When the draw was made for the European play-offs in World Cup qualification, the world was left to rue the fact that either Cristiano Ronaldo or Zlatan Ibrahimovic, two of the finest players in the world today, would not be going to Brazil next summer. As it turned out, it was the Portuguese who were celebrating, thanks to Ronaldo's hat trick on Tuesday night, and Sweden to wonder what might have been. It is the second successive World Cup finals that Ibrahimovic will miss. It got me thinking of some of the other players who will also watch the greatest show on Earth on television, and here I have compiled a 23-man squad capable of taking on the best in Brazil.
For the record, I have only selected players from nations that haven't qualified. I have not considered players that have retired from International football, irrespective of whether their team reached the finals (although I am happy to be corrected on any mistakes). Is it too late for this squad to form their own country?!
Goalkeepers:
Petr Cech (Chelsea and Czech Republic)
Samir Handanovic (Inter and Slovenia)
Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal and Poland)
Defenders:
Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund and Serbia)
Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea and Serbia)
Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund and Poland)
Martin Skrtel (Liverpool and Slovakia)
Daniel Agger (Liverpool and Denmark)
Vlad Chiriches (Tottenham Hotspur and Romania)
David Alaba (Bayern Munich and Austria)
Midfielders:
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid and Wales)
Jakub Blaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund and Poland)
Arda Turan (Atletico Madrid and Turkey)
Gylfi Sigurdsson (Tottenham Hotspur and Iceland)
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund and Armenia)
Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal and Wales)
Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur and Denmark)
Andriy Yarmolenko (Dinamo Kiev and Ukraine)
Forwards:
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG and Sweden)
Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund and Poland)
Oscar Cardozo (Benfica and Paraguay)
Marek Hamsik (Napoli and Slovakia)
Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
Let me know who you would select for your squad, or which of these 23 would make your starting 11. Tweet me @adamgray50 or leave a comment.
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Friday, 8 November 2013
TWIF 2.03: Plenty to shout about in north London
This Week In Football takes a look at how north London is coping with new expectation.
Are Arsenal the real deal?
Sunday will be a fantastic day for armchair fans of the Barclays Premier League, with Sky Sports showing three games back-to-back. Consider it your reward for sitting through the inevitable bore draw between Norwich and West Ham on Saturday Night Football. Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle begins the Super Sunday hat trick, followed by Manchester City's trip to Sunderland. But the big one is at Old Trafford, as Manchester United host leaders Arsenal in a must-win game for the home team. Defeat for David Moyes' side is not an option. They would fall 11 points behind the Gunners, and surely out of the title race. For Arsenal, it is the third game of what has been called a season-defining week. Many times before, we have seen previous Arsenal teams fail these sort of tests; the big boys would show them up for being the flat track bullies they perhaps were. But right now they are two-thirds of the way to proving that they could be here to stay, following wins at home to Liverpool last Saturday night, and best of all, their victory at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League which proved how resillient they have become defensively. Despite their excellent start, there are many that are yet to be convinced about their credentials both at home and abroad, yet a win on Sunday would surely get everyone believing that their long trophy drought could end.
Tottenham could be, just be patient.
Across north London, Tottenham are continuing to make slow and steady progress. Thursday night's 2-1 win over Sheriff Tiraspol ensured their place in the Europa League round of 32, they are in the Capital One Cup quarter-finals, and are in the top four in the Premier League with the top flight's second best defensive record. Reason for optimism you would think, yet Andre Villas-Boas can't seem to win over the fans who think his team plays dull football. For me it doesn't matter. A 1-0 win is worth as much as any other, and don't forget that Spurs are still a work in progress when you think of how many new signings are still gelling together. The supporters who are frustrated at the lack of goals should remember that they are still picking up wins, and will only get better once the likes of Roberto Soldado, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela begin to hit form. Villas-Boas must believe that to win you have to concede fewer goals than the other team, not score more! All he should be criticised for this week is his decision not to substitute Hugo Lloris following his head injury at Everton. It was irresponsible to say the least, and he was lucky that Lloris had a relatively quiet end to the game.
Are Arsenal the real deal?
