Three promoted sides.

So, who would have thought that nine games into the season, that all three of us would be outside the relegation zone? I for one didn't think so!!

As a QPR fan (and consequentially a great fan of the Championship!) I would be delighted if all three teams managed to stay up. And strangely, it's not looking that far-fetched an idea.

From a QPR perspective I'm delighted, I didn't think we would chalk up this many points so early on, although the dropped points at Wigan and Blackburn in particular may come back to haunt us.

Norwich look great, a solid team with a brilliant manager. They're the best of the bunch so far, and if they can keep it up they will be fine. We (QPR) will have to outspend you in January to finish above you at this rate - and that's a compliment!

Swansea look like they have the nucleus of a great team and a cracking 'keeper too. It was a shame you couldn't hold on the other day, but it's a springboard. If you're away form picks up you'll be in with a brilliant chance of overhauling Norwich and QPR considering your home form.

I know threads with QPR, Swansea and Norwich fans can sometimes descend into chaos - we've all got our fair share of nincompoops(!) - but it would be lovely if this thread doesn't descend into juvenile and petty arguments. I for one hope we all stay up!

In terms of teams that will finish below the three of us collectively, I'd say Blackburn, Wolves and Wigan are looking likely. Or is one of those teams too strong?

Thoughts?

 

It's a tough one, qpr. Recent history tells us that some newly promoted teams do OK until December-ish then fade away badly. From what I've seen so far all three sides have done very well but have had their share of good fortune here and there too. Us conceding a saved pen v Wigan with them also hitting the bar from Gomez against the run of play; QPR beating Chelsea despite getting barely 45% possession with two more men - Anelka should have levelled; Norwich should have been thumped at Liverpool - 3 or 4 times they hit the woodwork. But that's football, and I'm sure fans would also say they've had some decisions not go their way too.

But credit to all three clubs - we're doing alright aren't we?

Someone asked us recently on this board who we thought would go down and I said it was far too early. Still feel that way but I said Blackburn, Wigan and (controversially) Norwich. Sorry, Canaries, but I think you'll be a 'fader'. Hope I'm wrong because I'd like to see the Prem change for the better, and it's good to see some new teams in there. If we all stay up I'll be chuffed!

Would that be a first?

 

Excellent post and I have to agree it would be great IF we could ALL stay up.

All three sides seem to have adapted well to the EPL although I do think that the media
seem to have a 'love in' with Swansea for some reason who were getting the plaudits on
last nights R5L's 'Monday Night Club' once again and yet they threw away a two goal lead
at Wolves who had lost their last five games ! (no offence Swans).

It has been well documented that Liverpool squandered several chances against Norwich
on Saturday, but statistics show that City had 10 chances on target to Liverpool's 15 and
also nearly half of the possesion.

For an away side at Anfield I consider that bloody good !

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/15319431.stm

OTBC ... CTI ... ILWT

 

I said at the start of the season I thought all three teams would stay up, and at the moment, Blackburn and Bolton are doing there best to ensure at least two of us stay up.

I think we (Norwich) will be fine. We'll bring in players in January to 'help the current squad' as Paul Lambert likes to phrase it and as with the last two seasons, we'll keep grinding out results when we need to.

QPR have money and as much as it pains me to say it a decent manager. If they are struggling they should be able to buy their way out of trouble.

Swansea are the ones with most to worry about. Their home form is immense, their away form is shocking. At the moment, played five, only pick up one point and let in 14 goals. Last season it was away form that cost them automatic promotion. If they don't sort it they may be the ones to go.

I'm still confident we'll all stay up though.

 

This shows the strength of last year's championship really. i'd love to see all 3 stay up, but history is against that happening.

what is striking is how little there is between the teams in the bottom half of the table. Wolves, Wigan and Blackburn are looking particularly poor at the moment. but others look beatable even away from home. The question is will they improve, that will probably depend on who sacks their manager first.

The month of December is going to be huge for us all - not saying other months won't be, but there is 6 games to play in that month.

and the comment above about us fading - if anything history shows that we have got stronger in the last two seasons as they have gone on! We didn't spend massively in the summer so have that in the bag for Jan if we need it.

 

Hit the road, sorry Swansea are crap away from home and will get relegated.... QPR can buy their way out of danger in January, Lambert is God and a top 6 finish is not unthinkable ...

 

I agree Canary Max, December does look huge - I just wish we'd had more time in the summer with a real owner. We'd then have a decent striker and I'd feel much better about life!! I know a few people have said history is against us...but...there has to be a first somewhere! I really think this could be that year.

 

i think its fair to assume out of the three promoted teams the swans look like the weakest so far. i think we could just scrape survival if we improve our away form, Norwich look strong so far ,QPR i think could go either way ,they could be the suprise package or they could beat themselves with the money causing friction with players who got them promoted!

All have done really well though and i would like to see all 3 stay up , ive no axe to grind with any of the fans of these clubs and find most of them tidy enough on these formus so good luck to us all !

PS if the swans sign the right players (or any for that matter) in January i think we will progress nicely to safety , though some luck will be needed

 

I'm not quite as confident as my fellow canaries. Blackpool looked very good for the first 10-12 games last year and then lost about 6-7 on the trot and it is perfectly feasible that the supposed top 8 sides could beat us home and away. It will come down to how each team performs against the teams predicted to be in the bottom half, as well as picking up a few wins and draws against the top 6. Having said that I can see each of the promoted sides finsihing outside of the bottom 3, although Swansea are at this stage the most likley to drop down IMO

Although, Norwich have not faded in the last two seasons, in fact they have improved, this is a very different league and past history in those leagues is not a very strong predictor of perfomance in the 2nd half of the season for the PL. However, the players that have been brought in are still learning and progressing, which bodes very well. I predict 15th for the canaries. 14th for QPR and maybe a sneaky 17th for Swansea.

