Part 2 of Vital Posh’s review of the forthcoming Championship covers the teams from Huddersfield through to Wolves.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
Manager: Simon Grayson
Nickname: The Terriers
Ground: Galpharm Stadium
Capacity: 24,500
Players In
Name
From
Cost
Adam Clayton
Leeds United
£880,000
Paul Dixon
Dundee United
Free
Anthony Gerrard
Cardiff City
£396,600
Joel Lynch
Nottingham Forest
Free
Oliver Norwood
Manchester United
Free
Sean Scannell
Crystal Palace
£985,600
Keith Southern
Blackpool
£300,000
Players Out
Name
To
Cost
Danny Cadamateri
Carlisle
Free
Aidan Chippendale
Accrington
Free
Nathan Clarke
Leyton Orient
Free
Anthony Kay
MK Dons
Free
Jamie McCombe
Doncaster
Free
Tommy Miller
Swindon
Free
Gary Naismith
Released
Released
Greg Pearson
Released
Released
Gary Roberts
Swindon
Free
Simon Thomas
Released
Released
Key Player: Jordan Rhodes
Chances: If Rhodes can continue his scoring form, Huddersfield should have a good season. They have made some quality signings and could make the best progress out of the teams promoted from League One last season.
Position Last Season: 4th in League One (Play-Off Winners)
Vital Posh Prediction: 17th
Odds: 33/1
HULL CITY
Manager: Steve Bruce
Nickname: The Tigers
Ground: KC Stadium
Capacity: 25,586
Players In
Name
From
Cost
Sone Alouko
Rangers
Free
Ben Amos
Manchester United
Season Loan
Alex Bruce
Leeds United
Free
Abdoulaye Faye
West Ham United
Free
Eldin Jakupovic
Aris Thessaloniki
Free
Nick Proschwitz
SC Paderborn
£2.9million
Players Out
Name
To
Cost
Will Atkinson
Bradford
Free
Mark Cullen
Bury
Loan
Kevin Kilbane
Coventry
Free
Key Player: Robert Koren
Chances: A solid team but lack a bit of punch up front. They need to find a regular goalscorer if they want to challenge for the play-offs otherwise it could be a disappointing season.
Position Last Season: 8th
Vital Posh Prediction: 13th
Odds: 25/1
IPSWICH TOWN
Manager: Paul Jewell
Nickname: The Tractor Boys
Ground: Portman Road
Capacity: 30,311
Players In
Name
From
Cost
Elliott Hewitt
Macclesfield
£251,000
Luke Chambers
Nottingham Forest
Free
Scott Loach
Watford
£167,000
Massimo Luongo
Tottenham
Loan
Players Out
Name
To
Cost
Lee Bowyer
Released
Released
Jimmy Bullard
Released
Released
Cody Cropper
Released
Released
Grant Leadbitter
Middlesbrough
Free
Mark Kennedy
Retired
Retired
Ibrahima Sonko
Released
Released
Richard Wright
Preston
Free
Key Player: Tommy Smith
Chances: Had an indifferent season last time out which included a 7-1 drubbing at the hands of Peterborough United. Having brought in only four players, Jewell will need to keep his squad free from injury but they should be looking at another mid-table finish.
Position Last Season: 15th
Vital Posh Prediction: 15th
Odds: 25/1
LEEDS UNITED
Manager: Neil Warnock
Nickname: The Whites
Ground: Elland Road
Capacity: 37,697
Players In
Name
From
Cost
Jamie Ashdown
Portsmouth
Free
Rodolph Austin
SK Brann
£220,000
Adam Drury
Norwich City
Free
Andy Gray
Barnsley
Free
Paul Green
Derby County
Free
El Hadji Diouf
Doncaster
Free
Paddy Kenny
QPR
£440,000
David Norris
Portsmouth
Free
Jason Pearce
Portsmouth
£546,000
Lee Peltier
Leicester City
£660,000
Luke Varney
Portsmouth
£220,000
Players Out
Name
To
Cost
Alex Bruce
Hull City
Free
Adam Clayton
Huddersfield
£880,000
Mikael Forssell
Released
Released
Andy Lonergan
Bolton Wanderers
£281,000
Andy O`Brien
Vancouver
Free
Billy Paynter
Doncaster
Undisclosed
Lloyd Sam
Released
Released
Robert Snodgrass
Norwich City
£2.8million
Maik Taylor
Millwall
Free
Danny Webber
Released
Released
Key Player: Robert Snodgrass
Chances: Neil Warnock is a manager you love to hate?unless he`s at your club! He knows how to get results and he`s brought in a mixture of players which should complement the players already at the club. Expect Leeds to be challenging for the play-offs.
