Nottingham - Bolton (Pick, Prediction, Preview ...

Part 2 here - Part 3 here - Part 4 here

On Friday at 8pm UK time, Reading and Derby County will kick off the 127^th season of the English second division - also known as the Championship! 24 clubs will compete for 3 promotion spots to the Premier league (2 via automatic promotion and 1 via playoffs) and to avoid the 3 relegation spots to the third tier a.k.a League One.

Its looking like a really tight and competitive season. The league is absolutely full of ambitious player and managerial talent - the more time goes by the more it looks like a Premier League 2. If you want a competitive league with proper English football, that also has the spice of skilful players and forward thinking managers, it really is the place to go.

This is guide written by the fans who have come together on /Championship - an absolutely huge thanks to them. Do check out the sub, we try to keep it a good place to discuss the EFL, away from the rancid gloryhunting shithole that is /soccer (just kidding - I like this place). Lots going on, including a score predictor thread which is running all season.

This guide is in table order with the PL demoted sides first. Only 5 clubs today (because the Swansea one is a fucking novel and I can't fit any more in), the rest will be submitted tomorrow and Friday. Do bare in mind that not all the transfer news will be up to date as these guides were largely written a week ago. Point out to me if there are any clear errors with formatting or spelling.

Championship info, links and media

/Championship's 17/18 player of the season review

Season previews: The Guardian | Sky Sports | The Mirror
EFL focused podcasts: Not the Top 20 | The Totally Football League Show
The 17/18 table - Wolves, Cardiff and Fulham went up. Barnsley, Burton and Sunderland went down. This season West Brom, Swansea and Stoke join from the PL and Wigan, Blackburn and Rotherham join from League 1.
These are the bookies' favourites for promotion (via Oddschecker):

Club	Odds
Stoke	2.75
Middlesbrough	4
West Brom	4
Nottingham Forest	4.5
Leeds	4.75
Swansea	5

And relegation:

Club	Odds
Rotherham	2.2
Bolton	2.25
Ipswich	4.5
Reading	5
QPR	6
Hull	6

How to watch in the UK: Live rights are owned by Sky Sports. They are upping the number of televised matches this season. Reading v Derby on Friday is televised. The weekly highlights show previously on Channel 5 is moving to Quest TV, which apparently is on Freeview.
How to watch abroad: Depends, but in most territories, the iFollow Service is available, which is £110 to watch all a single club's matches. Bargain. I think the clubs that aren't on iFollow have their own similar streaming services.
Check out club Youtube channels - quite a few of them post extended highlights now with their own commentary, including Derby, Norwich, Sheffield Wednesday, Brentford and more. (You may need VPN to watch if you're abroad.)

Swansea City by RafiakaMacakaDirk and my_knob_is_gr8

Location: Swansea, Wales
Nickname: Swans, The Jacks
Major honours: Football League Cup (2013), Championship Play-off Winner (2011), League One Winners (1925, 1949, 2008)
17/18 finishing postion: 18th (Premier League)
Transfermarkt squad value: €115.5 mil NOTE: This number is as of July 22nd, when we still have Mawson (€15 mil), A. Ayew (€15 mil), Bony (€10 mil), Clucas (€8 mil) and Fernandez (€8 mil), who are all pretty much expected to be sold, or loaned out, before the season starts. Without all of these players except Bony (who's injured for a while so it makes it unlikely he'll be sold soon), the squad value would be around €70 mil.
Manager: Graham Potter joined the Swans on 11th June 2018. In 2010, he became head coach of Östersund, who were in the fourth tier of Swedish football. 5 years later, he got the club promoted into the Swedish top flight and in 2017, they won Svenska Cupen which qualified them for the Europa League where they managed to get through the group stage. He’s been applauded for what he did at Östersund and the way he managed to build the club up from nothing. The year after his success in the Europa league he signed a 3 year contract with Swansea.
Potter is well respected by The Swans and after a few years of poor managerial and financial decisions his appointment is seen as a step in the right direction to bringing us back to our old ways of being a well-run club. Potter has been recognised for his "progressive" and "unconventional" coaching methods. At Östersund, he encouraged his players and staff to engage in community activities, such as performing in theatre and music productions which was designed to take them out of their comfort zone. Potter describes his style of football on the pitch as "tactically flexible, attacking, and possession-based". At Östersund, he deployed a flexible 3–5–2 formation centred on ball possession.
Best player(s)/ talisman:With many of our best players being rumoured with a move away what good players that remain at the start of the season is yet to be seen.
Alfie Mawson is probably our standout player. He’s been amazing for us since we got him and was a bargain at about £3m. He’s great in the air and is just an all round tank. Keeping him will be a huge boost for us and should be solid in the championship.
Federico "El Pajaro" Fernandez has also been strong at the back with Alfie. The pair played with each other for the majority of last season and together became a solid unit. We will most likely sell him to reduce wages though.
Jordan Ayew put in a great shift last season and was our top goal scorer. His work rate was immense and was able to drop back and defend when needed. He’s fast, able to beat a man and a decent finisher. Sadly all these players are transfer targets for other clubs and might not even be here at the start of the season. If we can keep a lot of our players we should have a decent season but who knows who'll be left by the end of the window…
Rising star: Swansea’s U23 had a great season last year and with Potter wanting a young and fresh squad, a handful have moved up into the first team.
Our standout youngster, Oliver McBurnie, joined Barnsley on loan in January last season where he went on to win a Championship player of the month award after 6 goals in 8 games and went on to win Barnsley’s Player of the year award. While only 22, he’s struggled to break into our first team but will most likely be our main striker for the coming season. Be on the lookout for his long legs, miniature shinpads and ridiculous sock length! LEGS LEGS LEGS!!!
Connor Roberts performed well at RB last season and adapted quickly to the premier league where he battled Kyle Naughton to be in the starting line up and did great when given the chance. Decent at going forward and professional at the back. Hopefully potter puts him ahead of Naughton.
What happened last season?: What Happened last season?: After our great escape the season before and with Paul Clement at the helm there was optimism that the 17/18 season could be our turning point where we start rebuilding 'The Swansea Way". How wrong we were.
After a disastrous transfer window where we sold Sigurdsson and never replaced him and started panic buying the week before the transfer window closed we were left an obvious hole in our team. We had no creativity in midfield and no one could kick the ball into the box to save their life. And just to rub it in further Renato Sanches turned out to be more disappointing than Bob Bradley. With the team sitting bottom of the table Clement was sacked in late December.
Then along came the wise talking Carlos Carvalhal who managed to rebuild the confidence the team had lost. Our results took a turn for the good, beating Liverpool, Arsenal, Burnley and West Ham consecutively at home. He pulled us out of the relegation zone and things were looking good. However, the good times were quickly followed by the bad times. Our form turned and we didn’t win a single one of our last 9 matches. We were quickly relegated after pitifully losing to both Southampton and Stoke in our last 2 games of the season.
Highlights (Or lowlights):
The pass by Renato Sanches that summed up his and our season
Swansea City 3-1 Arsenal
Summer transfer business (so far): At the end of last season, it was clear we needed several transfers, both in and out. However, this would all depend on the manager we got.
Yan Dhanda (Free, Liverpool): A 19 year-old Midfielder, Yan Dhanda left Liverpool this summer and joined the Swans in a free, before we even hired Graham Potter. At one time one of the most promosing youngsters in Liverpool's Academy, injuries slowed down his progress, and ultimately made him fall behind other players. Citing lack of first-team playing time, Dhanda decided to join us this summer in hopes of getting regular playing time in the senior squad. Through 3 pre-season games, Dhanda has been one of the brighest and most impressive players in the squad, even scoring a game-winning goal and smashing a penalty in a shootout against Genoa. With our current injuries and shenanigans involved in our midfield, Dhanda has a good chance of becoming a starter and hopefully guide our midfield during the season.
Jordi Govea (Free, Real Madrid): Another 19 year-old from Ecuador, Jordi was the first signing under Potter. Not much can be said about the lad, but this is what Real Madrid had as his bio:

