Our Championship rivals – part 2

Part 2 and those sides that would consider themselves play-off potential. These clubs range from the ‘we are too big too be in this division’ to those that actually have a ‘realistic chance of top 6’ or those that were ‘once glamourous’ to those that are ‘not glamourous at all and will have Liverpool fans hurrying for their A-Z’s.’

First off Leeds United, a club that will feel that anything other than promotion is an unmitigated disaster. Neil Warnock has made the promised wholesale changes (9 in, 9 out at last count). Paddy Kenny signed for Warnock for a 4th time and he has further tightened the defence bringing in Adam Drury and Jason Pearce.

Warnock also surprised a few, and probably himself with the signing of El-Hadji Diouf. He surprised me too when he signed ex-Addick strike partners Andy Gray and Luke Varney. Let’s hope for Leeds’ sake that they have improved their goal ratios with age.

Despite the mass turnaround the Whites still look a bit short on quality and depth despite McCormack and Becchio sticking around, for now at least. Losing Robert Snodgrass is a real blow and although Warnock, twice promoted from this division, is renowned for making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, this might be his biggest challenge yet.

Two time European Champions Nottingham Forest (the only past winners not be the be in their countries top league by the way) might feel that this could be the year that they re-join the big time. The Al Hasawi family finally gained ownership of the club from the estate of Nigel Doughty and sacked Steve Cotterill a couple of hours later. After originally looking for an icon, they appointed ex-assistant manager Sean O’Driscoll instead.

This may well turn out to be a master stroke, O’Driscoll was once coveted in the lower leagues and prefers a passing style. Forest were slow to play in the summer transfer market, and so far as many have left than have joined. Simon Cox did sign from WBA this week though and one has to think that at last Forest fans will be able to turn the page and move onto a much happier chapter.  

Our first opponents Birmingham City also know all about financial problems. Lee Clark was an interesting choice to replace Chris Hughton and build on his good work, but Clark deserved his chance after his treatment at Huddersfield. The Blues transfer embargo has been lifted and Clark has made himself busy in the transfer market signing 6 players including Darren Ambrose and kept the core of the team that made last season’s play-off’s. Ben Foster moved to WBA but that only opens the door for the impressive Jack Butland.

A big opportunity for Lee Clark and if they can avoid getting too embroiled in Carson Yeung’s impending trial then it could be a good season for the Blues.

Middlesbrough have found some stability and Boro’s fan’s fondness of Tony Mowbray is only matched by that of Charlton’s Chris Powell. They continue to have a real youthfulness to them but have added Jonathon Woodgate on a free transfer, which has Boro fans already saying “if we can keep Woodgate fit, then….”

Marvin Emnes is someone Mowbray is desperate to keep hold off. The Dutchman scored 19 goals last season and Boro were very reliant on him. Nicky Bailey plays a lot deeper than he did for us and has only scored two goals in two seasons. Mowbray also added Addicks target George Friend and attacking midfielder Emmanuel Ledsema, who arrives at his 8th club in two years. I think Middlesbrough have what it takes to make the top 6.

Another character in this season’s Championship will of course be Ian Holloway. Blackpool are still bringing in parachute money which has allowed them to keep hold off some of their better players although Southampton are courting Matt Phillips, who is not to be confused with 45-year old Kevin Phillips, although Super Kev is still good for 15 goals a season.

Holloway utilised the loan market well last season and the Tangerines finished very strong and most would say deserved to beat West Ham in the play-off final. I think some other clubs have caught Blackpool up this summer but Tom Ince will catch the eye and potentially Holloway will wait again for the loan market to kick in to add some quality to his squad.

My outside bet to have a better than good season is Brighton & Hove Albion. All the while they can keep hold of Gus Poyet then I think the Seagulls have a chance to follow Norwich and Southampton into the Premier League. Equally fans need to keep their ambitions in check as these are heady days for the south-coasters.

Poyet has assembled some very good players such as Vicente, Barnes and young centre-half Dunk. He has also added more quality in Bridge, Bruno and Kuszczak. The Seagulls do lack a bit of firepower though, which is even more surprising to see rumours that Mackail-Smith could be on his way.

If they can find goals and keep Poyet then certainly I can see Brighton making the top 6 over some over their ‘bigger’ rivals.

To no disrepect to Hull City but to me they’ve always been a lower level team. In fact when I checked they had spent the majority of the last 35 years since I’ve been going to football in the bottom two divisions. In the summer club owners Assem and Ehab Allam scandalously terminated Hull hero Nicky Barmby and Steve Bruce is now the Tigers 5th manager in two years.

Bruce is another current Championship manager who has already got a promotion to the PL on his CV. He has been given some money to spend and brought in Nick Proschwitz for £2.6m, who was joint top scorer of Bundesliga 2 last season.

Not surprising Bruce’s son Alex also joined along with Abdoulaye Faye from West Ham and a player we will be looking out for, Sone Aluko from Rangers, who I am pretty sure would now be at Charlton if it wasn’t for a lack of transfer budget.

If things had been different Eddie Howe might now be the Addicks’ manager, but instead he’ll begin his 2nd full season at Burnley’s Turf Moor instead. Last season Howe and his management team slowly started to sift through what was left of the Clarets’ Premier League squad and they finished midtable.

Jay Rodriguez has been sold to Southampton for £7 m with Howe allowed to spend a chunk of the money on Derby defender and new captain Jason Shackell (another Charlton target), Sam Vokes from Wolves, Donny’s Brian Stock and young George Porter from the O’s. Burnley lack a little in depth but Howe has some decent players and they may surpise a few teams.

This will be Ipswich Town’s 11th season in the 2nd tier, the league’s longest occupants. The Tractor Boys have become midtable fodder, but no doubt their supporters will still be pining for a run at the play-off’s although the jury on Paul Jewell seems to be out.

Jimmy Bullard and Lee Bowyer left as did captain Grant Leadbetter with defender Luke Chambers joining from Forest and young Aussie midfielder Massimo Luongo joining on loan from Spurs. The strike force of Nathan Ellington, Jason Scotland and Michael Chopra each look a bit spent and ex-Addick Lee Martin remains, although despite being 10 stone wet his disciplinary record is appalling.

Watford have joined a football portfolio after the Italian Pozzo family added the Hornets to their investment portfolio of Udinese and Granada. The Spanish side has been invested in heavily and been flooded with Udinese loan and developmental players. The result being that they moved from the Spanish 4th tier to the top one in five seasons.

The new owners proved ruthless in the immediate sacking of Sean Dyche, who led them to their highest finish in 5 years. Watford fans are awash with hope that new manager Gianfranco Zola will bring the same success the Pozzo’s have been used to and already they have seen the arrival of 6 players on loan from their now sister clubs. Manuel Almunia and ex-QPR defender Fitz Hall have also joined and ex-Addick Chris Iwelumo remains.

Ordinarily I would have the Hornets in the next cluster of clubs but the media have located Vicarage Road, which is not easy with all those allotments and their odds have shortened for a play-off place.

Finally in this group I will include Sheffield Wednesday. After Megson left my annoyance of Wednesday subsided, mostly because I quite like Dave Jones, who incidentially is another Championship manager with a promotion to the PL under his belt.

Wednesday I think are very much outsiders for a top 6 place but the many that congregate in the vast stands of Hillsborough still amuse themselves with stories of cup finals and Mel Sterland, Chris Waddle and John Sheridan and Wednesdayites expect nothing less than a full tilt at promotion.

Jones has signed 9 players including last season’s influential loanee Michail Antonio plus Chris Kirkland and Chris Maguire. Ryan Lowe was those among the leavers, moving to MK Dons.