Club-by-club guide to the Championship

3:10pm Thursday 7th August 2008

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A club-by-club guide to the new Championship season, including transfers, key men and predictions.

BARNSLEY
Manager: Simon Davey
Position last season: 18th
Nickname: The Tykes
Ground: Oakwell
Capacity: 23,186
In: Luke Steele (West Brom, free), Iain Hume (Leicester, £1.2million), Hugo Roberto Colace (Newell’s Old Boys, undisclosed), Mounir El Haimour (NE Xamar, undisclosed), Darren Moore (Derby, free)
Out: Kim Christensen, Paul Reid (Colchester, free), Dwayne Mattis (Walsall, free), Luke Waterfall (Tranmere, free)
Key man: Iain Hume
Chances: The Tykes have made some nice moves this summer and if they gel they could give many sides a run for their money.
Prediction: Mid-table finish.

BIRMINGHAM CITY
Manager: Alex McLeish
Position last season: 19th (in Premier League)
Nickname: Blues
Ground: St Andrews
Capacity: 30,079
In: Lee Carsley (Everton, free), Kevin Phillips (West Brom, free), Marcus Bent (£1m), Kemy Agustien (AZ Alkmaar, loan)
Out: Mikael Forssell (Hannover, free), Adam Legzdins (Crewe, free), Fabrice Muamba (Bolton, £5m), Daniel De Ridder (Wigan, free), Olivier Kapo (Wigan)
Key man: Kevin Phillips
Chances: Alex McLeish will be praying Kevin Phillips has another goal-laden campaign and can shoot his side back to the Premier League at the first attempt.
Prediction: Title challengers.

BLACKPOOL
Manager: Simon Grayson
Position last season: 19th
Nickname: Seasiders
Ground: Bloomfield Road
Capacity: 9,491
In: Marlon Broomes (Stoke, free), Matt Gilks (Norwich, undisclosed), Joe Martin (Tottenham, undisclosed), Alex John-Baptiste (Mansfield, undisclosed) Jermaine Wright (Southampton, free) Steve Kabba (Watford, loan), Adam Hammill (Liverpool, loan)
Out: Michael Jackson (Shrewsbury, free), Keigan Parker (Huddersfield, free), John Hills, Paul Tierney, Phil Doughty, Andy Welsh, Marcus Bean (Brentford, free), Lewis Edge, Michael Flynn (Huddersfield, free), Matt Lawler, Phil Marsh, Wes Hoolahan (Norwich, undisclosed)
Key man: Ben Burgess
Chances: With key player Wes Hoolahan departing for Norwich, the Seasiders will have that sinking feeling this season and will have another fight on their hands to avoid heading back to League One.
Prediction: Relegation battle ahead.

BRISTOL CITY
Manager: Gary Johnson
Position last season: 4th
Nickname: The Robins
Ground: Ashton Gate
Capacity: 21,804
In: Gavin Williams (Ipswich, undisclosed), Nicky Maynard (Crewe, £2.25million)
Out: Darren Byfield, Alex Russell (Cheltenham, free), Tamas Vasko, Enoch Showunmi (Leeds, free), Martin Slocombe, Nick Carle (Crystal Palace, undisclosed)
Key man: Adriano Basso
Chances: After missing out on promotion to the Premier League in the play-off final, the Robins will be hoping to avoid second-season syndrome.
Prediction: Mid-table obscurity.

BURNLEY
Manager: Owen Coyle
Position last season: 13th
Nickname: The Clarets
Ground: Turf Moor
Capacity: 22,610
In: Martin Paterson (Scunthorpe, £1.3m), Christian Kalvenes (Dundee United, free), Kevin McDonald (Dundee, £500,000), Diego Penny (Coronel Bolognesi, undisclosed), Remco van der Schaaf (Vitesse Arnhem, free), Chris Eagles (Manchester United, undisclosed)
Out: Garreth O’Connor, John Spicer (Doncaster, free), Dean Stott, Rob Turner, Jon Harley, James O’Connor (Sheffield Wednesday, free), Kyle Lafferty (Rangers, £3m), David Unsworth
Key man: Martin Paterson
Chances: While Kyle Lafferty and Andy Cole have departed, Martin Paterson has been brought in as the club’s record signing and his goals will be vital for the Clarets.
Prediction: Play-off aspirations. Depends on how the new players will gel

