The Championship

[TarquinDelouche]

Interesting to see how last year's promoted teams are doing. Huddersfield, having scraped their way up via the playoffs are doing significantly better than Charlton and The Filth. Anyone care to speculate how we'd have fared had we won that penalty shoot out?

 

[ListerBlade]

Without ched, and with the loss of lowton (I imagine willo may have stayed), I think we'd be struggling. Hard to tell though as our summer recruitment would have been different.

I'm going to go with bottom end of mid table, always glancing over our shoulder at the drop.

I wonder if we would have kept Simmo if we went up?

 

[SwissBlade]

Interesting to see how last year's promoted teams are doing. Huddersfield, having scraped their way up via the playoffs are doing significantly better than Charlton and The Filth. Anyone care to speculate how we'd have fared had we won that penalty shoot out?

I guess it depends upon investment and retention of players. I think we needed to get the clear out of certain players anyway, so we might've ambled along. If we'd gone up through the play offs we would've struggled a bit more than if we'd kept the momentum going and got the Automatic slot.

We wouldn't have had Ched either so would we have had the cash to bring in a 3Million Striker? Doubtful.

In a way staying down has probably helped us as we've been forced to clear out some of the better players, but whom were underachieving for us.

If we go up this year (which I can't talk about) then we'll need a lot of new faces.

 

[grafikhaus]

We'd have struggled massively. It's obvious McCabe is trying for promotion by spending next to nowt. Nothing to suggest that his strategy in the Championship would have been any different.

There's a huge gap between the Championship and Third Division. Clubs who have had massive investment (Forest, Leeds, Leicester, Watford etc.) and the cash-rich, recently-relegated teams still getting loads in parachute money.

Of course, none of this guarantees success, but it's a hell of an advantage.

Pleasantly surprised by Huddersfield who have proved that losing your star striker is not the end of the world if you're attuned to the game and know what makes a decent replacement.

Not at all surprised by Charlton and Wednesday struggling. Long throws and battering rams aren't as effective against better teams.

 

[Kenilworth]

The difference being that Hudds had a star striker they could sell for a good wedge but the other two didn't have that type of addition to the transfer kitty.

Our situation would have been closer to Charlton and the unclean but I believe we would have kept Quinn, Lowton and Willo had we gone up. Lowton for at least one more year before he realised we were not good enough to get into the Prem. I reckon we would have been in a similar position to where Charlton are at the moment.

If we go up this season - Wow - we will need a leap forward in quality, no doubt about that, but where will the funding come for that type of recruitment? Surely not from our Nigerian benefactor?

 

[Bladesway]

Its the unknown isn't it. Had we got promoted we would most likely have a different team. So how would we know? But lets throw some idle speculation in and perhaps a fancy chart and we would be better off for it and less bored.

 

[Micalijo]

You're not allowed to speculate on here Tarquin but yes I will have a go, we would be in bottom 6 without any shadow of a doubt. It's gonna be a huge problem if and when we do go up with McCabe in charge - there are some seriously decent players and teams in second tier now.

Kenilworth - how on earth would we have kept Lowton when Villa come knocking?

 

[Micalijo]

You're not allowed to speculate on here Tarquin but yes I will have a go, we would be in bottom 6 without any shadow of a doubt. It's gonna be a huge problem if and when we do go up with McCabe in charge - there are some seriously decent players and teams in second tier now.

Kenilworth - how on earth would we have kept Lowton when Villa come knocking?

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Agree with mic, we would have been bottom six with that team. I do think we would have stayed up and possibly mid table with some good signings.

The current team we have is good for this level but it would be annihilated in the Championship. The gulf between the two divisions is greater than it used to be. First and foremost I would be happy just to go up and secondly I would be delighted just to stay up - 21st place would do fine. We have a lot of building to do.

 

[Kenilworth]

Kenilworth - how on earth would we have kept Lowton when Villa come knocking?

I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME, Dilly!

Struggling prem side versus opportunity to shine in Championship and maybe earn a move to an even better prem club at the end of it. Also there has to be something in getting promoted and a team sticking together to give it a go in their first season back - like Southampton and Norwich did - not not too far fetched Mica.