BARNSLEY
The Tykes - Oakwell, Grove Street, Barnsley, S71 1ET. Capacity 23,009
Last season: 17th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 1997-98
Manager: Keith Hill (since June 2011)
Players In: Scott Wiseman, Jim McNulty, Craig Davies, Rob Edwards, Miles Addison, David Perkins
Players Out: Kern Miller, Liam Dickinson, Jason Shackell, Steven Bennett, Matt Hill, Conor Branson, Danny Fearnehough, Martin Devaney, Hugo Colace
Pre-season form: After getting off to a false start at Hibernian with that match postponed for a waterlogged pitch, Barnsley have enjoyed an impressive pre-season with plenty of goals and four wins out of four against Hartlepool United (3-0), Grimsby Town (5-1), Sheffield Wednesday (2-0) and Scunthorpe United (5-0).
Prediction: 17th
Barnsley and Keith Hill seem to have been made for each other. Previous manager Mark Robins resigned complaining about the Tykes' financial constraints but Hill has battled against the odds successfully at Rochdale and should squeeze out every last effort again at Oakwell.
BIRMINGHAM CITY
The Blues - St Andrews, Birmingham, B9 4RL. Capacity 30,016
Last season: 18th (relegated from the Premier League), FA Cup Quarter finals, League Cup Winners
Most recent top flight season: 2010-11
Manager: Chris Hughton (since June 2011)
Players In: Marlon King, Steven Caldwell, Chris Burke, Adam Rooney, Morgaro Gomis, Jonathan Spector, Boaz Myhill
Players Out: Ben Foster, Jay O'Shea, Barry Ferguson, Martin Jiranek, Roger Johnson, Lee Bowyer, Kevin Phillips, Sebastian Larsson, James McFadden, James Gardner, Dan Preston, Stuart Parnaby, Maik Taylor, Marcus Bent, Mitchell McPike, Robin Shroot
Pre-season form: Birmingham City have not had great pre-season results, their only victory having come in their first friendly at Cork City in Ireland (1-0). Since then, the Blues have drawn with Hereford United 0-0, lost 2-0 at Oxford United and 2-1 to Everton at home.
Prediction: 4th
Chris Hughton attempts to reprise the job he did at Newcastle a couple of years ago when a previously downtrodden and dispirited squad stormed their way to the title. It will be a tougher job at St Andrew's where Hughton is less likely to find an Andy Carroll-Kevin Nolan partnership. Goals remain at a premium for Birmingham and the Europa League is an added inconvenience.
BLACKPOOL
The Seasiders - Bloomfield Road, Seasiders Way, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 6JJ. Capacity 16,750
Last season: 19th (relegated from the Premier League), FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: 2010-11
Manager: Ian Holloway (since May 2009)
Players In: Thomas Ince, Angel, Paul Bignot, Barry Ferguson, Kevin Phillips, Matt Hill, Bob Harris, Bojan Djordjic, Josh Egan
Players Out: DJ Campbell, Louis Almond, Malaury Martin, David Vaughan, Charlie Adam, Andy Reid, Rob Edwards, Paul Rachubka, Danny Cold, Marlon Harewood, Ishmel Demontagnac, Richard Kingson, Jason Euell, David Carney
Pre-season form: Two home friendlies against Scottish opposition were interspersed by two away matches. In the home friendlies, Blackpool lost their first match 2-0 to Rangers but won the second, 2-0 against Hibernian. Meanwhile, the away matches did not go so well as the Seasiders were beaten 2-1 by Oldham Athletic and had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Sheffield United.
