Manager: Keith Hill

Position last season: 17th

Nickname: The Tykes

Ground: Oakwell

Capacity: 23,009

Players in: David Perkins (Colchester, free), Craig Davies (Chesterfield, £700,000), Miles Addison (Derby, loan until January), Matt Done (Rochdale, undisclosed), Jim McNulty (Brighton, undisclosed), Scott Wiseman (Rochdale, free), Rob Edwards (Blackpool, free)

Players out: Martin Devaney, Danny Fearnehough, Conor Branson, Steven Bennett (all released), Matthew Hill (Blackpool, free), Liam Dickinson (Plymouth, free) Jason Shackell (Derby, £1million) Hugo Colace (Estudiantes Tecos, free), Kern Miller (Accrington, loan until January)

Key man: Craig Davies

Chances: Keith Hill replaced former manager Mark Robins in June and has rebuilt the squad he inherited. Hill's reputation has soared since leading former club Rochdale to promotion and establishing them as a force in npower League One. But the Tykes are destined for another season of struggle as the Championship gets stronger and stronger.

Prediction: 23rd

BIRMINGHAM

Manager: Chris Hughton

Position last season: 18th in the Premier League

Nickname: Blues

Ground: St Andrew's

Capacity: 30,009

Players in: Chris Burke (Cardiff, free), Marlon King (Coventry, free), Morgaro Gomis (Dundee United, free), Adam Rooney (Inverness, free), Steven Caldwell (Wigan, free)

Players out: Kevin Phillips & Barry Ferguson (Blackpool, free), Marcus Bent, Lee Bowyer, Martin Jiranek, Stuart Parnaby (all released), Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland, free), Maik Taylor (retired), Craig Gardner (Sunderland, undisclosed), Lee Bowyer (Ipswich, free), Roger Johnson (Wolves, undisclosed)

Key man: Ben Foster

Chances: New Birmingham boss Chris Hughton knows he faces a tough task clinching an immediate return to the Barclays Premier League yet Blues, who also have the Europa League to contend with having won the Carling Cup last season, have the knowhow having done it in 2007 and 2009. The off-field uncertainty surrounding majority shareholder Carson Yeung could have a destabilising effect on the club.

Prediction: 3rd

BLACKPOOL

Manager: Ian Holloway

Position last season: 19th in the Premier League

Nickname: The Seasiders

Ground: Bloomfield Road

Capacity: 16,500

Players in: Bojan Djordjic (Videoton, free), Matthew Hill (Barnsley, free), Kevin Phillips & Barry Ferguson (both Birmingham, free), Craig Sutherland (unattached)

Players out: Danny Coid, Malaury Martin, Jason Euell, David Carney, Salaheddine Sbaï, Richard Kingson, Marlon Harewood (all released), Andy Reid (Nottingham Forest, free), Ishmel Demontagnac (Notts County, free), Paul Rachubka (Leeds, free), David Vaughan (Sunderland, free), Rob Edwards (Barnsley, free), Charlie Adam (Liverpool, £6.75million)

Key man: Kevin Phillips

Chances: The departure of skipper and talisman Charlie Adam to Liverpool is a massive loss but boss Ian Holloway should at least have his side competing at the right end of the table.

Prediction: 12th

BRIGHTON

Manager: Gus Poyet

Position last season: 1st in League One

Nickname: The Seagulls

Ground: Amex Community Stadium

Capacity: 22,500

Players in: Will Hoskins (Bristol Rovers, £500,000), Will Buckley (Watford, £1million), Roland Bergkamp (Excelsior, compensation TBC), Craig Mackail-Smith (Peterborough, £3.25million), Kazenga LuaLua (Newcastle, loan until January), Romain Vincelot (Dagenham, undisclosed)

Players out: Radostin Kishishev, Cristian Baz, Agustin Battipiedi, Fran Sandaza (all released), Glenn Murray (Crystal Palace, free), Chris Holroyd (Rotherham, free), James Tunnicliffe (Wycombe, free), Elliott Bennett (Norwich, £1.5million), Jim McNulty (Barnsley, undisclosed), Gary Hart (Eastbourne Borough, free)

Key man: Craig Mackail-Smith

Chances: Promotion, a new stadium, a bright young manager and some big-money signings mean the feelgood factor is off the scale on the south coast at the moment and the Seagulls will surprise plenty of teams this term.

