⚪️ Predicted Finish: 1st 🤝 Transfers Very much a summer of change at Craven Cottage following relegation from the Premier League last season. Scott Parker has moved on to pastures new and will manage promotion rivals Bournemouth this season as Fulham turn to former Everton manager Marco Silva to lead them this season. The bookies have them as favourites to win the league and given the quality within the squad it is hard to disagree. Some impressive captures so far with Liverpool winger Harry Wilson joining for a hefty £12 million along with talented keeper Paulo Gazzaniga from Spurs. They also welcome back some talented players who spent last season on loan including Jean Michael Seri who was most recently with French club Bordeaux. Although he has struggled at the cottagers to date, he is an extremely talented midfielder and should he be given an opportunity under Silva could well shine in the Fulham midfield. In terms of departures, Fulham have lost a number of key players from last season’s campaign who have all returned to their parent clubs having spent last season on loan. Alphonse Areola, Ademola Lookman, Josh Maja and Joachim Andersen were all very important players for the Cottagers last season and will need to be replaced. 👉 Verdict Despite the departures of some important players and limited incomings to date Fulham still quite possibly have the most complete squad in the division. The likes of Alex Mitrovic, Tom Cairney and Anthony Knockaert have already proven they have what it takes to excel in this division and have the ability to completely tear it up. Mitro bags at a rate of one in two in the Championship and I would be very surprised to not see competing for the golden boot this season should he remain at the club. My only question mark on Fulham relates to Marco Silva who it is fair to say doesn’t have the best reputation in England just now following his poor spell at Everton. However their squad is clear of any other side in my opinion and I expect them to seal automatic promotion back to the Premier League as they win the Championship title this season.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 2nd 🤝 Transfers Just a couple of players brought in so far from new West Brom manager Valerien Ismael as he targets immediate promotion back to the top-flight for the Baggies. A couple of decent captures though it must be said as Alex Mowatt follows Ismael to the Hawthorns from Barnsley and should prove to be an inspired bit of business. Alongside Mowatt, WBA have also signed Brighton defender Matt Clarke on loan which should add further depth to the backline. Ismael has said he is in no rush to bring players in and has been mightily impressed by the players he already has at his disposal during preseason. However, Ismael suggested that he is nevertheless working on a number of deals behind the scenes, and is not afraid to dip into the transfer market if he feels the need to do so. Plenty of departures from the Hawthorns with 14 players leaving the club either permanently or on loan. No high-profile departures as such just yet but it is thought that two key players in the shape of Sam Johnstone and Matheus Pereira will be sold this summer. Those potential sales could raise around £40m and allow Ismael to invest heavily into what is an already very talented squad. 👉 Verdict Alongside Fulham I would suggest WBA have the most complete squad in the division and really should earn promotion this season. Ismael worked wonders at Barnsley last season with his high energy style and will have to wait and see whether he can mimic this approach at the Hawthorns. I expect immediate promotion back to the Premier League for the Baggies and for me it’ll be between them and Fulham to win the Championship.

⚔️ Predicted Finish: 3rd 🤝 Transfers The only business done at Bramall Lane so far this season has been the business of appointing a new manager as Serbian Slavisa Jokanovic has joined the club. The 52 year old is highly-rated following his spell at Fulham a few years back and I think is a very sound appointment. Sheffield United are yet to make a signing as the season nears, but have identified a number of targets they are keen to bring to Bramall Lane. Little doubt in my mind there will be some incomings prior to the season-start as the Blades look to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Ben Davies from Liverpool and Conor Hourihane from Villa are some names that have been linked so far this summer. In terms of departures, United have lost predominately fringe players who were regularly involved last season. Club legend Phil Jageilka has been released along with forgotten man Jack Rodwell. John Lundstram was probably the most high-profile departure with the midfielder deciding to join up with fellow Liverpudlian Steven Gerrard at Glasgow Rangers. Therefore the majority of the squad that has played Premier League football in recent seasons has remained together. Seems Aaron Ramsdale could well move on before the end of the window with Arsenal heavily interested, likewise Sander Berge with a number of clubs interested in his signature. 👉 Verdict The squad is more or less the same as the one which has competed in the Premier League in recent seasons, finishing as high as 9th back in the 2019/2020 season. If they can rediscover their organisation and confidence they have more than enough quality within the squad to compete for the league title this season. In my opinion though WBA and Fulham look better set on paper and I expect the Blades to just miss out on an automatic promotion place.

