Post by deadbat on Aug 1, 2021 20:56:41 GMT
Championship Season Preview - 2021-22
It’s that time of year where ‘experts’ and bookmakers predict where everyone will finish in the table. I always try and have a go and have done ok the last few seasons with placing teams but last season I had United comfortably safe so was way off! I will list each team from bottom up to in terms of where I see them placing and assess their prospects with a summary. I will also detail the transfer business in the ins/outs section and also state who the key player is.
Remember it is just a bit of fun before everybody jumps up and down. In any responses I’d like to know what others think rather than just say absolute nonsense; and with reasoning! Hopefully it will generate some decent discussion…..
24) Hull City
Interestingly many of the bookmakers do not see them struggling/doing down. They of course won League One and were impressive in bouncing straight back. They have some decent young players but also therein lies the issues – it is a squad bereft of successful experience at this level. They will rely on the likes of Wilks and Magennis for goals but neither really shown they can plunder goals in the Championship before. Randell Williams is a smart capture from Exeter and they have signed a few Premier League talents – young keeper Nathan Baxter may usurp the more experienced Matt Ingram between the sticks. Positive covid cases this week will not help the preparation. Just do not see them having enough to avoid the yo-yoing continuing.
Manager: Grant McCann
In
George Moncur (free, Luton Town)
Andy Cannon (free, Portsmouth)
Randell Williams (free, Exeter City)
Nathan Baxter (loan, Chelsea)
Ryan Longman (loan, Brighton & Hove Albion)
Di’Shon Bernard (loan, Manchester United)
Out
Reece Burke (free, Luton Town)
Max Clark (free, Fleetwood Town)
Jordy de Wijs (undisclosed, Queens Park Rangers)
George Long (free, Millwall)
Max Sheaf (released)
Callum Jones (loan, Morecambe)
Jordan Flores (loan, Northampton Town)
Elliot Bonds (free, Cheltenham Town)
Martin Samuelsen (undisclosed, Haugesund)
Key Man: George Honeyman – The heartbeat of the City midfield. Gets up and down and scores and assists. Finally showed the promise he once exhibited at the Stadium of Light.
23) Derby County
Derby have been in turmoil for some time, on and off the pitch. Quite how Rooney has remained in charge I do not know. He should have been jettisoned for the awful performances on the whole since he took over and to be frank, they were incredibly fortunate to stay up last season. The squad has been further trimmed due to financial measures. If they managed to get new ownership then this prediction may seem foolish but as it stands, I see nothing but a continuation of the struggles they endured to end the previous campaign. They will have to rely even more on young players and with Rooney seemingly out of his depth in terms of both tactics and motivation of his charges, they will be in a fight from the outset. The fact they were looking at former Blades castoffs Jagielka and Morrison, along with Richard Stearman (released by Huddersfield) if any transfer embargo is lifted, showed the type of waters Rooney was fishing in.
Manager: Wayne Rooney
In
None announced yet
Out
Scott Malone (free, Millwall)
Jack Marriott (free, Peterborough United)
Florian Jozefzoon (released)
Jonathan Mitchell (released)
Scott Carson (free, Man City)
Emmanuel Idem (released)
Jordon Ibe (contract cancelled)
Henrich Ravas (free, FK Senica)
Martyn Waghorn (free, Coventry City)
Andre Wisdom (released)
Curtis Davies (released)
Jahmal Hector-Ingram (released)
Key Man: Colin Kazim Richards – Much travelled but gave them a lift in the run in and will be counted on to add goals and experience to a wafer thin and mostly young squad. At the other end if he remains David Marshall will surely need to be used more than the error stricken Kelle Roos?
22) Huddersfield
Finished in 20th place last time out. They quickly dispensed with the Cowley brothers and Carlos Coberan, former assistant of Marcelo Bielsa was brought in. This seemed an off move as surely Town needed stability after being closes to exiting this league at the wrong end after their spell at the top table. They needed to bring in some quality but not sure they have come close to achieving that. Rhodes, once a Terrier legend, is far from the player he was and the rest are workmanlike but aren’t going to move the needle enough to get them up the league. Jonathan Hogg will scrap and fight in the middle but the defensive options are a concern. If the talented O’Brien moves on, then this will further hinder them. Not sure where the goals are coming from either if Rhodes and Campbell are seen as the duo to plunder them.
Manager: Carlos Corberan
In
Jordan Rhodes (free, Sheffield Wednesday)
Matty Pearson (free, Luton Town)
Lee Nicholls (free, MK Dons)
Josh Ruffels (free, Oxford United)
Levi Colwill (loan, Chelsea)
Ollie Turton (free, Blackpool)
Danel Sinani (free, Norwich City)
Out
Christopher Schindler (free, Nuremberg)
Tommy Elphick (released)
Alex Pritchard (free, Sunderland)
Oumar Niasse (released)
Richard Stearman (released)
Jayson Leutwiler (free, Oldham Athletic)
Demeaco Duhaney (released)
Jaden Brown (free, Sheffield Wednesday)
Yaya Sanogo (released)
Richard Keogh (free, Blackpool)
Kieran Phillips (loan, Walsall)
Key Man: Lewis O’Brien – The young midfielder has been linked with clubs this summer including Leeds in recent times. He is someone they will need to stave off another relegation battle.
21) Blackpool
What a job Neil Critchley did after coming in from Liverpool’s Academy. Blackpool were certainly not reckoned to be close to a promotion contender, so for the Tangerines to get up via the playoffs was a fantastic achievement. They work hard, have a set way of playing and defensively they are sound. They do no score many albeit for a team near the top (only 7 teams scored fewer in League One and Rochdale scored more and they went down!) but they are tough to beat. Player wise they might not be full of names many fans at this level have heard of although keeper Chris Maxwell and defender Richard Keogh are exceptions to this. Former Blade loanee Gary Madine has reupped for another year and will be used as part of a striker by committee approach. I think that the home form will be key and they might just have enough to stay up. Will be everyone’s favourite away day…unless you are going in midweek (yes us in March I know!).
Manager: Neil Critchley
In
Daniel Grimshaw (free, Manchester City)
Reece James (free, Doncaster Rovers)
Shayne Lavery (free, Linfield)
Josh Bowler (free, Everton)
Oliver Casey (undisclosed, Leeds United)
Callum Connolly (free, Everton)
Sonny Carey (undisclosed, King's Lynn)
Richard Keogh (free, Huddersfield Town)
Tyreece John-Jules (loan, Arsenal)
Out
Ben Garrity (undisclosed, Port Vale)
Liam Feeney (free, Tranmere Rovers)
Ethan Robson (loan, MK Dons)
Ollie Turton (free, Huddersfield Town)
Nathan Shaw (free, AFC Fylde)
Adi Yussuf (released)
Sullay Kaikai (free, Wycombe Wanderers)
Jack Sims (released)
Alex Fojticek (released)
Key Man: Jerry Yates – Scored 20 goals as the Tangerines came up via the Play Offs. Never convinced at this level before when he was at Rotherham so will want to show the improvements he has made in his game.
20) Coventry City
Back to the Ricoh and more importantly Coventry they go after a two-year hiatus in Birmingham. The club has signed a ten-year deal with the Wasps group to return but will still press ahead to build their own stadium within the Coventry area in this time frame. City looked like they might have only had a brief return to the Championship but 5 wins in 8 matches saw them survive with surprising comfort in the end. The league does not appear any stronger this season but City don’t either. Waghorn will provide some nous and goals at the top of the field but how City goes depends largely on the same squad as last season. Be interesting to see if young keeper Ben Wilson or former Blade Simon Moore (been given the number one shirt) gets the nod between the sticks. Kelly, O’Hare and Hamer will mean they won’t get overrun in midfield as they have energy and tenacity. Tyler Walker was the leading scorer with just 8 so it is important Waghorn can supplement him. I expect a similar campaign to last season but they will have just enough to survive again.
Manager: Mark Robins
In
Ben Sheaf (undisclosed, Arsenal)
Martyn Waghorn (free, Derby County)
Simon Moore (free, Sheffield United)
Viktor Gyokeres (undisclosed, Brighton & Hove Albion)
Bright Enobakhare (free, East Bengal)
Ian Maatsen (loan, Chelsea)
Out
Maxime Biamou (released)
Amadou Bakayoko (free, Bolton Wanderers)
Jordon Thompson (released)
Morgan Williams (free, Yeovil Town)
Marko Marosi (undisclosed, Shrewsbury Town)
Gervane Kastaneer (free, PEC Zwolle)
Tom Billson (loan, Scunthorpe United)
Key Man: Callum O’Hare – An ever present in the Championship last year, O’Hare is finally showing the promise he had as a youngster at Villa. Technically good and busy in everything he does.
19) Peterborough
Darren Ferguson returned to Posh for the third time and he managed what he achieved in his first spell with another promotion – he now has fourth at the club! It seems he has maybe not had as much success elsewhere so the fit for him clearly is at London Road. Co-owner and chairman, Darragh McAnthony is certainly not an owner that likes to stay out of the limelight and you cannot say he is not up front but he has made some tidy profits on a number of players over the years. They still lack the infrastructure and stadium to possibly do anything more than consolidate at this level but if they do that, they will have had a fantastic campaign. Jack Marriott was an astute signing, who like Ferguson maybe needed to return to where he has been loved to have the success he had before. His partnership with the prolific Jonson Clark Harris will see them score enough goals to keep clear of deep water. The rest of the squad is largely made up of the players who got them up but they do have some talent – Siriki Dembele, Frankie Kent and Sammie Szmodics are players that have moved up the leagues and shown they can continue to improve. Beevers gives them experience at the back and Jorge Grant is a creative talent that can only help supply a dangerous front pairing. I have placed them conservatively due to squad depth (lack of it). However, if they avoid injuries, I would not be surprised to see them place higher.
Manager: Darren Ferguson
In
David Cornell (free, Ipswich Town)
Jack Marriott (free, Derby County)
Jorge Grant (undisclosed, Lincoln City)
Josh Knight (undisclosed, Leicester City)
Emmanuel Fernandez (undisclosed, Ramsgate)
Joe Tomlinson (undisclosed, Eastleigh)
Out
Mark Tyler (retired)
Louis Reed (released)
Niall Mason (released)
Archie Jones (released)
Sam Cartwright (released)
Frazer Blake-Tracy (free, Burton Albion)
Flynn Clarke (undisclosed, Norwich City)
Bradley Rolt (free, Brackley)
Mo Eisa (undisclosed, MK Dons)
Ryan Broom (loan, Plymouth Argyle)
Key Man: Jonson Clarke Harris – 33 goals last season. They have managed to retain him despite rumoured suitors from bigger clubs at this level. He will be vital that he can continue to find the net if they are to stay up.
18) Preston North End
Seem to have been at this level for a long time (actually only been 6 years!) and never been that close to going up or down, although have flirted with the playoffs a few times in recent years. Last year they finished 13th and moved Alex Neil on when they did not quite start the season how they ended the previous one. They ended the season pretty well and Frankie McAvoy, who was appointed from within, did well to steady the ship and they were comfortably mid table in the end. They always seem to struggle to add players that can allow them to make a concerted push for the top end and this summer it was relatively modest business again. They had signed League One players, Brad Potts, Ben Whiteman and Ched Evans in recent times and the controversial ex United striker was given a longer deal with seemed to be met with mixed reaction by PNE fans – more due to the fact he was given a 2-year deal at the age of 32 – than his ‘history.’ Scott Sinclair can frustrate but also can score spectacular goals on his day too. A tough one to forecast as they also could be higher and depends what kind of start, they make. I am concerned that the loss of Ben Davies will hinder them and defensively I do not see the solidity I have seen from them in previous seasons.
