Reply With Quote10th eh i would take that dont fancy stoke at all but im sure west brom will be thereabouts
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1. Stoke
2. West Brom
3. Leeds
4. Middlesbrough
5. Nottingham Forest
6. Brentford
7. Aston Villa
8. Swansea
9. Derby
10. Sheffield United
11. Preston
12. Millwall
13. Norwich
14. Blackburn
15. Sheffield Wednesday
16. Wigan
17. QPR
18. Birmingham
19. Ipswich
20. Bristol City
21. Reading
22. Bolton
23. Hull
24. Rotherham
Top goalscorer: Ollie McBurnie
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10th eh i would take that dont fancy stoke at all but im sure west brom will be thereabouts
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think hull will finish a bit higher,and from early form Leeds to push for autos. but so hard to call this year, who ever has the top top centre forwards will go up. maybe boro. phuck knows lolOriginally Posted by herbert
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If Leeds keep this up they're top 2 for sure. To be honest, I'd like to see them go up. Go on, shoot meh.
Stoke are by far the strongest on paper. It's a long season and they should make that quality count. Rowett's a decent enough manager.
As for relegation, it's always hard to call nowadays with this league because there are very few poor teams. You never really know who's going to be a shambles. I can think of one possible candidate.... but that's probably wishful thinking.
As for us, we could've given ourselves a much better chance but the league possibly looks a bit too strong anyway. 10th would be respectable but I fear we'd just be entering no man's land.
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Leeds seem to get off to a flyer every year whoever’s managing them then fall apart by New Year. Hopefully this season will be no different.
I’ll predict where we and others finish when I know who we’ve managed to recruit. A bit too early yet.
Last edited by GrayBlade; 12-08-2018 at 10:07 PM.
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I'll dump my full post transfer window preview on here as well.....
Last edited by herbert; 13-08-2018 at 07:51 AM.
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1st: Stoke City
Strongest squad. Reliable manager. Loaded. Have the be the outright favourites, and I expect them to deliver. They've only lost Shaqiri, and that was to a relegation release clause. Keeping the rest is a huge sign of intent. They have top quality players like Butland, Shawcross and Allen who appear to have committed to staying and getting the club back up. Despite their relegation, there's a feelgood factor among the fanbase and I don't think they'll suffer any hangover.
Best signing: Peter Etebo. Looked impressive in the World Cup for Nigeria and with his energy and athleticism, should be the type to do well in the Championship.
Key player: Joe Allen. If he stays, he'll ensure they have the possession and platform for their attacking players to shine.
2nd: West Bromwich Albion
Like Stoke, they don't strike me as a club in decline and I think their fans will be relishing this fresh start after many stale years in the PL. Much of that is down to Darren Moore's appointment as manager. He might not be proven but I think he has the strength of character and backing to do well at a club he knows inside out. They have a strong squad and have adequately replaced who they've sold, and they look particularly strong at the back.
Best signing: Dwight Gayle. Top striker at this level who guarantees they'll have enough goals in the squad.
Key player: Craig Dawson. Along with Sam Johnstone, he'll form a very solid foundation for them and could get into double figures goals wise.
3rd: Leeds United
Marcelo Bielsa is a huge appointment and I think a very good fit for Leeds. I think they could be this season's pace setters if Bielsa has them playing the high energy game he's known for. He's apparently watched every single game of theirs from last season so there's no doubt he's fully prepared. Much still depends on the signings they make but they're in for high quality players. The Leeds fans will be excited about what's in store and desperate for Bielsa to succeed, so they could also be a big asset for their team this season. I expect Elland Road to be a fortress this season.
Best signing: Barry Douglas. £3m is a steal for the best left back in the division last season. Will create a lot for them.
Key player: Patrick Bamford. Excellent player with good technique and under rated athleticism who is due a big season after being in the wrong place for the last few seasons.
4th: Middlesbrough
I'd be surprised if anyone amasses more 1-0 wins than Boro. They've lost Ben Gibson but with Aden Flint arriving their defence remains a real strong point, and with a proven dinosaur like Pulis in charge they should grind most teams down. They've lost Bamford and Traore but have brought in Hugill and more reinforcements throughout the squad are on the way. I don't think they'll be quite ruthless enough to claim an automatic spot but should be nailed on for the top 6.
Best signing: Aden Flint. A perfect Pulis player who will make a big difference in both boxes.
Key player: Britt Assombalonga. He needs to deliver. If he does, there's no doubt they'll be right up there.
