Hucknall Ram Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Just found this on twitter, what a load of balls! http://theseventytwo.com/football-league/championship/2011/07/07/championship-league-ladder-nottingham-forest-up-derby-county-down/ The Seventy Two’s Championship league ladder continues with the thoughts of James McDaid. In brief, the idea will be that the table begins in the order that the Championship finished at the end of the 2010/11 season and a series of bloggers and journalists will each re-position one team further up and one team further down based on their thoughts over the summer. By the end, we will have a predicted Championship table for which we can all take some part of the blame... Over to James... If I excelled at predicting football matches, I’d be a rich man. I assure you I am not. Be that as it may, I see great value in Nottingham Forest winning the Championship at 12/1. At that price Forest are joint 4th favourites. On the other hand we have Derby County - a club I have a great fondness for having lived in Derby for a year. I had the privilege of attending Pride Park during the 2008/09 campaign, the people are great and the club has a fantastic set up topped off with a beautiful stadium. Unfortunately for the Rams Steve Bloomer will be watching them struggle again this year, but a bright future is around the corner. One up: Nottingham Forest It has been a twelve year hiatus from the Premier League for Forest. For the past two years they have been reaching out for the brass ring, coming agonizingly close with two consecutive semi-final play-off defeats. The first in 2010 came at the hands of Blackpool 6-4 on aggregate, the second in 2011 to Swansea 3-1 on aggregate. The Championship has seen some dominant sides in recent years (Newcastle and WBA in 2010 and QPR in 2011), which has been detrimental to the promotion of consistent league performers Forest - especially in 2010 when they finished third. The McClaren factor: “I want role models because the squad is relatively young...We want to set Premier League standards from the beginning and, in terms of players we bring in, ideally we would like to have that experience.” Forest have one of the youngest squads in the Championship with an average age of 25.0 years. As mentioned the current squad are consistent championship performers, so to call them inexperienced would be foolhardy. This is where McClaren’s shrewdness and management ability will come into play. McClaren isn’t afraid to gamble in the transfer market, this point was highlighted during his spell at F.C Twente. The Umbrella overseer reigned supreme during his Dutch spell, with a Second place finish in his first season - the departures of Eljero Elia and Marko Arnautović shattered the hopes of progress for many a Twente fan. However McClaren spent well bringing in Bryan Ruiz and Miroslav Stoch, who helped guide Twente to their first championship in their history. Andy Reid is McClaren’s first foray into the market, and the signing might not make tremors in today’s transfer landscape - but to get such experience on a free certainly is a coup for the Championship side. More experience is needed and McClaren may be the figurehead to attract Premiership quality that have a point to prove. “To win a championship in a foreign country with foreign coaches, I think it’s made me stronger.” McClaren believes in his management ability and his strength as a coach, which is no surprise having spent his formative years under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson. He’ll want to come back fighting after his last campaign with Wolfsburg ended in his dismissal, McClaren returns to these shores with a point to prove as Forest manager. Nottingham Forest up to: 1st One down: Derby County Derby County are not only local rivals to Nottingham forest, but they’re polar opposites to them in terms of expectations and philosophy for the forthcoming season. Derby’s squad has an average age of 25.3 years, almost identical to Forest’s - whereas it’s likely Forest’s average age will increase, Derby’s is likely to decline come 31st of August. Derby have signed eight players already in this window, and are looking to recruit more youthful prospects. The average age of these eight players is 24.5 years. Derby are urgently trying to build stability, and assemble a model for the future. Derby County chief executive Tom Glick: “If there’s a young, talented player that we can add we’ll do it” The squad may have an erratic season, with the negatives outweighing the positives, much like the previous campaign - however the foundations of a young exuberant team growing together will aid the Rams in scaling the Championship in future campaigns. The philosophy of building upon prospects is one which mirrors Forest of three seasons ago, when they finished a lowly 19th one spot below Derby. The experience stood their young side in good stead as the reached two consecutive play-offs. Derby fans should have low expectations going into the season, they’d be right to fear relegation - however expect them to survive the drop, just. Progress will come in future seasons, the play-offs possibly only a season or two away. Derby County down to: 21st Table after James’s picks: Nottingham Forest West Ham United Leicester City Leeds United Hull City Burnley Millwall Reading Cardiff City Brighton and Hove Albion Middlesbrough Birmingham City Ipswich Town Blackpool Watford Bristol City Portsmouth Barnsley Southampton Crystal Palace Derby County Peterborough United Doncaster Rovers Coventry City Share this: Facebook Share Related posts: A Nottingham Forest exit from a Derby County perspective The Championship summer league ladder #1 Championship league ladder: Brighton up, Blackpool down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcfcdavecov Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Is it me, or has he based that whole prediction on the average age of the squad now, and the average age of the players he has no idea will be joining both teams? Strange person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hucknall Ram Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Good honest reply from a forest fan I have to ask James, Are you one of those Forest fans that is able to remain annoyingly positive, all the time? Or are you a Premier League fan who occasionally watches the Football League Show? Forest currently have a shell of a squad and would have difficulty naming a full compliment of 18 professionals on matchday. We need to find at least 8 more players capable of competing for a first team place before we don’t have to worry about a relegation battle and with the performance of our board during the last 3 transfer windows, finding 8 players would seem to be an idealism drawn directly from a parallel dream world to many Forest fans. The Sheep are at least trying to address the issues they have with their playing staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hucknall Ram Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 So if we brought Phil jones, Joe hart, messi etc... All young players, we go down because of our average age, what a nob? