** March Poker League Result : =1st Bridscott, =1st Like2Fish, 3rd avongirl **
** Cheltenham Tipster Competition Result : 1st Old codger, 2nd sirspread, 3rd Bathtime For Rupert **
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Mindfulness got a reaction from StevieDay1983 in Next Permanent Crystal Palace Manager
I dunno, does he have special hamstring healing tablets???
He's never managed in the EPL before so the jury is out.
Now please @StevieDay1983 I just want to enjoy my malaise for the rest of the day, oh the sweet, sweet malaise.
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Mindfulness got a reaction from Torque in Next Permanent Crystal Palace Manager
I honestly couldn't say mate, I think Palace's upcomming results will have a big say. Also, I don't bet on next manager to go market as I can't work out what the true price should be. It's a good betting market for board members and insiders but not much else.
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Mindfulness got a reaction from StevieDay1983 in Next Permanent Crystal Palace Manager
Oh you just had to go there @StevieDay1983 !!!
To be honest I am a fan of Roy in general, he's done great work for the club over many years while operating on a shoe string. Not many managers out there would have done better in such frugal conditions.
Sacking him won't repair Olise and Eze's hamstrings but I accept that our defending has been a concern of late, even Brighton have conceded less at the time of writing this.
The pressure from certain sections of the fanbase could be starting to affect the players and this is a concern. Obviously if we loose at Everton on Monday then the voices calling for Roy to go will only get louder. The question is who could you bring in that would be a suitable fit to keep us in the division? If your key attacking weapons are unavailable then really your asking the incomming manager to turn water into wine in the midst of a desperate dog fight.
Roy is basically going at the end of the season anyways and I have too much respect for him to join those calling for his head. It's a matter for the board to decide what happens in the comming days or weeks as they've got the experience of actually running a premier league football club over a sustained period.
To summarise, I'm not getting involved. I will just sit on the sidelines and look on with a general malaise as the squabbling continues.
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Mindfulness reacted to Fader in Last Man Standing II - Week 1 (Deadline Sat 3pm)
We go again with our second 'Last Man Standing' tournament of the season. Good luck all
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Mindfulness reacted to Fader in Premier League Predictions > September 1st to 3rd
I've gone for a Palace/West Ham double. I think Palace at home are underrated here, only lost once at home since Roy came in. 1-0 to Arsenal in a game where they could have shared the points. Palace beat them 2-1 last time they were at Selhurst and Wolves still look dodgy to me.
West Ham are just about a big enough price for me to add it to the double. I'd really like to see Kudus make an appearance but either way, Pacqueta should have some right fun against Luton.
5pts Palace to beat Wolves evens Bet365
2.5pts double Palace / West Ham 13/5 William Hill
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Mindfulness got a reaction from StevieDay1983 in LMS Consolation Comp - Week 3 (Deadline Sat 3pm)
I've had a vision of the future and it's Paul Heckingbottom saying "By heck we're bottom"
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Mindfulness got a reaction from StevieDay1983 in LMS Consolation Comp - Week 3 (Deadline Sat 3pm)
Chelsea
PS @StevieDay1983 You absolute mug! what on earth were you thinking last week?!?!
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Mindfulness got a reaction from StevieDay1983 in 2023/24 Punters Lounge Fantasy Football Competition Sign-Up
Team: Zen
Manager: Thomas Kemp
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Mindfulness reacted to Fader in **New Last Man Standing Competition** - Week 1 Selections (Deadline 3pm Sat Aug 12th)
Please read the rules if you're not familiar with them but basically, you need to pick a different team each week that you think will win their match.
