What the Papers Say: Season 09/10 Previews

[yappy]

Less than a week to go until the new season kicks off and everyones guessing how their team will do, most notably journalists and newspapers will start making previews to the current season. We've had numerous threads on how we believe we will get on, but how do 'outsiders' rate our chances? And more importantly- are they right?

To get the ball rolling, this is how the Times sees us:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article6736633.ece?token=null&offset=48&page=5

Reading

The best footballing team in the Championship for the first half of last season, Reading’s collapse after Christmas signalled the end for Steve Coppell. Brendan Rodgers, having breezed through Watford, is not short on contacts and the new manager went to Chelsea, where he worked with José Mourinho, to make his first signing, Ryan Bertrand, the England youth international, on loan. With Kevin Doyle, Leroy Lita, Dave Kitson and Graeme Murty gone, and questions over Stephen Hunt’s future, Rodgers highlights the need for quality above quantity: that’s a lot of faith in Tommy Smith, the Watford forward, and Danny Dervite, the Tottenham Hotspur defender, his prime targets.

Prediction: 10

Seems like a fair assessment to me, however they are tipping Sheffield United for the title, and Newcastle to finish a lowly 20th.

[Terminal Boardom]

Bearing in mind how inept the Times have been this close eason with their rumours etc. I would take this with a rather large salt mine!

[Royalee]

Hilariously wide of the mark having read the whole thing really.

[I was there at Elm Park]

Four Four Two have us finishing fourth but they also say we'll have money to spend.

[Terminal Boardom]

Four Four Two have us finishing fourth but they also say we'll have money to spend.

Of course we have money to spend. Do you really think that we would be so stupid and naive to make the amount public?

[Bucks Dave]

WSC has us as 6th, Roger Titford writing in our selection says " edge of the play offs, better football but no cigar is my guess".

[brendywendy]

Seems like a fair assessment to me, however they are tipping Sheffield United for the title, and Newcastle to finish a lowly 20th

neither are out of the realms of possibility

[sandman]

Four Four Two have us finishing fourth but they also say we'll have money to spend.

They're actually tipping us for third.

[papereyes]

WSC has us as 6th, Roger Titford writing in our selection says " edge of the play offs, better football but no cigar is my guess".

I can see that actually.
Wouldn't mind it, if there's progress throughout.

[yappy]

Seems like a fair assessment to me, however they are tipping Sheffield United for the title, and Newcastle to finish a lowly 20th

neither are out of the realms of possibility

I suppose, but I really don't fancy Sheffield Utd this year. Admittingly they finished last season well, however they'll soon lose Kenny to a long ban, and they've lost Halford and Naughton, three major players for them last season. Ched Evans is a good buy, but the rest seem pretty average to me.

That said, I don't really know who I'd tip for the title, seems like a pretty weak league this year IMO.

Newcastle I just can't see being right at the foot of the table. Surely there are more than just four teams who are worse than them? Although they are a shambles, they still do have some quality in the squad, and they should be able to sort themselves out eventually! Although (not really knowing their financial position) if they were to go into administration, I could foresee a harder season for them.

[papereyes]

seems like a pretty weak league this year IMO.

I think someone says that every year, tbh.

[Wax Jacket]

Hilariously wide of the mark having read the whole thing really.

in what possible way? we were shit for half the season, a lot of good players have left and not really been replaced, what justification is there to think we'll be any better than 10th?

[brendywendy]

royalee wants BRs children remember!
and in much the same way that coppel could do nothing right, BR can now do nothing wrong!!


LOL

if they were to go into administration, I could foresee a harder season for them.

i can see feck all other way for ashley to get out of this situation ATM- im sure hes dieing to pull the plug

[Sarah Star]

Hilariously wide of the mark having read the whole thing really.

in what possible way? we were shit for half the season, a lot of good players have left and not really been replaced, what justification is there to think we'll be any better than 10th?

In the way that says we were shit for half the season yet still ended up in the playoffs; we let Murty, Lita, Duberry and Hahnemann go, but they were hardly setting the team alight and Doyle didn't have a shot go in after Christmas, and now we've got the Academy players in who look much better prospects...perhaps?

