[gazberg]

Is Dack still at Blackburn? Last I heard he was crocked (again!) worth a punt?

Yes and they gave him a new contract on his recovery from his last ACL injury. Oooof

[Standaman]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9438517/amp/Championship-facing-financial-armageddon-TEN-clubs-placed-transfer-embargo-month.html?__twitter_impression=true

As of last month, 10 Championship clubs were under a transfer embargo. 2 of those (Huddersfield and Stoke) appear to have been admin errors and not financial ones, but it tells you something about the division we are going down to.

We need to be sensible this summer.

The much vaunted financial Armageddon would appear to be EFL and Clubs not being on same page when it comes to financial submissions. The rule is entirely reasonable given that one of the early warning signs of financial collapse is late submission of accounts but some dialogue between the EFL and Clubs would be  useful

Yet to put it mildly the EFL is a financial wasteland and last season was just the warm up act the true horror is this one. The transfer market has pretty much collapsed. I would guess that most clubs are nursing very heavy losses with the possible exception of those with parachute payments.

Being solvent is likely to be a huge advantage.

[gazberg]

Norwich 5 0 up at HT against Huddersfield.

5 more points from 6 games to promoted as it stands.

[TheJacko2000]

Brentford continue to flop. Held at home by Blues. Calls for Frank Out on Twitter. 

[Albionic]

Norwich 5 0 up at HT against Huddersfield.

5 more points from 6 games to promoted as it stands.

This continuity / planning ballcrap is over-rated, it really is !

[gazberg]

7-0 FT now at Norwich!

This continuity / planning ballcrap is over-rated, it really is !

One day we will get rid of Lai and co.

[johnny Cash]

Three wins and a draw for blues in the last 5 matches. With that form at this time they’ll be just fine.

[Atomic]

Three wins and a draw for blues in the last 5 matches. With that form at this time they’ll be just fine.

Yep and Harper an unused sub.

He needs to be moved on in the summer.

[SmethDan]

Brentford continue to flop. Held at home by Blues. Calls for Frank Out on Twitter. 

I was reading some comments on a Brentford forum the other day. The feeling amongst many seemed to be they'd gone too direct to accommodate Toney's strengths and that their play and substitutions had become too predictable.

Not a bad 0-5 away win at Preston yesterday to consolidate their place in the playoffs though. Third now with a game in hand but only a Watford implosion allied to a stunning set of results for themselves would see them take an auto spot.

[Adamstv]

Not a bad 0-5 away win at Preston yesterday to consolidate their place in the playoffs though. Third now with a game in hand but only a Watford implosion allied to a stunning set of results for themselves would see them take an auto spot.

You mean a bit like us and them last season ......... well almost

[alex1]

If Watford get promoted, at least Ben Foster won't have a dillema where to play next season!

[gazberg]

If Watford get promoted, at least Ben Foster won't have a dillema where to play next season!

He's not played the last few games for them. He's only played 22 or something like that but he's on the bench? Could be his time is up finally.

[Standaman]

The Championship is looking remarkably calm at the moment. The promotion spots are pretty much tied up and only a major meltdown on Watford's part is going to change the situation. Behind them the top 4 teams seem secure in the play-off berths only Reading can upset that and after this weekend they could be 7 points adrift with just 4 games to play.

Rotherham are still wrestling with the fixture pile up and have 7 games left to play which keeps the relegation pot boiling. Derby seem to be most vulnerable. Although Birmingham's and Coventry's position has improved in recent weeks they are still not completely free from relegation concerns.   

For the most part the shape of next year's Championship is known. It is a financial mess and any player of quality is either on loan or if owned will be sold this summer to make ends meet. Aside from the relegated teams only Huddersfield and Bournemouth (if not promoted) will have parachute payments. Many of the owners who have been chasing the dream have hoisted the white flag they are still subsidising the clubs but only doing so to keep them alive long enough to sell.

In short this is likely to be the weakest Championship in years and the gap between Premier League and the Championship is now a chasm. If a relegated team is remotely competent it should not finish outside the top 6. Bournemouth have been a bit of a car crash behind the scenes and yet they still look like finishing top 6

[Baggies]

The point you make about the promoted teams and Bournemouth is interesting and something i've mulled over myself.

I listened to the E@S Masi and Hatfield podcast a few days ago and they were saying "if you hire Allardyce, you feel confident of top 6 don't you". Well, if i'm honest, top 6 should be the minimum aim. If we don't have Watford and Norwich to deal with next season (and better yet, Brentford), we will have a huge financial advantage over everyone bar Sheff Utd and Fulham. Maybe Bournemouth are a risk and so are Swansea and Barnsley but we will be in the top 6 for budget.

Our aim should not be top 6 - it needs to be top 2. We need to work out what gives us the best opportunity.

Looking at next season, Sheff Utd should be a real danger. Ollie McBurnie scored 22 goals there 2 seasons ago while  Brewster managed 11 in half a season (so on track for 20+). Billy Sharp will be ancient but still managed 23 goals two years ago and they have McGoldrick and Moussett to finish off the forward line. Probably the most deadly championship strikeforce you can ask for. Add to that some real premier league quality in Berge, Basham, Egan and O'Connell and you have the side I think should be looking at a league title.

Fulham as well made some smart permanent signings last summer and we need to hope their loss of the loanees hurts them.

