1st: Leicester City
Yes, it's predictable, but Leicester seem to be the real deal. Quality signings like Dave Nugent, Kasper Schmeichel, Matt Mills, Neil Danns and Michael Johnson will surely make them a force to be reckoned with, and with Sven in charge they have a wily old manager who surely has the experience to take them up. It's all a question of the team gelling of course, and we may have seen that yesterday as the Foxes scraped a 1-0 win over Coventry.
Yes, it's predictable, but Leicester seem to be the real deal. Quality signings like Dave Nugent, Kasper Schmeichel, Matt Mills, Neil Danns and Michael Johnson will surely make them a force to be reckoned with, and with Sven in charge they have a wily old manager who surely has the experience to take them up. It's all a question of the team gelling of course, and we may have seen that yesterday as the Foxes scraped a 1-0 win over Coventry.
2nd: Reading
Last season's beaten Playoff finalists have a point to prove, and will surely be hungry to return to the Premier League this time around. Shane Long, whatever you think of him, is quality, and keeping hold of him is surely manager Brian McDermott's priority, especially with big-spenders Leicester and Premiership teams Everton and Fulham sniffing around. However, the team also has quality elsewhere, with new captain Jobi McAnuff, now an experienced Championship player, still able to produce the goods. Exciting young winger Hal-Robson Kanu is an excellent prospect, and the likes of Noel Hunt, Jimmy Kebe and Ian Harte make up a quality Championship-level team.
3rd: West Ham United
Surely a team with this much quality should make at least the playoffs? However, new manager Sam Allardyce has inherited a squad that must be low on confidence after an abject Premier League campaign and the loss of several key players will not help. Retaining their core will be central, especially the Writer's Player of the Year Scott Parker who will surely boss the Championship if he does not move. The Hammers have made some quality signings, such as Kevin Nolan, with whom Parker should forge an excellent partnership, and John Carew, who will surely bang in the goals at this level. Whether this high-quality side can measure up to the rough and tumble of the Championship has yet to be seen, as well as whether they can gel. A 1-0 loss to Cardiff is not a good start though.
4th: Southampton
I believe the Saints will be this year's surprise package, and that theory was backed up yesterday as they walked over Leeds United on their way to a 3-1 win. Southampton never looked like losing, and with a side that boasts the attacking prowess of Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, David Connelly and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (who of course may be on his way to the Premier league), they should have no trouble scoring goals. Defensively, they also look solid, with former Palace favourite José Fonte and captain Dan Harding marshalling the back. Along with one of the signings of the summer in the quality Jack Cork, the Saints will surely be marching towards the top.
5th: Blackpool (promoted through playoffs)
Not many people seem to think that Blackpool will return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. However, I believe that this team is still a good side, and has managed to retain several key players. Centre backs Craig Cathcart and Ian Evatt are still with the team, Matt Gilks is a good 'keeper, and they have managed to keep a hold of Gary Taylor-Fletcher. Add a couple of good signings in Kevin Phillips (who still manages to keep scoring) and Barry Ferguson, and the loss of Charlie Adam, David Vaughan and DJ Campbell may not have as big an influence as people believe.
6th: Nottingham Forest
Another team that made the playoffs next year, Forest have one of the best managers in the league with Steve McClaren, as well as a good squad including Lee Camp, Chris Cohen, Chris Gunter and Dexter Blackstock. While they made the playoffs last year, they were sometimes horribly inconsistent, and McClaren will have to sort this out if he is to take Forest to higher places.
7th: Middlesbrough
Ah, Middlesbrough. Since their relegation they have been almost-constant underachievers, with many expecting them to have returned to the top division by now. However, they have suffered with a divided squad and poor managers. Tony Mowbray may have fixed both of these problems, as the squad seems much more of a unit then in previous years. The squad will probably still need strengthening if they are to challenge for the top spots, but Scott McDonald is an excellent striker, and Matthew Bates and Stephen McManus will be solid at the back. If they can strengthen and Mowbray can unite the squad, Middlesbrough should have a successful season.
8th: Ipswich Town
Ipswich have made some excellent signings over the summer, with Michael Chopra, Ivar Ingimarsson, Lee Bowyer and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas possibly being some of the best bargains of the summer. There is also a lot of Championship experience in the squad, with Mark Kennedy, Grant Leadbitter (spit), Jason Scotland and Damien Delaney all having played in this division for several seasons. Many expect Ipswich to be pushing for a playoff place, and I believe they will, but I do not think they will make it this year. However, it will certainly be a good season for the Tractor Boys, who will surely improve on last year's 13th placed finish.