⛔ Can't pick same team twice. ⛔
Everybody gets one 🛟 lifeline 🛟 just in case they forget to post one week, if that happens you will be on the highest team in the current league table that you have not already selected in a previous week. Also you can play a 🃏Joker🃏 on one nominated week only, so if you’re struggling to find a good team, you take the draw aswell as your team winning. Be careful how you use that as once its gone, its gone. Finally, if you happen to 😢 lose 😢 you can play the following week, in a consolation competition. 🤩 No 🃏Joker🃏 or 🛟 lifelines 🛟 in that comp so make sure you don't lose!! 😉 Good luck
Fader
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Mindfulness got a reaction from tschurchy in Premier League Predictions > Apr 1st - 5th
No predictions for individual games but Brentford +0.50 AH @ 2.40 is a value bet in my view. 2.47 on Betfair Exchange at the time of writing this.
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Mindfulness got a reaction from Fader in Last Man Standing 2 - Week 4 (Deadline Mon 3pm)
Come on you gluttonous and sloth-like oafs, I was banking on Chelsea at Forest for this round.
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Mindfulness reacted to Fader in Last Man Standing 2 - Week 4 (Deadline Mon 3pm)
Players through to the next GW are below.
Please do me a favour and LIKE this post if you're ready to get straight into the weekends matches. If I get more than 20 likes then I will know that the majority are ready to go on. I don't want lots of people going out because they spent Christmas away from the forum. Many thanks
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
Norwich
Was there really going to be any other team that I chose as the title winners for this season's Championship other than the perennial yo-yo team of Norwich? The Canaries finished 20th in the Premier League last season, top of the Championship in 2020/21, bottom of the top flight in 2019/20, and top of this division in 2018/19. The trend is going to continue isn't it? This is the point when Norwich fans will be wishing they still had Daniel Farke at the club instead of Dean Smith. The former Brentford and Aston Villa gaffer has his fair share of critics within the fan base but he does know how to get out of this division having led Villa to the promised land back in 2018/19.
Norwich are entering this season with the proven formula of keeping their best players in an effort to bounce right back. There's a reason they keep smashing the second tier in recent seasons and that's because they have the quality to cruise to the automatic promotion places. Transfer activity has been limited within the Norfolk-based club. Gabriel Sara is an intriguing signing for over £9 million from Sao Paulo. Is he the type of character they want in the middle of the park? Isaac Hayden arriving on loan from Newcastle is a subtle transfer that could prove pivotal. The return of fellow midfielder Todd Cantwell from Bournemouth on loan is a much-needed boost and he's looked class in pre-season. Exits at the club have been limited to fringe and reserve players such as Lukas Rupp, Josip Drmic, and Przemyslaw Placheta. This remains a team that boasts the talented likes of Tim Krul, Max Aarons, Sam Byram, Grant Hanley, Milot Rashica, and Kenny McLean. Then there's the attacking threats of Teemu Pukki, Josh Sargent, Jordan Hugill, and Adam Idah.
Everything is already in place for Norwich to launch a serious bid to win the Championship league title again. Smith has the luxury of a unique balance of experienced heads, young players, and a side that perhaps isn't as emotionally damaged by relegation from the Premier League as the two other relegated sides because a lot of these players have been here before. They've suffered the misery of the drop but they also know what is required to hit back immediately. If Norwich don't win the Championship title this season then there's only one person to blame and that's Smith himself. The Norwich front line alone has 30 goals in it and with a defensive line that will perform at this level it's hard to see past them as champions.
Final Position: 1st
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
Watford
A season is disruption and constant change overshadowed Watford's Premier League campaign last year and the fans will be hoping that the appointment of former Forest Green Rovers manager Rob Edwards will signal the start of a new era where owner Gino Pozzo shows a little more patience and backs his gaffer. Xisco, Claudio Ranieri, and Roy Hodgson all came and went last season as the Hornets fell to 19th in the top flight and, if we're being brutally honest, never looked like anything other than relegation fodder for their entire time in that division.
