2010-11 npower Championship Preview: Barnsley

There's a real buzz about the new season. Mark Robins has had a full summer with the players he wants and I feel that, after four seasons of battling relegation, we can now make the big step up to lower mid-table. I predict 56 points.

Last season 18th Prediction 16th

The new boys Jim O'Brien, Goran Lovre and Jason Shackell impressed me in the friendly against Huddersfield - I reserve judgment on Jay McEveley and Liam Dickinson. Unfortunately Diego Arismendi is injured and has returned to Stoke for assessment, but Robins has added brilliantly-named striker Jeronimo Morales Neumann from Estudiantes. There's still room for a new right-back and centre-half. And I definitely have no complaints about any of the outgoing players.

Man to watch O'Brien is the one who I think will really impress for us this season. He's only 22 but was brilliant for Motherwell last season, and made it into the Scottish PFA team of the year.

Best youngster Reuben Noble-Lazarus: I hope he'll make the step up to regular first-team football this season and start to fulfil all that obvious promise. He's still only 16 - but he's definitely ready.

Target for the boo-boys Nathan Doyle really polarises opinion - fans either love him or hate him, and the boo-boys won't be slow to get on his back at the first opportunity.

Hate figure A fair few. Everything about Leeds; Sheffield United's Kevin Blackwell is universally loathed; the Blades' Chris Morgan will never be forgiven for his elbowing of Iain Hume in 2008; and John Ryan, chairman at Doncaster, is always viewed with great hilarity due to his rose-tinted glasses.

Going up Reading, Burnley, Swansea
Going down Millwall, Portsmouth, Scunthorpe