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Sky Bet Championship: Team-by-team guide ahead of the 2018/19 season
The new Sky Bet Championship is just around the corner with 24 teams hopeful of securing a spot in the Premier League come May.
The league will see a number of returning faces this season, with West Brom, Stoke and Swansea all looking to bounce straight back to the top-flight following relegation last season.
Further down the pyramid, Blackburn and Wigan did exactly that by earning promotion from League One with the minimum of fuss, while Rotherham's time away was short-lived too as they won the play-offs.
Previous big-hitters in Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday aren't expected to live up to what remain lofty expectations, which could pave the way for a few surprise teams to emerge by the time May comes around.
EFL title sponsor Sky Bet are offering four places instead of three (1/5 the odds) on all outright bets placed until August 4 and they also have a number of daily EFL price boosts lined up for those looking for pre-season positions.
Here is our team-by-team guide ahead of the new campaign.
ASTON VILLA
Manager: Steve Bruce
Position last season: 4th
Nickname: Villans
Ground: Villa Park
Capacity: 42,660
Players in:
Players out: John Terry, Christopher Samba, Gabriel Agbonlahor (all released), Pierluigi Gollini (Atalanta, undisclosed)
Key man: Conor Hourihane
Chances: Last season's play-off final defeat sent Villa into a spiral after the extent of their financial woes was laid bare. They needed to go up and failed, leaving owner Tony Xia scrambling to pay the bills. It is hard to see them challenging consistently as key players may yet have to be sold. Manager Steve Bruce knows what it takes to win promotion, but the club's off-field troubles will make life difficult this time around. We mention them at 8/1 for potential relegation in our antepost angle.
BIRMINGHAM
Manager: Garry Monk
Position last season: 19th
Nickname: Blues
Ground: St Andrew's
Capacity: 30,016
Players in: Kristian Pedersen (Union Berlin, undisclosed)
Players out: Paul Robinson (retired), Jason Lowe (Bolton, free), Andrew Shinnie (Luton, free), Robert Tesche (Bochum, free), Cheick Keita (KAS Eupen, loan)
Key man: David Davis
Chances: Blues will be hoping for more success following their brush with relegation, which saw them finish 19th for the second successive season. Manager Garry Monk was the club's fifth boss in less than 18 months when appointed as Steve Cotterill's replacement in March, but won five of his last nine league games and believes he will get the chance to shape a better future at St Andrew's. Doubts remain about the club's ownership structure though.
BLACKBURN
Manager: Tony Mowbray
Position last season: 2nd in League One
Nickname: Rovers
Ground: Ewood Park
Capacity: 31,367
Players in: Joe Rothwell (Oxford, undisclosed), Jacob Davenport (Man City, undisclosed)
Players out: Liam Feeney, Elliott Ward, Aaron Dillon (all released)
Key man: Bradley Dack
Chances: Blackburn instantly bounced back to the Championship and manager Tony Mowbray has created a positive atmosphere around Ewood Park that has not been seen for years. Mowbray is a shrewd operator and momentum should keep his side out of relegation trouble, but much will depend on how key midfielder Bradley Dack fares in the second tier. Dack, voted League One player of the year last season, has never played at this level before.
BOLTON
Manager: Phil Parkinson
Position last season: 21st
Nickname: The Trotters
Ground: Macron Stadium
Capacity: 28,723
Players in: Jason Lowe (Birmingham, free), Erhun Oztumer (Walsall, free), Clayton Donaldson (Sheffield United, free), Pawel Olkowski (Cologne, free), Yanic Wildschut (Norwich, loan)
Players out: Derik Osede, Dorian Dervite, Jem Karacan, Jan Kirchhoff, Chinedu Obasi (all released), Ben Amos (Millwall, loan), Chris Taylor (Blackpool, free), Mark Howard (Blackpool, free), Jeff King St Mirren, free), Aaron Wilbraham (Rochdale, free), Darren Pratley (Charlton, free), Filipe Morais (Crawley, free)
Key man: Erhun Oztumer
Chances: Bolton only survived by the skin of their teeth last term - having sold top scorer Gary Madine in January - and their preparations for this campaign have been hit by a friendly being cancelled due to players striking over unpaid wages and bonuses. It looks as though boss Phil Parkinson will once again face an uphill battle to preserve his side's Championship status and boardroom issues will not help matters.