The club have decided to follow the approach they adopted after their last relegation from the Premier League and that's to do all they can to retain the star names. The fans will be delighted to see that the only departures from the club so far have been Cucho Hernandez, Ben Foster, Moussa Sissoko, Joshua King, Philip Zinckernagel, Andre Gray, Adam Masina, and Nicolas N'Koulou. Edwards will have the likes of William Troost-Ekong, Emmanuel Dennis, and Ismaila Sarr at his disposal for the time being plus a host of additions brought in to the club to strengthen the quality. Arrivals such as Vakoun Issouf Bayo from Charleroi, Rey Manaj from Barcelona, and Ben Hamer from Swansea. There's still time left for the team to be strengthened even further but with the club carrying an alleged £150 million worth of debt I'm not sure we'll see any incomings other than loan signings.
Overall, the squad looks to be in a strong place and you have to think that with most of these players knowing each other inside out that they have an edge on their rivals who have experienced big turnovers in playing staff. The disconcerting issues for me are that Edwards is still very inexperienced as a manager and his time at Forest Green ended with an abysmal run of form and a fall out with the owner after he was reportedly "tapped up" on the sly by Watford. He's also walking into a dressing room that is desperately low on morale. I still think there's enough quality in this team to get them back up automatically and it feels very similar to the start of their 2020/21 campaign.
Final Position: 2nd
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
Middlesbrough
It was a classic case of so near yet so far for Middlesbrough last season when the team fell just one place and 5 points short of reaching the play-offs. Chris Wilder's team will no doubt know that poor spells during November and April were the main cause for this and had they not suffered those two blips then they would almost certainly have made it. Boro now go again and you have to say that the team feels like it's in an even better place at the start of this season than it was at the beginning of the last campaign. Deadwood has been sent packing and the freed up funds on the wage bill has been used to strengthen across the pitch.
A number of familiar names have left the team this summer including Sol Bamba, Lee Peltier, Sammy Ameobi, Neil Taylor, Martin Payero, and Joe Lumley. It's unlikely any of those players were seen by the management and fans as anything other than squad depth. Wilder has been keen to not let that depth impact though and he's moved to bring in a few exciting signings such as Manchester City keeper Zach Steffan on loan, Blackburn centre back Darragh Lenihan on a free, and Wolves winger Ryan Giles on a loan. You would imagine that the money raked in from the £13 million sale of Djed Spence to Tottenham could well be used to further strengthen what was already close to being a Championship play-off competing squad.
The main credit will go to Wilder for the job he has done at taking the club on from the trusty hands of Neil Warnock and moving them up another level. It was clear that Wilder maximised the potential of the loan market last season with the January arrivals of Aaron Connolly and Folarin Balogun both having a positive impact. The team will need to replace their attacking qualities. The one thing Wilder has done well with Boro, minus the April blip, was turn the Riverside into a fortress. The old saying goes that if you can win your home games and draw your away matches then you'll be in the mix. I can certainly see Wilder leading Boro to a superb home record again. A few more additions will be needed to achieve that but I am optimistic that Wilder has dominated this division before and he will dominate it again.
Final Position: 3rd
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
Sheffield United
I'm not going to lie, Paul Heckingbottom has surprised me with how well he is doing with this Sheffield United team. Poor spells with Leeds and Hibernian followed by a disastrous caretaker period as Sheffield United manager had me thinking the club had made a big mistake appointing him and that it was all about saving costs. It turns out, the former Barnsley head coach has been exactly what the Blades needed during a turbulent time. The tenure of Slavisa Jokanovic, who seemed a shrewd appointment by many, didn't work out and Heckingbottom turned the form of the club around to guide them to the play-off semi-finals last season after going unbeaten in their final 4 league games including winning the last 3. A 3-2 defeat on penalties after a 3-3 draw on aggregate against the eventual play-off winners Nottingham Forest saw them fall short but the ground work has been laid now. Will this season bring promotion?
There was certainly no need for a major overhaul in playing staff like most clubs in the Championship have required over the summer. I find it intriguing that Heckingbottom has chosen to prioritise strengthening the defensive line with the additions of centre back duo Anel Ahmedhodzic from Malmo for £4 million and Ciaran Clark from Newcastle on loan. I'm also gutted that they've snatched central midfielder Tommy Doyle from Manchester City under-23s on loan after his impressive loan spell with Cardiff last season. They've got a hell of a player there. A few expected departures have happened with David McGoldrick, Luke Freeman, Lys Mousset, and Oliver Burke all leaving the club. I'm not sure their exits will be felt too badly by anyone at the club.