5th: Nottingham Forest
They've spent a fortune and have a reliable manager so I expect them to do well, without troubling the automatic spots. Karanka's teams are usually solid, add to that the firepower they now have and they have no excuses for finishing outside the top 6. However, they need to offload a lot of players as their squad is too big.
Best signing: Lewis Grabban. Guaranteed goalscorer at Championship level, in any team.
Key player: Lewis Grabban. £6m isn't bad value in this market. Would expect him to be their talisman. Joao Carvalho will also be expected to deliver having cost £13m.
6th: Brentford
They've been thereabouts for a while now, and have a good manager in Dean Smith. They've replaced who they've sold and kept their best players. Ryan Woods is still there, and they even had the fortitude to reject £12m for their top prospect, which helps. They'll keep and build on their footballing style, and I expect a number of their players to improve, Watkins and Maupay for example. If they can avoid the sort of bad start they had last season they should have a great chance of an overdue top 6 finish.
Best signing: Ezri Konsa. Looks likely to replace Egan at centre back, although he can also play in midfield. Has been a good prospect for a while at Charlton and Brentford have done well to get him.
Key player: Ryan Woods. As long as he's there, they'll continue to be an excellent footballing team.
7th: Aston Villa
Despite their financial rescue, Steve Bruce is still manager, which will always handicap them. They've also lost Sam Johnstone and John Terry, who were rocks for them last season. Jack Grealish is still a Villa player though, at least until January, which is a bit of an unexpected bonus. They've also made some decent signings when it appeared they'd struggle to make any, with John McGinn the pick of them. They should certainly be competitive at the top end of the division but I have doubts over Bruce and don't think they look as strong as last season.
Best signing: John McGinn. Excellent young midfielder, a real all rounder and very similar to John Fleck. Will improve their midfield without doubt. For around £3m it's an outstanding signing. That he cost that from Hibs with only a year left on his contract speaks volumes.
Key player: James Chester. Defence was a strength of theirs last season and without Terry he'll need to be on top of his game for that to remain the case.
8th: Swansea City
Probably the most unpredictable team in the division this season. Good squad, but how's their mentality? Graham Potter's done well in Sweden, but can he carry that over to the Championship? It's hard to know. They really could go either way. They have a multi national squad and I suspect a lot of them really don't want to be there, but many are now likely to leave on loan deals. They could easily challenge for the top 2 but an 8th place finish would still be better than what many expected.
Best signing: Bersant Celina. Very talented young attacking midfielder, getting him permanently for about £4m is a great piece of business.
Key player: Ollie McBurnie. Getting him on a new contract was the best business they'll do all summer. A real all round centre forward capable of at least 20 goals at Championship level. They'll be reliant on him.
9th: Derby County
Lampard is unproven but he's a smart guy and I think he'll do OK as manager, in a demanding first job. They've made good signings with two excellent loanees in Mason Mount and Harry Wilson, along with Jack Marriott who should make the step up. Their squad is significantly stronger than last season, even though they've lost Vydra. Despite this, I feel they'll lack consistency. They have a huge squad and need to move certain players out, but may struggle to do so. The number of signings could work against them, as they have too many players to keep happy.
Best signing: Mason Mount. Very highly rated goalscoring midfielder who you'd expect to do well under Lampard.
Key player: Curtis Davies. One of the league's best centre backs, they'll need him to hold their defence together.
10th: Sheffield United
As long as we bring in a decent striker, I expect us to be competitive in the top half of the division, but without ever truly threatening the top places like we did last time. Egan should improve the defence and I fancy Coutts to come back well from an uncomplicated injury. But we're much more predictable from the start this season and I can't see Clarke and Sharp repeating their goalscoring feats from last season. While we've brought in some good players, our transfer window can hardly be considered a resounding success. We've pursued unrealistic targets and paid the price. The loan window will now decide our season, and that shouldn't have been allowed to happen. A 10th place finish would again be respectable.
Best signing: Dean Henderson. His saves will win us a lot of points.
Key player: John Fleck. Without him we'd be very pedestrian and average. Desperately need him to stay fit.
11th: Preston North End
Perennially under rated team. Last season was no fluke. But Sean Maguire again picking up a 3 month injury is a huge blow that will rob them of a lot of their attacking spark. His injury last season cost them a place in the play offs and this time it handicaps them from the start. But they're a solid outfit and have a number of other good attacking players, so there's no reason they shouldn't once again finish in the top half of the division and push for the play offs.
Best signing: Lukas Nmecha. Top striker prospect, they've pulled off a coup to get him on a season long loan from Man City.
