The Lower League Thread

Today our current manager's old club come to see his new club, I can only hope the combined fans' hatred of their board members sees a below 1k attendance. However, I won't begrudge any Blackburn fans going to the game today as it is a good excuse for a summer weekend at the seaside. Please let there be more away fans than home ones though! New kit to be revealed today as well, with our new sponsors tp. They're some small media/publicity company in Bolton that at the time of the announcement had a mighty 16 followers on Twitter. Easy enough to boycott though. I assume tp stands for tosspots, as anyone getting involved with our board must be.

Made the last minute decision to go with my dad so there'll be 2 people there at least! Venky's out, Oyston out.

Wolves been taken over by quite an interesting group of people. Almost hired the new Spain manager. Seems they are going to make some waves in the transfer market.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12024/10510103/guillem-balague-talks-to-new-spain-boss-julen-lopetegui

Damn Dingles, they give the people of Lancashire a bad name when they do stuff like this!

http://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/news/article/2016-17/club-statement-bradford-city-incident-3203841.aspx

@One Night In Grimsby , what happened at your friendly at the weekend with Sheff United?

I would guess something involving Stone Island wankers thinking it's the 70s, as per usual.

Every club has idiots like that, sadly. Credit to Burnley for getting it sorted quickly, as I understand the perpetrators have been given indefinite bans.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36894178

Fleetwood manager resigns after 9 months in charge and one week and a half before the new season! I thought they were the newest up and comings in the North West, what with their new training ground and so on. Guess all was not as well as it seemed.

Good for Fleetwood. Pressley is a massive twat

It'll be interesting to see if something happened behind the scenes because the timing isn't the greatest . . .

. . . or is it he's just a complete cunt?

Leon Clarke sold to Sheffield United. I legit want to kill myself

Doubt I'll see a dirtier side than Bremen in the Championship this season. They've just kicked lumps out of us for 90 minutes. 3 players off injured, which is a worry. Dempsey was the first off after an awful challenge, one of those where he was far too quick for the lumbering centre-half who got there very late and came in very high - you'll see them go for that in the league, but didn't even get a booking in this. Another one saw their lad have a real hack at Kachunga, who reacted and got subbed off to stop him being sent off. Though I'm pleased with the fact we didn't succumb to their physical approach and more than matched them in all departments. A credible 0-0 draw where we had probably the best chance.

Well we lost the match 3-1, Sheff U were pretty tidy, Billy Sharp had a great game. But you're probably referring to the trouble in Cleethorpes. Seems like a load of their fans came early on trains and got hammered in the bars down the seafront and then it all kicked off. There's a few twats in our fans too who obviously went looking for trouble. All the bars closed under police advice. And then after the game, there was a lot of trouble down the back of the ground on the walk back to the train station. Fans charging at each other etc, until the police finally turned up.

6 arrests, 4 of which were United fans. The Grimsby element I suspect were just a few chavs who are already banned or haven't been to a match in years.

This, exactly.

With 10 days to go to the season, it's time to start looking at the Championship in earnest. Squads have been assembled for better or worse, friendlies have been played, and we're only a matter of days from the big kick-off. The Championship is notoriously hard to predict - which is why I'll make the disclaimer now that any or all of my predictions could turn out to be complete rubbish - and more often than not there's a surprise or two. This season looks relatively easy to predict on paper, but I simply can't see form playing out the way it would be predicted. Other than Newcastle winning the league. With their squad they should walk it, to be honest, but it'll still be a challenge for them in one of the most competitive leagues in Europe.

Before moving on to teams, it's worth considering the individual talent on show in the division. The Championship, perhaps more than any other second tier in Europe, plays host to some outstanding individuals, some proven talents, others young upstarts. And although I've picked out a key man for each team, it's worth considering five particular players in the league in more detail, especially as none are big stars just yet.



Romaine Sawyers - Brentford

Walsall fans were left cursing at the end of last season when attacking midfielder Romaine Sawyers opted to join former boss Dean Smith at Brentford. He'd spent 3 years making his name in the West Midlands following his release from West Brom, and although a goals tally of seven goals in fifty-seven appearances doesn't sound impressive, he was the heartbeat of the Saddlers side which finished third in League One last season. The 24-year-old is good on the ball and is most comfortable in the number 10 role, though he can operate - at least from what I've seen of him - on the wing. He's an intelligent player, capable of finding and exploiting space as well as being deceptively quick. Although untested at this level, he's an exciting prospect for Bees fans, who can take heart from the fact Celtic were also in the hunt for Sawyers' services.