CARDIFF CITY
Manager: Dave Jones
Position last season: 12th
Nickname: The Bluebirds
Ground: Ninian Park
Capacity: 20,324
In: Ross McCormack (Motherwell, free), Darren Dennehy (Everton, free), Mark Kennedy (Crystal Palace, free)
Out: Trevor Sinclair, Michael Oakes, Matt Green, Matt Smith, David Forde (Millwall, free), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal, undisclosed), Warren Feeney (Dundee United, loan)
Key man: Joe Ledley
Chances: The FA Cup finalists will again have to rely on their home form if they are to launch a play-off bid but are unlikely to push the top six.
Prediction: Mid-table spot on the cards.

CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Manager: Alan Pardew
Position last season: 11th
Nickname: The Addicks
Ground: The Valley
Capacity: 27,111
In: Mark Hudson (Crystal Palace, free), Stuart Fleetwood (Forest Green, tribunal)
Out: Cory Gibbs, Chris Powell, Osei Sankofa (Southend, free), Patrick McCarthy (Crystal Palace, undisclosed), Paulo Monteiro (released), Dorian Smith (released), James Walker (Southend, undisclosed), Darren Randolph (loan), Chris Iwelumo (Wolves, undisclosed), Darren Bent (Birmingham)
Key man: Jerome Thomas
Chances: Alan Pardew will be under pressure to mount a promotion challenge after last season`s failings but a play-off place is the best they will get.
Prediction: Play-offs.

COVENTRY CITY
Manager: Chris Coleman
Position last season: 21st
Nickname: The Sky Blues
Ground: Ricoh Arena
Capacity: 32,609
In: Guillaume Beuzelin (Hibs, free), Aron Gunnarsson (AZ, undisclosed), Keiren Westwood (Carlisle, £500,000), Freddy Eastwood (Wolves, Undisclosed),
Out: Colin Hawkins (Brighton, free), Liam Davis (Northampton, free), Stephen Hughes, Ellery Cairo (NAC Breda, free)
Key man: Freddy Eastwood
Chances: Chris Coleman`s first full season in charge will see the Sky Blues improve on last term`s struggles but that is as far as it will go.
Prediction: Top-half finish.

CRYSTAL PALACE
Manager: Neil Warnock
Position last season: 5th
Nickname: The Eagles
Ground: Selhurst Park
Capacity: 26,225
In: Patrick McCarthy (Charlton, undisclosed), Nick Carle (Bristol City, undisclosed), Johannes Ertl (Austria Vienna, undisclosed, Darryl Flahavan (Southend, free) Simon Thomas (Boreham Wood, undisclosed), Jose Fonte (Benfica, undisclosed)
Out: John Bostock (Tottenham, tribunal), Mark Kennedy (Cardiff, free), Ryan Hall (Crawley), Ben Kudjodji, Arron Fry, Moses Swaibu, Mark Hudson (Charlton, free), Jeff Hughes (Bristol Rovers, undisclosed), Lewwis Spence (Wycombe, free), Tony Craig (Millwall, undisclosed), Calvin Andrew (Luton, undisclosed)
Key man: Sean Scannell
Chances: After bowing out in the play-offs last season, the Eagles could go one better and make the top two this time.
Prediction: Promotion contenders.

