Championship 2010/2011- There for the taking?

[smithy1987]

Anyone else think this league next season is there for the taking?

Considering Portsmouth will be skint and have lost all their players and will probably lose some more before august and Burnley will be in freefall for as long as they have Laws in charge, they was also feel a backlash of the fans like we have had these past 2 years.


Then that leaves West Ham or Hull, either of these teams will have to sell any big earners due to money problems, Its wide open and I just wished Mccabes heart was in it for one big gamble, give blackwell a few million for a CB, RB, LB, LW and a CM and we could be in with a chance.


Not sure if we are going to get the quality in but if there was one year to gamble on promotion next year is it.

 

[Tony Currie]

Agreed totally - I just feel McCabe has done with the club so unless Red Bull buy us we are in the same boat as this year. I fancy Reading and QPR to be amongst the top runners next season.

 

[Ollessendro]

Anyone else think this league next season is there for the taking?

I do yes, but not by us.

I also think that Boro, Reading and Ipswich will be forces to be reckoned with next year. Warnock's QPR too.

KB could call KM's bluff and ask him for the cash (like Warnock did) but I doubt it. Plus I'm pretty sure that KB is not the right man for the job and hence giving him cash might not necessarily be the answer.

 

[smithy1987]

QPR are a good shout with the money they will be spending, If west ham come down it could well be Neil Warnocks QPR vs West ham fot the title.

 

[madeinsheffield]

and don't forget the other six sides above us currently along with the three who go up, it'll be just as hard next season, don't kid yourself its going to be easier

 

[Pinchy]

The league is not there for the taking by a team of honest triers having little or no quality managed by a man who doesn't appreciate the significance of those facts.

 

[Blades_257]

It's going to be wide open next season because Newcastle and West Brom won't be there, and the relegated teams are unlikely to mount a sustained promotion push. It's between the likes of Middlesbrough, Leicester, QPR and Forest/Swansea/Cardiff - the teams who miss out in the play offs. Although I think both Cardiff and Swansea will find it more difficult if they're still in this league. Norwich won't be far away and Ipswich and Reading will also be in better shape.

I expect us to have an outside chance of the play offs, but it all hinges on our activity in the transfer market this summer.

It is there for the taking for a host of teams, for us to be one of those we need to find some diamonds from the lower leagues and beyond. There's plenty of good players knocking about, I just hope our scouts haven't been wearing the same glasses they were when watching Tranmere last season.

 

[norfolkblade]

Norwich will have to spend big, take it from someone who has seen them a few times this year, their general work rate isn't good enough and will get found out next season, especially among the grafting teams in the Championship.

Watch out for QPR next year, Warnock will get them playing well so long as he gets full backing from the board, if we have a change in manager (Sean O'Driscoll!!!) we could well be up there, he gets the best out of Billy for a start and I believe he could get us playing again. I think Billy and Ched up top next year would work, he was quality at Norwich but obviously hasn't come off yet for us, by all means though, next year will not be easy, it's never an easy league to get out of unless you have some financial clout, i.e. Newcastle and WBA, and obviously Forest have spent a bit this year and it's worked for them!

Would like to see us sign Snodgrass from Weeds, if they don't go up he is probably going to want to leave, and we are in desperate need of a decent left winger, so hopefully if Wardy stays, left and right wing are occupied. Harper and Monty in the middle of the park, then just need to sort the back 4 out. Morgs will obviously be there, hopefully Naysmith will be back to take left back, that leaves another CB and a RB, any ideas or hopeful signings? Seems obvious that Paddy will get his place back in goal so thats covered unless he decides to lose some more weight!

 

[Blades_257]

On paper, Norwich will need to strengthen, but they have a good manager and you can't underestimate the effect of winning promotion so convincingly, it worked wonders for Leicester and going down was the best thing that could've happened to them. It totally revitalised and galvanised the whole club and they've carried the momentum and belief into this season and it wouldn't surprise me if Norwich did the same. I expect Grant Holt to make the step up to the Championship.

As for Snodgrass, we couldn't afford him and I've seen him a number of times this season, and in most of those games he's done very little. Realistically, we should be looking at Yannick Bolasie from Plymouth, Ishmel Demontagnac from Blackpool, Albert Adomah from Barnet and Liam Feeney from Bournemouth. All good young players with plenty of pace and potential.

 

[JohnDenver]

Seems obvious that Paddy will get his place back in goal so thats covered unless he decides to lose some more weight!

What's the score with Paddy's contract? He was wimbling about getting a deal last season, then got banned. So I reckon he must be out of contract at the end of this season.

Seems he owes the club, but until pen has met paper, there can't be any guarantees can there?

 

[Blades_257]

What's the score with Paddy's contract? He was wimbling about getting a deal last season, then got banned. So I reckon he must be out of contract at the end of this season.

Seems he owes the club, but until pen has met paper, there can't be any guarantees can there?

I'm 86% sure he's signed a one year extension.

 

[JohnDenver]

I'm 86% sure he's signed a one year extension.

Better than 1% sure he's signed for 86.

 

[LouTheBlade]

Anyone else think this league next season is there for the taking?

