2015-16 Championship Season Preview Thursday, 6 August 2015 Gabriel Here are this blog’s predictions for the 2015-16 Championship season. Nottingham Forest will suffer relegation along with MK Dons and Rotherham, with Sheffield Wednesday languishing in the lower reaches of the division. Reading will finish in the top half while Brighton miss out on the play-offs, which will be occupied by Hull, Derby, Ipswich and Bristol City. Wolves and Middlesbrough will secure automatic promotion to the Premier League.Wolverhampton Wanderers finished just outside the play-offs last season, but impressive form in the latter months of the campaign will give their young squad great confidence. A dynamic, counter-attacking team with a powerful strike force, Kenny Jackett’s men are ready to step up another level this year. 1stHaving narrowly missed out on promotion last year, Middlesbrough are an incredibly well organized team and have made huge strides under Aitor Karanka. The addition of Stewart Downing and Diego Fabbrini gives them extra quality in midfield, meaning that Boro will be competing at the top once again. 2ndBristol City were a class above every other team in League One last season. The 3-at-the-back system Steve Cotterill favours is increasingly popular, yet no Football League teams execute it with the same quality of passing and movement as his side. There is every chance that the Robins will take the Championship by storm. 3rdIpswich are easily underestimated. They might have lost Tyrone Mings, but the £8 million received for him is generous, and the Tractor Boys have otherwise maintained the squad that finished 6th last season. Ryan Fraser will add pace out wide, while Brett Pitman will provide a sprinkling of quality in attack. 4thDerby will improve this season, but not to the extent that many predict. The appointment of Paul Clement as head coach is a shrewd one, yet the new boss will take time to address the lack of defensive discipline in the team. If they can keep Chris Martin fit, Derby should have enough attacking quality to reach the play-offs. 5thLed by the experienced Steve Bruce, Hull City have a core of sturdy players at Championship level, and 2 good wing-backs in Ahmed Elmohammady and Andy Robertson, both of whom can create. The question is whether they can find a reliable striker in their ranks. 6thThey finished 20th last season, but Brighton’s narrow goal difference and high number of draws suggests poor finishing, rather than poor performances, was the main reason for this. If new boy Tomer Hemed shows some confidence in front of goal, we could see a more prosperous Seagulls side. 7thCardiff City’s budget has been cut, but that could prove a blessing in disguise. Russell Slade has had the licence to move on a few expensive, luxury players, and build a more industrious team in his own image. The fact Cardiff won half their final 14 games last season suggests the transition is having a positive effect. 8thWith a sturdy defence and a hardworking midfield, poor finishing isBurnley’s main problem. Although part of an otherwise fully-functioning team, none of their current forwards, including new signing Jelle Vossen, are clinical enough to help the Clarets into the top 6. 9thHaving controversially parted company with manager Mark Warburton, Brentfordwill capture the attention of the neutrals. Aspects of the club’s philosophy are correct, and the fact key men have stayed suggests belief in their avant-garde transfer policy. However, the Bees lack an adequate depute to striker Andre Gray, and an otherwise bloated squad may not allow for tactical consistency. A season of transition. 10thThere is now a strong feel-good factor at Birmingham, thanks to the work of Gary Rowett, and perhaps the goalscoring prowess of Clayton Donaldson. However, the loss of last season’s loanees may prove costly, meaning a midtable finish is more likely than a sustained play-off push. 11thReading have added a competitive edge to their team this summer, with Paul McShane and Stephen Quinn joining from Hull City. Although form under Steve Clarke last season was uninspiring, their defensive record improved significantly, which gives them a base to work from. With a bit more quality in attack, we may see an improvement from the Royals. 12thQPR have, for now, kept hold of star striker Charlie Austin, but the quality of the squad as a whole remains limited. Chris Ramsay will have a difficult job to rebuild the team on a limited budget, and an instant return to the Premier League seems an unlikely prospect. 