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomsdubs Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Florist to be champions haha, now that wasn't totally biased at all was it? We'll both finish mid table anyway, we certainly won't be 21st. Leicester, WHU and Brum will be battling it out for the title i suspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CumbrianRam Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I'd rather have Zenden that Ben chuffin Davies. #justsaying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hucknall Ram Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 This is it, the prediction isn't based on the fact these core players he talks about, some have left and haven't been replaced Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CumbrianRam Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 And to contradict my previous post, how the feck is a young average age a bad thing? The players will probably be more mobile, more motivated as they will have something to prove not like your typical 30+ journeyman Adeobla who will probably be motivated by his last big wage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcfcdavecov Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Here's a riddle. If the average age of a team called, say Notts Forest, is 25. How old would that group of players have been this time last year? however, a team down the road have an average age of 24.7. It's not possible for this team with such a low average age to get in the play-offs, so how did Notts Forest do it? You have 35 mins....all workings out must be shown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perky1106 Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Mirror's reporting that they have given up on Maynard and are going for Jack Cork. Will having a cork stop them losing their bottle? Boooowling Shaane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcfcdavecov Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Jack Cork has signed for Southampton. Will Notts Forest sign anybody? Dum dum dummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomsdubs Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Nope, they just spend all their times making up rumours convincing themselves a huge international is about to announced any moment. Every player they miss out on they never wanted anyway, not good enough for massive florist blah blah. Like a captain that refuses to admit his ship is sinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Tree Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 We are linked within everyone mate, just like we are most seasons lol; we never actually sign anyone though. An approach made for wayne routledge today as well as other sources reporting deal in place for your ex midfielder dave jones?! I wouldnt bother tbh, everyone is going to sign for leicester at this rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcfcdavecov Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 We are linked within everyone mate, just like we are most seasons lol; we never actually sign anyone though. An approach made for wayne routledge today as well as other sources reporting deal in place for your ex midfielder dave jones?! I wouldnt bother tbh, everyone is going to sign for leicester at this rate. Somebody has posted that you have an England international on a 6 month loan deal coming (note that you still aren't buying) And i quote: "Paul Konchesky?...Michael Owen?" and "Im 99% sure its joe cole but i hope its jermaine jenas" Unbelievable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Tree Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Like i say we get linked with everyone and have deals in place for most apparently but no-one ever comes; its same old forest really. Think there will be moves over next few days/week though, even mcclaren has come out and said we need 8 new players so i expect things to start happening soon. We shall see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Srg Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 8 without getting anyone in already would be an absolute effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Tree Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 8 without getting anyone in already would be an absolute effort. It would but mcclaren wanted to look at what he had first which is understandable. Plus he has been told he has got money available; apparently we were one of the clubs that had a bid rejected for nicky maynard yesterday?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcfcdavecov Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 It would but mcclaren wanted to look at what he had first which is understandable. Plus he has been told he has got money available; apparently we were one of the clubs that had a bid rejected for nicky maynard yesterday?! Daveo wants facts. Apparentlys don't cut it here. Maynard, Routledge, Joe Cole. Pratley, Whittingham, Mills. Why don't you try getting players that you could actually get. Worse thing in my life is when people faff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Tree Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Daveo wants facts. Apparentlys don't cut it here. Maynard, Routledge, Joe Cole. Pratley, Whittingham, Mills. Why don't you try getting players that you could actually get. Worse thing in my life is when people faff. Its easy to get players that no-one wants When you want to and have a realistic chance of reaching the prem then you need quality players to take you onto that next level, hence more competition for them. You guys normally get your targets though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcfcdavecov Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 http://d200fahol9mbkt.cloudfront.net/item/12693877/P1200008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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