Manager: Frankie McAvoy
In
Liam Lindsay (undisclosed, Stoke City)
Sepp van den Berg (loan, Liverpool)
Izzy Brown (free, Chelsea)
Matthew Olosunde (free, Rotherham United)
Out
Paul Gallagher (retired)
Louis Moult (free, Burton Albion)
Josh Ginnelly (free, Hearts)
Billy Bodin (free, Oxford United)
David Nugent (released)
Graham Burke (released)
Jayden Stockley (undisclosed, Charlton Athletic)
Key Man: Ryan Ledson – The player of the year last season, he has quietly helped North End replace the likes of Ben Pearson. He will be counted on to combine with former Blade Ben Whiteman and the skillful Daniel Johnson, to ensure the Lilywhites can remain competitive.
17) Blackburn Rovers
You sense some Rovers fans frustration with ownership has now switched to manager Mowbray. Undoubtedly, he did fantastic to get them up but as often happens (see Mick McCarthy, Alex Neil) success sees fans demand more and bring bigger expectation. Blackburn have plateaued somewhat and they have had funds and maybe not used them as well as they could have done – although maybe Ben Brereton (Diaz)’s unlikely success at the Copa America with Chile, might see him kickstart a poor Rovers career for someone who cost a whopping 7 million pounds and has only scored 9 goals in 3 seasons. Adam Armstrong has developed hugely since making Ewood his home after finally leaving Newcastle after a number of loan spells. He scores different types of goals and is crucial to how Rovers do. The fact they finished they finished only 15th and he scored 29 goals points to concerns moving forward. They have signed no one as I type this and Mowbray’s tenure does seem to have gone stagnant. Thomas Kaminski had an impressive debut season in goal and will need to be as consistent again. Keeping Bradley Dack fit has proved to be a challenge. If he can get back to his former form and Armstrong stays, then another side that may punch higher but I do not think either is likely. If Armstrong goes, they may get sucked into a battle at the bottom.
Manager: Tony Mowbray
In
None announced yet
Out
Stewart Downing (released)
Lewis Holtby (released)
Amari' Bell (released)
Corry Evans (free, Sunderland)
Charlie Mulgrew (released)
Bradley Lyons (free, Kilmarnock)
Joe Grayson (free, Barrow)
Tom White (free, Barrow)
Elliott Bennett (free, Shrewsbury Town)
Lewis Thompson (free, Scunthorpe United)
Key Man: Adam Armstrong – Has continued to interest clubs but Rovers will know if he does go, the steady decline under Mowbray could end up in a catastrophic relegation campaign. They must keep him to avoid being sucked into trouble.
16) Bristol City
City seemed to steadily improve over the years and as we got promoted, you thought they may push on further but went the other way in reality and Lee Johnson left and Dean Holden seemed to be a cheap replacement and it backfired badly. The experienced and wily Nigel Pearson came in but was unable to arrest the slide. He has had a pre season to work with them and try and improve a side that seems to lack character and quality. They seemed stuck in that awkward mix with talented but inexperienced young players mixed with experience that might be on the downward trajectory. The squad has thinned out considerably over the summer with focal point Diedhiou moving on so the burden will fall on Nakhi Wells for goals and he has not quite fulfilled the promise he once showed. James and King are players Pearson knows well from his Leicester days but these have not played much at all in recent seasons. Atkinson was highly rated at the Kassam so seems a shrewd acquisition to help shore up the backline. These are a side that I do not see threatening the top 6 at all and mid table might be seen as a good season. Some bookmakers have them really struggling but I think Pearson’s know how and organization may mean they do not have such concerns by the close of the season.
Manager: Nigel Pearson
In
Matty James (free, Leicester City)
Andy King (free, Leuven)
Rob Atkinson (undisclosed, Oxford United)
Out
Jack Hunt (free, Sheffield Wednesday)
Liam Walsh (free, Swansea City)
Famara Diedhiou (free, Alanyaspor)
Jamie Paterson (released)
Marley Watkins (released)
Henri Lansbury (free, Luton Town)
Adrian Mariappa (released)
Tommy Rowe (free, Doncaster Rovers)
Opi Edwards (free, Forest Green Rovers)
Hakeeb Adelakun (free, Lincoln City)
Rene Gilmartin (released)
Joe Wollacott (free, Swindon Town)
Zac Smith (released)
Aden Baldwin (free, MK Dons)
George Nurse (undisclosed, Shrewsbury Town)
Key Man: Daniel Bentley – The fact the keeper is seen as so important tells you what I think of the season ahead. City finished 19th last season and Bentley will be as busy this campaign I feel especially in a porous defence.
15) Barnsley
Really difficult to predict. I know many Tykes fans may come at me with daggers for such a forecast and I may be way off the mark! I just feel they punched above their weight considerably last season and I would have had them mid table anyway but they lost their manager Ismael, their captain Mowatt and the striker who was the biggest threat in Daryl Dike, who returns to Orlando after a successful loan spell. They have done superbly to appoint up and coming continental managers who have gone on to do very well and Struber and Ismael both were shrewd appointments. Schopp seems a similar type appointment. Successful in his native Austria in both results and developing young talent, Barnsley will hope he can continue the success they have had. Their recruitment has been excellent and if not quite Brentford-esque, they still have picked up some players from abroad who have realty thrived. This summer they have not really improved the squad though but will hope those players who did so well, will be year wise and stronger at this level. My reasoning for the drop off is the loss of key men but also that Ismael had such a clear identity to playing, with (direct but effective) and without (high intensity press) that it will be hard to replicate that again when they maybe lack the out and out quality of some other promotion contenders.
Manager: Markus Schopp
In
Devante Cole (free, Motherwell)
Obbi Oulare (undisclosed, Standard Liege)
Josh Benson (undisclosed, Burnley)
Out
Henry Kendrick (released)
Patrick Schmidt (loan, Esbjerg)
Alex Mowatt (free, West Bromwich Albion)
Jack Aitchison (loan, Forest Green Rovers)
Michael Sollbauer (undisclosed, Dynamo Dresden)
Luke Thomas (loan, Bristol Rovers)
Conor Chaplin (undisclosed, Ipswich Town)
Key Man: Michael Helik – The Polish defender has been vital and he will be the anchor that the Tykes build upon in another transitional period yet again.
14) Nottingham Forest
Forest now seem cocooned at this level now and changes of ownership and manager has not really seen the promotion push fans would expect. Last season was a really poor one and in the end they finished 17th and if the season had gone on much longer, the unthinkable may have happened. Fortunately for them, local sides Derby and Wednesday were even more abject. Forest simply never got going and even the experienced Hughton seemed helpless to turnaround a side that looked completely without identity. The leading scorer was Lewis Grabban. With six goals. Six. He and Joe Lolley were seen as key men a few seasons ago but now both have flatlined. They need to find life quickly if Forest want to threaten near the top. Young players like Worrall, Yates and Mighten are the future but Hughton has often be seen as a defensive, pragmatic coach and the fans will only accept that if it is winning football they are seeing. Only one signing, the American keeper Horvath who will only back up Samba you would think; is not the summer of business Forest fans would have wanted but after a bloated squad of a year ago, they maybe need to prune sensibly first. Young winger Brennan Johnson might be one to look out for, having done very well at Lincoln last season and is now back in the fold.
Manager: Chris Hughton
In
Ethan Horvath (free, Club Brugge)
Out
Michael Dawson (released)
Glenn Murray (retired)
Yuri Ribeiro (released)
Sammy Ameobi (released)
Samba Sow (released)
Abdoulaye Diallo (released)
Michael Hefele (released)
Marcus McGuane (undisclosed, Oxford United)
George Shelvey (loan, Mansfield Town)
Sammy Ameobi (free, Middlesbrough)
Nikolas Ioannou (loan, Como)
Key Man: Joe Lolley - A year to 18 months ago and he was being linked with Villa and a number of other top flight sides. He has lost his way, not helped by Forest’s stagnation and was not even a regular last season. Needs to bounce back if Forest are going to be higher up the league.
13) Stoke City
I recall a few years ago that Stoke had a side packed full of quality, experience and Premier League caliber players but they had a disastrous first season back in the Championship and have never really recovered and have finished 16th, 14th and 15th under Rowett, Jones and now O’Neill. Fans feel there has been an improvement under the latter but others felt his tactics were overly negative. To be fair to O’Neill with the parachute payments ending, he has had to lose some of the big earners and trim the squad. It is now unrecognizable from the squad of three years ago. Tyrese Campbell, son of Kevin and former Owl Steven Fletcher will be counted upon to be the little man/big man combo up top but Powell is the most important player behind them. They lost talented defender Nathan Collins but due to FFP and still recovering financially from excesses of yester-year, they won’t see much of the near 13 million received. Vrancic seems a smart piece of business and maybe he gives the City fans some excitement they are crying out for but I am not sure I see them really worrying either the bottom or top sides this season.
Manager: Michael O’Neill
In
Ben Wilmot (£1.6m, Watford)
Jack Bonham (free, Gillingham)
Mario Vrancic (free, Norwich City)
Out
Kevin Wimmer (free, Rapid Vienna)
Jordan Cousins (free, Wigan Athletic)
Liam Lindsay (undisclosed, Preston North End)
Connor Taylor (loan, Bristol Rovers)
Ryan Woods (free, Birmingham City)
Nathan Collins (£12.6m, Burnley)
Moritz Bauer (free, Ufa)
John Obi Mikel (free, Kuwait SC)
Benik Afobe (loan, Millwall)
Bruno Martins Indi (undisclosed, AZ Alkmaar)
Peter Etebo (loan, Watford)
Blondy Nna Noukeu (loan, Crawley Town)
Badou Ndiaye (undisclosed, Aris)
Lasse Sorensen (undisclosed, Lincoln City)
Sam Vokes (undisclosed, Wycombe Wanderers)
Key Man: Nick Powell – Has some support from Vrancic now in terms of creativity. Powell was the leading scorer and assist man and is the player much of Stoke’s attacks revolve around him as he finally found fitness and consistency.
12) Reading
Started last season on fire but could not sustain it and in the end, they missed even the playoffs after having been around the top two for periods of the campaign. They were exciting to watch with fast, attacking football and goals coming from a variety of sources. Talented Michael Olise (Palace hope to make him this seasons Eze with the former QPR man out injured) moves on and they also lost Omar Richards to Bayern Munich in a surprise move (he has been starting friendlies for them as they saw the success of Jude Bellingham for Dortmund). The biggest issue is due to FFP, they have been placed under a transfer embargo and thus with a number moving in, they have only 17 senior players left. Striker Meite is injured too. They still have some real talent and the starting eleven will be fine but do not be surprised if they have to sell more and the likes of Swift, Moore and Puscas could be the next to be sacrificed. These might be the hardest side to predict. They finished 7th last season and some previews have them finishing in the playoffs but I think there is too much to overcome for them to sustain a promotion challenge. There is too much talent left to struggle as other say but of course if they do lose more of the first team left then it will not be a season to enjoy.