At the moment it would appear so yes and if I had to predict I would say the CCC is likely to be a lot poorer next season but at this stage it's too early to say. All it needs is for a QPR or a Boro to make some big signings, or someone to be taken over by a billionaire and all of a sudden it looks difficult again. The sides coming down are likely to struggle. I would say Burnley have the best chance of those coming down as they're not likely to sell many of their current players. They should hold their own at this level. Pompey, Hull and West Ham will all have to wholesale because of their financial situations.

Of the sides likely to still be in the CCC next season I would predict the following to be contenders;

QPR
Forest (if they don't go up)
Leicester (if they don't go up)
Middlesbrough
Burnley
Blades??? (all depends on what happens between now and the summer)
Reading


There will always be one or two surprise teams as well. If I was guessing at any I would say;

Leeds (if they can sort themselves out quickly)
Coventry

 

[davidpinder]

The league is always there for the taking. Only next season the teams that come up could be more of a threat than the ones that come down. Norwich and Millwall. Then QPR, Boro, Forest, Leicester, Reading and a surprise team. One thing is for sure with blackie in charge it won't be us. Don't let him bring the players in look at Andy Taylor.

 

[norfolkblade]

Everyone has forgotten Ipswich, even me, I think Keane is bound to get them going next year, they haven't lost many this year, just drawn plenty, so that's another lot to contend with, I think next season will be one of the most interesting in years, the whole league will look more balanced than it did this year with most clubs running similar budgets, all we need to do is cut the loans and get some of our own in, plus get rid of complete rejects like Taylor (embarasses me to have the same surname) and Stewart. Although we'll be lucky to get halfpenny for the pair of em!

 

[Big Mart]

Am I dreaming this? We haven't even finished screwing this season up before some of you have wheeled out next seasons rose tinted glasses. For goodness sake, your blind optimism is just that, BLIND!

This club will invest nothing in players, it will not look for better quality players, it will simply go for the cheapest way to get eleven average players on the pitch who will do enough to appease some of you happy smiley 100% Blades.

Bit like looking at some of the posts the day after the play off defeat where to some of you it was as if it never happened. I honestly can't believe some of your naivety sometimes, no wonder Superblade, the best chairman EVER has such an easy ride.

 

[norfolkblade]

Am I dreaming this? We haven't even finished screwing this season up before some of you have wheeled out next seasons rose tinted glasses. For goodness sake, your blind optimism is just that, BLIND!

This club will invest nothing in players, it will not look for better quality players, it will simply go for the cheapest way to get eleven average players on the pitch who will do enough to appease some of you happy smiley 100% Blades.

Bit like looking at some of the posts the day after the play off defeat where to some of you it was as if it never happened. I honestly can't believe some of your naivety sometimes, no wonder Superblade, the best chairman EVER has such an easy ride.

I wouldn't say it's blind optimism mate, we have to have some kind of hope that something, no matter how small it may be happens in the summer, IMO we will be seeing mid table mediocrity for the next 3 or 4 seasons, money just isn't available and football in general is in a very sorry state at the moment.

As I have previously said, I'd much rather we spent money getting rid of Blackwell and prising O'Driscoll away from Donny, he has proven he can build a side on a limited budget, AND get them playing well together. We have most of what we need now, just 2 or 3 players is all we need given the financial situ (LW, RB and CB).

Perhaps Blackwell knew something we didn't after last seasons Play Off Final when he said "I can't take this club any further" - Certainly seems that way to me!

 

[LouTheBlade]

Perhaps Blackwell knew something we didn't after last seasons Play Off Final when he said "I can't take this club any further" - Certainly seems that way to me!

Or perhaps he knew the job was about to become challenging so he wanted out?!

I agree that we need to view the future with some optimism (where possible) and although I don't entirely echo Mart's utterly depressing post, I wish some Blades would wake up and see just how average we are and how pooly managed we are from top to bottom. The lack of fan pressure is the reason the malaise is set to continue. I agree with him on that last point.

 

[Micalijo]

Totally agree Lou. we are shockingly poor. Like a relegation outfit after Christmas. How some Blades can retain optimism on basis of what they have seen is beyind me and on basis of what we know about Blackwell. Nowt wrong with a positive outlook on things and fair enough but there is not a cat in hyells chance of us succeeding with Blackwell in charge. He can only manage players who don't need managing, don't need coaching. He needs the absolute best the CCC can offer and even then he cocks it up when it really matters.

 

[Pindsablade]

It's all down to the business Blackwell/ his predecessor does in the summer.... i feel it's there for the taking next year and it'll be the weakest Championship for some time. I back Reading & QPR. I can't really see any of the relegated time posing a problem in the promotion race but i see the promoted teams from League 1 having a good campaign.

 

[norfolkblade]

we need to bust a nut to get o'driscoll, perhaps we can than have reason for optimism!

 

[Zlatan]

Can't see it happening.

If we are signing these 14 new players in the summer or whatever it is, then how long will it take for the squad to gel? The other problem is that these players we'll sign will be piss poor.

 

[smithy1987]

I cant see us signing 14 players tbh. I think we will sign 4, get 4 loans in and keep hold of Monty, i still think he will sign. Its a gamble going with such a small squad but Burnley did it the year before, didnt they only use 19 players all season. We had more debutants than that this season.