Bristol City? Bolton? Millwall? FLW writers predict the bottom three in the Championship https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/b...predict-the-bottom-three-in-the-championship/ (1) 24th) Bristol City Alfie Burns Lee Johnson did extremely well to guide Bristol City to safety last season, particularly with the pressure he was under from sections of the club’s supporters. However, heading into the 2017/18 campaign, Bristol are without last season’s top goalscorer, Tammy Abraham, who is pursuing his Premier League dream. Whilst Lee Tomlin has also left Ashton Gate to link up with Neil Warnock at Cardiff City. Without the influential duo, Johnson’s side are bound to struggle and could find retaining their Championship status difficult next season. (2) 23rd) Bristol City Marcus Oades Let’s make no bones about it, Tammy Abraham’s goals kept Bristol City in the Championship last season. The Chelsea youngster bagged 23 goals in the league last term but won’t be returning to Ashton Gate, and with next highest scorer Lee Tomlin also having left the club, and speculation mounting over the future of centre-back Aden Flint, Johnson’s men could be in trouble next season. (3) 22nd) Bristol City Rod Booth I think Bristol City could struggle this season, just as they did last year. The Robins are without Tammy Abraham which means they’ll have to find another source of goals, and they’ve also lost Lee Tomlin, who is a good player at this level. Having lost two good players, and only brought in a couple of new signings, I think Bristol City could fall victim to the drop. (4) 23rd) Bristol City Eliot Wheat - Bowen Like Ipswich Town, Bristol City were dependent on a loanee last season. The performances and notably the goals that Tammy Abraham provided were the difference between a 17th place finish and a relegation dogfight. Lee Johnson will have the difficult task of replacing the twenty-three goals that Tammy Abraham scored last season, if he is unable to, the Robins could be consigned to relegation after a three-season stint at the second flight of English football.
The other 3 pundits predicted differently and we didn't rate a mention, who knows what exciting new signings Jnr has got up his sleeve..
Let's hope he has something left in the bag because like the pundits I see a season of struggle unless Lee can perform magic.
To be quite frank these guys are spot on. Really think this could be the season for a return to league one sadly. Unless superman has some rabbits to pull out of the hat.
To be honest looking at their comments it's obvious they haven't got a clue about us. Yes Tammy will be a loss but stating that Tomlin will be as well when we actually improved when he wasn't in the team just goes to show they are looking at names and not performances
Oh no. We are doomed. Ffs can anyone remember our 2008 playoff final year when we were predicted to lose every game we played? We pissed those 'experts' off so much by confounding them that the Sun newspaper stopped publishing predictions
alfie bowen, Marcus oates, rod booth, eliot wheat bowen are 4 of seven? that predicted us? I don't do the links as The Evil post seems to put my computer into overdrive and the odd other link I have clicked on does similar ...
Bristol City? Bolton? Millwall? FLW writers predict the bottom three in the Championship please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Date: 25th July 2017 at 3:28pm Written by: Sam Rourke AddThis Sharing Buttons Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to RedditShare to WhatsAppShare to FlipboardShare to More The season is SO close now and we here at Football League World simply cannot wait. We’ve decided to take a close look at the Sky Bet Championship, and the writers here at FLW have given their predictions as to who they think will be in the bottom three next season… Alfie Burns 22nd) Barnsley Barnsley surprised everybody in the Sky Bet Championship last season, finishing the campaign 14th on their return to the second-tier and even competing for the play-offs during the first-half of the season. However, the loss of Conor Hourihane, James Bree and Sam Winnall during the Janaury transfer window seriously derailed Paul Heckingbottom’s side, who tailed off towards the end of the season. There have been further departures from Oakwell this summer, with Marc Roberts, Marley Watkins and Josh Scowen all moving on, whilst Andy Yiadom’s future hangs in the balance. It remains to be seen whether Heckingbottom’s replacements can improve Barnsley, but it is shaping up to be a tough 12-months for the South Yorkshire outfit. 23rd) Millwall Neil Harris’ side secured a return to the Sky Bet Championship via the League One play-off final, having finished the regular season sixth – 13-points behind second-placed Bolton. Last season The Lions were reliant on the goals of Lee Gregory, and despite the striker scoring on 18 occasions last year, his most previous experience in the Championship saw a return of just nine goals. Home form will be crucial for Harris’ side, but there are doubts surrounding Gregory’s ability in the Championship. If he fails to deliver, Millwall are almost certain to struggle. 