Manager: Velijka Paunovic
In
None announced yet
Out
Omar Richards (free, Bayern Munich)
Thierry Nevers (undisclosed, West Ham United)
Sone Aluko (released)
Sam Baldock (released)
Sam Walker (free, Kilmarnock)
Sam Smith (free, Cambridge United)
Michael Olise (£8.4m, Crystal Palace)
Jokull Andresson (loan, Morecambe)
Tennai Watson (free, MK Dons)
Key Man: Lucas Joao – 22 goals was something he seemed incapable of after an inconsistent career but he was given regular playing time at the Madjeski Stadium. With restrictions and a few moving on, be tougher for him to hit those heights but still expect him to be the leading scorer.
11) Swansea
Like Reading and Barnsley, another side that I see taking a bit of a plummet. They do have talent remaining but another side that seems to be in transition somewhat. I also believe Steve Cooper was an impressive manager that was a big part of their success. Cooper’s reasoning for leaving is not yet clear but many feel he had grown disenchanted with the lack of ambition shown to improve the squad and it certainly seems that his thoughts did not align with ownership. However, with no return after three seasons away from the Premier League and the parachute payments ending, the board may not have been able to quite match the ambition of the promising Cooper. Russell Martin, at only 35, is a bold appointment with more experienced campaigners around but Swansea have made some superb choices to lead them with Martinez, Rodgers and will hope this move will work again. He had done well at MK Dons but this challenge provides bigger expectations. Leading scorer Andre Ayew moved to Qatar with his contract up and City unable to keep him on such a high wage. However, they did manage to sign Joel Piroe, a young Dutch forward, but he has hardly been prolific in the Eredivisie thus far. They do have some mainstays returning but as I have discussed for other teams, the loss of the manager and the leading scorer with lesser replacements seemingly, does not normally lead to an upward trend.
Manager: Russell Martin
In
Kyle Joseph (undisclosed, Wigan Athletic)
Joel Piroe (£1.8m, PSV Eindhoven)
Liam Walsh (free, Bristol City)
Out
Declan John (free, Bolton Wanderers)
Barrie McKay (released)
Andre Ayew (free, Al Sadd, Qatar)
Kieron Freeman (free, Portsmouth)
Key Man: Connor Roberts - Fresh off his Euro 20 campaign, Roberts is one of, if not the best left back at his level. Can defend and is ultra-competitive but gets up the other end of the field to be a real threat. Boundless energy.
10) Middlesbrough
Fresh from giving out signed autographed pictures of himself from a bum bag to keen fans, the inimitable Mr Warnock is back again for ‘one last challenge.’ He is at a ‘club he has always wanted to manage’ under a ‘chairman he has always wanted to work for!’ and ‘fans he has always thought were the best around. Proper fans.’ Joking aside, no one can really question that wherever he goes at this level, he gets results and normally moves them away from trouble up towards the top end. He did this with Boro but they did not quite have the consistency to mount a proper play off challenge last season and at times the results were confusing as they would have impressive victories mixed in with awful defeats, many at the Riverside Stadium. The transfer business was very Warnock with him signing players he knew from before in the likes of Peltier to players that have not quite fulfilled early promise (Ameobi, Ikpeazu). Utility man Crooks will be a Warnock dream in that he is a handful and will do whatever the manager wants and an Argentinian playmaking midfielder that is maybe the antithesis of a Warnock signing. He will hope he is more Adel Taarabt than Ten Heuvel. As for finishing position, they do have some wily players to back up the wily gaffer but have lost Assombalonga and Fletcher up top so I just think they will finish in the exact same position as they did last season. I feel he will then maybe finally bow out until that club he has always wanted to manage comes in for him in another salvage act!
Manager: Neil Warnock
In
Joe Lumley (free, Queens Park Rangers)
Sammy Ameobi (free, Nottingham Forest)
Lee Peltier (free, West Bromwich Albion)
Uche Ikpeazu (£783,000, Wycombe Wanderers)
Matt Crooks (undisclosed, Rotherham United)
Martin Payero (undisclosed, Banfield)
Out
Marvin Johnson (free, Sheffield Wednesday)
Britt Assombalonga (free, Adana Demirspor)
Ashley Fletcher (free, Watford)
Jordan Archer (free, Queens Park Rangers)
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (released)
Tyrone O'Neill (released)
Zach Hemming (loan, Kilmarnock)
George Saville (undisclosed, Millwall)
Lewis Wing (loan, Sheffield Wednesday)
Key Man: Duncan Watmore – Warnock took a chance on Watmore and after a number of serious injuries, the flame haired midfielder bounced back and was a big player in the run in. Will be expected to do it consistently but he can get goals and makes great runs into the box that teams do not pick up.
9) Cardiff City
For Boro, see Cardiff. A decent sized club with loyal supporters who have tried different managers in recent times and not really found the link or the results. McCarthy, like Warnock, is maybe not an exciting appointment nor is it one that will be long term. However, he too has steadied the ship, making City hard to beat and delivering the same media friendly barb in his gruff Yorkshire accent. The similarities between both clubs and managers are obvious and this does not end at the top. The playing squads both similarly have some talent with youth coming through backed up by a smattering of experience. However, both squads lack the quality top to bottom to really have a proper go at Promotion. Kieffer Moore will be a big player for City, in moore (geddit!) ways than one! Outside of the front man, Cardiff seem to now lack goals in the squad and opted to let Glatzel, Hoilett and Whyte move on but Ryan Wintle is a talented young player, coming in from Crewe. They have solid, sturdy defenders on Morrison and Flint but also will struggle with pace and athleticism coming at them as the side is set up as physical but lacking craft and individuality with Harry Wilson now signing for Fulham.
Manager: Mick McCarthy
In
James Collins (free, Luton Town)
Mark McGuinness (undisclosed, Arsenal)
Ryan Wintle (free, Crewe Alexandra)
Ryan Giles (loan, Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Out
Joe Bennett (released)
Jonny Williams (released)
Sol Bamba (released)
Junior Hoilett (released)
James Waite (released)
Joe Day (free, Newport County)
Robert Glatzel (£810,000, Hamburg)
Gavin Whyte (loan, Oxford)
Max Watters (loan, Cardiff City)
Key Man: Kieffer Moore – Predictable player to say but Moore is a right handful at this level. He is so good at holding the ball up, wins all the aerial stuff and the focal point of the City attack. Without him I would peg City much lower.
8) Luton Town
Now I start predicting some unfashionable sides that I feel are ready to move up and upset some of the bigger and more fancied contenders. Luton with Nathan Jones back in the helm after struggling at Stoke, had a really solid season last time out and went from last day survival in 19-20 to a mid-table finish where at times the playoffs seemed in reach. Jones (like Ferguson at Peterborough) just seems the right for Luton and vice versa. The fans have forgiven him for moving on and all seems right at Kenilworth Road. Longer term they need the move to a new stadium (2024 if all goes to plan is when this move will finally happen) but actually for now, maybe the pokey ground helps them have an advantage at home over bigger sides at this level. They have added to a decent squad who now know they can compete at this level. Experienced players like Jerome and Lansbury come in as does young talent Carlos Mendes Gomes, who was the hero of the Play Off final for Morecambe last season. Onyedinma, Bell and Burke also have been mainstays at this level. Squad depth will not be an issue as it maybe was last time out. They will put a decent fight for a top 6 place.
Manager: Nathan Jones
In
Reece Burke (free, Hull City)
Fred Onyedinma (undisclosed, Wycombe Wanderers)
Allan Campbell (undisclosed, Motherwell)
Cameron Jerome (free, MK Dons)
Henri Lansbury (free, Bristol City)
Carlos Mendes Gomes (undisclosed, Morecambe)
Amari'i Bell (free, Blackburn Rovers)
Admiral Muskwe (undisclosed, Leicester City)
Out
Matty Pearson (free, Huddersfield Town)
James Collins (free, Cardiff City)
Brendan Galloway (free, Plymouth Argyle)
Harry Isted (released)
George Moncur (free, Hull City)
Kazenga LuaLua (free, Genclerbirligi)
Tiernan Parker (released)
Ryan Tunnicliffe (free, Portsmouth)
Jack Chambers (released)
Andrew Shinnie (released)
Corey Panter (loan, Dundee)
Key Man: Simon Sluga – The Croatian keeper has been very impressive and is one of the best number ones around at this level.
7) Millwall
Millwall are another side that I feel have all the ingredients to be nearer the top than bottom. In a weaker Championship seemingly, they have the same advantages Luton have. A fervent home crowd allied to a manager who gets the best out of his players. Millwall also made some smart acquisitions too. Saville was excellent when at The Den before and with Jed Wallace still around, those two should be able to thrive. Benik Afobe has lost his way somewhat after being one of the best around at this level a few years ago but expect Rowett to get him firing again. Daniel Ballard also comes in on loan from Arsenal to provide depth at the back to supplement no nonsense defenders Jake Cooper and Murray Wallace. With fans back in ground, the ‘Wall can really use this home advantage and the way they play means they will be hard to play against all season long.
Manager: Gary Rowett
In
George Long (free, Hull City)
Scott Malone (free, Derby County)
Daniel Ballard (loan, Arsenal)
George Saville (undisclosed, Middlesbrough)
Benik Afobe (loan, Stoke City)
Out
Frank Fielding (released)
Shaun Williams (free, Portsmouth)
Shane Ferguson (free, Rotherham United)
James Brown (undisclosed, St Johnstone)
Harry Ransom (free, Crawley Town)
Hayden Muller (loan, St Johnstone)
Key Man: George Saville – The return of Saville was seen as a bit of a coup for Millwall who spent a fair bit of money (over a million) to bring him back. He will hopefully give them a dynamic midfield pairing with Jed Wallace that should compete with most at this level.
6) Birmingham City
This prediction is a bold one and I could be left with egg on my face but I am not playing it totally safe and feel that there will be a few teams who make a big upward surge. Birmingham are one. They underachieved hugely for much of last season until Bowyer came in and if he had been there all season with the results they had, they would have been much nearer the top end. Maybe it was a new manager bounce but Bowyer did a really good job at Charlton and is well liked by Blue Noses from his time as a player at St Andrews. He made some excellent signings brining in Aneke from his former club but Woods is a player that has definite quality in midfield. They have used the loan market very well seemingly. Chong is an eye-catching signing (look out for his long hair!) from Manchester United on loan. Castillo is also promising young left back from Chelsea. A few loan players came in from Wolves also. Sanderson, who was linked with United, impressed at the Stadium of Light and is seen as a really good defensive prospect. Playoffs might seem a stretch but they have the momentum and with fans back, City can also improve their home form and I feel if they start well then, they could be one of the surprise packets.
Manager: Lee Bowyer
In
Riley McGree (loan, Charlotte FC)
Ryan Woods (free, Stoke City)
Jordan Graham (free, Gillingham)
Chuks Aneke (free, Charlton Athletic)
Juan Familia-Castillo (loan, Chelsea)
Tahith Chong (loan, Manchester United)
Dion Sanderson (loan, Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Matija Sarkic (loan, Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Out
Dan Crowley (released)
Mikel San Jose (released)
Jon Toral (free, OFI Crete)
Josh Cogley (free, Tranmere Rovers)
Geraldo Bajrami (released)
Ryan Burke (free, Mansfield Town)
Joe Redmond (released)
Jack Concannon (released)
Jayden Reid (released)
Agus Medina (free, Ponferradina)
Miguel Fernandez (released)
Remeao Hutton (free, Barrow)
Ivan Guzman (free, AD Ceuta)
Alen Halilovic (released)
Andres Prieto (released)
Steve Seddon (undisclosed, Oxford United)
Ryan Stirk (loan, Mansfield)
Zach Jeacock (loan, Swansea)
Key Man: Lukas Jutkiewicz – He might not have scored as many goals last season but is still the man City count on for leadership and that talisman at the top of the pitch. With better players around him, he may thrive even more and City might be the team that makes the biggest turnaround this season.
