The official CHAMPIONSHIP Thread
C'mon URZ!!!!!
Into the final, fantastic team display, now make the most hated man in Reading suffer further!!
Two best teams IMO in the playoffs through to the final, so well done.
Some cracking football on display in all games, even the 0-0 draws. It would be good to see more Championship on the box next year. Games are of a reasonable quality and tend to be at least as easy on the eye as the "survival division" of the Premier league - which means all but about the top 6-7 teams (those with realistic European ambitions). Having said that we all would dearly love to be up there.
And on that note, I'll be backing Swansea at Wembley. I've been impressed with their style (Brendan or not).
Robin Friday still the best thing to come out of Reading!
Considering he came to Reading 2 seasons ago claiming he was the new "Special One" (reckons he was Mourinhos apprentice), sold Doyle and Hunt, giving them a dossier as a leaving gift about himself and his football philosophies. After signing overpriced dodgy players, he then left the team in the relgation zone (while still proclaiming himself as a genuis) until McDermott, who had been demoted by Rodgers, took over.
I could actually see him squirming on TV when asked about McDermott and the progress of Reading...C'mon URZ!!!!!
Into the final, fantastic team display, now make the most hated man in Reading suffer further!!
Two best teams IMO in the playoffs through to the final, so well done.
Some cracking football on display in all games, even the 0-0 draws. It would be good to see more Championship on the box next year. Games are of a reasonable quality and tend to be at least as easy on the eye as the "survival division" of the Premier league - which means all but about the top 6-7 teams (those with realistic European ambitions). Having said that we all would dearly love to be up there.
And on that note, I'll be backing Swansea at Wembley. I've been impressed with their style (Brendan or not).
Robin Friday still the best thing to come out of Reading!
I was at Wembley two years ago to watch the Clarets go up (flew over, flew back, but that's what you do). Having been through our fair share of lows in the 33 years since last in the top league (including a final day win to stay n the league in 87 - the first year of automatic relegation from the league), the emotional roller-coaster was just something else.
Even though we beat the Swans late this season, the Burnley feedback is that they play really good football so good on you. Finish the season in style.
Congrats Swansea for the promotion and Sky for showing it.Brilliant.
LG, you can rest assured, there will be no third party ownership. For two reasons, all teams playing in the Football League now come under the FA, thanks to Cardiff's refusal to accept their medicine. Swansea did not appeal Neil Taylor's red card through the WFA. Secondly, Swansea are trying something rather radical in football. They are a Supporters run club. The ownership are all supporters, whether local businessman (or in the case of Den Haag wallpaper magnate John Van Sveden, Dutch fan) or the 20 per cent ownership of the Supporters Trust. Since the Australian Wideboy (Tony Petty) debacle 9 years ago, and the now-famous one pound sale, the Swans have been run on a tight budget, to a well reasoned plan which has seen three promotions and a continental playing style, which has proved successful in giving us the ability to compete with the traditional power player, direct style of most English clubs. We know from experience the folly of spending big money on trying to stay in the league, that was what caused our downfall from Div 1 to Div 4 and bankruptcy in the early 80s. It will not happen in Swansea. And while your club raised ticket prices 40 per cent, neither our fans or our sponsors had to pay more than the price of inflation for tickets. Our sponsors got their deals at the same price as last season as reward for the support.
West Ham and Leicester are looking like the ones to beat this season, wondering if Nottingham can finally crack through into EPL this season, I am not to sure about others to make the play offs (Leeds, Cardiff, Middlesbrough amongst others?). I think Brighton might be an interesting team to watch, I thought they did very well last year.
What are other peoples thoughts?
Im going with Leicester (really really strong looking squad), West Ham (Chmapionship winners) and I'll go out on a whim and say Notts Forest.
Leicester look really impressive on paper, just a matter of playing to that potential. Interesting to see a couple of players turned down Prem interest to sign for them, notably Mills, Pantsil and Nugent.
I had no idea who Paolo Di Canio was, so I googled him and, well..
Do you think you're going to enjoy watching West Ham this season? Lots of wins assured?Azevo2011-08-03 21:19:22
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2022114/Championship-kick-Shaun-Derrys-expert-verdict.html
big shock for me so far was seeing Southampton beat Leeds..
GGF? Glass and Glazing Federation (UK)???
Regarding the backs looks like they weren't even there!!!!