Championship Teams

[Northernsoulblade]

I dont watch any championship games but what gives a lot of blades the feeling we will blitz the league next season is the championship really that bad this year

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

Pre-season. Fans back. Jack O’Connell, John Egan and Chris Basham playing together. Bogle. Flat 3 in the bin.

 

[robbiez666]

People are comparing us with Norwich but Norwich were clearly a good functioning team last season but just not good enough for the Premier League. Plus I remember them starting the season with a fair few injuries to a team they basically didn't strengthen. I don't think we're the same. We're not playing as a team. We're making mistakes regularly and we struggle to score. Unless we make several good signings, I can't see it. I'm not confident about that the money will be there or that our team is capable only the recruitment side.

 

[Jan Age]

We will finish mid table unless something changes... that togetherness that got us here as long since evaporated and we are going backwards just as quickly as we came forward ... CW needs a statue and a stand naming after him for what he’s done... but this season he’s done no favours for anyone with the approach he’s taken...

 

[BigDon]

I am afraid CW will continue to play his favourites rather than the obvious better players we have and so we will continue to struggle, it will all come to a head before Christmas next year when we find ourselves mid to low in the table.

 

[Upton_Blade]

I dont watch any championship games but what gives a lot of blades the feeling we will blitz the league next season is the championship really that bad this year

You've sort of answered your own question there.

I've watched quite a lot of Championship games this season, not really much else to do is there really, and the standard is really poor compared to last time we were there.

There's certainly no Leeds and even the Norwich that's there isn't a patch on the one we faced last time out.

 

[jono_t2000]

People are comparing us with Norwich but Norwich were clearly a good functioning team last season but just not good enough for the Premier League. Plus I remember them starting the season with a fair few injuries to a team they basically didn't strengthen. I don't think we're the same. We're not playing as a team. We're making mistakes regularly and we struggle to score. Unless we make several good signings, I can't see it. I'm not confident about that the money will be there or that our team is capable only the recruitment side.

Norwich have premier league quality players currently playing in the championship.

We have championship quality players currently playing in the premier league.

 

[Snake]

I dont watch any championship games but what gives a lot of blades the feeling we will blitz the league next season is the championship really that bad this year

What are you talking about? Who are all these mysterious people? Pigs on the windup? some of the nappy wearing warriors on here? None of my mates or anybody I associate with think that the Blades will blitz the league next season. HMS Pisstheleague sets sail from the River Don in S6 every August. We are Blades, we know better.

FWIW I think how we finish this season will have a huge impact on how we fair next. Finish with a bit of a flurry and start looking like a team again and with a few tweaks here and there, and of course some key players back from injury, I think we will give it a damn good go ...... but blitz it? Give over, thats pig talk.

 

[BettingBlade]

2 of next seasons championship teams will come down with us, currently I don’t think we are better than either of the current bottom three. With a full side I think we are better than West Brom and presuming Fulham come down with us, I think we could run them close with a full side and a couple of creative, attacking additions.

A good indicator is to view how last seasons relegated teams fared this season. Norwich look like comfortably winning the league and although finishing bottom, were probably best placed to come straight back as they had planned for it all along.

Bournemouth and Watford looked really poor last year and also has a few years of premier league deadwood on stupid wages to get rid of too before rebuilding. Watford are in the running for autos and Bournemouth are in a play off spot.

A lot for us depends on what kind of summer we have. We’ve spent a lot of money over the last couple of years and currently we are decimated by injuries. I firmly believe our starting 11 come August will look very different to the starting 11 that was put out tonight. I think Wilder will attempt to build a squad around his bigger money signings and I think we might see an overhaul of our midfield and hopefully a return to a more creative number 10.

As it stands, I don’t think it’s sensible to suggest we will piss the league next year and I don’t think many people (if any) have explicitly said that. I certainly think we could be in the conversation for coming straight back up and so we should be but it’s so so important to get recruitment right this summer.

