Championship - 2022/23

Brice Samba would be a clear improvement on whatever goalies we have.

Would he go to us whatever division Forest are in next season? Nope.

 

Can’t be bothered to leave the club now either. Not so long ago he was saying he needed to go elsewhere.

 

Sunderland back up next season. Suspect they’ll be there or there about.

 

Dunno, I didn't think they were that good from what little I saw of the game. Then again they will strengthen over summer and wycombe were really poor

 

Pritchard and Roberts looked good but they have a young squad by the look of it. Will be interesting to see what recruitment they do, a few old heads brought in and they might do well. Biggest club in the Championship next season I reckon.

 

On a tangent, good to see York City - a club we played at a couple of times during our short stint in the third tier and which was given a particularly raw deal by COVID, in part because of that ridiculous PPG end to the 2019/20 season - finally promoted from National League North today. York is a beautiful city which should be hosting league football which their club are just one step from.

 

Nah…biggest massive club that’ll be on TV all the time with all the commentators clichés will be Leeds of course

so come on Brentford, do your stuff tomorrow

 

A bit of a shame their new ground is not near the centre of the city any more like Bootham Crescent was.

 

Yes. Was rooting for Wycombe for that reason.

 

Didn’t know they’d moved recently - I notice it was early 2021, around the same time the seasons in the divisions below the National League Premier were cancelled, ensuring King’s Lynn who benefited from the PPG farce at the expense of York were able to waste a place in the National League for another season. Justice has been done with the two swapping places - a proper and honest club instead of yet another one with hardly any fans who try to buy their way up the pyramid and can’t sustain it.

 

Pleased its Burnley, not Leeds. Shame it’s Sunderland and not Wycombe but hey ho.

 

Yep, it's definitely better for us next season.

 

Sounds like Burnley might be screwed if they need to spend all their PP money on repaying debt?

People were saying their leveraged buyout was daft and based on Burnley remaining a PL club, well clearly the buyers planned for relegation and made sure if it happened they got all their money back, unfortunately for Burnley the football club it’s likely to be at their expense. Probably would’ve been a nice cash cow for them if they remained a PL club but they get their investment back once they’re relegated.

 

Definitely at their expense but I reckon they could still be competitive next season. It's presumably not in the interests of their lenders to grind them into the dust and the best bet for them is to have Burnley as a PL club. I suspect they'll end up having to sign away a chunk of the parachute payments but not all, and refinance the rest of the debt on eye-watering terms. Plus they have the benefit of a (small) Yr 3 parachute payment, which we and Norwich won't of course.

 

Yeah I guess the clause protects their interests in the event of relegation, but they don’t have to exercise it to the letter if they don’t want to which as you say isn’t really in their interests, at least not yet anyway.

 

Assuming Forest go up - I'm fairly certain we'll kick off the new season as favourites?

Norwich are absolute pish without Buendia and have now lost most of their good young players, expect Aarons will go too.
Burnley - looking at the finances, no chance.

Of the teams who will now be losing parachute payments, Shef Utd - will lose Berge and Gibbs White - but will be up there. West Brom - Bruce staying.

Swansea and Boro only two teams I'm really worried about. Swansea will hopefully lose Piroe - Boro have a very good manager.

We should be looking to get cash in early doors for anyone who wants out - real opportunity with the free agents available. Don't see anyone walking the league this time.

I know we've had an abysmal season, but historically under the Pozzo's we do tend to do well in the Championship - that Zola/Sannino season aside.

 

I think Sunderland will be pretty good, Blackburn could be decent if Dack & Diaz stay fit. Other than that, can't see many teams vying to be the runaway leaders but a good summer can change a lot of those clubs fortunes.

Championship is normally one team running away, one not too far behind, two teams vying for 3rd then about 14 other teams who could finish 6th and then the fodder from 19th to 24th.

 

Given recent Championship history, and they have Dean Smith, I’m nigh on certain Norwich will be initial favourites.

 

Norwich got one more point this season without Buendia than they got when they were relegated last time with him. They’re a lot more stable than us and they won’t have anything like the player turnover we’ll inevitably have, plus they have an eye for a decent championship player. I expect to see more of the same with them being up there at the top.

 

I think this will be the first year in a while were all 3 relegated teams will struggle

 

Funnily enough Sky have just brought out the market - we kick off as 7/1 favourites for title.

 

How can they make us favourites when they have no idea what sort of a team we will be able to put out next season?

 

Because neutrals and casuals will see the Premier League table, but with some awareness of Burnley's finances? They certainly won't necessarily see all the negatives we do!

 

Norwich are, as you may expect, also doom and gloom, even though I personally think they shouldn't feel so negative about the Championship next season!

 

Smith has been awful since they beat us in January. Absolutely dire - I think they’ve picked up fewer points than Hodgson did during his period in charge. It doesn’t look like they’ll make a change either.

They do have some decent championship assets in Pukki, Krul, Gibson, Hanley etc. But they were heavily reliant on Buendia both times they got promoted in recent years and have no one who will replicate that output. I reckon they’ll finish 6th or so.

Obviously a lot of business for all teams to do and given the turnover one would expect from us and Burnley (who have no manager and a lot of their players out of contract) it’s very hard to predict who will be there or thereabouts.

Boro and Sheff Utd (and Forest, if they don’t go up) have to be the favourites of the non-relegated sides. Swansea could push for the top 6 too but there’s not much evidence that Martin can take a big step up and push for promotion - his side might just flatter to deceive.

West Brom are third favourites at 9/1 but no idea how/why.

 

I think QPR and Coventry could be there or there abouts next year. Good outside bets for the playoffs at least.

 

I agree. The Championship is looking very open next year with the relegated teams looking weak imho.

 

Coventry sign very, very well. Have three players in Hamer, O'Hare and Gyokeres who I'd absolutely love here.

 

Yeah I’m high on Coventry. Mark Robins has done superbly and they have a really strong squad with Sheaf, Hamer, O’Hare and Gyokeres top players. QPR - who knows? I think they could implode, personally, but time will tell if Warburton was keeping them afloat or holding them back.

 

The reality doesn’t always tally with the bookies initially though. Much like when initial ‘favourites’ are given when the Watford job comes about. The reality is none of them are really close to start.

Norwich will be the early favourites because of their history of winning it and their managers record in the division.

Bookies favourite and educated analysts favourite will be different as they always are.

 

I would have thought they're just pricing solely to cover risk at this stage. No point being smart and offering longer odds on us because they think we're chaotic behind the scenes, only to get rinsed if we suddenly get our act together. Plus arguably Pozzo's good Championship credentials and the general trend for clubs with parachute payments to be right up there in the promotion mix makes it a no-brainer for us to have a short price currently.

 

Pretty crazy that we won't be playing Barnsley next season. Hopefully history repeats and Scum finish 24th.

 

I will be going bitcoin crazy on the mighty Orns in the Championship. 7's is very tight from the bookies though. We will drift once the whole of our forward line move on.

 

Yep we're going to have essentially a completely different team in a few months, they've got the manager right - now a lot more work to do.