🍒 Predicted Finish: 4th 🤝 Transfers Busy summer for Bournemouth in the managerial department with Scott Parker replacing Jonathan Woodgate at the helm but in terms of transfers not too much has happened yet. At the time of writing there has been just two players come through the door with Parker keen to ensure players stay at the club with the contracts of Junior Stanislas and Adam Smith now signed ensuring they remain at the club for the upcoming season. Presume there will be plenty of business done in the coming weeks as Parker looks to put his stamp on the side but as of yet there is nothing of note to mention. Emiliano Marcondes arrives on a free transfer from newly-promoted Brentford and looks an exceptional signing and a man who knows how to do the business at this level as he showed last season with the Bees. Some big name departures from the Cherries this summer with Jack Wilshere and Asmir Begovic both leaving the club on free transfers. Highly-rated youngster Nnamdi Ofoborh has also left to join Scottish champions Rangers. The big question on Bournemouth fans lips is will they be able to hold on to the supremely talented Arnaut Danjuma. The Dutch international is highly sought after and the likes of Aston Villa, Leeds United and Southampton are all chasing his signature. Should Parker manage to keep hold of him then that could quite possibly be the best business of the summer. 👉 Verdict Scott Parker seems a very decent appointment especially considering the former Fulham manager was touted as a target Tottenham Hotspur in their lengthy search for a manager. He encourages his teams to play high-pressing, exciting football which will go down well at Dean Court. The Cherries have kept the majority of their squad together from last season which finished 6th in the standings. With Parker at the helm taking over from Jonathan Woodgate I am expecting slightly more from them this season. Although the automatic places will be a stretch I expect Bournemouth will be there or thereabouts this season and will put up a very decent fight for a top 2 finish.

🦢 Predicted Finish: 5th 🤝 Transfers Losing playoff finalists last season and far from an ideal start coming in to this one as highly thought of  Steve Cooper recently decided to part ways with the club. The loss of Cooper is obviously a blow but the swift appointment of the highly-rated Russell Martin looks to be like an inspired appointment. Three players have joined so far this summer with Joel Piroe probably the most high-profile as he joins from Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven. He signs for £1.8m having caught the eye with an impressive youth career at PSV Eindhoven and some key contributions in the Eredivisie. Liam Walsh is a decent capture from Bristol City with the midfielder very highly thought of following his thoroughly impressive loan spell at Coventry City a couple of years ago. Swansea have also snapped up the highly-rated 19-year-old Kyle Joseph from Wigan for a fee of around £500,000.He impressed in League One last season, particularly in Wigan’s 4-3 win over Burton where Joseph scored a hat-trick. Some big players have left the Liberty stadium over the summer, most notably the vastly experienced Andre Ayew who moves to Qatar to join Al-Sadd which will be a massive loss for the Swans. Key defender Marc Guehi also returned to parent club Chelsea and has since been sold to Crystal Palace for £21m which shows just how highly-rated the youngster is around England. 👉 Verdict The squad doesn’t look quite as strong as last season following some key departures over the summer. The Championship in general doesn’t feel quite as strong this season as it has in recent years and as a result I still fancy the Swans to make the playoffs with the appointment of Martin should he hit the ground running. Swansea are a club that have always liked to play nice football and that is certainly something Martin will bring. Brendan Rodgers and Roberto Martinez are just a couple of previous managers who have had a clear footballing philosophy and Martin certainly fits in to that mould. Maybe a slightly bold call to put them 5th but I am putting my faith in the manager and think the Swans could do well.

🌳 Predicted Finish: 6th 🤝 Transfers Fair to say that Forest were one of the biggest underachievers in the Championship last season as they finished a lowly 17th despite having one of the most impressive squads in the league on paper. Forest’s transfer window has had a slow start, as Chris Hughton has only secured two signings so far in the shape of former Club Brugge goalkeeper Ethan Horvath alongside Olympiakos midfielder Cafu who joins on a permanent deal having spent last season on loan at the City Ground. Houghton has also called back several loanees for his pre-season preparations. Tyrese Fornah and Jayden Richardson who were at Forest Green Rovers and Plymouth Argyle respectively, have returned from loans. Forest record-signing Joao Carvalho, Jordan Gabriel, Nicholas Ioannou, Brennan Johnson, Nuno da Costa and Will Swan have also come back from their respective loan spells. Plenty of outgoings too at the City Ground as Hughton looks to trim his squad of the dead wood as many players past their sell by date are allowed to leave. The likes of Michael Dawson, Samba Sow, Michael Hefele and Yuri Ribeiro have all been shown the door and I think Hughton will be pleased with his business to date. Now time to start afresh and take a club the size of Nottingham Forest back to where they should be and that is challenging at the top end of the table. 👉 Verdict Might be a bold call from me to predict Forest finishing in the playoffs but I think with the talent they have within the squad and a very capable manager like Chris Hughton in charge it is what they should be achieving. Expecting big things from them this season and a playoff push is very much within the realms of possibility.