It will also be interesting to see the feeling on here if we are looking at a play off place rather than automatic promotion or even worse mid-table. At the moment, I really wouldn’t be surprised if we had something of a transition season next year. I think we have to be prepared for that as I fear the re-build job maybe bigger than anticipated, especially if we lost a few players in the summer.

So, what do I conclude from this arguably rather pointless ramble? Well, I think it’s too early to tell definitively what will happen next season. We could potentially have a really high quality championship squad next season but if we lose a couple of players and not everything goes to plan, we could end up needing a couple of extra pieces of the jigsaw.

 

[gordoncharles]

We should be challenging for the play offs even with the players who are currently playing - and I expect there'll be some turnover as well, which will be a good thing because surely they can't keep buying dross.

If we're not in that area of the table by the end of September then it will be time to change the manager.

 

[bongleblade]

if we do keep the majority of our current squad intact and have our injured back, i would love to see us try out something completely different like a 5-2-3/3-4-3 formation with Didz/Mcburnie/Sharp rotating in central striker spots, and Brewster, Burke, Bogle and another traditional winger-type on loan in rotation as wide forwards.

Our usual back 3 could tame most championship frontlines, and a midfield of Berge/Fleck would manage, so it'd be great to see us really go on the front foot and attack teams on the overload in the Championship. Wilder needs to make a huge statement back in that league and we should aim for nothing less than autos, but to achieve this Wilder needs to show some flexibility with his tactics, try out a CAM, 4 at the back, 3 up front or even two CAM's and a striker. Just be more brave to make changes Chris!

 

[HeySethUTB]

For teams like Watford and Bournemouth the championship would have been a bit of a shock for the players, it’s not the fact their playing teams that are better, their playing teams that are use to the attritional nature of the football league (Bournemouth lost 2 mid week games to the Wendy’s). When Norwich went up they didn’t really invest, so the side that came down was effectively the same, playing in the same way giving them an understanding of what is required with players who now have premier league experience.

We are in a similar situation in that regard, only we are (despite the defeats) harder to break down, its going forward were we aren’t as good. Creativity is needed next season, or we will find ourselves on the wrong side of some of these marginal situations Wilder likes to defend himself and the team with. Although we all know a loss is a loss.

 

[SilkyBlade]

Not likely...wilder just saying in presser need to be realistic next season as will likely only invest in a couple and so need to keep group together!

There is absolutely no evidence we will blitz the Championship. As far as I can see the evidence is:

1) STRIKE FORCE is certainly no stronger now than when we got promoted: Billy and Didsy remain our 2 best strikers but now 2 yrs older. This is despite the ludicrous amount of money spent on McB, Brewster etc. Burke not good enough. Mousset waste of wages as never fit.

2) MIDFIELD will 100% be weaker than when we got promoted. No Duffy replacement. Freeman as shown at Forest not good enough. Norwood and Fleck have consistently shown this season not the same players. Lunny won’t ever commit to a tackle to protect his Pension and is off. Osborn a busy fool. Berge will be sold and only decent piece of recruitment (ironically not Wilders choice). Any half decent replacements will be off to PL.

3) DEFENCE will 100% be weaker than when we got promoted. Egan likely to go; JOC will go in Jan once he has shown fully recovered from injury. Bash, Bogle and Rambo good players, Bryan average but Stevens, Robinson, Rodwell are beyond awful.

Christ I was depressed before writing this and am now suicidal!

 

[TJ blade]

Not likely...wilder just saying in presser need to be realistic next season as will likely only invest in a couple and so need to keep group together!

There is absolutely no evidence we will blitz the Championship. As far as I can see the evidence is:

1) STRIKE FORCE is certainly no stronger now than when we got promoted: Billy and Didsy remain our 2 best strikers but now 2 yrs older. This is despite the ludicrous amount of money spent on McB, Brewster etc. Burke not good enough. Mousset waste of wages as never fit.

