Surprise package Coventry top the table as Preston disappoint

English Football League / Sean Calvert / 04 September 2007 / Leave a Comment

The "Man with the Baggie Trousers" Sean Calvert looks at what's gone on in The Championship so far

Coventry City are the surprise leaders of The Championship after the first four games of the season and Bristol City and Scunthorpe are both in the top six.

We can expect a patchy looking league table early on the campaign of course, as new signings gel, new formations and tactics are honed and in the case of Leicester, new managers arrive, but how are the pre-season favourites faring and can we expect the surprise packages to continue their good start?

A quick look at the current odds for promotion sees Watford heading the market at 2.66. The Hornets have begun well and most of the money traded on them was at 4 before a ball was kicked, so support is solid for a swift return to the Premier League. Surely the purchase of Nathan Ellington from Albion can only hinder their chances and I can envisage them trading much higher than 2.66 when The Duke starts to play havoc with team morale.

Wolves are always a popular choice in the betting in any Championship season and are currently second best at 2.88, having had most money traded between 3 and 3.5, but would you want to be on the perennial jollies, who have gained promotion from this division just once in seventeen attempts? They've made a good start though and the gamble on Fredy Eastwood appears to be working out really well, having scored three times already in the league and notched on his debut for Wales. Plus Wolves won't have any distractions from the Carling Cup after being sent packing by Morecombe of course.

Charlton made a bit of a shaky start, but got their season back on track when they came from two goals down at home to beat struggling Sheffield Wednesday and then beat rivals, Crystal Palace at Selhurst, to bring their price back to 3.1, having touched 4 during that sticky patch. The Addicks signed a couple of experienced defenders on deadline day, in Danny Mills and Sam Sodje and look solid, having kicked off as 2.86 favourites.

Albion's Tony Mowbray is really making the team his own now, having virtually bought an entire new first eleven since the end of last season and the departures of Curtis Davies and Ellington last week have completed the post-Robson clearout. Whether the current 3.7 represents value remains to be seen and they've drifted from opening 3.05 after a bad start and touched 4.5 after the defeat at Sheffield United.

The Blades themselves have drifted after a predictably patchy beginning to the campaign under coaching genius Bryan Robson and now trade at 4 from an opening 3.45. A defeat at Scunthorpe on Saturday won't have pleased the Bramall Lane faithful and they sit in 19th place in the table at the moment. They do have Brian Kidd in the camp to keep a check on some of Robson's more ridiculous tactical formations though, so that has to be respected.

Table-topping Coventry opened at 8 and touched 11, but Iain Dowie has just rather begrudgingly accepted the Manager of the Month award for August and their unbeaten run now has them trading at 3.85 and Simon Jordan wondering if he wasn't perhaps a little hasty - again.

Bristol City sit third in The Championship and are keeping the momentum from last season alive with an unbeaten start to the season, including Sunday's smash and grab win at Hillsborough. They opened at 15.5, touched 25 and are now available at 8 to keep the run going all the way to the Premiership. They will be relying heavily on the skills and tricks of Lee Trundle up front, so they need him to stay fit to have a chance.

Another promoted side going well are Scunthorpe United, who are currently 23 for promotion from an opening 28 and Saturday's win over Sheffield Utd highlights how much can be achieved with momentum. Indeed, Blackpool too have made a good start and could be sitting top of the table now, had they not had their pockets picked at Molineux.

The most disappointing start has been made by Preston. Just outside the play-offs last season and opening at 7.6 for promotion, the Lilywhites look a team in disarray and now trade at 15.5, having touched 25. They were poor at The Hawthorns a few weeks ago and Paul Simpson must be feeling the heat after a bad start in the league and being removed from the Carling Cup by Morecombe at home.

Interesting news for backers of Hull City this morning, as rumours are rife that Jay Jay Okocha will be joining The Tigers. If true, the Nigerian star will love playing in The Championship on a cold Wednesday night away at Barnsley, I have no doubt.