5) Queens Park Rangers
Were stuck in a real malaise around the turn of the year but then suddenly after some smart loan signings (Austin, Johansen, Field and De Wijs – all who have now signed permanently – Johansen in particular seems a bargain) they surged up the league and had 15 wins in the calendar year (2021) alone. They may have lost Osayi Samuel and Eze but credit to Warburton who has managed to replace them with Austin and Dykes. They might lack the defensive quality needed but with more attacking talent this time around, they will try and outscore teams. Maybe a playoff assault might be a step too far but as with Birmingham, they ended the season so well and with fans back and goals in the side, they are my biggest surprise tip for the top (to make the playoffs).
Manager: Mark Warburton
In
Charlie Austin (free, West Bromwich Albion)
Sam Field (undisclosed, West Bromwich Albion)
Jordy de Wijs (undisclosed, Hull City)
Andre Dozzell (£1m, Ipswich Town)
Jordan Archer (free, Middlesbrough)
Sam McCallum (loan, Norwich City)
Jimmy Dunne (undisclosed, Burnley)
Stefan Johansen (£630,000, Fulham)
Moses Odubajo (free, Sheffield Wednesday)
Out
Geoff Cameron (free, FC Cincinnati)
Joe Lumley (free, Middlesbrough)
Aramide Oteh (released)
Paul Smyth (free, Leyton Orient)
Macauley Bonne (loan, Ipswich Town)
Tom Carroll (released)
Liam Kelly (undisclosed, Motherwell)
Olamide Shodipo (loan, Sheffield Wednesday)
Key Man: Lyndon Dykes – The muscular big man has made the Scotland striking spot his own and he ended the season really well for the R’s. With Austin alongside him, expect Rangers to be a surprise play off contender. Austin will score more but Dykes work will be crucial.
4) Sheff Utd
Like with the other two relegated side, the Blades have managed to retain most of their squads but have a new manager also and thus may have a new formation and style. There is pressure on all these sides and fans expectations will be of a promotion campaign and playoffs at the very least. With a new manager and a different way of playing, United fans will need to patient. We have not had the best pre preparation with only 1 meaningful pre season game played and with covid cases not helping. However, on the surface Jokanovic seems to be the best option we could have got. Proven at this level and he has been successful gaining promotion twice. He is known to be quite slow at first in terms of results and getting his players to buy into his methods – hence the patience needed but he will come in and you hope be ruthless if he needs to be. The side and squad has not changed with no major departures (if you do not count Lundstram!) and no incomings whatsoever. Defensively we still need to replace O’Connell and midfield lacks legs and goals for me but the plus side is we have 15 left backs and 28 strikers! Seriously, as it stands, the same argument I have put forth for Fulham and Bournemouth I could say the same for us. We have a number of striking options although McBurnie and Brewster need to start repaying sizeable fees in some way but with old heads like McGoldrick, Sharp and behind them Fleck, Norwood, Basham, Egan and Baldock – the crux of the side is top end Championship easily. The key might be retaining Ramsdale and Berge. Last August our season kind of imploded after losing O’Connell and a bad start – you hope the same does not happen with outgoing transfers and a poor start after the difficult pre season. Quality and experience wise we should be too strong for many at this level. I just fear that the loss of one/both of above may mean top two is beyond us. We also need to endure that Mousset carries his pre season form into the season. A look at the possible backs ups though and you have players like Bogle, Sharp, McBurnie/Brewster, Norrington Davies/Osborn/Stevens (2 of the 3) and some young talent coming though and it is hard to see a Bryan Robson type season when we had a similarly very talented squad coming down from the Premier League. If we keep the two mentioned and can add some energy into the middle of the park – allied to a left sided centre back then we could be even higher. We need to use the loan market as surely, we could/should have the pick of some flight talent – I look at what teams are doing in this area and hope we do not miss the boat. This would be relatively inexpensive and gamble free. It will be interesting how certain players cope with formation changes and the pressing intensity he seems to demand but I feel relatively confident that as long as we do not start badly and thus see possible fan division (will the Wilder v Prince thing come to the fore again if this happens?) and lose key men at the end of August; we will be there or thereabouts. There is too many good players, experience and options for us to not be in the mix – aren’t there?
---
As an aside thought it was useful to see where I predicted us to finish over the last 5 seasons under Wilder! For the record going back over the last few years – here’s what I predicted so I am honest enough to predict where I went right/wrong with reasoning:
2016-17 (last season in League One) DB prediction 6th – we finished 1st
*After the Adkins disaster, even the playoffs seemed a long shot!
2017-18 (first season in Champ) DB prediction - 17th (lower end of league but staying up easily)– we finished 10th
*Not sure many thought we would flirt with the playoffs – mid table was seen as a good season
2018-19 (second season in Champ) DB prediction – 10th (mid table)– we finished 2nd.
*Again no one had us to go up really from what I recall but maybe mid table again was a bit low!
2019-20 (first season in Prem) DB prediction 17th (staying up) – we finished 9th
*Most pundits had us to go down – many Blades did so at least I tipped us to stay up
2020-21 (last season) DB prediction 16th – we finished 20th
*I foresaw a drop off but not this much of course!
Manager: Slavisa Jokanovic
In
None announced yet
Out
John Lundstram (released)
Phil Jagielka (released)
Simon Moore (free, Coventry City)
Jack Rodwell (released)
Kean Bryan (released)
Sam Graham (free, Rochdale)
Key Man: David McGoldrick – With question marks over the future of Berge and Ramsdale, McGoldrick will still be counted on to be both the creative link and to weigh in with goals for the Blades.
3) West Brom
Like with the Blades, hard one to call really. They have a new manager but have someone who imposed a certain style at Barnsley and no reason why his high intensity driven football will not work with better players. He brought in his former skipper Mowatt to help replicate the style he operated so well at Oakwell and even though some experienced players did move on, that might be a good thing due to how Ismail likes to operate – not sure any would have been seen as starters regardless of their experience and the loan players were not going to return anyway. Pereira is a fantastic footballer and Diangana also can unlock defenses’ with his pace. Sawyers and Livermore in midfield will also be strong at the lower level and Grant and Robinson should also score goals against weaker defenses’. They actually lack the same depth of United but maybe have a bit more quality and pace to break sides down who will sit in against the better sides.
Manager: Valerien Ismail
In
Alex Mowatt (loan, Barnsley)
Matt Clarke (loan, Brighton & Hove Albion)
Out
Kieran Gibbs (free, Inter Miami)
Hal Robson-Kanu (released)
Kamil Grosicki (released)
Branislav Ivanovic (released)
Kyle Edwards (released)
Lee Peltier (free, Middlesbrough)
Andy Lonergan (released)
Cheikh Diaby (released)
Ahmed Hegazy (£450,000, Al-Ittihad)
Sam Field (undisclosed, Queens Park Rangers)
Charlie Austin (free, Queens Park Rangers)
Rekeem Harper (£522,000, Ipswich Town)
Callum Morton (loan, Fleetwood Town)
Key Man: Matheus Pereira – A supreme talent on his day who opened up Premier League teams at times so at this level he can have a field day. Blades fans rightly enthuse about Berge’s ability to dominate at the lower level if he remains, but Pereira actually can do the same and provides goals and assists too and will rightly be seen as key to any Albion quick return to the top flight.
2) Bournemouth
I am still not totally sure about Scott Parker yet which is odd to say as he has been a manager for a while now and not sure why he was targeted specifically by Bournemouth, who of course needed to upgrade from Woodgate – who did ok but was not really ready to take them on the next step. They were close last season but managerial changes, injuries and lack of consistency saw them not quite make an immediate return. Parker though has done it before with Fulham and is a year older in managerial terms of experience. It is not all about talent but you scan down the side and squad and they have not lost any key men and the forward/creative players all remain. David Brooks finally seems fit (scored a wonder goal in the opening round of the Carabao Cup) but we have heard that before so will wait and see. Ben Pearson gives them steel in the middle of the field to add to the quality of Lerma, Cook and Billing. Marcondes gives them a bit of a wild card – if he can find the form, he showed in his early days at Brentford then it just another option that defenses will struggle to cope with. Solanke, Stanislas, Danjuma and Brooks is a fairly frightening array of forwards. Defensively I am still a little concerned they have the back ups they need but with the striking options it might not matter! The key is keeping them fit and retaining them before the end of the window of course with Danjuma and Brooks the type of forwards some lower Premier League teams may be circling to pick off.
Manager: Scott Parker
In
Emiliano Marcondes (free, Brentford)
Leif Davis (loan, Leeds United)
Out
Nnamdi Ofoborh (free, Rangers)
Jack Wilshere (released)
Asmir Begovic (undisclosed, Everton)
Diego Rico (undisclosed, Real Sociedad)
Key Man: Arnaut Danjuma – Talented player that scored 17 goals and not an out and out striker either. On his day is too good for this level but he is still here and will be an important player for Parker as they attempt to go one better than last season.
1) Fulham
It might be a stretch for all the top 4 to be with teams with new managers but the three relegated sides and Bournemouth, do seem to have far stronger and deeper squads than any of the other sides. It might be seen as a lazy prediction to go with those as the top 4 but I just feel with the strength in depth and power/pace/goals these sides have up top, that it will be tough for any team to unseat them. Of course, if any of them lose players or have a bad start, then pressure ramps up and fan unrest may see boardrooms panic. Silva seemed an odd choice as he had lost his way at Everton and he has managed 7 clubs and is only 45. He did really well at Watford of course before and Fulham will hope his time away will have recharged the batteries. Fulham have become the perennial yo-yo side – the new West Brom if you like. They have things a better attempt last time but ultimately still went down in the end. Scott Parker moved on which seemed a surprise but the squad he left albeit bereft of many of the loan players he opted to use, still has plenty of quality. Cairney, Mitrovic, Decordova-Reid, Cavaleiro, Knockaert, Reed, Bryan, Carvalho, the list goes on. They should be too much for most teams and the fact they spent 12 million+ on a player in Wilson shows they still have the spending power that no other team will possess at this level. They have the best squad by some way. It’s a toss-up between them and their former manager, Parker who wins the league.
Manager: Marco Silva
In
Harry Wilson (£12.6m, Liverpool)
Paulo Gazzaniga (free, Tottenham Hotspur)
Out
Kevin McDonald (released)
Stefan Johansen (£630,000, Queens Park Rangers)
Marcus Bettinelli (free, Chelsea)
Key Man: Aleksandar Mitrovic – Did not really impress in the Premier League (again) but should rip up this league (again). Strong, powerful and scores goals. Tough to stop.
As a further bit of fun here are my predictions for the other leagues:
Premier League –
Man City
Other top 4 – Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd
Relegated – Watford, Burnley and Crystal Palace
League One –
Promoted – Charlton, Ipswich and Sunderland (Playoffs)
Other Playoffs – Rotherham, Sheff Wed and Wycombe
Relegated – Morecambe, Wimbledon, Cheltenham, Doncaster
League Two –
Promoted – Newport, Exeter and Salford
Other Playoffs – Tranmere, Forest Green, Mansfield, Port Vale
Relegated – Hartlepool, Stevenage
Champions League – PSG beating Barcelona
FA Cup – Man Utd
League Cup – Aston Villa
It’s that time of year where ‘experts’ and bookmakers predict where everyone will finish in the table. I always try and have a go and have done ok the last few seasons with placing teams but last season I had United comfortably safe so was way off! I will list each team from bottom up to in terms of where I see them placing and assess their prospects with a summary. I will also detail the transfer business in the ins/outs section and also state who the key player is.
