prediction

With SportingBet running their Champions League Predictor game for the new season, now is the time to make the most of your Champions League betting and prediction skills. With the popular online bookmaker, if you can correctly predict the outcome of all sixteen matches on a given Match Day, then you will win yourself a nice £10,000. You gain entry into the SportingBet Champions League Predictor by simply making a £10 bet on their great sports book, and you will be given a free entry. Add to this a generous welcome offer of a free £25 bet on a new account, you can really hit the jackpot with SportingBet and Champions League football. Need help deciding the outcome of the matches? Here is our guide to help you along in your quest.

Group A

FC Twente v Inter Milan

The defending champions Inter Milan kick off the defence of their title away to FC Twente of the Netherlands. Twente came from nowhere and shocked the establishment in Dutch football last year when they won the Eredivise. That was the first time they had won the domestic title, and it secured their unexpected place amongst Europe’s elite in the Champions League this year. Being newcomers to the top stage in European club football, Twente look, to some degree to be making up the numbers in Group A. Scour Dutch newspapers and sports feeds and you will see that there they are expected to be heavy underdogs in the group, and especially against the illustrious team that Rafa Benitez can field for Inter Milan. Tests don’t get much tougher than meeting the European Champions in your first ever Champions League match, but, with the Dutch side being at home, you can expect plenty of spirit and a lot of that underdog passion to shine through. Twente have gotten off to an OK start again this year in their domestic league, sitting third with their most notable stat showing that they have only conceded one goal in their five league games. As for Inter Milan, they have lost their most important part, Jose Mourinho, to be replaced by former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez. Inter are not expected to come close again to winning the tournament this year, and you can see that in Champions League betting. They have won one and drawn one in their first two league games so far, and while they will be expected to get out of the group, they may not have it all their own way. They won’t be as defensively sound as last year, adding some vulnerability to their results. They probably don’t have enough in the tank to win the tournament, but they should get off to a good start here, but it won’t be easy at all. Twente will come at them with pace, not something Inter is particularly well built to deal with, but they have enough quality individuals to battle through.
FC Twente to win: 7/2 at Bet365
Draw: 5/2 at SkyBet
Inter Milan to win: 10/11 at BetFred

Werder Bremen v Tottenham

Tough start to their first Champions League venture for Tottenham. Werder Bremen at home is not an easy place to go to, and with Jermain Defoe and Michael Dawson, and awaiting full fitness of Luka Modric, Spurs are up against it. They need to play a very smart defensive game and not get carried away by the emotion of the night. Read our full Werder Bremen v Tottenham betting review here:
Werder Bremen to win: 5/4 at Paddy Power
Draw: 5/2 at Totesport
Tottenham to win: 11/4 at SkyBet

Group B

Lyon v Schalke

This seems as if it will be one of the more entertaining matches of Match Day one and a close contest. Lyon have a great history in the Champions League and came close again to glory last year when they reached the semi finals. They are wonderfully hard working and diligent team, and enjoy causing upsets in the Champions League. They got the better of Real Madrid in the first knockout stage last year to progress, and that is how much of a force they can be when they get it right on the night. As for German teams, you can generally back them to put in a good performance in the Champions League. Schalke made it to the quarter finals in 2007/08 but didn’t get through qualification last year to enter the Champions League proper. They did pick up Dutch striker Klass-Jan Huntelaar to boost their forwards, and he will likely be a threat during the tournament. These two teams look fairly evenly matched as both have gotten off to pretty poor starts to their new domestic seasons. Schalke have lost all three of their opening Bundesliga matches, while Lyon have picked up just one win from five matches (with two drawn). A draw here would not be too much of a surprise, but if you are looking for a winner, Lyon generally have a habit of sneaking matches by the odd goal in the Champions League. Both of these teams should be front runners to qualify from Group B.
Lyon to win: Evens at Totesport
Draw: 5/2 at Stan James
Schalke to win: 10/3 at Ladbrokes

Benfica v Hapoel Tel-Aviv

Another fresh face in the Champions League this year, Hapoel are only the third team from Israel to take part in the competition. They are one of five clubs making their Champions League debut, and that lack of experience will naturally be some kind of hindrance to them in the long run. Portuguese opponents Benfica on the other hand, have had plenty of cracks of the Champions League whip and their best effort in the competition came back in 2005/06 when they reached the quarter finals. Neither team are expected to be much of a threat, and in a group with Lyon and Schalke, if either get into the knockout stages it will be something of a surprise. Benfica will have the best chance of doing so though, and you can expect them to edge this one, even though they are another team which is having a poor start to the season. In the Portuguese league, they have won just one of their opening four matches. Hapoel did come through qualification quite well, helped nicely along by Mahran Lala who hit three goals in four matches. They could cause an upset, but being away from home will make things all that much more difficult for them.
Benfica to win: 4/9 at Paddy Power
Draw: 7/2 at Boylesports
Hapoel Tel Aviv to win: 8/1 at Ladbrokes

