Bristol City begin a new era on Saturday 9 August when they travel to face promotion hopefuls Sheffield United on the opening day of the season, in a repeat of last season’s play-off semi-final.
Well-traveled former Barnsley and New York Red Bulls boss Gerhard Struber is the man tasked with replacing Liam Manning in the Ashton Gate dugout as he looks to build on the success of the 39-year-old after his intriguing decision to swap the South West of England for a move back to his hometown in Norfolk with Norwich City.
Last season was statistically Bristol City’s best in terms of league position since returning to the second tier in 2015 and marked the club’s first genuine attempt to win promotion since Gary Johnson’s side reached the play-off final in 2008.
The Robins will have high hopes of once again being in the mix this season, but will have their work cut out amid strong competitions from relegated trio Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town as well as the usual contenders such as Sheffield United, Coventry City, West Brom and others.
There’s also plenty of intrigue surrounding Manning’s Norwich in his debut season at Carrow Road and whether Wrexham and Birmingham City after winning promotion can make it back-to-back, or even four in a row in the case of the former.
With that in mind, we take a look at the bookmakers' predicted Championship table at this stage and where Bristol City are tipped to finish in Struber’s first season in the South West.
1. Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town are the favourites to win the Championship title under Kieran McKenna. They picked up 96 points to win promotion in the 2023/24 season and still have a strong core of that squad available heading into the season. | Getty Images
2. Southampton
The Saints were relegated as one of the worst teams in Premier League history but have high hopes of returning at the first of asking to the top-flight with Will Still in the dugout. | Getty Images
3. Sheffield United
Beaten play-off finalists Sheffield United are predicted to narrowly miss out on automatic promotion but are expected to be highly competivie throughout the season under new boss Ruben Selles. | Getty Images
4. Birmingham City
After achieving 111 points in League One, newly promoted side Birmingham City are expected to be a force to be reckoned with. There likely to have one of the biggest budgets in the division and are expected to be almost instantly involved in the promotion race. | Getty Images