Quite a few of us expect to suffer the drop. If that happens it is inevitable we will lose some of our "better" players and even some youngsters who have, at last, been given game time, in the main have done well, and cannot be held responsible for the mess we are in.
It is unlikely we will bounce back like Birmingham.
I said last autumn that we had the worst Championship level side since the mid 70's when we were truly awful.
We have played some better football in 2025 and, at last made some signings in the January window which improved the team - Salech, Alves and Mannsverk in particular.
However, most games we make some stupid mistakes which result in goals against. Ironic when Richard Shaw was brought in as defensive coach.
We have 7 games to save our status, 3 home and 4 away. 2 of the away at Sheff Utd and Norwich. On the plus side we have Oxford and Stoke at home plus West Brom. We really do need results in the home games and at QPR and Preston. We rarely do well at those places.
Many think Riza was not qualified to take over from Bulut and that is looking more so with unsettled team selections and odd substitutions. He seems a good guy and is liked by the players many of whom did not get on with Bulut. However nice guys rarely win games.
If we go down I hope we can renew rivalries again in the Championship again in a season or two.
