Can Nick Powell rebuild his once promising career at Hull City?

Hull City ended their “quiet” January transfer window by sneaking through two low-key signings. Goalkeeper Dusan Kucak from Legia Warsaw for a small six figure fee and Manchester United’s Nick Powell on loan until the summer.

While the Slovak Kuciak is low-key because he’s plied his trade in Eastern Europe for his entire career, the lack of fanfare surrounding Powell is strange but unsurprising. If he’d signed for The Tigers two years ago, it would have felt like a major coup where now it’s simply a shot at redemption for a prodigious talent whose career is going downhill faster than Jon Parkin on specially reinforced skis.

Go back to 2012 and Nick Powell had the world at his feet. In May, his sublime goal, and sixteenth of the season, won the League Two play-off final at Wembley. In July, he joined Manchester United for an initial four million pounds. September brought a Premier League debut as a substitute vs. Wigan and a debut goal. In October he made his England U21 debut – having appeared for the national team previously at U16, U17, U18 and U19 level.

He was 18 years old. He was confident, bordering on arrogant. He stood a sturdy six feet tall and had undoubted ability in both feet. There were question marks over his best position but Sir Alex Ferguson thought he’d become a central midfielder telling the press after the aforementioned debut "We hope Powell fills Paul Scholes' boots. For an 18-year-old boy it has been a terrific day."

From those early highs added to a tremendous cameo in a 4-5 League Cup defeat to Chelsea and a fine performance away to Galatasaray in the Champions League – a promising career unravelled slowly but surely. There was little sign of that in the autumn of 2012, nor of the attitude problems that would end his loan spell at Leicester two years later.

Powell: “My dad will keep me in touch, I’ll tell you that. I’m just going to go home, have this great feeling and I’ll keep myself on the ground. When I first came on it scared me a little bit, to be fair, because I’m only used to 5,000 people now and then, but it’s a great atmosphere – the fans are great.”

Injury curtailed his first season at Old Trafford and in the summer, Sir Alex Ferguson retired and was replaced by David Moyes. Powell was sent on loan to recently relegated Wigan where he had a productive season, bagging twelve goals including three in the Europa League group stages. Wigan boss Owen Coyle was enamoured with him, feeling he could polish up a rough diamond:

“I've given him a platform to showcase his talents and Manchester United will get back a more-developed player with more experience and a player who can challenge; as we've done before with the Sturridges and the Wilsheres. There's no doubt from me he can have a huge career. He's got so much belief and ability in him and hopefully I can give him more and it benefits the football club.”

Sadly his Wigan spell ended with a whimper as failed to regain his starting berth after injury and then admitted a charge of drink-driving receiving a fourteen month ban and a £5,000 fine. Another season at United brought another manager in Louis Van Gaal and Powell’s stock continued to fall with each passing month. In his only appearance of the season, United were beaten 4-0 by MK Dons in the League Cup before he went on loan to Leicester and managed just forty minutes of football in three months. That spell ended prematurely as then Leicester manager Nigel Pearson was said to be unimpressed with Powell’s attitude to training and poor time keeping.

Serious hamstring problems kept him out for nine months in 2015 but he did return late in the year to make a couple of very odd substitute appearances in defeats against Wolfsburg and Bournemouth.

With his United contract dwindling down, Hull City have offered Powell an escape from Old Trafford and a chance to get some “game time” at the KC Stadium. That would once have been a highly exciting prospect for Tigers’ fans. Instead it was met with apathy. City need a striking option according to most fans and, most importantly, Steve Bruce. A midfielder who has barely played for eighteen months doesn’t exactly float the boat.

However, it seems certain that Steve Bruce will use Powell as a forward. That may not be a bad idea. When he became the latest name to roll off the magnificent production line at Crewe Alexandra – Dario Gradi was sure his game was set-up to score goals:

"When he does ridiculous chips and flicks I tell him, 'don't think you're going to score like that.’ He has now accepted what I've said to him that his future will depend on him scoring goals. I think he understands that now. Instead of ridiculous and outrageous shots, he's actually trying to put the ball in the back of the net which he has the ability to do, there's no doubt about that."

That advice was clearly sound because Gradi turned Powell from a player who scored precisely zero goals in 2010/11 into the forward who scored sixteen the following season – several of them sensational.

Steve Bruce will look to take a similar tact with the player whose ability was beyond question. Ferguson took five minutes to decide that his touch and vision made him a player he wanted. Bruce has to coax that back out of him while ensuring his attitude doesn’t derail not only him but Hull City’s cohesive and confident squad.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for Powell will be to again get used to training every day at a high intensity while preparing, seriously, for crucial games coming thick and fast. Yet at that the same time, that may be exactly what he needs to regain his love for the game he has a natural ability to play. And play very, very well.

Ex-Tiger Watch 2013

Where are former Hull City players heading this summer? Here's a list.

Amr Zaki - ENPPI (EGY) to Al-Salmya (KUW) - Free
Andy Dawson - Hull City to Scunthorpe United - Free
Bradley Ricketts - Hull City - Released
Carl Regan - Bury - Released
Chris Bolder - North Ferriby to Scarborough Athletic - Free
Corry Evans - Hull City to Blackburn Rovers - £750k
Craig Fagan - Bury - Released
Danny East - Hull City to Portsmouth - Free
Danny Emerton - Hull City to Northampton Town - Free
Danny Webb - Dover to Chelmsford - Free
David Amoo - Tranmere Rovers to Carlisle United - Free
Dele Adebola - Rochdale - Released
Francis McCaffrey - Hull City to Dundalk (IRE) - Free
Gary Bradshow - North Ferriby to Scarborough Athletic - Free
Harry Cardwell - Hull City to Reading - £75k
Jack Hobbs - Hull City to Nottingham Forest - Loan (with permanent agreement)
Jamie Devitt - Hull City - Released
Jay Simpson - Hull City - Released
Joel Sutton - Hull City - Released
John Bostock - Tottenham Hotspur - Released
Jozy Altidore - AZ Alkmaar (HOL) to Sunderland - £8m
Kamil Zayatte - Istanbul BB (TUR) to Sheffield Wednesday - Free
Kealon Dillon - Hull City to St. Mirren (SCO) - Free
Lewis Clarkson - Hull City - Released
Mark Cullen - Hull City to Luton Town - Free
Mark Yeates - Watford to Bradford City - Free
Matt Duke - Bradford City to Northampton Town - Free
Paul Anderson - Bristol City to Ipswich Town - Free
Paul McKenna - Hull City - Released
Phil Jevons - Hyde United to Stockport County - Free
Richard Hinds - Yeovil Town - Released
Rowan Vine - St Johnstone to Hibs (SCO) - Free
Sam Ricketts - Bolton Wanderers to Wolves - Free
Scott Kerr - York City to Grimsby Town - Free
Seyi Olofinjana - Hull City - Released
Sonny Bradley - Hull City to Portsmouth - Free
Stephen Hunt - Wolves - Released
Steven Mouyokolo - Free Agent to Celtic (SCO) - Free
Thomas Davie - Hull City - Released
Vito Mannone - Arsenal to Sunderland - 2.8m
Will Atkinson - Bradford City to Southend United - Free

 