Prediction: 14th

BRISTOL CITY

Manager: Keith Millen

Position last season: 15th

Nickname: The Robins

Ground: Ashton Gate

Capacity: 21,497

Players in: Yannick Bolasie (Plymouth, £90,000), Ryan Taylor (Rotherham, undisclosed), Neil Kilkenny (Leeds, free)

Players out: Patrick Hoban, Jimmy Keohane (both released) John Akinde (Crawley, £70,000), Ivan Sproule (Hibernian, free), Stephen Henderson (Portsmouth, free)

Key man: Nicky Maynard

Chances: After a good summer of recruitment, and perhaps more importantly fending off interest in Nicky Maynard, Millen will definitely be eyeing an improvement on last term, but with the division even tougher this year, it could be another difficult season for the Robins.

Prediction: 18th

BURNLEY

Manager: Eddie Howe

Position last season: 8th

Nickname: The Clarets

Ground: Turf Moor

Capacity: 22,546

Players in: Richard Eckersley (Toronto, undisclosed), Ben Mee (Manchester City, season loan), Kieran Trippier (Manchester City, season loan)

Players out: Kevin McDonald, Chris Lynch, Nik Kudiersky, Chris Anderson, Michael John King, Remco van der Schaaf, Graham Alexander (all released), Steven Thompson (St Mirren, free), Clarke Carlisle (Preston, season loan), Chris Iwelumo (Watford, undisclosed)

Key man: Chris Eagles

Chances: Burnley struggled for consistency last season but boss Eddie Howe gradually imposed his youthful energy on his players and they only just missed out on the play-offs. Could find life tougher this term.

Prediction: 10th

CARDIFF

Manager: Malky Mackay

Position last season: 4th

Nickname: The Bluebirds

Ground: Cardiff City Stadium

Capacity: 26,828

Players in: Craig Conway (Dundee United, free), Don Cowie (Watford, free), Andrew Taylor (Middlesbrough, free), Robert Earnshaw (Nottingham Forest, free), Aron Gunnarsson (Coventry, free), Joe Mason (Plymouth, undisclosed), Kenny Miller (Bursaspor, £870,000)

Players out: Gavin Rae, Martin John (both released), Chris Burke (Birmingham, free) Adam Matthews (Celtic, £200,000), Michael Chopra (Ipswich, £1.5million), Jay Bothroyd (QPR, free)

Key man: Peter Whittingham

Chances: It has been a summer of upheaval for Cardiff, losing their manager Dave Jones and a host of key players including Craig Bellamy and Jay Bothroyd, so an automatic promotion campaign could be beyond them. However, Mackay is a promising young manager and has recruited well enough to oversee a challenge for the play-offs.

Prediction: 7th

COVENTRY

Manager: Andy Thorn

Position last season: 18th

Nickname: The Sky Blues

Ground: Ricoh Arena

Capacity: 32,609

Players in: Chris Dunn (Northampton, undisclosed), Joe Murphy (Scunthorpe, free)

Players out: Michael McIndoe, Michael Quirke, Isaac Osbourne (all released), Marlon King (Birmingham, free), Stephen O'Halloran (Carlisle, free), Keiren Westwood (Sunderland, free), Lee Carsley (retired), Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff, free)

Key man: Ben Turner

Chances: Thorn embarks on his first full season in management and it may be a tough one having lost King, Westwood and Gunnarsson as well as the retirement of Carsley.

Prediction: 20th

CRYSTAL PALACE

Manager: Dougie Freedman

Position last season: 20th

Nickname: The Eagles

Ground: Selhurst Park

Capacity: 26,309

Players in: Glenn Murray (Brighton, free), Kagisho Dikgacoi (Fulham, undisclosed), Mile Jedinak (Genclerbirligi, free), Jonathan Parr (Aalesund, undisclosed).

Players out: Claude Davis, Kieran Djilali (both released), Neil Danns (Leicester, free), Adam Barrett (Bournemouth, undisclosed), Alassane N'Diaye (Southend, season loan)

Key man: Julian Speroni

Chances: Palace have narrowly avoided relegation in the past two seasons and there is little hope of that changing any time soon. Losing key midfielder Neil Danns was a big blow.