Sunday will be a fantastic day for armchair fans of the Barclays Premier League, with Sky Sports showing three games back-to-back. Consider it your reward for sitting through the inevitable bore draw between Norwich and West Ham on Saturday Night Football. Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle begins the Super Sunday hat trick, followed by Manchester City's trip to Sunderland. But the big one is at Old Trafford, as Manchester United host leaders Arsenal in a must-win game for the home team. Defeat for David Moyes' side is not an option. They would fall 11 points behind the Gunners, and surely out of the title race. For Arsenal, it is the third game of what has been called a season-defining week. Many times before, we have seen previous Arsenal teams fail these sort of tests; the big boys would show them up for being the flat track bullies they perhaps were. But right now they are two-thirds of the way to proving that they could be here to stay, following wins at home to Liverpool last Saturday night, and best of all, their victory at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League which proved how resillient they have become defensively. Despite their excellent start, there are many that are yet to be convinced about their credentials both at home and abroad, yet a win on Sunday would surely get everyone believing that their long trophy drought could end.
Tottenham could be, just be patient.
Across north London, Tottenham are continuing to make slow and steady progress. Thursday night's 2-1 win over Sheriff Tiraspol ensured their place in the Europa League round of 32, they are in the Capital One Cup quarter-finals, and are in the top four in the Premier League with the top flight's second best defensive record. Reason for optimism you would think, yet Andre Villas-Boas can't seem to win over the fans who think his team plays dull football. For me it doesn't matter. A 1-0 win is worth as much as any other, and don't forget that Spurs are still a work in progress when you think of how many new signings are still gelling together. The supporters who are frustrated at the lack of goals should remember that they are still picking up wins, and will only get better once the likes of Roberto Soldado, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela begin to hit form. Villas-Boas must believe that to win you have to concede fewer goals than the other team, not score more! All he should be criticised for this week is his decision not to substitute Hugo Lloris following his head injury at Everton. It was irresponsible to say the least, and he was lucky that Lloris had a relatively quiet end to the game.
Monday, 7 October 2013
TWIF 2.02: Januzaj for England? Maybe. Hart? Definitely.
Remember the name...
Manchester United got a much-needed win on Saturday night at Sunderland to ease the pressure on David Moyes, who hasn't got off to the greatest of starts to his tenure as Old Trafford boss. Their victory was down to two goals from Adnan Januzaj, who became the first player since Ruud van Nistelrooy to score twice on his first Premier League start for United. It hasn't taken long for them, and English football fans in general, to realise how special this kid could be, but the talk since the game at the Stadium Of Light of a possible England career seems very premature. In five years time, Januzaj will be eligible to wear the Three Lions on residency grounds, but for me there are two problems. Firstly he isn't English. It doesn't matter how long he may stay at United. It's like a donkey being born in a stable and calling itself a horse. Secondly, I think it's sad that players can be considered for International call-ups after such a short space of time, essentially one game in this case. Januzaj is a talent, but lets enjoy it and let him enjoy his football without the added pressure.
England need to show Hart
Speaking of England, we face two vital games in World Cup qualification on Friday against Montenegro and next Tuesday versus Poland. Two wins and Roy Hodgson's charges are off to Brazil. Anything less... well, it doesn't bear thinking about. Hodgson's biggest decision seems to be who to select in goal. Joe Hart is obviously struggling with form, but for me he has to keep his place. What message does it send out to drop him? Furthermore, the other options aren't nearly experienced enough at this level. Scott Carson found out the hard way in 2007 in the Croatia defeat that you need experienced heads in clutch situations. Fraser Forster has proved in the Champions League how good he can be, but with due respect to Celtic, he isn't being tested week in, week out like he would be at an English club. I would try him in friendlies in the build up to the World Cup, but for me, he's not ready yet.
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
TWIF 2.01: Shelvey stuns, Sturridge scores, Champions League returns
Welcome to a second season of This Week In Football.
