Ahead of the new EFL Championship season, I have rallied together a selection of our fabulous writers to give some predictions for the new season. They will include your standard ones and, for a little bit of spice, some hot takes at the end for both your and our amusement. In the infamous words of Gennaro Gattuso: “Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe s**t.” However, we will only know whether that immortal clip of his will be true of our predictions come May next year. So, until then, enjoy what some of us reckon we might be on the money about when all is said and done.
Ethan Diggory:
Wolves Final League Position: 2nd – Even with almost 3 weeks left of the window I think our squad is more than capable of automatic promotion, although still don’t think we have enough to win the title.
Promoted: West Ham United (Champions), Wolves (2nd), Norwich City (Play-Off Winners) – West Ham’s squad for this level is a joke before any outgoings but keeping hold of Jarrod Bowen will be massive for them. Slightly left field but Norwich City were one of the best teams in the league after Phillipe Clement was appointed, couple that with very smart recruitment and I think they will get over the line.
Relegated: Blackburn Rovers (22nd), Bolton Wanderers (23rd), Lincoln City (24th) – Blackburn have been struggling for a while now and I think this is the year something finally gives for them unfortunately. Very similar case for both Bolton and Lincoln in that they haven’t really strengthened after promotion, only difference being Lincoln have lost their manager and top scorer from last season.
League Top Goalscorer: Raúl Jiménez – Who else? Ridiculous quality relative to the division and will be playing for one of the most attacking teams in the league. Chuck in an almost impeccable record from the penalty spot and it is hard to look past him.
Wolves-based Hot Take: Fer López to win EFL Championship Player of the Season – Even when he joined last summer, I was one of his biggest fans and I think it is starting to click for him now in this more attack-minded system. Double digits in goals and assists and a player of the season win coming his way I think.
League-based Hot Take: Middlesborough finish 3rd on over 90 points and don’t get promoted – I have nothing against Boro and really rate their manager but something about them makes me think they still won’t go up. I do think that in a one-off game against Norwich in the play-off final they’ll lose to the Canaries.
Rich Foster:
Wolves Final League Position: 1st/Champions – I am going to be brave and stick my head where it could get very hurt. I genuinely believe we have the quality to run away with the title. When I look through this team, I believe we have the best goalscorer in the division in Raul, and arguably the second best in the league (at this level) in Armstrong. In Mane, we have the probably the hottest young player in the league, and in Fer Lopez I feel we have an absolute superstar in waiting, who is ready for a breakout season and to become a household name in English football.
Furthermore, in Kieran Trippier, I feel we have the best defender and organiser in the division, with Andre a strong candidate for the best midfielder in this league too. I know fans are desperate for signings, but at this level, outside of squad depth reinforcements, I’m struggling to see where there are improvements to this team in terms of the starting XI. If we can sign a proven Championship keeper, I really believe we will finish comfortably in the top 2, and likely 1st. I’m feeling brave.
Granted, the following players could still leave, but to think we’ve gone through the entire pre-season without Krejci, Bellegarde, Santi Bueno, Jose Sa etc, and still looked so solid.
At this level, our squad is very, very strong, and for me, it’s being underrated by our fans.
Promoted: Apologies for being vanilla, but I feel like West Ham are the obvious candidate to finish in the top 2 along with us. Play offs this year could be even crazier than usual with the addition of two more teams to make a top 8 rather than the usual top 6.
For me I think you’re looking at one of the following to join us and West Ham:
Middlesbrough, Southampton, Birmingham, Burnley, Derby and/or Sheffield United. As always in the Championship – the playoffs are a total lottery and I think predicting a winner is a fools game. So I’ll play ball, and go for Derby County.
Relegated: Lincoln, Bolton, Blackburn. Again, just like the playoffs, predicting Championship relegation is a total gamble. These 3 however are currently the weakest teams in the division as it stands, so those are my choices for the drop.
League Top Goalscorer: Raul Jimenez. All sentimentality and golden bias aside… Has there ever been a bigger name striker play in this division? You could argue Mitrovic, and his record-breaking 43 goals in 44 Championship games is an insane record that will probably never be broken. That being said, I still feel like Jimenez is a bigger “name” and I’m honestly struggling to think of a more iconic number 9 to drop into the 2nd tier in my lifetime. Wolves have absolutely no right to be fielding Jimenez in the Championship, I think he will be an absolute cheat code and comfortably hit 20+ goals. If he stays fit for the entire campaign, I don’t see any reason that number couldn’t be closer to 30.
Wolves-based Hot Take: Trippier gets more goals + assists than Mane. This is no slight on Mane, who I think is a fantastic talent and who I predict will have a fantastic season, but Trippier on free kicks and set pieces I feel will be a huge weapon to have in our arsenal I feel he will have a huge part to play, not just defensively but offensively as well.
League-based Hot Take: Albion will survive on the last day of the season. B******s.
Oliver Butler:
Wolves Final League Position: Going to go out of step here and say we finish first. We finish first in a tight contest with West Ham, but we get it over the line. Why? For one, I’m nuts, secondly, I see not just the quality, but also the togetherness in the squad.
