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Premier lacks Europa League passion

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The 2012/13 Europa League gets underway this week with a host of qualifying matches taking place so it’s an ideal time to assess which teams have a realistic chance of lifting the trophy in Amsterdam next May.

Chelsea’s Champions League success last season will no doubt spur on the strong Premier League contingent in this term’s Europa League with the likes of Tottenham (12/1 – Winner) and Liverpool (also 12/1) well fancied to go far, while Newcastle at 25s should not be discounted following their impressive campaign.

The main problem with English clubs is they tend to see the Europa League as a hindrance to their domestic aspirations which sees respective managers opting to risk fielding weakened teams in order to rest key men for big Premier League games as the battle for the title and Champions League qualification takes precedence.

Both Manchester United and Manchester City epitomised this when sweeping changes to their line-ups resulted in exits at the hands of Athletic Bilbao and Sporting Lisbon respectively last term.

Therefore, with new Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas no doubt being tasked with the job of getting the Londoners into the Champions League via a top-four Premier League finish, don’t expect him to roll out the big guns for their matches in Europe.

It will be the same story at Anfield where Brendan Rodgers will be focused on dragging Liverpool back into the fight for a place at the top table of European football.

Newcastle’s fifth-placed finish was one of the surprises of last season’s Premier League campaign and boss Alan Pardew will probably be mulling over whether to lower his sights in the league to make a fist of winning the Europa League or use the matches to blood youngsters and give his fringe men a chance to shine.

The majority of English clubs simply do not have the capabilities to consistently fight it out at the top end of the Premier League and enjoy a sustained run in European competition so something will have to give – and it’s usually the Europa League.

Therefore, while we expect Spurs, Liverpool and Newcastle to at least progress beyond the group stages, it is unlikely the trio will go all the way and win the tournament.

Clubs in Spain have enjoyed the greatest success in this competition with Atletico Madrid (12/1 – Winner) winning two of the last three finals, while Sevilla won in 2006 and 2007, and Valencia picked up the then UEFA Cup trophy in 2004.

Atletico and last season’s beaten finalists Athletic Bilbao (14/1) , who comprehensively dispatched Manchester United from last season’s tournament, are both back for the 2012/13 campaign and are capable of lifting the trophy.

Zenit St Petersburg and CSKA Moscow have been relatively recent winners so big-spending Anzhi Makhachakala are worthy of consideration at 20/1 as they will look to put their stamp on European football.

The other big threat is certain to come from Italy as 2010 Champions League winners Inter Milan (12/1) are in the Europa League this term and they will be looking to win this trophy for a record fourth time in their history.

Napoli (20/1) join Inter from Serie A and having impressed in last season’s Champions League against both Manchester City and eventual winners Chelsea, it would be pure folly to discount the men from Naples.

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Best 5 transfers of the summer so far

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There has been plenty of transfer activity already in the Premier League summer transfer window, here we pick out our top five deals done so far.

1. Park Ji-Sung (Manchester United to QPR, undisclosed)

Park was always a big-game player for Manchester United and often the ‘go-to’ man for Sir Alex Ferguson when he wanted someone to step up to the plate and attack from midfield. He won four Premier League titles, three League Cups and the Champions League during his time at Old Trafford and appears to be a very astute, and surprise, signing by Mark Hughes.

Officially, the fee is undisclosed but reports say the Hoops (9/2 – To be relegated) have only paid £2million for the South Korean and that could well be the bargain buy of the summer.

2. Hugo Rodellaga (Free agent to Fulham)

Rodallega’s release by Wigan came as somewhat of a surprise, although it is probably more a case of the Colombia international wanting to move on rather than Roberto Martinez deciding the striker was surplus to requirements at the DW Stadium.

While the 24-year-old can be inconsistent, he can also be devastating on his day and his overall goalscoring record is good despite just finding the net three times for Latics last season.

Martin Jol may have brought Rodallega in as a replacement for Clint Dempsey, who is set to leave the Cottage this summer, and he has landed himself an established Premier League forward who can hit double figues – or more – if he stays fit and gets the right support (Fulham 8/1 – to be relegated).

3. Olivier Giroud (Montpellier to Arsenal, undisclosed)

Arsene Wenger has failed with some big summer purchases in recent years – take Marouane Chamakh for example – but this deal should be one that comes off.