Jordi is an Ecuadorian defender who possess three key qualities for a player in his position: he's skilful, is able to go past a player and has a good shot on him. He's left footed and is able to send in good crosses on the run.

With Martin Olsson currently as our starting LB, and Kyle Naughton as the backup, the hope is that Jordi can develop on our U-23 squad and hopefully move up to the senior squad in coming years. Also the only man I've seen do a medical while wearing jeans (https://twitter.com/SwansOfficial/status/1015251916132057089)
Joel Asoro (€2 mil., Sunderland): Yet another 19 year-old, a Swedish winger who has represented his country in the younger levels, he was Potter's first senior signing. With world-class speed, and some impressive skills, Asoro was able to score 3 goals and get 2 assists last season in 26 apperances for Sunderland. While these numbers may seem a bit disappointing, many of these games were sub appearances on a very dysfunctional team. Along with Dhanda, Asoro has been one of the most impressive players during preseason, constantly beating his man with either speed or skills, and whipping in good balls to Legs. At the current rate, Asoro appears to have a good chance of starting on the right wing spot, with Nathan Dyer and Luciano Narsingh backing him up.
Predicted starting XI: NOTE: This is gonna be assuming Mawson, A. Ayew, Clucas, and Fernandez are all sold by the start of the season. If by some reason they end up staying, they are pretty much guaranteed to start. Based on the pre-season games so far, a lineup looking like this would be plausible, with Rodon most likely to be replaced by a CB (possibly Scott McKenna) when we buy one. Our second unit is looking something like this.
Best case scenario: Graham Potter is able to motivate and make sure our senior players (Fer, Carroll, etc.) stay fit, along with our youngsters being able to make an impact as expected, and also we retain Mawson, Fernandez, and Clucas, we can finish in the top 2 and get promoted automatically.
Worst case scenario: Our worst case scenario, and something many of us fear of happening, consists of primarily 3 things. 1. Graham Potter isn't given enough time to build an identity with our squad and is sacked by the midway point of the season by the greedy, dumb American owners. . 2. We end up not replacing the players we sold properly like last summer, therefore having a squad with holes everywhere and no chemistry. 3. Our youngsters such as Asoro, McBurnie, Dhanda and company don't pan out and progress at all, thefore becoming mediocre players. This would all culminate in us looking like Sunderland, and making relegation a probability.
Prediction: Realistically I see us selling Mawson and company in the last days before the season starts and not replacing them properly until later on. Because of this, as well as our current injuries with Fer and Clucas, I can see us initially struggling to build an identity but over time, we will start playing like Potter wants us and finishing the season strongly.
8th place, missing the play-offs by 4 points
What will happen to your closest rivals?: The scum that is known as Cardiff City will break the record for lowest points ever accumulated in a Premier League season, getting 5 points all from draws, and will therefore get relegated with 17 games to spare.

West Bromwich Albion by Joelwba

Location: The Hawthorns, West Bromwich, West Midlands
Nickname: The Baggies, The Throstles
Major honours: 1x League title, 1x League Cup, 5x FA Cup
17/18 finishing postion: 20th in Premier League (relegated)
Transfermarkt squad value: £101.16m
Manager: Darren Moore or Big Dave as he's known to Albion fans. A club icon as a player in the early 2000s, he returned to look after our U23 squad before being promoted to assistant manager by Alan Pardew in January. Following the end of Pardew's horrific reign, Moore took temporary charge with Albion facing inevitable relegation. He led us to wins over Newcastle, Spurs, Man Utd and a draw with Liverpool, somehow taking our futile battle for survival to the final week of the season. Following this he earned the head coach role permanently. Moore is loved among the Albion faithful, largely due to his reputation as a player here. He heavily favours a 4-4-2 formation and at the back end of last season, tended to soak up pressure and play on the counter attack. It will be interesting to see how his approach differs in a league where we are one of the favourites, not fighting to survive (hopefully)
Best player(s)/ talisman: It's an interesting situation for Albion currently. There are plenty of Premier League quality players still in the squad. A lot depends on if they are picked off before the deadline shuts. Chris Brunt is a club stalwart and likely to be reappointed as captain. He is adored by the fans and in my opinion will be an incredible asset in the championship. His set pieces alone will bring 10+ goals to the side. Kieran Gibbs is a high quality player who appears to be set to stay and should make a big difference. Jay Rodriguez, Craig Dawson, Salomon Rondon and Nacer Chadli should all make a big difference in this division IF they stay. In all honesty I expect to lose a few of the above. Sam Johnstone appears to be an astute signing to replace the outgoing Ben Foster.
Rising star: Sam Field he's one of our own! He looked completely at home against some of the top Premier League sides last campaign. A box-to-box midfielder, he's full of energy and looks so comfortable on the ball. I expect him to be a major part of our side this season, having just signed a new long-term deal.
Kyle Edwards is an exciting attacking midfielder who has been impressing in pre-season. He may have a part to play following a loan spell at Exeter last campaign.
Jonathon Leko looked like a potential world-beater when he first came through a couple of years back. A lightning quick winger full of tricks. A loan spell at Bristol City and limited appearances later he seems to be losing his way. Will be an interesting one to watch.
Finally, the enigma that is Olly Burke. After signing with us last summer for £15m, he failed to impress any of the four managers we had over the season. He looks exciting when he comes on, without any end product so far, and was unfairly blamed for a loss at West Ham by Alan 'Coward' Pardew. We all know the talent he's got. Hopefully we can see it this season.
What happened last season?: Let's not talk about it... We finally escaped the stranglehold of Tony Pulis, only to opt for the human joke that is Alan Pardew and duly hurtled towards relegation. Four of our players stole a taxi and then played (and lost) the following weekend.
Pardew was sacked about 3 months too late, and Moore took over, restoring pride with some notable wins over Man Utd and Spurs.
This season we also lost the great Cyrille Regis, and the outpouring of emotion and the coming together of the club during the weeks after his passing was something special.
Summer transfer business (so far): We started by releasing Claudio Yacob, Boaz Myhill and Gareth McAuley. Yacob and McAuley will be greatly missed but it is perhaps the right time for them to go.
Jonny Evans departed for Leicester for a cut-price £3m, Ben Foster left for Watford and James McClean has departed for Stoke City.
Sam Johnstone has been bought in to replace Foster, with Jonathon Bond arriving as backup. Kyle Bartley has joined from Swansea City and it appears that Harvey Barnes will soon be arriving on loan from Leicester.
Finally, James Morrison is currently out of contract but still with the club. His future is uncertain.
I am very happy with Johnstone and Bartley. It has been a quiet window for Albion so far but that is largely a good thing. The squad is packed with Premier League talent and the window is more about keeping hold of them.
There is major interest in Dawson and Rondon, along with interest in Rodriguez, Hegazi and Chadli. If any of the above go, then we would need to replace. Otherwise I would be happy with another striker and another CB.
It is also worth mentioning that every player in the Albion side suffered a 50% wage cut upon relegation which means that we are financially sound despite relegation, but may lead to more big names leaving.
Predicted starting XI: This is my best attempt. It will undoubtedly be 4-4-2. We may see Nyom in at right back and perhaps Barry in for Field.
Obviously about half of this side could leave, so we shall see.
Best case scenario: The bulk of the side remains and the quality in the side shines through as we breeze to automatic promotion.
Worst case scenario: The better players leave or do not put the effort in. Moore cannot transfer his great start into his first full season in management. We become embroiled in a relegation battle
Prediction: It will be somewhere in the middle. I'd like to think we'll go up automatically but I think play-offs are more likely. 6th
What will happen to your closest rivals?: Villa won't go down but will settle into mid-table, despite the recent takeover.
I think Wolves will do well in the PL, although I don't know how long Nuno will last before a big club comes in.