Position Last Season: 14th
Vital Posh Prediction: 7th
Odds: 11/1
LEICESTER CITY
Manager: Nigel Pearson
Nickname: The Foxes
Ground: King Power Stadium
Capacity: 32,262
Players In
Name
From
Cost
Marko Futacs
Portsmouth
Free
Matty James
Manchester United
£1.1million
Anthony Knockaert
Guingamp
£2.6million
Ritchie de Laet
Manchester United
£1.1million
Jamie Vardy
Fleetwood
£1.1million
Zak Whitbread
Norwich City
Free
Players Out
Name
To
Cost
Sol Bamba
Trabzonspor
£792,000
Elliott Chamberlain
Released
Released
Steve Howard
Hartlepool
Free
Matt Mills
Bolton Wanderers
£2.2million
Franck Moussa
Released
Released
Oliver Norburn
Bristol Rovers
Free
Matt Oakley
Released
Released
John Pantsil
Released
Released
Lee Peltier
Leeds United
£660,000
Aleksandar Tunchev
Released
Released
Darius Vassell
Released
Released
Chris Weale
Shrewsbury
Free
Key Player: Jamie Vardy
Chances: Often been under-achievers of the division, the Foxes need to start performing on a regular basis. Jamie Vardy was by far and away the best non-league player last season and he help Leicester make the play-offs.
Position Last Season: 9th
Vital Posh Prediction: 4th
Odds: 7/1
MIDDLESBROUGH
Manager: Tony Mowbray
Nickname: Boro
Ground: Riverside Stadium
Capacity: 34,988
Players In
Name
From
Cost
Christian Burgess
Arsenal
Free
Mustapha Carayol
Bristol Rovers
£563,000
George Friend
Doncaster
£563,000
Justin Hoyte
Free Agent
Free
Grant Leadbitter
Ipswich Town
Free
Emanuel Ledesma
Walsall
Free
Jayson Leutwiler
Basel
Undisclosed
Stuart Parnaby
Free Agent
Free
Jonathan Woodgate
Stoke City
Free
Players Out
Name
To
Cost
Matthew Bates
Released
Released
Danny Coyne
Released
Released
Jonathan Franks
Hartlepool
Free
Jonathan Grounds
Oldham
Free
Malaury Martin
Released
Released
Tony McMahon
Sheff United
Free
Barry Robson
Vancouver
Free
Key Player: Marvin Emnes
Chances: Boro should be aiming for the play-offs this season after just missing out last season. If they can improve on their home form, they should get into the play-offs.
Position Last Season: 7th
Vital Posh Prediction: 6th
Odds: 20/1
MILLWALL
Manager: Kenny Jacket
Nickname: The Lions
Ground: The Den
Capacity: 20,146
Players In
Name
From
Cost
Scott Malone
Bournemouth
£827,000
Karleigh Osborne
Brentford
Free
Danny Shittu
Free Agent
Free
Chris Taylor
Oldham
Free
Maik Taylor
Leeds United
Free
Players Out
Name
To
Cost
Chris Hackett
Northampton
Free
Tony Craig
Brentford
Free
Ryan Allsop
Leyton Orient
Free
Josh McQuoid
Bournemouth
Free
Hamer Bouazza
Omonia Nikosia
Free
Jordan Stewart
Released
Released
Jake Gallagher
Released
Released
Conor McLaren
Released
Released
Key Player: Liam Trotter
Chances: Well organised side who are another side looking for improvement on their home form. Should be good enough to stay out of relegation trouble but they won`t be too far off.
Position Last Season: 16th
Vital Posh Prediction: 19th
Odds: 50/1
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Manager: Sean O`Driscoll
Nickname: The Reds
Ground: City Ground
Capacity: 30,603
Players In
Name
From
Cost
Daniel Ayala
Norwich City
Season Loan
Danny Collins
Stoke City
£563,000
Simon Cox
WBA
£2.2million
Simon Gillett
Doncaster
Free
Adlene Guedioura
Wolves
£1.1million
Greg Halford
Portsmouth
£220,000
Dan Harding
Southampton
Free
Players Out
Name
To
Cost
Paul Anderson
Bristol City
Free
George Boateng
Released
Released
Luke Chambers
Ipswich
Free
Chris Gunter
Reading
£2.6million
Marlon Harewood
Released
Released
Joel Lynch
Huddersfield
Free
Gareth McCleary
Reading
Free
Paul Smith
Released
Released
Key Player: Simon Cox
Chances: Endured a very difficult season as they only just survived relegation. They shouldn`t find themselves in such trouble this season and it depends how Simon Cox and Dexter Blackstock combine. If they manage to hit it off, Forest could be looking at a top half of the table finish. Last seasons disappointment could still be linguering around the club which could dent any hopes of a big improvement on last season though.