Prediction: 18th
The dream is over and Blackpool returned to the Championship with a bump and the inevitable loss of some of their biggest attacking talent in Charlie Adam, David Vaughan and DJ Campbell. The arrivals of Barry Ferguson and Kevin Phillips will have softened the blow but Ian Holloway's main job must be to restore some confidence to a defence which conceded 78 league goals last season.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
The Seagulls - The Amex Community Stadium, Village Way, Falmer, East Sussex, BN1 9BL. Capacity 22,500
Last season: 1st (promoted from League One), FA Cup 5th round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 1982-83
Manager: Gus Poyet (since November 2009)
Players In: Romain Vincelot, Kazenga LuaLua, Craig Mackail-Smith, Roland Bergkamp, Will Buckley, Will Hoskins
Players Out: Francisco Sandaza, Gary Hart, Radostin Kishishev, Jim McNulty, Elliott Bennett, James Tunnicliffe, Chris Holroyd, Agustin Battipiedi, Ryan Thomson, Cristian Baz, Josh Pelling, Mitch Walker, Glenn Murray
Pre-season form: The first match at the new Amex Stadium proved to be an emotional moment for Brighton fans who had been waiting for years for a ground to call their own. A 1-0 victory over Eastbourne Borough in the Sussex Senior Cup Final also meant Brighton won some silverware to mark the occasion. That followed routine away victories against local opposition, Burgess Hill Town (3-0) and Horsham (3-1) before successive defeats to top-flight continental opposition, Olhanense (1-2) and Paris Saint-Germain (0-1). Brighton were then back at the Amex for their last match, another defeat but an entertaining one nonetheless against Tottenham Hotspur (2-3).
Prediction: 10th
Brighton & Hove Albion fans probably doubted this season would ever happen having played without a proper home for 15 years but the move seems to have come at just the right time. The Seagulls stormed their way to the League One title last term and have enough about them to make a decent impression in their first season back at the second level for six years.
BRISTOL CITY
The Robins - Ashton Gate, Ashton Road, Bristol, BS3 2EJ. Capacity 21,497
Last season: 15th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 1979-80
Manager: Keith Millen (since August 2010)
Players In: Neil Kilkenny, Ryan Taylor, Yannick Bolasie
Players Out: Stephen Henderson, Ivan Sproule, John Akinde
Pre-season form: A mixed pre-season record for Bristol City saw the Robins record three wins and four defeats. The three victories came against Plymouth Argyle (3-2), Cheltenham Town (2-1) and Forest Green Rovers (3-1) while the four defeats were against Charlton Athletic (1-2), Torquay United (0-2), Yeovil Town (0-1) and at home against West Bromwich Albion (0-1). The late goal for the Baggies meant City failed to keep a clean-sheet in any of their pre-season matches.
Prediction: 14th
Bristol City should at least avoid a repeat of the outright panic at the start of the last campaign when Steve Coppell decided he could not do the job just days into the new season. Keith Millen took over and did a fine job steadying the ship, just as he will do again in this campaign.
BURNLEY
The Clarets - Turf Moor, Harry Potts Way, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 4BX. Capacity 22,546
Last season: 8th, FA Cup 5th round, League Cup 4th round
Most recent top flight season: 2009-10
Manager: Eddie Howe (since January 2011)
Players In: Jon Stewart, Keith Treacy, Kieran Trippier, Ben Mee
Players Out: Tyrone Mears, Chris Eagles, Chris Iwelumo, Clarke Carlisle, Graham Alexander, Steven Thompson, Michael King, Chris Anderson, Remco van der Schaaf, Kevin McDonald, Nathan Delfouneso
Pre-season form: Burnley took the scalp of Sunderland with a 1-0 victory in Turf Moor to cap a satisfactory preparation programme. Earlier, the Clarets had beaten Altrincham 4-2, Bury 3-0, Torquay United 3-1, and drawn 0-0 against Oldham Athletic. Burnley's only defeat came at Bristol Rovers (0-2).
Prediction: 15th
Burnley begin their second season since their Premier League adventure shorn of more squad members with, most notably, Tyrone Mears and Chris Eagles flocking to rivals Bolton Wanderers. The Clarets pushed hard for the playoff last season under ambitious young manager Eddie Howe but fell just short in 8th. It is hard to see them matching that this time.
CARDIFF CITY
The Bluebirds - Cardiff City Stadium, Leckwith Road, Cardiff, CF11 8AZ. Capacity 26,828
Last season: 4th (lost playoff semi-final to Reading), FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: 1961-62
Manager: Malky Mackay (since June 2011)
Players In: Kenny Miller, Filip Kiss, Joe Mason, Aron Gunnarsson, Robert Earnshaw, Andrew Taylor, Don Cowie, Craig Conway
Players Out: Jay Bothroyd, Chris Burke, Michael Chopra, Adam Matthews, Gavin Rae, Martin John
Pre-season form: Two home friendlies failed to bring a goal as Cardiff were beaten 1-0 by Celtic and drew 0-0 against Italian side Parma. Form away from the Welsh capital was also patchy, featuring a 1-0 win against Charlton Athletic, a 1-1 draw with Yeovil Town and a 2-1 defeat against AFC Bournemouth.
