Championship

WHENEVER I see managers like Luton's Nathan Jones it makes me glad I'm now only watching football in my armchair rather than getting het up on the.

They need to tighten things at the back. In the end, it was just about getting through to the summer and starting from scratch. He doesn’t get flustered and has a way of playing. He’s one of the brightest managers in the league but just goes about his business. They do have a strike force. They only stayed up last season because of Derby’s points deduction. They should be pushing the top group. He’s always ready to roll his sleeves up. I’m genuinely interested to see how he gets on. Norwich will create chances and Pukki will put them away. The Finnish lad Teemu Pukki will be massive. Free bet stakes not included in returns.

The Championship season begins tonight as Vincent Kompany's Burnley travel to Huddersfield, and the dawn of a new season brings promise, hope and raised ...

This season, there are no points deductions at the start of the campaign which actually adds value to the market. Their squad is weak and the vibes around a half-open St Andrew’s are bad. Second tier specialists Norwich City are 5/1 favourites, Watford are 7/1 second faves and Burnley are in contention at 9s. Teemu Pukki is currently 7/1 favourite given his goalscoring prowess at this level but I’m unconvinced Norwich will be quite as good this term. The promotion market offers more certainty than the outright winner, and the odds are reflected in that. These picks allow you to speculate what might happen over the course of the season and keep your interest high in the second tier.

McLaren's new Trophy championship to use Artura GT4-based racer with more power and aero.

Each team will be run independently from McLaren, but to smooth out the logistics for drivers, McLaren is offering a concierge service that’ll handle the operational side of things such as hotels and transfers. As such, the twin-turbocharged 3-litre V6 engine shares its hot-vee layout and 120-degree v-angle, but being freed of its BoP limitations will produce its full 576bhp – incidentally more than regulations allow for GT3 racers, let alone GT4. McLaren has announced a new one-make Pro-Am McLaren Trophy championship kicking off in 2023, utilising a unique racer based on the new Artura GT4 that’s free of any Balance of Performance regulations.

Odds, analysis and picks for the title, promotion and relegation in the 2022/23 England Championship, with Norwich starting as favorites to win it.

A poor final third to the season was to cost them and also saw the departure of manager, Mark Warburton, but Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Villa, Michael Beale, has arrived and is highly rated. Both have had modest summers of recruitment but are well coached and in with a shout of top-six. The Clarets are in with a chance but an outside one. Watford, who have installed Rob Edwards as their new coach, are in a similar position to Norwich but have seen an even bigger churn of players over the summer. Below we list the odds and take a look at those expected to be pushing for promotion. At the other end of the table, the three teams finishing bottom get relegated to League One.

Preview includes expert opinions from Yorkshire Live club writers Nathan Hemmingham and Steven Chicken.

It would be no surprise to any of the teams named above in the top six, but there are always those not quite as fancied. I fancy Boro to certainly finish in the top six, though the top two might just be out of their reach. However, it would be a mistake to think the side has been cobbled together in a hurry. The Championship feels more full of unknown quantities this season than usual, and it can be an unpredictable league to begin with. Dogukan Sinik and Benjamin Tetteh are two more to arrive from the Turkish Super Lig, and though both have unquestionable pedigree, adapting to the Championship will be a big test of their physical and mental capabilities. Losing Richie Smallwood and George Honeyman from their midfield has left a gap, though Seri is an obvious upgrade on Smallwood, Honeyman's endeavour and creating abilities have not yet been replaced, and it remains to be seen how they'll cope without serial matchwinner Keane Lewis-Potter. Questions remain over how Arveladze will be able to knit the group together, and though it will take time for it to come together, there's an expectation of challenging for the top six meaning he will be under serious scrutiny from fairly early on. Joel Piroe was brilliant last season and keeping him - assuming nothing changes before the window closes - is huge for the Swans, and their hopes of muscling in on the top six party. As things stand, while their first XI looks pretty good, the squad is just not strong enough to withstand the rigours of a 46-game season at this level and they would be among those fighting for their lives at the bottom. Their activity in the transfer market has been interesting and they will either be a car crash or last season's Huddersfield. Birmingham could well struggle again and Blackpool might find it tough. Sheffield United's recruitment so far has been really good and they have a strong squad at the time of writing. Alex Neil said he was 'optimistic but realistic' over Sunderland's return to the Championship, and that's not a bad approach to take. Birmingham also struggled badly and seem likely to do so again, while Hull have sold a lot of their best players and could find themselves in trouble.

This shouldn't be surprising. Premier League parachute payments put clubs that have been promoted that far at a significant financial advantage over others when ...

