Reading second favourites to win league

[Great Knolly]

In some ways it's up to QPR whether or not they want to go up next year. They have soooooo much money. How much of it do they want to spend ? They've spent a little bit this year. Do they want to gradually feed in more money this year and consolidate in the top half with a good chance of a play-off place. Or will they lose patience and just splash the cash. How much money would near guarantee a top 2 spot. £100 Million ? £150 Million ? It's chicken feed to the QPR owners.

[Denver Royal]

In some ways it's up to QPR whether or not they want to go up next year. They have soooooo much money. How much of it do they want to spend ? They've spent a little bit this year. Do they want to gradually feed in more money this year and consolidate in the top half with a good chance of a play-off place. Or will they lose patience and just splash the cash. How much money would near guarantee a top 2 spot. £100 Million ? £150 Million ? It's chicken feed to the QPR owners.

What, so we can't compete in this division either?

[Vision]

These talented players, care to elaborate on how well they've done?

Darren Bent is the only one that's gone onto to decent things if you exclude this season. Unless you include the likes of Ian Westlake they've brought through no one of note after they sold Stewart, Holland, Bramble and Ambrose back in 2002/2003.

Cardiff City have brought through much better players in Gunter and Ramsey in the last year alone and also reached a FA Cup final.

Cardiff>Ipswich.

All the players you mention fall into the 6 year period you mention. I'd add Scowcroft and Price off the top of my head to that list as well , not to mention the potential of the likes of Peters and Billy Clarke as well as Danny Haynes. Of course the last 3 may not make it but they certainly constitute potential 1st team players which is the point i'm making.

To be fair Cardiff have also brought through youngsters like Ledley and Cameron Jerome in recent seasons but then i wouldn't describe them as a "nothing club" either but as they finished 12th (4 places lower than Ipswich) in the championship then by your criteria they must be.

[Great Knolly]

In some ways it's up to QPR whether or not they want to go up next year. They have soooooo much money. How much of it do they want to spend ? They've spent a little bit this year. Do they want to gradually feed in more money this year and consolidate in the top half with a good chance of a play-off place. Or will they lose patience and just splash the cash. How much money would near guarantee a top 2 spot. £100 Million ? £150 Million ? It's chicken feed to the QPR owners.

What, so we can't compete in this division either?

I'm sure we can, but there might be only 1 automatic place available.

[allwite123]

the only reason birmingham are ahead of us is coz they have been down and came back up instantly.

i think we goot a good chance if we can keep the same squad!!!

[juanpablo]

the only reason birmingham are ahead of us is coz they have been down and came back up instantly.

i think we goot a good chance if we can keep the same squad!!!

if we both keep the same squads imo brums has a bit more quality

Carsley will be imense at this level

[papereyes]

You know nothing about football, keep your gob shut lad.

The Championship isn't a strong league, theres just a lot of very average sides in it. Look at the sides that went up this season and the amount of games they lost.

Sorry, all that shows is the relative strength within the league certainly not a comparison with any other group of teams. You'd really have to look at when Championship teams played Premiership teams but even that would be flawed.

Have you actually watched any of the teams in the Championship? The standard is terrible. Stoke and whoever goes up via the play offs will be lucky to get 20 points next season in the Premiership. West Brom only have a chance because they play a better brand of football.

Just because the league is competitive doesn't mean it's high on quality. The Championship is competitive because 90% of the teams are average. The difference between a midtable side and a side challenging for promotion is often the quality of a clubs loan signings.

Exactly. But picking a stat that shows the competitiveness and then using it to say its not a high quality is just wrong.

[SpaceCruiser]

In some ways it's up to QPR whether or not they want to go up next year. They have soooooo much money. How much of it do they want to spend ? They've spent a little bit this year. Do they want to gradually feed in more money this year and consolidate in the top half with a good chance of a play-off place. Or will they lose patience and just splash the cash. How much money would near guarantee a top 2 spot. £100 Million ? £150 Million ? It's chicken feed to the QPR owners.