A night to remember for Shelvey:
Monday night's game between Swansea City and Liverpool was a timely reminder that the Barclays Premier League can still provide us with exciting games, after what has been a tough start to the season from a neutral fan's perspective. One player who certainly won't forget it is Jonjo Shelvey. Before the game he spoke about facing his former club and the challenges that brings, but few would have thought that the task for Shelvey would be to remember for which team he was playing. To provide a goal and an assist for one team and two assists for another is enough to confuse even the greatest of players. To be fair, apart from the mistakes, Shelvey had a good night. He must have heard that Swansea were trying to sign him!
Goals galore for Sturridge:
Another topic from Monday Night Football was the form of Daniel Sturridge, who scored in his fourth successive Premier League game for Liverpool with a typical poacher's goal. When Luis Suarez was handed his ten-game suspension, I had doubts as to whether Sturridge could step up and be the talisman that Liverpool needed, but he's doing it, and Brendan Rodgers will have a dilemma once Suarez comes back over who to select, or how to accomodate both of them. It's just a shame that he didn't do it for England last week. Mind you, it's far more important to be fit for club commitments these days. Sigh.
Champions League returns:
The UEFA Champions League is back this week, and the group stage has brought a mixed bag for the Premier League's representatives. It will be interesting to see how, if at all, Sunday's upcoming Manchester derby affects the two sides' team selections this week. United (v Bayer Leverkusen) and City (at Viktoria Plzen) both have winnable games, so I expect a few changes from each side. Maybe it's finally an opportunity for Shinji Kagawa to remind David Moyes of his abilities, following his recent omissions from the side. Chelsea should find Wednesday night's game against FC Basel, indeed their whole group, fairly straightforward, but after last year, they can't afford to take it lightly. At the time of the draw, I worried for Arsenal that they could fail to qualify from the group, but right now confidence couldn't be higher. A win in Marseille sets them up perfectly, but with Borussia Dortmund and Napoli - whose game on Wednesday I'll be watching - also awaiting, it may be essential that the Gunners hit the ground running.
A night to remember for Shelvey:
Monday night's game between Swansea City and Liverpool was a timely reminder that the Barclays Premier League can still provide us with exciting games, after what has been a tough start to the season from a neutral fan's perspective. One player who certainly won't forget it is Jonjo Shelvey. Before the game he spoke about facing his former club and the challenges that brings, but few would have thought that the task for Shelvey would be to remember for which team he was playing. To provide a goal and an assist for one team and two assists for another is enough to confuse even the greatest of players. To be fair, apart from the mistakes, Shelvey had a good night. He must have heard that Swansea were trying to sign him!
Goals galore for Sturridge:
Another topic from Monday Night Football was the form of Daniel Sturridge, who scored in his fourth successive Premier League game for Liverpool with a typical poacher's goal. When Luis Suarez was handed his ten-game suspension, I had doubts as to whether Sturridge could step up and be the talisman that Liverpool needed, but he's doing it, and Brendan Rodgers will have a dilemma once Suarez comes back over who to select, or how to accomodate both of them. It's just a shame that he didn't do it for England last week. Mind you, it's far more important to be fit for club commitments these days. Sigh.
Champions League returns:
The UEFA Champions League is back this week, and the group stage has brought a mixed bag for the Premier League's representatives. It will be interesting to see how, if at all, Sunday's upcoming Manchester derby affects the two sides' team selections this week. United (v Bayer Leverkusen) and City (at Viktoria Plzen) both have winnable games, so I expect a few changes from each side. Maybe it's finally an opportunity for Shinji Kagawa to remind David Moyes of his abilities, following his recent omissions from the side. Chelsea should find Wednesday night's game against FC Basel, indeed their whole group, fairly straightforward, but after last year, they can't afford to take it lightly. At the time of the draw, I worried for Arsenal that they could fail to qualify from the group, but right now confidence couldn't be higher. A win in Marseille sets them up perfectly, but with Borussia Dortmund and Napoli - whose game on Wednesday I'll be watching - also awaiting, it may be essential that the Gunners hit the ground running.
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
Barclays Premier League Preview 2013-14 Part 2: Who's for the drop?
In Part 1 of my Premier League preview I looked at the contenders for the title. Here in Part 2 I will bring you the three teams who I think will be relegated this season, plus my prediction of the final league table.
