My predictions for this year’s Championship season are looking a little ropey in the cold light of day. I’m still going to try and justify them.

Predictions Revisit

Part One: The Championship

My dad text me this week. He texts me every week, every day actually to be fair, so that in itself isn’t big news. The content of the text, however, is what has inspired this article. It read, simply:

“By the way. How did Birmingham get to the top of the table…?”

Blues’ ascension to the top of the Championship tree has been a surprise to many, not least my father. But what struck me most when I received that text was an overwhelming sense of relief that I don’t yet have a huge audience that read my posts regularly. Had that been the case, I would’ve been bombarded by Birmingham fans ridiculing my prediction of them to be the biggest underachievers in the division!

That realisation got me thinking, just how bad do my pre-season predictions look in the cold light of day, with us now 15 games into the season? It’s important to be able to admit when you’re wrong, but I will caveat this revisit by saying it is still early days. This time last year,  Preston were 4th, Leicester were in 12th and Southampton were all the way down in 17th! There could still be huge shakeups at both ends of the table, but it’s fair to say my crystal ball might have been a little cloudy when I made these predictions.

We’re just about a third of the way through the Championship campaign - so let’s see just how many miles from correct I was!

🏆 Title Winners

Predicted: Wolves

I could pretend to be delighted with this one, but the reality is that I think I could be a way off. While yes, Wolves are just a point from top spot with plenty of football to play as it stands, I’ve been far from convinced of their title credentials so far.

My argument at the time was based around the fact that their squad was so poor last year that they wouldn’t end up losing anyone and that continuity would carry them to success. Unfortunately, they’ve looked fairly disjointed and awkward in their play at times, although their form has ramped up significantly over recent weeks.

With Charlton, Derby, and Lincoln in their next three fixtures, we could well see Wolves lead the league going into that crucial December period. If they have the funds to strengthen in January, this one might even come true!

Revised Prediction: Middlesbrough

Kim Hellberg’s side (when Lankshear is fit and available) look unbeatable at their best. Find that form more often than not, and this should be their league title to lose.

⬆️ Promoted Sides

Prediction: West Ham & Middlesbrough