1 Can Bielsa get Leeds over the line?
As Leeds begin a 16th successive season outside the top flight, doubts still linger despite Marcelo Bielsa signing up for round two at Elland Road. There are concerns that Leeds are light on quality and worries that their defence is too easily unlocked – but in the bucket-wielding Bielsa, the Argentinian who has reset standards and expectation, they boast a master key. “We can arrive at the goal we want to achieve,” he says.
2 Will Brentford have a fairytale Griffin Park goodbye?
It is a bitter blow for supporters – both home and away – who enjoy the pre-match ritual of hopping round to the four pubs dotted on each corner of the 115-year-old stadium: Brentford are saying farewell to Griffin Park in May next year and heading off to a new home on Lionel Road near Kew Bridge for 2020-21. So could the Bees go out with a bang? If anyone was unconvinced about their short-term ambition, the arrival of Pontus Jansson from Leeds for a club‑record £5.5m is proof they mean business.
3 Can Cocu make a big impression?
“Sweat equity” was how Mel Morris, the Derby owner, described the emotional investment into his hometown club, who lost in last season’s play-off final. After Stoke poached Gary Rowett and Chelsea took Frank Lampard, Phillip Cocu becomes Derby’s seventh manager in four years. But if his team can exude as much class as the Dutchman then supporters could be in for a treat after countless near misses.
4 Are Bristol City dark horses for promotion?
Lee Johnson said Bristol City would be bold this summer and they have delivered on his promise. Tomas Kalas has signed for a club-record £8m, Jay Dasilva has also signed permanently, as have Tommy Rowe and Dan Bentley, though they still may be a striker short – they are keen on Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah. The Robins, who finished eighth last season, have improved year on year under Johnson.
5 Will Jones (mark II) make an impact at Luton?
There are several new faces in the managerial landscape – from Cocu to Steve Cooper – but the arrival of Nathan Jones’s permanent successor at Luton, Graeme Jones, was more low-key than most. A long-time assistant of Roberto Martínez, Jones has swapped World Cup semi-finals for slogging it out in the second tier. Of the 18 teams that started and finished last season as a Championship club, only six have the same manager this campaign.
6 Will Reading strike the right balance?
“Jaap Stam back at Reading” was how Jon Walters put it, poking fun at the picture that accompanied news that his former Stoke teammate Charlie Adam had signed for Reading. There were some green shoots towards the end of a dismal season but Adam, the 33-year-old former Liverpool midfielder, along with Michael Morrison, the former Birmingham captain, provide experience as José Gomes seeks a better blend.
7 Can Huddersfield bounce straight back?
Almost all of the noise around Huddersfield is about their kits – job done, then – but what of the players who will wear them? Jan Siewert’s side fell badly short in the Premier League but they possess ample talent to push for an instant return. They have retained Aaron Mooy, Alex Pritchard and record signing Terence Kongolo, and have added quality in Tommy Elphick, who led Bournemouth to the top flight in 2015.
8 How will Wednesday be post-Bruce?
His resignation went down like a lead balloon but there is no denying the job Steve Bruce did at Hillsborough. He made an ordinary squad sing and an 11-match unbeaten run almost propelled them to the play-offs. Whoever replaces him will do well to eclipse his 12th-place finish. Their summer business so far consists of three free transfers.
9 Will Forest’s gamble pay off?
“We have been champions – in business, with Olympiakos, both in Greece and in Europe, so why not repeat this with Nottingham Forest?” says owner Evangelos Marinakis, a Greek shipping magnate. It is a roaring soundbite but the reality is Marinakis has replaced the respected Martin O’Neill with Sabri Lamouchi, whose only previous managerial experience comprises three years in Qatar, two in the Ivory Coast and 13 months in charge of Rennes. Marinakis wants promotion pronto – but is Lamouchi the best man for the job?
10 Can Bowyer repeat the miracle?
Few managers’ stock is higher than Lee Bowyer, even if Roland Duchâtelet did not make it seem that way at Charlton. But while it was Bowyer who was praised for securing promotion on a shoestring, he was consistent in saying Steve Gallen, the head of recruitment, should take credit for luring Krystian Bielik on loan and Lyle Taylor on a free. Macauley Bonne, Tom Lockyer and Chuks Aneke appear to be yet more shrewd signings.
