Championship: Season Preview and Predictions 24-25

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Championship Season Preview & Predictions 24-25

As I do every year, I have tried to assess where teams will finish and how United will fare in the Championship. I am sure I will be miles off so feel free to come back to this nonsense as the season develops or even right now! Right, here goes…

*Transfer info correct as of Monday 5th August, 2024


1) Leeds United


They looked like they were going up last year but in the end were edged out by surprise team Ipswich, and Leicester, in a three-horse race that went right to the end. They then put up a ‘Blades’ like non-performance in the playoff final and are back in the Championship. They lost young star Archie Gray and key midfielder Glen Kamara and then key man Summerville just before the season started was a hammer blow. However, they have such a talented squad and a number of players that could easily operate at a higher level. The likes of Rutter, James and Gnonto remain and Joe Rodon comes in on a permanent basis. They also added proven Championship performers in Bogle and Rothwell. With £35 million coming in for the two departed stars, they can hang onto the rest of the squad and probably invest and add before the end of the month making them even stronger.

Manager: Daniel Farke – Mixed reaction when Leeds brought him back to the UK but he is a steady pair of hands and has been successful at this level before.

In
Jayden Bogle - Sheffield United, undisclosed
Alex Cairns - Salford, undisclosed
Joe Rodon - Tottenham, undisclosed
Joe Rothwell - Bournemouth, loan

Out

Crysencio Summerville – West Ham United, £25m
Archie Gray - Tottenham, £30m
Charlie Cresswell - Toulouse, undisclosed
Glen Kamara - Rennes, undisclosed
Kristoffer Klaesson - Rakow Czestochwa, undisclosed
Diego Llorente - Real Betis, undisclosed
Marc Roca - Real Betis, undisclosed
Luis Sinisterra - Bournemouth, undisclosed
Luke Ayling - Middlesbrough, free
Lewis Bate - Stockport, free
Cody Drameh - Hull, free
Robin Koch - Eintracht Frankfurt, free
Jamie Shackleton - Sheffield United, free
Morten Spencer - Derby, free
Charlie Allen - Released
Keenan Karole - Released
Cuba Dibo - Released
Scott Godden - Released
Ian Carlo Poveda - Released
Harvey Sutcliffe - Released
Dani van den Heuvel - Released
Jack Harrison - Everton, loan
Sonny Perkins - Leyton Orient, loan
Darko Gyabi - Plymouth, loan
Sam Greenwood - Preston, loan
Rasmus Kristensen - Eintracht Frankfurt, loan



Out


Key Player: Crysencio Summerville – Talented performer who scored 21 goals and had 10 assists, he can lay a very good claim to be best player outside of the top flight.

Verdict: Champions. They look to have a deep squad full of pace and power and in a weaker league this year, I expect them to be the strongest and if they get a good start, should not be overhauled this time.


2) Burnley

I was surprised how badly they did last season. I thought with Kompany at the helm and the attacking, stylish football, they would be comfortable but the opposite happened and they were exposed defensively and fared nearly as badly as United! Kompany’s stock fell quickly making the decision for Bayern Munich to take him even more bizarre. Burnley’s squad has several incumbents from the last promotion campaign. Benson and Amdouni were such threats though last time and Brownhill, Berge, Gudmundsson, Rodriguez, Roberts, O’Shea etc are all proven with many with promotions in their CV. Despite spending heavily to try and stay in the top flight, the spending has continued. They have solidified a wobbly goalkeeping department taking Ipswich’s number one Hladky – managing to get a good fee for Muric who went the other way and signed several others from the continent. Like Leeds, have a ridiculously deep squad of talent compared with most at this level.

Manager: Scott Parker – The major question mark I would put against them is Parker. I was glad he did not end up the Lane, despite some rumours. He has had success before at this level but with multi-million-pound squads. I have never been convinced by him as a manager and think if they do go up, it may end up despite of him. I would not be shocked if they make a change here mid-season that helps them push on after an inconsistent start.


In

Maxime Esteve - Montpellier, undisclosed
Andreas Hountondji - Caen, undisclosed
Lucas Pires - Santos, undisclosed
Mike Tresor - Genk, undisclosed
Vaclav Hladky - Ipswich, free
Kamarni Ryan - Arsenal, free
Shurandy Sambo - PSV, free
Charlie Veevers - Swansea, free

Out

Wout Weghorst - Trabzonspor
Arijanet Muric - Ipswich, undisclosed
Bailey Peacock-Farrell - Birmingham, undisclosed
Lawrence Vigouroux - Swansea, undisclosed
Jack Bates - Wigan, free
Jack Rogers - Wigan, free
Charlie Taylor - Southampton, free
Rohan Vaughan - QPR, free
Callum West - Barnsley, free
Jack Cork - Released
Ackeme Francis-Burrell - Released
Kian Le Fondre - Released
Marcel Lewis - Released
Harry Moss - Released
Mikey O'Neill - Released
Michael Parker - Released
Sonny Pickup - Released
Dylan Sime - Released
Oliver Sweeney - Released
Renaldo Torraj - Released
Jack Turner - Released
Lucas Wane - Released
Michael Mellon - Stockport, loan



Key Player: Lyle Foster – Showed glimpses in a stop start Premier League campaign where mental health issues sidelined him for periods but he did look dangerous when he played and will score a lot of goals at this level.

Verdict: 2nd place. Think Leeds will have too much for them but I see them as much stronger and more settled (player wise) than the other two relegated teams and do not see any other teams as out and out automatic contenders.


3) Coventry

Keep improving year in, year out and Robins has done a superb job considering the issues off the field in his tenure and the fact they are often losing some of their best players. Gyokeres, Hamer and O’Hare have all departed but they have used the money from sales to recruit well. They have some power and pace at the top of the pitch and some underrated players throughout the team. The Cup run showed their capability last year but maybe derailed them a bit in the league with a small squad. Ephron Mason Clark comes back and will add to the options and Sakamoto and Torp, from Japan and Denmark respectively, give them midfield creativity and running. Rudoni is a midfielder that always impressed when he was at Huddersfield and is an elegant player that will fill the void left by O’Hare. Sims, Wright & new signing Thomas Asante provide three powerful options up top.

Manager: Mark Robins – Really surprised he has not had a chance at the top level. There are a number of managers (some from the continent) that are recycled but he has been excellent and his side play a vibrant and positive style of football too. He will hope that this year they can properly contend at the top of the table. Would not be shocked if a Premier League team did take him at some point. He deserves an opportunity.

In
Brandon Thomas Asante – West Bromwich Albion, £2.5m
Luis Binks - Bologna, undisclosed
Raphael Borges Rodrigues - Macarthur, undisclosed
Harvey Broad - Chatham Town, undisclosed
Oliver Dovin - Hammarby IF, undisclosed
Jack Rudoni - Huddersfield, undisclosed
Aston Ellard - Conquest Academy, free
Greg Sandiford - Cambridge United, free
Kai Yearn - Cambridge United, free

Out

Matt Godden - Charlton, undisclosed
Marco Rus - Ayr United, undisclosed
Evan Eghosa - Floridsdorfer, free
Liam Kelly - Rotherham, free
Simon Moore - Sunderland, free
Callum O'Hare - Sheffield United, free
Bradley Stretton - Oxford City, released
Dermi Lusala - Released

Key Player: Ellis Simms – Cost a fair bit of money and after initially struggling, he established himself as the focal point at the top of the pitch and got on a scoring spree towards the end of the season. Expect him to challenge at the top of the Championship scoring charts.

Verdict: Promoted via the play offs. Will continue year on year improvement and will make it third time lucky at Wembley after two defeats in consecutive years in the Playoffs and FA Cup semi-final – defeating Luton who beat them two years ago!