Remember it is just a bit of fun before everybody jumps up and down. In any responses I’d like to know what others think rather than just say absolute nonsense; and with reasoning! Hopefully it will generate some decent discussion…..
24) Hull City
Interestingly many of the bookmakers do not see them struggling/doing down. They of course won League One and were impressive in bouncing straight back. They have some decent young players but also therein lies the issues – it is a squad bereft of successful experience at this level. They will rely on the likes of Wilks and Magennis for goals but neither really shown they can plunder goals in the Championship before. Randell Williams is a smart capture from Exeter and they have signed a few Premier League talents – young keeper Nathan Baxter may usurp the more experienced Matt Ingram between the sticks. Positive covid cases this week will not help the preparation. Just do not see them having enough to avoid the yo-yoing continuing.
Manager: Grant McCann
In
George Moncur (free, Luton Town)
Andy Cannon (free, Portsmouth)
Randell Williams (free, Exeter City)
Nathan Baxter (loan, Chelsea)
Ryan Longman (loan, Brighton & Hove Albion)
Di’Shon Bernard (loan, Manchester United)
Out
Reece Burke (free, Luton Town)
Max Clark (free, Fleetwood Town)
Jordy de Wijs (undisclosed, Queens Park Rangers)
George Long (free, Millwall)
Max Sheaf (released)
Callum Jones (loan, Morecambe)
Jordan Flores (loan, Northampton Town)
Elliot Bonds (free, Cheltenham Town)
Martin Samuelsen (undisclosed, Haugesund)
Key Man: George Honeyman – The heartbeat of the City midfield. Gets up and down and scores and assists. Finally showed the promise he once exhibited at the Stadium of Light.
23) Derby County
Derby have been in turmoil for some time, on and off the pitch. Quite how Rooney has remained in charge I do not know. He should have been jettisoned for the awful performances on the whole since he took over and to be frank, they were incredibly fortunate to stay up last season. The squad has been further trimmed due to financial measures. If they managed to get new ownership then this prediction may seem foolish but as it stands, I see nothing but a continuation of the struggles they endured to end the previous campaign. They will have to rely even more on young players and with Rooney seemingly out of his depth in terms of both tactics and motivation of his charges, they will be in a fight from the outset. The fact they were looking at former Blades castoffs Jagielka and Morrison, along with Richard Stearman (released by Huddersfield) if any transfer embargo is lifted, showed the type of waters Rooney was fishing in.
Manager: Wayne Rooney
In
None announced yet
Out
Scott Malone (free, Millwall)
Jack Marriott (free, Peterborough United)
Florian Jozefzoon (released)
Jonathan Mitchell (released)
Scott Carson (free, Man City)
Emmanuel Idem (released)
Jordon Ibe (contract cancelled)
Henrich Ravas (free, FK Senica)
Martyn Waghorn (free, Coventry City)
Andre Wisdom (released)
Curtis Davies (released)
Jahmal Hector-Ingram (released)
Key Man: Colin Kazim Richards – Much travelled but gave them a lift in the run in and will be counted on to add goals and experience to a wafer thin and mostly young squad. At the other end if he remains David Marshall will surely need to be used more than the error stricken Kelle Roos?
22) Huddersfield
Finished in 20th place last time out. They quickly dispensed with the Cowley brothers and Carlos Coberan, former assistant of Marcelo Bielsa was brought in. This seemed an off move as surely Town needed stability after being closes to exiting this league at the wrong end after their spell at the top table. They needed to bring in some quality but not sure they have come close to achieving that. Rhodes, once a Terrier legend, is far from the player he was and the rest are workmanlike but aren’t going to move the needle enough to get them up the league. Jonathan Hogg will scrap and fight in the middle but the defensive options are a concern. If the talented O’Brien moves on, then this will further hinder them. Not sure where the goals are coming from either if Rhodes and Campbell are seen as the duo to plunder them.
Manager: Carlos Corberan
In
Jordan Rhodes (free, Sheffield Wednesday)
Matty Pearson (free, Luton Town)
Lee Nicholls (free, MK Dons)
Josh Ruffels (free, Oxford United)
Levi Colwill (loan, Chelsea)
Ollie Turton (free, Blackpool)
Danel Sinani (free, Norwich City)
Out
Christopher Schindler (free, Nuremberg)
Tommy Elphick (released)
Alex Pritchard (free, Sunderland)
Oumar Niasse (released)
Richard Stearman (released)
Jayson Leutwiler (free, Oldham Athletic)
Demeaco Duhaney (released)
Jaden Brown (free, Sheffield Wednesday)
Yaya Sanogo (released)
Richard Keogh (free, Blackpool)
Kieran Phillips (loan, Walsall)
Key Man: Lewis O’Brien – The young midfielder has been linked with clubs this summer including Leeds in recent times. He is someone they will need to stave off another relegation battle.
21) Blackpool
What a job Neil Critchley did after coming in from Liverpool’s Academy. Blackpool were certainly not reckoned to be close to a promotion contender, so for the Tangerines to get up via the playoffs was a fantastic achievement. They work hard, have a set way of playing and defensively they are sound. They do no score many albeit for a team near the top (only 7 teams scored fewer in League One and Rochdale scored more and they went down!) but they are tough to beat. Player wise they might not be full of names many fans at this level have heard of although keeper Chris Maxwell and defender Richard Keogh are exceptions to this. Former Blade loanee Gary Madine has reupped for another year and will be used as part of a striker by committee approach. I think that the home form will be key and they might just have enough to stay up. Will be everyone’s favourite away day…unless you are going in midweek (yes us in March I know!).
Manager: Neil Critchley
In
Daniel Grimshaw (free, Manchester City)
Reece James (free, Doncaster Rovers)
Shayne Lavery (free, Linfield)
Josh Bowler (free, Everton)
Oliver Casey (undisclosed, Leeds United)
Callum Connolly (free, Everton)
Sonny Carey (undisclosed, King's Lynn)
Richard Keogh (free, Huddersfield Town)
Tyreece John-Jules (loan, Arsenal)
Out
Ben Garrity (undisclosed, Port Vale)
Liam Feeney (free, Tranmere Rovers)
Ethan Robson (loan, MK Dons)
Ollie Turton (free, Huddersfield Town)
Nathan Shaw (free, AFC Fylde)
Adi Yussuf (released)
Sullay Kaikai (free, Wycombe Wanderers)
Jack Sims (released)
Alex Fojticek (released)
Key Man: Jerry Yates – Scored 20 goals as the Tangerines came up via the Play Offs. Never convinced at this level before when he was at Rotherham so will want to show the improvements he has made in his game.
20) Coventry City
Back to the Ricoh and more importantly Coventry they go after a two-year hiatus in Birmingham. The club has signed a ten-year deal with the Wasps group to return but will still press ahead to build their own stadium within the Coventry area in this time frame. City looked like they might have only had a brief return to the Championship but 5 wins in 8 matches saw them survive with surprising comfort in the end. The league does not appear any stronger this season but City don’t either. Waghorn will provide some nous and goals at the top of the field but how City goes depends largely on the same squad as last season. Be interesting to see if young keeper Ben Wilson or former Blade Simon Moore (been given the number one shirt) gets the nod between the sticks. Kelly, O’Hare and Hamer will mean they won’t get overrun in midfield as they have energy and tenacity. Tyler Walker was the leading scorer with just 8 so it is important Waghorn can supplement him. I expect a similar campaign to last season but they will have just enough to survive again.
Manager: Mark Robins
In
Ben Sheaf (undisclosed, Arsenal)
Martyn Waghorn (free, Derby County)
Simon Moore (free, Sheffield United)
Viktor Gyokeres (undisclosed, Brighton & Hove Albion)
Bright Enobakhare (free, East Bengal)
Ian Maatsen (loan, Chelsea)
Out
Maxime Biamou (released)
Amadou Bakayoko (free, Bolton Wanderers)
Jordon Thompson (released)
Morgan Williams (free, Yeovil Town)
Marko Marosi (undisclosed, Shrewsbury Town)
Gervane Kastaneer (free, PEC Zwolle)
Tom Billson (loan, Scunthorpe United)
Key Man: Callum O’Hare – An ever present in the Championship last year, O’Hare is finally showing the promise he had as a youngster at Villa. Technically good and busy in everything he does.
19) Peterborough
Darren Ferguson returned to Posh for the third time and he managed what he achieved in his first spell with another promotion – he now has fourth at the club! It seems he has maybe not had as much success elsewhere so the fit for him clearly is at London Road. Co-owner and chairman, Darragh McAnthony is certainly not an owner that likes to stay out of the limelight and you cannot say he is not up front but he has made some tidy profits on a number of players over the years. They still lack the infrastructure and stadium to possibly do anything more than consolidate at this level but if they do that, they will have had a fantastic campaign. Jack Marriott was an astute signing, who like Ferguson maybe needed to return to where he has been loved to have the success he had before. His partnership with the prolific Jonson Clark Harris will see them score enough goals to keep clear of deep water. The rest of the squad is largely made up of the players who got them up but they do have some talent – Siriki Dembele, Frankie Kent and Sammie Szmodics are players that have moved up the leagues and shown they can continue to improve. Beevers gives them experience at the back and Jorge Grant is a creative talent that can only help supply a dangerous front pairing. I have placed them conservatively due to squad depth (lack of it). However, if they avoid injuries, I would not be surprised to see them place higher.
Manager: Darren Ferguson
In
David Cornell (free, Ipswich Town)
Jack Marriott (free, Derby County)
Jorge Grant (undisclosed, Lincoln City)
Josh Knight (undisclosed, Leicester City)
Emmanuel Fernandez (undisclosed, Ramsgate)
Joe Tomlinson (undisclosed, Eastleigh)
Out
Mark Tyler (retired)
Louis Reed (released)
Niall Mason (released)
Archie Jones (released)
Sam Cartwright (released)
Frazer Blake-Tracy (free, Burton Albion)
Flynn Clarke (undisclosed, Norwich City)
Bradley Rolt (free, Brackley)
Mo Eisa (undisclosed, MK Dons)
Ryan Broom (loan, Plymouth Argyle)
Key Man: Jonson Clarke Harris – 33 goals last season. They have managed to retain him despite rumoured suitors from bigger clubs at this level. He will be vital that he can continue to find the net if they are to stay up.
18) Preston North End
Seem to have been at this level for a long time (actually only been 6 years!) and never been that close to going up or down, although have flirted with the playoffs a few times in recent years. Last year they finished 13th and moved Alex Neil on when they did not quite start the season how they ended the previous one. They ended the season pretty well and Frankie McAvoy, who was appointed from within, did well to steady the ship and they were comfortably mid table in the end. They always seem to struggle to add players that can allow them to make a concerted push for the top end and this summer it was relatively modest business again. They had signed League One players, Brad Potts, Ben Whiteman and Ched Evans in recent times and the controversial ex United striker was given a longer deal with seemed to be met with mixed reaction by PNE fans – more due to the fact he was given a 2-year deal at the age of 32 – than his ‘history.’ Scott Sinclair can frustrate but also can score spectacular goals on his day too. A tough one to forecast as they also could be higher and depends what kind of start, they make. I am concerned that the loss of Ben Davies will hinder them and defensively I do not see the solidity I have seen from them in previous seasons.
