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The opening Friday night of the season of the 25/26 Championship season draws ever closer, which will see Birmingham City and Ipswich Town open the curtain on what promises to be another thrilling season with plenty of twists and turns to go on throughout the year.
With Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town returning to the league once again and Birmingham City, Wrexham and Charlton Athletic joining from League One, the Championship is once again shaping up to be an absolute corker.
Today, as is regular and will later ensue ahead of the Premier League season, I’m going to look into the crystal ball and throw out some predictions for where every side will finish next season.
24. Sheffield Wednesday
The reality of the situation with Sheffield Wednesday is a bleak, yet simple one: as long as Dejphon Chansiri is part of the club, Wednesday will suffer. The latest instalment of that will surely see the Owls relegated this season, and not only have I predicted such an event, but also for them to finish dead last.
German manager Danny Röhl installed an exciting brand of football that gave fans reason to be hopeful, but his recent departure is yet another huge blow towards their survival hopes next season. Whoever comes in will not only have big shoes to fill, but will also be faced with the near impossible task given the squad they have to distract fans and those around the league from the chaos going on above him at the club. A US consortium lead by mental health pioneer Adam Shaw had a second takeover bid rejected earlier in the year, meaning the heavy black cloud above Wednesday’s heads continues to hang over them.
Worsening the situation for the club coming into the new campaign is the loss of star striker Josh Windass to newly promoted Wrexham, who left the club on a free after financial issues meant he could not renew his contract. The son of former Premier League striker Dean Windass, the 31-year-old has always been a prominent goalscorer in the EFL and will surely continue his good form for the Red Dragons next season.
It could take a whole piece in its own right to detail all the problems that exist at the club, but for now I’ll keep it short and sweet about the impending doom that seems a certainty for Wednesday this season.
23. Oxford United
Oxford United returned to the championship for the first time since 2001 last season, and after an excellent second half of the season under Gary Rowett which saw them claim 35 points from 26 games after his appointment in December, claimed a solid 17th place finish, four points clear of the relegation zone.
Despite Rowett’s clear talent especially in relegation battles, unfortunately I don’t think the quality is there to keep the U’s up this season. Losing the likes of Ben Nelson and Alex Matos from their loan stints could spell trouble following the important roles they played in the side last season, despite Brian De Keersmaecker being brought in to add steel to the midfield it may now be lacking without Matos.
While some may view the likes of Cameron Brannagan, Mark Harris and Tyler Goodham as solid players that will be enough to keep the Oxfordshire side up this season, with none of them breaking double figures for goals and assists in the league last season, I worry where the goals and quality will come this season which could mean trouble for Rowett’s side.
22. Hull City
Recent investment in the squad, while encouraging to see funds being pumped into the squad in the hope to assure survival, has ultimately created a very messy squad with lots of names rather than any true quality that could see them staying up this season.
Partner that with a new manager in Sergej Jakirović who has a mixed track record across Europe, most recently with Süper Lig side Kayserispor after getting the sack at Dinamo Zagreb, next season could look bleak for the Tigers.
Another major red flag is the glaring issue of no real top attacker in the side that can help score the goals to keep Jakirović’s side up this season. Last season’s top goalscorer in the league was 32-year-old Joao Pedro with six, but even the experienced Italian has departed the club this summer for Mexican side Atlético San Luis. The goals and contributions from the likes of Abu Kamara and Joe Gelhart may not be enough to see Hull survive by next May.
21. Charlton Athletic
In June 2023 ahead of their fourth season in a row in League One, former Sunderland executive director Charlie Methven agreed a deal with former owner Thomas Sandagaard to take over Charlton Athletic with his firm SE7 Partners. In his first season, the Addicks plummeted to 16th in a lacklustre transition season for the club. Last season saw a rapid resurgence though, and after a mightily impressive 4th place finish, a 1-0 win against Leyton Orient at Wembley saw Nathan Jones’s side return to the Championship for the first time since 2020.
When they were relegated in the 2019/20 season, they arrived to the league as play-off winners and failed to adapt to the league which saw their swift return to the third tier of English football. This time though, with a much steadier pair of hands in control of the club and Nathan Jones steering the ship on the pitch, I predict their fate won’t match that of 2020 and they will survive this season, one better place than they achieved last time out.