BRENTFORD
Manager: Dean Smith
Position last season: 9th
Nickname: The Bees
Ground: Griffin Park
Capacity: 12,763
Players in: Ezri Konsa (Charlton, undisclosed), Said Benrahma (Nice, undisclosed)
Players out: Zain Westbrooke (Coventry, free), Konstantin Kerschbaumer (Ingolstadt, undisclosed), Theo Archibald (Forest Green, loan), Andreas Bjelland (FC Copenhagen, free), John Egan (Sheffield United, undisclosed)
Key man: Romaine Sawyers
Chances: Brentford have finished in the Championship's top 10 in each of their last four seasons since winning promotion in 2014 and despite the Londoners' modest budget could be among those challenging for the play-offs again. Manager Dean Smith, linked with West Brom this summer, has maintained the fine work of predecessors Uwe Rosler and Mark Warburton and more shrewd signings will strengthen his hand for the new campaign.
BRISTOL CITY
Manager: Lee Johnson
Position last season: 11th
Nickname: Robins
Ground: Ashton Gate
Capacity: 27,000
Players in: Adam Webster (Ipswich, undisclosed), Marley Watkins (Norwich, £1million), Hakeeb Adelakun (Scunthorpe, free), Andreas Weimann (Derby, undisclosed), Jack Hunt (Sheffield Wednesday, undisclosed)
Players out: Gary O'Neil, Luke Steele, Scott Golbourne, Arnold Garita (all released), Hordur Magnusson (CSKA Moscow, undisclosed), Aden Flint (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Bobby Reid (Cardiff, undisclosed), Gustav Engvall (KV Mechelen, undisclosed), Zak Vyner (Rotherham, loan), Jonny Smith (Tranmere, loan), George Dowling (Eastleigh, loan), Antoine Semenyo (Newport, loan)
Key man: Famara Diedhiou
Chances: Bristol City helped set the early pace in the Championship last season, losing only four league games before the turn of the year, but just four victories from January until the end of the season put paid to their promotion hopes. Star players Aden Flint and Bobby Reid have been sold for big profit and although boss Lee Johnson has recruited wisely, it remains to be seen whether the Robins can mount another challenge.
DERBY
Manager: Frank Lampard
Position last season: 6th
Nickname: The Rams
Ground: Pride Park Stadium
Capacity: 32,600
Players in: Mason Mount (Chelsea, loan), Harry Wilson (Liverpool, loan), Florian Jozefzoon (Brentford, undisclosed)
Players out: Chris Baird, Jason Shackell, Darren Bent (all released), Andreas Weimann (Bristol City, undisclosed)
Key man: Matej Vydra
Chances: Frank Lampard has not picked an easy assignment for his first foray into management with Derby owner Mel Morris cutting costs ahead of this campaign after the club once again failed to win promotion last season. Charged with handling a tight budget and making progress on the pitch after the club missed out in the play-offs in May, former Chelsea midfielder Lampard will have succeeded if he gets the Rams anywhere near the top six
HULL
Manager: Nigel Adkins
Position last season: 18th
Nickname: The Tigers
Ground: KCOM Stadium
Capacity: 25,586
Players in: Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed), David Milinkovic (Genoa, undisclosed), Reece Burke (West Ham, undisclosed), Jordy de Wijs (PSV Eindhoven, undisclosed), Todd Kane (Chelsea, loan), George Long (Sheffield United, undisclosed)
Players out: Greg Luer, Greg Olley, Josh Clackstone (all released), David Meyler (Reading, free), Allan McGregor (Rangers, free), Max Clark (Vitesse Arnhem, undisclosed), Michael Dawson (Nottingham Forest, free) Seb Larsson (AIK Solna, free)
Key man: Jarrod Bowen
Chances: Hull endured a dismal first season back in the Championship, flirting with back-to-back relegations after dropping out of the Premier League in 2017. Experienced trio Michael Dawson, Allan McGregor and Seb Larsson have all departed and Nigel Adkins has made his intentions clear by drafting in young, hungry players. The Tigers will benefit from a pre-season of stability and should challenge in the top half of the table.
