The Championship will be as keenly contested as ever once the new season kicks off on Friday, and there are several former Premier League big boys with reasons to be optimistic.
Firmly in the picture for the first time in many years are Nottingham Forest. The Reds have been more likely to experience a relegation battle than reach for the top in recent years but finally there are reasons to be optimistic about a return to the top flight for the first time in almost two decades.
It’s an obvious comparison to make but there is a little of the Wolverhampton Wanderers of this time last season about Forest, given their transfer dealings this summer.
With more than 20,000 season tickets sold – a figure that was often a struggle to reach in home fixtures last year – Reds fans certainly sense something positive could be around the corner.
A Portuguese invasion has arrived in the East Midlands, with the impressive captures of Joao Carvalho, Diogo Goncalves and Gil Dias. Carvalho, in particular, is an exciting one. Could he be this year’s Jota? Playing in a free role off the striker, he has the ability to pick opposition defences apart with his passing, while the Goncalves and Dias offer genuine pace.
In Aitor Karanka, Forest have a manager who knows what it takes to achieve promotion from this level, having done so in 2016 with Middlesbrough. Then, he relied on a strong defence, so as much as Forest expect flair and goals – Lewis Grabban is the headline capture expected to deliver those - Karanka will name experience at the back in the returning Michael Dawson and Danny Fox. Young hope Joe Worrall will have to be patient.
Forest’s fierce rivals Derby County – who kick the new campaign off with a trip to Reading on Friday night – will be desperate to win the bragging rights over their neighbours, but there is more of an unknown about the Rams than for many a season.
The perennial play-off losers have given England and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard his first managerial job, which has created plenty of intrigue. With budgets supposedly cut, and a team with plenty of failures behind them, it could be a frustrating year for County. Certainly, patience will surely be needed – though given the excellent backing of a passionate fan base, allied with the promise of Tom Lawrence and new boys Jack Marriott, Mason Mount and Harry Wilson, it could ultimately still end in another play-off place.
Gary Rowett was the latest Derby manager to fall at the final hurdle, before jumping ship to Stoke City, where he must fancy his chances of reaching the Premier League. The Potters – back in the second tier for the first time in a decade – are certainly among the pre-season favourites.
Impressively they have kept a large part of their squad together, including stellar Premier League performers in the experienced Ryan Shawcross, Joe Allen and – for now at least – Peter Crouch. In Thomas Ince and James McLean they have added wingers with plenty of attacking threat at this level. Rowett knows this division inside out and has put together a rather mean looking first eleven, rightly making the Potters the bookies’ early favourites.
Swansea City and West Brom were relegated alongside Stoke in May, but their prospects are harder to judge.
The Baggies gave Darren Moore the permanent job after he performed so admirably in vain at the end of last season and he has taken a pragmatic approach to pre-season. Targeting young, hungry players – and aiming for those with proven form in the Championship – Moore wants to mould a side in his image. That is one with the determination to do their best for the club. But he has work to do in the transfer market. They will be functional and compete, but at present lack the spark to deliver promotion just yet.
Swansea have yet another new manager. An unknown in English football –- at least in coaching terms – in Graham Potter he may be limited in the transfer market. The Swans are unlikely to feature in the hunt, especially having lost their three undoubted stars in Lukasz Fabianksi, to West Ham, Andre Ayew, to Fenerbahce, and, as appears likely, Alfie Mawson to Fulham. The capture of Joel Asoro from Sunderland doesn’t quite make up for that.
Leeds United and Aston Villa fans will once again hope this is the year they return to the big time. It has been a troubling summer for the Villains, with fears of liquidation, a manager in Steve Bruce who appeared to be on his way out, and the likely sale of star man Jack Grealish. But Bruce remains, has dug his heels in to keep key defender James Chester and has plenty of nous at the level. He will have Villa fighting again.
For Leeds? Who knows? Marcelo Bielsa is quite the capture for a Championship club. The squad at present lacks depth but he has the ability to bring the best from them given his exceptional pedigree. Many have tried and failed but, quietly optimism, has returned to Elland Road.
And, while Tony Pulis remains at Middlesbrough, they will always have a fighting chance.
