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So next year we will be playing

 

Aston Villa

Brentford

Birmingham

Bristol City

Blackburn

Burton

Cardiff

Fulham

Huddersfield

Ipswich

Leeds

Norwich

Nottingham Forest

Preston

QPR

Reading

Rotherham

Wolves

Wigan

 

Plus 3 who lose in the Championship playoffs

 

Brighton

Hull

Derby

Sheff Wed

 

Plus the winners from the League 1 playoffs

 

Walsall

Milwall

Bradford

Barnsley

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Let Krul go if there is anyone interested after his injury. What we've learned is that there's not a lot between our keepers and if he brings in some money, great. Happy with Elliott, Darlow and Woodman in the Championship.

 

Think we need a decent right-back to come in. Even if Anita stays its not his natural position. Persuading Mbemba to stay is important. Him and Lascelles could be great in the Championship. Let Taylor's contact expire. Dummett and Mbabu to cover left-back and centre-half.

 

Colback and Shelvey centre-mid and do everything we can to keep Townsend, and if possible Perez. Aarons to stay and ideally Mitrovic and Armstrong.

 

Everyone else can go if we get offers. Tiote in current form could be an asset but only if his head is in the right place. Don't want Thauvin back. Colo is the strange one. Walked the Championship last time and could be an asset if we have two young centre-halves. Probably on too much and feels wrong to keep him on one level though.

 

The big question is the manager. Throw money at Rafa and try to convince him to stay. With that squad and Rafa as manager we'd be straight back up. If Rafa goes try and see if Moyes will drop down for a season for a 'project'.

 

Vitally important now they don't sit and fiddle. They need a decision from Rafa quick so they can move on. Do that and I'm strangely confident of coming straight back.

 

They will undoubtedly piss about like last time though.

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With the North East Battle of the Beasts derby looking nailed on and Donny getting relegated, who will be our closest rivals next season?

 

New Leeds v Old Leeds.

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So next year we will be playing

 

Aston Villa

Brentford

Birmingham

Bristol City

Blackburn

Burton

Cardiff

Fulham

Huddersfield

Ipswich

Leeds

Norwich

Nottingham Forest

Preston

QPR

Reading

Rotherham

Wolves

Wigan

 

Plus 3 who lose in the Championship playoffs

 

Brighton

Hull

Derby

Sheff Wed

 

Plus the winners from the League 1 playoffs

 

Walsall

Milwall

Bradford

Barnsley

Some cracking away days in there. Pity a vast majority will be live and have a piss poor KO time.
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If we take a look back at 2009-10 the core group of players involved included Harper, Collocini, Enrique, Simpson, Nolan, Guthrie, Smith, Gutierrez and Carroll (30 apps +). Four players contributed to our goal tally with double figures (Nolan, Carroll, Lovenkrands and Ameobi). Its fair to say that we dominated the league, only losing 4 games across the season, but we had a a squad with a bit of character and experience.

 

What we have lacked this season has been character, ultimately collapsing earlier on in the season when going a goal behind and also goal scorers. With Rafa at least we have brought some team cohesion and attempting to do the basics right. Sadly if he was to leave (which I would assume is very likely) then no doubt we would replace him with someone massively inferior.

 

Of the current squad I can see the majority leaving if they haven't already instructed their agent to find them a new club. Luckily I think we have some competition at GK with Krul, Darlow and Elliot. At the back I'd love to think Lascelles and Mbemba would stay, with Mbabu and Dummett capable of doing a job. I'm sure Mitrovic would be a similar age to Carroll when he was taking part in the Championship which could be a good thing if he was to stay as it was certainly a bit more physical with the likes of Chris Morgan, Wes Morgan and Darren Purse at the back.

 

Sissoko, Wijnaldum, Janmaat, Perez, Taylor, Townsend and Thauvin will very likely move on. Although realistically at the lower level these types of characters are not what we need in a push for promotion.

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Possibly Hull, Leeds would be close, after that it would be Rotherham and Sheff Wednesday (if Sheffield don't go up).

Spent all season kind of wanting Sheff weds to come up............now I don't want them to.
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Aye we went on some 15ish game unbeaten streak and basically hovered between 3rd and 1st right after we won our 2nd match.

 

Not saying its simply that easy, I still think that was a hell of team with a core of good pros but shit, Alan Smith was the actual captain :lol:

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Biggest if and priority is the manager.

 

With the right Manager and some backing dropping down could be a more of a good thing than it looks like. Plenty of players we obviously have to get rid of that might well have stayed if we remained in the premier League. The likes of Armstrong and Aarons should get plenty of game time to develop as will the new system and style of play.

 

Obviously you could argue the same if we stayed up and Benitez would weed out the weak links anyway. Going down is certainly not the better option keeping Benitez or not but it could work out in our favour.

 

Shame it might not even be Benitez interest but the morons that run the club that yet again fuck us over. Beyond blind faith for a little bit of hope.

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