The 25-year-old notched 21 goals in 36 league appearances to help Montpellier claim their first Ligue 1 title last season and, while he is not in Robin van Persie’s class yet, he is highly-rated and a skilful addition to the Gunners frontline.

It is another officially undisclosed transfer but it is thought Wenger has paid in the region of £13million which may seem a tad pricey, but only if he doesn’t go on to fulfil his undoubted potential in the next few seasons at the Emirates (Arsenal 4/9 – Top 4 Finish).

4 – Steven Naismith (Rangers to Everton)

This transfer is still awaiting international clearance due to the ongoing financial wrangling at newco Rangers but Everton (18/1 – Top 4 finish) should eventually profit from another piece of apparent clever trading by David Moyes at Goodison Park.

Naismith has regularly been linked with a move south to the Premier League in recent years and now he has landed at probably the best club for him to make an impact. Under Moyes’ guidance the Scotland international can flourish and re-engage his old Rangers partnership with another similarly astute signing, Nikica Jelavic, in the new campaign.

5 – Pavel Pogrebnyak (Free agent to Reading)

The Royals (2/1 – Top Promoted Team) have bought well so far this summer as they hope to stay in the Premier League and this could end up being one of the deals of the transfer window.

The Russia international, who was part of his country’s Euro 2012 squad, impressed at Fulham while on loan at the end of last season, scoring six goals in just 12 games and, in the process, became the quickest player to reach five goals in Premier League history.

He is strong, powerful and clearly has an eye for goal so Brian McDermott’s side’s survival this season may just be dependant on him coming up with the goods.

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Are City going to dominate?

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The ’silly season’ of transfer activity is starting to get going and we will be taking a look at whether anyone can stop Manchester City dominating the season to make it back-to-back successes in the Premier League.

It was a real roller-coaster of a season for Roberto Mancini’s men last term – they had won the league by Christmas, lost it by April, back in front going into the climax but then only claimed their first title since 1968 with two goals in injury-time against 10-man QPR.

However, the Citizens did have to deal with the pressures of expectation, given the vast outlay of the owners, but now they have got the monkey off their back, can they justify 5/4 favouritism to land another success.

A lot may depend on the transfer market, like for most clubs, but the simple answer is yes they can – they have the squad and they may well improve it over the next few weeks.

The Champions League could be a distraction of course but Mancini has assembled a strong squad that should at least be able to cope with the demands and they look the team to beat.

There are sure to be some comings and goings at the Etihad Stadium but it will not be to the detriment of the champions, although it could impact on their rivals’ fortunes – if reported moves for the likes of Robin van Persie come to fruition for example.

So the onus is very much on the chasing pack with Manchester United currently the second favourites at 9/4 to regain the trophy after they were denied on goal difference last season.

However, United have struggled to hit the heights of previous campaigns recently and although they were successful two years ago, many experts suggested it was with an ‘ordinary’ side.

Sir Alex Ferguson has no peers in the English game and seems to get the absolute best out of his squad time after time, and will be doubly determined to get back to the top after losing out to his ‘noisy neighbours’.

Two deals have already been completed by the United boss and it will be interesting to see how the highly-rated Shinji Kagawa handles the move to England, while Nick Powell’s acquisition is more of a move for the future rather than the upcoming season.

Nemanja Vidic will almost be like a new signing after missing the majority of last season, while Leighton Baines has been linked with a move, but if Ferguson does not address central midfield issues and continues to rely on veterans Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, it is difficult to see United reversing the form.

Of course, there is sure to be one or two moves in the transfer market but, at the prices, they look too short to even finish second (City/United 13/10 Dual Forecast Market).

It may be foolish to back against Ferguson but Chelsea (9/2 Premier League Outright) could well be the one to side with and put up the biggest challenge to City in lifting the trophy.

Yes, the club is in a period of transition with Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Jose Bosingwa already departed and others perhaps to follow suit, but they have bought astutely with young and attacking play-makers Eden Hazard and Marko Marin joining the ranks.

Whether Hazard justifies the outlay, around £32m, remains to be seen but money is not the issue for Roman Abramovich, and he is sure to bring in more new faces – one being a striker to replace Drogba.

