As the start of the Sky Bet EFL season edges closer, Joe Townsend attempts to predict the Championship table for 2026/27, going from 24th to first, providing a mini team-by-team guide and verdict on the way.
This season's Championship looks exceptionally strong, with the three relegated Premier League clubs looking well-placed for an immediate return to the top flight, and several ambitious second-tier sides set to continue their push for a place in the promised land.
The introduction of an expanded six-team play-off format this season should also make the race for promotion even more interesting.
But let's start with who might be set to struggle...
24. BLACKBURN
Blackburn have a habit of just about staying up, and that will again be tested during Tony Mowbray's second spell in charge.
Several clubs around them possess greater financial power and ambition, while others have more momentum following promotion. Just as it has done over the past few years it is difficult to make a case for them to be successful, and I suspect they are in for another season of struggle.
23. LINCOLN
Lincoln thoroughly deserved promotion thanks to an organisation, discipline and excellent team spirit fostered by Michael Skubala.
However, the Championship represents a significant step up in quality, and former assistants Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw are now in charge as joint head coaches following Skubala's move to Bristol City.
They should be competitive in most matches, but creating enough chances against stronger opposition could prove difficult. It may simply be a season too far.
22. QPR
The news that Amit Bhatia had stepped down from the club's board and sold his share in the club so he could pursue minority ownership in Liverpool marked the end of what back in 2007 appeared to be a bright new era for QPR.
They did spend several seasons in the Premier League, but that golden future never truly materialised.
In recent years there has been a feeling of decline, with financial limitations and constant squad turnover making life difficult for whoever has been at the helm.
The R's finished last season with some of the worst form in the division and should that spill into the new campaign this may ultimately be the year where everything unravels.
21. WATFORD
Watford's direction of travel mirrors that of QPR in many ways, with successive seasons of poor performance combined with ambivalent ownership inevitably leading to relegation at some point in the next few years.
They remain one of the Championship’s most predictably unpredictable clubs. Even when much more talented squads than their current one have been assembled, progress is often undermined by instability behind the scenes, as frequent managerial changes prevents any kind of consistency.
On paper they have enough sprinkling of quality to finish comfortably higher, but the constant cycle of upheaval leaves them open to a truly forgettable campaign.
20. CHARLTON
Charlton have made fantastic progress in two-and-a-half years under Nathan Jones and continue to move in a positive direction as a club.
Even so, the Championship is notoriously unforgiving for clubs of their size who are looking to rebuild after years of struggle. I expect them to spend most of the campaign in the bottom half, though they should remain competitive enough to stay out of trouble.
19. PORTSMOUTH
Portsmouth are a similar proposition to the Addicks, just a season further on in their journey.
They have re-established themselves as a solid Championship club with 16th and 18th-placed finishes after 12 seasons away from the second tier, but they were very much in the relegation battle for most of those two campaigns.
Like Charlton, they are unlikely to possess enough quality in depth to consistently compete higher up the table, and are far more likely to remain hovering just above the relegation places.
18. BOLTON
Bolton’s steady rise back through the divisions has been impressive, with the solitary blip a forgettable 24/25 when Ian Evatt was given one season too many.
They arrive in the Championship well prepared and their style of play should mean they avoid being overwhelmed by the step up. Although Steven Schumacher's men needed the play-offs to escape League One last term, they were by far the strongest team in the third tier according to the underlying data.
While a top-eight challenge feels unlikely, they ought to have enough to secure a respectable lower-mid-table finish without being seriously involved in the relegation battle.
17. STOKE
Stoke have spent several seasons flattering to deceive, but early last term finally showed encouraging signs that they are beginning to move in the right direction.
Things petered away as a result of injuries and a lack of squad depth, and 17th looks worse than it was in reality as Mark Robins looked to the future in the latter part of the campaign by blooding youngsters.
The concern would be that those players were not able to be competitive in what is a ruthless division, so forecasting anything better than mid-table is difficult.
16. PRESTON
Along with several other clubs Preston continue to embody a Championship also-ran. They rarely attract headlines or spend lavishly, though this summer things have changed.
A prospective takeover has seen North End triple their club record transfer fee by signing Alfie Devine - who spent last season on loan from Tottenham - for £6m.
They consistently find ways to remain competitive thanks to a disciplined approach under Paul Heckingbottom which should once again keep them comfortably clear of trouble.
Their newfound spending power makes them a dark horse to threaten the newly expanded play-off places.
15. WEST BROM
No current Championship team was a bigger outlier in the data last season, with West Brom finishing 21st but sitting seventh according to the performance-based expected goals table.
Rookie manager Ryan Mason laid strong foundations only to be prematurely sacked for the unproven Eric Ramsay, who lasted a winless seven weeks.
It was no shock that by returning to Mason's system club legend James Morrison was able to lead Albion clear of danger by losing only twice in 12 matches, a run that earned him the manager's job full-time.
Continue on that trajectory and they could finish much higher than many people expect.
14. CARDIFF
Promotion has restored momentum at Cardiff, and the atmosphere surrounding the club is finally positive again.
The appointment of Brian Barry-Murphy was vindicated not only because of instant success, but because his track record of developing young players bore fruit, with the average age of the Bluebirds' starting XI at the start of last term just 22, rarely ever going over 24.
While survival is the realistic objective, the headroom of such a young team whose average possession of 62% was the highest of any club in the Premier League and EFL means their ceiling is far greater than the other two newly-promoted sides.