Prediction: 21st

DERBY

Manager: Nigel Clough

Position last season: 19th

Nickname: The Rams

Ground: Pride Park

Capacity: 33,597

Players in: Frank Fielding (Blackburn, £300,000), Jamie Ward (Sheffield United, £600,000), Theo Robinson (Millwall, undisclosed), Craig Bryson (Kilmarnock, £500,000), Nathan Tyson (Nottingham Forest, free), Jason Shackell (Barnsley, £1million), Chris Maguire (Aberdeen, free), Adam Legzdins (Burton, undisclosed)

Players out: Chris Porter (Sheffield United, free), Greg Mills (released), Arnaud Mendy (Macclesfield, free), Robbie Savage (retired), Ben Pringle (Rotherham, free), Miles Addison (Barnsley, loan until January), Luke Varney (Portsmouth, undisclosed)

Key man: Shaun Barker

Chances: A busy summer in the transfer market could finally have given manager Nigel Clough a squad capable of a top-10 finish. If they can gel quickly and avoid the injury problems that have blighted the past two campaigns, a play-off challenge could be a possibility, but they may be sucked into the mid-table morass.

Prediction: 16th

DONCASTER

Manager: Sean O'Driscoll

Position last season: 21st

Nickname: Rovers

Ground: Keepmoat Stadium

Capacity: 15,231

Players in: Tommy Spurr (Sheffield Wednesday, £200,000), Kyle Bennett (Bury, undisclosed), James Baxendale (Leeds, free), Richard Naylor (Leeds, free), Chris Brown (Preston, free)

Players out: Wayne Thomas, Dennis Souza, Steve Brooker (all released), Byron Webster (Northampton, free), Ryan Burge (Port Vale, free), Waide Fairhurst (Macclesfield, undisclosed)

Key man: Chris Brown

Chances: Doncaster struggled badly last season and at one point looked in serious danger of going down. They did enough to survive the drop but may not have enough quality to do so again this term.

Prediction: 24th

HULL

Manager: Nigel Pearson

Position last season: 11th

Nickname: The Tigers

Ground: KC Stadium

Capacity: 25,586

Players in: Joe Dudgeon (Manchester United, £80,000), Corry Evans (Manchester United, £500,000), Dele Adebola (Nottingham Forest, free), Jack Hobbs (Leicester, undisclosed), Paul McKenna (Nottingham Forest, free), Peter Gulacsi (Liverpool, season loan)

Players out: Matt Duke, Craig Fagan, Anthony Gardner, Tijani Belaid (all released), Nolberto Solano (Hartlepool, free), Liam Cooper (Huddersfield, season loan)

Key man: Matty Fryatt

Chances: The Tigers struggled to make an impact back in the Championship under new manager Pearson last season following relegation but set a new unbeaten away record of 14 matches and if they can improve their home form this time round Hull, boosted by six summer signings, can launch a concerted play-off challenge.

Prediction: 13th

IPSWICH

Manager: Paul Jewell

Position last season: 13th

Nickname: The Tractor Boys

Ground: Portman Road

Capacity: 30,311

Players in: Ivar Ingimarsson (Reading, free), Nathan Ellington (Watford, free), Michael Chopra (Cardiff, £1.5million), Aaron Cresswell (Tranmere, tribunal), Lee Bowyer (Birmingham, free), David Stockdale (Fulham, season loan), Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (Arsenal, undisclosed)

Players out: Pablo Counago (released), Kevin Lisbie (released), Ian McLoughlin (MK Dons, free), Brian Murphy, Alan Quinn, Reggie Lambe, David Cawley (all released), Gareth McAuley (West Brom, free), David Norris (Portsmouth, free), Tom Eastman (Colchester, free), Troy Brown (Rotherham, free), Connor Wickham (Sunderland, £8million)

Key man: Michael Chopra

Chances: Despite losing Wickham, McAuley and Norris, experienced manager Jewell has brought in the likes of Chopra, Ingimarsson and Bowyer to steady the ship in what represents a season of promise at Portman Road.

Prediction: 9th

LEEDS

Manager: Simon Grayson

Position last season: 7th

Nickname: The Whites

Ground: Elland Road

Capacity: 39,460

Players in: Paul Rachubka (Blackpool, free), Michael Brown (Portsmouth, free), Andy Lonergan (Preston, undisclosed)

Players out: Richard Naylor, Shane Higgs (both released), Neil Kilkenny (Bristol City, free), Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester, £1.5million), Bradley Johnson (Norwich, free), James Baxendale (Doncaster, free)

Key man: Max Gradel

Chances: Grayson is doubly determined to steer Leeds towards another promotion challenge after narrowly missing out on the play-offs last season. But competition in the second tier is getting ever stronger and following a summer of limited rebuilding a top-six finish might be beyond them.