For Preston, Freddie Woodman is a decent goalkeeper who might find Deepdale to his liking after a pretty disastrous 2021/22. He started in the Newcastle team ahead of Martin Dubravka and Karl Darlow but ended up back on the bench after four appearances, the most notable of which came at Old Trafford on Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Bournemouth, where he again resided on the bench. A second successive promotion seems extremely unlikely, but with some clouds lifted over the Stadium of Light they should be capable of securing a mid-table finish. QPR were another club with play-off ambitions who fell away, but Beale’s appointment looks more like a longer-term project than a short-term fix and QPR may find mid-table to be the height of their ambitions. The peculiar anomaly of Fulham and Norwich City, who have been alternating places for the last four years, has led to a growth in the belief that they are stuck in a strange sort of limbo between the Premier League and the Championship: not quite good enough for the top 20 but still too strong for the clubs just below them. And then there’s West Bromwich Albion. The appointment of Steve Bruce couldn’t arrest a slump that saw the Baggies end last season in tenth, their lowest final league position since the 1999/2000 season. Watford have gone for a change of policy, with their revolving door having been usurped by bringing in a promising manager from the lower divisions. Of the other clubs who will be looking at those top two automatic places, there is some solace that none of the three relegated teams look particularly strong this summer. Norwich City and Watford are clear of the rest, though there are reasons to believe that either or both of these clubs could find the going sticky this time around. Norwich City have won the title in each of their last two seasons at this level in 2019 and 2021, but can they make it a hat-trick? Championship teams only receive around £9m from the EFL’s contract with Sky Sports. In other words, the £90m collected in television money over three years by a club that falls into the Championship is more than three times what a club without those parachute payments will receive over the same time period. Should they fail to go up this season, their parachute payment will be around £35m, and should they fail to go up again, it would be around £15m for their third season at this level. The EFL Championship season gets underway with a familiar smell of desperation in the air.

There are plenty of reasons why the Championship is more enjoyable than the top flight. Everyone says a 46-match league campaign is a slog - and if things are ...

But like I say, you can never predict the Championship and that is what makes it so much fun. It feels like they are yet to make the signing that makes you sit up and say ‘wow’ and they may still sell Ismaila Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis. Matches in the Championship do tend to be more honest and physical, which I also appreciate. I also think that referees in the Championship let the game flow more, they allow a bit more physicality and, unlike some refs in the Premier League, they are not looking out for their two minutes of fame on Match of the Day. And while I’m not going to pretend to you that I wouldn’t rather be playing in the Premier League - there’s all that money for starters - England’s second tier is a unique and thrilling competition. Let’s be honest, when I was with Watford in the Premier League and we were playing Manchester City or Liverpool, I can’t honestly tell you that I’d expect to win.

The 2021 champions host Lámh Dhearg while Portglenone will be hoping a Tyrone legend brings them the Midas touch.

Sign up to our free sports newsletter here. Cargin retained the bulk of their experienced players and there is a talented batch of former minor stars coming through the ranks to ensure Devlin’s men will be involved at the business end of the season. Gort na Móna are already down and the Turf Lodge men will be hoping for an upturn in fortune in their Championship campaign with last year’s Intermediate winners Tír na nÓg also in Group Three. The other tie in Group Two is a local derby between Moneyglass and Ahoghill. St Ergnat’s endured a Championship season to forget last year on their return to the senior ranks. Ahoghill didn’t make the knock-out stages last season, but the Clooney men are never to be underestimated in either code at this time of the year. The south Belfast men retained the services of Donegal native Anthony McGrath for this year and the return to form of Patrick Finnegan has been a huge boost for the Malone men in 2022.

But after an impressive spell on loan with MK Dons in League One last year (10 goals and seven assists), along with some promising performances for the Irish ...

He scored 22 league goals last time out in Russell Martin’s first season in charge of the Swans and there is a feeling that this season will see more of the same, unless he is snatched away by a hopeful Premier League side. The Turkish midfielder spent the second half of the 2020-21 with the Baggies and while they were relegated from the Premier League, his displays were one of the few positives. He is an exciting talent and you do find yourself intrigued whenever he is on the ball. But after an impressive spell on loan with MK Dons in League One last year (10 goals and seven assists), along with some promising performances for the Irish national team, there’s a sense that he could have a real impact for Ryan Lowe’s side. He now has a new home at West Bromwich Albion under the guidance of second tier promotion connoisseur Steve Bruce and he is likely to have a great impact for the Baggies this year. There were some excellent players on show in 2021-22 and quite a few of them are now in the Premier League as a result of their outstanding contributions.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 29: Murray Wallace of Millwall and Jake Livermore of West Bromwich Albion during the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and ...

There were times when his insistence on playing out from the back put the team in real trouble last season. The veteran manager is well-experienced at this level and has a burning desire to prove wrong those who say his time has come and gone. Chris Wilder is one of the best managers in the division and he has the players to fit his style, with the arrival of Ryan Giles from Wolves strengthening the wing-back position. Edwards has spent much of pre-season drilling in his possession-based system to the players and he has so much work to do in order restore a sense of purpose and togetherness at Vicarage Road following the upheaval of the dreadful 2021/22 season. Starting with the teams coming down from the Premier League, one of the classic yo-yo clubs will certainly be in the mix. More than half the teams in the division will certainly harbour hopes of promotion this time, with the lower reaches of the play-offs within sight of so many clubs.

