Deadbat
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Championship Season Preview & Predictions 24-25
As I do every year, I have tried to assess where teams will finish and how United will fare in the Championship. I am sure I will be miles off so feel free to come back to this nonsense as the season develops or even right now! Right, here goes…
*Transfer info correct as of Monday 5th August, 2024
1) Leeds United
They looked like they were going up last year but in the end were edged out by surprise team Ipswich, and Leicester, in a three-horse race that went right to the end. They then put up a ‘Blades’ like non-performance in the playoff final and are back in the Championship. They lost young star Archie Gray and key midfielder Glen Kamara and then key man Summerville just before the season started was a hammer blow. However, they have such a talented squad and a number of players that could easily operate at a higher level. The likes of Rutter, James and Gnonto remain and Joe Rodon comes in on a permanent basis. They also added proven Championship performers in Bogle and Rothwell. With £35 million coming in for the two departed stars, they can hang onto the rest of the squad and probably invest and add before the end of the month making them even stronger.
Manager: Daniel Farke – Mixed reaction when Leeds brought him back to the UK but he is a steady pair of hands and has been successful at this level before.
In
Jayden Bogle - Sheffield United, undisclosed
Alex Cairns - Salford, undisclosed
Joe Rodon - Tottenham, undisclosed
Joe Rothwell - Bournemouth, loan
Out
Crysencio Summerville – West Ham United, £25m
Archie Gray - Tottenham, £30m
Charlie Cresswell - Toulouse, undisclosed
Glen Kamara - Rennes, undisclosed
Kristoffer Klaesson - Rakow Czestochwa, undisclosed
Diego Llorente - Real Betis, undisclosed
Marc Roca - Real Betis, undisclosed
Luis Sinisterra - Bournemouth, undisclosed
Luke Ayling - Middlesbrough, free
Lewis Bate - Stockport, free
Cody Drameh - Hull, free
Robin Koch - Eintracht Frankfurt, free
Jamie Shackleton - Sheffield United, free
Morten Spencer - Derby, free
Charlie Allen - Released
Keenan Karole - Released
Cuba Dibo - Released
Scott Godden - Released
Ian Carlo Poveda - Released
Harvey Sutcliffe - Released
Dani van den Heuvel - Released
Jack Harrison - Everton, loan
Sonny Perkins - Leyton Orient, loan
Darko Gyabi - Plymouth, loan
Sam Greenwood - Preston, loan
Rasmus Kristensen - Eintracht Frankfurt, loan
Key Player: Crysencio Summerville – Talented performer who scored 21 goals and had 10 assists, he can lay a very good claim to be best player outside of the top flight.
Verdict: Champions. They look to have a deep squad full of pace and power and in a weaker league this year, I expect them to be the strongest and if they get a good start, should not be overhauled this time.
2) Burnley
I was surprised how badly they did last season. I thought with Kompany at the helm and the attacking, stylish football, they would be comfortable but the opposite happened and they were exposed defensively and fared nearly as badly as United! Kompany’s stock fell quickly making the decision for Bayern Munich to take him even more bizarre. Burnley’s squad has several incumbents from the last promotion campaign. Benson and Amdouni were such threats though last time and Brownhill, Berge, Gudmundsson, Rodriguez, Roberts, O’Shea etc are all proven with many with promotions in their CV. Despite spending heavily to try and stay in the top flight, the spending has continued. They have solidified a wobbly goalkeeping department taking Ipswich’s number one Hladky – managing to get a good fee for Muric who went the other way and signed several others from the continent. Like Leeds, have a ridiculously deep squad of talent compared with most at this level.
Manager: Scott Parker – The major question mark I would put against them is Parker. I was glad he did not end up the Lane, despite some rumours. He has had success before at this level but with multi-million-pound squads. I have never been convinced by him as a manager and think if they do go up, it may end up despite of him. I would not be shocked if they make a change here mid-season that helps them push on after an inconsistent start.