IPSWICH
Manager: Paul Hurst
Position last season: 12th
Nickname: Tractor Boys
Ground: Portman Road
Capacity: 30,311
Players in: Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea, loan), Jordan Roberts (Crawley, free), Gwion Edwards (Peterborough, undisclosed)
Players out: Michael Crowe (Preston, free), Stephen Gleeson (Aberdeen, free), Adam Webster (Bristol City, undisclosed), Luke Hyam (Southend, free)
Key man: Martyn Waghorn
Chances: Ipswich fans are expecting entertaining football from new manager Paul Hurst, but he must work with a similar playing budget to that of predecessor Mick McCarthy, who quit before he intended to last season after a fallout with fans. Former Shrewsbury boss Hurst will use the money from the sale of Adam Webster to fund team strengthening, but the Tractor Boys must go through a period of transition this season.
LEEDS
Manager: Marcelo Bielsa
Position last season: 13th
Nickname: Whites
Ground: Elland Road
Capacity: 39,460
Players in: Lewis Baker (Chelsea, loan), Jamal Blackman (Chelsea, loan)
Players out: Madger Gomes (Sochaux, undisclosed), Felix Wiedwald (Einthract Frankfurt, undisclosed), Marcus Antonsson (Malmo, undisclosed), Andy Lonergan (released), Mallik Wilks (Doncaster, loan), Paudie O'Connor (Blackpool, loan), Tyler Denton (Peterborough, loan), Jay-Roy Grot (VVV Venlo, loan), Pawel Cibicki (Molde, loan), Lewie Coyle (Fleetwood, loan)
Key man: Samuel Saiz
Chances: Expectation has risen since former Argentina and Chile boss Marcelo Bielsa was appointed in June after last season's promotion challenge evaporated. Much depends on how Bielsa gets on with the hierarchy at Elland Road and the club's summer recruitment, but if the 62-year-old settles quickly and is allowed to get on with his business he could organise Leeds into genuine top-six contenders. They are fancied at 6/4 for a potential top-six finish in our early look at the season ahead. Either way, fans should hold on to their hats for the ride.
MIDDLESBROUGH
Manager: Tony Pulis
Position last season: 5th
Nickname: Boro
Ground: Riverside Stadium
Capacity: 34,000
Players in: Paddy McNair (Sunderland, £5million), Aden Flint (Bristol City, £6million)
Players out: Antonio Barragan (Real Betis, undisclosed), Tomas Mejias (released), Martin Cranie (released), George Miller (Bradford, loan), Fabio Da Silva (Nantes, undisclosed), Joe Fryer (Carlisle, loan), Hayden Coulson (St Mirren, loan)
Key man: Aden Flint
Chances: Having finished fifth and lost to Aston Villa in the play-off semi-finals last season, Middlesbrough will be looking to leave nothing to chance this time around. They moved swiftly to tie up Bristol City defender Aden Flint and Sunderland utility player Paddy McNair, but with potential suitors eyeing the likes of Adama Traore, Adam Clayton and Britt Assombalonga and additional targets in mind, there could yet be further movement.
MILLWALL
Manager: Neil Harris
Position last season: 8th
Nickname: The Lions
Ground: The Den
Capacity: 20,146
Players in: Murray Wallace (Scunthorpe, undisclosed), Ben Amos (Bolton, loan)
Players out: Tim Cahill, Jimmy Abdou, Kris Twardek, Jamie Philpot, Christian Mbulu, Noel Leighton, Harry Girling (all released), Noah Chesmain (Colchester, free), Harry Toffolo (Lincoln, free), Tom King (AFC Wimbledon, loan), Kristian Brymora (Hassleholms IF, free), Harry Smith (Macclesfield, free)
Key man: Shaun Hutchinson
Chances: Millwall were one of the Championship's surprise packages last season as a 17-match unbeaten run from January catapulted them into play-off contention and Neil Harris's tight-knit group, led by talisman Steve Morison, will be gunning to defy the odds again. The Lions may find it harder after their first campaign back in the second tier, but the Londoners' unbreakable team spirit will stand them in good stead.