DERBY COUNTY
Manager: Paul Jewell
Position last season: 20th (in Premier League)
Nickname: The Rams
Ground: Pride Park
Capacity: 33,597
In: Ruben Zadkovich, Paul Connolly (Plymouth, free), Paul Green (Doncaster, free), Nathan Ellington (Watford, loan), Jordan Stewart (Watford, free), Kris Commons (Nottingham Forest, free), Steve Davies (Tranmere, tribunal), Liam Dickinson (Stockport, £750,000), Martin Albrechtsen (West Brom, free). Rob Hulse (Sheff Utd, £1.75million), Przemyslaw Kazmierczak (Porto, loan).
Out: Michael Johnson (Notts County, free), Lee Holmes (Southampton, free), Marc Edworthy, Ben Hinchliffe, Robert Earnshaw (Nottingham Forest, £2.65million), David Jones (Wolves, undisclosed), Craig Fagan (Hull, £750,000), Darren Moore (Barnsley, free), Kenny Miller (Rangers, £2million), Jason Beardsley (Notts County, loan)
Key man: Rob Hulse
Chances: Boss Paul Jewell has revamped his squad in a bid to secure an immediate return to the Premier League and a promotion challenge is a certainty.
Prediction: Promotion contenders.

DONCASTER ROVERS
Manager: Sean O’Driscoll
Position last season: 3rd (in League One)
Nickname: Rovers
Ground: Keepmoat Stadium
Capacity: 15,231
In: Stuart Elliott (Hull, free), John Spicer (Burnley, free), Darren Byfield (Bristol City, free), Tomi Ameobi (Leeds, undisclosed), Jos van Nieuwstadt (Excelsior Rotterdam, free), Matt Mills (Manchester City, £300,000)
Out: Paul Green (Derby, free), Graeme Lee (Bradford, free), Matthew Noble, Stephen Roberts (Walsall, free), Mark McCammon (Gillingham, free) Key man: Richie Wellens
Chances: Just to survive would be classed as an achievement as Rovers enter second-tier football for the first time.
Prediction: Bottom six.

IPSWICH TOWN
Manager: Jim Magilton
Position last season: 8th
Nickname: Tractor Boys
Ground: Portman Road
Capacity: 30,311
In: Pim Balkestein (Heerenveen, undisclosed), Gareth McAuley (Leicester, undisclosed), Kevin Lisbie (Colchester, undisclosed)
Out: Jason De Vos, Luis Castro Sito, Sylvain Legwinski, Fabian Wilnis, Gavin Williams (Bristol City, undisclosed), Matt Richards (Brighton, loan), Richard Wright (West Ham, undisclosed), Gary Roberts (Huddersfield, undisclosed)
Key man: Danny Haynes
Chances: Another promotion push will be on the agenda at Portman Road but can they break into the top six?
Prediction: Play-off challengers

NORWICH CITY
Manager: Glenn Roeder
Position last season: 17th
Nickname: The Canaries
Ground: Carrow Road
Capacity: 26,034
In: Sammy Clingan (Nottingham Forest, free), Wes Hoolahan (Blackpool, undisclosed), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea, loan), Dejan Stefanovic (Fulham, undisclosed), Elliot Omozusi (Fulham, loan), Arturo Lupoli (Fiorentina, loan), David Bell (Luton, undisclosed)
Out: Darren Huckerby, Ryan Jarvis (Leyton Orient, free), Rossi Jarvis, Bally Smart, Patrick Bexfield, Andrew Cave-Brown (Leyton Orient, free), Steven Arnold, Matthew Halliday, Juan Velasco, Matt Gilks (Blackpool, undisclosed)
Key man: Wes Hoolahan
Chances: Glenn Roeder has undergone a massive rebuilding programme this summer and that should see Norwich competing at the right end again.
Prediction: Play-off challengers.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Manager: Colin Calderwood
Position last season: 2nd (in League One)
Nickname: The Reds
Ground: City Ground
Capacity: 30,576
In: Robert Earnshaw (Derby, £2.65m), Paul Anderson (Liverpool, loan), Guy Moussi (SCO Angers, undisclosed), Andrew Cole (Sunderland, free), Mickael Darnet (AS Cannes, undisclosed), Joe Garner (Carlisle, £1.14m)
Out: Kris Commons (Derby, free), Felix Bastians, Alan Power (Hartlepool, free), Matt Lockwood (Colchester, undisclosed), Sammy Clingan (Norwich, free), Grant Holt (Shrewsbury, £170,000), Junior Agogo (El Zamalek, undisclosed)
Key man: Robert Earnshaw
Chances: The additions of Robert Earnshaw and Andrew Cole should prevent Forest from having a brief stay in the Championship.
Prediction: Bottom half.