24th) Bristol City Lee Johnson did extremely well to guide Bristol City to safety last season, particularly with the pressure he was under from sections of the club’s supporters. However, heading into the 2017/18 campaign, Bristol are without last season’s top goalscorer, Tammy Abraham, who is pursuing his Premier League dream. Whilst Lee Tomlin has also left Ashton Gate to link up with Neil Warnock at Cardiff City. Without the influential duo, Johnson’s side are bound to struggle and could find retaining their Championship status difficult next season. Marcus Oades 22nd) Burton Albion Burton were absolutely sensational last season, and Nigel Clough and his squad deserve enormous credit for staving off relegation in their first ever Championship campaign. But it’s difficult to see them doing it again, as they finished just a point above the bottom three last term, and are likely to lose star man Jackson Irvine this summer, scorer of ten goals last time out, amid interest from several sides in the division. 23rd) Bristol City Let’s make no bones about it, Tammy Abraham’s goals kept Bristol City in the Championship last season. The Chelsea youngster bagged 23 goals in the league last term but won’t be returning to Ashton Gate, and with next highest scorer Lee Tomlin also having left the club, and speculation mounting over the future of centre-back Aden Flint, Johnson’s men could be in trouble next season. 24th) QPR This could be the season in which everything finally catches up with Queens Park Rangers. Minimal transfer activity, a lingering £60 million Financial Fair Play fine, and a side that on two occasions last season lost six games in succession, Ian Holloway has got his work cut out keeping the Hoops in the Championship. Rob Booth 22nd) Bristol City I think Bristol City could struggle this season, just as they did last year. The Robins are without Tammy Abraham which means they’ll have to find another source of goals, and they’ve also lost Lee Tomlin, who is a good player at this level. Having lost two good players, and only brought in a couple of new signings, I think Bristol City could fall victim to the drop. 23rd) Barnsley Barnsley fans could be in for a rough season in 2017/18, as I think they’ll be relegated back to League One. Over the last year they seem to have sold all their better players, with Hourihane, Winnall, Bree, Mawson and Watkins all leaving. The Tykes do still have a few good players in their squad but you can’t sell all your top players and not expect to struggle. 24th) Millwall I’m not convinced by some of the signings Millwall have made, they haven’t brought in a whole lot of Championship experience. I think there’ll be dragged into a relegation battle and ultimately go back down. Elliott Wheat-Bowen 22nd) Ipswich Whilst Mick McCarthy is vastly experienced at the Championship level, Ipswich Town seem to be stuck treading water in the bottom half of the Championship. If it wasn’t for an inspired individual effort from loanee Tom Lawrence last season, Ipswich would have been in the heart of a relegation battle. Unless Mick McCarthy can find another inspired loan signing to replace the goals and assists that Tom Lawrence provided then Ipswich Town may struggle to maintain their Championship status. 23rd) Bristol City Like Ipswich Town, Bristol City were dependent on a loanee last season. The performances and notably the goals that Tammy Abraham provided were the difference between a 17th place finish and a relegation dogfight. Lee Johnson will have the difficult task of replacing the twenty-three goals that Tammy Abraham scored last season, if he is unable to, the Robins could be consigned to relegation after a three-season stint at the second flight of English football. 24th) Millwall After gaining promotion from the playoffs thanks to a late Steve Morrison goal, Millwall seems to be the least prepared side of the newly promoted sides. The inexperience of Neil Harris and the calibre of some of the signings that Millwall have made so far this summer have been uninspiring. Millwall’s best chance of consolidating their Championship status is to make the New Den a fortress, if they are unable to, I think Millwall will be consigned to relegation and finish at the foot of the table. Charlie Firth 22nd) Millwall Unfortunately Millwall are a club who lack the financial resources to compete at this level, and I don’t believe they have a strong enough squad to beat the drop this season. However, it wouldn’t shock me if they did survive, as Neil Harris as been extremely crafty in the transfer window, and has signed some very good names. James Meredith and Conor McLaughlin on free transfers are two that particularly stand out as shrewd pieces of business, whilst Jed Wallace and George Saville are both good players at this level. I do think the club lack a striker, however. They were fired to promotion by the likes of Steve Morison, Lee Gregory and Aidan O’Brien, but these are forwards who I don’t believe will cut the mustard at Championship level, and to boost their survival hopes they will seriously need to bring in a new striker. Whilst I do believe Millwall have the greatest chance of survival of the three I’m listing, I still don’t believe they have the players. 23rd) Bolton It was nice to see Bolton move back into the Championship last year after a decade or so of financial struggles that ended up putting them in League One in the first place. However, financial struggles still haven’t escaped them, and the club were issued another winding up order last week. They have made some smart signings. Adam Le Fondre can score goals at this level and if they manage to get him firing, they have hope. Will Buckley is another down and out player who needs to get his mojo back, and if Phil Parkinson can do that then they have another serious player on their hands. Adam Armstrong could be another good addition. They’ve made other solid additions like Sammy Ameobi and Mark Little, but their squad is still quite weak. Their defence looks frail, and players like David Wheater, Mark Beevers and Dorian Dervite unable to compete properly at this level. That back line will be key to their survival, and I don’t think it’ll be able to withstand the force of the Championship. 