If recent seasons are anything to go by, the relegation dogfight will be contested by many more teams than just the three that will fall. Aside from the top seven or eight teams, everybody else will breathe a sigh of relief when their team reaches the magic total of 40 points. Queens Park Rangers and Reading were cannon fodder for the whole campaign last season, but the battle to avoid 18th place was contested by the entire bottom half of the league right up until the penultimate game, when Wigan Athletic finally fell through the trapdoor. This year's could be just as exciting for the neutrals.
The easy place to start is to look at the three promoted sides. Championship winners Cardiff City look the best bet of the three to survive, having broken their transfer record three times this summer. Their best piece of business is no doubt the acquisition of Steven Caulker from Tottenham. The England defender was a surprise move for many fans who believed he could easily have had a long term future at White Hart Lane. An interesting addition is Gary Medel. £11million has brought El Pitbull to Wales from Sevilla, and providing he keeps out of the trouble he was known for in Spain, he could prove the difference in midfield. For me, the Bluebirds stay up...just.
Hull City were second in the Championship last season despite scoring just 61 goals. The bulk of their wins were by one goal, and while Steve Bruce's Tigers could get away with that last year, a lack of firepower is a real worry, especially when their forward signings are either unproven (George Boyd) or arguably not good enough (Danny Graham) for the top flight. Their success was down to a solid defence, but that will be put to the test this year, and I can't see them keeping enough clean sheets without one or two more bodies coming in.
Crystal Palace's play-off final win in May was Wilfried Zaha's last appearance for the club before his return to parent club Manchester United. He looks like he will play a prominent role in David Moyes' first team plans this season, but how Ian Holloway must wish he could get him back on loan for another year. They were far from a one-man team - in fact Glenn Murray was arguably even more important last season, but his injury means that they look a weaker team without their goals and assists. In Marouane Chamakh the Eagles have signed a striker whose time at Arsenal can best be described as poor, and Dwight Gayle, a record signing, while clearly knowing where the goal is judging by his season at Peterborough United, may find the step up too big. Gayle was playing in the Conference North just a couple of years ago.
If one promoted club are to survive, then it means that an established Premier League side are to go down. There are serious doubts about how Newcastle United and Sunderland will get on after a very turbulent off-season off the pitch at St. James' Park, and a raft of changes to the playing staff at the Stadium of Light. It could be feast or famine for both North East giants, and while some have tipped one, or even both to find themselves in the bottom three, I think they will both be fine, albeit with little improvement to their finishes of 2013. Aston Villa's youngsters will be better for their experience in what was a difficult year last season, and BTG Rookie of the Year Christian Benteke's decision to stay is a huge boost to their hopes.
That leaves Stoke City. You may scoff, and I'll admit, I had to convince myself a bit, but this could well be the year that the Potters' Premier League stay comes to an end. Tony Pulis built his success on hardworking, solid defensive teams, and while people thought time was up for him, to replace him with Mark Hughes is a huge risk. Hughes prefers attacking, expansive football, not to mention a big chequebook. Stoke arguably don't have either, and it could finally be the year they get found out. Hughes needs this job to be a success after the debacle at QPR, but he's got his work cut out.
Here's BTG's predicted Barclays Premier League table:
If recent seasons are anything to go by, the relegation dogfight will be contested by many more teams than just the three that will fall. Aside from the top seven or eight teams, everybody else will breathe a sigh of relief when their team reaches the magic total of 40 points. Queens Park Rangers and Reading were cannon fodder for the whole campaign last season, but the battle to avoid 18th place was contested by the entire bottom half of the league right up until the penultimate game, when Wigan Athletic finally fell through the trapdoor. This year's could be just as exciting for the neutrals.
The easy place to start is to look at the three promoted sides. Championship winners Cardiff City look the best bet of the three to survive, having broken their transfer record three times this summer. Their best piece of business is no doubt the acquisition of Steven Caulker from Tottenham. The England defender was a surprise move for many fans who believed he could easily have had a long term future at White Hart Lane. An interesting addition is Gary Medel. £11million has brought El Pitbull to Wales from Sevilla, and providing he keeps out of the trouble he was known for in Spain, he could prove the difference in midfield. For me, the Bluebirds stay up...just.
