1) West Brom – With the best squad in the league (Newcastle don’t
really count), new-boy Roberto Di Matteo has it all to do

2) Sheffield United – The Blades will hope to bounce back from the
disappointment of defeat in last season’s play-off final

3) Middlesbrough – Boro have the potential to bounce straight back into
the Premier League, but doubts remain over Gareth Southgate’s
managerial nous.

4) Ipswich Town – Having floundered at Sunderland, despite having spent
the best part of £100m, Keane will be anxious to prove himself at
Portman Road.

5) Nottingham Forest – Forest have spent big on the likes of Gunter,
McGoldrick and McKenna and will be hoping on a significant improvement
on last season

6) Bristol City – The Robins lacked consistency last season, but have
bought well over the summer.

7) Preston – Alan Irvine enjoyed a hugely successful first full season
with Preston and will be hoping for more the same this time around

Cardiff City – The goalkeeping position has finally been resolved with
David Marshall having arrived from Norwich, but Roger Johnson has
moved on to Birmingham and could prove a real loss.

9) Reading – A handful of big names remain, but this isn’t the same
Reading which stormed the Premier League three seasons ago

10) Crystal Palace – Palace were poor least season and it does not appear
as though too many of those weaknesses have been addressed, but you
can never discount a Neil Warnock side

11) Peterborough United – a strong first eleven could be undermined by a
lack of depth, particularly in defence

12) Swansea – Despite the departure of Roberto Martinez and a couple
of big names, Paulo Sousa should have enough to guide the Swans to
mid-table safety

13) Leicester City – Nigel Pearson’s common-sense approach worked wonders
in League One and Leicester should have enough to deal comfortably
with life back in the Championship.

14) Derby County – If Nigel Clough is up to the job, Derby should improve
on last season.

15) Sheffield Wednesday – Brian Laws Wednesday will remain mid-table
fodder, unless the Owls new board choose to spend big later in the
season

16) Coventry – The Sky Blues have been unluckly to lose a couple of
their better players in Fox and Dann, but should still have enough to
survive

17) QPR – Jim Magilton seems a particularly uninspired choice as manager
and with Flavio Biratore to impress will do well to reach Christmas
Coventry City – More outs than ins for Coventry; another season spent
flirting with relegation is on the horizon.

18) Newcastle United – At the current time Newcastle appear to be in a
total state of disarray; with such a huge wage bill, they need new
financial backing if they are to make progress.

19) Blackpool – Ian Holloway proved a solid pair of hands working with a
modest budget at both QPR and Plymouth.

20) Scunthorpe – Despite being written off by many, Scunthorpe seem much
better prepared for survival than when they were last in the
Championship two seasons ago

21) Plymouth Argyle – Given the lack of new arrivals at Home Park,
Plymouth may have a battle on their hands to stay out of trouble

22) Doncaster Rovers – Rovers have as weak a squad as any in the
Championship and will do well to match last year’s 14th place.

23) Barnsley – Manager Simon Davey seemed close to losing his job at the
end of last season. With few reinforcements, the Tykes look set for
another season of struggle.

24) Watford – A selling club with a rookie manager in Malky Mackay

1st – Sheffield United (9th)

Finished strongly last season, should have plenty of goals in Beattie and Sharp. Doubts remain over Kevin Blackwell’s ability – now is the time to prove himself.

2nd – Wolverhampton Wanderers (7th)

Underachieved last season, but David Jones and Richard Stearman look like decent signings. Star man Kightly needs to stay fit.

3rd – Reading (-)

A decent bulk of the club’s Premier League stars have stayed around. If they can overcome the disappointment of relegation Reading could be in for a decent season.

4th – Birmingham City (-)

Plenty of fire-power, but very little depth at the back. The capture of Phillips could prove a master-stroke.

5th – Ipswich Town (8th)

There’s money to burn at Portman Road. A couple of decent signings before the end of August will make a real difference.

6th – Preston North End (15th)

Alan Irvine appears a shrewd operator and will ensure Preston are always well organised. If they could sign a reliable forward they might have a real chance of success.

7th – Crystal Palace (5th)

With Neil Warnock at the helm Palace will always be there or there-about, but the squad looks a little short on talent to make a real assault on promotion.

8th – Bristol City (4th)

City have kept with mostly the same side which did so well last season. Even with Nicky Maynard on board a lack of goals may be their undoing.

9th – Cardiff City (12th)

With the ageing stars now gone and last year’s excellent defence left in tact Cardiff should improve on last season.

10th – Derby County (-)

After a disastrous year in the Premier League, Derby may take a while to find their feet – especially given a glut of new signings.

