Welcome to the EFL Championship 2016-2017 preview, and we hope we’ve provided enough for you to think about here.
The Football League Championship is often referred to as the toughest league in Europe, so as if the Championship wasn’t hard enough to get promoted from without EPL giants like Newcastle, Aston Villa and EPL Yo-Yo club Norwich City coming down.
Clubs from the EPL get a huge advantage coming down with parachute payments, and that is without clubs the size of Newcastle, who can draw up to 50,000 at St James Park, and Aston Villa who can draw not much less. This is before the even bigger sack of money they’ll get next year.
A club only needs to be well run, and prepared for Championship life to have a great chance of bouncing back, case in point with Burnley and Hull, who both went straight back up.
So on paper and the bookies agree that it looks like it’s the big three go back up in 2016-17, but the Championship rarely follows the script.
With the new Fox Sports deal with BeIn Sports, the Championship 2016-2017 will be easier to access than ever before if you have Fox Sports, and why wouldn’t you?
Here’s a look at the season ahead
CAN NEWCASTLE RE-TOON TO THE EPL STRAIGHT AWAY?
Very few sides enter a season in the second tier with a manager who started the previous season in charge of superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, and who has also won a Champions League title. That man is Rafa Benitez who surprised a few by joining relegation threatened Newcastle last season, and surprised a few more by hanging around for a season in the Championship.
That alone should be enough of a reason why Newcastle should go straight back up, but will he have the players to back him up. One of the big problems for Newcastle, like any relegated EPL club, is who they can keep a hold of, and are they ready for the fight required.
When Newcastle last came down in 2008-09, they assembled a squad that was prepared for the hard slog of the second tier, and they romped to the title accordingly, but is this group of players as ready?
Out the door have gone the obvious players – Georginio Wijnaldum (to Liverpool) and Andros Townsend (to Crystal Palace) amongst others. In have come Championship tested players Dwight Gayle (from Crystal Palace) and Matt Ritchie (who scored 15 goals in Bournemouth’s promotion season). The key will be keeping hold of the remainder of the squad and whether the group, who looked disinterested before Benitez’s arrival have the stomach for the fight.
Given their finances and prestige, and a world class manager, it should be straight up.
FROM VILLAINS TO HEROES IN 2016-17?
Aston Villa join the division where they were last relegated into in 1987, and it is still hard to believe that they have fallen into the Championship. Although it is probably not too big a surprise if you have followed them over the past few years, where they have threatened relegation for a few seasons, and finally went down last season in one of the worst season by an EPL side in some time.
Aston Villa were so dreadful at times in 2015-16 that it looked like a second relegation might be a possibility. The perfect storm of an owner who had lost interest and was looking to sell the club, overpaid and underperforming players, and managers who were sadly not up to the job.
But they start their new life in the second division with new Chinese owners, a new manager in Roberto di Matteo who unbelievably is the second manager in the Championship 2016-2017 to have won a Champions League title.
Aston Villa retain most of the squad from last year, so they will be hoping a new manager can get the team playing better than last season. Although with the Chinese group Recon Group buying the club for 76m GBP, they may be able to bring in some players also. If they show the same amount of heart as last years, it could be successive relegations.
WHO ELSE COULD BE PROMOTED FROM Championship 2016-2017?
Norwich City bounced straight back up last time they were relegated, and look like they have a squad equally capable of doing it again. They lost one of their better players in Nathan Redmond to Southampton, but have secured Northern Irish goalkeeper Michael McGovern, and are the front runners to secure Championship goal scoring machine Ross McCormack.
Derby County are a team a lot like Leicester City were in their second tier days. Plenty of promise and expectations, a quality squad who came close to promotion and probably should have been promoted by now. Coincidental then that former Leicester City manager – the man who finally took them to the EPL – is now their manager. It could be the missing part of the puzzle.
Brighton & Hove Albion could have been promoted automatically on the last day of the regular season, but couldn’t get past Middlesbrough who took their place. They still have most of the squad that came third last season, but after not even making the playoff final from that position, the interest is whether they can get over that. Proven Championship goal scorer Glenn Murray returning on loan for the season will certainly help.
