Norwich

Saturday 30^th January

English Premier League

West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers

Both West Ham and Blackburn will be looking to move themselves further away from the relegation zone when they meet at Upton park tomorrow afternoon.

It will be the club’s first match at Upton Park since new owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, took over earlier this month. Manager Gianfranco Zola has been able to keep his star players because of this and has also started to bring in players to bolster his options, especially upfront. Benni McCarthy has joined from, ironically enough, tomorrow’s opponents but a work permit issue means he’ll be unable to go straight into the side. There are numerous rumours going around about another couple of signings but it’s unlikely anyone else will be brought in on time to feature tomorrow afternoon. The Hammers still sit perilously close to the bottom on 3 as they remain level on points with 18^th placed Burnley. They know that games against sides in the lower half at home are exactly the kind of games they need to win in order to survive. As hard as it is to believe, they have only won 4 games all season so it’s no wonder they are in the position they’re in. They have picked up two valuable points in their last two away games against Aston Villa and most recently, at Portsmouth last midweek. 3 of their 4 wins this season have come at home and two of them have been against sides close to them in the table. They have lost 4 matches at Upton Park in the league but none of these defeats have been inflicted by sides in the lower half of the Premier League.  

Rovers have improved their form of late and after sticking a couple of wins together find themselves in 11^th position, 7 points clear of the relegation zone. Wins against Wigan Fulham at Ewood Park has alleviated a lot of the pressure from manager Sam Allardyce and his players. The manager is actively seeking to improve his squad before the close of the transfer window on Monday but he’ll go with what is currently available tomorrow. In order to continue their recent good form, Rovers will have do something they’ve only managed once this season – win away from home. They have lost 8 of their 11 matches on the road already this season, conceding 28 goals in the process. The positives for Allardyce seem to be outweighing the negatives at the moment though, as his big players are beginning to perform to their best. Morten Gamst Pedersen is beginning to find the form of a couple of seasons ago, David Dunn is back fit and proving to be pivotal whilst £6m Niko Kalanic scored his first Premier League goal in the win over Wigan.

West Ham have Carlton Cole back fit and that is a massive bonus. Cole is easily the most improved player in the league over the last 18 months and is certainly Zola’s most important player. He is fundamental to West Ham’s success as he’s their main goalscorer and is a real leader on the park. He leads the line fantastically well so after getting a 20 minute run-out on Tuesday, it’s likely he’ll start tomorrow for the first time since November. Blackburn will be looking to end a massive hoodoo when they travel south tomorrow. They have not won at Upton Park in the league since 1994. They’ve not even picked up as much as a point in this fixture since 1995 so they know how hard it will be to leave East London with anything.

Blackburn’s two wins have given them breathing space so it’s probably fair to say that tomorrow’s match is more important for the home side. I honestly think this is a must win for Zola’s side as they have a tough set of fixtures coming up in the nest 6 weeks so these type of home games are the kind of games they will be targeting. The home crowd will be on a high after the takeover so the atmosphere will be even better than it normally as at the old stadium. Their main man is back from injury and they also have history on their side. I expect it to be an entertaining game and there will be a couple of goals as well. West Ham have only lost 1 of their last 5 and I believe they are good enough to win tomorrow afternoon.

My selection: West Ham to beat Blackburn at a best priced 6/5 with Totesport

English League 1

Norwich City v Hartlepool United

League leaders Norwich City entertain a Hartlepool side who are on a poor run of form so a visit to Carrow Road is probably not a match they are looking forward to.

Paul Lambert has done a terrific job since taken charge back in August. He has guided Norwich from the relegation zone right to the top of the table and with an excellent chance of going straight back into the Championship. The former Colchester and Wycombe boss has not done a lot to the playing staff but he has instilled a system and discipline which has reaped it’s won rewards. He’s played under some of the best managers in World football, including Omar Hitzfeld and Martin O’Neill so he’ll have picked up plenty from those two individuals. Both were proper man managers and Lambo seems to be exactly that type of coach as well. His side are on a superb run of form having won their last 7 games and unbeaten in their last 15. Their home form under Lambert is very strong, he’s not lost a game at Carrow road since taking the hot seat.

Hartlepool have had a wee stutter of late having lost 3 of their last 4 in the league and with just two win’s in their last 12 matches. Their away form is also something of a concern and they look weak defensively on their travels. They’ve lost their last 6 away games and have conceded 15 goals in the process. Pool will be boosted by the absence of Norwich captain Grant Holt. The striker is not only their top scorer, he’s also their best and most important player. He will miss tomorrow’s match due to suspension after being sent off last weekend. They’ll also welcome the return of Ritchie Humphrey’s who has been an important player for them this season.