While the loss of pacey wing-back Thierry Small is a bad loss with the bright future that’s ahead of him- especially to league rivals around the same end of the table in Preston North End- the arrivals of young, dynamic attackers in Rob Apter and Tanto Olaofe are exciting prospects for Jones this season. Adding Championship experience with the likes of Thomas Kaminksi, Amari’i Bell, Reece Burke and Joe Rankin-Costello will also be helpful this season as well as improving the side all over the pitch.
While players like Tanto Olaofe, Matty Gooden and Luke Berry will all need to step up and get firing in the league above what they’re used to if Charlton are to survive this season, I back all of them to do so which will partner nicely with the seemingly solid defence that has been added to this season.
20. Queens Park Rangers
Life after Martí Cifuentes will certainly be tough for QPR after the head coach departed for the freshly relegated Leicester City after they parted ways with Ruud van Nistelrooy. While many have put the club’s survival in recent seasons mainly down to the Spaniard, of which in the last three they’ve finished 15th, 18th and 20th in ascending order, I think the remaining quality in the squad alongside the brave appointment of Julien Stéphan will be enough to keep the R’s up this season once again.
Kwame Poku is an exciting acquisition after he ran his contract down at Peterborugh United to join Julien Stéphan’s ranks on a free transfer after an excellent 24/25 campaign that saw him finish on 23 goals and assists in 31 games. If dangerous young winger Karamoko Dembele can regain fitness and get firing once again after going through knee surgery late last year, which only saw him start five more games after returning in late February, they could form a dangerous duo that could propel them away from the relegation zone.
Irishman Jimmy Dunne will lead the defence once again this season after putting pen to paper on a new contract in June, protecting French shot-stopper Paul Nardi in goal who will want to build off an impressive first season in West London.
19. Preston North End
After a relegation dogfight last season that saw them finish just a point above the drop zone, I’ve got Paul Heckingbottom’s side going just one better this season after what has been a summer of change at Deepdale.
Acquisitions such as Odeluga Offiah, Daniel Iversen and Thierry Small are smart pieces of business, especially as the last two were picked up on free transfers. Worthwhile experience and steel has been added to the squad too like former Stoke midfielder Jordan Thompson and Sheffield Wednesday duo Michael Smith and Pol Valentin. Bournemouth striker Daniel Jebbison also joins on loan to add pace and power to the frontline in what looks like a good move for the 21-year-old.
Unfortunately, despite the quality added to the squad by the players above, the squas still looks and plays like a side that will fail to push too high up into the mid-table and seem unlikely to stay clear of the relegation zone all season, and will only patch up holes until the squad gets a true refresh it needs.
Wether the fiery Yorkshireman Paul Heckingbottom will last the entire season is a rather large question mark, given his willingness to take a cold and brutal account of how his team performs rather publicly. While some appreciate his often scathing honesty and see it as a path towards a future where the club won’t be lurking in the lower places in the Championship, others see it as a ticking time bomb waiting to explode which could lead him to fall out with the owners, the players or the fans, perhaps even combinations of both throughout the season.
18. Stoke City
Keeping Stoke in the same position they finished in last season may seem harsh given the positives they’ve taken from the summer window- but many have held high expectations for Stoke in recent seasons, and yet the Potters have continued to dwell in the lower half of the league table.
It’s difficult to view their summer window so far anything other than positive, as former Coventry boss Mark Robins continues to rebuild the club after his appointment in January. Picking up Makysm Talovierov from recently relegated Plymouth Argyle seems to be a coup after his excellent performances last year, as well as picking up tricky Welsh winger Sorba Thomas after he spent a mixed season in Ligue 1 with Nantes.
West Ham veteran Aaron Cresswell is also a good addition after his contract ended with the Hammers in June, despite experience a decline that saw him start just 10 games and only completing 90 minutes four times after Graham Potter was appointed in January. Tottenham youngster Ashley has also re-joined on loan and will surely continued to play crucial role in the backline as he continues to develop.
Stoke’s glaring problem continues to be their midfield though, which may lack the quality and reliability to thrust them up the table this season. Though there is still time and funds to solve this, the losses of Wouter Berger and Sol Sidibé certainly reduce the strength of the midfield following their departures to Hoffenheim and PSV respectively. This leaves the likes of Bae Junho, Andrew Moran and Lewis Baker to pick up the pieces and will have to see both Moran and Baker step up physically and technically unless further investments are made.
