Championship Predictions 2007-2008

08Aug07

The Championship seems to be getting harder than ever to predict. But here we go for another year. Prepare for a good old chuckle next May.

1 – Wolverhampton Wanderers

Last season – 5th
Manager – Mick McCarthy
Key man – Michael Kightly
Best signing – Freddy Eastwood
Estimated transfer outlay – £4m
Estimated transfer income – £250k

Wanderers exceeded all expectations last season by reaching the play-offs on a shoe string budget. However following the sale of the club to construction tycoon Steve Morgan, manager Mick McCarthy now has money to play with and seems to have been spending wisely. In true McCarthy fashion the new boys are hardly glamorous, but the former Sunderland boss has always valued industry over flair. Wolves were 1-0 specialists last season and I think we can expect more the same this time around only with more consistency. They may not dominate proceedings, but don’t bet against them being up there when it really counts come May.

In – Darren Ward (Crystal Palace – Undisclosed), Matt Jarvis (Gillingham – Undisclosed), Stephen Elliot (Sunderland – Undisclosed), Freddy Eastwood (Southend United – £1.5m), Michael Gray (Blackburn – Free)

Out – Carl Cort (Leicester City – Free), Rohan Ricketts (Barnsley – Free), Michael Oakes (Cardiff City – Free), Jackie McNamara (Aberdeen – Free), Micheal McIndoe (Bristol City – Undisclosed), Daniel Jones (Northampton – Loan), Keith Lowe (Port Vale – Loan)

2 – Charlton Athletic

Last season – 19th in Premiership
Manager - Alan Pardew
Key man - Time for Andy Reid to step forward
Best signing – Nicky Weaver should be brilliant value on a free
Estimated transfer outlay – £3.5m
Estimated transfer income – £19.9m

Despite the obvious loss of Darren Bent, Charlton have managed to retain a decent nucleus of players from their Premiership squad and look the best placed of the relegated teams to make an immediate return. Arguably, despite the arrival of Varney, Iwelumo and Todorov, the Addicks are still a little light up front, however elsewhere Alan Pardew seems to have plenty of options.

In – Luke Varney (Crewe Alexandra – £2m), Paddy McCarthy (Leicester City – £650k), Yassin Moutaoukil (Chateauroux – £450k), Martin Christensen (Herfolge – £250k), Dean Sinclair (Barnet – £125k), Jose Semedo (Sporting Lisbon – Free), Chris Iwelumo (Colchester United – Free), Svetoslav Todorov (Portsmouth – Free), Nicky Weaver (Manchester City – Free), Chris Powell (Watford – Free)

Out – Darren Bent (Tottenham Hotspur – £16.5m), Luke Young (Middlesbrough – £2.5m), Dennis Rommedahl (Ajax – 680k), Simon Walton (QPR – £200k), Hermann Hreidarsson (Portsmouth – Free), Bryan Hughes (Hull City – Free), Radostin Kishishev (Leicester City – Free), Kevin Lisbie (Colchester United – Free), Myles Weston (Notts County – Free), Thomas Myhre (Viking FC – Free), Rurik Gislason (Viborg FF – Free), Talal El-Karkouri (Qatar FC – Free), Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Released), Grant Basey (Brentford – Loan), Kelly Youga (Scunthorpe – Loan), Nathan Ashton (Millwall – Loan), Alistair John (Torquay – Loan)

3 – West Bromwich Albion

Last season – 4th
Manager – Tony Mowbray
Key man – Curtis Davies
Best signing – James Morrison
Estimated transfer outlay – £7.25m
Estimated transfer income – £17.8m

West Brom had without doubt the strongest squad in the Championship last season and even with the departures of Kamara and Koumas should have more than enough quality to reach the play-offs this time around. Last year it was often a case of style over substance and Tony Mowbray’s side will need to be a bit more resilient this time around if they are to avoid more of the same, however the West Brom squad, like that of their Black Country neighbours, is still one of the best in the league and will definitely be near the top next Spring.