9th: Cardiff City
The Bluebirds have undergone a summer of turmoil, with a series of rumours about financial trouble and gaining a new manager in Malky Mackay. They have also lost Jay Bothroyd, Craig Bellamy and Michael Chopra, three potent attacking options. However, they still have a strong side, including Peter Whittingham, Kenny Miller and Rob Earnshaw looking to fill the gap left. Cardiff should have a decent season, but I do not see them being able to emulate last season's strength. They have had a good opening game though, beating pre-season favourites West Ham 1-0.
10th: Burnley
Burnley have one of the best young managers in the country in Eddie Howe, even if he did turn down Palace to go there! The former Bournemouth man will want to do well in his first full Championship season. However, they had a poor end to the season, and that may well carry into this one. Their key men should be Martin Paterson, Brian Jensen and Charlie Austin, and their form will be instrumental to any success Burnley should have. However, they have a small squad, so any injuries may be costly.
11th: Birmingham City.
If Cardiff have had a season of turmoil, then Birmingham have undergone a complete meltdown since winning the Carling Cup last season. A mass player exodus seems to be in order, with Barry Ferguson, Lee Bowyer, Roger Johnson and Ben Foster, as well as former manager Alex McLeish moving to arch-rivals Aston Villa. New man Chris Hughton has a lot on his hands, especially with the mystery surrounding owner Carson Yeung. All in all, they may suffer a difficult season, especially if more players leave.
12th: Leeds United.
Leeds had an excellent season last year by most accounts, narrowly missing out on a Playoff place. However, I do not think they are as strong this year in relation to the rest of the league. Losing Kasper Schmeichel and Bradley Johnson will be big, as Andy Lonergan is only a decent replacement. They do have a few positives, as Max Gradel and Ramon Nunez should be exciting on the wings, but the loss of Luciano Becchio for a few months will not help at all, as it is now difficult to see where the main goal threat is. Jonny Howson is an excellent prospect as well as a good player in his own right, and should turn in consistently good performances, but overall I sense a tricky season for Leeds.
13th: Watford.
Watford are often a bit of an anomaly in the Championship, as no one ever seems to be sure where they'll finish. One season they'll be in a relegation battle, and the next they'll be pushing for the Playoffs. This season however, I believe will be a bit more stable. Sean Dyche has a decent squad, but the loss of Danny Graham will be massive. Chris Iwelumo is not a bad replacement though, who with Don Cowie should score a fair few goals this season. Scott Loach is a good keeper, and the Hornets will hope not to leak too many goals with him at the back. Overall, a solid season.
14th: Crystal Palace.
Yeah, this is quite hopeful on my part, however I do genuinely believe that Palace can get a decent midtable finish. After the past couple of seasons, an end of the season where the Eagles have nothing to play for would surely be a relief for most Palace fans. Dougie Freedman's first full season in charge since replacing George Burley sees him inherit a slightly disjointed, low on confidence squad, which does seem to have a fair amount of quality in it. New signings have been mostly promising, with Glenn Murray from Brighton being the fans' highlight, but also Norway, Australia and South Africa internationals Jonathan Parr, Mile Jedinak and Kagisho Dikgacoi should do well. The defence is a little suspect, with only captain Paddy McCarthy remaining as a first-choice centre back actually at the club, and four defensive loans have been brought in in the last week. Palace's performance against Peterborough was bad, with the defence looking shaky and the midfield weak, and the Eagles lost 2-1. Palace are of course widely known for their excellent academy, with Nathaniel Clyne and Sean Scannell having broken into the team and the likes of Nathaniel Pinney and Jon Williams on their way, the future looks bright.
15th: Hull City.
The Tigers are a bit like Middlesbrough in that they have underachieved since being relegated from the Premier League. A wealth of Championship experience in their squad has not translated into results, and unfortunately for the fans they have seen a string of average finishes. This season, I cannot see this changing much, as the squad has changed very little. If they un-suspend Jimmy Bullard he may well be a key player, if they want to keep him and his exorbitant wages. Whilst Jay Simpson is a good striker, he may well not be able to score enough to send Hull up the table. They should survive fairly comfortably, but will need significant changes in order to push for the playoffs.
16th: Derby County.
Another underachiever, Derby have suffered since that famously dreadful season in the Premier League. However, Nigel Clough appears to be building a good side, and the Rams have seen some good signings come in such as Kevin Kilbane, and the possibility of Chris Riggott. Derby should be able to improve on last season's 19th placed finish, and this season may be the start of Derby's push towards a return to the Premier League.