Given this is sporting director and former striker Jonathan Walters’s second summer transfer window in his career, it’s not guarantee whoever else is brought in to replenish the midfield will replace Berger and Sidibé sufficiently, especially after a mixed summer last year with Sam Gallagher and Eric Bocat, the second and third most expensive signings last summer behind the injury-plagued Bosun Lawal, failing to establish themselves in the side all season long.
17. Wrexham
This season’s complete unknown has to be Wrexham, as their ever unpredictable and simply magnificent decent up through the EFL has continued to the Championship. It’ll be their first time being in the second tier of English football since 1982, riding the highs of the last few seasons as the club have clinched the remarkable achievement of being the first side to ever complete back-to-back-to-back promotions from the National League in the fifth tier to the Championship today.
Ryan Reynold’s and Rob Rob McElhenney’s pockets have also stretched to held the Welsh outfit add the likes of midfielders Lewis O’Brien and George Thomason, as well as scouse defender Conor Coady and left-back Liberato Cacace. Strikers Keither Moore and Ryan Hardie have also joined the ranks, as well as acquiring Danny Ward and Josh Windass on free transfers.
Despite all these excellent moves, the Championship is a very difficult league to acclimatise to, despite the talented managerial team lead by Phil Parkinson and the obvious spending power behind him. A season of consolidation looks to be on the cards for the Red Dragons.
16. Portsmouth
Portsmouth are also a hard team to nail down, coming off the back of a decent first campaign back in the Championship finish 16th and five points clear of the relegation zone and an almost flawless pre-season. Despite this, second season syndrome is often common in such an unpredictable league as the Championship. Between 2013 to 2023, 23 of the 30 teams (77%) promoted to the league at least survived in their first season up, whereas only 15 of the 23 (65%) survived again the following season , reflecting the fresh challenges these campaigns throw up.
Pompey’s key to the window has been retaining their key assets (so far at least), whilst clearing deadwood from the books like Anthony Scully and Cohen Bramall. John Mousinho will be hoping Josh Murphy will be able to replicate his excellent campaign last season that saw him contribute 21 goals and assists in the league, as well as hoping he continues to build on his dynamic partnership with Oliver Ogilvie.
It could be inactivity with their incomings that hinders Portsmouth this season though, with only four new faces joining the club, the marquee signing of the group being former West Brom and Reading playmaker John Swift. Swansea winger Florian Bianchini joins on loan that will be fine depth for their attack, but more fire power may be needed up there even if Josh Murphy keeps up his form from last season.
15. Derby County
At a glance, Derby’s squad- despite the additions of the likes of Patrick Agyemang, Rhian Brewster and Andy Wieimann- is nothing to rave about. Like the aforementioned PNE, they finished just a point above the relegation zone, and throughout most of the season looked doomed for the drop. It’s a simple solution as to how they stayed up, and surely will this season too- John Eustace.
The 45-year-old performed excellently at former clubs Birmingham and Blackburn, but was infamously sacked by the former (and embarrassingly replaced by Wayne Rooney), and left the latter over communicational challenges. His tenure at the Rams now gives him the platform to show what he can do across a full season in a more stable environment, with a backroom and fanbase that truly backs him.
Their confidence has been symbolised by the eight signings that have been completed so far this window, most notably 24-year-old Patrick Agyemang who joins from MLS outfit Charlotte FC. 13 goals and assists in 36 games 2024 followed by 10 goals and assists in 18 this year has earned the Ghanian a move to Europe, despite Charlotte being deep into their MLS campaign.
While these signings can be praised though, the ages of most of them fails to set Derby up for any long term success under Eustace. New attackers Andy Weimann and Carlton Morris have a combined age of 62, and new centre-half Danny Batth is 34, which helps bring the average age of the squad up to 28.1 years. Loan signings Owen Beck and David Ozoh will bring that down and add great quality to the squad repsectively, but are unlikely to be long-term fixtures at Pride Park.
14. Watford
Last season was an odd one for the Hornets, flirting with a place in the play-offs throughout multiple spells in the season with a squad that on paper was certainly over performing. A much more realistic second half of the season saw Watford ultimately tumble to 14th, where they only won two of their last 10.
The energetic young core of the squad has continued to expand this summer also, most notably with the permanent signing of Nestory Irankunda from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. The 2006-born winger has already made his international debut for Australia, after impressing at Adelaide United from the age of 16. Pacey, direct and sharp with the ball at his feet, Irankunda is certainly a prospect for the future that could be the key to propelling Watford up the table.