I'm still not sure how Sheffield United are stocked up front for the coming season. The evergreen Billy Sharp ended up being top scorer last season but he only bagged 14 league goals. The team did score 63 goals last season but they had the midfield to thank for that with the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Illiman Ndiaye, and Sander Berge regularly appearing on the score sheet. It's a tactical system that seems to work well for the Yorkshire club and maybe this is finally the season Rhian Brewster fulfils his potential? Or maybe not. There's still time for United to add attacking talent though and they have both stability, consistency, and a solid defensive unit from last season that is a great foundation for this campaign.
Final Position: 4th
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
West Brom
It's beginning to get trickier now to place where the teams battling for promotion will finish. It's far from a guarantee that any of them will be up this end of the table but here we go (as the social media famous journalist Fabrizio Romano says!)! West Brom are the team I'm picking next. The sacking of Valerien Ismael last season seemed a strange decision given the obvious time it was going to take for him to implement his playing style. I'm not sure why the Baggies appointed him in the first place if they were so keen to get rid of him. The appointment of Steve Bruce as his replacement brought criticism from a number of fans but, ultimately, there's no denying that Bruce knows this division almost as well as anyone. The former Manchester United centre back has led Birmingham and Hull both into the Premier League from this division twice. Although, the most recent of those successes did come nearly a decade ago!
West Brom finished last season with a whimper down in 10th and it's hard to say how Bruce improved things after the departure of Ismael. Transfer activity has been relatively quiet for the Midlands team with Romaine Sawyers, Andy Carroll, Cedric Kipre, and Sam Johnstone being the only real big name exits but even their importance to the team over the past 12 months is open to debate. Midfield is an area Bruce has been keen to address with the triple signings of John Swift, Jed Wallace, and Jayson Molumby adding undoubted quality to the middle of the park. The free transfer signing of Celta Vigo defensive midfielder Okay Yokuslu is a leftfield choice so it'll be interesting to see how he copes with this level of competition. Bruce will be hoping his defence continues their fine end to their last season where they didn't even concede in their last 3 league games of the season. Striker Karlan Grant will also take responsibility for the goals with the fans hoping he can surpass the 18 league goals he scored last season.
I feel last season will have been seen as a huge disappointment for West Brom when many expected them to be competing for automatic promotion. Still, it was a season of transition and even though the appointment of Ismael didn't work out there were a lot of foundations put in place for this campaign. Bruce will know that the team's defence holds the key to doing well this season. Adding creativity to the midfield was vital and he's done that by picking up arguably two of the best performing midfielders in the Championship over recent years. I'm afraid to say I am one of those that still doubts Bruce's ability to get the job done. I think the team's quality of personnel alone will get them into the play-offs... I'm not sure he can take them further.
Final Position: 5th
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
Burnley
The big wild card in the Championship this season comes in the form of Burnley. Relegated after six seasons of struggle in the Premier League. The long-serving manager Sean Dyche replaced with a younger and more exciting management team led by Vincent Kompany with Craig Bellamy on his coaching staff. Big earners have been shown the exit door. Younger and cheaper alternatives have been drafted in. It's a clear shift in direction by a club that clearly needed to address a few issues after their relegation. This season brings with it a lot of pressure though. Failure to bounce straight back up to the top flight could result in the team entering financial oblivion.
