Wolves:
After the successful £45m takeover of Wolves by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, it would be easy to assume that Wolves are destined for the Premier League in the near future. However, negotiating Championship promotion is often fraught with difficulties, and throwing money at a situation doesn't always culminate in the desired outcome.
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Fosun International have pledged to invest £20-30m into the club over the next 2 years, with a main objective of returning to the Premier League as soon as possible. There are some Wolves fans who are apprehensive about this takeover, fearing echoes of the Venky's tyrannical and ultimately disaster stricken takeover of Blackburn.
Super-agent Jorge Mendes has close links to Fosun, he is expected to play a massive role in the recruitment of players at Molineux, this is seen by many as a platform for Mendes to showcase his foreign clientele. This plan could certainly reap tremendous levels of success, but it's also a risk which has the potential to fail miserably.
Wolves have appointed Italian boss Walter Zenga who has managed 16 clubs during his 18 years of management, enjoying spells of success but equally failure. If results on the pitch are mediocre, this will undoubtedly be a short term appointment.
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Managerial instability is not conducive to good performances. It'll be interesting to see how much influence Zenga is able to exert over the club, in respects to decision making.
Key Departures: Bjorn Sigurdarson, Tommy Rowe, Kevin McDonald
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Key Signings: Silvio (RB - Atletico Madrid), Helder Costa (Winger - Benfica - Loan), Andy Lonergan (GK - Fulham), Joao Teixeira (Winger - Benfica - Loan), Bodvarsson (Winger - Kaiserslautern)
Wolves have acquired some exciting young prospects who are sure to excite, adjusting to the physicality of the Championship will be important. Expect more signings from Wolves, a period of transition can take a while to blossom and the owners need to be aware of this and shy away from rash decisions.
There will be a section of Wolves fans offended by this reckoning, I'm recommending a bet of Wolves to finish bottom half @ 7/4. With all things considered, in addition to the amount of unanswered questions, this presents value. But who knows, Wolves could come flying out the blocks with all their new continental talent and capture promotion.
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Recommended Bet:
- Wolves To Finish Bottom Half @ 7/4
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Rotherham:
Rotherham's remarkable 11 game unbeaten run to steer clear of relegation was a marvellous feat under the stewardship of Neil Warnock, he instilled an unrelenting grit and determination amongst an average squad of players. Two months have passed since then, and unfortunately the worrying alarm bells are ringing for Millers fans once again.
Neil Warnock no longer holds the hot seat at Rotherham, intertwine that with a frightening lack of signings and a strong sense of pessimism is beginning to fester. To put it simply, there is a real lack of quality and goals within their ranks.
13 players departed the club at the conclusion of the season, leaving an uncomfortable trail of defensive positions which are yet to be filled. Going forward there is a distinct absence of fire-power at their disposal, recruiting a striker who can find the net on a regular basis is viewed as a crucial step in the right direction.
Failure to acquire the services Lee Gregory and Tom Bradshaw is a bitter blow, either one would have bolstered their attacking line significantly. New boss Alan Stubbs projects a calm and measured persona, but taking on a job of this challenging magnitude constitutes a risky career move. There is hope that Stubbs can utilise the loan market effectively to improve the overall quality of the squad.
Key Departures: Lloyd Doyley, Lewis Buxton, Frazer Richardson, Danny Collins, Emmanuel Ledesma, Paul Green, Leon Best, Luciano Becchio, Paddy Kenny, Jerome Thomas, Matt Derbyshire
Key Signings: Lewis Price (GK - Sheffield Wednesday), Anthony Forde (Winger - Walsall), Jake Forster-Caskey (CM - Brighton), Will Faulks (Falkirk)
An uphill task faces the Millers, a third consecutive season flirting with relegation looks a probable eventuality at this minute. In management terms Alan Stubbs is a relative newbie with just 3 year's experience under his belt, this inexperience can sometimes be detrimental when taking on a job of this nature, a tried and tested appointment may have been more suitable.
While this particular preview has been fairly sceptical, there is still the acknowledgement that Rotherham may surprise the many doubters critical of their capabilities. After all, Alan Stubbs won the Scottish Cup with Hibernian last season.
My recommended bet will come as no surprise to most Championship fans, hopefully the information provided serves as a good justification.
Recommended Bet:
- Rotherham To Be Relegated @ 9/4
Words by: David Huntingford
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