Last season the Robins were always 'there or thereabouts' without ever really looking like mounting a strong play off challenge. This was in no small part due to 13 home draws and managing to score fewer goals on their own turf than Argyle. Under Gary Johnson, City are one of the most attractive footballing sides in the division, yet a lack of firepower on occasions has cost them dear.

Bristol City fans are not noted for their patience nor modesty, so after finishing their first seasons back in the second tier of English league football, there are a small minority growing disaffected with the methods of Johnson. In Steve Lansdown, City have one of the wealthiest men in the country backing the club and should England win the right to stage the 2018 World Cup they will bid to host group matches. This would entail the construction of a new stadium, so The Robins certainly talk the talk but will they walk the walk....?

Possibly. In order to mount a serious challenge in what promises to be difficult league next year they need a proven goalscorer (David Clarkson and Danny Haynes may yet prove to be the answers) and more importantly, they need to learn to grind out wins (Paul Hartley may prove the answer here). Otherwise it’s going to be a case of so near yet so far again.  TH.

ROTG Prediction: Play-offs

CARDIFF

After narrow misses over the last three seasons, along with a famous cup run, it is time now for Cardiff to deliver. After missing out the play-offs last season after losing a 6 goal swing, one feels it’s now or never for The Bluebirds in their new 26,000 capacity stadium.

Sentimental fate would have suggested that their last ever season at Ninian Park would have resulted in promotion to the Premier League for the first time. Now the hope for them is to achieve their dream before it is too late. Midfield linchpins Rae and McPhail aren’t getting younger, whilst Ledley is the right age now and Paul Parry has moved.

Cardiff have a passionate support, a good team and a good manager, whom many boards would have been under pressure to sack after narrow failures. They will have been bitterly disappointed to have missed out on the play-offs in the way they did and the team looks to have weakened since then – Joe Ledley the latest to be linked with a move away from South Wales  

One would suspect the £5m Roger Johnson money has been well spent by Jones in the purchase of former scorer Michael Chopra but this won’t be enough. BH.

Prediction: Upper Mid-table.

COVENTRY

For me, probably the most boring club in the division continue to do as little as possible and this pre-season has been no different.

Sammy Clingan (Norwich) and former Argyle target James McPake (Livingston) have been the only players brought in so far by Chris Coleman, whilst star defenders Dan Fox and Scott Dann have been sold (to Celtic and Birmingham respectively).

As a consequence, the team looks weaker than it did last season, although the signing of Michael McIndoe from Bristol City may prove a coup (Comedy aficionados, please note, this is not the comedian with Oriental looking eyes)..

I think there are three worse teams in the division – just - but surely another season of struggle will be on the cards for cash-strapped Coventry, as you can’t see any significant money being spent and the team is just uninspiring. BH

ROTG Prediction: Lower Mid-Table

CRYSTAL PALACE

After reaching the heady heights of the playoffs in the 2007-08 season, automatic promotion was talked about in Sarf London as a given for 2008-09.  This proved to be highly optimistic as lacklustre and inept performances proved. With no recognised strike force, Palace struggled to convert chances and settled for a mediocre mid table finish.

So what has changed this upcoming season? Simon Jordan is still the chairman despite publicly announcing his desire to sell & Neil Warnock is seeing out his final season before his publicly announced retirement. A financially crippled Palace are scouring the Bosmans & loans to try to build a half decent squad.

Neil Warnock has so far managed to secure two strikers, Freddie Sears (loan) & Stern John. If Palace use these players as a front two and play promising youngsters Victor Moses & Sean Scannell as pacy wingers, then they can scare the best of Championship defences. As Warnock prefers his long ball tactics & his target man, however, then this is highly unlikely.

Instead of dreaming of a playoff finale to the season, Selhurst Park regulars are predicting it will peter out to another mid table finish. DT.

ROTG Prediction: Mid-Table

DERBY

Derby have seen a high churn of personnel over the last two seasons and their loyal fans will continue to turn up in large numbers whilst praying for some consistency.

After dispensing with the services of Paul Jewell – a good manager who never looked likely to change their fortunes – Derby gambled on Nigel Clough, who had spent the last ten years in the non-league with Burton.