New Uruguayan manager Paulo Pezzolano is a heavy gamble after the job Tom Cleverley performed last season, as the former midfielder restored some calm and stability with a familiar face the fanbase could truly get behind. The unpopular decision to relive him of his duties at the end of the season, which is a common theme with most sackings Watford so regularly make, will mean there will be a hill to climb for Pezzolano this season that may prevent the Hornets pushing any higher than they did last season.
13. Swansea City
After a successful caretaker period between February and the end of the season in May where he won 23 points from 12 games, Swansea confirmed that caretaker manager Alan Sheehan will take over in the dugout on a permanent basis, signing a three-year deal to keep him in South Wales until 2028. Having a new and tactically flexible manager at the helm, as well as new investors in rap legend Snoop Dogg and legendary midfielder Luka Modrić, gives Swansea fans lots of reason to be optimistic about the future.
The Swans have taken a gamble on 23-year-old winger Ziedane Inoussa from Swedish side Hacken, after finishing on nine goals and assists in 23 games in the Swedish first division last season. Following the departure of Harry Darling on a free to fellow Championship rivals Norwich City, they’ve bolstered the defence with proven EFL centre-halves Ricardo Santos and Cameron Burgess. Midfielder Ethan Galbraith also joins the ranks.
Wether Sheehan’s inexperience and Darling’s departure is enough to see Swansea drop two places from last season’s respectable 11th place finish is a question yet to be unanswered, but it may prove to be the overall quality of the squad, especially in midfield, won’t quite have enough to see them push into the top half of the table this season.
12. Bristol City
Under Liam Manning last season, Bristol City certainly overachieved most’s expectations for them and snuck into the play-offs in 6th place on the chaotic final day of the season. Though they were effortlessly wept aside by Sheffield United in the semi-finals, it was a tremendous achievement by Struber and his side, but unfortunately not one most will see them being able to recreate next season (despite last season their 6th place finish told fans not to underestimate them).
New gaffer Gerhard Struber inherits a squad that currently, despite new arrivals like Emil Riis and Adam Randell from Preston and Plymouth respectively, is tactically incompatible with how his sides like to play. He plays fast-tempo, high-energy brand of football that may take a couple seasons to get used to.
The Robins will also need players like Scott Twine, Yu Hirakawa and the ever reliable Jason Knight step up in forward areas to replace the creativity and instinct Nakhi Wells had last season, as the 34-year-old departed the club this summer for Luton Town. Despite his age, the former Bradford City and Huddersfield star contributed 14 goals and assists last season, the most in the squad and just one ahead of Albanian Anis Mehmeti.
11. Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn’s talented squad, that fell at the last hurdle to achieve a play-off spot on the final day, should be enough to push them up towards the same position again this season, especially after retaining so many of their stars so far this window. The problem, however, still lies at a rough ownership situation behind the scenes with Indian conglomerates the Venky’s.
Their nonchalance regarding the maintenance of the club continues to restrict Blackburn from ever seriously challenging for a return to the Premier League. If not for individual talent, managerial success and a devoted fanbase, it could have been a very drab and embarrassing past few years at Ewood Park.
Tyrhys Dolan is a big loss in attack after he chose not to renew and depart English shores for La Liga outfit Espanyol, but the likes of Todd Cantwell, Makhtar Gueye and Yuko Ohashi should have enough fire power in the front lines to make up for the numbers he produced last season. Key figures in the backline like Dom Hyam and Callum Brittain have also stuck around to bolster the backline next season.
Head coach Valérien Ismaël’s aggressive playing style should suit some but not all though, in a squad that overachieved last season, primarily under John Eustace. As such, regression to the bottom half would be expected as Ismaël continues to build on the success he’s found in the Championship previously at West Brom and Watford.
10. Millwall
Exciting times are set for Millwall as the club look to expand on their 8th place finish from last season following Alex Neil’s appointment in late December and his contract extension he signed in June. The Englishman was a sensible appointment after previous success in the EFL under Norwich, whom he achieved promotion to the Premier League with in 2015, and Sunderland, who returned to the Championship under his management in 2022.
The gifted young side has continued to grow this summer with the likes of Josh Coburn and Alfie Doughty joining the club, but have also added some more experienced figures like Aussie midfielder Massimo Luongo and ‘keeper Max Crocombe from Burton Albion. The side has purged some deadwood too that will be entering the twilights of their careers, like George Saville, Murray Wallace and George Honeyman.