2) MIDFIELD will 100% be weaker than when we got promoted. No Duffy replacement. Freeman as shown at Forest not good enough. Norwood and Fleck have consistently shown this season not the same players. Lunny won’t ever commit to a tackle to protect his Pension and is off. Osborn a busy fool. Berge will be sold and only decent piece of recruitment (ironically not Wilders choice). Any half decent replacements will be off to PL.

3) DEFENCE will 100% be weaker than when we got promoted. Egan likely to go; JOC will go in Jan once he has shown fully recovered from injury. Bash, Bogle and Rambo good players, Bryan average but Stevens, Robinson, Rodwell are beyond awful.

Christ I was depressed before writing this and am now suicidal!

Hate to think who the couple of players he's bringing in are, if this season's anything to go buy they could be out of Port Vales reserves.

 

[Roygbiv]

People are comparing us with Norwich but Norwich were clearly a good functioning team last season but just not good enough for the Premier League. Plus I remember them starting the season with a fair few injuries to a team they basically didn't strengthen. I don't think we're the same. We're not playing as a team. We're making mistakes regularly and we struggle to score. Unless we make several good signings, I can't see it. I'm not confident about that the money will be there or that our team is capable only the recruitment side.

Norwich basically downed tools after lockdown but before that they were far better than we are now. Obviously a big part of that is our back line is currently League One standard. Norwich suffered with injuries from day one and their defence was almost as bad as the one we are putting out. They got more points than we will this season due to having a few players with genuine quality. They get away with their shit defence in the Championship because their forward players are so dangerous. I don't think we have anyone like Buendia and Cantwell who can win games on their own. Our success has always been about the system and hard work.

If we keep the back 3 we have a great chance of getting in the top 6. We certainly can't rely on individual quality to win games like the best Championship teams do though. Unless something changes in terms of personal ,our main chance of any success will be being solid at the back and hoping the system is still too hard for 2nd tier sides to nullify.

 

[Davalon]

I'm non-committal on next season and certainly don't have a crystal ball.

Whilst we should have a good squad on paper there are still plenty of unknowns.

I think those who are most positive may be thinking that we will click back into the mode we were in two seasons ago.

Truth is, as we sit here today, we don't know for sure who the manager will be and who the players will be.

Probably too much supposition and conjecture at this stage to make any strong arguments one way or the other.

 

[jono_t2000]

Norwich basically downed tools after lockdown but before that they were far better than we are now. Obviously a big part of that is our back line is currently League One standard. Norwich suffered with injuries from day one and their defence was almost as bad as the one we are putting out. They got more points than we will this season due to having a few players with genuine quality. They get away with their shit defence in the Championship because their forward players are so dangerous. I don't think we have anyone like Buendia and Cantwell who can win games on their own. Our success has always been about the system and hard work.

If we keep the back 3 we have a great chance of getting in the top 6. We certainly can't rely on individual quality to win games like the best Championship teams do though. Unless something changes in terms of personal ,our main chance of any success will be being solid at the back and hoping the system is still too hard for 2nd tier sides to nullify.

100% agree

 

[robbiez666]

Norwich basically downed tools after lockdown but before that they were far better than we are now. Obviously a big part of that is our back line is currently League One standard. Norwich suffered with injuries from day one and their defence was almost as bad as the one we are putting out. They got more points than we will this season due to having a few players with genuine quality. They get away with their shit defence in the Championship because their forward players are so dangerous. I don't think we have anyone like Buendia and Cantwell who can win games on their own. Our success has always been about the system and hard work.

If we keep the back 3 we have a great chance of getting in the top 6. We certainly can't rely on individual quality to win games like the best Championship teams do though. Unless something changes in terms of personal ,our main chance of any success will be being solid at the back and hoping the system is still too hard for 2nd tier sides to nullify.

I don't think the Norwich defenders were shit but lots of injuries and just young and inexperienced. Aarons, Lewis and Godfrey will all have decent Premier league careers. They seem to have tightened that up this season.

