Championship title race will be tighter than ever, warns Forest skipper McKenna
THE race for the Championship title will be closer fought than ever this season, Paul McKenna warned today.
The Nottingham Forest skipper expects his side to challenge again for a top-two finish when the new campaign kicks off.
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Paul McKenna
The finale to last season may ultimately have seen them part of a three-horse race for promotion, alongside Newcastle and West Brom, but, for much of the campaign, there were more than a dozen sides harbouring hopes of promotion.
And McKenna believes things could be even tighter as Billy Davies' squad aim to go one step further this time around.
"From the outside, it looks like it will be pretty even. I think it will be very close," said McKenna.
"But, to be fair, it was last season. Until February, it was really, really tight.
"People will remember ourselves, West Brom and Newcastle being involved towards the end, in the fight for a top-two finish.
"But, prior to that, for long periods, even the teams down in 15th and 16th place were within a few points of the play-off race.
"It is a really tight league, the Championship, and it will be even more so this time around.
"I think it could be tight right through to the end. It could go right to the finishing line again and I would expect more than three teams will be involved."
McKenna is convinced that newly-relegated Burnley will be a threat, as they have money to spend. But he is also convinced that cash-strapped Hull and Portsmouth will have the quality to threaten.
Leeds and Millwall, who were promoted from League One, can make an immediate impact.
"The teams that have come down will play a part, but so will the ones who have come up," he said. "There are some big teams involved who have done well in this division in the past and who will do so again.
"I am talking about all the teams who have come down and those who have come up.
"Leeds could definitely challenge and Millwall could as well."
But McKenna believes Forest are equipped to flourish.
"It is going to be a hard slog again but the gaffer and the staff have been there and done it before," he said.
"The lads we have now had a taste of it, they know what it takes and that will stand all of us in good stead for the season."
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by mandy74, southwell
Wednesday, July 21 2010, 11:55PM
“Mike,Notts
The only sad person on here is you love.You spend all your time on a forest site yet claim to be a notts fan.As for players going if you knew anythinh about the club you claim to support you would now that you released at leat 10 players last season and all your loanees had to go back.You let all 3 goalies go so 2 of your 5 or 6 newbies are goalies ...”
by alex, nottingham
Wednesday, July 21 2010, 10:53PM
“i am pleased that forest have bid for whittingham, however, i remember burnley having a similar bid rejected only a few weeks ago. the bbc website states that their bid was 1.75mill.
taking that into account i cannot see them accepting our bid if it is 1.5mill, still anyway, glad to see we are finally atleast trying to do some business”
by forest laffer, dreamland
Wednesday, July 21 2010, 10:51PM
“never mind boys..big dele is fit again to lead you to premiership heaven
(collapses in a heap laughing)”
by jk, super reds!!
Wednesday, July 21 2010, 10:28PM
“Nottingham Forest have submitted a £1.5m written offer for Cardiff City's Peter Whittingham.
The 25-year-old left-winger, who finished last season as the joint top scorer in the Championship with 20 goals, has only 12 months remaining on his contract at Cardiff.
The former Aston Villa player has also attracted interest from Burnley but Forest hope to push through a deal. He has been at Cardiff since 2007, scoring 32 goals in 134 appearances for the Welsh club.”
by Robin of Loxley, The Major Oak
Wednesday, July 21 2010, 10:21PM
“Sorry Danial Taylor at the guradian said Forest Have made written offer of £1.5m for Peter Whittingham at Cardiff City today”