Tigers Squad Review 2013 - Forwards

2012/13 report

The Hull City forward line. A cause of concern and debate for the past three seasons. For all the good football we've played and for all the chances we've created, we haven't scored the goals we should have. We've scored enough (just) but aside from Matt Fryatt's near 1 in every 2 starts and Robert Koren's 8 or 9 from midfield, we just haven't had players who threaten the net enough. Fryatt missed almost the entire season this time with an achilles injury. The few games he did manage were irrelevant, he was nowhere near fit. His absence initially left The Tigers with three "natural" front players. Nick Proschwitz, the German signed for big money from Paderborn in the summer, looked to be the big front player we'd been desperate for since we dropped out of the Premier League. He never really settled though and struggled to impose himself in games. He wasn't quick enough, wasn't strong enough wasn't brave enough and wasn't good enough with his back to goal. He had some highlights. His late brace to see off Ipswich was crucial, his tremendous volley  at Leyton Orient in the FA Cup was the goal of the season and he nicked an equaliser against Cardiff on the final day that was, quite simply, priceless. Aaron McLean started only a handful of games before leaving for a loan spell at Ipswich in January. He's a willing worker but lacks the quality around the box in the Championship. Jay Simpson was the other "striker" in the squad. He's a good player, has decent feet, under-rated strength, intelligent movement and an eye for a pass. Outside the box, he brings a lot to the side but he doesn't have a strikers instinct and is erratic in front of goal. His heading is occasionally brilliant but often weak and his first touch is either sublime or ridiculous. He was often left out because he wasn't scoring goals but work his way back in because he was a good foil for others.

Frustrated with the efforts of his supposed strikers, Steve Bruce turned often to Sone Aluko and Robert Koren to play up or off the front in the first half of the season. Aluko was a revelation. He's got incredible balance and is able to evade challenges while stumbling or turn a defender while facing the wrong way. He's a really exciting player, the sort people pay to see and as a free signing from Rangers, was one of the bargains of the summer. Had he played the whole season, he'd have been in contention for Championship player of the season, he'd have got close to 20 goals and we'd have been promoted in March. Probably. As it was, his season was cut short in January by another achilles injury and he proved difficult to replace. Koren fell just short of double figures for the third season in a row. His impact wasn't quite so spectacular, probably as a result of having better players all around him.

With goals proving hard to come by despite the Tigers lofty league position and Bruce frustrated by fruitless pursuits of two muppets called Campbell in the January window, we instead took a chance on a previously unknown Egyptian called Gedo. Unknown in Europe that is, Gedo had a strong reputation in Africa having enjoyed Nations Cup success with his national team. He'd make a spectacular entry into English football. After a nondescript debut as a substitute at Brighton, he scored 5 goals in his next 5 games, all at the KC Stadium. He went off the boil a little thereafter, City losing the next 4 games he was involved in, with a foot injury being the probable reason for the loss of form. A final dip into the transfer market saw the arrival of George Boyd from Peterborough, initially on loan but with an agreement in place to sign permanently in the summer. He also settled quickly, used mainly as a front player, and scored 4 times in his first 6 appearances including a strike in the first minute of his home debut and a fantastic and vital winning goal at Huddersfield. He then faded as the long season took it's toll on the Tigers squad and ended the season with a whimper. In fact, his record of 4 win in 13 appearances isn't at all impressive. It's a wonder we got promoted at all!

The Future

Jay Simpson will not be retained when his contract expires at the end of June and neither will youth product Mark Cullen, who has never really hit the heights he first threatened to. I don't think Bruce will pursue the permanent signing of Gedo and I have a feeling Nick Proschwitz may well return to Germany if we can find a buyer. Aaron McLean will also be allowed to move on, I'm sure. A fit Sone Aluko and Matt Fryatt will provide a boost in pre-season, Aluko especially if I'm honest. However it has to be said that without doubt, we must find a goal scorer. Because of our tight defence, we've gotten away with profligacy time and again but we can't realistically expect to do so in the top flight. Good teams will punish you far too often for missing chances. We need at least two strikers, perhaps even three if a clear out ensues.

We've already been linked with moves for Jordan Rhodes of Blackburn, who we surely can't afford, and Burnley's Charlie Austin. Both are good finishers who deserve a crack at the big league. I wouldn't turn down either.

Five to consider

Peter Odemwingie (West Brom) - A real figure of fun after his ridiculous antics in the January transfer window. This overshadows the fact that he's a very good front player with a decent record in the Premier League. He has pace to burn, he occupies and worries defences, he has good technical ability and that eye for a goal. He comes with baggage and probably a bit of a sideshow but he's a proven commodity at a bargain price.

Luchiano Becchio (Norwich) - It hasn't happened at all for him since he left Leeds for Norwich in January. We were interested then but couldn't compete realistically. Norwich may well cut their losses with the imminent arrival of the wonderfully named Ricky Van Wolfswinkel and we could be at the head of the queue. Becchio is a strong front player, a big threat in the air and decent finisher. If we set up again to get crosses into the box, he'd thrive on that.

Dwight Gayle (Peterborough) - January signing for the Posh from Dagenham and Redbridge. He made an immediate impact in the Championship with his quick movement and his composed finishing. He's a nippy front player who plays off the shoulder and continues to improve at a rapid rate. Rumoured to be a target for Aston Villa.

Marlon King (Birmingham) - Just kidding.

Fraizer Campbell (Cardiff) - Kidding again! Sorry.

Adam Le Fondre (Reading) - An absolute born goalscorer. He just has the knack, the intangible that you can't really teach. He's a "right place, right time" sort of player. His all-round game isn't great, though t is improving. He's not going to win the ball in the air, pull down long balls and bring people into play but if you put the ball in good areas, he'll score goals. His asking price could be high if there is sufficient interest in him but as neither of his last two managers have shown the faith in him to be a Prmeier Legae striker week in, week out, he could be tempted.

Darren Bent (Aston Villa) - I'll admit, I don't see this one. He's on something like £80,000 a week and Villa want to recoup a decent amount of the £24m they paid for him. He'd have to take a 50% pay-cut to become the second highest paid player in our history. He's also been less than complimentary about us in his past! I'll add that I'm not a massive fan of him at the top level. I've never thought he had the all-round game to play for England or in a top four team. What's indisputable though is that with his pace and his finishing ability, when he's part of a team that's set up for him, he's a goal scorer. He has history with Steve Bruce and he needs a home and we need a goal scorer. So it fits. But it's 5% likely I think and that's being generous.

Tigers Squad Review 2013 - Midfielders

2012/13 report

The area of the team that evolved the most over the course of the season. We started with a four man midfield for the opening couple of games but for the most part, we'd play a three with two wing backs thereafter. We also started with Robert Koren and Sone Aluko as part of the midfield but they were generally considered for the front line afterwards, while four of the regular five in midfield arrived (and departed) throughout the season.