Prediction: 11th
Dave Jones' six-year stay in the Welsh capital was brought to an abrupt end after another playoff failure as Cardiff once again just fell short. For all Jones' ultimate failure, incoming boss Malky Mackay has some big shoes to step in and he must wear them without a trio of strikers in Jay Bothroyd, Michael Chopra or Craig Bellamy. A tough season awaits for Bluebirds fans.
COVENTRY CITY
The Sky Blues - Ricoh Arena, Phoenix Way, Foleshill, Coventry, CV6 6GE. Capacity 32,609
Last season: 18th, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 2000-01
Manager: Andy Thorn (since March 2011)
Players In: Joe Murphy, Chris Dunn
Players Out: Aron Gunnarsson, Lee Carsley, Stephen O'Halloran, Keiren Westwood, Isaac Osbourne, Marlon King, Michael McIndoe, Michael Quirke
Pre-season form: A 3-0 defeat at the hands of Norwich City at the Ricoh Arena brought Coventry back to earth after a hitherto unbeaten record in pre-season as entertaining 2-2 draws against Nuneaton and Chesterfield sandwiched victories over Hinckley United (3-0) and Kettering (1-0).
Prediction: 23rd
The dark clouds are gathering and matters may come to a head at some point this season for Coventry City. The exits of Gunarsson, King and Westwood water down an already weak squad further while, off the pitch, the club is losing an alarming amount of money every week.
CRYSTAL PALACE
The Eagles - Selhurst Park, London, SE25 6PU. Capacity 26,309
Last season: 20th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: 2004-05
Manager: Dougie Freedman (since January 2011)
Players In: Ryan McGivern, Andrew Davies, Jonathan Parr, Mile Jedinak, Kagisho Dikgacio, Glenn Murray
Players Out: Adam Barrett, Kieran Djilali, Alassane N'Diaye, Neil Danns, Claude Davis, Charlie Mann
Pre-season form: Palace spoiled their form-book in the last game of pre-season, losing 3-1 at AFC Bournemouth just four days after claiming the scalp of Premier League Norwich City (1-0). The Eagles also earned a narrow early win over Basingstoke Town (2-1) before successive 0-0 draws against Wycombe Wanderers and Crawley Town.
Prediction: 19th
Not content with surviving by the skin of their teeth for one season, Crystal Palace got caught up in a second successive relegation dogfight in the last campaign. Palace won just once on the road in the league last season - at promoted Norwich City - though Dougie Freedman's at least made them a tougher proposition at home. The Eagles should avoid the worst of the scrap this time.
DERBY COUNTY
The Rams - Pride Park Stadium, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8XL. Capacity 33,597
Last season: 19th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 2007-08
Manager: Nigel Clough (since January 2009)
Players In: Kevin Kilbane, Adam Legzdins, Chris Maguire, Theo Robinson, Nathan Tyson, Craig Bryson, Jason Shackell, Jamie Ward, Frank Fielding
Players Out: Ross Atkins, Chris Porter, Arnaud Mendy, Luke Varney, Miles Addison, Greg Mills, Ben Pringle, Michael Boulding, Robbie Savage
Pre-season form: A fine 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Pride Park in Derby County's final pre-season friendly was out of keeping with their results earlier in the programme which featured draws at Macclesfield Town (2-2) and Morecambe (1-1), and defeats at Crewe Alexandra (1-2) and Exeter City (0-1). Prior to the win over Villa, Derby's only pre-season win had been a 3-1 victory over Nigel Clough's former club Burton Albion.
Prediction: 20th
Nigel Clough enters the final year of his contract having seemingly overseen no improvement in the Rams' on-field fortunes. Derby were in fourth place in late November last year but won just four games after the New Year as they settled into their now familiar bottom-half slot. Rams fans can expect another underwhelming season at Pride Park and the subsequent departure of Clough.