Stoke City by mrmariomaster

Location: Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Nickname: The Potters
Stadium: bet365 Stadium, 30,089 seats
Major honours: 1972 League Cup
17/18 finishing position: 19th, Premier League
Squad value: £127.8 million
Manager: Gary Rowett signed from Derby in May. His honest attitude has brought lots of optimism to fans, who are looking forward to an overhaul of the Club. His style of play seems to change based on the squad he has available.
Best Player: Joe Allen was vital to the Club last season, giving us hope that we would avoid relegation. His massive new contract signed this summer shows how loyal and committed to the Club he is, and will be a vital player this season.
Rising star: Tom Edwards is a local lad who has won the Under 18 Player of the Year award twice in the Club. In the latter parts of last season he played some good first team football.
What happened last season: A pathetic attempt at a season that had been coming for a while under Mark Hughes. Paul Lambert was appointed in January, but a win rate of just 2 in 15 matches wasn’t enough for him to keep his job and miss out on the million pound bonus offered to him.
Transfer business so far: So far this has been a decent transfer window. Peter Etebo had an amazing World Cup for Nigeria and Benik Afobe looks really promising. Adam Federici has also been appointed to replace Lee Grant. Xherdan Shaqiri has left along with a few players like Stephen Ireland and Glen Johnson who will not be missed. Badou Ndiaye also looks to be on his way out, but it looks like Jack Butland will stay with us, which is massive. Perhaps most surprising are the new contracts signed by our 2 best players last season, Joe Allen and Moritz Bauer.
Predicted Line up: Here is our predicted squad. I’m not sure what formation we will have. EDIT: This is a new version, complete with our rumoured new signings and in the right formation.
Best case scenario: Stoke will finish top with an all-time Championship points record.
Worst case scenario: A mediocre start to the season will see Rowett sacked and Stoke with a disappointing mid-table finish.
Prediction: I think with our squad and our new manager, we will finish 1st.
What will happen to our closest rivals? Port Vale will be relegated to the Vanarama National League.

Aston Villa by trueschoolalumni

Location: Villa Park, Trinity Rd, Birmingham B6 6HE
Nickname: The Villans, The Villa, Prince William's Club, David "Twat" Cameron's Second Club.
Major honours: 7 First Division wins, 7 FA Cups, 5 League Cups, 1 European Cup, 1 European Super Cup, 1 Intertoto Cup
17/18 finishing postion: 4th
Transfermarkt squad value: £67.77m and dropping fast
Manager: Steve Bruce (for now). Former Man Utd playing legend who's been a fixture of English football for decades. He joined Villa in 2016 after successful runs at Hull, Sunderland (yes they were good once) and Birmingham City. A bit of a promotion specialist, he's taken Championship clubs up to the Premier League 4 times in the past and just missed out last season, losing 1-0 to Fulham in the Playoff Final. Tactically, he's fairly old school who prefers 4-4-2 or a 4-1-4-1, usually involving a big man up top. Fun fact: while managing Huddersfield in 1999 he wrote three novels, "Striker!", "Sweeper!" and "Defender!", which focus on main character Steve Barnes, a football manager. Barnes solves crime and takes on terrorists, and the books have become prized rarities. The Guardian's Football Weekly podcast managed to get a copy and read out some of the copy - suitably awful.
Best player(s)/ talisman: There's only one Jack Grealish. A Villa boy through and through, he's been with the club since 2001 (aged 6), and made his way into the first team in the 2013-14 season. He's been the centre of controversy a few times, most notably getting on the beers and passing out on a Tenerife street. Playing as a number 10, his quick feet and dribbling skills provide a number of goals and assists, as well as fouls. He probably went down a bit too easily when first in the Premier League, but time in the gym has noticeably toughened him up and he's a much more solid player as a result. One of the better players in the Championship, and due to Villa's abject finances, a transfer target for the likes of Leicester.
Rising star: Keinan Davis could possibly be it, potentially Andre Green and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy as well.
What happened last season?: Have you ever walked into a casino, spotted the roulette table and popped £10,000 on red? It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off. You've doubled your money if you win, but look like a right git if you lose. Villa figured this was a good way to approach 2017-18: spend millions on players, get in lots of loans, gamble everything on achieving promotion. After a so-so start, Bruce got the team playing well, stringing together a number of wins and moving through the playoff spots. Unfortunately they ran into a few teams playing out of their skin - champions Wolves ran away with the league and boasted a squad that included several Champions League players. Neil Warnock's Cardiff couldn't stop winning and grabbed the second automatic promotion. In the playoff final Villa came up against a Ryan Sessegnon-led Fulham and were just pipped at the post 1-0.
Summer transfer business (so far): It's one-way traffic, due to absolutely abysmal finances. Loan spells for Lewis Grabban, Robert Snodgrass, Josh Onomah and Sam Johnstone have all ended, which is almost the spine of the team (Johnstone in particular - he was arguably the best keeper in the Championship and personally bagged a number of wins). Plus clubs are circling to pick off whatever assets we have left (eg. Jack Grealish, James Chester). With no prospect of anyone new coming in, it looks like the youth academy will be getting a lot more game time.
Predicted starting XI: Possibly this, but half these players could be gone before the first match.
Best case scenario: Mid-table anonymity would have to be best case - Villa are a mess and could go down this time around.
Worst case scenario: Our finances are the real issue - they are dire. Villa need to find £9 million this month to avoid going into administration. Owner "Dr." Tony Xia is a billionaire, apparently, but tax bills went unpaid and the question remains if he's able to support the club as generously as he has in the past. Administration, points deductions and potentially relegation to League One are all real possibilities right now. It's not looking good.
Prediction: Due to financial irregularities in the 23 clubs above us, Villa will get into the Champions League and take out the likes of Atletico, Bayern and Real Madrid on the way to our second European Cup. "Taylor, Green, prepared to venture down the left. There's a good ball played in for Jack Grealish. Oh, it must be and it is! It's Keinan Davis!"
What will happen to your closest rivals?: Unfortunately the Scum managed to avoid League One in the final rounds of the season. Here's hoping they go one better. Agbonlahor to re-sign for one game: the Derby. And score the winner, again.