11th – Queens Park Rangers (14th)

Big on glamour (off the pitch at least), possibly a little short in managerial substance. Ian Dowie has enjoyed spectacular failures in his last two jobs.

12th – Coventry City (21st)

Since relegation from the Premier League back in 2001 Coventry have consistently flirted with relegation to League One. This is the season where that all changes.

13th – Burnley (13th)

Burnley have been midtable fodder for a number of seasons. Expect much the same.

14th – Norwich City (17th)

Defensive frailties could prove Norwich’s downfall. Roeder is another manager in the last chance saloon.

15th – Swansea City (-)

The Liberty stadium should be a difficult place for away teams. Swansea are probably the best placed of the promoted sides to succeed at Championship level.

16th – Watford (6th)

No money, no strikers, not a lot of hope. Expect aggressive long ball football.

17th – Nottingham Forest (-)

The jury’s out on Colin Calderwood, but with Forest finally back in the Championship, it would be a surprise they didn’t manage to stay up.

18th – Charlton Athletic (11th)

Could be this season’s Leicester. Pardew has been handed little to spend and will need to get the best from the players already at his disposal.

19th – Plymouth Argyle (10th)

Argyle have been resisting gravity’s pull for way to long now. This season could be a reality check.

20th – Southampton (20th)

Things don’t look like getting much better for Southampton. Much will depend or just how many of their better players they can afford to hold on to.

21st – Barnsley (18th)

Plucky Barnsley will again be battling the drop on a modest budget. With Simon Davey leading the side they may just survive for another season.

22nd – Doncaster Rovers (-)

The rise and rise of Donny Rovers is the stuff of fairytales, however the Championship is a very tough league.

23th – Sheffield Wednesday (16th)

Time is running out for Brian Laws. A slow start could see Wednesday flounder after an uninspiring summer.

24th – Blackpool (19th)

The Seasiders had a strong start to last season, but tailed off after Christmas. Blackpool may struggle to beat the drop this time around.

1 – Manchester United

Prediction: 2nd – “Without doubt Man United will be far more flashy than Chelsea, however they may just lack substance this time around”

With Jose Mourinho exiting Stamford Bridge so early in the season, it always seemed like this year’s title would be Man Utd’s to lose. In the end it was home form which proved the difference (only one draw and one defeat), but despite this Sir Alex’s side still finished two points shy of last season.

2 – Chelsea

Prediction: 1st – “Mourinho has indicated that he intends to return to a 4-3-3 formation this season, which could be ominous for Chelsea’s title rivals”

Given the strength and depth available to coach Avram Grant this season, finishing second (ten points short of Mourinho’s title winning team in 04-05) is hardly good enough. Nevertheless if key men such as Drogba and Carvalho leave over the summer, next season could prove even more disappointing.

3 – Arsenal

Prediction: 3rd – “The loss of Henry is obviously significant, but will not lead to the meltdown some have predicted”

Whilst it was all doom and gloom back in August, Arsenal started the season brilliantly with Cesc Fabergas leading the way. A frustrating run of draws in the early spring eventually put them out of the title race, but overall Arsene Wenger should be pleased with the progress made.

4 – Liverpool

Prediction: 4th – “How Benitez intends to mould Liverpool’s increasingly classy squad into a coherent eleven-man team remains to be seen”

Yet again Liverpool failed to put a sustained title challenge together, but at least Benitez’s rotation policy finally had to bite the dust. Gerrard and Torres were the stars and will need to continue developing as a partnership if Liverpool are to improve on fourth next season.

5 – Everton

Prediction: 9th – “David Moyes has built a neat little side over the last couple of seasons which should give a good account of itself in 2007-2008″

Given the size of the Everton squad relative to the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea it seems remarkable that David Moyes’ side were serious contenders of the fourth Champions League spot right up until the end of the season. These days you can never rule the Toffees out.

6 – Aston Villa

Prediction: 7th – “Villa made steady progress throughout last season and will continue to improve this time around”

Whilst clubs such as West Ham and Manchester City have been quite flashy about their new money, Villa undergone a more understated revolution. Martin O’Neil refuses to spend just for the sake of it and owner Randy Learner keeps out of the media spotlight. Gareth Barry was the star man on the field, but can he be persuaded by turn down Liverpool’s advances?

7 – Blackburn

Prediction: 11th – “Santa Cruz is the major new addition to the side and should offer something different up front, however Hughes will be looking towards key men like Nelsen and McCarthy if Rovers are to perform well again this year.”

Despite spending virtually nothing ahead of the new campaign, Blackburn actually improved on their 2006-2007 finish of 10th. Benny McCarthy failed to recreate the goal scoring heroics of his debut season on a regular basis, but new boy Santa Cruz proved than able to take up the baton, whilst winger David Bentley is now a player to be feared.