Lex Immers - Cardiff City

Immers is the only player in this run-down to be over the age of 30, but his explosive start to life in the Championship following his loan from Feyenoord - made permanent by Cardiff over the summer - means he's one to watch for the season. Usually an attacking midfielder, the dearth of striking talent at the club led to the Bluebirds playing him up front, and he repaid the faith they showed in him by netting five times in fifteen games, including a goal on his debut. Intelligent, strong, and possessed of a thunderous strike, Immers is one to watch in his first full season in English football as he brings an unknown quantity to Cardiff's play.



Nick Powell - Wigan Athletic

Although Will Grigg will most likely end up as the top scorer at the DW this season, it's worth keeping an eye on the former Crewe attacker purely to see how he develops. Manchester United were persuaded to take a punt on him four years ago, and it really hasn't worked out for him since. He made just three starts and six substitute appearances for the Old Trafford giants, and the only loan spell he really impressed in was at the DW, where he netted a dozen times in 2013/14. His free transfer after two years of hardly playing while out on loan was hardly surprising, but Wigan will be hopeful that they can get the most out of a player who, on his day, can be one of the most exciting players in the division. If he gets it right at Wigan, the sky is the limit - it's easy to forget that he's still only 22.



Christopher Schindler - Huddersfield Town

I'm biased (some of you may have noticed), but even whilst trying to avoid talking about Town players I have to talk about this one. 1860 Munich were loath to lose their club captain, even for £1.8m, earlier this summer as Huddersfield Town rebuilt a shaky defence. And early signs are good. Schindler came with a good reputation, having played for Germany at under-21 level, and having skippered Munich's second club since he was 23. Now 26, he's matured into a classy defender, confident on the ball and possessed of real steel. Although he isn't the quickest, his positional sense in pre-season friendlies has been outstanding. If Town's defence is to improve, a lot rests on Schindler's shoulders and the early signs are that he's up to the task and could be one of the division's finest defenders.



Aaron Tshibola - Aston Villa

There's a big question mark over Tshibola: will he play? With a transfer fee of £5m hanging over his head, the young midfielder will certainly be expecting to, but at the same time you have to question Villa's wisdom in making him their biggest summer signing. After all, can a player who has started only six Championship games in his career revitalise the fortunes of the fallen Birmingham giants? Reading fans rate the tenacious midfielder extremely highly, but he hasn't played since Reading romped to a 4-0 win over Walsall in the FA Cup in January. It should be said that his absence has largely been down to injury, but it's still a massive gamble for Villa to take. He's probably the most unknown player on this entire list. He's certainly the most interesting.

Tomorrow: Championship preview part 2 - Aston Villa to Burton Albion

Stop press: The preview was compiled over the past week. As I type this, I'm hearing whispers which probably aren't very reliable of Wolves tabling a £20m bid for Benfica's Anderson Talisca. The Wolves takeover may yet be a game-changer.

Apparently we are replacing Leon Clarke with Ishmael Miller.....

hahahaahahahahahahahhhahahahahahahahaahahahaha









Haaaa.............................

Unlucky

To be fair, Ishy is a trier. A trier of many fans' patience most of the time, but that isn't the point. He'll give his all and League One might suit him. Just be prepared to laugh when his shots hit the corner flag. There's a reason why he only bagged 4 times in 37 games for us. That said, none of his goals were tap-ins! His goal v Reading the season before last was an absolute beauty, not just for his delicate finish but for his hold-up play earlier in the move. Third of three below.

Oh Ishmael Miller

Easy to like, even easier to be frustrated by him.

If we're going to replace a striker who's scored 19 goals last season with someone who's scored 19 goals in all his career then god help us.

