West Brom, Birmingham City, 'a shambles' and the rest -our Championship predictions
| Published date | 06 August 2021 |
| Publication title | Birmingham Mail: Web Edition Articles (England) |
But they aren’t the only clubs with an eye on a seat at the top table, Fulham and Sheffield United are likely to be among the front-runners.
Closer to home Birmingham City have recruited widely and at the very least need to make sure they stay away from yet another relegation scrap.
There is hope that Lee Bowyer can continue the positive results from the end of last term into the beginning of this and make sure Blues are never in trouble at the wrong end of the division.
But will they do it Will Albion and Fulham make an immediate return to the top flight and what of poor Derby, whose troubles off the field extend to events on it.
We asked our team of writers from across the country to put their pens where their mouths are and predict who’s going up, who’s in danger of going down and also provide insight into what’s going on at their club.
Get yourself a cup of tea, sit back and throw yourselves into Reach’s bumper Championship prediction special and let us know what you think by leaving your comments in the section below.
It’s a whopper – here goes:
Who will be promoted and why
Mirror Ricky Charlesworth: Fulham, Sheffield United and Bournemouth. I think Fulham have the strongest squad in the division, especially when you add in players like Harry Wilson to the mix. United will probably have a similar XI to the one they had in the Premier League and with so much firepower at this level they look a shoo-in for an immediate return. I think Bournemouth have played a blinder getting in Scott Parker, whilst their squad will be eager to make up for play-off disappointment last season. Crucially, no star names have left yet.
AFC Bournemouth Jacob Tanswell: I think it’s difficult to look past Sheffield United. A new manager is always a little precarious to wholly assess, but they have managed to retain most of their playing squad so far and have got a set of hardened, robust footballers who have know-how in the Championship.
It will be fascinating to see if one of the perennial yo-yo boys in West Brom get on. Like Sheffield United, they have a new man at the helm in Valerien Ismael, who will come with a catalogue of new ideas that could either enchant or disillusion the Baggies.
Birmingham Brian Dick: I’m really confident about Fulham’s chances – they’ve got a good squad and will score goals – as long as Marco Silva lets them off the leash. West Brom really impressed me at St Andrew’s in preseason, they showed they can adapt to Valerien Ismael’s frenetic pressing game and then turn on the quality when they have the ball. Sheffield United also have goal-power and a manager with a track record of promotion.
Brian Dick Picks His Teams To Go Up From The Championship This Season
Blackburn Jaquob Crooke: Fulham are in a healthy condition to launch another promotion assault under the stewardship of Marco Silva and they’ve managed to retain the core members of their squad.
The other two members of the parachute payment contingent are likely to be lurking but I’d favour Sheffield United over West Brom given Slavisa Jokanovic’s track record in the Championship.
That said, it’ll be intriguing to see how Albion fare under Valerien Ismael in the coming campaign, the Frenchman earning recognition for Barnsley’s intense and abrasive style. It’s an all or nothing system and Ismael will need his players pulling in the same direction if he is to succeed.
Outsiders include Bournemouth with Scott Parker aiming to double the promotion tally on his CV and boasts a strong squad, particularly with the presence of Arnaut Danjuma.
Bristol C Gregor Macgregor: The sides with Premier League parachute payments. Cash, as ever, is king and the relegated sides will be tough to catch, although perhaps one of them may falter a little, with Sheffield United maybe the most catchable currently. Other than that, Bournemouth should go close and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Neil Warnock lift Boro into contention either. West Brom and Fulham.
Cardiff Glen Williams: Fulham are favourites to win this division for a reason. They are a quality outfit with an excellent manager, anything other than automatic promotion would be a disappointment. West Brom have recruited really well, I think. Alex Mowatt and Adam Reach are good acquisitions in this league and, despite the pending departure of Matheus Pereira, it is a quality squad which can endure a marathon Championship campaign. And Bournemouth are probably the best of the rest. They disappointed last season but it would be foolish to assume they will do the same again. Their vaunted forward line is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Coventry Andy Turner: I think it will pretty much be a four team battle between the three that have come down -West Brom, Fulham and Sheffield United -and Bournemouth. All have decent managers; Valerien Ismael proved what he’s capable of in a short space of time with Barnsley last season, Marco Silva has a good pedigree and has inherited a decent enough squad at Fulham, and the same goes with Jokanovic at Sheff U. And I think Scott Parker is a good appointment at Bournemouth and might just be what the Cherries need to get them back up, assuming they keep their star men.
