Coca-Cola Championship Preview 2008/2009
After what was a very competitive Championship season in 2007/2008, chances are it is likely to be even better this time around with Derby County, Birmingham City and Reading joining us from the Premier League. Having said goodbye to the likes of West Brom, Stoke and Hull following their promotion to the big time, clubs of a similar ilk can take inspiration from what they have achieved and hope that they can follow suit. Coming the other way are the aforementioned Birmingham, Reading and Derby who will looking to bounce straight back and prove that they have what it takes to mix with the big boys and that they are not one season wonders. All of which is easier said than done though, of course.
What makes the Championship so competitive and interesting to watch is that more or less 14 of the clubs in the league will be fancying their chances of going up this season - much like what Stoke and Hull did last time around perhaps? With all that in mind, it makes for a very interesting Championship season ahead.
With the season opener just around the corner, let's take a look at all 24 teams and asses their chances.
Barnsley
Manager: Simon Davey
Position Last Season: 18th
Last season could be deemed somewhat of a success for the Yorkshire club after reaching the FA Cup semi finals whilst avoiding relegation back to League One. No one can deny this was a massive feat for Simon Davey but make no mistake; the former North End defender will be wanting more from his boys this time around.
Accordingly, there seems to be some sort of overhaul at Oakwell this summer with Davey definitely being one of the busier managers in the Championship. Having secured the services of Darren Moore from Derby, Davey has signalled his intentions to leak far fewer goals this season in a bid to avoid a relegation battle whilst adding the firepower of Canadian international striker, Iain Hulme at the other end. They do say attack is the best form of defence.
Davey has also moved to secure the services of some promising youngsters from abroad; bringing in Argentine under-21 international defensive midfielder, Hugo Roberto Colace and Frenchman Mounir El Haimour to add fill the void on the left hand side. Davey has dubbed the signings as a 'massive coup' and is 'delighted' to have secured their services.
How they will fair
Iain Hulme, once a target of Preston of course, has proved he can score goals and make an impact at this level and by securing his services, Barnsley will be a team to keep an eye on this season. They are not quite there yet but will have a good season and will just miss out on the play-offs.
Birmingham City
Manager: Alex McLeish
Position Last Season: 19th (Premier League)
After a bitterly disappointing season behind them, it will be interesting to see how Birmingham bounce back. Alex McLeish will be under no illusions that he has his work cut out for him if he wants to send Birmingham back up to the Premiership at the first time of asking. However, with board room troubles seemingly affecting the players on the pitch it merely adds weight to the argument that it will be no stroll in the park.
There does seem to be an awful lot of activity at St Andrews this summer, albeit with players jumping ship in preference of football at a higher level but at least then McLeish has players who want to play for his club and are committed for a tough season in the Championship. Already to leave are Fabrice Muamba, who has joined Bolton and of course Daniel De Ridder and Olivier Kapo joining up with their former boss at Wigan, just to name a few.
Birmingham have brought in Lee Carlsey from Everton to add to their already impressive squad along with veteran striker, Kevin Phillips who enjoyed a great season with West Brom last time round, Tony Mowbray will be hoping he can have another one just like it. Phillips will be a great addition to the squad and could be the man that fires Birmingham back to the Premiership, much like he did with West Brom, proving he still has what it takes to cut it at this level
Ever since Birmingham were relegated from the Premier League there has been constant speculation about the future of James McFadden. Toward the end of last season, McFadden was a key player for Alex McLeish's side and will be again this season should they be able to keep hold of him.
How they will fair
If Birmingham manage to keep much of their squad together and resolve the boardroom issues then they should stand a real chance of going back up. Steve Bruce brought a lot of players in last summer and so even more chopping and changing is not going to bode well for them. Automatic contenders.
Blackpool
Manager: Simon Grayson
Position Last Season: 19th
Many people, especially North End fans, will feel that Blackpool did well just to survive last season. Despite getting off to a good start, they were still involved in the relegation fight in the last few remaining weeks of the season and were still not quite safe on the last day. With a number of their first team players heading for the exits this summer, it seems as though they are going to struggle massively this season. Wes Hoolahan has joined Norwich and Kaspars Gorkss leaving to join QPR, many of the Blackpool faithful are in disarray about their chances this coming season.
Simon Grayson has being having a clear out of his own too having cancelled the contracts of Keigan Parker, former PNE centre half Michael Jackson, Michael Flynn and Lewis Edge amongst others. It appears that the Bloomfield Road supremo is taking a no-nonsense approach this time round who of course has been the subject of some speculation himself. Many fans fear that he will jump ship to a bigger club and leave 'pool in the lurch should the opportunity arise.