Norwich are flying at the moment and their strikers are bang in form. There good end has to end at some point but I think it will take a better side than the current Hartlepool team to disrupt their promotion charge. The 1/3 generally on offer for a Norwich win may appeal to some of the big hitters but I think that the home side are more than capable of covering the handicap the form they are in at the moment. They’re not only scoring a lot of goals at home they’re not conceding many either, when you consider the fact that the visitors tomorrow are conceding goals and not scoring too many on their travels, the 10/11 on Norwich minus a goal is value for me.

My selection: Norwich (-1) to beat Hartlepool at a best priced 10/11 available with Bet365

Saturday 10^th October

English League 1

Carlisle v Norwich City

Norwich will be looking to make it 4 straight wins in all competitions when they travel north to take on a Carlisle side who haven’t picked up a league victory since the 5^th of September.

Paul Lambert has had a positive impact since replacing Bryan Gunn as Norwich manager back in August. Incidentally, it was Lambert’s former side, Colchester, who caused Gunn’s sacking when his Canaries side lost 7-1 to them on the opening day of the season. Since Lambert’s arrival, City have climbed the table and currently find themselves in 7^th position, 1 place and 2 points outside of the play-off picture. They have won their last two matches in the league, both at home, by a four goal margin each time. Their last two away matches have been against strong home sides in the shape of Gillingham and MK Dons. The former resulted in a stalemate in a match Norwich may feel they should have taken all 3 points whilst they will also feel aggrieved at not taking something from MK Dons in a match they dominated for large spells.

Carlisle United have found life difficult in the league this year managing only two victories from their 11 matches this far. Their home form, normally quite strong, has let them down with only one win from 5 games whilst losing 3 of those. They have lost to pretty weak sides all in all, Brentford, Exeter and Brighton are not great by any stretch of the imagination and are teams who are likely to be at the same end of the league as Carlisle come the end of the season. Their only success was against the hapless Tranmere who have been brushed aside by most teams already this season whilst they picked up a credible draw with Southampton.

Norwich will be hoping their top scorer and captain Grant Holt is fit enough to start tomorrow as he is instrumental in Lambert’s style of play. The former Celtic and Dortmund midfielder likes his teams to get the ball wide and whip crosses into the box for the target man so Holt’s fitness is key to this game. If, as expected, he does play, I think Carlisle’s defence is in for a very difficult 90 minutes. A big blow to Norwich will be the absence of Stephen Hughes who is on international duty with Scotland. Darrel Russell may well come in to replace Hughes.

Carlisle will be desperate to pick up their first 3 points in more than a month tomorrow and may take some comfort from the fact that their opponents have only notched one victory on the road in the league this term. That statistic, however, is deceptive as Lambert wasn’t in place for one of their two away defeats and his side have shown a big improvement on their travels. With Grant Holt in excellent form I just think Norwich’s attacking flair will be too much and see them home rather comfortably in the end.

My selection: Norwich City to beat Carlisle United

Best odds available: 11/8 available with several bookmakers including bet365

English League 2

Bradford City v Crewe Alexandra

A local derby of sorts with Yorkshire meeting Lancashire at Valley Parade as Dario Gradi takes his troops to face Stuart McCall’s Bradford.

Bradford City had a poor start to the league campaign losing 5-0 to Notts County before dropping a further 5 points in their next two matches. It wasn’t until an extraordinary match at Cheltenham that they picked up their first 3 points of the season winning 5-4. Since then, the Bantams have not looked back and have remained unbeaten since. In this run they have won 4 and drawn 4 which has seen them climb the table to 9^th position, 3 points off 7^th place. Their home form looks patchy when you look at their season stats but when you focus on their last 3 home games it looks a lot more positive with 2 wins and a draw with only one goal conceded. They may not have been playing the strongest away sides but they have been despatched with considerable ease.

Crewe have found things a little tough going since their relegation to England’s 4^th flight of league football. They started the season reasonably well with 4 league victories from their opening half dozen matches. They have, however, lost their last 5 matches in the league which meant that their former manager lost his job as a consequence. Dario Gradi has since taken over again but even his return could not halt the clubs fortunes as Crewe lost out by the odd goal in five last week at home to Rotherham.

Bradford’s upsurge in form cannot be put down to any one great player, it’s been a genuine team effort. Players like Rehman, Williams and O’Brien have provided a solid platform at the back for the likes of Osborne, Evans and Flynn to go forward with a bit of intent at the other end of the park.

Bradford have won 4 of the last 5 rounds of this fixture but did lose the last time these sides met at Valley Parade. Crewe will come out to attack as they only know how to play one way so I expect goals tomorrow. So as well as advising a bet on Bradford to continue their good form and take all 3 points I think the more than two goals bet is also a very decent shout.

