Championship chat 2017-18

[bergeroo]

Amazing that Birmingham are so high up in the table. We have a lot of promising youngsters and a solid keeper. If we can keep them, especially Damarai Grey in the transfer window then who knows. But I'm not going to be running out to put a bet on us to go up until February.

[anthonyl]

last night, Brighton equal club record 16 consecutive league games unbeaten - set in 1931.

17 now.

burnley away next, so guess that will be our streak ending. we may grind out a 0-0 though which would be a fantastic result if it is followed up with a home win versus birmingham.

hull and derby top 2, boro, reading, brighton, and burnley in the playoffs is my prediction with 34% of the season played.

[TightEnd]

Middlesbrough have kept 29 clean-sheets in just 47 home league games under Aitor Karanka (31 in 52 in all comps)

[aaron1867]

Do you think this season the championship has seen it become 2/3 tiered?

Rotherham, MK, Bolton all would see it impossible to challenge

some teams just always likely to be midtable - PNE, Bristol City, Birmingham (will fade away),

then the teams that will thrown money at it (M'boro, Hull, Derby)

Seems like there are always going to be teams unlikely to be up there, perhaps similar to the usual teams getting in the top, etc.

[TightEnd]

despite a lot of the league having parachute payments, and more foreign owners coming into the league giving more inequalities in finance across the division i still think its a very exciting league. Anyone can beat anyone any weekend

[DungBeetle]

It's interesting in that the teams with the parachute money don't tend to dominate.  It's as if the chaos of losing the Sky revenue and having duff players on long contracts is not remotely offset by the parachute payments.   

[aaron1867]

despite a lot of the league having parachute payments, and more foreign owners coming into the league giving more inequalities in finance across the division i still think its a very exciting league. Anyone can beat anyone any weekend

It's very exciting, but for the first time in ages, you've been able to see that some teams need a miracle to be able to do anything within the league, I appreciate all teams will have targets and that would be just to stay in the league, but look at some of them.

Often any team in the league would say "We are just a couple/few players away from being near the play-offs". I think some teams need a complete new team.

As for Wednesday, we recently did an offer for tickets, 3 for £90. Thought the offer was terrible. they know we are struggling for walk ups and people paying out £90 at this time is just lol. I think our new owners have lost touch with the fans, in fact, I am not sure if it was there at all.

[rinswun]

As a Brentford fan, I was thinking about this league yesterday. I'm not convinced it's all that strong at all.

We are currently 11th having lost three of our best players from last season - Gray, Odubajo and Pritchard - with a further six players who would be sure fire first teamers to six month plus injuries - Bjelland, Colin, Jota, McEachern, McLeod and Hogan. The players brought in to replace them are not even close to the quality of last year's squad and on top of that we've sacked a head coach and have a guy in charge who has repeatedly stated he only wants to coach the academy and feels uncomfortable in the top job. Despite all that we are top half and beating teams when down to 10 men. To me this feels like a spot that in a decent league would see us sure fire bottom three, instead there are a bunch of league one teams mascarading as championship teams, all are paying league one players premier league money and running themselves into the ground. The upshot is that average, reasonably well run teams - Burnley, Brighton - can feature at the top of the league despite not really being very good.

[NoCardDSC]

Brighton have just snapped up James Wilson on loan from Man Utd until the end of the season.

Think this is exactly what they needed to become contenders for promotion.

Great buy

[anthonyl]

Brighton have just snapped up James Wilson on loan from Man Utd until the end of the season.

Think this is exactly what they needed to become contenders for promotion.

Great buy

He any good? Injury prone no?

Will learn a bit off Zamora too

[TightEnd]

" United have allowed young striker James Wilson to join Championship Brighton on loan until the end of the season - despite failing to score in four of their last seven games.

Van Gaal has defended his decision not to play the 19-year-old, who has made just two appearances for United this season.

"He didn't contribute so much," the manager said. "He played a few minutes in the Premier League and Capital One Cup, and was not always selected in the squad.

"Players of his age need to play and, of course, I can imagine that fans are thinking 'that is ridiculous, they have difficulties scoring', but that is a short-term thought.

"We have to think what is best for a player like Wilson. Now he doesn't have many opportunities to play and we believe in him so he has to develop himself elsewhere. When we need him we can call him back."

[anthonyl]

Anyone know the record for championship unbeaten run? Still cannot get over how bad hypiia was, worst manager ever seen. Setting up fc Zurich nicely for relegation too 😂

[TightEnd]

Aitor Karanka picked up his 49th win in 95 lge games in charge of Middlesbrough including his 45th clean-sheet.

No wonder Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is in demand - 31 wins in just 49 league games in charge of Burton (63% win rate).

[TightEnd]

Brentford appoint dean smith from walsall as manager. what do our two Brentford fans think about that?

[TightEnd]

meanwhile bolton, very indebted, have failed to pay their players

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34966436

£172.9m in debt.....