In – Leon Barnett (Luton Town – £2.5m), Craig Beattie (Celtic – £1.5m), James Morrison (Middlesbrough – £1.5m), Carl Hoefkens (Stoke City – £750k) Filipe Teixeira (Academica de Coimbra – £600k), Miguel Tininho (S.C. Beira-Mar – £230k), Shelton Martis (Hibernian – £50k), Bostjian Cesar (Marseille – Loan)

Out – Diomansy Kamara (Fulham – £6m), Jason Koumas (Wigan – £5.3m), Tomasz Kusczak (Manchester United – Undisclosed), Paul McShane (£2.5m), Steve Watson (Sheffield Wednesday – Free), Chris Perry (Luton Town – Free), Thomas Gaardsoe (Retired)

4 – Watford

Last season – 20th in Premiership
Manager – Adie Boothroyd
Key man – Jay DeMerit
Best signing – Jobi McAnuff
Estimated transfer outlay – £2m
Estimated transfer income – £Nominal

Watford were never good enough to be in the Premiership last season and rightly struggled at the highest level, however Adie Boothroyd returns to the Championship with a better side than when he left last May and should be feeling optimistic for the new campaign. If Marlon King regains his form of two seasons ago, goal-scoring should not be a problem, whilst Danny Shittu and Jay DeMerit will keep things solid at the back.

In – Jobi McAnuff (Crystal Palace – £1.75m), Douglas Rinaldi (Veranpolis – £250k), Matt Jackson (Wigan Athletic – Free), Mart Poom (Arsenal – Free)

Out – Harry Forrester (Aston Villa – Undisclosed), Chris Powell (Charlton Athletic – Free), Dominic Blizzard (Milton Keynes Dons – Free), Ben Gill (Cheltenham Town – Free), James Chambers (Leicester City – Free), Stephane Seanla (Barnet – Free), Alec Chamberlain (Retired), Joel Grant (Released), Albert Jarret (Milton Keynes Dons – Loan)

5 – Stoke City

Last season – 8th
Manager – Tony Pulis
Key man – Danny Higginbotham
Best signing – John Parkin
Estimated transfer outlay – £1m
Estimated transfer income – £1.15m

Stoke City may not be the most exciting side in the Championship, but Tony Pulis has been slowly adding a bit of class to his brand off energetic aggressive football. Last season Pulis spent well adding players like Fuller and Lawrence to the mix and whilst new recruits this year may seem a little light on the ground, consistency may prove beneficial for the Potters. If they stay clear of injuries and improve their away form the play-offs could well beckon.

In – Richard Cresswell (Leeds United – Undisclosed), Jon Parkin (Hull City – £250k), Stephen Wright (Sunderland – Loan)

Out – Carl Hoefkens (West Bromwich Albion – £750k), (Darell Russel (Norwich City – Undisclosed), Martin Paterson (Scunthorpe United – Tribunal), Adam Vass (Brescia – Free), Kevin Harper (Dunfermline – Free), Robert Duggan (Stafford Rangers – Free), Ed de Goey (Retired)

6 – Sheffield United

Last season – 18th in Premiership
Manager – Bryan Robson
Key man – Billy Sharp
Best signing – Billy Sharp
Estimated transfer outlay -£7.1m
Estimated transfer income- £8m

Such is Sheffield United’s embarrassment of attacking riches that it almost ridiculous to suggest that they will barely scrape the play-offs, however having Bryan Robson as manager is a severe handicap for any team no matter how good. Robson failed to last the course with West Brom last season so really anything could happen this time around, however with thirty plus League 1 goals to his name from the last campaign youngster Billy Sharp could be a sensation.

In – Gary Naysmith (Everton – £1m), Billy Sharp (Scunthorpe United – £2m), James Beattie (Everton – £4m), David Carney (Sydney FC – Undisclosed), Lee Hendrie (Aston Villa – Free)

Out – Claude Davis (Derby County – £3m), Phil Jagielka (Everton – £4m), Colin Kazim-Richards (Fenerbahce – Undisclosed), Jacob Mellis (Chelsea – Undisclosed), Jonathon Forte (Scunthorpe United – Free), Robert Kozluk (Barnsley – Free), Chris Robertson (Torquay United – Free), Craig Short (Released), Alan Wright (Released)

7 – Leicester City

Last season – 19th
Manager – Martin Allen
Key man – Paddy McCarthy until he was sold
Best signing – Radostin Kishishev is good value on a free
Estimated transfer outlay – £4.5m
Estimated transfer income – £650k

It’s difficult to know what to make of Leicester City. Signings like DJ Campell and Carl Cort are hardly inspirational (and in the case of Campbell not cheap either), however Martin Allen has brought success to every club he has managed and should probably not be doubted. The new Foxes boss will also have plenty more money to spend thanks to new owner Milan Mandaric, so unless Allen proves just too unconventional for the Championship, Leicester will be up there come the end of the season.