My selections: Bradford to beat Crewe

Best odds available: 10/11 with several bookmakers including Coral

Other selections: More than two goals in the same game

Best odds available: 4/5 with PaddyPower.

Saturday 4^th April

English Championship

Sheffield United v Ipswich

The first weekend in April is normally the considered the beginning of the run in by many clubs and it is no different this season with everything to play for in all 4 domestic leagues in England, including the Championship. Sheffield United are currently in 4^th place, 6 points off an automatic promotion spot with a game in hand, whilst Ipswich are the same amount of points from securing a play-off spot. A win for Sheffield United would surely end the away side’s promotion ambitions whilst any drop points from the home side would all but end their distant automatic promotion hopes.

Over the last six matches, United are the form team of the Championship. The Blades have picked up 14 points from a possible 18, remaining undefeated in the process. Their impressive run of form has included home wins over Birmingham and Derby, as well as a very decent away victory against Cardiff, last time out. Their form suffered a bit when James Beattie was sold in January, but the return to fitness of Darius Henderson has provided them with a physical presence again and results have improved considerably. They also share the goals around the team which takes a bit of pressure of the strikers; Stephen Quinn, Danny Webber and Greg Halford have all chipped in with crucial goals of late, which make them a very dangerous team.

Ipswich have had a completely different season this year in contrast to last year’s performance. After having one of the best away records in the league last term and one of the worst (only winning 3 all season) they have turned the tables so to speak. This time around, they have 5^th worst home record but the 3^rd best record on the road. Their recent form, however, has been poor. The Tractor boys have won one of their last 6 games. That win was an impressive one, a victory away to 3^rd place Reading.

Ipswich are a good footballing side who like to get the ball down and get their midfield on the ball. Their success on the road has been due to their pace upfront and their counter-attacking tactics which have served them well away from Portman Road. A lot of their victories away, have come against teams who allow them to play their football as they like to play in a similar fashion. Reading, QPR and Crystal Palace are technically gifted teams and all suffered as a result of their preferred way of playing. Sheffield United have a big physical presence throughout their team and are a bit more direct than the others. They play in a similar way to Birmingham and Preston who have both been victorious over the Ipswich this term.

I think Sheffield United’s physical presence will hold the key tomorrow and I fancy them to record their third straight home win over Ipswich Town.

My Selection: Sheffield United to beat Ipswich Town

Best odds available: 10/11 with bet365

English Championship

Norwich City v Sheffield Wednesday

The other team from Sheffield travel to the home of the other team from East Anglia. Norwich entertain Wednesday in a match which has more to do with the relegation issue of the league.

City have been in and around the bottom three for much of the season and currently find themselves  in 20^th position, 2 points ahead of Nottingham Forest (in the last relegation spot). Brian Gunn took over midway through the season and after a difficult start, has begun to pick up positive results consistently. Norwich have picked up 10 points from their last 6 matches, which is excellent form for a side in their predicament. Their recent good form has included two home wins over Plymouth and Cardiff as well as a very creditable away draw at Birmingham (apologies as I tipped Brum).

Sheffield Wednesday are bang in mid-table and free of any worry of relegation. Brian Laws deserves credit after the early season turmoil at boardroom level, which threatened to destabilize the club’s fortunes on the park. For much of the season, their home form was the reason for their league position, however, in their last 6 matches, they have tailed off at home somewhat, losing two and drawing one. Their away form has, fortunately for them, picked up and they are undefeated in their last 3 matches, winning 1 and drawing the other two. Their recent form on the road may have something to do with the players having less pressure and demand on them than they had earlier on in the season.

Norwich know that their home games will be vital to them remaining in the league and with only 3 home games left, and one of them against Reading, they will be desperate to continue their recent good form by taking maximum points tomorrow. A raucous Carrow Road crowd is sure to roar them on and this could be the catalyst they need to record their third win from four home games.

My selection: Norwich City to beat Sheffield Wednesday

Best odds available: 5/4 with skybet

Good luck and Happy punting 

Saturday 10^th January

English Premiership

Everton v Hull

After both sides were involved in FA cup action last Saturday, it’s back to the Premiership and a clash between two sides in the top 8.

Hull were the surprise package during the first half of the season, remaining in the top 6 of the EPL for long periods of the first round of games. The points they accumulated earlier on in the season may prove to be invaluable come the end of the season if their recent form is anything to go by. Their last win the league came over a month ago at home to Middlesborough. You also have to go back to the end of October for their last win on the road. They have however, only lost two of the following 5 matches, both defeats coming to the Manchester clubs.