It has been a summer of change on and off the field at the Lancashire club. Kompany has moved quickly to shift on the high earners with Nick Pope, Phil Bardsley, Aaron Lennon, Nathan Collins, James Tarkowski, Ben Mee, Wout Weghorst, Wayne Hennessey, Erik Pieters, and Dale Stephens all moving either on permanent deals, free transfers, or loan spells. The Clarets have used the funds freed up by their departures to bring in some fresh faces including central midfielder Josh Cullen from Anderlecht, centre back Luke McNally from Oxford, central midfielder Samuel Bastien from Standard Liege, striker Scott Twine from MK Dons, centre back CJ Egan-Riley from Manchester City under-23s, and the loan signings of centre back Taylor Harwood-Bellis and left back Ian Maatsen from Manchester City under-23s and Chelsea under-23s respectively. It can be argued that more additions are still needed and there is a particular lack of experience of playing at this level in this squad right now.
Even the Burnley fans understand what it takes to bounce back from the Championship up to the Premier League after a relegation from the top tier. They did exactly that back in 2015/16 but they had done so by maintaining consistency in playing staff and their management team. The board have gone for a completely opposing approach this time around knowing that costs needed to be cut and a calculated gamble needed to be taken. The fans are predicting a play-off chase with the most pessimistic suggesting mid-table would be considered satisfactory. I do rate Kompany as a manager from what I've seen of him during his time in Belgium with Anderlecht. I also have a very high opinion of Bellamy as a first team coach and he does know this division with its brutal realities. I no doubt feel there will be teething problems but provided the fans show patience I still feel Kompany can lead this Burnley squad into the play-offs at least. Two or three experienced heads at this level would still really help their cause.
Final Position: 6th
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
Swansea
Next up, it's my team's local rivals and the fact I'm putting them here shows that I'm not going to let petty rivalry impact my predictions! Swansea are set for a pivotal season this year. The club finished in 15th position last year and there is an expectation within the fanbase that the team should be aiming to push for the play-offs this season. Why? Well, they did only lost 2 of their last 11 league matches last season but then both of those defeats were their last two league games of the campaign and they didn't actually win any of their last 6 league matches. In fact, an alarming statistic was that they conceded at least 3 goals in 50% of those games.
Russell Martin is doing a good job of winning the hearts and minds of Swans supporters. The recruitment of club legend Joe Allen during the summer has not harmed that at all. The signings of defenders Harry Darling from MK Dons and Nathan Wood from Middlesbrough could go a long way to solving the team's defensive frailties. I'm also keen to see how loan signing Matthew Sorinola performs. By all accounts, he could be another shrewd acquisition. The big blow for Swansea though is that influential central midfielder Flynn Downes has left the club for West Ham. The former Ipswich star was a superb member of the Swansea squad last season and even though Allen's return will ease the pain of the Downes exit you don't find midfielders like him on every corner in the Championship.
This Swansea team showed sparks of their potential last season but they also became exposed by a number of teams. The fact they have kept Joel Piroe is a massive boost for the team. If you can have a player up top that can bang the goals away then you're always in with a chance. The goalkeeper situation at the club is still a potential weakness and the jury remains out on the defence based on pre-season performances. However, Piroe and Michael Obafemi have the potential to be the most prolific strike force in this division and that will be their strength. I think a more settled Swansea team with Martin being more familiar with his squad and still potentially adding more signings yet will mean they enjoy a better campaign than last year. Keeping Piroe and Obafemi is key to that though.
Final Position: 7th
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
Coventry
As you can see, a common trend with teams in the upper to mid-table area of the Championship for this season preview is stability. I believe that those teams that have consistency and a stable set-up are best-placed to hit the ground running and end up enjoying a positive campaign. Coventry are another prime example of that. Mark Robins will lead his team into another league campaign after what can be considered by many as a very satisfactory 2021/22 campaign with the club finishing in 12th place last season. There was even a time when they looked like they might be play-off contenders before a lack of squad depth led to a poor end to the season of just 2 wins from their last 10 league games. The general opinion of the fans is an expectation to build on that season's work.
