Championship 2014/15: Team-by-team guide to the new season
Fulham and Norwich have spent big in a bid to bounce straight back to the Premier League, Blackpool finally have 11 players and life at Leeds will be rarely dull with Massimo Cellino around. Jack Pitt-Brooke sorts out the second-flight’s contenders from the strugglers
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Your support makes all the difference.Birmingham City
Lee Clark’s attempts to run a competent football team amid the chaos at St Andrew’s have been impressive, and he has added grit and experience this summer, mainly from League One, in the hope of avoiding another relegation battle. But it might not be enough.
Manager: Lee Clark
Key player: Darren Randolph
Last season: 21st
Prediction: 22nd
Blackburn Rovers
After years of mismanagement, Blackburn Rovers have finally stabilised under Gary Bowyer. The squad is trimmed and focused, with uninterested big earners moved out. Jordan Rhodes, though, is still there and they can aim for the play-offs.
Manager: Gary Bowyer
Key player: Jordan Rhodes
LS: 8th
Prediction: 12th
Blackpool
Like a canny Christmas shopper, Blackpool have left all their spending until the very last minute. With Joe Lewis, John Lundstram and Ishmael Miller joining this week they finally have enough players, but it would be a real surprise if they ever resemble a team.
Manager: Jose Riga
Key player: Peter Clarke
LS: 20th
Prediction: 24th
Bolton Wanderers
After a season in which Bolton got worse rather than better, Dougie Freedman desperately needs a good start if he is not to go the way of Owen Coyle before him. The new signings, such as they are, need to click.
Manager: Dougie Freedman
Key player: Tim Ream
LS: 14th
Prediction: 14th
Bournemouth
Eddie Howe has done an excellent job in his second spell on the south coast, with Bournemouth challenging for the play-offs in the spring. Despite the departure of Lewis Grabban to Norwich, they still have goals in them, especially since the arrival of Callum Wilson from Coventry.
Manager: Eddie Howe
Key player: Matt Ritchie
LS: 10th
Prediction: 13th
Brentford
In their first season back in the second tier for over 20 years, Brentford are focused, ambitious and hopeful of a mid-table finish. Mark Warburton has added Moses Odubajo from Orient for £1m but looks set to lose key midfielder Adam Forshaw.
Manager: Mark Warburton
Key player: Andre Grey
LS: 2nd (L1)
Prediction: 19th
Brighton & Hove Albion
Another narrow miss on promotion, another managerial change and now Brighton – arguably the best-run club in the Championship – start their latest assault. Sami Hyppia should provide a steadying influence and less drama is probably precisely what Brighton need.
Manager: Sami Hyypia
Key player: Jake Forster-Caskey
LS: 6th
Prediction: 6th
Cardiff City
Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer might find the Championship a better platform for his expansive football than the Premier League, and despite selling some big names they are still well-equipped to challenge for the top six: Adam le Fondre is a proven goalscorer at this level and Kagisho Dikgacoi can anchor a midfield.
Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Key player: Mats Daehli
LS: 20th (PL)
Prediction: 4th
Charlton Athletic
The first season proper of the new Roland Duchatelet era at Charlton and there is a new manager – Bob Peeters – and a host of new players. But there is still some disquiet at the whole project and the treatment of Chris Powell.
Manager: Bob Peeters
Key player: Jordan Cousins
LS: 18th
Prediction: 20th
Derby County
Last season showed, with Watford, how psychologically difficult it can be following a defeat in a play-off final. Steve McClaren did brilliantly last season and has done well to keep his young squad together. The injury to £2m signing George Thorne is a blow, though.
Manager: Steve McClaren
Key player: Chris Martin
LS: 3rd
Prediction: 3rd
Fulham
After a season of drift and bad decisions, Fulham find themselves back in the second tier for the first time since 2001. They have retained manager Felix Magath though and produced the most eye-catching signing of the summer in the Championship, the £11m spent on striker Ross McCormack from Leeds.