Everton on the other hand, took a while to get going, especially at Goodison which had proved such a fortress in the past seasons under Davie Moyes. Beset with numerous injury problems to key players resulted in the Toffees going 6 before gaining their first league win on home soil against Fulham. Since that victory, they have drawn 2, lost 1 and in their latest home game, brushed aside Sunderland 3-0. They are unbeaten in 5 games in all competitions winning 4.

Tim Cahill has proved pivotal in Everton’s recent good run playing as a lone striker for much of the last month in the absence of Yakubu, Saha and Anichebe. The latter, however, started last weekend’s cup tie and should keep his place in the starting line-up with Cahill in support. Hull will hope for a bit of magic from Geovanni who has been their talisman, especially away from home.

Everton have aspirations of European football and if they wish to achieve that, they must beat a Hull side on their worst form of the season thus far. Moyes will be hammering home how important it is to get all 3 points tomorrow with their next 3 matches against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United. Teams are now getting accustomed to Hull’s style of play and the promoted side may find things a lot different in the 2^nd half of the season, beginning tomorrow.

My selection: Everton to beat Hull

The best price available for an Everton win is 4/6 with several bookmakers including Skybet

English Championship

Ipswich Town v Sheffield Wednesday

One point separates these two sides which suggests it has all the makings of a close fought encounter at Portman road on Saturday.  

The home side have a squad equipped to challenge for a play-off spot and play some lovely football a lot of the time. It could be argued that their young midfield is too inconsistent to put a run of victories together which is needed in this league. Their last 5 games have saw a return of 7 points whilst they have lost 2 of their last 3 home games. It should be noted, however, that these defeats came against top sides in the shape of Birmingham and Cardiff, two sides which have quality in abundance and both coming away with victories by the odd goal.

Sheffield Wednesday have stuttered of late having been challenging for a play-off spot themselves in the earlier part of the season. Their home form was key to their lofty position having only picked up 2 wins on the road, losing 8 and drawing 3. Both wins came against sides in the lower half of the table in the shape of Blackpool and Charlton. Manager Brian Laws has attempted to pick up points by playing good football, which is not always the most effective way in the Championship.

Whenever the home side have came up against mid to lower half of the table sides, they have inevitably brushed them aside, with wins over Bristol City, Derby and Barnsley amongst their 5 home successes. They themselves will play football the way it should be played and with the visitors missing the likes of Clarke, Tudgay and Wade Small.

Already 6 points behind 6^th place, the home side cannot afford to fall any further behind at this stage of the season and will be looking to record a much needed win. Wednesday concede goals on the road, they have managed to ship 30 goals on the road, the highest amount of any side in the league. Whoever play’s upfront for the home side will not get a better chance to grab a couple and kick-start their season.

My selection: Ipswich to beat Sheffield Wednesday

The best price available for an Ipswich win is 5/6 available with several bookmakers includinng Betfred

English Championship

Sheffield United v Norwich City

Tomorrow’s clash see’s two sides needing the points for very different reasons. The home side find themselves in 6^th place and occupying the 4^th and final play-off spot whilst the visitors are at the opposite end of the table only two points outside the relegation zone.

United come into this game in relatively good form with 3 wins and 2 draws from their last 5 matches. They can also count themselves very unfortunate in one of those matches when Crystal Palace equalized in the 4^th minute of injury time. Their home form has been decent with 6 wins and only 3 defeats. It should also be noted that these defeats have came against sides above them in the table, in the shape of Burnley, Reading and Wolves.

Norwich City have been rather disappointing this year considering the amount of players they brought last summer. They have lost 4 of their last 5 matches in the league with the other game resulting in a narrow win over hapless Charlton at Carrow Road in December. Their away form has been especially poor this year, picking up 8 points (2 wins and 2 draws) in 13 matches. They have only managed 11 goals in these games conceding 24.

With Preston North End, Crystal Palace and QPR breathing down Sheffield United’s neck in the play-off place hunt, they will be desperate to pick up 3 points and continue their recent good form.

My selection: Sheffield United to beat Norwich City

The best odds available for a Sheffield United win is 7/10 available with Paddypower

, they have inevitably brushed them aside, with wins over Bristol City, Derby and Barnsley amongst their 5 home successes. They themselves will play football the way it should be played and with the visitors missing the likes of Clarke, Tudgay and Wade Small.

Already 6 points behind 6^th place, the home side cannot afford to fall any further behind at this stage of the season and will be looking to record a much needed win. Wednesday concede goals on the road, they have managed to ship 30 goals on the road, the highest amount of any side in the league. Whoever play’s upfront for the home side will not get a better chance to grab a couple and kick-start their season.

My selection: Ipswich to beat Sheffield Wednesday

The best price available for an Ipswich win is 5/6 available with several bookmakers includinng Betfred

English Championship

Sheffield United v Norwich City

Tomorrow’s clash see’s two sides needing the points for very different reasons. The home side find themselves in 6^th place and occupying the 4^th and final play-off spot whilst the visitors are at the opposite end of the table only two points outside the relegation zone.