Key player: Ben Pearson. Brilliant defensive midfielder at the heart of their team. His impressive ability on the ball is a bonus.
12th: Millwall
It'll be different for them playing with expectation. I still think they'll be comfortable though. Neil Harris has done a great job there and he should have them very competitive again. Their home ground is a huge advantage for them, it's a genuine fortress, perhaps the only one in the league, and it proves what a part the fans can play. Ben Marshall will be a big loss for them but they'll remain solid defensively with four good centre backs to choose from.
Best signing: Jiri Skalak. Marshall's replacement. Quite a high calibre permanent signing, he's a decent winger who featured for Brighton as they got promoted.
Key player: George Saville. Excellent all round central midfielder who almost single handedly helped them bridge the quality gap from L1 last season.
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13th: Norwich City
Sticking with greasy German manager Daniel Farke and continuing their selling policy indicates they're a club simply looking to stabilise. They got good money for James Maddison and unbelievable money for Josh Murphy, but have only reinvested a small percentage. Generally this isn't the way to improve. And relying on Jordan Rhodes for goals isn't advisable these days. Another mid table season looks highly likely.
Best signing: Ben Marshall. Had an excellent spell at Millwall where he seemed to score or assist in every game he played. A snip at around £1.5m. He'll produce for them but it remains to be seen where he plays, such is his versatility.
Key player: Grant Hanley. With the goals they've lost it's important they're decent at the back, and Hanley, their captain, will be key here.
14th: Blackburn Rovers
That season in L1 was just what they needed. They weren't such a bad side when relegated and now they're back with some good additions and momentum on their side. The loan signing of Kasey Palmer will help take them up a level, and complete a dangerous attacking midfield line. They could still do with a striker, but they appear to have found money from somewhere and are in the market for high calibre additions. I can't see anything other than comfortable survival for them.
Best signing: Adam Armstrong. For a reported initial £1.75m, this is a superb piece of business. A no risk investment. He's still only 21 and has bags of ability. Will be an option up front or in attacking midfield, and will only get better.
Key player: Bradley Dack. If he can carry his performances into the Championship he'll be a huge catalyst for them and ensure comfortable survival at the very least.
15th: Sheffield Wednesday
They're stale, they're a mess, they have an overpaid squad and collectively don't have a great mentality. They're paying the price for thoughtless excessive spending and certainly don't seem like a club on an upward curve. They have quite a defensive manager but don't have many defenders. Not a great recipe. At this rate they might not even be able to make any signings either. Good times for The Massive. 15th place is not to be sniffed at.
Best signing: No Body. They're the only club in the league to sign him. How funny is that?
Key player: Barry Bannan. As long as he's in the team they should at least be able to function to some extent.
16th: Wigan Athletic
They pissed L1 last season with a comparable points total to ours and a goal difference +15 better. They definitely have momentum and I think they could in fact finish a fair bit higher. They had a very strong finish to the transfer window and their summer business has to be rated as very good. They now have a comfortable Championship level squad with a lot of depth.
Best signing: Josh Windass. A £2m deadline day signing from Rangers. An exciting attacking midfielder, this is a big signing for them following promotion.
Key player: Nick Powell. In a team where Blades legends Dan Burn and Sam Morsy provide the solidarity, it will be Powell's responsibility to unlock opposition defences and he's by far the most equipped of their players to do so.
17th: Queens Park Rangers
Swapping Holloway for McClaren might not seem a massively progressive move but it's far from a disastrous one. He should be able to keep this squad in the division fairly comfortably. They have some good players, especially in midfield with Luongo, Scowen and Freeman. The emergence of Eberechi Eze is a big plus for them because he looks a huge talent. They've not been able to make many signings but their priority was to keep the likes of Freeman, and they've done that.
Best signing: Toni Leistner. German centre back who played around 100 games for Union Berlin. Has immediately been made captain.
Key player: Massimo Luongo. Midfielder at the heart of their team. Primarily a playmaker, but he's become a real all rounder and captained them last season.
18th: Birmingham City
A very well deserved transfer embargo has stopped them strengthening much but with Garry Monk in charge they should have enough to keep out of trouble. They have a solid squad and a sprinkling of quality with Jota and Maghoma.
Best signing: Kristian Pederson. Left back from Union Berlin. Their only permanent addition.
Key player: Jota. Their most talented player by a country mile. He doesn't belong in that team. They need to find a way to get the most out of him.
