Championship 2009-10: Club by club

Barnsley

Manager: Simon Davey
Position last season: 20th
Players in: Onome Sodje (York).
Players out: Dennis Souza (released), Marciano Van Homoet (released), Diego Leon (released), Kyle Letheren (released), Heinz Muller (FSV Mainz, £600,000).

After dicing with relegation last season, Simon Davey has partially disbanded his foreign legion to leave Barnsley with a slimmer squad and a greater emphasis on players with a pedigree in the British game.

As Onome Sodje, who boasts a respectable goalscoring record in non-league, is the only arrival, a lack of resources suggests Barnsley will do well to retain their position in the division.

Much of the goodwill Davey earned during the FA Cup run in 2007-8 has disappeared and, while last season's conversion of Jamal Campbell-Ryce from a winger to a central midfielder was a success and the manager's passing principles remain intact, his side require a regular scorer if the annual fight against relegation is not going to result in a venture into League One.

Key Man: Iain Hume - Barnsley's record signing had his debut campaign at Oakwell cruelly curtailed when Sheffield United's Chris Morgan fractured his skull. Hume's return to the field will be welcome, especially for a side where no one managed 10 goals last season.
One to watch: Reuben Noble-Lazarus - Still only 15, the winger became the youngest player to appear in the Football League last September.

Blackpool

Manager: Ian Holloway
Position last season: 16th
Players in: Billy Clarke (Ipswich, free), Jason Euell (Southampton, free).
Players out: David Fox (Colchester, free) Marlon Broomes (released), Francesco Carratta (released), Stuart Green (released), Claus Jorgensen (released), Jermaine Wright (released), Ashton Bayliss (released), Matt Kay (released), Shaun Barker (Derby, £900,000).

Perhaps appropriately for a tourist resort, a cast of thousands visited Blackpool last season, many of them loan players helping to ensure the Seasiders stayed in the Championship.

The drawback of such a policy is it means new manager Ian Holloway almost has to start from scratch with a slender squad deprived of the borrowed forwards DJ Campbell and Liam Dickinson, who proved the most reliable sources of goals, and his best defender Shaun Barker.

Holloway's last stint in management ended in relegation from the Championship, with Leicester, but his eccentricities may be better suited to a smaller club and life as the underdog. Blackpool need them to be.

Key Man: Rob Edwards - Became captain in his first season at Bloomfield Road and his partnership at the back with Ian Evatt will be crucial.
One to watch: Billy Clarke - Still only 21, the Irish striker had five loan spells while on Ipswich's books. He proved he can score in lower leagues, but it is time to realise his potential in the Championship.

Bristol City

Manager: Gary Johnson
Position last season: 10th
Players in: Andre Blackman (Portsmouth, free), Dean Gerken (Colchester, undisclosed), David Clarkson (Motherwell, undisclosed), Paul Hartley (Celtic, free), Danny Haynes (Ipswich, undisclosed).
Players out: Chris Weale (Leicester, free), Peter Styvar (Skoda Xanthi, loan), Jennison Myrie-Williams (Dundee United, free), Dele Adebola (Nottingham Forest, free), Scott Murray (Yeovil, free).

Well as Bristol City have acquitted themselves in their first two seasons back in the second flight, the search for a consistent scorer continues. Eleven goals last season were an indication of Nicky Maynard's potential, but the summer signings of the Scot David Clarkson and Ipswich's derby king Danny Haynes have been accompanied by the exits of two forwards, Peter Styvar and Dele Adebola.

But Gary Johnson's major coup may well be the recruitment of Paul Hartley, threatening the first-team spot of his own son, Lee in the midfield. There should be greater continuity in the back four, but the gifted goalkeeper Adriano Basso's future is more uncertain.

City were draw specialists at Ashton Gate last season. A meagre total of five home wins provides room for improvement. It is required if they are to secure a second play-off place in three seasons.

Key Man: Paul Hartley - The experienced and efficient central midfielder has been a regular in the Scotland team and should add some quality to the City side.
One to watch: Frankie Artus - Yet to make his City debut, Artus impressed in the Cheltenham midfield during a loan spell last season.

Cardiff

Manager: Dave Jones
Position last season: 7th
Players in: David Marshall (Norwich, undisclosed), Mark Hudson (Charlton, £1.075m), Anthony Gerrard (Walsall, undisclosed), Paul Quinn (Motherwell, undisclosed), Michael Chopra (Sunderland, undisclosed).
Players out: Darren Purse (Sheff Wed, free), Roger Johnson (Birmingham £5 million).

Stringer/AFP

Cardiff boss Dave Jones

It is tempting to suggest Cardiff need little more to secure a top-six berth after missing out on the play-offs on goals scored (or, to be strictly accurate, one goal scored). Yet it might not be as simple as that.

A new ground - the imaginatively-named Cardiff City Stadium - could be a springboard to promotion or a hindrance. It won't be graced by Roger Johnson, though a £5 million fee is ample compensation for his departure.

But with Ross McCormack, the outstanding signing in the Championship last season, handing in a transfer request and Joe Ledley still coveted by Premier League clubs, Dave Jones may soon be searching for reinforcements. Keep both, to add to the club record signing Michael Chopra, and Cardiff should challenge. Lose both, and the task may be one of consolidation.

Key Man: Mark Hudson - Has the task of replacing Johnson and banishing memories of his relegation with Charlton last season.
One to watch: Anthony Gerrard - Cousin of Steven, Anthony G - as he may or may not be known - has worked his way back up to the Championship via Walsall after his release from Everton.

