League table

[CopenhagenBlade]

League table is looking good and we’re probably about where I expected, points wise, after the first 4 games. Victory against Blackburn on Saturday and we should be top 2 and then we have Luton, who are struggling and Reading at home, which, on paper, should be 6 points, minimum 4.
It’s interesting to see WBA, Huddersfield and Middlesbrough down the bottom. Bruce certainly needs a couple of victories or he’ll be enjoying another huge pay off.
Will that be his last job or is there another gullible Chairman out there??

 

[coaxingstar71]

It certainly looks better than it did last season after four games. We've made a decent start and really we haven't played brilliantly in any of the games, certainly not at the levels we saw at the back end of last season. We played well in spells but not for a whole game. Last night was no different, Sunderland were the better side for the first 30 minutes and then we had a 'mad' 10 minutes after they scored.

Blackburn will be a tough game, they've started well and will be looking to bounce back after a heavy defeat at Reading. That's the thing with this league, probably more than any other, is that anyone can beat anyone. Even after 4 games, no one has a 100% record. I expect West Brom and Middlesbrough to vastly improve, not sure about Huddersfield, they lost a number of key players and the manager before the season started.

Last season we drew 0-0 at Luton and lost 2-1 at home to Reading (when we were on a good run) so there are no guarantees.

 

[Oohaah! Bob Bookah!]

League table is looking good and we’re probably about where I expected, points wise, after the first 4 games. Victory against Blackburn on Saturday and we should be top 2 and then we have Luton, who are struggling and Reading at home, which, on paper, should be 6 points, minimum 4.
It’s interesting to see WBA, Huddersfield and Middlesbrough down the bottom. Bruce certainly needs a couple of victories or he’ll be enjoying another huge pay off.
Will that be his last job or is there another gullible Chairman out there??

It wouldn't surprise me if he went back to the pigs.

 

[WORKSOPBLADE]

We’ll be top 5pm Saturday

 

[Bladesman]

As we know with the championship, it's not always how you start the season but how you finish the season.

Norwich last time they were in this league started poorly and stormed to automatic promotion.

A lot of transfer business still to be done at other clubs too.

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

As we know with the championship, it's not always how you start the season but how you finish the season.

Norwich last time they were in this league started poorly and stormed to automatic promotion.

A lot of transfer business still to be done at other clubs too.

Agreed. This league is a lot about momentum, look at Blackburn last year, they just didn’t have the squad strength in depth to keep it going. Their momentum then switched to being a negative one.
I believe that we have that strength in depth minus a midfielder, we certainly have it in an attacking and defensive sense.

 

[Scarebus]

Smells like a 100 pointer to me.

 

[Sheffsteel]

The difference between last year and this year is

Last season you sensed that both Fulham and Bournmouth would be far too good for this league, so that was the top 2 settled.

However this year there's no outstanding teams, in fact there's an argument that we have a realistic chance of topping the league.
What does it say on out shirts "ultimate champions", maybe it's an omen?

 

[DaleHillBlade]

It certainly looks better than it did last season after four games. We've made a decent start and really we haven't played brilliantly in any of the games, certainly not at the levels we saw at the back end of last season. We played well in spells but not for a whole game. Last night was no different, Sunderland were the better side for the first 30 minutes and then we had a 'mad' 10 minutes after they scored.

Blackburn will be a tough game, they've started well and will be looking to bounce back after a heavy defeat at Reading. That's the thing with this league, probably more than any other, is that anyone can beat anyone. Even after 4 games, no one has a 100% record. I expect West Brom and Middlesbrough to vastly improve, not sure about Huddersfield, they lost a number of key players and the manager before the season started.

Last season we drew 0-0 at Luton and lost 2-1 at home to Reading (when we were on a good run) so there are no guarantees.

Agree with all this bar the “better for 30 minutes” more like first ten, and even then barely much better.

 

[Classof85]

I said last night to guy behind me it feels like the league 1 promotion season to me.

 

[Champagneblade]

I said last night to guy behind me it feels like the league 1 promotion season to me.

Good thing is we don't have Bournemouth nabbing about 15 additional points from the refs this season!

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

I said last night to guy behind me it feels like the league 1 promotion season to me.

In what way?

 

[TJB.]

I said last night to guy behind me it feels like the league 1 promotion season to me.

Some encouraging early signs, nothing more. We only chucked away two points against Boro a few days ago. Lots more football to be played before we can assess our promotion credentials.

 

[Russ]

Some encouraging early signs, nothing more. We only chucked away three points against Boro a few days ago. Lots more football to be played before we can assess our promotion credentials.

Two points pal. We drew

 

[TJB.]

Two points pal. We drew

Edited accordingly.

 

[Kev Gee]

It's a long season (with a big break in between for WC)

What will determine our success (or failure) will be how we return after the WC is over.

So yes momentum will definitely play a part.

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

It's a long season (with a big break in between for WC)

What will determine our success (or failure) will be how we return after the WC is over.

So yes momentum will definitely play a part.