DONCASTER ROVERS
Donny - Keepmoat Stadium, Stadium Way, Lakeside, Doncaster, DN4 5JW. Capacity 15,231
Last season: 21st, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: N/A
Manager: Sean O'Driscoll (since September 2006)
Players In: Giles Barnes, Ryan Mason, Richard Naylor, Chris Brown, Kyle Bennett, Thomas Spurr
Players Out: Dean Shiels, Waide Fairhurst, Wayne Thomas, Ryan Burge, Brad Grayson, Jordan Bradshaw, Dennis Souza, Steve Brooker, Byron Webster
Pre-season form: Donny began their pre-season with a draw against local side Armthorpe Welfare before successive victories over Blue Square Premier side Barrow (1-0) and Mansfield Town (2-0). A 1-0 defeat at Carlisle United proved to be a hiccup as it was followed by another pair of wins over South Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United (1-0) and then at Grimsby Town (3-0).
Prediction: 24th
The end of last season could not come quick enough for Doncaster Rovers as they edged to safety on 48 points, winning just one of their last 19 league games. Donny have been punching above their weight in the division for four years now but it is difficult for Sean O'Driscoll to work miracles every year.
HULL CITY
The Tigers - Kingston Communications Stadium, Walton Street, Hull, HU3 6HU. Capacity 25,404
Last season: 11th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: 2009-10
Manager: Nigel Pearson (since June 2010)
Players In: Adriano Basso, Robbie Brady, Peter Gulacsi, Paul McKenna, Dele Adebola, Jack Hobbs, Joe Dudgeon
Players Out: Kevin Kilbane, Mark Cullen, Liam Cooper, Matt Duke, Anthony Gardner, Nolberto Solano, Craig Fagan, Kamil Zayatte, Tijani Belaid
Pre-season form: A 3-0 thrashing of a Liverpool team featuring some first team players proved to be the highlight of an excellent pre-season for Hull City. The Tigers also won their four other games against two local sides, North Ferriby United (4-1) and Winterton Rangers (2-1), and two League clubs in Bradford City (3-1) and Chesterfield (2-0).
Prediction: 8th
Hull City's stream-lined squad should provide more grounds for optimism after last season's mid-table finish. After all, the Tigers may have gone closer last year if it had not been for a sluggish start and now, with a less bloated wage bill, the club is in a better shape to challenge for the playoff places.
IPSWICH TOWN
The Blues - Portman Road, Ipswich, IP1 2DA. Capacity 30,311
Last season: 15th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup Semi finals
Most recent top flight season: 2001-02
Manager: Paul Jewell (since January 2011)
Players In: Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, David Stockdale, Lee Bowyer, Aaron Cresswell, Nathan Ellington, Michael Chopra, Ivar Ingimarsson
Players Out: Conor Hourihane, Luciano Civelli, Ian McLoughlin, Troy Brown, Tom Eastman, Gareth McAuley, Alan Quinn, Conor Wickham, Kevin Lisbie, Pablo Counago, Billy Clark, David Norris, Brian Murphy, Reggie Lambe
Pre-season form: A tour to the Netherlands brought two victories against FC Eindhoven (2-0) and Den Bosch (3-1) but Ipswich found it tougher going back in Britain with two draws against Cambridge United (2-2) and Southend United (1-1), and a defeat at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers (1-2). Meanwhile, Town's match against Colchester United was abandoned at 0-0 on 78 minutes due to a nasty head injury for U's midfielder Andy Bond.
Prediction: 12th
Ipswich begin their 10th successive season in the Championship and, with promotion not exactly on the horizon, a malaise has hit the Suffolk club. Nevertheless, the signings of Michael Chopra and Lee Bowyer suggest Town will end a run of two consecutive bottom-half finishes - just.
LEEDS UNITED
The Whites - Elland Road, Leeds, LS11 0ES. Capacity 39,460
Last season: 7th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: 2003-04
Manager: Simon Grayson (since December 2008)
Players In: Darren O'Dea, Andy Lonergan, Michael Brown, Paul Rachubka
Players Out: Bradley Johnson, Kasper Schmeichel, Neil Kilkenny, Richard Naylor, Shane Higgs
Pre-season form: An impressive unbeaten pre-season for Leeds United featured early successes north of the border against Falkirk (2-0) and Motherwell (2-1). A 1-0 win over Rochdale made it three out of three before two 1-1 draws against Sheffield Wednesday and in Norway against Sandjeford. A thrilling see-saw 3-2 win over Newcastle United at Elland Road, in a match in which Leeds were never behind, completed preparations.