4) Middlesbrough

Granted some may feel I have put these too high but I feel Carrick has steadily done a good job when he has not always been able to keep his best players or have the funds to be able to add to the squad. I just feel that they are another squad that just seems to be more settled than many that are potentially contending for promotion and the manager will be better for another year under his belt. They have made some smart moves with Burgzorg who showed promise at Huddersfield on loan, the experienced Luke Ayling returning and the lesser known Aidan Morris – a big money buy from the MLS. He will complement the likes of Hackney, Azaz, McGree and Howson in the middle of the park. The only slight fear is will they have enough goals and a lot will depend on Latte Lath at the top of the field.


Manager: Michael Carrick – Quietly done a good job and last year with a lot of changes, still got them to 8th and in/around the playoffs.

In

Delano Burgzorg - Mainz, undisclosed
Harley Hunt - Swindon, undisclosed
Aidan Morris - Colombus Crew, undisclosed
Luke Ayling - Leeds, free

Out

Bryant Bilongo - Bristol Rovers, undisclosed
Hayden Coulson - Blackpool, undisclosed
Ben Beals - Spennymoor Town, free
Sam Collins - Whitby Town, free
Fenton John - Gateshead, free
Jamie Jones - Salford, free
Max Metcalfe - Stockport, free
Liam Roberts - Millwall, free
Jeremy Sivi - Sutton, free
Frankie Whelan - Whitby Town, free
Joe Gibson - Released
Paddy McNair – San Diego, free
Henry Popple - Released
Terrell Agyemang - Airdrieonians, loan
Zach Hemming - Leyton Orient, loan
Samuel Sivera - Portsmouth, loan




Key Player: Finn Azaz – Came in from Villa mid-season, after doing well at Plymouth, and now will have his first full season at the Riverside and hope to bring both goals and assists.

Verdict: Expect them to push on and be right in the mix this year. I expect the 3rd to mid table to be incredibly tight so would not be shocked to see them a few places lower and a lot will depend on not picking up injuries as they lack the squad depth of some others.


5) Luton Town

They are probably the most settled of the three coming down in the sense they have not had a huge changeover of playing staff (SUFC) or manager (Burnley) but did lose some of their important players in Barkley and Osho but managed to keep the rest of their core. Chong, Adebayo and Morris give them running power, pace and goals. The likes of Kaminski, Doughty, Ogbene all would start for any team at this level too and the veteran Andros Townsend should be too good for this level if he can be available/fit. They did put a lot into last season and may be a hangover to start the season, especially with key man Barkley, who pulled the strings, departing. However, as things settle down, expect them to push up the league and be right in contention.

Manager: Rob Edwards – Earned rave reviews for getting his Luton side competitive most weeks in the Premier League and he has the respect of his squad and support of the Hatters’ fans. With all the difficulty of the Tom Lockyer situation, he handled himself brilliantly and seems a cool/calm customer and shows what a mistake it was for Watford to move him on so quickly.

In

Shandon Baptiste - Brentford, free
Ruell Walters - Arsenal, free

Out

Ross Barkley - Aston Villa, undisclosed
Ryan Giles - Hull City, undisclosed
Luke Berry - Charlton, free
Millar Matthews-Lewis - Farnborough, free
Gabriel Osho - Auxerre, free
Ben Tompkins - Hemel Hempstead Town, free
Josh Allen - Released
Tobias Braney - Released
Oliver Camis - Released
Archie Heron - Released
Will Houghton - Released
Admiral Muskwe - Released
Fred Onyedinma - Released
Dan Potts - Released
Max Scott - Released
Elliot Thorpe - Released
Dion Pereira - Dagenham & Redbridge, loan
Jack Walton - Dundee United, loan


Key Player: Carlton Morris – Their leading scorer for the last two campaigns, Morris scores different types of goals, being proficient aerially but a poacher too. Also takes a clinical penalty.

Verdict: I expect them to be around a similar position to the one they occupied last time at this level. The element of surprise may have gone but they will be strong at home and the aforementioned power and pace will be too much for many sides.


6) Sunderland

Only finished mid table last time out and had a number of managerial changes which did not quite work out after Tony Mowbray left. Le Bris comes in after being successful at Lorient initially but then his team went down last season and he left. I just have a feeling they will get it right this time. The two signings they have made will really help with Browne giving them the box-to-box midfielder and Poveda the creativity on one side to compliment Clarke on the other side. Jobe Bellingham has potential to keep improving and they have some interesting players littered throughout the squad that maybe have not quite delivered thus far. They still need a striker but have a solid goalkeeper at the other end in Anthony Patterson, who was linked with United for a period this summer. The crowd support is always huge and feel they will be a surprise this season.

Manager: Regis Le Bris

In

Alan Browne - Preston, free
Simon Moore - Coventry, free
Ian Poveda – free
Blondy Nna Noukeu – Stoke, free

Out

Alex Bass - Notts County, undisclosed
Jacob Carney - Newport, free
Jack Diamond - Stockport, free
Michael Spellman - Newport, free
Connor Pye - Bury, free
Ellis Taylor - Harrogate, free
Kailem Beattie - Released
Tom Chiabi - Released
Ben Creamer - Released
Bradley Dack - Released
Corry Evans - Released
Harry Gardiner - Released
Daniel Obolo - Released
Joe Ryder - Released
Jayden Sekete - Released
Callum Wilson - Released
Nathan Bishop - Wycombe, loan
Matty Young - Salford, loan



Key Player: Jack Clarke – Has been tipped to go back to the Premier League after maybe moving to Spurs too early in his career previously but now he has found consistency each week and is a major threat to opponents. With Poveda on the other side (Robers will also play at times) teams cannot double up on Clarke as much as they may have done before.

Verdict: I realise it is a push that they may move up from 16th to 6th but feel they massively underachieved last season and a new manager with a fresh approach will get the best out of some excellent young players. You can make a strong case to flip flop any of the 4 or 5 below for them in the final play off place though.


7) Norwich City

Lost to Leeds in the playoffs and were never really in the tie at all and David Wagner moved on after seemingly being on the verge of the sack all season! They have brought in young Danish manager Thorup, who has only managed one side before and is only 35! They have more or less the same squad that they had last time out but lost star man Sara to Galatasaray this week. The Norwich midfield is noted for its flair and grit with the likes of Nunez, Gibbs and McLean. Up front Sargent, Barnes and Idah may not be prolific individually but collectively pose enough of a threat. Hanley and Duffy are an experienced backline in front of Angus Gunn. Cordoba comes in to give another option in defence too. Chrisene comes in to fill the gap left by the departed McCallum and Giannoulis in the wide defensive areas.

Manager: Johanes Thorup – Seems a gamble in the sense he has not managed in the UK or anywhere else apart from FC Nordsjaelland but has a strong policy of bringing youth through and to implement a passing and progressive style.

In

Gabriel Sara – Galatasaray, £13.5m
Jose Cordoba - Levski Sofia, undisclosed
Lucien Mahovo - Notts County, undisclosed
Tom Finch - Cambridge United, free
Harmony Okwomo - Charlton, free
Theo Adelusi - Tottenham, free
Ben Chrisene – Aston Villa, undisclosed

Out

Christos Tzolis - Fortuna Dusseldorf, undisclosed
Dubem Eze - Bolton, free
Dimitris Giannoulis - Augsburg, free
Ben Gibson - Stoke, free
Sam McCallum - Sheffield United, free
Jon McCracken - Dundee, free
Sean Stewart - Cliftonville, free
Michael Reindorf - Cardiff, free
Danny Batth – Blackburn, free
Flynn Clarke - Released
Kenny Coker - Released
Joe Duffy - Released
Marcel McIntosh - Released
Regan Riley - Released
Joe Rose - Released
Ben Watt - Released
Vicente Reyes - Cambridge United, loan



Key Player: Josh Sargent – Player that has sometimes flattered to deceive but showed more consistency last season despite some injury issues. The American scored more than 1 in 2 (16 in 26) and will be counted upon to do even more with Sara departing.

