Nottingham Forest top the Championship after a 1-0 home win, while Sunderland and Derby draw at the Stadium of Light. The Championship is crammed with great clubs this season and there's plenty of money flying around with Garry Monks Middlesborough splashing out £15 million quid for a striker. This Weekends Fixtures (5th/6th August) Saturday Aston Villa v Hull City Bristol City v Barnsley Burton Albion v Cardiff City Fulham v Norwich City Ipswich Town v Birmingham City Preston North End v Sheffield Wednesday Queens Park Rangers v Reading Sheffield United v Brentford Wolverhampton Wanderers v Middlesbrough Sunday Bolton Wanderers v Leeds United (Sunday)
It's a a strong Championship which is getting stronger for those "lucky" to still have the parachute payments as an income but once thats gone the disparity between this and the PL is growing wider.Theres quite a few contenders for the top 6/8 which is going to make this seasons finale probably more exciting than the PL.
I'm counting 15 teams that have been in the Premier League recently or could still be classified as "big clubs". Could be one hell of a scrap.
Plus two clubs who have won the European Cup (Forest [twice] and Villa) and one club who were European Cup runners up (Leeds United)
There is also a few teams in League 1 with recent history in the Premier . Seems parachute payments don't do the intended job if you borrow to try to stay up and fail . Derby and Leeds being shining disexamples
It's going to be a brutal league this season. There's 7-8 teams that can win it and any of 10 clubs can finish top 6.
You got to love the Championship anyone can beat anyone some good football and some dire football but you could bet all of us would rather be in the Prem.
Championship is far more exciting than the prem because of the incentive of premier league football. The incentive of most Championship clubs is to reach the play-offs or automatic promotion. The incentive of most clubs outside of the top six in the prem is to maintain prem league status and avoid relegation. Mid table is the best most of the teams in the prem can expect but the fear of relegation means that most prem league clubs are less inclined to take risks so most prem games are boring imo compared to the Championship. I wonder what the it would look like in May if somehow both leagues were combined for a year.. Anyone want to hazard a guess or two?
There might be a few changes in the top 6 in the Championship and the bottom 6 of the Premier , it's the only place there is common ground . Otherwise the top would still be the same in the Premier and the bottom would be the same in the Championship , basically IMO.
Terry has never been a speed merchant but the Villa back 4 could not cope with our front 3, it would have been 5 or 6 on another day. I'm happy so far but as everyone knows there will be disappointments too.
Early days yet but fair play to Cardiff giving one of the favorites a bloody nose with a commanding performance......Before a ball was kicked three weeks ago i put my usual bets on and i tipped Leeds, Cardiff and Villa to fight for top spot so with Cardiff beating Villa so convincingly then they draw first blood that looks to be a good season coming up..... Ill be home at the weekend and i am going to place one more cheeky bet and that will be for Cardiff to replace the Swans in the premiership. I dont think that will happen but it could....
BBC Fails has already crowned the Redtits champions after two games and surely Sheffield Utd will be duly smashed at Legoland tomorrow night. Meanwhile Hull v Wolves and Leeds v Fulham look to be the ties of Match Day 3 in the Championship. Tuesday 15th August Barnsley v Nottm Forest Birmingham v Bolton Brentford v Bristol City Cardiff v Sheff Utd Derby v Preston Hull v Wolves Leeds v Fulham Middlesbrough v Burton Millwall v Ipswich Reading v Aston Villa