Prediction: 2nd
Only a dramatic collapse in form in April cost Leeds United a playoff place in their first season back in the Championship and, this time, Simon Grayson's men will be more prepared. A suspect defence remains a problem but the Yorkshire club's attacking talent can overcome this and sustain an automatic promotion push.
LEICESTER CITY
The Foxes - Walkers Stadium, Filbert Way, Leicester, LE2 7FL. Capacity 32,500
Last season: 10th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 4th round
Most recent top flight season: 2003-04
Manager: Sven-Goran Eriksson (since October 2010)
Players In: Gelson Fernandes, Michael Johnson, John Pantsil, Paul Konchesky, Matthew Mills, David Nugent, Sean St Ledger, Lee Peltier, Neil Danns, Kasper Schmeichel
Players Out: Tom Parkes, Robbie Neilson, Cian Bolger, Michael Lamey, Jack Hobbs, Aman Verma, Luke O'Neill, Craig King, Adi Yussuf, Robert Ambrusics, Conrad Logan, Jorrin John, Ashley Chambers
Pre-season form: Leicester City enjoyed a more interesting set of warm-up matches than the average Championship club with fixtures against Spanish giants Valencia and Real Madrid. Eriksson's men may have lost both matches (0-1 and 1-2 respectively) but it certainly made a change for the Foxes faithful. The Valencia match took place while Leicester were at a training camp in Austria where they also drew 0-0 with Turkish side Bursaspor. Earlier, City had played three matches in Eriksson's native Sweden, beating IK Sirius 3-1 and Vasalund IP 4-1, and drawing 1-1 against Real Mallorca in between.
Prediction: 3rd
Fewer clubs in the Championship have made more noise this summer than Leicester City as former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson spent some cash sorting out a leaky defence. Consequently, the Foxes should avoid the poor start which hampered their last campaign and look like they will be there or thereabouts all season.
MIDDLESBROUGH
Boro - Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, TS3 6RS. Capacity 34,988
Last season: 12th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: 2008-09
Manager: Tony Mowbray (since October 2010)
Players In: Carl Ikeme, Malaury Martin, Curtis Main
Players Out: Leroy Lita, Ben Gibson, Didier Digard, Kris Boyd, Andrew Taylor, Julia Arca, Sam Filler, Willo Flood, Maximilian Haas
Pre-season form: Juninho returned to the Teesside for a special appearance skippering the team in a 21-minute cameo. The Brazilian could not prevent Boro going down to a 3-2 defeat but, in fairness, it was against top Dutch team PSV Eindhoven. Earlier, Boro had begun their preparations in Slovenia and Croatia with matches against Istanbul BB (1-1), NK Varazdin (3-2) and Antalayaspor (0-0). However, there were worrying signs on the return to England in defeats to Darlington (2-4) and Carlisle United (0-2).
Prediction: 6th
Middlesbrough finished strongly last season and Tony Mowbray's young squad will surely give Boro their best chance of returning to the Premier League after two dreadful attempts so far under Gareth Southgate and Gordon Strachan.
MILLWALL
The Lions - The New Den, Zampa Road, London, SE16 3LN . Capacity 20,146
Last season: 9th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 3rd round
Most recent top flight season: 1989-1990
Manager: Kenny Jackett (since November 2007)
Players In: Jordan Stewart, Ryan Allsop, Therry Racon, Darius Henderson
Players Out: Marc Laird, Theo Robinson, Danny Schofield, John Sullivan, Andy Frampton, Ashley Grimes, Neil Harris, Steve Morison, Kiernan Hughes-Mason, Patrick O'Connor
Pre-season form: Millwall's trip to Ireland precipitated a successful pre-season programme after victories against Shelbourne (3-0) and Longford Town (1-0). Back in England, there were plenty of goals in a trio of wins over Dartford (5-0), Gillingham (1-0) and Charlton Athletic (4-3).
