It's back! Thank all that you hold holy, it's back!

The old saying goes, there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. Football fans might feel that there are a few more certainties - United finding a late winner, Joey Barton being involved in trouble of some sort, Referees generally being hated by everyone.

One aspect of football however that, in my experience, is about as far from certain as you can get, is predictions. I’m not a gambling man – nights out at the casino operate on the basis of: one pocket for the gambling money, one pocket for the winnings, and never the twain shall meet. That being said, I will usually stick a nominal amount on the goalscorers in a big game to add a little extra; but generally in my experience, you rarely get it right so you’re better off spending your money in wiser ways - horribly overpriced replica shirts or garish novelty hats for example.

The epitome of the unpredictability of football is about to resume this weekend: The Championship. Something of a misleading name; for those around the world not so familiar, The Championship is English football’s second tier. One step away from the promised land of the Premier League, yet not the desolate outpost of forgotten souls that you might imagine. Across the world very few countries can boast a second, third and even fourth tier of professional football that is as well supported and widely followed as England’s Football League. A look down the list of clubs that constitute the 2011/12 Championship highlights this.

Sleeping giants such as Leeds United and Nottingham Forest who will be familiar names to fans across Europe for their European Cup exploits in the not too distant past. Big guns from the Premier League, West Ham and Birmingham – the latter of which remain the Carling Cup holders and barring financial stickiness, will play in the Europa League this season. Beyond them are a whole host of clubs that were staples of the early decade of the Premiership, including Coventry City, Middlesbrough, big-spending Leicester and of course my own Southampton.

The unpredictability of this league is perhaps a key factor in making it the 4^th highest attended league in Europe, and boils down to the simple fact that any team can beat any other on any given day. I suppose the fact that promotion and relegation act as a yearly filter helps keep this competition there – a club cannot dominate the Championship for years a la Man United, as their reward for being too good is to test themselves against the actual Man United. Moreover the occasional out of their depth – or financially crippled and points deducted - whipping boys will be sent packing to the even more confusingly named League One. Which is League Three, but anyway, let’s just go with it.

Considering the prospects for Southampton this year just highlights why betting on the Championship really would be a mug’s game. Norwich, Leeds, Leicester and many before them have shown that the momentum of a promotion season can carry you through to the higher reaches of the Championship, and even up into the big show. Likewise however, the Championship harbours a number of clubs who have been round the block more than a few times in that league and know what it takes to threaten the play-offs on a perennial basis. Often the manager can play a key part – there are a host of bosses who have plied their trade at a number of clubs at this level, masterminding promotion challenges with a blueprint at whichever club they find themselves.

The Premier League has, at it’s sharp end, such elite quality that there is no blueprint for success. Playing good passing football and attacking your opponent might fail – ask Blackpool. Playing negative, contained, ugly football might fail – ask Birmingham. Finally, the second one of your players looks a little bit good, bigger fish can offer him more money to sit on their bench, an enticement that players are drawn to on an infuriatingly frequent basis.

In the Championship however, with a greater parity between clubs (there are still the haves and the have nots, but not on the same scale) there is no real reason why teams cannot emulate each other in the quest for success. Southampton could quite feasibly finish anywhere from 3^rd (automatic promotion would likely be too much to ask, especially if Scott Parker remains at West Ham) to 15^th (with the clubs resources relegation should not be a threat, hopefully!). They are not alone either, every club in the league bar a few financial horror shows and a few brooding giants eyeing up the trips to Old Trafford and Anfield before too long; every club will have the potential to finish almost anywhere.

If you are not familiar with this league then I fully suggest giving it a go. The games are played in often full stadiums, there will be more than a few names that you’ll recognise, and the blood and thunder that many people love about the Premier League is there in spades. It all kicks off this weekend, Southampton have a testing first fixture against the might of Leeds United, at what is sure to be a packed out St Marys. Just take my advice, keep your money in your pocket…

Oh, go on then...Saints to score first in a 2-2 draw, Jose Fonte final goalscorer. Leeds, Leicester and West Ham to go up :)