8 – Portsmouth

Prediction: 12th – “Harry Redknapp has spent a lot of money strengthening his squad, however it remains to be seen if his side can challenge for Europe.”

Pompey enjoyed their most successful season to date with a second consecutive top ten Premier League finish and an FA Cup win to celebrate. Oddly, Fratton Park was hardly a fortress for Harry Redknapp’s side – who only claimed seven home wins – but this was more than evened out with nine away wins (three times more than last season).

9 – Manchester City

Prediction: 5th – “Eriksson sides are never particularly exciting, however they are generally very effective and with a huge amount of money to spend, Man City could soon be troubling their illustrious neighbours just a little bit more.”

It was a case of ‘what might have been’ for Manchester City, who stormed to the top the table early in the season, doubled neighbours Manchester United, but eventually ran out of steam. Manager Sven Goran Eriksson showed his managerial skill by forming a mish-mash of players into a solid unit; how will City cope without him?

10 – West Ham United

Prediction: 8th – “I really like the look of the side Curbishley is putting together at West Ham, certainly in terms of a first eleven.”

Never in danger of relegation, never in with a chance of success; it was season of complete mediocrity for West Ham (the Hammers finished six points behind City in ninth). Some may point to the club’s lengthy long term injury list as a partial excuse for underachievement, but the jury remains out on Alan Curbishley.

11 – Tottenham Hotspur

Prediction: 6th – “Much has been made of Tottenham’s formidable strike force, however the fact of the matter is that realistically only two of Berbatov, Keane, Bent and Defoe can be on the pitch at any one time.”

When it comes to farce, only Newcastle do it better than Tottenham. Martin Jol’s death throws seemed to last weeks, whilst game after game his confused and demoralised side capitulated in front of our eyes. New man Juande Ramos succeeded in steadying the ship (even claiming the League Cup), but there is still a lot of work to do.

12 – Newcastle United

Prediction: 10th – “Big Sam has always valued endeavour and organisation over flowing attack minded football and he may have a quite a challenge persuading the Toon Army to come round to his way of thinking.”

Sam Allardyce was never the right man for Newcastle and found himself under increasing pressure from an owner who did not appoint him. The return of the Messiah (Kevin Keegan) proved a decent PR coup for Mike Ashley and co, but for a while relegation was a genuine possiblity. Michael Owen apart, Newcastle are woefully short of star talent.

13 – Middlesbrough

Prediction: 14th – “Probably another season of consolidation for Boro, unless Yakubu leaves in which case it could be a struggle.”

An underwhelming season for Boro, but one that should nevertheless be considered a success in so far as it didn’t end in relegation. Steve Gibson deserves credit for backing manager Gareth Southgate to the hilt through thick and thin even if he does continue to make a few too many rookie errors.

14 – Wigan Athletic

Prediction: 20th – “Wigan Athletic have been busy assembling what can only be described as a relegation dream team.”

Chris Hutchings always looked like a pretty dodgy managerial appointment, but at least changes were made before it was too late. Dave Whelan spent £3m to break Steve Bruce out of his Birmingham contract, which given that Wigan eventually secured safety with room to spare, should be considered money very well spent.

15 – Sunderland

Prediction: 13th – “Having Keane at the helm should more than compensate for any deficit in playing talent.”

Not exactly the stella season Roy Keane would have been hoping for, even if most will see survival as a decent achievement. Keane will need to curb his scattergun approach, however, if progress is to be made next season; few sides can have used as many different players as Sunderland over the course of the last campaign.

16 – Bolton Wanderers

Prediction: 15th – “Now Sammy Lee has taken over the reigns the fear must be that Wanderers’ squad will be exposed for what it really is…”

Bolton came down to earth with a bump following the departure of Big Sam, but eventually found salvation in the form of an unlikely saviour. ‘Little Sam’ gave way to Gary Megson after barely any time at all with the Reebok faithul restless. By April it seemed like it all might be about to go wrong, but a return the aggresive style of old just about saw Wanderers through.

17 – Fulham

Prediction: 17th – “Lawrie Sanchez has practically rebuilt the entire Fulham first eleven over the summer and at £25m the improvements have not come cheap.”

Another dodgy appointment, Lawrie Sanchez always appeared to be living on borrowed time. In the end it was the return from injury of Jimmy Bullard and Brian McBribe (both of whom were signed by Chris Coleman) who saved the day for new man Roy Hodgson.

18 – Reading

Prediction: 16th – “With the exception of Sidwell most of last season’s side remains in tact, however the feeling must be that the surprise factor is now gone.”

