Championship preview: A closer look at this season's promotion favourites, relegation contenders and more

A club-by-club look at the Championship ahead of the new season

Craven Cottage, home to promotion contenders Fulham FC (Getty)

Aston Villa

Not even the sad news that Jack Grealish will be out for at least three months after a sickening kidney injury could dampen enthusiasm after a summer in which the signing of John Terry dominated the Championship transfer scene. But the additions of Chris Samba, Ahmed Elmohamady and Glenn Whelan could be just as significant.

Barnsley

Mick McCarthy believed Paul Heckingbottom should have been named manager of the year for his efforts at Oakwell last season but this campaign looks like posing even bigger challenges. A 4-0 friendly defeat at League One neighbours Rotherham did not augur well and new chief executive officer Gauthier Ganaye needs to use his contacts in the French league for cheap, new talent.

Birmingham City

The 70-year-old Harry Redknapp may prove Birmingham’s best signing of the close season because there has been a frustrating lack of incomings in terms of players. Keeper David Stockdale, defender Marc Roberts and West Brom midfielder Craig Gardner add know-how and great things are expected of French midfielder Cheikh Ndoye but Redknapp wants more and is becoming frustrated.


 Harry Redknapp takes over at Birmingham City 
 (Getty)

Bolton Wanderers

Off-field financial problems rumble on but manager Phil Parkinson seems to have brought stability to the dressing room following promotion. A busy summer of transfer activity has focused on experience and goals with on-going negotiations for Championship veteran Aaron Wilbraham and former Arsenal and Real Madrid star Julio Baptista - combined age 72.

Brentford

There is a suspicion that Dean Smith’s side could be this season’s Huddersfield; a shock challenger for promotion, after three successive top ten finishes. Winger Jota remains one of the division’s most exciting players, young strikers Ollie Watkins and Neal Maupay have plenty of potential and South African Kamohelo Mokotjo adds bite to midfield.

Can Dean Smith's men do a Huddersfield? (Getty)

Bristol City

Lee Johnson celebrated a successful relegation fight by breaking the club transfer record for £5.3m striker Famara Diedhiou. Villa defender Nathan Baker signed permanently and veteran Italian Eros Pisano should also help at the back but Johnson may need to pull off some more signings to repeat last season’s survival.

Burton

Did any manager in the Football League upset the odds more than Nigel Clough in keeping Burton, comfortably, in the Championship last season? Probably not but now comes the real challenge, especially as record signing Liam Boyce has already been ruled out for the season with injury. Much could depend on midfielder Matty Lund, one of half dozen bargain basement signings made so far this summer.

Cardiff

Cardiff have signed 19 players in the last 13 months suggesting that stability is the main requirement and Neil Warnock might just be a big enough personality to force everyone to pull in the same direction. Supporters certainly seem to have bought into the veteran’s management style and the goals of Danish striker Kenneth Zohore could be crucial to a promotion push.

Will Neil Warnock be the man to pull Cardiff in the right direction? (Getty)

Derby

After churning through Nigel Pearson and Steve McClaren, Derby finally settled on Gary Rowett in the manager’s chair and the pressure is well and truly on for a play-off place, at the very least. The sales of Will Hughes and Tom Ince were negatives but the summer arrivals - particularly Tom Huddlestone and Andre Wisdom - look good.

Fulham

A strong end to last season, plus keeping hold of highly-regarded players such as Ryan Sessegnon and Tom Cairney, should see Slavisa Jokanovic’s side among the main promotion contenders. Questions persist about Fulham’s modus operandi in terms of incomings, however, and three unproven signings from small European clubs is all they have to date.


 Fulham have held on to Ryan Sessegnon 
 (Getty)

Hull

Former Russian national team manager Leonid Slutsky was one of the summer’s more unlikely appointments and the relegation hangover considerable. In response to the inevitable exodus of key players, Hull spent £8m on Liverpool reserve midfielder Kevin Stewart, the biggest of five arrivals to date and need the signing of much-travelled Fraizer Campbell to come off.