🔴 Predicted Finish: 7th 🤝 Transfers Boro boss Neil Warnock has acknowledged that he is looking to add ‘eight or nine’ players to his squad this summer as he targets a promotion push from his side this season. A new striker apart, it’s beginning to look pretty good. The arrival of Matt Crooks has given Boro extra competition in midfield and in Lee Peltier and Sammy Ameobi they have very capable Championship players. Warnock also parted with the best part of £750,000 to bring in the giant Uche Ikpeazu frm Wycombe Wanderers. Warnock is formulating a playing system which makes Ikpeazu the main man, and hopefully the former Wycombe man will considerably improve his goals tally with Boro. However, the signing of a second effective striker is vital, especially after the departure of Ashley Fletcher to Watford this summer. So far so good though from Boro and should Warnock get the business done that he wants then I expect a relatively strong season from the Teeside outfit. Six players have left the Riverside so far this summer with Ashley Fletcher (Watford) and Britt Assombalonga (Adana Demirspor) probably the most high-profile departures. The latter has been a very important player for Boro over the years amassing 161 appearances, scoring 47 goals. Warnock will certainly need to address the shortage in strikers prior to the season commencing with Ikpeazu and Chuba Akpom the only senior strikers available to him at the moment. 👉 Verdict You know what you are going to get from a Neil Warnock side and Boro should have one of the strongest defences in the Championship especially if the manager opts for a central three at the back. They will be hoping to improve on their 10th placed finish from last season and I believe they could be capable but will need to do more business between now and the end of the window. Potential to challenge for the playoffs but as it stands I feel they may just fall short.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 8th 🤝 Transfers Busy summer in West London as Mark Warbuton has opted to bring 10 new faces to Loftus Road in a bid to push for the playoffs. They finished 9th last year, 9 points off the playoffs and based on their business this summer I think they have a very decent outside shot of a top 6 finish this season. Stefan Johansen is a solid signing from Fulham and Charlie Austin returns to the club on a permanent deal from WBA having spent the back end of last season on loan. Andre Dozzell (Ipswich) and Sam McCallum on loan from Norwich City also look like very good business and on the face of it QPR have a very impressive and balanced looking squad going into the new season. No key departures from QPR so far this summer with only fringe players leaving Loftus Road. Two goalkeepers have moved on to pastures new with Liam Kelly joining Motherwell and Joe Lumley travelling north to hook up with Middlesbrough. Very solid window from Mark Warbuton and very much expecting good things from QPR this season. 👉 Verdict Talks are ongoing with Mark Warbuton to extend his current deal such has been the continued improvement of QPR under his management. The squad looks impressive and I expect them to improve on their 9th placed finish last season and potentially even push for a playoff spot.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 9th 🤝 Transfers No doubt Mick McCarthy worked wonders at Cardiff since he took over from Neil Harris in late January this year. He guided he Bluebirds to an 8th placed finish which looked highly unlikely when he took over with them 15th in the table after six straight defeats under Harris. Controversial chairman Vincent Tan has openly said he intends to cut the wage bill and there doesn’t seem to be much financial backing for the Welsh outfit this season. They have brought in four players to date with striker James Collins, signed from Luton probably the most notable purchase. Collins scored 10 league goals for the Hatters last season as they finished in mid table and is expected to partner Kiefer Moore in what will be a very physical Cardiff frontline. The purchases of the promising young duo of Ryan Giles from Wolves and Mark McGuinnes from Arsenal could prove to be inspired business but will just have to wait and see. In terms of departures, Tan did say he was trying to cut the wage bill and he certainly did that with plenty of high-profile departures including Sol Bamba, Jonny Williams and Junior Hoilett. Not overly surprising to see Hoilett leave the club given he was frozen out for the final few months of the season but no doubt the Canadian international is an exceptional player at this level and will be a big loss. They sold German striker Robert Glatzel to Hamburg for a decent fee which seems like reasonable business by the club. 👉 Verdict I expect some more incomings before the window shuts but as things stand I would suggest the squad looks slightly weaker now than it did last season. The fans might predict a playoff push but I expect them to fall short slightly as they did last campaign. 8th placed finish last year and I am expecting something similar here in all honesty barring a late transfer spree which seems unlikely.