Reading battled gamely, but with the likes of Fulham and Sunderland spending so much money it was always going to be difficult for the Royals. For much of the season Steve Coppell’s men seemed to have the knack of pulling out a win just when they needed it; unfortunately that skill deserted them right at the crucial moment.

19 – Birmingham City

Prediction: 19th – “An immediate return to the Championship is on the cards.”

Carson Yeung’s aborted take-over proved an unnecessary distraction and eventually appeared to force manager Steve Bruce of out the club. New man Alec McLeish didn’t have an awful lot to work with and ultimately couldn’t prevent a swift return to the Championship.

20 – Derby County

Prediction: 18th – “Derby County ground their way into the Premier league with a series of 1-0 victories last season, but will have to be significantly more adventurous if they are to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.”

First under Billy Davies, and then even more spectacularly under Paul Jewell, Derby repeatedly demonstrated an ineptitude which at times was genuinely unbelievable. It seems unlikely that the Premier League will ever be treated to another side as breathtakingly poor as Derby 07/08…but then didn’t we all say that about Sunderland 05/06.

Coventry cathedral ruins may not be the most obvious of gig venues, but if there’s one band that can cope with such spectacular surrounds it is probably the Music.

After a four year absence the Music are back with ‘Strength In Numbers’, their third studio album and a record which you feel will either make or break the band. Since the NME love-in of their eponymous debut in 2002, when the Music were the epitome of cool, it hasn’t quite gone to plan for the band.

Follow-up ‘Welcome to the North’ was a better record; more balanced and thoughtful, but failed to sell in significant quantities or capture the imagination of the music buying public.

Coventry was the first night of a nationwide tour to promote the new record and from what was on display it seems the new material will continue down the path of increasingly compact – even poppy – songs. The most instantly appealing of the new tracks was probably ‘Drugs’ with its sky scraping chorus, however ‘The Spike’ and ‘No Weapon Sharper Than Will’ also sounded very promising.

The whole performance – new tracks and old favourites – was delivered with all the bristling intensity you would expect of a band like the Music and drew to a spectacular crescendo with ‘Getaway’ and ‘Bleed From Within’. Both are among the strongest in the band’s back catelogue, but the live arrangements were just perfect and a marked improvement on performances from a few years back.

It’s difficult to know exactly how well the new album will do in terms of sales – early backing from the likes of Radio 1 has been good – but on this evidence the Music intend to make a real go at it, whatever happens. Good on them.

Set-list:

1 Take The Long Road And Walk It
2 Spike
3 Freedom Fighters
4 Drugs
5 Jag Tune
6 Human
7 Fire
8 The Truth Is No Words
9 Strength In Numbers
10 Welcome To The North
11 No Weapon Sharper Than Will
12 The People
13 Get Through It
14 Getaway
15 Bleed From Within

Group A Winners: Portugal
Group A Runners Up: Czech Republic

Group B Winners: Germany
Group B Runners Up: Poland

Group C Winners: Italy
Group C Runners Up: France

Group D Winners: Spain
Group D Runners Up: Sweden

QF #1 – Portugal v Poland
QF #2 – Germany v Czech Republic
QF #3 – Italy v Sweden
QF #4 – Spain v France

SF #1 – Portugal v Germany
SF #2 – Italy v Spain

Final – Germany v Italy

Winner – Germany

Greece

Manager: Otto Rehhagel
Star man: Georgios Karagounis
Qualifying: W10, D1, L1
2004 finish: Winners
Best finish: Winners (2004)

The 2004 winners failed to reach the 2006 World Cup, but dominated their qualifying group to reach Austria-Switzerland with the best record of any side. In 2004 Greece consistently ground their way to victory with a series of 1-0 wins; there’s no reason to expect anything different this time around (except perhaps the level of success).

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-3-3)

GK Antonios Nikopolidis
RB Giourkas Seitaridis
CB Traianos Dellas
CB Sotirios Kyrgiakos
LB Vassilios Torosidis
CM Angelos Basinas
CM Konstantinos Katsouranis
CM Georgios Karagounis
RW Angelos Charisteas
FW Theofanis Gekas
LW Ioannis Amanatidis

Russia

Manager: Guus Hiddink
Star man: Andrei Arshavin
Qualifying: W7, D3, L2
2004 finish: Group stage
Best finish: Winners (1960*)

Gifted their way into the competition by England and without the suspended Andrei Arshavin for the first two matches, Russian prospects look bleak. Hiddink’s managerial success to date has been built more upon spin than substance, and with the youngest squad in the tournament it would be a massive surprise if Russia were to make the knock-out stage.

