Part two of the LFW preview of the 2010/11 season focuses on the six new teams that are joining the Championship following promotion or relegation last term.
Norwich City 18/1
Last Season:
What happened? City started the season with Bryan Gunn at the helm and were promptly walloped 7-1 at home on the opening day of the season against Colchester United. Although they then redeemed themselves somewhat with a big win at Yeovil in the first away game the sight of supporters throwing their newly purchased season tickets at Gunn in the opening game was too much to bare for the board who removed the popular figure and brought in Paul Lambert, the man who engineered their demise on day one. He oversaw a remarkable turnaround in a short period of time and with Grant Holt to the fore the Canaries ended up winning the league with something to spare.
Manager Bryan Gunn was a popular player at Norwich, and had done every job at the club since retiring when he was appointed as caretaker manager during their relegation season 2008/09. That was a dire Norwich team and little blame was directed at Gunn who set himself a target of rebuilding and consolidation in League One last summer. That lack of ambition created a malaise that was ruthlessly exposed by Paul Lambert on day one, and Norwich moved swiftly to appoint the Scot to replace Gunn. A former Champions League winner with Dortmund, Lambert did little with Wycombe or Colchester to suggest he was capable of the turnaround he oversaw at Norwich but he did a fine job in leading them back up at the first attempt.
Star Man Grant Holt proved to be a fine acquisition with 30 goals from 43 appearances in all competitions after a summer move from Shrewsbury.
Next season
LFW Says: Norwich have made some intelligent additions to their squad this summer with Simeon Jackson bought from Gillingham to team up with Holt in attack, Andrew Surman freed from an unhappy spell at Wolves back into a league in which he excelled for Southampton and Elliott Ward adding experience at centre half. They’ve had a mediocre pre-season, and Lambert was highly critical of them after a 1-0 defeat at Dagenham and Redbridge, but the momentum and confidence accrued last season and the additions made by Lambert who really seems to be developing as a manager should see them push on well into the top half of the league.
Manager: Lambert was a fine player – a Scottish international, multi-title winner with Celtic and European cup winner with Dortmund. He had Wycombe on the cusp of promotion twice before they choked, but did take them on a couple of giant killing cup runs at the same time. He wasn’t at Colchester for long, and had he stayed last season the U’s may well have been going up judging by their opening day win at Norwich. But to steady a ship, and then sail it off to promotion the way he did at Carrow Road is a notable achievement. Comes across as quite surly and moody and an explosion or resignation isn’t out of the question if things go badly but I expect Norwich to succeed and Lambert to remain in post. Survival chances – 8/10
Ins and outs: Jackson, Surman and Ward are the big name arrivals but they’re not alone. John Ruddy (Everton), David Fox (Colchester), Andrew Crofts (Brighton) and Steven Smith (Rangers) have all been added. The release of Gary Doherty was long overdue and removes that lack of pace in defence that was so easy to exploit against previous Norwich sides, Danny Kelly (Barnet), Damon Lathrope (Torquay), Rhoys Wiggins (Bournemouth), Tom Adeyemi (Bradford), David Stephens (Hibs) have all been sold, released or loaned out. Cody McDonald, who made a good impression after signing last season from Dartford, has been loaned out to Gillingham for experience.
Likely Star Man: Grant Holt has played at this level before with Forest and had little impact, Jackson is untried. Andrew Surman looks to be the pick of their signings to me.
Verdict: 8th. Top half with play off potential.
Leeds United 18/1
Last Season:
What happened? Leeds finally made it back to the Championship at the third attempt, though not without a few wobbles along the way. After an outstanding first half of the season it looked as if nobody would be able to catch them. Leeds rolled back the years with a 1-0 win at Man Utd in the FA Cup and a last minute equaliser in the next round at Spurs brought them a replay at Elland Road. But concentrating on giant killing distracted them from the league and a poor run of just two wins from 11 matches followed in the league. Four defeats on the spin against promotion rivals Southampton, Millwall, Norwich and Swindon in March seemed to have condemned them to another play off lottery but Millwall’s failure to win a routine game against Tranmere ten days from the end of the season opened the door for Leeds who only had to beat Bristol Rovers on the last day to seal it. They early self combusted again, with Max Gradel’s personal explosion resulting in a red card and Darryl Duffy giving Rovers a second half lead but Leeds fought back to win and take the second automatic promotion spot.