Last season’s success in the Champions League may not have been pretty or ‘deserved’ but it can only bring confidence to the players and has already acted as the attraction for new blood following Hazard’s arrival.

Roberto di Matteo turned the season around last term and can be more relaxed over his future this time around, although that in itself will bring pressure.

There is no doubt that they have a big enough squad to challenge but they need to sort out a new striker as the jury is still out on Fernando Torres.

Of the others, it is difficult to see Arsenal making the Premier League title the one to end the barren trophy drought, despite the marvellous work Arsene Wenger keeps doing for the club.

Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski have been brought in but their hopes are going to hinge on van Persie, who almost single-handedly got the Gunners into the top four last term, and whether they can keep hold of him.

Andre Villas-Boas makes a quick return to the Premier League but Spurs have a similar problem to their north London rivals in the sense that Luka Modric is arguably their best player – and he looks set to leave.

So, ultimately, City look the side to plump with this term and it is a question of who will finish best of the rest with City/Chelsea on offer at 6/1 in the straight forecast market.

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Hammers to win new boys battle

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The new Premier League campaign is just over five weeks away and, while the main focus of attention will no doubt be on who are the title contenders, the three newly-promoted sides have their own mission to survive for more than one season in top-flight.

Last season marked a rare occurrence as it was only the second time in Premier League history that all three new boys survived as Norwich and Swansea flourished to seal mid-table finishes, while QPR survived relegation on a dramatic final day.

This season promises to be another challenge for the clubs coming up from the Championship as we look at who has the potential to finish top dog.

Reading came from nowhere to romp to the Championship title against the odds last season as boss Brian McDermott helped the Royals recover from their 2011 play-off final hangover in the opening half of the campaign to surge into top spot following an impressive post New Year winning run.

McDermott has wasted no time in bolstering his squad with Pavel Pogrebnyak, who scored six goals in 12 games on loan at Fulham last season, former England full-back Nicky Shorey and midfielder Danny Guthrie all adding Premier League experience to the ranks.

It will be a tall order for the Royals to survive (4/6 To Stay Up), but we feel the quality of players McDermott is adding to an already settled squad should keep their heads above water next term.

Southampton went up in the second automatic position after Nigel Adkins’ men suffered a slight case of the jitters when battling it out with the Royals for the title at the end of last season.

Adkins’ side were impressive at St Mary’s last season and they will be hoping to make it a fortress again as they bid to get a foot-hold in the Premier League.

The Saints chief will be banking on last season’s top scorer Rickie Lambert to take his prolific goal-scoring form into the top flight and hope £7million signing Jay Rodriguez can also make the step up.

Steve Davies will add some Premier League experience into the midfield after joining from Rangers, while Adkins is still looking for more new faces to further bolster a squad which could do with some more top-flight nous.

West Ham managed to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, but had to do it the hard way in the end-of-season play-offs when they overcame Blackpool at Wembley.

Sam Allardyce’s men choked the most, particularly at Upton Park, in the second half of last season and that cost them automatic promotion. However, they rediscovered their form in the run-in and play-offs to seal a deserved return to the top-flight.

Allardyce’s squad possessed plenty of Premier League quality last season as the Hammers held on to the majority of their top players in order to give themselves the best chance of promotion and it paid dividends.

Experienced goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen will more then compensate for Rob Green’s departure to QPR on a free transfer, while midfielder Mohamed Diame has also arrived from Wigan and George McCartney’s loan move from Sunderland has been made a permanent arrangement.

The Hammers have Matt Taylor, Kevin Nolan, Carlton Cole and Mark Noble, who have all performed well in the Premier League in the past, while Allardyce will hope Ricardo Vaz Te, Nicky Maynard and Sam Baldock can make the step up with ease.

Despite finishing third, we feel Hammers (4/11 To Stay Up) look the best bet to cope with the transition of being back in the Premier League given that their absence was only a season, while the Saints and Royals have been missing for seven and four years respectively.

Big Sam has proven himself capable of keeping clubs in the top flight with Bolton and Blackburn so expect the Hammers to come out on top in the battle of the news boys, while only Southampton (5/4 to be relegated) are likely to be fall guys and drop back to the Championship come next May.