Predicted favored line-up:

(3-2-3-1-1)

GK Igor Akinfeev
CB Sergei Ignashevich
CB Vasili Berezutski
CB Aleksei Berezutski
CM Igor Semshov
CM Konstantin Zyrianov
LM Yuri Zhirkov
AM Diniyar Bilyaletdinov
RM Vladimir Bystrov
SS Andrei Arshavin
FW Pavel Pogrebnyak

*As the USSR

Spain

Manager: Luis Aragonés
Star man: Fernando Torres
Qualifying: W9, D1, L2
2004 finish: Group stage
Best finish: Winners (1964)

Perennial under-achievers, Spain have a wholse host of talented players, but will probably struggle in time honoured fashion. Fortunately for coach Luis Aragonés, his side find themselves in the weakest of the four groups, but should they qualify for the kncok-outs then Italy, France or the Netherlands in the quarter-finals looks a certainty.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-3-3)

GK Iker Casillas
RB Sergio Ramos
CB Carlos Marchena
CB Carles Puyol
LB Joan Capdevila
CM Xavi Hernández
CM Marcos Senna
CM Cesc Fabergas
RW David Silva
FW Fernando Torres
LW Andrés Iniesta

Sweden

Manager: Lars Lagerbäck
Star man: Henrik Larsson
Qualifying: W8, D2, L2
2004 finish: Quarter-finals
Best finish: Semi-finals (1992)

Sweden qualified for Euro 2008, using broadly the same group of players which competed in the 2006 World Cup. Talisman Henrik Larsson did not take part in any of the qualifying matches, but has come out of retirement to play in the finals. Expect endeavour, organisation, but little imagination.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-4-2)

GK Andreas Isaksson
RB Mikael Nilsson
CB Olof Mellberg
CB Petter Hansson
LB Mikael Dorsin
RM Fredrik Ljungberg
CM Anders Svensson
CM Tobias Linderoth
LM Christian Wilhelmsson
FW Zlatan Ibrahimović
FW Henrik Larsson

France

Manager: Raymond Domenech
Star man: Thierry Henry
Qualifying: W8, D2, L2
2004 finish: Quarter-finals
Best finish: Winners (1984/2000)

Despite an impressive 3-1 victory over Italy early in their qualifying campaign, Raymond Domenech’s side subsequently stuttered and eventually ended up being doubled by Scotland. Nevertheless the talent is clearly there, but the likes of Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira will need to be fully fit and on form if France are to do well.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-4-2)

GK Grégory Coupet
RB Willy Sagnol
CB Lilian Thuram
CB William Gallas
LB Eric Abidal
RM Franck Ribery
CM Patrick Vieira
CM Claude Makelele
LM Florent Malouda
FW Thierry Henry
FW Karim Benzema

Italy

Manager: Roberto Donadoni
Star man: Gianluigi Buffon
Qualifying: W9, D2, L1
2004 finish: Group stage
Best finish: Winners (1968.)

Antonio Cassano’s tear stained anguish at finding his last minute winner against Bulgaria would not be enough to ensure Italy’s passage into the knock-out stage was one of the enduring images of Euro 2004. Even taking into account the loss of captain Fabio Cannavaro to injury, it seems unlikely that the World Cup holders should prove so abject this time around.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-3-3)

GK Gianluigi Buffon
RB Christian Panucci
CB Marco Materazzi
CB Andrea Barzagli
LB Gianluca Zambrotta
CM Andrea Pirlo
CM Massimo Ambrosini
CM Gennaro Gattuso
RW Mauro Camoranesi
FW Luca Toni
LW Antonio Di Natale

Netherlands

Manager: Marco Van Basten
Star man: Ruud van Nistelrooy
Qualifying: W8, D2, L2
2004 finish: Semi-finals
Best finish: Winners (1988l)

Lack of discipline proved to be the Netherlands’ downfall yet again in the 2006 World Cup, and qualification for Austria-Switzerland was marred by rumors of unrest in the dressing room. Marco Van Basten will end his spell as Dutch coach after the tournament and will be hoping to finish on a high.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-2-3-1)

GK Edwin van der Sar.
RB John Heitinga
CB Joris Mathijsen
CB André Ooijer
LB Wilfred Bouma
DM Giovanni van Bronckhorst
DM Demy de Zeeuw
AM Rafael van der Vaart
AM Wesley Sneijder
AM Robin van Persie,
FW Ruud van Nistelrooy

Romania

Manager: Victor Piţurcă
Star man: Cristian Chivu
Qualifying: W9, D2, L1
2004 finish: Did not qualify
Best finish: Quarter-finals (2000)