17th: Millwall.
One of Palace's rivals, Millwall had a very successful season last year, ending up pushing for the Playoffs. However, they look like they may see trouble this season, having lost top scorer Steve Morison to Norwich and Neil Harris to Southend. This could see them have a serious lack of firepower, although Darius Henderson had been brought in from Sheffield United. I do not believe that Millwall will be able to score the goals that kept them in the top half last season, and could well see them dragged towards the relegation zone. However, they should have enough quality to stay up.
18th: Portsmouth.
Surely the only way is up for Porsmouth. They have endured a series of horrible seasons financially, which has seen them left with a bare bones squad, and they still have one of the smallest squads in the league. Pompey have brought in some good players this season, one being David Norris, who showed his quality at Ipswich last season. Liam Lawrence is a good winger and should be able to score a few, however the loss of David Nugent will hurt, as it means Portsmouth must rely on other strikers such as the new Luke Varney, who may not be able to be as prolific as Nugent has been. Unfortunately, I think that Portsmouth will struggle again, but ultimately stay up and live to fight next season.
19th: Brighton and Hove Albion.
(spit)
Ah, Brighton. Finally back in the Championship after several seasons in League One, fans of both Brighton and their arch-rivals Crystal Palace will be itching to play one another again. Brighton have of course moved into the new Amex stadium, and there is a feel-good atmosphere about the place. However, their squad is low on quality, although they have brought in Will Hoskins and Craig Mackail-Smith, who scored 35 goals last season for Peterborough in League One, but the problem is that these two have very little experience at Championship level, and in fact the last time Mackail-Smith played in the Championship his Peterborough side were relegated. Whether he can now make the step up is yet to be seen, but Brighton will fight and the Amex will be a tricky place to go. I believe they will just stay up, but of course they will drop six points to the Eagles!
20th: Coventry City.
Seen by many as certainties for relegation, Coventry do seem to be in a world of trouble. They have a rookie manager in Andy Thorn, and financial trouble has seen a lack of movement in the transfer market. They have a small squad, but there is a fair bit of quality in it, especially Sammy Clingan, Richard Keogh and Lukas Jutkiewicz. The Sky Blues will certainly struggle but they will scrap, and a narrow 1-0 loss to Leicester on the opening day has shown this, and I believe they have enough about themselves to stay up.
21st: Bristol City.
Bristol City have been in freefall for a while now, and ended last season very poorly. Their key men should be David James, David Clarkson and Jon Stead, James hoping to prevent from City leaking too many goals and Clarkson and Stead probably the main strikers. Unfortunately, Bristol City seem to be quite a poor side on the whole, and could be in for a season to forget. They should be able to stay up but it will not be easy for Keith Millen to keep them in the Championship.
22nd: Barnsley.
Barnsley have done well for the past few seasons, as many believe that simply keeping up the Tykes has been an excellent achievement for Keith Hill. Barnsley have not been in any real trouble of relegation in recent seasons, however the increased quality of this year's teams may hit them hard. Ricardo Vaz is an excellent signing, and the fans will hope for him to score plenty. However, their defence seems fairly suspect, and they may well leak more goals than they want to. Unless there is change to this, I can see Barnsley finally being relegated to League One this season.
23rd: Peterborough United.
Despite an opening 2-1 win against Crystal Palace where they were the superior team, I am still tipping Peterborough to struggle. They have lost their top striker and player in Craig Mackail-Smith, so without him it is difficult to see where goals will come from. A lot will rely on George Boyd, who turned in impressive performances last season and naturally linked him to a fair few Championship clubs. David Ball will have to fill the enormous gap left by Mackail-Smith, and I cannot see them scoring too many without him. Just like the last time they were in the Championship, Posh should struggle and come the end of the season, should be in the bottom three.
24th: Doncaster Rovers.
It has been through hard work and seemingly a lot of luck that Doncaster have managed to stay in the Championship this long. Sean O'Driscoll has worked miracles and managed to keep Rovers up season after season. But last season's very narrow escape does not bode well, and just like Barnsley, the increased quality of the league will hurt them. Billy Sharp is a good striker, but a seemingly serious injury against Brighton will worry Doncaster fans, and it seems like Doncaster's luck will finally run out.
Well, that's my thoughts. It's been a long article, so hopefully you've taken the time to read this. Leave your thoughts and predictions in the comments, and I should hopefully have another post out before Thursday.
