da realsbet： The Championship is widely regarded as one of the most competitive and unpredictable leagues not just in England, but in Europe and perhaps even the World, too! The sheer volume of games and the number of teams of similar quality help produce a fiercely hard league to escape from, and teams falling out of the Premier League often struggling to bounce back into the top-tier straight away, even with the help of parachute payments.
da supremo： In fact, over the last three seasons, not one team relegated the previous campaign has managed to gain promotion the following season, and the number barely reaches 15% in the Premier League era. It’s increasingly more likely that teams will get lost in the mire of the Championship, even suffering further relegations over time – as evidenced by clubs like Portsmouth and Wigan in the past few seasons.
With this in mind, here I shall look at some of the best candidates for promotion from the Championship – automatically or via the playoffs – to the Premier League this season, including some of those relegated last time out.
Middlesbrough
Starting at the top, current league leaders ‘Boro’ came so close to achieving promotion last season, eventually losing to Norwich in the play-off final. Built on a solid defensive foundation by Aitor Karanka – Jose Mourinho’s former right-hand man at Real Madrid- the club from the North East appear poised to go one better than last season. With a good mix of Premier League experience (Stewart Downing, Dave Nugent etc) and young hungry players, it certainly looks like this season could see a return to top-flight football for Middlesbrough and ambitious chairman Steve Gibson for the first time since the 2008/09 season.
Hull City
One of last year’s relegated teams, Steve Bruce and his Hull City side look well positioned to buck the trend and return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. With the core of the squad being retained from last campaign, and a free-scoring Abel Hernandez in good form with 10 goals already, the Tigers look a good bet to at least make a play-off spots and could possibly get automatic promotion if they improve their away form.
Burnley
Another of the side’s relegated from last season’s Premier League, gravel-voiced manager Sean Dyche will hope he can lead them back to the promised land of the Premier League at the first time of asking. With exciting young striker Andre Gray banging in the goals and experienced heads such as Joey Barton amongst the players taking to the pitch at Turf Moor, it could be a quick return to the top division for one of the Championship’s most exciting sides.
Ipswich
Boasting the Championship’s best away record, Ipswich Town will hope to emulate last season’s somewhat unexpected, play-off spot, or maybe more, this time out. Experienced manager Mick McCarthy has built a solid, galvanised squad of players and the no-nonsense Yorkshireman – who has managed in the Premier League with both Sunderland and Wolves – would no doubt love another stint in the country’s top division.
Sheffield Wednesday
The only side on this list not currently in the top-six, The Owls have not tasted Premier League football for over 15 seasons, having been relegated in the 1999/00 season. Arguably one of the country’s biggest clubs in a traditional sense, the rebuilding of this historic side has been slow and steady, but this season under relatively unknown Portuguese coach Carlos Carvalhal they stand to have a good shot at the play-offs, particularly if former Watford striker Fernando Forestieri continues his goal-scoring form.