The Championship Season 2012/13 Preview
Part 1: Barnsley - Brighton
by Colin Cowan
Barnsley
In: Mido (Zamalek, Free), Ben Alnwick (Tottenham Hotspur, Free), Toni Silva (Liverpool, Free ), Tomasz Cywka (Reading, Free), Kelvin Etuhu (Portsmouth, Free), Jacob Mellis (Chelsea, Free) Lee Collins (Port Vale, Undisclosed)
Out: David Cotterill (Doncaster Rovers, Free), Nathan Doyle (Bradford City, Free), Andy Gray (Leeds United, Free), Jay McEveley (Swindon Town, Free), Jacob Butterfield (Norwich City, Undisclosed), David Preece (Released), Alistair Taylor (Released)
Key Player: Mido
Final League Position Last Year: 21st
After another season of securing their Championship safety, Barnsley have had a busy summer. This started with the signing of ex Tottenham Hotspur striker Mido. This surprised many people, especially as Mido has only ever played in the Premiership in England. Alongside Mido, manager Keith Hill has brought in Ben Alnwick, Tomasz Cywka and Kelvin Etuhu. These are all good Championship signings but I feel that Barnsley will not have enough to stay in the Championship and this year will be a struggle for them.
My Prediction: 24th (RELEGATED)
Out: David Cotterill (Doncaster Rovers, Free), Nathan Doyle (Bradford City, Free), Andy Gray (Leeds United, Free), Jay McEveley (Swindon Town, Free), Jacob Butterfield (Norwich City, Undisclosed), David Preece (Released), Alistair Taylor (Released)
Key Player: Mido
Final League Position Last Year: 21st
After another season of securing their Championship safety, Barnsley have had a busy summer. This started with the signing of ex Tottenham Hotspur striker Mido. This surprised many people, especially as Mido has only ever played in the Premiership in England. Alongside Mido, manager Keith Hill has brought in Ben Alnwick, Tomasz Cywka and Kelvin Etuhu. These are all good Championship signings but I feel that Barnsley will not have enough to stay in the Championship and this year will be a struggle for them.
My Prediction: 24th (RELEGATED)
Mido: Adding a bit of weight to the Barnsley forward line.
Birmingham City
In: Darren Ambrose (Crystal Palace, Undisclosed), Haden Mullins (Portsmouth, Free), Peter Løvenkrands (Newcastle, Free), David Lucas (Rochdale, Free), Ravel Morrison (West Ham, Loan), Ben Gordon (Chelsea, Loan)
Out: Ben Foster (West Brom, Undisclosed), Jordan Mutch (Cardiff, Undisclosed), Fraser Kerr (Motherwell, Loan)
Key Player: Jack Butland
Final League Position Last Year: 4th
After narrowly missing out on promotion last year, Birmingham will be looking to bounce back this season and claim one of the automatic promotion places. New manager Lee Clarke has had a busy summer and has brought in some key players. The signing of Darren Ambrose is one that shocked most of the Championship. He may be the difference this season between a playoff play and automatic promotion.
My Prediction: 2nd (Promoted)
Blackburn Rovers
In: Danny Murphy (Fulham, Free), Leon Best (Newcastle United, 3million), Nuno Gomes (Braga, Free), Fabio Nunes (Portimonense S.C, Undisclosed), Paulo Jorge (FC Porto B, Undisclosed), Edinho Junior (Olhanense, Undisclosed), Dickson Etuhu (Fulham, Undisclosed), Colin Kazim-Richards (Galatasaray, Loan)
Out: Yakubu (Guangzhou R&F, Undisclosed), Junior Hoilett (QPR, Free (compensation to be awarded), Matthew Pearson (Rochdale, Free), Jackson Ramm (Colchester, Free), Michel Salgado (Released), Vince Grella (Released), Zac Aley (Released), Jamie MacLaren (Released), Hérold Goulon (Released), Jordan Slew (Oldham, Loan), Nick Blackman (Sheffield United, Undisclosed)
Key Player: David Dunn
Final League Position Last Year: 19th (Premier League, Relegated)
After a season of disappointment last year, Blackburn Rovers are back in the Championship. Steve Kean’s side have had a lot of change this summer with a few key players leaving, such as Yakubu. They have however also brought in a number of players. The most surprising being Danny Murphy arriving from Fulham on a free transfer. They do however lack firepower up front and that is why I can see them struggling to make it back to the Premiership at the first attempt.
My Prediction: 8th
Blackpool
In: Jake Caprice (Crystal Palace, Free), Scott Robertson (Dundee United, Free), Tiago Gomes (Hercules, Free), Isaiah Osbourne (Hibernian, Undisclosed)
Out: Keith Southern (Huddersfield, Free)
Key Player: Matt Phillips
Final League Position Last Year: 5th
After a great season last year, Blackpool narrowly missed out on a return to the Premiership after the loss to West Ham in the Play Off final. They have had a relatively quiet summer, but have managed to hold on to key players such as Matt Phillips and Kevin Phillips. Those pair will need to be on top form if the Seasiders are to have a chance of making it into the play offs. I see them finishing just outside the play off places.
My Prediction: 7th
Bolton Wanderers
In: Keith Andrews (West Brom, Free), Matt Mills (Leicester, Undisclosed), Joe McKee (Burnley, Free), Andy Lonergan (Leeds United, Undisclosed)
Out: Ricardo Gardener (Released), Gretar Steinsson (Released), Ivan Klasnic (Released), Nigel Reo-Coker (Released), Paul Robinson (Released), Sean Davis (Released), Robbie Blake (Doncaster, Free), Mark Connolly (Crawley, Free), Tope Obadeyi (Rio Ave, Free), Rhys Bennett (Rochdale, Free), Dino Fazlic (Released), Tom Eckersley (Accrington Stanley, Free), Jussi Jääskeläinen (West Ham United, Free)
Key Player: Martin Petrov
Final League Position Last Year: 18th (Premier League, Relegated)
Bolton are back in the Championship after a number of years in the Premiership. They have managed to keep the core of their team from last season. They have also added Keith Andrews, who will shine in the Championship this season. Because of the strength of their side, along with manager Owen Coyle, Bolton have a great chance of bouncing back at the first attempt.
My Prediction: 3rd
Bolton's Petrov feeling the pain of relegation with the Trotters.
Brighton and Hove Albion
In: Tomasz Kuszczak (Man United, Free), Wayne Bridge (Chelsea, Loan), Bruno Saltor Grau (Valencia, Free), Andrew Crofts (Norwich, Undisclosed)
Out: David González (Released), Michael Poke (Torquay, Free), Alan Navarro (Swindon, Free), Jake Forster-Caskey (Oxford, Loan), Yaser Kasim (Luton, Loan), Grant Hall (Tottenham Hotspur, Free), Tommy Elphick (Bournemouth, Undisclosed)
Key Player: Tomasz Kuszczak
Final League Position Last Year: 10th
After a good first season back in the Championship last year, Brighton will be hoping that they can make that extra push on this season and sneak into the play offs for a shot at making it into the Premiership. Gus Poyet has made some very good signings this summer. The purchase of Tomasz Kuszczak shows the ambition he has for the season ahead. I feel that they will have a good season. The only problem they may have is that apart from Craig Mackail-Smith, they don’t have much to offer upfront. I can still see them making it into the play offs this season.
My Prediction: 6th
Part Two - Bristol City - Derby County Part Three - Huddersfield - Middlesbrough
Part Four - Millwall - Wolves
Part Four - Millwall - Wolves
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