Barnsley

Barnsley

Manager: Mark Robins
Key Player: Luke Steele

Mark Robins performed minor miracles at Oakwell last season with Barnsley when guiding them to safety in the form of an 18th place finish in the Championship table. The difference was just seven points though, an improvement on their previous two seasons where they were six points above safety come the end of the 2008/2009 campaign and just three back in 2007/2008. While maintaining the clubs Championship status has been paramount in recent years, Barnsley have been cutting it fine and will no doubt be a favourable selection with punters when it comes to picking relegation candidates ahead of the 2010/2011 Championship season.

Barnsley finished last season as they began, struggling to win games of football. They started with a run of six games without a win and bettered that right at the very end as they saw out the season without a win in their last ten league games. Fortunately they enjoyed a decent winter spell, December especially, and picked up enough points in the middle stint of the season to see them through another sketchy campaign. But the new season has already began on a sour note as manager Mark Robins has once again had to let some members of his squad go in a bid to reduce the wage bill at the club with Jon Macken, Onome Sodje, Mounir El Haimour and Anderson Da Silva all departing during the summer. Robins has introduced a number of new faces to his squad but many appear unknown quantities and may well fall short of the desired level needed to be competitive in arguably the most competitive league in Europe. Among those new faces include Jim O’Brien, Diego Arismendi on loan from Stoke, James McEveley, Jason Shackell and Goran Love, however, it is the capture of Liam Dickinson from Brighton which could make of break Mark Robins as Barnsley desperately need a forward which can score more than 10 goals in a season following the transfer of Daniel Bogdanovic to Sheffield United.

It’s going to be another rough-old season for Barnsley fans, with another nail-biting finish in store. They have a fine shot-stopper between the sticks in Luke Steele, who kept a clean sheet in 30% of their games at the Oakwell stadium last season, and while his form is crucial to their chances of defying the drop once more, the form of their forwards will be even more instrumental. Liam Dickinson will need to take to the Championship straight away now that eleven-goal forward Daniel Bogdanovic is no longer at the club, as will Iain Hume and Andy Gray, whom managed just 10 goals between them as Barnsley finished 18th last term.

To Be Promoted: 20/1 Boylesports
To Be Relegated: 11/4 Bet365

Bristol City

Manager: Steve Coppell
Key Player: Nicky Maynard

Ever since Steve Coppell performed wonders with Reading when taking them to the Premiership after clinching the 2006 Championship title, to then guiding the Madjeski owned club to a sensational top-ten finish the following season in the Premier League before bowing out on goal difference the season after, we’ve been a fan of his. So it’s no surprise that we’ve instantly taken a liken to the Bristolians.

Copell wasted little time getting down to work and what a piece of business he may just have done in signing England international David James on a free transfer. Granted James has hit the 40 marker but he’s a keeper of real quality. He’s still as agile as ever and even seems to have cut out the usual mishaps and mistakes that has plagued his career for so long. When you consider that City have a forward with the potential to score 20+ goals a season in Nicky Maynard, there’s real room for optimism around Ashton Gate. Former Bolton full-back Nicky Hunt has also jumped on Coppell’s bandwagon and will reinforce the Bristol City defence, as will Kalifa Cisse, with Coppell now possessing two defenders which should dominate the aerial battles and leave anything on the floor for David James to deal with.

Bristol City look a tidy little outfit, with key components in every area of the field. If they can get Maynard firing on all cylinders and David James happy then we see no reason why City won’t be thereabouts come the end of the season, challenging for at least a play-off berth if not automatic promotion. 

To Be Promoted: 4/1 Ladbrokes
To Be Relegated: 16/1 SkyBet

Burnley

Manager: Brian Laws
Key Player: David Nugent

The Clarets could only manage one season in the most physically demanding league in Europe, finishing above only Portsmouth en route to relegation from the Premier League. Brian Laws, the manager at the helm as Burnley’s Premiership demise was confirmed, remains in charge of first team affairs and he’ll be excited by this current Burnley project. The club have had to let some of their big earners go since exiting the premier League in May, with Robbie Blake, Steven Caldwell, Steven Fletcher and Joey Gudjonsson all moved on during the summer. In their place came Lee Grant (GK), Ross Wallace, Dean Marney, Danny Fox, and the forward duo of Chris Iwelumo & David Nugent. The latter two could playing a starring role for the Clarets up front now that Fletcher is no longer at the forefront of the attack, while both players will feel they have something to prove to their respective international managers.

