Please note that these are only my opinions and my predictions for the coming season.
Aston Villa- The bookies have them as second favourites, but surely that must be on history alone. For several seasons now, there has been something wrong with this club, from top to bottom. It is hard to envisage that, despite good support, they will rebuild in time to bounce back at the first attempt. Could be the new Fulham, with a couple of mediocre seasons ahead. However, i expect them to get at least mid table, and maybe sneak a play-off spot at best.
Barnsley- Hard to see them doing anything more than flirt with relegation all season. Attracting players is going to be a problem, and having only come up via the play-offs, they are likely to make a quick return to League 1.
Birmingham City- Bit of a difficult one to predict. Improved a lot last season, and have a mean defence. If last season is anything to go by, goals will be difficult to come by, and may hinder their chances. I can see Birmingham spending much of the season around mid table, but could be a surprise play-off contender.
Blackburn Rovers- Another team who seem to be under-performing, and a lack of stated ambition make me wonder where the club are at. The heady days of Shearer et al, are in the past now, and the board don't seem to be investing enough. Will be solid enough, but need to get their act together in the transfer market if they are to finish above mid table.
Brentford- The Warburton effect is well and truly gone, now. This season will see the remains of his groundwork disappear, and with Brentford selling some of their better players, they may start to struggle near the bottom. A good late season run, last season, saw them pull away from the bottom, but this season they may not repeat that. Should be just too good to go down, but not a top half team, for me.
Brighton & Hove Albion- Nothing suggests that Brighton will repeat the unbeaten run they started last season with. They will be solid and play some good football, but they will not be a surprise package this time around. Fire power upfront may be their achilles heel. Should still be in or around the play-offs however, but automatic promotion is unlikely.
Bristol City- A late run, last season, dragged them away from the relegation places, and consolidation was probably their aim. Nothing suggests that this season will be anything more than another consolidation season, but they have the foundations in place that should ensure they stay safely away from the bottom.
Burton Albion- Have risen rapidly from non-league to the Championship, and appear to be an ambitious club. Their lack of fan base and marketing potential indicate that they may have reached their zenith. Unlikely to reproduce the heroics of Bournemouth, and although there will be some optimism, I would expect them to struggle and possibly make a quick return to League 1.
Cardiff City- Cardiff's ambition is well reported, and it seems that their maverick owner has realized that he should not get too involved in the playing side. If this remains the case, then they have the squad to have a good season, albeit with a little inconsistency. Realistically, they should be in the play-offs, or thereabouts.
Derby County- For the past few seasons, they have been in or around the play-off positions. Their time should have come by now if they were going to get promoted. Sticking with the same nucleus of tried and tested players, it is hard to see how Derby will improve on last season. Unless Tom Ince starts to show consistency, I can see a decline in their fortunes and they may struggle to threaten the play-off positions.
Fulham- Too much to write here, so will be covered in a separate blog.
Huddersfield Town- Don't expect any fireworks from Huddersfield. Nothing much will change from last season, with them struggling in the bottom half of the table. Probably too good to go down, but if Nakhi Wells gets injured or sold, then things could change.
Ipswich Town- Like Derby, they seem to be sicking with a tried and tested nucleus of players, and that may hinder their progress. In fact, if results don't go well early on, it would not be a surprise to see Mick McCarthy replaced. Reaching the play-offs is the best they can aim for, but mid table is probably a better bet.
Leeds United- Drama unlimited, all the while Cellino is at the club. Despite having some good players and good young players, Leeds' season will depend solely on runs of good, or bad, form. One bad run, and the manager will be out on his ear. The fans will protest, which will all make for a rocky season for this once great club. I can see them flirting with relegation, but they may just have too much to be in real danger.
Newcastle United- The favourites, and probably rightly so. Still have some star quality and likely to add to it. Whether they run away with the league, or whether they just sneak it, depends on how well Rafa adapts to the Championship and whether he adapts his football ethos accordingly. I expect some adverse early results, but their quality should give them automatic promotion.
Norwich City- Have kept most of the group of players that were relegated, and they were not totally destroyed in the Prem. which should mean that they have more than enough to do very well this season. This is Alex Neil's chance to show that he can bring the same success to Norwich that he brought to Hamilton. Although highly rated for his achievements at Hamilton, he has yet to prove himself south of the border. Having said that, Norwich should be consistent and will be up there at the end of the season.