Prediction: 11th

LEICESTER

Manager: Sven-Goran Eriksson

Position last season: 10th

Nickname: The Foxes

Ground: King Power Stadium

Capacity: 32,500

Players in: Lee Peltier (Huddersfield, £700,000), Neil Danns (Crystal Palace, free), Kasper Schmeichel (Leeds, £1.5million), Sean St Ledger (Preston, undisclosed), David Nugent (Portsmouth, free), Matt Mills (Reading, undisclosed), John Pantsil (Fulham, free), Michael Johnson (Manchester City, season loan)

Players out: Ricardo, Robert Ambrusics, Ashley Chambers, Nathan Hicks, Jorrin John, Ben Milnes, Luke O'Neill, Aman Verma, Adi Yussuf (all released), Craig King (Telford, free), Michael Lamey (Wisla Krakow, free), Jack Hobbs (Hull, undisclosed), Cian Bolger (Bristol Rovers, six-month loan), Conrad Logan (Rotherham, six-month loan)

Key man: Darius Vassell

Chances: After an influx of new signings, Sven-Goran Eriksson's first full season in charge at the King Power Stadium is expected to be a successful one. Anything less than promotion would be seen as failure but a top-two finish must be the aim.

Prediction: 1st

MIDDLESBROUGH

Manager: Tony Mowbray

Position last season: 12th

Nickname: Boro

Ground: The Riverside Stadium

Capacity: 35,100

Players in: Curtis Main (Darlington, free)

Players out: Maximilian Haas (released), Willo Flood (Dundee United, free), Kris Boyd (Eskisehirspor, free), Andrew Taylor (Cardiff, free)

Key man: Scott McDonald

Chances: After a strong finish to last season, Boro will be seeking to make a serious promotion push in Mowbray's first full season in charge. A mixture of youth and experience in the squad can lead the club to a play-off place.

Prediction: 6th

MILLWALL

Manager: Kenny Jackett

Position last season: 9th

Nickname: The Lions

Ground: The Den

Capacity: 20,146

Players in: Ryan Allsop (West Brom, £80,000), Therry Racon (Charlton, free), Hameur Bouazza (Arles-Avignon, £175,000), Darius Henderson (Sheffield United, undisclosed), Jordan Stewart (Skoda Xanthi, free)

Players out: Patrick O'Connor, Kiernon Hughes-Mason (both released), Marc Laird (Leyton Orient, free), John Sullivan (Charlton, free), Steve Morison (Norwich, £2.5million), Theo Robinson (Derby, undisclosed), Neil Harris (Southend, free), Ashley Grimes (Rochdale, free), Andy Frampton (Gillingham, free), Danny Schofield (Rotherham, free)

Key man: Paul Robinson

Chances: Steve Morison's 15 Championship goals guided the Lions to the fringes of the play-offs last term, but also earned him a move to Norwich and Jackett will find him difficult to replace.

Prediction: 17th

NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Manager: Steve McClaren

Position last season: 6th

Nickname: Forest

Ground: City Ground

Capacity: 30, 602

Players in: Andy Reid (Blackpool, free), Jonathan Greening (Fulham, undisclosed), George Boateng (unattached)

Players out: Nathan Tyson (Derby, free), Mark Byrne (Barnet, free), Kelvin Wilson (Celtic, free), Dele Adebola (Hull, free), Paul McKenna (Hull, free), Julian Bennett (Sheffield Wednesday, free), Robert Earnshaw (Cardiff, free)

Key man: Luke Chambers

Chances: It was play-off heartbreak again for Forest last season but a new manager and a shake-up of the squad could be what is needed for them to make that final step. It will be the play-offs again, but McClaren might be celebrating at Wembley come May.

Prediction: 4th

PETERBOROUGH

Manager: Darren Ferguson

Position last season: 4th in League One

Nickname: Posh

Ground: London Road

Capacity: 15,314

Players in: Paul Jones (Exeter, free), Ryan Tunnicliffe (Manchester United, six-month loan), Scott Wootton (Manchester United, six-month loan)

Players out: James McKeown (released), Seth Nana Ofori-Twumasi (Northampton, free), Chris Whelpdale (Gillingham, free), Craig Mackail-Smith (Brighton, £3.25million)

Key man: George Boyd

Chances: Posh struggled at this level last time they were promoted and it will be tough for them again. Mackail-Smith's goals will be hard to replace.