Middlesbrough by OneSmallHuman

Location: The Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
Founded: 1876
Nickname: The Boro (Or just Boro)
Major honours: The League cup 2003-2004 season
17/18 finishing position: 5th
Transfermarkt squad value: 79.34m
Manager: Tony Pulis became manager of us in late December 2017, replacing the sacked Garry Monk after a pretty lacklustre few months of the campaign (despite where our league position was). Pulis is known in England for being the man that is never relegated when in charge of someone in the top flight. We are all aware of Tony Pulis' style of football. You start by having a strong and massive defence and maximise your use of set pieces to gain an advantage. Pulis is a lover of all set piece plays, whether that is crossing the ball in from a corner or free kick, or launching a ball into the box from a throw in, they're all in his arsenal of weapons. 'Pulisball' as it is pretty much known. Pulis has achieved promotion from the championship once before with Stoke, and I hope he achieves it again with us this season
Best player(s)/ rising star: I mean, where else do I begin. Adama Traore. Arguably the best player in the championship on his day and is one of the most frightening dribblers in English football, maybe even world football. The winger is known for his speed and dribbling ability although is usually criticised for his lack of end product. Before last season I would've agreed, however 5 goals and 10 assists, with all but 2 assists coming before Pulis' arrival show the progression of the Spanish winger.
As for other members of the squad, Ben Gibson, the prodigal son. Boro through and through he's progressed into a commanding centre half with the ability to play out from the back thanks to Karanka. He gained attention and emerged as one of the few given credit after our disappointing premier league campaign but was only the subject of one bid upon our relegation, from now manager Tony Pulis. It remains to be seen whether he'll be here come the first game of the season, but I hope he will be.
As for future stars, Dael Fry, already has played 2 championship campaigns for us and looks as assured as a veteran of the game. Another centre half produced by our academy and he is being played in cdm this pre-season by Pulis, to add to his versatility. Hopefully a standout season for him, especially if Gibson does end up leaving. Finally, yes, he does always look as confused as images of him show.
What happened last season?: Well, the first half of the season was tragic under Monk. We played really poor football at times and looked like we hadn't defended a day in our lives. There was also no consistency in the team, we'd win one game then lose the next. A key theme under both managers however, was our inability to beat those around us in the table. After Pulis' appointment the results picked up and it ended with us finishing 5th in the table. We ultimately lost in the playoff semi finals to Aston Villa but honestly, we didn't think we'd even be in the top half around Christmas.
Summer transfer business (so far): Just the three deals to talk about so far. We've acquired Paddy McNair from Sunderland who looks like a decent player. He's been utilised in right back and midfield during pre-season so it looks like they'll be his positions for the season. I imagine he'll play alongside Clayts and Howson in a midfield three.
Aden Flint was signed from Bristol City and I think I'm in the minority when I say I don't like how much we paid for him. Obviously the man is a Pulis player but I'm a bit unsure about his defensive ability. That being said he's looked strong during pre-season and I'm sure Pulis will get the best out of him. Fabio departed our club for Nantes so we'll need more full back cover.
As for the rest of the window, I expect Gibson to leave but will be delighted if he doesn't. One of our strikers will also leave and Braithwaite should follow after his decent World Cup performances. We'll probably bring in a striker and a winger and hopefully hold onto Adama. That'd be a successful window in my eyes.
Predicted starting XI: My best guess The only other guess I could make is that Gibson might leave and then Ayala would start, but he's injured at this point in time. Britt might play over Gestede too if Pulis is feeling fancy.
Best case scenario: It has to be top of the pile right? It's not out of the question to imagine us up there and if everything clicks then we've got a chance. A defence that scores more than some teams' strikers, Adama channelling his inner Messi and finding consistency, Rudy/Britt/Bamford scoring for fun. It could be carnage.
Worst case scenario: I can't see us finishing outside the playoffs, if we did then that would be gut-wrenching. But if we did then that would most certainly be the worst. Realistically, it'd be losing in the playoffs... again, and if it were in the final again then god help me. Although saying this, now losing Bamford and maybe Traore will be a worst case scenario in itself, definitely if they're not replaced.
Prediction: Have to be confident, although it always kills me. 1st or 2nd. Tony Pulis and his nice white trainers carry us to the promise land. That being said, we never do it the easy way.
Best Match of Last Season Sorry Leeds fans, but it had to be. "Hattrick Bamford" as our Twitter account tweeted, 3-0 against Leeds with Adama running the show. Leeds clearly found some positive from the game as they're set to sign him off us. This was the sign of what we should've done more last season. Showed what Paddy could've been too if given an even more extended period in Striker by himself. Oh well.
What will happen to your closest rivals?: Who even are our closest rivals in this league? We're in geographical purgatory. Can't say Sunderland anymore so what? Leeds? Bielsa either turns them into the well oiled machine they hope for or he succumbs to the old Leeds ways and is sacked by December. As for the Mackems, probably promoted from League 1.

Hi there as it looks like nobody else is going to I though I should ask for every ones sky bet championship preview"s and input on there team for the upcoming session ahead .
sadly I don't have the time or skill to do 24 team previews in under a week so I thought it better to just do one for every one I might give it a go next year if I can get some help.
But on to matters at hand let's not let the premier league have all the fun .
Put your input about your team in your post what do you think of your players "s how has the transfer window went so far for your team .
We're do you think they will Finnish and add a league table if you have time .
Here's mine as a non fan of any championship team
1) derby county
2) Middlesbrough
3) Wolves
4) Queen's Park rangers
5) hull city
6) reading
7) Brighton
8) Ipswich town
9) Bolton
10) Brentford
11) Birmingham City
12) Cardiff City
13) Fulham
14) Leeds United
15) Milton Keynes Dons
16) Preston North end
17) Sheffield Wednesday
18) Burnley
19) Bristol City
20) Blackburn rovers
21) Nottingham forest
22) Huddersfield town
23) Charlton athletic
24) Rotherham United

Hey there! I'm Heroic_Lifesaver and welcome to this weeks one stop shop for you as we prepare for Arsenals next League match.
Here's last weeks post ahead of our 4-1 win at Hull City.
This week, it's Chelsea at home
Managers Views
Arsenal

• Here's Arsene's press conference ahead of the Chelsea match
  
• On Conte: "He is doing well because he has started, they have started, in a very strong way."
  