13. SWANSEA
Vitor Matos heads into his first full season as manager and their is plenty to build on after a W14 D5 L11 record last term, a points per game average that would have put Swansea seventh (72 points) over a full campaign.
The Swans remain committed to an attractive, possession-based style that is capable of producing excellent football on its day.
They should be entertaining to watch and competitive throughout the campaign and are among a clutch of clubs who will hope to challenge for the play-offs.
12. BRISTOL CITY
Michael Skubala worked miracles at Lincoln and Bristol City fans will hope he can translate that great work to Ashton Gate.
There is enough quality within the squad to compete with the stronger teams, but consistency has often proved elusive. If they can string results together they could flirt with the top eight, although a comfortable finish in the upper half appears the likelier scenario.
11. DERBY
Derby have the infrastructure, support and financial backing to compete towards the top end of the Championship, and now seem to have managerial stability with John Eustace too. A push for the play-offs would not be a surprise, though I think they narrowly miss out after an occasionally inconsistent campaign.
10. SHEFFIELD UNITED
After going so close in 2024/25, Sheffield United made a mess of their chances last season with a bizarre shift in strategy.
They corrected that error by returning Chris Wilder to his job after Ruben Selles had lost his first six matches in charge, and after a much calmer summer the Blades should once again be among the Championship’s strongest sides.
Their squad combines experience with proven quality at this level, but summer transfer business has not been overly encouraging and Wilder has lost long-time assistant Alan Knill. A handful of teams may prove slightly stronger over the full season.
9. MILLWALL
Millwall rarely make life easy for opponents, particularly at The Den.
They went mightily close to automatic promotion last term, finishing third and just a point behind second-placed Ipswich. Having so far retained the core of that squad they will be confident of again making the play-offs, although it could be much more difficult this time around if their summer of transitional transfer business is anything to go by.
8. WREXHAM
Wrexham's remarkable rise continued last term as they finished seventh in their first season in the second tier since 1982.
Phil Parkinson has created an outstanding culture, while ambitious ownership has ensured recruitment keeps pace with the club’s rapid progress. A play-off place feels well within reach, while another surprise promotion challenge certainly cannot be ruled out if momentum continues.
7. NORWICH
Norwich continue their rebuilding process after several inconsistent years. There are reasons for optimism following Philippe Clement's stunning impact, with only Southampton (48) winning more points than the Canaries' 44 in 2026.
They have done some smart summer business and there is little reason to suspect that momentum won't continue into the new season.
6. SOUTHAMPTON
Southampton were near enough unstoppable in the second half of last term as Tonda Eckert transformed them from relegation battlers into promotion contenders.
Their season ultimately ended in disgrace, with Saints expelled from the play-off final for spying and made to start this campaign on -4 points.
It will not be a pleasant season for anyone associated with the club as they will face abuse and jeers from opposition fans up and down the country, while squad harmony simply has to be on a knife edge given how things ended in May.
5. BIRMINGHAM
Birmingham continue to invest significantly and possess a squad capable of competing towards the top end of the table.
There is genuine quality throughout the team, although converting that into consistent results remains a challenge. Chris Davies' will have learned a lot in what was only his second season as a manager, and that combined with greater ruthlessness in both penalty areas could see them make the step in to the play-off race.
4. MIDDLESBROUGH
Middlesbrough remain one of the Championship’s most consistently competitive clubs.
Boro should have been promoted alongside Coventry last term but for a late season collapse that saw them go seven games without a win across March and April.
Following defeat by Saints in the play-off semi-finals, they failed to capitalise on being handed a third shot at promotion by delivering a listless display against Hull at Wembley, deservedly losing to a late goal.
They struggled badly last term without the now departed Hayden Hackney and his exit along with fellow hometown hero Dael Fry leaves lots of questions for Kim Hellberg to answer.
3. BURNLEY
Burnley have avoided the significant squad turnover relegation often brings, and although there was uncertainty following Mike Jackson’s elongated interim spell before the eventual appointment of Genk boss Nicky Hayen, they should be in the mix from the off.
It has been the case the last two times the Clarets dropped into the second tier, with new managers Vincent Kompany (22/23) and Scott Parker (24/25) achieving 100+ points on their way to automatic promotion.
The issue this time around is the fellow newly-relegated clubs they're up against.
2. WEST HAM
Returning to the Championship will undoubtedly be an adjustment for West Ham, particularly after losing several established Premier League players.
Even so, their financial strength and overall quality remain well above the level of most rivals.
They may begin the campaign inconsistently, especially given the ongoing takeover talks, as they adapt to the division and continue to reshape their squad late into the window, but I expect them to grow stronger as the season progresses and secure automatic promotion.
1. WOLVES
Wolves have been able to plan for this for a long time, and having retained a Premier League-quality core, they have a huge advantage over their promotion rivals.
Their has been admission from the club's owners they tried to evolve the squad to a younger profile too fast, with the summer signings of Raul Jimenez and Kieran Trippier, and January arrival of Adam Armstrong all geared towards complementing a highly talented group who will have benefited from a season of top-flight football.
New manager Cesar Peixoto will be able to build on the groundwork of Rob Edwards, on full display during a strong run in February and March prior to the final international break where Wolves lost only one of six games, beating Aston Villa and Liverpool and drawing with Arsenal.
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