[SCIAG]

Hilariously wide of the mark having read the whole thing really.

a lot of good players have left and not really been replaced,

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you mean since relegation:

Kitson- replaced by NHunt
Sonko- replaced by Pearce (think that's fair enough)
Shorey- replaced by Armstrong
Little- barely played for a year, replaced by Kebe and Henry (effectively)
Hahnemann: replaced by Federici
Doyle: no replacement

Murty: second choice right back at best last season
Lita: not been good enough for two years, and was very inconsistent before that.
Duberry: never really first choice- also replaced by Pearce. Could use more depth here, but he's not going to be a crushing loss

So, I'm going to turn the table: there is no real reason to think that we'll be that much worse than last year. Okay, we've lost Coppell and haven't replaced Doyle. But there is only one good player who hasn't been replaced- and even then, it's not impossible to see Church, Mooney or Long replace him.

[Kevin Doyles Right Foot]

FFT are predicitng us to finish 3rd and go up...

[Royalee]

Hilariously wide of the mark having read the whole thing really.

in what possible way? we were shit for half the season, a lot of good players have left and not really been replaced, what justification is there to think we'll be any better than 10th?

Sheffield United champions for a start - they've lost 4 of their best players and brought in expensive shit. Obviously it's to be expected that some will predict we'll finish midtable because they don't know about our youngsters and just how good a players we have which Coppell simply refused to use due to his sort-sightedness. Forest have signed a couple of players but nothing to set the world alight yet they have them 5th with us 10th? That amused me, we will see about that on Saturday.

Leicester have a couple of half decent individuals but to say they'll finish so high on the back of Matty Fryatt who has so far been a failure at Championship level is a bit of a nonsense, although I think they'll be about 10th. Middlesbrough won't finish in the top 2 as long as Southgate's at the club and they're relying on Leroy Lita - you'dve thought they learn their lesson in the past with egos like Mido instead of taking tossers like him on but apparently not. They've got a couple of young players but won't create anything now Downing's gone and the spine of their team's very weak.

As much as I'd fall about laughing if Newcastle nearly got relegated, after a bad start I think they'll pick up - their players aren't that bad overall. Doncaster won't finish above us and to suggest they will is pretty funny in itself and Cardiff always bottle it and won't make 4th.

[Stranded]

Hilariously wide of the mark having read the whole thing really.

in what possible way? we were shit for half the season, a lot of good players have left and not really been replaced, what justification is there to think we'll be any better than 10th?

Sheffield United champions for a start - they've lost 4 of their best players and brought in expensive shit. Obviously it's to be expected that some will predict we'll finish midtable because they don't know about our youngsters and just how good a players we have which Coppell simply refused to use due to his sort-sightedness. Forest have signed a couple of players but nothing to set the world alight yet they have them 5th with us 10th? That amused me, we will see about that on Saturday.

Leicester have a couple of half decent individuals but to say they'll finish so high on the back of Matty Fryatt who has so far been a failure at Championship level is a bit of a nonsense, although I think they'll be about 10th. Middlesbrough won't finish in the top 2 as long as Southgate's at the club and they're relying on Leroy Lita - you'dve thought they learn their lesson in the past with egos like Mido instead of taking tossers like him on but apparently not. They've got a couple of young players but won't create anything now Downing's gone and the spine of their team's very weak.

As much as I'd fall about laughing if Newcastle nearly got relegated, after a bad start I think they'll pick up - their players aren't that bad overall. Doncaster won't finish above us and to suggest they will is pretty funny in itself and Cardiff always bottle it and won't make 4th.

Well we won't we shall see one game that will have very little baring on where both clubs will finish.

Forest will do well as they have momentum from last years 2nd half of the season and a very good manager for this level. Leicester have the sort of momentum we had going in to the Prem and could well make the play-offs in my mind.

We'll finish just outside the play-offs I think - probably 9th.

[brendywendy]

Coppell simply refused to use due to his sort-sightedness

karacan and pearce used very regularly
kelly played a fair bit
church and henry given chances


and perhaps it was due to his masses of experience that he didnt want to play too many youngsters in the same team rather than any myopic......ness

can you get back to rimming BR please, instead of badmouthing the greates manager weve ever had

[Royalee]

Coppell simply refused to use due to his sort-sightedness

karacan and pearce used very regularly
kelly played a fair bit
church and henry given chances


and perhaps it was due to his masses of experience that he didnt want to play too many youngsters in the same team rather than any myopic......ness

can you get back to rimming BR please, instead of badmouthing the greates manager weve ever had

He admitted he was wrong to drop Karacan and he dropped Pearce at the expense of Duberry who has now ended up at the mighty Wycombe Wanderers which goes to show his level. Kelly started a whole four games, Henry wasn't given any chance especially given how shit both our wingers were and Church was thrown in as a wildcard when Coppell was in the middle of throwing away a playoff second leg.