1st: Stoke City

Strongest squad. Reliable manager. Loaded. Have the be the outright favourites, and I expect them to deliver. They've only lost Shaqiri, and that was to a relegation release clause. Keeping the rest is a huge sign of intent. They have top quality players like Butland, Shawcross and Allen who appear to have committed to staying and getting the club back up. Despite their relegation, there's a feelgood factor among the fanbase and I don't think they'll suffer any hangover.

Best signing: Peter Etebo. Looked impressive in the World Cup for Nigeria and with his energy and athleticism, should be the type to do well in the Championship.

Key player: Joe Allen. If he stays, he'll ensure they have the possession and platform for their attacking players to shine.


2nd: West Bromwich Albion

Like Stoke, they don't strike me as a club in decline and I think their fans will be relishing this fresh start after many stale years in the PL. Much of that is down to Darren Moore's appointment as manager. He might not be proven but I think he has the strength of character and backing to do well at a club he knows inside out. They have a strong squad and have adequately replaced who they've sold, and they look particularly strong at the back.

Best signing: Dwight Gayle. Top striker at this level who guarantees they'll have enough goals in the squad.

Key player: Craig Dawson. Along with Sam Johnstone, he'll form a very solid foundation for them and could get into double figures goals wise.


3rd: Leeds United

Marcelo Bielsa is a huge appointment and I think a very good fit for Leeds. I think they could be this season's pace setters if Bielsa has them playing the high energy game he's known for. He's apparently watched every single game of theirs from last season so there's no doubt he's fully prepared. Much still depends on the signings they make but they're in for high quality players. The Leeds fans will be excited about what's in store and desperate for Bielsa to succeed, so they could also be a big asset for their team this season. I expect Elland Road to be a fortress this season.

Best signing: Barry Douglas. £3m is a steal for the best left back in the division last season. Will create a lot for them.

Key player: Patrick Bamford. Excellent player with good technique and under rated athleticism who is due a big season after being in the wrong place for the last few seasons.


4th: Middlesbrough

I'd be surprised if anyone amasses more 1-0 wins than Boro. They've lost Ben Gibson but with Aden Flint arriving their defence remains a real strong point, and with a proven dinosaur like Pulis in charge they should grind most teams down. They've lost Bamford and Traore but have brought in Hugill and more reinforcements throughout the squad are on the way. I don't think they'll be quite ruthless enough to claim an automatic spot but should be nailed on for the top 6.

Best signing: Aden Flint. A perfect Pulis player who will make a big difference in both boxes.

Key player: Britt Assombalonga. He needs to deliver. If he does, there's no doubt they'll be right up there.


5th: Nottingham Forest

They've spent a fortune and have a reliable manager so I expect them to do well, without troubling the automatic spots. Karanka's teams are usually solid, add to that the firepower they now have and they have no excuses for finishing outside the top 6. However, they need to offload a lot of players as their squad is too big.

Best signing: Lewis Grabban. Guaranteed goalscorer at Championship level, in any team.

Key player: Lewis Grabban. £6m isn't bad value in this market. Would expect him to be their talisman. Joao Carvalho will also be expected to deliver having cost £13m.


6th: Brentford

They've been thereabouts for a while now, and have a good manager in Dean Smith. They've replaced who they've sold and kept their best players. Ryan Woods is still there, and they even had the fortitude to reject £12m for their top prospect, which helps. They'll keep and build on their footballing style, and I expect a number of their players to improve, Watkins and Maupay for example. If they can avoid the sort of bad start they had last season they should have a great chance of an overdue top 6 finish.

Best signing: Ezri Konsa. Looks likely to replace Egan at centre back, although he can also play in midfield. Has been a good prospect for a while at Charlton and Brentford have done well to get him.

Key player: Ryan Woods. As long as he's there, they'll continue to be an excellent footballing team.


