The Championship thread

[VillaChris]

Most winnable game there is Bolton's.

SHA are like last year, they have that 2 point cushion on other teams that will probably be decisive.

If they hadn't won last week v Sheffield then they'd be a huge chance of them going down.

[Mark Albrighton]

The dark days made a return to the riverside at full time I see.

Pitch invasion for pretty much securing a play off spot and having a pop at Millwall fans in the process. 

[Mark Albrighton]

52 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Most winnable game there is Bolton's.

SHA are like last year, they have that 2 point cushion on other teams that will probably be decisive.

If they hadn't won last week v Sheffield then they'd be a huge chance of them going down.

I’d agree with all of that, including the bolded bit. But Forest are a strange lot, they recently put three past a Barnsley side who desperately needed the points.

[BOF]

On 28/04/2018 at 21:18, Shropshire Lad said:

I’d agree with all of that, including the bolded bit. But Forest are a strange lot, they recently put three past a Barnsley side who desperately needed the points.

Forest are the worst kind of wage thieves.  If you can beat Boro, Sheff Utd & Wolves, and then sleepwalk your way through the season, you need to take a look at yourselves.  You say they're a strange lot.  That's a very kind way of putting it   If I was a Forest fan I'd be very annoyed with them.

[VillaChris]

7 hours ago, BOF said:

Forest are the worst kind of wage thieves.  If you can beat Boro, Sheff Utd & Wolves, and then sleepwalk your way through the season, you need to take a look at yourselves.  You say they're a strange lot.  That's a very kind way of putting it   If I was a Forest fan I'd be very annoyed with them.

SHA have been similar. Hardly lost a game at home to most of this season's top 10.

[bobzy]

16 hours ago, VillaChris said:

SHA have been similar. Hardly lost a game at home to most of this season's top 10.

It's hardly an uncommon theme to not perform against perceived lower quality sides (or for lower quality sides to bring a better game against "bigger" sides etc.).  I mean, look at us this season - beaten Wolves, Cardiff and Fulham at home, but lost to Sheff Wed and QPR.

[VillaChris]

6 hours ago, bobzy said:

It's hardly an uncommon theme to not perform against perceived lower quality sides (or for lower quality sides to bring a better game against "bigger" sides etc.).  I mean, look at us this season - beaten Wolves, Cardiff and Fulham at home, but lost to Sheff Wed and QPR.

Final day predictions Bobzy?

Please try to keep the Derby and Preston wins to single figures.

[bobzy]

39 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Final day predictions Bobzy?

Please try to keep the Derby and Preston wins to single figures.

Assuming you mean in the relegation battle...

Blues 0-2 Fulham
Bolton 2-1 Forest
Derby 3-2 Barnsley
Preston 2-0 Burton
 

[BOF]

The relegation places.

I think Fulham will just win their game but I can see the noses being stubborn at home given the motivation, and I wouldn't be surprised if they managed a 1-1.

Cardiff will handle Reading easily.  Reading have been absolute shit since pretty much November.  How they're still out of the dropzone I do not know.

I expect Derby at home will beat Barnsley.  They're back in form at the right time and Barnsley don't travel well.  This is the key game.  If Barnsley do slip up then the gates are well and truly open.

Preston v Burton is a cracker.  Both desperate for the win and both in good form.  In Burton's case, excellent form.  Preston are far from invincible at home and Burton are much better away from home than at home.  Percentage-wise you'd lean towards the home side, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Burton pulled off another major upset.  We'll go with the upset for romantic purposes  

Bolton home to Forest.  I'll go draw on this one.  Bolton have been terrible at a time when they should have had the most motivation.  They've picked the worst time to be the worst team in the form guide.  Forest are completely unpredictable.  They'll turn up and be annoying.  Bolton won't be good enough.

If all of the above pans out then Burton make a great escape and Barnsley slip into the dropzone.  The noses stay up in 21st.

[HanoiVillan]

56 minutes ago, BOF said:

The noses stay up in 21st.

Their favourite position

[BOF]

For the noses to drop, we need a Burton, Barnsley & Fulham win.

[Demitri_C]

4 hours ago, BOF said:

For the noses to drop, we need a Burton, Barnsley & Fulham win.

That's why it isn't happening. That Sheffield united win saved them. United have been turd in 2018 but still a great season for them

[Zatman]

5 hours ago, BOF said:

For the noses to drop, we need a Burton, Barnsley & Fulham win.

they are so fluky that will all happen and Reading will take an absolute hiding and go down

[bobzy]

On 02/05/2018 at 19:33, Zatman said:

they are so fluky that will all happen and Reading will take an absolute hiding and go down

They’re absolutely bossing Fulham. 

