Championship predictions: Leeds champions with Sunderland and Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth relegated

The EFL Championship begins on Friday with another dramatic and entertaining season in prospect.

Leeds, Burnley and Luton have been installed as promotion favourites while Wayne Rooney will bid to kick-start his managerial career at Plymouth.

The new campaign starts with Sheffield United’s visit to Preston while Blackburn take on promoted Derby at Ewood Park.

Telegraph Sport’s football reporters make their predictions.

Champions

Sam Dean: Leeds United
Leeds flopped in the play-off final against Southampton but their return of 90 points in the regular campaign was proof that they are a very good Championship team. Such a return would usually be enough to secure automatic promotion. The big concern is whether they can successfully adjust to life without the departed Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville.

Mike McGrath: Burnley
In Scott Parker Burnley have a manager with the know-how to get to the Premier League and a team that can put a run of wins together.

John Percy: Burnley
Scott Parker has achieved two promotions from the Championship already, with Fulham and Bournemouth, and has the experience of this division to deliver again. Burnley will be under pressure to start well and remove the stain of last season’s relegation.

Luke Edwards: Sheffield United
This feels really wide open and there have been a lot of changes at Sheffield United but with Chris Wilder in charge, with all his Championship know-how, they should be the best of the three relegated sides.

Rob Bagchi: Leeds United
Last season was the only time in three attempts that Daniel Farke hadn’t achieved promotion in a full Championship season and he still managed 90 points, did the double over both automatically promoted clubs and, despite having to sell Gray and Summerville, is likely to have a more coherent team with greater tactical flexibility.

Promotion

Dean: Middlesbrough, Luton Town
Middlesbrough ended last season in impressive form and will expect to pick up where they left off. Michael Carrick signed a new contract in June and there is a sense of stability at the club. Luton should be better for their year in the Premier League.

McGrath: Sheffield United and Leeds
Chris Wilder has made some good signings despite uncertainty over a potential takeover.

Percy: Leeds
Farke is another promotion specialist in the division and Leeds will be expected to deliver again this season. Recruitment over the next few weeks will be vital.

Edwards: Burnley and Middlesbrough
It will be fascinating to see how Parker does on his return to English football but he inherits a strong Championship squad and has led a side to promotion before. Middlesbrough are my tip to go up via the play-offs.

Bagchi: Burnley and Coventry
Parker is an expert at promotion and although it might take him some time to find out his best side from arguably the most random group of players in the division, he has enough quality to work with effectively. Coventry are simply a brilliantly managed team, have made an excellent signing in Jack Rudoni and have two pedigree goalscoring forwards in Ellis Simms and Haji Wright.

Dark horse

Dean: Portsmouth
The gap between the Championship and League One is not particularly big, as evidenced by Ipswich Town’s back-to-back promotions. While such an outcome is highly unlikely for Portsmouth, they are entitled to dream after securing 97 points to win League One last season. This will be their first campaign in the Championship since 2012 and opposition teams will not enjoy going to Fratton Park. John Mousinho, 38, is an exciting managerial prospect.

McGrath: Sheffield Wednesday
They have a rising star manager in Danny Rohl, who saved them from relegation last season and stuck with them despite interest from other teams. Has had time to put his imprint on the squad.

Percy: Hull City
After making an ambitious appointment in former Hamburg manager Tim Walter, this could either be genius or madness. Whatever happens, it should be absorbing to watch it unfold.

Edwards: Stoke City
It has been a miserable few years at the Britannia and vast sums of money have been wasted but this could be the season things click. They have a talented manager in Steven Schumacher and a style of football that should have been honed in pre-season.

Bagchi: Sheffield Wednesday
A shot in the dark for a play-off run based on their form since February, the obvious shrewdness of their manager, Rohl, and a gut instinct that Jamal Lowe will work his socks off up front to stretch opponents.

Relegation

Dean: Plymouth, Preston, Blackburn Rovers
Plymouth Argyle avoided relegation by a single point last season and Wayne Rooney’s unhappy spell at Birmingham City does not bode particularly well for his new role. Preston lost their final five matches of last season without scoring a single goal and the statisticians say they were fortunate to avoid the relegation scrap. Their 10th-placed finish was misleading and captain Alan Browne has joined Sunderland.

McGrath: Oxford, Sunderland, Plymouth
Oxford may have come up sooner than expected. Sunderland have been on a bad run and have an unproven manager. Wayne Rooney has it all to do at Plymouth after they just survived last season.

Percy: 
Swansea, Blackburn, Oxford

Edwards:
Watford, Oxford, Portsmouth

Bagchi: 
Blackburn, Plymouth, Oxford

Player to watch

Dean: David Ozoh (Derby County, on loan from Crystal Palace)
Ozoh has made a handful of Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace and will hope to prove he is too good for the second tier after joining Derby on loan.

McGrath: Gustavo Hamer (Sheffield Utd)
Gus Hamer is a lovely central midfielder who can open up games.

Percy: David Ozoh (Derby County)
Still only 19, Ozoh is a gifted midfielder who Palace are convinced is a future Premier League star.

Edwards: Rav van den Berg (Middlesbrough)
The defender looked a class act last season following his arrival from PEC Zwolle and plenty of Premier League scouts will be checking up on the 20-year-old over the next few months.

Bagchi: Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough)
Missed the last 12 weeks of the season but Boro’s playmaking midfielder has recovered and has been flying in pre-season. Premier League clubs kicking themselves for not recognising Adam Wharton’s talent and readiness are swarming around Michael Carrick’s golden lad.