Hull City were second in the Championship last season despite scoring just 61 goals. The bulk of their wins were by one goal, and while Steve Bruce's Tigers could get away with that last year, a lack of firepower is a real worry, especially when their forward signings are either unproven (George Boyd) or arguably not good enough (Danny Graham) for the top flight. Their success was down to a solid defence, but that will be put to the test this year, and I can't see them keeping enough clean sheets without one or two more bodies coming in.
Crystal Palace's play-off final win in May was Wilfried Zaha's last appearance for the club before his return to parent club Manchester United. He looks like he will play a prominent role in David Moyes' first team plans this season, but how Ian Holloway must wish he could get him back on loan for another year. They were far from a one-man team - in fact Glenn Murray was arguably even more important last season, but his injury means that they look a weaker team without their goals and assists. In Marouane Chamakh the Eagles have signed a striker whose time at Arsenal can best be described as poor, and Dwight Gayle, a record signing, while clearly knowing where the goal is judging by his season at Peterborough United, may find the step up too big. Gayle was playing in the Conference North just a couple of years ago.
If one promoted club are to survive, then it means that an established Premier League side are to go down. There are serious doubts about how Newcastle United and Sunderland will get on after a very turbulent off-season off the pitch at St. James' Park, and a raft of changes to the playing staff at the Stadium of Light. It could be feast or famine for both North East giants, and while some have tipped one, or even both to find themselves in the bottom three, I think they will both be fine, albeit with little improvement to their finishes of 2013. Aston Villa's youngsters will be better for their experience in what was a difficult year last season, and BTG Rookie of the Year Christian Benteke's decision to stay is a huge boost to their hopes.
That leaves Stoke City. You may scoff, and I'll admit, I had to convince myself a bit, but this could well be the year that the Potters' Premier League stay comes to an end. Tony Pulis built his success on hardworking, solid defensive teams, and while people thought time was up for him, to replace him with Mark Hughes is a huge risk. Hughes prefers attacking, expansive football, not to mention a big chequebook. Stoke arguably don't have either, and it could finally be the year they get found out. Hughes needs this job to be a success after the debacle at QPR, but he's got his work cut out.
Here's BTG's predicted Barclays Premier League table:
- Manchester City
- Chelsea
- Manchester United
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Arsenal
- Liverpool
- Everton
- Swansea City
- West Ham United
- West Bromwich Albion
- Fulham
- Southampton
- Aston Villa
- Sunderland
- Newcastle United
- Norwich City
- Cardiff City
- Stoke City
- Hull City
- Crystal Palace
Monday, 12 August 2013
Barclays Premier League Preview 2013-14 Part 1: Race for the title
For the first time in many years there is a genuine three-horse race for the Barclays Premier League title, made all the more fascinating by the fact that all of the three clubs are being led by new managers. We all know what we're going to get with Jose Mourinho, as he begins his second spell in charge of Chelsea, and Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City brings his obvious talent. The biggest job however is obviously that of David Moyes, who takes on the unenviable task of picking up where Sir Alex Ferguson left off.
Moyes has already found himself under pressure following a less than impressive set of pre-season results, and of course having to deal with the Wayne Rooney transfer saga. It sounds silly, but this past Sunday's Community Shield was close to must-win for the former Everton boss. Talk amongst the Old Trafford fans has been about a lack of new signings, but it was Robin van Persie's double at Wembley against Wigan which proved that the champions aren't too bad a team without newcomers. I feel though that without another midfielder, possibly a replacement for Rooney, and of course Sir Alex in the dugout, United may fall short of title no.21.
Few were surprised when Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge after a turbulent couple of years at Real Madrid. If he has the same effect as his first season the last time, Chelsea are going to be very tough to beat. For me, that Blues team of 2004-05 is the best in Premier League history - and I include the Arsenal invincibles in that, for the record - but I'm not too sure the spine of this team is as strong. John Terry and Frank Lampard, loyal servants of the club and the manager, aren't the players they were, and there are doubts as to how much he fancies David Luiz and Juan Mata. The personnel at the Bridge are more used to playing with more attacking prowess than Mourinho's teams are known for. Mourinho has the same problem as a long list of predecessors in the job, which is to get the best out of Fernando Torres, who must know that time is running out unless he can finally produce a 20+ goal season.
