Now for where it gets more exciting, the top half of the table. Again, I’ll probably get it horribly wrong, and Reading will storm the league and win it by 20 points, but I’ll try my best.
12th Blackburn
Blackburn have added some Championship Journeymen in Stewart Downing and Bradley Johnson this transfer window, hardly electrifying. One player who is electrifying however is Bradley Dack, and keeping hold of him for Blackburn would be a huge success and I could see them having a comfortable season thanks to his goals and assists. The addition of Sam Gallagher from Southampton is also an interesting one, another target man. This provides competition for Danny Graham, who was arguably the focal point of the Blackburn attack last season and extra competition is always good.
11th Preston
Alex Neil is a good Championship manager and I see Preston having a solid, if unspectacular, season. Selling Callum Robinson will hit them hard in the goals department but I don’t think it will affect their league position too greatly. Bringing in David Nugent is a good bit of business as he is a proven Championship scorer, even though he’s in the twilight of his career.
10th Derby County
The Championships 2nd biggest bottlers Derby apparently had a good season last term with Frank Lampard at the helm. I think if anything they had a disappointing one, only just sneaking into the Play-offs. Lampard took a team that got to the Play-offs, spent some money, got some great loan players in from his mates at Chelsea and Liverpool, and nearly didn’t finish 6th. Without the loan players like Wilson and Mount that they had last season, I can’t predict any improvement for Derby and I see them sinking into mid table obscurity.
9th Bristol City
The smallest and whiniest man in the football league, Lee Johnson, will be disappointed with his sides 8th place finish last season. He’ll be even more disappointed this season, with the squad that he had being ripped apart year after year. I have a feeling Bristol City’s best year are behind them, and a gradual slip down the table is inevitable.
8th Stoke City
Unlike their ‘famous atmosphere’ the Potters’ signings this transfer window are anything but famous. They’ve added Championship experience but that’s about it. However, as long as Sam Vokes is leading the line ahead of Mame Biram Diouf, who’s about as good at goalscoring as Ryan Shawcross with a broken leg, then I think Stoke will improve on a poor 2018/19 season. I could even see them sneaking into the Play-offs.
7th Middlesbrough
I’m sure there was a huge sigh of relief from Middlesbrough fans when Tony Pulis left at the end of last season. New, but also Old, man Jonathan Woodgate knows the club well, and his promise to change the style of play and identity of the club will sound very pleasing to the Boro faithful. I think the current squad is good enough to put up a fight for a Play-off place, but ultimately isn’t good enough. New signings won’t be plentiful either with owner Steve Gibson feeling aggrieved by the effect of financial fair play on his club.
6th West Brom
Slaven Bilic was one of the oddest managerial appointments this summer, and I don’t think he’ll be taking the Baggies in the right direction. If he was in charge of recruitment during his time at West Ham then West Brom are in for an extremely mixed bag of signings. The capture of Semi Ajayi looks interesting. However, the signings of Krovinovic and Zohore won’t make up for the 40 plus goals lost from Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez.
5th Brentford
Bold statement; Brentford have the best recruitment team in English football. They buy cheap players who turn out to be very solid Championship players or better. So, I’m sure that all the players they have signed in the summer window will fit seamlessly into their system and style of play. If they can also keep hold of Said Benrahma and Neal Maupay, though the latter looks less likely, they have a team that could certainly secure a Play-off spot. Brentford will be the big surprise of this Championship season.
4th Huddersfield
Huddersfield were the whipping boys of last seasons Premier League, but I expect them to come back from it relatively well. Philip Billing will be sorely missed in midfield but Aaron Mooy should be back at his best at the Championship level. Steve Mounie and Karlan Grant could terrorise Championship defences and provide plenty of goals. A Play-off finish would be a good one for Jan Siewert’s men.
3rd Leeds
The Championship’s biggest bottlers Leeds will most likely bottle it again this season, despite having kept manager Marcelo Bielsa and signing exciting players like Helder Costa. It seems like they’ll keep midfield star Kalvin Phillips and his top-knot as well. Despite all the positive signs, Leeds have a reputation to uphold, of choking when the going gets tough. They should get top 2, but they won’t. At least they’ll finish top in something this season, the attendance table.
2nd Cardiff
I have a great dislike of Neil Warnock and his constant moaning, but the man is an insanely good Championship manager. Despite being a tactical dinosaur his ability to squeeze everything out of distinctly average players is incredible, and I see him doing exactly that again this season. I would be very surprised if Cardiff aren’t at least in the Play-off spots.
1st Fulham
Alexander Mitrovic, Anthony Knockhaert, Tom Cairney, Ivan Cavaleiro, Alfie Mawson… The list of quality Championship players at Fulham’s disposal seems to be endless, or more accurately about 18 players long. If that team can’t win the Championship then Scott Parker clearly isn’t cut out for football management.
Jon Parkin Sports 