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24 Season 4 Preview

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Odds: 250/1

Last Five Seasons

2005/06 - 2 (League One, Promoted), 2004/05 - 15 (League One), 2003/04 - 11 (League One), 2002/03 - 12 (League One), 2001/02 - 15 (League One).

2005/06 Cup Progress

FA Cup Fifth Round vs Chelsea (a) - lost 3-1.

Carling Cup First Round vs Cardiff City (h) - lost 2-0.

Football League Trophy Southern Final vs Swansea City - lost 3-1 on aggregate.

Top Goal Scorer 2005/06: Chris Iwelumo (striker) - 19 goals.

Players In

Johnnie Jackson (Tottenham Hotspur - Free), Jamie Cureton (Swindon Town - Free).

Players Out

Neil Danns (Birmingham City - ?500,000), Liam Chilvers (Preston North End - Free), Stephen Hunt (Notts County - Free), Sam Stockley (Wycombe Wanderers - Free), Tony Thorpe (Stevenage Borough - Free).

Colchester United stunned League One by winning automatic promotion last season but will find life much tougher in the Championship. Much of the club's success was down to dynamic young manager Phil Parkinson but United will have to do without him next season following his switch to Hull City.

Colchester even gained a temporary High Court injunction preventing Parkinson from leaving the club after Chairman Adam Pearson rejected his resignation. Hull had a ?250,000 offer rejected for Parkinson, which equated to five times the value of the unexpired part of his contract. Two days later, on 29 June, Parkinson was appointed manager of Hull City after they paid ?400,000 compensation. However, Colchester stipulated that Parkinson would be unable to sign any of the players he worked with during Colchester's promotion.

The club have also lost two high profile players in Neil Danns and Liam Chilvers. Former Blackburn Rovers trainee Danns, who scored 16 goals from midfield last season, joined Birmingham City for an initial ?500,000 which could rise to ?850,000. Chilvers rejected a new contract offer from Colchester to join Prest North End on a free transfer. The former Arsenal trainee signed a two year contract at Deepdale.

Colchester have brought in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Johnnie Jackson and it will be the second time the player has represented the club, following a loan spell in 2003. Unable to break into the Spurs team, Jackson has spent time on loan at Coventry City, Watford and Derby County and joined the Layer Road club on a free transfer.

Swindon Town striker Jamie Cureton signed for Colchester after exercising a clause in his contract following the Robins relegation from League Two. The former Norwich City and Reading striker also joined on a free transfer.

Verdict

Colchester United have not had the best preparation for the new season following Phil Parkinson's departure to Hull City and the bookmakers make them firm favourites at 13/8 for the drop.

24 Season 4 Preview

Odds: 50/1

Last Five Seasons

2005/06 - 20 (Championship), 2004/05 - 4 (Championship), 2003/04 - 20 (Championship), 2002/03 - 18 (Championship), 2001/02 - 19 (Premiership, Relegated).

2005/06 Cup Progress

FA Cup Fourth Round vs Colchester United (a) - lost 3-1.

Carling Cup First Round vs Grimsby Town (h) - lost 1-0.

Top Goal Scorer 2005/06: Inigo Idiakez (midfield) - 11 goals.

Players In

Steve Howard (Luton Town - ?1,000,000)

Players Out

Pablo Mills (Rotherham United - Free), Tomasz Hajto (LKS Lodz - Free), Jeff Kenna (Released), Kevin Poole (Released).

The 2005/06 campaign was disastrous for Derby County and they finished just two places and eight points above the relegation zone. The Rams have struggled in the Championship following their relegation to the second tier in 2002 and bar a remarkable performance two seasons ago, have been languishing just above the bottom three since their arrival.

This miserable run of underachievement could come to an end this term, following the appointment of Billy Davies as manager. Davies was unveiled as the replacement for Terry Westley after the club agreed a generous compensation package with his former club Preston North End, amounting to almost two years of Davies' wages.

Davies had been in charge of Preston since August 2004 and took the Lilywhites to the play offs in successive seasons, just the performance needed for a club of Derby's stature. Davies was also interviewed for the manager's role at Charlton Athletic, but missed out to Iain Dowie.

Davies' first signing was that of Luton Town striker Steve Howard for ?1 million. The former Hartlepool United and Northampton Town forward became Derby's most expensive purchase since the costly acquisition of flop Francois Grenet in November 2001. Howard scored 15 goals last season for the Hatters and agreed a three year contract after more than five years at Kenilworth Road.

Bar the somewhat surprising signing of Howard, the Rams have not been able to strengthen their squad further, although Davies has expressed an interest in Stephen Pearson. The Celtic midfielder played under Davies during their time at Motherwell before he moved to Glasgow in January 2004 and his former manager tried to sign him for Preston during the January transfer window.

Verdict

The appointment of Billy Davies could mean the good times will return to Pride Park after the club has languished near the bottom of whatever division they played in over the last five years or so. The signing of Steve Howard will bring a much needed goal threat in attack although this could be a settling in period for the club. A top half of the table finish, but not good enough for the play offs this time around.

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