Manager: Frankie McAvoy
In
Liam Lindsay (undisclosed, Stoke City)
Sepp van den Berg (loan, Liverpool)
Izzy Brown (free, Chelsea)
Matthew Olosunde (free, Rotherham United)
Out
Paul Gallagher (retired)
Louis Moult (free, Burton Albion)
Josh Ginnelly (free, Hearts)
Billy Bodin (free, Oxford United)
David Nugent (released)
Graham Burke (released)
Jayden Stockley (undisclosed, Charlton Athletic)
Key Man: Ryan Ledson – The player of the year last season, he has quietly helped North End replace the likes of Ben Pearson. He will be counted on to combine with former Blade Ben Whiteman and the skillful Daniel Johnson, to ensure the Lilywhites can remain competitive.
17) Blackburn Rovers
You sense some Rovers fans frustration with ownership has now switched to manager Mowbray. Undoubtedly, he did fantastic to get them up but as often happens (see Mick McCarthy, Alex Neil) success sees fans demand more and bring bigger expectation. Blackburn have plateaued somewhat and they have had funds and maybe not used them as well as they could have done – although maybe Ben Brereton (Diaz)’s unlikely success at the Copa America with Chile, might see him kickstart a poor Rovers career for someone who cost a whopping 7 million pounds and has only scored 9 goals in 3 seasons. Adam Armstrong has developed hugely since making Ewood his home after finally leaving Newcastle after a number of loan spells. He scores different types of goals and is crucial to how Rovers do. The fact they finished they finished only 15th and he scored 29 goals points to concerns moving forward. They have signed no one as I type this and Mowbray’s tenure does seem to have gone stagnant. Thomas Kaminski had an impressive debut season in goal and will need to be as consistent again. Keeping Bradley Dack fit has proved to be a challenge. If he can get back to his former form and Armstrong stays, then another side that may punch higher but I do not think either is likely. If Armstrong goes, they may get sucked into a battle at the bottom.
Manager: Tony Mowbray
In
None announced yet
Out
Stewart Downing (released)
Lewis Holtby (released)
Amari' Bell (released)
Corry Evans (free, Sunderland)
Charlie Mulgrew (released)
Bradley Lyons (free, Kilmarnock)
Joe Grayson (free, Barrow)
Tom White (free, Barrow)
Elliott Bennett (free, Shrewsbury Town)
Lewis Thompson (free, Scunthorpe United)
Key Man: Adam Armstrong – Has continued to interest clubs but Rovers will know if he does go, the steady decline under Mowbray could end up in a catastrophic relegation campaign. They must keep him to avoid being sucked into trouble.
16) Bristol City
City seemed to steadily improve over the years and as we got promoted, you thought they may push on further but went the other way in reality and Lee Johnson left and Dean Holden seemed to be a cheap replacement and it backfired badly. The experienced and wily Nigel Pearson came in but was unable to arrest the slide. He has had a pre season to work with them and try and improve a side that seems to lack character and quality. They seemed stuck in that awkward mix with talented but inexperienced young players mixed with experience that might be on the downward trajectory. The squad has thinned out considerably over the summer with focal point Diedhiou moving on so the burden will fall on Nakhi Wells for goals and he has not quite fulfilled the promise he once showed. James and King are players Pearson knows well from his Leicester days but these have not played much at all in recent seasons. Atkinson was highly rated at the Kassam so seems a shrewd acquisition to help shore up the backline. These are a side that I do not see threatening the top 6 at all and mid table might be seen as a good season. Some bookmakers have them really struggling but I think Pearson’s know how and organization may mean they do not have such concerns by the close of the season.
Manager: Nigel Pearson
In
Matty James (free, Leicester City)
Andy King (free, Leuven)
Rob Atkinson (undisclosed, Oxford United)
Out
Jack Hunt (free, Sheffield Wednesday)
Liam Walsh (free, Swansea City)
Famara Diedhiou (free, Alanyaspor)
Jamie Paterson (released)
Marley Watkins (released)
Henri Lansbury (free, Luton Town)
Adrian Mariappa (released)
Tommy Rowe (free, Doncaster Rovers)
Opi Edwards (free, Forest Green Rovers)
Hakeeb Adelakun (free, Lincoln City)
Rene Gilmartin (released)
Joe Wollacott (free, Swindon Town)
Zac Smith (released)
Aden Baldwin (free, MK Dons)
George Nurse (undisclosed, Shrewsbury Town)
Key Man: Daniel Bentley – The fact the keeper is seen as so important tells you what I think of the season ahead. City finished 19th last season and Bentley will be as busy this campaign I feel especially in a porous defence.
15) Barnsley
Really difficult to predict. I know many Tykes fans may come at me with daggers for such a forecast and I may be way off the mark! I just feel they punched above their weight considerably last season and I would have had them mid table anyway but they lost their manager Ismael, their captain Mowatt and the striker who was the biggest threat in Daryl Dike, who returns to Orlando after a successful loan spell. They have done superbly to appoint up and coming continental managers who have gone on to do very well and Struber and Ismael both were shrewd appointments. Schopp seems a similar type appointment. Successful in his native Austria in both results and developing young talent, Barnsley will hope he can continue the success they have had. Their recruitment has been excellent and if not quite Brentford-esque, they still have picked up some players from abroad who have realty thrived. This summer they have not really improved the squad though but will hope those players who did so well, will be year wise and stronger at this level. My reasoning for the drop off is the loss of key men but also that Ismael had such a clear identity to playing, with (direct but effective) and without (high intensity press) that it will be hard to replicate that again when they maybe lack the out and out quality of some other promotion contenders.
Manager: Markus Schopp
In
Devante Cole (free, Motherwell)
Obbi Oulare (undisclosed, Standard Liege)
Josh Benson (undisclosed, Burnley)
Out
Henry Kendrick (released)
Patrick Schmidt (loan, Esbjerg)
Alex Mowatt (free, West Bromwich Albion)
Jack Aitchison (loan, Forest Green Rovers)
Michael Sollbauer (undisclosed, Dynamo Dresden)
Luke Thomas (loan, Bristol Rovers)
Conor Chaplin (undisclosed, Ipswich Town)
Key Man: Michael Helik – The Polish defender has been vital and he will be the anchor that the Tykes build upon in another transitional period yet again.
14) Nottingham Forest
Forest now seem cocooned at this level now and changes of ownership and manager has not really seen the promotion push fans would expect. Last season was a really poor one and in the end they finished 17th and if the season had gone on much longer, the unthinkable may have happened. Fortunately for them, local sides Derby and Wednesday were even more abject. Forest simply never got going and even the experienced Hughton seemed helpless to turnaround a side that looked completely without identity. The leading scorer was Lewis Grabban. With six goals. Six. He and Joe Lolley were seen as key men a few seasons ago but now both have flatlined. They need to find life quickly if Forest want to threaten near the top. Young players like Worrall, Yates and Mighten are the future but Hughton has often be seen as a defensive, pragmatic coach and the fans will only accept that if it is winning football they are seeing. Only one signing, the American keeper Horvath who will only back up Samba you would think; is not the summer of business Forest fans would have wanted but after a bloated squad of a year ago, they maybe need to prune sensibly first. Young winger Brennan Johnson might be one to look out for, having done very well at Lincoln last season and is now back in the fold.
Manager: Chris Hughton
In
Ethan Horvath (free, Club Brugge)
Out
Michael Dawson (released)
Glenn Murray (retired)
Yuri Ribeiro (released)
Sammy Ameobi (released)
Samba Sow (released)
Abdoulaye Diallo (released)
Michael Hefele (released)
Marcus McGuane (undisclosed, Oxford United)
George Shelvey (loan, Mansfield Town)
Sammy Ameobi (free, Middlesbrough)
Nikolas Ioannou (loan, Como)
Key Man: Joe Lolley - A year to 18 months ago and he was being linked with Villa and a number of other top flight sides. He has lost his way, not helped by Forest’s stagnation and was not even a regular last season. Needs to bounce back if Forest are going to be higher up the league.
13) Stoke City
I recall a few years ago that Stoke had a side packed full of quality, experience and Premier League caliber players but they had a disastrous first season back in the Championship and have never really recovered and have finished 16th, 14th and 15th under Rowett, Jones and now O’Neill. Fans feel there has been an improvement under the latter but others felt his tactics were overly negative. To be fair to O’Neill with the parachute payments ending, he has had to lose some of the big earners and trim the squad. It is now unrecognizable from the squad of three years ago. Tyrese Campbell, son of Kevin and former Owl Steven Fletcher will be counted upon to be the little man/big man combo up top but Powell is the most important player behind them. They lost talented defender Nathan Collins but due to FFP and still recovering financially from excesses of yester-year, they won’t see much of the near 13 million received. Vrancic seems a smart piece of business and maybe he gives the City fans some excitement they are crying out for but I am not sure I see them really worrying either the bottom or top sides this season.
Manager: Michael O’Neill
In
Ben Wilmot (£1.6m, Watford)
Jack Bonham (free, Gillingham)
Mario Vrancic (free, Norwich City)
Out
Kevin Wimmer (free, Rapid Vienna)
Jordan Cousins (free, Wigan Athletic)
Liam Lindsay (undisclosed, Preston North End)
Connor Taylor (loan, Bristol Rovers)
Ryan Woods (free, Birmingham City)
Nathan Collins (£12.6m, Burnley)
Moritz Bauer (free, Ufa)
John Obi Mikel (free, Kuwait SC)
Benik Afobe (loan, Millwall)
Bruno Martins Indi (undisclosed, AZ Alkmaar)
Peter Etebo (loan, Watford)
Blondy Nna Noukeu (loan, Crawley Town)
Badou Ndiaye (undisclosed, Aris)
Lasse Sorensen (undisclosed, Lincoln City)
Sam Vokes (undisclosed, Wycombe Wanderers)
Key Man: Nick Powell – Has some support from Vrancic now in terms of creativity. Powell was the leading scorer and assist man and is the player much of Stoke’s attacks revolve around him as he finally found fitness and consistency.
12) Reading
Started last season on fire but could not sustain it and in the end, they missed even the playoffs after having been around the top two for periods of the campaign. They were exciting to watch with fast, attacking football and goals coming from a variety of sources. Talented Michael Olise (Palace hope to make him this seasons Eze with the former QPR man out injured) moves on and they also lost Omar Richards to Bayern Munich in a surprise move (he has been starting friendlies for them as they saw the success of Jude Bellingham for Dortmund). The biggest issue is due to FFP, they have been placed under a transfer embargo and thus with a number moving in, they have only 17 senior players left. Striker Meite is injured too. They still have some real talent and the starting eleven will be fine but do not be surprised if they have to sell more and the likes of Swift, Moore and Puscas could be the next to be sacrificed. These might be the hardest side to predict. They finished 7th last season and some previews have them finishing in the playoffs but I think there is too much to overcome for them to sustain a promotion challenge. There is too much talent left to struggle as other say but of course if they do lose more of the first team left then it will not be a season to enjoy.