United come into this game in relatively good form with 3 wins and 2 draws from their last 5 matches. They can also count themselves very unfortunate in one of those matches when Crystal Palace equalized in the 4^th minute of injury time. Their home form has been decent with 6 wins and only 3 defeats. It should also be noted that these defeats have came against sides above them in the table, in the shape of Burnley, Reading and Wolves.

Norwich City have been rather disappointing this year considering the amount of players they brought last summer. They have lost 4 of their last 5 matches in the league with the other game resulting in a narrow win over hapless Charlton at Carrow Road in December. Their away form has been especially poor this year, picking up 8 points (2 wins and 2 draws) in 13 matches. They have only managed 11 goals in these games conceding 24.

With Preston North End, Crystal Palace and QPR breathing down Sheffield United’s neck in the play-off place hunt, they will be desperate to pick up 3 points and continue their recent good form.

My selection: Sheffield United to beat Norwich City

The best odds available for a Sheffield United win is 7/10 available with Paddypower

by Matthew Chapple

With the championship season just four games old, there has already been a few surprise results with both Derby and Crystal palace occupying two of the relegation places. The biggest shock of the season so far came on the opening day with new boys Doncaster defeating Derby at Pride Park. Derby, who are widely tipped by several to be serious promotion contenders, have already given themselves a mountain to climb under Paul Jewell and are without a win after their first 4 league fixtures.

Crystal Palace are the other side who have made a dreadful start to the season. Two draws and two defeats see them lye in 22nd in the league and are also without a win from their first 4 fixtures.

Several have made undefeated starts to the season with Wolves, Preston, Birmingham, and Bristol City all yet to taste defeat. Wolves currently occupy top spot on goal difference which was largely down to their two terrific home victorys over Sheffield Wednesday which finished 4-1 and their 5-1 rout over Nottingham Forest.

Another surprise is that none of the three new clubs occupy any of the relegation places with Nottingham Forest the lowest out of three in the league in 16th. After Doncasters opening victory at Derby they went on to get 4 points from their next 3 matches.

Outright Betting: With Birmingham winning 3 out of the first 4 fixtures they are justified 10/3 favourties to win the league and judging by their early performances, they should go close. Wolves look good value at 11/2. They eased past their first few league games especially at home and look the team to beat in my opinion. Reading will be thereabouts come the end of the season and the bookies think so too and have priced reading up as third favourties at 7/1 while the new rich boys, QPR are currently 9/1 to win the Championship outright.

Relegation Odds: With both Blackpool and Barnsley not getting particularly good starts the bookies have priced them up as favourites for the drop with Blackpool 5/4 and Barnsley 11/8. The value looks to be with Derby County at 7/1. They are winless in 4 games and have just 1 point to their name. Their performances have been poor and haven’t really looked like winning any of the first 4 fixtures. Burnley lack quality and at 11/4 they look a fair bet for relegation and they should be around the foot of the table come the end of the season.

How we rate each team chances individually.

Barnsley
Players In: Luke Steele, Iain Hume, Roberto Colace, Mounir El Haimour, Darren Moore
Players Out: Paul Reid, Sam Togwell
Key player: Iain Hume
Prediction: 21st Despite making it all the way to the semi-final of the Fa Cup last season they struggled in their domestic campaign and finished 18th. They have a distinct lack of quality especially up front and they will struggle for fire-power in front of goal. We expect them to be around the bottom again this season.

Birmingham
Players In: Lee Carsley, Kevin Phillips, Marcus Bent, Kemy Agustien, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie
Players Out: Adam Lezgdins, Fabrice Muamba, Daniel de Ridder, Olivier Kapo, Sone Aluko
Key Player: Kevin Phillips
Prediction: 2nd They were unfortunate to be relegated last season as they got some decent results in the Premiership. They have kept the basic structure of the team while adding the likes of Everton’s Lee Carsley and West Brom’s Kevin Phillips. They have made a decent start to the season and they should be challenging for the automatic spots this season.

Blackpool
Players In: Matt Gilks, Joe Martin, Alex Babtiste, Steve Kabba, Jermaine Wright, Adam Hammill, David Vaughan, Marlon Broomes, Rob Edwards, Sone Aluko, Alan Gow
Players Out: Marcus Bean, Keigan Parker, Michael Jackson, Wes Hoolahan, Kaspars Gorkss
Key Player: Daniel Nardiello
Prediction: 23rd They did extremely well to avoid any sort of relegation battle come the end of the season but with a lack of quality, we fancy them to have a difficult season this time around. With just 4 points from the first 4 fixtures it doesn’t look too good.

