So it all starts tomorrow. I’m not excited as I’d usually be given our pre-season performance and the negative noises coming out of WD18. But its football, and even a depressing afternoon out at Selhurst is better than watching Gabby Logan providing in depth analysis of team GB’s yachting performance (but I always feel like this after the non-event that is the Olympic Opening Ceremony, I’ll change my tune once the gold medals start coming our way).
As a nod in the right direction as to what should be done on the eve of the big kick off here is a brief comment, prediction or any old nonsense about the 24 teams that make up Football League Division Two (as it should be known).
Barnsley- Deserved to get to the FA Cup Final, always cold, still got Deveaney. He was a good signing Aidy! Mid table.
Birmingham- Fighting it out with Burnley and Cardiff for nastiest side in the division. Will do depressingly well and be up in the Top 3 although I don’t think McLeish is as good for them as Steve Bruce was.
Blackpool- Half a ground, can’t think of a worse place I’ve ever been. The town I mean not that funny wooden structure we sat in on the last day of the season. They won’t survive this time around, not with Stevie Kabba leading the attack.
Bristol City- Gary Johnson obviously knows what he is doing. Playoffs again.
Burnley- Can’t the league find a good reason to give them a 30 point deduction? Bottom half but safe.
Cardiff- Falling out big time with Jimmy Floyd. I don’t reckon Dave Jones is as good as he thinks he is. They’ll be surprise strugglers and DJ will be gone by March.
Charlton- Another mediocre season. Pardew will be another one for the chop.
Coventry- See Charlton changing Pardew for Coleman.
Crystal Palace- Love him or hate him Colin knows what he is doing both with the players and chairman. Automatic promotion.
Derby County- Another dismal season. Paul Jewell only seems to do well every other job he has. This one, like his time at Wednesday ain’t gonna work out. Bottom half.
Doncaster- I still think of them as one of the former league clubs now in the Conference so a bit of a surprise to find them this high up. They’ll do okay, bottom half but safe.
Ipswich- The days of always getting to the playoffs seem to be behind them. Comfortably mid table.
Norwich- Can Roeder break the difficult second season syndrome? Possibly but I reckon a top half finish without troubling the playoffs at best.
Nottingham Forest- They were European Champions you know! Twice! Be funny to see them go straight back down again but I reckon they’ll just have enough to stay up.
Plymouth Argyle- Sturrock seems to know what he’s doing, seems to like Plymouth and reminds me of GT a bit. They’ll reach the playoffs this time round.
Preston North End- So near the promised land a couple of times, its now all fallen away. Struggling again but enough to stay up.
Queens Park Rangers- I reckon (or maybe hope) its all going to go wrong. Dowie was a terrible decision and one they seem to be regretting already. He’ll be gone by Christmas and the R’s will make the playoffs but no better.
Reading- Top marks for sticking with the man who got them out of the division once before. I think he could do it again. Top 3.
Sheffield United- Won’t be as much fun for the rest of us with Blackwall in charge, instead of Robson, but he still won’t get anywhere near the feats of Colin. Mid table.
Sheffield Wednesday- May 2000 must seem longer ago to them than it does for us. Dull and drab again, fighting against relegation but surviving.
Southampton- Rupert Lowe back in the chair, a new manager no-one has heard of, and only surviving last year by being less worse than Leicester. They will be this seasons former long term top flight team in surprise drop to the third tier.
Swansea- I reckon they’ll be another Hull if their manager hangs about. Using this season to get the measure of everyone else and then next season going up to join the big boys and peeing off Cardiff in the process.
Watford- Media speculation, counter club statements and a manager who doesn’t quite seem to be toeing the party line like he once did. We’ll struggle, Simpson will play the axeman like he did with Lewington, but the financial situation will find us out in the end and we’ll start next season yet again with just one division between us and the lot up the road.
Wolves- They’ll lose 2-1 to Plymouth at Molineux by conceding two in the last five minutes meaning the Pilgirms pip them to 6th place by one more goal scored. I hope.