There is no doubt that the number one priority this season for the Sky Blues is to enter the campaign with star player Callum O'Hare still within the ranks. The creative midfielder is key to making the team tick and if he departed the club then it could have a massive detrimental impact on their form. For the time being, the 24-year old remains a Coventry player. Robins has also moved to add more creative quality to the team with the signing of Kasey Palmer from Bristol City for an undisclosed fee. You feel Palmer's career needs an adrenaline shot and this move could be exactly what he needs. The double defensive loan signings of Callum Doyle from Manchester City and Jonathan Panzo from Nottingham Forest address a key weakness for Coventry after last season's defensive loan signings Jake Clarke-Salter and Ian Maatsen returned to parent club Chelsea. It will also be odd not seeing long-time Coventry stalwart Jodi Jones listed amongst the squad list for this season after he was released. A career that promised so much but was effectively ruined by injury.
A key factor in my belief that Coventry can expect a solid season again is the fact that the team has constantly improved under Robins. When he took the reigns in 2017 the club was in a far worse place than they are now. However, 5 years later and the team is back in the Championship, have won the League One title and the EFL Trophy, and are backing playing home matches at the Coventry Building Society Arena. Times are good at the club again and don't their fans deserve it. This Coventry team might not be packed with star names or a wealth of individual talents but they're a hard-working unit who set themselves up well, never give up (just look at their late goals scored statistics!), and they do have the odd match-winner in the their team in O'Hare, Gustavo Hamer, and Viktor Gyokeres. I wish them well this season and think they have every valid reason to believe they can finish in and around the play-offs with the right additions.
Final Position: 8th
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
Stoke
This is set to be a hit or miss season for Stoke with Michael O'Neill entering his third full season in charge at the club. It's been a rather mixed spell for the former Northern Ireland head coach. There are times you feel his tactics are too negative and the team will enter a slump that could suck them into a relegation battle but then they also go on runs where they look like potential promotion contenders. This inconsistency was summed up by the club finishing in 14th last season having won 17 and lost 18. There's no denying the ambitions of the Potters this season with the club being linked to a lot of high-profile players but they're just not managing to get those signings over the line.
O'Neill was ruthless with his contract renewals this summer with a number of big name players leaving the club including Joe Allen, James Chester, Steven Fletcher, Tom Ince, and Tommy Smith. Benik Afobe and Alfie Doughty have also departed the club for undisclosed fees to Millwall and Luton respectively. Then there is also the loan exits of the duo of Mario Vrancic and Tashan Oakley-Boothe. The arrivals haven't been as emphatic as the rumours. I think the signing of centre back Aden Flint on a free gives you some idea of the direct approach O'Neill will be continuing to adopt this season. Bringing in central midfielder Josh Laurent on a free from Reading is a wise move. The arrival of Leeds youngster Liam McCarron will also add quality to the back-line and give the defender a chance to prove himself. I'm also interested to see how the loan signings of Harry Clarke from Arsenal and Gavin Kilkenny from Bournemouth work out.
You have to think that there's still a chance for Stoke to bring in a couple of big name signings but it's clear Stoke's financial strength doesn't currently match their ambition. There's a reason they are linked to some interesting names but not managing to seal the deals. I still think the fact they're being linked with the likes of Edwin Andersson and Liam Delap is exciting and shows they still have some level of pull. I do feel a lot depends on the business O'Neill does over the next couple of weeks will have a big say on their final league position. I am quietly confident that they can sufficiently add what is needed to a squad that boasts quality at this level. They still have the likes of Josh Tymon, Sam Clucas, Nick Powell, and Tyrese Campbell in their ranks. The fans are getting understandably nervous though and claims of the club sleepwalking into a potential relegation dogfight aren't a million miles away from being true. This is Stoke though and the Coates family always seem to find a way to keep the club stable.
Final Position: 9th
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
Preston
Stability can be key in consolidating your status as a top half of the table Championship team and I feel that's where Preston are right now. The appointment of former Plymouth and Bury gaffer Ryan Lowe was a stroke of genius by the North End owners. You have to say that Lowe's arrival did appear to improve the club's fortunes overall and after finishing in 13th position last season they are now well set to look to build on that this coming campaign. A limited budget means that Lowe has been unable to make sweeping changes but simply tweaking things and not altering too much is an approach that could actually benefit the team the most.