Steve Bruce was always looking to get more "beef" in midfield. It was obvious from the start he thought we were too small and lacked strength in that department. Despite playing a big part the previous season and starting this, Paul McKenna was swiftly cast aside. If Bruce felt he lacked the bite and size he wanted, the stupid red card at Doncaster and resulting three match ban didn't endear him to the manager either. He played sporadically after that and was sent to Fleetwood on loan. Corry Evans was another vertically challenged player who struggled to hold down a regular place. Unlike McKenna, Evans has the mobility to make up for it but despite his generally stellar performances, he was often left out for someone a bit bigger or nastier. He had a dip in form in the new year (put down to coping with having a new baby by the manager) but was always a key part of the midfield when we played well. The manager attempted to get some of the height he craved in the team by calling on forgotten man Seyi Olofinjana. Like Paul McShane, Olofinjana was in the last year of a lucrative contract and had been cast aside by previous managers. Bruce eventually found out why. While capable of the odd strong performance, moving the ball around midfield, Oily is generally a passenger. He's forgotten how to tackle and track runners and he's got no idea what that big white rectangle thing at the end of the pitch is for. He ended the season at Sheffield Wednesday on loan. Cameron Stewart started on the opening day against Brighton; his only league start of the season. He took in loan spells at Burnley and Blackburn and didn't play there either. Tom Cairney didn't manage a single league start despite being praised for his conditioning on his comeback from injury. Youngster Dougie Wilson broke into the first team reckoning for the early rounds of the FA Cup and then went to Grimsby to get a bit of experience. Ahmed Fathi came in with Gedo in January but never made a break through. His big chance came against Wolves when he started the game, played very well and then gifted them the ball to score the winning goal.

On the final day of the summer transfer window, Bruce picked up Ahmed "Elmo" Elmohamady on loan from Sunderland and stole Stephen Quinn from Sheffield United for a fee maxing out at £100,000. Their first three games for the Tigers were the 3-1 win over Bolton, 4-1 drubbing of Millwall and the 3-2 win at Elland Road. I wonder if any player has ever had such success in his first three appearances? Quinn was a revelation in midfield. A busy, biting figure with a shock of ginger hair. He works incredibly hard but it's never wasted effort, it always has a purpose, be it covering his full back at one end or arriving in the box with a beautifully timed run at the other. He made a massive difference to our game. As did Elmo who became the regular right wing-back. His impact became obvious in January when he was recalled for a spell by Sunderland. Even a full back as good as Liam Rosenior couldn't fill his boots at wing-back. We missed Elmo's drive, his strength and particularly his ability to dig out a cross from anywhere in the attacking third. A season of marauding from goal-line to goal-line eventually took its toll on him but his contribution, regardless, was massive.

In November, Bruce completed his midfield. Firstly Robbie Brady arrived on loan from Manchester United to cover the injury to left back Joe Dudgeon. Brady spent the previous season on loan with us and while he had obvious ability, he could also be incredibly wasteful, making terrible decisions around the box. He'd shoot when he should pass (and not score) and try and beat a man when he could get a cross in (and lose the ball). I'll be honest, I didn't see him as a left back (or even wing back) in a million years. He'd prove that to be very wrong. He's not perfect, he still combines wrong decisions with over hit crosses and woeful set pieces but the ratio of good to bad is much higher. Defensively he was rarely found wanting and he provided his fair share of goals and assists. When the threat of a promotion rival pinching him in January became apparent, the club shelled out £2.5m to sign him permanently. He paid that off in one afternoon with a magnificent performance in the final day shoot-out with Cardiff. The other November addition was Sunderland midfielder David Meyler. He has a lot of the aggression and size that Steve Bruce had craved since day one. His initial loan move was also turned into a permanent deal in January for a similar fee to that spent on Brady. It also proved good business as he stiffened us up, linked well with Elmohamady and chipped in with five goals. His passing can be erratic and what he brings isn't always appreciated but when he was absent through suspension late in the season, we missed him big time.

The Future

Midfield looks to be our strongest area, squad wise. When you add-in forwards Boyd, Koren and Aluko, we have a fair number of options. Bruce would probably still like a big defensive midfielder and will have to replace Elmohamady, either as a wing back or a right winger. He'd probably like to buy Elmohamady but will be keeping his options open.

It's the end of the line for McKenna, Olofinjana and probably youngster Danny Emerton, who are all out of contract. Cameron Stewart has no future here either. I'd also be surprised if we pursue a permanent deal for Fathi. An interesting case is that of Tom Cairney. He has obvious ability and performed well in the Premier League last time but has never really taken on the Championship. I wouldn't be shocked if he was sold. Nor would I be completely stunned if Corry Evans moved on. I'd be disappointed but I've never felt like Steve Bruce really rates him.

Five to consider

Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace) - This guy needs to be playing Premier League football next season, regardless of whether Palace win the Play-off final. He's a big presence in midfield, he's good in the air, solid in the tackle and can play a bit too. He's probably the sort of leader we've been missing for a good couple of seasons. Real captain material.

 Liam Bridcutt (Brighton) - Terrific little defensive midfield player, a product of Chelsea's youth system. He breaks up play incredibly well and launches attacks from the back. He's comfortable on either foot, quick over the ground and switches play with accurate long passes. His height would possibly put Steve Bruce off and his price tag may well be prohibitive too. If he was our player, I'd be wanting £3m for him, minimum.

Rodolph Austin (Leeds) - Jamaican international brought to Leeds last summer by Neil Warnock. Stoke tried to sign him during our original sojourn into the Premier League but couldn't get a work permit. He's a hulking defensive midfielder who loves a tackle and has a decent shot on him. Can cross the line between committed and undisciplined so is a risk but is a good athlete and a commanding presence.

Bakary Sako (Wolves) - The one bright spot in an awful season for Wolves as they escaped the Championship at the first time of asking, but through the wrong door. A lightening quick winger with tricky feet and a real eye for goal. He's capable of delivering good crosses. He's had a good footballing education, he's only 25 and has a season in England under his belt. Well worth a look.

Luke Murphy (Crewe) - The latest star off the Gresty Road production line. 23 year old central midfielder already approaching 200 career appearances. Tidy, mobile, often inventive and with an eye for goal. He's going to get a big move soon and it would be nice to see City use a rare position of strength to snap up a genuinely brilliant prospect.

Tigers Squad Review 2013 - Defenders

2012/13 report

I don’t know when Steve Bruce came up with the idea of playing three centre halves, whether it was always his intention or something he fell into but one of the first things he did last summer was increase his stock of centre halves. Following Jack Hobbs injury the previous season, Nick Barmby had been forced to use Liam Cooper and Sonny Bradley in the centre of defence. Bruce wasn’t planning to do the same. With the two young lads out of the equation and only a useless ginger Irishman as backup, Bruce had to find help for James Chester. Chester, our crown jewel, had another fine season. Whether in a back three or four, he’s always the same. Composed, assured and confident, capable of bringing the ball out of defence and launching an attack. He’s quick over the ground and strong in the air for one so, relatively, small. He generally times his tackles beautifully though it does go spectacularly wrong occasionally. There are areas where he’s still learning, he gets too tight at times and has to concede fouls and he can get over confident with the ball at his feet. Bruce strengthened the back line with the popular signing of Abdoulaye Faye and the less popular signing of his son, Alex Bruce. Faye produced what most thought he would. He was rock-like at the back. He proved valuable in the air in both boxes and calmed everyone with his vast experience. At times his age caught up with him and he had to be rested or picked up niggling injuries. Because of the competition, this often meant missing numerous games until his chance came again which must have been deeply frustrating. At the crucial point of the season, when fatigue and expectation overcame most players, he produced his best performances of the season, proving himself a big game player.

Alex Bruce suffered from the “nepotism” tag when he joined. His reputation was also damaged by having been part of the habitually pathetic Leeds United defence prior to joining. His performances in black and amber made a mockery of it all. He barely put a foot wrong when called upon to play in defence. Even when asked to play in midfield to provide a bit of bite, he gave it everything and played his part in two vital away wins at Millwall and Burnley. He’s not technically gifted but he’s got bottle and determination by the lorry load. Speaking of which, Jack Hobbs returned in December, having suffered a serious knee injury 8 months prior, and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. He settled back in quickly and produced the same consistent level of performance as he had before the injury, even though the Tigers were now playing a back three. He’d obviously been taking everything in whilst sitting on the sidelines.