In
Maxime Esteve - Montpellier, undisclosed
Andreas Hountondji - Caen, undisclosed
Lucas Pires - Santos, undisclosed
Mike Tresor - Genk, undisclosed
Vaclav Hladky - Ipswich, free
Kamarni Ryan - Arsenal, free
Shurandy Sambo - PSV, free
Charlie Veevers - Swansea, free
Out
Wout Weghorst - Trabzonspor
Arijanet Muric - Ipswich, undisclosed
Bailey Peacock-Farrell - Birmingham, undisclosed
Lawrence Vigouroux - Swansea, undisclosed
Jack Bates - Wigan, free
Jack Rogers - Wigan, free
Charlie Taylor - Southampton, free
Rohan Vaughan - QPR, free
Callum West - Barnsley, free
Jack Cork - Released
Ackeme Francis-Burrell - Released
Kian Le Fondre - Released
Marcel Lewis - Released
Harry Moss - Released
Mikey O'Neill - Released
Michael Parker - Released
Sonny Pickup - Released
Dylan Sime - Released
Oliver Sweeney - Released
Renaldo Torraj - Released
Jack Turner - Released
Lucas Wane - Released
Michael Mellon - Stockport, loan
Key Player: Lyle Foster – Showed glimpses in a stop start Premier League campaign where mental health issues sidelined him for periods but he did look dangerous when he played and will score a lot of goals at this level.
Verdict: 2nd place. Think Leeds will have too much for them but I see them as much stronger and more settled (player wise) than the other two relegated teams and do not see any other teams as out and out automatic contenders.
3) Coventry
Keep improving year in, year out and Robins has done a superb job considering the issues off the field in his tenure and the fact they are often losing some of their best players. Gyokeres, Hamer and O’Hare have all departed but they have used the money from sales to recruit well. They have some power and pace at the top of the pitch and some underrated players throughout the team. The Cup run showed their capability last year but maybe derailed them a bit in the league with a small squad. Ephron Mason Clark comes back and will add to the options and Sakamoto and Torp, from Japan and Denmark respectively, give them midfield creativity and running. Rudoni is a midfielder that always impressed when he was at Huddersfield and is an elegant player that will fill the void left by O’Hare. Sims, Wright & new signing Thomas Asante provide three powerful options up top.
Manager: Mark Robins – Really surprised he has not had a chance at the top level. There are a number of managers (some from the continent) that are recycled but he has been excellent and his side play a vibrant and positive style of football too. He will hope that this year they can properly contend at the top of the table. Would not be shocked if a Premier League team did take him at some point. He deserves an opportunity.
In
Brandon Thomas Asante – West Bromwich Albion, £2.5m
Luis Binks - Bologna, undisclosed
Raphael Borges Rodrigues - Macarthur, undisclosed
Harvey Broad - Chatham Town, undisclosed
Oliver Dovin - Hammarby IF, undisclosed
Jack Rudoni - Huddersfield, undisclosed
Aston Ellard - Conquest Academy, free
Greg Sandiford - Cambridge United, free
Kai Yearn - Cambridge United, free
Out
Matt Godden - Charlton, undisclosed
Marco Rus - Ayr United, undisclosed
Evan Eghosa - Floridsdorfer, free
Liam Kelly - Rotherham, free
Simon Moore - Sunderland, free
Callum O'Hare - Sheffield United, free
Bradley Stretton - Oxford City, released
Dermi Lusala - Released
Key Player: Ellis Simms – Cost a fair bit of money and after initially struggling, he established himself as the focal point at the top of the pitch and got on a scoring spree towards the end of the season. Expect him to challenge at the top of the Championship scoring charts.
Verdict: Promoted via the play offs. Will continue year on year improvement and will make it third time lucky at Wembley after two defeats in consecutive years in the Playoffs and FA Cup semi-final – defeating Luton who beat them two years ago!