 

to be fair to us, and as you say, saturday was the first time we've been 'lucky' in a match. we've had some controversial penalties given against us in all our opening five matches which could have seen us on a far greater number of points. i've been impressed with all our starts but not surprised. as was the case last season, there are conceivably 12 teams who could go down from the premier league - the margins between finishing 8th and 20th may be small. i see no reason why any of us can't stay up but for me the most likely to go down are swansea simply because they don't seem to have a 'plan b'. the r's can go out in january and strengthen again. swansea re going to rely so heavily on their home form, which at the moment is excellent, but as norwich proved the other day, press them high up the pitch and they lack ideas. get that vital 'plan b' and i reckon they will be fine too!

 

Although all 3 teams have had reasonably good starts, it's still far too early to predict what will happen.

We'll all need at least 20 pts(more would be better!) this side of Xmas and then there's the New Year and the early winter slog.

Injuries, loss of form, bad luck etc will all have an effect but we're certainly doing better than we had a right to expect at this stage.

Let's hope we can hang onto our managers, that's important!

 

comparisons with blackpool are massively wide of the mark - and rather annoying i'm sure everyone will agree. blackpool pretty much fluked their way to the premier league on the back of an excellent run at the end of the season and had a far weaker team than all three promoted sides this time. they did remarkably well but its a pretty strange comparison to make in my opinion. they had far less about them in terms of infrastructure and squad.

 

Supernorwich23. What a dimwitted, big-headed know-all you must be. With people like you around, I really hope Norwich go down - to other good Norwich fans I am sorry, you have a good team (good enough to stay up), but some of your fans are straight off the Leeds board.
I read the original article, thought aint it just right that QPR got a lucky win, and here they are on our boards bragging it large. But then everyone seems to be answering with a bit of decency until Supernorwich23!!! So QPR fans don't count your chickens, we are certainly not, we just have to look a few weeks ahead - the games don't get easier!!
So fella, we have played 9 games, that is one more than 8 and 29 less than the end of the season. In other words - THERE IS A HELL OF A LONG WAY TO GO, and it is all about who about us we can beat. We are aiming to stay up, 17th would do, but to ensure this we have to win those games that are important. Finishing 6th is a fantasy, all we want is to try and finish above three others. Now if those include Norwich & QPR or not we do not care as long as there are three below us.
WE HAVE 29 MORE GAMES TO ENSURE THIS. There are 38 games in a season not 9, so good luck to Norwich and QPR, I hope you are not below us - but let the best teams escape.

 

The only manager i would put under threat would be warnock , Lambert and rodgers would stay for at least this season as they are both very well thought inside their respective clubs and will show loyalty in return,next season could be different though!!

If QPR have a bad run of form going into the jan window the money people may fancy a change with transfer backing a carrot to dangle for the new guy. Not sure about the politics at loftus rd nowadays but warnock seems to have support at the moment , a bad run though will get the money men thinking.


All posts above seem like a fair assesment of where we are right now Norwich,QPR and Swans if we finish 15th,16th and 17th it would be an amazing acheivement !

 

Why a strange comparison with Blackpool. Yes they had a much worse infrastructure and overall squad, but living in the North West and having some mates who are Blackpool supporters, I saw them play several times and they played some cracking football. The major point is that there is every possibility of going on a very bad run of games, don't really see why this was a contentious statement

 

i reckon any team outside of the current top 7 are in a relagation struggle already. Don't care too much who drops, as long as it ain't us.

 

knowing supernorwich as we do, he no doubt had his tongue firmly stuck in his cheek! don't take everything so seriously

 

i find it strange because they were a bit of a one-off. norwich, swansea and qpr are all way ahead of them in every aspect on and off the pitch... and they nearly survived! its a good sign!!!

 

The problem for all 3 of the sides is lack of goals. But mostly for QPR, because that looked like they where battling to hold their lead against 9 man Chelsea at home, whilst we where hard done by to lose to them 3 - 1 away, and had Torres been sent off you never no what would of happened. I never thought Adel Taarabt/Jay Bothroyd/DJ Campbell would struggle for goals, but the fact that Heider Helgulson is their top scorer tells you everything you need to know. I thought QPR where unlucky to draw against Aston Villa, but very lucky to beat Everton and Chelsea not to mention they've recieved 2 hidings from Bolton and Fullham, who aren't really top sides, so I'd say if any of us go down it well be QPR.

Norwich have had 3 of our 6 toughest games of the season already (Man United/Chelsea/Liverpool away) and we're sitting in the top half of the table, the only games we have been unconvincing in where West Brom (We still should of had a pen) and the Wigan game on the opening day. How anyone could suggest Norwich will fade is beyond me, because we sure as **** haven't done these last 2 seasons, we've got stronger and stronger.

Much is being made of Swansea's away form, but to be honest they've played alot of tough sides away, and I'm sure they'll stay up.

 

Hello JackSwan. I'm very sorry if my original post came across as bragging, I really didn't intent it to. I tried to be complimentary to each team and express my desire that we all stay up. I also attempted to look at the positives from your last result - that it might be a springboard - as opposed to any negatives.

I don't think anyone is counting their chickens, no one on this thread seems too confident from where I'm seated. All the best.