Prediction: 22nd

PORTSMOUTH

Manager: Steve Cotterill

Position last season: 16th

Nickname: Pompey

Ground: Fratton Park

Capacity: 20,688

Players in: David Norris (Ipswich, free), Jason Pearce (Bournemouth, undisclosed), Luke Varney (Derby, undisclosed), Stephen Henderson (Bristol City, free)

Players out: Michael Brown, Richard Hughes, Danny Webber (all released), Marlon Pack (Cheltenham, free), Nadir Ciftci (Kayserispor, free), Darryl Flahavan (Bournemouth, free), David Nugent (Leicester, free)

Key man: David Norris

Chances: Cotterill worked miracles with a threadbare squad last term, with Pompey at one stage even threatening to make the play-offs until they ran out of steam. A few more players should ensure a more comfortable season.

Prediction: 14th

READING

Manager: Brian McDermott

Position last season: 5th

Nickname: The Royals

Ground: Madejski Stadium

Capacity: 24,161

Players in: Mikele Leigertwood (QPR, free), Bongani Khumalo (Tottenham, season loan)

Players out: Ben Hamer, Ethan Gage, Abdulai Bell-Baggie, Danny Joyce (all released), Scott Davies (Crawley, free), Julian Kelly (Notts County, free), Ivar Ingimarsson (Ipswich, free), Matt Mills (Leicester, undisclosed), David Mooney (Leyton Orient, free)

Key man: Shane Long

Chances: Keeping Long has been as big a boost as any new signing and his goals will be again vital as McDermott's side attempt to bounce back from an agonising play-off final defeat last season by once again mounting a promotion challenge.

Prediction: 5th

SOUTHAMPTON

Manager: Nigel Adkins

Position last season: 2nd in League One

Nickname: Saints

Ground: St Mary's

Capacity: 32,689

Players in: Jack Cork (Chelsea, undisclosed), Steve de Ridder (De Graafschap, undisclosed)

Players out: Anthony Pulis, Tony Garrod, Callum McNish (all released), Oscar Gobern (Huddersfield, tribunal)

Key man: Rickie Lambert

Chances: With money to spend there is talk of back-to-back promotions down at St Mary's, and if the prolific Lambert can step up a level, a play-off challenge will certainly be on the cards.

Prediction: 8th

WATFORD

Manager: Sean Dyche

Position last season: 14th

Nickname: The Hornets

Ground: Vicarage Road

Capacity: 19,920

Players in: Craig Forsyth (Dundee, undisclosed), David Mirfin (Scunthorpe, free), Mark Yeates (Sheffield United, undisclosed), Prince Buaben (Dundee United, free), Chris Iwelumo (Burnley, undisclosed)

Players out: Danny Graham (Swansea, £3.5million), Will Buckley (Brighton, £1million), Liam Henderson (York, free), Mat Sadler (Walsall, free), Nathan Ellington (Ipswich, free), Don Cowie (Cardiff, free)

Key man: John Eustace

Chances: The 2011-12 season promises to be a journey into the unknown for Watford as Dyche embarks on his first venture into management following Malky Mackay's switch to Cardiff, and does so without the services of 24-goal top scorer Danny Graham.

Prediction: 19th

WEST HAM

Manager: Sam Allardyce

Position last season: 20th in Premier League

Nickname: The Hammers

Ground: Upton Park

Capacity: 35,303

Players in: Abdoulaye Faye (Stoke, free), Kevin Nolan (Newcastle, undisclosed), Matt Taylor (Bolton, undisclosed)

Players out: Danny Gabbidon (QPR, free), Matthew Upson, Jonathan Spector, Lars Jacobsen, Zavon Hines (all released), Manuel Da Costa (Lokomotiv Moscow, £1.3million), Radoslav Kovac (Basle, £500,000), Demba Ba (Newcastle, undisclosed), Kieron Dyer (QPR, free), Anthony Edgar (Yeovil, free).

Key man: Kevin Nolan

Chances: The Hammers were a shambles as they tumbled out of the Premier League last season but in Allardyce they have recruited the ideal man to shake them up and ultimately guide them straight back up.

Prediction: 2nd