It was fortunate for Steve Bruce that he had five centre halves available to him because Chester apart, they all suffered injuries at one time or another throughout the season. Whenever one went out, someone else came in and did a good job. The most surprising of those was the aforementioned useless ginger Irishman. Paul McShane's Hull City career was going nowhere in September. He was counting down the days until his contract ended and he could go elsewhere. The fans were counting down the days until we didn't have to pay him anymore. Then he played. And he was good. And he played again. And he was good again. Game by game he turned everyone around. To the point where there'd be disappointment on the terraces if he was missing and fans were demanding he be offered a new contract. And then he recovered from a season ending injury in about 5 minutes and scored the goal that won promotion. Redemption.

It' difficult to judge the Tigers full backs this season. Joe Dudgeon was a fixture at left back early on and looked much improved before his season was cruelly ended by injury. The always reliable Liam Rosenior was sidelined by the wing back system and the form of Elmohamady. Andy Dawson rarely featured in his testimonial season, a sad end to a "hall of fame" career for Daws at Hull City.

The Future

Several defensive players are out of contract this summer. Youngsters Danny East and Sonny Bradley have already moved on to Portsmouth with new contracts not being offered. Andy Dawson looks set to see his time at the club come to an end. Liam Rosenior should be offered a new contract, we won't find a more committed and versatile defender for free. Paul McShane will definitely be offered a new deal too. Abdoulaye Faye has triggered another year due to his appearances last season.

James Chester had another year on his contract but the club are desperate to have him extend it, for obvious reasons. He looks to be our one genuine Premier League quality defender. Faye obviously has been in the past but I wouldn't want to have to rely on him most weeks given his lack of pace. Alex Bruce, as good as he was last season, isn't a Premier League defender. Jack Hobbs has a way to go before he is too. And this may not be popular but I don't think Paul McShane is good enough either. It's been great to see his recovery and he deserves a new contract and another shot at it but he's still not quick enough or big enough. Hopefully the rashness has gone with added experience.

I'd be surprised if we take the 3-5-2 system into the Premier League. Regardless, I think we need at least one top class centre half and competition at full back on both sides.

Five to consider

Curtis Davies (Birmingham) - Davies has already been linked with The Tigers. If he's the sort of player Steve Bruce is looking at, it justifies everyone's faith in Bruce as the man to take us forward. Davies has always had the size and athleticism to be an impressive centre back but has shown the maturity and knowledge of the position in the last few years. There'll be strong competition for him, from his old boss Chris Hughton at Norwich for starters, but he'd be a very astute signing.

Maynor Figueroa (Wigan) – I'm surprised this link hasn't appeared in the national press yet, it's such a good fit. Figueroa was brought to England by Steve Bruce. He can play as a left back or as a left sided centre half in a back three. He's got good size, pace and strength, he attacks well and he's capabale of the odd spectacular strike on goal. I'm unsure of his availability after Wigan's relegation but he'd be a fine addition to a young, hungry squad.

Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough) – This is a questionable one, I'll admit. Williams was building a terrific career for himself, progressing from the youth setup at Boro to become club captain and attracting interest from some top sides. He then suffered an injury in 2012 and has never recovered his previous form. Because of that, his asking price will be significantly lower and the competition for his signature less stiff. It'd be a gamble but he's a fine player and with a fresh start and a good pre-season, he'd be a useful addition, fitness permitting. He's versatile, mobile and only 24 years old.

Craig Dawson (West Brom) - England U21 international and Great British Olympian who signed for WBA in 2010 but has never quite made a place his own. Enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Bolton and proved his worth at both ends by scoring twice against the Tigers on one particularly miserable afternoon at the Reebok Stadium. He's still only 23 and will improve with regular football.

Matthew Upson (Stoke) – Ex-England international who has spent the last two season in the career graveyard known as the Britannia Stadium. Has recently enjoyed a loan spell at Brighton where he's found some of his old form. He may be 34 but he's still fit enough to play at least another year at a decent level. He's a left sided centre half who'd give good balance, he can play out from the back and he doesn't mind a battle. He's available for free this summer. He wouldn't be first on my list but he'd be a decent Plan B.

Tigers Squad Review 2013 - Goalkeepers

2012/13 report

The Tigers used four goalkeepers throughout the league season while 18 year old Joe Cracknell, who has just signed his first pro contract, had to sit on the bench for the three FA cup ties. On-loan Manchester United ‘keeper Ben Amos started the season as Steve Bruce’s preferred number one. Having another loanee between the sticks was far from ideal but the England U21 international came with a good reputation. He settled well but mistakes crept into his game, small ones at first but they lead to howlers against Bristol City (away) and Blackpool (home) that shattered his confidence and Bruce lost faith in him. Amos returned to Manchester United before Christmas and was replaced by another loanee, Fulham’s David Stockdale. The big former-Darlo stopper made solid impression on most City fans and his confidence helped the defence recover their composure and he played a part in wins at Forest and Watford. Stockdale was recalled from his loan in December forcing Bruce to turn to free signing Eldin Jakupovic. The Bosnian also started well enough, despite looking shaky under crosses, but met a similar fate to Amos as his season imploded in spectacular fashion against Sheffield Wednesday at the KC Stadium. Robert Koren had just equalised for The Tigers when Jakupovic threw a harmless looking corner into his own goal. He was then injured in trying to recover the ball and left the field on a stretcher. That led to a City debut for Mark Oxley. He was signed from Rotherham in the glorious summer of 2008, one of the few promising players picked up while City enjoyed a rare position of strength, but had only managed unused sub appearances prior to this cameo. Bruce had to act following Jakupovic’s career suicide and was able to bring Stockdale back from Fulham for the rest of the season. That proved crucial in the run-in. Stockdale wasn’t flawless, he’s capable of dropping a cross or punching poorly, but he’s decisive and he’s brave enough to come for the next cross after dropping one. He was a steady influence on the defence when it mattered.

The Future

Loanee Stockdale has returned to Fulham and despite Steve Bruce’s interest in signing him permanently, it appears that Fulham’s asking price (speculated to be £3-4m) will prove prohibitive. Jakupovic will never be anything more than a back-up, probably relegated to third choice over the summer. Oxley is one of a number of players out of contract. At 22, he’s perhaps worth holding onto for another year. However, if Steve Bruce and GK coach Gary Walsh don’t think he’s likely to trouble the first team, he’ll be on his way. A first choice, permanent goalkeeper is number one on the priority list this summer.

Five to consider

Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester) – The son of Manchester United and Denmark great, Peter, Schmeichel is well known to and admired by City fans having impressed in the nets for Leeds and Leicester in opposition in the past few years. He’s confident and agile, lightening quick off his line and has excellent reactions. Not being the biggest, he can be troubled by crosses and his distribution isn’t the best. Leicester paid around £2m to take him from Leeds and will at least want their money back. At 26, he’s a good age and is desperate to play in the Premier League.

Simon Moore (Brentford) – The 22-year old has earned rave reviews starring for play-off finalists Brentford. He’s been a regular in the League One side for the past couple of seasons having been plucked from non-league Farnborough. He’s tall and agile and exudes confidence for one so young. He’s nowhere near the finished article and unlikely to be a Tigers number one but he is someone the club have had watched.