4) Middlesbrough
Granted some may feel I have put these too high but I feel Carrick has steadily done a good job when he has not always been able to keep his best players or have the funds to be able to add to the squad. I just feel that they are another squad that just seems to be more settled than many that are potentially contending for promotion and the manager will be better for another year under his belt. They have made some smart moves with Burgzorg who showed promise at Huddersfield on loan, the experienced Luke Ayling returning and the lesser known Aidan Morris – a big money buy from the MLS. He will complement the likes of Hackney, Azaz, McGree and Howson in the middle of the park. The only slight fear is will they have enough goals and a lot will depend on Latte Lath at the top of the field.
Manager: Michael Carrick – Quietly done a good job and last year with a lot of changes, still got them to 8th and in/around the playoffs.
In
Delano Burgzorg - Mainz, undisclosed
Harley Hunt - Swindon, undisclosed
Aidan Morris - Colombus Crew, undisclosed
Luke Ayling - Leeds, free
Out
Bryant Bilongo - Bristol Rovers, undisclosed
Hayden Coulson - Blackpool, undisclosed
Ben Beals - Spennymoor Town, free
Sam Collins - Whitby Town, free
Fenton John - Gateshead, free
Jamie Jones - Salford, free
Max Metcalfe - Stockport, free
Liam Roberts - Millwall, free
Jeremy Sivi - Sutton, free
Frankie Whelan - Whitby Town, free
Joe Gibson - Released
Paddy McNair – San Diego, free
Henry Popple - Released
Terrell Agyemang - Airdrieonians, loan
Zach Hemming - Leyton Orient, loan
Samuel Sivera - Portsmouth, loan
Key Player: Finn Azaz – Came in from Villa mid-season, after doing well at Plymouth, and now will have his first full season at the Riverside and hope to bring both goals and assists.
Verdict: Expect them to push on and be right in the mix this year. I expect the 3rd to mid table to be incredibly tight so would not be shocked to see them a few places lower and a lot will depend on not picking up injuries as they lack the squad depth of some others.
5) Luton Town
They are probably the most settled of the three coming down in the sense they have not had a huge changeover of playing staff (SUFC) or manager (Burnley) but did lose some of their important players in Barkley and Osho but managed to keep the rest of their core. Chong, Adebayo and Morris give them running power, pace and goals. The likes of Kaminski, Doughty, Ogbene all would start for any team at this level too and the veteran Andros Townsend should be too good for this level if he can be available/fit. They did put a lot into last season and may be a hangover to start the season, especially with key man Barkley, who pulled the strings, departing. However, as things settle down, expect them to push up the league and be right in contention.
Manager: Rob Edwards – Earned rave reviews for getting his Luton side competitive most weeks in the Premier League and he has the respect of his squad and support of the Hatters’ fans. With all the difficulty of the Tom Lockyer situation, he handled himself brilliantly and seems a cool/calm customer and shows what a mistake it was for Watford to move him on so quickly.
In
Shandon Baptiste - Brentford, free
Ruell Walters - Arsenal, free
Out
Ross Barkley - Aston Villa, undisclosed
Ryan Giles - Hull City, undisclosed
Luke Berry - Charlton, free
Millar Matthews-Lewis - Farnborough, free
Gabriel Osho - Auxerre, free
Ben Tompkins - Hemel Hempstead Town, free
Josh Allen - Released
Tobias Braney - Released
Oliver Camis - Released
Archie Heron - Released
Will Houghton - Released
Admiral Muskwe - Released
Fred Onyedinma - Released
Dan Potts - Released
Max Scott - Released
Elliot Thorpe - Released
Dion Pereira - Dagenham & Redbridge, loan
Jack Walton - Dundee United, loan
Key Player: Carlton Morris – Their leading scorer for the last two campaigns, Morris scores different types of goals, being proficient aerially but a poacher too. Also takes a clinical penalty.
Verdict: I expect them to be around a similar position to the one they occupied last time at this level. The element of surprise may have gone but they will be strong at home and the aforementioned power and pace will be too much for many sides.