Prediction: West Ham Top Promoted Team @ 11/8

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Hammers to win battle of new boys

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The new Premier League campaign is just over five weeks away and, while the main focus of attention will no doubt be on who are the title contenders, the three newly-promoted sides have their own mission to survive for more than one season in top-flight.

Last season marked a rare occurrence as it was only the second time in Premier League history that all three new boys survived as Norwich and Swansea flourished to seal mid-table finishes, while QPR survived relegation on a dramatic final day.

This season promises to be another challenge for the clubs coming up from the Championship as we look at who has the potential to finish top dog.

Reading came from nowhere to romp to the Championship title against the odds last season as boss Brian McDermott helped the Royals recover from their 2011 play-off final hangover in the opening half of the campaign to surge into top spot following an impressive post New Year winning run.

McDermott has wasted no time in bolstering his squad with Pavel Pogrebnyak, who scored six goals in 12 games on loan at Fulham last season, former England full-back Nicky Shorey and midfielder Danny Guthrie all adding Premier League experience to the ranks.

It will be a tall order for the Royals to survive (4/6 To Stay Up), but we feel the quality of players McDermott is adding to an already settled squad should keep their heads above water next term.

Southampton went up in the second automatic position after Nigel Adkins’ men suffered a slight case of the jitters when battling it out with the Royals for the title at the end of last season.

Adkins’ side were impressive at St Mary’s last season and they will be hoping to make it a fortress again as they bid to get a foot-hold in the Premier League.

The Saints chief will be banking on last season’s top scorer Rickie Lambert to take his prolific goal-scoring form into the top flight and hope £7million signing Jay Rodriguez can also make the step up.

Steve Davies will add some Premier League experience into the midfield after joining from Rangers, while Adkins is still looking for more new faces to further bolster a squad which could do with some more top-flight nous.

West Ham managed to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, but had to do it the hard way in the end-of-season play-offs when they overcame Blackpool at Wembley.

Sam Allardyce’s men choked the most, particularly at Upton Park, in the second half of last season and that cost them automatic promotion. However, they rediscovered their form in the run-in and play-offs to seal a deserved return to the top-flight.

Allardyce’s squad possessed plenty of Premier League quality last season as the Hammers held on to the majority of their top players in order to give themselves the best chance of promotion and it paid dividends.

Experienced goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen will more then compensate for Rob Green’s departure to QPR on a free transfer, while midfielder Mohamed Diame has also arrived from Wigan and George McCartney’s loan move from Sunderland has been made a permanent arrangement.

The Hammers have Matt Taylor, Kevin Nolan, Carlton Cole and Mark Noble, who have all performed well in the Premier League in the past, while Allardyce will hope Ricardo Vaz Te, Nicky Maynard and Sam Baldock can make the step up with ease.

Despite finishing third, we feel Hammers (4/11 To Stay Up) look the best bet to cope with the transition of being back in the Premier League given that their absence was only a season, while the Saints and Royals have been missing for seven and four years respectively.

Big Sam has proven himself capable of keeping clubs in the top flight with Bolton and Blackburn so expect the Hammers to come out on top in the battle of the news boys, while only Southampton (5/4 to be relegated) are likely to be fall guys and drop back to the Championship come next May.

Prediction: West Ham Top Promoted Team @ 11/8

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Madrid stand Real chance

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Having come so close to reaching the Champions League final last season, La Liga title holders Real Madrid (7/2 Champions League 2012/2013 outright) have a great chance of claiming the European crown in the prestigious competition next season.

The men from the Santiago Bernabeu were denied a place in the final in the cruellest of circumstances, as they went down in the dreaded penalty shootout to eventual runners-up Bayern Munich. Manager Jose Mourinho has committed his future to Real and with that assurance, the club and the players will be even more determined to win the title for their Portuguese tactician, who has a wealth of experience in the tournament.

Star striker and arguably one of the players of the European Championships, Cristiano Ronaldo, proved on the big stages on Poland and Ukraine that he is a formidable opponent. With the former Manchester United striker playing some of his best football, Madrid will certainly be serious contenders for the biggest prize in club football.

Real’s arch rivals Barcelona (7/2 Champions League 2012/2013 outright) will have something to say about that, after they lost their Champions League title to surprise package Chelsea. Pep Guardiola has left the club and it will be interesting to see how his replacement Tito Vilanova will do as manager of a team that has enjoyed so much success over recent seasons.

