As the 2026/27 Sky Bet EFL season approaches, the Championship promises to be a thrilling spectacle. With the three relegated Premier League clubs aiming for an immediate return and several ambitious second-tier sides pushing for promotion, the race for the top spots is set to be fiercely competitive. The introduction of an expanded six-team play-off format adds an extra layer of excitement, making the battle for promotion even more intriguing.
However, not all teams will fare equally well. Here's a look at the clubs that may struggle to avoid relegation, along with my analysis and commentary on their prospects.
24. BLACKBURN
Blackburn has a history of just about staying up, and this season will be no different under Tony Mowbray's leadership. Several clubs around them possess greater financial power and ambition, while others have more momentum following promotion. It's difficult to make a strong case for Blackburn's success, and I suspect they are in for another season of struggle.
23. LINCOLN
Lincoln deservedly earned promotion thanks to an organized, disciplined, and well-spirited team under Michael Skubala. However, the Championship represents a significant step up in quality, and the team's former assistants Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw are now in charge. While they should be competitive, creating enough chances against stronger opposition could prove challenging. It may simply be a season too far for them.
22. QPR
The news of Amit Bhatia's departure from the QPR board marked the end of a promising era for the club. Despite spending several seasons in the Premier League, QPR never truly materialized its golden future. In recent years, there has been a sense of decline, with financial limitations and constant squad turnover making life difficult for whoever has been at the helm. The R's finished last season with some of the worst form in the division, and this may be the year where everything unravels.
21. WATFORD
Watford's direction of travel mirrors that of QPR in many ways. Successive seasons of poor performance combined with ambivalent ownership inevitably lead to relegation at some point in the next few years. They remain one of the Championship's most unpredictably unpredictable clubs, and even when more talented squads have been assembled, progress is often undermined by instability behind the scenes. On paper, they have enough quality to finish comfortably higher, but the constant cycle of upheaval leaves them open to a truly forgettable campaign.
20. CHARLTON
Charlton has made fantastic progress in two and a half years under Nathan Jones and continues to move in a positive direction as a club. However, the Championship is notoriously unforgiving for clubs of their size looking to rebuild after years of struggle. I expect them to spend most of the campaign in the bottom half, though they should remain competitive enough to stay out of trouble.
19. PORTSMOUTH
Portsmouth is a similar proposition to Charlton, just a season further on in their journey. They have re-established themselves as a solid Championship club with 16th and 18th-placed finishes after 12 seasons away from the second tier, but they were very much in the relegation battle for most of those two campaigns. Like Charlton, they are unlikely to possess enough quality in depth to consistently compete higher up the table, and are far more likely to remain hovering just above the relegation places.
18. BOLTON
Bolton's steady rise back through the divisions has been impressive, with the solitary blip being a forgettable 24/25 when Ian Evatt was given one season too many. They arrive in the Championship well prepared, and their style of play should mean they avoid being overwhelmed by the step up. Although Steven Schumacher's men needed the play-offs to escape League One last term, they were by far the strongest team in the third tier according to the underlying data. While a top-eight challenge feels unlikely, they ought to have enough to secure a respectable lower-mid-table finish without being seriously involved in the relegation battle.
17. STOKE
Stoke have spent several seasons flattering to deceive, but early last term finally showed encouraging signs that they are beginning to move in the right direction. However, things petered away as a result of injuries and a lack of squad depth, and 17th looks worse than it was in reality. Forecasting anything better than mid-table is difficult, given the concern that the players may not be able to compete in a ruthless division.
16. PRESTON
Preston continues to embody a Championship also-ran. They rarely attract headlines or spend lavishly, though this summer things have changed. A prospective takeover has seen North End triple their club record transfer fee by signing Alfie Devine, who spent last season on loan from Tottenham, for £6m. Their disciplined approach under Paul Heckingbottom should once again keep them comfortably clear of trouble, and their newfound spending power makes them a dark horse to threaten the newly expanded play-off places.
15. WEST BROM
West Brom was a bigger outlier in the data last season, with a performance-based expected goals table placing them seventh despite finishing 21st. Rookie manager Ryan Mason laid strong foundations, but was prematurely sacked for the unproven Eric Ramsay. By returning to Mason's system and club legend James Morrison leading the team, West Brom could finish much higher than expected.
14. CARDIFF
Promotion has restored momentum at Cardiff, and the atmosphere surrounding the club is finally positive again. The appointment of Brian Barry-Murphy was vindicated not only because of instant success, but also because his track record of developing young players bore fruit, with the average age of the Bluebirds' starting XI at the start of last term just 22, rarely going over 24. While survival is the realistic objective, the headroom of such a young team means their ceiling is far greater than the other two newly-promoted sides.