Group C

Bursaspor v Valencia

What do we know about Bursaspor for our Champions League betting? Well, the Turkish side are one of the debutant sides in the competition this year, and they have an interesting opening against Italian side Valencia. To back up their efforts of getting into the Champions League, they have climbed straight back to the top of their domestic league, with four wins out of four for the new season. They have also only conceded one goal in those matches. Turkish sides are usually quite physical and like a good midfield battle, but then at the flick of a switch pull out some wonderful creative move. This should be a good match, especially with the fanatic home crowd pulling out the stops. Valencia though, look to be a good quality side, and could be one of the dark horses of the tournament. They have won their opening two matches in Spain’s La Liga, and really gave a great account of themselves last year in the tough league. Don’t forget, Valencia reached two Champions League finals back in 2000 and 2001 and there is a lot of belief that they can make and impact here. They will be favourites to qualify from Group C which also houses Manchester United and Rangers, and they could give teams a big headache. Not the easiest of starts because of the enthusiasm of the Turks, but nonetheless, you have to look towards them to run out as winners here, however uncomfortable if they are going to stand up and be counted.
Bursaspor to win: 9/4 at Ladbrokes
Draw: 9/4 at Bet365
Valencia to win: 6/4 at Paddy Power

Manchester United v Rangers

A nice Battle of Britain scenario to get the Champions League underway this year. Scottish champions Rangers head south with the formidable task of trying to unseat Manchester United at Old Trafford. United though are showing defensive frailties at the moment, failing to kill of games. Is this the right time for Rangers to cause a major Champions League shock? Read our full Manchester United v Rangers preview here
Manchester United to win: 1/5 at Boylesports
Draw: 6/1 at Bet365
Rangers to win: 18/1 at Totesport

Group D

Barcelona v Panathinaikos

Here come the mighty Catalans Barcelona, now with the added factor of Spain’s goal machine David Villa playing up front for them. But wait, in their opening La Liga fixture, Josep Guardiola saw his side defeated at the Nou Camp by two goals to nil by Hercules. That was the big shock of the football betting weekend as Barcelona, pre tournament favourites to win the Champions League will have been rocked by that. Quite where that came from, Barcelona fans will be left wondering. Barca were expected to deliver the goods last year in the Champions League, but they found Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan just too much of a defensive stalwart to break down. The pressure is always on them to deliver, and now with Mourinho at rivals Real Madrid, the two Spanish clubs are expected to press hard for European glory here. They still have a squad which is an embarrassment of riches, and they will make for a sensible Champions League bet as outright winners. When you field Lionel Messi, David Villa, Xavi, Iniesta and co, then you are always in with a chance. Barca also picked up Javier Mascherano from Liverpool and really once they start clicking again and getting momentum, they will hard to take down. They fire off this new campaign against Panathinaikos who are just two matches into their new domestic season, and remain unbeaten there. The Greeks are one of those teams which pretty much continuously just grace the group stages of the competition, and they never look as if they have enough quality to really threaten the top sides. They could face a bit of a Barca backlash after that shock defeat, and anything less than a comfortable pick up of maximum points for Barcelona, really would be an even bigger shock than the La Liga loss. They have a lot to prove and need to come out firing.
Barcelona to win: 1/7 at Bet365
Draw: 8/1 at Stan James
Panathinaikos to win: 20/1 at SkyBet

FC Copenhagen v Rubin Kazan

This is quite an interesting match, from the point of view of who should finish second in the group behind Barcelona. Copenhagen make their Champions League return after four years out, and they could be quite a handful if their league form are anything to go by. They are strong leaders at the top of the Danish league, and while the Danish league may trigger raised eyebrows over the quality levels, they are full of optimism and see this match as a massive chance to take out one of the strongest competitors in the group. Rubin Kazan caused a shock in last year’s Champions League when they beat Barcelona at the Nou Camp, and held Inter Milan to a draw as well. They looked to be a breath of fresh air, but they couldn’t hold everything together in the end, and the Russian champions finished third behind Barca and Inter. Now they are paired back with Barcelona in Group D, and while we await that rematch, they should be the stronger force in this match, and should be able to build on their experience of last year. Rubin Kazan themselves appear confident of getting a draw out of this match, at the very least, and will be worth looking at if you want to edge a winner. However, this looks as if it will end up in some form of parity, as Rubin drew three of their group matches last year. Neither team will have enough of a cutting edge to threaten if they make it through to the knockout stages, but realistically, behind Barcelona, you would tip the Russians to take that spot.
FC Copenhagen to win: 7/4 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 23/10 at Stan James
Rubin Kazan to win: 9/5 at Boylesports

Espanyol v Barcelona

This will be the last Catalan derby to be played in the old Olympic stadium up on Montjuic before Espanyol, (in theory) move to there shiny new stadium on the outskirts of the city, so I’d imagine everyone at the club will be extra keen to avoid defeat this weekend. The recent form book doesn’t look too bad either, indeed they won the corresponding fixture last year 3-1.  This season Espanyol have made a decent start W2, D1, L1 but have found scoring goals hard to come by scoring 3, conceding 3. Saturday they are also expecting to be without 5 first team players including new boy Steve Finnan.