Forgot about that factor. Be interesting to see the effects of the break. Will clubs be going away and playing friendliest against some European teams? Will the players be given a holiday and then when they come back will they go through a pre season training program? 5 weeks is a long time to keep the players fresh

 

[PokerBlade]

It certainly looks better than it did last season after four games. We've made a decent start and really we haven't played brilliantly in any of the games, certainly not at the levels we saw at the back end of last season. We played well in spells but not for a whole game. Last night was no different, Sunderland were the better side for the first 30 minutes and then we had a 'mad' 10 minutes after they scored.

Blackburn will be a tough game, they've started well and will be looking to bounce back after a heavy defeat at Reading. That's the thing with this league, probably more than any other, is that anyone can beat anyone. Even after 4 games, no one has a 100% record. I expect West Brom and Middlesbrough to vastly improve, not sure about Huddersfield, they lost a number of key players and the manager before the season started.

Last season we drew 0-0 at Luton and lost 2-1 at home to Reading (when we were on a good run) so there are no guarantees.

It's all coming down to the middle of the park for us. When we start knocking it about then we look class again, but it feels like when teams rattle us we give the ball away cheaply in some bad positions. I mean, Watford's forward line is terrifying but we only conceded because a midfielder walked over the ball.

 

[Snowflake]

We’ll be top 5pm Saturday

Slow down !!
There were some good patches and the odd individual brilliance, but our passing is slow, often inaccurate and telegraphed.
We might get it sorted soon and Macatee and Khadra might prove to be outstanding, but we have too many weaknesses to get over confident this early.
Let’s see where we are at the first international break and then the World Cup break.

 

[Blade58]

I take no relevance in the league table after 4 games

Last season we were bottom of the league early doors and at the end of the season we made the play offs

As for last night, well done Blades, but I don't get carried away beating 10 men, especially when the Mackems proved difficult to beat and I ask myself, had we played 11 men for 90 minutes what would the score have been?

Long, long, way to go

Will injuries continue to plague us?

Will Berge leave?

Will McBurnie ever score a goal? (tongue in cheek)

 

[Classof85]

In what way?

Bit of a gut feeling tbh possibly enough for me to back us to go up automatically

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Within touching distance of automatics

 

[HeySethUTB]

The division is up for grabs this season, so many factors that are favourable for us to do a Bournemouth-esq type season without the bludgeoning Fulham to contend with. Still early doors but if you look at the teams that mixed it up in the playoffs last season they haven’t carried momentum or massively built upon what they had. And the teams that have come down aren’t a Fulham.

Huddersfield - Lost their manager and some key players massive double whammy.

Luton - Surprise package last season, haven’t improved, yeah they’ve added a couple from a relegated Barnsley side and a player deemed nowhere near good enough for us, but it’s hardly top end quality.

Middlesborough - Leaky to say the least at the start of the season, will always be difficult to beat and have the wilder factor. But a centre half from Blackburn and a couple of strikers is a step down from the loss of Hernandez, Connelly, Balogun, Tavernier, Sporar and Ikpeazu.

Millwall - No idea what’s happened to them, predictability, tactical exhaustion who knows, but every time I see the score line their 2-nil down after 20 minutes and yet they have the same tally of points as us. Regardless they looked poor at BDTBL and not as robust as last season.

Blackburn - Opposite of Norwich. Lost some quality, and a team that was heavily reliant on one man who’s being linked with a move, haven’t addressed that problem. Of course, they were the only unbeaten team up until last nights defeat. But a glance at their squad shows a huge lack of strength in depth more than last season and have a new manager who is new to the championship mind-fuck, a couple of inevitable injuries or suspensions away from mid table fodder imo.

Burnley - Total change of style and system, lost a lot of experience and quality (on and off the pitch). They’ve gone down the raid the route that the manger is familiar with by doing a lot of business out of Belgium for unproven players in England. With those factors as a backdrop you get the feeling it’s a season of transition rather than automatic promotion.

Norwich - A team that on paper should comfortably competing at the top, I think it’s only a matter of time before they start to enjoy themselves a bit after getting battered more than us in the premier league. Not really lost anyone that influential either. But I question whether they were good because of farkes system or because of the players. Nevertheless signing midfielders for £10 million quid isn’t a club that sitting on their hands.

Watford - A front three way to good for this division, but a new manager and the rest of the team is a bit meh. Dennis has departed, Sarr and J Pedro heavily linked with moves and bids elsewhere. If they can keep hold of the other two without it causing a West Brom Pereira like stink I can see them at the top purely based on the fire power. But without them I don’t know who they tempt to come in and hit the ground running with the same quality.

Despite all of that that this is the championship and someone like Hull and Rov’rum will end up amassing 100 points.

 

[BladesOnToast]

Weird stat: only 3 teams have scored more goals than us - and they are the 3 teams we'e taken points off so far (Millwall, Sunderland, Middlesbrough).

 

[BladesOnToast]

Weird stat 2: we are the only team in the top 7 to have won their most recent game.