🔴 Predicted Finish: 10th 🤝 Transfers A quiet window so far for Barnsley with just one arrival in the form of Devante Cole who signs on a free transfer from Scottish Premiership outfit Motherwell. Cole, son of former Manchester United and England striker Andy Cole was hot property this summer following his prolific season at Motherwell where he notched 12 goals in 24 starts. He will be familiar with the surroundings at Oakwell having spent some time on loan there back in 2014. On the departure front, captain and club talisman Alex Mowatt left the club following the expiration of his contract. He followed former Barnsley manager Valérien Ismaël to West Brom in what is a double blow for the Tykes. They have also lost important defender Michael Sollbauer who has joined German side Dynamo Dresden in a bid to be closer to his family. All in all it hasn’t been a great transfer window for Barnsley thus far. 👉 Verdict After a fantastic campaign last season in which Barnsley finished 5th and reached the playoffs it will be interesting to see whether they can replicate this going into the 2021/2022 season. Some big changes at Oakwell with both the manager and club captain leaving for pastures new in the shape of the Hawthorns as they join West Brom. However you swing it, the departure of both Ismaël and Mowatt is a huge blow for them and it will be up to the newly-appointed Markus Schopp to restore belief within the squad. He inherits a young and exciting team but he must ensure he adequately replaces Mowatt and the goals and creativity he brings from midfield. In all honesty I would be surprised to see them live up to the performances they produced last season and I fancy the Tykes to just about creep into the top half this season.

👑 Predicted Finish: 11th 🤝 Transfers Not been a happy summer at the Madjeski Stadium with Reading yet to sign a single player this summer. Reading midfielder John Swift has admitted 'no-one knows' if the club will be able to sign any new players before the end of the summer transfer window. Reading are yet to make any new signings this summer due to a transfer embargo slapped on them by the English Football League for breaching Profit and Sustainability rules. As a result I can’t see the Royals living up to their 7th placed finish of last season and could potentially struggle this campaign. In terms of departures, Reading have lost their two main players from last season in the shape of Omar Richards and Michael Olise. The pair have joined Bayern Munich and Crystal Palace respectively, while Yakou Meite is set to be sidelined for the majority of the campaign with a serious knee injury. 👉 Verdict Losing two of your key players and being unable to replace them is far from ideal for Reading. They have appealed the embargo and there is potential it may be lifted prior to the season starting which will certainly help matters. However a push for the playoffs looks highly unlikely this year and a midtable finish seems a far more realistic target for the Royals this season.