 

[Roygbiv]

I don't think the Norwich defenders were shit but lots of injuries and just young and inexperienced. Aarons, Lewis and Godfrey will all have decent Premier league careers. They seem to have tightened that up this season.

Lots of potential but they played a lot of the season with Hanley at the back. That's like us having Jags at the back all season. Norwich were never good enough to stay up and our back 3 was far better than anything they could put out but I don't think there is much argument that they had more individual flair even last season.

 

[Foody]

Not likely...wilder just saying in presser need to be realistic next season as will likely only invest in a couple and so need to keep group together!

There is absolutely no evidence we will blitz the Championship. As far as I can see the evidence is:

1) STRIKE FORCE is certainly no stronger now than when we got promoted: Billy and Didsy remain our 2 best strikers but now 2 yrs older. This is despite the ludicrous amount of money spent on McB, Brewster etc. Burke not good enough. Mousset waste of wages as never fit.

2) MIDFIELD will 100% be weaker than when we got promoted. No Duffy replacement. Freeman as shown at Forest not good enough. Norwood and Fleck have consistently shown this season not the same players. Lunny won’t ever commit to a tackle to protect his Pension and is off. Osborn a busy fool. Berge will be sold and only decent piece of recruitment (ironically not Wilders choice). Any half decent replacements will be off to PL.

3) DEFENCE will 100% be weaker than when we got promoted. Egan likely to go; JOC will go in Jan once he has shown fully recovered from injury. Bash, Bogle and Rambo good players, Bryan average but Stevens, Robinson, Rodwell are beyond awful.

Christ I was depressed before writing this and am now suicidal!

Sorry but our strike force is much stronger now. Especially at Championship level. McBurnie was one of the leagues highest scorers when we went up, Brewster has a great record, Burke offers something different to what we had.
Defensively it's 6 and two threes, it's the same defense but with better wing back cover. Need to add one or two centre backs as cover though..

It's the midfield that needs to be rebuilt, but I assume Berge will be sold for a decent wedge of money, hopefully be able to invest some of that.

I'm not saying we piss the league, but if we can have a season with fewer injuries, we already have the making of a decent championship side.
Championship teams simply don't have the athleticism and clinical players to punish us like we are being now

 

[Trevor Hockey - Canary]

Norwich suffered a lot of injuries at the start of last season but even if fully fit the defense, whilst having young players with potential, was shit by premier league standards. we Sold Godfrey and Lewis after being relegated bringing in around £40 million. Godfrey is a loss, Lewis isn”t , and have replaced them with Ben Gibson and a Greek full back for around £15 million. Both have looked good in the championship. We have Oliver Skipp on loan from Spurs playing in front of the back four a class defensive midfielder Who may well go back to his parent club when the season ends. We will go up but are likely to sell 2 of Aarons, Buendia and Cantwell. Aaron’s will go for around £35 million., much depends on how we re-invest but no-one under any illusions we will probably be straight back down again. Your problem is you look stale and without ideas. You need fresh blood but have not much worth selling so turnover will cost money. Do the owners wantbto incest more under Wilder?

 

[Revolution]

Sorry but our strike force is much stronger now. Especially at Championship level. McBurnie was one of the leagues highest scorers when we went up, Brewster has a great record, Burke offers something different to what we had.
Defensively it's 6 and two threes, it's the same defense but with better wing back cover. Need to add one or two centre backs as cover though..

It's the midfield that needs to be rebuilt, but I assume Berge will be sold for a decent wedge of money, hopefully be able to invest some of that.

I'm not saying we piss the league, but if we can have a season with fewer injuries, we already have the making of a decent championship side.
Championship teams simply don't have the athleticism and clinical players to punish us like we are being now

McBurnie, Burke and Brewster have scored 2 goals between them this season. They have all looked woeful in front of goal all season. Burke's goal was really an own goal if Liverpool's second yesterday is anything to go by.

How on earth is our strike force much stronger? These players cannot hit the target. Will they magically start doing that next season?

