10 to watch in the Championship
Reading and Derby will raise the curtain on another Championship campaign on Friday night, with the second tier of English football set for another exciting, unpredictable and competitive season. But who are the stars to watch? In this slideshow, we pick out 10 starlets who could make a big impact in 2018/19...
10. Sam Field (West Brom)
The permanent appointment of club legend Darren Moore after a successful caretaker stint lifted the mood around The Hawthorns at the end of last season – even if avoiding relegation was a miracle too far.
West Brom’s rookie manager is keen to give youth a chance, and the clever passing and impressive work-rate of Field should shine through. The 20-year-old midfielder scored his first Premier League goal last season in a 2-2 draw with Newcastle, and he should be able to display more of his craft in a team pushing for promotion.
9. Ezri Konsa (Brentford)
Every year Brentford sell some of their best players but are able to impressively regenerate, consistently finishing in the top 10 of the Championship. Three of their leading names joined Birmingham late last summer, but the Bees still finished well clear of Blues.
Brentford’s data-driven recruitment strategy has helped them identify plenty of bargains in recent times – and Konsa could well be another for 2018/19. A strong and technically-assured centre-back, Arsenal and Chelsea were both linked with the 20-year-old but Brentford offered the best platform for him to progress.
8. Nick Powell (Wigan)
While still only 24, Powell hasn’t pushed on as he would have hoped after joining Manchester United from Crewe in 2012. An apparent lack of dedication to his craft led to a drifting career, but he finally got back on track at Wigan last year.
Operating as the attacking luxury in Paul Cook’s well-drilled team, Powell was a cut above the majority of players he came up against in League One. Bids from Bournemouth and Brighton were rejected in January, and Powell now has the chance to continue rebuilding in the Championship at a club that understands how to get the best from him.
7. Barry Douglas (Leeds)
As a key component in a fluid title-winning side, it was a surprise to see Douglas so readily discarded by Wolves. Signed from Konyaspor just last summer, the left-wing-back enjoyed a brief but eventful Molineux career, as his stamina, technical skill and set-piece precision helped Nuno’s side to the Premier League.
Douglas, who was unfortunate to miss out on a place in the Championship Team of the Year after registering five goals and 14 assists (the joint-highest in the division), has already proved what he can do at this level and will be a major asset for new Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa.
6. Mohamed Eisa (Bristol City)
After unexpectedly being shifted up front by manager Lee Johnson last season, Bobby Reid proved himself a terror for Championship defences. His record goal return earned him a move to Cardiff, and his replacement at Ashton Gate is the lively Eisa (left).
The Sudanese striker almost single-handedly kept Cheltenham out of trouble in League Two during his first campaign as a professional. He scored 23 goals at a rate of better than one every other game, and will be hoping to make light of the two-division leap.
5. Che Adams (Birmingham)
Since signing for Birmingham two years ago, Adams has been forced to endure plenty of upheaval. The bustling striker has the potential to be one of the Championship’s best forwards, but has contended with multiple managerial changes, various different systems and often been played out wide.
He's at his best when rampaging through the middle, so perhaps Garry Monk can provide the stability both player and club need. An ongoing transfer embargo has meant minimal changes to last year’s squad, and with the Blues looking a little light up front, the onus will be on Adams to make this his breakthrough season.
4. Bradley Dack (Blackburn)
The attacking midfielder had already established himself as one of the best players in League One during his time at Gillingham, but last year’s move to Blackburn lifted his performances to another level. Signed for just £750,000, that fee was soon made to seem a snip as he registered 18 goals and 11 assists in 45 appearances during a memorable debut season.
Full of energy and endeavour, Dack also boasts technical ability and can play on either flank or through the middle. This will be his first taste of Championship football, but the reigning League One Player of the Year has nothing to fear.
3. Gil Dias (Nottingham Forest)
With an influx of Portuguese players amid the looming influence of Jorge Mendes, Nottingham Forest seem intent on taking the Wolves route to promotion. Having made 11 new signings, they’ve been installed as one of the bookmakers’ favourites to win the league.
Of the many incomings, Dias stands out as the most exciting. The 21-year-old winger signed for Monaco in 2015 but has spent much of his time on loan elsewhere, including Rio Ave and Fiorentina. The Portuguese has already displaced Joe Lolley, who finished the campaign strongly, and his trickery adds another dimension to Forest’s attack.
2. Mason Mount (Derby)
The Rams have been unofficially, somewhat gratingly, rebranded as ‘Frank Lampard’s Derby County’ for the foreseeable future – but becoming the launch pad for the former Premier League star’s managerial career does come with certain benefits. One is ready access to talented players from the Chelsea youth system on favourable terms.
Mount has arrived on a season-long loan deal, having demonstrated his quality during a productive spell in the Eredivisie. The 19-year-old midfielder, who plays in the mould of his manager and idol Lampard, scored 14 times for Vitesse last season and was named their Player of the Year.
1. Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke)
Stoke will be hopeful of bouncing back to the Premier League at the first attempt, and new manager Gary Rowett has been busy adding new faces to steel the Potters for the demands of a testing Championship season.
Rowett did well to snap up Etebo before the World Cup, as the Nigerian midfielder’s excellent performances in Russia would have substantially increased the asking price from Portuguese club Feirense. Capable of playing in a holding role or further forward, the 22-year-old is a tremendous all-rounder who should prove a bargain at £6.3m.