What, so we can't compete in this division either?

I'm sure we can, but there might be only 1 automatic place available.

Why do you think that? Is the Premiership being reduced again?

[Royal Rother]

Have you actually watched any of the teams in the Championship? The standard is terrible. Stoke and whoever goes up via the play offs will be lucky to get 20 points next season in the Premiership. West Brom only have a chance because they play a better brand of football.

Just because the league is competitive doesn't mean it's high on quality. The Championship is competitive because 90% of the teams are average. The difference between a midtable side and a side challenging for promotion is often the quality of a clubs loan signings.

Exactly. But picking a stat that shows the competitiveness and then using it to say its not a high quality is just wrong.

I think this strictly neutral assessment from a Watford supporter summed it up better than any of us could.

The league is worse than when you guys romped home and if you can the squad together I am sure you will be around the top 2.

We've been rubbish since November and managed a play-off place which proves how average it is.

[papereyes]

Which makes it worse than when we were rubbish from November and only just missed out on a playoff place.



I just got annoyed at the completely hopeless analysis of the stat, tbf.

[Cookie]

Championés

[Denver Royal]

I think this strictly neutral assessment from a Watford supporter summed it up better than any of us could.

The league is worse than when you guys romped home and if you can the squad together I am sure you will be around the top 2.

And so if we aren't, you'll be having a rant and calling for heads...right?

[Top Flight]

Realistically the bookmakers are wrong.

There is no way that we can be second favourites to go up this year.

We're gonna lose Shorey for starters. Then there is a good chance we could lose 2,3 or even 4 of our strikers from the past 2 years.

Harper could well be in demand, as could Hunt, as could our centre backs Sonko & Bikey. We have already released De La & Oster.

Little may not come back as the player he was before his injuries. Our wing could only have Convey on it who is also not the same player following his injury problems.

Maybe I'm being negative, but with our very tight budget as well, it could be very difficult for us to do anything that resembles a promotion side next season. Copp may need 2 to 3 years of rebuilding the whole thing up again.

I will give him the time, but I know that alot of people are gonna get frustrated and pi**ed off next season.

[Royal Rother]

I think you will pleasantly surprised at how few players move on.

We should be favourites, not 2nd favourites.

[Schards#2]

I wouldn't be wanted to bet on this market until the transfer windows closes as, up to that point, the quality of the team you are backing is pretty much guesswork.

I would, however,suggest that the appointment of Dowie indicates that QPR won't have access to any vast sums of money this season.

[.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:.]

the odds don't mean anything, i won't really be expecting us to go straight back up. if you look at what has happened to alot of the teams that go down they don't always do as well as you would think.

[Royal Rother]

Very often they don't do as well as expected but if we can keep the nucleus of the team together then I think we'll be in a good position to challenge for Top 2.

People are majoring on the failure of last season too much - so many good things have happened in the last 3 years that are still in place and I don't think there is any reason to think we are on a downward spiral just because our Chairman he reiterated the prudent financial approach that has been the hallmark of his time here.

We are in a far far better position than we were 4 and 5 seasons ago when we just missed out on the play-offs - why on Earth would 2 seasons in the PL, better players (okay we have to keep them but I think we will in most cases), extra funds, improved facilities etc. mean anything else than a strong promotion push this coming season?

Pessimism (many would call it realism of course) has proved justified in the last few months, but if we are going to have a discussion about it before anyone knows what their squads are going to be, let's have a bit of realism when assessing next season.

[Apocalypse Now]

Exactly how I see it RR.

I think people are playing down expectations after the majority got it wrong last season.

[.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:.]

don't forget alot of teams are going to going to have a real go at us as we have just come been relegated.

[brendywendy]

don't forget alot of teams are going to going to have a real go at us as we have just come been relegated.

yeah!
cos before they always came with a"not fussed if we win " attitude