It is too early to judge Clough thus far, but one assumes that he will stamp his mark on the team. A lot will depend on how he can provide Porter, Varney and Hulse with the service to score the goals they are certainly capable of. Kris Commons – who controversially made the move from Forest – is a talented player with a wicked left foot and the injury prone Giles Barnes is also much coveted with Fulham rumoured to be sniffing around.

Despite the reasonable signings of Shaun Barker (Blackpool) and Dean Moxey (some town up the A38), Derby look nothing more than average, and mid table mediocrity is all their hordes of fans can realistically expect this season. BH.

ROTG Prediction: Lower Mid-Table

DONCASTER

Doncaster won many friends last season with their incisive passing football and, after a shaky start, adapted well to life in the Championship.

Sean O’Driscoll remains at the club, but if his side continues to pick up results playing in the same vein, his stock will continue to rise. 

The loss of influential Richie Wellens will be a blow, but they have so far kept hold of Brian Stock, who is among the best attacking midfielders in the division. Neil Sullivan, whilst ageing, remains an excellent shot stopper and commanding of a defence marshalled by the coveted Matthew Mills.

The lack of a prolific goalscorer will be a worry (James Hayter knocked them in for fun at former club Bournemouth but has failed to impress at the Keepmoat), but O’Driscoll seems a master at getting the best out of his team, as Argyle fans will glumly testify!

With the odds stacked against them, Doncaster finished comfortably above the relegation zone in the Division last season and will have gained vital experience. Don’t bet against them doing something similar this campaign. BH.

ROTG Prediction: Lower Mid-Table

IPSWICH

Despite being widely accepted as the best away side seen at Home Park last season it was an indifferent year for the Tractor Boys. Similar to Bristol City, they seemed to lack a cutting edge and so finished in the top 10 without ever seriously looking like promotion material. As a result manager Jim Magilton paid for it with his job. Not that many Argyle supporters will shed a tear as his antics in unsettling crowd favourite David Norris left a bad taste in the mouth of many.

Chairman Marcus Evans is famous for avoiding the limelight, so the appointment of Roy Keane was unusual for Ipswich in both its profile and in that they're a team who normally like to appoint managers who have links with the club. So with all eyes on Roy Keane, how will they do?

Keane is still a relative novice, but he succeeded in getting Sunderland promoted in his first attempt. Admittedly he had plenty of money to spend, but he'll have plenty of money to spend this time so Blues fans can reasonably expect a strong push for promotion. I'm yet to be convinced with Roy Keane as a manager and there is the always the possibility that this could end in tears, but with the talent they have at their disposal and a few quality signings it all bodes well.  TH.

ROTG Prediction: Play-offs.

LEICESTER

After bouncing back at the first attempt, manager Nigel Pearson looks to have remodelled the side which look more solid than spectacular.

Bulgarian international Aleksandar Tunchev and Joe Mattock have been getting rave reviews at the back, whilst an experienced midfield of Matthew Oakley and Stephen Clemence are backed up by new signing Richie Wellens and pacy left winger Lloyd Dyer.

Matt Fryatt has shown promise but never quite cut the mustard and Leicester fans will be looking to him to provide the firepower.

After their 210^th manager in 5 years has promoted them again, Leicester look to have a big squad and will be certainly a lot better defensively than previously, due to some astute signings. Up front they look a little weak, but that may change if Milan opens his wallet.

Too good to go down, not good enough to challenge. BH

Prediction: Mid table.

MIDDLESBROUGH

A reported £90m debt, probable sale of their only productive striker, a manager who at times appears clueless and their highly-rated winger crocked for much of the season. Doesn’t sound too good does it?

But this is Middlesbrough, land of positivity and hope.  Certainly on paper, things aren’t actually that bad. They will be left with the vast majority of their squad intact, mainly young local players who are hungry to play.

Downing’s replacement will be Adam Johnson, a gifted and exciting winger who has experience at this level during a loan spell at Watford. At the time of writing, the likes of Wheater, O’Neil, Pogatetz, Huth remain. The much maligned Afonso Alves was poor in the Premiership and will be hard to sell, but at this level he should be dynamite.

