First Division Preview: Birmingham needs stability to win the title, can Wrexham advance again? | Football News

Birmingham need stability to bounce back

It is 33 years since Birmingham last reached the third tier of English football. The 2023/24 season has been a tumultuous one, with John Eustace unceremoniously sacked and Wayne Rooney and Gary Rowett returning to take over from poor Tony Mowbray.

But the Blues hope for some stability that will allow them to return directly to the Championship.

First, they have a new head coach in Chris Davis. He previously served as senior assistant coach to Anj Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur and was a long-term assistant to Brendan Rodgers, and is now progressing into a managerial role of his own.

Then there were some impressive signings. The two goal scorers were Hull City’s former No. 1 player Ryan Allsop and Northern Ireland international Bailey Peacock-Farrell from Burnley. He himself is no stranger to EFL football.

Birmingham also poached last season’s league Golden Boot winner Alfie May from Charlton. He scored 23 goals for the Addicks, a feat the Blues hope he can replicate in 2024/25.

Former Hearts left-back Alex Cochrane has also joined the club, as has former Seagulls team-mate Marc Leonard, who impressed during two loan spells at Northampton Town .

The Blues hierarchy – part-owned by legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady – have made some smart choices and are likely to join the likes of Wrexham as the biggest spenders in the league team.

As they have discovered, the EFL can become ruthless if there is a lack of consistency on and off the pitch. They hope they have begun to steady the ship ahead of a difficult First Division season.

Wrexham promotion streak?

It took just two seasons to get promoted from the National League to League One. The injection of Hollywood has allowed Wrexham to add strength to the English football pyramid and is delighted to have fulfilled the hopes, expectations and ambitions of its fans.

Their next target is promotion to the Championship. It would be an impressive feat to win promotion two years in a row, but League One will undoubtedly face their toughest test yet.

Birmingham, Bolton and Huddersfield are expected to automatically advance. Peterborough and Barnsley will be looking to improve on their play-off defeats. Every team in the league will target stars — but only three teams will be able to pull it off in May.

It may sound daunting, but Wrexham have proven – with or without the multi-million dollar backing of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – that they are not afraid of a fight. Without it, you can’t get to where they are.

They also have a head coach who understands the league better than most. Phil Parrison has previously managed Charlton and Bolton Wanderers in this division – both of whom he will face this season – as well as a host of players from EFL connoisseurs.

This will go a long way in helping them really make their mark in the league and hopefully there will be another fairytale ending to the club’s fairytale period.

Will Bolton go into the play-off final with a hangover?

Bolton endured a heartbreaking performance at Wembley in last season’s play-off final. Rangers are hoping to return to the Championship following last season’s semi-final defeat.

They say third time is the charm and this season they can do better and earn automatic promotion. That will be the hope, despite the league becoming increasingly competitive.

It would cap a successful spell at the club for Ian Evatt, who has meticulously rebuilt Bolton’s side into serial play-off contenders. Rangers have had their fair share of troubles in recent years, but on the pitch, things are looking brighter.

But they will be worried about the late play-off hangover – can Bolton bounce back twice? The club are confident they can do it. Getting promoted is notoriously difficult, and there are lessons learned along the way.

Now it’s time for Bolton to put this into practice and regain their place in the Championship.

Can Reading avoid off-field issues affecting their performances on the pitch?

Reading are the latest in a seemingly never-ending series of clubs that have fallen on hard times under their owners. There were massive unpaid taxes, a transfer embargo, points deductions and fan protests over the cancellation of Dai Yonge’s game against Port Vale in January.

A proposal to sell the Bellwood Park training ground to raise funds has faced strong opposition, with Wycombe Wanderers one of the teams in talks over the site. The girls’ and women’s teams were also hit hard, with the senior team soaring from the Champions League to the fifth tier.

The club is reportedly for sale. It has been a long process as new bidders have come and gone, but in the meantime Reading continues to struggle as a club.

Of course, it’s the job of the players and head coach Ruben Sellers to not let those ongoing off-field issues affect their performance on the field. Last season, they finished 17th, nine points ahead of the relegation zone, and had a six-point deduction.

All things considered, the payoff isn’t bad. To Seles’ credit, he’s not out of the woods yet, and he’s been limited in his lineup options.

No one would expect Reading to run a promotion. Some may suggest they get relegated, but ultimately every Royals fan will want to find a new club as soon as possible.

Steve Evans returns to Rotherham on sanity and nostalgia

Steve Evans returns to Rotherham in the hope of helping them return to the Championship. During a successful three-year career from April 2012 to September 2015, he was promoted from League Two to the Championship for two consecutive years and won the League One play-off final on penalties.

He also helped the club secure their place in the Championship with one remaining game of the 2014/15 season, which saw Leeds wear a sombrero on the final day, eventually becoming the next club Evans took charge of.

Evans became Rotherham’s third manager of the season when he returned in April – with the club already relegated – following a successful spell at Stevenage.

The Scot and his staff have a knack for building promotion-chasing teams despite the odds, particularly in League One and League Two.

His return to Rotherham is as much a reflection of nostalgia as it is of sanity. The club are clearly hoping to recapture the magic they had eight and a half years ago and push for promotion again.

Can Crawley hold on without eight of his play-off final starters?

It was a dream day at Wembley when Crawley secured their first Division One spot in a decade.

However, their starting XI against Blackpool on Saturday 10 August, live Sky Sports+will look markedly different to the game against Crewe in May.

Eight of those players have already transferred this season. Only one player – Lawrence Maguire – has been loaned out, and he has now joined Milton Keynes Dons from Chesterfield.

The remaining players – including goalscorer Danilo Orsi and Liam Kelly, who also assisted the opening goal – have joined new clubs in League One and League Two.

Any club that gets promoted will want to add to their squad to cope with the demands of the new league, but the departures of some players add another layer of preparation and recruitment required.

Crawley has signed seven players to help strengthen the squad and needs to integrate new teammates quickly. Time will tell how successful they will be.

Can Jordan Rhodes shine again for Blackpool?

It’s been a rough decade for Jordan Rhodes. The striker, who has played for Huddersfield and Blackburn Rovers, has not scored more than seven league goals in a single season since moving to Middlesbrough in 2015.

This included spells at Sheffield Wednesday, Norwich City and back at Huddersfield Town. He scored a total of 38 Championship goals in nine seasons, including 36 in the First Division in 2011/12.

But a loan move to Blackpool last year helped Rhodes rediscover his scoring boots. He scored 15 goals in 29 games and moved to the club on a permanent basis this summer.

The 34-year-old said in an interview: “I feel very lucky and hope to get the chance to try it again here in Blackpool again. I loved every day here last season and I was lucky that it was possible for me to do it again. at this point.

Blackpool missed out on the play-offs by three points last season and are aiming to secure a play-off spot in the upcoming campaign. The club and Rhodes hope his improved form can continue to lead the Seasiders into the Championship.

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