Championship Preview - Part One

Aston Villa

After arguably the worst season in the club's history last year, Villa fans will be hoping that under Roberto Di Matteo's management, the club can bounce back from their first relegation in 28 years. The 2015 FA Cup finalists have lost key personnel with Idrissa Gueye, Ciaran Clark and Brad Guzan being sold and Charles N'Zogbia and Kieran Richardson being released. However, with how poor the Villa squad played last year, a fresh set of players who actually want to try is needed. The addition of youngsters Aaron Tshibola and Pieluigi Gollini should bring energy into a squad which had none last year. Tshibola isn't the finished article by any means but after impressive performances at Reading last year, the 18 year old seems to be maturing quickly and if given the chance and managed properly, he could prove to be a long lasting replacement for Fabian Delph. Bringing in Bournemouth captain Tommy Elphick is one of the best signings in this league as his experience can prove vital in this long, hard season. After an injury struck Premier League campaign last year, Elphick will want to cement himself as one of the most consistent defenders yet again. I think this is the start of a rebuilding period for Aston Villa so not going up this year wouldn't be the end of the world but within 3 years they should be back up in the Premier League.

Prediction - Playoff Fight

Barnsley

 After defeating Millwall 3-1 in the playoff final last year in relatively comfortable fashion, Barnsley will be hoping to establish themselves as a Championship side. It's going to be a hard season for them but they are sticking to their roots and not splashing a lot of cash. So far they've picked up 3 strikers : Kayden Jackson (Wrexham) Stefan Payne (Dover) and Elliot Lee (Released by West Ham). 22 year old Jackson is very similar to Marcus Rashford in the sense that he's not afraid to get on the ball and take a man on but if he's going to make it in the Championship, he has to improve his finishing after only netting 4 times in 36 games last year. However, in Stefan Payne, Barnsley have a player who knows how to find the back of the net. Over the last 3 years in non-league, he's notched up an impressive 67 goals and the 24 year old would suit playing alongside Jackson or Winnall and the partnership formed could be their saving grace this year. Loanee winger Ryan Kent from Liverpool has a lot to prove this year and if he keeps improving as he did last year at Coventry, he could tear defences apart this year. I wouldn't expect Barnsley to be in the top half this year but if they bring in a few experienced players then mid-table could be achieved.

Prediction - Relegation Fight

Birmingham City

After an average season last year in which Birmingham finished in  10th place, fans will be hoping that their team can put up a fight for the playoffs this year. With a really experienced squad and strength in depth, there is no reason this side can't be up there as long as they find consistency. After impressing on loan from Derby last year in the 2nd half of the season, Gary Rowett has brought in full-back Ryan Shotton alongside defender Daniel Cleary in an attempt to bolster his defensive options. Midfielder Robert Tesche has been signed from Nottingham Forest and seems to be happy and highly motivated following the move and claims that he thinks the manager will be able to get the best out of him. Birmingham are reportedly still after highly rated striker Che Adams but it looks like their going to have to spend a fair amount to take him away from the League 1 favourites. With the new signings they've made whilst retaining key players, I this Birmingham will find themselves in a fight for the playoffs this year and have a great chance of making it to the Premier League.

Prediction - Playoff Fight

Blackburn Rovers

An awful season last year saw Blackburn finish in a disappointing 15th place and Owen Coyle will have to improve this squad if they're going to get anywhere near the playoffs. Bolstering the attacking options was needed and has been dealt with well with the acquisition of Danny Graham and four-time SPL winner Anthony Stokes. Both of these strikers are looking to reignite their careers as Stokes was deemed surplus to requirements at Celtic and Graham has not been at his best since leaving Swansea. After losing 2 solid defenders in Grant Hanley and Tommy Spurr, Brighton captain Gordon Greer has been brought in. His experience should prove vital in fixing the leaky defence that they had last year. There is plenty of talent in this squad which is why they were so frustrating to watch last year, if Owen Coyle gets the best out of his key players, they could be up there come the end of the season.

Prediction - Mid-Table

Brentford

Since their promotion to the Championship in 2013/14, Brentford have not looked back as they finished 5th in 2014/15 and 9th in 2015/16. This year they'll be hoping to keep fighting for playoffs again under Dean Smith's management and maybe pull off an unexpected promotion. They've brought in one of the Football League's most entertaining players in Romaine Sawyers. With more refinement, this young man could be in the Premier League soon, skillful, fast, energetic and with an eye for goal, Sawyers is going to fit right in alongside Alan Judge. After losing left-back Jake Bidwell to QPR, Leicester youngster Callum Elder has been brought in on a season-long loan. With Fulham taking goalkeeper Button from them, Smith has had to call on Southend goalkeeper Dan Bentley to keep the goals to a minimum. Another young signing is 23 year old defender John Egan from Gillingham who will benefit from working alongside his more experienced defensive partners. With a relatively young squad, Brentford fans are definitely going to be watching some entertaining football this year and I think they'll surprise everyone this year.

