Who will be our main promotion rivals 2013-14

[jellytot]

I think that we will challenge for automatic promotion next season so long as we do things right in the summer! The right players need to come in to strengthen as well as getting rid of those that need to move on. We must keep hold of the likes of HRK, McCleary, ALF, Jem, Mariappa, Kebe and McCarthy. Roberts will be important in the Championship if he is fit..

It is tempting to say that there will be 23 challengers in the automatic race next season. I live in Bournemouth so will at least have the royals down here next season. Although, Bournemouth had one of the larger budgets in league 1 this season I cannot see them challenging in the championship, but I suppose anything is possible. Probably Bournemouth and Doncaster will be in a battle with whoever comes up for survival plus Barnsley, Blackpool, Burnley, Huddersfield and maybe Millwall. Sheff Wed will probably be a bit stronger next season. The rest could all be challengers.. QPR (depending on finances), plus whoever comes down and say Bolton, Leeds, Forest and whoever misses out in the play-offs. Think Palace will fall away. It would be a disaster if Newcastle went down again as they would probably walk the league. Hope Wigan, Norwich or some how Stoke or even Southampton drop down!

Would be nice to see Brentford come up but even better to be able to thrash Swindon home and away!!

[SPARTA]

About 14 other clubs.

[St. Brynjar]

So unpredictable, it could be anyone. If Leicester and/or Brighton don't go up via play-offs I'd back them to do well, Ipswich will be there or there abouts as well. Charlton will make the play-offs. One of Bolton & Blackburn will be in contention. Leeds could step up. If Middlesbrough learn there are two halves of a season they will challenge again. I think the table will be:

Bolton
Middlesbrough
3rd relegated team
Leeds
Leicester
Reading

[MmmMonsterMunch]

You just don't know - who'd have thought Hull would get 2nd this time around?

The championship is so unpredictable. Yes you could say QPR might be a threat but if they still have a load of mercenaries on their books earning £50k pw regardless are they really going be up for Donny away on Tues nights? Not so sure.

Generally speaking a team who has come close in past years who is already down there has a shot. Any of Brighton, Leicester, Palace or Watford could challenge if they miss out this time.

Charlton even - they have stormed into the top half after a bad start. Leeds - BM might have something to prove?

Too hard to call! Even Ipswich might get going under McCarthy as their chairman has a few quid. People thinking we're going to walk the league or definitely be top 6 are deluded - it's a tough league to get out of.

Looking at the current championship table & the new additions there's probably only 7 teams I'd say don't have a chance of promotion - Sheff W, Huddersfield, Barnsley, Millwall & Blackpool as their chairman is bleeding them dry. Plus Donny, Bournemouth. For the rest of the league its game on.

[St. Brynjar]

You just don't know - who'd have thought Hull would get 2nd this time around?

The championship is so unpredictable. Yes you could say QPR might be a threat but if they still have a load of mercenaries on their books earning £50k pw regardless are they really going be up for Donny away on Tues nights? Not so sure.

Generally speaking a team who has come close in past years who is already down there has a shot. Any of Brighton, Leicester, Palace or Watford could challenge if they miss out this time.

Charlton even - they have stormed into the top half after a bad start. Leeds - BM might have something to prove?

Too hard to call! Even Ipswich might get going under McCarthy as their chairman has a few quid. People thinking we're going to walk the league or definitely be top 6 are deluded - it's a tough league to get out of.

Looking at the current championship table & the new additions there's probably only 7 teams I'd say don't have a chance of promotion - Sheff W, Huddersfield, Barnsley, Millwall & Blackpool as their chairman is bleeding them dry. Plus Donny, Bournemouth. For the rest of the league its game on.

I think in addition the the teams you've listed there there is an established 'mid-table' of Brum, Derby & Burnley who shouldn't threaten too much.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

I'd agree about Brum but not the other 2. Dyche is doing ok at Burnley & Derby are relatively stable these days.

Derby only finished 7 points off 6th this season. It's a tight league from 1st to 24th generally.

Looking at the table there's only 14 points between the final play off spot & a relegation place. Mental.

[St. Brynjar]

Yes but Burnley won't be able to cope with the loss of star man Joseph Mills. Nailed on relegation actually.

[paultheroyal]

You say that about Bournemouth but some bookies have them as 6th favs to get promoted

[Rex]

About 14 other clubs.