Manager: Velijka Paunovic
In
None announced yet
Out
Omar Richards (free, Bayern Munich)
Thierry Nevers (undisclosed, West Ham United)
Sone Aluko (released)
Sam Baldock (released)
Sam Walker (free, Kilmarnock)
Sam Smith (free, Cambridge United)
Michael Olise (£8.4m, Crystal Palace)
Jokull Andresson (loan, Morecambe)
Tennai Watson (free, MK Dons)
Key Man: Lucas Joao – 22 goals was something he seemed incapable of after an inconsistent career but he was given regular playing time at the Madjeski Stadium. With restrictions and a few moving on, be tougher for him to hit those heights but still expect him to be the leading scorer.
11) Swansea
Like Reading and Barnsley, another side that I see taking a bit of a plummet. They do have talent remaining but another side that seems to be in transition somewhat. I also believe Steve Cooper was an impressive manager that was a big part of their success. Cooper’s reasoning for leaving is not yet clear but many feel he had grown disenchanted with the lack of ambition shown to improve the squad and it certainly seems that his thoughts did not align with ownership. However, with no return after three seasons away from the Premier League and the parachute payments ending, the board may not have been able to quite match the ambition of the promising Cooper. Russell Martin, at only 35, is a bold appointment with more experienced campaigners around but Swansea have made some superb choices to lead them with Martinez, Rodgers and will hope this move will work again. He had done well at MK Dons but this challenge provides bigger expectations. Leading scorer Andre Ayew moved to Qatar with his contract up and City unable to keep him on such a high wage. However, they did manage to sign Joel Piroe, a young Dutch forward, but he has hardly been prolific in the Eredivisie thus far. They do have some mainstays returning but as I have discussed for other teams, the loss of the manager and the leading scorer with lesser replacements seemingly, does not normally lead to an upward trend.
Manager: Russell Martin
In
Kyle Joseph (undisclosed, Wigan Athletic)
Joel Piroe (£1.8m, PSV Eindhoven)
Liam Walsh (free, Bristol City)
Out
Declan John (free, Bolton Wanderers)
Barrie McKay (released)
Andre Ayew (free, Al Sadd, Qatar)
Kieron Freeman (free, Portsmouth)
Key Man: Connor Roberts - Fresh off his Euro 20 campaign, Roberts is one of, if not the best left back at his level. Can defend and is ultra-competitive but gets up the other end of the field to be a real threat. Boundless energy.
10) Middlesbrough
Fresh from giving out signed autographed pictures of himself from a bum bag to keen fans, the inimitable Mr Warnock is back again for ‘one last challenge.’ He is at a ‘club he has always wanted to manage’ under a ‘chairman he has always wanted to work for!’ and ‘fans he has always thought were the best around. Proper fans.’ Joking aside, no one can really question that wherever he goes at this level, he gets results and normally moves them away from trouble up towards the top end. He did this with Boro but they did not quite have the consistency to mount a proper play off challenge last season and at times the results were confusing as they would have impressive victories mixed in with awful defeats, many at the Riverside Stadium. The transfer business was very Warnock with him signing players he knew from before in the likes of Peltier to players that have not quite fulfilled early promise (Ameobi, Ikpeazu). Utility man Crooks will be a Warnock dream in that he is a handful and will do whatever the manager wants and an Argentinian playmaking midfielder that is maybe the antithesis of a Warnock signing. He will hope he is more Adel Taarabt than Ten Heuvel. As for finishing position, they do have some wily players to back up the wily gaffer but have lost Assombalonga and Fletcher up top so I just think they will finish in the exact same position as they did last season. I feel he will then maybe finally bow out until that club he has always wanted to manage comes in for him in another salvage act!
Manager: Neil Warnock
In
Joe Lumley (free, Queens Park Rangers)
Sammy Ameobi (free, Nottingham Forest)
Lee Peltier (free, West Bromwich Albion)
Uche Ikpeazu (£783,000, Wycombe Wanderers)
Matt Crooks (undisclosed, Rotherham United)
Martin Payero (undisclosed, Banfield)
Out
Marvin Johnson (free, Sheffield Wednesday)
Britt Assombalonga (free, Adana Demirspor)
Ashley Fletcher (free, Watford)
Jordan Archer (free, Queens Park Rangers)
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (released)
Tyrone O'Neill (released)
Zach Hemming (loan, Kilmarnock)
George Saville (undisclosed, Millwall)
Lewis Wing (loan, Sheffield Wednesday)
Key Man: Duncan Watmore – Warnock took a chance on Watmore and after a number of serious injuries, the flame haired midfielder bounced back and was a big player in the run in. Will be expected to do it consistently but he can get goals and makes great runs into the box that teams do not pick up.
9) Cardiff City
For Boro, see Cardiff. A decent sized club with loyal supporters who have tried different managers in recent times and not really found the link or the results. McCarthy, like Warnock, is maybe not an exciting appointment nor is it one that will be long term. However, he too has steadied the ship, making City hard to beat and delivering the same media friendly barb in his gruff Yorkshire accent. The similarities between both clubs and managers are obvious and this does not end at the top. The playing squads both similarly have some talent with youth coming through backed up by a smattering of experience. However, both squads lack the quality top to bottom to really have a proper go at Promotion. Kieffer Moore will be a big player for City, in moore (geddit!) ways than one! Outside of the front man, Cardiff seem to now lack goals in the squad and opted to let Glatzel, Hoilett and Whyte move on but Ryan Wintle is a talented young player, coming in from Crewe. They have solid, sturdy defenders on Morrison and Flint but also will struggle with pace and athleticism coming at them as the side is set up as physical but lacking craft and individuality with Harry Wilson now signing for Fulham.
Manager: Mick McCarthy
In
James Collins (free, Luton Town)
Mark McGuinness (undisclosed, Arsenal)
Ryan Wintle (free, Crewe Alexandra)
Ryan Giles (loan, Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Out
Joe Bennett (released)
Jonny Williams (released)
Sol Bamba (released)
Junior Hoilett (released)
James Waite (released)
Joe Day (free, Newport County)
Robert Glatzel (£810,000, Hamburg)
Gavin Whyte (loan, Oxford)
Max Watters (loan, Cardiff City)
Key Man: Kieffer Moore – Predictable player to say but Moore is a right handful at this level. He is so good at holding the ball up, wins all the aerial stuff and the focal point of the City attack. Without him I would peg City much lower.
8) Luton Town
Now I start predicting some unfashionable sides that I feel are ready to move up and upset some of the bigger and more fancied contenders. Luton with Nathan Jones back in the helm after struggling at Stoke, had a really solid season last time out and went from last day survival in 19-20 to a mid-table finish where at times the playoffs seemed in reach. Jones (like Ferguson at Peterborough) just seems the right for Luton and vice versa. The fans have forgiven him for moving on and all seems right at Kenilworth Road. Longer term they need the move to a new stadium (2024 if all goes to plan is when this move will finally happen) but actually for now, maybe the pokey ground helps them have an advantage at home over bigger sides at this level. They have added to a decent squad who now know they can compete at this level. Experienced players like Jerome and Lansbury come in as does young talent Carlos Mendes Gomes, who was the hero of the Play Off final for Morecambe last season. Onyedinma, Bell and Burke also have been mainstays at this level. Squad depth will not be an issue as it maybe was last time out. They will put a decent fight for a top 6 place.
Manager: Nathan Jones
In
Reece Burke (free, Hull City)
Fred Onyedinma (undisclosed, Wycombe Wanderers)
Allan Campbell (undisclosed, Motherwell)
Cameron Jerome (free, MK Dons)
Henri Lansbury (free, Bristol City)
Carlos Mendes Gomes (undisclosed, Morecambe)
Amari'i Bell (free, Blackburn Rovers)
Admiral Muskwe (undisclosed, Leicester City)
Out
Matty Pearson (free, Huddersfield Town)
James Collins (free, Cardiff City)
Brendan Galloway (free, Plymouth Argyle)
Harry Isted (released)
George Moncur (free, Hull City)
Kazenga LuaLua (free, Genclerbirligi)
Tiernan Parker (released)
Ryan Tunnicliffe (free, Portsmouth)
Jack Chambers (released)
Andrew Shinnie (released)
Corey Panter (loan, Dundee)
Key Man: Simon Sluga – The Croatian keeper has been very impressive and is one of the best number ones around at this level.
7) Millwall
Millwall are another side that I feel have all the ingredients to be nearer the top than bottom. In a weaker Championship seemingly, they have the same advantages Luton have. A fervent home crowd allied to a manager who gets the best out of his players. Millwall also made some smart acquisitions too. Saville was excellent when at The Den before and with Jed Wallace still around, those two should be able to thrive. Benik Afobe has lost his way somewhat after being one of the best around at this level a few years ago but expect Rowett to get him firing again. Daniel Ballard also comes in on loan from Arsenal to provide depth at the back to supplement no nonsense defenders Jake Cooper and Murray Wallace. With fans back in ground, the ‘Wall can really use this home advantage and the way they play means they will be hard to play against all season long.
Manager: Gary Rowett
In
George Long (free, Hull City)
Scott Malone (free, Derby County)
Daniel Ballard (loan, Arsenal)
George Saville (undisclosed, Middlesbrough)
Benik Afobe (loan, Stoke City)
Out
Frank Fielding (released)
Shaun Williams (free, Portsmouth)
Shane Ferguson (free, Rotherham United)
James Brown (undisclosed, St Johnstone)
Harry Ransom (free, Crawley Town)
Hayden Muller (loan, St Johnstone)
Key Man: George Saville – The return of Saville was seen as a bit of a coup for Millwall who spent a fair bit of money (over a million) to bring him back. He will hopefully give them a dynamic midfield pairing with Jed Wallace that should compete with most at this level.
6) Birmingham City
This prediction is a bold one and I could be left with egg on my face but I am not playing it totally safe and feel that there will be a few teams who make a big upward surge. Birmingham are one. They underachieved hugely for much of last season until Bowyer came in and if he had been there all season with the results they had, they would have been much nearer the top end. Maybe it was a new manager bounce but Bowyer did a really good job at Charlton and is well liked by Blue Noses from his time as a player at St Andrews. He made some excellent signings brining in Aneke from his former club but Woods is a player that has definite quality in midfield. They have used the loan market very well seemingly. Chong is an eye-catching signing (look out for his long hair!) from Manchester United on loan. Castillo is also promising young left back from Chelsea. A few loan players came in from Wolves also. Sanderson, who was linked with United, impressed at the Stadium of Light and is seen as a really good defensive prospect. Playoffs might seem a stretch but they have the momentum and with fans back, City can also improve their home form and I feel if they start well then, they could be one of the surprise packets.
Manager: Lee Bowyer
In
Riley McGree (loan, Charlotte FC)
Ryan Woods (free, Stoke City)
Jordan Graham (free, Gillingham)
Chuks Aneke (free, Charlton Athletic)
Juan Familia-Castillo (loan, Chelsea)
Tahith Chong (loan, Manchester United)
Dion Sanderson (loan, Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Matija Sarkic (loan, Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Out
Dan Crowley (released)
Mikel San Jose (released)
Jon Toral (free, OFI Crete)
Josh Cogley (free, Tranmere Rovers)
Geraldo Bajrami (released)
Ryan Burke (free, Mansfield Town)
Joe Redmond (released)
Jack Concannon (released)
Jayden Reid (released)
Agus Medina (free, Ponferradina)
Miguel Fernandez (released)
Remeao Hutton (free, Barrow)
Ivan Guzman (free, AD Ceuta)
Alen Halilovic (released)
Andres Prieto (released)
Steve Seddon (undisclosed, Oxford United)
Ryan Stirk (loan, Mansfield)
Zach Jeacock (loan, Swansea)
Key Man: Lukas Jutkiewicz – He might not have scored as many goals last season but is still the man City count on for leadership and that talisman at the top of the pitch. With better players around him, he may thrive even more and City might be the team that makes the biggest turnaround this season.
