If you needed to be told how unpredictable the Championship is then look no further than the opening game.
Fulham beat favourites Newcastle 1 - 0 at Craven Cottage on Friday night to shock the newly relegated Magpies.
Paul Trollope knows he will be expected to deliver a top six finish even though it's not been laid down as a minimum requirement.
“I haven’t been told we must get to the play-offs – but there is an expectation.
“About two thirds of the teams in the Championship, including some big clubs, are shooting for the top six so it will be some scrap.
"But I want us to go into it with our eyes wide open and our chest puffed out because we need to embrace the challenge. There are tough assignments ahead but the determination is there and we know the expectation is the Premier League and I am fully aware of what the job is.”
Cardiff will not be competing on the same playing field as the big spenders, but Trollope said: “It does not guarantee success and it can bring a lot of pressure. Teams have spent money but we cannot be distracted by that.
“We will face some top operators this season as it is the strongest Championship in years and we want to embrace that challenge and not fear it.
“We have focused on ourselves in pre-season and that will be the same during the season. We feel if we get our physical shape, our tactical work and detail right we feel we can be confident because we have quality. We have players who have played in the Premier League and that is where we want to get back to.”