A closed shop in some ways, wide open in others: the Championship is a befuddlingly fascinating league, specialising in one thing above all: chaos.
It’s true that automatic promotion races of the last two seasons have both featured a swashbuckling, runaway champion followed by a runner-up cruising to second, challenged only by a resurgent slow starter. It’s also true that there’s been no final-day drama in the relegation dogfight since 2020-21. But the play-off scrambles have been absolute box-office.
With just two games left in 2022-23, even a team in the bottom half had a chance of qualifying for the post-season. On the final day, five teams fought for two places. Luton ultimately won the play-offs – a massive achievement for a club that had been in non-league as recently as 2014, and a message to all that success against the odds is possible with smart ownership, recruitment and coaching.
There’s no denying, though, that the clubs with parachute payments have a sizeable advantage. It’s one that Leeds, Leicester and Southampton must seize. The Yorkshire club will have a lively, energetic squad if they can avoid too many important departures, while Leicester hope that Enzo Maresca has learned plenty as Pep Guardiola’s assistant, and new Saints boss Russell Martin must ensure there’s an efficiency behind his side’s possession principles.
The biggest threat to the tumbled trio may come from Middlesbrough, given their form after Michael Carrick took charge last October: 58 points from his 30 games, scoring 65 goals and conceding 35. After such end-to-end entertainment, losing their play-off semi-final 1-0 over two legs could be incentivising.
Their conquerors, Coventry, have new ownership and a manager who can do no wrong, having taken the club from League Two to within one game of the Premier League. Mark Robins may struggle to replace key players, however, and the same could be true at fellow play-off losers Sunderland, although they have bagged a potential Australia captain of the future in their gloriously-named defender, Nectarios Triantis.
Millwall must recover from the uncharacteristic mental collapse that kicked them out of the play-off places on final day, but finishes of 8th, 11th, 9th and 8th under Gary Rowett suggest they’ll be involved. Blackburn, whose three second-half goals stunned the Lions that day, went close themselves, and have a clear pressing identity under Jon Dahl Tomasson.
Things look a little less positive at West Bromwich Albion, though they have an outstanding coach in Carlos Corberan, while Watford and Norwich, so dominant in previous seasons, need serious rebuilds – as do Gareth Ainsworth’s QPR, due to a total stylistic change and a worrying slump that nearly relegated them. And Stoke began pre-season training without a full XI under contract. Anyone for five-a-side?
Bristol City and Preston, perennial mid-tablers, will hope they can push on. So, too, Liam Rosenior and John Eustace, talented coaches intending to build on progressive first seasons at Hull and Birmingham respectively. Faced with vacancies in their dugouts, Welsh rivals Cardiff and Swansea took two very different approaches: Erol Bulut arrives in the capital from Turkey, and Michael Duff in Swansea having worked wonders at Cheltenham and Barnsley.
The Swans are in a double-figured list of clubs who feel they can aim for the play-offs, behind the small cluster expecting an automatic promotion challenge – but who knows what surprises are in store? Ipswich could join the top six mix straight away. Consolidation would be no mere consolation, though, for the also-promoted pair of Plymouth and, still reeling from Darren Moore’s shock exit, Sheffield Wednesday.
Elsewhere in Yorkshire, 50 points is the objective for Rotherham and Huddersfield. Neil Warnock, 74, is staying with the Terriers for one last, last, last dance. Well, there has to be some continuity in the chaos…
PREDICTION
1 Leicester
2 Middlesbrough
3 Southampton
4 Sunderland
5 Ipswich
6 Blackburn
7 Leeds
8 West Brom
9 Millwall
10 Coventry
11 Watford
12 Norwich
13 Hull
14 Swansea
15 Stoke
16 Bristol City
17 Preston
18 Birmingham
19 Sheffield Wed
20 Plymouth
21 Huddersfield
22 Rotherham
23 Cardiff
24 QPR
WHO WILL WIN THE LEAGUE?
THE ULTIMATE QUIZ
GET INVOLVED TWEET US USING THE HASHTAG #FFTPREVIEW
01 Leicester City are the second club to be relegated after winning the Premier League – who were the first?
02 Valerien Ismael [below] is in charge of Watford this time around, but who was the first manager the Pozzo family hired at Vicarage Road?
03 Who was the Championship’s top scorer last season?
04 Who are currently the longest-serving club in the second tier?
05 The smallest ground in the Championship hosted matches at Women’s Euro 2022 last year. Who plays there?
06 Which Championship club famously made Boiler Man their mascot in 2018?
07 Who managed Southampton to their last promotion in 2012?
08 Which two animals feature on the crest of Cardiff City?
09 Neil Warnock, Uwe Rosler and Kevin Blackwell have all spent time managing which club in the Championship?
10 What’s the most populous town in England to have never had a club in the top flight?
1. Blackburn Rovers 2. Gianfranco Zola 3. Chuba Akpom 4. Birmingham City 5. Rotherham United (New York Stadium) 6. West Bromwich Albion 7. Nigel Adkins 8. Swift and dragon 9. Leeds United 10. Plymouth
BIRMINGHAM CITY
LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 17th FA CUP Fourth Round LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Scott Hogan (10)
FAN FILE
RYAN DEENEY
@RyanDeeney2194
Last season was as good as we’ve had for a while, surviving comfortably with a patched-up squad and in the face of numerous off-field issues.
The big talking point is the new shareholders, Shelby Companies Limited, and what the future holds. We’re finally being taken over!
This season will be different because we have some assurances over the future, regardless of where we finish.
I won’t be happy unless the new owners completely revamp how the club is being run from top to bottom.
Our key player will be Tahith Chong [below], who joined from Manchester United. He’s quick and direct and now contributes more in the final third.
Look out for George Hall. The England Under-19 international midfielder is set to have a breakthrough year. Fans think our owner is going to start a new era after years in the doldrums.
The opposition player I’d love here is Luton’s Carlton Morris. A monster.
The opposition player who grinds my gears is Swansea’s Ryan Manning, who got Troy Deeney booked for play-acting. Deeney had the last laugh by escaping him for a late equaliser.
The active player I’d love to have back is Jude Bellingham, obviously, and we’ve just lost younger brother Jobe to Sunderland. I’ll take Nathan Redmond and Demarai Gray, too.
Barry Bannan, now he’s back here with Sheffield
