs Tarragona?
West Brom vs Greuther Furth?
Palace vs Caen?

I'd have to say the CCC side each time.

[thebigman]

birmingham city, i think west brom 2nd and southapton in the play offs