Despite all the positive pieces of business being done, creativity still seems to be a glaring problem for the Lions, though young Serbian starlet Mihailo Ivanović might just be good enough to create chances and finish them as he continues to develop at the age of 19. Under Neil’s tutelage and a brilliant work ethic about him, he looks certain to smash the 12 goals he notched last season.
9. West Bromwich Albion
Good fortunes have began to fall onto West Brom in the past few seasons, as the new era of the club under Shilen Patel- who acquired the club in February 2024 from the problematic leadership of Lai Guochan- has got plenty of momentum that cold see the club take more significant steps to a return to the Premier League, a league they haven’t competed in since 2021 after being a mainstay in the top flight during most of the 2010s.
An exciting attack lead by Nigerian striker Josh Maja certainly has the potential to fire the Baggies into the play offs, especially with the tricky wingers in Tom Fellows and Mikey Johnson. Norwegian striker Aune Heggebø will certainly add some dynamism and energy in the final third also. What was already a solid backline with the likes of Darnell Furlong and Kyle Bartley has been bolstered by the likes of Nat Phillips and George Campbell too.
The looming question of West Brom’s season will be how they’ll perform under former Tottenham midfielder Ryan Mason, who takes to the dugout for his first permanent role as head coach after performing interim roles at Spurs and acting as assistant manager during Jose Mourinho and Antione Conte’s stints with the club.
He’ll have rather large boots to fill, as Carlos Corberan still needs an apt replacement after he departed for Valencia last December. Tony Mowbray was eventually proven to be the wrong choice, after winning just six of his 18 games with the club after being appointed in mid-January.
8. Norwich City
With an average age of 24.7 years of age, Norwich have built a squad that oozes potential that, assuming their many prospects can develop and grow under new gaffer Liam Manning, could easily be a Premier League side in seasons to come. Given the losses Manning will have already had to deal with, and the impending sales that seem certain to come, a five place improvement to 8th this season seems a realistic expectation and a respectable finish for Norwich.
23-year-old Mathias Kvistgaarden joins the club to act as deputy (at least for now) to star American striker Josh Sargent, but last season’s fourth top goalscorer looks destined for a move away from Carrow Road, with sides like Leeds, Leicester and Roma reportedly interested. Second top goalscorer Borja Sainz has already departed for Porto, helping to balance the books after leaving for £14.25 million.
Despite the creative wizardry the likes of Marcelino Núñez and Emiliano Marcondes are able to produce, the losses of Sargent and Sainz leaves a massive goal deficit in the squad, after the duo contributed to just under a third of the side’s goals scored last season in the Championship.
The Canaries will have to hope new faces like Kvistgaarden, Papa Amadou Diallo and Jeffery Schlupp to help make up the offensive fire power. Croatian forward Ante Crnac will hope to build off a good first season in England also, after notching 11 goals and assists in 39 games last season.
7. Middlesborough
Sacking the tactically bland and inexperienced head coach Michael Carrick and replacing the former Manchester United and England midfielder with Rob Edwards could just be the rocket fuel needed to take Middlesborough back to the top flight. In such a competitive league though, seeing them falling just short of a play-off spot here could be realistic given the maintenance still needed on the squad in key areas.
It was a big decision to “sell-up” in January, as two key players in Emmanuel Latte Lath and Matt Clarke both departed the club. Alfie Jones joins from Hull City to seemingly replace Clarke to play alongside Dutch defender Rav Van den Berg, but will also have to replace Anfernee Dijksteel after the 28-year-old left the club after six years with the club. The former Charlton defender has been a key figure in the Boro defence during his tenure at the club, and after playing the 5th most amount of minutes in the squad under Carrick last season, he certainly won’t be easy to replace.
Concerns may linger over how a squad that has operated with back fours and a lone striker for the past few seasons will adapt to Edwards’s system with flying wing backs and two front men, but Edwards is renowned for his excellent man management skills to help motivate his players and help them adapt to his style of football. Transition seasons are never easy, even with the quality in Boro’s squad, which is why being a whisker away from a play-off spot may not be the end of the world.
