Andy’s Q1 report (Part Two) – How will the Bees, Rams, Rovers, Swans, Latics and Canaries fare in Q2?

In part two of his quarterly report, Andy H looks at those sides hovering just outside the top six…

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Brentford
4 wins, 6 draws, 2 defeats.

Brentford 5 – 1 R’ham
Stoke 1 – 1 Brentford
Brentford 2 – 0 SW
A Villa 2 – 2 Brentford
B’burn 1 Brentford 0
Brentford 2 – 1 NF
Brentford 2 – 0 Wigan
Ipswich 1 – 1 Brentford
Derby 3 – 1 Brentford
Brentford 2 – 2 Reading
Brentford 1 – 1 Birm
Leeds 1 – 1 Brentford

Unbeaten at Griffin Park and with only two defeats all season, it was inevitable that Dean Smith would be dragged away from the Bees sooner or later.

After 4 wins in the first 7 games, they have stalled somewhat, with 4 draws and a loss in their last 5 games. And they’ve yet to face Sheff Utd, WBA or Middlesbrough.

Following a vastly successful manager is usually a poison chalice so whoever follows Smith has their work cut out to maintain the club’s upward mobility. The squad has too much about it to collapse completely but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect them to fall away somewhat.

Verdict: Bottom-half but comfortably safe.

Derby County
5 wins, 3 draws, 4 defeats.

Reading 1 – 2 Derby
Derby 1 – 4 Leeds
Millwall 2 – 1 Derby
Derby 2 – 0 Ipswich
Derby 2 -0 Preston
Hull 1 – 2 Derby
Rotherham 1 – 0 Derby
Derby 0 – 0 Blackburn
Derby 3 – 1 Brentford
Bolton 1 – 0 Derby
Derby 1 – 1 NCFC
QPR 1 – 1 Derby

Frank Lampard’s Derby County ™ have made a decent start to the world famous Frank Lampard’s managerial career. However, if you look closer at the results for Frank Lampard’s Derby County ™ you’ll see that of the five wins amassed by Frank Lampard’s Derby County ™ only Brentford have been a top half opponent and the rest have come against bottom-dwellers Reading, Ipswich, Preston and Hull. In addition Frank Lampard’s Derby County ™ have lost to Rotherham, Bolton and Millwall along the way. The only top team they’ve played was Leeds and they got pummeled 4-1 at home. With fixtures against WBA, Sheff Utd and Middlesbrough to come I’d expect Frank Lampard’s Derby County ™ to slip back out of Play-Off contention.

Verdict: Comfortable mid-table

Norwich City
5 wins, 3 draws, 4 defeats.

Birm 2 – 2 Norwich
Norwich 3 – 4 WBA
SU 2 – 1 Norwich
Norwich 2 – 0 Preston
Norwich 0 – 3 Leeds
Ipswich 1 – 1 Norwich
Norwich 1 – 0 M’boro
Reading 1 – 2 Norwich
QPR 0 – 1 Norwich
Norwich 1 – 0 Wigan
Derby 1 – 1 Norwich
Norwich 0 – 1 Stoke

Four wins on the spin was a season-changer for the mighty yellows who now have a justified confidence going into games. So far they’ve played all of the top teams, beating Middlesbrough, but losing to Leeds, WBA and Sheff Utd so we may not be quite ready to live with the big boys. We’ve also played a lot of the sides at the bottom and beaten QPR, Wigan, Reading and Preston.

The games coming up after the international break against Forest, Villa, Brentford and Sheff Weds look like being the acid test as City take on the sides around them at the edges of the play-offs. If we come out with 7 or more points the season becomes more than the Mid-Table plod we had imagined it would be in July. I’m confident we’ll prove ourselves.

Verdict: Playoff contenders

Blackburn Rovers
4 wins, 6 draws, 2 defeats.

Ipswich 2 – 2 B’burn
B’burn 0 – 0 Millwall
Hull 0 – 1 B’burn
B’burn 2 – 2 Reading
B’burn 1 – 0 Brentford
Bristol C 4 – 1 B’burn
B’burn 1 – 1 A Villa
Derby 0 – 0 B’burn
Stoke 2 – 3 B’burn
B’burn 2 – 2 NF
B’burn 0 – 2 SU
Bolton 0 – 1 B’burn

Blackburn have been quietly impressive for a side of whom little was expected. Only 2 defeats in 12 games speaks volumes for the confidence and team spirit that Tony Mowbray’s battlers possess. Although they have lost fewer games than many sides higher than them in the table, they’ve also drawn half their games so far. Other than Sheff Utd, they haven’t faced up to any of the big sides, so tougher times are to come and they’ll need to find a way to turn some of those draws into wins if they are to continue sitting safely in the middle of the division.

Verdict: Bottom-half but comfortably safe.

Swansea City
4 wins, 5 draws, 3 defeats.

SU 1 – 2 Swansea
Swansea 1 – 0 Preston
Birm 0 – 0 Swansea
Swansea 2 – 2 Leeds
Swansea 0 – 1 Bristol C
Millwall 1 – 2 Swansea
Swansea 0 – 0 NF
Stoke 1 – 0 Swansea
M’Boro 0 – 0 Swansea
Swansea 3 – 0 QPR
Wigan 0 – 0 Swansea
Swansea 2 – 3 Ipswich

Swansea are probably the most difficult team in the Championship to read. They’ve lost to Bristol City, Stoke and Ipswich, beaten QPR, Millwall, Preston, and caught Sheff Utd cold on the opening day. They could go any way at this stage but a lack of firepower is likely to hamper them in a league where fortune tends to favour the brave.

Verdict: Bottom-half but comfortably safe.

Wigan Athletic
5 wins, 2 draws, 5 defeats.

Wigan 3 – 2 SW
A Villa 3 – 2 Wigan
Wigan 2 – 2 NF
Stoke 0 – 3 Wigan
QPR 1 – 0 Wigan
Wigan 1 – 0 R’ham
Brentford 2 – 0 Wigan
Wigan 2 – 1 Hull
Wigan 1 – 0 Bristol C
Norwich 1 – 0 Wigan
Wigan 0 – 0 Swansea
Preston 4 – 0 Wigan

All 5 of Wigan’s defeats have been away from home which tells it’s own story. Forest are the best side they’ve faced thus far so they’ve got some seriously tough games to come. Their victories have mostly come against bottom half sides, but they have also come unstuck against Villa, QPR and Preston. As well as they have fared so far they’ll do well to hang on in Mid-Table for much longer.

Verdict: Bottom-half but comfortably safe.

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Tomorrow… teams currently in 13th to 18th.