[Tiste Simeon]

If Boro and Newcastle can sort out their teams (and perhaps fire Mike Ashleigh?? Please??) Then I can see both teams clawing their way back up again.

[Thelomen Toblerone]

Coca Cola Championship, say hello to Newcastle, or as they will soon be more popularly known, Leeds mk II. They're going to have to ship so many players I cant see them performing next year. The players that do stay will half be hankering for a move. They'll end up with Harper, Edgar, Carrol, players like that staying. Perhaps Steven Taylor for a season. Players like Bassong, Martins, Gutierrez, I just cant see staying. And how much will it mess up their team chemistry to lose upwards of 10 first team players? Of the say 25 int he first team squad, they'll lose at least 10.

[polishgenius]

I think Boro will come straight back up because they have a good academy, and lots of their local lads will want to stay. They'll lose, Tuncay, Alves and Malbranque probably and likely Downing, but a lot of the rest of the squad will stay and still be good enough to come back up despite Southgate's managerial deficiencies.

Newcastle won't though for exactly the reasons Toblerone says. They're a broken team, with a massive wage bill to strip and little of substance behind the facade (or even in front of the facade).

[masan's saddle]

Thelomen Toblerone, on May 24 2009, 09:31 PM, said:

Coca Cola Championship, say hello to Newcastle, or as they will soon be more popularly known, Leeds mk II. They're going to have to ship so many players I cant see them performing next year. The players that do stay will half be hankering for a move. They'll end up with Harper, Edgar, Carrol, players like that staying. Perhaps Steven Taylor for a season. Players like Bassong, Martins, Gutierrez, I just cant see staying. And how much will it mess up their team chemistry to lose upwards of 10 first team players? Of the say 25 int he first team squad, they'll lose at least 10.

Just finished watching the Toon on Match o' Day..., that is one seriously crap team.

No spirit, fight or soul. No wonder the fans are livid, however watching the Sunderland fans with their " HA HA LETS ALL LAUGH AT NEWCASTLE " placards was amusing.

I am flabbergasted that 15 of that Newcastle squad are on 50,000 or more a week ! WHO ! I can't think of one who's worth half that ( maybe Owen and Martens, but they certainly haven't earnt it this season)

That more than anything else will see a team made up of Biffa Bacon lookalikes next season, as they will not be able to keep paying those wages. I can't wait for them to come down to Cardiff next season, the piss taking will be brilliant !

This post has been edited by masan's saddle: 24 May 2009 - 11:10 PM

[caladanbrood]

polishgenius, on May 24 2009, 10:00 PM, said:

They'll lose Malbranque probably

Plays for Sunderland


Newcastle, as has been said, are actually too big a club to bounce straight back... their wage bill is huge, and although they will probably attract decent players, financially they are ruined, maintaining the stadium and facilities they have will be a severe problem, because they will not sell enough tickets against teams like Scunthorpe or Barnsley to even make it financially viable to host the games. Ashley is screwed, basically.

I won't cry about it

[Bhurnae]

I dont want to play Scunthorpe

[polishgenius]

For fuck's sake, what happened to my brain yesterday? I made stupid mistakes all over the place.

[Thelomen Toblerone]

Burnley are up, then. Shame really, I wanted to watch the West Ham Sheff Utd game and revel in the fury of the fans.

So, who of Burnley Wolves and Birmingham will stay up, do you all reckon?

Of course it depends on who they buy in the summer, but atm I cant see Birmingham staying up. They went down last time and now have a worse squad, so it'd be unlikely. Burnley have shown they can perform against PL teams consistently, so I'd say they might be the ones that stay up - they're like Stoke, but also play some decent stuff going forwards. Wolves, I think will go straight back down too. Ebanks-Blake and Kightly are good young talents, but Im not sure if they're PL calibre, and those are their best players.

Of the weak current PL teams, Sunderland should spend their way with a new manager out of trouble, I think Portsmouth might be well in the relegation battle next year, Hull and Stoke likely too, and perhaps Blackburn.

So my prediction for the 4 teams most likely to be involved in the relegation battle are Hull, Wolves, Birmingham, and Pompey.