13. SWANSEA
Vitor Matos heads into his first full season as manager, and there is plenty to build on after a W14 D5 L11 record last term. The Swans remain committed to an attractive, possession-based style that is capable of producing excellent football on its day. They should be entertaining to watch and competitive throughout the campaign, and are among a clutch of clubs who will hope to challenge for the play-offs.
12. BRISTOL CITY
Bristol City fans will hope that Michael Skubala can translate his great work at Lincoln to Ashton Gate. There is enough quality within the squad to compete with the stronger teams, but consistency has often proved elusive. If they can string results together, they could flirt with the top eight, although a comfortable finish in the upper half appears more likely.
11. DERBY
Derby has the infrastructure, support, and financial backing to compete towards the top end of the Championship, and now seems to have managerial stability with John Eustace. A push for the play-offs would not be a surprise, though I think they narrowly miss out after an occasionally inconsistent campaign.
10. SHEFFIELD UNITED
After going close in 2024/25, Sheffield United made a mess of their chances last season with a bizarre shift in strategy. However, they corrected that error by returning Chris Wilder to his job, and after a much calmer summer, the Blades should once again be among the Championship's strongest sides. Their squad combines experience with proven quality at this level, but summer transfer business has not been overly encouraging. A handful of teams may prove slightly stronger over the full season.
9. MILLWALL
Millwall rarely make life easy for opponents, particularly at The Den. They went mightily close to automatic promotion last term, finishing third and just a point behind second-placed Ipswich. Having so far retained the core of that squad, they will be confident of again making the play-offs, although it could be much more difficult this time around if their summer of transitional transfer business is anything to go by.
8. WREXHAM
Wrexham's remarkable rise continued last term as they finished seventh in their first season in the second tier since 1982. Phil Parkinson has created an outstanding culture, while ambitious ownership has ensured recruitment keeps pace with the club's rapid progress. A play-off place feels well within reach, while another surprise promotion challenge certainly cannot be ruled out if momentum continues.
7. NORWICH
Norwich continues its rebuilding process after several inconsistent years. There are reasons for optimism following Philippe Clement's stunning impact, with only Southampton winning more points than the Canaries' 44 in 2026. They have done some smart summer business, and there is little reason to suspect that momentum won't continue into the new season.
6. SOUTHAMPTON
Southampton were near enough unstoppable in the second half of last term as Tonda Eckert transformed them from relegation battlers into promotion contenders. However, their season ultimately ended in disgrace, with the Saints expelled from the play-off final for spying and made to start this campaign on -4 points. It will not be a pleasant season for anyone associated with the club, as they will face abuse and jeers from opposition fans up and down the country.
5. BIRMINGHAM
Birmingham continues to invest significantly and possesses a squad capable of competing towards the top end of the table. There is genuine quality throughout the team, although converting that into consistent results remains a challenge. Chris Davies' will have learned a lot in what was only his second season as a manager, and that combined with greater ruthlessness in both penalty areas could see them make the step into the play-off race.
4. MIDDLESBROUGH
Middlesbrough remains one of the Championship's most consistently competitive clubs. Boro should have been promoted alongside Coventry last term but for a late-season collapse. Following defeat by Saints in the play-off semi-finals, they failed to capitalize on being handed a third shot at promotion by delivering a listless display against Hull at Wembley, deservedly losing to a late goal. They struggled badly last term without the now-departed Hayden Hackney, and his exit along with fellow hometown hero Dael Fry leaves lots of questions for Kim Hellberg to answer.
3. BURNLEY
Burnley has avoided the significant squad turnover relegation often brings, and although there was uncertainty following Mike Jackson's elongated interim spell before the eventual appointment of Genk boss Nicky Hayen, they should be in the mix from the off. It has been the case the last two times the Clarets dropped into the second tier, with new managers Vincent Kompany and Scott Parker achieving 100+ points on their way to automatic promotion. The issue this time around is the fellow newly-relegated clubs they're up against.
2. WEST HAM
Returning to the Championship will undoubtedly be an adjustment for West Ham, particularly after losing several established Premier League players. However, their financial strength and overall quality remain well above the level of most rivals. They may begin the campaign inconsistently, especially given the ongoing takeover talks, but I expect them to grow stronger as the season progresses and secure automatic promotion.
1. WOLVES
Wolves have been able to plan for this for a long time, and having retained a Premier League-quality core, they have a huge advantage over their promotion rivals. The club's owners have admitted they tried to evolve the squad to a younger profile too fast, with summer signings Raul Jimenez and Kieran Trippier, and January arrival Adam Armstrong, all geared towards complementing a highly talented group who will have benefited from a season of top-flight football. New manager Cesar Peixoto will be able to build on the groundwork of Rob Edwards, on full display during a strong run in February and March prior to the final international break where Wolves lost only one of six games, beating Aston Villa and Liverpool and drawing with Arsenal.