 

[Dynamo Kev]

Middlesborough - Leaky to say the least at the start of the season, will always be difficult to beat and have the wilder factor. But a centre half from Blackburn and a couple of strikers is a step down from the loss of Hernandez, Connelly, Balogun, Tavernier, Sporar and Ikpeazu.

seeing as i'm a boro fan it would be better for me to review us.

first that list from last season we'll only miss tav. the others were garbage.

transfers:

strikers- forss and hoppe up front. akpom has come back into the team after initially wilder tried to force him out. after a few games wilder loves him and hes staying with the group. tbf hes looked better than all of the strikers we had last season. hes won the fans over real quick after warnockball almost ruined him.
hoppe hasnt played yet. but forss looks like a box player only.

wilder says 2 more strikers coming in, not sure exactly who yet. but we have big 9mill for strand larson and sniffing round preston striker riis. fulham striker muniz and adam armstrong from saints both linked with a loan move depending on incoming replacements.


midfield:- in so far mowett on loan from west brom. you probably know him well enough decent champo midfielder. we are in for another cm but nobody knows who yet.
we also signed giles the left wingback on loan from wolves. he was the guy putting crosses in all game against you guys. well every team so far hes been a great signing so far except the og lol.

defense:- we brought in Lenihan from blackburn as a central cb. not the quickest but has nice distribution(wilder likes this). we want greaves from hull for the left cb slot. hes number 1 target. latest rumour is everton are going to sign dael fry off us. if he goes we will get all our targets in no problem.


season so far: leaky but also really bad reffing and stupid tactical errors have cost us. last night vs stoke they literally scored with their first attack after we have them camped on the edge of their box for first 20minutes. ref apologized at half time because they fouled jones to win the ball in the move they scored from and he missed it.

we come back to lead 2-1, missed half dozen decent chances, couple were guilt edge. then the have two chances in the 90min mark. first two of the second half and scored one. walked away with a point. unreal how lucky they. couldnt believe it. that sums up our season i think lol.

but i'm pretty convinced once we get all the new lads in we will be a strong team and be right up there. we have reading saturday. be interesting to see how we do vs them seeing as we have similar setups. hoping for lumley to have serveral howlers and we hammer them.

 

[DaveBassettsgoneonholiday]

Weird stat 3. Preston are sat 3 points off the top of the league having scored less goals than Sander so far this season.

 

[Dynamo Kev]

Middlesborough - Leaky to say the least at the start of the season, will always be difficult to beat and have the wilder factor. But a centre half from Blackburn and a couple of strikers is a step down from the loss of Hernandez, Connelly, Balogun, Tavernier, Sporar and Ikpeazu.

seeing as i'm a boro fan it would be better for me to review us.

first that list from last season we'll only miss tav. the others were garbage.

transfers:

strikers- forss and hoppe up front. akpom has come back into the team after initially wilder tried to force him out. after a few games wilder loves him and hes staying with the group. tbf hes looked better than all of the strikers we had last season. hes won the fans over real quick after warnockball almost ruined him.
hoppe hasnt played yet. but forss looks like a box player only.

wilder says 2 more strikers coming in, not sure exactly who yet. but we have big 9mill for strand larson and sniffing round preston striker riis. fulham striker muniz and adam armstrong from saints both linked with a loan move depending on incoming replacements.


midfield:- in so far mowett on loan from west brom. you probably know him well enough decent champo midfielder. we are in for another cm but nobody knows who yet.
we also signed giles the left wingback on loan from wolves. he was the guy putting crosses in all game against you guys. well every team so far hes been a great signing so far except the og lol.

defense:- we brought in Lenihan from blackburn as a central cb. not the quickest but has nice distribution(wilder likes this). we want greaves from hull for the left cb slot. hes number 1 target. latest rumour is everton are going to sign dael fry off us. if he goes we will get all our targets in no problem.


season so far: leaky but also really bad reffing and stupid tactical errors have cost us. last night vs stoke they literally scored with their first attack after we have them camped on the edge of their box for first 20minutes. ref apologized at half time because they fouled jones to win the ball in the move they scored from and he missed it.

we come back to lead 2-1, missed half dozen decent chances, couple were guilt edge. then the have two chances in the 90min mark. first two of the second half and scored one. walked away with a point. unreal how lucky they. couldnt believe it. that sums up our season i think lol.

but i'm pretty convinced once we get all the new lads in we will be a strong team and be right up there. we have reading saturday. be interesting to see how we do vs them seeing as we have similar setups. hoping for lumley to have serveral howlers and we hammer them.

oh and we have been linked to ampadu from chelsea on loan.

 

[Scarebus]

oh and we have been linked to ampadu from chelsea on loan.

 

[MobileBlade]

Forgot about that factor. Be interesting to see the effects of the break. Will clubs be going away and playing friendliest against some European teams? Will the players be given a holiday and then when they come back will they go through a pre season training program? 5 weeks is a long time to keep the players fresh

We have the advantage over the rest of the league with our practice run in the middle of last season.