Like most other clubs, Preston have used the expiration of a number of contracts belonging to first team players as an excuse to shift dead wood. Players including Tom Bayliss, Josh Earl, Tom Barkhuizen, Joe Rafferty, Connor Ripley, Paul Huntington, Izzy Brown, and Scott Sinclair are amongst the departures on free transfers. It's freed up some much-needed cash for wages that can be spent on new signings and the transfer activity of the Lilywhites this summer has looked subtly impressive. Newcastle goalkeeper Freddie Woodman is the stand-out arrival. The former England under-21 keeper earned rave reviews for Swansea at this level so the fans will expect big things from him again here. The double signing of the wide midfield duo of Ben Woodburn and Robbie Brady on a free from Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively will also raise eyebrows. Both players have had their critics over recent seasons but both have also shown superb quality down the years. Woodburn in particular feels like a young talent with so much left to give. Could this move re-ignite his career?
If you have a decent manager then you're always going to be there or there abouts in the Championship. Preston have that in Lowe. He came in and did a solid job last season when they were a bit of a here and there under Frankie McAvoy. It's easy to forget that a lot of the players here go under the radar. The team has a potent finisher in last season's top scorer Emil Riis Jakobsen who scored 16 league goals last year. The midfield contains the experience of Daniel Johnson, Alan Browne, Brad Potts, and Ben Whiteman. Defensive resilience is then assured with a back-line including Andrew Hughes, Patrick Bauer, and Greg Cunningham. A few more additions are needed with the holes left by loan signings Sepp van den Berg and Cameron Archer returning to their parent clubs but this is a Preston team that remains largely in tact from last season and they'll be even more cohesive and tough to beat this time around.
Final Position: 10th
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
Cardiff
It was always going to be hard to decide where to place Cardiff. Not only because they are my own team but it's been a summer of complete transition for the Bluebirds with a lot of experienced high earners leaving the club at the end of their contracts and head coach Steve Morison wasting no time in making this squad his own with over a dozen signings since the last game of last season. Such a high volume of change in playing personnel is always a big gamble but big changes were certainly needed for a team that finished in 18th place in the Championship last season but flirted with relegation to League One for far longer than they should have.
Cardiff saw a number of familiar faces leave the club this summer on free transfers including Will Vaulks, Aden Flint, Josh Murphy, Marlon Pack, Isaac Vassell, Alex Smithies, and Leandro Bacuna. It was certainly needed with only the departures of Vaulks and Smithies leaving the fans feeling gutted. The other players were considered dead wood or under performers on massive wages that needed releasing. In addition, striker James Collins has recently left for Derby on a free. A high number of arrivals were needed to counter these losses and the general feeling is that Morison and his recruitment team have done a stellar job of bringing in new blood. Left back Jamilu Collins from Paderborn on a free and Ollie Tanner from Lewes for £50k are the stand out signings but then there's also the likes of Ryan Allsop from Derby, Andy Rinomhota from Reading, Sheyi Ojo from Liverpool, Ebou Adams from Forest Green Rovers, Jak Alnwick from St Mirren, Romaine Sawyers from West Brom, and Callum O'Dowda from Bristol City all coming in on free transfers and wages that fit our new reduced wage structure. The loan signing of centre back Cedric Kipre from West Brom will also add a much-needed ball playing centre back to our back-line.
I could go on for days about my thoughts on Cardiff's season. There's no doubt our midfield quality has improved ten fold on last season. Ryan Wintle has looked immense in pre-season and Joe Ralls extending his contract has also been a boost to the new additions. The right back position still looks a weakness so I wonder if Joel Bagan or Collins will fill in if the performances of Mahlon Romeo and Vontae Daley-Campbell continue to underwhelm. We also need another striker or two. Max Watters has started to show glimpses of his potential but he needs help. We've been linked with a few players but nothing confirmed yet. I feel this is a big season of change for Cardiff. I've said for months in the Championship previews that Morison was trying to turn an oil tanker regarding our playing philosophy and pre-season performances suggest he's moving closer to where we want to be. It might be a slow start for us with so much change in personnel and playing approach but I think we'll surprise a lot of people this season. This will be a Cardiff team nobody has seen since the Dave Jones years and I think finishing mid-table is a fair expectation but we can't be blamed for thinking if we find a scorer and sort out the right back situation then we're looking very dangerous.