Victor Piţurcă’s side may have pipped the Netherlands to the top of Group G in qualification, but it will be a brave man who gives them any chance of escaping the ‘Group of Death’. Mutu and Chivu are the stars, but elsewhere quality seems a little thin on the ground.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-4-2)

GK Bodgan Lobont
RB Cosmin Contra
CB Dorin Goian
CB Gabriel Tamaş
LB Răzvan Raţ
RM Florentin Petre
CM Paul Codrea
CM Cristian Chivu
LM Nicolae Dică
FW Adrian Mutu
FW Ciprian Marica

Austria

Manager: Josef Hickersberger
Star man: Andreas Ivanschitz
Qualifying: -
2004 finish: Did not qualify
Best finish: Have never qualified before

The weakest side to qualify for Euro 2008 by a country mile (as a result of being joint hosts), Austria face an uphill struggle to avoid major embarrassment. Nobody wants to see the hosts make an early exit, but if Josef Hickersberger’s side look unlikely to escape Group B.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-5-1)

GK Alex Manninger
RB Emanuel Pogatetz
CB Martin Stranzl
CB Sebastian Prödl
LB Markus Katzer
RM Joachim Standfest
CM René Aufhauser
CM Ivica Vastic
CM Jürgen Säumel
LM Andreas Ivanschitz
FW Roland Linz

Croatia

Manager: Slaven Bilić
Star man: Luka Modrić
Qualifying: W9, D2, L1
2004 finish: Group stages
Best finish: Quarter-finals (1996)

After humiliating England in qualifying, Croatia arrive at Euro 2008 a little over-hyped, but with a good chance of progressing to the quarter-finals. Consistency in selection has been key for Slaven Bilić, and whilst Eduardo will be a loss, the Croats will have to fancy their chances against Poland and Austria.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-4-2)

GK Stipe Pletikosa
RB Vedran Ćorluka
CB Robert Kovač
CB Dario Šimic
LB Josip Šimunić
RM Darijo Srna
CM Luka Modrić
CM Niko Kovač
LM Niko Kranjčar
FW Mladen Petrić
FW Ivica Olić

Germany

Manager: Joachim Löw
Star man: Michael Ballack
Qualifying: W8, D3, L1
2004 finish: Group stages
Best finish: Winners (1972*/1980*/1996)

After a period of struggle (relatively speaking at least) at the beginning of the decade, Germany returned to the boil during the 2006 World Cup and haven’t let off since. As always, the Germans’ trump cards will be their organisation and mental strength, but in Michael Ballack they also possess a star man capable of almost anything.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-4-2)

GK Jens Lehmann
RB Philipp Lahm
CB Christoph Metzelder
CB Per Mertesacker
LB Marcell Jansen
RM David Odonkor
CM Torsten Frings
CM Michael Ballack
LM Bastian Schweinsteiger
FW Miroslav Klose
FW Lukas Podolski

*As West Germany

Poland

Manager: Leo Beenhakker
Star man: Euzebiusz Smolarek
Qualifying: W8, D4, L2
2004 finish: Did not qualify
Best finish: Have never qualified before

Poland crashed and burned in the 2006 World Cup, but have been rejuvenated under Leo Beenhakker and could pose a serious threat to Croatia’s ambitions of progressing out of Group B. Euzebiusz Smolarek scored nine goals in qualifying and has been named Polish player of the year for each of the past three seasons.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-4-2)

GK Artur Boruc
RB Marcin Wasilewski
CB Jacek Bąk
CB Mariusz Jop
LB Michał Żewłakow
RM Jakub Błaszczykowski
CM Dariusz Dudka
CM Mariusz Lewandowski
LM Jacek Krzynówek
FW Maciej Żurawski
FW Euzebiusz Smolarek

Czech Republic

Manager: Karel Bruckner
Star man: Peter Cech
Qualifying: W9, D2, L1
2004 finish: Semi-finals
Best finish: Final (1996)

Despite pipping Germany to top spot in qualifying group D (thanks in part to a surprising 3-0 win in Munich), Karel Bruckner’s side do not look as strong as in previous tournaments. With the mercurial Pavel Nedved having retired and Tomáš Rosický ruled out by injury, the Czechs appear a little short of flair, but don’t bet against them progressing to the knock-out stage at the very least.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-4-2)

GK Peter Cech
RB Zdeněk Grygera
CB Tomáš Ujfaluši
CB Radoslav Kováč
LB Marek Jankulovski
RM David Jarolím
CM Tomáš Galásek
CM Jan Polak
LM Jaroslav Plašil
FW Jan Koller,
FW Milan Baros

