With the new football season on the horizon, I’ve chosen 5 Championship players that will, in my mind at least, light up the league:
Ross McCormack – Fulham
Heading the list of many a ‘player to watch out for’ column is Fulham’s Ross McCormack, and rightly so.
Having made the switch from Leeds United this summer, McCormack will be eager to follow up his prolific goal tally of 29 goals in all competitions from last season. After all, similar sorts of figures will be intrinsic in propelling newly relegated Fulham back to the ‘Promised Land’.
That said goals come at a price and a hefty one at that! With the marksman costing Fulham near on £11 million, will he live up to the hype?
Kevin McDonald – Wolverhampton Wanderers
The second ‘Mc’ on the list is Wolverhampton Wanderers’ linchpin Kevin McDonald. The metronomic ballplayer was a figurehead of Wolves’ League One winning season last time out, with his calmness in the middle of the park proving a compliment to Wolves’ more attacking midfielders.
Having arrived from Sheffield United last summer for a relatively small outlay of £150,000, Wolves’ McDonald may just be the biggest surprise in the centre of the park this season.
Clayton Donaldson – Birmingham City
Having disposed of wage-draining striker Nikola Zigic, Birmingham City have looked to former Brentford marksman Clayton Donaldson to freshen up their attacking options.
The powerfully built front man made a name for himself during last season’s League One campaign with Brentford, where he scored 17 goals in total; the biggest surprise of all is that Brentford allowed Donaldson to go to a fellow Championship rival.
Donaldson will bring strength and goals to a Birmingham City team that’s needed a revamp for many seasons; with the forward firing on all cylinders there’s rarely a more potent Championship threat up top.
Alex Pritchard – Brentford
On-loan Tottenham starlet Alex Pritchard made a real name for himself last year, with a season long loan at League One Swindon. The tricky attacking midfielder has an eye for the killer pass, as well as a ‘Beckham-esque’ free kick. The diminutive Pritchard played 44 matches last term for Swindon, scoring 8 goals.
One thing’s for sure is that Tottenham will be keeping a very close eye on this youngster’s progression under the management and leadership of Brentford’s Mark Warburton.
Matej Vydra – Watford
They always say ‘never go back’, a phrase evidently lost on Matej Vydra. The Udinese striker, who’s already had loans with Watford and West Bromwich Albion, is back with the former of the two; Watford helped cement his reputation as a potent Championship hitman during the 2012/13 season, where he scored 20 goals in 41 appearances.
Sadly, last season’s loan at Premier League side West Bromwich Albion did not aid the development of the young striker, who’s valued very highly by his parent club Udinese. It could be argued that Vydra was a little lightweight for the top flight, with the striker scoring only 3 goals last term. Though, it must be said that most of these were from substitute appearances due to West Bromwich Albion’s unsettled striking options.
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