The 2008/2009 Championship fixtures have been published and the opening day (Saturday 9th August) looks set to produces some interesting encounters. There are many teams that fancy their chances of a successful season and they will all be looking to get off to a good start.
The two most intriguing games for me see newly promoted sides come up against recently relegated sides. Steve Coppell’s Reading certainly have a tough start – they travel to the City Ground to face Colin Calderwood’s Nottingham Forest, who despite only just being promoted will harbour ambitions of a play-off place come the end of the season. I can see Forest winning this one. Momentum plays a big part in football and Reading have nothing of the sort. Home advantage will also work in Forest’s favour, meaning I think they will emerge victorious.
After their horrific Premiership campaign, Paul Jewell’s Derby County come up against League One play-off winners Doncaster Rovers at Pride Park. A good start is crucial for Derby. They have to get back to winning ways quickly and they have been presented with an ideal opportunity to do just that. Many would say this is a ‘home banker’ but if Doncaster manage to score first – it will be panic time for Jewell’s men and that all to familiar losing feeling will come flooding back. I’m going to back them to get three points in the season curtain raiser though – just.
Other stand out games include Birmingham v Sheffield United and Crystal Palace v Watford. Like I have said before though, every game in this league is far from predictable and Blackpool v Bristol City is just as likely to be the outstanding match from the opening weekend as any other. That’s the beauty of this mental league!
Looking at Championship football betting, let’s consider who I think will be promoted / relegated next season. It’s tough to call as we know, but my predictions at this stage would be:
1st Birmingham
2nd Derby
Play-off winners: QPR
22nd Burnley
23rd Doncaster
24th Southampton
This could be reversed come the end of the season though, who knows. I just feel that Birmingham and Derby have strong enough squads and financial backing to bounce straight back up. Ian Dowie’s Queens Park Rangers are the mega-rich side of the league and are building a decent squad. The money they are set to spend has to give them a chance of promotion.
As for the three relegated teams, Burnley have punched above their wait for far too long. Think they will struggle this time around. Then there is Doncaster – I never fancy the play-off winners to stay up and think this along with their inexperience at this level will cost them. Finally, I have gone for Southampton. They are in a financial mess, have players out of contract and have employed a manager who doesn’t know English football at all well. I hope I am wrong because they are a club with a proud history but I think they will be the whipping boys next year.
Thoughts?
4 comments so far
1 Terry Lane // Jun 16, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Both Birmingham & Derby will do well as they planned for the drop & held onto their managers. I also think Crystal Palace will have a good season.
But I believe money is going to be made available for Ian Dowie as the QPR owners desperately want to be in the Premier League.
So I am going for QPR has champions.
2 free bet // Jun 20, 2008 at 1:43 am
wasnt Zizou going to be the new manager for QPR?
3 george cowan Q.P.R for life // Aug 1, 2008 at 9:08 am
I think Q.P.R will be second next season and i think Iain Dowie should be more observent in the transfer market as we want Ben Watson and he is availbal so why not put in an offer for him and i want Clinton Morrison aswell so time to get 2 more player’s Dowie WE ARE QPR
4 george cowan Q.P.R for life // Aug 1, 2008 at 9:11 am
I think Doncaster will go down this season because they haven’t had many player’s come in the transfer market is great i’d hate it if was a Doncaster fan no player’s coming in no money it’s awful