6) Sunderland
Only finished mid table last time out and had a number of managerial changes which did not quite work out after Tony Mowbray left. Le Bris comes in after being successful at Lorient initially but then his team went down last season and he left. I just have a feeling they will get it right this time. The two signings they have made will really help with Browne giving them the box-to-box midfielder and Poveda the creativity on one side to compliment Clarke on the other side. Jobe Bellingham has potential to keep improving and they have some interesting players littered throughout the squad that maybe have not quite delivered thus far. They still need a striker but have a solid goalkeeper at the other end in Anthony Patterson, who was linked with United for a period this summer. The crowd support is always huge and feel they will be a surprise this season.
Manager: Regis Le Bris
In
Alan Browne - Preston, free
Simon Moore - Coventry, free
Ian Poveda – free
Blondy Nna Noukeu – Stoke, free
Out
Alex Bass - Notts County, undisclosed
Jacob Carney - Newport, free
Jack Diamond - Stockport, free
Michael Spellman - Newport, free
Connor Pye - Bury, free
Ellis Taylor - Harrogate, free
Kailem Beattie - Released
Tom Chiabi - Released
Ben Creamer - Released
Bradley Dack - Released
Corry Evans - Released
Harry Gardiner - Released
Daniel Obolo - Released
Joe Ryder - Released
Jayden Sekete - Released
Callum Wilson - Released
Nathan Bishop - Wycombe, loan
Matty Young - Salford, loan
Key Player: Jack Clarke – Has been tipped to go back to the Premier League after maybe moving to Spurs too early in his career previously but now he has found consistency each week and is a major threat to opponents. With Poveda on the other side (Robers will also play at times) teams cannot double up on Clarke as much as they may have done before.
Verdict: I realise it is a push that they may move up from 16th to 6th but feel they massively underachieved last season and a new manager with a fresh approach will get the best out of some excellent young players. You can make a strong case to flip flop any of the 4 or 5 below for them in the final play off place though.
As I do every year, I have tried to assess where teams will finish and how United will fare in the Championship. I am sure I will be miles off so feel free to come back to this nonsense as the season develops or even right now! Right, here goes…
*Transfer info correct as of Monday 5th August, 2024
1) Leeds United
They looked like they were going up last year but in the end were edged out by surprise team Ipswich, and Leicester, in a three-horse race that went right to the end. They then put up a ‘Blades’ like non-performance in the playoff final and are back in the Championship. They lost young star Archie Gray and key midfielder Glen Kamara and then key man Summerville just before the season started was a hammer blow. However, they have such a talented squad and a number of players that could easily operate at a higher level. The likes of Rutter, James and Gnonto remain and Joe Rodon comes in on a permanent basis. They also added proven Championship performers in Bogle and Rothwell. With £35 million coming in for the two departed stars, they can hang onto the rest of the squad and probably invest and add before the end of the month making them even stronger.
Manager: Daniel Farke – Mixed reaction when Leeds brought him back to the UK but he is a steady pair of hands and has been successful at this level before.
In
Jayden Bogle - Sheffield United, undisclosed
Alex Cairns - Salford, undisclosed
Joe Rodon - Tottenham, undisclosed
Joe Rothwell - Bournemouth, loan
Out
Crysencio Summerville – West Ham United, £25m
Archie Gray - Tottenham, £30m
Charlie Cresswell - Toulouse, undisclosed
Glen Kamara - Rennes, undisclosed
Kristoffer Klaesson - Rakow Czestochwa, undisclosed
Diego Llorente - Real Betis, undisclosed
Marc Roca - Real Betis, undisclosed
Luis Sinisterra - Bournemouth, undisclosed
Luke Ayling - Middlesbrough, free
Lewis Bate - Stockport, free
Cody Drameh - Hull, free
Robin Koch - Eintracht Frankfurt, free
Jamie Shackleton - Sheffield United, free
Morten Spencer - Derby, free
Charlie Allen - Released
Keenan Karole - Released
Cuba Dibo - Released
Scott Godden - Released
Ian Carlo Poveda - Released
Harvey Sutcliffe - Released
Dani van den Heuvel - Released
Jack Harrison - Everton, loan
Sonny Perkins - Leyton Orient, loan
Darko Gyabi - Plymouth, loan
Sam Greenwood - Preston, loan
Rasmus Kristensen - Eintracht Frankfurt, loan
Key Player: Crysencio Summerville – Talented performer who scored 21 goals and had 10 assists, he can lay a very good claim to be best player outside of the top flight.
