Premiership 2012/13

[Snowball]

SAFE

Fulham Think they are a decent side, decent manager. Safe unless they have major injuries
Wigan IF they keep players and manager, should stay up. Can be great on their day
West Brom Will depend on who comes in, to some extent, but will be surprised if they are not bottom 8 at best
Saints. Think they will do OK and finish at least 4 places above RFC if they keep players/manager and add 1-2
West Ham (IF) Head-Games one for me. Might be low-mid-table but will need to start well

======================================

In Real Danger, expect 1 to be relegated

Sunderland Hard one but I don't see them having a top-half season
Stoke May stay up but won't be far away from the drop.
Aston Villa Will depend on who is new manager but they look like a club in trouble

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Out and Out relegation Candidates

Reading I think we will be pasted in some games v the best. Hard to believe we won't be in bottom six.
Swansea Can't see them as long-term Premiership team. Have a fit with Rodgers, but think they'll be sussed next year. Bottom 5
Norwich Plenty of passion etc but if Lambert goes, could see a break-up and relegation
QPR Think they will struggle. Taraabt hasn't worked, bit of unrest maybe. Bottom 5 again


Blackpool (IF) Sadly, think they'll lose the PO Final. If they go up, best is 4th bottom but likely to drop


If Blackpool beat WHU in the PO Final, I could see us finishing 15/16/17 with a little bit of luck

16 Reading (presuming we bring in real quality, and Harte [who I love] is not left back)
17 One of of Villa or Swansea, Sunderland, Stoke, Norwich (could see 3/4 of these in trouble)
18 One of Villa or Swansea, Sunderland, Stoke, Norwich
19 QPR
20 Blackpool


But if WHU win the PO Final, think Saints and WHU will finish above us meaning 3 of Villa, Swansea, Stoke, QPR, Sunderland, Norwich
have to be in trouble for us to survive. As I see it, I think in many ways we were inferior to Saints, WHU
and Birmingham this season, despite the table, and we over-achieved magnificently

Presuming West Ham come up , sadly I think we have a very good chance of coming straight back down.

Our best chance is winning the bottom-end six-pointers. I expect some horrible hammerings next year.

[Snowball]

Should said, if RFC or Swansea or whoever, have Gylfi for a season, they'll stay up

[Once were Biscuitmen]

Yes my sustained pessimism has made the last few years an almost unending pleasant surprise so I feel no need to change now.

Last time I thought the 106 team would stay up with ease but our smash and grab championship winning set up this time round is going to see us get hammered a fair few time next season without some major surgery.

Still if the last decade has proved anything it’s that yo yo teams have much more fun…

[pea]

Difficult to say at this stage, currently:

Us
Villa
Playoff winners

But depending on who Villa bring in, whether Wigan still have Martinez, who we sign, whether QPR start building a team or not, and how pre-season goes for Saints and the playoff winners if could be three of eight or so teams.

[Jackson Corner]

Us and two others.......

[The Prisoner]

Wigwam (esp if they lose Martinez)
West Brom
Swansea

We will be around 15th. Hard to beat, and a little improvement to the squad and we should be OK.

Swansea will have 2nd season syndrome (and I would expect might lose a player or two)
West Brom will struggle to replace Woy
Wigwam - well they can't keep doing the Great Escape every season, and if Martinez goes.....

[Stuka]

Fair play Snowball for nailing your predictions to the mast. Seem reasonable enough as well.

Rather than games against the big boys, as Reading fans we ought to pay careful attention to the lower-mid table/relegation candidate games and it's these I shall most look forward to as ultimately they'll mean more.

[robbieroyal]

I think as in a previous time, first year we will be OK ALA Swans/Norwich. The key would be doing it the second season in my eyes.

Anyone know any odds on us staying up as I want a bit of it!?

Martinez is off to Liverpool so i'm thinking Wigan nailed on for relegation next season and to join them QPR and Norwich.

We'll finish between 10th and 15th. I'll be bumping this in 12 months

[Snowball]

All these predictions are a bit daft not knowing the 25-man squads, TBH.

McCleary is a great start. Next six weeks will be very interesting
with Liverpool's changes, WBA changes and the managerial merry-go-round

[SydenhamRoyal]

Nailing my colours to the mast, we will not be in the bottom 6. I predict 14th - bottom of the promoted clubs.

To go down: Blackpool, Aston Villa, Sunderland if Blackpool promoted; if Blackpool not promoted, swap Blackpool for Swansea.

[Cobi]

Nailing my colours to the mast, we will not be in the bottom 6. I predict 14th - bottom of the promoted clubs.

To go down: Blackpool, Aston Villa, Sunderland if Blackpool promoted; if Blackpool not promoted, swap Blackpool for Swansea.

You are aware that only twice in the Prems history have all three promoted clubs stayed up? You think it will happen in back to back seasons? Mental.

Random predictions before you know the squads is just a waste of time. Snowball, really all that effort? You need to get out more.

[SydenhamRoyal]

Nailing my colours to the mast, we will not be in the bottom 6. I predict 14th - bottom of the promoted clubs.

To go down: Blackpool, Aston Villa, Sunderland if Blackpool promoted; if Blackpool not promoted, swap Blackpool for Swansea.

You are aware that only twice in the Prems history have all three promoted clubs stayed up? You think it will happen in back to back seasons? Mental.

Random predictions before you know the squads is just a waste of time. Snowball, really all that effort? You need to get out more.

Yep aware of that stat. I only think it will happen again if West Ham go up. Oh and dont call me Snowball

[Snowball]

Nailing my colours to the mast, we will not be in the bottom 6. I predict 14th - bottom of the promoted clubs.