 

[Foody]

McBurnie, Burke and Brewster have scored 2 goals between them this season. They have all looked woeful in front of goal all season. Burke's goal was really an own goal if Liverpool's second yesterday is anything to go by.

How on earth is our strike force much stronger? These players cannot hit the target. Will they magically start doing that next season?

Because we aren't considering the opposition. McBurnie and Brewster have a 1 in 2 record at that level ("Brewster's is over a small sample admittedly, but it's the only regular football he's had). Who else in the championship has a partnership with that record? Especially with the back up of two old timers and a man who offers something different.
Despite their age, Sharp and McGoldrick look every bit as capable as they ever were.

I honestly think Kane and Aguero would struggle to score in this side at the moment. Stikers get absolutely bugger all service, then when they don't take the one half chance a game we muster, they get absolutely slated.

We drop down a division, get our fractured and ever changing back line back it's stable and secure self, hopefully we can then be adventurous enough to create some decent opportunities.

 

[Revolution]

Because we aren't considering the opposition. McBurnie and Brewster have a 1 in 2 record at that level ("Brewster's is over a small sample admittedly, but it's the only regular football he's had). Who else in the championship has a partnership with that record? Especially with the back up of two old timers and a man who offers something different.
Despite their age, Sharp and McGoldrick look every bit as capable as they ever were.

I honestly think Kane and Aguero would struggle to score in this side at the moment. Stikers get absolutely bugger all service, then when they don't take the one half chance a game we muster, they get absolutely slated.

We drop down a division, get our fractured and ever changing back line back it's stable and secure self, hopefully we can then be adventurous enough to create some decent opportunities.

Rose tinted glasses. It will take a hell of a lot to get this lot scoring again, particularly when we have the same manager and two thirds of the same midfield.

And Kane and Aguero would likely do better because they move for the ball, and don't fall over a lot, and don't play like they are of limited intelligence.

 

[Foody]

Rose tinted glasses. It will take a hell of a lot to get this lot scoring again, particularly when we have the same manager and two thirds of the same midfield.

And Kane and Aguero would likely do better because they move for the ball, and don't fall over a lot, and don't play like they are of limited intelligence.

It is slightly rose tinted glasses, but for me our single biggest issue is our midfield, our attacking options are proven at that level. I don't think any are premier league standard, but let's be fair their are loads of really good Championship players who aren't good enough in the Premier league. McBurnie has scored consistently at championship level, I don't think that not scoring in the least creative Premier league team changes that fact.

 

[Robboblade1889]

Rose tinted glasses. It will take a hell of a lot to get this lot scoring again, particularly when we have the same manager and two thirds of the same midfield.

And Kane and Aguero would likely do better because they move for the ball, and don't fall over a lot, and don't play like they are of limited intelligence.

I remember people saying the same when we had just come bottom half of league one. We were at a much lower ebb then and the manager got us going. We all know you want shit of him and you’re entitled to that opinion but none of you 25% have any real idea who we should get.
I am very much looking forward to coming back to a lot of these threads next season.

 

[Revolution]

I remember people saying the same when we had just come bottom half of league one. We were at a much lower ebb then and the manager got us going. We all know you want shit of him and you’re entitled to that opinion but none of you 25% have any real idea who we should get.
I am very much looking forward to coming back to a lot of these threads next season.

I hope you can come here and show you were correct.

At the moment you sound like a Japanese soldier stranded on some Pacific island in the 1960s still fighting WW2.

 

[Robboblade1889]

I hope you can come here and show you were correct.

At the moment you sound like a Japanese soldier stranded on some Pacific island in the 1960s still fighting WW2.

Well there are a few of us there keeping me company thank god.

 

[Roygbiv]

Do the owners wantbto incest more under Wilder?

There's a tap in for someone here.....

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

There's a tap in for someone here.....

Especially from a Norwich fan, it’s a very interesting auto correct but as you said it just feels too easy.