Shay Given (Aston Villa) – Experienced, international ‘keeper who at 37 has spent a season on the bench at Villa, watching ex-Tiger loanee Brad Guzan establish himself as number one. Manchester City paid £6m for Given four years ago but a similar fate befell him there as Joe Hart took over. He’d be an  ideal signing for a lower half Premier league team. He has bags and bags of experience having clocked up 400 appearances for Newcastle and 125 international caps. He’s a terrific shot stopper and while his height means he won’t wade into a crowded box and take crosses, it’s not held him back. Will surely be allowed to leave Villa Park for free despite having 3 years left on his contract.

Vito Mannone (Arsenal) – Another well known figure amongst City fans having spent two spells on loan at the KC. Had Nick Barmby stayed on as manager last summer, Vito would have been his number one summer target. He may not be on Steve Bruce’s radar however. He should be though, he’s a solid keeper, he’s vocal and he has terrific distribution. He’s coming to an age now where he needs to play first team football. His career is passing him by at Arsenal. Should be valued at around £1.5m.

Boaz Myhill (West Brom) – Why? He’s Boaz Myhill.

Championship Preview

Barnsley

Keith Hill did a tremendous job in 2011/12 to keep Barnsley in the division despite working with one of the smallest budgets. Barnsley's recruitment for the coming season is a little bit more ambitious with Hill picking up players released by Premier league clubs and the signing of ex-Middlesbrough and West Ham lardarse Mido. It's hard to see anything other than another season of struggle for the Tykes especially given the loss of Jacob Butterfield to Norwich City at the end of his contract. Butterfield was the most talented kid to come through Barnsley's academy in years. Keith Hill is a really likeable guy who's worked his way up into the Championship and I'd love to see him succeed again but it's doubtful.

IN: Lee Collins (Port Vale), Kelvin Etuhu (Portsmouth), Jacob Mellis, Mido (Zamalek [EGY]), Ben Alnwick (Spurs), Toni Silva (Liverpool), Tomasz Cywka (Reading)

KEY OUTS: Jacob Butterfield (Norwich)

PREDICTION: 24^th

Birmingham City

It hasn't been the summer of turmoil some feared at St. Andrews with the financial implosion either an overblown rumour or an accident still waiting to happen. Birmingham lost their talented manager Chris Hughton to Norwich which was a major blow after he worked miracles last season leading the Blues to the Championship play-off semi-finals. The appointment of Lee Clark looks a very shrewd move though. Clark was one of the free agents on the market after being fired by Huddersfield last season despite the club sitting in the top 6 in League One and having lost only a handful of games in the prior 18 months.

Goalkeeper Ben Foster, who made his loan move to West Brom permanent, and Jordan Mutch have been the only departures from Birmingham this summer so far and Clark has made several excellent signings, making good use of the loan and free market. He also picked up Darren Ambrose for a song as the goalscoring midfielder had only a year left on his contract at Crystal Palace. Birmingham are working with a relatively small squad and still have one or two players such as Curtis Davies, Jack Butland and Nathan Redmond who may attract interest from the Premier League before the end of the summer transfer window which would make repeating last season heroics unlikely.

IN: Peter Lovenkrands (Newcastle), David Lucas (Rochdale), Hayden Mullins (Portsmouth), Darren Ambrose (Palace), Ravel Morrison (West Ham loan), Ben Gordon (Chelsea loan), Alan Maybury (St. Johnstone)

KEY OUTS: Jordon Mutch (Cardiff), Ben Foster (WBA)

PREDICTION: 13^th

Blackburn Rovers

Who could possibly predict Blackburn Rovers season? They were relegated from the Premier league last season after 18 months of turmoil with supporter unrest towards the clubs Indian owners and manager Steve Kean at the heart of the problem. Kean inherited a good squad from Sam Allardyce and spent a fair amount of money but barring one or two impressive results, failed to get anything out of the talented players at his disposal. In his defence, while he spent good money on first team players, the squad eroded in terms of depth of quality and so Kean was forced to blood a number of young players last season, particularly in defence.

Kean's recruitment this summer looks terrific on paper. Midfield schemer Danny Murphy is a terrific signing as is his ex-Fulham team mate Dickson Etuhu who'll bring real strength to their midfield. Signings like these and powerful striker Leon Best (who will unfortunately miss 6 months of the season) suggest that Kean knows what it will take to get out of the Championship. His other signings are a mixed bag but former Portugal international Nuno Gomes could set the division alight. He and the lesser known Portuguese signings join an eclectic squad and while the likes of Vukcevic, Formica and Rochina have talent, they struggled to cope with the physical element of the premier league so may find it impossible to impose themselves on the Championship.

IN: Danny Murphy (Fulham), Leon Best (Newcastle), Nuno Gomes (Braga [POR]), Fabio Nunes (Portimonese [POR]), Paulo Jorge (Porto [POR]), Edon "Edinho" Junior (Olhanense [POR]), Dickson Etuhu (Fulham), Colin Kazim-Richards (Galatasaray [TUR] loan)

KEY OUTS: Yakubu (Guangzhou Fuli [CHI]), Junior Hoilett (QPR), Vincenzo Grella (Released), Miguel Salgado (Released)

PREDICTION: 2^nd

Blackpool

Blackpool is another side whose season is tough to predict. Ian Holloway is their wildcard. He got a very ordinary looking squad of journeymen players promoted to the Premier league, almost kept them up and then, following the departure of Charlie Adam last summer, led them to the play-off final. Their recruitment also looks ordinary and they haven't really lost anyone of real importance given that Lua Lua was used mainly as a substitute last season and Keith Southern spent most of the season fighting cancer. They have a couple of real talents in wingers Matt Phillips and Tom Ince plus the evergreen Kevin Phillips up front and a bunch of players who know how to win games at this level. When you add in Holloway's ability to get an extra 25% out of anything in an orange shirt, hence the number of tango-men going on stag do's in Blackpool at the moment, it'd take a fool to write them off.

IN: Jake Caprice (Palace), Isaiah Osbourne (Hibs), Tiago Gomes (Hercules [SPA]), Scott Robertson (Dundee U)

KEY OUTS: Lomana LuaLua (Karabukspor [TUR]), Keith Southern (Huddersfield)

PREDICTION: 7^th

Bolton Wanderers

Owen Coyle's Bolton probably weren't fancied by too many people to slip out of the Premier League but they never really got going and despite the talent in the squad they never really picked up the form you thought they might be capable of. It was felt that the trauma of Fabrice Muamba's collapse at White Hart Lane might have fired up the united Bolton squad but instead they were drained of energy and emotion and after 11 years, they slid out of the "Barclays Premier League". Despite the loss of a number of big-name players, Bolton have plenty of talented players remaining such as the marvelous Chung-Yong Lee, Stuart Holden and Martin Petrov, players who know how to get out of the Championship like Sam Ricketts, Darren Pratley and Chris Eagles and plenty of physical presence from the likes of Zat Knight, David Wheater and Kevin Davies.

Their recruitment looks pretty impressive too with Matt Mills and Keith Andrews having had impressive spells in the Championship in the past (though Mills disappointed big style at Leicester last season) and promising young forwards Gregg Wylde and Benik Afobe. Bolton's weakest point appears to be in goal with the erratic Adam Bogdan backed up by their butter-fingered signing from Leeds United, Andy Lonergan.