Bristol City
Players In: Nicky Maynard, Gavin Williams, John Akinde
Players Out: Alex Russell, Nick Carle, Darren Byfield, Richard Keogh
Key Player: Nicky Maynard
Prediction: 9th They had a fantastic season last year and were unfortunate in the play-off’s. Once again they have made a great satrt to the season and with 8 points from the first 4 games they currently lye in 4th position and look on course for another good season. They were the surprise team last season but we doubt they will beat that and we fancy them to settle in the top half of the table this time around.

Burnley
Players In:Martin Paterson, Kevin McDonald, Christian Kalvenes, Diego Penny, Remco van der Schaaf, Chris Eagles, Russell Anderson, Steven Thompson
Players Out: John Spicer, Kyle Lafferty, James O’Connor, Jon Harley, Djemba-Djemba, David Unsworth
Key Player: Martin Paterson
Prediction: 22nd Burnley finished in mid-table last term and will be lucky to surive this season in our opinion. Chris Eagles should provide them with creativity while fan will be looking towards Martin paterson for goals this season after they let Kyle Lafferty go to Rangers. With just a single points form the opening fixtures the writing looks on the cards already. They lack quality and look set to face a relegation fight this season.

Cardiff
Players In: Darren Dennehy, Ross McCormack, Mark Kennedy, Jay Bothroyd, Eddie Johnson, Peter Encklemen
Players Out: Aaron Ramsey, David Forde, Warren Feeney, Robbie Fowler, Steven Thompson, Jimmy Flyod-Hasselbaink, Trevor Sinclair
Key Player: Joe Ledley
Prediction: 7th Cardiff somewhat sacrificed their league campaign for a great cup run in the FA Cup which seen them lose 1-0 to Portsmouth in the final. They will be disappointed with the departure of Aaron Ramsey who had a lot of potential and doesn’t seem as if Cardiff have found a replacement. Joe Ledley will be key if they are to push for the play-off’s this season but we think they will just come up short.

Charlton
Players In: Stuart Fleetwood, Martin Cranie, Hameur Bouazza
Players Out: Patrick McCarthy, Darren Randolph, Chris Iwelumo, Marcus Bent, Madjid Bougherra, Osei Sankofa, Sam Sodje, Ben Thatcher, Jerome Thomas, Amdy Faye,
Key Player: Marcus Bent
Prediction: 8th We’re not impressed with their lack of incoming transfers but they do posses some decent players in the final third. I think their season will rely heavily on a good start. If they hit a win less streak then they could start struggling. 6 points from 4 games isn’t the ideal start they would have hoped for and we doubt they will make a claim for one of the play-off spots.

Coventry
Players In: Guillaume Beuzelin, Aron Gunnarsson, Keiren Westwood, Freddy Eastwood, Steven Wright, Clinton Morrison
Players Out: Liam Davis, Julian Gray, Donovan Simmonds
Key Player: Freddy Eastwood
Prediction: 10th They had a poor season last year and were lucky not to go down. A new manager at the helm in Chris Coleman and their new signing Freddy Eastwood could one of the buys of the season. The welsh international is a proven goalscorer at this level and his goals this season will be crucial for Coventry’s ambitions. I don’t think they have the credentials to push for promotion and might have to settle for a mid-table finish.

Crystal palace
Players In: Patrick McCarthy, Johannes Ertl, Darryl Flahavan, Jos Van Nieuwstadt, Jose Fonte, Simon Thomas, Nick Carle, John Oster, Leandre Griffit, Alan Lee
Players Out: Jeff Hughes, Lewis Spencer, Mark Kennedy, John Bostock, Tony Craig, Clinton Morrison, Tom Soares, Dougie Freedman
Key Player: Nick Carle
Prediction: 6th Crystal palace made it to play-off’s last season and we fancy a repeat this season despite their poor start to the season. Neil Warnock has built a decent side at Palace and his side have the ability to push for promotion back to the top flight once again. One negative for me was them letting go of Clinton Morrison to league rivals Coventry. The forward bagged 16 goals in the championship last season and will be missed.

Derby
Players In: Kris Commons, Steve Davies, Nathan Ellington, Paul Connolly, Ruben Zadkovich, Paul Green, Jordan Stewart, Martin Albrechtsen, Liam Dickinson, Przemyslaw Kazmierczak, Rob Hulse
Players Out: Robert Earnshaw, Kenny Miller, Michael Johnson, Lee Holmes, David Jones, Darren Moore, Jason Beardsley, Craig Fagan, Tyron Mears, Eddie Lewis
Key Player: Rob Hulse
Prediction: 12th Despite them dropping down from the premiership we reckon they will have a difficult season. They were the worst ever team to play in the Premiership last season and they haven’t strengthen enough for us to think they will bounce straight back up. Add that to their poor start to the season we reckon they will find things tougher then they first expected in the Championship. Kris Commons and Rob Hulse look decent signings but we’re not too confident of their defence. A tough season ahead predicted which could see the end of Paul Jewell.