Barcelona on the other hand started the season badly but have had a good week thanks to an easy trip to poor Gijon and a narrow win Wednesday night against Betis. That said all is not quite as it should be at Camp Nou and they are leaking goals at the back, failing to keep a clean sheet so far this season. 

Prediction: I expect a tight game but think Espanyol will be worthy of a  1-1  Draw

Sporting Gijon v Villareal

Sporting Gijon have started the season like there looking to set some sort of record, I’m beginning to feel sorry for them already! True the fixtures list has been particularly unkind to them but leaking 19 goals in 4 games with 0 points tells it’s own story. At the same time they face a team that look intent on proving that last season was no fluke. Admittedly Villareal haven’t played any of the current top ten but notching up 3 wins and 1 draw plus an impressive point away at Man U in the Champions League would suggest that Villareal mean business again this season. An obvious choice maybe but I think 8/13 at Paddypower actually offers reasonable value for 2nd v bottom and I just can’t see how a confidence shot Gijon will be able to get any kind of a result Saturday evening.

Prediction; Gijon 1-2 Villareal

Valencia v Deportivo La Coruna

Despite a turbulent summer Valencia have surprised many by starting the season in fine form, 3 wins and 1 Draw which came away versus the spirited Almeria. In David Villa they have a prolific goal scorer and in midfielder Juanma Mata is catching the eye. La Coruna on the other hand are not looking convincing at all, they’ve marked up just one win, (away at Real Madrid surprisingly) 2 draws and 1 defeat, plus a less than impressive 2-0 lose in the Uefa cup away to Brann in Norway. Also cause for concern is there distinct lack of goals, 2 all season. Valencia will be looking to extend there lead at the top and I can’t see Deportivo causing them too many problems.

Prediction: Valencia 2 – 0 Deportivo La Coruna

Folks,

Welcome to my post, I am to deliver previews of the biggest European games each weekend as well as in-depth analysis of how to make you money. I have an accurate strategy which aims to minimize risk and utilise a spread betting systemhealthy return which should still guarantee an .

I am based in the UK but have contacts in Scotland, Spain and Italy meaning an up-to-date insight of European Football. My picks this weekend will focus on teams on the road, therefore better odds on top teams, when teams are playing away they are quite unpredictable, but if you bet across numerous leagues picking big teams then the risk is lessened.

The English Premiership drums up some very interesting fixtures this weekend.

As an avid Liverpool fan, I have to discuss the Merseyside Derby. Liverpool were uninventive against Stoke and lazy against Crewe yet they still remain undefeated in the league. How £40 million pounds worth of strikers haven’t clicked yet, I do not know, it drives me up the walls without being too bias. This match is always fiery and produces goals, it’s maybe Robbie Keanes time to step up to the plate and produce the goods. Im sticking my neck on the line and going for an away win, Everton are scoring goals with Cahill getting back to form but their defence is hardly water tight at the moment.

Back Liverpool, odds (6/5).(Bet Direct/Skybet/Stan James)

Newcastle are on a downward spirral at the moment, the talk of El Tel taking over will also not bear will with the faithful Geordies. The talks with a Nigerian consurtium are also promising, the sooner Mike Ashley moves on the better. They need stability, security, and patience. Whether King Kev returns or not, the new manager should be given sufficient time and money, but this weekend I feel spells more doom and gloom, even Tottenham beat Newcastle this week!! Blackburn to edge this one just.

Back Blackburn, odds (2/1)(Ladbrokes)

My other picks for this weekend in the Premiership are Chelsea (2/5) Bet 365) to easily overturn Stoke, and Man City (7/5) Ladbrokes) (Goal Machines) to overturn Wigan in a game that will produce a lot of drama.

The Scottish divisions are a speciality of mine, I have lived in Edinburgh for three years and the Scottish people are very passionate about their football. I have learnt a lot from uber enthusiam regarding the beautiful game, fitba as they call it.

My Scottish banker this weekend is – Rangers.

Rangers to come to Edinburgh and take all three points against Hibs. Rangers only have the league to play for this year, and Hibs are just getting over a somewhat sticky start. ( Back Rangers 8/11 (Bet 365)

Across Europe we also have some interesting teams on the road. All three teams have performed comfortably well on the road recently, both Barca and Madrid hammered the helpless Sporting Gijon, so I feel Villareal will comfortably follow suit. I can’t help but add Real Madrid and Barcelona to my coupons, they have superstars thoughout their team and are arguably world beaters on their day. Just be careful to mix your away selections accordingly picking one or two teams from each league, reducing the risk.

Villareal vs Sporting Gijon.(4/6 Ladbrokes)

Barcelona vs Espanyol. (17/20 Centrebet)

Real Madrid vs Betis. (9/10 Betdirect)

Apologies I have recently fractured my thumb and typing is frustrating at the moment, anyway best of luck this weekend, and don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions!!

Gerard

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.