Prediction - Playoff Fight

Brighton

Brighton were the surprise package last year as their long unbeaten streak never looked like it was going to end, however when it did, a sloppy 2nd half of the season saw them just miss out on automatic promotion before a heartbreaking playoff semi-final defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. Not a lot of transfer activity shows that Chris Hughton believes that his side can bounce back and improve on last year. 19 year old Motherwell centre-back Ben Hall has been signed but will initially have to prove his worth in the under-21's meaning that loanee Glenn Murray is the only proper first team improvement made. With it looking like they've missed out on Alex Pritchard, this season will be a massive test mentally for this squad and I'm not sure if they'll find themselves in the same position as last year. Despite the experience in this squad, I can't see them finishing in the playoffs this time around as their are a few teams who I think are stronger right now.

Prediction - Mid-Table

Bristol City

Bristol City really struggled in the first half of the season last year as they found themselves in the relegation zone before Lee Johnson came in and saved them by leading them to 18th position. In order to put up a better fight this campaign, they have not held back in the transfer window, bringing in seven new players : Adam Matthews (Sunderland-Loan), Ivan Lucic (Bayern Munich), Gary O'Neil (Norwich), Lee Tomlin (Bournemouth), Hordur Magnusson (Juventus), Josh Brownhill (Preston) and Diro De Girolamo (Sheffield United). Bringing in players as experienced as O'Neil and Tomlin show the initiative of the club and that they want to move forward and challenge higher up the table. Bringing in Magnusson and Lucic should be a massive boost for fans as the club is attracting players from heavyweight clubs. Keeping Bobby Reid at the club is a massive boost and if him and Brownhill can form a solid partnership then Bristol City can dominate most games with those two dictating the pace. I think they'll find themselves in a much better position than last year but they still are just short of the quality needed to mount a playoff challenge.

Prediction - Mid-Table

Burton Albion

Impressive successive promotions have seen Burton Albion get into the Championship and their fans will believe anything is possible as their fairytale story continues this weekend. Like Bristol City, the Brewers squad has been substantially bolstered with addition of seven players. Crucially Nigel Clough has kept the core of the squad the same and these players will thrive off the belief of their manager however, he has also made smart signings. The quality improves massively in the Championship and bringing in the experience of Kyle McFadzean and Ben Turner will really help the inexperienced members of the squad adjust to the pace of the Championship. These two centre-backs could also build a formidable partnership as they are both solid in the air however a fast forward would be the downfall of those two. Midfielder Lee Williamson and journeyman striker Chris O'Grady will be relied on heavily in the attacking department to get the job done in the close games. I think that this side has the potential to do well and I can see them adjusting to the Championship quite well and a strong finish will keep them up.

Prediction - Mid-Table

Cardiff City

After missing out on the playoffs by one place last year, Cardiff fans will be hoping to see their side take the step up and get into the playoffs this time. Welsh full-back Jazz Richards is a really decent signing as he offers a lot going forward as well as defensively. His pace will allow him to get up and down the wing and cause the opposition full-back all kinds of problems when Cardiff are on the attack. Danish striker Kenneth Zohore impressed enough to on loan last year to get the permanent switch but will have to get on the scoresheet more next year if Cardiff are going to make a title challenge. Lex Immers did a great job on loan last season and will hope to carry on his form into this year. With players like Gunnarsson, Whittingham and Pilkington controlling the midfield, Cardiff should win the midfield battle in most games however, it is their work in the final third that needs to be improved if they are going to make a playoff push. I think that Cardiff will find themselves up their again however, how high up they are depends on the consistency of their strikers.

Prediction - Mid-Table

Derby County

I thought last season would have been the year Derby got back into the Premier League, however, inconsistency saw them only manage 5th before losing in the Playoff Semi-Final to Playoff Winners Hull City. Nigel Pearson has been brought in with the goal to get Derby back into the Premier League and with no signings being made so far, it looks as though if any additions are going to be made to the squad then they're going to happen at the end of the transfer window. They've managed to keep almost all of their squad so with a few additions I can see them being in the playoffs yet again and if they find more consistency, they might challenge for the title.

Prediction - Playoff Fight

Fulham

Fulham barely survived last season finishing in a poor 20th position and with the loss of key players like Ross McCormack, George Williams, Moussa Dembele and Maarten Stekelenberg, I think that this club will be around the same position this time around also. Their signings have been decent but they're still quite a way from being a quality team in this league again. Sone Aluko will have to find some consistency in front of goal if he is going to replace the void filled by the loss of McCormack and Dembele. Defensively they've done well with the addition of both Kalas (loan) and Scott Malone however, they need a quality striker if they're going to get away from a relegation fight. They do have some quality players and experience but they really need to do more in this transfer window if they're to survive and will probably have to take a chance on either a youngster from the academy or a youngster from the league's below to add some flair to the squad which George Williams brought. I think it's going to be a long year for Fulham fans and if they're are no more signings, their club will have to fight to survive.

Prediction - Relegation Fight

Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield had a poor year last year where they only managed a 19th place finish and to ensure a repeat of this doesn't occur, they've splashed the cash this summer including a new transfer record signing - Christopher Schindler - 26 year old centre-back who was formerly the captain of hometown club 1860 Munich. To further improve their defence they signed Jon Stankovic from Borussia Dortmund II. They've also loaned in 4 players including the highly rated Kasey Palmer from Chelsea who needs to prove himself this season if he's going to catch the eye of Conte. They have strength in depth in midfield however, they still need to bring in a striker in order to help out Nakhi Wells. I think it'll be too much for Huddersfield to stay up this year unless they sign some quality players.

Prediction - Relegated