Portugal

Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari
Star man: Cristiano Ronaldo
Qualifying: W7, D6, L1
2004 finish: Final
Best finish: Final (2004)

Portugal suffered only one defeat in a tough-ish qualifying group (which included Poland, Serbia, Finland and Belgium) and go into the tournament as one of the favourites to do well. Cristiano Ronaldo will obviously be the player Scolari will be hoping can make the difference, but Chelsea’s Ricardo Carvalho will also have a key role to play.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-3-3)

GK Ricardo
RB Miguel
CB Ricardo Carvalho
CB Fernando Meira
LB Paulo Ferreira
CM Petit
CM Deco
CM Miguel Veloso
RWF Cristiano Ronaldo
FW Hugo Almeida
LWF Ricardo Quaresma

Switzerland

Manager: Jakob Kuhn
Star man: Alexander Frei
Qualifying: -
2004 finish: Group stage
Best finish: Group stage (1996/2004)

Switzerland went out 2006 World Cup finals without conceeding a single goal from open play; their last-16 match with Ukraine finished 0-0 and went to penalties. Given this was their most successful showing at a tournament in recent years, it seems likely the joint hosts will stick with their highly conservative style.

Predicted favored line-up:

(4-5-1)

GK Diego Benaglio
RB Philipp Degen
CB Patrick Müller
CB Philippe Senderos
LB Ludovic Magnin
RM Johan Vonlanthen
CM Gökhan Inler
CM Hakan Yakin
CM Gelson Fernandes
LM Tranquillo Barnetta
FW Alexander Frei

Turkey

Manager: Fatih Terim
Star man: Nihat Kahveci
Qualifying: W7,D3,L2
2004 finish: Did not qualify
Best finish: Quarter-finals (2000)

Fatih Terim’s side made heavy weather of a relatively easy qualifying group, but will be happy simply to have made the tournament after missing out on Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. Turkey are not the powerhouse side of six years ago, but with players like Emre Belozoğlu and Nihat Kahveci should not be taken lightly.

Predicted favoured line-up:

(4-4-2)

GK Volkan Demirel
RB Gökhan Gönül
CB Servet Çetin
CB Gökhan Zan
LB Hakan Balta
RM Hamit Altıntop
CM Emre Belozoğlu
CM Mehmet Aurélio’s
LM Arda Turan
FW Tuncay Şanlı
FW Nihat Kahveci

2 – Fabian Wilnis 10(4), 0

Wilnis started the season by seeing red after coming on as a late sub against Plymouth and his final season with the club never really got much better. As with last season the Dutchman was consistently overlooked by Jim, when he still had much to offer. (6/10)

4 – Jason De Vos 47, 2

Another imperious season for De Vos as he once against proved that lack of pace is no barrier to being a great defender at Championship level. He will be a real loss when he’s not about next season both in terms of his physical presence and his organisational skills. (8/10)

5 – Alex Bruce 37(1), 0

Owing to a lack of any genuine competition for his place in the side this season, Bruce survived being dropped twice to make 36 starts alongside De Vos. Surely with money to spend, Jim will bring in a high quality replacement for the next campaign. (5/10)

6 – Richard Naylor 6(2), 0

A frustrating season for Naylor who, despite finally overcoming a long term toe injury, only managed a run of six starts before slipping a disc in his neck. When he did play though, he looked very good, which is obviously a positive sign for next year. (7/10)

7 – Owen Garvan 41(4), 3

This was the season in which Garvan came of age. After all the trials of last season it was great to see him playing well and regularly dominating the midfield. If he could add a few more goals to his game he’d really be doing well, but even as it is he’s not far off becoming the complete player. (8/10)

8 – Sylvain Legwinski 9(6), 2

Last year’s player of the season was injured during pre-season and was never given any sort of opportunity once he became fit, however despite this shabby treatment, he still managed to grab two goals, including a screamer away on QPR. (6/10)

9 – Pablo Counago 37(8), 12

Whilst never the most consistent of players, Pablo has more than repaid the faith shown in him by Magilton and, perhaps suprisingly, proved a pretty decent foil for Alan Lee. His goal against Charlton will long be remembered as one of the highlights of the season. (7/10)

10 – Tommy Miller 33(5), 5

Miller showed flashes of brilliance this season, but as with his first spell at the club, mostly flattered to deceive. Still has a tendency to go missing in games and now also acts with a certain amount of bossy arrogance, probably born out of his close personal friendship with Magilton. (6/10)

11 – Gavin Williams 11(3), 0

Looked set to be filling in on the left wing before dislocating his knee in pre-season. Suprisingly thrown straight back into the team upon his return to fitness, he never looked settled in the side and following a second injury after Christmas didn’t really play any further part. (6/10)

