Middlesbrough
Manager – Gordon Strachan
Key Player –Kris Boyd – The pick of the influx of players brought in from north of the border is the former Rangers front man, who had been attracting the likes of Tottenham and Sunderland only six months ago. His strike rate for Rangers was superb and given the right service, which he is expected to get, Boyd will score plenty of goals at this level, one for the top-goalscorer shortlist.
Verdict – Gordon Strachan, aided by the parachute payments from the Premier League, has been extremely busy in the transfer market, snapping up a whole host of experienced Scottish players who also possess the ability needed for a Championship winning side. The squad is packed with quality including Scott MacDonald, Barry Robson, Nicky Bailey, Leroy Lita, Gary O’Neill and Stephen McManus, meaning they have all the tools necessary, on and off the pitch, for a serious title challenge.
Prediction -champions
Millwall
Manager – Kenny Jackett
Last Season – Promotion
Key Player - Steve Morison – His goals will be crucial in the race for survival, he scored a hatful last season and will need to continue his yearly improvement to complete the transition from non-league no-hoper to Championship star.
Verdict – Most people’s banker to finish bottom, the Lions are in for a long and tiring season. Plenty think they’ll be out of their depth but Kenny Jackett is an incredibly underrated manager, and his tactical nous added to his man-management skills should make Millwall hard to beat, meaning survival, with a little bit of luck on the way, is achievable.
Prediction – 21st
Norwich City
Manager – Paul Lambert
Last Season – Promotion
Key Player – Grant Holt – Their talisman last season with 30 goals has already flopped at this level with Nottingham Forest a few years back, but he is a completely different animal these days. He is the club captain and epitomises everything that Norwich are about, and his grit, determination and goals can help fire Norwich to the upper reaches of the table.
Verdict – I’m a big believer in winning momentum, and this is something that Norwich have in abundance. They got into the habit of winning games last season (winning League One by nine points) and their mentality will be the same for this campaign. Paul Lambert has strengthened his squad accordingly - the combination of Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson up front looks like an exciting prospect - and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Norwich pushing for a second successive promotion come May.
Prediction – 2nd
Nottingham Forest
Manager – Billy Davies
Last Season – 3rd
Key Player - Radoslaw Majewski - Forest will once again be looking towards the diminutive midfielder to pull the strings and to provide the attacking spark to supply their talented strikers. He will be supported by the inspirational Paul McKenna, along with youngster Lewis McGugan, who has returned from a serious injury and will be looking to return to top form.
Verdict – Guided by one of the best managers around, Forest will be one of the early pace setters in the Championship and will be looking to start the season with a bang. Reports have suggested however, that all may not be well behind the scenes at the club with Davies and the board falling out over transfer budgets. That is worrying, but Forest have enough quality to repeat their success last season and push on for automatic promotion.
Prediction – 3rd
Portsmouth
Manager – Steve Cotterill
Last Season – Relegation
Key Player - David Nugent - Goals get you points, and David Nugent will have to be the man if Portsmouth are serious about stabilising the club following a year of financial woe. He’s only scored six times in his 45 appearances for Pompey though, but considering their other striking options, the emphasis will be on him to fire.
Verdict – Administration, relegation from the top flight and being hit with a transfer embargo - the Pompey ship is continuing to sink. Someone at the club must have walked under a ladder or smashed a mirror, as Portsmouth continue to get a lot of bad luck. After a disastrous pre-season US tour where kits went missing, players got injured and flights were delayed, Portsmouth look to have a tough season ahead. Manager Steve Cotterill should steady the ship, to mid-table at least and then try to turn their luck around.
Prediction – 10th
Preston
Manager – Darren Ferguson
Key Player - Jon Parkin - After allowing Ross Wallace to join Burnley in the summer, PNE might struggle for creativity this season and so the burden on Jon Parkin to score goals will be bigger than ever. He’s big, tall, and strong and will cause problems for any defence in the Championship. If he can stay fit for the whole season and not miss too much time, he should help Preston secure a mid-table position following a tough summer.
Verdict – It was a difficult summer for North End. The club is in serious debt and was issued a winding up order by Revenue and Customs after a debt of £470,000. That debt has been paid and though PNE are free to buy and sell players what they’ve let go and what they’ve brought in could mean a tough season for the Deepdale faithful. Out go Neil Mellor (on loan), Youl Malwene and Ross Wallace while in come Craig Morgan, Wayne Brown and Matthew James (on loan). On paper it looks like it could be a tough year for the Lillywhites.
Prediction – 15th
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