To go down: Blackpool, Aston Villa, Sunderland if Blackpool promoted; if Blackpool not promoted, swap Blackpool for Swansea.

You are aware that only twice in the Prems history have all three promoted clubs stayed up? You think it will happen in back to back seasons? Mental.

Random predictions before you know the squads is just a waste of time. Snowball, really all that effort? You need to get out more.

You call that EFFORT?

I've written a story today, been to London, sat a Uni exam, this is doodling

[Only one Trevor Morley]

Genuinely think we will do better then some suggesting as McDermott is master tactician and our way of soaking up pressure before pouncing on break will be perfect for teams that are knackered from europe/euros/olympics. Iquite want west ham to go up. Brian has sussed big sam out so that's 6 points and saints are a two man team.

Recent events could see both Wigan and Norwich managerless and I always think that teams with stability do better. Stoke also look like they could struggle.

We won't pull up trees but we'll survive

[Ian Royal]

Genuinely think we will do better then some suggesting as McDermott is master tactician and our way of soaking up pressure before pouncing on break will be perfect for teams that are knackered from europe/euros/olympics. Iquite want west ham to go up. Brian has sussed big sam out so that's 6 points and saints are a two man team.

Recent events could see both Wigan and Norwich managerless and I always think that teams with stability do better. Stoke also look like they could struggle.

We won't pull up trees but we'll survive

I've only been pessimistic as we've no idea what our squad'll look like and how our transfers'll go. I'll probably have changed my mind by mid-July, let alone the first game of the season or end of the transfer window.

[Optimist]

11 Queens Park Rangers - Hughes knows what he's doing, plenty of £££.
12 Aston Villa - Surely can't do any worse?
13 Reading - Comfortable.
14 Southampton - Depends how long big names stick around for.
15 Stoke City - Slowing down.
16 Norwich City - Especially if Lambert goes.
17 West Bromwich Albion - Will suffer without Roy.
------------------------
18 Swansea City - Fools everyone with style of play in season 1, everyone wise to it in season 2. Classic 2ndSS.
19 Wigan Athletic - I predict them to go down every year, and this time they will if there's no Martinez.
20 Blackpool - They had Charlie Adam last time, and still went down.

If it's West Ham rather than Blackpool, WH in 14th, shift everyone below down a notch.

[SWLR]

Norwich are my current favourites for 2SS over Swansea

[SydenhamRoyal]

Norwich are my current favourites for 2SS over Swansea

Second season syndrome does not strike that often - just 6 times in the history of the Premier League have a team been relegated in their second season in the top flight, out of the roughly 60 teams that have been relegated in that time

[Platypuss]

Norwich are my current favourites for 2SS over Swansea

Second season syndrome does not strike that often - just 6 times in the history of the Premier League have a team been relegated in their second season in the top flight, out of the roughly 60 teams that have been relegated in that time

Pretty meaningless stat if you don't first exclude those who got relegated in their first season!

[royalsroyalsroyals92]

SAFE

Fulham Think they are a decent side, decent manager. Safe unless they have major injuries
Wigan IF they keep players and manager, should stay up. Can be great on their day
West Brom Will depend on who comes in, to some extent, but will be surprised if they are not bottom 8 at best
Saints. Think they will do OK and finish at least 4 places above RFC if they keep players/manager and add 1-2
West Ham (IF) Head-Games one for me. Might be low-mid-table but will need to start well

======================================

In Real Danger, expect 1 to be relegated

Sunderland Hard one but I don't see them having a top-half season
Stoke May stay up but won't be far away from the drop.
Aston Villa Will depend on who is new manager but they look like a club in trouble

======================================

Out and Out relegation Candidates

Reading I think we will be pasted in some games v the best. Hard to believe we won't be in bottom six.
Swansea Can't see them as long-term Premiership team. Have a fit with Rodgers, but think they'll be sussed next year. Bottom 5
Norwich Plenty of passion etc but if Lambert goes, could see a break-up and relegation
QPR Think they will struggle. Taraabt hasn't worked, bit of unrest maybe. Bottom 5 again


Blackpool (IF) Sadly, think they'll lose the PO Final. If they go up, best is 4th bottom but likely to drop


If Blackpool beat WHU in the PO Final, I could see us finishing 15/16/17 with a little bit of luck

16 Reading (presuming we bring in real quality, and Harte [who I love] is not left back)
17 One of of Villa or Swansea, Sunderland, Stoke, Norwich (could see 3/4 of these in trouble)
18 One of Villa or Swansea, Sunderland, Stoke, Norwich
19 QPR
20 Blackpool


But if WHU win the PO Final, think Saints and WHU will finish above us meaning 3 of Villa, Swansea, Stoke, QPR, Sunderland, Norwich
have to be in trouble for us to survive. As I see it, I think in many ways we were inferior to Saints, WHU
and Birmingham this season, despite the table, and we over-achieved magnificently

Presuming West Ham come up , sadly I think we have a very good chance of coming straight back down.

Our best chance is winning the bottom-end six-pointers. I expect some horrible hammerings next year.

Have to say i agree with this.
We never set any games alight this season and its going to be far harder in the premiership. For that reason we need to invest, but at the same time we need to be careful we don't buy a while new squad who can't gel (i personally am not a person who gets too excited by too many transfers, and i like to keep a core in the team), and therefore we do need some settled team members in there to keep the balance of the squad. For these reasons its going to be a very hard balancing act for Brian this year, but i think he will do it! Its going to be hard - but i think if we can find the balance we will finish 16th