2011/12 Season Predictions

[rfc2001]

There really should be some sort of test to pass before you're allowed to start threads.

Ill agree with that

[Agent Balti]

I think we know who this is...

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

is it bracknell-royal?

[RFCUK]

Sigh.. Some people..

[Here for the KEBE]

On the basis that it's now very likely McCarthy will go out on loan, I no longer predict we will be in the top 6. Seeing as Federici cost us that 2nd goal last week, he will surely cost us more points this season. Terrible short-sighted decision by the management in this situation

[Here for the KEBE]

On the basis that it's now very likely McCarthy will go out on loan, I no longer predict we will be in the top 6. Seeing as Federici cost us that 2nd goal last week, he will surely cost us more points this season. Terrible short-sighted decision by the management in this situation

it was not Feds Fault For second Goal i was there at game... pearce and Klumalo who fault it was

I think you're talking about the 1st goal when Pearce lost his marker. Griffin was nowhere near the goalscorer, Federici fluffed his lines and thus was in a poor position when the guy headed it in. On top of that, he lost a lot of possession by hoofing the ball whereas McCarthy regularly sets up play by throwing the ball out quickly

[andrew1957]

1. Reading
2-24. the other 23 teams, in no particular order

Looks like you win the pize! Well done sir.

Most of us thought Leicester would do well

[TBM]

Leicester
Ipswich....autos

Leeds to win the Play offs

[arthurfondrelli]

Just realised I forgot to post mine earlier this season. This is what it was

Reading
Saints

West Ham
Birmingham
Blackpool
Cardiff

Coventry
Portsmouth
Doncaster

Looks like Pompey will finish above Cov

[Bucks Dave]

This was the prediction on the Watford site Bhappy.

READING

INS: Mikele Leigertwood (Queens Park Rangers, Undisclosed), Bongani Khumalo (Tottenham Hotspur, Season Loan)

OUTS: Ben Hamer (Charlton Athletic, Undisclosed), Matt Mills (Leicester City, Undisclosed), Scott Davies (Crawley Town, Free), Ivar Ingimarsson (Ipswich Town, Free), Julian Kelly (Notts County, Free), David Mooney (Leyton Orient, Free), James Rowe (Forest Green Rovers, Free), Abdulai Bell-Baggie, Danny Joyce, Carl McHugh (Dundalk, Loan)

OUR EX-ROYALS: None

THEIR EX-ORNS: Nigel Gibbs (Assistant Manager), Brynjar Gunnarsson, Jobi McAnuff

RECENT ENCOUNTERS: Two mundane draws, in contrast to recent seasons’ Rodgers and Attwell-induced excitement. Troy Deeney (our place) and Andi Weimann (theirs) were the Watford goalscorers in two 1-1 ties.

POSSIBLE STARTING ELEVEN:

Federici
Griffin Pearce Khumalo Harte
Kebe Leigertwood Karacan McAnuff
Long Hunt

VERDICT: Ultimately disappointment for Reading last time round after another late surge took them into the play-offs at the expense, entertainingly enough, of Leeds United. I can’t have been the only Hornet imploring the Royals to go long (that’s long, small l, not Long, big L) as they fell dramatically behind at Wembley; Swansea rocked and creaked as soon as we started lumping balls into the box at Vicarage Road last season, falling just short of an unlikely comeback ourselves. The Royals got two goals back, both from corners, but didn’t have a big man to aim for and fell just short.

Since then centre-back Mills has departed and Shane Long looks likely to follow – prolific strikers are too rare a thing for someone not to take a punt, West Brom and West Ham having been linked with an interest so far. Given these departures, and the loss of loan players, Reading look significantly weaker with a fairly old first team – although in the likes of Robson-Kanu, Cummings and McCarthy there are younger players on the fringes of the first eleven. The Royals look vulnerable defensively, with a lack of cover at centre back as I write and Ian Harte in particular, never the quickest in his younger days, increasingly exposed by a tricky winger. There’s too much savvy in that management team to allow Reading to struggle, but I can’t see a play-off challenge again. Mid-table.

[The Prisoner]

1) West Ham
2) Southampton
3) Forest
4) Leicester
5) Brighton
6) Blackpool
7) Reading
8 ) Middlesborough
9) Birmingham
10) Cardiff
11) Hull
12) Burnley
13) Portsmouth
14) Leeds
15) Bristol City
16) Ipswich
17) Derby
18) Doncaster
19) Peterborough
20) Barnsley
21) Palace
22) Watford
23) Coventry
24) Millwall

West Ham will either win it or miss out entirely. I think Big Sam is a solid manager tho and should galvanise them
Leicester won't gel at first. Sure they'll get some results, but big egos don't do well in this league if/when things go wrong
Southampton will get auto. If they don't then swap their position for Brighton (see Norwich this season)
Everyone has written off Blackpool, but they have kept their most important asset - the manager
Birmingham - too much turmoil off the field, no cash and don't rule out administration
Boro improving, Cardiff rebuilding
We will do better if we don't have a poor first half of the season again, but if/when we lose Long it will throw us off stride for a few months a la Gylfi last season

Got Saints right, Blackpool in the play offs (probably), and Cov going down.

And the last sentence was right too, but nowhere near (thankfully!) on our position!!!!!

And West Ham???!!!!

[Z175]

On the basis that it's now very likely McCarthy will go out on loan, I no longer predict we will be in the top 6. Seeing as Federici cost us that 2nd goal last week, he will surely cost us more points this season. Terrible short-sighted decision by the management in this situation

it was not Feds Fault For second Goal i was there at game... pearce and Klumalo who fault it was

I think you're talking about the 1st goal when Pearce lost his marker. Griffin was nowhere near the goalscorer, Federici fluffed his lines and thus was in a poor position when the guy headed it in. On top of that, he lost a lot of possession by hoofing the ball whereas McCarthy regularly sets up play by throwing the ball out quickly

Bracknell-Royal spot on to defend Federici...

[JC]

Looking back it is amazing how many predicted Forest to do well

[phil in cornwall]

Looking back it is amazing how many predicted Forest to do well

And Leicester the big spenders. Matt Mills knew what he was doing ...

[melonhead]

unbeaten and top by xmas.

bit too optimistic

[Maguire]

Looking back it is amazing how many predicted Forest to do well

And Leicester the big spenders. Matt Mills knew what he was doing ...

Yep Leicester fell below my expectations, think I tipped them to challenge for the title. Eek.

FWIW I bought Brighton and Southampton before the season as I thought they were undervalued - teams with momentum often do well when they step up a division (like we did in 02/03 and 06/07). Didn't expect Saints to do quite so well though.

Reading obviously blew my expectations out of the water.

[mr_number]

unbeaten and top by xmas.

bit too optimistic

I dunno, I think your expectations were realistic, it's just the team who's let us down. Ten defeats? It's just one disappointment after another with this lot.

[leww_rfc]

Well at least when I said Birmingham would do well, I was right to a point with them.

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

Obviously I know nothing about winning promotion!!

[Mr Loyal Royal]

Just found this...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/championship/8673102/Championship-2011-12-season-preview.html

Reading

With captain Matt Mills already gone and top scorer Shane Long poised to follow, it has been a trying summer for last season’s beaten play-off finalists. But plenty of quality remains in the squad, not least exciting young winger Hal Robson-Kanu, even though another promotion challenge is probably beyond them.

Prediction: 10th