When Burnley visits Huddersfield Town on Friday, the new Championship campaign will get underway.
The Clarets will be aiming for an immediate return to the Premier League, along with other demoted teams Watford and Norwich City, and not for the first time.
All of these teams returned to the top tier at the first attempt the last time they fell, with the exception of the Hornets and Canaries, who did so just two seasons ago.
For Burnley’s most recent appearance in the Championship, you must travel back a little farther, to 2016, when Sean Dyche led them to victory, a year after also being in charge when they were demoted.
Norwich made the same decision two seasons prior, and Daniel Farke rewarded the team’s steadfastness by winning the division a second time.
The Canaries, on the other hand, are the only one of the three to begin the new campaign with Dean Smith as their manager, with Burnley and Watford adopting alternative strategies and hiring new coaches.
How well are the three relegated teams prepared for the upcoming Championship season considering that the transfer window is still open for another five weeks?
Burnley
Who has the reins? Burnley has chosen Vincent Kompany, a well-known figure, to succeed Dyche, who was fired by Turf Moor at Easter after nine and a half years in charge, and to spearhead a promotion push.
The 36-year-old former captain of Manchester City is no stranger to English football; during more than a decade at the Etihad, he won four Premier League championships, two FA Cups, and four EFL Cups.
However, the former Belgium international defender has never managed in the Championship.
After three seasons in charge of Anderlecht, where he guided them to third place in each of the previous two seasons, he joins the Clarets.
What kind of group is this? As Burnley adjusts to the financial reality of being back in the second tier, Lancashire has seen a number of high-profile exits this summer.
Nick Pope, an English goalkeeper, has joined Newcastle, while Ben Mee and James Tarkowski also left their jobs after their contracts expired. Nathan Collins and Dwight McNeil also departed their positions at Wolves and Everton, respectively, for sums of about £20 million each.
December signing While rumours about the future of Maxwel Cornet, another asset that could be sold, continue to circulate, Wout Weghorst has also joined Turkish club Besiktas on a season-long loan.
However, there have been a few newcomers, including attacker Scott Twine from MK Dons, who was one of League One’s top performers last year, and defender Luke McNally from Oxford, who came for a whopping £1.6 million.
Josh Cullen, a midfielder for the Republic of Ireland, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, a centre back, have both been signed by Kompany. He has also utilised his experience of Belgian football to sign midfielder Samuel Bastien from Standard Liege and Brazilian full-back Vitinho from Cercle Brugge.
His ties at Manchester City also aided in the hiring of defender CJ Egan-Riley and goalkeeper Arijanet Muric.
Nobody is really sure what the future holds for Burnley as a new era has begun.
Many fans have been energised by Vincent Kompany’s arrival, and Turf Moor has welcomed a number of younger players as a result of the summer’s transfer activity.
The manager has stated that he is in it for the long haul and is not only considering this season.
The Clarets are under pressure to get back to the top division quickly, though, after being demoted from the Premier League last season.
Watford
Who has the reins? Watford chose to go with a relative newbie in comparison to Burnley, who went with the huge name in Kompany.
Rob Edwards, who led Forest Green to the League Two championship last season, has only had one complete season of managing experience in the EFL prior to his arrival at Vicarage Road.
The Hornets have had eight permanent managers in less than four years, but the 39-year-old former defender for Wales and Wolves has a reputation as a forward-thinking, approachable leader thanks to his time spent in Gloucestershire and with England’s development teams.
Gino Pozzo, the owner of Watford, has a history of making managerial changes quickly. Will Edwards be given the chance and time to break that pattern?
What kind of group is this? Although there has been turnover, with players like experienced goalkeeper Ben Foster, midfielder Moussa Sissoko, and attackers Cucho Hernandez, Andre Gray, and Joshua King among those leaving, Edwards has ruled out making “loads” of business this summer.
Vakoun Bayo of the Ivory Coast and Rey Manaj of Albania have arrived from RSC Charleroi and Barcelona, respectively, to strengthen the forward line. Veteran goalkeeper Ben Hamer has also joined after leaving Swansea at the conclusion of the previous season.
The fact that Watford still has powerful players like Ismaila Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis on their roster—both of whom will be a genuine nuisance for Championship defences if they stay through the transfer deadline of September 1—may be the most crucial factor.
Supporters of Watford are fervently hoping that Rob Edwards is successful. A departure from Watford’s usual selection of foreign – sometimes unknown – managers, the recruitment of a young, eager, ambitious British manager with experience and some success in the Football League is significant
The Hornets hired Vladimir Ivic as their head coach the previous time they were demoted. Five months later, he was replaced by Xisco Munoz, whose name we had to look up.
Edwards did well in his first EFL managing position at Forest Green, but this is a significant advancement for him.
So far, the signs are positive. Early cliches included the concepts of rebuilding, patience, teamwork, and trust. He emits a pleasant, kind, and innovative attitude that is incredibly motivating.
The supporters will be hoping he starts strong and avoids getting into any problems right away. The club claims they want to alter Vicarage Road’s recruiting and firing culture in order to increase stability. Will they support Edwards if he goes through a difficult time, which is something most managers experience? The key moment will be at which we shall determine whether the owner and board are true to their word.
Even the fans desire greater consistency. When the club was prospering and keeping secure in the Premier League, they were aware of the model. However, after two consecutive relegations, they have grown weary of the model and want change. The club appears to have answered.