NORWICH
Manager: Daniel Farke
Position last season: 14th
Nickname: The Canaries
Ground: Carrow Road
Capacity: 27,244
Players in: Emi Buendia (Getafe, undisclosed), Moritz Leitner (Augsburg, undisclosed), Teemu Pukki (Brondby, free), Ben Marshall (Wolves, undisclosed), Felix Passlack (Borussia Dortmund, loan), Jordan Rhodes (Sheffield Wednesday, loan)
Players out: Wes Hoolahan (released), Tristan Abrahams (Exeter, loan), Marcel Franke (SV Darmstadt, loan), Ebou Adams (Ebbsfleet, free), James Maddison (Leicester, undisclosed), Josh Murphy (Cardiff, undisclosed), Steven Naismith (Hearts, loan), Marley Watkins (Bristol City, £1million), Adam Phillips (Hamilton, loan), Diallang Jaiyesimi (Yeovil, loan), Yanic Wildschut (Bolton, loan)
Key man: Ben Marshall
Chances: After last season's disappointing first campaign in English football, the pressure is on boss Daniel Farke to deliver a sustained assault on the top six. Norwich have cashed in on star players James Maddison and Josh Murphy and the German has brought in a raft of new signings, which he must quickly gel into an effective unit or face another campaign of mid-table mediocrity and the wrath of Canaries fans.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Manager: Aitor Karanka
Position last season: 17th
Nickname: The Reds
Ground: City Ground
Capacity: 30,445
Players in: Michael Dawson (Hull, free), Joao Carvalho (Benfica, £13.5million), Diogo Goncalves (Benfica, loan), Gil Bastiao Dias (Monaco, loan), Hillal Soudani (Dinamo Zagreb, undisclosed), Costel Pantilimon (Watford, undisclosed), Jack Robinson (QPR, free), Lewis Grabban (Bournemouth, undisclosed)
Players out: Chris Cohen, Ashkan Dejagah, Jack Hobbs (all released), David Vaughan (Notts County, free), Eric Lichaj (Hull, undisclosed), Aaron Smith (Hamilton, free), Tyler Walker (Mansfield, loan), Jorge Grant (Luton, loan), Jason Cummings (Peterborough, loan)
Key man: Lewis Grabban
Chances: Former Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka knows what it takes to win promotion from the Championship and has been heavily backed by the club's board to deliver success as they embark on their 20th season outside the top flight. Signings such as Costel Pantilimon, Joao Carvalho, Diogo Goncalves and Lewis Grabban are a huge statement of intent and anything less than a play-off place must be seen as a failure. At this stage, we fancy them as potential winners.
PRESTON
Manager: Alex Neil
Position last season: 7th
Nickname: The Lilywhites
Ground: Deepdale
Capacity: 23,404
Players in: Ryan Ledson (Oxford, undisclosed), Michael Crowe (Ipswich, free), Jordan Storey (Exeter, undisclosed), Graham Burke (Shamrock Rovers, undisclosed), Andrew Hughes (Peterborough, undisclosed)
Players out: Jermaine Beckford, Anders Lindegaard, Clive Smith (all released), Greg Cunningham (Cardiff, undisclosed), John Welsh (Grimsby, free), Tommy Spurr (Fleetwood, loan), Mathew Hudson (Bury, loan)
Key man: Alan Browne
Chances: Alex Neil's Preston finished just outside the play-offs in the Scot's first season at the helm even after they lost key striker Jordan Hugill to West Ham in the winter transfer window. Sean Maguire reached double figures despite missing four months of the season through injury. The Republic of Ireland international could be the difference maker for a settled side, who could challenge again, in Neil's second term in charge.
QPR
Manager: Steve McClaren
Position last season: 16th
Nickname: The Hoops
Ground: Loftus Road
Capacity: 18,238
Players in: Joe Felix (Fulham, free), Toni Leistner (Union Berlin, free)
Players out: Nedum Onuoha, James Perch, Jamie Mackie, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (all released), Alex Smithies (Cardiff, undisclosed), Jack Robinson (Nottingham Forest, free)
Key man: Massimo Luongo
Chances: Former England boss Steve McClaren was appointed in May following the departure of Ian Holloway and immediately quashed any talk of a promotion challenge in his first season in charge. The Hoops have finished 18th and 16th in their previous two seasons and McClaren has targeted a top-half placing. He will have to work within the club's modest playing budget and will do well to keep his latest club out of the lower echelons.
