Championship Preview 2011-12: Relegation Contenders

Barnsley

Best relegation odds: 15/8 - Bet365
Best odds for top 6 finish: 12/1 - Bluesquare
Last season: 17th
Manager: Keith Hill

Verdict:

Perennial relegation favourites despite surviving in this division since 2006. Never in any serious danger last time, a total of 56 points was 14 more than the three relegated sides. As always, the foundations were built on decent home form - 11 of 14 league wins came at Oakwell. Mark Robins has left the dugout citing differences with the board. Replacement Keith Hill left Rochdale to take up the reins and how he settles in will be crucial. A thin squad needs good luck with injuries but should survive. Just.

Doncaster Rovers

Best relegation odds: 2/1 - VictorChandler
Best odds for a top 6 finish: 14/1 - Coral
Last season: 21st
Manager: Sean O’Driscoll

Verdict:

O’Driscoll has been in charge since 2006, taking the club into the Championship via the play-offs in 2008. Two excellent mid-table finishes followed but the bookies have set the alarm bells ringing after a slide down the table and a finish of 21st in May. Survival hopes rest on the shoulders of striker Billy Sharp who has scored 15 league goals in each of the last two campaigns. Bids for his services have so far been rejected this summer from Ipswich and Southampton. With or without Sharp, Rovers are in for a long season.

 

Coventry City

Best relegation odds: 9/4 - VictorChandler
Best odds for a top 6 finish: 10/1 - Coral
Last season: 18th
Manager: Andy Thorn

Verdict:

Andy Thorn has been somewhat harshly priced as the 11/2 favourite in the ‘next manager to leave’ market. Having taken charge in mid-March it would be fair to say that the first time boss steadied the ship admirably. His first eight matches, to conclude the season, ended with just one defeat to keep the club clear of any significant relegation threat. Before that there had been 11 defeats in 17 matches. The bookies clearly remember that form and remain unconvinced that a novice can turn the tide long term. With top scorer Marlon King off to Birmingham, they could be right.

 

Peterborough United

Best relegation odds: 5/2 - SkyBet
Best odds on a top 6 finish: 12/1 - VictorChandler
Last season: Promoted from League 1 (play-offs)
Manager: Darren Ferguson

Verdict:

The only one of the promoted sides regarded as likely to slide straight back down. Sir Alex’s son is 12/1 to get the boot first in the Championship but chairman Darren MacAnthony has lost patience with him quickly in this situation before. This time looks destined to be just as much of a struggle. The loss of 35-goal striker Craig Mackail-Smith looks disastrous.

 

Crystal Palace

 

Best relegation odds: 5/2 - VictorChandler
Best odds on a top 6 finish: 12/1 - VictorChandler
Last season: 20th
Manager: Dougie Freedman

Verdict:

Consecutive finishes of 21st and 20th will always assure your place among the relegation favourites the following season. The Eagles narrowly survived last time after Freedman’s arrival prompted a dramatic improvement in home form. The away record, however, remained disastrous - a win at Carrow Road in October was the only triumph away from Selhurst Park in the whole campaign. Neil Danns has gone to Leicester and will be a loss, but the signing of Glenn Murray could be vital after he scored 22 times for Brighton in their promotion run.

 

Watford

Best relegation odds: 11/4 - Sportingbet
Best odds on a top 6 finish: 12/1 - VictorChandler
Last season: 14th
Manager: Sean Dyche

Verdict:

Time will tell how significant the loss of Malky Mackay will be at Vicarage Road. If that wasn’t bad enough, Danny Graham, the division’s top scorer with 24 league goals has been prized away by Swansea City. The bookies have drawn an obvious conclusion; a mid-table side that loses a good manager and its best player will become a relegation candidate. Unproven manager Sean Dyche has brought in 32-year-old Chris Iwelumo to find some goals but a replacement of the calibre of Graham has never been on the cards. Watford could face a major fight to avoid the bottom three given the high standard of competition.