Also heard Adam Le Fondre as a rumour but I suppose that's WAY out of our league. Fucking hell it's a bit grim atm

Aston Villa

Manager: Roberto Di Matteo
Last season: 20th (Premier League, relegated)
Strength: Big squad with Premier League experience
Weakness: Required clear-out hasn’t happened
Key man: Scott Sinclair

Roberto Di Matteo has a job on at Villa Park. Villa endured one of the worst-ever Premier League seasons last campaign, only scraping past Derby’s record of 11 points by 6 points and winning a miserable 3 games all season, conceding 76 goals. More worrying than generally being awful was the fact that they were outfought all campaign. As for this season, although a handful of additions - such as highly-rated Reading midfielder Aaron Tshibola - have been made, the squad remains that which was relegated. The clear-out of personnel which was so badly needed hasn’t happened. Although on paper the squad looks strong for this level, the lack of fight evident in the team last season suggests that most would be better off finding pastures new, with the manager bringing in his own talent. If they get off to a positive start, they should be fine, but if they don’t Villa Park will turn on the players. I suspect play-offs will be a tall order.

Barnsley

Manager: Paul Heckingbottom
Last season: 6th (League One, promoted via the play-offs)
Strength: Togetherness, team spirit, character
Weakness: Thin squad with little experience
Key man: Adam Hammill

How did Barnsley get up? Bottom in November, up in May, with a JPT success on the side, the turnaround in fortunes last season was remarkable. Team spirit played more than a part as a side doomed to the bottom tier managed to spark into life and go on a sensational run to promotion. It was reminiscent of the great escape of three years before. Rookie manager Paul Heckingbottom (fun fact: I worked with his sister-in-law) has been busy in the transfer market, adding proven goalscorer Tom Bradshaw to his attacking talents and signing highly-rated midfielder George Moncur, among a slew of players from lower down the pyramid. On one hand, Barnsley are an unknown quantity and they’ll surprise a fair few. On the other hand, the lack of proven quality might prove their undoing. On paper they’re among the relegation favourites, but they’ll come up, have a go, play good football and have a never-say-die spirit which I believe will just about see them safe and consolidating above the drop.

Birmingham City

Manager: Gary Rowett
Last season: 10th
Strength: Organisation and determination
Weakness: They’re just so bloody boring
Key man: Clayton Donaldson

Elegance, style and flair are not words associated with Gary Rowett’s St Andrew’s outfit. Organisation, discipline, shape, being mind-numbingly dull and working with a limited talent pool are. On paper, Birmingham are more likely to be down at the bottom than anywhere near the top - paper that was torn up last season as Birmingham spent the season threatening the play-offs until finally falling away. They’re definitely a team: they work hard for each other and for their manager. Rowett has worked well with what he has, but he’s yet to address the lack of firepower in the squad, with only two injury-prone (if talented) strikers at his disposal. Much relies on Clayton Donaldson having a good season - if he doesn’t fire it’s difficult to see where goals will come from. Although the defence is incredibly solid - conceding just 49 goals last season - improvements are still needed. Whilst they probably won’t hit the heights of last season, they’ll still be safe in mid-table obscurity, provided a Premier League club doesn’t engage its brain and poach Gary Rowett.

Blackburn Rovers

Manager: Owen Coyle
Last season: 15th
Strength: Defensively solid, conceding only 46 goals last season
Weakness: Wafer-thin squad with no firepower
Key man: Shane Duffy

I tipped Blackburn to go down last season. I’m going to tip them to go down again, which means they’ll probably end up being fine. Of course, the appointment of Owen Coyle to replace Paul Lambert, the sale of Grant Hanley and the general lack of quality throughout the squad mean that a tough season looks likely. The squad is wafer-thin, not helped by the arrival of players such as Elliot Ward, who makes James Vaughan look durable despite their quality. Danny Graham and Anthony Stokes have both arrived to bolster the powderpuff frontline, although the recent record of the former and the English record of the latter leave much to be desired. A quick glance at the squad list makes for chastening reading as well: with two weeks to go to the big kick-off, there’s a real lack of players at the club. There’s a bad feeling at Ewood Park at the moment, not least at the Venkys, who still retain a controlling interest in the club and may be about to find out that you can get relegated from the second flight of English football as well.