6. Coventry City
November 28th marked a new era in the West Midlands, as former Chelsea and Derby manager Frank Lampard put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal following the eyebrow-raising sacking of Mark Robins, who has since gone on to join Stoke. Since that day, Cov went on top acquire more points than anyone else in the league until the end of the season, where a 5th place finish saw them take on Sunderland in the play-offs. After two bouts of late Geordie drama across both legs- the second seeing Dan Ballard fire his side to Wembley in the 121st minute- Lampard’s side can just short, leading them to their sixth consecutive season in the second tier.
Star players like Jack Rudoni, Haji Wright and Ephron Mesan-Clark to name a few of their young starlets of last season have so far been retained, setting them up for more success this season. It does look likely not all of them will stick around though, as rumours persist around Dutch right-back Milan van Ewijk, with Wolfsburg strongly linked with his services. Capturing Kaine Kesler-Hayden’s signature early in the window may have shown his sale was only a matter of when not if.
Carl Rushworth is also a smart piece of business from Brighton, as the 24-year-old looked likely to play second fiddle to Bart Verbruggen at the Amex this season before joining the Sky Blues. Brad Collins looked shaky in the back end of the 2024/25 campaign, and Rushworth will be looking to have a better crack at the Championship than he did last season, where he only made two appearances at Hull following an ankle injury in October.
With an already excellent squad and a safe pair of hands between the sticks now, Coventry should be comfortably in the top six this season, potentially keeping the automatics within their sights.
5. Leicester City
Despite the woes that exist behind the scenes at the club, Leicester City come into the season with a top class new manager in Martí Cifuentes and nine of the 11 that dominantly won the league in the 2023/24 season. Though potential points deductions after being charged with an alleged breach of the English Football League’s financial rules could hinder his side from pushing for the automatics, the class this squad oozes shouldn’t be enough to stop them from getting at least into the play-offs.
Namely, Danish goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, the dynamic full-back duo of James Justin and Ricardo Pereira, centre-backs Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard, no-nonsense midfielder Harry Winks, playmaker Bilal El Khannouss, electric winger Abdul Fatawu and wide forward Stephy Mavididi. It does seem more likely though that Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi will depart the club, as links to the likes of Besiktas, Everton and Valencia continue to strengthen.
Replacing club legend Jamie Vardy seems to be the lingering concern with the Foxes’s upcoming season, though Cifuentes seems comfortable to utilise Jordan Ayew and Patson Daka for now with both being used plenty by the Spaniard in pre-season. Daka’s fitness concerns and Ayew’s age may cause problems for him though, which may call for investment before the window shuts (if Leicester are able to make something happen, as they have limited wriggle room for spending).
4. Sheffield United
It’s been a tough old summer for Sheffield United fans, though many will look at what’s happening at bitter rivals Sheffield Wednesday and be glad it’s not as bas as the situation there. Regardless of what’s been happening at Hillsborough, the misery started for the Blades when a 95th minute strike from Tom Watson sunk them at Wembley as Sunderland pulled the upset and were promoted to the Premier League. 25 days later, it was announced that Chris Wilder would depart the club on a mutual agreement, which was later to be revealed over disagreements he had with the board over their recruitment process this summer.
Partner all of that with the departures of key figures like Vini Souza, Anel Ahmedhodžić and Keiffer Moore and are yet to really replace any of them- despite signing Djibril Soumare, a 22-year-old midfielder who has only joined on loan- means this season may see a regression from the excellent 90-point season they had last year that earned them a third place finish.
Former Southampton, Reading and Hull boss Rubén Sellés seems to be a sensible appointment that will certainly see a clear brand of football become instilled in the squad though, and the retention of other top stars like goalkeeper Michael Cooper, key creators Gus Hamer and Callum O’Hare and their top goalscorer last season in Tyrese Campbell means even with the departures they’ve suffered this summer, there’s certainly enough quality still about to keep them competitive.
3. Southampton
It’s been a very difficult period for Southampton since the Sports Republic group took over in January 2022 under Dragan Šolak, but their recent stroke of genius by appointing Will Still could result in not only an immediate return to the Premier League, but a manager that could keep them up their for the next few seasons if they achieve such a feat.
Still is an extremely intelligent coach, easily and constantly able to adapt his play-style if something isn’t quite working with his squad. His career as a head coach took off with Stade de Reims, where he started with a 14-game unbeaten streak across all competitions, until being knocked out of the Coupe de France. This unbeaten streak then ran into Ligue 1, going unbeaten in 17 Ligue 1 games to set a new record for the league. After harshly receiving the sack there, he took to Lens last season, guiding them to a decent 8th place finish.
