Swans and Southampton get a double over them and make sure they go down. That will make me very happy. Plus Swans and Saints finish top 10! That would be the best EPL season!
Surely you're glad to be reunited with your rivals? I can't see them being able to beat you, frankly.
The Swansea - Cardiff rivalry is every bit as bitter and nasty as the Saints - Pompey rivalry perhaps even more so. Incidentally I have always liked the Swans and thought that Alan Curtis was a great player for both teams. I am glad to see that he is still involved in the game with the Swans. I believe Saints only ever do well when there is a Welshman in the team and we have had some great ones over the years. Big Ron, Barry Horne (he has an honours degree in chemistry) and of course Peter Rodrigues (he was a Taff in the original meaning). I wish we still had Gareth (although he too was a Taff). We shall be celebrating in the Mumbles come Saturday evening no matter what the result between the Swans and the Saints earlier in the day. The very lovely Mrs Godders is a Swansea girl so she will be rooting for us to do the double over Cardiff next year, however she will definitely be looking for a Saints win on Saturday.
Cardiff need a complete overhaul if they are going to hold their own in the prem. In a weak NPC they have not looked that special.
Yep. From my time living in Swansea I think it's worse. Our rivalry with Pompey is a bit handbags at 10 paces most of the time, those South Wales boys aren't afraid to back it up.
Yeah, they will need to find a couple consistent goal-scorers at the very least, or it will be difficult to imagine them surviving. They don't have a player with over eight league goals, which is rather remarkable given the sheer length of the Championship schedule.
Didn't realise that, wow, maybe red really is a lucky lucky colour.......'cause I don't know how they just got promoted!
Same way Reading did last year: good defense. Actually, their numbers are pretty similar right now: Cardiff - 1.95 points per game, 1.58 goals for per game, 0.95 goals against per game. Reading - 1.93 points per game, 1.5 goals for per game, 0.89 goals against per game.
Steve De Ridder has always liked Wales. Whilst they are at it they might as well sign up the UKs top young goalkeeper in the form of Forecast.
Don't think the Championship is that strong this year. Look at how close it is behind Cardiff. Teams like Derby and Leeds until recently could have been play offs or relegated!
Mainly down to a lot of teams under performing. There are some decent teams down there and some big clubs. Next year should be another extremely competitive year. It will be tough for Nigel to rebuild Reading into a promotion force in such a short space of time. Might take him 2 seasons I think.
Reading will be competitive. They have low wages, parachute payments and retain the bulk of last season's championship-winning squad. Add to that a good manager and a few new players and I would make them favourites for promotion next year.
I think they'll be up there but just miss out after a slow start to the season (much like Nigels first season with us but without the crazy winning streak at the end to clinch promotion), although I wouldn't be overly surprised if he managed to take them straight back up. Forest, again, should be competing. Leeds with Mcdermott and potentially some funding could be up there. Then there's last years relegated sides Bolton, Wolves and Blackburn who have all under performed. Blackpool have a pretty good team. Brighton, if they don't make it up this year. QPR could go any which way. Watford, Birmingham, Palace, Middlesbrough. One of the teams promoted from League 1 often has a good season. Then you have the 3rd relegated team from the PL: Stoke, Wigan, Villa or Norwich would all presumably put up a good fight for automatic promotion. Great to watch from afar, but I'm glad (fingers crossed) that we won't be involved in it!!
No question there are a lot of teams in with a chance, but none with as much of a chance as Reading for me.
Cardiff are a bit of a joke club and their owners have more or less turned them into a tacky marketing gimic. Swansea, on the other hand have risen through the leagues through hardwork and the vision and ambition of an excellent chairman - they have retained their dignity throughout.