Barca were somewhat found out last term, as their impressive passing game was undone by some ardent Chelsea defence in the semi-finals of the competition. The lack of a ‘Plan B’ from the Catalan outfit was a major criticism of the team and that is something they will have to address if they are to snatch back their European crown.

Chelsea (12/1 Champions League 2012/2013 outright) will have a massive challenge ahead of them to keep the Champions League trophy in the cabinets at Stamford Bridge beyond next summer. The final of the lucrative competition this time around is at Wembley Stadium, as it prepares to host the showpiece event for the second time in three years, as a celebration of the 150th year of the Football Association. This will certainly be a massive incentive for the Blues, who have a decent record at the national stadium.

The loss of Didier Drogba, who was a key figure in bringing the European crown to The Bridge, will be a massive blow and the likes of Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge must fill the void. Chelsea look like they will have strengthened their squad significantly by the end of the summer but it’s hard to see them pulling off the same heroic victories to win the title this time around.

Premier League champions Manchester City (7/1 Champions League 2012/2013 outright) are obvious favourite to fly the flag for England in the Champions League this coming season, and for good reason. Manager Roberto Mancini and his men are a year older and a year wiser and with their star-studded squad they will certainly be there or thereabouts come this business end of the tournament.

With the likes of David Silva, Yaya Toure in the midfield and Argentine duo Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero up front, you can write off City in the Champions League at your peril.

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Big battle for top four

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Premier League managers continue to recruit new players and offload those surplus to requirements ahead of the new season as several hope to mould squads capable of finishing in the top four in 2012-13.

Following on from last season it is widely expected champions Manchester City and local rivals Manchester United will again dominate the battle for the title, but what of those below them? Will it be the usual suspects of Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool in the frame for the top four or, like Newcastle last term, will there be a surprise package?

Assuming both Manchester clubs will take up two of the top four places, the race for the remaining two spots looks very competive with plenty of clubs hoping to stake realistic claims.

Arsenal

After a shocking start last season, the Gunners rallied and then, thanks somewhat to the goals of Robin van Persie, they managed to secure third place.

It was some achievement considering they were in the bottom half of the table early on and testament to boss Arsene Wenger’s determination to stick to his plan and ability to get results even when he was facing heavy criticism.

He looks like losing van Persie this summer, though, and fans will again be wondering if a top-quality replacement is not found then a title challenge looks as far away as it’s ever been over the past five years.

Wenger’s men are 4/9 to again make the top four, however, and there is an argument that is too short given the goings-on elsewhere, but it reflects the fact Arsenal remain very much experienced Champions League qualifiers.

Chelsea

Like Liverpool in 2005, Chelsea’s failure to make the top four last season mattered little in the end as they pulled off a big shock by going on to win the Champions League overall.

Their victories over Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the latter stages of the European Cup proved they can match – and beat – the very best in one-off games but there remain plenty of question marks over the Blues’ ability to mix it with the Manchester duo over the course of the campaign.

Roberto Di Matteo was rewarded with a permanent contract after he guided them to glory and the club have landed the highly-rated Eden Hazard, with several others set to follow him to Stamford Bridge.

Their hero in Munich, Didier Drogba, has gone so there is plenty of expectation on Fernando Torres’ shoulders to lead Chelsea back into the top four.

At 1/4 they are odds-on to make it and, provided they strengthen further, it should be achievable.

Spurs

It’s been a summer of change so far at White Hart Lane, with Harry Redknapp being ushered out and former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas replacing him.

The Portuguese’s appointment has been met with a mixed reaction from the club’s fans, some of whom believe his failure at Chelsea proves he cannot handle big players in a bigger league and is too inexperienced to threaten Sir Alex Ferguson, Roberto Mancini and Wenger.

However, plenty of others are willing to put his Chelsea spell to one side as a blip and say he is quite rightly regarded as one of the best young coaches around.

Time will tell while finding a replacement for Luka Modric, should he depart, will also be difficult. Expect Spurs to challenge again for the top four (7/4) but fifth might be best they can hope for.

The Others

Liverpool are next in the betting at 5/2 and it would be seen as an achievement if Brendan Rodgers does guide the Reds back into the top four after three seasons out of the big time.