5) Queens Park Rangers
Were stuck in a real malaise around the turn of the year but then suddenly after some smart loan signings (Austin, Johansen, Field and De Wijs – all who have now signed permanently – Johansen in particular seems a bargain) they surged up the league and had 15 wins in the calendar year (2021) alone. They may have lost Osayi Samuel and Eze but credit to Warburton who has managed to replace them with Austin and Dykes. They might lack the defensive quality needed but with more attacking talent this time around, they will try and outscore teams. Maybe a playoff assault might be a step too far but as with Birmingham, they ended the season so well and with fans back and goals in the side, they are my biggest surprise tip for the top (to make the playoffs).
Manager: Mark Warburton
In
Charlie Austin (free, West Bromwich Albion)
Sam Field (undisclosed, West Bromwich Albion)
Jordy de Wijs (undisclosed, Hull City)
Andre Dozzell (£1m, Ipswich Town)
Jordan Archer (free, Middlesbrough)
Sam McCallum (loan, Norwich City)
Jimmy Dunne (undisclosed, Burnley)
Stefan Johansen (£630,000, Fulham)
Moses Odubajo (free, Sheffield Wednesday)
Out
Geoff Cameron (free, FC Cincinnati)
Joe Lumley (free, Middlesbrough)
Aramide Oteh (released)
Paul Smyth (free, Leyton Orient)
Macauley Bonne (loan, Ipswich Town)
Tom Carroll (released)
Liam Kelly (undisclosed, Motherwell)
Olamide Shodipo (loan, Sheffield Wednesday)
Key Man: Lyndon Dykes – The muscular big man has made the Scotland striking spot his own and he ended the season really well for the R’s. With Austin alongside him, expect Rangers to be a surprise play off contender. Austin will score more but Dykes work will be crucial.
4) Sheff Utd
Like with the other two relegated side, the Blades have managed to retain most of their squads but have a new manager also and thus may have a new formation and style. There is pressure on all these sides and fans expectations will be of a promotion campaign and playoffs at the very least. With a new manager and a different way of playing, United fans will need to patient. We have not had the best pre preparation with only 1 meaningful pre season game played and with covid cases not helping. However, on the surface Jokanovic seems to be the best option we could have got. Proven at this level and he has been successful gaining promotion twice. He is known to be quite slow at first in terms of results and getting his players to buy into his methods – hence the patience needed but he will come in and you hope be ruthless if he needs to be. The side and squad has not changed with no major departures (if you do not count Lundstram!) and no incomings whatsoever. Defensively we still need to replace O’Connell and midfield lacks legs and goals for me but the plus side is we have 15 left backs and 28 strikers! Seriously, as it stands, the same argument I have put forth for Fulham and Bournemouth I could say the same for us. We have a number of striking options although McBurnie and Brewster need to start repaying sizeable fees in some way but with old heads like McGoldrick, Sharp and behind them Fleck, Norwood, Basham, Egan and Baldock – the crux of the side is top end Championship easily. The key might be retaining Ramsdale and Berge. Last August our season kind of imploded after losing O’Connell and a bad start – you hope the same does not happen with outgoing transfers and a poor start after the difficult pre season. Quality and experience wise we should be too strong for many at this level. I just fear that the loss of one/both of above may mean top two is beyond us. We also need to endure that Mousset carries his pre season form into the season. A look at the possible backs ups though and you have players like Bogle, Sharp, McBurnie/Brewster, Norrington Davies/Osborn/Stevens (2 of the 3) and some young talent coming though and it is hard to see a Bryan Robson type season when we had a similarly very talented squad coming down from the Premier League. If we keep the two mentioned and can add some energy into the middle of the park – allied to a left sided centre back then we could be even higher. We need to use the loan market as surely, we could/should have the pick of some flight talent – I look at what teams are doing in this area and hope we do not miss the boat. This would be relatively inexpensive and gamble free. It will be interesting how certain players cope with formation changes and the pressing intensity he seems to demand but I feel relatively confident that as long as we do not start badly and thus see possible fan division (will the Wilder v Prince thing come to the fore again if this happens?) and lose key men at the end of August; we will be there or thereabouts. There is too many good players, experience and options for us to not be in the mix – aren’t there?
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As an aside thought it was useful to see where I predicted us to finish over the last 5 seasons under Wilder! For the record going back over the last few years – here’s what I predicted so I am honest enough to predict where I went right/wrong with reasoning:
2016-17 (last season in League One) DB prediction 6th – we finished 1st
*After the Adkins disaster, even the playoffs seemed a long shot!
2017-18 (first season in Champ) DB prediction - 17th (lower end of league but staying up easily)– we finished 10th
*Not sure many thought we would flirt with the playoffs – mid table was seen as a good season
2018-19 (second season in Champ) DB prediction – 10th (mid table)– we finished 2nd.
*Again no one had us to go up really from what I recall but maybe mid table again was a bit low!
2019-20 (first season in Prem) DB prediction 17th (staying up) – we finished 9th
*Most pundits had us to go down – many Blades did so at least I tipped us to stay up
2020-21 (last season) DB prediction 16th – we finished 20th
*I foresaw a drop off but not this much of course!
Manager: Slavisa Jokanovic
In
None announced yet
Out
John Lundstram (released)
Phil Jagielka (released)
Simon Moore (free, Coventry City)
Jack Rodwell (released)
Kean Bryan (released)
Sam Graham (free, Rochdale)
Key Man: David McGoldrick – With question marks over the future of Berge and Ramsdale, McGoldrick will still be counted on to be both the creative link and to weigh in with goals for the Blades.
3) West Brom
Like with the Blades, hard one to call really. They have a new manager but have someone who imposed a certain style at Barnsley and no reason why his high intensity driven football will not work with better players. He brought in his former skipper Mowatt to help replicate the style he operated so well at Oakwell and even though some experienced players did move on, that might be a good thing due to how Ismail likes to operate – not sure any would have been seen as starters regardless of their experience and the loan players were not going to return anyway. Pereira is a fantastic footballer and Diangana also can unlock defenses’ with his pace. Sawyers and Livermore in midfield will also be strong at the lower level and Grant and Robinson should also score goals against weaker defenses’. They actually lack the same depth of United but maybe have a bit more quality and pace to break sides down who will sit in against the better sides.
Manager: Valerien Ismail
In
Alex Mowatt (loan, Barnsley)
Matt Clarke (loan, Brighton & Hove Albion)
Out
Kieran Gibbs (free, Inter Miami)
Hal Robson-Kanu (released)
Kamil Grosicki (released)
Branislav Ivanovic (released)
Kyle Edwards (released)
Lee Peltier (free, Middlesbrough)
Andy Lonergan (released)
Cheikh Diaby (released)
Ahmed Hegazy (£450,000, Al-Ittihad)
Sam Field (undisclosed, Queens Park Rangers)
Charlie Austin (free, Queens Park Rangers)
Rekeem Harper (£522,000, Ipswich Town)
Callum Morton (loan, Fleetwood Town)
Key Man: Matheus Pereira – A supreme talent on his day who opened up Premier League teams at times so at this level he can have a field day. Blades fans rightly enthuse about Berge’s ability to dominate at the lower level if he remains, but Pereira actually can do the same and provides goals and assists too and will rightly be seen as key to any Albion quick return to the top flight.
2) Bournemouth
I am still not totally sure about Scott Parker yet which is odd to say as he has been a manager for a while now and not sure why he was targeted specifically by Bournemouth, who of course needed to upgrade from Woodgate – who did ok but was not really ready to take them on the next step. They were close last season but managerial changes, injuries and lack of consistency saw them not quite make an immediate return. Parker though has done it before with Fulham and is a year older in managerial terms of experience. It is not all about talent but you scan down the side and squad and they have not lost any key men and the forward/creative players all remain. David Brooks finally seems fit (scored a wonder goal in the opening round of the Carabao Cup) but we have heard that before so will wait and see. Ben Pearson gives them steel in the middle of the field to add to the quality of Lerma, Cook and Billing. Marcondes gives them a bit of a wild card – if he can find the form, he showed in his early days at Brentford then it just another option that defenses will struggle to cope with. Solanke, Stanislas, Danjuma and Brooks is a fairly frightening array of forwards. Defensively I am still a little concerned they have the back ups they need but with the striking options it might not matter! The key is keeping them fit and retaining them before the end of the window of course with Danjuma and Brooks the type of forwards some lower Premier League teams may be circling to pick off.
Manager: Scott Parker
In
Emiliano Marcondes (free, Brentford)
Leif Davis (loan, Leeds United)
Out
Nnamdi Ofoborh (free, Rangers)
Jack Wilshere (released)
Asmir Begovic (undisclosed, Everton)
Diego Rico (undisclosed, Real Sociedad)
Key Man: Arnaut Danjuma – Talented player that scored 17 goals and not an out and out striker either. On his day is too good for this level but he is still here and will be an important player for Parker as they attempt to go one better than last season.
1) Fulham
It might be a stretch for all the top 4 to be with teams with new managers but the three relegated sides and Bournemouth, do seem to have far stronger and deeper squads than any of the other sides. It might be seen as a lazy prediction to go with those as the top 4 but I just feel with the strength in depth and power/pace/goals these sides have up top, that it will be tough for any team to unseat them. Of course, if any of them lose players or have a bad start, then pressure ramps up and fan unrest may see boardrooms panic. Silva seemed an odd choice as he had lost his way at Everton and he has managed 7 clubs and is only 45. He did really well at Watford of course before and Fulham will hope his time away will have recharged the batteries. Fulham have become the perennial yo-yo side – the new West Brom if you like. They have things a better attempt last time but ultimately still went down in the end. Scott Parker moved on which seemed a surprise but the squad he left albeit bereft of many of the loan players he opted to use, still has plenty of quality. Cairney, Mitrovic, Decordova-Reid, Cavaleiro, Knockaert, Reed, Bryan, Carvalho, the list goes on. They should be too much for most teams and the fact they spent 12 million+ on a player in Wilson shows they still have the spending power that no other team will possess at this level. They have the best squad by some way. It’s a toss-up between them and their former manager, Parker who wins the league.
Manager: Marco Silva
In
Harry Wilson (£12.6m, Liverpool)
Paulo Gazzaniga (free, Tottenham Hotspur)
Out
Kevin McDonald (released)
Stefan Johansen (£630,000, Queens Park Rangers)
Marcus Bettinelli (free, Chelsea)
Key Man: Aleksandar Mitrovic – Did not really impress in the Premier League (again) but should rip up this league (again). Strong, powerful and scores goals. Tough to stop.
As a further bit of fun here are my predictions for the other leagues:
Premier League –
Man City
Other top 4 – Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd
Relegated – Watford, Burnley and Crystal Palace
League One –
Promoted – Charlton, Ipswich and Sunderland (Playoffs)
Other Playoffs – Rotherham, Sheff Wed and Wycombe
Relegated – Morecambe, Wimbledon, Cheltenham, Doncaster
League Two –
Promoted – Newport, Exeter and Salford
Other Playoffs – Tranmere, Forest Green, Mansfield, Port Vale
Relegated – Hartlepool, Stevenage
Champions League – PSG beating Barcelona
FA Cup – Man Utd
League Cup – Aston Villa
