SkyBet predictive Championship table

[BLUETIT]

Leeds
Sheffield Utd
Burnley
Sunderland
Middlesbrough
West Brom
Norwich
Coventry
Bristol City
Blackburn
Sheffield Wednesday
Watford
Millwall
QPR
Preston
Swansea
Oxford
Cardiff
Hull
Stoke
Portsmouth
Luton
Derby
Plymouth

[jon1959]

Re: SkyBet predictive Championship table

I don’t want to be greedy - or tempt fate - but how does SkyBet have the Jacks (on their trajectory) finishing above us? Is O’Brien that good?

[BLUETIT]

Re: SkyBet predictive Championship table

Cardiff City and Swansea City are expected to pull away from the relegation battle, according to the bookmakers.
The mid-season transfer window has come and gone, with Bluebirds supporters largely content with how their club's business went, while Swansea fans are livid with the lack of activity, particularly in light of the departure of their former captain and talisman Matt Grimes.
Cardiff have been embroiled in a battle at the foot of the table for most of this season and Bluebirds fans have rightly feared the drop for much of the campaign. A dreadful run before the turn of the year seemed to spell disaster. But an upturn in results in January has aided their cause, seeing them come jump up to 19th and four points clear of the drop.

Swansea enjoyed a steady first half of the season and even looked like outside contenders to muscle into the play-off race, however a string of terrible results has dragged them down the table, with some fans even believing they might get dragged into the relegation battle after such a poor transfer window

However, the bookmakers believe both Welsh clubs will be safe - with both teams expected to jump one place, Cardiff to 18th and Swansea to 16th before - while tipping Plymouth Argyle and Derby County to go down and also backing Luton Town to suffer back-to-back relegations.
At the other end of the table, Leeds United are expected to be crowned champions, with Chris Wilder's Sheffield United going up in second place. That means Burnley, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and West Brom are being backed as the four play-off contenders, which would see Blackburn Rovers - who are currently in the top six - miss out along with the likes of Norwich City and Coventry City.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: SkyBet predictive Championship table

I don’t want to be greedy - or tempt fate - but how does SkyBet have the Jacks (on their trajectory) finishing above us? Is O’Brien that good?

I woud agree, we could easily finish above them, other than that it looks roughly like I would have expected.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/cardiff-city

Time will tell what impact Yousef Salech, Sivert Mannsverk and Will Alves will have at Cardiff City.

But as the dust settles on the mid-season transfer window, the Bluebirds will presumably be feeling fairly happy with the work done in the last few weeks.

Omer Riza's first transfer window as a manager began with some uncertainty over what business Cardiff might do.

Riza appeared uncertain about transfer plans, with Cardiff fan groups uniting to express concerns about the "current situation at the club" on the eve of the window.

But in a message to supporters published on the club's website, chairman Mehmet Dalman described January as an "opportunity to fix some of the problems on the pitch" - and Cardiff's hierarchy have delivered new faces.

Striker Salech (above), who cost upwards of £3m, has a goal to his name already, while Mannsverk (below) brings pedigree in midfield and Alves is a highly-regarded young player who should relish the chance to play some football in the Championship.

Cardiff fans might have hoped for more, particularly amid talk that former loanee Karlan Grant might leave West Brom before Monday's deadline, but Riza's squad looks in better shape now than it did at the end of December.

Salech is a replacement for Wilfried Kanga, whose desperate loan spell in Wales was brought to an end last month, while fellow frontman Roko Simic will hope to force his way into first-team contention having returned to Cardiff after a stint on loan at Kortrijk.

Mannsverk, who is on loan from Ajax, gives Riza a welcome option in midfield, particularly on the back of Manolis Siopis' January switch to Panathinaikos.

Siopis was perhaps the most notable exit of the window, which also saw Kion Etete head out for a temporary spell at Bolton and Michael Reindorf join Bristol Rovers on loan.

Cardiff will hope the two forwards come back stronger in pre-season after spells away, and the same goes for Joel Colwill, who is getting a taste of League One with Exeter City having thrived in League Two with Cheltenham Town in the first half of the campaign.