Cardiff
Last year: 16th
Ground: Ninian Park
Capacity: 19,000
Manager: Dave Jones
(new for this season)
AFTER just missing out on the Play-Offs two seasons
ago, the wheels have come off at Ninian Park.
Worryingly, club owner Sam Hammam’s solution to
their current cash crisis was to bring in Peter
Ridsdale. His pampered goldfish became a byword for
wastefulness in the aftermath of the financial
meltdown he oversaw during his time at Leeds.
Last term. they finished 16th, but were only four
points above relegated Gillingham, and the Bluebirds
are 7-2 to follow them down. Robbie Earnshaw was
sorely missed, and the loss of Norwich-bound Peter
Thome is a blow.
Despite their money worries, new boss Dave Jones has
been busy in the transfer market, recruiting striker
Andreas Ferretti from Parma and Darren Purse and
Jason Koumas from West Brom.
We say: 24th 100-1
Luton
Last year: 1st, League 1
Ground: Kenilworth Road
Capacity: 9,975
manager: Mike Newell
(24 months, W54, D28, L25)
OVER the past five years, the likes of Wigan,
Millwall and Preston have ali thrived in the
Championship after winning the League 1 title, while
Plymouth, QPR and Brighton have shown that survival
is possible. So Luton, 33-1 winners of League 1 last term, look
too short for the drop at a best-priced 4-1 after
romping to the title in 2004/05.
Markus Heikkinen has joined from Aberdeen and the
Finnish international is as comfortable in defence
as in midfield. They’ve also secured the services of
Rowan Vine, who scored nine times on loan from
Portsmouth last term, and Steve Howard, the Hatters’
top-scorer every season since joining in 2001, has
inked a new deal.
With key players sticking around and a couple of
interesting signings, they should see out the
season.
We say: 14th 66-1
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