Brentford

Manager: Dean Smith
Last season: 9th
Strength: Playing attractive attacking football with real potency
Weakness: Massively inconsistent
Key man: Scott Hogan

There’s no middle ground for Brentford: they’re either brilliant, putting four past the opposition whilst playing football fit to grace the Nou Camp, or woeful, making the Winchester Over-55s look good. They ended the season like an express train, and if they can build on that form with their new signings they’ll stand an outside chance of the play-offs again. However, prior to that run of form they won only one of eleven and looked outside bets for relegation until March. The club has made a number of shrewd acquisitions: Daniel Bentley, the highly-rated young goalkeeper, joins from Southend along with Gillingham captain John Egan and Walsall playmaker Romaine Sawyers. The Bees will be delighted that Scott Hogan has returned to fitness - and in some style - after his long injury last season. However, theirs is another small squad made smaller by the sale of key players Jake Bidwell and David Button and key man Alan Judge is likely to be out for some time after suffering a double leg-break in April. Brentford are probably the hardest side to predict in the division, because of their inconsistency. A repeat of last season overall - 9th with 65 points - would represent a good campaign.

Brighton and Hove Albion

Manager: Chris Hughton
Last season: 3rd
Strength: Very organised, organisation and being organised
Weakness: Expectation and maybe an ageing squad
Key man: Bruno Salter

Brighton will be one of most people’s picks for success this season. Chris Hughton has, in 18 months, turned them around, making them organised, difficult to beat and adding some quality going forward in the form of Anthony Knockaert and Tomer Hemed. Signings this season, on the other hand, have been slow to arrive, although Glenn Murray has returned to the club on loan. Other acquisitions have included Steve Sidwell. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the average age of Brighton has therefore gone up significantly, although there are plenty of players still in their prime at the club. Joint top scorers in the division last season (72), Brighton have more firepower than they’ve been credited with at times and possess a potent threat to go with a miserly defence, although being honest 72 isn’t that many goals for divisional top scorers. As for what they’ll do this time out, expect them to be up there. But don’t expect them to storm the league.

Bristol City

Manager: Lee Johnson
Last season: 18th
Strength: Set-pieces and an increasingly potent attacking threat
Weaknesses: Defending
Key man: Lee Tomlin

Lee Tomlin was probably the drawn-out transfer of the summer before he finally arrived at Ashton Gate on a permanent deal for around £3m. He joins Gary O’Neil, Josh Brownhill, Callum O’Dowda and Icelandic defender Hördur (no, not Hodor) Björgvin Magnússon as an addition to the side which ended last season so well and which tempted this commentator to tip the Robins for the play-offs next season. They remain, in my view, one of the sides most likely to break into the top 6 despite their struggles last season, but that hope should be tempered by the glaring problems in defence. City conceded 71 times last season, and it’s an issue which must be addressed in a division which increasingly relies on solid defences as the foundation stone for success. The Icelandic lad comes with a good reputation from Juventus, where he spent last season on loan at Cesena, but more may be needed ahead of a proper promotion push. However, they will have enough to steer well clear of the drop.

Burton Albion

Manager: Nigel Clough
Last season: 2nd (League One, promoted)
Strength: Team spirit, determination, organisation
Weakness: Lack of quality
Key man: Lucas Akins

What a story. Less than a decade ago, the Pirelli Stadium was also home to Derby County reserves. This season, the Derby first team arrive at Burton as equals. And it has to be said that early transfer dealings have looked set on consolidation in the second tier, with defenders Ben Turner and Kyle McFadzean boasting plenty of experience at this level and Chris O’Grady a track record of goals almost wherever he’s been. Australian international Jackson Irvine has also joined from Falkirk. But - and it’s a big but - it has to be remembered that this team of players has come a long way in a short space of time. Stuart Beavon might not be playing every week, but it is the likes of he and John Mousinho who will be expected to play a key role in the squad. The big question - and it is a huge question for the Brewers - is whether these players will be able to step up to the demands of Championship football. There’s no doubt that they’ll surprise some teams, but I think they’ll be much like Yeovil 3 years ago: plenty of spirit, but that’s no replacement for quality.

Tomorrow: Cardiff City to Norwich City

Wolves have sacked Kenny Jackett and put former Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga in charge.

Interesting gamble, not least given they chose to do this with just a week to go until the new season.