• On how to handle Costa: "... by being completely cold-blooded, just focus on the game and don't respond. Just try to negate his qualities and his game."
  
• On Ramsey's fitness: "I don't think he'll be available for our next game." Says Ramsey has a "small grade one hamstring injury" and that he likely won't go on International duty with Wales.
  

Chelsea

• Here's Antonio Conte's press conference
  
• On Wenger: "I think Wenger is doing a good job. I don't want to go into a situation of Wenger or Mourinho. It's fantastic if somebody is able to stay for 20 years in one club. Sometimes if you judge only for the wins, you make a mistake and you pay for this in the future."
  
• On Cesc: "I think that for Cesc, it is a special game for him. The most important thing for him is that he is Chelsea's player. He's playing very well. There is a possibility that he can start tomorrow..."
  
• On Arsenal: "It's a very good team, young players, great technique, good players with good potential and good physicality. They play good football." Good
  

How's your form?
Arsenal

• The Gunners are looking for a 4th consecutive League win (something we haven't achieved since October 2015). A great 4-1 win at Hull last week was followed by another 4 goal haul in the EFL Cup on Tuesday. A 4-0 win at Nottingham Forest saw Lucas Perez score his first Arsenal goals and Granit Xhaka found the net for the second game in a row.
  
• Last 5 (all competitions): WWDWW
  
• P: 5 W: 3 D: 1 L: 1 F: 12 A:7 Pts: 10 LP: 4th
  

Chelsea

• Chelsea have just one point from their last 2 league matches. Last Friday they lost 2-1 at home to Liverpool. They have won once on the road in the League so far, 2-1 at Watford. They came from 2-0 down and needed extra time to win at Leicester in the EFL Cup in mid-week. Fabregas scored twice in extra time as they won 4-2.
  
• Form: WWDLW
  
• P: 5 W: 3 D: 1 L: 1 F: 10 A: 6 Pts: 10 LP: 5th
  

Team News
Arsenal

• Expect Arsenal to make plenty of changes from the EFL Cup win on Tuesday. Cech, Koscielny, Ozil and Alexis will all return to the side.
  
• Giroud faces a late fitness test, still recovering from his toe injury suffered at PSG.
  
• As mentioned above, Ramsey is out. Other than that, there's no fresh injury worries. Mertesacker, Welbeck and Jenkinson are all long term absentees.
  

Chelsea

• The visitors are without John Terry, who suffered strained ankle ligaments in their draw with Swansea last week. He likely won't be back until after the International break.
  
• Kurt Zouma is close to coming back from his long term injury suffered in February. But not close enough to feature on Saturday, leaving Chelsea with just 3 fit centre-backs.
  
• Cesc Fabregas' performance against Leicester in the Cup may well have given him a chance to make his first Premier League start under Conte. The Spaniard has made 3 sub appearances in the League so far this season.
  

Head-to-Head

• Arsenal and Chelsea have met 187 times in all competitions. Arsenal have the advantage in the head-to-head, winning 72. Chelsea have won 61 times and there have been 54 draws.
  
• Both teams have been ever present in the Premier League era, playing 48 times. Arsenal have won 18, drawn 14 and lost 16.
  
• Recent history is certainly in Chelsea's favour though. Arsenal have won just 1 of the last 11 meetings in all competitions. That came in the Community Shield at Wembley in 2015. Arsenal have lost 7 of these 11 games.
  
• Goals have been hard to come by against Chelsea in recent times. Oxlade-Chamberlains winner in the Community Shield is the only goal we've scored in the last 8 clashes with Chelsea. The Blues have scored 13 in the last 8 (including the 6-0 at the Bridge).
  
• Our last League win over Chelsea was the 5-3 at Stamford Bridge in October 2011. Our last home League win over them came in December 2010.
  
• It's important to take into consideration the fact that Chelsea as we know them have only existed since 2003, when Roman Abramovich took over the club. (I joke, they have previous history of course....)
  
• We never lost to Chelsea in the League under Wenger before the Russian take over. They did beat us twice in the League Cup though (3-1 at Stamford Bridge in 1998 and 5-0 at Highbury in 1999).
  
• It's been 8 games since both teams scored in this fixture. That was a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea in January 2013. Walcott scored our goal.
  
• Theo Walcott seems a decent bet to score tomorrow. He's scored 5 times against Chelsea before, including his first ever Arsenal goal in the League Cup final in 2007. Newcastle are the only side he's scored against more times than Chelsea.
  
• Chelsea won both League matches last season. They scored 3 goals over those 2 games. Arsenal got 3 red cards over those 2 games.
  

That's Interesting

• The first ever match between these two was in 1907 when Chelsea beat Woolwich Arsenal 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. Charlie Satterthwaite scored Arsenals goal. The striker, who previously played for Thames Ironworks (that's West Ham to you and me), also holds the record for being Arsenals first ever goal scorer in the First Division. His brother, Joe Satterthwaite, played 5 times for the club, making them the first pair of brothers to ever play for Arsenal.
  
• Arsenals biggest margin of victory over Chelsea came in 1930 when they won 5-1 at the Bridge. David Jack got 3 of his 124 Arsenal goals that day. The English striker has the distinct honour of being the first player ever to score at Wembley (in the 1923 FA Cup Final for Bolton against West Ham). He was also the first footballer in the world to be transferred for more than £10,000.
  
• Reading a bit more into our record with Chelsea before and after the Abramovich take over throws up some interesting stats.
  
• Arsene Wenger won his first 4 clashes with Chelsea. The first was a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge in April 1997
  
• The two League Cup defeats mentioned earlier are the only losses to Chelsea under Wenger before they came into some cash.
  
• Our first loss to them Post-Roman came in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie in 2004. A 1-0 defeat at the Bridge in August 2005 was Chelsea's first league win over Arsenal in 10 years.
  
• Chelsea won in their last visit to Highbury in December 2005. They hadn't won at Highbury in the League since a Division One win in 1990. They've won 5 of 10 League visits to the Emirates.
  
• Arsenal last did the League double over Chelsea in 2003-04. Chelsea have done it 4 times over us since then.
  
• Arsenal won 12 of 20 games against Chelsea in the Wenger Era before Abramovich money. They've won 8 in 34 matches since then.
  
• Pre-Roman (under Wenger): P 20 W 12 D 6 L 2 F 37 A 26
  
• Post-Roman: P 34 W 8 D 7 L 18 F 31 A 54
  
• We kept 5 clean sheets against Chelsea in the first 20 matches against them under Wenger (and just one of them was a 0-0). In the 34 since then, we've kept just 6 clean sheets (Four of them were 0-0's).
  