Verdict: Norwich are very strong at Carrow Road (only the top three were better last year) and with a settled side with many returnees, they will be around the top positions yet again.



8) West Bromwich Albion

Made the playoffs last season before succumbing to Southampton, the eventual play off winners. Corberan always seems to get them near the top end of the league despite not being much significant investment in recent seasons as the parachute payments have now stopped. Diangana is a threat getting in between the lines and can link midfield and attack and Swift and Wallace can both provide goals and assist. Striking options still are a concern as Dike and Maja lack the consistency and fitness and the top of the field and Thomas Asante has been allowed to move to Coventry in the last year of his deal and Devante Cole feels like a downgrade. They also lost Townsend and Yoksulu who were first team starters much of last season. Heggem, Diakite and the experienced McNair come in to shore up the defensive side though and they often will play in low scoring games and hope that their solidity and organisation prevails.

Manager: Carlos Corberan – He has been linked with a few teams over the summer including Burnley but remains at the Hawthorns and is a wily operator at this level.

In

Torbjorn Heggem - IF Brommapojkarna, undisclosed
Ousmane Diakite - TSV Prolactal Hartberg, free
Muhamed Diomande - Wolves, free
Joe Wildsmith - Derby, free
Paddy McNair – San Diego, loan
Devante Cole – Barnsley, free

Out

Jamie Andrews - Released
Zac Ashworth - Blackpool, undisclosed
Nathaniel Chalobah - Sheffield Wednesday, free
Jenson Sumnall - Peterborough, free
Jamie Andrews - Released
Bradley Foster - Released
Aaron Harper-Bailey -
Martin Kelly - Released
Cheick Kone - Released
Jovan Malcolm - Released
Yann M'Vila - Released
Matt Phillips - Released
Narel Phillips - Released
Erik Pieters - Released
Adam Reach - Released
Ruben Shakpoke - Released
Josh Griffiths - Bristol Rovers, loan
Cedric Kipre – Reims
Brandon Thomas Asante – Coventry £2.5 million
Okay Yoksulu – Trabzonspor, undisclosed
Conor Townsend – Ipswich, undisclosed


Key Player: John Swift – Perhaps never quite gone on to fill his potential but still an elegant ball player who can find a pass and/or a goal out of nothing. Swift will want to try and be more consistent (he lost his place for a period last season) if the Baggies are to be in the hunt again.


Verdict: The sprinkling of talent and a competent manager means they will be top half comfortably. I feel they need to add at the top of the field to emulate last year’s top 6 finish though and have lost some important players so may not fare quite as well this time out.


9) Sheffield United

Probably one of the hardest teams to predict and that comes from a fan of them who is close to the situation as any (well apart from those select few allegedly close to Prince Abdullah’s ear!). United start on minus two points and have so much uncertainty still off the field. The squad has been almost completely stripped bare which can be seen both ways. Some may say a good core of those that kept helped United be very successful at this level before but the counterargument is many had seen better days, are injury prone and were part of a losing culture. What cannot be argued is a lot of players have left and numbers wise have nit been adequately replaced. At least, as yet. However, the signings of Moore, Hamer and Burrows were all more encouraging after the huge exodus. Gaps remain all over the squad and remains to be seen if further players will have to be sold with financial issues somehow rife despite United enjoying 3/5 seasons in the top flight.

A scan of the squad still shows enough quality and experience even with those that have moved on. Even the more pessimistic Blade probably wouldn’t swap our core/best 6 or 7 players for anyone outside perhaps Leeds and Burnley. If there are further signings and the on/off takeover situation is sorted, then who knows maybe we can challenge for promotion again. There are questions over the lack of depth currently and any significant injuries and we would be in trouble and likely to be much lower down the league. Maybe the biggest X factor is the manager. Will we see the fist bumping, creative, yet skilled coach we saw for a significant period at our club before that provided some of our best days as a fan? Or will we see more of the recent version of Wilder that seems bitter, constantly blaming others and more concerningly not able to get the best out of the players/squad at his disposal? Time will tell but we absolutely need to see a return to the former incarnation if United are going to challenge and not fade into Championship mediocrity for their foreseeable future

The question if the current owner actually really wants to sell is legitimate if reports of him wanting to retain or share or quibbling over the price are legitimate. One way or another, in order for the club to progress, there absolutely needs to be clarity at the top of the club. This on turn may bring much needed changes in infrastructure in terms of the day to day running of both the playing and business side. Expecting one man as Chief Executive and one man as first team manager to oversee everything is not sustainable. The new training ground is a massive step but the changes promised in scouting and recruitment do not seem to have material used yet despite reports to the contrary. Bringing in Jamie Hoyland and Mikey Allen seems much of the same ‘jobs for the boys’ reliance on individuals rather than a clear change in policy or model.

There are so many questions and I could fashion a completely different set of words in a month’s time if things change on and off the pitch. So, this prediction is really taken as things stand and I could have a completely different take if you ask me at the end of the month!


Manager: Chris Wilder – Five years ago and he was ‘the’ up and coming manager in the UK. His innovative style allied to the togetherness he built, saw United finish 9th at the top level. Since then his stock has plummeted considerably with failures at United, to a lesser extent at Boro and an unhappy brief time at Watford. Prince Abdullah brought him back after burying the hatchet but there was little evidence of the old successful Wilder in his spell in charge at an albeit already doomed Blades side thanks to the disastrous summer of a year ago. Wilder’s man management and motivational skills were previously lauded but the side looked rudderless a long time before relegation was confirmed. Wilder’s determination to get ‘his’ club moving in the right direction was clear in his interviews long before the season ended. However, more uncertainty off the field has meant a huge restructure of the squad has not taken pace with the alacrity Wilder would have foreseen considering everyone knew United’s divisional place a long time ago. His frustration seems clear but unlike last time when he departed knowing there would be other opportunities, he knows he either has to just get on with it or if things do not work out, his career as manager towards the top end of the pyramid will be finished. Remains to be seen if he will become the next Paul Jewell, Eoin Coyle, Phil Brown type or whether he get his career going back the other way, a la Eddie Howe, Sean Dyche who had setbacks but came again. Much will depend on the situation behind the scenes but regardless of that, getting United organised, tough to beat and having a solid spine would give us a platform to aim for the higher places. I am unsure how it will pan out but the cynic on me believes he won’t last the season, either as a change of ownership will want their own man or the lack of a change at the top will mean that he us hamstrung and mean that it is once again, easier to change the manager than the owner at any football club.

In

Harrison Burrows - Peterborough, £3m
Kieffer Moore - Bournemouth, undisclosed
Sam McCallum - Norwich, free
Henry Molyneux - Charlton, free
Callum O'Hare - Coventry, free
Jamie Shackleton - Leeds, free

Out

Cameron Archer - Aston Villa, £14m
Jayden Bogle - Leeds, undisclosed
Daniel Jebbison - Bournemouth, £1.5m
Benie Traore - Basel, undisclosed
George Baldock - Panathinaikos, free
George Dickinson - Hull, free
Wes Foderingham - West Ham, free
Max Lowe - Sheffield Wednesday, free
Ben Osborn - Derby, free
Jordan Amissah - Released
Chris Basham - Released
John Egan - Released
Oli McBurnie - Las Palmas, free
Oliver Norwood - Released
Miguel Freckleton - Swindon, loan
Sam Curtis – Peterborough, loan


Key Player: Gus Hamer – If he remains then Hamer will be, as he was before, one of the stand out players at this level. Technically very good, Hamer can score and make goals. The rekindling of his partnership with Callum O’ Hare should cause most defences at this level all sorts of problems. If allowed to play higher up the field with protection behind, then he surely would rip it up at this level, as he did for Coventry before.