Brian Laws faced an almost impossible task in steering Burnley to safety last season, to which he failed rather miserably in the end, but there will be no excuses should Burnley not be in contention for a ticket back to the topflight come the latter stages of the season. They have Championship pedigree all round the field. Lee Grant, who left Sheffield Wednesday during the summer following their relegation,  would get into most starting elevens in this league, Graham Alexander’s leadership qualities will be priceless back down in this division especially after the heartache of relegation from the Premier League last season, while a lot will depend on how well David Nugent and Chris Iwelumo hit it off at Turf Moor. However, it’s the strength in depth which make Burnley one of the leading players in this league, with competition for places fierce. It does, though, mean that because of the size of their squad and the assumption that their wage bill must be far bigger than that of most teams, there isn’t a lot of room for manoeuvre and that Laws will be under a great deal of pressure to ensure Burnely gain promotion sooner rather than later, while a below par start to the season would almost certainly see the manager scrutinised by the fans and Burnley hierarchy.

Burnley actually have a far stronger starting eleven, and squad, than I initially thought. Laws has got an accomplished team in front of him, packed with Championship calibre. But with that comes expectancy and a poor start to the campaign would see Laws not only come in for criticism but also contemplating the sack. There’s no reason why Burnley shouldn’t get off to a flyer, and if Nugent and Iwelumo can quickly get in amongst the goals then Burnley could be a serious player this season.

To Be Promoted: 10/3 BlueSquare
To Be Relegated: 33/1 PaddyPower

Cardiff City

Manager: Dave Jones
Key Player: Michael Chopra

You get that feeling that it was do or die for the Blue Birds last season, what with all their publicised financial issues. Their star forward has already publicly bemoaned the lack of quality additions over the summer, while the their inability to retain Joe Ledley, who moved to Celtic, will only have fuelled the fire.

Despite a courageous promotion effort last season, when reaching the play-off final before losing 3-2 to Blackpool in an enthralling match, Cardiff still find themselves no nearer to Premiership football and out of financial insecurity. Those which have left the club following their play-off final heartache, are Warren Feeney, Mark Feeney, and Tony Capaldi, all on free transfers. Despite Dave Jones, who was being linked with the Fulham post at one stage, bringing in Daniel Drinkwater and Tom Heaton on loan from Manchester United, Cardiff’s squad is wafer thin on numbers and quality, and were one of their key players to suffer a catastrophic injury early into the season then you would fear the worst in the knowledge that Jones doesn’t have much in reserve.  The good news however is that those which played an instrumental part in getting the club as far as the final of the play-off’s last season are still involved, with Michael Chopra and Peter Whittingham, two of Cardiff’s top goalscorers last season with 16 and 20 goals respectively, Chris Burke, Jay Bothroyd and Mark Hudson all staying loyal and committed to the Cardiff cause.

Cardiff’s starting eleven is as good as any other in the Championship and would give the leading players a run for their money on their day, but that’s been the problem with the Blue Birds in recent campaigns, their lack of consistency. They also had this tendency to fall into slumps, often losing ones, and unless they resolve their inconsistency issues, as well as the concerns surrounding the lack of depth, then Cardiff will struggle to match their achievements of last season. We certainly have our doubts.

To Be Promoted: 13/2 VictorChandler
To Be Relegated: 8/1 VictorChandler

Coventry City

Manager: Chris Coleman
Key Player: Lee Carsley

Chris Coleman did a magnificent job at the Ricoh Arena last season by preserving the clubs Championship status. The gap was just seven points though. Coventry were one of those teams which thrived off winning momentum but struggled to escape the slumps. Rarely was there any middle ground with the Sky Blues, as streaks varied from a hat-trick of wins to double figure runs without winning. However, Coleman’s and Coventry’s objective at the beginning of the season was to ensure the club didn’t go through the misfortune of relegation and they achieved that no matter how ugly the manner in which it was achieved.

