April 29, 201312 yr Author As a fan of a Championship team for the last 5 years now, this is definitely the weakest it's been at the top for a while, probably since Derby were able to finish third and go up. On the one hand I do want us to sneak in the play-offs and go up, on the other I'm really not that bothered. It wouldn't surprise me if the three who went up came straight back down, none have much to offer. Our best defender has played in the Premier League three times and has failed miserably on each of them. Even Cardiff, they don't have the momentum that the likes of Southampton, Norwich and Blackpool had, and they don't have the quality of the likes of Swansea, West Ham and West Brom in recent seasons. I look at their squad and it's average, they've won this league because there's been little competition, not because they've significantly improved on recent near misses. Agreed, I think both the three promoted clubs will/shoud be favourites to come back down. That is unless Watford go up, and manage to get half of Serie A on loan. Wittingham reminds me so much of Tarrabt. Great Championship player, but not good enough to play that role in the Premier League. Cardiff need to invest very, very strongly. I suspect they will do though. They're so going to be the new QPR. Amuses me that Jack Hobbs plays for Hull. He's no way near Premier League quality unfortunately. He might have improved a lot, but I remember the few times he played for Liverpool, he looked absolutely shocking.
April 29, 201312 yr Amuses me that Jack Hobbs plays for Hull. He's no way near Premier League quality unfortunately. He might have improved a lot, but I remember the few times he played for Liverpool, he looked absolutely shocking. As Jack Hobbs has been dead for 50 years and was better known for his cricketing skills than football he does well to play at all :D
April 29, 201312 yr Author It's not been a good weekend for the North East :lol: Too right. I wonder whether the Di Canio euphoria is over. Wigan need to beat West Brom at the weekend to stand any chance of staying up. If Wigan go to the last game of the season knowing a victory will keep them up I fancy them to stay up.
April 29, 201312 yr Too right. I wonder whether the Di Canio euphoria is over. Wigan need to beat West Brom at the weekend to stand any chance of staying up. If Wigan go to the last game of the season knowing a victory will keep them up I fancy them to stay up. My uncle supports Sunderland and he has used every opportunity these past two weeks to bash the Newcastle supporters, but now he's gone all quiet tonight. :lol: And yeah, Wigan will probably scrape through like EVERY other season <_<
April 29, 201312 yr Author My uncle supports Sunderland and he has used every opportunity these past two weeks to bash the Newcastle supporters, but now he's gone all quiet tonight. :lol: And yeah, Wigan will probably scrape through like EVERY other season <_< Sunderland have been mostly dire all season, and Newcastle have been similar. No surprise they're both in a relegation battle. Both teams probably need 4 more points. Wigan need to find some consistency quickly, they need to win their game in hand or else they're going to be left adrift. It might even go down to goal difference if Newcastle don't pull their act together.
April 29, 201312 yr It's not been great recently for Hampshire either with Pompey and Aldershot both relegated.
April 29, 201312 yr Unbelievable Bentekkers has single-handedly saved my Fantasy Football team after Gaston Ramirez attempted to sabotage it.
April 30, 201312 yr Author It's not been great recently for Hampshire either with Pompey and Aldershot both relegated. I reckon Portsmouth might go straight back up. League 2 is pretty tinpot, and if they can make Fratton park a fortress they'll do exceedingly well.
April 30, 201312 yr A friend of ours who supports Sunderland claims they let Villa improve their goal difference to worry Newcastle. :lol: Aldershot might be hard pressed to get back into the league looking at how many former League clubs are still in the Conference. Luton, Grimsby, Lincoln, Cambridge United, Kidderminster, Macclesfield, and Hereford are all still there. Stockport relegated to Conference North. These are the ones I remember from my 20 years in the UK. Wrexham have a great chance on Sunday to get back in the league.
April 30, 201312 yr I reckon Portsmouth might go straight back up. League 2 is pretty tinpot, and if they can make Fratton park a fortress they'll do exceedingly well. Portsmouth's recent form has been fairly good so they should be among the promotion favourites. The financial uncertainties are - with luck - also behind them which should help. The Conference is now a very difficult league to escape. The fact that Luton couldn't even make the play-offs this year provides some evidence of that. It also remains the case that no team promoted to the football league has ever gone straight back down although York came close this season.
April 30, 201312 yr Author The problem with the Conference is there's no financial regulations like the football league. Mansfield were bankrolled by a millionaire, Forest Green are very similar and Newport have a Lottery winner investor. It's a hard league to get out of, I suspect Luton will suffer for a few more years yet. Their team is laughably average. Barnet and Aldershot have the benefit of being non-league teams so perhaps they might fare better than a lot of the league teams that go down. York were lucky to escape relegation. It was the same with Wimbledon last year. Both were too sentimental to the players that got them promoted. Once the league teams figure your style out you're screwed. League 2 is basically just a better version of the Conference these days. All big, physical target man teams do well.
April 30, 201312 yr The Conference doesn't have regulations preventing wealthy owners effectively buying promotion but they do have strict regulations on solvency. They have refused to allow clubs entry to the Conference and thrown others out or enforced points deductions.
April 30, 201312 yr Author The Conference doesn't have regulations preventing wealthy owners effectively buying promotion but they do have strict regulations on solvency. They have refused to allow clubs entry to the Conference and thrown others out or enforced points deductions. Exactly which is stupid. You can't really have one without the other. They have to accept two league clubs, but it's up the the Conference's digression where they place them, see Boston United! It's a horrible, horrible league. Just a shame so many ex-league clubs are down there.
May 2, 201312 yr League 2 play off semi finals also take place this evening. Bradford vs Burton Albion Northampton vs Cheltenham Hmm, hope it isn't Cheltenham as that would be a longer trip for Carlisle. Edited May 2, 201312 yr by Flatcap
May 3, 201312 yr Agreed, I think both the three promoted clubs will/shoud be favourites to come back down. That is unless Watford go up, and manage to get half of Serie A on loan. Wittingham reminds me so much of Tarrabt. Great Championship player, but not good enough to play that role in the Premier League. Cardiff need to invest very, very strongly. I suspect they will do though. They're so going to be the new QPR. Amuses me that Jack Hobbs plays for Hull. He's no way near Premier League quality unfortunately. He might have improved a lot, but I remember the few times he played for Liverpool, he looked absolutely shocking. personally, i think Cardiff and QPR will be the next Portsmouth cases. especially as Tan has stated he would be open for any offer of Cardiff. hope the lady-boys come straight back down embarrassingly :angry: promotion: Cardiff, Watford and Brighton relegation: barnsley, wolves and us sadly. :puke2:
May 3, 201312 yr League one play-off semi-final this evening. Sheffield United vs Yeovil. Hmm, hard one as Sheffield United only stumbled through really. They had a good chance of going up automatically, but they blew it. Anyway, Yeovil have a really good striker in Paddy Madden. Shame he didn't get the chance to shine at Carlisle, otherwise it could have been a different story from my viewpoint.
May 4, 201312 yr Stewarded at Hillsborough this afternoon, that was fun. Don't blame me for the pitch invasion. Weird day in the PL, every game that my family care about finished 0-0 and everywhere else was a goalfest. Sunderland and Newcastle are in trouble.
May 4, 201312 yr Norwich lost despite the noise campaign by the local newspaper. Somehow, Monday morning's reading of the newspaper isn't going to be too cheerful. Wolves relegated as well as Peterborough. Hmm, local trip for me to see Carlisle. :cheer:
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