Image source, Getty Images

Stoke boss Nathan Jones says they will address their poor record of missing penalties. The Potters only scored from two of their seven penalties in the Championship last term and fans were chanting for keeper Jack Butland to take one, as striker Sam Vokes saw another spot-kick saved last Saturday in a friendly against Leicester.

"To have that many missed penalties by that many different takers is quite phenomenal," Jones told BBC Radio Stoke.

"At the minute it’s un-explainable but we’ll address it. It seems to be just a little bit of a cloud hanging over [us].

"We have got very good, technical players and we have to address it now, properly. We should have enough in the outfield team to take one from 12 yards.

"But I don’t envisage us to keep missing them. We will address it. We have someone in our mind who we think can take on the mantle."

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New Stoke signing Nick Powell says the Potters' aim this season has to be promotion.

Powell, who joined Stoke on a free transfer from Wigan in June, told BBC Radio Stoke: "If you’re not thinking about promotion you might as well not be here.

"The club is massive. We might not get it but our aim has to be promotion."

Manager Nathan Jones, whose side finished 16th last term after his arrival in January, added: "There is only one target – promotion. Not consolidation, not mediocrity - there’s only one thing on our minds. We have to think like that."

Lee Blakeman
BBC Radio Stoke

For Stoke it’s been a summer of change, with Nathan Jones finally being able to put his own stamp on the team, having arrived back in January.

Seven players have arrived, with Nick Powell from Wigan - on a free transfer - looking like being one of the shrewdest deals in the entire Championship.

Jones has said the only target for them this season is promotion, the test will be keeping everybody patient and calm as he implements his ideas to get help them achieve it.

Image source, Rex Features

Emma Saunders
BBC Radio London Sport reporter

Image source, Getty Images

After 115 years at Griffin Park, Brentford will hope they can find inspiration from their final season at their atmospheric ground with a push for promotion.

Having finished in the top half of the table in each of their five seasons in the Championship, Brentford’s summer business - including their statement signing of defender Pontus Jansson from Leeds - has many tipping them to turn it up a notch this campaign.

But just how many notches will depend on whether they can hold onto highly-rated attacking trio Neal Maupay, Said Benrahma and Ollie Watkins – who’ve all been linked with top flight clubs.

If Thomas Frank can keep his squad intact – Griffin Park could get quite the send-off.

Rob Gurney
BBC WM Sport

The Slaven Bilic landscape is starting to unfold at The Hawthorns, but there’s a fair way to go yet before it’s complete, certainly where bolstering the squad is concerned.

His charisma, passion and intelligence are all qualities that the Albion players and fans can buy into, and there’s evidence already that plenty have.

The departures of Craig Dawson and Jay Rodriguez were expected, and replacing the latter’s goals, together with those of last season’s prolific loanee Dwight Gayle, will be crucial if Bilic’s Baggies are to have another tilt at promotion second time around.

With him at the helm, it’ll be fun finding out, that’s for sure.

Image source, Reuters

Emma Jones
BBC London

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It’s a new look Queens Park Rangers for the new season. Mark Warburton is back in management, and it's 12 players out and 14 players in so far.

Last season Rangers finished in 19th place, but 11 points above the relegation zone.

Warburton says his priority will be to secure safety, as soon as possible, and then see just how high the team can finish after that.

He’s filled his squad with a mix of young free agents and loanees with one of the most notable new arrivals defender Yoann Barbet, who has been brought in to help shore up a defence that let in 71 goals in the league last season.

While West Ham loanee Jordan Hugill will no doubt be expected to score some goals in what has been an unproductive attack.

With just over two and a half hours until Luton and Middlesbrough get the season under way let's spend a bit of time looking at the Championship.

From two teams with varying expectations in west London to a couple of teams in the West Midlands looking to return to the Premier League.

Image source, Rex Features

New Derby boss Phillip Cocu is targeting a top-six finish for the Rams, who reached last season's Championship play-off final before he replaced now-Chelsea boss Frank Lampard.

"Our objective has to be reaching the play-offs," the Dutchman, 48, told BBC Radio Derby.

"I won’t say, if we don’t make it, that we’ve failed as a team, but our ambition has to be playing in the play-offs again.

"But that’s not the only goal we’re setting. We want to develop the style of play that we have and develop the young players who have joined the team, which is as important as the objective we have with the first team."

Last season's Championship play-off finalists Derby have a new manager this season, with Phillip Cocu replacing Frank Lampard.

Ex-Brighton and Hull defender Liam Rosenior has been added to the Rams' coaching staff and he's been speaking to the BBC about his new role.

"As a young, aspiring coach, what an opportunity to work with him (Cocu)," he said. "I have ambitions of my own to be as good a coach as I can be and hopefully I can help Derby become the club they can be."

Click on the play button to watch a longer interview with Rosenior.

Watch Forest Green Rovers and Wales midfielder George Williams preview the new season as he gets a lift to The New Lawn from BBC Points West.