Verdict: The -2 point deduction is significant in that it has them on the back foot but its more the uncertainty off the field that is of greater concern. Another poor summer with a scattergun approach to building a squad and the lack of a clear plan are big red flags. However, despite this there are a number of experienced and talented players in the squad and if they sort out the ownership issue and recruit further before the end of August, could be higher than this. Equally if the boardroom situation continues to stagnate and the likes of Hamer, Osula, Ahmedhodzic and Souza depart to cover financial holes, then a poor start could see them much lower! The range of predictions on United has wildly fluctuated. Seen some saying we might even go down again, whilst others have us right in the playoff mix. I’m playing safe and going somewhere in the middle but have some hope, based on nothing but sheer optimism, that at some point the ownership situation will get sorted and allow the club to move forward but it may not be some time and perhaps not soon enough to impact this current transfer window. Just frustrating that another summer of indecisiveness seems to have beset the club.
10) Stoke City

Stoke are another side, like so many at this level, that are hard to really peg where they may finish. They are another with a manager having his first full season with this club but this can bring stability but conversely more pressure too, as the honeymoon period is over. They finished 17th last season and for a period looked in real trouble but finished with 3 wins out of the final 5 to ease away from any relegation threat. A scan through their summer window sees little to be worried not excited about. Johannson will be a good addition in goal but the lack of other incoming means they will rely largely on the same side that struggled much of last season. I do expect Schumacher to get the side fitter and more organised than they had been to start last season. Bae Jun Ho was excellent in his first full season and the Korean will pair with Burger to offer the energy and skill in midfield. As is the theme with many of my forecasts for teams around the middle, I worry where the goals will come from. The leading scorer last year was Andre Vidigal with only 7 goals (new Blade Hoever was second with 4 goals!) so will hope former Blackburn forward Sam Gallagher can contribute in this area.

Manager: Steven Schumacher

In

Eric Bocat - St Truiden, undisclosed
Viktor Johansson - Rotherham, undisclosed
Chinoso Chibueze - Chelsea, free
Noah Cooper - Arsenal, free
Ben Gibson - Norwich, free
Francis Gyimah - Liverpool, free
Kieron Willox - Rangers, free
Sam Gallagher – Blackburn, undisclosed

Out

Matthew Baker - Newport, compensation
David Okagbue - Walsall, compensation
Tom Edwards - Salford, free
Tom Sparrow - Motherwell, free
D'Margio Wright-Phillips - Beerschot, free
Tyrese Campbell - Released
Ciaran Clark - Released
Tom Curl - Released
Ian Kamga - Released
Ben Kershaw - Released
Blondy Nna Noukeu - Released
Kahrel Reddin - Released
Sonny Singh - Released
Wesley - Released
Tommy Simkin - Walsall, loan
Liam McCarron – Northampton, undisclosed
Blondy Nna Noukeu – Sunderland, free


Key Player: Wouter Burger – Excellent first full season for the Dutch midfielder. Can do a bit of everything and can do the dirty work but also weigh in with the odd goal too.

Verdict: Schumacher did very well at Plymouth and expect him with more time to work with the group to get more out of them. I get the sense they underachieved last season and will do much better this time out.


11) Bristol City

The joke about the table always having Preston and Bristol City in the middle of the league no matter what will continue to linger as expect both in similar positions. City moved on from Nigel Pearson and went with a younger man, despite improvements year on year under the veteran boss. Manning still I formulating a side and the move towards youth continues with talented players such as Max O’Leary, George Tanner, Tommy Conway, Sam Bell and Mark Sykes. City had an excellent defensive record and were right near the top of the division in this area but conversely struggled for goals at the other end. Manning evolved the approach in terms of formation and the team are still finding their way but have added power and pace in Sinclair Armstrong and an interesting signing in Yu Hirakawa from the J League. It is an extremely young squad which gives them the legs and pace across the side but lacks maybe the veteran presence and reliability in terms of a goal scorer to contend.

Manager: Liam Manning – Only 38, Manning is already at his 4th managerial club. He managed in Belgium after being part of the Man City group – having coached in New York – before getting his UK bow at MK Dons. He made his name here and got them to the playoffs but then a poor start to the 21-22 season saw him dismissed. He restored his reputation at Oxford and was given a chance at Ashton Gate. He has made a promising start but his first full season will allow a proper assessment to be made.

In

Sinclair Armstrong, undisclosed
Fally Mayulu - Rapid Vienna, undisclosed
Yu Hirakawa - Machida Zelvia, loan

Out

Zac Bell - Maidenhead, free
Callum Hutton - Risca United, free
Harry Leeson - Bishop's Cleeve, free
Harvey Wiles-Richards - Bath City, free
Ben Acey - Released
Mac Boyd - Released
Marlee Francois – Released
Duncan Idehen - Released
Matty James - Released
Dylan Kadji - Released
Andreas Weimann – Blackburn Rovers, free
Jamie Knight-Lebel - Crewe, loan
Seb Palmer-Houlden - Dundee, loan
Ephraim Yeboah - Doncaster, loan
Andy King - Retired


Key Player: Tommy Conway – Scored 10 goals in the league and got called up to the full Scotland squad at the end of the season and went to the Euros. City will count on him even more this season.

Verdict: The move towards youth, on and off the field, will be a big asset as their dynamism and energy will ensure they can outrun some teams but the lack of leadership and steady heads will stop them from going much further than mid table.


12) Sheffield Wednesday

Looked certainties for relegation, they somehow plundered a great escape led by the impressive Rohl. The squad was a bit of a mish, mash of veterans (Bannan, Paterson, Windass, Johnson, Palmer), European short term signings (Ugbo, Valery) and some young talent (Beadle, Cadamateri). Much of the squad remain but they have signed a couple more veterans who are competent at this level in Chalobah and Jamal Lowe. Former Blade Max Lowe makes the move of swapping city clubs but his fitness record makes this a risky use of limited funds. They have not been able to bring Ugbo back as of time of writing meaning a lot will be expected of newcomer Lowe and veterans Windass and Smith for goals. Kobacki and Ingelsson are two that are a bit left field in terms of acquisitions but are low risk, high reward type recruits. The backline is still flaky and lacks pace, especially down the middle but Chalobah and the ever green Bannan will be a competent midfield at this level and should compliment each other. Fans will feel they should be well away from another season of struggle but talk of a playoff push is ambitious. Much of this squad struggled last season and even with a few signings and Rohl’s impressive approach, seeing such a jump up to a Playoffs place seeks unlikely. They will start better though and shouldn’t be concerned about a scrap to stay in this league looking at the teams below and the drop off of quality this season. They will do better by the very fact that others will do worse this time around!


Manager: Danny Rohl – Seen as one of the up and coming young managers in the Championship amongst a number in their thirties. Rohl did fantastically well to keep up a seemingly doomed Wednesday. Given backing to bring some new players in, expectations will go up but in a division that seems inferior I expect him to push them on again. Whether he remains will depend on Mr Chansiri and if a club takes a flyer on him after his success, albeit in a short period.

