David Jackson
BBC Radio Nottingham Sport

After years of constant change and multiple signings - 15 last summer alone - the quiet of this pre-season has been extraordinary. So far there's been one signing.

Ethan Horvath is a goalkeeper to challenge Brice Samba, who is already one of the best keepers in the Championship. While this shows great ambition, they'll surely need more than that before the end of August if they're to challenge, especially given their problems with creating and scoring goals last season.

However, young midfielder Brennan Johnson is back from a successful loan spell at Lincoln and looks like he could cause Championship defences a problem or two, and Alex Mighten is looking every bit a first-team player in pre-season so far.

Chris Hughton always does well when he has a full season in the Championship and with Dane Murphy in as the new CEO (he's the man who helped Barnsley grow over the last couple of years), there's cautious optimism about next season. It just needs those extra few additions to give fans the confidence to voice that optimism.

Wayne Rooney wants to restore "pride and dignity" to Derby County, but does he have the squad to win games this season?

Paul Grunill has taken a look at a turbulent summer at Pride Park and analysed the way forward for the Rams, who have today signed Richard Stearman and Ryan Allsop, as well as persuading Curtis Davies to return.

Peter Swan
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Sport

When Darren Ferguson and Peterborough United come together, good things happen. Last May’s promotion from League One was Ferguson’s fourth as Posh manager – across three different spells in charge.

Jonson Clarke-Harris led the charge with 33 goals across all competitions, with the likes of Sammie Szmodics and Siriki Dembele impressing in supporting roles.

Despite adding eight summer signings, Ferguson’s squad is lacking in Championship experience.

However, with solid financial backing, a settled team at boardroom level, and plans for a new 20,000 capacity stadium well progressed, Posh will feel they’ve never been better placed to establish themselves at second-tier level.

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s Peterborough United commentary is available throughout the season on 95.7FM and DAB digital.

Andy Bayes
BBC Radio Lancashire

Preston go into the new season hoping to continue where they left off in May.

The squad is largely similar to the one that finished last season, with new arrival Izzy Brown already ruled out long-term with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Pre-season hasn’t been entirely straightforward. Two friendlies in front of fans were cancelled, due to a waterlogged pitch and coronavirus, with another at Manchester City played behind closed doors.

The opening game this weekend is the first opportunity for fans to return to Deepdale since the first lockdown.

Frankie McAvoy likes a 3-5-2 system. The biggest issue surrounds who partners Ched Evans in attack. And will a role be found for Scott Sinclair to produce his best form?

More transfer activity is expected before the window closes, the significance of which could have a large bearing on where they finish.

If QPR's performances and results during the second half of last season are anything to go by, they should be regarded as serious contenders for promotion.

Their transformation after the January loan signings of Charlie Austin, Stefan Johansen and Dutch centre-back Jordy de Wijs was stark - and all of them have since been signed on permanent deals.

Rob Dickie, Ilias Chair, Chris Willock and keeper Seny Dieng also caught the eye last season and have so far been retained despite admiring glances from other clubs.

Image source, Getty Images

Manager Mark Warburton, who this week signed a new contract, has also brought in Andre Dozzell from Ipswich and left-back Sam McCallum on loan from Norwich.

Moses Odubajo, who shone at Brentford under Warburton and is looking to rebuild after injury problems, has been signed as well.

Rangers have not been widely touted as promotion candidates. They arguably ought to be.

Tim Dellor
BBC Berkshire sport editor

After a red-hot start and then narrowly missing out last season, everything suggests it may be harder going for Reading this season.

Losing forward Yakou Meite for the bulk of the season following knee surgery is a significant blow. Two other regular first-teamers have moved on. Omar Richards is now at Bayern Munich, leaving on a free, and some fans were disappointed Michael Olise’s move to Crystal Palace was only worth £8m. Both Olise and Richards were rising stars at Reading.

No new players have come in, primarily because of a transfer embargo imposed by the EFL for breaching sustainability and profitability rules. The squad looked thin at times last season. This season the cupboard is looking horribly bare.

Popular manager Veljko Paunovic faces a very different challenge in his second season. A top-half finish in the Championship would be a good achievement, based on the squad size and the poor end to last season. Keeping the likes of Lucas Joao, Josh Laurent and Rafael Cabral fit will be high priority.

Andy Giddings
Sports Editor, BBC Radio Sheffield

New manager Slavisa Jokanovic - who’s won two promotions to the Premier League - will be expected to challenge for a third with Sheffield United.

They’ll have an experienced squad even if any star names depart in the transfer window.

Expect a possession-based attacking style, with a high-press without the ball, using a 4-3-3 (4-3-1-2) formation to get more forwards onto the field.

