Brentford, Millwall and QPR are preparing to start the new Championship season.
It’s been an eventful summer for all three of the division’s London clubs. Here’s a look at their prospects for the coming campaign.
Brentford
Manager: Dean Smith
Position last season: 9th
Players in: Ezri Konsa (Charlton, undisclosed), Said Benrahma (Nice, undisclosed), Julien Jeanvier (Reims, undisclosed)
Players out: Zain Westbrooke (Coventry, free), Konstantin Kerschbaumer (Ingolstadt, undisclosed), Theo Archibald (Forest Green, loan), Andreas Bjelland (FC Copenhagen, free), John Egan (Sheffield United, undisclosed), Florian Jozefzoon (Derby, undisclosed), Reece Cole (Yeovil, loan)
Key man: Romaine Sawyers
Chances
Brentford have finished in the Championship’s top 10 in each of their last four seasons since winning promotion in 2014 and despite a modest budget could be among those challenging for the play-offs again. Manager Dean Smith, linked with West Brom this summer, has maintained the fine work of predecessors Uwe Rosler and Mark Warburton and more shrewd signings will strengthen his hand for the new campaign.
Millwall
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Manager: Neil Harris
Position last season: 8th
Players in: Murray Wallace (Scunthorpe, undisclosed), Ben Amos (Bolton, loan)
Players out: Tim Cahill, Jimmy Abdou, Kris Twardek, Jamie Philpot, Christian Mbulu, Noel Leighton, Harry Girling (all released), Noah Chesmain (Colchester, free), Harry Toffolo (Lincoln, free), Tom King (AFC Wimbledon, loan), Kristian Brymora (Hassleholms IF, free), Harry Smith (Macclesfield, free)
Key man: Shaun Hutchinson
Chances
Millwall were one of the Championship’s surprise packages last season as a 17-match unbeaten run from January catapulted them into play-off contention and Neil Harris’s tight-knit group, led by talisman Steve Morison, will be gunning to defy the odds again. The Lions may find it harder after their first campaign back in the second tier, but their unbreakable team spirit will stand them in good stead.
QPR
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Manager: Steve McClaren
Position last season: 16th
Players in: Joe Felix (Fulham, free), Toni Leistner (Union Berlin, free)
Players out: Nedum Onuoha, James Perch, Jamie Mackie, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (all released), Alex Smithies (Cardiff, undisclosed), Jack Robinson (Nottingham Forest, free)
Key man: Massimo Luongo
Chances
Former England boss Steve McClaren was appointed in May following the departure of Ian Holloway and immediately quashed any talk of a promotion challenge in his first season in charge. The Hoops have finished 18th and 16th in their previous two seasons and McClaren has targeted a top-half placing. He will have to work within the club’s modest playing budget and will do well to keep his latest club out of the lower echelons.