West Ham are good, Norwich are good, Saints and Boro will be out for blood, but I think Pexioto’s men stand tall. Of course, let’s have this conversation again in May, but the manager seems to have the right ideas and the team seem to be buying into them. Maybe we finish 24th though; it really is a game of two halves!
Promoted: Us and West Ham, purely because I said we’d narrowly beat them to the title However, don’t be surprised to see Norwich in the mix, and Burnley are impossible to be killed by conventional means, so they’ll be there too.
As for the playoffs, despite doing a predictions piece, it’s impossible to predict. We’ve seen how this goes before, and have also been the one fumbling the bag. Has anyone said Millwall? I think it’s Millwall. At some point you get sick of knocking on the door and just kick it down.
Side note: Why is it every hooligan/geezer/firm film seems to know nothing about football?
The big gangster will go “oo do ya think Millwall get in the cup?” and the lackey goes “uhh I think the reds, boss”. Who are the reds?! What cup?!
Relegated: Gonna play to the gallery here and say West Brom, the Blues, and by some weird miracle, the Villa.
No, but seriously. Hard one to call because the Championship is a topsy-turvy, willy wonka ass league where last season’s shining stars become cannon fodder for the rest of us.
Watford’s proclivity to hire a new manager every thirty seconds catches up with them, Blackburn go belly up after death by a thousand cuts from Venky’s, and Lincoln just do not cut the mustard.
League Top Goalscorer: Everyone’s going to say Raul, however, don’t look past Armstrong.
The man knows his patch, and his patch is bagging them in the Nationwide Division One.
Wolves-based Hot Take: As discussed on shit podcast, “The Good Years” (available on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube, I agree that Munetsi has a breakout season. “Guy who runs a lot is tailor made for the Championship. Does he continue that form in the PL? Hard to say, but hopefully £100m from Chelsea in the January window has landed before we realise that.
League-based Hot Take: Someone like Wrexham are in the automatic conversation until like April, where they completely wilt and fade into nothing come the end of the season.
Luke Fletcher:
The Championship is back, so as usual, fans of the 24 clubs have spent the summer convincing themselves that this is finally their year. And I am no different in that respect, as I think Wolves once again end the season as Championship winners.
Yes, this could age terribly. Yes, I will probably be reminded of this article repeatedly if we’re 14th in October. But, for the first time in years, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
Wolves Final League Position: First. Campeones. Title Winners.
The biggest reason for my confidence is simple: Wolves have kept a large chunk of a Premier League squad. José Sá, Ladislav Krejčí, Adam Armstrong, André, Yerson Mosquera and plenty more remain on the books, while Kieran Trippier and Raúl Jiménez have been added to the mix. The club’s retained list shows just how much Premier League-level experience remains at Molineux. Trippier is particularly important. The 35-year-old has played at the highest level, won a La Liga title, reached a Champions League final and was a major part of Newcastle’s first major trophy win in over 70 years. More importantly, he actually knows how to get out of the Championship, having helped Burnley win promotion in 2014.
Then there is Raul.
Jiménez has returned after three seasons away, having scored 57 goals in 166 appearances during his first Wolves spell. He also scored nine Premier League goals for Fulham last season and comes back after scoring World Cup goals, finally Mexico’s 2026 opener against South Africa and Mexico’s defeat to England. Add in Marshall Munetsi, Jackson Tchatchoua and the younger players coming through, and there is a squad that should have considerably more quality than the average Championship side.
The other big reason for optimism is César Peixoto. Wolves have clearly gone for a different style, with the new head coach promising an aggressive, front-footed attacking approach. His first pre-season matches have already featured a high press, while Mateus Mané described the football as demanding, aggressive and high intensity. Basically, we’re hoping the attacking football works. If it doesn’t, we’ll simply pretend this prediction never happened.
Promoted: 1st Wolves, 2nd Burnley, Play-off winners Middlesbrough
Burnley are the obvious second choice. They have become annoyingly good at getting promoted. Since 2009, they have secured promotion from the Championship on five occasions, and their 2022/23 promotion came with seven games remaining, which is a Championship record. They know exactly what it takes to get out of this division, but I just don’t think they have the same level of individual quality as Wolves.
Middlesbrough are my play-off winners. They were one of the strongest sides in the division last season and, after the frankly spectacular achievement of being knocked out of the play-offs twice in the same campaign, they should be absolutely desperate to put that right.
Third time lucky, lads.
Relegated: Lincoln City, Bolton Wanderers and Cardiff City
This is where I’m going with the three promoted clubs struggling most. Lincoln have the unenviable task of adjusting to the Championship while also entering the season with joint head coaches after Michael Skubala departed for Bristol City. They have already been tipped as one of the division’s strugglers.
Bolton face an equally difficult jump. They have limited spending power, concerns over goals and the massive task of adapting to life in the second tier after winning promotion through the League One play-offs.
Cardiff complete the three. The Bluebirds are another side being viewed as relegation candidates, with squad depth and managerial uncertainty among the major concerns heading into the campaign.
League Top Goalscorer: Raúl Jiménez
I’m backing Raúl. Obviously.
