The Championship 07/08, part 1
Excitement is growing. Pre-season is winding down. The new season is just around the corner. And The Championship is the place to be.
Well, quite clearly, it isn’t. Everyone in The Championship has one eye on the prize but, newly patronised, The Championship always delivers passion, surprises, and surprising amounts of skill. Everyone can generally beat everyone else, and often do, with excitement rarely at a premium.
So, with 2 weeks until the opener (because these things take time, y’know), here’s a countdown of all of the runners and riders, the movers and shakers, and the wingers and strikers the Championship has to offer. Enjoy…
Barnsley
Last year: 20th
Prediction: Another struggle is likely this year, after losing 9-goal Daniel Nardiello to QPR and the club’s longest serving player, Antony Kay. At times they were woefully naïve last time around, shipping 4 goals or more on their travels a scary six times, culminating in a 7-0 tonking at the hands of the Baggies. It was only the fact that Leeds were quite so inept that Barnsley aren’t in League 1, so inexperienced manager Simon Davey must be looking to tighten his defence. Goals also didn’t come easily, though a full season for István Ferenczi should go some way to alleviating that pain, especially if either of the unknowns that are Miguel Mostto or Kayode Odejayi come off. Faced with little money, the outlay on Mostto in particular needs to be repaid, while Kozluk and Ricketts are both solid Championship players, if little more. Organisation and a keen work ethic seem to be the watchwords for 07/08.
Key player: Paul Reid – the captain has to marshal the defence better this year
One to watch: Miguel Mostto – The biggest Barnsley price tag since Neil Shipperley in 1999, the Peruvian must make good on Davey’s confidence in him
Blackpool
Last year: 3rd (League One), Playoff winners
Prediction: The Tangerines will be looking just to survive after their promotion at the expense of Yeovil last year. While there haven’t been any big signings, and their squad is filled with little-known names, Blackpool can at least count on their strikers to earn them some points. Both Andy Morrell and Keigan Parker scored over 15 goals last year, and have formed a handy partnership. Morrell in particular will be aiming to prove himself, following an unconvincing spell in the Championship with Coventry. The real star of the show is manager Simon Grayson though. Since his retirement from playing, he has turned a struggling team of battlers into a free-flowing, ten-game-in-a-row winning side, notching up two manager of the month gongs on the way. While budgets are tight, and Grayson may be set for bigger things, ‘Pool may well surprise more than a few established teams this year.
Key player: Andy Morrell – needs to convert League One dominance into a solid Championship season. Double figures is essential
One to watch: Wes Hoolahan – the young winger will need to get over the legal wrangling of his move from Livingston to show again the form that made him part of the League One team of the year
Bristol City
Last year: 2nd (League one)
Prediction: Another team looking to its inspirational manager, Bristol City will need lots of luck and graft to avoid a relegation nailbiter this season. 2007-08 will be the first season in almost a decade that has seen Bristol City playing at this level of English football, and there has (in the past) been a reason for that – inconsistency. While players like Enoch Showunmi, Steve Brooker and Louis Carey are all solid pros, none could be said to have the sparkle needed to separate League One and Championship. For that very reason, the dual signings of Ivan Sproule and Michael McIndoe are already under pressure. McIndoe has already shown promise during his time at Wolves, though Sproule’s capture raised eyebrows among the Robins faithful. City fans keep high hopes for Cole Skuse and, particularly, Richard Keogh, two young defenders who have already caught the eye of rival scouts.
Key player: Michael McIndoe – excellent left foot helped Wolves to the playoffs last year: his departure was a shock
One to watch: Richard Keogh is a 20 year old with 40 games under his belt last year, and has already captained the Republic’s U21’s
Burnley
Last year: 15th
Prediction: Dark horses early on in last year, Burnley tailed off in mid-table mediocrity by the end of the season. While Steve Cotterill’s men are guilty of some terrible inconsistency, the squad has been trimmed and trained into a handy Championship side. There should be no worry of relegation this year. Up front, Andy Gray and Robbie Blake are both tricky goalscorers, while highly-rated youngsters Kyle Lafferty and Besart Berisha should provide support. The defence has been bolstered since Steven Caldwell’s recruitment, though the midfield still looks light on quality. Joey Gudjonssen has slipped slowly down the leagues as his career has continued, while the same could be said for Alan Mahon.
Key player: Returning hero Robbie Blake should fire the goals to keep Burnley midtable
One to watch: Besart Berisha is an upstart Albanian with true quality