Nottingham Forest- Another team who don't seem to know what they want. Could we see another season of managerial changes, or will the board try and build some stable foundations. Plenty of potential in the team, but too much inconsistency. Forest may even find themselves too near to the wrong end of the table, but have enough to finish around 16th.
Preston North End- Last season showed that a solid team was being built at Deepdale, and a mean defence should see a repeat of those achievements. Whether they can push on from last season, and reach the play-offs is difficult to predict. Likely to cause a few headaches to more ambitious teams, but probably a season too early for them to make real progress.
Queens Park Rangers- Fellow FFC fans would love to see them fail, but they have a good squad, and will play attractive football. Last season they were adjusting to the Championship and had to reduce the wage bill. Expect a much better showing from them this year, and the play-offs should easily be within their reach.
Reading- Now becoming a regular Championship side, and there is nothing to suggest that it will change, come the end of the season. Probably won't excite too many people or cause too many surprises, so mid-table, or just below, is the realistic prediction for the Royals.
Rotherham United- Surely this must be the season when they return to League 1. When they won promotion the owners stated all sorts of ambitions, yet after the sacking of Steve Evans, nothing has improved. A very workmanlike squad will, probably, mean that they won't get cast adrift, but there is nothing to suggest that they won't struggle. Even 4th from bottom may be seen as an achievement.
Sheffield Wednesday- The surprise package last season, and likely to be pushing for the play-offs yet again. With a couple of more signings may even be a bigger surprise, and fight for automatic promotion. They concede few and have players who can score from anywhere. A top four place should be a realistic ambition for the club and their supporters.
Wigan Athletic- The bookies have not given long odds on Wigan, for reasons only known to themselves. Whilst they have financial clout, their lack of support and unfashionable status makes it hard to see how they can attract sufficient quality. I doubt we will see their heroics of the past, and the highest they can expect is mid table, although that may be too much to expect.
Wolverhampton Wanderers- And another team whom the bookies seem to overrate given their odds. The effect of new owners won't be noticeable for some time, and I cannot agree with the bookies valuation. I would imagine nothing more than a season of mid table mediocrity this time around.
Champions- Newcastle Utd.
Runners-up- Norwich City.
Play-offs- 4 from Sheffield Wednesday, Brighton, QPR, Cardiff, Derby, Ipswich, Birmingham, Fulham (outside bet).
Relegated- Burton Albion, Rotherham United, Barnsley.
Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Monday, 25 July 2016
SHOULD HE STAY OR SHOULD HE GO, NOW?
With all of the speculation surrounding Ross McC, it is understandable that many supporters fret about the outcome. Every day, it appears, that there are new articles speculating that Norwich, Aston Villa, or Newcastle are going to make a bid. Add to this, the speculation surrounding whether Ross is injured or not, and why he did not go on tour to Portugal, and it is easy to see where these worries come from. Plant a seed of untruth, and over time it becomes a plausible truth. In this writer's opinion, it does seem strange that Ross did not travel to Portugal, given that Slavisa has told him he wanted to build the team around him, and surely FFC would have had medical staff on the tour, if he is in fact injured. The club are , famously, silent on this issue, and even a small, vague statement may go some way to allaying some of this speculation and worry. The club recently issued a statement saying that they would not issue statements about new arrivals until all of the i's were dotted and all of the t' were crossed. But, a simple statement about Ross's condition may help, given that some people may be considering buying the new kit with Ross's name emblazoned across the back. But, it seems we will have to put up with being kept in the dark for the time being. Or, maybe, by the time you have read this, we will know the truth.
Before people slate me and say i don't know what I am talking about, I would like to say that this is only my opinion when I say "Would it be such a big loss to lose the imperial Scot?". When there was speculation last season, there were no Premier league clubs who seemed to be overly interested, and the latest speculation involves the 3 clubs relegated from the Prem. That, in itself, should tell a story, that Prem. clubs do not consider he is good enough for that league. Whilst he can shine in the Championship, the Prem. seems like too big a step up. His assists and goals are invaluable to us, but I, sincerely, believe that there are players out there who can replace him, or who knows it may be time to give Cauley Woodrow his chance. I understand that Cauley is a different type of player, but that does not mean that the team cannot function well without a Ross McC clone. £15 million is a lot of money to FFC given the way the FFP rules work, and that cash could buy 3 or more players. Add to this, the fact that it is better to cash in, and allow a want away player to leave, and I, personally, would consider it good business. If it is true, that he did not travel because of the interest from other clubs, then I say, get rid of him now and end the speculation, and allow Slavisa to build his own style of team.