All this at the age of just 32 is awfully impressive, and now comes back to England for work for the first time since he was assistant manager of Preston North End’s U14 squad in 2012. It certainly won’t be easy for him though, as he’s already lost lots of key players and looks set to loose even more. Kyle Walker-Peters chose not to renew his contract at the club and has since joined West Ham. Kamaldeen Sulemana and Paul Onuachu have departed the club for European sides depleting their frontline. Last season’s bright sparks in Matheus Fernandes and Tyler Dibling also still seem likely to leave the club, with Everton locked in negotiations for the latter at time of writing. England international Aaron Ramsdale has also jumped ship, signing for Newcastle earlier in the week.
Young German striker Damion Downs has joined the club to help boost the forward options, and his compatriot Joshua Quarshie has also joined from Hoffenheim to slip into the backline, seemingly to replace Jan Bednarek who left for Porto for £6.5 million. They’ll join a squad full of steady players more than ready to compete for promotion once again, like Flynn Downs, Adam Armstrong, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Ronnie Edwards.
With so many key departures and not too many signings that seem like they could properly replace them, this season may be difficult at times for Southampton, but with a top class manager like Still at the helm, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them flirting with automatic promotion this season.
2. Birmingham City
Though unsurprising, Birmingham City’s dominant promotion back to the Championship was nothing short of miraculous last season, and with the good times back in the West Midlands, their momentum might just carry them back to the Premier League for the first time since 2011.
It’s not just brilliant momentum that will contribute to their pending success this season, however. Top tier recruitment, on top of what was already a very well rounded squad, has them locked in as one of the favourites for promotion this campaign. Turfing out players not quite the quality for where they want to be- like Alfie May, Emmanuel Longelo and Grant Hanley- has helped raise some extra budget that they’ve splashed very well across the window.
Japanese duo Kyogo Furuhashi and Kanya Fujimoto will add a tremendous amount of quality, experience and energy to their frontlines, alongside returning academy graduate Demarai Gray on a free transfer after his escapade to Saudi Arabia. Tommy Doyle on loan from Wolves seems to be an absolute coup, especially after how impressive he was in his limited Premier League minutes last season. The Blues have brilliantly added to their back line too with the likes of Bright Osayi-Samuel, Eiran Cashin and Phil Neumann. Taylor Gardner-Hickman also joins the club permanently after impressing in the 29 appearances he made in League One last season.
With an excellent manager like Chris Davies at the helm to help integrate these new faces into an already top class squad with the likes of Christoph Klarer, Tomoki Iwata and Jay Stansfield to name just a few, the club looks set to continue arguably the most exciting era in their entire history, and back-to-back promotions feels a distinct possibility. Double promotion is no easy task though, despite Ipswich disproving this theory two years ago.
1. Ipswich Town
Ipswich’s last bout at the Championship was thrilling, and there are very few doubting it won’t be that way once again this season. Two years ago, Ipswich had just returned to the league for the first time since 2019 under Kieran McKenna with many sensing they’d be the underdogs for the season in the battle for promotion. After marvellously pulling the double promotion off, they slumped to relegation last season in 19th, but now return to the league as the overwhelming favourites for the title.
Even though their transfer activity has been fairly limited- midfielder Azor Matusiwa has joined the club as the long-term replacement for former captain Sam Morsy, as well as veteran full-back Ashley Young and centre-half Cédric Kipré- the squad that’s come down and for the most part been retained is still fully capable of walking their way to the title this season.
Liam Delap has already left for Chelsea, and Omari Hutchinson still has a grey cloud above his head over his future at the club with Brentford heavily interested, but star power elsewhere in attack like Jaden Philogene, Sammie Szmodics, Jack Clarke and George Hirst means they shouldn’t be short of creativity or clinicality this campaign. Behind them, the aforementioned Matusiwa will partner the energetic Jack Taylor. The backline will also be very hard to pierce, with the likes of Leif Davis, Jacob Greaves and new captain Dara O’Shea in front of excellent shot-stopper Alex Palmer.
McKenna will not only have a side full of promise and desire to return to the top flight, but a very fun side with lots of individual talent that will make them an excellent watch this season for fans all over the country. Though Blues might just end up pushing them for the title, it’ll certainly take them a lot to deny them the trophy come May, so to most fans I’d recommend they sit back and enjoy the show.