Manager Simon Grayson was the man who laid the platform at Blackpool from which Ian Holloway has sprung that club forward into the Premiership. Pool were loathe to lose him to Leeds but having made the move the former Villa full back has repeated his League One recipe for success for a second time. He promoted Blackpool within 18 months of taking over and has done so again with Leeds.
Star Man Jermaine Beckford caught the eye in the first half of the season but seemed distracted by speculation and the hype of his Old Trafford winner thereafter. Patrick Kisnorbo won the club’s player of the season award.
Next season
LFW Says: The new additions made by Leeds this summer don’t exactly inspire. Alex Bruce is a poor player propped up by being his father’s son, Billy Paynter wasn’t even the best striker at Swindon Town and Leeds fans are, by and large disappointed to see Neill Collins return from Preston after a less than successful loan spell. Lloyd Sam and Kasper Schmeichel are exciting youngsters from the lower leagues. The big news has been Beckford’s departure to Everton and whatever anybody says about him that is a good 20 goals missing from the Leeds side already that Paynter is unlikely to replace. If Becchio were to follow out of the exit doors Leeds would be seriously short of firepower. As it stands, mainly because of the brilliance of the manager and the poor quality of the league, I think they’ll knock on the door of the top six.
Manager: Leeds rather stumbled over the line last season and were fortunate to come up in many ways, Grayson will take heart from their ability to hang on in adversity and has shown his ability at this level before. With ken Bates as chairman you can never be sure but I’d suggest he’s highly unlikely to be sacked. Survival chances – 8/10
Ins and outs: Bruce, Collins, Schmeichel, Paynter and Sam have been joined through the entrance door by Bessone from Swansea and Connolly from Derby. Heading away from Elland Road with Beckford are Paul Dickov who is the new player manager at Oldham, goalkeeper Casper Ankergren, youngster Tom Elliott and defender Rui Marques.
Likely Star Man: Youngsters like Jonny Howson and Robert Snodgrass will relish the chance of stepping up, and Kasper Schmeichel has plenty to prove after dropping down to Notts County for the money. The big question is where are the goals coming from? All eyes currently on Luciano Becchio who has been linked with moves away.
Verdict: 6th - A good manager and Leeds certainly have enough about them to push for the six in a poor league.
Millwall 50/1
Last Season:
What happened? After blowing the 2009 play off final against Scunthorpe when overwhelming favourites and backed by the thick end of 40,000 fans at Wembley Millwall did well to bounce back and win promotion this term. Again they needed the play offs to do it, for having done the hard work and reeled in runaway leaders Leeds with a spectacular run of form in the second of the campaign that included a televised win at Elland Road they then blew it with a defeat late in the season at lowly Tranmere. Huddersfield were dispatched relatively easily in the semi final and there was no repeat of the Wembley heartbreak this year as Swindon were dispatched with similar aplomb.
Manager Former QPR assistant manager Kenny Jackett has achieved his most notable achievement to date as a number one in taking the Wall back to the Championship. He’s done a steady rebuilding job there after the Dennis Wise era fell apart and the club’s better players left, and has shown a good eye for a player with Stevenage’s Steve Morrison proving a ht after stepping up through the leagues. Jackett is assisted by another QPR man Joe Gallen and they will both be keen to get one over their former club at Loftus Road at the end of September.
Star Man Steve Morrison grabbed the headlines with 23 goals in his first season in the Football League after signing from Stevenage, but he had a poor first half of the season and 21 of those goals came in December or later. For sheer consistency over the course of the campaign Alan Dunne took the club’s player of the year award.
Next season
LFW Says: Of the three promoted sides it’s Millwall who have the most to do to stay in the Championship this season. On paper their squad lacks quality, experience and goals. Morrison impressed eventually last season but initially found the step up tough and may well do so again here. The signings in so far have a distinctly League One flavour to them and Millwall will need all of Kenny Jackett’s ability to keep them up this season.
Manager: Jackett is a cautious manager, favouring solidity and safety over expansive play and risk taking. He’s built a functional, but not very watchable, team at Millwall and that has been enough to get them out of League One but he will need to do more than he has shown so far here, and previously at Swansea and Watford, to consolidate Millwall’s position in this league. After the work he’s done he’d be unlucky to lose his job regardless of results. Survival chances – 8/10.