I'm amazed at the manager changes so close to season kick off, it almost makes our board look competent.

In other news, Bury visit us today in a friendly. Hoping for an empty stadium. I hope no gullible fans have fallen for Owen Oyston's open letter and bought tickets, read through the lines and see he is still as much of a cunt as ever and it's a barely concealed threat, followed by delusion and then a plea to buy season tickets lol. Good to know we are finally hurting them where it hurts them most, their pocket. NAPM!

Uwe Rossler takes charge at Fleetwood. Not too sure about that appointment, think it is probably just a short term thing in his mind.

His stock has fallen quite quickly, was only this time two years ago he was seen as a very promising young boss after his good work at Brentford, and his first half season at Wigan was excellent too - almost got them promoted despite the mess Coyle left (uh oh) and took Arsenal to penalties in the FA Cup semi.

And in truth his stock shouldn't have fallen that much. Given a proper chance, he'll do well. He struggled at Wigan purely because it was one of those years - best players sold from under him and for some reason the club just didn't address the striker issue. They happen - think about Klopp's last year at Dortmund, where he had a bit of a shocker to start with but no one judged him on that alone. As for Leeds, if you're going to judge a manager don't judge them under that nutter.

Cardiff City

Manager: Paul Trollope
Last season: 8th
Strength: Championship know-how
Weakness: A bit uninspiring
Key man: Peter Whittingham

Most of the Championship would like to be Cardiff. Although they have a core of very good players at this level, they lack a striker to push them into the top 6 and probably carry one or two average players too many, and despite not playing the best football they managed a comfortable top 10 finish last season. Like Ipswich, they have that knack of picking up results where they matter. This season’s squad has been strengthened by the arrival of striker Frederic Guonongbe, who joins from Westerlo, and Jazz Richards but otherwise it’s largely as you were. The side should once again prove a solid outfit, albeit one which will be a distance from the play-offs with key men such as Peter Whittingham starting to slow down. Whittingham has possibly the best left foot in the division and was never reliant on pace, but if his powers are waning it may be the biggest obstacle the team has to overcome this season. They’re another side who will be comfortably safe, in that mid-table batch from about 9th to 20th.

Derby County

Manager: Nigel Pearson
Last season: 5th
Strength: Big, talented squad with a wealth of attacking options
Weakness: Known to crumble under pressure
Key man: Will Hughes

How much did Derby spend last season? It’s a pertinent question, considering that the Rams have yet to add to their squad for this season. That said, the biggest acquisition they could make was made off the field, with Nigel Pearson being appointed as manager in May. Pearson’s record at Leicester was excellent, and with an even more talented squad at his disposal than in 2013/14, when Leicester walked the division he’ll be looking to emulate the achievement and stands a good chance. The return from injury of Will Hughes is as good as a new signing, but reinforcements need to come in at the back; a team skippered by Richard Keogh will always have a mistake in it. If Derby harness their full attacking potential, however, they should be a side that entertained, excites and wins promotion.

Fulham

Manager: Slavisa Jokanovic
Last season: 20th
Strength: Scoring goals
Weakness: Stopping them
Key man: Ross McCormack

Initial signs of revival at Craven Cottage are good. After two disappointing seasons, where relegation has been a distinct possibility, sensible acquisitions have steadied the ship. Retaining Ross McCormack to date has also been a coup, with clubs higher in the league sniffing around the 29-year-old. The addition of Sone Aluko to an already prolific forward like should mean Fulham are even more potent in front of goal. Less inspirational is the defence, which shipped 79 goals last season, only relegated Charlton and Bolton conceding more. Defensive reinforcements in the shape of Scott Malone and Tomas Kalas replace the departing Jazz Richards and Dan Burn, and it’s hard to imagine the newcomers being so lax as their predecessors. David Button also replaced Andy Lonergan, though it needs to be remembered that Lonergan is a fine goalkeeper. Mid-table will represent a realistic improvement on recent years.