🔴 Predicted Finish: 12th 🤝 Transfers Very busy summer in the Potteries as Michael O’Neil implements plenty of changes to his squad over the summer. O'Neill has brought in three new signings as he looks for the extra quality and cover to help Stoke go from Championship mid-table to top six challengers. Ben Wilmot has been brought in from Watford for a fairly sizeable fee of £1.58m to replace the departing Nathan Collins who has now joined Burnley. Jack Bonham will provide some competition in the goalkeeping department as he joins on a free transfer from Gillingham. Mario Vrancic looks a top signing as he joins from newly-promoted Norwich City with the midfielder an important player at Carrow Road last season. Business is decent so far and reports suggest there is more business to be done before the close of the window. The Nathan Collins sale will no doubt grab the headlines with the young Irish defender joining Burnley for a hefty £12.60 million. He will be a loss no doubt but that is a very sizeable fee and Stoke fans will be hoping O’Neil reinvests some of it back into the playing squad. O’Neil has sanctioned the exits of 10 players, including eight on a permanent basis, as he tries to find the right balance in the changing room – and balance the budget. 👉 Verdict A club of their size & stature should really be competing for a playoff place and it is no secret that is the desire from everybody at the club this season. A 14th placed finish last season was underwhelming and business on the whole has been decent this season with a lot of dead wood cut from the squad. I expect an improvement on last season but feel maybe a playoff push might be slightly too ambitious for Stoke City this season.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 13th 🤝 Transfers The Blues have certainly been busy over the summer break with as many as seven new faces having already arrived at St Andrews ahead of the new season. Birmingham have rather caught many clubs in the same boat as them off guard by striking quickly this summer. In Ryan Woods, Jordan Graham and Chuks Aneke, they quickly snaffled a number of experienced free agents. Bowyer also utilised the loan market to bring Juan Familia-Castillo from Chelsea and the highly-rated Tahith Chong from Manchester United. Birmingham sources suggest the club aren’t quite finished yet and there is potential for a couple more signings to be added. On paper at least, it has been an impressive transfer window by Birmingham in terms of incomings. With seven coming in, no surprise to see plenty of departures from the club this summer too. Blues have released Andres Prieto, Mikel San Jose, Jon Toral, and Dan Crowley, having also earned compensation from Leeds for Amari Miller. Alen Halilovic also hasn’t agreed terms either, while Blues decided against pursuing permanent deals for Rekeem Harper, Jake Clarke-Salter and Yan Valery. No massive losses though from Birmingham who have managed to keep the majority of players on they would have wanted from last season. 👉 Verdict A disappointing campaign last year in which they finished 18th but I am expecting better things from the Blues this season. The appointment of Lee Bowyer back in March I feel is a good appointment and I expect him to improve them considerably this campaign. I mentioned previously that the business looks very promising on paper and everyone at the club seems excited about the news season and feel they can achieve something this season. A playoff push may be a step too far but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the blues challenging for a place in the top half of the Championship this season.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 14th 🤝 Transfers Well, not been the most exciting of summers so far for Rovers fans with a grand total of 0 summer arrivals so far. Despite the departure of 11 senior players at the end of last season – that does not mean one signing after another. They did something similar last season whether they waited until transfer deadline day to bring in the likes of Barry Douglas and Harvey Elliot who both turned out to be inspired signings. Now, with little more than two weeks to go until the start of the new campaign, Rovers find themselves in a worryingly similar position to the one they were in in the lead-up to last season, with no new signings yet to arrive at the club. Plenty of departures from the club this summer with some notable big names too including Lewis Holtby and Stewart Downing. You would expect Mowbray will look to replace these players and may well dip into the loan market as he did last season. A big task for Mowbray will be trying to keep hold of star striker Adam Armstrong who notched an impressive 28 league goals last season and is certainly hot property this window. 👉 Verdict Still plenty of time for this to change should Blackburn go on and do business late in the transfer window as they did last season. However on the face of it from the outside looking in it doesn’t look great with minimal incomings and a squad which looks to be lacking in depth. Armstrong is being heavily linked with a move away too and should he leave his goals will likely be impossible to replace. Seems to be a lot of question marks surrounding manager Tony Mowbray too who many fans aren’t keen on and should they make a slow start then expect him to be under a lot of pressure. They finished 15th last year and I wouldn’t be surprised for a similar sort of finish in this one.

🎩 Predicted Finish: 15th 🤝 Transfers Nathan Jones has worked quickly and efficiently this summer in getting his transfer business done and said recently "Unless something special comes up, we won't add to the squad,” Eight new faces have arrived at Kenilworth Road including some pretty high-profile names such as Henri Lansbury and Cameron Jerome. The captures of Reece Burke from Hull City and Alan Campbell from Motherwell in particular look like impressive business. Campbell at just 22 was seen as one of the best midfielders in the Scottish Premiership last season and Nathan Jones is said to be thrilled about bringing in the promising youngster. A number of departures for Nathan Jones to contend with as nine players have left the club; in reality though only a couple of those players were really considered ‘key players’ last season. The loss of James Collins in attack and Matty Pearson in defence is sure to hurt the Hatters but all in all it seems Nathan Jones is happy with his business this summer. 👉 Verdict The Hatters finished 12th in the second-tier standings last term, and will be hoping they can go from strength to strength moving forwards, whilst under the watchful eye of Nathan Jones. He is a very talented young coach and with him in charge I expect another decent season for Luton where I predict they will finish in and around midtable as they did last campaign.