19th: Ipswich Town
I thought they'd get relegated initially, and really regret hounding McCarthy out. They'll still struggle, but I think they should have enough to stay up. Paul Hurst should have them working hard for each other and punching above their weight, certainly if his spell at Shrewsbury is anything to go by. They've freshened up their squad with a number of younger players with something to prove who'll have the hunger to make it at this level, but they'll still do very well to get near their 12th place finish last season.
Best signing: Gwion Edwards. Versatile winger signed from Peterborough. Pacy, direct and will definitely give them something new.
Key player: Bartosz Bialkowski. One of the league's best keepers and has won their player of the season three years in a row.
20th: Bristol City
Lee Johnson is a manager who seems to have a good initial impact and then burn out. I think that's what could happen here in his second full season. It doesn't help that they've sold their three best players in Joe Bryan, Aden Flint and Bobby Reid. They are significantly weaker as a result, despite reasonable attempts to replace them with Jay Dasilva, Adam Webster and Andi Weimann respectively. As a result, I expect them to struggle.
Best signing: Adam Webster. With him, they've replaced Flint about as well as they possibly could have.
Key player: Famara Diedhiou. He needs to build on a decent first season and lead an attack that needs to replace the goals Bobby Reid scored last season.
21st: Reading
On paper, they have a squad that should be nowhere near relegation. But they've been underperforming for a while now and Paul Clement is a very unconvincing managerial appointment. They seem to lack punch in attack and their defence can't be relied on to keep clean sheets. The Madejski's also about the furthest thing from a fortress you can get. I struggle to see Clement lasting the season, but no doubt his replacement will firefight them to survival.
Best signing: Sam Baldock. Pacy and with a powerful shot, he should get into double figures. A partnership with Jon Dadi Bodvarsson is surely the way to go for them.
Key player: John Swift. High quality midfielder. Has had injury issues but if they can get him in the team consistently, they could well finish a few places higher.
22nd: Bolton Wanderers
Their embargo's been lifted but they've still had very little to spend, once again having to scrape the barrel and rely hugely on free transfers. But they've actually recruited quite well. Luke Murphy is an impressive free transfer, while the loan addition of Yanic Wildschut is a surprising coup. They've definitely shaken things up and there's no doubt they'll be competitive, and give no one an easy game. But the lack of a quality striker could cost them.
Best signing: Josh Magennis. Wildschut and Murphy might be the more obvious ones but Magennis is a smart buy - their only buy, in fact. He's a very good target man who they'll get full value out of. Wouldn't be surprised to see him add more goals to his game and get into double figures.
Key player: Sammy Ameobi. Tall winger with natural athleticism and skill in abundance. Wasted at Bolton where he stands out like a sore thumb. He'll continue to be their main attacking outlet.
23rd: Hull City
Their squad is considerably weaker than last season, and I don't expect Nigel Adkins initial positive impact to be replicated over a full season. They've lost their glut of loanees, most notably Harry Wilson, who was a huge catalyst for their survival last season. They lack a goalscorer as things stand and are too reliant on Jarrod Bowen scoring from midfield. Look like relegation candidates.
Best signing: Reece Burke. Highly rated young centre back from West Ham. It was a surprise to see him move there on a permanent basis.
Key player: Jarrod Bowen. Young goalscoring winger. Was their shining light last season and they'll need more of the same after losing various important players.
24th: Rotherham United
Here to make up the numbers again by the looks of it. They almost got promoted too early. Paul Warne's surpassed expectations and done a good job there but they continue to operate as a L1 club. They simply can't compete at this level and the signings prove that.
Best signing: Clark Robertson. Centre back from Blackpool. This probably speaks volumes. They're doing their usual 'we'd rather be in League One thanks' style recruiting.
Key player: Will Vaulks. Their talisman, a decent all round midfielder who captained them to promotion.
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Best transfer business: Stoke City. They've put their PL riches to good use, and only lost Shaqiri. They look far too strong for the Championship. Ashley Williams, Afobe, Etebo, Clucas, McLean, Ince. Enough said.
Best signing: John McGinn - Aston Villa. They've got a near Fleck clone for around £3m. He'll add a huge amount to their midfield and really freshen them up. It's outstanding business.
Team to watch: Bielsa's Leeds. It's a very exciting time for their supporters.
Top goalscorer: Ollie McBurnie. He's an excellent all round centre forward and he'll be leading the line for a decent Swansea team.
I'll take Neal Maupay as an outside bet. I strongly fancy him to have a very good season for Brentford.
Player of the season: Joe Allen. Too good for this level and should show that over the course of a full season.
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Herbert got sore fingers.
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