Unless Simon Grayson has an ace up his sleeve and manages to bring in players of real quality to replace the likes of Gorkss and Hoolahan then I suspect Blackpool will struggle.
How they will fair
One word. Relegation.
Bristol City
Manager: Gary Johnson
Position Last Season: 4th
Some may say Bristol City overachieved a little bit last season whilst some may say that they were desperately unlucky. Whichever view you have stems back to the glass half empty/half full theory. Either way, Gary Johnson's priority will be to pick his players up and prepare them for another bite at the cherry. City looked like they were already up until they hit a run of poor form towards the end of the season and narrowly missed out on automatic promotion and instead settled for the play-offs.
As the Deepdale faithful will testify, there is nothing worse than being just 90 minutes away from the Premiership for it to be taken away from you in an instant. That is what happened for Bristol City last May when Dean Windass converted that spectacular volley at Wembley sending Hull City into the Premier League, as opposed to Bristol City. Many clubs have fell apart following a disappointing play-off campaign and as Leeds United will tell you, the second chance isn't always guaranteed.
Having already proven that they have what it takes to mix with the best of them in the Championship, it will be more of the same that is needed from Gary Johnson men wouldn't it? I however suspect that it won't be that simple and that second season syndrome may come into play. That is of course unless City add players of proven quality to their squad. They have completed the signing of midfielder, Gavin Williams from Ipswich and Nicky Maynard from Crewe who is relatively unproven at this level but is a bright prospect. He will be the one to watch for Bristol City this season.
How they will fair
A mid table finish would be deemed acceptable this season for Bristol City, it is imperative not to get too caught up in the success they had last season and instead cement their place in the championship.
Burnley
Manager: Owen Coyle
Position Last Season: 13th
Preston's fierce rivals from East Lancashire have had to replace their star man this summer following his departure to Rangers. After much speculation, Kyle Lafferty finally completed his move north of the border to Rangers for an estimated £3m, leaving Owen Coyle plenty of money to fill the void. With a third of that, Coyle moved quickly to sign the highly rated Scunthorpe striker, Martin Paterson, who has been linked with a move to Deepdale ever since the Irons were relegated to League One. Many of the Burnley faithful will be relieved to see the replacement of Lafferty having also seen the departure of Andy Gray in January and Andy Cole leave to Nottingham Forest - leaving their strike force a bit thin on the ground. Another key addition is former Manchester United winger Chris Eagles who has proved he is a good player at this level having enjoyed a successful time with Watford a few seasons back. Eagles could prove to be the missing piece of the claret and blue puzzle.
The Clarets were awfully close to reaching the play-offs last time round and so with their new additions they could be in with a shout of going one better this season.
How they will fair
A play-off spot is a realistic target for Burnley with Martin Paterson the man to fire them to Wembley.
Cardiff City
Manager: Dave Jones
Position Last Season: 12th
Our friends from South Wales endured a slow start to the campaign last year despite some early optimism. The additions of Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink did much to fuel said optimism but it never seemed to spark and instead the departure of Michael Chopra to Sunderland had a detrimental effect on their goal scoring prowess. Major re-strengthening seems to be the theme with many Championship clubs this summer as Cardiff, being one of the aforementioned fourteen clubs who will fancy they chances, have brought in a variety of players. Mark Kennedy from Crystal Palace into replace Trevor Sinclair on the flanks and Ross McCormack to add more fire power could be deemed enough but add goalkeeper Tom Heaton, and Darren Dennehy from Everton to the equation and you get the impression that Dave Jones wants another crack this time round and achieve what he did with Wolves.
Our Prediction:
Cardiff have enough quality in their squad to reach the play-offs but a good start is essential for them.
Charlton Athletic
Manager: Alan Pardew
Position Last Season: 11th
After a massively disappointing campaign last season, Alan Pardew will be under no illusion that it is paramount for his side that they take the Championship by storm this year and return to the top flight with minimal fuss. Striker Chris Iwelumo has jumped ship in favour of a move to Wolves meaning that their striking options will need to be reimbursed or otherwise they are perhaps in for another lack lustre season. Pardew may not think this himself, but the pressure is firmly on for him to get Charlton back to the Premier League, where their fans think they belong.