7th: Aston Villa

Despite their financial rescue, Steve Bruce is still manager, which will always handicap them. They've also lost Sam Johnstone and John Terry, who were rocks for them last season. Jack Grealish is still a Villa player though, at least until January, which is a bit of an unexpected bonus. They've also made some decent signings when it appeared they'd struggle to make any, with John McGinn the pick of them. They should certainly be competitive at the top end of the division but I have doubts over Bruce and don't think they look as strong as last season.

Best signing: John McGinn. Excellent young midfielder, a real all rounder and very similar to John Fleck. Will improve their midfield without doubt. For around £3m it's an outstanding signing. That he cost that from Hibs with only a year left on his contract speaks volumes.

Key player: James Chester. Defence was a strength of theirs last season and without Terry he'll need to be on top of his game for that to remain the case.


8th: Swansea City

Probably the most unpredictable team in the division this season. Good squad, but how's their mentality? Graham Potter's done well in Sweden, but can he carry that over to the Championship? It's hard to know. They really could go either way. They have a multi national squad and I suspect a lot of them really don't want to be there, but many are now likely to leave on loan deals. They could easily challenge for the top 2 but an 8th place finish would still be better than what many expected.

Best signing: Bersant Celina. Very talented young attacking midfielder, getting him permanently for about £4m is a great piece of business.

Key player: Ollie McBurnie. Getting him on a new contract was the best business they'll do all summer. A real all round centre forward capable of at least 20 goals at Championship level. They'll be reliant on him.


9th: Derby County

Lampard is unproven but he's a smart guy and I think he'll do OK as manager, in a demanding first job. They've made good signings with two excellent loanees in Mason Mount and Harry Wilson, along with Jack Marriott who should make the step up. Their squad is significantly stronger than last season, even though they've lost Vydra. Despite this, I feel they'll lack consistency. They have a huge squad and need to move certain players out, but may struggle to do so. The number of signings could work against them, as they have too many players to keep happy.

Best signing: Mason Mount. Very highly rated goalscoring midfielder who you'd expect to do well under Lampard.

Key player: Curtis Davies. One of the league's best centre backs, they'll need him to hold their defence together.


10th: Sheffield United

As long as we bring in a decent striker, I expect us to be competitive in the top half of the division, but without ever truly threatening the top places like we did last time. Egan should improve the defence and I fancy Coutts to come back well from an uncomplicated injury. But we're much more predictable from the start this season and I can't see Clarke and Sharp repeating their goalscoring feats from last season. While we've brought in some good players, our transfer window can hardly be considered a resounding success. We've pursued unrealistic targets and paid the price. The loan window will now decide our season, and that shouldn't have been allowed to happen. A 10th place finish would again be respectable.

Best signing: Dean Henderson. His saves will win us a lot of points.

Key player: John Fleck. Without him we'd be very pedestrian and average. Desperately need him to stay fit.


11th: Preston North End

Perennially under rated team. Last season was no fluke. But Sean Maguire again picking up a 3 month injury is a huge blow that will rob them of a lot of their attacking spark. His injury last season cost them a place in the play offs and this time it handicaps them from the start. But they're a solid outfit and have a number of other good attacking players, so there's no reason they shouldn't once again finish in the top half of the division and push for the play offs.

Best signing: Lukas Nmecha. Top striker prospect, they've pulled off a coup to get him on a season long loan from Man City.

Key player: Ben Pearson. Brilliant defensive midfielder at the heart of their team. His impressive ability on the ball is a bonus.


12th: Millwall

It'll be different for them playing with expectation. I still think they'll be comfortable though. Neil Harris has done a great job there and he should have them very competitive again. Their home ground is a huge advantage for them, it's a genuine fortress, perhaps the only one in the league, and it proves what a part the fans can play. Ben Marshall will be a big loss for them but they'll remain solid defensively with four good centre backs to choose from.

Best signing: Jiri Skalak. Marshall's replacement. Quite a high calibre permanent signing, he's a decent winger who featured for Brighton as they got promoted.

Key player: George Saville. Excellent all round central midfielder who almost single handedly helped them bridge the quality gap from L1 last season.