Whatever, the truth is, we can only speculate for now.
© Nic Smith
Before people slate me and say i don't know what I am talking about, I would like to say that this is only my opinion when I say "Would it be such a big loss to lose the imperial Scot?". When there was speculation last season, there were no Premier league clubs who seemed to be overly interested, and the latest speculation involves the 3 clubs relegated from the Prem. That, in itself, should tell a story, that Prem. clubs do not consider he is good enough for that league. Whilst he can shine in the Championship, the Prem. seems like too big a step up. His assists and goals are invaluable to us, but I, sincerely, believe that there are players out there who can replace him, or who knows it may be time to give Cauley Woodrow his chance. I understand that Cauley is a different type of player, but that does not mean that the team cannot function well without a Ross McC clone. £15 million is a lot of money to FFC given the way the FFP rules work, and that cash could buy 3 or more players. Add to this, the fact that it is better to cash in, and allow a want away player to leave, and I, personally, would consider it good business. If it is true, that he did not travel because of the interest from other clubs, then I say, get rid of him now and end the speculation, and allow Slavisa to build his own style of team.
Whatever, the truth is, we can only speculate for now.
© Nic Smith
Sunday, 24 July 2016
WEEKLY OPINION
Hopefully, like myself, Fulham fans are getting excited as the new season approaches. The Newcastle game has to be seen as an excellent opportunity to get 3 points on the board. No, I am not a deluded optimist. We all know Newcastle are being touted to romp the division with ease, but I think the pundits may be wrong. Having read how many of their fans think they will line up, we can see that they still have some class, but their defence is likely to be newly constructed. We should also look at Rafa, does he have the knowledge of the Championship? Will he try to play his style of football that is more suited to the Prem.? We have seen that the Championship can be very physical and sometimes you have to ditch the idea of pretty football to get results. This could be Rafa's achilles heel, if he sticks to an ideology that won't work in this division. We should also remember that playing the favourites in the first game could work to our advantage, as it is better to play them early before they get into their stride. I seriously believe that we can get a good result, and we won't have to worry about playing one of the favourites for a while.
I, and many others, I hope, watched the Betis friendly on Betis TV. While friendlies are not the best benchmark, we put in a good performance against a side that finished half way up La Liga. A freak goal and a pen, either side of Cauley's superb strike, was all that separated us, and we shouldn't worry about our first pre-season goals being conceded. I, personally, thought that Odoi and Ayite put in performances that showed excellent potential for the future. We didn't create as many chances as we might have liked, but after a shaky opening 15 minutes, we more than matched them.
On top of that there were two new signings, in Malone and Mcdonald. This writer knows little of Malone and it seems that even though Cardiff fans call him a donkey, he is probably as good as Richards, anyway. McDonald from Wolves is a better signing, by all accounts. He plays defensive midfield and his pass rate for the first half of the season was the best in the Championship, so he can easily replace Parker or Tunners, or even play alongside one of them. According to Slavisa we need a few more signings, and he knows in what position. We probably need another defender, another creative midfielder, a wide player and a striker, although I think Cauley's time may have come. I suppose it depends on the speculation surrounding Ross McC, and whether he goes or stays.
In my opinion, things are looking up, and my prediction is that Aluko will be our star player.
© Nic Smith
I, and many others, I hope, watched the Betis friendly on Betis TV. While friendlies are not the best benchmark, we put in a good performance against a side that finished half way up La Liga. A freak goal and a pen, either side of Cauley's superb strike, was all that separated us, and we shouldn't worry about our first pre-season goals being conceded. I, personally, thought that Odoi and Ayite put in performances that showed excellent potential for the future. We didn't create as many chances as we might have liked, but after a shaky opening 15 minutes, we more than matched them.
On top of that there were two new signings, in Malone and Mcdonald. This writer knows little of Malone and it seems that even though Cardiff fans call him a donkey, he is probably as good as Richards, anyway. McDonald from Wolves is a better signing, by all accounts. He plays defensive midfield and his pass rate for the first half of the season was the best in the Championship, so he can easily replace Parker or Tunners, or even play alongside one of them. According to Slavisa we need a few more signings, and he knows in what position. We probably need another defender, another creative midfielder, a wide player and a striker, although I think Cauley's time may have come. I suppose it depends on the speculation surrounding Ross McC, and whether he goes or stays.