• We also failed to score just twice in the first 20 games under Wenger against Chelsea. We've failed to score a staggering 14 times in 34 matches with them since the take over.
  
• Arsenal scored more than one goal on 13 occasions in the first 20 games. We've scored more than once in just 7 of the following 34.
  
• Looking at our last home League win over Chelsea, only 9 players of the 36 in the combined matchday squads are still involved with either club. Koscielny and Walcott both started that match. Jack Wilshere started and Szczesny was on the bench, both of whom are still at Arsenal but out on loan. Fabregas scored that night and could very well start for Chelsea tomorrow. John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic and John Obi Mikel (Obi John Mikel? Mikel John Obi?) also played that night, in front of Petr Cech - who will be lining up for Arsenal this time around.
  

How's about some goals?

• Yes, goals have been few and far between for us in this fixture recently. But we do have some...
  
• August 2015 - Community Shield: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored the winner as Arsenal started their season with some silverware. Petr Cech helped beat the side he lifted the League title with just 4 months earlier. Here's full highlight of the game
  
• September 2012 - Premier League: Our most recent goal at home against Chelsea came in a 2-1 defeat in 2012. Gervinho equalised for Arsenal after Torres had opened the scoring for the Blues. A Juan Mata free kick, via a slight touch from Koscielny, won it for Chelsea. Here's Gervinho's goals for Arsenal. The strike against Chelsea is number 8 of 11
  
• December 2010 - Premier League: Our last home win over Chelsea. Alex Song, Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott scored our goals. Ivanovic pulled one back for the visitors. It was a win that put us second, behind Man United, and moved us 4 points clear of Chelsea. It brought to an end a run of 5 consecutive defeats to Chelsea.
  
• December 2007 - Premier League: A William Gallas header gave Arsenal a 1-0 win over Chelsea and a first win against them since February 2004. Arsenal hadn't beaten Chelsea under Jose Mourinho but managed a win against Avram Grant's side at the first time of asking.
  
• February 2004 - FA Cup: A relatively unknown prospect, Jose Antonio Reyes became an instant hit with 2 goals to knock Chelsea out of the FA Cup. They were his first Arsenal goals, coming a couple weeks after making his debut.
  
• December 2004 - Premier League: A moment of brilliance from the King. Thierry Henry scored a quickly taken free kick as Arsenal drew 2-2 with Chelsea at Highbury. Current Arsenal keeper Petr Cech was still setting up his wall when Henry asked the ref if he could take the free kick quickly. He got a nod of a approval and put the ball in the net.
  

And that's that...
So there you have it. Arsenal play Chelsea tomorrow at 5:30pm (GMT). Here's hoping our record with them improves over the coming years. It's also the first time Arsene Wenger will go up against Antonio Conte. Conte has only ever managed Italian teams before, but never with much distinction until being given the Juventus job. 3 successive Serie A titles and a Champions League final followed before he became Italian national team head coach, leading them to the Euro 2016 quarter finals. He's the 9th Italian to manage in the Premier League and the 5th at Chelsea alone.
I'll be back net week to preview our next League match - an away trip to Burnley.
Thanks for reading!