14 – Alan Lee 38(9), 12

Lee started the season like and express train, but just as his strike-partner Counago, struggled for goals in the post-Christmas period. Despite this however, we always looked less likely to score when he was out of the side, and it was wrong of Magilton to drop him for the final few matches of the season. (8/10)

15 – Sito Castro 12(2), 1

Despite finally getting his chance in the first team in place of Dan Harding, Sito was clearly never part of Jim’s plans. In terms of determination and enthusiasm the Spaniard can never be faulted, and it seems strange that he’s made so few appearances for the club over the last three seasons. (7/10)

18 – Danny Haynes 20(23), 7

After occupying the role of super-sub for the first half of the season, Haynes increasingly found himself named in Jim’s starting line-up as the campaign wore on. Whilst still far from the finished article, the raw materials are all there and 08/09 could just be his year. (7/10)

19 – Jon Walters 40(1), 13

Walters has been the suprise package of the season and a revelation on the right side of midfield. As a striker he always looked unlikely to score and short of pace, but on the wing he is a breath of fresh air. Provided an excellent outlet for Neil Alexander during the first half of the season. (9/10)

20 – David Wright 41(2), 2

Wright was disappointing last season, but really settled in this time around and struck up a decent partnership with Walters on the right hand side. Whereas last term he appeared uncertain in possession and unwilling to go forward, this year he has played consistently well. (8/10)

21 – Danny Simpson 7(1), 0

Whilst certainly not the worst loanee ever to appear in Town colours, Simpson is probably the most pointless. Why Jim chose to loan a new right back for the final month of the season when Wright had been playing so well was a mystery. (5/10)

22 – Gary Roberts 11(11), 1

Roberts started the season with a great goal against Sheffield Wednesday, but lasted only a handful of games in the starting line-up before rightly being dropped. Arguably the worst signing Jim has made since taking over as manager. (3/10)

23 – Dan Harding 30(1), 1

After a season and a half of woeful displays at left back, Jim finally saw sense and dropped Harding following the humiliating away defeat at Charlton. Annoyingly the former Brighton man won his place back soon after, but was then dropped again and will hopefully move on over the summer. (3/10)

24 – Billy Clarke 10(12), 0

Clarke started the season warming the bench before taking Gary Roberts’ place on the left wing. Town went unbeaten in the ten matches he started and yet Jim suprisingly chose to loan him to Falkirk for the second half of the campaign. (6/10)

25 – Alan Quinn 15(2), 1

Whilst signed seemingly as a left winger, Quinn appears to lack the pace and trickery generally required of a wide player. He is also right footed, which means he is unlikely to ever cross the ball. Jury remains out. (6/10)

26 – Velice Sumulikoski 10(5), 1

Playing a holding midfielder is increasingly in fashion even in the Championship, and Sumu fills the role with aplomb. He may not be the greatest footballer ever to pull on a Town shirt, but he can spot danger and more often than not snuff it out. (7/10)

27 – Neil Alexander 31, 0

Why Alexander was brought in from Cardiff and then seemingly pushed out of club midway through the season will probably never be clear. Ironically it was just as he was hitting top form that we went and sold him. (7/10)

28 – David Norris 9, 1

Norris arrived with an ankle problem and never looked fully fit. At Plymouth he usually played on the right, which given his weight transfer fee, seems to suggest Jim sees Walters long term role being up front. We will have to wait and see. (5/10)

32 – Shefki Kuqi 2(2)

The moment when Kuqi came on for his second debut against Charlton has to be one of the highlights of the season. Never has someone come off the bench at Portman Road to such rapturous applause. We all know what happened next, but it was still good to see him back. (6/10)

36 – Liam Trotter 3(4), 1

Surely the unluckiest Town player this season, Trotter scored on his debut, played a significant role in defeating West Brom in only his second start for the club and was then wrongly dismissed in the FA Cup a week later. After returning from suspension he didn’t feature again. (6/10)

43 – Stephen Bywater 16, 0

Seemingly a panic buy (or loan to be more accurate) in the wake of Alexander’s sudden departure, Bywater did nothing in his stay with Town to rescue a rather poor reputation. Hopefully next year we can have a proper goalie between the sticks once again. (4/10)

Season strongest eleven:

GK – Neil ALEXANDER

RB – David WRIGHT
CB – Richard NAYLOR
CB – Jason DE VOS
LB – SITO Castro

RM – Jon WALTERS
CM – Velice SUMULIKOSKI
CM – Owen GARVAN
LM – Alan QUINN

FW – Alan LEE
FW – Pablo COUNAGO