Sheffield Wednesday were regarded as a dark horse for promotion last season, and they almost proved that correct by making the playoff final against Hull City. After a promising first year in Championship management from Carlos Carvalhal and the arrival of Steven Fletcher, the Owls could be dark horses again in 2016-17.
Of the rest there’s a range of clubs who are all aiming for promotion, but will end up to be solid midfield if they’re lucky. You could make an argument for just about any club, from the sleeping giant of Leeds United, to Ipswich Town who have a promotion winning manager aboard in Mick McCarthy, to QPR, Wolves, Cardiff, Nottingham Forest or even Wigan Athletic to make it back to back promotions. Anyone at all really.
Even Birmingham City can’t be ruled out. They will be hard to beat, and sometimes in the Championship that’s all you need.
WHAT’s NEW?
Three new clubs join the Championship 2016-2017 after promotion from League One. Wigan Athletic rejoin the second tier as Champions after just the one year in the third tier. Midfield looks best, but could be a dark horse for the playoffs.
They were joined automatically by Burton Albion who join the second tier for the first time in their history. They were playing in the Non League divisions not long ago, and the man who set them up for promotion before taking a job at Derby was Nigel Clough, who returned to Burton during last season. It will all be about survival for the Brewers.
Barnsley return to the Championship for the first time since 2014, and after a run of eight losses and a FA Cup exit to a Non League side, promotion looks a tall order. But promotion they did seal in the playoff final, and a midfield finish will be a good return.
New Owners as previously discussed at Aston Villa, but other clubs have will be hoping a change of ownership will bring a change of luck.
Wolves have a new Chinese Billionaire investor/owner– and they promptly sacked manager Kenny Jackett for Walter Zenga just days after giving the ominous backing of the board. Nottingham Forest could also change of Kuwaiti ownership to Greek if the deal goes through. The Greek investor currently owns the country’s biggest side in Olympiakos.
Leeds United fans will be hoping they can get a new owner after their owner’s behaviour last season. Like many investors, they attempt to buy their way into the EPL on the cheap, underestimating the challenge of the Championship. Most fail.
You may see the term EFL and shiny new logo this season. Don’t be alarmed, the Football League is now the EFL.
The BeIn Sports deal with Fox Sports is a much welcome addition, making it easier than ever before to follow the Championship 2016-2017. Who needs the EPL?
AUSTRALIANS (and KIWIS) in the Championship 2016-2017
Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield) Jason Davidson (Huddersfield) Jordan Lyden (Aston Villa) Massimo Luongo (QPR) Jackson Irvine (Burton) Callum Elder (Brentford) Ryan Williams (Barnsley) Tommy Smith (Ipswich) (NZ) Chris Wood (Leeds) (NZ)
Championship 2016-2017 FEARLESS PREDICTIONS
Promoted
Newcastle, Norwich, Derby County.
Relegated
Bristol City, Brentford, Barnsley
WHY NOT HAVE A BET?
Odds courtesy of Tatts Bet
| Newcastle Utd | $ 2.85 |
| Aston Villa | $ 10.00 |
| Norwich | $ 10.00 |
| Derby | $ 11.00 |
| Brighton | $ 11.00 |
| Wolverhampton | $ 11.00 |
| Sheff Wed | $ 13.00 |
| Leeds | $ 21.00 |
| QPR | $ 26.00 |
| Brentford | $ 34.00 |
| Cardiff | $ 34.00 |
| Fulham | $ 34.00 |
| Nott Forest | $ 34.00 |
| Huddersfield | $ 34.00 |
| Reading | $ 34.00 |
| Ipswich | $ 51.00 |
| Wigan | $ 51.00 |
| Bristol City | $ 51.00 |
| Blackburn | $ 81.00 |
| Birmingham | $ 101.00 |
| Preston | $ 101.00 |
| Barnsley | $ 126.00 |
| Burton | $ 151.00 |
| Rotherham | $ 151.00 |
Tell us we’re wrong, and who you think will be top of the tree come May.
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