Verdict: Champions. They look to have a deep squad full of pace and power and in a weaker league this year, I expect them to be the strongest and if they get a good start, should not be overhauled this time.
2) Burnley
I was surprised how badly they did last season. I thought with Kompany at the helm and the attacking, stylish football, they would be comfortable but the opposite happened and they were exposed defensively and fared nearly as badly as United! Kompany’s stock fell quickly making the decision for Bayern Munich to take him even more bizarre. Burnley’s squad has several incumbents from the last promotion campaign. Benson and Amdouni were such threats though last time and Brownhill, Berge, Gudmundsson, Rodriguez, Roberts, O’Shea etc are all proven with many with promotions in their CV. Despite spending heavily to try and stay in the top flight, the spending has continued. They have solidified a wobbly goalkeeping department taking Ipswich’s number one Hladky – managing to get a good fee for Muric who went the other way and signed several others from the continent. Like Leeds, have a ridiculously deep squad of talent compared with most at this level.
Manager: Scott Parker – The major question mark I would put against them is Parker. I was glad he did not end up the Lane, despite some rumours. He has had success before at this level but with multi-million-pound squads. I have never been convinced by him as a manager and think if they do go up, it may end up despite of him. I would not be shocked if they make a change here mid-season that helps them push on after an inconsistent start.
In
Maxime Esteve - Montpellier, undisclosed
Andreas Hountondji - Caen, undisclosed
Lucas Pires - Santos, undisclosed
Mike Tresor - Genk, undisclosed
Vaclav Hladky - Ipswich, free
Kamarni Ryan - Arsenal, free
Shurandy Sambo - PSV, free
Charlie Veevers - Swansea, free
Out
Wout Weghorst - Trabzonspor
Arijanet Muric - Ipswich, undisclosed
Bailey Peacock-Farrell - Birmingham, undisclosed
Lawrence Vigouroux - Swansea, undisclosed
Jack Bates - Wigan, free
Jack Rogers - Wigan, free
Charlie Taylor - Southampton, free
Rohan Vaughan - QPR, free
Callum West - Barnsley, free
Jack Cork - Released
Ackeme Francis-Burrell - Released
Kian Le Fondre - Released
Marcel Lewis - Released
Harry Moss - Released
Mikey O'Neill - Released
Michael Parker - Released
Sonny Pickup - Released
Dylan Sime - Released
Oliver Sweeney - Released
Renaldo Torraj - Released
Jack Turner - Released
Lucas Wane - Released
Michael Mellon - Stockport, loan
Key Player: Lyle Foster – Showed glimpses in a stop start Premier League campaign where mental health issues sidelined him for periods but he did look dangerous when he played and will score a lot of goals at this level.
Verdict: 2nd place. Think Leeds will have too much for them but I see them as much stronger and more settled (player wise) than the other two relegated teams and do not see any other teams as out and out automatic contenders.
3) Coventry
Keep improving year in, year out and Robins has done a superb job considering the issues off the field in his tenure and the fact they are often losing some of their best players. Gyokeres, Hamer and O’Hare have all departed but they have used the money from sales to recruit well. They have some power and pace at the top of the pitch and some underrated players throughout the team. The Cup run showed their capability last year but maybe derailed them a bit in the league with a small squad. Ephron Mason Clark comes back and will add to the options and Sakamoto and Torp, from Japan and Denmark respectively, give them midfield creativity and running. Rudoni is a midfielder that always impressed when he was at Huddersfield and is an elegant player that will fill the void left by O’Hare. Sims, Wright & new signing Thomas Asante provide three powerful options up top.