Manager: Felix Magath
Key player: Ross McCormack
LS: 19th (PL)
Prediction: 5th
Huddersfield Town
There is potential in this Huddersfield side if only manager Mark Robins could get all of his best players fit and playing together, in particular James Vaughan and Nakhi Wells.
Manager: Mark Robins
Key player: James Vaughan
LS: 17th
Prediction: 18th
Ipswich Town
Steady improvement during Mick McCarthy’s tenure so far has bred more optimism at Portman Road than there has been for years. They have a solid squad, with real quality in David McGoldrick.
Manager: Mick McCarthy
Key player: David McGoldrick
LS: 9th
Prediction: 7th
Leeds United
Even by the unique standards of Leeds, this has been a bizarre summer, in which new owner Massimo Cellino has stamped his eccentricities upon the club. Manager David Hockaday – a strange appointment itself – may not last long, having been undermined by Cellino already. What will happen on the pitch is anyone’s guess.
Manager: David Hockaday
Key player: Alex Mowatt
LS: 15th
Prediction: 17th
Millwall
Millwall needed Ian Holloway’s rescue job to keep them in the Championship last season but this season they are hoping to build from a more solid base.
Manager: Ian Holloway
Key player: Ricardo Fuller
LS: 19th
Prediction: 16th
Middlesbrough
After the successes of Swansea with their continental style, Middlesbrough are trying to go up the same way. Aitor Karanka has spent some money and brought in players who know his approach – Tomas Mejias, Kike and Emilio Nsue – and it could well work.
Manager: Aitor Karanka
Key player: Kike
LS: 12th
Prediction: 2nd
Norwich City
Neil Adams has been given the chance to bring Norwick straight back up when they could have chosen a bigger name. Lewis Grabban and Kyle Lafferty will provide the goals that were desperately missing and promotion is plausible.
Manager: Neil Adams
Key player: Nathan Redmond
LS: 18th (PL)
Prediction: 8th
Nottingham Forest
The appointment of club legend Stuart Pearce should mean a fresh start at the City Ground but Fawaz al-Hasawi’s erratic ownership does not inspire confidence after the recent sale of promising youngsters Karl Darlow and Jamaal Lascelles to Newcastle United. A lot rests on £5.5m record signing Britt Assombalonga.
Manager: Stuart Pearce
Key player: Chris Cohen
LS: 11th
Prediction: 10th
Reading
Another club whose summer has been disrupted by worries about their future, with Anton Zingarevich stepping aside in favour of a Thai consortium. Nigel Adkins still does not have enough quality to push for promotion this year.
Manager: Nigel Adkins
Key player: Hal Robson-Kanu
LS: 7th
Prediction: 11th
Rotherham
The surprise League One play-off winners, Rotherham have been working hard to add the necessary quality this summer but it is far from clear that abrasive manager Steve Evans has what he needs to stay up.
Manager: Steve Evans
Key player: Kieran Agard
LS: 4th (L1)
Prediction: 21st
Sheffield Wednesday
With Hafiz Mammadov’s takeover yet to be fully completed, there is little room for optimism yet at Hillsborough and the sale of Michail Antonio is worrying.
Manager: Stuart Gray
Key player: Sam Hutchinson
LS: 16th
Prediction: 23rd
Watford
The third season of the Pozzo era at Watford sees them assemble the strongest squad yet for another promotion push. Matej Vydra is back at Vicarage Road and, if they can keep Troy Deeney, the side is full of goals.
Manager: Giuseppe Sannino
Key player: Troy Deeney
LS: 13th
Prediction: 9th
Wigan Athletic
Their heavy workload – the Europa League, an FA Cup run to the semis and then the play-offs – eventually proved too much for them last year. If Uwe Rösler can lift the players again, they will take some stopping.
Manager: Uwe Rösler
Key player: Callum McManaman
LS: 5th
Prediction: 1st
Wolves
Kenny Jackett has impressively rebuilt Wolves since the traumas of going down from the Championship last year and with the momentum of winning League One behind them they could challenge for the play-offs.
Manager: Kenny Jackett
Key player: Bakary Sako
LS: 1st (L1)
Prediction: 15th
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