Unless major reshaping is done at the Valley, Charlton are going to struggle again this year with Pardew being one of the first possible managerial casualties.
How they will fair
Close but no cigar, missing out on the play-offs and consequently leaving Alan Pardew jobless.
Coventry City
Manager: Chris Coleman
Position Last Season: 21st
Coventry are another side who have been guilty of massively underachieving in recent years, last year in particular. After being so close to relegation last season, the introduction of Chris Coleman could spark a revival at the Ricoh. Having secured the services of Wolves striker, Freddy Eastwood who of course had a very good season with Southend two seasons ago, The Sky Blues faithful will be relieved to see a proven goal scorer arrive through the doors. Coventry will be another team who will fancy their chances for promotion this year having been busy in the transfer market.
If Freddy Eastwood regains his scoring touch and Coleman can get Coventry off to a good start then the Sky Blues might be in with a shout of the play-offs.
How they will fair
Play-offs may be a little farfetched this season as steady progress is needed at the Ricoh. Enjoying a good season but missing out on the play-offs would not be a disaster for Chris Coleman.
Crystal Palace
Manager: Neil Warnock
Position Last Season: 5th
If you were to ask the Crystal Palace faithful whether talk of a possible play-off win was on the cards when Neil Warnock took over at Selhurst Park last season then you would have been labelled ridiculous. That is what the situation was but Warnock seems to have had the magic touch having blooded some of Palace's finest from the youth set up.
Palace were desperately unlucky not to book their place at Wembley last may and will be hoping this time they can go one better and go up automatically. Neil Warnock knows exactly how it's done as Sheffield United fans will tell you from their promotion campaign a few years back.
How they will fair
Having seen the promising youngsters light up Selhurst Park last season, exciting times are ahead for Palace fans and I fully expect them to be in the thick of it in terms of promotion this season.
Derby County
Manager: Paul Jewell
Position Last Season: 20th (Premier League)
With Paul Jewell still awaiting his first competitive win as manager of Derby County, the pressure is definitely on. Jewell has had a massive overhaul in the summer with likes of Nathan Ellington and Rob Hulse entering the fray at Pride Park to replace the hapless strike force that found themselves bottom of the Premier League last season.
Seeing as though Billy Davies said that Derby were ahead of schedule by winning promotion the season before last, it would probably be the same again if Derby were to win promotion this season. When anyone makes wholesale changes it takes time for them to gel and become affective as a unit and so Derby County fans must remain patient this season.
How they will fair
The Rams look good for a play-off spot but won't return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. There is always next year.
Doncaster Rovers
Manager: Sean O'Driscoll
Position Last Season: 3rd (League One)
Doncaster will be enjoying their first season in the Championship but will enjoy it a damn sight more if they stay up. As with the Premier League, it seems that it is becoming increasingly difficult for new arrivals to stay up as fans of both Scunthorpe and Colchester United will tell you. Both of the aforementioned had brief stops in the Championship before returning to League One. Doncaster will be hoping that they can go one better and begin to cement their place in the Championship.
Richie Wellens penned a new deal which will be a plus for Rovers but with them not signing anyone of proven Championship quality it would appear they may struggle. However will players such as Neil Sullivan between the sticks, Brian Stock, once of Preston North End pulling the strings and Darren Byfield upfront, it seems as though Doncaster could do a Bristol City and exceed expectations.
How they will fair
A good, solid first season in the Championship - Mid table.
Ipswich Town
Manager: Jim Magilton
Position Last Season: 8th
Preston's first opponents this season had a solid finish to last season which they will be looking to build on. Accordingly, Jim Magilton tabled a £5m offer for former Preston star David Nugent, who seems to have the goal scoring touch at Portman Road. The signing of Kevin Lisbie may prove to be a very astute one having enjoyed a good goal scoring return for Colchester last time round.
Former stopper Richard Wright has signed a two year contract with the Tractor Boys who is a very good goalkeeper at this level. Add this to the already dynamic side that Jim Magilton had last season and you may just get this season's play-off winners.
How they will fair
Promotion via the play-offs.
Nottingham Forest
Manager: Colin Calderwood
Position Last Season: 2nd (League One)
Now that Forest are finally on their way back to where some say they belong, it is important for the City Ground faithful not to get to carried away and be content with a season of consolidation. After a few seasons in the wilderness that is League One, it is important that they do everything within their power to avoid going back there and undo last season's hard work.
