Today the English Football League kicks off with optimism all around. The 72 teams competing will no doubt provide their fans with joy, ecstasy and despair at different points over the next 10 months. All fans believing it will be there club’s season; some may be in for a shock as early as today. It is clearly important to get off to a good start, although remember it is a marathon not a sprint.
The Championship
The favourites for promotion are the three relegated teams who competed in the Premiership last year. Birmingham, Derby and Reading will all be hoping to bounce back with a successful campaign. The league is always full of surprises and as seen last campaign with the success of Stoke and Hull, it is open for anyone to go up. Other teams looking to make it into the paradise of the Premiership are Watford, Crystal Palace and Bristol City- who failed to make it through the Play-Off’s last season. At the other end, the bookies have Blackpool and Barnsley as favourites for the drop. Doncaster are predicted to struggle however fellow promoted teams Nottingham Forest and Swansea will look to match Bristol City’s success in their first season in the Championship. Whatever happens, the season will provide the fans with excitement. No wonder the Championship boasts the fourth highest attendance figures in European football, even ahead of Italy’s Serie A.
League One
Gary McAllister’s Leeds are expected to win the league with no points deduction hampering their chances this season. Another former Premiership side Leicester will hope their dip into the transfer market will help them recover from the departure of Ian Holloway and relegation from the Championship. The bookies are largely undecided on who will prove dominant in such a tight league; for many the chance of the play-off’s or relegation is equally possible. All eyes though will be on the respective managers of MK Dons and Peterborough. Both sides won promotion from League Two last season and many will be eager to see how Roberto Di Matteo takes to management and if Darren Ferguson can show glimpses of his father’s management attributes.
League Two
Whilst promotion seems a lottery, relegation appears a foregone conclusion. With large point deductions for Bournemouth, Rotherham and Luton, the two relegation places will surely be fought out between these three teams. At the top a number of club’s will be looking to progress up the football ladder. Gillingham, Rochdale, Darlington and Wycombe are all hoping for promotion though Shrewsbury remain the hot tip after the signing of Grant Holt from Nottingham Forest.
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