Prediction: 16th
Having flirted with the playoff places right up until the end of last season, Millwall will find it tougher to make an impression this year following the departure of top scorer Steve Morison to Norwich City. But, then, most Lions fans would settle for a mid-table finish and a couple of wins over West Ham anyway.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
The Reds - City Ground, Nottingham, NG2 5FJ. Capacity 30,602
Last season: 6th (lost playoff semi final to Swansea City), FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 1st round
Most recent top flight season: 1998-99
Manager: Steve McClaren (since June 2011)
Players In: George Boateng, Andy Reid, Jonathan Greening
Players Out: Nialle Rodney, Robert Earnshaw, Julian Bennett, Nathan Tyson, Paul McKenna, Dele Adebola, Kelvin Wilson, Mark Byrne
Pre-season form: Forest have had a mixed pre-season campaign with successive 2-1 victories over Northampton Town and VfB Stuttgart helping them recover from a 3-2 defeat to a young Tottenham Hotspur team in their first fixture. Later in the schedule, Forest unsurprisingly lost at home to PSV Eindhoven (1-3) but bounced back to win 1-0 at Lincoln City.
Prediction: 7th
The reception for Steve McClaren for the City Ground was as mixed as his managerial record and the former England coach will have to win over the Forest faithful who may at least be spared their annual playoff heartache if things do not work out.
PETERBOROUGH UNITED
The Posh - London Road, Peterborough, PE2 8AL. Capacity 15,314
Last season: 4th (promoted via playoffs from League One) , FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 3rd round
Most recent top flight season: N/A
Manager: Darren Ferguson (since January 2011)
Players In: Scott Wootton, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Craig Alcock, Nicky Ajose, Paul Jones
Players Out: Romone McCrae, Rene Howe, Charlie Lee, Craig Mackail-Smith, Chris Whelpdale, Nana Ofori-Twumasi, Steve Collis, Arron Davies, Dominic Green
Pre-season form: Goals continued to rain in at both ends in Peterborough pre-season fixtures. Posh, who scored 106 goals and conceded 75 last season, drew 2-2 with Barnet before four successive wins against Notts County (3-2), St Neots Town (7-3), Crawley (4-2) and Gillingham (2-1). So, in their five matches this summer, Peterborough scored 18 goals and conceded 10.
Prediction: 21st
The loss of the prolific Craig Mackail-Smith to Brighton will be a blow and the notoriously leaky defence will make it difficult again for Posh to survive in the second flight again. Expect a roller-coaster ride and plenty of goals whatever happens, though.
PORTSMOUTH
Pompey - Fratton Park, Frogmore Road, Portsmouth, PO4 8RA. Capacity 20,224
Last season: 16th, FA Cup 3rd round, League Cup 3rd round
Most recent top flight season: 2009-10
Manager: Steve Cotterill (since June 2010)
Players In: Greg Halford, Stephen Henderson, Luke Varney, Jason Pearce, David Norris
Players Out: Michael Brown, David Nugent, Nadir Ciftci, Richard Hughes, Darryl Flahavan, Peter Gregory, Tom Kilbey, Danny Webber, Marlon Pack
Pre-season form: Porstmouth's trip to Charleston in the United States forced the home friendly against Real Betis to be postponed after a flight delay. In the US, Pompey drew both their games against a Charleston XI (2-2) and Charleston Battery (0-0). Before leaving these shores, Portsmouth beat Havant & Waterlooville 4-0 and lost 1-0 to an own goal against Chelsea.
Prediction: 13th
It was bad enough for Pompey fans that Brighton won League One last season but then for Southampton to follow them up will cause some serious twitches in the blue half of Hampshire. Portsmouth are still shrugging off the hangover from the years of excess in the Premier League and, in their punch-drunk state, will do well to finish above either of their south coast rivals.
READING
The Royals - Madejski Stadium, Bennett Road, Reading, RG2 0FL. Capacity 24,224
Last season: 5th (lost playoff final to Swansea City), FA Cup Quarter finals, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: 2007-08
Manager: Brian McDermott (since December 2009)
Players In: Bongani Khumalo, Mikele Leigertwood
Players Out: Nicholas Bignall, Ben Hamer, Jake Taylor, Matthew Mills, Ivar Ingimarsson, Abdulai Bell-Baggie, Dave Mooney, Julian Kelly, Scott Davies
Pre-season form: Reading recorded a 7-0 win in their first pre-season friendly against Slovenians FC Dravograd before losing 3-1 in Slovenia to Turkish top division side Karabukspor. Back in Britain, Reading enjoyed success once more with three successive wins over Northampton Town (3-0), Bristol Rovers (2-1) and Swindon Town (2-1).