This season will be exactly the same in terms of goals for the club, with safety the main target and anything else merely a bonus. Coventry are no longer considered a promotion contender this days and with their current crop it’s easy to see why. Lee Carsley and Gary McSheffrey are two of the big names drafted in over the summer to boost numbers and instil some belief and optimism into the fans. However, there’s a growing concerns in some corners concerning the lack of goalscorers in the squad, with Freddy Eastwood and Lukas Jutkiewicz scoring in an irregular fashion and their newest addition, McSheffrey, hardly prolific himself. Their tally of 47 goals scored last season was the fourth worst return in the league, and when you’re conceding your fair share at the other it’s always going to end in tears.

Coleman has the numbers at his disposal he just doesn’t have a great deal of meaningful quality. Freddy Eastwood really needs to come to the fore this season and better the eight goals he managed last season, especially now that Leon Best and Clinton Morrison, Coventry’s two highest scorers last season, have departed. The former Fulham manager has moved swiftly to bolster his attacking options with the signings of Clive Platt and Roy O’Donovan, but there’s still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding their fire-power while their defence still looks vulnerable, without a defender of note. Despite Coleman’s best efforts over the summer, Coventry will struggle to see the top half of the table and will do well to settle into mid-table and avoid any relegation scrap.

To Be Promoted: 16/1 Bet365
To Be Relegated: 6/1 Coral

Crystal Palace

Manager: George Burley
Key Player: Darren Ambrose

Palace were promotion contenders until they were handed a hefty nine point penalty for entering into administration. Along with manager Nigel Warnock leaving Selhurst Park, Palace’s biggest asset also parted ways in a bid to release some extra funds, as Victor Moses was sold to Wigan Athletic for around £2.5 million. Despite all this the club still managed a memorable run in the FA Cup, progressing to the fifth round before being knocked out by Aston Villa in a replay. The drama, though, came on the final day of the season when Palace needed a final day 2-2 draw at Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday, in order to cement their place in next seasons Championship.

Fans will be hoping for a smoother ride this season, hopefully without any point deductions. The club were on course for a possible play-off finish had it not been for the administrators being called in, but the club have managed to retain the majority which battled gamely to keep Palace in the division. Shaun Derry, Danny Butterfield, Clint Hill and Johannes Ertl have all left the club since that dramatic final day in Sheffield, but in their place came Lewis Price, Andy Dorman, Adam Barrett, David Wright and Preston’s Veliche Shumulikoski all hoping to make an impact at Selhurst Park this season under George Burley’s regime.

George Burley couldn’t of picked a more difficult post, since being sacked as Scotland manager back in November last year, if he tried although Crystal Palace are capable of springing a surprise this season, much like they promised in the early stages of last season. In Darren Ambrose they have a midfield which will bag them a good 10 or so goals while he has that guile and craft to unlock the most baron of defences. Their goalkeeper can excel on his day while his defence is better than some, but it’s their strikers which worry us. Alan Lee, Sean Scannell and Calvin Andrew simply aren’t regular enough scorers and the burden will once again fall on the midfielders to chip in with winners, in particular Darren Ambrose and Scott Danns.

To Be Promoted: 25/1 bWin
To Be Relegated: 3/1 SkyBet

Barnsley

Manager: Simon Davey
Key Player: Luke Steele
Stadium: Oakwell

Promotion Odds: 28/1 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 15/8 Bet365

Transfers In:
David Preece, Onome Sodje

Transfers Out:
Dennis Souza, Diego Leon, Heinz Muller, Kyle Letheren

SoccerBetting Opinion – Barnsley survived by the skin of their teeth last season and weren’t too far away the season before either. They are a club in trouble and their lack of signings over the summer have done nothing to boost our confidence in Simon Davey pulling off another miraculous escape. Third times a charm for Barnsley as League 1 looms.

SoccerBetting Prediction: 23rd Position