He scored nine Premier League goals for Fulham last season, following 12 in 2024/25, and is already Wolves’ record Premier League goalscorer from his first spell at the club. He also arrives having been to the World Cup twice in 2026, having appeared at four tournaments for Mexico. If Wolves are creating the chances I expect them to, a striker with his experience should absolutely be capable of putting 20-plus away.
Swansea’s Žan Vipotnik will be in the conversation too. He scored 17 Championship goals last season and 20 in all competitions, so there is a very good chance he spends the next nine months making defenders thoroughly miserable.
Wolves-based Hot Take: Marshall Munetsi will become a hugely important player and finally win the fans over.
Munetsi has perhaps never quite convinced everybody at Molineux, but I think this could be the season it clicks. He scored four goals in 15 Ligue 1 appearances during his loan spell at Paris FC and has returned looking rejuvenated. He also brings versatility, physicality and experience to a midfield that could benefit enormously from having someone willing to do the horrible running. I’m predicting Munetsi becomes one of those players where, by Christmas, everyone suddenly says: “I’ve always rated him.”
You absolutely haven’t.
League-based Hot Take: West Ham will NOT get promoted.
This is probably the one prediction that will get me into the most trouble.
On paper, West Ham have arguably the strongest squad in the league. They are also favourites for promotion. But football isn’t played on paper, unfortunately for anyone who spent £100m on players and then watched the club get relegated.
West Ham enter the season with serious boardroom problems, fan dissatisfaction and questions surrounding Nuno Espírito Santo. The club has also already lost players such as Crysencio Summerville and Mateus Fernandes, while more departures remain possible.
Fan opinion on Nuno is hardly unanimous either, with BBC Sport highlighting the split in supporter opinion following his decision to remain in charge. I think the pressure becomes enormous. Every dropped point becomes a crisis, every draw becomes a reason to panic, and every defeat will have someone demanding the board explain itself. They’ll start slowly, the atmosphere will turn, and by the time they eventually remember they’re playing in the Championship, it will be too late.
So there we have it: Wolves champions, Burnley second, Middlesbrough through the play-offs, Raul top scorer, Munetsi cult hero and West Ham wondering how on earth they managed to make the Championship difficult.
Honestly, what could go wrong?
Kyle Baldemore:
Wolves Final League Position: 2nd – There is an abundance of talent that, quite frankly, I’m surprised (pleasantly!) is proud to wear the Old Gold outside of the top flight. Raul Jimenez was a quality striker for a mid-table Premier League club last season. Kieran Trippier has 54 career international caps and 45 Champions League appearances. You’re not finding a better midfielder in this tier than Andre, point blank.
Fer Lopez and Mane have all the potential in the world.
What has me concerned is the goalkeeping, which remains unaddressed just days before the season kicks off. Jose Sa and Sam Johnstone were dreadful throughout 2025-2026, and I cannot fathom Dan Bentley maintaining consistent success throughout an entire 46-match season. I’d love a title, but would be more than content with spending the minimum amount of time in the most chaotic league in football, regardless of how we get out.
Promoted: West Ham (champions), Wolves (2nd), Birmingham City (play-off winners)
I’m optimistic about Cesar Peixoto, but there’s something to be said about a manager who has been in this position before, and that’s exactly what West Ham have with Nuno. It’s hard not to believe that the battle for the title will be a two-horse race between us and West Ham. Third place is a little trickier.
Burnley, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Millwall, Norwich, Sheffield United, Wrexham, Swansea and Birmingham are all in the mix for me. There’s actually an argument that the fourth best team (out of four, mind you) in last year’s playoff was the one that secured promotion. Hull got some favors, i.e.
Southampton going full-Belichick and getting caught spying on the opposition. While we’re on the topic of the New England Patriots and cheating, Tom Brady’s Birmingham City is my pick. I rate Chris Davies as a manager, and I like the Jhon Solis signing to bolster their midfield.
Relegated: Bolton (22nd), Charlton Athletic (23rd), Lincoln City (24th)
Despite winning League One comfortably last year, it’s hard to back Lincoln to do well after losing both their manager and one of their top scorers. Charlton did an admirable job staying up in their first year back in the Championship since 2020, but a regression seems likely to me when you look at the discrepancy between transfers out vs. transfers in. Bolton had a similar run to Hull in the League One playoff, they may be lucky to be here and feel like a classic one-and-done for me.
League Top Goalscorer: Zan Vipotnik (Swansea) – I would love love LOVE for it to be Raul, but he’s 35 and likely won’t play a full 90 the majority of the time. Jarrod Bowen is probably the best forward in the league, but will probably be tasked with having an assist total match his goal total. Give me last year’s runaway leader, assuming he stays with Swansea and the club are in the mix for a playoff spot.
Wolves-based Hot Take: There will be more combined red cards in Wolves/West Brom matches than West Ham/Millwall matches.
We can’t let West Ham win everything, can we? Welcome to the Black Country Derby, Yerson Mosquera!
League-based Hot Take: It won’t be outright match-fixing, but there will be a fishy marquee matchup between Birmingham City and Wrexham.
The Documentary FC Derby will live up to its billing during a playoff tie.
