Spoiler alert: Exactly what’s going to happen in the 2011-12 Championship season

The Football League season’s eight-day head start on the Premier League provides a rare chance for clubs in the second tier and below to bask in the limelight.

The national media will respond to the nation’s collective anticipation of the new season by lavishing attention on the Championship, League One and League Two for a weekend, before their heads are quickly turned back to the big boys. It means fans get a couple of days enduring patronising punditry administered by those who usually only dine at the top table, or at least watch while the diners throw food.

They’ll tell you about “what a difficult league the Championship is to predict” and how “anyone one of about 12 clubs will be looking at the play-offs”. Well, isn’t that why we love it?  We can be no means sure that five or six teams will contest the top four places and that the three clubs promoted last season will either be relegated or struggle significantly.

The second tier is an enormously more difficult division to forecast than the first.

But, having criticised in advance those one-weekend-wonder experts for their sketchy analysis, it would be hypocritical to follow suit. Here, then, is time for me to get specific with my Championship 2011-12 predictions.

BARNSLEY

Manager: Keith Hill

Key player: Jacob Butterfield

Story of the season: An over-reliance on youth will see squad run out of fuel post-Christmas.

Last season: 17th

Prediction: 24th

BIRMINGHAM CITY

Manager: Chris Hughton

Key player: Liam Ridgewell

Story of the season: Steady, but not spectacular. Off-field uncertainty will undermine accomplishments off it.

Last season: Relegated from Premier League.

Prediction: 8th

BLACKPOOL

Manager: Ian Holloway

Key player: Barry Ferguson

Story of the season: Post-Premier League hangover will mean no flying start, proving ultimately costly.

Last season: Relegated from Premier League

Prediction: 9th

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION

Manager: Gustavo Poyet

Key player: Gordon Greer

Story of the season: Tapering away at end of season, but having done enough to secure safety.

Last season: Promoted from League One

Prediction: 21st

BRISTOL CITY

Manager: Keith Millen

Key player: Brett Pitman

Story of the season: Similar to last year, with worrying spell eradicated by decent run-in.

Last season: 15th

Prediction: 14th

BURNLEY

Manager: Eddie Howe

Key player: Jay Rodriguez

Story of the season: Small squad will be blessed with few injuries and unity will be rewarded.

Last season: 8th

Prediction: 5th

CARDIFF CITY

Manager: Malky Mackay

Key player: Don Cowie

Story of the season: Blistering start, but post-Christmas slump will kill top-six hopes.

Last season: 4th

Prediction: 13th

COVENTRY CITY

Manager: Andy Thorn

Key player: Richard Keogh

Story of the season: Looking over shoulder for most of campaign, but doing enough in the end to steer clear of trouble.

Last season:  18th

Prediction: 17th

CRYSTAL PALACE

Manager: Dougie Freedman

Key player: Nathaniel Clyne

Story of the season: Palace’s impressive pack of home-grown talent will do the job again.

Last season: 20th

Prediction: 16th

DERBY COUNTY

Manager: Nigel Clough

Key player: Frank Fielding

Story of the season: Another turgid season awaits the Rams, whose squad lacks sparkle.

Last season: 19th

Prediction: 18th

DONCASTER ROVERS

Manager: Sean O’Driscoll

Key player: James Coppinger

Story of the season: Fitness to key players almost cost Rovers last season and they haven’t done enough to guard against it.

Last season: 21st

Prediction: 22nd

HULL CITY

Manager: Nigel Pearson

Key player: Robert Koren

Story of the season: The Tigers’ unspectacular squad will be hard to beat and that gets you a long way at this level.

Last season: 11th

Prediction: 4th

IPSWICH TOWN

Manager: Paul Jewell

Key player: Jay Emmanuel-Thomas

Story of the season: More stability this year under Jewell but short of consistency for a play-off place.

Last season: 13th

Prediction: 10th

LEEDS UNITED

Manager: Simon Grayson

Key player: Robert Snodgrass

Story of the season: Leeds will have learnt from their gung-ho style last season, but it will be to their detriment.

Last season: 7th

Prediction: 11th

LEICESTER CITY

Manager: Sven-Goran Eriksson

Key player: Paul Gallagher

Story of the season: Expensive recruits mixed with some experienced heads, plus a cool slice of Sven, means promotion.

Last season: 10th

Prediction: 1st – Champions

MIDDLESBROUGH

Manager: Tony Mowbray

Key player: Nicky Bailey

Story of the season: A leaner, more focused approach from Boro will earn Mowbray’s men a play-off berth.

Last season: 12th

Prediction: 6th

MILLWALL

Manager: Kenny Jackett

Key player:  Liam Trotter

Story of the season: A tough season for the Lions after overachieving last time, but just enough to stay up.

Last season: Ninth

Prediction: 19th

NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Manager: Steve McLaren

Key player: Lee Camp

Story of the season: After an uncertain start, a strong run after the January transfer window will see Forest home

Last season: 6th

Prediction: 2nd – Promotion

PETERBOROUGH UNITED

Manager: Darren Ferguson

Key player: George Boyd

Story of the season: Like the last time out at this level, Posh won’t have the depth of quality to survive. A long season.

Last season: Promoted from League One.

Prediction: 23rd

PORTSMOUTH

Manager: Steve Cotterill

Key player: Hayden Mullins

Story of the season: New additions will arrive to a threadbare squad and Pompey will overachieve significantly.

Last season: 16th

Prediction: 7th

READING

Manager: Brian McDermott

Key player: Jimmy Kebe

Story of the season: Unable to repeat last year’s heroics, despite healthy squad. Poor start will dampen chances.

Last season: 5th

Prediction: 12th

SOUTHAMPTON

Manager: Nigel Adkins

Key player: Jack Cork

Story of the season: It’ll be tense and tough for Saints all season, but Adkins has done it before with a weaker squad.

Last season: Promoted from League One

Prediction: 20th

WATFORD

Manager: Sean Dyche

Key player: Marvin Sordell

Story of the season: Like last time, but instead of flirting with the top six, the Hornets will be looking the other way.

Last season: 14th

Prediction: 15th

WEST HAM UNITED

Manager: Sam Allardyce

Key player: Kevin Nolan

Story of the season: A strong finish but expectation and an initial reluctance to play “Sam’s way” will mean a slow start

Last season: Relegated from Premier League

Prediction: 3rd

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Agree / disagree? Feel free to have your say and generally rant below. James McMath is on Twitter @mrjamesmcmath, where you can point out in May how wrong he was about all this.

Birmingham City, Blackpool, Doncaster Rovers, English Championship, Football League, Middlesbrough, Millwall, Portsmouth, Reading, Watford FC, West Ham United