Huddersfield Town

Manager: David Wagner
Last season: 19th
Strength: Passing teams to death and strong attack
Weaknesses: Sloppy errors at the back
Key man: Christopher Schindler

Where to start? This has been a big summer for the Terriers. 12 first-team incomings have significantly reinvigorated what had been an uninspiring squad. Especially notable are the defensive reinforcements. Alongside club record signing Christopher Schindler, Jon Stankovic, Michael Hefele and Chris Löwe have all joined from the German second tier to completely reshape a defence which conceded 70 times last season. The midfield has received a similar overhaul, but perhaps the most significant bit of business has been keeping experienced midfielder Dean Whitehead, who had been interesting Rotherham. Whitehead’s experience in the English game will be important when integrating the new arrivals to the Championship. Although no big striker has been signed to complement 18-goal striker Nahki Wells, the style of play employed by Wagner should finally be seen to its fullest extent in West Yorkshire. The top 10 is attainable, with the top half probably the most realistic prediction.

Ipswich Town

Manager: Mick McCarthy
Last season: 7th
Strength: Grinding out results
Weaknesses: Squad probably needs freshening up
Key man: Bartosz Białkowski

Every year it seems that at least one team drops from the top half into the dogfight. After three successful years under Mick McCarthy, I suspect this may be Ipswich’s year. On one hand, they have a settled squad full of established Championship players. On the other, Daryl Murphy’s powers are, at 33, on the wane, David McGoldrick’s fitness can’t be relied upon, and neither Brett Pitman not Freddie Sears have ever been prolific in the Championship. With a workmanlike squad containing the likes of Jonathan Douglas they’re certainly solid enough; the issue is whether there’s the quality and freshness in the squad to mount another play-off challenge. Another matter is simply whether the team is a year past its best. Key men like Christophe Berra, Cole Skuse and Luke Chambers are all over 30 and, in an increasingly fast-paced division, I think they need one or two younger fresh faces in order to lift themselves again above mid-table mediocrity.

Leeds United

Manager (this week): Garry Monk
Last season: 13th
Strength: Turnover of talented youngsters
Weakness: Permanent instability
Key man: Charlie Taylor

So now the obvious joke about Leeds is out of the way, let’s get to business: they’ve mad a good appointment and made some good signings, even if £3m for Kemar Roofe is probably about double his actual value. Like a lot of clubs in the division, Leeds weren’t especially potent in front of goal last season, and attacking improvements have been made. Less impressively, the defence hasn’t particularly been added to, despite the arrival of Kyle Bartley on loan from Swansea; Giuseppe Bellusci has departed to Empoli in a clear one in, one out policy. On their day, Leeds can beat anyone, but over a 46 game season they’ll probably be about where they were last season unless further defensive reinforcements come in, particularly to replace the error-prone Sol Bamba. Of course, this is all subject to change, considering owner Massimo Cellino’s changeable disposition, and this instability is holding the club back. No doubt that if Monk has a poor spell he’ll be shown the door, and it’s vital that they get off to a good start.

Newcastle United

Manager: Rafa Benitez
Last season: 18th (Premier League, relegated)
Strength: Big, strong squad oozing quality with an exceptional manager
Weakness: Question marks over living up to their expectations
Key man: Aleksandar Mitrovic

Let’s be honest: if Newcastle United don’t win the division it will be a shock. They’ve retained the core of their team, they’ve retained the services of Rafa Benitez, they have 50,000 expectant supporters just waiting to come down to St James’s Park and they’ll be expecting to turn Fulham over in the opening game of the season at Craven Cottage. If anyone can get Steve McClaren’s impressive-looking misfits firing, it will be Benitez. If those players play for the shirt they will breeze the division, particularly with some canny acquisitions including Blackburn’s Grant Hanley to shore up a ragged defence. That they’ve retained the likes of Daryl Janmaat and Moussa Sissoko to date will also be a massive boost. This is a stronger team than the one which stormed the league in 2009/10 and they’ll be looking to better that team’s record points haul, particularly as they have a raft of players with a point to prove. Expect them to surge to the title.