Agreed. We will walk the league next season .

[MmmMonsterMunch]

You say that about Bournemouth but some bookies have them as 6th favs to get promoted

I guess they could but they really are minnows in tier 2 in terms of £. One of the promoted teams usually does ok so its a possibility.

It's going to be hard.

[jellytot]

Lol forgot about Brum and Ipswich. Brum seem to have blown hot and cold so if they can be consistent possibly.. Ipswich not sure about them. Anyway, we will need to have a good solid squad who can play and mix it. We will have to play two games a week most weeks so the quality of any squad will be vital. Look at Cardiff, good squad.. Hull did not look great to be honest. In patches Watford and Bolton look decent with Leicester continuing to under achieve. I think Brighton look the best team to go up this season. Hope they do.. one less for us to worry about.

Clearly our home form will be important.

[Davezk]

Who's to say we will be in the promotion mix next season?

I'm sure Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves probably had similar threads, and we all know how that turned out for them...

The league is so unpredictable. Even listing the obvious candidates is likely to be wrong, and taking for granted that we'll be rivalling anyone is premature speculation.

I'm optimistic but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

[glass half full]

You say that about Bournemouth but some bookies have them as 6th favs to get promoted

Do we know the current bookies' odds for us yet - or is it too early?

[paultheroyal]

11/1 to win title - second favourites

4/1 to get promoted - joint 2nd favourites with Forest

Obviously QPR are favourites.

[Mr.T10]

Personally see us being compared to the likes of Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves is very short sighted point of view. We have nowhere near as many as problems as all three had when they went down or more accurate just Wolves and Blackburn. Bolton still went down with quite a lot of debt and high earners but have done very well to just be very unlucky to miss out on playoffs; I would not be saddened if Reading faced the same fate. Blackburn and Wolves have as many problems on the field as they have in the board room, changing managers, huge debt and fans feeling us against them (Board room).

It was quite surreal on Saturday for a team to have just faced relegation to see that many happy faces; we are going down with a smile and thats the reason why I fancy us to bounce back up straight away.

Looking very forward to next season and the challenges it awaits.

[Terminal Boardom]

Ask me this at the end of July when we have more of an idea what the starting XI will be for the first game, let alone what changes have happened everywhere else

[ankeny]

Dark horses must be our old rivals Bournemouth,in Eddie Howe they have an astute manager ,always fancied him to come here TBH

[fridays gone]

Who's to say we will be in the promotion mix next season?

I'm sure Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves probably had similar threads, and we all know how that turned out for them...

The league is so unpredictable. Even listing the obvious candidates is likely to be wrong, and taking for granted that we'll be rivalling anyone is premature speculation.

I'm optimistic but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

A voice of reason. I think some of you are in danger of becoming like the very fans that most of you slag off 'deluded and arrogant'. I think if we hang onto a lot of what we have at the moment I don't think we will be challenging for anything. The championship is tough and to say clubs like Brum won't be pushing for promotion on their showing this season is very short sighted, they are a big club in terms of this division. It always throws up a surprise package, you know a bit like our season last year, we punched well above our weight with the team that won promotion and didn't it tell this year.
I think next year should be a season of rebuilding, forget rushing back into the lions den only to have another season of strife. Adkins should be given the time to get things right and bring in the players who not only will win promotion but be able to cope with the prem, because by Christ we sure as hell didn't have them this year.

[loyalroyal4life]

Forest will have a good go I would think

[Snowball]

Unless Adkins/Zingarevich really wants to start again, deliberately stay down to build a team for the Prem over 2-3-4 seasons (I don't think so)

then I can't see anything worse than 7th (and that would be a cock-up.)

Of course it really depends if we can keep certain players. HRK might well be key, as one example.

7 Prem goals, just maturing into a real player, he might be awesome next year (but someone may poach him)


But I can't see Adkins not being able to replace those who leave with similar quality.

I think if we don't stutter at the start we could easily be top-two all season. I'll be shocked if we don't make the POs


QPR is the wild card. They could bet-the-farm, bring in two hard quality Champ-type leaders and win the league
but they could also fall apart through egos, "lack of British/Icelandic grind-it-out true grit" and money trubs.

But a 2 of 3 dual forecast of QPR-Reading and the third relegated side could easily be a winning bet.

A start of 24 Million isn't trivial.

We have a good Champ squad, good academy, good manager. 11-1 is a decent price.