The Blades are defensively solid so it’s vitally important they improve in front of goal.

Naturally the focus will be on forwards such as Rhian Brewster, the record signing who's still to score, and Oli McBurnie, but it’s a problem for the whole team.

Phil Bowers
BBC Radio Stoke

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke are finally emerging from years of expensive, non-playing purchases hanging around their necks. Many of the high wage earners from the Premier League days, some of whom hadn’t played for Stoke in three years, finally left this summer, leaving Michael O’Neill with something of a clean slate to work with.

The departure of the highly-regarded Nathan Collins has been softened by the arrivals of Ben Wilmot and Mario Vrancic.

The club are willing to wait for star striker Tyrese Campbell to return to full fitness, such is his importance to this team.

A fully fit Nick Powell is crucial to their success but they perhaps lack the firepower to challenge for automatic promotion.

Rob Phillips
BBC Wales Football Correspondent

Few clubs have had such a fraught summer as Swansea City.

After pre-season had begun they parted company with head coach Steve Cooper, who led them to two consecutive Championship play-off finishes. They were turned down by QPR assistant John Eustace and, less than a week before their opening game, they lured Russell Martin from MK Dons.

Cooper was effective on slender resources but was not adored by Swans fans, many of whom felt the football was often dour last season.

Martin’s appointment has been welcomed because of the passing style he promoted at his previous club, satisfying those who yearn for the return of the ‘Swansea Way’.

Patience and financial backing from the American owners will be required as Martin looks to embed his approach and replace the spine of a team – notably talisman striker Andre Ayew – which departed this summer.

Yet Martin starts with an abundance of goodwill.

Hear commentary of every Swansea City league game in the Swansea area on BBC Radio Wales 93.9 FM.

Rob Gurney
BBC WM Sport

It's always a little foolish to read too much into pre-season, but Albion's 4-0 win at local rivals Birmingham was impressive, and means they haven't conceded in their four senior friendlies.

The 3-4-3 system Ismael favours gives them solidity and, going forward, fluidity in pretty much equal measure.

Dara O'Shea, Kyle Bartley and loan signing Clarke looked a fairly formidable combination, with Semi Ajayi as another option in central defence.

Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend showed plenty of mobility in the wide areas, while Jake Livermore's pitch coverage, alongside Alex Mowatt, was outstanding.

That's going to be crucial if Ismael's 'Swarm Ball', to unsettle the opposition while they're in possession, is to succeed.

Image source, Getty Images

The front three of Diangana, Robinson and Grant showed their awareness, and an ability to interchange will prove a handful for most Championship defences.

But it's clear Albion still need squad options to cover injuries and suspensions as the season progresses.

That is why the sale of Pereira needed concluding - with Johnstone potentially to follow - particularly after relations become strained following the Brazilian forward's unhelpful misinterpretation of Ismael's "committed" remark at the weekend.

Image source, Getty Images

Two EFL leagues down, just the small matter of the Championship to go.

We're about two hours from kick-off of the new football season, with Scott Parker's Bournemouth getting things under way against newly relegated West Brom at 19:45 BST.

We'll have live text coverage of that but first, let's see what our BBC local radio commentators make of all 24 Championship sides...

It's impossible to mark the start of a new season without asking you to stare into your crystal balls.

Have a go at BBC Sport's promotion predictor for the Championship, League One and League Two.

Last season was the third consecutive year Wimbledon have avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth, finishing just above the drop zone in 19th with their safety only confirmed on the penultimate day of last season.

Long-standing club coach Mark Robinson was officially appointed manager in February after a torrid spell that saw the team take just two points in 11 matches.

With relegation avoided, the aim this season will be to move the Dons up the League One table - in the five years Wimbledon have been in the league, they’ve not finished higher than 15th.

This year will be also be their first full season in their long-awaited, spiritual home of Plough Lane, having finally returned there last November.

Top scorer Joe Pigott is among those who exited this summer, after declining a new deal, with eight players brought in as Robinson looks to develop youth going forward.

Dan Jewell
BBC Radio Lancashire Sport

You can insert your own cliche about punching above their weight – it’s unlikely anyone at Accrington Stanley will pay much attention.

In a division top-heavy with big reputations and clubs of huge stature Stanley are often looked at in terms of budget, stadium and fanbase rather than their continued ability to perform at League One level.

Having been in contention for a good spell last season and having not lost too many key men from that squad there will be a quiet confidence in their prospects. Keeping hold of coveted forwards Colby Bishop and Dion Charles could be key but the addition of Joel Mumbongo on loan from Burnley could be a useful wildcard at the top of the pitch.