[polishgenius]

I think Burnley are the most likely - the playoff team often seems to adapt best and they managed to beat several Prem teams in the cups while playing attractive football. On the other hand they'll be playing full squads, not reserves, and will be in danger of West Broming themselves.

Wolves I think are going down. I don't think Mick McCarthey can hack it at the top level- although they have better players than Sunderland did when they went down under him. Birmingham, similarly, will struggle.

Hull are going down - they won't repeat the start and they are just dire.

Fat Sam is too good a manager to take Blackburn down. Pompey maybe, Stoke I think will do alright, although not as well as this season. I think Wigan could be in danger - they'll lose key players and Bruce has a history of losing control under adverse circumstances.

[Impirion]

I think that Burnley have already had an outstanding season, and with their exploits in the cups, PL teams unlikely to take them lightly, denying them quite the surprise package status they could have been, so I think they may struggle, although the togetherness of their squad might give them that hard to break down quality that has lead to Stoke and further back Reading succeeding in the PL.

I think Wolves have a decent young team, and I think they may well spring some surprises, especially if they get off to a vaguely good start.

I think Birmingham will struggle, they have quite a few "stars" and I just feel they aren't quite as much a team as the other two promoted teams and so may struggle.

Of the current teams, I think Stoke will struggle and Hull will as well unless they refind the form of the beginning of this season. My outside team for a relegation battle would be Bolton because I see them being in a similar position to Middlesbrough, being short on goals, especially if Davies fails to fire.

[Tiste Simeon]

Yeah Hull surprised everyone at the beginning last year, but I can't see that happening again. I reckon they will stay low in the table for most of the league... Shame, they are the first Yorkshire team in the PL for years!

[caladanbrood]

Tiste Simeon, on May 26 2009, 07:00 PM, said:

Yeah Hull surprised everyone at the beginning last year, but I can't see that happening again. I reckon they will stay low in the table for most of the league... Shame, they are the first Yorkshire team in the PL for years!

You mean apart from Sheffield United

[Tiste Simeon]

When were they last in the PL? I thought Leeds were the last Yorkshire team to be up there and that was a fair while back...

Also, Ashley apologises. That man needs to go if Newcastle are EVER going to regain any kind of glory...

[caladanbrood]

Like, two years ago. Tevez-gate and all that...


I don't like Ashley, but I can't help thinking he does get a worse rep than he deserves... but then, might not be true.

[polishgenius]

He's put 200m of his own money into the club so he can't be all bad even if he's just waiting for a buyer (the Glazers, after all, managed to sic all the debt onto the club itself. But he's shown willful pride and rank stupidity (failing to check the club's debts before he took over) and that hasn't helped him at all.

[Thelomen Toblerone]

Fixtures have just been released, Arsenal have a lovely stretch in February where in the space of ten days they play ManUre, Chavski and Loserpool. I supsect it'll be unrealistic claims to being int he title race ended right there.

More annoyingly though, as Northampton got relegated and my cousin is a massive Cobblers fan - no longer a season ticket holder due to new baby enforced poverty, but nonetheless - and we were both looking forward to going to the Barnet Northampton fixtures in League 2 next season (Im sure you'll agree, the outstanding fixture of all League football ties). Unfortunately, the Barnet home game is on the 28th December - the date of my anniversary. Now Im already on, and I quote, "thin fucking ice" after forgetting last years anniversary, so Im not sure I can swing it to purposely miss it just to watch some League 2 football. Ah well. At least I should be able to make the away match at Sixfields.

[caladanbrood]

I hope we're not in a close race for something at the end of the season...

Saturday, 10 April 2010
Tottenham v Arsenal, 15:00

Saturday, 17 April 2010
Tottenham v Chelsea, 15:00

Saturday, 24 April 2010
Man Utd v Tottenham, 15:00

[Thelomen Toblerone]

Unless it's relegation, I dont think you've any worries there Broodicus.

[Tiste Simeon]

Brood, if you could just be a good team and beat the first two of those fixtures, it would be much appreciated.

This post has been edited by Tiste Simeon: 17 June 2009 - 10:58 PM

[polishgenius]

Thelomen Toblerone, on Jun 17 2009, 04:18 PM, said:

Unless it's relegation, I dont think you've any worries there Broodicus.

They won't be that far ahead of you in fourth.