Norwich City

Manager: Alex Neil
Last season: 19th (Premier League, relegated)
Strength: Proven Championship performers who have kept their Premier League side together
Weakness: Couldn’t defend at a higher level, and couldn’t score either
Key man: Robbie Brady

Norwich City need an overhaul if they want promotion. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good side packed with good players, but they’re another side from East Anglia with an age problem. Three of the likely starting back four are over 30, are are Wes Hooligan (34), Matt Jarvis (30), Alex Tetley (30), Michael Turner (32) and Michael McGovern (32). John Ruddy, Cameron Jerome, Steven Naismith, Graham Dorrans and Youssouf Mulumbu are all 29. Jonny Howson, Timm Klose and Martin Olsson are 28. This is one of the oldest squads in the division, and while on one hand it has proven quality, on the other it risks tiredness. More energy is needed over a 46-game season. Play-offs should be attainable, but probably not much more unless more than Sergi Canós come into the club before the beginning of the season.

I actually went but was too pissed so no proper match report, soz m8

Some interesting figures from the Championship 2014/15 season.



Blackpool: Highest profit, lowest wages - bottom of the league.

Nottingham Forest
Manager: Philippe Montanier
Last season: 16th
Strength: Squad refreshed by lifting of transfer embargo and recovery of Britt Assombalonga
Weakness: Lack of cohesion throughout the club
Key man: Dorus de Vries
In years gone by the key man would have been Henri Lansbury, but times change. Lansbury endured an indifferent 2015/16 as he battled injury and loss of form. He’s just one of a whole squad of players who will be looking for a better 2016/17. Forest are boosted by the return from injury of talismanic striker Britt Assombalonga, who missed almost the whole of the previous season following a horrible knee injury. His return will be vital as top scorer Nelson Oliveira has gone to Sheffield Wednesday following the end of his loan, and Forest’s squad seems laden with injury-prone and under-performing strikers. Indeed, the Forest player currently on the books who scored the most last season didn’t play for them (being loaned out for the season) and didn’t even reach double figures. New manager Philippe Montanier has managed to bring in former Everton striker Apostolos Vellios alongside defenders Pereira and Perquis. There’s still potential at Forest, but unless the internal turmoil at the club sorts itself out there will be a glass ceiling on that potential. Mid-table - and perhaps even a relegation dogfight - beckons.
Preston North End
Manager: Simon Grayson
Last season: 11th
Strength: Extremely solid and organised
Weakness: No firepower if things go wrong
Key man: Tom Clarke
Preston’s season last season was almost miraculous. A squad assembled on a shoestring not only got up, but stopped up comfortably, conceding only 45 goals into the bargain. Unfortunately, they also only scored 45 goals, winger Daniel Johnson top scoring with 9. The top scoring striker was Joe Garner, who despite playing 44 games scored only 6 times. Although Jermaine Beckford is now fit again, there’s a serious question mark over Preston’s forward line. Simon Makienok has come in on loan, but he failed to impress in a woeful Charlton team. More impressive have been defensive and goalkeeping additions, in particular Anders Lindegaard, who will be pleased at the chance to be no.1 somewhere. Unfortunately, it probably won’t be enough to repeat last season’s top-half finish. Like a range of clubs, Preston will probably end up somewhere in mid-table but should have enough to steer clear of the relegation zone - if they start scoring goals.