Final Position: 11th
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
Millwall
If one team has become synonymous with mid-table mediocrity over recent seasons in the Championship then it's Millwall. The Lions have finished between 8th and 11th in four of the last five seasons. Current manager Gary Rowett deserves praise for making this Millwall team one that is knocking on the door of the play-offs but could this be his toughest season yet with the club? The departure of club icon Jed Wallace is undoubtedly the biggest blow to their aspirations this season and the departure of a number of other players such as Mahlon Romeo, Alex Pearce, Connor Mahoney, and Maikel Kieftenbeld have reduced the amount of depth in the squad.
Rowett has worked tirelessly to use the spaces left in his squad and fill them with quality. The loan signing of Leeds centre back Charlie Cresswell is a potential masterstroke if he can adapt to life in the Championship quickly. There is hope that the arrival of Fortuna Sittard attacking midfielder Zian Flemming can fill the void left by Wallace. The signing of George Honeyman from Hull is also an excellent piece of business that improves the creative options in midfield. Striker Benik Afobe joining the club on a permanent deal after banging in 12 goals on loan last season will also improve their front line options.
I'm not sure what it is but I'm still worried for Millwall this season. I've kept them this high in the table because if there's one thing Rowett knows what to do it's how to keep a team stable. I have seen a large number of Millwall fans questioning their striker options. Question marks remain over the prolific nature of Afobe and their is little faith in the likes of Tom Bradshaw and academy prospect Isaac Olaofe scoring the necessary goals. I can see this being another season where Millwall become a hard team to beat but they lack that clinical edge that can push them up to the next level. That may change with the right signing or two in the remaining part of the summer transfer window but I feel that's their current situation.
Final Position: 12th
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Mindfulness reacted to StevieDay1983 in Team-by-Team Championship Predictions 2022/23
QPR
Out of all the teams I'm previewing in this Championship thread, it's QPR who I think I might be overly generous about. The Hoops took the controversial decision to part company with former manager Mark Warburton at the end of last season and replace him with the unproven former Aston Villa assistant manager Michael Beale. It's a big gamble for the West London club who briefly looked like promotion contenders last season before falling away and ending up in 11th position. No surprise they only won 2 of their last 10 league games when Warburton clearly knew he was on his way out.
This season certainly raises more questions than answers for Rangers. A fair amount of dead wood has already been sent packing with the outgoings including Moses Odubajo, Dominic Ball, David Marshall, Dillon Barnes, Kieran Westwood, and Lee Wallace. Jordy de Wijs and Charlie Austin have also departed the club for Fortuna Dusseldorf and Brisbane Roar respectively. A number of new faces have come in through the club entrance though with the likes of centre back Jake Clarke-Salter from Chelsea, left back Kenneth Paal from PEC Zwolle, and striker Tyler Roberts from Leeds. Solid enough acquisitions but the fans will no doubt see keeping key players such as Chris Willock, Ilias Chair, and Lyndon Dykes as crucial to their hopes of improving on last season.
The sticking point with QPR this season for me is the inexperience of Beale at this level. I mean, former Blackpool head coach Neil Critchley (who has replaced Beale at Aston Villa as Steve Gerrard's assistant manager), showed he could do it at this level but he had a full season to build his own squad. Beale has a summer to form his playing squad, understand what system he wants to employ, get that system across to the players, and then he's also learning on the job. It could very well be a cracking long-term appointment but do the QPR board have the patience for that. I believe their fans do so Beale will have them on side for a fair amount of time but I'm not sure we'll see the fruits of his labour as quickly as this season. It may take time.
Final Position: 13th