Johnny Phillips: Tough call, but I can’t see Leeds falling apart again
The Championship is back and while it can never compete with the Premier League for quality it usually surpasses the top flight for drama and competition.
As Manchester City completed another procession to the title last season, four clubs were involved in a tremendous ding-dong battle for automatic promotion.
So what has this season got in store for us?
Picking a title winner is a mug’s game but here’s a few pointers for stories worth following throughout the division.
Certainly, relegated clubs are finding it easier to bounce back as Leicester and Southampton demonstrated.
Sheffield United aren’t exactly in the same strength due to a complete rebuild to an already struggling squad in terms of quality but their recruitment has been about good players for this level with experience of the Championship.
Kieffer Moore is a class act and should be amongst the goals. And a player of Gustavo Hamer’s quality should light up Bramall Lane in this division.
Scott Parker has a bloated squad to manage at Burnley and it will be difficult to repeat his achievements at Fulham and Bournemouth.
That said, of the 15 clubs relegated between 2018/19 and 2022/23 from the Premier League, seven have come straight back up so the sheer depth of player quality Parker has at his disposal might just be enough to make a difference.