In – DJ Campbell (Birmingham City – £2.1m), Stephen Clemence (Birmingham City – £1m), Jimmy Nielsen (Aalborg FC – Undisclosed), Hossien Ka’abi (Persepolis – Undisclosed), Bruno N’Gotty (Birmingham City – Free), Ricky Sappleton (QPR – Free), Sergio Hellings (Anderlecht – Free), Radostin Kishishev (Charlton Atheltic – Free), Jonathon Hayes (Reading – Free), Shaun Newton (West Ham – Free), Carl Cort (Wolverhampton Wanderers – Free), James Chambers (Watford – Free)

Out – Paddy McCarthy (Charlton Athletic – £650k), Danny Cadamarteri (Huddersfield – Free), Nils-Eric Johansson (AIK – Free), Danny Tiatto (Queensland Roar – Free), Louis Dodds (Lincoln City – Loan)

8 – Southampton

Last season – 6th
Manager – George Burley
Key man – Marak Saganowski
Best signing – Marak Saganowski
Estimated transfer outlay – £1m
Estimated transfer income – £9m

Despite reaching the play-offs last season, Southampton were at times shambolic (both on and off the pitch) and fans will be hoping that George Burley has got his house in order for the new campaign. Stars like Idiakez and Rasiak need to be happy and playing every week and ideally the Saints could do with a couple of extra defenders to fill the void left by Baird and Bale. If everything comes together promotion is a real possibility, just don’t bet on it.

In – Marek Saganowski (Toyes – Undisclosed), Youssef Safri (Norwich City – Undisclosed), Adam Hammill (Liverpool – Loan), Gregory Vignal (Lens – Loan), Alan Bennet (Reading – Loan)

Out – Gareth Bale (Tottenham – £5m), Chris Baird (Fulham – £3.025m), Leon Best (Coventry City – Tribunal), Martin Cranie (Undisclosed), Djamel Belmadi (Valenciennes – Free), David Prutton (Leeds United – Free), Kevin Miller (Released), Michael Svensson (Released)

9 – Coventry City

Last season – 17th
Manager – Ian Dowie
Key man – Mickey Doyle
Best signing – Ellery Cairo should provide the width that has been missing since the sale of McSheffery
Estimated transfer outlay – £1m
Estimated transfer income – £0

Ian Dowie is a manager with a lot to prove after his disastrous spell at Charlton. This time last year the former Crystal Palace boss was out spending the best part of £15m so to be fishing around in football’s bargain bins must be a bit of a come down. Thankfully for Coventry fans Dowie appears to have recruited well with a good mix of youth and experience. A top ten finish should not be beyond the Sky Blues injuries permitting.

In – Gary Borrowdale (Crystal Palace – Undisclosed), Leon Best (Southampton – Tribunal), Robbie Simpson (Cambridge United – Tribunal), Michael Hughes – (Crystal Palace – Free), Julian Gray (Birmingham City – Free), Ellery Cairo (Hertha Berlin – Free), Dimitrios Konstantopoulos (Hartlepool – Free), Arjen de Zeeuw (Wigan Athletic – Free), Colin Hawkins (Shelbourne – Free), Donovan Simmonds (Charlton Athletic – Free)

Out – Don Hutchison (Luton Town – Free), Colin Cameron (Milton Keynes Dons – Free), Andrew Whing (Brighton and Hove Albion), Arran Lee Barrett (Hartlepool – Free), Che Bunce (Released), Kahlilou Fadiga (Released)

10 – Norwich City

Last season – 16th
Manager – Peter Grant
Key man – Huckerby remains the talisman
Best signing – Brellier should add bite in midfield
Estimated transfer outlay – £2.75m
Estimated transfer income – £5m

Norwich have got a decent first eleven, although beyond that they look a little light on the ground. Much will rest on whether Cureton can develop a partnership with gangly Czech Strihavka in the same way that he did with Iwelumo last season. Potentially though, the biggest worry for manager Peter Grant could be the away trip to Blackpool. Rumours continue to abound that the Scot suffers from a fish phobia.