Having said that, Forest have made somewhat of a statement in signing Robert Earnshaw and Andy Cole who may prove to be a formidable strike force in this league. Earnshaw has scored goals where ever he has been in the Championship whilst Cole had a successful spell with Burnley last season.
How they will fair
Forest may just surprise a lot of people this season and finish in the top half if Earnshaw can find his shooting boots.
Norwich City
Manager: Glenn Roeder
Position Last Season: 17th
Glenn Roeder took over at Norwich City in October 2007 who, like Preston looked like relegation fodder. But just like Alan Irvine, Roeder turned Norwich's fortunes around and is doing a thorough job of turning them into promotion candidates instead. Having made a bold move such as releasing Darren Huckerby, Roeder looks to be serious in re-jigging at Carrow Road which, if key players such as Huckerby and Dublin aren't replace, could backfire.
The addition of Arturo Lupoli is a shrewd piece of business from Roeder and will fill the void eloquently left by Darren Huckerby. Meanwhile at the other end, Dejan Stefanovic will steady things up at the back and stop them from leaking as many goals which nearly cost them dearly last season.
How they will fair
A top half finish would be deemed a success.
Plymouth Argyle
Manager: Paul Sturrock
Position Last Season: 10th
The Pilgrims seem to have lost more than they have brought in over the summer which can only be bad news. Heading for the exits are Dan Gosling, David Norris, Peter Halmosi and of course Sylvain Ebanks-Blake who of course joined Wolves last season. With that in mind it is going to be a tough old season for Argyle, especially as Sturrock himself has admitted he has been frustrated in the transfer market having only recruited Karl Duguid and Graham Stack worth noting.
Unless Sturrock has some sort of contingency plan in mind and plans to raid the youth setup I suspect Plymouth will struggle massively this season and may be at the wrong end come May.
How they will fair
It looks like a season at the wrong end of the table for Plymouth but they should have enough to stay up.
Preston North End
Manager: Alan Irvine
Position Last Season: 15th
No Championship preview would be complete without taking a look at our own team. After a very poor start last season which almost cost North End their place in the Championship, a thorough pre-season with Alan Irvine has been considered as the prevention to history repeating itself. Players such as Callum Davidson commented on how much of a 'shambles' the pre-season tour of America was last summer and is incomparable to the preparations Alan Irvine has had in store for the Lilywhites this time round.
A training camp in Austria plus fixtures against the likes of Everton, Crewe and Carlisle should see North End well prepared for the season ahead and with Januarys signings having a full pre-season with their relatively new club, team spirit will be booming.
Just like Paul Sturrock, Alan Irvine has found himself frustrated with the transfer market having only brought in Barry Nicholson from Aberdeen and more recently securing the loan move of Ross Wallace from Premiership outfit, Sunderland. However, the two signings that Irvine has made do seem to have been well received with the North End faithful who feel that Preston are just another striker away from being the complete jigsaw.
With glimpses of what Alan Irvine's Preston North End last season and the general feel you get surrounded the club it may just turn out to be a good year for Preston.
How we will fair
Play-Offs.
Queens Park Rangers
Manager: Iain Dowie
Position Last Season: 14th
As you would expect from the club that is possibly the richest club in the world currently, there has been plenty of transfer activity surrounding it. Players of proven quality such as Radek Cherny and Peter Ramage been brought to add some genuine quality to the side with the promise of more on the way.
It must be said that you do get the same sort of feeling you got before Fulham were promoted to the Premier League - that something is going to happen at Loftus Road and its going to be sooner rather than later. What is meant by that is that it's the start of the Rangers Revolution and their promotion to the Premier League is almost inevitable.
For those of you who are not away of Daniel Parejo, the Spanish wonder kid from Real Madrid, then let me assure you that the capture of this boy on loan is a real coup for the club. Rumours were circulating the press that the likes of Arsenal were interested in his services which makes it all the more reason to keep your eye on this boy. Especially QPR fans, who will one day look back and say 'I remember this lad from when he was at Rangers' - much like David Beckham when he is talked about in the same breath as Preston North End.
How they will fair
Promoted automatically. Rangers owners have promised more big names meaning that they will do whatever it takes to get them back in the Premiership.
Reading
Manager: Steve Coppell
Position Last Season: 18th (Premier League)
As Steve Coppell has kept the backbone of his side together over the summer many will expect a quick return to the Premier League for the Royals. Having suffered from second season syndrome last time round, Reading fans will be hoping they strike whilst the iron is hot and make no nonsense return to the big time whilst doing so by playing good football as Steve Coppell sides usually do.