13thShould Jordan Rhodes follow fellow-striker Rudy Gestede out of the door atBlackburn Rovers this summer, manager Gary Bowyer will have a hard job to rebuild the squad. He will aim to find a settled centre-back partnership, and build a sturdier midfield. Mid-table. 14thLast season, Huddersfield Town suffered from a lack of pace in defence, and goalscoring knowhow up front. However, the only first team player they have lost this summer is Conor Coady, and Dean Whitehead and Jason Davidson are decent acquisitions. Another season of safety. 15th Preston North End have 2 excellent strikers in Joe Garner and Jermaine Beckford, and an effective holding midfielder in John Welsh, meaning the Lilywhites should have no fear of the drop. However, any chances they have of breaking into the top half will depend on the fitness of key players. 16thCharlton Athletic have a squad with reasonable potential, and the loan arrival of target man Simon Makienok may give the Addicks strength in attack. However, constant changes of manager under chairman Roland Duchatelet mean it is hard to see the Addicks progressing. 17thA tough season may be in store for Sheffield Wednesday. While they have kept hold of key men Keiron Westwood and Tom Lees, they have taken a massive risk in appointing Carlos Carvalhal, and their options up front do not inspire confidence. 18thThere is a worrying sense of lethargy about the Fulham team. Collectively, they do not work hard enough without the ball, which is why they shipped 83 goals last year. They have plenty of attacking quality, but lack the tactical cohesion needed to improve on last season. 19thLeeds United will never move forward as a club until owner Massimo Cellino sells up. They do have a reasonable defence, with the permanent signing of Sol Bamba being a vital piece of business, but the absence of a reliable striker means they will not avoid a tussle with relegation. 20thThe mounting debt at Bolton, along with a repeat of last season’s injury crises, could see the Trotters face a season of struggle. They will be kept up by strong performances from goalkeeper Ben Amos, and rising star Zach Clough. 21stMore than half of Nottingham Forest’s points last season came in the opening month of a new manager’s reign, which suggests this team can only perform in a honeymoon period. An injury-prone squad overreliant on Michail Antonio will struggle under poor management from Dougie Freedman, and a lack of stability at boardroom level. 22ndRotherham will go down. The absence of a decent goalkeeper, injury prone defenders, the departure of Craig Morgan, tactical inconsistency and a lack of attacking quality will culminate in a relegation season. 23rdMK Dons have lost 4 of their stand-out performers from last season, including Dele Alli. Simon Church is an underwhelming replacement for Will Grigg, and the team’s lack of defensive strength will be exposed at a higher level.
'Bristol City were a class above every other team in League One last season. The 3-at-the-back system Steve Cotterill favours is increasingly popular, yet no Football League teams execute it with the same quality of passing and movement as his side. There is every chance that the Robins will take the Championship by storm.' If only this turns out the truth..
I believe Forest and QPR will be fighting for the play-offs by the end of However, I think it may be slightly over optimistic for us to be promoted this year. I see us top ten
I'll have some of what he taking please but then again perhaps he's right. It will be interesting to see how the predictions pan out.
***MIDDS .. 5.. .. .. .. 7/4 **DERBY .. 6.. .. .. ..7/4 **HULL .. ..9.. .. .. ..0/30 *BRENT .. 10.. .. .. ..4 *BURN .. ..12.. .. .. ..5 ***WOLV .. ..12.. .. .. ..4 #Q P R .. .. 12.. .. .. ..9/2 **IPSW .. ..16.. .. .. ..9/2 **CITY .. .. 22.. .. .. ..7 x SHEFF .. ..22.. .. .. ..7 x FULH.. .. ..28.. .. .. .. 14 xxx FLOR .. .. 28.. .. .. ..8 *BRIGH .. ..33.. .. .. ..8 x LEEDS .. ..33 .. .. .. 12 *CARD.. .. ..40.. .. .. 12 #BLACK .. ..40.. .. .. 12 *READ .. .. ..40.. .. .. 14 #P N E .. .. ..50.. .. .. 16 xxx M K D .. .. .. 50.. .. .. 14 *BIRM .. .. 50.. .. .. 20 #HUDDS .. .. 50.. .. .. 18 xxx BOLT .. .. 80.. .. .. 25 x CHARL.. .. 100.. .. .. 40 xxx ROTH .. .. 200.. .. .. 100 Gabriels choices compared to ODDS *** auto ** top 6 * top 12 (half ) # top 16 x bottom 8 xxx relegated so he might have some right ... LOL !