Derby Steve Nicholson: I think the relegated teams have an unfair advantage due to parachute payments, and it was seen in the Championship last season when Norwich City and Watford bounced straight back up to the Premier League following relegation, and Bournemouth reached the play-offs. So I will go with Fulham, Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion.
Fulham Scott Trotter: It’s incredibly hard to look past the teams who have recently been relegated and the help they have in parachute payments.
Slavisa Jokanovic’s promotion record could see the Blades make a swift return but he was notorious for a slow first half of the season so it could be a late rampage up the table as he accomplished with the Cottagers.
Fulham could and probably should join them. They’ve completed some swift business this summer but the core of the team did only manage fourth in their last Championship campaign so perhaps shouldn’t be as nailed on as many pundits have them.
Valerien Ismael has proved his worth in the division but their success will depend on how quickly West Brom adapt and rebuild. Neil Warnock has a habit of throwing up a surprise and if he can work his magic with Uche Ikpeazu then you never know.
I’d have to plump for Bournemouth for favourites for that spot. Parker has achieved promotion before and the Cherries still have quality in their squad. It might not be pretty but Parker’s pragmatic style might see them even reach the automatic spots.
Huddersfield Elliott Jackson: West Brom and Sheffield United. They have the strongest squads and managers with the most proven Championship experience.
Valerien Ismael almost completed mission impossible with Barnsley last season. With the squad available to him at the Hawthorns, it’s impossible not to expect impressive things. Throughout the spine of the team, they have promotion experience and great quality going forward.
Sheffield United need a couple of fresh faces but it’s a squad of players with proven second-tier pedigree. In Slavisa Jokanovic, they have a manager capable of maximising the current squad. He has two promotions on his CV and is, arguably, the best manager in the division. Up front, their attackers should thrive at Championship level, if they can get the right service to Rhian Brewster, Oli McBurnie, David McGoldrick and Billy Sharp.
Hull Barry Cooper: Sheffield United and Fulham. Both have largely kept their squads together, and while I’m not convinced by Marco Silva as a manager, I think most of us could get that squad up.
I take no great pleasure in backing the Blades, but again, their squad looks well set and going forward they look to have enough goals, aside of those two, I don’t think there’s much else to get too excited about.
Middlesbrough Craig Johns: Fulham, Swansea and West Brom. I expect, with parachute payments, Fulham will sign the players they need, impress under Marco Silva maybe after some early teething problems, and then win the league quite comfortably. I’m tipping Swansea to provide a bit of a shock and finish second under impressive new manager Russell Martin, whose style should suit the Swans perfectly. And then in what will be a strong play-off this year, Valerien Ismael’s tried and tested rugged style to see West Brom through.
Nottingham Forest Sarah Clapson: It’s difficult to look too far past the teams which have come down from the Premier League. Out of the three, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion have the edge, for me. They both have strong squads, with parachute payments always a great help.
And I expect Bournemouth to be up there as well, with Scott Parker now at the helm -he will have learnt a lot from his time at Craven Cottage and be a better manager for it.
Preston George Hodgon: I’ll go for Fulham. They have a squad blessed with quality and Championship experience. Their appointment of Marco Silva is impressive and I can’t see them being anywhere other than challenging at the top. I back Bournemouth to be up there once again and go one better, while West Brom are hard to ignore -even if they lose Sam Johnstone and Matheus Pereira. Those are the three I would go for, without having seen any team kick a ball.
Reading Jonathan Low: It’s hard to look past Fulham, Bournemouth and Sheffield United, for me. I don’t see one stand-out team in the division but I see these three as being better than most of the others. All have recent Premier League experience and most importantly, of doing well in the Championship. Although they have new managers, I don’t see that being an issue and even if they have a stuttering start, I think there is enough quality in each squad...
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