In – David Marshall (Celtic – Undisclosed), Jamie Cureton (Colchester United – Free), Darel Russell (Stoke City – Undisclosed), David Strihavka (Banik Ostrava – Undisclosed), Jon Otsemobor (Crewe Alexandra – Free), Julian Brellier (Hearts of Midlothian – Free), Matthew Gilks (Rochdale – Free), Jimmy Smith (Chelsea – Loan)

Out – Robert Earnshaw (Derby County – £3.5m), Dickson Etuhu (Sunderland – £1.5m), Youssef Safri (Southampton – Undisclosed), Peter Thorne (Bradford City – Free), Ian Henderson (Northampton Town – Free), Paul McVeigh (Released), Joe Lewis (Morecambe – Loan), Matthieu Louis-Jean (Released), Joe Lewis (Morecambe – Loan)

11 – Sheffield Wednesday

Last season – 9th
Manager – Brian Laws
Key man – Chris Brunt
Best signing – Steve Watson will add experience
Estimated transfer outlay – £0
Estimated transfer income- £0

Last season Wednesday awarded manager Paul Sturrock a new four year contract, then fired him when they seemed to be doing alright, appointed Brian Laws, and shot up the league. It didn’t make a lot of sense, but I’m sure the fans were happy. Wednesday are yet to spend a penny this summer and the squad looks as thin as ever, but this is no reason not to expect another mid-table finish.

In – Steve Watson (West Bromwich Albion – Free), Lee Grant (Derby County – Free), Richard Hinds (Scunthorpe – Free), Robert Burch (Tottenham Hotspur – Free)

Out – Graham Coughlan (Rotherham United – Free), John Hills (Blackpool – Free), Steve Maclean (Cardiff City – Free), Chris Adamson (Stockport County – Free), Barry Corr (Swindon – Free)

12 – Burnley

Last season – 15th
Manager – Steve Cotterill
Key man – Andy Gray needs to stay fit
Best signing – Robbie Blake makes a welcome return
Estimated transfer outlay – £590k
Estimated transfer income – £0

Whilst the Burnley first eleven looks pretty sharp, Steve Cotterill has worryingly little squad depth should his side suffer the same sort of injury problems as last season. Fortunately one area with a bit of depth is the forward line where proven Championship goal scorers Blake, Jones, Akinibyi and talisman Andy Gray should do the business.

In – Besart Berisha (Hamburger SV – £340k), Robbie Blake (Leeds United – £250k), Gabor Kiraly (Crystal Palace – Free), Stephen Jordan (Manchester City – Free),

Out – Graham Branch (Accrington Stanley – Free), Danny Coyne (Tranmere Rovers – Free), Frank Sinclair (Huddersfield Town), John McGreal (Released)

13 – Ipswich Town

Last season – 14th
Manager – Jim Magilton
Key man – Owen Garvan
Best signing – Neil Alexander
Estimated transfer outlay – £0
Estimated transfer income – £250k

Defensive frailties were a major issue for Ipswich last season and with no new additions to the backline over the summer, the Tractor Boys will continue to leak goals. Thankfully for Town fans, in Alan Lee their side has a reliable source of goals, whilst youngsters Garvan and Haynes should make a real impact this year. No relegation fears, but hardly likely to set the world alight.

In – Pablo Counago (Malaga – Free), Neil Alexander (Cardiff City – Free), Tommy Miller (Sunderland – Free)

Out – Lewis Price (Derby County – Undisclosed), Darren Currie (Luton Town – Free), Scott Barron (Millwall – Free), James Krause (Rushden and Diamonds – Free), Martin Brittan (Released) Sammy Moore (Brentford – Loan), Ian Miller (Darlington – Loan)

14 – Preston North End

Last season – 7th
Manager – Paul Simpson
Key man – Paul McKenna
Best signing – Kevin Nicholls
Estimated transfer outlay – £1m
Estimated transfer income – £6.6m

You have to wonder about where the goals are going to come from for Preston this season. Even last year, with Nugent in the side, the Lilywhites were hardly free-scoring and arguably punched above their weight for most of the campaign. Simpson’s signings so far are hardly going to excite the Deepdale faithful and 2007-2008 could be a season of mid-table obscurity.