The 23-year-old wants the club to go "one better" than their "cruel" play-off semi-final defeat last term and get promoted.

Williams also discusses vegan food, proposing to his partner and shows off his singing voice, as the Gloucestershire club look forward to opening their campaign at home to Oldham Athletic on Saturday.

Watch Bristol Rovers boss Graham Coughlan look ahead to the new season, as he gets a lift to the Memorial Stadium from BBC Points West.

The 44-year-old, who took charge midway through last term, guided the club away from the relegation zone to finish 15th.

Ex-Plymouth Argyle defender Coughlan reflects on the "miracle" his team has performed in the past six months, discusses superstitions and reveals his appreciation for the band U2.

Rovers open their League One campaign at Blackpool on Saturday.

Nineteen EFL clubs will start the 2019-20 season with new managers in charge - can you name them all in four minutes?

Try our quiz here.

Let us know how you got on by using #bbcefl on Twitter.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent

It’ll be a new-look Portsmouth line-up but the objective remains the same - secure a place back in the Championship.

From last season’s play-off team, Matt Clarke has departed for Brighton and Jamal Lowe is set to follow him out of the door, but Pompey have made significant moves bringing in Doncaster’s goal machine John Marquis and Marcus Harness from Burton.

That’s led to a mood of optimism around Fratton Park, where the fans will expecting to go one better than last year and finish in the automatic promotion places.

If you're a Portsmouth fan and missed Thursday's fans' forum on BBC Radio Solent, listen here.

Image source, Rex Features

Andy Giddings
Sports Editor, BBC Sheffield

Doncaster Rovers need to improve their goalscoring prowess if they are to recreate last season's odds defying run to the play-offs next season.

This would still be case even if leading scorer John Marquis had stayed, following the loss of Leeds loan star Mallik Wilks (now at Barnsley) and Liverpool’s Herbie Kane.

Marquis joined fellow League One club Portsmouth on Wednesday.

The final few days of the transfer window could have a major bearing on their chances of success under new manager Darren Moore.

Image source, Rex Features

Nick Barnes
BBC Newcastle

Following a major overhaul of the squad last summer, Sunderland’s pre-season has been much quieter this year.

Crucially, the five players brought in by Jack Ross should strengthen the spine of a team that lost in last season's play-off final at Wembley.

Acknowledging a lack of ruthlessness in attack last season, Ross appears to be looking to play a five-man defence with an eye on his full-backs engaging with the forwards for a greater cutting edge up front.

Sunderland missed automatic promotion by six points last season. With Ross’s embryonic team now looking stronger and more experienced, they will hope for a top-two finish.

Image source, Rex Features

Fresh off the back of Sunderland skipper George Honeyman leaving for Hull City let's have a look at how they're expected to fare this season.

I'll chuck in some Portsmouth and Doncaster while I'm at it as well.

Image source, Rex Features

Hull City have signed Sunderland captain George Honeyman for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal.

The 24-year-old made 83 league appearances for the Black Cats.

Newport County had a 2018-19 season to remember, almost crowning it with promotion via the League Two play-offs.

They lost to a Tranmere goal in extra-time at Wembley, but that progression in the league and a memorable run to the FA Cup fifth round means there might be a little extra spotlight on the Welsh club during the upcoming season.

"I think we're going to be a marked team. If we start getting above our station, think we're better than what we are and go away from the things that got us success, we'll struggle," manager Michael Flynn told BBC Wales Sport.

Watch a longer interview with the Newport boss by clicking the play button below.

Alan Richardson
BBC Radio Devon

It promises to be an interesting season for Plymouth Argyle, or "Bury South" as they’ve affectionately become known, as they look to bounce back to League One following relegation last season.

Not only did they raid last season’s League Two runners-up for manager Ryan Lowe, his assistant manager and the physio, but they’ve also returned to the cash-strapped Shakers to pick up five players including star man Danny Mayor.

Bury were the division’s top scorers last season and Lowe has wasted no time in converting Argyle to the 3-5-2 attacking style which worked so well, as he looks to add back-to-back promotions to his fledgling managerial CV.

With a squad with a lot of League One experience and a manager who won promotion to that division last year, not to mention a new grandstand set to come on stream during the campaign, it is no surprise that Argyle are among the favourites to go up.

Read more about the new-look Plymouth Argyle here.

Image source, Rex Features

Tom Marlow
BBC WM

Image source, Rex Features

While Walsall might have exited League One with a whimper in May, having spent three-quarters of their EFL existence in the third tier, suddenly Saddlers fans have a spring in their step.

A new chairman, a new manager, a new squad... and new hope. With wily old heads such as Stuart Sinclair, Danny Guthrie and the returning Mat Sadler, mixed with exciting young talent such as Alfie Bates and Elijah Adebayo, Darrell Clarke’s men should be in with at least a shout of a League Two play-off place and an immediate return to the division that they know best.