Quote Originally Posted by A Quiet Monkfish View Post
From what I've seen of Middlesbrough this season they look far and away the least talented side in the Championship. Clunky, stiff, unable to play a flowing game, players needing to take 2 or 3 touches each time. I would say they're very much like City would be without Tomlin, Ralls, Hoillet. I know they have a few players from their academy in their side but when you see those kids at QPR buzzing about the place I can only assume they're playing in Middlesrough's first team because they're cheap.

Forest aren't a Fulham. They don't even play as slickly as Huddersfield, or Stoke, but they're effective. Solid defence, get up the pitch in as few passes as possible, have a high energy rate/tempo, hard working, reasonably skilfull midfield, and good championship strikers. All things which City could aspire to with probably 4/5 good, sensible signings. To get to the stage of a Fulham, Leeds or WBA would take 2/3 yrs and a huge amount of money, but to become a solid workmanlike, dangerous side like Forest, challenging in 4th place, wouldn't be impossible..
I'd say that, certainly since the January transfer window closed, that "honour" goes to Hull, but, from what I've seen of Middlesbrough, they will have been relegated on merit if they do go down.

Also, with regard to Fulham, I see them as a solid, workmanlike Forest type team this season - take their centre forward away and they're pretty ordinary.