A clutch of top flight players have made the move to join second tier clubs for the duration of the upcoming 2022-23 campaign, which begins earlier than ...

Doyle, 20, is tipped for big things at City and so the chance to spend a full season hopefully playing regular football will have appealed to him. He may only be 19 but the fact he won last season's under-23s player of the year award says it all. Whilst Arijanet Muric and CJ Egan-Riley made permanent moves, Harwood-Bellis' stay at Turf Moor is for only the duration of the coming season. A new campaign brings with it fresh optimism and that is also the case when it comes to players. Speaking about his move to Blues, he said: "Playing MLS, and doing well there, you get some respect and get noticed a little bit more. Mason Mount and James Garner are just two examples, having dazzled in temporary spells at Derby and Nottingham Forest respectively.

With that in mind, here are 10 players we're really excited about watching in the 2022-23 Championship season. Tayo Adaramola. Fans of Crystal Palace and the ...

The 17-year-old forward made his debut for Blackpool last term and could be on the verge of a breakthrough season. The versatile youngster, who has played in midfield and at right-back for the Robins, looks set to kick on further this season. Was there something in the water back in the Spring of 2020? The Black Cats have since signed Clarke on a permanent deal and it’s a move that’s best for all parties. Now he finds himself at Hull, and it will be fascinating to see how he gets on there. Like Lingard and Willock, Dike has failed to kick on since then. He’s since made 70 appearances, amid two loans away, for the Cottagers as they’ve flitted between the top two divisions, including 33 in their promotion-winning campaign last year. The 26-year-old midfielder looks naturally suited to the progressive possession game instilled by Kenny, while Kompany is also well aware of what he can offer. Watch the U18s live from 11:20am (GMT) on our official YouTube channel 👉https://t.co/zhJpuMgsq7 #CPFC As recently as 2018-19, England regulars like Kalvin Phillips, Reece James, Mason Mount and Jack Grealish were lighting up the division. There’s great hope Cresswell will return to Elland Road to stake a claim for a place in Jesse Marsch’s first team in a year’s time, and experience in the Championship should do him the world of good. The man-mountain centre-back, 19, is the son of former Leeds striker and Football League stalwart Richard Cresswell. He has a handful of appearances for the first team, is now a regular for England’s Under-21s, and is something of a fan favourite at Leeds thanks to his authoritative style and commanding aerial ability.

The Championship opens its 2022/23 season this weekend and ASN's Brian Sciaretta previews the season with a look at the 10 Yanks (and possibly more) in the ...

But the first half of this season he struggled for the Rapids. He hasn’t been with the team since the first round of World Cup qualifiers in September. The forward position remains unsettled although there is a long list of candidates. At 27, he’s in his prime for a goalkeeper and he needs to play for the sake of playing. Gooch should be expected to start regularly early in the season but he needs to show improved performances from last season to keep his starting job. But he will turn 33 this season and maintaining that output is going to be tough. The good news for Horvath is that he should start at Luton Town – which is coming off a season where they made it to the playoffs and exceeded all expectations. After a lackluster run at Werder Bremen which resulted in the club relegated from the Bundesliga, Sargent moved to the Premier League with Norwich last season but, outside of one game against Watford, didn’t produce. The only way Horvath can change that is with a strong start to the season. There is a lot to admire about Lynden Gooch and his relationship with Sunderland. Dating back to childhood summer camps, he has been affiliated with Sunderland since he was 10 years old. The realistic goal for Middlesbrough this season is to finish in the playoff positions – after that, anything is possible. Shea is not expected to return until possibly the end of this season. The potential starting goalkeeper for the U.S. national team is now with Middlesbrough on loan from Manchester City where he spent the last two seasons as a seldomly used backup.

Will Jones says… Watford champions, Sunderland 14th. This seems very much a league of three thirds. A top tier of teams who have not long been down from the ...

Will Jones says… Watford champions, Sunderland 14th. This seems very much a league of three thirds. A top tier of teams who have not long been down from the ...

As a resident of the East Midlands, I hope that is true, as it’s a decent away day for me, and a good night out too with the exiles around the middle of the country. Ross Stewart’s ability to step up will be crucial, and I believe that will determine where we end up come the season’s conclusion. I think they largely have the same side as last season and that should set them in good stead. As for us, I did something for a Huddersfield pod a couple of weeks ago and predicted us to finish tenth. So for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century, something different is going to happen, something that we can just enjoy, relax and repair our frayed nerves…. While not impossible, it is highly improbable, and I always like to lash my colours to the “realistic” side of predicting SAFC outcomes.