The Championship kicks off tonight with Watford taking on Norwich in another very open Championship. I have to admit my surprise on Gordon Strachan's men being 6/1 favourites here. He has bought half of the SPL to come down south and this will be a real acid test for all those who claim Celtic and Rangers wouldn't get out of the old first division and scoff at the standards of Scottish football in general.
However I shall be doing a little jig every Saturday that jeff Sterling tells me Kris Boyd or Scott McDonald hits the net. This side looks to have the right balance and Strachan is more cannier and a much better manager than many give him credit for. They have been backed from 9/1 into 6/1 for good reason and of the last 4 seasons, an 8/1 shot or less has won it on 3 occasions.
Gordon Strachan was once asked in an interview what field he thought his team was weak in, to which he replied "That big green one out there" Something tells me, he won't have that problem at Middlesbrough.
Notts Forest showed great spells last season and could threaten teh promotion places yet. Portsmouth may have survived administration but their squad is threadbare. Bristol City could be one at a big price and they'd be an excellent addition to the Premier League. Burnley lost all the magic once Owen Coyle left and QPR may have the supposed millions but no real sign of them in the transfer market. They may not be strong favourites but remember how weak Newcastle were last season before their 11 point winning margin
Verdict: Middlesborough to win Championship at 6/1
Bristol City to get promoted at 6/1
I will run through the other leagues next week but one quick mention goes Clyde in Scottish Division 3. They were relegated two seasons in a row amid financial trouble. They even had trial outs to find a new team but word is they have steadied the ship and at 5/2, not a bad one to stick into your selections for your season yankees
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