Old timers and young guns

It’s billed as being the most competitive league in world football and, with Premiership football bringing every promoted club an anticipated £200M, it certainly one with the richest prize.
There are plenty of teams that have flashed the cash, their owners gambling on gaining an edge on their competition in the hope that they can secure one of the top two automatic promotion spots.

The largest investment of the summer has come from Leeds United, whose new owner Andrea Radrizzani bought the deeds to Elland Road in a positive sign for the future and one that will bring happiness to the fans following the turbulent years under Massimo Cellino.

The recent sale of star striker Chris Wood may have caused a few sleepless nights although investment in the likes of Jansson (his loan converted into a permanent move), Saiz, Klich and Anita ensure that the goal-source will be harder for opposition teams to predict. They are one of only two sides to remain undefeated.

Other big spenders are Wolverhampton Wanderers whose Chinese owners, Fosun, appear unperturbed at the £30m they spent last season to acquire 58 points by investing more this season. 
New manager Nuno Espirito Santo is a real coup having worked miracles at Valencia and he will be aided by the record signing of Ruben Neves. The previous holder of that title, Helder Costa, started to demonstrate at the end of last season why they invested huge sums. At this stage of the season it looks like money well spent.

Another theme for the Championship is always the fortunes, or otherwise, of the teams new to the league. Hull City, Middlesborough and Sunderland are all in a degree of flux (aren’t they always?) and their squads bear little resemblance to the ones relegated last year. 

It is five years since no team relegated regained their position at the top table so the chances are that at least one will be near the top at the business end of the season.

Of these sides relegated from the Premier League last season it is Middlesborough that have drawn the ire of Birmingham manager, Harry Rednapp, for spending £15m in acquiring star goalscorer Britt Assombalonga from Nottingham Forest. 

’arry complained that this purchase has escalated all other transfer fees in the market, claiming that one player he was interested in had suddenly seen his transfer fee bumped up from £2m to £6m! I’m sure it comes as no surprise to see the ‘wheeler dealer’ scouting for new players.

They have a manager of some pedigree in Garry Monk who surprisingly chose to leave Leeds while Sunderland enticed Alex Neil from a stable position at Preston.
Hull have really rolled the dice by selecting the Russian unknown Leonid Slutsky, although he arrived in the country in January to study players and the style of play in the hope of picking up a managerial position.

It is at this stage of the season, namely the end of the transfer window, in which squads are finalised and Hull City look to have to do more work than most, particularly having sold star player Sam Clucas to Swansea. However, this presents opportunities to others and young striker Jarrod Bowen has grasped his with both hands.

Having been given only fleeting outings last season he has impressed by notching five goals already while injured Kamil Grosicki, the dynamic Polish winger, has also contributed in making the Tigers the second leading scorers in the English leagues, behind Luton Town two divisions below.

Demonstrating the value of experience and proving that spending eight figure sums on players does not guarantee success, the surprise package to date is Cardiff City.
Veteran manager Neil Warnock, with seven promotions on his CV, the Bluebirds have now secured five consecutive wins, including victories over some of their closest rivals.
Confidence is high having only shipped two goals while banging in double figures at the other end (ranked second in both categories), although Warnock warned his side that there is a long way to go.

Not far behind is another veteran of the game and, ironically, one who used to clean Warnock’s boots while trying to make the grade as an apprentice at Barnsley in the late 1950s, Mick McCarthy. His Ipswich side relinquished their own perfect record with defeat at home to Fulham last weekend, although still hold second place in the Championship.

This is quite a turnaround. Last season, in finishing 16th, Ipswich had their worst league finish for 58 years. Having been accused of producing boring football he signed two unwanted Rangers strikers for less than £1m and they have found the net seven times between them. All of this has been achieved with half of his squad already on the treatment table.
Aston Villa made headlines when they secured the services of John Terry and hopes will be high that Steve Bruce can continue the turnaround he engineered when taking over from the doomed Roberto Di Matteo, although many feel he will be axed if the change in fortunes doesn’t happen sooner.

In Jonathan Kodija and Scott Hogan they have two of the division’s most prolific goalscorers. However, they have started the season slowly and have been leaking goals.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Norwich City are at the wrong end of the table. Having tried to replicate the success of Huddersfield Town by appointing a German manager, Daniel Farke, also recruited from Borussia Dortmund’s academy. However ,12 goals conceded, including eight in the last two matches, suggests he has plenty of work to do over the international break.

Of the three promoted teams Sheffield United look the best equipped to mount a challenge although Milwall’s no-nonsense approach under Lions legend Neil Harris makes them a difficult side to face. 

Bolton’s aging squad already looks doomed while Burton Albion, well managed by Nigel Clough, will make any opposition work hard.

It is a league where on any given day there will be surprise results.

The multitude of styles and formations on display make it enthralling and prove that sensible management is the best investment a club can make.