QPR vs. Aston Villa
Venue: Loftus Road
Kick Off: 16:00pm BST/GMT
Referee: Oliver
Why not join the IRC live soccer chat?
With Joey Barton in fine form since joining the London club, and a Villa side who need a result this weekend after a poor midweek performance against Bolton, this match could be a corker!!
So let's get the match facts.
Match facts/preview
TEAM NEWS QPR have no fresh injury concerns but Kieron Dyer remains out with a foot injury and Clint Hill joined Nottingham Forest on loan this week.
Jamie Mackie is not yet in contention but is back in full training after a double leg break last January.
Aston Villa are hoping deadline-day signing Jermaine Jenas will finally be fit after a thigh injury.
But Darren Bent has been ruled out with a groin problem, while fellow striker Emile Heskey remains an absentee.
MATCH PREVIEW The last time QPR beat Villa, pop star Jarvis Cocker was about to stun the world! When Kevin Gallen grabbed the only goal of that victory in December 1995, Michael Jackson was Top of the Pops with his Earth Song dirge. Cocker was so enraged at Jackson's performance at the Brits a few weeks later, he invaded the stage and waggled his bottom in Jacko's face!
People who downvote Match threads have aids, let's see who actually reads this stuff. I'll go for a first Rangers top-flight win since they beat West Ham in April 1996 QPR now have someone who loves to get in the face of opponents and they hope Joey Barton continues his abrasive form.
He's already driven them a long way from the naive opening hammering by Bolton and can inspire a first home Premier League victory of the season against Villa, who were poor in the midweek cup defeat by Bolton and who are fortunate to still be unbeaten in the league. I mean, I bet I can put anything, an nobody will give two shits.
Injuries to Darren Bent and Emile Heskey have hit them. Gabby Agbonlahor, though, is looking sharp. He's scored half of Villa's league goals and three in his last four Premier League games. His quick movement in from wide positions will threaten QPR's new-look defence, where Luke Young will be up against his old team. I mean, who do redditors think they are, I create a thread for a Premier League match, because nobody else can be bothered, and they downvote me. Well, guess what, I give you something to downvote, not that you will notice.
With Shaun Wright-Phillips in sparkling form in his opening two matches, Barton's leadership and DJ Campbell's quick feet in the box, I'll go for a first Rangers top-flight home win since they beat West Ham in April 1996.
Earth Song was just an insipid memory by then. Mark Morrison was at Number One with Return of the Mack. Now he did have a bit of snap and snarl about him - just like Joey!
MATCH FACTS Head-to-head
QPR are unbeaten at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League (W3, D1). Villa won 4-2 in the last league meeting between the sides - that was in March 1996 when Dwight Yorke scored twice, while Kevin Gallen was on the scoresheet for QPR. Gallen also scored the winner when the teams last met in the league at Loftus Road in December 1995. Managers Neil Warnock and Alex McLeish previously met in the 2008-09 season when both were in the Championship - McLeish's Birmingham beating Warnock's Crystal Palace at St Andrew's, and the sides then drew 0-0 at Selhurst Park. QPR
QPR haven't scored at Loftus Road yet this season in league or cup. Last season, Rangers won their first four home league matches without conceding a goal. Captain Joey Barton scored the opening goal for Newcastle in their 6-0 win over Aston Villa last season. Aston Villa
Aston Villa are unbeaten after five games of this season's Premier League (for the first time since 2006-07) but have drawn four of their matches. Gabby Agbonlahor has scored half of Villa's league goals this season and has scored three in his last four league games. Only Newcastle have conceded fewer goals than Villa in this season's Premier League. Darren Bent has been caught offside 12 times this season, more than any other Premier League player.
So where are both teams in the league at the moment, I hear you ask?
1 Man Utd 6 17 16 2 Man City 6 14 16 3 Chelsea 6 5 13 4 Newcastle 6 4 12 5 Liverpool 6 0 10 6 Tottenham 5 0 9 7 Stoke 6 -2 9 8 Aston Villa 5 2 7 9 Everton 5 0 7 10 QPR 5 -2 7 11 Wolves 6 -3 7 12 Arsenal 6 -5 7 13 Sunderland 5 2 5 14 Norwich 5 -2 5 15 Wigan 6 -4 5 16 Swansea 6 -5 5 17 Fulham 6 -3 4 18 Blackburn 6 -5 4 19 West Brom 6 -5 4 20 Bolton 6 -8 3
So both teams have had the better of performances out of 20 this season so far, with both teams resting in the top 10.
So you're now interested after reading all that, where can you watch?
Well, if you're a British or Irish citizen, Sky Sports is free this weekend, meaning at 3.30pm GMT, you will be able to pick up the game on Sky Sports 1, without paying the extra £5 per week. Bonus! If you can't find a TV but you're a Sky customer, why not use the SKY GO application, type that in Google and get yourself signed up. For people who neither have Sky or the option of purchasing Sky, you will be needing a stream?
Streams If you have anymore I will post them up.
RojaDirecta
LiveTV
FirstRow
BBC match thread
AtdheNet
RealSpotz
Courtesy of enabled
Obviously none of these will work till 4.00pm
Team Sheets
Not out yet, will update when out, expecting soon. They're out
QPR
01 Kenny
05 Hall
13 Traore
18 Young
35 Ferdinand
04 Derry Helgusson
07 Taarabt
11 Faurlin
17 Barton
32 Wright-Phillips
10 Bothroyd Campbell
Substitutes 26 Murphy, 02 Orr, 16 Connolly, 14 Buzsaky, 09 Campbell, 21 Smith, 22 Helguson
Aston Villa
01 Given
02 Hutton
03 Warnock
05 Dunne
06 Collins
07 Ireland
10 N'Zogbia
16 Delph
19 Petrov
25 Bannan Albrighton
11 Agbonlahor
Substitutes 22 Guzan, 23 Beye, 34 Lowry, 12 Albrighton, 38 Gardner, 14 Delfouneso, 26 Weimann
Reddit Live Match Thread
Kick off! Phewww...
Is that Gary Neville doing the actual commentary?
Warnock : Yellow Card.
HALF TIME
Half time facts.
Possession
QPR 61%
Aston Villa 39%
Attempts on target
QPR 5
Aston Villa 1
Attempts off target
QPR 5
Aston Villa 1
Corners
QPR 7
Aston Villa 4
Fouls
QPR 7
Aston Villa 6
Half time snap shot
"For all QPR's dominance they have only really carved out one clear chance and they will be thankful to Paddy Kenny's expert save from Barry Bannan."
Sternslovechild
2nd Half
Hutton: Yellow Card
57' Penalty Penalty Penalty
Traore: Yellow Card
58' Bannan GOL GOL GOL
QPR 0 - 1 Aston Villa 58'
Chants can be heard all over London to the tune of 'You don't know what you're doing'.
Collins: Yellow Card
Substitution: Bothroyd off Campbell on
Substitution: Bannan off Albrighton on
Agbonlahour: Yellow Card
Subsitution: Derry off Helgusson on
Gary Neville is officially blind. That was a penalty. Shut up Gary.
Traore: Red Card
90' Traore OFF OFF OFF
93' Dunne GOL GOL GOL
QPR 1 - 1 Aston Villa 93'
FULL TIME QPR 1 - 1 Aston Villa
QPR still looking for a first home win.
Full time match facts:
Possession
QPR 54%
Aston Villa 46%
Attempts on target
QPR 9
Aston Villa 4
Attempts off target
QPR 8
Aston Villa 4
Corners
QPR 11
Aston Villa 8
Fouls
QPR 14
Aston Villa 19
Penalties given
QPR 0
Aston Villa 1
Penalties that should have been given
QPR 2
Aston Villa 1
Table after the result
1 Man Utd 6 17 16
2 Man City 6 14 16
3 Chelsea 6 5 13
4 Newcastle 6 4 12
5 Liverpool 6 0 10
6 Tottenham 5 0 9
7 Stoke 6 -2 9
8 Aston Villa 6 2 8
9 QPR 6 -2 8
10 Everton 5 0 7
11 Wolves 6 -3 7
12 Arsenal 6 -5 7
13 Sunderland 5 2 5
14 Norwich 5 -2 5
15 Wigan 6 -4 5
16 Swansea 6 -5 5
17 Fulham 6 -3 4
18 Blackburn 6 -5 4
19 West Brom 6 -5 4
20 Bolton 6 -8 3
The pundits are shit.

Championship Match 37 - Gentry Day
Preston North End vs Bolton
^{Saturday 12th March - 3:00pm - Deepdale}

Build up

It's gentry day and PNE will be taking a very Impressive following to fill two tries at bolting ground. A special day for the away support should provide an atmosphere to remember. A poor result against Nottingham forest should be far from the players minds on Saturday as they face a very different team in Bolton. Rooted to the bottom and recently taken over in a bid to save the club, they are in real trouble and it could be a great chance for PNE to grab three points and return to winning ways.

Previews

PNE Official

Championship Position

	Club	Pld	Gd	Pts
8	Ipswich	35	2	55
9	Birmingham	35	6	54
10	Preston	36	0	49	-
11	QPR	36	-1	47
12	Wolves	36	-5	46
-	-	-	-	-	-
24	Bolton	36	-25	26	-

Team Form

Team	Last 6	Last Match	Comp.
Preston	WWWLDL	Notts F. 1 - 0 PNE
Bolton	LDLLLD	Bolton 2 - 2 Ipswich

Last Encounters

Date	Venue	Result
31 Oct 14	H	0-0

All Results V Bolton since 2013

Wins	Draws	Losses
0	1	0

Team Absentees

Team	Player	Reason	ETA
Preston	Beckford	Knee	Light training, weeks
Preston	Humphrey	Shin	Out all season
Preston	May	Knee	Late Autumn
Preston	Grimshaw	Knee	Not sure

Coverage

Live commentary over at PNE Player
However unlikely, there may be some streams somewhere so keep an eye out on First Row Sports etc.