Manager: Mark Robins – Really surprised he has not had a chance at the top level. There are a number of managers (some from the continent) that are recycled but he has been excellent and his side play a vibrant and positive style of football too. He will hope that this year they can properly contend at the top of the table. Would not be shocked if a Premier League team did take him at some point. He deserves an opportunity.
In
Brandon Thomas Asante – West Bromwich Albion, £2.5m
Luis Binks - Bologna, undisclosed
Raphael Borges Rodrigues - Macarthur, undisclosed
Harvey Broad - Chatham Town, undisclosed
Oliver Dovin - Hammarby IF, undisclosed
Jack Rudoni - Huddersfield, undisclosed
Aston Ellard - Conquest Academy, free
Greg Sandiford - Cambridge United, free
Kai Yearn - Cambridge United, free
Out
Matt Godden - Charlton, undisclosed
Marco Rus - Ayr United, undisclosed
Evan Eghosa - Floridsdorfer, free
Liam Kelly - Rotherham, free
Simon Moore - Sunderland, free
Callum O'Hare - Sheffield United, free
Bradley Stretton - Oxford City, released
Dermi Lusala - Released
Key Player: Ellis Simms – Cost a fair bit of money and after initially struggling, he established himself as the focal point at the top of the pitch and got on a scoring spree towards the end of the season. Expect him to challenge at the top of the Championship scoring charts.
Verdict: Promoted via the play offs. Will continue year on year improvement and will make it third time lucky at Wembley after two defeats in consecutive years in the Playoffs and FA Cup semi-final – defeating Luton who beat them two years ago!
4) Middlesbrough
Granted some may feel I have put these too high but I feel Carrick has steadily done a good job when he has not always been able to keep his best players or have the funds to be able to add to the squad. I just feel that they are another squad that just seems to be more settled than many that are potentially contending for promotion and the manager will be better for another year under his belt. They have made some smart moves with Burgzorg who showed promise at Huddersfield on loan, the experienced Luke Ayling returning and the lesser known Aidan Morris – a big money buy from the MLS. He will complement the likes of Hackney, Azaz, McGree and Howson in the middle of the park. The only slight fear is will they have enough goals and a lot will depend on Latte Lath at the top of the field.
Manager: Michael Carrick – Quietly done a good job and last year with a lot of changes, still got them to 8th and in/around the playoffs.
In
Delano Burgzorg - Mainz, undisclosed
Harley Hunt - Swindon, undisclosed
Aidan Morris - Colombus Crew, undisclosed
Luke Ayling - Leeds, free
Out
Bryant Bilongo - Bristol Rovers, undisclosed
Hayden Coulson - Blackpool, undisclosed
Ben Beals - Spennymoor Town, free
Sam Collins - Whitby Town, free
Fenton John - Gateshead, free
Jamie Jones - Salford, free
Max Metcalfe - Stockport, free
Liam Roberts - Millwall, free
Jeremy Sivi - Sutton, free
Frankie Whelan - Whitby Town, free
Joe Gibson - Released
Paddy McNair – San Diego, free
Henry Popple - Released
Terrell Agyemang - Airdrieonians, loan
Zach Hemming - Leyton Orient, loan
Samuel Sivera - Portsmouth, loan
Key Player: Finn Azaz – Came in from Villa mid-season, after doing well at Plymouth, and now will have his first full season at the Riverside and hope to bring both goals and assists.
Verdict: Expect them to push on and be right in the mix this year. I expect the 3rd to mid table to be incredibly tight so would not be shocked to see them a few places lower and a lot will depend on not picking up injuries as they lack the squad depth of some others.