IN: Gregg Wylde (Rangers), Keith Andrews (WBA), Matt Mills (Leicester), Joe McKee (Burnley), Andy Lonergan (Leeds), Benik Afobe (Arsenal loan)

KEY OUTS: Nigel Reo-Coker (Released), Ivan Klasnic (Released), Jussi Jaaskelainen (West Ham), Ricardo Gardner (Released), Gretar Steinsson (Released), Paul Robinson (Released), Sean Davis (Released)

PREDICTION: 1^st

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton enjoyed a good season back in the Championship last season under the management of Gus Poyet. They play a good brand of football and press from the front when they don't have the ball. Last summer’s surprise signing Vicente has committed himself to the club for another season and has been joined by an ex-Valencia team mate in full-back Bruno (Saltor). Bruno played for Valencia in the Champions League last season and brings extensive experience with him from Spain. The signing of goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak from Manchester United and ex-England left-back Wayne Bridge on a season long loan from Manchester City are impressive pieces of business. Andrew Crofts has returned to the club from Norwich and he'll bring composure to the midfield.

Brighton have shown they are ambitious in the transfer market and have not courted interest in the likes of Craig Mackail-Smith and Lewis Dunk. They now have a squad that is balanced in terms of experience which may have let them down at times last season.

IN: Tomasz Kuszczak (Man Utd), Bruno Saltor (Valencia [SPA]), Wayne Bridge (Man City loan), Charlie Oatway Jr., Andrew Crofts (Norwich)

KEY OUTS: None

PREDICTION: 4^th

Bristol City

Derek McInnes took over last season but failed to turnaround their poor form. They've let a lot go of a lot of fringe players in the summer but haven't excited the fans with their signings so far. They found Jody Morris working the morning shift at a little chef just outside of Perth in Scotland, rescued Greg Cunningham from his career as a full-time loanee and signed Paul Anderson whose career has gone off the boil of late. Anderson will be a fine signing if he can recapture the form he previously showed in loan spells at Swansea and Forest while Tom Heaton should be an upgrade on a well past his calamitous best David James. City struggled to score goals even before they lost Nicky Maynard to West Ham last season so unless they fill that void, they'll be in big trouble.

IN: Jody Morris (St. Johnstone), Greg Cunningham (Man City), Paul Anderson (Forest), Tom Heaton (Cardiff)

KEY OUTS: David James (Released)

PREDICTION: 23^rd

Burnley

The Clarets were on of the most inconsistent teams in the division last season following clumps of good results with larger clumps of poor ones. They've trimmed a squad that wasn't particularly big to start with and have sold their prized asset, striker Jay Rodriquez, to Southampton. Eddie Howe doesn't appear to have been given a great deal of the Rodriquez money to re-invest but has made several decent signings in defender Jason Shackell, tidy midfield player Brian Stock and Wales striker Sam Vokes. Vokes is a promising young forward but may feel the pressure of having large boots to fill. Burnley will need Vokes and Charlie Austin to have exceptional seasons to make any impression on the Championship and will have to rely on good fortune unless they significantly bolster a thin squad.

IN: Luke O'Neill (Mansfield), George Porter (Orient Compensation), Jason Shackell (Derby), Joseph Mills (Reading loan), Sam Vokes (Wolves), Brian Stock (Doncaster)

KEY OUTS: Jay Rodriguez (Southampton), Andre Amougou (Released)

PREDICTION: 17^th

Cardiff City

The Redbirds made one of the most controversial moves of the summer when they sold their history down the river and signed a deal with the Malaysian devil. It's a shame that the rebranding issue has over-shadowed the job that Malky Mackay did at Cardiff last season as he took over a squad shorn of talent who'd either returned to their parent clubs following loan spells or left through freedom of contract. Mackay re-built the squad without spending a lot of money and brought through several promising players from the club's youth academy. A pretty quiet summer transfer-wise exploded in the past couple of weeks with Mackay making two excellent additions in Icelandic striker Heidar Helguson, a proven Championship goalscorer, and football's angriest dwarf, Craig Bellamy. Mackay may still face his biggest challenge this summer by holding on to Peter Whittingham but if he can, they look sure to be involved in the promotion race again and should benefit from the playing staff being familiar for the first time in a while.

IN: Joe Lewis (Peterbro), Jordon Mutch (Birmingham), Etien Velikonja (Maribor [SVK]), Heidar Helguson (QPR), Craig Bellamy (Liverpool)

KEY OUTS: Kenny Miller (Vancouver Whitecaps [CAN]), Anthony Gerrard (Huddersfield), Tom Heaton (Bristol C), Lee Naylor (Released)

PREDICTION: 5^th

Charlton Athletic

It's been a quiet summer for Addicks boss Chris Powell who signed nearly 20 players at the same time last year. The League One champions have a squad of talented players but don't have too many who've exceled in the Championship and will face a tough battle to stay in the division. They should have momentum early on and have a few seasoned pros like Leon Cort and Johnnie Jackson to lean on when times get tough. I think they'll survive but only just.

IN: Jordan Cook (Sunderland), Lawrie Wilson (Stevenage), Salim Kerkar (Rangers)

KEY OUTS: Gary Doherty (Wycombe)

PREDICTION: 21^st

Crystal Palace

It could be a difficult season for Palace who enjoyed a stress-free ending to the 2011/12 season under Dougie Freedman. It was their first for a while. Freedman has expertly guided a young squad showing maturity far beyond his years as he did as a player. He'll have to perform above himself again this season as Palace have lost four good players in hot young right-back Nathaniel Clyne, Darren Ambrose, lanky one cap wonder Anthony Gardner and winger Sean Scannell. Scannell hasn't lived up to his promise in the game but still has all the physical attributes to make it big. Peter Ramage is a gnarly old centre half who'll do well and Joel Ward showed promise at times in a sinking Pompey outfit. It seems unlikely that Aaron Wilbraham will improve their attack though. He's a hard working guy but he's not a difference maker. Palace is another side whose squad looks small this season and may rely on "emergency" loans for depth.

IN: Joel Ward (Portsmouth), Aaron Martin (Southampton Loan), Aaron Wilbraham (Norwich), Peter Ramage (QPR)

KEY OUTS: Anthony Gardner (Sheff Weds), Sean Scannell (Huddersfield), Darren Ambrose (Birmingham), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton)

PREDICTION: 16^th

Derby County

I admire the way Derby County is run under Nigel Clough. They spend wisely, invest in young players and don’t allow older players to block the development of their own products. They’ve improved year on year and have a nice blend of youth products and shrewd acquisitions. That will be tested this season. Chris Maguire is no-loss, he failed to deliver after his signing from Aberdeen, but Jason Shackell and Paul Green could really be missed. Also worrying for the Derby fans is the seemingly imminent departure of Steven Davies. On the plus side, Clough has signed Northampton's classy young midfielder Michael Jacobs, tough tackling Preston midfielder Paul Coutts, centre-half Richard Keogh and Doncaster's attacking right-back James O'Connor. Their squad was looking a little thin but Clough has done a decent rebuilding job while staying true to his philosophy. The Rams are unlikely to mount a promotion bid but should be too good to fall into a relegation battle too.