In my opinion, things are looking up, and my prediction is that Aluko will be our star player.
© Nic Smith
Saturday, 16 July 2016
SLAVISA'S TEAM
When Slavisa joined his hands were tied by the FFP rules, meaning he could not build the team he wanted. It was clear from the outset that he wanted to play a different style from what we were playing. This close season has seen him make a big clear out, and he has also made it clear that he wants to bring in several players to augment the style he sees as the best to get us promoted again.
So let us consider who he has signed. Although Madl could be classed as a new signing, he spent the last half of the season with us, and he made a good impression, and thankfully Slavisa has made it a permanent move (although I suspect it was already a done deal when he signed on loan). Madl clearly reads the game well, and though not as tall as Burn and Hutchinson he is good in the air. Ayite is a bit of an unknown, but given his playing history, there must have been some potential seen in him. French football is not as strong as the English leagues, but with Bastia being a yo-yo club in France, then it should not be seen as a step up for him. Clearly has pace, and is rumoured to be a good crosser of the ball. From reports in the friendlies he should make a decent fist of his first season and will add some much needed pace in the midfield. Aluko is proven at this level and is fast with an eye for goal. He could be the joker in the pack, given that he is willing to take players on and will go on runs, something we have lacked at FFC for far too long. Why Bruce did not want to keep him at Hull is open to speculation. Maybe he saw that a player who might try the unusual was too big a risk in the Prem. or maybe Aluko has a habit of not being consistent. My personal opinion, is that he will give us something different, and his pace and willingness to shoot could mean that he becomes the fan's favourite this season. Kalas, featured for most of he season for Middlesborough, in the meanest defence in the Champ. At 23 he is hardly a novice, and having signed for a season will give his all, unlike short term loan signings. I have no doubt that he will become a regular and shore up the defence excellently. Slavisa chased Odoi for quite some time, and clearly feels that he can give us something special in terms of defence and pace. I would not be surprised to see Slavisa play him as a wing back in a 3-5-2 formation. These 4/5 signings should give us all optimism for the coming season, as they should all improve on the small nucleus of definite starters already at the club.
I expect Slavisa to bring in at least 3 more before the season starts, and then we will see FFC in the top ten or maybe higher.
© Nic Smith
So let us consider who he has signed. Although Madl could be classed as a new signing, he spent the last half of the season with us, and he made a good impression, and thankfully Slavisa has made it a permanent move (although I suspect it was already a done deal when he signed on loan). Madl clearly reads the game well, and though not as tall as Burn and Hutchinson he is good in the air. Ayite is a bit of an unknown, but given his playing history, there must have been some potential seen in him. French football is not as strong as the English leagues, but with Bastia being a yo-yo club in France, then it should not be seen as a step up for him. Clearly has pace, and is rumoured to be a good crosser of the ball. From reports in the friendlies he should make a decent fist of his first season and will add some much needed pace in the midfield. Aluko is proven at this level and is fast with an eye for goal. He could be the joker in the pack, given that he is willing to take players on and will go on runs, something we have lacked at FFC for far too long. Why Bruce did not want to keep him at Hull is open to speculation. Maybe he saw that a player who might try the unusual was too big a risk in the Prem. or maybe Aluko has a habit of not being consistent. My personal opinion, is that he will give us something different, and his pace and willingness to shoot could mean that he becomes the fan's favourite this season. Kalas, featured for most of he season for Middlesborough, in the meanest defence in the Champ. At 23 he is hardly a novice, and having signed for a season will give his all, unlike short term loan signings. I have no doubt that he will become a regular and shore up the defence excellently. Slavisa chased Odoi for quite some time, and clearly feels that he can give us something special in terms of defence and pace. I would not be surprised to see Slavisa play him as a wing back in a 3-5-2 formation. These 4/5 signings should give us all optimism for the coming season, as they should all improve on the small nucleus of definite starters already at the club.
I expect Slavisa to bring in at least 3 more before the season starts, and then we will see FFC in the top ten or maybe higher.
© Nic Smith
WELCOME
Welcome to the first blog of the FFC version of La Doce. Throughout the season I will try and report our comments on every game, and my opinions on what is happening at our great football club. I also hope to have articles from guest writers. Please bear with me as this blog is in it's infancy. My aim is to please and hopefully entertain.
Thanks
© Nic Smith
Thanks
© Nic Smith
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