Ipswich

If Mick McCarthy lasts until November 1, he will have served five years in charge at Portman Road - easily the longest tenure in the division - and he will share supporters’ desires for improvements on last season’s mid-table anonymity. Star loanee Tom Lawrence has returned to Leicester but great things are expected of another one, Manchester City’s Kosovan midfielder Bersant Celina.


 Mick McCarthy is the longest-serving manager in the division 
 (GETTY IMAGES)

Leeds

New owner Andrea Radrizzani appears to have calmed down non-football affairs although the loss of manager Garry Monk in May was a huge blow. As ever at Elland Road, player turnover has been considerable although it is the returning forward Chris Wood who could be key if he can match last season’s 27-goal output.

Middlesbrough

Most Championship managers are predicting Garry Monk's team will be among the pacesetters after he was given substantial financial backing by chairman Steve Gibson. They may not be wrong. Monk has signed six players who know all about the Championship. Britt Assombalonga, bought from Nottingham Forest for £15m, is the one to watch.

Millwall

Promoted via the play-offs and with a relatively modest budget, Neil Harris’s team would settle for survival back in the Championship. Harris has brought in six new players - all British and with Football League experience in abundance - but the Lions will require 33-year-old veteran Steve Morison to continue his free-scoring ways.

Norwich

The appointment of Borussia Dortmund reserve coach Daniel Farke as manager was a leaf straight out of the Huddersfield-David Wagner playbook and the considerable churn of players suggests a club that will take time to settle. The losses of Jonny Howson and Jacob Murphy brought in nearly £20m but could hurt.

Nottingham Forest

Expectations have plummeted at Forest in recent years and, after narrowly avoiding relegation, mid-table respectability would be a step forward under Mark Warburton, a manager who knows the division well. Britt Assombalonga scored 14 goals in a poor team and his sale has funded six signings to date.

Mark Warburton knows the league well (Getty)

Preston

Preston finished the season strong before fading to 11th and the board did well to appoint Alex Neil to replace Sunderland-bound Simon Grayson. Incomings have been few but, significantly, Preston also managed to keep hold of everyone they wanted. North End are talking up young Irish forward Sean Maguire, signed from Cork for £150,000.

QPR

Another former Premier League regular to have fallen on hard times and for whom mid-table would be acceptable after last season’s relegation fears. Ian Holloway has the know-how, if not the resources, but needs Northern Ireland international Conor Washington to find the net more regularly.

Reading

Having finished last season a penalty shoot-out away from the Premier League, Jaap Stam’s biggest task may be to ensure there is no hangover from that disappointment. If he does, promotion is a realistic aim. Vito Mannone and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson - plus Ajax youngster Pelle Clement - join a squad largely unchanged from that campaign.


 Jaap Stam's Reading came agonisingly close to promotion last season 
 (PA)

Sheffield United

After coasting to promotion, Chris Wilder’s biggest problem could be coping with the expectation that surrounds a club of this size. Signings have been modest but sensible so far as Wilder seems happy to see what last year’s squad can do although there will be plenty of attention on one of them - their former striker Ched Evans who re-joined from Chesterfield.

Sheffield Wednesday

Carlos Carvalhal was expected to leave after a second successive play-off failure but he is back for more and the experience of those two campaigns, along with Wednesday’s resources, make them one of the promotion favourites. Having completed the £10m signing of Jordan Rhodes, Carvalhal needs him to be more clinical in front of goal.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal (Getty)

Sunderland

The build-up has not been easy for manager Simon Grayson, who had to deal with the fall-out from Darron Gibson's criticism of several players who are desperate to leave. Aiden McGeady should be the pick of six new signings, who have not excited the fans. Expect more to arrive if the likes of Jeremain Lens and Whabi Khazri are sold.

Wolves

Who knows what to expect from the Chinese-owned club that conducts its transfer business via “super agent” Jorge Mendes? One of his clients, former Porto manager Nuno, is in charge and the bookies seem convinced even if supporters less so. Star winger Helder Costa will miss a month after surgery and needs to find his form quickly.