Prediction: 9th
Reading must start the season well to avoid a playoff final defeat hangover but much will be depend on the Berkshire club's ability to hold onto the services of Shane Long. If the Irish youngster departs, it is difficult to see where the Royals will score enough goals to keep their place in the top six.
SOUTHAMPTON
The Saints - St Mary's Stadium, Britannia Road, Southampton, SO14 5FP. Capacity 32,689
Last season: 2nd (promoted from League One), FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: 2004-05
Manager: Nigel Adkins (since September 2010)
Players In: Steve De Ridder, Jack Cork
Players Out: Anthony Pulis, Callum McNish, Oscar Gobern, Tony Garrod, Ryan Tafazolli
Pre-season form: After two matches in Switzerland against Biel-Bienne (3-3) and St Gallen (0-1), the undoubted highlight of Southampton's summer was the Memorial Cup, played in memory of former owner Markus Liebherr. Spanish side Athletic Bilbao won the Cup after beating Saints 2-0 in the Final but, earlier, Southampton had easily beaten Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen 3-0 to the delight of the home crowd. The St Mary's faithful were also served up a treat in a 2-2 home draw against West Bromwich Albion before Southampton completed preparations with the same result at Yeovil Town.
Prediction: 5th
Momentum is with Southampton at last after promotion at the second attempt from League One last season. Star man Rickie Lambert should adapt to the Championship well enough to fire the Saints within sight of the playoffs and, perhaps, successive elevations.
WATFORD
The Hornets - Vicarage Road, Watford, WD18 0ER. Capacity 19,920
Last season: 14th, FA Cup 4th round, League Cup 2nd round
Most recent top flight season: 2006-07
Manager: Sean Dyche (since June 2011)
Players In: Carl Dickinson, Chris Iwelumo, Prince Buaben, Mark Yeates, David Mirfin, Craig Forsyth
Players Out: Don Cowie, Nathan Ellington, Danny Graham, Mat Sadler, Tom Aldred, Will Buckley, Rob Kiernan, Liam Henderson
Pre-season form: Watford have had an underwhelming pre-season, winning just once - against Wealdstone (3-1) in their second fixture. The Hornets began with a 2-2 draw against Boreham Wood (2-2) but they then lost 2-1 to AFC Wimbledon, and failed to score in their last two fixtures against Brentford (0-0) and Colchester United (0-1).
Prediction: 22nd
Watford always seem to be better than the sum of their parts but the Hertfordshire club suffered two major losses this summer. On the same day as Malky Mackay departed for the vacant seat at Cardiff, top scorer Danny Graham completed his move to Premier League Swansea City. The remaining Hornets will give it a good go but it is harder than ever to see them surviving.
WEST HAM UNITED
The Hammers - Boleyn Ground, Green Street, Upton Park, London, E13 9AZ
Last season: 20th (relegated from the Premier League), FA Cup Quarter finals, League Cup Semi finals
Most recent top flight season: 2010-11
Manager: Sam Allardyce (since June 2011)
Players In: Jake Larkins, Joey O'Brien, Matthew Taylor, Kevin Nolan, Abdoulaye Faye
Players Out: Luis Boa Morte, Danny Gabbidon, Anthony Edgar, Kieron Dyer, Radoslav Kovac, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Demba Ba, Manuel Da Costa, Lars Jacobsen, Matthew Upson, Jonathan Spector
Pre-season form: West Ham struggled the shrug off the shadow of their relegation early on in pre-season after successive 2-1 defeats to Young Boys Berne and FC Basel in Switzerland. Thereafter, though, matters improved with four successive clean sheets in matches against FC Copenhagen (1-0), Wycombe Wanderers (0-0), Dagenham & Redbridge (1-0) and at home to Real Zaragoza (2-0).
Prediction: Champions
West Ham have decided to take the pragmatic route back to the Premier League with the appointment of Sam Allardyce and the big signing of Kevin Nolan. It may not be pretty but the knack of Nolan to score regularly from midfield should mean the Hammers' visit to the Football League is just fleeting.
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