How they will fair
Automatic promotion.
Sheffield United
Manager: Kevin Blackwell
Position Last Season: 9th
Kevin Blackwell will be preparing his men for having a right good crack at the Championship this season. The introduction of Darius Henderson, David Cotterill, Matthew Spring and Greg Halford merely adds weight to those claims and appear to be one of the clubs who have made some very intelligent signings. Kevin Blackwell knows what it's all about getting teams to the play-off final having done so with Leeds in 2006, this time though he will be looking to exorcise his play-off ghost and go one better.
When Blackwell took at Bramall Lane last season, Sheffield United appeared to be in dire straits but due to Blackwell's hard work and endeavour, they had their fortunes turned round with immediate effect. Accordingly, Blades fans have had a taste of what could be in store for them this season and will be filled with optimism.
How will they fair
Challenging at the top end.
Sheffield Wednesday
Manager: Brian Laws
Position Last Season: 16th
On the other side of the steel city, Wednesday found themselves in somewhat of a pickle last season and very nearly returned to League One. Brian Laws will not be wanting this to happen again but having only brought in James O'Connor from Burnley and Jimmy Smith on loan from Chelsea, it appears that history may just repeat itself only this time they could book their place in English football's third tier one more time.
Unless more quality is brought in, Wednesday are going to struggle.
How they will fair
Relegation fodder.
Southampton
Manager: Jan Poortvilet
Position Last Season: 20th
Having suffered a major scare last season, Saints fans will not be wanting the same again this time. Nigel Pearson did good job in keeping them up but for a team that once upset the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool, it will not be considered as good enough and Saints fans won't put up with it for much longer.
Just like Coventry, Southampton are in that bracket of teams that have massively underachieved since dropping down from the Premiership which just tells you that there is no easy ride in the Championship.
However it takes more than will power to get results and seeing as though there hasn't been an awful lot of activity it seems as though Jan Poortvilet and his men are going to frustrate the St Mary's crowd for at least one more season.
How they will fair
Bottom half.
Swansea City
Manager: Roberto Martinez
Position Last Season: 1st (League One)
The League One champions are surely one of the picks to go straight back down as they will be with many people. It is up to them to show that they can make it at this level and exceed everyone's expectations as a result. However, if you excuse a rather terrible pun, the Championship is unchartered water for the Swans and maybe a bit of a stretch for them this season, despite being high fliers last season in League One.
Should this season be a success for the Welsh outfit, I suspect that much of it will stem from the form of on loan Manchester United striker, Fabien Brandy. If Martinez can utilize him properly then they may be in with a shout.
How they will fair
Relegation Candidates.
Watford
Manager: Aidy Boothroyd
Position Last Season: 6th
Despite getting off to a good start and looking like they might run away with it, Watford dwindled away towards the end last season and were thwarted in their attempts to return to the Premier League. Hoping to have another crack this time round, Aidy Boothroyd will have his work cut out for him after seeing some key players head for the exit doors. Darius Henderson has joined Sheffield United whilst Danny Shittu has joined Bolton. With John Harley being the only notable arrival, it spells a tough year for Watford.
When any business, let alone a football club, has to balance its books as a priority, it is fundamental that they don't do anything to rock the boat i.e no rash purchases or expenditure. With that in mind, Boothroyd will be under no illusions that he has to work on a tight budget and still try and compete with the likes of Birmingham, Derby and leagues other big spenders. Whether he can or not is another matter and only time will tell.
If the back end of last season is anything to go by and the addition of the aforementioned key players leaving, I suspect that Watford will have to make do with mid table mediocrity for the time being until the financial ship is kept afloat.
How they will fair
A mid table finish this season for a club who have overachieved in recent years who persist to use their long ball game. They don't call him Aidy Hoofroyd for nothing.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manager: Mick McCarthy
Position Last Season: 7th
Having narrowly missed out last season, Mick McCarthy knows he needs just that little bit more from his boys if they are to have any chance this season. Sylvain Ebanks-Blake looks like he has come of age and at times is unplayable. If Wolves can keep him fit they have every chance of being one of the front runners this season.
McCarthy has also moved to bring in Chris Iwelumo from Charlton to add even more power and presence up front giving some insight into what sort of football we can expect at Molineux. Other notable incomers include David Jones, once of Preston North End.
How they will fair
McCarthy is slowly building an impressive team at Molineux and will have every chance of being one of the front runners come May. Promotion candidates.