In

Svante Ingelsson - Hansa Rostock, undisclosed
Yann Valery - Angers, undisclosed
Nathaniel Chalobah - West Brom, free
Ben Hamer - Watford, free
Jamal Lowe - Bournemouth, free
Max Lowe - Sheffield United, free
Olaf Kabacki - Arka Gdynia, free
Charlie McNeill - Manchester United, free
James Beadle - Brighton, loan

Out

Adam Alimi-Adetoro - Halifax, free
Tyreeq Bakinson - Wycombe, free
Ciaran Brennan - Newport, free
George Byers - Port Vale, free
Cameron Dawson - Rotherham, free
Juan Delgado - Everton de Vina del Mar, free
Lee Gregory - Mansfield, free
Reece James - Rotherham, free
Will Vaulks - Oxford, free
Luke Cook - Released
Tyrell Dawes - Released
Jay Glover - Released
Luke Jackson - Released
Carlos Rodrigues - Released



Key Player: Jamal Lowe – Lowe has done well at those level previously, chiefly for Swansea and his running behind allied to eye for goal should see him a regular threat for Wednesday. He will need help alongside him though to allow him to see enough of the ball to prosper.

Verdict: They will be comfortable but a mid table finish is a more realistic expectation that fans should embrace considering the last 3 seasons at this level have seen a good core of this squad really struggle.


13) Cardiff City

The Bluebirds finished 12th last season – being 12 points off the bottom 3 and 9 points from the top 6. They had some good runs at times but lacked consistency to properly contend but see no reason why they cannot have another solid season continuing their improvements of recent years when they struggled to stay in the league and underwent a number of managerial changes. Aaron Ramsey had an injury hit season last time out and remains to be seen how much is left in his legs. Wilfried Kanga comes in from Hertha Berlin to provide some pace and hopefully goals at the top of the field. However, the other two big signings were the experienced Callum Chambers from Aston Villa and former QPR man Chris Willock. I was surprised City were able to snare Willock as a player that when on form, can provide both goals and assists. El Ghazi, the former Villa man comes in also. City have a decent combination of youth and experience and expect them to be a solid side at this level that can surprise teams on their day.


Manager: Erol Bulut – Says a lot when Bulut is the 8th longest serving manager at this level and has only been there for a year! Bulut quietly went about his business last season and will feel he had been able to bring in some smart additions.


In

Calum Chambers - Aston Villa, free
Ewan Griffiths - Swansea, free
Luke Pearce - Southampton, free
Michael Reindorf - Norwich, free
Chris Willock - QPR, free
Wilfried Kanga - Hertha Berlin, loan
Anwer El Ghazi – Mainz, free

Out

Ebou Adams - Derby, undisclosed
Cameron Antwi - Newport, undisclosed
James Crole - Penybent, free
Oliver Denham - Sligo Rovers, free
Xavier Benjamin - Released
Ryan Kavanagh - Released
Kyle Kenniford - Released
Caleb Hughes - Released
Finlay Johnson - Released
Rohan Luthra - Released
Sheyi Ojo - Released
Romaine Sawyers - Released
Jai Semenyo - Released
Chanka Zimba - Released
Luke Pearce - Sligo Rovers, loan
Joel Conwill – Cheltenham, loan


Key Player: Perry Ng – Was named in the Championship team of the year last season and his improvements year on year now means he is a vital cog in the City defence.

Verdict: Like last season, have too much to struggle but not enough to properly compete but have made some good signings and think they will be around the middle again.


14) Hull City

Hard to know where to pitch the Tigers. Seen some projections have them competing for the playoffs and some have them near the bottom. They have lost some important players though in the talented Philogene and defender Jacob Greaves and have another new manager too who will take time to get his ideas across. Experienced strikers Tufan and Sharp also move on. The owners seem very ambitious but also seem to lack patience and quickly fell out with Liam Rosenior whose star seemed to be on the rise as a manager. They finished 7th last season and despite the above losses, have the spine of a decent side and have added in terms of two mobile full backs in Giles and Drameh. Jean Michal Seri is the metronomic midfielder who keeps play moving on and former Blade Regan Slater provides the industry in this area. The goalkeeping situation will need settling as two young keeper, Lo Tutala and Pandur, will compete for the number one shirt with Allsop moving on.

Manager: Tim Walter – Has experience of managing big German sides in Stuttgart and Hamburg but this is his first foray outside his homeland. He is known for attacking, possession-based football played at a high tempo (think Jurgen Klopp type style) so be interesting if he can impose this style at the Tigers.

In

Ryan Giles - Luton, undisclosed
Cody Drameh - Leeds, free
George Dickinson - Sheffield United, free
Noah Wadsworth - Bradford, free
Marvin Mehlem – Darmstadt 98, undisclosed

Out

Jaden Philogene - Aston Villa, £20m
Ryan Allsop - Birmingham, undisclosed
Jacob Greaves - Ipswich, undisclosed
Matt Ingram - Oxford, undisclosed
Tom Nixon - Doncaster, undisclosed
Ozan Tufan - Trabzonspor, undisclosed
Harry Wood - Shelbourne, undisclosed
Greg Docherty - Charlton, free
Oliver Green - Livingston, free
Billy Sharp - Doncaster, free
Adama Traore - Amedspor, free
Ajay Weston - Bolton, free
Ryan Woods - Exeter, free
Jake Brown - Released
Cyrus Christie - Released
Aaron Connolly - Released
Vaughn Covil - Released
Joseph Johnson - Released
Rajdeep Palit - Released
David Robson - Released
Callum Jones - Morecambe, loan
James Furlong – Wimbledon, free


Key Player: Jean Michael Seri – Mobile midfielder who offers physicality but also can put his foot on the ball.

Verdict: They have lost some important players and changed the manager again. If Walter can ensure he keeps the continuity but adds some more attacking verve then they may even be a touch higher than where I have pegged them but losing their best defender and attacking threat will have an impact.


15) Preston North End

Seems lazy to pitch them right near the middle again but the familiarity in their surroundings and having one of the longest serving managers will serve them well this time in a division that lacks the number of powerhouses it has had before. Transfer movement has been minimal again – with the loss of Alan Browne a blow but Sam Greenwood is a shrewd pick up from Leeds. The squad will struggle if they pick up injuries and goals at the top of the pitch could be an issue with a number of injury prone forwards in the squad. However, they rarely give much away and Lowe will have them organised. They look to have too much to get sucked into a relegation battle but once again sadly lack the funds to properly invest and have a go at moving towards the top end of the table.

Manager: Ryan Lowe – Safe pair of hands at this level and with the budget they have, he undoubtedly gets the most out of what he has at his disposal.

In

Stefan Teitur Thordarson - Silkeborg, undisclosed
Sam Greenwood - Leeds, loan

Out

Lewis Leigh - Bromley, undisclosed
Alan Browne - Sunderland, free
Ben Woodburn - Salford, free
Greg Cunningham - Released


Key Player: Emil Riis Jakobsen – He has been plagued with injuries the last two seasons after being prolific and linked with a move away a few years ago. Needs to plat regularly and if he does, he can score the goals to ensure they are competitive most weeks.

Verdict: Boring mid table again but when you see team like Birmingham disappear the wrong way, you realise that they are probably punching most seasons.



16) Swansea City

It did not quite work for Michael Duff last season, which was a surprise after his success at Barnsley and Cheltenham, so they turned to former assistant Luke Williams. Swansea did enough to stay in the league but was a down year for them after being comfortably mid table and flirting with the playoffs in previous seasons. Traditionally they always play good football and the fans maybe never took to Duff, who perhaps employed a more direct style. They have lost talented defender Nathan Wood to Southampton and former manager, Russell Martin. Incomings have been limited with Portuguese midfielder Franco and Korean, Ji Sung Eom, bolstering the forward line and Vipotnik coming in from Bordeaux in recent days. Allen, Grimes and Fulton are solid experienced midfielders who keep the football and Ronald gives them some flair out wide. They will miss player of the season, Carl Rushworth who was on loan from Brighton last term. They probably still need to bring players in if they want to improve much on last season’s campaign.