🦁 Predicted Finish: 16th 🤝 Transfers It has been a relatively quiet window so far from Millwall with Gary Rowett admitting he doesn’t want to have too big a squad meaning players know they won’t get game-time. Rowett ideally wants a squad of 22 or 23 first-teamers competing for places and with 24 already on the books he is looking to trim his squad slightly rather than further add to it. Scott Malone and George Saville look very capable signings and know the league well and are very consistent performers at this level. Saville actually pushed for the move back to Millwall and asked to leave Middlesbrough due to his affinity with the South London club. Highly-thought of youngster Daniel Ballard has been loaned in from Arsenal, he spent last season on loan at Blackpool as they earned promotion to the Championship. Experienced striker Benik Afobe is another player loaned in from fellow Championship side Stoke city. He has been out of form in recent years but should he rediscover his mojo could be a quality signing for Millwall. On the departure front, Millwall haven’t lost any major players of note and Rowett appears to have only let players go who were surplus to requirements at the Den. Shaun Williams, Shane Ferguson, James Brown and Frank Fielding have all left the club for pastures new; none will be particularly missed having only been bit-part players last season. Jon Dadi Bodvarsson is available for transfer and would make way for another attacking signing; Bodvarsson has a year left on his current deal. Millwall know they could also lose Jed Wallace this summer and would have to react to replace their talisman. 👉 Verdict Millwall finished 11th last season and I am expecting something very similar from the Lions this campaign. They are notoriously difficult to beat, well organised and a huge threat from set pieces as they have shown throughout preseason with numerous set-piece goals and no side will enjoy visiting The Den this season. Their squad looks of similar quality to last campaign and a lower mid table finish where they will unlikely threaten either the playoffs or relegation seems the most likely outcome for me.

💠 Predicted Finish: 17th 🤝 Transfers Mark Robins continues to work wonders as manager of the Sky Blues and his job this season will be attempting to restabilise Coventry as a Championship club. Two promotions in three years were always going to make survival last season tough for City but they performed exceptionally and managed a very respectable 16th placed finish. Robins has brought in Martyn Waghorn from Derby and Simon Moore from Sheffield United which look like decent captures and both are likely to go straight into starting contention. Both Bright Enobakhare and Ben Sheaf have also returned having spent spells with the Sky Blues in recent seasons to add further depth to the squad. In terms of departures, Well Robins will be pleased to have kept the majority of the squad together which performed so well last season. No major players have left and the squad looks very settled and hungry under Robins. 👉 Verdict I expect they will need to add more to the squad if they want to challenge for a top half finish in my opinion but don’t expect them to be heavily involved in a relegation battle. Robins is a top quality manager at this level as his two promotions with the Sky Blues can testify. A return to their home of the Ricoh Arena in Coventry is also sure to provide a major boost and as many as 12,000 season tickets have already been sold. City have played their last couple of seasons in Birmingham at St Andrews due to disputes over ground ownership and a return to the Ricoh and the city of Coventry is sure to only help their progress this season.

🔴 Predicted Finish: 18th 🤝 Transfers Nigel Pearson has looked to add some much needed experience and know-how so far this window by bringing both Matty James and Andy King to the club. James and King are both players he knows and trusts from their time together at Leicester City and should add some much needed steel in what at times was quite a lightweight midfield last season. They also brought in highly-rated young defender Rob Atkinson from Oxford United for an undisclosed fee. Atkinson was voted in the League One team of the year last season and at just 22 years of age looks like a solid bit of business from the Robins. As for outgoings, well there have been plenty of them at Ashton Gate over the summer as the cut throat Nigel Pearson looks to put his own stamp on the side. There have been 12 departures in total to date, many of which left the club on free transfers following their expiration of their contracts. Liam Walsh and Famara Diedhiou are probably the most high profile departures and both highly thought of around the club. The Senegalese striker left for Turkey to join Alanyaspor and had a very healthy goalscoring record in England with 51 goals in 169 games for Bristol City. Walsh meanwhile spent much of last season out injured but had previously enjoyed a highly productive loan spell in League One with Coventry City. Pearson admitted he wanted to keep Walsh but couldn’t match the wages being offered by Swansea City who the midfielder has now decided to join. 👉 Verdict Pearson has now been at the club over 5 months and his strict authoritarian manner should now be understood by the players at the club. He ruffled a few feathers towards the back end of last season by publicly criticising his players which didn’t go down particularly well but this is something you have to learn to accept from him. James and King on the surface appear decent signings and they look to be in a slightly better place than last campaign where they finished 19th. Not expecting anything spectacular from them but a slight improvement on last season should be the expectation from the Robins this campaign.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 19th 🤝 Transfers Not many teams tend to do it these days but the Terriers have got the majority of their transfer business done nice and early prior to the start of the Championship season. Carlos Corberan has acted quickly to bolster his squad this summer with six low-cost transfers, bulking out his roster for the new season. The captures of the versatile Josh Ruffels from Oxford United and experienced Matty Pearson from Luton Town look like excellent bits of business. They also welcome back former hero Jordan Rhodes to The John Smith’s stadium who if he were able to recapture his form of old could be an outstanding bit of business. Money is tight at Huddersfield but the players they have brought in look solid purchases and Corberan will be hoping it’ll be enough to keep his team away from the relegation places. In terms of outgoings, plenty of players have departed the club in a bid to try and tighten the wage structure. Richard Keogh, Yaya Sanogo and Tommy Elphick are some of the high-profile departures and many would claim they are ‘dead wood’ and overall I think Corberan will be relatively content with his transfer business thus far. 👉 Verdict Terriers fans seem happy with their summer so far and are expecting an improvement on their 20th placed finish last season where they at times flirted with relegation. I have to agree with them and although I don’t expect a playoff push by any means I think they will do okay this campaign. Anywhere between 12th and 18th is possible for the Terriers and I think 17th seems an accurate summary of their squad this season.