Match

Teamsheets

Subs	Bolton		PNE	Subs
6 Vela	13 Rachubka		1 Lindegaard	2 Vermijl
18 Danns	25 Wilson		15 Woods	8 Kilkenny
22 Wellington	15 Osede Prieto		5 Clarke	13 Doyle
23 Dobbie	45 Holding		6 Wright	19 Welsh
30 Woolery	3 Moxey		3 Cunningham	30 Smith
36 Finney	17 Trotter		32 Reach	43 Kirkland
49 Campbell	21 Pratley		4 Pearson
	16 Davies		12 Gallagher
	10 Clough		11 Johnson
	14 Madine		25 Hugill
	7 Feeney		37 Robinson

Final Score

Bolton. 1-2 Preston North End
Kickoff
Trotter 22' (1-0)
Pratley 45' +1
GALLAGHER 45' +1
WRIGHT 45' +1
Half Time (1-0)
HUGILL 57' (1-1)
Wellington on for Pratley 70'
VERMIJL on for JOHNSON 78'
DOYLE on for HUGILL 84'
Woolery on for Clough 84'
VERMIJL 86' (1-2)
Dobbie on for Wilson 88'
5 Added Mins
WELSH on for GALLGHER 90' +1
Full Time (1-2)
This afternoon's attendance is 18,423 with 4,432 travelling PNE fans
MOTM - HUGILL

Post-Match

Stats

Bolton		PNE
53%	Possession	47%
11 (5)	Shots	9 (3)
7	Corners	2
13	Fouls	20
1	Yellow Cards	2
0	Red Cards	0

Championship Position

	Club	Pld	Gd	Pts
8	Ipswich	36	1	55	-
9	Birmingham	35	6	54	-
10	Preston	37	1	52	-
11	QPR	37	4	50	-
12	Leeds	36	-5	47
-	-	-	-	-	-
24	Bolton	37	-26	26	-

Verdict

A great turnaround and a hard-fought win. It was a three points we needed to win against a team in terrible form. The next game will be much harder against QPR who can go above us with a win.

Simon Says

“It was a great way to celebrate Gentry Day. Ultimately we've got the result - I thought we started the game really well when Jordan [Hugill] had that header, did okay for 10-15 minutes but we petered along a bit for the rest of the half."
Full comments

Reaction

PNE Official
BBC
Hugill Comments
Vermijl & Doyle
Highlights

Sidebar Pic

New for 15/16 season, the sidebar pic will be chosen by you (hopefully) at the end of each match. Check the PNE twitter for some inspiration. Submit them HERE

Next Match

Preston North End vs QPR
^{Championship Match 38 - Saturday 19th March - 3:00pm - Deepdale}

Championship Match 36
Notts F. vs Preston North End
^{Tuesday 8th March - 7:45pm - City Ground}

Build up

A good draw against Brighton could be a stepping stone to a win against 15th placed Nottingham Forest who are on a losing streak (4). With Bolton at the weekend, this could potentially be a great run of points if we can get the goals in.

Previews

PNE Official
BBC

Championship Position

	Club	Pld	Gd	Pts
8	Birmingham	34	8	54
9	Ipswich	34	2	54	-
10	Preston	35	1	49	-
11	Reading	34	2	44
12	QPR	35	-1	44
-	-	-	-	-	-
15	Notts F.	34	1	42	-

Team Form

Team	Last 6	Last Match	Comp.
Preston	WWWWLD	PNE 0 - 0 Brighton
Notts F.	LWLLLL	Ipswich 1 - 0 Notts F.

Last Encounters

Date	Venue	Result
03 Nov 15	H	1-0
05 Feb 14	H	0-2
24 Jan 14	A	0-0

All Results V Notts F. since 2013

Wins	Draws	Losses
1	1	1

Team Absentees

Team	Player	Reason	ETA
Preston	Beckford	Knee	Light training, weeks
Preston	Humphrey	Shin	Out all season
Preston	May	Knee	Late Autumn
Preston	Grimshaw	Knee	Not sure
Preston	Kilkenny	'Slight niggle'	May miss
Notts F	Jamie Ward	Hamstring	Weeks
Notts F	Robert Tesche	Broken Hand	Weeks

Coverage

Live commentary over at PNE Player
However unlikely, there may be some streams somewhere so keep an eye out on First Row Sports etc.

Tickets

We have received an initial allocation of 906 tickets in the Money Shop Bridgford Stand lower tier, with more available if needed, with adults £24, seniors (65 and over) £17, U18 £12 and U12 £6.

Match

Teamsheets

Subs	Notts F		PNE	Subs
3 Jokic	1 de Vries		1 Lindegaard	2 Vermijl
6 Wilson	2 Lichaj		15 Woods	13 Doyle
24 Vaughan	5 Mills		5 Clarke	19 Welsh
26 Evtimov	4 Mancienne		23 Huntington	25 Hugill
37 Grant	8 Cohen		6 Wright	30 Smith
41 McDonagh	15 Mendes da Graça		3 Cunningham	37 Robinson
44 Petravicius	22 Gardner		11 Johnson	43 Kirkland
	32 Tesche		4 Pearson
	38 Osborn		12 Gallagher
	29 O'Grady		32 Reach
	17 Castro Oliveira		14 Garner

Final Score

Notts F. 1-0 Preston North End
Kickoff
Mendes 33'
Oliveira 33' (1-0)
GARNER 39'
Mancienne 45'
Half Time (1-0)
HUGILL on for GARNER 45'
ROBINSON on for WRIGHT 45'
JOHNSON 56'
Tesche 66'
Jokic on for Cohen 72'
Oliveira 73'
Grant on for Oliveira 73'
DOYLE on for GALLAGHER 77'
Vaughan on for Mendes 83'
HUNTINGON 90'
3 Added Mins
Full Time (1-0)
MOTM - PEARSON

Post-Match

Stats

Notts F.		PNE
50%	Possession	50%
15 (3)	Shots	14 (6)
3	Corners	8
14	Fouls	11
3	Yellow Cards	3
0	Red Cards	0

Championship Position

	Club	Pld	Gd	Pts
8	Ipswich	35	2	55
9	Birmingham	35	6	54
10	Preston	36	0	49	-
11	QPR	36	-1	47
12	Wolves	36	-5	46
13	Notts F.	35	2	45

Verdict

A big shame we couldn't get a result. It seemed like they really left everything on the pitch after a good second half effort but it wasn't enough. They now need to dust themselves off and make sure they get three points against bottom of the table Bolton. This is a must win as the game after against QPR, who are now only 2 points behind us, will be very tough and it's always good to get points over a team near you.

Simon Says

"When you look back on the game, it's always interesting to see who got their man of the match, and the fact that it was their goalkeeper then it speaks volumes of what's happened tonight."
Full comments

Reaction

PNE Official
BBC
Pearson Comments
Highlights

Sidebar Pic

New for 15/16 season, the sidebar pic will be chosen by you (hopefully) at the end of each match. Check the PNE twitter for some inspiration. Submit them HERE

Next Match

Preston North End vs Bolton
^{Championship Match 37 - Saturday 12th March - 3:00pm - Deepdale}

Middlesbrough vs Nottingham Forest Live S.t.r.e.a.m.i.n.g E.C.L 01.23.2016.Middlesbrough vs Nottingham Forest Live S.t.r.e.a.m.i.n.g E.C.L 01.23.2016.Middlesbrough vs Nottingham Forest Live S.t.r.e.a.m.i.n.g E.C.L 01.23.2016.Middlesbrough vs Nottingham Forest Live S.t.r.e.a.m.i.n.g E.C.L 01.23.2016.
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