In – Kevin Nicholls (Leeds United – Undisclosed), Billy Jones (Crewe Alexandra – Tribunal), Karl Hawley (Carlisle – Free)

Out – David Nugent (Portsmouth – Undisclosed), Kevin Wilson (Nottingham Forest – £300k), Carlo Nash (Wigan Athletic – £300k), Ben Hinchliffe (Derby County – Free), Michael Ricketts (Oldham Athletic – Free), David Hibbert (Shrewsbury Town – Free), Chris Neal (Morecambe – Loan), Ben Hinchliffe (Derby County – Free), Pavel Pergl (Released), Ashley Parillon (Released)

15 – Plymouth Argyle

Last season – 11th
Manager – Ian Holloway
Key man – David Norris
Best signing – Not much to pick from so I’ll say Halmosi
Estimated transfer outlay – £475k
Estimated transfer income – £0

Transfer activity has been limited down at Home Park, but it seems unlikely that Plymouth will struggle this season. Man for man Argyle’s squad is one of the weaker in the Championship, however manager Ian Holloway is a master at organising a side and his team work set plays better than virtually any other in the league. Perhaps fans should not expect the top half heroics of the last campaign, but relegation will never be an issue.

In – Peter Halmosi (Debrecen – £400k), Krisztian Timar (Ferencvaros – £75k)

Out – Hasney Aljofree (Swindon Town – Free), Tim Sandercombe (Notts County – Free), Anthony Barness (Grays Athletic – Free), Tony Capaldi (Cardiff – Free)

16 – Crystal Palace

Last season – 12th
Manager – Peter Taylor
Key man – Ben Watson
Best signing – Tony Craig is apparently pretty versatile
Estimated transfer outlay – £Nominal
Estimated transfer income – £3.25m

Whilst the Palace squad has been weakened rather than strengthened over the summer, the Eagles still have enough talent to aim for the play-offs. Unfortunately the jury is still out on manager Peter Taylor and he will have to work harder to organise and inspire his players if Palace are to achieve anything this time around. Could be the first manager to go if his side get off to a slow start.

In – Jeff Hughes (Lincoln – Undisclosed), Tony Craig (Millwall – Free), Jose Fonte (Benfica – Loan)

Out – Jobi McAnuff (Watford – £1.75m), Darren Ward (Wolverhampton Wanderers – Undisclosed), Gary Borrowdale (Coventry City – Tribunal), Michael Hughes (Coventry City – Free), Gabor Kiraly (Burnley – Free), Danny Granville (Colchester United – Free), Jehral Hughes (Yeovil Town – Free), Tommy Black (Southend United – Free)

17 – Cardiff City

Last season – 13th
Manager – Dave Jones
Key man – Darren Purse
Best signing – Gavin Rae is an interesting capture
Estimated transfer outlay – £750k
Estimated transfer income – £5m

Last season Cardiff made a storming start, but then faded away as the campaign wore on. This year, with goal machine Michael Chopra gone, it would be very surprising to see the Welsh side bothering the top ten. Star signing Robbie Fowler was past his best a long time ago and whilst manager Dave Jones has enough know-how to keep his side out of relegation bother, 2007-2008 looks like it could be a pretty nothing season for the Bluebirds.

In – Peter Whittingham (Aston Villa – £750k), Tony Capaldi (Plymouth – Free), Robbie Fowler (Liverpool – Free), Trevor Sinclair (Manchester City – Free), Michael Oakes (Wolverhampton Wanderers – Free), Steve Maclean (Sheffield Wednesday – Free), Gavin Rae (Rangers – Free), Ross Turnbull (Middlesbrough – Loan)

Out – Michael Chopra (Sunderland – £5m), Neil Alexander (Ipswich Town – Free), Joe Jacobsen (Bristol Rovers – Free), Mark Howard (Hibernian – Free), Chris Barker (QPR – Free), Mark Howard (St Mirren- Free), Luigi Glombard (Grenoble Foot 38 – Free), Kevin Campbell (Released), Jeff Whitley (Released), Jamal Easter (Released), Scott McCoubrey (Released)Gregg Coombes (Released), Michael Corcoran (Released), Curtis McDonald (Released), Nick McKoy (Released), Willo Flood (Dundee- Loan)

18 – Bristol City

Last season – 2nd in League 1
Manager – Gary Johnson
Key man – Scott Murray
Best signing – Marvin Elliot
Estimated transfer outlay – £1.75m
Estimated transfer income – £Nominal

Gary Johnson is a canny manager and despite seemingly paying over the odds their new recruits, City seem to be the promoted side best placed to survive in the Championship this season. If Trundle can stay fit and on form City will score goals, whilst elsewhere they have enough quality to pick up regular points at home if not on the road.