READING
Manager: Paul Clement
Position last season: 20th
Nickname: Royals
Ground: Madejski Stadium
Capacity: 24,161
Players in: Andy Yiadom (Barnsley, free), John O'Shea (Sunderland, free), David Meyler (Hull, free), Marc McNulty (Coventry, undisclosed), Darren Sidoel (Ajax, undisclosed)
Players out: Stephen Quinn, Joseph Mendes, Deniss Rakels (all released), Jonathan Bond (West Brom, free), Sandro Wieser (FC Vaduz, free), Danzell Gravenberch (KSV Roeselare, loan), Tennai Watson (AFC Wimbledon, loan), Yann Kermorgant (released)
Key man: Liam Moore
Chances: Reading were embroiled in a relegation dogfight last season and appointed Paul Clement as Jaap Stam's replacement in March. But the Royals won only two of their last eight games under Clement and could struggle to make headway again unless experienced signings John O'Shea and David Meyler can help galvanise a club that lost its way. A mid-table finish can be expected at best in their bid to stay clear of the bottom three.
ROTHERHAM
Manager: Paul Warne
Psoition last season: 4th in League One
Nickname: Millers
Ground: New York Stadium
Capacity: 12,021
Players in: Kyle Vassell (Blackpool, undisclosed), Clark Robertson (Blackpool, undisclosed), Zak Vyner (Bristol City, loan)
Players out: Shaun Cummings, Mason Warren, Kuda Muskwe, Darnelle Bailey-King (all released), Jonson Clarke-Harris (Coventry, free), Dominic Ball (Aberdeen, loan)
Key man: Will Vaulks
Chances: Rotherham are back in the Championship after one year in the third tier and should not find it too hard to do better than last time they were in the division when they went down with a record low points total. Momentum and a feelgood factor under popular manager Paul Warne might carry the Millers far, but although some lessons might be learned, a relegation battle lies ahead.
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Manager: Chris Wilder
Position last season: 10th
Nickname: The Blades
Ground: Bramall Lane
Capacity: 32,702
Players in: Dean Henderson (Manchester United, loan), John Egan (Brentford, undisclosed)
Players out: Clayton Donaldson (Bolton, free), Chris Hussey (Cheltenham, free), Louis Reed (Peterborough, undisclosed), Samir Carruthers (Oxford, loan), Ben Heneghan (Blackpool, loan), Nathan Thomas (Notts County, loan), James Hanson (AFC Wimbledon, undisclosed), David Brooks (Bournemouth, undisclosed), George Long (Hull, undisclosed), Harvey Gilmour (Tranmere, loan), Sam Graham (Oldham, loan)
Key man: John Fleck
Chances: Sheffield United's continued progress under manager Chris Wilder is in danger of being undermined by the High Court battle between joint-owners Kevin McCabe and Prince Abdullah. The Blades' back-to-back promotion challenge last season faded, but midfielder Paul Coutts' return from a broken leg and Wilder's ability to get the best out of his players should see them in the mix for a top-six finish.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Manager: Jos Luhukay
Position last season: 15th
Nickname: Owls
Ground: Hillsborough
Capacity: 39,732
Players in:
Players out: Glenn Loovens, Ross Wallace, Jake Kean (all released), Jordan Rhodes (Norwich, loan), Jack Hunt (Bristol City, undisclosed)
Key man: Barry Bannan
Chances: Sheffield Wednesday suffered a play-off hangover last season after a top-six finish in 2017 under previous boss Carlos Carvalhal, with a catalogue of injuries making life difficult for replacement boss Jos Luhukay. The return of talisman forward Fernando Forestieri from a serious knee injury is key to the Owls' chances this time around, but if he and the likes of Barry Bannan and Tom Lees stay fit they could challenge again.
