Who knew & what the media predicts

As I listen to the Burnley v Bolton fixture on the radio, who knew that it was the same opening fixture last year and both teams were part of the twelve that set up the Football League 120+ years ago.

But more importantly what is it predicted that your team will do this season....

The Championship has the reputation as one of the most difficult and gruelling leagues to escape from and this season is likely to be exactly the same.

Just 14 points separated the play-offs and relegation zone in the table last year so as usual the vast majority of clubs will feel that a good run could see them affect the promotion picture.

There are some exciting new additions in Bournemouth and Yeovil plus those coming down including FA Cup holders Wigan.

Most like champions

Queens Park Rangers have been installed as early title favourites and you can see why. Harry Redknapp has trimmed the squad by letting high-earners Djibril Cisse, Jose Bosingwa and Christopher Samba go and brought in some experienced names in - Richard Dunne, Karl Henry and Danny Simpson - as he seeks a hard-working team rather than a group of individuals.

Reading Nigel Adkins has had success with Southampton in the Championship so expect the Royals to be up there challenging.

As well as those two, Watford fans will be expecting big things. Having just missed out on promotion by losing in extra-time of the play-off final, Gianfranco Zola has made over 10 signings including eight free transfers from Udinese and they will be a real force again.

Promotion chasers

It is hard to know where to start as there are so many teams who will feel they could go up. Recent Premier League sides in Wigan, Blackburn and Bolton could all be in contention, especially the latter after their strong run towards the end of the last campaign. The Europa League could prove to be a distraction for Wigan as games could pile.

 Elsewhere Nottingham Forest and Brighton will expect to be up the right end of the table again while Brian McDermott will be hoping to guide Leeds back to the big time in his first full season in charge. Leicester are also another club who are always a threat having finished in the top 10 ever since promotion back to the Championship four years ago

Relegation battlers

New-boys Yeovil are probably going to be underdogs in nearly every game this season and most will expect them to go straight back down. Elsewhere Burnley and Blackpool continue to struggle financially and with star players Charlie Austin and Matt Phillips respectively looking to be on the way out it could be a tough season for them.  Freshly-promoted Doncaster haven’t really added to their squad and have an inexperienced manager in Paul Dickov while Millwall and Barnsley are expected to be fighting down the wrong end again.

Odds for relegation from three bookies..... but what do they know.

	odds for relegation
Yeovil Town	2.5	2.1	1.91
Doncaster Rovers	3.35	3	2.5
Barnsley	7.8	3.5	3.5
Millwall	4.8	4	3.5
Blackpool	12	4	4
Burnley	9.2	4	4.5
Huddersfield Town	7	4	4
Sheffield Wednesday	8.8	5.5	6.5
Charlton Athletic	15	6.5	7
Birmingham City	15	9	7
Middlesbrough	4.2	9	10
Derby County	8.4	10	11
Bournemouth	3.6	10	11
Blackburn Rovers	8.8	11	15
Ipswich Town	12.5	13	11
Leeds United	7	15	15
Brighton and Hove A	30	21	15
Wigan Athletic	100	26	26
Watford	19	21	21
Nottingham Forest	11	26	34
Bolton Wanderers	24	34	41
Queens Park Rangers	22	41	29
Reading	32	34	41
Leicester City	10	41	41