Doncaster
Players In:John Spicer, Darren Byfield, Tomi Ameobi, Matthew Mills, Jos van Niewstadt, James Chambers
Players Out: Paul Green, Stephen Roberts, Mark McCammon
Key Player: Darren Byfield
Prediction:19th Doncaster made it into the championship via the play-offs from League one and although they didn’t go up through automatic promotion, we fancy them to do well this season. They have a solid look about them and they could give some of the bigger sides in the league a surprise when they play them. Derby have already found this out when they lsot at home to Doncaster 1-0. Going by their first few performances they should have enough to stay up.

Ipswich
Players In: Pim Balkestein, Gareth McAuley, Kevin Lisbie, Richard Wright, Ivan Campo, Ben Thatcher, Moritz Volz, Johnathan Stead
Players Out: Gavin Williams, Gary Roberts, Nick Colgan
Key Player: Johnathan Walters
Prediction: 3rd Ipswich are a team with a great home record. They were the best home side of last season with just the on defeat at Portman Road. We didn’t think many would beat them at Portman Road this season but with two straight home defeats it has certainly made us concentrate harder. Although they have made apoor start to the season by their own standards, we still fancy them to at least get one of the 4 play-off positions. A distinct lack of transfers into the club is a slight concern but we fancy them to go well and possibly sneak automatic promotion.

Norwich
Players In: Sammy Clingan, Wes Hoolahan, Ryan Bertrand, Dejan Stefanovic, Elliot Omozusi, Arturo Lupoli, David Bell, Stuart Nelson
Players Out: Matt Gliks, Andrew Cave-Brown
Key Player: Arturo Lupoli
Prediction: 14th Norwich finished 17th last season which is unacceptable for a club with their recent history. They lacked goals last season and have brought in some strikers wit h the aim of putting it right this season. However they still lack quality in the midfield and there is a lack of quality creative players in their squad. If they can provide the former Arsenal youngster, Lupoli with regular service then they may go well but they are very incocnsistent and we fancy them to have another poor season.

Nottingham Forest
Players In: Robert Earnshaw, Guy Moussi, Andy Cole, Joe Garner, Paul Anderson, Mickael Darnet, Lee Martin
Players Out: Kris Commons, Matt Lockwood, Alan Power, Sammy Clingan, Grant Holt, Junior Agogo
Key Player: Robert Earnshaw
Prediction: 17th Last seasons League two runners-up Nottingham Forest look to have enough to see off relegation for one season at least. The signing of Robert Earnshaw from Derby County is a massive positive. The welsh international has bags of pace and can score at this level. If Nottingham are to survive then his goals will play a key part. A 5-1 hammering against Wolves won;t go down too nciely with the players but their other 3 performances look good enough for us to think they should settle nicely in the bottom half of table.

Plymouth Argyle
Players In: Jason Puncheon, Karl Duguid, Yala Bolsaie, Graham Stack, Emlie Mpenza, Nicolas Marin, paul Gallagher, Chris Barker, Simon Walton
Players Out: Paul Connolly, Paul Wotton, Najim Abdou, Peter Halmosi
Key Player: Emile Mpenza
Prediction: 15th I live near Plymouth and the fans are not too optimistic about the season ahead. Plymouth have let several of their best players go over the past year with the likes of Ebanks-Blake going to Wolves in January and their most high profile of them all in Peter Halmosi who couldn’t resist the lure of the premiership with Hull City. Emile Mpenza is a fantastic signing for Sturrock and he could be crucial for Plymouth this season. After a decent season last year we fancy them to finish in mid-table this term.

Preston
Players In: Barry Nicholsen, Ross Wallace, Jon Parkin, Stephen Elliott
Players Out: Tamas Priskin
Key Player: Neil Mellor
Prediction: 13th Preston struggled for the majority of last season and spent a lot of the time near the foot of the table. The eventually finished in 15th and with the lack of activity in the transfer market this summer they won’t be too far away from where they finished last season. They have made a great start to the new season though and have 10 points from their first 4 games beating some of the favourites for promotion. Their start to the season is very good but they are a inconsistent side and we doubt they can keep it up throughout the season.