11 Will Bond’s rejig stabilise Southend?
Southend survived by the skin of their teeth last season so, determined to avoid that kind of final-day drama this time around, Kevin Bond has added to his coaching staff. The former Bournemouth defender has appointed Gary Waddock, the former Aldershot manager, as his No 2, and the former Bulgaria striker Svetoslav Todorov, who Bond worked with alongside Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth in 2002, as the first-team coach.
12 Can Forest Green make more history?
Their kits are made from bamboo, they claim to be the planet’s first vegan club, they became the world’s first UN-certified carbon-neutral team last year and now Forest Green have ticked off another first: they have appointed Hannah Dingley as the first female academy manager in men’s football. And they are not finished there. The club has appealed after being denied permission to build a 5,000-seat wooden stadium.
13 Can Tranmere make it three in a row?
It is fair to say they are unfancied. Tranmere are, according to the bookies, more likely to be relegated from League One than repeat last season’s success, but Micky Mellon has established himself as a serial promotion winner. If Mellon, who has lost talisman James Norwood, is to rack up another one he knows he will have to do it the hard way: “We have some catching up to do.”
14 Will Campbell get a chance to kick on?
Macclesfield looked doomed and Sol Campbell was derided by some when he took over in November, but after stopping them dropping into non-league against all odds, the former England defender deserves a chance to coach without the chaos. The past few months at Moss Rose have been punctuated by winding-up petitions, trips to the High Court – and their own players taking legal action over unpaid wages.
15 Will the “Rooney Rule” change football?
Less than two years ago, Darren Moore was a darling of the Premier League, having saved the soul of West Brom. But this season he has had to drop to the third tier as manager of Doncaster. The EFL has adopted the “Rooney Rule” from this season – meaning clubs must interview at least one black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) candidate when recruiting a manager – but it feels like slow progress. There are five BAME coaches in the EFL: Moore, Campbell, Keith Curle, Dino Maamria and Sabri Lamouchi.
16 Will Clarke provide Walsall with an instant return?
It was not so long ago that Darrell Clarke was turning down the Leeds job but, after recharging his batteries, the straight-talking 41-year-old has been sinking his teeth into a new challenge: getting Walsall out of League Two at the first attempt. There has been a huge turnover of players, including 11 new faces, with the former Newcastle midfielder Danny Guthrie the headline arrival. Marcus Stewart will again assist Clarke, while Maik Taylor has been named goalkeeping coach as Walsall plot promotion.
17 Will Salford have enough quality?
They have not gone on the wild spending spree many envisaged and, despite preparing for this moment by signing players with Football League pedigree, it is difficult to know if they have the tools to compete for a fifth promotion in six seasons. Arguably their biggest-name arrival has been Warren Joyce, who previously coached Manchester United’s reserves alongside Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Joyce has been named development squad coach.
18 Can Lambert finally reward Ipswich fans’ faith?
Four wins in seven months was a miserable return for those who followed Ipswich home and away following Paul Lambert’s appointment last October. But despite a predictable relegation, support for Lambert’s methods rarely wavered, if at all, with the Scot describing the fans as “not normal”. Lambert, who has signed James Norwood to solve their attacking woes, knows an instant return would be a fitting reward.
19 Will Bolton and Bury have anything to cheer?
A 12-point deduction apiece, canned pre-season friendlies, ownership woes and mass exoduses of players. All in all, a catastrophic summer and there is already little for Bolton and Bury to cling on to. For the sake of the fans, the downward spiral cannot go on. Phil Parkinson, who has five first-team players – and a further two on strike – and Paul Wilkinson, whose last job was at seventh-tier Truro, face unenviable tasks.
20 Can Port Vale push back in the right direction?
After three seasons fighting relegation – the first unsuccessfully – the mood around Burslem feels brighter. Under new owners, Carol and Kevin Shanahan, Vale have a fresh start and John Askey will operate with a streamlined and refreshed squad. “It is all about sustainability, looking to the long term and also having a bit of realism,” said supporters’ club chairman Mark Porter. “We could have gone out of business last season.”
