Pre Season Previews

[The Rouge]

Leeds will not do that well...

[sandman]

Btw 442 also has Swansea one place above us in 9th.

[The Rouge]

But snowball.... - time will tell but I think that's a pretty decent set of predictions... Punditry is incredibly hard - I think it was Alan Hansen that said whenever they had prediction competitions some admin person in back office won...

I have got more right than wrong last season and in World Cup/Euro Championships but didn't do that well the season before last... - its a tough but exciting business!

[Snowball]

I disagree that Scunthorpe will finish in 200th place, that aside those predictions are fairly sound.

SORRY, THEY WERE THE ODDS AGAINST WINNING THE LEAGUE...

[Snowball]

But snowball.... - time will tell but I think that's a pretty decent set of predictions... Punditry is incredibly hard - I think it was Alan Hansen that said whenever they had prediction competitions some admin person in back office won...

Went to a birthday party at Newbury Racecourse.

They guys studied form and lost a packet.

the women backed the pretty ones (horses/colours/jockeys) and won bucketloads.



After doing that list, I kept thinking, ooh, they are too low, or they are too high.
There are very few teams that COULDN'T make the top six given luck, a purple patch
of form. It may come down to squad depth. I see QPR have now signed Tarabat permanently
and he's a real talent. That's a few points of their odds?

[Man Friday]

442 magazine has us finishing tenth. That's the same 442 that thought we'd finish 8th in 05/06 and 3rd last year due to our young ambitious manager.

These predictions from so called experts are complete b0ll0cks and should be taken with the biggest pinch of salt known to man. We may finish 7th, 10th or 2nd but no one can accurately predict any league and that is especially true with the Championship.

I could be wrong but I think Sky Sports had Newcastle to finish bottom last year... if it wasn't Sky Sports it was definitely a well-known site or publication because I remember reading it with sheer disbelief.

...yes, but not at the time. A lot of people had them to go down in landslide fashion.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

I remember Alan Hansen being asked about the quality of forecasts from pundits and he burst out laughing. He said that whenever there was a sweepstake in the office involving a football forecast it was always won by a complete amateur, typically a woman working in the back office.

the sad thing is that few experts appear to even think being paid for their expertise means they should make any effort to be better informed.

[Terminal Boardom]

I remember Alan Hansen being asked about the quality of forecasts from pundits and he burst out laughing. He said that whenever there was a sweepstake in the office involving a football forecast it was always won by a complete amateur, typically a woman working in the back office.

the sad thing is that few experts appear to even think being paid for their expertise means they should make any effort to be better informed.

Mark Lawrenson. I rest my case.

[Dirk Gently]

I remember Alan Hansen being asked about the quality of forecasts from pundits and he burst out laughing. He said that whenever there was a sweepstake in the office involving a football forecast it was always won by a complete amateur, typically a woman working in the back office.

the sad thing is that few experts appear to even think being paid for their expertise means they should make any effort to be better informed.

Mark Lawrenson. I rest my case.

Although he doesn't take them in the slightest bit seriously, and laughs at the thought that people do.

[Shaka]

Daily Mail has us down as 'Mid Table Mediocrity'


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... ason-.html

[sandman]

Baring in mind that the Mail also think the World is flat, Poland is empty and every Muslim on the planet is a terrorist I wouldn't take what they have to say too seriously.

[Dirk Gently]

Daily Express has us down as riding a moped in a Paris subway when Diana died.

[Royals-lad14]

1st Boro
2nd Forest
---------------
3rd Reading
4th QPR
5th Cardiff
6th Ipswich
-----------------
7th Hull
8th Swansea
9th Sheff Utd
10th Burnley
11th Palace
12th Leicester
-------------------
13th Coppells men
14th Leeds
15th Doncaster
16th Norwich
17th Derby
18th Preston
19th Millwall
20th Coventry
21st Watford
-----------------
22nd Pompey
23rd S****horpe
24th Barnsley

[The Prisoner]

Daily Mail has us down as 'Mid Table Mediocrity'


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... ason-.html

Predictions by Lord Triesman?

