Championship 2019-20: every club ranked in order of finishing position
Fulham, Leeds and Cardiff look the teams to beat
1 Fulham
Last season was a disaster for Fulham, who were relegated despite spending more than £100 million. The club remains ambitious, however, and extending Aleksandar Mitrovic's contract is a statement of intent from the Cottagers, who are showing signs of improvement under Scott Parker.
2 Leeds
Missing out on promotion last season was hard to take for Leeds fans but they could be celebrating in May 2020. Marcelo Bielsa quickly announced he would remain in the hotseat and Leeds have bought well, adding greater quality and depth.
3 Cardiff
Neil Warnock has agreed to stay another year at Cardiff and the wily Yorkshireman will target a top-two finish. He may fall just short because Cardiff have lost a few key players and look weaker in midfield.
4 Nottingham Forest
A scattergun approach to transfers delivered mixed results for Forest but new manager Sabri Lamouchi could get more from a talented squad. Lamouchi is new to the Sky Bet Championship – but so was Nuno when he joined Wolves in 2017.
5 Stoke
A big improvement is expected and promising manager Nathan Jones could take them to the playoffs. Jones has rightly focused on adding better quality attacking players as the Potters won just 11 league games last season and were the division's third-lowest scorers.
6 Bristol City
The Ashton Gate side impressed in the second half of last season and fell just short of the playoffs. Lee Johnson has kept the majority of the squad and strengthened the goalkeeping position by bringing in Daniel Bentley. His team look top-six candidates.
7 Huddersfield
Losing became a habit for Huddersfield last season and the priority for manager Jan Siewert is to lift the mood. Siewert had been planning for relegation long before it happened and his squad looks talented enough to push for the playoffs.
8 Blackburn
Blackburn went under the radar last season but their 60-point haul was 14 short of the playoffs and 20 clear of relegation. They consolidated after promotion from League One and could make further strides after adding the experience of Bradley Johnson and Stewart Downing.
9 West Brom
Failing to win promotion last season was a huge blow to West Brom and Baggies fans may have to steel themselves for an extended stay in the second tier. Slaven Bilic takes over but his hand has been weakened by the departures of Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez.
10 Preston
A poor start and a poor finish took the shine off Preston's 2018-19 campaign but they seem to be progressing under Alex Neil. Losing Callum Robinson is a blow but Preston usually recruit well and should be closer to the playoffs than the drop zone.
11 Middlesbrough
A transitional season is in store for Middlesbrough, who have replaced experienced manager Tony Pulis with rookie Jonathan Woodgate. There are expectations of a more attacking style of play, but Woodgate will need time to turn Boro into a force.
12 Derby
Near-misses have become routine for Derby, who failed to come through the playoffs in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Phillip Cocu has taken over as manager from Frank Lampard but the bigger problem is how to replace Mason Mount and Harry Wilson, who were major influences last term.
13 Brentford
Brentford are a progressive club with a successful transfer model but it will be tricky for them to improve on last season's mid-table finish. The Londoners need time to adjust to the departures of key players and may not hit their stride until the playoffs are out of reach.
14 Sheffield Wednesday
Losing Steve Bruce was a blow for Wednesday and it may reduce their chances of pushing for a playoff place. The Owls excelled in the second half of last season but need to address a few shortcomings, including the lack of a reliable goalscorer.
15 Swansea
Swansea are patiently putting together an exciting young team. But Dan James, the best of those youngsters, has moved to Manchester United and it will take time for new manager Steve Cooper to adjust to the harsh environment of Championship football.
16 Luton
Luton will be playing second-tier football for the first time since 2007 and hope to consolidate following back-to-back promotions. Graeme Jones takes over in the dugout and should steer them to safety, although the loss of full-backs James Justin and Jack Stacey will be felt.
17 QPR
The last few years have been tough for QPR, who are adjusting to a lower budget, and their main target this season is to steer clear of the drop zone. Mark Warburton takes over in the dugout and faces a tough challenge with an inexperienced squad.
18 Millwall
There was a big drop-off in performance from Millwall last season and manager Neil Harris has revamped his squad. Fresh blood was needed but the Lions may struggle after the departure of Lee Gregory, their top scorer for the last five seasons.
19 Hull City
Cost-cutting continues at Hull, who are unlikely to match last season's 13th place. Nigel Adkins did a good job in the hotseat but makes way for Grant McCann, who arrives from Doncaster and needs the patience of the supporters.
20 Barnsley
Barnsley are favourites to finish bottom but they may have been underestimated. Key players have departed but Daniel Stendel is a good coach and a smart transfer operator. He may steer them to safety.
21 Charlton
Ownership uncertainty continues at Charlton but Lee Bowyer remains in the dugout and his influence may keep the Londoners out of the relegation places. Bowyer has a small squad, heavily populated by young players, but his drive and determination could make the difference.
22 Wigan
The 2018-19 campaign was a nervy one for Wigan, who narrowly staved off the drop, but the Latics have not learned from mistakes and could pay a price. Last season they relied heavily on their loan players and key forward Nick Powell, who has joined Stoke.
23 Reading
Reading survived the last two seasons despite failing to reach 50 points, but second-tier status could soon be relinquished. The Berkshire club have gone backwards since losing the playoff final in 2017 and need further additions.
24 Birmingham
Birmingham stayed up last season despite incurring a nine-point deduction for breaking profitability and sustainability rules. Key players Che Adams, Jota and Michael Morrison have departed and the Blues look prime candidates for the drop.
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Published on 6 August 2019inChampionship
Last updated 12:17, 6 September 2019
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