Manager: Luke Williams - The new man had been successful at Notts County and managed to keep the Swans up after initially struggling to begin with when he came in.

In

Ji-Sung Eom - Gwangju FC, undisclosed
Goncalo Baptista Franco - Moreirense, undisclosed
Lawrence Vigouroux - Burnley, undisclosed
Zan Vipotnik – Bordeaux, undisclosed

Out

Nathan Wood - Southampton, £3m
Ewan Griffiths - Cardiff, free
Archie Matthews - Wealdstone, free
Nathanael Ogbeta - Plymouth, free
Joe Thomas - Newport, free
Charlie Veevers - Burnley, free
Przemyslaw Placheta - Oxford, free
Ben Blythe - Released
Joshua Carey - Released
Jack Cooper - Released
Rohan Davies - Released
Ruben Davies - Released
Kian Jenkins - Released
Cameron Llewellyn - Released
Kai - Released
Lincoln McFayden - Released
Remy Mitchell - Released
Liam Walsh - Released
Lewis Webb - Released
Maliq Cadogan - Kidderminster, loa
Jerry Yates - Derby, loan
Joel Cotterill – Swindon, loan
Cameron Congreve – Bromley, loan

Key Player: Matt Grimes – Rarely gives the ball away but he also will try the progressive pass and can take on the long range shot. Takes the set plays also and he is often the fulcrum of most things the Swans do.

Verdict – I look at their squad and it looks a long way short of competing for a play off place and the signings have mainly been punts from abroad looking from the outside (I could be wrong). There is some steady experienced heads but I worry where the goals will come from.


17) Derby County

Warne got the Rams back up the second tier after a difficult period on and off the field. Will be backed by one of the biggest crowds bi weekly in the Championship with around 30,000 packing into Pride Park. That will help them at a higher level where the quality goes up but the expectation does not and teams will not come and park the bus as they perhaps did routinely in Lague One. I am not really blown away by their squad. It is a collection of mostly workmanlike players and the ones they have brought in such as Osborn, Yates and Jackson are bog standard Championship type journeymen. That is often seen as a bad thing but for a squad that lacks out and out quality, they will need to be well set up, work hard and defend well to ensure they pick up enough points. Jackson and Yates will get them enough goals and probably offer more than a number of the strike forces of sides predicted to finish above them. They still need to sign a goalkeeper as I write this but they have enough experience to be ok with the step up.

Manager: Paul Warne - Warne is a straight talking, likeable manager who has had his critics at Derby but got the job done in the end. He has not had much to play with in terms of funds but he will do enough to give them a season of consolidation at this level.


In

Ebou Adams - Cardiff, undisclosed
Kenzo Goudmijn - AZ Alkmaar, undisclosed
Corey Blackett-Taylor - Charlton, free
Emmanuel Ilesanmi - Harrogate, free
Kayden Jackson - Ipswich, free
Ben Osborn - Sheffield United, free
Jerome Richards - Enfield Town, free
Morten Spencer - Leeds, free
Alex Stepien-Iwumene - Southampton, free
Jerry Yates - Swansea, loan


Out

Conor Hourihane - Barnsley, free
Owen Oseni - Gateshead, free
Louie Sibley - Oxford, free
Charlie Lindsay - Glentoran, free
Korey Smith - Cambridge United, free
Joe Wildsmith - West Brom, free
Jack Bates - Released
Adebayo Fapetu - Released
Dwight Gayle - Released
Alex Gibson-Hammond - Released
Callum Moore - Released
Eno Nto - Released
Kwaku Oduroh - Released
Carlos Richards - Released
Lewis Ridd - Released
Martyn Waghorn - Released
Tony Weston - Boston United, loan
Bradley Johnson - Retired
Scott Loach - Retired


Key Player: Eiran Cashin – Big, commanding Irish centre back who had done well since coming through the ranks. He will be busier this season but with experienced old heads like Forsyth, Bradley and Nelson around him, they should not be the soft touch that maybe the other promoted teams might be?

Verdict: The big crowds at home and the experienced players they have recruited means they will have a relatively stable return to the Championship.


18) Watford

Seen as a bit of a basket case of a club, they constantly change managers and the personnel does not seem very static either. They have gradually lost talented players season upon season and their days in the Premier League seem a long time ago but it was only two seasons ago! Had 12 (TWELVE) managers in the last four years. The lack of clear plan means that it must be difficult for supporters to have any faith that the club will be able to return to the top league any time soon. Daniel Bachmann is a decent keeper and they have some solid defenders in Hoedt and Porteous but the rest of the squad is full of young players mixed with underachieving international players. Asprilla and Ince are hit and miss at the top of the field and Rajokic will need to show more consistency also, although he did score 10 goals last time out.

Manager: Tom Cleverley – Was named interim manager at the end of last season and at 34 becomes one of the youngest managers in the game as he takes permanent charge. You wonder how long he will last and if they struggle, as I expect they will, then they will surely pull the trigger on him early?

In

Mamadou Doumbia - Black Stars, undisclosed
Rocco Vata - Celtic, compensation
Jonathan Bond - LA Galaxy, free
Moussa Sissoko - Nantes, free
Antonio Tikvic - Udinese, loan
Yasser Larouci – Troyes, loan

Out

Ismael Kone - Marseille, undisclosed
Ashley Fletcher - Blackpool, free
Ben Hamer - Sheffield Wednesday, free
Hamzat Balogun - Released
Ben Casey - Released
James Collins - Released
Charlie Davis - Released
Yianni - Released
Edward Gyamfi - Released
Dawid Hamiga - Released
Scott Holding - Released
Alfie King - Released
Jake Livermore - Released
Jack Taylor - Released
Victor Wachowicz - Released



Key Player: Moussa Sissoko – Experienced midfielder who returns to Vicarage Road. Formerly of Spurs and Newcastle, Sissoko has enough quality and know how to ensure that Watford will not get overrun in this area of the field.

Verdict: They finish 15th last season and I do not see enough to suggest they will be able to achieve much more this time around. I worry also that with an inexperienced manager and then the probable change here, that they may get drawn into a bit of a scrap at the bottom of the league.


19) Portsmouth

A loyal and fervent home support combined with the momentum of winning the league, it is easy to think Pompey will be comfortable next season and carry on this feel-good factor. However, without being too much of a party pooper, the squad they possess lacks quality and experience at the Championship level. Marvin Pack and new signing Josh Murphy apart, most of this squad has plied their trade at the lower levels. However, they have some players who will fancy themselves at a higher level and will point to other sides (Ipswich) who have gone on and coped comfortably. The caveat to that is others (Rotherham) have struggled and become a bit ‘yo-yo’ and their main aim will be to ensure they preserve their status at this level. Leading scorer Colby Bishop has some medical issues which has seen him undergo a heart procedure and means he won’t be available for some time you would not think?

Manager: John Mousinho –Formerly Player Coach at Oxford and PFA Chairman, Mousinho has done superbly well to steer Pompey to the title and back into the Championship. He seems to have a nice mix of tactical acumen and motivational skills.

In

Andre Dozzell – QPR, free
Reuben Swann - AFC Sudbury, undisclosed
Jordan Archer - QPR, free
Josh Murphy - Oxford, free
Jordan Williams - Barnsley, free
Samuel Sivera - Middlesbrough, loan

Out

Lee Evans - Blackpool, free
Matt Macey - Colchester, free
Koby Mottoh - Bournemouth, free
Joe Rafferty - Rotherham, free
Sean Raggett - Rotherham, free
Mitch Aston - Released
Josh Dockerill - Released
Sam Folarin - Released
Harry Jewitt-White - Released
Harvey Laidlaw - Released
Josh Martin - Released
Haji Mnoga - Released
Daniel Murray - Released
Malachi Osei-Owusu - Released
Brian Quarm - Released
Ryan Schofield - Released
Bastian Smith - Released
Liam Vincent - Released
Toby Steward - Tonbridge Angels, loan
Jack Sparkes - Peterborough, loan


Key Player: Josh Murphy – A coup to get him, from fellow promoted side Oxford, and as he showed in the Playoff final, has the tricks and know how to get goals. He will need to adapt to his new surroundings quickly to provide the experience they need.