[Standaman]

I tend to agree the only thing that makes the 3 relegated absolutely nailed on for the top 3 places is the adjustment that relegation involves. It would seem that Bournemouth have handled that the least well this year but are still in the top 6 places.

My view is that if we keep Allardyce it is very much promotion or bust and yes that means top 2 is the target with the the play-offs offering a safety net if we don't quite make it. The whole approach will be very much geared for the here and now whatever is spent will be spent on an Championship all star XI with only aim in mind. It might crater if it fails but there is only one target.

Personally I would favour a deeper reset with a longer term view and leaning more heavily on our own young players and a recruitment policy also aimed at the development end of the age range. Yet even here year one target should be play-offs minimum.

With regard the other two likely relegated teams it remains to seen exactly how they land in the Championship. Both Fulham and Sheffield United on the face of it enough quality to bounce back but there will be turnover of players and not to mention Head Coach appointments. Parker needs to go in my view and Sheffield United are without a Head Coach at the moment and their Chairman resigned so there is plainly some flux there.

We are at very much at the ante post stage of this market we pretty much know the runners but not the riders.
 

[gazberg]

Norwich confirmed promoted. On paper next season should be a doddle. Looks a poor league. Will wait to see who's in charge 1st game though before I make any bold claims

[SmethDan]

If only the game were played on paper instead of that green stuff.....

[BaggieBoy04]

Berge will probably be sold from Sheffield United next season anyway if not in the Summer

[gazberg]

If only the game were played on paper instead of that green stuff.....

Exactly. Still a poor league regardless

[costa blanca baggie]

I tend to agree the only thing that makes the 3 relegated absolutely nailed on for the top 3 places is the adjustment that relegation involves. It would seem that Bournemouth have handled that the least well this year but are still in the top 6 places.

My view is that if we keep Allardyce it is very much promotion or bust and yes that means top 2 is the target with the the play-offs offering a safety net if we don't quite make it. The whole approach will be very much geared for the here and now whatever is spent will be spent on an Championship all star XI with only aim in mind. It might crater if it fails but there is only one target.

Personally I would favour a deeper reset with a longer term view and leaning more heavily on our own young players and a recruitment policy also aimed at the development end of the age range. Yet even here year one target should be play-offs minimum.

With regard the other two likely relegated teams it remains to seen exactly how they land in the Championship. Both Fulham and Sheffield United on the face of it enough quality to bounce back but there will be turnover of players and not to mention Head Coach appointments. Parker needs to go in my view and Sheffield United are without a Head Coach at the moment and their Chairman resigned so there is plainly some flux there.

We are at very much at the ante post stage of this market we pretty much know the runners but not the riders.

So in a nutshell, if we’re relegated, we, and other clubs, and bookies, and pundits, are just waiting to see what happens with squads during the summer break.

[Standaman]

So in a nutshell, if we’re relegated, we, and other clubs, and bookies, and pundits, are just waiting to see what happens with squads during the summer break.

No the 3 relegated clubs will be clear favorites which order I'd price them up that varies depending on how they land. I will give any other club long odds on automatic promotion bar possibly Bournemouth but they should start the season as 4th favourites always assuming they don't get promoted.

[alex1]

Norwich confirmed promoted. On paper next season should be a doddle. Looks a poor league. Will wait to see who's in charge 1st game though before I make any bold claims

I don't think it will be a doddle.  If we do get relegated, I think its likely to go down to the wire for us, and then you are always dependant on that extra bit of luck with refereeing decisions, injuries or just good finishing in front of goal. And we will probably have to compete without Yokuslu, Maitland Niles, Pereira, Gallagher, Diagne, who we won't be able to replace with the same quality. Maybe Diangana will regain his form and maybe Robinson will get better. But don't expect the likes of Grant or Zohore to make the difference. 

[gazberg]

I don't think it will be a doddle.  If we do get relegated, I think its likely to go down to the wire for us, and then you are always dependant on that extra bit of luck with refereeing decisions, injuries or just good finishing in front of goal. And we will probably have to compete without Yokuslu, Maitland Niles, Pereira, Gallagher, Diagne, who we won't be able to replace with the same quality. Maybe Diangana will regain his form and maybe Robinson will get better. But don't expect the likes of Grant or Zohore to make the difference.

If Norwich can walk it with an inferior team to the one that got relegated and Watford not far behind them this squad should do the same. Note i say should. Let's see who is in charge first.

[Baggies]

If Norwich can walk it with an inferior team to the one that got relegated and Watford not far behind them this squad should do the same. Note i say should. Let's see who is in charge first.

I wouldn’t necessarily say Norwich do have an inferior team to the one that was relegated. They did lose Godfrey and Lewis, but they signed a hell of a lot of players and a number of them have played key roles in the squad this season (Skipp being the obvious name and a player who I hope they keep next season as he may be a future England international). They have also had a few of their youngsters mature a bit more (Cantwell who was only 21 at the start of last season, Aarons was only 19) while they have also introduced yet more players from the Carrow Road production line (Omobamidele replacing Ben Gibson in recent weeks).

I do agree with alex1, while I think we should be aiming top 2 with our budget, there is an argument to make that we will be in the weakest position of all 3 of the relegated sides once we lose the loanees. We need some smart recruitment in the summer, but that has been rare of late.

[gazberg]

If this Norwich team that's just gone up (congrats to them btw)doesn't invest heavily they will be straight back down for me.