Ins and outs: Promising Leyton Orient centre back Tamika Mkandawire is the most eye catching of the summer signings. He is joined through the entrance door by what looks to be a clutch of solid League One standard players – Ipswich’s Liam Trotter, Southend keeper Steve Mildenhall, Kevin Lisbie from Ipswich, Shaun Batt from Peterborough and James Henry from Reading. Dave Martin is a big loss, taking his quality delivery from wide areas to Derby for an undisclosed fee. Other than that it’s only veterans Adam Bolder (Burton), Jason Price (Carlisle) and Danny Senda (released) heading out.
Likely Star Man: Millwall’s success and failure will be built on Paul Robinson at the back and the partnership of Neil Harris and Steve Morrison up front. All three excelled last year but none have ever performed consistently/at all at this level. The squad looks to lack quality and Dave Martin is a big loss.
Verdict: 20th. The confidence and momentum of promotion allied to a competent manager should just about be enough to keep them up, but it’s going to be very tight indeed and they really need further additions.
Portsmouth 28/1
Last Season:
What happened? An absolute meltdown. Portsmouth paid the price for overstretching themselves in the pursuit of the FA Cup and Premiership football and it all came crashing down around their ears last season, which ended with tales of £150m debts. Pompey clearly paid ridiculous wages to the likes of Defoe, Crouch, Diarra, Campbell, James, Mendes and others to compete as well as they did in the top flight, but having fetched in tens of millions of pounds for their stars when they sold them off the fans were fully justified in asking where exactly all that had gone. Starting the season with Paul Hart in charge didn’t help, he laughed and joked with the media about how terrible the situation was so the press boys gave him an easy ride but in reality he did a thoroughly abysmal job there, further bloating the squad with tat in the summer transfer window and leaving Avram Grant with an impossible job. They were destined to be relegated almost from the first whistle.
Manager Grant won many friends on the South Coast with his attitude and football, and amidst the catastrophe of the league campaign did successfully guide Pompey to a second FA Cup final in three years where Kevin Prince Boateng’s rank penalty miss at 0-0 cost them a potential upset against Chelsea. Paul Hart is a clueless idiot, the less said about him the better. Both had packed their bags and gone by the end of a torrid campaign.
Star Man Jamie O’Hara impressed at the heart of the midfield after signing on a season long loan from Spurs. He showed a willingness to muck in and a fine attitude not normally associated with loan players and will be a very useful top flight footballer for somebody, though probably not Spurs.
Next season
LFW Says: Portsmouth’s financial problems are far from over and a transfer embargo remains in place. Their squad currently numbers 15 professionals which does not include a senior goalkeeper following David James’ departure and as it stands only Ibrahima Sonko has come in. More departures are almost certain as Pompey attempt to cut their wage bill. Against this back drop Pompey will do exceptionally well to avoid a second successive relegation.
Manager: Steve Cotterill is back in the Championship after an absence stretching almost three years. Previously he seemed to be doing a reasonable job of keeping Burnley secure in the league, although Owen Coyle’s subsequent promotion to the Premiership with the Clarets after replacing him rather put that ‘achievement’ into perspective. He stepped into the chaos at Notts County for the final few months of last season and saw them over the line as champions but with one of the highest playing budgets in the Football League in the bottom division you would have backed a mentally disabled turkey to have done the same. Cotterill’s managerial career has still never really matched the achievements he notched up at Cheltenham who he brought through two levels of non-league football into the Football League. The football he plays isn’t particularly attractive either and he’s really got his work cut out at Fratton Park. Survival chances – 5/10.
Ins and outs: Almost exclusively outs – David James, Papa Bouba Diop, Nadir Belhadj, Florent Cuvelier, Luke Wilkinson, Lennard Soweh and Antti Niemi have all gone. Aruna Dindane and Frederic Piquionne left at the end of their loan deals. Only Stoke’s Ibrahima Sonko has arrived on loan.
Likely Star Man: Pompey do still have some quality players for this level at their disposal, and David Nugent could easily bag 20 goals. But he, and the other stand out names in the squad, are all likely to be on their way. Michael Brown, Kevin Prince Boateng, Tal Ben Haim and Tommy Smith will all be assets if they stay, and there’s no guarantee that they will. Amid another winding up order this week the administrator has stated there will be no further additions.
