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EFL Championship Predictions 2021/22

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EFL Championship Predictions 2021/22

The EFL Championship is often referred to as “The most competitive league in the world” and produces surprising results every week. Teams in the Championship are made up of a number of strong teams, making it the strongest second tier league in world football. Here are our EFL Championship predictions in which we identify the current bookmakers’ favourites to win automatic promotion, the teams who will be challenging for play-off spots and which teams look to be in relegation danger. All odds quoted in this article can be found here and come from Marathonbet.co.uk.

 

Automatic Promotion Contenders

Last season two of the three relegated sides immediately returned to the top flight, with only Bournemouth narrowly missing out on promotion in the play-off final. Unsurprisingly the three newly relegated teams are the favourites to continue this trend, with Fulham (11/2), West Brom (13/2) and Sheffield United (9/1) all leading candidates for an instant return to the Premier League. A word of caution is needed when considering these clubs, as all three have new managers and a possible period of adjustment might affect early results.

Marco Silva’s new appointment at Fulham is interesting, because he has never managed in the second tier of English football and his overall results in England have not been great. West Brom fans should take heart from what their manager was able to achieve at Barnsley last season, with Valérien Ismaël leading the Tykes to an unlikely playoff spot. Arguably, Sheffield United are in the strongest position of the three, as they appointed Slavisa Jokanovic at the end of May, giving him plenty of time to plan for this season.

Outside of the relegated teams the bookies feel that Scott Parker’s Bournemouth (9/1) can overcome their play-off final heartbreak and mount a strong challenge. The two Welsh teams, Swansea (14/1) and Cardiff City (16/1), have both the squads and leadership to be serious contenders. Steve Cooper has twice narrowly missed out on promotion with the Swans in recent seasons and Mick McCarthy had the Bluebirds playing some promising football towards the end of last season.

 

Play-Off Positions

Both Neil Warnock’s Middlesbrough (17/1) and Chris Hughton’s Nottingham Forest (16/1) are considered to have the managerial nouse to earn themselves a play-off position. Both managers have successfully guided teams to promotion glory in the past and their respective teams possess the quality to be very competitive in this competition. Reading (20/1) should be given some consideration, as they started last season tremendously well and Veljko Paunović will be hoping to make the Royals more defensively sound next season.

Barnsley (20/1) may well struggle to repeat last season’s amazing performance with their new manager, Markus Schopp, being unfamiliar with British football and he may take a while to adjust to the unrelenting pace of the Championship. Blackburn Rovers (20/1) and Stoke City (20/1) round out the bookmaker’s favourites for a top six finish, with both teams hoping for more consistent performances and to avoid as injuries to key playmakers which derailed both their seasons last year.

 

Relegation Candidates

According to the current odds, two of the favourites to struggle this season are the newly promoted duo of Blackpool (66/1) and Peterborough United (66/1). Both teams played a very attacking style in League One last season, but questions remain over the quality and depth of their respective squads. A lot will depend on their players making the step up and being able to compete at this level. It is worth noting that League One winners, Hull City (33/1) are not identified as being potential strugglers and it is felt that they should achieve a comfortable mid-table finish.

A number of clubs struggled at the back end of last season, with some potentially finding themselves at the wrong end of the table next May. Huddersfield Town (50/1), Luton Town (40/1), Preston North End (40/1) and Birmingham City (40/1) are all going to need some good signings to improve their squads if they are to avoid a relegation scrap. Coventry City (40/1) should have too much quality to find themselves in the lower reaches of the division and their return to the Coventry Building Society Arena will be a huge boost to everyone at the club, after playing their home games at St. Andrew’s for the last two seasons.

Finally there is Wayne Rooney’s Derby County (40/1). The Rams avoided relegation by the narrowest of margins last season and with ongoing takeover rumours persisting, it could again be a difficult season for Rooney’s side. It will be a real challenge to attract potential signings to Pride Park with such a level of uncertainty surrounding the club, so promoting younger players could be a necessity if they are to survive.

 

We hope you enjoyed the article ‘EFL Championship Predictions 2021/22.’ What are you predictions for this season in the Championship? Let us know!

 

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Drew is a lifelong sports fan from Bristol who currently lives and works in Hong Kong. He has a keen interest in football, rugby, cricket, F1 and NFL.

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