In – Ivan Sproule (Hibernian – Undisclosed), Lee Trundle (Swansea City – Undisclosed), Stephen Henderson (Aston Villa – Free), Michael McIndoe (Bristol City – Undisclosed), Marvin Elliot (Millwall – Free), Tamas Vasko (Ujpest FC – Loan)

Out – Craig Woodman (Wycombe Wanderers – Free), Andy Smith (Released), Elliot Benyon (Torquay United – Free), Aaron Ledgister (Cheltenham Town – Free), Chris Weale (Hereford United – Loan), Frankie Artus (Exeter City – Loan), Jennison Myrie-Williams (Cheltenham Town – Loan)

19 – Hull City

Last season – 21st
Manager – Phil Brown
Key man – Andy Dawson
Best signing – Bryan Hughes
Estimated transfer outlay – £600k
Estimated transfer income – £325k

Hull City look desperately light on forwards going into the new season, in fact the whole squad still looks a little thin. However Phil Brown has spent his limited budget relatively well and has managed to poach a couple of Colchester’s top performers from last year which should help. Having said that Brown’s managerial record to date is hardly inspiring and he will have learn fast if Hull are to avoid another season of struggle.

In – Dean Windass (£150k), Wayne Brown (Colchester United – Undisclosed), Richard Garcia (Colchester United – Free), Bryan Hughes (Charlton Athletic – Free)

Out – Jon Parkin (Stoke City – £250k), Darryl Duffy (Swansea – £200k), Nicky Forster (Brighton and Hove Albion – £75k), Scott Wiseman (Darlington – Free), Tom Matthews (Boston – Free), Ray Parlour (Released), Russell Fry (Released), Michael Byron (Released)

20 – Queens Park Rangers

Last season – 18th
Manager – John Gregory
Key man – Anyone’s guess
Best signing – Daniel Nardiello
Estimated transfer outlay – £500k
Estimated transfer income – £2.5m

By rights QPR should probably be relegated this season, however they are fortunate in so far as there are a least three clubs with a worse chance of beating the drop. Southampton’s Inigo Idiakez kept Rangers afloat last season after arriving on loan late in the campaign, but Gregory will be fortunate to get hold of such quality this time around. New signing Simon Walton has already broken a leg and with more luck like that QPR could be in for a hard season.

In – Lee Camp (Derby County – £300k), Simon Walton (Charlton Atheltic – £200k), Chris Barker (Cardiff City – Free), Daniel Nardiello (Barnsley – Free), John Curtis (Nottingham Forest – Free), Michael Maccienne (Chelsea – Loan), Ben Sahar (Chelsea – Loan)

Out – Lee Cook (Fulham – Undisclosed), Marc Bircham (Yeovil Town – Free), Simon Royce (Gillingham – Free), Ricky Stapleton (Leicester City- Free), Kevin Gallen (Milton Keynes Dons – Free), Steve Lomas (Gillingham – Free), Paul Furlong (Luton – Free), Mauro Milanese (Released), Armel Tchakounte (Released)

21 – Barnsley

Last season – 20th
Manager – Simon Davey
Key man – Istvan Ferenczi is the fans favourite
Best signing – Who knows?
Estimated transfer outlay – £600k
Estimated transfer income – £Nominal

Home form kept Barnsley up last season and they will need to continue to make Oakwell at fortress if they are to repeat the feat. Davey has brought in a number of new names, but despite conceding 58 times on the road last season his cash purchases have been forwards rather than defenders. Hard to say how Barnsley will do this season, however you have to feel that the fans will be happy so long as their side beat the drop.

In – Marciano Bruma (Sparta Rotterdam – Free), Rob Kozluk (Sheffield United – Free), Dominik Werling (Sakyaraspor – Free), Dennis Souza (Unattached), Andy Johnson (Leicester City – Free), Rohan Ricketts (Wolverhampton Wanderers – Free), Kayode Odejayi (Cheltenham Town – £200k), Miguel Mostto (Cienciano – £400k), Lewin Nyatanga (Derby County – Loan)