Coventry

Manager: Chris Coleman
Position last season: 17th
Players in: Sammy Clingan (Norwich, undisclosed).
Players out: Andy Marshall (released), Donovan Simmonds (released), Robbie Simpson (Huddersfield, undisclosed), Scott Dann (Birmingham, undisclosed), Michael Mifsud (released), Guillame Beuzelin (released), Kevin Thornton (released), Daniel Fox (Celtic, £1.5 million).

From a financial perspective, it has been a successful summer for Coventry. On the field, however, it is rather different. The sales of Daniel Fox and Scott Dann, both highly-rated defenders, mean Elliott Ward and the promising Ben Turner become vital at the back.

The squad has a youthful look, but Chris Coleman is short of options and particularly experienced ones. Sammy Clingan is the only arrival to date and he adds energy to a midfield where Aron Gunnarsson is another to attract the scouts' attention.

Leon Best (two) and Freddy Eastwood (four) underachieved in front of goal last season, when only Clinton Morrison managed more than five. Without more help for the top scorer, it is hard to see Coventry progressing. The worst-case scenario is that they follow the many other former Premier League clubs' path to League One.

Key Man: Keiren Westwood - The goalkeeper excelled in his first season in the Midlands. After the loss of two defenders, he could be busier still.
One to watch: David Bell - A mid-season recruit from Norwich, Bell's eye-catching long-range shooting suggests he could be one of Coleman's shrewder bits of business.

Crystal Palace

Manager: Neil Warnock
Position last season: 15th
Players in: Darren Ambrose (Charlton, free), Freddie Sears (West Ham, loan), Stern John (Southampton, free).
Players out: Ryan Carolan (released), James Dayton (released), Carl Fletcher (Plymouth, free), Scott Flinders (Hartlepool, free), Paul Ifill (released), John Oster (released), James Scowcroft (Leyton Orient, free), Shefki Kuqi (released), Jamie Smith (released), David Wilkinson (released), Rhoys Wiggins (Norwich, undisclosed).

If it is possible with Neil Warnock in the dug-out and Simon Jordan in the boardroom, last season was comparatively uneventful for Crystal Palace. The mid-season exit of Ben Watson ended any lingering play-off hopes and the wage bill has been further reduced this summer.

Warnock used to accumulate strikers at the same rate he collected enemies, but Palace were short of goalscorers last season and the most prolific, Shefki Kuqi, was released. It puts quite a responsibility on the shoulders of Freddie Sears who, his spectacular start notwithstanding, only has one league strike in his career, and Stern John, who has a much more consistent record in the Championship.

A solid defence, where goalkeeper Julian Speroni was last season's player of the year, and an admirable youth policy provide grounds for optimism, as does Warnock's track record, but Palace surely need a greater cutting edge to progress beyond mid-table.

Key Man: Darren Ambrose - Rather lost his way at Charlton, but the midfielder has the ability to deliver 10 goals a season.
One to watch: Sean Scannell - Like Victor Moses, a similarly sharp, skilful winger, the young Irishman could be destined to play in the Premier League.

Derby

Manager: Nigel Clough
Position last season: 18th
Players in: Jake Buxton (Burton, free), Dean Moxey (Exeter, £300,000), Lee Croft (Norwich, free), Ben Pringle (Ilkeston, free), Shaun Barker (Blackpool, £900,000), Saul Deeney (Burton, free).
Players out: Andy Todd (Perth Glory, free), Mile Sterjovski (Perth Glory, free), Tyrone Mears (Burnley, undisclosed), Emanuel Villa (Cruz Azul, undisclosed), Liam Dickinson (Brighton, undisclosed).

Few clubs needed quiet consolidation quite like Derby did when Nigel Clough took over in January. Clough junior's understated brand of leadership has proved an effective antidote to the tragicomedy Paul Jewell's reign provided.

An oversized squad has been trimmed with bigger names and larger salaries removed and Clough preferring to invest in players who have prospered at lower levels.

Nevertheless, much depends on the continued fitness of the selfless target man Rob Hulse and the inventive Kris Commons, two whose talents have attracted attention. Keep both and Derby could be outsiders for a play-off place.

Key Man: Rob Hulse - Rebuilt his career with 15 goals last season. With Nathan Ellington, Emanuel Villa and Liam Dickinson gone, Clough is clearly putting his trust in Hulse to deliver again.
One to watch: Miles Addison - Precocious talent who can operate in the centre of defence or midfield.

Doncaster

Manager: Sean O`Driscoll
Position last season: 14th
Players in:
Players out: Richie Wellens (Leicester, £1.2 million), Jason Price (released), Gordon Greer (Swindon, free), Gareth Taylor (released), Darren Byfield (released), Tomi Ameobi (released).

Bottom at Christmas and safely in mid-table with weeks to spare, Doncaster passed their way to safety. There was a downside to their prowess on the ball, with Richie Wellens decamping to Leicester.

Shorn of him, the gameplan is likely to remain the same. Rovers can at least console themselves that their most highly-regarded defender, Matthew Mills, remains at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Clean sheets are required, as they averaged less than a goal a game at the right end last season. It explains the club record bid for Billy Sharp, but without any striking signings, survival will be an achievement again.

Key Man: Brian Stock - The captain already played a pivotal role in the midfield. With Wellens gone, he is still more significant.
One to watch: Sam Hird - Impressed alongside Mills last season in a young defence.