[coyrls]

From the Guardian:

Reading are plenty of people's dark horses. The Royals were the third best team in the division after the turn of the year, though they faded just when the play-offs came within reach. The only summer arrival (thus far) has been the dependable centre-half Marcus Williams from Scunthorpe. They boast arguably the best player in the division in the shape of Gylfi Sigurdsson. The play-offs, though, will probably be the most realistic target.

Champions: Burnley

Runners-up: Nottingham Forest

Play-offs: Middlesbrough, Reading, Sheffield United, Leicester

Relegation: Scunthorpe, Portsmouth, Ipswich

Full article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/football-league-blog/2010/aug/05/football-league-preview

[andrew1957]

My prediction is
1st Boro
2nd Forest
---------------
3rd Reading
4th QPR
5th Burnley
6th Ipswich
-----------------
7th Bristol City
8th Leicester
9th Sheff Utd
10th Cardiff
11th Norwich
12th Leeds
-------------------
13th Derby
14th Swansea
15th Doncaster
16th Palace
17th Hull
18th Preston
19th Millwall
20th Coventry
21st Barnsley
-----------------
22nd Pompey
23rd Scunthorpe
24th Watford

There look to be a lot of similar quality teams this year. Either one or two will run away with it as usual and the rest will be very tight for the play offs - or else the whole division will be tight and even automatic promotion might go down to the wire.

Hopefully we will run away with it.

[Snowball]

A few of us made predictions for the season (before the transfer window closed)

My thoughts on Reading (then) depended on keeping Gylfi, McAnuff and Kebe
but I think we have a better defence now (much better) so still think top six is realistic

This league looks VERY tough and a decent case can be made for at least half the teams in it.

Thought I'd take a shot at the lot of them if only to give people a laugh end of season

Sides that could be anything from 2nd to 12th are Ipswich, Bristol, QPR


17th Middlesbro (If they gel should be a serious force. Solid Manager, rich chairman. Right they are favourites
8TH Burnley (Plenty of good players, with promotion-winning experience. Not sure about the manager)
7TH Reading (PRESUMING THEY DON'T LOSE THE BIG 3... Go for wins, boom or bust season, top 6 likely, could get automatic promotion, even win it, but no 106)
6TH Norwich C (Gut feel that two of the promoted sides will do well, used to winning..should be top 8/9)
TOP QPR (Don't fancy them in my heart but they do have money...)
11TH Nottm For (Hard to dismiss after such a good 2009-10 but some unrest there?)
5TH Leeds Utd (Probably need 1-2 seasons of consolidation but this is a BIG club who might make play-offs)
21st Bristol C (Coppel, money, David James, but might win it next year) COPPELL LEFT!
4TH Ipswich T (Could win the whole thing or be in the bottom 3 with manager sacked. Just dunno!)

18TH Sheff Utd (Can't see anything but safe mid-table, but another dangerous club
24th Leicester (Maybe another top six but money troubles are gonna hit eventually)
19th Derby Co (Quiet... but a big club and good crowds. Wouldn't be surprised to see them challenge)
9TH Swansea (Not this year methinks, not enough goals and need to strengthen midfield?) SIGNED SCOTT SINCLAIR, SCORED 3+4 GOALS ALREADY
12th Millwall (Will hurt a few teams, but top-ten will be hard for them)
22nd Preston NE (Another possible dark-horse. Could be anywhere from 4th to 18th)
2ND Cardiff C (Will they keep their best players? Will they pay them? Good manager but dodgy finances) MONEY NOW SORTED? SIGNED BELLAMY after this!!
14th Barnsley (Probably safe but surely not good enough for top six)
13th Coventry (As Barnsley, but they do have history on their side)
20th Crystal P (Kind of club that is always dangerous in a single game but realistically should be bottom six)
10TH Doncaster (Decent club, might make top eight, but more likely to be below half-way IMO)
15th Hull City (Messed up club, messed up money, but probably have some decent players. May win a few but slowly slip is my guess.)
23rd Portsmouth (Financial horror-show, radically altered team-sheet, may get another points deduction. Yeah they MIGHT challenge, but I'd bet on bottom 5 or worse)
3RD! Watford (No money, can only see bottom six struggle) THE SEASON'S SURPRISE PACKAGE (SO FAR)
16th Scunthorpe (Div 1 set-up, doing well punching above weight, but surely bottom third?)


and


After doing that list, I kept thinking, ooh, they are too low, or they are too high.
There are very few teams that COULDN'T make the top six given luck, a purple patch
of form. It may come down to squad depth. I see QPR have now signed Tarabat permanently
and he's a real talent. That's a few points of their odds?

