The Championship is often billed as one of the most exciting leagues in world football, and it’s easy to see why. A serious amount of young talent, high-level coaches desperate to ply their trade in the Premier League, and a play-off system which gives sides who are sometimes 25 points behind the champions a chance to gain promotion to the top flight.
By Matt Smith
With the 2024/2025 Championship season just hours away, the excitement is building across England with competitive football arriving back on our screens and thousands of fans preparing to take their place on the terraces once again. Experienced managers, rising stars, and sleeping giants, we’re set for another thrilling campaign.
Can the relegated sides bounce back?
Last season, two out of three of the sides who were previously relegated from the Premier League managed to bounce back at the first time of asking. Leicester City and Southampton, two squads packed with players who are more than capable of competing in the Premier League. This time around, we have Luton Town, Burnley, and Sheffield United.
After suffering relegation to the second tier, Burnley and Sheffield United have seen plenty of upheaval throughout the club. Burnley have lost Vincent Kompany, a manager who guided them to a phenomenal 2022/2023 title-winning season, while Sheffield United have lost the likes of Cameron Archer, Oli McBurnie, and Jayden Bogle.
It’s been a relatively quiet window for Luton, who have managed to keep hold of the likes of Alfie Doughty, Elijah Adebayo, and Teden Mengi, at least so far. It’s never going to be straightforward for the aforementioned trio of clubs due to the quality in and amongst the Championship this coming season, but they will all be putting their hat in the ring for a promotion charge.
Two of the sides, Luton and Burnley, will go head-to-head on Monday night.
Promotion experience could be key
The 46-game season that Championship clubs are forced to endure can be a gruelling experience, often playing twice a week for the majority of the campaign. Having that know-how in the squad, and perhaps more important, among the coaching staff, can often be crucial in gaining promotion to the top flight. Leeds, Sheffield United, and Burnley will be many fans’ favourites to finish in the top two, and all three have managers who have been there and done it.
Norwich won the Championship twice under Daniel Farke, who is now preparing for his second season in charge of Leeds. Earlier this summer, Burnley opted to appoint Scott Parker, who helped guide both Fulham and Bournemouth to promotion in his previous roles. Chris Wilder, who returned to Sheffield United in 2023, will go down in history at Bramall Lane after he steered the club back to the Premier League for the first time in 12 years back in 2019.
It’s easy to see why the Championship trio are sticking by or bringing in these kind of managers ahead of the new campaign. Although Parker may have struggled in management over the last few years, Farke failed to take his side up last term, and Wilder was in charge when the Blades were relegated last season, their experience and achievements in this league speak for themselves.
Players to watch
As a Championship club, it’s always a difficult task keeping hold of young talent, with Premier League sides regularly circling to poach the standout stars from the second tier. We’ve seen the likes of Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, Jarrod Bowen, Ollie Watkins, and João Pedro, to name a few, signed from the Championship before going on to flourish in the Premier League.
Mateo Joseph could be one to watch this season for Leeds. At 20 years old, the young forward hasn’t made a major impact at Elland Road just yet, but with Patrick Bamford struggling with injuries and consistency of late, it could be his time to step up. The youngster has impressed during pre-season, and this could be the campaign where he makes the step up. A technically gifted striker, Joseph could develop into a key player for the Whites.
Another exciting prospect is Tom Fellows. After recently signing a new deal with West Bromwich Albion, the tricky winger featured regularly for the Black Country outfit last season, but mostly from the bench. As Michael Johnston returns to Celtic after his loan spell, it could be time for 21-year-old Fellows to step up and make himself a hero. The Solihull-born youngster will be hoping to make his mark this upcoming campaign.
The final player, who needs no introduction, Jobe Bellingham. Although undoubtedly keen not to be compared to his superstar brother, could this be the season he writes his name in the headlines just like Jude with Birmingham?
Sleeping giants aplenty
The 2024/2025 Championship season is riddled with sides that many of the adult generation of football fans will often associate with being in the Premier League, or at least being in with a shout every season. Two clubs who fall into that category are Portsmouth and Derby County, who will both be competing in the second tier this term after coming up from League One.
Their hefty fanbases coupled with their history in the English pyramid make them two of the sleeping giants in the Football League, and they’re certainly not alone. Leeds, Blackburn and Sheffield Wednesday are just a few of the sides who we’ve seen ply their trade in the Premier League on the regular but have fallen on hard times in recent years. Could we see one of the sleeping giants return to the promised land?
The 2024/2025 Championship season kicks off on Friday night with a double-header as Preston host Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers take on Derby as the curtain raises on a new campaign for a league that the English footballing pyramid can be proud of.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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