Verdict: 22nd. Possibly just escaping if they can hang onto the remaining quality players, but probably relegated again.
Hull City 22/1
Last Season:
What happened? They were crap. Absolute crap, just as they had been for the second half of the previous season in which they only survived by the skin of their teeth courtesy of a terrific and unexpected start to the campaign. Despite the embarrassment of almost staying up by default manager Phil Brown felt able to go out onto the pitch after the final game of the season (another defeat) for a sing song. Thankfully the perma tanned, arrogant, pillock had the smarmy grin firmly wiped from his face by a lousy campaign of just six victories, none of them away from home. Speaking of smarmy and arrogant, chairman Paul Duffen was ousted two thirds of the way through the season and his predecessor Adam Pearson re-installed after the true extent of the horrific financial mismanagement of the club was revealed. Despite having one of the worst Premiership squads in living memory, Duffen had allowed the wage bill to balloon to one of the top ten in the country. The lasting damage done by that pair of plonkers will take many years for Hull to fully recover from.
Manager Brown did a horrendous job in his first number one position at Derby, at one point having seven loan signings in at once when the rules state you can only pick five for any one game. He was sacked after less than a season there and stumbled into the Hull job after success as a caretaker manager at the KC Stadium. Their promotion to the Premiership, and initial top flight form, was admirable but Hull have been abysmal for a season and a half since his unbelievably crass on the field half time team talk at Man City two Christmases ago. Following his fully justified and long overdue sacking at Hull last season he had the temerity to say he’d “even” consider taking a job “as low down” as League One if the right offer came along. The man’s sense of self importance knows no bounds. Iain Dowie was charged with saving the day late on but even one of the hundreds of far better managers around than him would have had difficulty in doing that and Hull were justifiably relegated.
Star Man Stephen Hunt impressed after signing for big money from Reading, he scored six goals and stayed in the Premiership with Wolves after Hull’s relegation.
Next season
LFW Says: After Duffen ran the place like a 12 year old football fan, frantically grabbing at shiny new players and paying over the odds to get them, Hull are in financial turmoil. Jimmy Bullard was handed a £40,000 a week wage on a four year deal with no get out clause if they were relegated or insurance over his troublesome knees and has, predictably, only managed 15 Hull appearances in a year and a half. As QPR have found it’s not easy to shift big earners on long term deals. Hull have made a superb managerial appointment, and Nigel Pearson has been permitted to add to his squad, but this week’s sale of Bo Myhill will not be the last departure and a season of consolidation is probably their best hope.
Manager: Nigel Pearson comes across as an intensely dull man, and the teams he built at Southampton and Leicester were solid rather than spectacular. He is, however, successful. He kept Southampton up against all the odds after taking over late in the 2007/08 season and was then harshly sacked as Rupert Lowe’s ego got the better of him and he attempted to install some weird merger between the first team and youth set up with Jan Poortvliet at the helm. While that predictably collapsed around Lowe’s ears Pearson was given the job of bringing Leicester back after their relegation to League One. He did that with something to spare, and nearly carried them straight through the Championship last season with only a pathetic penalty from Yann Kermorgant in the semi final at Cardiff denying them a date at Wembley. His decision to jump ship from a project nearing its conclusion at Leicester to join cash strapped Hull seems strange – a dispute with Foxes chairman Milan Mandaric over a transfer budget is said to be at the heart of it. It won’t be this season in my opinion, but I believe he’ll have them back in the top flight within three seasons. Survival chances – 8/10
Ins and outs: Pearson moved quickly to extend Nolberto Solano’s Indian summer and picked up James Harper from Sheff Utd for free although he immediately picked up a three month injury lay off in the first pre-season friendly. Other than that it’s all been one way traffic aimed at reducing the colossal wage bill. Bo Myhill has gone to West Brom for £1.5m, Geovanni, George Boateng, Bernard Mendy and Jan Venegoor of Hesselink have had their contracts terminated. Stephen Hunt has gone to Wolves with Steven Mouyokolo, Dean Marney to Burnley for £500k.