Despite a poor season, Middlesbrough have a good young side who will show less fear than more established players and a spell in the more physical Championship may suit them well. As a neutral, one would like to see them do well. I believe they have the ability to do that, despite their large reported debt. BH.

ROTG Prediction: Promoted.

NEWCASTLE

Take a look at the team on the right. Not counting internationals such as Coloccini, Smith and Butt and this side should absolutely WALK this division. But they won’t – the 6-1 hammering at Orient should tell you something –  but this season should (and will) be a much needed season of clear-out and transition.

Of this side, I would expect a maximum of Harper, the Taylors, Guthrie, Ameobi and possibly Nolan still be at the club come May. Those that may feel they are a bit too big to play at this level will still sadly have their suitors and a move may be the best action for everyone. Shola Ameobi may surprise a few people and could even be among the league‘s top scorers.

Newcastle will be the team that everyone will want to beat and I guarantee that every other televised match will feature them. How they will deal with clubs like Doncaster (and us!!) will be interesting. Will the players be motivated to perform against such “lowly clubs”? Will the club be too busy flogging the tarnished stars? For all of these reasons, along with the extreme negativity of the fans, being manager-less and the general uncertainty, I think Newcastle may just be in too much transition and will miss out on the play off positions this season.

There’s only one Mike Ashley! BH.

ROTG Prediction: Upper mid-table.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST

After struggling for so long last season, Forest replaced Colin Calderwood and achieved consolidation under Billy Davies (surely the least likeable manager in the League). Davies has made some astute signings – Dele Adebola adds experience to a strikeforce which has potential on paper, if not in practice – and knows how to make a sum better than its parts.

In midfield, Moussi looks solid; the emerging McGugan continues to impress alongside. Paul Anderson has made his loan from Liverpool permanent and David McGoldrick has returned to his native city after leaving Southampton. Fellow ex-Saint, Paul Smith, is one of the best ‘keepers in the division; new recruit Lee Camp (ex-QPR, Derby) provides good competition.

Davies prefers to play a flexible 4-3-3 formation with Dexter Blackstock and Robert Earnshaw likely to join McGoldrick up front. Captain James Perch can play in centre midfield, but is likely to be the choice at right back.  Davies has bought really well – Paul McKenna, Blackstock and Joel Lynch all solid buys.

Expect some improvement this season – I fancy them to do something, though the play-offs will probably be beyond them. BH.

ROTG Prediction: Upper Mid-table

PETERBOROUGH

After languishing in the bottom two leagues, The Posh return to the second tier of football for the first time in over a decade. With Leicester and Scunny both being in this league two seasons ago, The Posh are the unknown quantity of the league – and remind me of Swansea last year.

Many Championship fans will be unfamiliar with Darren Ferguson’s side, although many will know the ambition there with owner Darragh McAnthony’s money – and never underestimate the intelligence of the most inarticulate man in football – Director of Football, Barry Fry.

Young goalkeeper Joe Lewis may be known to many fans and was close to an England call-up recently. Also watch out for the attacking triumvirate of Boyd, Mackail-Smith and McLean, who have terrorised lower league defences over the last couple of years and are rated at over £2.5m each. Defender Tom Williams has a Cyprus cap, a WAG girlfriend who appeared on “I’m a Nobody, Get Me Some Publicity”, and isn’t very good.

Boss Ferguson Jr looks to play good football. Possible play off challengers, will start well, but will probably fade away and miss out. BH.

ROTG Prediction: Mid table.

PRESTON

Always seeming to be “there or thereabouts”, manager Alan Irvine has continued the steady progression of a club with limited resources who again, look genuine promotion contenders. If they can add a couple of players to the squad, they may continue to impress, although the squad is yet another year older and stalwart Paul McKenna has moved on.

Two new signings have come in- Paul Parry from Cardiff and Macedonian international Veliche Shumulikoski from Ipswich - both attacking options.

Preston will continue to be “there or thereabouts” and fans will be disappointed with the loss of McKenna – for me, one of the most underrated players in the division.

Preston still have a decent, if small squad and will have definite play-off ambitions again this season. BH.

Prediction: Upper mid-table.

QPR