Paul Merson...

I'm going to talk a little bit about The Championship and what you should bet on in the short term and long term. Best to do it before a round of midweek fixtures where there are no other distractions and I can look foolish in about 2 hours.

My team is Sheffield Wednesday. We always start slow and then the manager seems to figure it out and we grind out the points in an ugly manner because we've got better players. In the short term, you need to bet against us especially when we're at home. The positive vibes that came with the reemergence of the club as a force (relatively speaking, of course) has been replaced by impatience. This lack of patience permeates every aspect of the club from our transfer policy (intention is experienced "been there, done that in The Championship" type players but in reality there may be a sprinkling of "has beens") to the fans getting on the players backs at Hillsborough. No way we should be as short as 2.22 (Betfair) to Sunderland even accounting for home advantage after a poor pre season and tepid start to the season. Get in there before the market reacts. Also take the under especially when we're at home to weak opposition. The market looks at our strike force and thinks GOALS. Our manager seems to approach games Mourinho at Chelsea style. We'll keep things tight and rely on the extra quality to nick a goal. Unless we go behind. It frustrates the hell out of fans but has been the formula for what has to be considered two successful seasons in a tough league. Oh, and when the market thinks we're out of the play off running, that's when you back us.

Another team that may follow a similar trajectory is Derby. The market LOVES Gary Rowett but it might take time for him to instill and make effective his pragmatic brand of football. Expect tight, low scoring affairs. Not the Derby way.

A few teams who I think will do better than the market expects are Preston, Reading and (much as it pains me to say it) Sheffield United. Reading don't get the respect they deserve for what they did last season. They have a formula which seems to work. I got tasty odds on them to beat Fulham at home, which only just missed out. Sheffield United are riding the crest of a wave and they seem to have an identity about them. They will take teams by surprise by taking the game to them, home and away. No respect. Probably a good idea to back the over. While they have replaced their manager, I think they have found in Alex Neil somebody who can keep things ticking in the same way that Simon Grayson did. They're not monied but they have a solid spine of a team that has been there for a few seasons. They have outstripped expectations in the last couple of years finishing 11th. They will pick up points when the market doesn't expect. Back them at home against good teams. Another team to back the under with as well. Lots of games with 2 goals or less.

As for who will win the league, I think Middlesbrough are the best team hands down. I believe the other monied clubs are basket cases to some degree whereas Boro have brought in Garry Monk and made some astute transfers (in and out). I think the odds on offer to win the league are very generous and I can't see any good reason Wolves should be favourites over them.

This is all just for fun and Langering potential. You don't get deep analysis of The Championship cos the average Joe only cares about the Premier League. Also, it's ****ing hard to predict!

imo embarking on long posts about the championship is pretty futile, cos by the time you've finished the post every team has played another two games and the analysis is out of date

nevertheless its nice to have some And Associated Pyramid talk itt

my addition: an inside sauce has told me that bristol city are, quote, absolute bollocks, and that ashton gate is falling apart. but then most non-ghws are convinced that their team is the worst in history* every year so i dunno

*perhaps best demonstrated by sixfour's consistently despondent-style posting re: the sorry state of shef utd, and then i had a look at the table and they were ****ing about 8 points clear at the top

Trying to predict the unpredictable... matches coming thick and fast. That's the beauty!

I'm almost thinking it's a good thing we'll be in this league for a while.

Got Cantona...not sure how that formula works though.

brentford 0 - 1 bristol city, 19 mins played

Pm please.

Killers lol

Solid work.

The Championship is the sort of league where if you can get unanimous agreement on a team's prospects, you should probably bet on the opposite for the odds.

Now I'll make a post about what people care about. The BLITW.

Man City will win the league most likely but I'm not backing them at 2.4 (lol). I had a couple of quid on each of Arsenal and Tottenham, just for the odds. Then as Chelsea drifted after their opening game, a few quid on them too. I took a little bit on Man City when they were 3.0 to break even if they win the league.

Btw are there championship highlights available online? Used to be on iplayer but it seems bbc don't have em anymore

I'll be laying the bejeezus out of Citeh once they go odds on in the next week or so. I've seen this one before!

You get basically the goals and a little bit more here, and it's updated as soon as the matches are finished. You don't need to be a subscriber and I don't think it's geoblocked.

http://www.skysports.com/watch/video...s/championship

Extended highlights of every match make their way onto YouTube after a day or so via clubs official channels. I don't think there's a one stop shop on YouTube, you'd have to search the matches I think.

http://www.90min.com/posts/5401111-v...brace-for-u17s

12! He wouldn't get carded in an offy.

Manc sides overrated (but prob one will still win) and London sides underrated is my crude take on things.

Liverpool is Liverpool so they don't belong in a discussion about who might win the league. If I saw Liverpool win the league it'd be like if God presented himself to me. I firmly believe the possibility doesn't exist and if I witness it I will question my sanity.

Good post earlier chef

1 down just before half time, seems we've been on the back foot throughout

Cheers man.

I bet on you not to lose too, worked a charm ;-). What I forgot about is Warnock and the WIM that he will flood his players with when playing either Sheffield club (for different reasons obv)

Ah Cardiff have a game at home tonight. That's why it took me 45 minutes to get home from work.

WBA rejuvenation scheme going into hyper-drive. Allow Darren Fletcher to leave, sign Gareth Barry..

Anyone else watch the Match of the Day Rewind tonight?
The first MOTD from the opening weekend of the Premier League.
Des in the chair. Lineker and Hansen as pundits.

Confusion over the new backpass rule, Dion Dublin at Man Utd, Phelan and Ferguson Jr in the heart of the Man Utd midfield. Chris Whyte and Fairclough at the back for Leeds. Shearer debut for Blackburn.
Dreamy days.

Dream on dirty Leeds

only clean player you ever had (apart from sold-for-a-song Kung-Fu-Cantona)

Lucas Radebe says otherwise.

James Milner.....

That is right around the time of my first football memories. What nostalgia. I love how incredibly old fashioned it is. I can see why Des was such a hit with the ladies.