Queens Park Rangers
Manager: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Last season: 12th
Strength: Sensible consolidation by a tactically aware manager
Weakness: No star quality after overhaul; unproven forward line
Key man: Alex Smithies
QPR were neither here nor there last season. Gone are the days of big-name stars coming to Loftus Road for one last payday, and last season proved to be one of transition. That transition has continued, with Hasselbaink following a sensible transfer policy, bringing in proven Championship players to add to his already big squad. There are, however, question marks over the strike force. The Rs never really dealt with the departure of Charlie Austin last season and the likes of Connor Washington remain unproven in the Championship. Although the club is now far more settled - and with far fewer egos around the place - if anything is going to hold them back it will be that lack of options going forward. The likes of Jake Bidwell and Jordan Cousins are good acquisitions for both now and the future, however, and with a good start they’re an outside bet for the play-offs.
Reading
Manager: Jaap Stam
Last season: 17th
Strength: Reliable core to the team with quality on the ball
Weakness: No real cutting edge and big player turnover
Key man: John Swift
Reading don’t look convincing. After three years back in the division, they’ve yet to challenge for promotion and this season looks likely to be the same story. New manager Jaap Stam has a playing pedigree most would die for, but he’s got a challenge on his hands at the Madejski. Key players from last season are gone and their replacements are of middling pedigree, with the exception of former Chelsea youngster John Swift, who impressed at Brentford last season. The team is crying out for a striker from somewhere. The defence is reasonable, but an injury could throw them right out. The midfield is overloaded by comparison. A long season looks likely unless inspiration can be found from somewhere; indeed, they may be a side pleased to find there are three worse sides than them in the division.
Rotherham United
Manager: Alan Stubbs
Last season: 21st
Strength: Team spirit
Weakness: No squad, little quality, no real hope
Key man: Lee Frecklington
After two great escapes on the spin, this looks like Rotherham’s year to go down. At the time of writing, there’s nothing at the club to suggest it might be capable of steering clear of danger. The only striker available for the start of the season is actually a winger (who has scored only 7 goals in the last 2 seasons). Only three midfielders have any experience of first-team football at this level. The goalkeeping situation is a little more positive, as is the situation at the back, but the overall picture is dire. A straw poll of their fans suggests that even in July most are resigned to League One. Although there’s still more than a month left in the transfer window, Alan Stubbs needs to make quality additions and quickly if Rotherham aren’t to find themselves back in the third tier.
Sheffield Wednesday
Manager: Carlos Carvalhal
Last season: 6th
Strength: Organised from front to back
Weakness: Carrying some deadwood
Key man: Fernando Forestieri
I’m the first to criticise the above-named key man for his cheating antics, but there’s little doubt that with his low centre of gravity and footballing brain he’s one of the most accomplished players in the division. The Owls built a good side around him last season, building further on the solid defence of previous seasons and it took them all the way to the play-off final. If I had to pick the most balanced squad in the league, it would be this one - an outstanding goalkeeper behind a solid defence, with a midfield of all the talents and a range of strikers carrying a real threat. It does perhaps have one or two players who aren’t quite good enough for a promotion push - I may be being harsh on Kieran Lee, but he springs to mind, as does Jeremy Hélan - but they’re ideally placed for another crack at the top flight, with Steven Fletcher adding even more firepower to the Hillsborough side’s attack. If they bring in another quality defender and another quality midfielder, they might just be the favourites for promotion behind Newcastle.
Wigan Athletic
Manager: Gary Caldwell
Last season: 1st (League One, promoted)
Strength: Revitalised squad which won’t fear anyone
Weakness: Perhaps over-reliant on Will Grigg for goals
Key man: Will Grigg
People will be pleased that I’m not going to launch into a rendition of ‘Will Grigg’s on fire’, with it being the footballing equivalent of Rickrolling someone. But the Northern Ireland striker is undoubtedly the key man for the Latics, who have received a large overhaul since their relegation from the Championship 15 months ago. It’s been a good overhaul, too, with the club winning promotion at the first attempt - and at a canter, in the end - and looking set for a top 10 finish this time out. With momentum mattering, Wigan’s momentum with a strong squad could prove vital in lifting them above mid-table. Alongside prolific marksman Grigg, Nick Powell will be hoping to resume his career. At the back, Jason Pearce and Stephen Warnock are the key experienced men aiming to marshall an otherwise inexperienced back line. There’s plenty of freshness throughout the squad, and there’s a new life to the club which will stand them in good stead.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manager: Walter Zenga
Last season: 14th
Strength: Experienced Championship squad which is tough to beat
Weakness: Somewhat one-dimensional
Key man: Danny Batth
The takeover at Molineux has probably come too late for Wolves to challenge for promotion this season, but it’s good to see that the unrest at the club finally come to an end. On paper the squad is a good blend of youth and experience, but it’s little changed from the squad which proved a disappointment last season. It certainly needs something fresh up front and something new in midfield, with Kevin McDonald departing for Fulham. Fans were unhappy at both board and manager last season and that atmosphere was hardly conducive to the team producing, although the feeling that Kenny Jackett had come to a natural end to his time at the club might prove accurate with Walter Zenga arriving as head coach. Although it’s hard to imagine that Wolves will be sucked into a relegation dogfight, it isn’t hard to imagine that, with an unchanged squad which provides little in the way of something different, they will slip down the table before the takeover makes its presence felt.

Montanier? I remember him not willing to continue at Real Sociedad just so he could leave for Rennes, that's quite a move to Nottingham.