Alan Curbishley and Michael Gray give their views on the new Championship season

Alan Curbishley
Former Charlton manager

The Championship is so strong these days it's almost like a Premier League 2 and you could pick out six or seven clubs who have serious claims but I like the look of Bristol City to get promoted.

Lee Johnson has done well at Ashton Gate and they have got a great tie-up with Chelsea which enabled them to bring in Tomas Kalas and Jay Dasilva from the Blues which will help them greatly.

I can understand why Leeds are favourites and I like them - they are such a big club - but in such a competitive league there are others worth considering.

Fulham have done some good business and I will be interested to see how my former player Scotty Parker gets on.

I have to say I didn't see him or Lee Bowyer becoming managers when I had them at Charlton but he did well at the end of last season and the players clearly like him.

It's a big vote of confidence from the dressing room that Scott managed to keep the position after the summer and it's all about being in the right place at the right time. Claudio Ranieri signed him at Chelsea so kept him in the fold as a coach at Fulham and then he ends up getting the full-time job when Ranieri is sacked.

Scott will be pleased to get Aleksandar Mitrovic on a new long-term contract.

Mitrovic bullied a lot of Premier League defenders so should bang in a load of goals in the Championship, although if he stays at Brentford I would prefer the chances of Neal Maupay to win the Golden Boot.

Brentford play a brand of football that suits Maupay and he is a really good finisher.

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I would also say Brentford for the playoffs. They are such a well-run club with Dean Smith doing a fantastic job and Thomas Frank has continued that. However, we know they will sell for the right price.

It's going to be a tough season for my old club Charlton and Lee needs to be given the resources to bring more players in.

The day after Lee got them up via the playoffs he lost about half his team with the players either on loan or out of contract. It's sad what is going on off the pitch with the club in turmoil and the fans demonstrating against the owner. It doesn't bode well.

Michael Gray
Former Sunderland & England left-back

I am going to stick with one of my former clubs, Leeds, to get it right at the second time of asking under Marcelo Bielsa.

Having played at Elland Road I know what the pressure is like at the club and they need to handle that part of it but there are goals in them.

The signing of Helder Costa adds to that firepower and Kemar Roofe is quality when he is fit.

They were impressive last season and it petered out after Spygate but Leeds are the right favourites. I watched a fair bit of them under Bielsa and they can go all the way.

I think last season the pace just dropped a little towards the end of the season as they struggled to handle the pressure of gaining promotion to the Premier League, but physically they will be more ready for a second season with Bielsa at the helm.

I respect the chances of Bristol City and Cardiff under the experience of Neil Warnock, while at the bottom Reading could really struggle.

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