Position Last Season: 19th
Vital Posh Prediction: 16th
Odds: 11/1
PETERBOROUGH UNITED
Manager: Darren Ferguson
Nickname: The Posh
Ground: London Road
Capacity: 15,315
Players In
Name
From
Cost
Tyrone Barnett
Crawley Town
£1.2million
Michael Bostwick
Stevenage
£444,400
Shaun Brisley
Macclesfield Town
£330,000
Jonson Clarke-Harris
Coventry City
Free
Nat Knight-Percival
Wrexham
Free
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing
Wolves
£277,200
Robert Olejnik
Torquay United
£330,000
Danny Swanson
Dundee United
Free
Players Out
Name
To
Cost
David Ball
Fleetwood Town
Undisclosed
Paul Jones
Crawley Town
Free
Joe Lewis
Cardiff City
Free
Nathan Ralph
Yeovil Town
Free
Key Player: Lee Tomlin
Chances: So much could depend on whether Posh keep hold of influential duo George Boyd and Paul Taylor. Both are on the transfer list after refusing to discuss a new contract as they enter the last year of their contract. If they leave, it will be crucial for Posh to bring in suitable replacements. They are the bookies favourites to go down even though the squad, as it stands, is stronger than last season! They will be looking for another good start to the season and if they can achieve this, they should finish comfortably in mid-table, if not higher.
Position Last Season: 18th
Vital Posh Prediction: 14th
Odds: 100/1
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Manager: Dave jones
Nickname: The Owls
Ground: Hillsborough
Capacity: 39,812
Players In
Name
From
Cost
Diogo Amodo
Uniao Leiria
Free
Michael Antonio
Reading
£792,000
Anthony Garner
Crystal Palace
Free
Chris Kirkland
Wigan
Free
Kieran Lee
Oldham
Free
Chris Maguire
Derby County
£277,200
Joe Mattock
WBA
Free
Rhys McCabe
Rangers
Free
Nejc Pecnik
CD Nacional
Free
Players Out
Name
To
Cost
Richard O`Donnell
Chesterfield
Free
Clinton Morrison
Colchester United
Free
Chris Sedgwick
Released
Released
Jon Otsemobor
MK Dons
Free
Sean Cuff
Released
Released
Vadaine Oliver
Released
Released
Liam Palmer
Tranmere
Loan
Ryan Lowe
MK Dons
Undisclosed
Key Player: ??
Chances: Could find it a struggle back in the Championship. A good start will be needed if they are to avoid relegation back to League One.
Position Last Season: 2nd in League One
Vital Posh Prediction: 21st
Odds: 22/1
WATFORD
Manager: Gianfranco Zola
Nickname: The Hornets
Ground: Vicarage Road
Capacity: 17,477
Players In
Name
From
Cost
Almen Abdi
Udinese
Free
Manual Almunia
Arsenal
Free
Ikechi Anya
Granada
Season Loan
Steve Leo Beleck
Udinese
Free
Alex Geijo
Udinese
Loan
Fitz Hall
QPR
Free
Daniel Pudil
Granada
Season Loan
Matej Vydra
Udinese
Free
Players Out
Name
To
Cost
Michael Bryan
Released
Released
Rene Gilmartin
Plymouth
Free
Chez Isaac
Released
Released
Tom James
Nuneaton
Free
Scott Loach
Ipswich
£167,200
Adrian Mariappa
Reading
£3.3million
Josh Walker
Scunthorpe
Free
Key Player: John Eustace
Chances: It could be a difficult season with a raft of new players coming in on free`s and loans from the owners other clubs. They will need to gel very quickly if the are to avoid relegation rather than gain promotion which is what the new owners want.
Position Last Season: 11th
Vital Posh Prediction: 22nd
Odds: 33/1
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Manager: Stale Solbakken
Nickname: Wolves
Ground: Molineux
Capacity: 27,828
Players In
Name
From
Cost
Tongo Doumbia
Rennes
Season Loan
Frank Nouble
West Ham United
Free
Slawo Peszko
Cologne
Loan
Bjorn Bergmann Sigurdarson
Lillestrom
£2.6million
Jamie Tank
Walsall
£26,400
Players Out
Name
To
Cost
Jake Cassidy
Tranmere
Six-month Loan
Jody Craddock
Released
Released
Louis Harris
AFC Wimbledon
Free
Ashley Hemmings
Walsall
Free
Michael Kightly
Stoke City
£3.1million
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing
Peterborough United
£277,200
James Spray
Released
Released
Sam Vokes
Burnley
£558,800
Key Player: Matt Jarvis
Chances: May find it difficult to adapt back to life in the Championship with their new manager. They will be competing at the top of the league but whether they can return to the Premiership at the first time of asking could be a bit much.
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