Out – Marc Richards (Port Vale – Free), Daniel Nardiello (QPR – Free), Paul Hayes (Scunthorpe – Tribunal), Neil Austin (Darlington – Free), Antony Kay (Tranmere Rovers – Free), Dale Tonge (Rotherham – Free), Peter Rajczi (Ujpest FC – Free), Thomas Harban (Bradford – Free), Colin Healy (Cork City – Free), Ryan Laight (Released), Nathan Jarman (Released), Robbie Williams (Released), Paul Heckingbottom (Bradford City – Loan), Nathan Joynes (Bradford – Loan)

22 – Blackpool

Last season – 3rd in League 1
Manager – Simon Grayson
Key man – Keigan Parker looks a cut above
Best signing – Paul Rachubka did the business on loan last season
Estimated transfer outlay – £Nominal
Estimated transfer income – £0

Blackpool have some Championship experience in the form of players like Andy Morrell and Ian Evatt, however given their somewhat underwhelming activity in the transfer market thus far the Seasiders are going to do well to escape the drop. Keigan Parker is the man everyone will be looking towards to lift the side, but even he will struggle to keep Simon Grayson’s team afloat unless a little more money is invested before the transfer window closes.

In – Gary Taylor-Fletcher (Huddersfield Town – Undisclosed), Paul Rachubka (Huddersfield Town – Free), John Hills (Sheffield Wednesday – Free), Stephen Crainey (Leeds United – Free)

Out – Matty Blinkhorn (Morecambe – Undisclosed), Mark Joseph (Rotherham – Free), Paul Tierney (Stockport County – Loan), Simon Wiles (Macclesfield Town – Loan), Gareth Farrelly (Cork City – Free), Marcus Bean (Rotherham – Free), Ciaran Donnelly (Released), Sean Paterson (Released), Jamie Burns (Released), Kyle Clancy (Released)

23 – Colchester United

Last season – 10th
Manager – Geraint Williams
Key man – Unfortunately they seem to have sold them all
Best signing – Nothing to really capture the imagination
Estimated transfer outlay – £300k
Estimated transfer income – £1.2m

Colchester did extraordinarily well to make the top half last season, but having lost arguably their four most influential players over the summer 2007-2008 looks like being a real struggle. Losing Garcia and Iwelumo for nothing has left Geraint Williams with little cash to play with and it seems unlikely that the likes of Lisbie, Granville or even Sheringham are going to plug the gaps. I hope Colchester can prove me wrong and have another decent season, but I just can’t see it.

In – Clive Platt (Milton Keynes Dons – £300k), Luke Gutteridge (Leyton Orient – Free), Mark Yeates (Tottenham Hotspur – Free), Danny Granville (Crystal Palace – Free), Kevin Lisbie (Charlton Athletic – Free), Teddy Sheringham (West Ham United – Free), Matthew Connolly (Arsenal – Loan)

Out – Wayne Brown (Hull City – Undisclosed), Jamie Cureton (Norwich City – Undisclosed), Garry Richards (Southend United – Undisclosed), Richard Garcia (Hull City – Free), Chris Iwelumo (Charlton Athletic – Free), Robbie King (Heybridge Swifts – Free), Marino Keith (Retired), Craig Hughes (Released)

24 – Scunthorpe United

Last season – 1st in League 1
Manager – Nigel Adkins
Key man – Billy Sharp, and now he’s gone
Best signing – Hayes has Championship experience
Estimated transfer outlay – £300k
Estimated transfer income – £2m

The Championship is all about goals and without Billy Sharp you have to wonder how Scunthorpe are actually going to score. Young Mr Sharp bagged over a third of all the Irons strikes last season and so far manager Nigel Adkins has failed to replace him. Nevertheless for Scunthorpe to even be in the Championship is a massive achievement and whatever happens the fans can enjoy the fact that their side will be playing in the second tier of English football.

In – Kevan Hurst (Sheffield United – £200k), Paul Hayes (Barnsley – Tribunal), Martin Pateson (Stoke City – Free), Jonathon Forte (Sheffield United – Free), Izzy Iriekpen (Swansea City – Free), Kelly Younga (Charlton Athletic – Loan)

Out- Billy Sharp (Sheffield United – £2m), Steve Foster (Darlington – Free), Richard Hinds (Sheffield Wednesday – Free), Lee Ridley (Cheltenham Town – Free), Steve Torpey (Lincoln City – Free), Neil MacKenzie (Notts County – Free), Ramon Calliste (Released), Ashley Allanson (Released), Robbie Foy (Released), Jack Francis (Released)

*All transfer stats correct up until 07/08/07

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