Three Championship managers already feeling the heat as promotion and relegation predictions emerge

Three Championship managers already feeling the heat as promotion and relegation predictions emerge

A new Championship campaign is almost here, and EFL experts Jeff Stelling and Adrian Clarke have already offered their views on the teams expected to challenge for promotion, compete in the play-offs and struggle near the bottom of the table.

Their predictions also highlight several managers who could find themselves under significant pressure if results fail to meet expectations.

Middlesbrough tipped for the title

Jeff Stelling believes Middlesbrough could be the team to beat this season after a busy summer of recruitment.

He pointed to the money invested by chairman Steve Gibson, with Boro reportedly spending around £36.5 million. New arrivals such as Will Lankshear and goalkeeper Radek Vítek have strengthened the squad, while Kyle Joseph and other additions have further improved their options.

Stelling is also impressed by head coach Kim Hellberg and believes the combination of the manager and recruitment could finally deliver success at the Riverside.

West Ham among the promotion favourites

Adrian Clarke expects West Ham to be one of the strongest teams in the division following their relegation from the Premier League.

He believes the Hammers’ squad has retained enough quality to dominate at Championship level, particularly with players such as Jarrod Bowen remaining at the club.

Clarke also highlighted the arrivals of Joël Veltman and Manor Solomon, while pointing to Nuno’s previous success with Wolves as evidence that the manager knows what it takes to lead a Championship side back into the top flight.

Wolves also expected to challenge

Stelling has Wolves down as another side capable of securing automatic promotion.

The squad contains plenty of experience, including Kieran Trippier and Raúl Jiménez, and Stelling believes Jiménez could prove particularly important in front of goal.

However, he suggested Wolves may still need further investment if they are to maintain their promotion push throughout the season.

Norwich, Wrexham and Southampton in the play-off picture

Norwich City are another club expected to challenge near the top after ending last season strongly under Philippe Clement.

The Canaries won 16 and drew two of their final 25 matches last season, giving them considerable momentum heading into the new campaign.

Wrexham are also viewed as potential play-off contenders after continuing to spend heavily. Their recruitment includes goalkeeper Anthony Patterson and Preston captain Ben Whiteman.

Southampton have also been tipped to reach the play-offs despite losing several players, while Birmingham City are regarded as another possible contender after making significant investment in their squad.

Millwall were mentioned as another outside candidate, with Stelling joking that the Lions seem to find their way into the play-off conversation almost every season.

Bristol City named as a potential dark horse

Adrian Clarke believes Bristol City could surprise plenty of people this season.

The Robins have appointed Michael Skubala, who arrives after making a strong impression at Lincoln City, and Clarke sees him as one of the game’s emerging managers.

Bristol City have also strengthened their attack with the additions of Lorent Tolaj and Dom Ballard, two forwards who impressed in League One.

Although Bristol may not be among the obvious promotion favourites, Clarke thinks they could finally move from being contenders on the fringes to a team genuinely challenging for the top positions.

Managers already facing pressure

Several Championship managers have been identified as potentially vulnerable if their teams make poor starts.

Chris Davies – Birmingham City

Clarke believes Davies could quickly come under pressure at Birmingham if results don’t go their way.

Although he acknowledges the manager has done plenty of good work, expectations at St Andrew’s are high, and a slow start could increase scrutiny.

John Mousinho – Portsmouth

Mousinho is another manager under the spotlight. There has already been speculation surrounding his future, although he chose to remain at Portsmouth rather than leave during the summer.

A poor run of results could reignite those questions.

Chris Wilder – Sheffield United

Wilder also faces pressure following a disappointing campaign last season.

Clarke feels another underwhelming year at Bramall Lane could force the club to consider making a managerial change.

Watford’s manager

Watford were also singled out because of the club’s notorious managerial turnover.

Clarke joked that anyone taking charge at Vicarage Road starts under pressure, predicting that the Hornets could once again go through several managers during the campaign.

Relegation predictions

At the opposite end of the table, Stelling believes three clubs could find themselves fighting for survival.

He has Lincoln City, Charlton Athletic and QPR in his bottom three.

Lincoln’s situation is particularly interesting because they dominated League One last season and earned promotion with an impressive campaign. However, Stelling is unsure whether they have strengthened enough to cope with the demands of the Championship.

Charlton are another concern after finishing only six places above the relegation zone last season without making what Stelling considers significant improvements.

QPR complete his predicted bottom three. Although he likes some of their recruitment, including Tariq Lamptey and Dennis Cirkin, he still expects the London club to struggle.

Blackburn and Preston also facing danger

Clarke has a different view of the relegation battle.

He has Blackburn Rovers among his candidates for the drop after watching them several times last season. He felt they lacked attacking inspiration and often looked flat despite being reasonably solid defensively.

Tony Mowbray’s return provides Blackburn with an interesting storyline, but Clarke is concerned about the club’s limited recruitment so far.

Preston North End are another team he believes could struggle after spending a long time in the Championship without making significant progress.

Portsmouth are also included among Clarke’s potential relegation candidates.

Overall outlook

The Championship looks set to be fiercely competitive, with several clubs possessing realistic promotion ambitions while others face a difficult fight for survival.

West Ham, Middlesbrough and Wolves are among the leading candidates for automatic promotion, with Norwich, Wrexham, Southampton and Birmingham also expected to challenge.

Bristol City could emerge as the surprise package, while the likes of Lincoln, Charlton and QPR have been warned that survival could be difficult.

For the managers under pressure, the opening weeks could prove crucial. Davies, Mousinho and Wilder all have plenty to prove, while Watford’s head coach may have arguably the least room for error of them all.