[MrSmirch]

Crying shame about Bristol finishing 11th. That lovely club and it’s boisterous manager deserve better!

[VillaChris]

5 minutes ago, MrSmirch said:

Crying shame about Bristol finishing 11th. That lovely club and it’s boisterous manager deserve better!

Would imagine James would agree, think that cup run completely kanckered them for second half of the season.

[VillaAlex]

Looks like Forest are Jorge Mendes' next project. They are apparently spending 13m on a Benfica midfielder and loaning another with an option to buy worth more than that who played 4 games in the Champions League last season. 

[sne]

T'riffic stuff. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5813989/Championship-clubs-heading-black-hole-report-reveals-99-revenue-spent-wages.html

Quote

Championship clubs are heading down a black hole as report reveals that 99% of revenue is being spent on wages in a desperate gamble to reach the Premier League

• Deloitte's annual review of football finances will be released on Thursday 
• It reveals clubs are playing a dangerous game in their bid to reach the top-flight
• 13 second-tier teams spent more on wages than they earned in 2016-17
• All but four of 24 sides were in the red during the period investigated for review

 

Clubs are playing a dangerous game by overspending in a desperate attempt to reach the Premier League, the annual report on the game's finances will reveal on Thursday.

As troubled Aston Villa continue their battle to stave off administration, the report shows teams in the second tier are gambling 99 per cent of their revenue on wages — way beyond the recommended figure of 70 per cent. 

All but four clubs in the division were in the red during the period investigated for accountants Deloitte's review of football finances. 'Owners and managers have... taken the decision to stretch themselves financially to gain promotion,' Deloitte said.

Troubled Aston Villa are fighting to avoid administration after their play-off final failu

Villa's parlous finances have raised concerns this week and on Wednesday they saw off the immediate threat of administration by finding £2million to pay an overdue tax bill owed to HMRC.

The report reveals 13 Championship clubs spent more on wages than they earned in 2016-17.

The finance experts said the temptation to over-stretch was heightened by what they are calling 'the Newcastle effect' — in which the Tyneside club earned promotion after they increased their wage bill by eight per cent despite being relegated from the top flight in May 2016. 

Newcastle's ratio of wages to revenue in the Championship was 131 per cent. The club recorded the biggest operating loss in the league — £55m. 'Newcastle was effectively run as a Premier League club... to secure an immediate return,' Deloitte said.

Deloitte claim 'the Newcastle effect' has heightened temptation to overspend in second tier

The club's wages accounted for 16 per cent of the total wage bill of the Championship. They spent 82 per cent more than Villa — the second highest spender in 2016-17. Villa ran up losses of £19.2m and spent £61.4m on wages. That's £40m more than Huddersfield Town, who were promoted that season. 

Of Newcastle's high-risk gambit, Deloitte said: 'It remains to be seen whether Newcastle's success emboldens other clubs relegated from the Premier League to follow this strategy.'

Wolves took the same huge gamble last season — laying out £12.8m to Benfica for winger Helder Costa and £15.8m to Porto for Ruben Neves. But by the time they are pursued by the EFL for a breach of Financial Fair Play they will be massive Premier League earners.

Villa, who lost to Fulham in the Championship play-off final last month, need to make £40m in savings to avoid being fined for breaching FFP rules and have dire cash-flow problems. 

New Derby boss Frank Lampard, left, and no 2 Jody Morris watch England U21s beat Scotland in the Toulon Tournament semi-finals on Wednesday. Derby are restructuring their finances.

In the Premier League, only Swansea (77 per cent) spent more than the recommended 70 per cent of revenue on wages.

Tottenham (42 per cent) spent the lowest percentage of revenue on wages in 2016-17. Manchester United, Arsenal and Leicester City spent less than 50 per cent of their revenue on wages. Burnley spent exactly 50 per cent.

Arsenal's commercial might is revealed by the new report. They have become the first club other than Manchester United to turn in a profit of more than £100m.

The overall proportion of revenue spent on wages in the Premier League is 55 per cent — the lowest since 1997-98. For the first time ever, no Premier League club reported an operating loss.

 

[Zatman]

not surprised and doubt we are only team in this mess. Just shows that football is ****

[fifamad]

FFP is bullshit