Likely Star Man: Conference standard clogger Ian Ashbee is back from a year out with injury and being hailed as some sort of returning hero. He couldn’t play the game before the injury so God knows how bad he will be now. There are one or two half decent names knocking around, such as Solano, Craig Fagan and Andy Dawson, but nothing to write home about. The club has a number of promising youngsters coming through the system, most notably Tom Cairney.
Verdict: 11th. A very good managerial appointment means they won’t be far away, but the cull of talent and big wage earners is sure to take its toll.
Burnley 11/1
Last Season:
What happened? Like so many promoted teams before them the Clarets were hamstrung by an inability to win away. Following a surprise promotion impressive young manager Owen Coyle had them flying initially with consecutive home wins against Man Utd, Everton, Sunderland and Birmingham . Hull City were also beaten at Turf Moor and Arsenal, Fulham, Bolton and Villa held to draws. Despite a record of five defeats from their first five away games, conceding 17 goals in the process, that was enough to keep them on course for safety. Then, their sliding doors moment. Coyle upped and left for Bolton and Burnley approached Doncaster for Sean O’Driscoll. What happened next condemned them to relegation.
Manager O’Driscoll is a fine manager, doing a wonderful job at Doncaster. He plays football in the right way and is very similar to Coyle who he would have replaced at Turf Moor had Burnley paid the compensation Donny required. That was only £1m, and when you consider what players cost that didn’t seem a lot. Northern penny pinching, and that’s really all it was, came into play though. Burnley baulked at the asking price and instead brought a ridiculous results for money spent equation into play that led them to the door of Brian Laws. He had just been sacked for setting Sheffield Wednesday up for relegation and comfortably repeated the trick at Burnley. A baffling appointment.
Star Man Steven Fletcher proved to be a fine signing at £3m from Hibs and has been snapped up by Wolves following Burnley’s relegation.
Next season
LFW Says: Burnley have, in West Brom style, kept together the team that took them up last time and so should threaten again. However, it was something of a surprise to see them promoted in the first place and with Brian Laws remaining in charge they’re likely to underperform. With Hull absolutely skint and Portsmouth in meltdown the Clarets are certainly best placed of the relegated teams to make an impact this season.
Manager: Brian Laws is probably still best known for fracturing the cheekbone of Ivano Bonneti when the former Juventus star somehow ended up playing for Grimsby. It was a real shame because Laws had got a fine Grimsby side together that was, unbelievably when you look at them now, threatening to make the play offs for the Premiership up to that moment which came after a 3-2 defeat at Luton Town. It was at Scunthorpe that Laws really learnt his trade, an eight year stay, briefly interrupted by a row with a new chairman, saw him take them to promotion from the bottom division once but return immediately after the better players that took them there – Jamie Forrester and John Eyre – jumped ship. The second time he took them up he again lost his top scorer, Paul Hayes this time, but kept them in the higher division and built a side that was eventually promoted again under Nigel Adkins. He developed a handy knack of picking up strikers who bagged 20 goals a season, and then replacing them when they left, at Scunthorpe. He was not able to repeat that, or the overall success, at Sheff Wed in three seasons and eventually they stagnated to the point of relegation. Laws was a standing joke at Burnley last season and is lucky to still have a job. Will surely be sacked if they make a poor start. Survival chances – 4/10.
Ins and outs: Burnley have recruited intelligently. Dean Marney and Ross Wallace have arrived from Hull and Preston to complement an already strong midfield. Lee Grant was the best keeper in the division last season with Sheff Wed and Chris Iwelumo presents a striking focal point for others to work off. Robbie Blake and Steven Fletcher will be missed, but Rangers’ interest in Chris Eagles has subsided. Defenders Stephen Jordan and Steven Caldwell has been released, along with Nicky Weaver who seemed a strange signing anyway and Joey Gudjohnson who has taken his thunderous long rangers to Huddersfield on a free.
Likely Star Man: Chris Eagles will be the star attraction again if he stays, but there is quality throughout the Burnley side. Martin Paterson failed in the top flight but should work well with Iwelumo providing a presence to work off. Ross Wallace is a fine signing. Lee Grant though, single handedly propping up Laws’ Sheff Wed side and likely to excel again, is probably a safe bet for Burnley’s player of the year award.
Verdict: 3rd. Despite a dodgy manager who has done nothing higher than League One Burnley have plenty of quality and should be a shoo in for the top six.