It is do-able but only if the new coach’s methods at Anfield work quickly and at least three top quality signings arrive.

Newcastle (16/1) would have to go some way to repeating last season’s impressive campaign and it would be a major surprise if Alan Pardew gets the Magpies as close in 2012-13.

Everton (18/1) have exceeded expectations in recent years under David Moyes but a top-four return for the Toffees looks unlikely while, of the other outsiders, Sunderland (50/1), under Martin O’Neill or Aston Villa (80/1), under Paul Lambert, would be the two sides most likely to cause a huge shock and somehow muscle in on the top-four party.

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Five-way relegation dogfight?

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The new Premier League season is just over a month away, with champions Manchester City the 5/4 favourites to retain their crown, but who will be preparing for the Championship in 12 months’ time?

Last season’s relegation battle was full of high drama on the final day as QPR gave City a real scare before Roberto Mancini’s Blues found a way to win the game and claim the Premier League for the first time.

City became the fifth club to have won the title since leagues were reorganised in 1992 – Manchester United, Arsenal, Blackburn and Chelsea are the others – but QPR still survived as Bolton could only draw at Stoke City.

The Trotters were joined by Blackburn Rovers and Wolves in dropping out of the top flight as all three promoted sides – Rangers, Norwich and Swansea – managed to survive.

New for 2012-13 are Southampton, Reading and West Ham, with the Hammers going up via the play-offs and, at 2/1, the shortest price of the trio to suffer relegation.

Saints are currently 5/4 shots while the Royals, who have secured new investment, are priced at 11/10 for the drop.

While it is no surprise to see Southampton and Reading the favourites for relegation, there must also be concern for a few of the Premier League clubs – some more established than others – with Wigan as short as 3/2.

Latics have flirted with the dreaded drop for years now but always seem to put a slow start behind them before powering away to safety once the weather starts to warm up again.

History suggests their luck will eventually run out one day and that time could well be nigh.

Saints have done what Norwich (13/8) did and come straight up from League One via the Championship in consecutive seasons and in Nigel Adkins they have a manager who can follow the Canaries’ blueprint.

However, the side from Norfolk paid the price for their success when boss Paul Lambert was tempted away to Aston Villa, who flirted with the drop themselves last term.

Norwich have turned to Chris Hughton and he represents a safe pair of hands for the Carrow Road faithful, with Villa’s relative lack of investment over the last couple of seasons meaning they are likely to be nearer the bottom three than the top four.

Swansea (2/1) are also in the same boat as Norwich and must hope Michael Laudrup hits the ground running given the fact the Danish legend never played in England during an illustrious playing career which took in the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

QPR are 9/2 for the drop but it must be remembered  they were tipped to stay up this time last year and only managed it by the skin of their teeth.

However, Mark Hughes has had more time to strengthen than Neil Warnock got last season given the timing of the Tony Fernandes takeover, and the Welshman has significantly made sure the spine of QPR’s team is now ready for more than just a survival battle.

IN DANGER: Southampton, Reading, Swansea, Wigan and Norwich.

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Blades set to bounce back

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Having come so close to securing a return to the Championship last term, Sheffield United (League One outright 6/1) should be able to finish the job in League One this time around.

The Blades (7/4 League One promotion) were cruelly denied a return to the second tier of English football, as they went down to Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town in a thrilling penalty shootout at Wembley Stadium.

What will have hurt the red half of the city more will be the fact their arch rivals Sheffield Wednesday did secure promotion but it should not be too long before the men from Bramall Lane meet their old foes in the league once again.

Like Wednesday, Huddersfield and teams like Stoke City and Leeds United have seen in the past, League One is a tricky competition to get out of.

Disappointment tends to precede success and under manager Danny Wilson they certainly have an experienced man in the game, who should be able to get them promotion if not claim the title.

However there are plenty of teams in the mix for the League One crown, who will certainly have a big say as to who will be celebrating come the business end of the season.

MK Dons (8/1 League One outright) are a side that have spent far too much time in the third tier and it’s about time they put a decent run together and challenged for the automatic places.

Manager Karl Robinson is a relatively young talent in the game and at 31-year-old already appears to be having a strong influence on the team.

