Sky Bet Championship preview 2013-14

The football season is back and so is Behind The Goal. Thank you for your support last season and I hope you will continue to enjoy the blog, and discuss the season's talking points with me, Adam Gray.

The season kicks off this weekend with the Sky Bet Football League. The oldest league in the world is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, and it continues to provide exciting and unpredictable football in all its three divisions. It's so unpredictable in fact, that my prediction of the final table of this season's Championship will probably prove to be far more wrong than right, but the fun's in trying, isn't it?

As obvious as it sounds, the three teams relegated from the Premier League look in pole position to bounce straight back, providing they can hold on to their bigger names. Of the three, Reading look the least likely to suffer the culture shock of relegation; they won this division two seasons ago with a near-identical squad. Queens Park Rangers may still have to offload the big earners and big time Charlies which did so badly for them last year, but those that will remain, plus the signing of Burnley's Charlie Austin, will give the Rs a great chance of success. Wigan's main stumbling block may be how they cope with the demands that the Europa League campaign will place on their side, particularly if they manage to progress to the knockout stages after Christmas. Aside from that, they have a team full of youngsters with points to prove, and in Grant Holt, a proven goalscorer at all levels.

The race for the play-offs will probably be contested at some point by every club in the league, but ultimately I think it will be the same suspects as last season that compete at the business end. As a Nottingham Forest fan, I am excited by the prospect of a genuine promotion challenge after finishing 8th last term in what was a turbulent campaign on and off the pitch. I think anything less than a play-off place will be a failure given the investment the playing squad has had, but I don't think we're quite ready to challenge for the title, although I would love to be proved wrong.

Yeovil Town stunned the nation in winning promotion from League One via the play-offs, but the Championship may prove to be a step too far for Gary Johnson's side. They were relegation candidates a year ago, so there cannot be many who think they will stay afloat at a higher level. Bournemouth, who until the last minute of last season were set to be League One champions until Doncaster snatched the title in incredible circumstances at Brentford's Griffin Park, should have enough about them to stay up, as should Rovers themselves. The possibilty of seeing One Direction's Louis Tomlinson turn out in the red and white stripes may even put a few new fans through the gate at the Keepmoat! I have tipped two other Yorkshire sides for the drop, Barnsley and Huddersfield Town.

Behind The Goal's final table prediction:

1. Reading
2. Queens Park Rangers
3. Bolton Wanderers
4. Wigan Athletic
5. Nottingham Forest
6. Watford
7.  Leicester City
8.  Brighton and Hove Albion
9.  Ipswich Town
10.  Leeds United
11.  Birmingham City
12.  Derby County
13.  Middlesbrough
14.  Blackburn Rovers
15.  Blackpool
16.  Charlton Athletic
17.  AFC Bournemouth
18.  Burnley
19.  Doncaster Rovers
20.  Millwall
21.  Sheffield Wednesday
22.  Barnsley
23.  Huddersfield Town
24. Yeovil Town

What do you think? Where will your team finish? Have I done your boys a disservice? Send me a message or Tweet me @adamgray50

This Week In Football

Queens Park Rangers entertain Chelsea at Loftus Road this weekend, and once again, sadly, the focus will be on what happens before the game. The will-they-won't-they scenario featuring Anton Ferdinand, John Terry, and that handshake. Ferdinand of course has every reason to dislike Terry following the fiery encounter last season and the subsequent race trial, but I do think that the QPR defender should be a big man and shake his hand. He doesn't have to mean it of course, but while the procedure exists, it should be honoured. There's the problem though, Not enough players want to do it and fans know that some players don't mean it. It's too often a hollow gesture. Can we just scrap it and get on with the football?

England were in action this week and while it wasn't particularly exciting, or some may say particularly successful, it was a decent start to another World Cup qualifying campaign. Moldova, with respect, was always going to be as easy as the 5-0 thrashing suggested, and I didn't think we were as bad in the home game with Ukraine as some fans and press were quick to point out. Maybe Roy Hodgson could have been more positive with his tactics, but Ukraine are no mugs, and it was a tough test. With the players available to him, four points from six is not a disaster. I still expect us to qualify from the group without defeat, despite the doom-mongers claiming that we will struggle in the tough away environments. I have never been one of these fans who show apathy towards International football or England. You would never turn your back on your club, yet some can't be bothered with their nation. That annoys me.

The Hillsborough report came out on Wednesday after a long campaign. You all know what happened 23 years ago, and we now know the truth. The real truth. It's not the beginning of the end for the families of the 96 though, it's the end of the beginning. They will want those ultimately responsible brought to justice. There were no doubt many instances of foul play on that afternoon in April 1989 and since. After all, the sheer amount of doctored files could not have been down to just one bent copper. It has been too easy over the years to assume that Liverpool fans were solely, or even partly to blame, and those that have should take time to think of what 23 years of false rumours has done to Liverpool, as a city and as a football club. It could be the start of the removal of the sick chants about it and other tragedies, which will be very welcome. Liverpool v Manchester United next weekend should be fierce, but hopefully without the terrace taunts.