IN: Michael Jacobs (Northampton), Paul Coutts (Preston), Richard Keogh (Coventry), James O'Connor (Doncaster), Michael Hoganson (Newcastle)

KEY OUTS: Paul Green (Leeds), Chris Maguire (Sheff Weds), Jason Shackell (Burnley), Callum Ball (Coventry loan)

PREDICTION: 14^th

Huddersfield Town

Manager Simon Grayson has made a statement of intent following Huddersfield’s return to the second tier after an 11 year absence. Grayson cleared the decks following their League One play-off final win and allowed some older players such as Tommy Miller, Danny Cadamarteri and Gary Naysmith to move on. He took Crystal Palace striker Sean Scannell, once linked with multi-million pound moves to Spurs and West Ham, for just £400,000. Scannell has lost his way a little in the past couple of seasons but is still a young, dynamic player who has excellent dribbling ability and an eye for goal. He could be the steal of the summer window. They've strengthened the midfield significantly the signings of Manchester United midfielder Oliver Norwood, who impressed on loan at Coventry last season, Keith Southern and Adam Clayton from Leeds United. Grayson's defensive signings are equally impressive. Anthony Gerrard could form a formidable partnership with skipper Peter Clarke while Joel Lynch had an excellent season in a struggling Forest side last year. The difference between Huddersfield merely staying up comfortably and muscling in on the fight for a play-off place will depend on whether they hold on to Jordan Rhodes. Blackburn and Fulham are amongst his admirers.

IN: Sean Scannell (Palace), Paul Dixon (Dundee U), Oliver Norwood (Man Utd), Adam Clayton (Leeds), Joel Lynch (Forest), Keith Southern (Blackpool), Anthony Gerrard (Cardiff)

KEY OUTS: Gary Roberts (Swindon), Antony Kay (MK Dons)

PREDICTION: 11^th

Hull City

The Tigers have spent July recovering from 6 weeks of self-inflicted woe. Nick Barmby’s plan to transform City into the Barcelona of Yorkshire was ripped up and replaced with the Steve Bruce plan. That seems to be a return to playing with two up front, one of whom is a big lad, and having proper wingers who supply the ammunition. This plan will appeal to the supporters who didn’t enjoy the dominant but low-scoring performances under Barmby (and originally Pearson). Bruce has recruited well and quickly identified the gaps in the Tigers squad. Perhaps most importantly though the club has held on to some of the coveted young players like Cameron Stewart and James Chester while Robert Koren rejected the overtures of his former manager to sign a two year contract.

It’s easy to forget given the upheaval that Hull City finished 8^th in the Championship last season. Under Barmby, progress seemed inevitable. Under Bruce, it’s a tad more questionable. The squad is better but so are plenty of others. In a Championship that looks more competitive than ever, you have to move forward just to stand still.

IN: Ben Amos (Man Utd loan), Eldin Jakupovic (Aris [GRE]), Nick Proschwitz (Paderborn [GER]), Abdoulaye Faye (West Ham), Sone Aluko (Rangers), Alex Bruce (Leeds)

KEY OUTS: Kamel Ghilas (Reims [FRA]), Kevin Kilbane (Coventry), Dele Adebola (Rochdale), Richard Garcia (Released)

PREDICTION: 8^th

Ipswich Town

Paul Jewell's side has been quiet this summer. The signing of Scott Loach from Watford was a welcome on for the Tractor Boys who'd tried and failed to sign every second string goalkeeper in the land. If Loach had turned them down, Jewell had the Mounties on standby to search for Craig Forrest. Nottingham Forest's Luke Chambers will also help turnaround an often leaky defence while the loss of Grant Leadbitter and Jimmy "the parasite" Bullard may leave them short of midfield talent but will significantly improve their team spirit. In truth, Jewell needs 4 or 5 signings to make Ipswich competitive and they require fresh young blood, especially as their once prolific academy is no longer churning out stars.

IN: Elliott Hewitt (Macclesfield), Luke Chambers (Forest), Scott Loach (Watford), Massimo Luongo (Spurs loan)

KEY OUTS: Grant Leadbitter (Boro), Jimmy Bullard (Released)

PREDICTION: 20^th

Leeds United

Leeds dispensed with manager Simon Grayson last season and brought in Championship promotion specialist Neil Warnock. This one may well be one challenge too far for Warnock who is working on a tight budget. Leeds proposed takeover appears to be on hold at the moment and fans, already unimpressed with Ken Bates, will not have enjoyed seeing Adam Clayton and Robert Snodgrass join the talent exodus from Elland Road in recent seasons. Warnock has signed some good players, raiding hard-up Portsmouth for Jason Pearce and David Norris, signing experienced Norwich left-back Adam Drury and Derby's tidy Ireland international midfielder Paul Green. He's also taken his old mate Paddy "it was on prescription, honest, guv" Kenny who he's signed on 87 previous occasions.

Warnock's latest signing is El Hadji Diouf. Warnock famously labeled Diouf a "sewer rat" after he broke Jamie Mackie's leg during a Blackburn/QPR FA Cup tie. Warnock then suggested that he might have offended sewer rats. Of course, being that morality in top-level football is spelt ********, this hasn't stopped Warnock signing the player. If he thought Fred West could get 20 goals a season, Warnock would sign him too. Diouf had an excellent game for Doncaster at the KC Stadium last season. He'll probably do very well at Elland Road. It's a match made in heaven. Or hell.

IN: Jason Pearce (Portsmouth), Adam Drury (Norwich), Paul Green (Derby), Paddy Kenny (QPR), Andy Gray (Barnsley), Jamie Ashdown (Portsmouth), Luke Varney (Portsmouth), David Norris (Portsmouth), Lee Peltier (Leicester), El Hadji Diouf (Doncaster)

KEY OUTS: Adam Clayton (Huddersfield), Andy Lonergan (Bolton), Robert Snodgrass (Norwich), Andy O'Brien (Vancouver Whitecaps [CAN])

PREDICTION: 10^th

Leicester City

Leicester spent last summer shopping like Posh Spice on coke. Sven Goran Eriksson brought big expectations and a massive false dawn. The clubs owners look to have learnt from those mistakes and have since appointed (stolen) Nigel Pearson as manager and he's brought a calmer approach to player recruitment and altered unrealistic expectations. Pearson has rid the club of some of the bigger names and biggest earners, presumably to comply with financial fair play rules, and has made several solid if unspectacular signings. Full-back Richie De Laet and midfielder Matty James have joined Danny Drinkwater in signing from Pearson's favourite department store: Old Trafford. Zak Whitbread is a proven Championship centre half and Pompey's Marko Futacs has been brought in to replace the "Steve Howard option". Fleetwood's Jamie Vardy is Pearson's only expensive gamble so far but knowing how meticulous his scouting team is, he could be a rough diamond. I don't think Leicester have finished shaping their side yet. Pearson has been patient all summer and will pull one or two out of the bag before August 31st I'm sure.

IN: Ritchie De Laet (Man Utd), Matty James (Man Utd), Jamie Vardy (Fleetwood), Marko Futacs (Portsmouth), Zak Whitbread (Norwich)

KEY OUTS: Sol Bamba (Trabzonspor), Matt Mills (Bolton), Lee Peltier (Leeds), John Pantsil (Released), Darius Vassell (Released), Steve Howard (Hartlepool)

PREDICTION: 6^th

Middlesbrough

Boro had a good season under Tony Mowbray last time out but fell away after Easter. They have been keen to address the lack of depth in the squad this summer but have had to shop in a different market than the one they've been used too. Mowbray brought midfielder Grant Leadbitter back to the north-east from Ipswich and also rescued Jon Woodgate from the glue factory. His other signings have come from further down the leagues but appear to be well calculated gambles. Emanuel Ledesma is a creative midfield player who didn't have the best of spells at QPR but has recovered his form at Walsall. Mustapha Carayol is an exciting winger who's already trawled the lower divisions despite being only 23. They do know how to develop a winger at Middlesbrough though. In all Boro have a squad that is talented but has few experienced players. They'll hope to have less reliance on Marvin Emnes to score goals because when he went off the boil last season, so did they.

