Championship Chat 2014-15 Season

[RickBFA]

We need one of these strikers at Hillsborough.

We only have one recognised striker that Dave Jones is willing to play, the big Austrian kid Nuihu signed in the summer.

Madine has been found guilty of assaulting a couple of lads in Sheffield and is awaiting sentencing, looks like he's going to get a jail term, Jones will not play Maguire who signed from Derby last year even though he clearly has a footballing brain so he's playing either Antonio or Jermaine Johnson up front who are both quick wingers but aren't centre forwards.

Looks like we've signed McPhail to strengthen our none existent central midfield.

Lots of rumours about players like Lita and Sharp but the sad reality is that the gulf in their existing wages and what we will pay even as a percentage means it's unlikely players like these will sign. Someone like Sharp is more likely to go on loan to a team like QPR where they will pay his wages in full.

[DungBeetle]

Hasn't this always been the case though?  I remember from many years ago the likes of Swindon signing Fjoroft to lead their line.  Watford imported Helguson.  Even the minnows have always looked to strikers as their first port of call when buying from overseas.  And you ended up with strikers like Paul Wilkinson and Paul Kitson playing in the championship when in years past they would have got a top division role.

[The Camel]

Interesting discussion with Mr P Parker before the QPR v Brighton bore draw.

We came to the conclusion the Championship (or second tier of English football - whatever it's been called) has never been stronger than it is today.

The reason?

There are so many foreign players in the Premier League nowadays, players who be regular starters with mid table clubs in the top division just cannot get a look in and have to drop down a rung to get regular football.

Makes sense doesn't it?

I wrote about this in Tft about 2000 pages ago

I think it is particularly prevalent in strikers

Every time a Norwich sign a Van Wolfswinkel, or Swansea a Bony that means a domestic striker who a decade ago might have been in a bottom half of the top division side is now in the Championship

So you have a good set of Championship strikers, and a less talented set of Championship defenders (generalising) and this is why over the last three years goals per game in the Championship has risen, incidences of both teams to score has risen

   

Hmm, I'm not so sure this is correct.

Lots and lots of foreign defenders, midfielders too and especially goalkeepers.

I make it 4 starting English keepers in the Premier League.

[TightEnd]

Yes fair points

How many of

Austin, Nugent, Deeney, Rhodes, Ince T, Le Fondre, Ulloa etc would be playing in the top division a decade ago (at their current age and ability) I suggest over half. Some still might

then you have Holt etc who drops down a division when Norwich bring in two strikers, 

I suppose I just find it more noticeable with strikers

[DungBeetle]

10 years ago I would say that Rhodes, Ulloa and Ince would be in the top league.  Although thinking aloud, the likes of Ashley Ward used to be a Premier League mercenary about 10 years back, moving around lots of lower league clubs, so on that basis it would be hard to say that the others mentioned wouldn't be in contention.

I think another part of the reason for the improvement is that the scouting networks in the Championship are far more extensive now.  10 years ago by an all UK backline was common in the Championship whereas now I imagine it is a rarity.  The widening on the net allows clubs to snap up players like Knockaert who was less likely to be on the radar in the past. 

[anthonyl]

Missing from our game v Bolton

Andrews
Jake Forster caskey
Ulloa
Cms
Hoskins
Orlandi
Bridcutt
Ankergen
Ward (possibly)
Agustein (possibly)

Should get good odds....and v ex palarse manager so he will be up for it

[luther101]

Chalobah was the best player I saw in the Championship last year at age 18. A cracking signing for Forest that.

Indeed - but Forest are obv paying the £ 35k a week in wages demanded by Chelski that Watford baulked at!

£1.5 mill + a year at 18, lucky old Chalobah      .,.....

[Sheriff Fatman]

Getting played off the park by Watford.  Their passing and movement is fantastic and we have no answer when they're in possession.

1-3 down already.  Could get messy!

[aaron1867]

Getting played off the park by Watford.  Their passing and movement is fantastic and we have no answer when they're in possession.

1-3 down already.  Could get messy!

Are wednesday winning though?

[luther101]

Getting played off the park by Watford.  Their passing and movement is fantastic and we have no answer when they're in possession.

1-3 down already.  Could get messy!

It did, Sheriff.

[Sheriff Fatman]

Getting played off the park by Watford.  Their passing and movement is fantastic and we have no answer when they're in possession.

1-3 down already.  Could get messy!

It did, Sheriff.

Surprisingly, the 2nd half could have turned out quite differently, as we changed formation and started to look threatening.  I hope they show Almunia's save tonight as it was one of the best I can remember seeing - proper point blank stuff!

2-3 at that point would have made for an interesting game.  As it was, a long-range effort against the run of play (at that point) made it 4-1 soon after.  Anya's 5th goal is worth staying up for too - ran 80yds or so, outpaced everyone and tucked it away.

Really, really impressed with Watford today.  They looked like a Premier League team in waiting, although we're not exactly the toughest opposition at the moment when we have baffling team selections like we do at present.

[ripple11]

BBC website says not one shot on goal for B'mouth today .....yet bizarrely we get a 3-3 draw!

( 2 pens and an own goal)

[Sheriff Fatman]

BBC website says not one shot on goal for B'mouth today .....yet bizarrely we get a 3-3 draw!

( 2 pens and an own goal)

Surely a penalty should count as a shot on target.  Always assumed it did!

[luther101]

Getting played off the park by Watford.  Their passing and movement is fantastic and we have no answer when they're in possession.

1-3 down already.  Could get messy!

It did, Sheriff.

Surprisingly, the 2nd half could have turned out quite differently, as we changed formation and started to look threatening.  I hope they show Almunia's save tonight as it was one of the best I can remember seeing - proper point blank stuff!

2-3 at that point would have made for an interesting game.  As it was, a long-range effort against the run of play (at that point) made it 4-1 soon after.  Anya's 5th goal is worth staying up for too - ran 80yds or so, outpaced everyone and tucked it away.

Really, really impressed with Watford today.  They looked like a Premier League team in waiting, although we're not exactly the toughest opposition at the moment when we have baffling team selections like we do at present.

Agreed, I listened to it on the radio and you came back strongly in the 2nd half.

I did chuckle when they gave Scotland the MoM, and then 2 mins later he missed an absolute sitter.

We still need to get our defence sorted out - as indeed do Barnsley - but, too be honest, we've been pinching ourselves to see if its all a dream since the Pozzos & Zola arrived.

The players they've brought in, and the wondrous way they play, have got us all drooling down in SW Herts (and many of our 'fans' could have won any gurning/window-licking contest hands down without any encouragement from those on the pitch).

We're a good side to watch & try to play the game 'well'.

Good luck for the rest of the season - I hope you pull it round, Sheriff.

[Sheriff Fatman]

The Watford fans were hilarious after the Jason Scotland announcement.

They started singing his name, and then "He just too good for us", etc so were already having fun with it.

Then he missed a late sitter to make it 5-2, to much laughter from the away end, followed by a chant of "He scores when he wants" in his honour!

He was our best player today, but I wish they wouldn't make the home-side only MOTM announcements when we're quite clearly getting battered.