Pretty chuffed with this (so far).

Cardiff's signing of Bellamy was a big deal (tho' we'll see how many games he plays) and MAYBE they are getting on top of their money issues.

Watford are a total shock to me. Doubt they will finish in the top six and probably bottom half, but we shall see.

I think Middlesboro will steadily climb and be a safe top-six at least by season's end

[Franchise FC]

A few of us made predictions for the season (before the transfer window closed)

My thoughts on Reading (then) depended on keeping Gylfi, McAnuff and Kebe
but I think we have a better defence now (much better) so still think top six is realistic

This league looks VERY tough and a decent case can be made for at least half the teams in it.

Thought I'd take a shot at the lot of them if only to give people a laugh end of season

Sides that could be anything from 2nd to 12th are Ipswich, Bristol, QPR


17th Middlesbro (If they gel should be a serious force. Solid Manager, rich chairman. Right they are favourites
8TH Burnley (Plenty of good players, with promotion-winning experience. Not sure about the manager)
7TH Reading (PRESUMING THEY DON'T LOSE THE BIG 3... Go for wins, boom or bust season, top 6 likely, could get automatic promotion, even win it, but no 106)
6TH Norwich C (Gut feel that two of the promoted sides will do well, used to winning..should be top 8/9)
TOP QPR (Don't fancy them in my heart but they do have money...)
11TH Nottm For (Hard to dismiss after such a good 2009-10 but some unrest there?)
5TH Leeds Utd (Probably need 1-2 seasons of consolidation but this is a BIG club who might make play-offs) COPPELL LEFT!
21st Bristol C (Coppel, money, David James, but might win it next year)
4TH Ipswich T (Could win the whole thing or be in the bottom 3 with manager sacked. Just dunno!)

18TH Sheff Utd (Can't see anything but safe mid-table, but another dangerous club
24th Leicester (Maybe another top six but money troubles are gonna hit eventually)
19th Derby Co (Quiet... but a big club and good crowds. Wouldn't be surprised to see them challenge)
9TH Swansea (Not this year methinks, not enough goals and need to strengthen midfield?) SIGNED SCOTT SINCLAIR, SCORED 3+4 GOALS ALREADY
12th Millwall (Will hurt a few teams, but top-ten will be hard for them)
22nd Preston NE (Another possible dark-horse. Could be anywhere from 4th to 18th)
2ND Cardiff C (Will they keep their best players? Will they pay them? Good manager but dodgy finances) MONEY NOW SORTED? SIGNED BELLAMY after this!!
14th Barnsley (Probably safe but surely not good enough for top six)
13th Coventry (As Barnsley, but they do have history on their side)
20th Crystal P (Kind of club that is always dangerous in a single game but realistically should be bottom six)
10TH Doncaster (Decent club, might make top eight, but more likely to be below half-way IMO)
15th Hull City (Messed up club, messed up money, but probably have some decent players. May win a few but slowly slip is my guess.)
23rd Portsmouth (Financial horror-show, radically altered team-sheet, may get another points deduction. Yeah they MIGHT challenge, but I'd bet on bottom 5 or worse)
3RD! Watford (No money, can only see bottom six struggle) THE SEASON'S SURPRISE PACKAGE (SO FAR)
16th Scunthorpe (Div 1 set-up, doing well punching above weight, but surely bottom third?)


and


After doing that list, I kept thinking, ooh, they are too low, or they are too high.
There are very few teams that COULDN'T make the top six given luck, a purple patch
of form. It may come down to squad depth. I see QPR have now signed Tarabat permanently
and he's a real talent. That's a few points of their odds?

Pretty chuffed with this (so far).

Cardiff's signing of Bellamy was a big deal (tho' we'll see how many games he plays) and MAYBE they are getting on top of their money issues.

Watford are a total shock to me. Doubt they will finish in the top six and probably bottom half, but we shall see.

I think Middlesboro will steadily climb and be a safe top-six at least by season's end

Bloody hell !! I'd missed Copp's going to Leeds - and missed him leaving again - another short stay ?

[Snowball]

oops