For all the talk about Moyes, Mourinho and the other transfer sagas, Manchester City have gone about their business very quietly, amazingly quietly really. They have no doubt been the busiest of the big three in the transfer market, and not only have they added in quantity, they have added in unquestionable quality in the shape of Alvaro Negredo, Stevan Jovetic, Jesus Navas and Fernandinho. Too many of their key names underperformed last season - in fact only Pablo Zabaleta had a better season than in their championship year of 2011-12 - but if the likes of Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure, and maybe most crucially Joe Hart, get back to their best, they are going to be a force. As well as those, Pellegrini will likely use Edin Dzeko in a more leading role, which I am excited about. For me, he is possibly the most under-rated striker in the league. I may be in the minority, but I am predicting City to win the league back from their neighbours come May.
Come back later this week for Part 2 when I look at who will be in the relegation battle.
Moyes has already found himself under pressure following a less than impressive set of pre-season results, and of course having to deal with the Wayne Rooney transfer saga. It sounds silly, but this past Sunday's Community Shield was close to must-win for the former Everton boss. Talk amongst the Old Trafford fans has been about a lack of new signings, but it was Robin van Persie's double at Wembley against Wigan which proved that the champions aren't too bad a team without newcomers. I feel though that without another midfielder, possibly a replacement for Rooney, and of course Sir Alex in the dugout, United may fall short of title no.21.
Few were surprised when Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge after a turbulent couple of years at Real Madrid. If he has the same effect as his first season the last time, Chelsea are going to be very tough to beat. For me, that Blues team of 2004-05 is the best in Premier League history - and I include the Arsenal invincibles in that, for the record - but I'm not too sure the spine of this team is as strong. John Terry and Frank Lampard, loyal servants of the club and the manager, aren't the players they were, and there are doubts as to how much he fancies David Luiz and Juan Mata. The personnel at the Bridge are more used to playing with more attacking prowess than Mourinho's teams are known for. Mourinho has the same problem as a long list of predecessors in the job, which is to get the best out of Fernando Torres, who must know that time is running out unless he can finally produce a 20+ goal season.
For all the talk about Moyes, Mourinho and the other transfer sagas, Manchester City have gone about their business very quietly, amazingly quietly really. They have no doubt been the busiest of the big three in the transfer market, and not only have they added in quantity, they have added in unquestionable quality in the shape of Alvaro Negredo, Stevan Jovetic, Jesus Navas and Fernandinho. Too many of their key names underperformed last season - in fact only Pablo Zabaleta had a better season than in their championship year of 2011-12 - but if the likes of Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure, and maybe most crucially Joe Hart, get back to their best, they are going to be a force. As well as those, Pellegrini will likely use Edin Dzeko in a more leading role, which I am excited about. For me, he is possibly the most under-rated striker in the league. I may be in the minority, but I am predicting City to win the league back from their neighbours come May.
Come back later this week for Part 2 when I look at who will be in the relegation battle.
Friday, 2 August 2013
Sky Bet Championship preview 2013-14
The football season is back and so is Behind The Goal. Thank you for your support last season and I hope you will continue to enjoy the blog, and discuss the season's talking points with me, Adam Gray.
The season kicks off this weekend with the Sky Bet Football League. The oldest league in the world is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, and it continues to provide exciting and unpredictable football in all its three divisions. It's so unpredictable in fact, that my prediction of the final table of this season's Championship will probably prove to be far more wrong than right, but the fun's in trying, isn't it?
As obvious as it sounds, the three teams relegated from the Premier League look in pole position to bounce straight back, providing they can hold on to their bigger names. Of the three, Reading look the least likely to suffer the culture shock of relegation; they won this division two seasons ago with a near-identical squad. Queens Park Rangers may still have to offload the big earners and big time Charlies which did so badly for them last year, but those that will remain, plus the signing of Burnley's Charlie Austin, will give the Rs a great chance of success. Wigan's main stumbling block may be how they cope with the demands that the Europa League campaign will place on their side, particularly if they manage to progress to the knockout stages after Christmas. Aside from that, they have a team full of youngsters with points to prove, and in Grant Holt, a proven goalscorer at all levels.
