Teams to watch out for this season

[Wearethewhites]

It's going to be a very tough Championship this season, tougher than last, as the Championship seems to becoming the new Premiership.

Gone are the days where a couple of teams would run away with promotion, the whole league is competitive now, and full of ex-premiership teams.

Averagely, a 20 goal a season striker would cost you 2.5-3M, now, they're going for 10M+ and teams coming up from the 1st division, are having to invest heavily just to stay in it - madness.

For me, there will be some stupid money thrown around again, especially by the likes of Villa, Wolves, Boro, Leeds, Sunderland, even Bristol City are having a go.

Based on this, who do you think will be a threat this season, or a dark horse?

Villa, Boro for me will be the big boys, possibly Millwall, Burton for the chop.   

[twang]

Don't think it's a tougher league (to get out of) than last season. Newcastle and Brighton were, for most of the season, in a league of their own and occupied the two automatic promotion places. Also, Newcastle, Norwich and even Villa were in a better place than Hull and Sunderland are now at this point, so the relegated sides were much more of a threat.

Onto the topic though: I think Rowett's Derby will be top 6. Warnock will have Cardiff thereabout as well and Nottingham will be much stronger under Warburton, if they keep Zohore and Assombalonga respectively.
Can see Leeds, Sunderland and Hull having disappointing seasons if their fans expects a promotion push. Ipswich, QPR and Millwall are relegation candidates.

[Wearethewhites]

Don't think it's a tougher league (to get out of) than last season. Newcastle and Brighton were, for most of the season, in a league of their own and occupied the two automatic promotion places. Also, Newcastle, Norwich and even Villa were in a better place than Hull and Sunderland are now at this point, so the relegated sides were much more of a threat.

Onto the topic though: I think Rowett's Derby will be top 6. Warnock will have Cardiff thereabout as well and Nottingham will be much stronger under Warburton, if they keep Zohore and Assombalonga respectively.
Can see Leeds, Sunderland and Hull having disappointing seasons if their fans expects a promotion push. Ipswich, QPR and Millwall are relegation candidates.

Do you really see the Ha Ha's having a poor season? Gone are the days of them spending big, and they do, look, rather average these days, must admit.

[AlexW132]

Sunderland will be nowhere near promotion

[Woolly Mammoth]

Teams to watch out for ? Exactly 23 of them twice. It's like that every season, and I cannot see it ever changing.
It's never been easy for any team, and probably never will be.
But three teams achieve it every season, three go the other way, and seventeen scratch their heads and regroup and plan to try and improve the following season.
We have to try and make sure on this occasion one of the three going up is Fulham FC.

[Carborundum]

Leeds surely just need a couple of quality midfielders to become formidable.

Wolves struck me as very good and likely to improve.  But the trouble with single game eye witness evidence is that poor teams have good days and vice versa.  I thought Huddersfield were deeply, exploitably flawed last season and we all know how that ended.

[Mince n Tatties]

Nottingham Forest.

[Balham Boy]

They probably don't have strength in depth, but I think Brentford looked very good at our place, especially with Jota signing a new contract.......

[Woolly Mammoth]

Nottingham Forest.

Whoever Saga signs for

[Horsfield_No9]

Forest with Warburton and the good squad they have will be among it.

[aaronmcguigan]

Forest will be nowhere near the top. Assombalonga has lost it , Brereton still developing. Cough and Cohen the only decent players there, Cummings seems alright but blew hot and cold for Hibs in the division below the division everyone usually says is a Mickey Mouse league.

Wolves will implode . There will end up being a war between domestic and foreign imports, especially at the silly prices they have been spending

Leeds have an average team but will be led by some fella who will be out by November. They will need a hosting of loan signings just to get the 7th they covet so much

Sunderland currently have one striker, Asoro and if you look at their twitter, they're pinning their hopes on 2 players back from injury, Watmore and some ex United player, failure still smells here and Grayson does a great job of getting mid table finishes in this league

Norwich will improve as Neil hadn't got a clue last season. If Oliveria sticks around, Hoolohan, Howson and the Murphys, they should do ok but the manager is unknown and only got the job on the success of ex Dortmund managers in the country.

Cardiff are buying absolute dung and will be sure of a relegation scrap, take Zohore out of that bunch and it's a mudslinging survival contest. Signings of Mendez Laing and our ex 4th choice Etheridge ??

Could go on but there's is so many weak teams to exploit in this division . We done it last year and we just need to add consistency to get out of this league. For every good player these teams have, they have about 5 journeymen and 5 unfit disillusioned ex prem players. It's ours for the taking, we know we can do it

[Twig]

Don't think it's a tougher league (to get out of) than last season. Newcastle and Brighton were, for most of the season, in a league of their own and occupied the two automatic promotion places. Also, Newcastle, Norwich and even Villa were in a better place than Hull and Sunderland are now at this point, so the relegated sides were much more of a threat.

Onto the topic though: I think Rowett's Derby will be top 6. Warnock will have Cardiff thereabout as well and Nottingham will be much stronger under Warburton, if they keep Zohore and Assombalonga respectively.
Can see Leeds, Sunderland and Hull having disappointing seasons if their fans expects a promotion push. Ipswich, QPR and Millwall are relegation candidates.

I agree with most of this, pretty much spot on.

[Horsfield_No9]

Pains me to say but no one mentioning Brentford. They finished very strongly last season.

[Mince n Tatties]

My other love Tooting n Mitcham won the league last season,only one below National now,the Terrors are on the move... 049:gif

[Andy S]

Oh and a penalty king and a free kick man

[Woolly Mammoth]

My other love Tooting n Mitcham won the league last season,only one below National now,the Terrors are on the move... 049:gif

They are also nicknamed the Stripes or the Jailbirds.

[jarv]

Forest...too far behind. Will take a season at least to stabilise.
Wolves, Villa and Leeds...everyone expects but too often end up mediocre. (Villa still in a mess since relegation)
Boro, Derby could be there, also Norwich seem to be quite consistent.

Fulham ended as the best team in the division, so more of the same with a couple of additions should see them in the top 4 at least.

[Mince n Tatties]

My other love Tooting n Mitcham won the league last season,only one below National now,the Terrors are on the move... 049:gif

They are also nicknamed the Stripes or the Jailbirds.

:54:

[toshes mate]

It's always tough to get promoted, regardless of how 'good' you are but the secret, demonstrated more by Brighton than Newcastle last season, is consistency in results.  I see quite a few role reversals appearing during the course of the new season as compared to last as patterns establish themselves and weaknesses in 'team' constructions begin to crack apart.  It isn't all down to apparent strength or quality of players, as many relegated sides realise to their cost.  It is down to team fitness for purpose in striving to win enough Championship points to get into the top two places.   I'd not be surprised if the league table at the end of August gives a good indication of who is going to end up fighting for promotion and relegation with only a couple of sides appearing in deceptive positions.   If anything it may be a better season for quality of team construction to show its mark, rather than exceptional individual talent.

[Tabby]

Huddersfield, Reading and Fulham wouldn't have been on anyones favourites for promotion last year (having all finished within three points of Rotherham), so I'd say that most teams should be watched out for.

Sheffield will probably be up there again, Leeds might be able to do something constructive now that they got rid of Cellino, Norwich and Villa will probably sort themselves out sooner or later.

I think the teams that dropped down this year are poorer than last year though.