Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers and Wolves are the top tips for promotion ... with Clarky's Brum rank outsiders at 7/1.
But Peter Lovenkrands is convinced that Blues are heading in the right direction.
The Danish star scored his first two goals for Blues since joining on a free transfer from Newcastle United on Tuesday in the 5-1 demolition of Bury.
Peter Lovenkrands: “We’re staying clear of injuries – touch wood – and it’s all about getting the fitness back and getting ready for the first game of the season and the cup, of course, before that.
“As long as we work hard we will be ready and it’s going in the right direction, definitely.
“We have got so much talent, and some bright young boys coming through as well.
“And even with the older boys, there’s talent as well as experience.
“It’s very good at the moment and, no, I’ve seen nothing to suggest that last season has had an effect.
“There’s a great bunch here.
“It seems that we have got a good togetherness and team spirit, and that shows on the pitch as well.
“I think this pre-season we have been working hard for one another and you need a team that is prepared to do that, to fight for each other first and foremost.”
“Whether it’s pre-season or ot it doesn’t matter, a goal’s a goal.
“To get a couple of goals was great, for my confidence as well, moving to a new club and stuff.
“You want to get goals and that’s what I’ve been brought here for.
“I scored two so I was pleased with that.
“Me and Marlon have played the last two games and it’s coming together.
“He set up my second goal, he showed great striker’s instinct to play the ball across to me.
“All these wee things need to come in games but I am pleased with the way it is going, we understand each other very well and we suit each other very well.”
Lovenkrands has yet to complete a 90 minutes for Blues. In the two games he has appeared, he got 45 minutes at Cheltenham Town and 56 minutes at Gigg Lane.
“I have been doing all the training all the time, we’ve been holding back on the games to make sure I’m all right, just to get slowly into it,’’ he added.
“I feel fully fit, I feel fine, I feel ready to go. So I’m pleased to get these last couple of games in and I feel I can play more.
“We worked really hard at Bury. That was probably the case why the game ended up with five goals for us.
“We pressed them high, we kind of caught them off guard a little bit.
“We have been doing that in training. Our work rate and pressing was top notch and that’s the way it has to be.”