5) Luton Town
They are probably the most settled of the three coming down in the sense they have not had a huge changeover of playing staff (SUFC) or manager (Burnley) but did lose some of their important players in Barkley and Osho but managed to keep the rest of their core. Chong, Adebayo and Morris give them running power, pace and goals. The likes of Kaminski, Doughty, Ogbene all would start for any team at this level too and the veteran Andros Townsend should be too good for this level if he can be available/fit. They did put a lot into last season and may be a hangover to start the season, especially with key man Barkley, who pulled the strings, departing. However, as things settle down, expect them to push up the league and be right in contention.
Manager: Rob Edwards – Earned rave reviews for getting his Luton side competitive most weeks in the Premier League and he has the respect of his squad and support of the Hatters’ fans. With all the difficulty of the Tom Lockyer situation, he handled himself brilliantly and seems a cool/calm customer and shows what a mistake it was for Watford to move him on so quickly.
In
Shandon Baptiste - Brentford, free
Ruell Walters - Arsenal, free
Out
Ross Barkley - Aston Villa, undisclosed
Ryan Giles - Hull City, undisclosed
Luke Berry - Charlton, free
Millar Matthews-Lewis - Farnborough, free
Gabriel Osho - Auxerre, free
Ben Tompkins - Hemel Hempstead Town, free
Josh Allen - Released
Tobias Braney - Released
Oliver Camis - Released
Archie Heron - Released
Will Houghton - Released
Admiral Muskwe - Released
Fred Onyedinma - Released
Dan Potts - Released
Max Scott - Released
Elliot Thorpe - Released
Dion Pereira - Dagenham & Redbridge, loan
Jack Walton - Dundee United, loan
Key Player: Carlton Morris – Their leading scorer for the last two campaigns, Morris scores different types of goals, being proficient aerially but a poacher too. Also takes a clinical penalty.
Verdict: I expect them to be around a similar position to the one they occupied last time at this level. The element of surprise may have gone but they will be strong at home and the aforementioned power and pace will be too much for many sides.
6) Sunderland
Only finished mid table last time out and had a number of managerial changes which did not quite work out after Tony Mowbray left. Le Bris comes in after being successful at Lorient initially but then his team went down last season and he left. I just have a feeling they will get it right this time. The two signings they have made will really help with Browne giving them the box-to-box midfielder and Poveda the creativity on one side to compliment Clarke on the other side. Jobe Bellingham has potential to keep improving and they have some interesting players littered throughout the squad that maybe have not quite delivered thus far. They still need a striker but have a solid goalkeeper at the other end in Anthony Patterson, who was linked with United for a period this summer. The crowd support is always huge and feel they will be a surprise this season.
Manager: Regis Le Bris
In
Alan Browne - Preston, free
Simon Moore - Coventry, free
Ian Poveda – free
Blondy Nna Noukeu – Stoke, free
Out
Alex Bass - Notts County, undisclosed
Jacob Carney - Newport, free
Jack Diamond - Stockport, free
Michael Spellman - Newport, free
Connor Pye - Bury, free
Ellis Taylor - Harrogate, free
Kailem Beattie - Released
Tom Chiabi - Released
Ben Creamer - Released
Bradley Dack - Released
Corry Evans - Released
Harry Gardiner - Released
Daniel Obolo - Released
Joe Ryder - Released
Jayden Sekete - Released
Callum Wilson - Released
Nathan Bishop - Wycombe, loan
Matty Young - Salford, loan
Key Player: Jack Clarke – Has been tipped to go back to the Premier League after maybe moving to Spurs too early in his career previously but now he has found consistency each week and is a major threat to opponents. With Poveda on the other side (Robers will also play at times) teams cannot double up on Clarke as much as they may have done before.
Verdict: I realise it is a push that they may move up from 16th to 6th but feel they massively underachieved last season and a new manager with a fresh approach will get the best out of some excellent young players. You can make a strong case to flip flop any of the 4 or 5 below for them in the final play off place though.
talking bollocks but brilliant sir 
. Only kidding on the bollocks bit.
