How will we fare?

luckyPeterpiper wrote:One striker, that would make me happy and if we get one more keeper of a decent standard I'd be very happy. I think that squad should finish mid table which would be a fine improvement on last season. Obviously I'd like us to go up or at least reach the play offs but I don't think that's a realistic hope given the circumstances for this year at least. Maybe the 2019/20 season though?

Aren't you concerned about the defensive side of midfield? We got rid of Henry, Derik and Prats and brought in Lowe. Vela could be asked to play deeper if required but it's not his best role and Oztumer isn't especially defence-minded so I'm concerned that there's not much cover for Lowe and we might have a soft centre at those times when Parky has played two DMs.
It can be worked around but I'd feel a lot better if we got in a midfield destroyer with a big engine - plus a striker who scores for fun and a goalie.
Overall we seem to be on track to be able to put out a team that can compete, although I'd be gobsmacked if we are competing for a playoff slot any time soon. I guess that will all come down to Parky and his ability to turn the lower league players he's signed into Championship players and get the best out of those who have already played regularly at this level. We'll know more about where we stand in the scheme of things on Saturday.

Not as much as I would have been had we not strengthened the defence lusty. I agree a 'stopper' in midfield would be useful but (and this may be sheer optimisim on my part) it's not quite as vital if the CB's are solid which ours seem to be. Personally I'd like to see us play 4-4-2 which I know is considered old hat by most but it does work well when used effectively.

For me Terry Venables gave the greatest simple description of what football should be when he said, "Football is a simple game. You stop the opposition at the back, create from midfield and finish up front."

In truth we need a keeper and a striker more than we need a midfielder imo so if it came down to us missing out on one of those three I'd be content to wait until January for the midfielder. Of course you're right in that this is all speculation and we won't know how the new signings we've already made are going to work out until we see them play.

I think we'll be around the relegation zone because there aren't enough goals in the team.We scored 39 goals in 46 matches last season, have lost Madine from that and replaced with two lower league standard strikers in my opinion.

There is a  hope that Oztumer will be a goal scoring midfielder but the evidence so far is that Parky doesn't trust him defensively enough to start him.None of the other midfield signings score many goals

Growler wrote:I think we'll be around the relegation zone because there aren't enough goals in the team.We scored 39 goals in 46 matches last season, have lost Madine from that and replaced with two lower league standard strikers in my opinion.

There is a  hope that Oztumer will be a goal scoring midfielder but the evidence so far is that Parky doesn't trust him defensively enough to start him.None of the other midfield signings score many goals

My feelings too.

We will probably be in the bottom three after the West Brom game and will struggle to escape the bottom six  this season.

Beevers and Wheater are way past their best and  last season they did not add to our goal tally like  they did in League 1.

I don't see where the goals are coming from,  unless the midfield are going to support the target man ( whoever) far better than  they did last season.

I just hope we can make some good loan signings that will make the difference for us.

If we finish one place above the relegation zone again I’ll be pleased - we have to be realistic about the quality of this squad relative to the rest of the league - even though i think overall the players in are an improvement we still have a massive Madine shaped hole.

Personally I'm a lot more optimistic this season than I was at this time last year. I realise Madine is a loss but in truth I think Magennis plus one could more than make up the difference. Personally I think WBA will beat us but after that I don't see us struggling the way we did last term. I'm not saying we're contenders yet but I'd be surprised if we din't finish somewhere between tenth and fifteenth. Maybe I'm being too optimistic in that but I genuinely believe the capability is there. We do still need another decent keeper and one more striker to complete the picture but I have faith we'll get them if only as loan signings.

I know I'm stating the obvious, but we must not  get off  to another bad start.  I know we will lose at West Brom , but we need a minimum of 10 points after the first 10 games.

Cajunboy wrote:I know I'm stating the obvious, but we must not  get off  to another bad start.  I know we will lose at West Brom , but we need a minimum of 10 points after the first 10 games.

I agree completely. I think Phil and the squad will have learned a great deal from that horrible start last season and we'll play much better in part thanks to the new signings and in part because Phil will have us much better organised. I'm actually going to stick my neck out and say we'll have between fifteen and twenty points ten games in.

Going up, similar shocking style to what Leicester achieved the other year. Ameobis year this

Sky Bet Championship table prediction: Where will the 24 clubs finish this season?

24th - Bolton

Bolton stayed up by the skin of their teeth last year. They have brought in Erhun Oztumer from Walsall but we are worried he is going to spend the whole season watching the ball go over his head and back again![/size]

They managed to stay up, which was a massive achievement that we put down to Phil Parkinson. He is a really good manager but we are struggling to see what more he can eke out of this squad. If they get off to a slow start and the fans get on his back again then Parkinson could be gone, at which point it would be curtains for them.

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observer wrote:Sky Bet Championship table prediction: Where will the 24 clubs finish this season?

24th - Bolton

Bolton stayed up by the skin of their teeth last year. They have brought in Erhun Oztumer from Walsall but we are worried he is going to spend the whole season watching the ball go over his head and back again![/size]

They managed to stay up, which was a massive achievement that we put down to Phil Parkinson. He is a really good manager but we are struggling to see what more he can eke out of this squad. If they get off to a slow start and the fans get on his back again then Parkinson could be gone, at which point it would be curtains for them.

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Blimey that's cheerful although to be fair when a club gambles on surviving whilst cutting costs it's always a possibility and I am genuinely struggling to find 3 other teams I can wholeheartedly believe will finish below us at this stage. 
Still time for signings though.

Just had a look at the bookies, Bolton and Rotherham are joint favourites at 4-1 to finish bottom, Ipswich are next at 9-1.

Ipswich finished 12th last season with 60 points, i don't know why why they are rated so badly

Cannot see anything other than relegation, hope I'm wrong!!!!!

Don't forget it's not so long ago those same bookies offered 5000/1 against Leicester winning the Premier League. To be honest I pay very little attention to pre-season forecasts by pundits and journalists as they're almost never right. I know we won't win the League but I am certain this season will be a lot more comfortable than last.

luckyPeterpiper wrote:Don't forget it's not so long ago those same bookies offered 5000/1 against Leicester winning the Premier League. 

I don't think it would be "those same bookies" though. Those particular bookies lost their ass and are probably out of business  If they aren't they deserve to be.

Ladbrokes, Coral and William Hill are all still there mate as are Victor and Betfred to name but a few of those who subjected us all to the horror of seeing Gary Lineker in his shorts on MOTD. I'm STILL traumatised by that. Thank God for meds.

It's going to be another long season. Hopefully we'll have another 15mins of madness on the last day again.

I thought we would struggle this season, but I have a feeling we will do better than expected and finish maybe 18th or thereabouts. I take nothing from that Sky preview as they have WBA finishing mid table and they look very strong. Much stronger than Brentford who they think will finish third ! On paper when you look at the teams in the Championship you probably would rank us with Rotherham as the stand out sides for relegation, but I think we have learned a lot from last season and strengthened the side as well, plus it's hard to imagine us having the same sort of start we had last time round.

Anything other than relegation will be a bonus again i'm afraid.

Everybody thinks we are doomed:

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I just hope we avoid relegation.