Sky Bet Championship Preview 2016/17 Part 2

Here’s the second part of our annual preview.

All prices were taken from the Oddschecker website on 1st July 2016 and will inevitably fluctuate throughout the season.

Bristol City

Manager: Lee Johnson (February 2016)

Last 10: 4-3-3

Second season in the Championship

Promotion: 12/1

Relegation: 8/1

2015/16 was a tale of two managers. Steve Cotterill’s dogmatic inflexibility clearly produces boom or bust performances and before he was replaced in January, the Robins were on course to make an immediate return to League One. Johnson’s arrival saw an upturn in performances and the arrival of some interesting loan signings and although I’d expect City to be better than last season, a top half finish looks very optimistic.

Burton Albion

Manager: Nigel Clough (December 2015)

Promoted as runners up from League One: first ever season at this level.

Last 10: 3-5-2 (League One)

Promotion: 50/1

Relegation: 6/5 (favourites)

It’s very hard not compare the Brewers with the Yeovil side of a few seasons ago, but their meteoric rise up the Football League combined with a manager who knows the competition means it’s impossible not to. If their home form is half as good as it was last season they should survive, but Burton struggled on the road against the better teams in League One and that’s a good indication of how 2016/17 might pan out.

Cardiff City

Manager: Paul Trollope (May 2016)

Third season in the Championship

Last 10: 3-4-3

Promotion: 10/1

Relegation: 12/1

An overall improvement on the previous season but ultimately not good enough for Russell Slade to keep his job. Having tasted the Premier League expectations remain high, but at for now the defence isn’t good enough and the Bluebirds failed to beat any of the teams in the top half of the Championship away from the City of Cardiff Stadium last season. Trollope – who hasn’t managed a team for almost six years – is untested at this level and could have something of a baptism of fire. One of those teams that the bookies have priced as a mid table outfit and I don’t think I can disagree with him.

Derby County

Manager: Nigel Pearson (May 2016)

Ninth season in the Championship

Last 10: 5-3-2

Promotion: 7/2

Relegation: 50/1

If Derby don’t go up this season, I’ll eat my hat. Although I probably ought to point out that my hat is a pork pie hat.

Fulham

Manager: Slavisa Jokanovic (December 2015)

Third season in the Championship

Last 10: 4-2-4

Promotion: 11/1

Relegation: 16/1

The Cottagers dropped out of the top half of the table at the end of November and although they were never really in danger of relegation they ended up finishing in their lowest league position for 30 years. They were horrendous against the top half (four wins in 24 games) and with this section getting a lot tougher with the arrival of Newcastle and Norwich I’d expect that to happen again. Bottom half again with Jokanovic failing to last a calendar year.

Huddersfield

Manager: David Wagner (November 2015)

Fifth season in the Championship

Last 10: 2-3-5

Promotion: 14/1

Relegation: 7/1

Since promotion, on average the Terriers have finished 17^th with 54 points and that sounds about right again. Similar story to Fulham, although worth noting that over 40% of their points last season were earned against teams that finished below them – never a good sign. Could easily be drawn into a relegation battle early on: their first two away games are at Newcastle and Aston Villa.