24th) QPR QPR’s downward spiral has been quite something to watch. From being ever present at Loftus Road, owner Tony Fernandes appears to have lost all interest in the club, and their new approach of watching their spending has, amazingly, only made matters worse for the club on the pitch. Their decision to hire Ian Holloway last season was, frankly, bewildering, and their dire form under just stewardship last year should get alarm bells ringing for the Super Hoops. Their squad has scarcely been strengthened over the summer, with Josh Scowen the only notable addition and hardly a player who can lift QPR from their own mire single handedly. QPR are really going to struggle this year, and I seriously doubt that they’ll be a Championship club next year. Stephen Linsley 22nd) Hull City There seems to be that sinking feeling around the KCOM stadium again, this time in the lower division. No way is Hull’s squad one of the worst in the league at the present time, but key players are queuing outside the exit door, and the likes of Kamil Grosicki and Sam Clucas will almost certainly be joining the long list who’ve already departed. Assem Allam’s reluctance to reinvest in the depleting playing squad, coupled with the appointment of Leonid Slutsky, who has little more than success in a sub par Russian league and a failed European Championship campaign to his name, means it could be another turbulent year for the Tigers. Wolves proved in 2012/2013 that relegation from the Premier League does not give you immunity from further drops down the divisions. They’re a terribly run club and I can see them struggling big time. 23rd) Millwall Perennial strugglers whenever they grace the Championship with their presence, and I don’t think that will change anytime soon for Millwall who were promoted at Wembley in May. Conor McLaughlin and George Saville could prove useful additions, but the side who scraped into the League One Play Offs on the final day come into the Championship in worse shape than the vast majority in the division. Neil Harris’ team who lost the 2015/16 Play Off Final to Barnsley, looked defensively frail on many occasions last season, conceding three times on no fewer than eight occasions. They will need to do more in the transfer window to make a decent fist of survival, but in the current stage anything other than languishing in the lower echelons of the league would be a shock. 24) Burton Albion Burton were punching well above their weight finishing two places above the drop zone last season and although they have continued to defy the odds under various managerial regimes, I think second season syndrome will take hold in what promises to be a second tier with unprecedented strength in depth in regards to the quality sides in it. Star man Jackson Irvine will be difficult to keep hold of, especially when a big fee could bankroll the running costs of the club for years to come and could be too good a proposition to turn down. They were the success story of last season, much in part down to some hard-fought points on the road, but keeping up with the ever-growing pace of Championship football is going to be very difficult for the Brewers, who have probably the most modest budget of anyone in the division. Tom Rawcliffe 22nd) Barnsley Barnsley have lost a lot of players over the last few months and in my opinion, they haven’t strengthened enough to stay up this year. Their squad consists mainly of under 25s so a lack of experienced heads may cause damage. Although it could easily go either way. 23rd) Bolton Bolton have made some good additions to the squad over the summer since earning promotion but it may not be enough to warrant a place outside of the relegation places. Yo-yo. 24th) Millwall Millwall do have experienced players within their ranks but the majority of them have little or no experience of playing in the Championship which again could affect their chances. Rock bottom. Full article for you John..
Whilst I'd understand some predicting a season of struggle, I think those that do are basing that almost exclusively on transfers in and out, and in not knowing anything of Diedhiou or Pisano (as indeed, most of us including myself won't). Pre-season predictions are often well wide of the mark - particularly the Championship, which in recent years especially has thrown up many surprises. I'm personally happy for neutrals to write us off and us to hopefully surprise them. I'm going to see if I can find some predictions from before the start of the 16/17 season.
We lost one good player which was Abraham, We're not going to miss Tomlin as we were a better team when he wasn't playing
Didn't take long to find someone who tipped Huddersfield for the drop! http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/f...mpionship-201617-predictions-who-win-11695312
Pundits run the numbers only, so to them we are a side who flirted with relegation last season and have lost a 26 goal striker who saved us and not replaced him with a well known name, so they err on the side of caution. It could be us for sure, but equally there are probably 7 other teams that could just as concvieably be the third team. The fact we are 'less fashionable" than Forest or Brum means pundits will pick is over them every time, but I'm tipping we finish above both of them.