IN: Grant Leadbitter (Ipswich), Stuart Parnaby, Christian Burgess, Jon Woodgate (Stoke), Emanuel Ledesma (Walsall), George Friend (Doncaster), Mustapha Carayol (Bristol R), Jayson Leutwiler (Basle [SWI])

KEY OUTS: Barry Robson (Vancouver Whitecaps [CAN])

PREDICTION: 9^th

Millwall

Kenny Jackett has done an excellent job at Millwall in the last 3 years and has kept them up quite comfortably in the last 2 seasons. His ability will be severely tested by a division that looks stronger than ever this time. There are few stars at Millwall as they rely on being a better unit than the sum of its parts. Liam Trotter and James Henry are excellent in their midfield and Darius Henderson enjoyed a career renaissance last season. It's difficult to see them competing above the bottom six though and it will be a tough ask for players to keep playing above themselves.

IN: Maik Taylor (Leeds), Scott Malone (Bournemouth), Karleigh Osborne (Brentford), Danny Shittu (QPR)

KEY OUTS: Scott Barron (Brentford)

PREDICTION: 22^nd

Nottingham Forest

It took quite a while for Forest’s summer to kick into gear with the takeover by the Al-Hasawi family finally being completed in mid-July. By that time Forest had already lost McCleary, Chambers and Lynch on free transfers. The new owners wasted no time in sacking Steve Cotterill and appointing Sean O’Driscoll as manager. O’Driscoll is a good coach who was stupidly let go by Doncaster Rovers and helped revitalize Forest last season while assisting Steve Cotterill. With the owners backing, he’s dipped into the transfer market and made some decent additions. Daniel Ayala and Simon Gillet will help Forest play the brand of football O’Driscoll promotes while Simon Cox is a classy goalscorer who would have fit into any team in the division. Given the disruption and the changes in personnel, I think it’s unlikely that Forest will challenge for the play-offs but they should have a much better season than they did last time.

IN: Adlene Guedioura (Wolves), Danny Collins (Stoke), Greg Halford (Portsmouth), Dan Harding (Southampton), Simon Gillett (Doncaster), Daniel Ayala (Norwich loan), Simon Cox (WBA)

KEY OUTS: Garath McCleary (Reading), Luke Chambers (Ipswich), Joel Lynch (Huddersfield), George Boateng (Released), Paul Anderson (Bristol C)

PREDICTION: 12^th

Peterborough United

The Posh are a club who seem to be permanently in transition. Darren Ferguson has spent the past 6 months scouring the lower leagues again to find the players who’ll replace Joe Lewis and Ryan Bennett and preparing to replace George Boyd and Paul Taylor when they eventually move on. They’ll always take a chance on a player who is lower down the ladder; thy trust their judgement and they are generally rewarded for doing so. Their attacking philosophy stood them in good stead last season and it should do again. It’s more worthwhile to win some and lose some in the Championship than it is to collect a lot of draws. I admire Peterborough’s bravery and I think they’ll stay up again.

IN: Tyrone Barnett (Crawley), Shaun Brisley (Macclesfield), Nat Knight-Percival (Wrexham), Danny Swanson (Dundee United), Bobby Olejnik (Torquay), Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (Wolves), Michael Bostwick (Stevenage), Jonson Clarke-Harris (Coventry)

KEY OUTS: Joe Lewis (Cardiff), Paul Jones (Crawley)

PREDICTION: 18^th

Sheffield Wednesday

Wednesday are back at the level they feel they belong to at the very least. Dispensing with Gary Megson whilst sitting third in League One at the end of February seemed harsh but appointing Dave Jones was a masterstroke and he guided them to automatic promotion without losing a game. They’ve recruited two or three proven Championship players this summer as well as one or two wildcards. Neither Chris Maguire nor Michail Antonio pulled up any trees at Derby or Reading but Antonio did have a successful spell on loan at Hillsborough last season. Gary Madine had an excellent season in League One last season and with better players around him, he should adapt to the next level without any problems.

IN: Chris Kirkland (Wigan), Kieran Lee (Oldham), Joe Mattock (WBA), Anthony Gardner (Palace), Chris Maguire (Derby), Diogo Amado (Uniao Leiria [POR]), Nejc Pecnik (CD Nacional [POR]), Rhys McCabe (Rangers), Michail Antonio (Reading)

KEY OUTS: Clinton Morrison (Colchester)

PREDICTION: 15^th

Watford

It’s been a strange summer at Vicarage Road. The club was (eventually) purchased by the Pozzo family who already own Udinese and the Spanish club Granada. Granada was promoted to La Liga in 2010/11 with the help of players loaned from Udinese and the Pozzo family is trying the same trick at Watford. Sean Dyche was harshly dismissed as manager to make way for Gianfranco Zola and he’s overseen the sale of two of the clubs top players. They’ve been replaced by two experienced and, most importantly, free players in Fitz Hall and Manuel Almunia. A squad lacking in depth has been replenished by SIX players signed on loan from, shockingly, Udinese and Granada. And I thought the loan rules in this country were ridiculous before. Watford won’t be helped by the fact that last season’s top goalscorer Troy Deeney will spend the first few months of the season doing porridge. It’s difficult to predict what this Watford squad will achieve but knowing the history in this country of miserly foreign owners trying to do things on the cheap, I’m going for “not very well”.

IN: Fitz Hall (QPR), Manuel Almunia (Arsenal), Almen Abdi (Udinese loan), Matej Vydra (Udinese loan), Steve Leo Beleck (Udinese loan), Daniel Pudil (Granada loan), Ikechi Anya (Granada loan), Alex Geijo (Udinese loan)

KEY OUTS: Adrian Marriapa (Reading), Scott Loach (Ipswich)

PREDICTION: 19^th

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves made a complete hash of the Premier League last season and suffered relegation after sacking Mick McCarthy, who’d kept them up twice before, and replacing him with a guy who had les experience of top flight management than your average Football Manager 2012 addict. They’ve corrected that this summer with the appointment of the experienced and well-travelled Stale Solbakken. Wolves have quietly gone about their business this summer and weren’t getting a lot of media attention until recently when they turned down massive bids for Steven Fletcher and Matt Jarvis. Even without those two players, Wolves have a squad of players who’ve excelled at this level before. Their additions are mainly unknown but striker Sigurdarson and midfielder Doumbia both come with good reputations from Norway and France respectively.

IN: Bjorn Sigurdarson (Lillestrom [NOR]), Frank Nouble (West Ham), Jamie Tank (Walsall), Tongo Doumbia (Rennes [FRA] loan), Slawomir Peszko (Cologne [GER] loan)

KEY OUTS: Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (Peterbro), Adlene Guedioura (Forest), Sam Vokes (Burnley), Michael Kightly (Stoke), Jody Craddock (Released)

PREDICTION: 3^rd