The race for the play-offs will probably be contested at some point by every club in the league, but ultimately I think it will be the same suspects as last season that compete at the business end. As a Nottingham Forest fan, I am excited by the prospect of a genuine promotion challenge after finishing 8th last term in what was a turbulent campaign on and off the pitch. I think anything less than a play-off place will be a failure given the investment the playing squad has had, but I don't think we're quite ready to challenge for the title, although I would love to be proved wrong.
Yeovil Town stunned the nation in winning promotion from League One via the play-offs, but the Championship may prove to be a step too far for Gary Johnson's side. They were relegation candidates a year ago, so there cannot be many who think they will stay afloat at a higher level. Bournemouth, who until the last minute of last season were set to be League One champions until Doncaster snatched the title in incredible circumstances at Brentford's Griffin Park, should have enough about them to stay up, as should Rovers themselves. The possibilty of seeing One Direction's Louis Tomlinson turn out in the red and white stripes may even put a few new fans through the gate at the Keepmoat! I have tipped two other Yorkshire sides for the drop, Barnsley and Huddersfield Town.
Behind The Goal's final table prediction:
The season kicks off this weekend with the Sky Bet Football League. The oldest league in the world is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, and it continues to provide exciting and unpredictable football in all its three divisions. It's so unpredictable in fact, that my prediction of the final table of this season's Championship will probably prove to be far more wrong than right, but the fun's in trying, isn't it?
As obvious as it sounds, the three teams relegated from the Premier League look in pole position to bounce straight back, providing they can hold on to their bigger names. Of the three, Reading look the least likely to suffer the culture shock of relegation; they won this division two seasons ago with a near-identical squad. Queens Park Rangers may still have to offload the big earners and big time Charlies which did so badly for them last year, but those that will remain, plus the signing of Burnley's Charlie Austin, will give the Rs a great chance of success. Wigan's main stumbling block may be how they cope with the demands that the Europa League campaign will place on their side, particularly if they manage to progress to the knockout stages after Christmas. Aside from that, they have a team full of youngsters with points to prove, and in Grant Holt, a proven goalscorer at all levels.
The race for the play-offs will probably be contested at some point by every club in the league, but ultimately I think it will be the same suspects as last season that compete at the business end. As a Nottingham Forest fan, I am excited by the prospect of a genuine promotion challenge after finishing 8th last term in what was a turbulent campaign on and off the pitch. I think anything less than a play-off place will be a failure given the investment the playing squad has had, but I don't think we're quite ready to challenge for the title, although I would love to be proved wrong.
Yeovil Town stunned the nation in winning promotion from League One via the play-offs, but the Championship may prove to be a step too far for Gary Johnson's side. They were relegation candidates a year ago, so there cannot be many who think they will stay afloat at a higher level. Bournemouth, who until the last minute of last season were set to be League One champions until Doncaster snatched the title in incredible circumstances at Brentford's Griffin Park, should have enough about them to stay up, as should Rovers themselves. The possibilty of seeing One Direction's Louis Tomlinson turn out in the red and white stripes may even put a few new fans through the gate at the Keepmoat! I have tipped two other Yorkshire sides for the drop, Barnsley and Huddersfield Town.
Behind The Goal's final table prediction:
- Reading
- Queens Park Rangers
- Bolton Wanderers
- Wigan Athletic
- Nottingham Forest
- Watford
- Leicester City
- Brighton and Hove Albion
- Ipswich Town
- Leeds United
- Birmingham City
- Derby County
- Middlesbrough
- Blackburn Rovers
- Blackpool
- Charlton Athletic
- AFC Bournemouth
- Burnley
- Doncaster Rovers
- Millwall
- Sheffield Wednesday
- Barnsley
- Huddersfield Town
- Yeovil Town
What do you think? Where will your team finish? Have I done your boys a disservice? Send me a message or Tweet me @adamgray50
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