🐯 Predicted Finish: 20th 🤝 Transfers Grant McCann has certainly been busy over the summer as his newly-promoted Hull City side look to ensure they are able to compete in the Championship this season. They have fared well especially when you consider they have been handed a transfer embargo after the club took a loan from the EFL to aid the running of the football club during the coronavirus pandemic and to protect their assets for the future. This means the Tigers can only sign players on loan or a free contract, with their five summer signings all complying under these regulations set during their season in League One. The likes of George Moncur and in particular the exciting Randell Williams should prove to be inspired business and I feel are capable of competing at this level. Williams struggled with injury last season at Exeter but previously was close to a £500,000 move to Peterborough which highlights what many clubs think of his ability. Should he rediscover his form & fitness I feel he could be a top piece of business for the Tigers. On the departure front the club have lost Reece Burke, George Long and Jordy de Wijs, as well as Dan Crowley, Regan Slater and Gavin Whyte who have since returned to their parent clubs after loan spells. Burke is the main loss from those leaving the club with the defender very much an important first-team player last season. This has left them looking a little light defensively and something McCann must look to address prior to the start of the Championship season. 👉 Verdict The champions of League One last season should be capable of staying up this season and I think McCann and his side have enough to compete at this level. Offensively they are stacked with quality and I don’t foresee scoring goals being too much of an issue for the Tigers. The likes of Mallik Wilks and George Honeyman are exceptional players and going forward Hull are more than capable of competing at this level. Defensively I feel is where the problems could exist and the loss of Burke to Championship rivals Luton is certainly a blow. However, I do feel there are undoubtedly 3 worse sides in the League than Hull and they should be able to steer clear of danger.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 21st 🤝 Transfers A strong end to the season under then caretaker manager Frankie McAvoy glossed over what was overall a pretty poor season for Preston. They ended up in 13th having won 4 of their final 5 games of the league season but at times were very much in the mix for relegation. In terms of summer business, Izzy Brown, Liam Lindsay, Matthew Olosunde and Sepp van den Berg have put pen to paper, with there a couple more deals in the pipeline. For Lindsay and van den Berg, these are familiar surroundings having been on loan last season. Brown on paper appears to be the standout signing with the forward finally deciding to leave Chelsea on a permanent basis, a club who he has been with since signing for them back in 2013. Business has been okay but I feel plenty more is required if they want to steer clear of a relegation battle this season. Seven players have decided to leave Deepdale over the summer, none of which would be considered first team players. Club legend Paul Gallagher has hung up his boots and joined the coaching staff but in terms of departures McAvoy will not be too upset with those who have left the club this summer. 👉 Verdict When Alex Neil was sacked back in March Preston were in trouble. The appointment of McAvoy first on an interim basis and more recently made permanent very much saved their season. No doubt they experienced the desired new manager bounce when he was appointed as results and performances almost immediately improved. I do worry for them this season however and don’t think on paper at least their squad is much to write home about. I don’t think they will be relegated but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the bottom quarter of the Championship standings this season.

