Enough of the past, what can we expect from the Championship this season and can we answer the biggest question of all, who will gain promotion to the highest flight of English football with a successful season.
After browsing the internet yesterday, I found that Leicester City had been installed as favourites to win the league this year.
Back in December of last year, after an awful start to the season, and a change of manager, I identified the Foxes as being unlikely promotion candidates, with Yakubu and Darius Vassell forming a somewhat formidable partnership up front.
Yakubu scored 12 goals in a successful loan spell and Sven Goran Eriksson will no doubt be hoping he can persuade the Nigerian international to return to the club next season as first choice striker.
They didn't quite make it on that occasion, but Sven will be at the helm from the off this time and they seem sure to spend over the summer months. If they can avoid an awful start which saw them take only two points from their first five games, then they can be pushing for another promotion, following their relegation from the second tier of English football in 2007/08. The players might have been saying that promotion is a must this time around, but I can't see them having anywhere neaar enough to win it, but surely they seem destined for the play off's at least this time around.
Of course, elsewhere, lie Cardiff City, managerless at this moment in time after Dave Jones was sacked, ruthlessly in my opinion.
They won't have a Welsh derby next season after Swansea were promoted to the top flight, but they might have again considered themselves unfortunate to have missed out on a prized slot in the top flight this time around.
Heartache again at the play off stage, screams out one thing, the Bluebirds must be promoted automatically if they are to play in the Premier League. That was summed up perfectly by their capitulation in the second leg against Reading when well placed to progress to the final.
It was more hands on head's for Cardiff fans and players this season.
Credit; here
They had the players last season to get them to the promised land, but I couldn't help notice thye have just sold Michael Chopra to Ipswich this week. Jay Bothroyd might have been in form at times this season but I still considered Chopra to be their best, most consistant, striker, with no guarantee that Craig Bellamy will return again next season.
It will be interesting to see who comes in as the new manager, presumably it will be someone with high ambitions, but they aren't going to have lots of money to spend and they might have to make do with the current crop and loanees, somewhere where Dave Jones was particularly successful. There might be high hopes but I can see them flopping next year and ending up mid table.
Managerial Changes
Dave Jones hasn't been the only managerial casualty after poor, or unsuccessful, seasons.
Two out of three of the relegated teams from the Premier League, West Ham and Birmingham (although that is an on-goig issue) have opted for a fresh approach, with West Ham going for the tried and tested formula of Sam Allardyce.
Out of the game since December, Big Sam was sacked by Blackburn Rovers' new owners, but now he has been given a chance to re-shape a team and attempt to get them back into the top flight at the first attempt.
West Ham might not be favorites to win the Championship, but they are my tip because I can see Allardyce getting West Ham to be a disciplined side from the start and he will sure them up defensively, something which surely was the main reason behind last season's gloom.
Nobody is expecting Scott Parker to stay, but Big Sam's track record with signing players is good and they might still keep enough quality to be too good for many-a-team in the Championship.
Big Sam will be hoping to guide West Ham back up to the promised land.
Credit: here
They will be, by far, better placed come May than this season's other relegated teams.
Birmingham are set to lose several of their top players to Premier League clubs and they might need a season to stabilise, like Blackpool, before they try another push for the big time.
Away from them, another big question is: how will the promoted sides from League One get on?
You would presume that Peterborough might struggle more than Southampton and Brighton, although the latter two, given a good run, could both be pushing for the play off's close season.
Whatever happens, I'm sure that it will be another memorable season.
Predictions:
1) West Ham United
2) Southampton
3) Leicester City
4) Reading
5) Burnley
6) Leeds