A lack of experienced players could raise question marks, especially in goal where none of the three options are older than 20, but John Coleman and his staff have specialised in giving chances to those who might not have got them elsewhere, and will continue to do so.

Jack Dearden
BBC Radio Manchester

Expectations have been raised following last season’s promotion from League Two at the first time of asking.

Another successful promotion campaign isn’t something which the Bolton boss Ian Evatt finds daunting - “Promotion is the aim," he confidently declared recently on The Wanderer podcast.

Scoring more goals could be the key to obtaining that bold prediction. Eoin Doyle led the way last season with 19 goals, and there’s no reason to doubt a suitable contribution once again from the Irish striker, but overall more goalscoring responsibility is needed throughout the squad, with particular emphasis on set-pieces.

Image source, Getty Images

Eight new signings have arrived with Dapo Afolayan and Declan John returning on permanent deals, plus Xavier Amaechi on loan alongside Will Aimson, Josh Sheehan, George Johnston, Joel Dixon and Amadou Bakayoko, all of which will contribute to a more competitive squad.

Almost 10,000 season tickets have been purchased in advance by Wanderers fans, and there’s no doubting off the field that the club have re-connected with the supporters after a few turbulent years.

It’s certainly not beyond their capabilities to provide a serious promotion challenge, but after 25 years of covering Bolton for BBC Radio Manchester I can guarantee two things - Bolton are never boring, and always expect the unexpected!

Dave Fletcher
BBC Radio Derby Sport

For the second time in seven months, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has rebuilt the Burton Albion squad - and the fans appear to approve.

There’s no reason why they wouldn’t, after the Dutchman turned a team destined for League Two into one that secured survival so comfortably that few acknowledged the remarkable achievement it really was.

The dynamic has now changed and a repeat of the form since January - spread over the whole of the 2021-22 campaign - would position the Brewers among the leading sides in the division.

In a bid to do that, Hasselbaink has made a dozen summer signings with Deji Oshilaja from Charlton and former Chelsea youngster Jacob Maddox particularly eye-catching.

Maintaining the momentum gained from the second half of last season will be key.

Peter Swan
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Sport

Cambridge United are back at League One level for the first time in nearly 20 years.

The U’s proved to be a surprise package in League Two last season – with 34-goal Paul Mullin spearheading their promotion push.

Mullin has gone, but Reading forward Sam Smith and Ipswich youngster Jack Lankester have arrived to bolster Mark Bonner’s attacking options.

Creator-in-chief Wes Hoolahan is back on board for another season at the age of 39.

Bonner - the second-youngest manager in the EFL - will no doubt relish testing himself at League One level. The U’s rose to virtually every challenge last season and will be aiming to do the same this time around.

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s Cambridge United commentary is available throughout the season on 96FM, DAB digital and Freeview channel 722.

Charlton narrowly missed out on a place in the League One play-offs last season, finishing just outside in seventh place on goal difference.

But in Nigel Adkins, who was appointed in March, the south London team have a manager with ample experience of getting teams promoted – he took Scunthorpe up to the Championship in 2007 and followed it with getting Southampton from League One to the Premier League in 2012.

Having come so close last year, promotion is the aim again this season for the Addicks in what is now their fifth season in League One.

Last season’s top scorer, Chuks Aneke, has moved on to Birmingham, but Jayden Stockley is among seven signings this transfer window. The 27-year-old signed a permanent deal after a successful loan spell last year that saw him score eight times in 22 appearances.

Test your knowledge of the English Football League by identifying these clubs from their crests.

(I got full marks - it is kind of my job, after all - but there are some potential banana skins in there).

Paul Furley
BBC Radio Gloucestershire sport

Cheltenham Town begin their first season in League One since 2009 with high hopes that they can consolidate their position.

The League Two champions, superbly coached and led by manager Michael Duff and his back room staff, have retained the services of the majority of their squad and are likely to add more players before the transfer deadline. Much will depend on the quality of the loanees, a particular strength of player recruitment in the past two successful seasons.

The squad has experience in abundance and players such as Chris Hussey, Andy Williams and Liam Sercombe will bring League One knowledge.

Of the younger players look out for striker George Lloyd, whose performances last year merited more goals than he scored, and midfielders Ellis Chapman and new signing Elliot Bonds from Hull.

The defence, a particular strength over the last couple of seasons, has been playing together as a unit for a while now and looks strong. Back Will Boyle to be one of the highest scoring defenders in League One.

It will not be easy with one of the lowest budgets in the league, but there is a stability on the field and in the management team that bodes well for a season in which the unfancied Robins will once again outperform expectations.