QPR in hunt for promotion

With the start of the Premiership season still 10 days away there is always a very small window for the Championship teams to sneak some of the headlines.

Only at play-off weekend do they manage to get this opportunity and if they are to have a decent run at promotion it is always vital to get a good start.

This year is particularly fascinating as there are so many clubs in with a chance and it is as open as it as ever been.

The main reason for this is that the teams who were relegated from the Premiership have a lot of problems themselves.

Newcastle, WBA and Middlesbrough whilst favourites to go back up at the first attempt are far from this when their individual situations are closely examined.

Of course the parachute payment from the Premier League gives them a massive advantage but they are not as far ahead of the chasing pack as is usual at the start of the season.

In particular Newcastle are in disarray with no manager to speak of, the owner trying to unsuccessfully sell the club and a group of players who could not be more discontented if they tried. The 6-1 defeat to Leyton Orient may well have only happened in a friendly but nonetheless it is still a shocking result and one that may well have more significance come the end of the season.

The sad loss of Sir Bobby Robson from cancer has rightly taken over the emotions of the Newcastle faithful but football is an ever changing world and if the team do not perform, then sympathy will not be close at hand.

They could not have a tougher first game away at West Brom, live on the BBC, who themselves have lost manager Tony Mowbray to Celtic over the summer. WBA though have a habit of making this seasonal relegation and promotion work for them and in Roberto Di Matteo they have a manager with huge prospects.

This could end up being a chastening experience for Newcastle fans and they may well get well beaten leaving the season and club in tatters.

For any doubters to this scenario you need only mention Leeds to them and watch the blood drain from their faces.

Middlesbrough are better placed but not much more and it is only the blind loyalty of Chairman Mike Gibson that allowed Southgate to keep his job.

I am not sure this will last too long if the season does not start well and they kick off the season with a home match to Sheffield United on Friday night. United having come so close last year may well be the team to watch this year as often a close encounter with promotion leads to success the following year.

One of the most intriguing fixtures on day one is Derby versus Peterborough as both managers are sons of former greats namely Brian Clough and Sir Alex Ferguson. Nigel and Darren do not have the status yet but their teams do play attractive football and because of their pedigree they will be able to engender more loyalty if things do not start off so well.

This is an essential factor in a season so long as if pressure mounts too early when things are not going so well then the whole team under performs.

The influx of young ambitious managers is a particular focus for the Championship this year as 16 are either under 40 or in their mid forties and one of these includes Roy Keane at Ipswich.

Having had an unhappy ending at Sunderland it is worth remembering that he did get the Black Cats promoted and this will be invaluable experience through this tight campaign.

And so to QPR who, being sponsored by Gulf Air under the stewardship of Flavio Briatore, would you would think have every opportunity to muscle their way into the shake up.

This has proved beyond then to date and having five managers and two caretakers since 2007 will hardly be helping their cause.

However, the appointment of Jim Magilton may buck this trend as he is a solid manager with decent credentials who demands his team play good football. He will not be daunted by this job and four wins in four friendly games conceding only one goal and scoring eleven bodes very well.

They may well only be friendlies but momentum is an important factor for any club and it does not matter when you get it as long as you do. A home fixture to Blackpool on Saturday may well be the perfect start for them.

This season really is wide open and there is no reason to think that Magilton's team cannot take advantage of this and they have solid reasons, more than Newcastle and Middlesbrough anyway, to believe they will get into the play-offs at least and if they start well who knows they may well challenge for an automatic slot.