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
Manager: Paul Sturrock
Position last season: 10th
Nickname: The Pilgrims
Ground: Home Park
Capacity: 21,118
In: Jason Puncheon (Barnet, £250,000), Karl Duguid (Colchester, undisclosed), David McNamee (free), Graham Stack (Reading, free), Yala Bolasie (Floriana, nominal)
Out: Paul Connolly (Derby, free), Paul Wotton (Southampton, free), Lee Hodges, Nick Chadwick, Lilian Nalis (Swindon, free), Jake Moult, Nadjim Abdou (Millwall, free), Peter Halmosi (Hull, £2million) Luke McCormick (released)
Key man: Jermaine Easter
Chances: Having failed to keep hold of several key players, another top-10 finish at Home Park is very unlikely.
Prediction: Bottom half and a possible survival fight.

PRESTON NORTH END
Manager: Alan Irvine
Position last season: 15th
Nickname: Lilywhites
Ground: Deepdale
Capacity: 19,533
In: Dean Stott, Rob Turner, Barry Nicholson (Aberdeen, free), Ross Wallace (Sunderland, loan)
Out: Adam Nowland (Notts County, free)
Key man: Neil Mellor
Chances: North End should improve on last season’s struggles but are not yet ready to launch a play-off push.
Prediction: Mid-table.

QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Manager: Iain Dowie
Position last season: 14th
Nickname: The Hoops, The Rs
Ground: Loftus Road
Capacity: 18,682
In: Peter Ramage (Newcastle, free), Radek Cerny (Sparta Prague, free), Matteo Alberti (Chievo Verona, undisclosed), Emmanuel Jorge Ledesma (Genoa, loan), Samuel Di Carmine (Fiorentina, loan)
Out: Sean Thomas, Aaron Goode, Andrew Howell, Stefan Bailey (Grays, free), Matt Pickens, Jake Cole (Oxford, loan)
Key man: Patrick Agyemang
Chances: Iain Dowie will be under the spotlight given QPR’s mega-rich owners and he will rise to the challenge.
Prediction: Top six a possibility.

READING
Manager: Steve Coppell
Position last season: 18th (in Premier League)
Nickname: The Royals
Ground: Madejski Stadium
Capacity: 24,082
In: Noel Hunt (Dundee United, undisclosed)
Out: John Oster, Ulises De La Cruz, John Halls, Graham Stack (Plymouth, free), Adam Bygrave (Weymouth, free), Aaron Brown, Joshua Webb (Weymouth, undisclosed), Ben Hamer (Brentford, loan), Glen Little (Portsmouth, undisclosed), Dave Kitson (Stoke, £5.5million), Scott Davies (Aldershot, loan)
Key man: Kevin Doyle
Chances: The Royals are there to be shot at after relegation from the Premier League but they won’t be going back up automatically.
Prediction: Play-off places.

SHEFFIELD UNITED
Manager: Kevin Blackwell
Position last season: 9th
Nickname: The Blades
Ground: Bramall Lane
Capacity: 32,500
In: Greg Halford (Sunderland, loan), Sun Jihai (Manchester City, free), Darius Henderson (Watford, £2million), David Cotterill (Wigan, undisclosed), Matt Spring (Luton, loan), Justin Haber (Haidari, free)
Out: Chris Lucketti (Huddersfield, free), Lloyd Kerry (Chesterfield, free), Ryan Cresswell (Bury, free), Rob Hulse (Derby, £1.75million), Rob Hulse (Derby, £1.75million), Ben Starosta (Aldershot, loan), Luton Shelton (Valerenga, £1million), Geoff Horsfield, Paul Gerrard, James Ashmore, Martin Donnelly, Stephen Hernandez, Dean Oliver, Kingsley Williams
Key man: James Beattie
Chances: Kevin Blackwell steered the Blades to the brink of the play-offs last season and it will be another close-run battle this time.
Prediction: Play-off contenders.