Verdict: I expect them to start well but then when the long hard winter months kick in, the lack of experience and squad depth will begin to bite. Fratton Park and the home advantage it brings will be key if they are to fend off a relegation scrap.


20) Queens Park Rangers

Finished last season strongly and in the end were able to be 6 points clear of the drop, when it looked for a long time they would perish. Almost 30 players (Admittedly some youth) have moved on in a big squad overhaul and there is still work to be done but as it stands they will be in a real struggle again. They needed to make changes but so many senior players moving on and have not realty been replaced properly. They have the new manager at the helm for a full season but without investment it will be tricky for them to push on. Paul Nardi is a new goalkeeper, coming in from France but is experienced and up front Celar has scored a lot of goals in Switzerland. Varane comes in from Gijon to give some tenacity in the middle of the field. Liam Morrison a centre back was a surprise acquisition from Bayern Munich, albeit via Wigan on loan! Returnees Chair and Dykes will be seen as important figures amidst all the turnover. The squad looks very small and they will need further signings before the end of August. Will need Loftus Road to be a big factor in hoping they get the necessary results to not get stuck in the bottom reaches yet again but far that may be the likely outcome.

Manager: Marti Cifuentes – The Spaniard has been about a bit already – 6 teams managed in Spain, Sweden and Denmark. He was a bit of a left field pick last season as Rangers tried something different. He achieved his main objective – to keep the R’s up – but now he has a real test to repeat this again with limited resources seemingly available.

In


Jonathan Varane - Sporting Gijon, undisclosed
Zan Celar - Lugano, undisclosed
Liam Morrison - Bayern Munich, undisclosed
Daniel Bennie - Perth Glory, free
Rocco Friel - Hearts, free
Jack McDowell - Aston Villa, free
Paul Nardi - Gent, free
Kieran Morgan - Tottenham, free
Heverton Santos - Estrela, free
Rohan Vaughan - Burnley, free

Out

Sinclair Armstrong - Bristol City, undisclosed
Albert Adomah - Walsall, free
Joseph Ajose - Maidstone, free
Jordan Archer - Portsmouth, free
Stephen Duke-McKenna - Harrogate, free
Joe Gubbins - Southend, free
Arkel Jude-Boyd - Cheltenham, free
Teddy Lawrence - Bracknell Town, free
Trent Randall - Dagenham & Redbridge, free
Chris Willock - Cardiff, free
Deon Woodman - Wealdstone, free
Micah Anthony - Released
Steven Bala - Released
Asmir Begovic - Released
Ramy Bouhiaoui - Released
Harry Cant - Released
Andre Dozzell - Released
Aaron Drewe - Released
Nathan Jeche - Released
Osman Kakay - Released
Hamzad Kargbo
Rafferty Pedder
Samuel Sackey
Youssef Yahyaou
Tyler Young
Charlie Kelman - Leyton Orient, loan
Taylor Richards - Cambridge, loan
Ziyad Larkeche - Dundee, loan
Murphy Cooper – Stevenage, loan


Key Player: Zan Celar – Prolific in the Swiss league, he will be expected to be the man to provide the goals hopefully with the clever Ilias Chair linking up with him.

Verdict: Be a real struggle again and with further experience players moving on and the lack of replacements, they will be at the wrong end again.


21) Millwall

There is often one team who has been at this level for a while that unexpectedly drops and sometimes even the bigger clubs can go – see Birmingham last season. Millwall struggled last season after being in and around the playoffs for a few seasons prior to that and have changed strategy in terms of management. A bit like the Blades they went back to the tried and trusted, after trying something different with Joe Edwards, a young up and coming coach. This experiment did not last long with some arguing they needed to give it more time but went back to Neil Harris – which in the surface seemed an odd move. I understood it short term in that it allowed them to stay up but he remains (at least contracted till June 25). Lukas Jensen is a decent keeper they have picked up from Lincoln. They have some strikers in Bradshaw, Watmore, Nisbet and the prolific Langstaff to score goals and Jake Cooper will head it and kick it away but the rest of the side has gaps all over it and if they pick up injuries, they really will be in trouble.

Manager: Neil Harris – Strange to go back to someone whom they moved on from but Harris gets Millwall and I suppose with the lack of resources will draw on the team spirit and the no-one likes us mantra that seems to inspire them and their supporters. With limited resources, he will find it hard to extrapolate more than this never say die spirit and I would not be surprised if he does not see past Xmas and they change route again.

In

Lukas Jensen - Lincoln, undisclosed
Macaulay Langstaff - Notts County, undisclosed
Liam Roberts - Middlesbrough, free
Japhet Tanganga - Tottenham, free

Out

Alex Mitchell - Charlton, undisclosed
Nana Boateng - Sutton, free
Abdul Abdulmalik - Released
Bart Bialkowski - Released
Finley Cotton - Released
Seb Drozd - Released
Arezki Hamouchene - Released
Kyron Horsley-McKay - Released
Shaun Hutchinson - Released
Frankie Hvid - Released
Frankie Maciocia - Released
Zane Myers - Released
Christopher Ojemen - Released
Adedapo Olugbodi - Released
Albert Penney - Released
George Walker - Released
Kamarl Grant - Bromley, loan


Key Player: Macaulay Langstaff – He has amassed 70 goals in the past two seasons and continued his scoring spree at League level, making the step up with ease. He will not have the experience of David McGoldrick alongside him but if Tom Bradshaw returns to form, they could form a duo that keeps them away from trouble.

Verdict: I could be a long way off with this and like with many of this crap shoot at predicting who finishes where in this crazy league, they could be mid table as likely as being right down there. However, I look at the likes of them, QPR and Blackburn and think that the promoted teams will have somewhat of a bounce and a few will finish above them. If Langstaff makes the step up, this prediction could be very foolish!


22) Blackburn Rovers

Tomasson’s progress stalled after a promising start but the lack of investment in the playing squad meant it was always going to be difficult for them progress but even he may not have foreseen the troubles last season presented. In came John Eustace, harshly jettisoned for Wayne Rooney in the second city, and he was able to keep Rovers up; by the skin of their teeth. Without the season of his life from Sammy Szmodics, they would have surely been doomed and it seems their talisman will move on before the end of the window. Giant centre forward Gueye comes in hoping to fill the gap by the impending departure of their leading scorer but with Sam Gallagher’s departure also, a thin squad is stretched even more. The incomings have been minimal although Sam Weimann is a handy player at this level but a squad where the quality seems to diminish year on year, will rely on young players and some of the veteran holdovers like Hyam, Brittain, McFadzean and Travis.

Manager: John Eustace – Was excellent at Birmingham after bouncing around a few Championship clubs as coach and manager but he kept Rovers up and seems on the face of it, someone who knows this level and will get the best of what he has got but expect a real struggle.