STOKE
Manager: Gary Rowett
Position last season: 19th in Premier League
Nickname: Potters
Ground: Bet365 Stadium
Capacity: 30,089
Players in: Oghenekaro Etebo (Feirense, £6.35million), Benik Afobe (Wolves, loan), Adam Federici (Bournemouth, undisclosed)
Players out: Stephen Ireland, Glen Johnson (both released), Kevin Wimmer (Hannover, loan), Ramadan Sobhi (Huddersfield, undisclosed), Marc Muniesa (Girona, undisclosed), Lee Grant (Manchester United, undisclosed), Xherdan Shaqiri (Liverpool, £13million)
Key man: Joe Allen
Chances: Stoke are expected to be among the promotion contenders and Gary Rowett is charged with taking the club straight back to the Premier League, after opting to leave Derby this summer to replace Paul Lambert. Big-name departures were expected following relegation, but that has generated money and Rowett will have a big budget to sign replacements. The best piece of business, however, is managing to keep Joe Allen.
SWANSEA
Manager: Graham Potter
Position last season: 18th in Premier League
Nickname: Swans
Ground: Liberty Stadium
Capacity: 21,088
Players in: Yan Dhanda (Liverpool, free), Jordi Govea (Real Madrid, free), Joel Asoro (Sunderland, undisclosed)
Players out: Angel Rangel (released), Ki Sung-yueng (Newcastle, free), Leon Britton (retired), Lukas Fabianski (West Ham, £6million), Kyle Bartley (West Brom, undisclosed), Kenji Gorre (Nacional, free), Borja Baston (Alaves, loan), Roque Mesa (Sevilla, undisclosed), Lewis Thomas (Forest Green, free), Adam King (Peterborough, loan)
Key man: Jordan Ayew
Chances: Swansea were relegated in May after seven seasons in the top flight and former Ostersunds FK manager Graham Potter has been tasked with getting them straight back up following the departure of Carvalhal. Potter is up against it. The Englishman will oversee the club's transfer policy, but could find it hard to replace the likes of Alfie Mawson, Wilfred Bony and the Ayew brothers should they leave in the summer.
WEST BROM
Manager: Darren Moore
Position last season: 20th in Premier League
Nickname: Baggies
Ground: The Hawthorns
Capacity: 26,688
Players in: Sam Johnstone (Manchester United, £6.5m), Kyle Bartley (Swansea, undisclosed), Jonathan Bond (Reading, free)
Players out: Boaz Myhill, Claudio Yacob, Gareth McAuley (all released), Jonny Evans (Leicester, £3.5million), Tahvon Campbell (Forest Green, undisclosed), Ben Foster (Watford, undisclosed)
Key man: Nacer Chadli
Chances: Relegated from the Premier League last season, West Brom will be one of the favourites for promotion, but rookie boss Darren Moore is untested following just six games in charge in April and May following the departure of Alan Pardew. The Baggies' bid to bounce straight back will be boosted by parachute payments, but they have lost key players and it will not be easy for Moore to rebuild a squad after a turbulent period both on and off the field last season.
WIGAN
Manager: Paul Cook
Position last season: 1st in League One
Nickname: Latics
Ground: DW Stadium
Capacity: 25,133
Players in: Kal Naismith (Portsmouth, free), Leonardo Da Silva Lopes (Peterborough, undisclosed), Christian Walton (Brighton, loan), Reece James (Chelsea, loan), Callum McManaman (Sunderland, undisclosed)
Players out: Donervon Daniels, Reece James, Andy Kellett, Sam Stubbs (all released), Luke Burke (AFC Fylde, free), David Perkins (Rochdale, free), Craig Morgan (Fleetwood, undisclosed), Terell Thomas (AFC Wimbledon, undisclosed)
Key man: Will Grigg
Chances: For the second time in three years, Wigan arrive in the Championship having won the League One title. They went straight back down last time as Nick Powell and Will Grigg struggled for fitness and form. Both need to prove they can cut it at this level, but manager Paul Cook will be encouraged by recent FA Cup wins over Premier League trio Bournemouth, West Ham and Manchester City.
Odds and transfers correct at 1545 BST (20/07/18)