Everything is in place at this club to achieve great things, from the impressive 22,000 seater stadium to an exciting manager but of course it all comes down to the players and who the Dons (5/2 League One promotion) can bring in over the summer.

From the teams that have come down from the Championship last season, Coventry City (11/1 League One outright) look like they could be the best of a group that are in bad positions.

Both Portsmouth and Doncaster Rovers have their troubles and the financial situation with the Sky Blues is dubious too.

However with signings like the promising John Fleck from Rangers, the club can still attract talent and they should be able to challenge for at least the playoff places, if not better, but a strong start will be crucial.

Much of lower league football is about momentum and how often have we seen sides leap through the tables when they grasp that winning mentality?

The likes of Swansea City and Norwich City have proved it can be done and Swindon Town (3/1 League One promotion) look like a side who could make another quick rise.

They will certainly be outsiders for the title this season but under eccentric and passionate manager Paulo Di Canio they have a man who will not be content with a mediocre season in mid-table.

So keep an eye out on the Robins, who could be there or thereabouts come May next year, when all will be decided in what looks set to be an intriguing season in League One.

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Plenty have Championship claims

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With July upon us, players up and down the country are returning for pre-season training with the focus on the new season. But who has realistic promotion claims in the Championship in 2012-13 in what is often an unpredictable division?

The second tier is frequently described as the most competitive league in Europe with plenty of evenly-matched teams vying for promotion, either automatically or via the end-of-season play-offs. Managers regularly say it is the hardest division to get out of and, with Wolves, Blackburn and Bolton joining the Championship ranks next season, there are several teams in contention to go up come next May.

Totesport make wealthy Leicester City the 7/4 favourites in the promotion market but the Foxes were also highly-fancied to go up last term only for that prediction to fall flat on its face when they failed to even make the play-offs after finishing a disappointing ninth.

In Nigel Pearson they have a manager highly respected in the Championship and have strengthened with the astute capture of Ritchie de Laet from Manchester United.

Add in the experience of Neil Danns and Ritchie Wellens, plus the goalscoring threat of Jermaine Beckford and you do have a side capable of beating anyone in the league.

Predictably, Bolton (5/2 to go up) and Wolves (11/4) are next in the betting to be promoted following their relegation from the Premier League in May. Both have considerable talent in their squads to cope well in the Championship – although there could be departures from the Reebok and Molineux in the coming weeks. Wolves are hoping to keep hold of key men Kevin Doyle, Matt Jarvis and Steven Fletcher amid interest from top-flight clubs and, if they do, they are good value to secure a fast return to the big time and even worth backing at 9/1 in the outright winner market.

Bolton are back at this level for the first time in 11 years and will fancy their chances of at least making the play-offs with Owen Coyle desperate to restore his reputation in the new season. They, too, have players who could leave but expect them to be in the running when it matters come the end of the campaign.

Lancashire rivals Blackburn’s summer purchases to date have caught the eye with Danny Murphy making the move along with Newcastle striker Leon Best and veteran former Portugal international Nuno Gomes. The latter may be a high-profile risk at 36 but the other two represent solid signings from Steve Kean and could be just the players to help quell the discontent at Ewood Park and inspire a promotion bid (9/2).

Other lively outsiders for promotion include Watford (8/1), under new Italian ownership and expected to have Gianfranco Zola at the helm, while traditional big clubs like Leeds (9/2), Cardiff (7/2), Nottingham Forest (5/1) and Birmingham (11/2) will be in the mix if they strengthen well and make good use of their plentiful home support.

Of the rest, promoted Charlton (13/2), Sheffield Wednesday (7/1) and Huddersfield (12/1) will look to stay up first and foremost although the Addicks could launch a shock back-to-back promotion bid, in the manner of Norwich and Southampton, under the guidance of Chris Powell if they keep their young squad intact.

It is certainly a tight division that again is hard to predict and, when looking a the promotion market, you can make a case for around three-quarters of the clubs to go on and secure a place in the Premier League come next May.

Bolton, Leicester and Wolves, then, are the early tips to battle for the title while we see Blackburn and Watford running them close. After that, provided financial restrictions are lifted and takeovers completed, Nottingham Forest and Birmingham also have good promotion claims while Charlton are dark horses.

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