Next Season's Championship - Where Do We Stand? (2 Viewers)

[ccfc1234]

Right, so Paddy Power etc. have released their early odds for next season's Championship and it makes for interesting reading. We're sitting as sixth favourites behind the usual parachute payment suspects - Ipswich are top of the pile at 5.5/1, followed by Southampton at 6.5/1. Sheffield United and Middlesbrough are also ahead of us.

The thing that catches my eye is Birmingham being rated higher than us. Fair enough, they've got newish owners throwing money about, but we've got the better manager and better squad. If Lampard gets a proper transfer window and we can keep hold of our key players, there's no reason we can't finish above them.

Southampton being second favourites is a bit too high for me to. Yeah, they'll probably splash some of their parachute payments, but we all know spending and wisely are not the same thing! The fact that bookies see us as genuine promotion contenders shows how far we've come and I still think these odds are sleeping on us a bit. We've got momentum from last season and with a settled squad and some key purchases and a loan or two we could finish higher than a few of the teams ranked above us!

PUSB

https://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/championship

 

---

[quinn1971]

Everyone was saying the same about us last season so the pressure will be on us from the first game, still don’t think we were that impressive last season, just seemed to get a bit of luck and grind out results, got found out against the better sides. Have to improve the back four,if we get that right then I can see us maybe doing what Sunderland did, we need to be in the top 6 at least for most of the season to have a proper go at going up, can’t keep sneaking in last game of the season

 

[LastChance]

Agreed, we certainly need to get tougher to score against and stop giving away soft goals

 

[bigfatronssba]

Disagree that we were lucky last season.
The league table doesn't lie over 46 games.

We had as much bad luck as we did good luck

 

[Paxman II]

I think for once the conventional wisdom is wrong. I can't see Ipswich and Southampton doing that well tbh. As for Ipswich...look at Luton? I think Top 6 would be achieved for them with Sheffield Utd who may not have it in them next season. Birmingham will be mid table, they won't be doing an Ipswich. Think we have a great opportunity to be top 3.

 

[AOM]

Play Offs have to be the aim again, but we're a difficult team to predict.

Need to startbrighter than we have previously years though, as it's unlikely we'll get such an impressive winning run going again as we managed the season just gone

 

[stupot07]

I think for once the conventional wisdom is wrong. I can't see Ipswich and Southampton doing that well tbh. As for Ipswich...look at Luton? I think Top 6 would be achieved for them with Sheffield Utd who may not have it in them next season. Birmingham will be mid table, they won't be doing an Ipswich. Think we have a great opportunity to be top 3.

I would say Ipswich are significantly stronger than the when they won the league, and they aren't full of stars that are going to be snapped up in the summer. With all their attacking talent, they are arguably the strongest in the league. It was men v boys when we played them in the cup.

 

[lord_garrincha]

They may have also taken money on clubs like Birmingham, that will reduce their odds for liability purposes, so it's always not that they think they are the 5th best etc.

 

[Jamesimus]

We’re currently fifth mate, just behind Charlton.

 

[Grendel]

I think for once the conventional wisdom is wrong. I can't see Ipswich and Southampton doing that well tbh. As for Ipswich...look at Luton? I think Top 6 would be achieved for them with Sheffield Utd who may not have it in them next season. Birmingham will be mid table, they won't be doing an Ipswich. Think we have a great opportunity to be top 3.

Ipswich will be the favourites - nothing like Luton.

 

[HuckerbyDublinWhelan]

I’d be massively surprised if Ipswich don’t win the league. I’m intrigued with Southampton. We’ll see if Will Still is actually any good

Leicester are an interesting one - I expect them to be top 6 but depends on that point deduction.

Not sure why Middlesbrough are above us - we’re better than them and we finish above them every season.

Birmingham I can’t read but Wrexham will depend on the transfer window. Can see them really struggling if they don’t have a major overhaul

 

[Sky_Blue_Daz]

Top 6 has to be the target , we have flirted with the play offs a couple of times , time to finish the job

 

[matesx]

anyone else sick of the play offs? i know i am

top 2 or forget it

 

[fernandopartridge]

anyone else sick of the play offs? i know i am

top 2 or forget it

As horrible as it is I don't think there are many bigger occasions in English football now than the Championship play off games, such huge stakes. It'd be great to go up automatically but it's extremely unlikely so play offs will do.