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Manager: Brian Laws
Position last season: 16th
Nickname: The Owls
Ground: Hillsborough
Capacity: 39,812
In: James O’Connor (Burnley, free), Jimmy Smith (Chelsea, loan)
Out: Lee Bullen, Ronnie Wallwork, Rob Burch (Lincoln, free), Burton O’Brien (Falkirk, free) Key man: Deon Burton
Chances: The Owls avoided relegation on the final day last season and should avoid that scenario, but that is as good as it gets.
Prediction: Mid-table obscurity.

SOUTHAMPTON
Manager: Jan Poortvliet
Position last season: 20th
Nickname: The Saints
Ground: St Mary’s
Capacity: 32,689
In: Lee Holmes (Derby, free), Chris Perry (Luton, free), Paul Wotton (Plymouth, free), Morgan Schneiderlin (RC Strasbourg, £1.2m), Tommy Forecast (Tottenham, undisclosed)
Out: Inigo Idiakez, Alexander Ostlund, Darren Powell, Jermaine Wright, Mario Licka, Cedric Baseya (Lille, free), Josh Dutton-Black Key man: Stern John
Chances: It will be interesting to see how Jan Poortvliet handles Championship football but a promotion push is unlikely.
Prediction: Bottom half.

SWANSEA CITY
Manager: Roberto Martinez
Position last season: Champions (League One)
Nickname: The Swans
Ground: Liberty Stadium
Capacity: 20,520
In: Ashley Williams (Stockport, undisclosed), Gorka Pintado (Granada, undisclosed), Jordi Gomez (Espanyol, loan), Mark Gower (Southend, free), Federico Bessone (Espanyol, free), Albert Serran (Espanyol, £80,000), Stefan Morrison (West Brom, free), Febian Brandy (Man Utd, loan)
Out: Andy Robinson (Leeds, free), Kevin Austin (Chesterfield, free), Kevin Amankwaah (Swindon, free), Darryl Duffy (Bristol Rovers, £100,000), Darren Way (Yeovil, free)
Key man: Ferrie Bodde
Chances: The new-boys will aim to emulate Bristol City and surprise a few teams and that is exactly what they will do.
Prediction: Top half.

WATFORD
Manager: Adrian Boothroyd
Position last season: 6th
Nickname: The Hornets
Ground: Vicarage Road
Capacity: 19,920
In: Jon Harley (Burnley, free)
Out: Santiago Aloi, Jordan Stewart (Derby, free), Nathan Ellington (Derby, loan), Toumani Diagouraga (Hereford, free), Ian Joyce (Southend, free) Steve Kabba (Blackpool, loan), Darius Henderson (Sheff Utd, £2million)
Key man: Tommy Smith
Chances: Adrian Boothroyd will be under severe pressure to produce the goods this season but his position will be left hanging in the balance.
Prediction: Relegation battle.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Manager: Mick McCarthy
Position last season: 7th
Nickname: The Wolves
Ground: Molineux
Capacity: 28,565
In: Sam Vokes (Bournemouth, undisclosed), Richard Stearman (Leicester, undisclosed), David Jones (Derby, undisclosed), Chris Iwelumo (Charlton, undisclosed)
Out: Gary Breen, Stephen Elliott, Jay Bothroyd, Darren Ward, Darren Potter, Rob Edwards, Freddy Eastwood, Matt Bailey (Burton, loan), Seyi Olofinjana (Stoke, £3million), Elliott Bennett (Bury, loan), Lee Collins (Port Vale, loan)
Key man: Michael Kightly
Chances: Wolves narrowly missed out last season but they will put that disappointment aside and the Premier League could be calling.
Prediction: Promotion contenders

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