In
Jack Barrett - Everton, free
Aodhan Doherty - Linfield, free
Yuki Ohashi – Sanfrecce Hiroshima, undisclosed
Makhtar Gueye – Molenbeek, undisclosed
Kyke McFadzean – Coventry, free
Andreas Weimann – Bristol City, free
Danny Batth – Norwich City, free

Out

Sam Gallagher, Stoke City, undisclosed
Semir Telalovic - SSV Ulm, undisclosed
Leopold Wahlstedt - AGF Aarhus, undisclosed
Sam Barnes - Barrow, free
Jay Haddow - Kitchee, free
Ethan Walker - Ayr United, free
Lenni Cirino - Released
Ben Fyles - Released
Jared Harlock - Released
Ben Thirkill - Released
Charlie Weston - Released
Felix Goddard - Dundalk, loan
Georgie Gent – Barnsley, undisclosed
Jake Garrett – Bristol Rovers, loan


Key Player: Dominic Hyam – The defence will be stretched again so Pears will be busy but Hyam has been impressive since coming in from Coventry and ran Szmodics close in the player of the year awards.


Verdict: A squad that seems lacking in quality all over and almost certainly losing it’s star man and leading scorer – if he remains – even for August, they may get a head start and might be a touch higher. Hard to pitch them any higher than last season and I would not be shocked if they went down.


23) Oxford United

Surprise packet of last season to get into the playoffs and then finish the job too. The step up will be a challenge but possess an excellent coach. They have lost their star man in Murphy and just feel it might be a tough ask for them. Hope they prove me wrong as good to see a different club/team at this level who have punched above their weight and showing it is not always about finances and sometimes good coaching is important too. Did bring in a few experienced heads in Ingram in goal and Vaulks and Phillips in midfield. Ebiowei from Palace will give them pace and an outlet down the side too. Sibley will hope to kickstart his career but will rely on Mark Harris to get the goals and lack quality and know how in most departments.

Manager: Des Buckingham – Buckingham has managed in New Zealand, Australia and India and has an excellent reputation in coaching circles. A fantastic achievement to get them up when there were other bigger clubs with bigger budgets in League One. He is assisted by former Blade Craig Short. Will do his utmost to get them fit, organised and resolute but the step up might be a bit too much.

In

Louie Sibley - Derby, free
Will Vaulks - Sheffield Wednesday, free
Matty Phillips – West Brom, free
Malcolm Ebiowei – Crystal Palace, loan
Idris El Mizouni - Ipswich, undisclosed
Jamie Cumming - Chelsea, undisclosed
Jack Currie - AFC Wimbledon, undisclosed
Matt Ingram - Hull, undisclosed
Peter Kioso - Rotherham, undisclosed
Jacob Knightbridge - West Ham, free
Przemyslaw Placheta - Swansea, free

Out

Oisin Smyth - St Mirren, undisclosed
Billy Bodin - Burton, free
Cammy Cooper - Airdrieonians, free
Josh Murphy - Portsmouth, free
Steve Seddon - Motherwell, free
Marcus Browne - Released
James Henry - Released
Stuart Findlay - Kilmarnock, loan
Edward McGinty - Sligo Rovers, loan
Stephan Negru - Salford, loan
Jacob Knightbridge - Braintree, loan




Key Player: Louis Sibley – Lost his way a bit at Derby – he will be counted upon to replace the threat Murphy offered in terms of goals and creativity.

Verdict: Seems a very lazy pick to put them near the bottom but do not see them having the same fan support/home advantage as the other promoted teams.

24) Plymouth Argyle

Managed to survive last year despite losing their talented manager Steven Schumacher and then going on a really poor run that threatened to see them go back to League One immediately. They did just enough to eek out results to survive but the move to install Rooney seemed a bizarre on. Maybe they are hoping his stature in the game will attract players to the South West of the country, when it often a hard sell to get players to relocate to this part of the world. Plymouth will rely on their home form and a passionate Home Park crowd to help them get enough wins again but do not see it being enough. They have not done much in terms of recruitment at all and will rely on Cooper (if he stays past August) and Whittaker (same story – if he remains) at either end of the pitch. Bali Mumba is a talented wing back and Adam Forshaw gives them some experience in the middle of the field but it is a weak starting lineup and even weaker squad. Cannot see anything other than them scrambling around at the foot of the table.


Manager: Wayne Rooney – Just do not understand why teams keep appointing the same people who have failed at other clubs. We have seen it with the likes of Lampard at a higher level, but the desire for a ‘name’ never seems to stop clubs doing it. I am not sure he is cut out for management, as harsh as that seems and with even few resources he will have to hope what he did under trying circumstances at Derby a few years ago, will galvanise him to kickstart his managerial career. I do not see it and feel it will be a close call whether he or Cleverly gets the bullet first. They have not done much in terms of recruitment at all and will rely on Cooper (if he stays past August) and Whittaker (same story – if he remains) at either end of the pitch. Bali Mumba is a talented wing back and Adam Forshaw gives them some experience in the middle of the field but it is a weak starting lineup and even weaker squad. Cannot see anything other than them scrambling around at the foot of the table.

In

Nathanael Ogbeta - Swansea, free
Ibrahim Cissoko - Toulouse, loan
Darko Gyabi - Leeds, loan
Muhamed Tijani - Slavia Prague, loan
Kornel Szucs – Kecskemeti, undisclosed

Out

Tyreik Wright - Bradford, undisclosed
Callum Burton - Wrexham, free
Mikel Miller - Huddersfield, free
Jack Endacott - Released
Oscar Halls - Released
Zak Baker - Plymouth Parkway, loan



Key Player: Michael Cooper – The talented keeper has been linked with a move away and still may depart but if the Blades/Palace or any other club do not secure his signature, he will be vital if the Green Army are to stay up again. He has been beset with knee issues the last two seasons and if he dos remain, needs to stay fit and play more than 19 games (only played 28 games the year before – so has played equivalent of 1 season in 2). Excellent shot stopper and will be very busy if he does not move on.

Verdict: The Rooney appointment sadly confirmed that it would be another season of struggle. If they had tried something different with an up-and-coming coach that could try and draw on those small gains they need, then maybe I could make an argument for them to survive? However, it was always going to be a struggle again and I cannot see three worse sides, or managers at this level.



Other Championship tips:

Leading goalscorer – 1) Ellis Simms 2) Joel Piroe 3) Emmanuel Latte Lath

First manager to be sacked – 1) Tom Cleverley 2) Wayne Rooney 3) Neil Harris

Sheffield derby game predictions – United 1 Wednesday 1 / Wednesday 0 United 0

Other competitions + leagues...

Premier League
1st – Arsenal…just think City might get bored!
2nd – Man City
3rd – Liverpool
4th – Tottenham
Relegated: Ipswich, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth

FA Cup – Man City
League Cup – Newcastle United
Champions League – Real Madrid

League One
Promoted: Birmingham, Bolton and Huddersfield
Relegated: Crawley, Burton, Northampton and Stevenage

League Two
Promoted: Gillingham, MK Dons, Doncaster and Carlisle
Relegated: Bromley and Harrogate

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Regards,
Deadbat – deadbat_DB

[fred emney]

Seems ages since the calamity that was 23-24 season, but finally we can say the new season starts now we have the Deadbat preview !

Amazing set of stats from each club and info. Can`t disagree with much, though i expect watford to do a little better.
And yes i agree Scott Parker is a feeble cardboard cut out of a manager... he got promotion with bournemouth because the refs and the football league loved his smart, ex England Lord snooty look. we took 1 point out of 6 against them that season and deserved all 6, he`s nowt, but again he will be loved by the refs etc.

Our Chris is a mardy Sheffielder (me too!) , the football league don`t go for them. Very hard to predict our season . The Souttar loan is a good`un and at last gives us some needed height. Chris has tried to get some good players, but often hampered by the prince and whatever is going to happen with the takeover/ takeaway?. Still need a goalie and another forward. Brewster now needs to finally step up if his body will allow it, he`s getting through pre season ok (Apart from goals)... perhaps we need to keep him in a padded cell between games.


... and of course we must must must beat the grotty S6 club.

Thanks DB, for your great efforts.