Queens Park Rangers
Players In: Radek Cerny, Peter Ramage, Emmanuel Ledesma, Kaspars Gorkss, Dani Parejo, Samuel Di Carmine
Players Out: Stefan Bailey, Jake Cole, Daniel Nardiello, Zesh Rehman. Simon Walton, Chris Barker
Key Player: Emmanuel Ledesma
Prediction: 4th QPR fans are confident they can win the title this season. With new investors from the world of Formula 1 they have the cash to push for promotion and a minimum of a play-off spot will be expected from the fans. They have brought in a decent keeper in former spurs shot stopper Radek Cerny and Ledesma is a classy winger who can deliver a good ball. The board have already expressed that they aim to be in the premiership within the next couple of season and we think this could be their year but it will take a lot of work.

Reading
Players In: Noel Hunt, Chris Armstrong
Players Out: Adam Bygrave, Ben Hamer, Glenn Little, Dave Kitson, Scott Davies, Ibrahima Sonko
Key Player: Kevin Doyle
Prediction: 5th Despite Reading being relegated from the Premiership they have managed to keep the majority of their best players. Leroy Lite, Steven Hunt and Kevin Doyle have all stayed at the club with their only big departure being Glen little to Portsmouth. They have started fairly well and are in 6th position after 4 games. They have enough quality to regain their premiership status and we expect them to be in the play-off’s come the end of the season.

Sheffield United
Players In: Greg Halford, Sun Jihai, Darius Henderson, Justin Haber, David Cotterill
Players Out: Chris Lucketti, Rob Hulse, Ben Starosta, Luton Shelton, Johnathan Stead, Michael Tonge, Chris Armstrong,
Key Player: James Beattie
Prediction: 11th A disappointing season last term saw them finish in 9th. They are a club expected to push for promotion each season but are very inconsistent. They did well to keep hold of James Beattie who scored 21 league goals last season. Even with Kevin Blackwell at the helm i can’t see them mounting a promotion challenge this season and will have to settle for another average campaign in mid-table.

Sheffield Wednesday
Players In: James O’Connor, Tony McMahon, Jimmy Smith
Players Out: Burten O’brien
Key Player: James O’Connor
Prediction: 24th Sheffield Wednesday seem to struggle each season and were tipped for relegation last season. They do lack fire-power in front of goal and with no recognised signings they will be in for another difficult campaign and a dogfight at the foot of the table looks inevitable.

Southampton
Players In: Chris Perry, Lee Holmes, Paul Wotton, Tommy Forecast, Morgan Schneiderlin, Anthony Pulis, Jack Cork
Players Out: Cedric Baseya, Andrew Davis
Key Player: Bradley Wright-Phillips
Prediction: 20th Another former Premiership club on the decline. After their stint in the top flight they have seriously struggled for results in the championships and were very fortunate not to go down last season and their survival went down to the last day of the season which saw Leicester take their place in the last relegation spot. A team who lack goals and confidence and if they get off to a bad start, their could be no way back for the Saints.

Swansea
Players In: Ashley Williams, Mark Gower, Federico Bessone, Albert Serran, Fabien Brandy, Stefan Morrision
Players Out: Kevin Austin, Kevin Amankwaah, Darryl Duffy, Darren Way
Key Player: Jason Scotland
Prediction: 18th Last season League one champions will be hoping to avoid a relegation fight but with a lack of depth within the squad they could have one on their hands. Despite manager Martinez making some signings over the summer they do lack a potent striker and could struggle somewhat for goals. Going on their first couple of performances they should have enough to pull off survival though.

Watford
Players In: Jon Harley
Players Out: Nathan Ellington, Jordan Stewart, Toumani Diagoura, Steve Kabba, Darius Henderson, Moses Ashikodi, Danni Shittu
Key Player: Tommy Smith
Prediction: 16th After a great start to last season which seen them top of the league at Christmas, they fell off the pace and only just managed to get the last play-off spot. They went out at the first hurdle to eventual play-off winners Hull City. Their does seem to be cash problems at the club also with Boothroyd being forced to sell several key players with Nathan Ellington, Steve Kabba and Darius Henderson all departing the club. With very little coming into the club they look in trouble. They are widely tipped to struggle this season and we reckon they will finish 10 places behind their position last season in 16th.

Wolves
Players In: Sam Vokes, Richard Stearman, David Jones, Chris Iwelumo, Matthew Hill
Players Out: Freddy Eastwood, Matt Bailey, Seyi Olofinjana, Elliott Bennett, Lee Collins, Jay Bothroyd, Charles Mulgrew
Key Player: Michael Kightly
Prediction: 1st Manager Mick McCarthy has made some decent signings over the summer in a bid to improve on last seasons finish of 7th. Wolves had a disappointing season last term and were fancied to at least get a play-off spot. Welsh international Sam Vokes looks a decent proposition for the future while Chris Iwelumo should be what they need to get the goals to push them higher up the league. They have made the best start to the season out of any of the championship clubs and with them currently in first place, we fancy them to remain their aslong as they keep up the good performances.