🔵 Predicted Finish: 22nd 🤝 Transfers Newly-promoted Posh will do all they can to make the step-up to the Championship following promotion from League One last season. Darren Ferguson's men finished as runners-up behind Hull City last season and have done plenty of early business in their attempts to steer clear of relegation this season. Jack Marriot has returned to London Road after a fairly underwhelming spell at Pride Park with Derby County and the striker is said to be excited about the prospect of returning to the club where he once played his best football. Jorge Grant joins for an undisclosed fee from Lincoln City and the highly-rated midfielder has been a key player for the Imps in recent seasons. Grant scored 19 goals in 89 appearances for Lincoln, was named in the 2021 PFA League One Team of the Year, and also won both the players’ player and fans’ player of the year awards at the Imps. The experienced David Cornell has signed from Ipswich and should offer some decent competition to Christy Pym for the number 1 jersey. Eight departures from London Road but no real significant losses for Darren Ferguson who I feel will be pleased with his business to date. The only real disappointment will come from losing highly-rated 18 year old midfielder Flynn Clarke who signs for Norwich City. 👉 Verdict Boro have done well to keep the core of their League One promotion side together and so far have managed to keep the highly-rated Jonson Clarke-Harris who has been heavily linked with Glasgow Rangers. He along with Sammie Szmodics and Siriki Dembele is a very capable forward line and should cause plenty of team’s problems this season. Defensively I think is where the problems may exist and I fancy them to concede an awful lot of goals this season. They will flirt with relegation I feel and I am not sure they quite have enough to avoid the drop this season.

🐏 Predicted Finish: 23rd 🤝 Transfers Well, the club are in a bit of a mess aren’t they and face a transfer embargo meaning they are not allowed to spend transfer fees on any potential new signings. The EFL have however agreed to allow players to join as free transfers or on loan to allow Derby to bring more players to the squad. Details of any contracts offered, which can only be for a single season, or half-a-year if the player joins on loan, will be closely monitored by the English Football League, who have imposed a salary limit for each individual as part of the embargo. There are just 15 players within the senior squad at the moment, quite a few of which are academy players who have been promoted to make up the numbers. The situation certainly isn’t looking too rosy at the Rams right now. Plenty of departures from Derby as you would expect from a club facing financial problems with 9 players leaving the club since last season. The more notable departures are probably Martyn Waghorn who joins Championship rivals Coventry City and left back Scott Malone who signs for Millwall. The pair were very much regulars for Wayne Rooney last season and will no doubt be a loss to the Rams. 👉 Verdict Barring something of a miracle it is going to be a very difficult season for Wayne Rooney and his men who only managed to retain their Championship status on the final day of last season. Their squad is small and looks bereft of quality and in all honesty I think Rooney is very much out of his depth as manager. I am tipping them for relegation this season unless they find a way to improve their financial situation and sign some Championship quality players in the coming weeks.

🍊 Predicted Finish: 24th 🤝 Transfers Newly-promoted Blackpool have moved early in the transfer market and have already brought eight new names into Bloomfield road. Eight players have arrived so far, starting with Reece James and Richard Keogh becoming the latest recruit over the weekend. In-between, Daniel Grimshaw, Shayne Lavery, Josh Bowler, Sonny Carey, Oliver Casey and Callum Connolly have all been added to the squad. When promoted, investment usually has to be substantial in a bid to stay up and as of yet Blackpool haven’t spent much money at all with most signings so far on free transfers. That is not to say the likes of Josh Bowler and Callum Connolly won’t hit the ground running and perform well this season. They also moved for Richard Keogh to add some much needed experience within the squad, however at 34 and after a near career-threatening injury I am not convinced he has what it takes to compete at this level any longer. In terms of departures they have had no notable player’s leave which is a massive positive for Neil Critchley who has managed to keep the core group of his important players on from the side which was promoted via the playoffs last season. Jerry Yates looks set to stay after his impressive goalscoring campaign where he notched 23 goals in all competitions and it will be interesting to see whether he is able to compete at this level. 👉 Verdict Credit must go to Critchley and his team for earning promotion last season but for me it looks very much a League One squad on paper and I think they will struggle to stay up this season. Bookmakers tip them for relegation and I have to agree that the jump in quality from League One to the Championship is absolutely enormous. A long hard season ahead for the Tangerines and unfortunately I feel they will be relegated.