Championship 2023-24 Preview: Teams to Watch and Predictions

Here we go again. The Viking Row, Wonderwall, Mexican ducks and most of those hydration breaks can stay in the summer of ’26. The serious stuff is back.

Nine months of Championship chaos stretch out ahead, 46 games of jeopardy in a division that already prides itself on being impossible to predict. This year? It might be even more open than usual.

Only four clubs arrive with parachute payments – West Ham, Wolves, Burnley and Southampton – and even Saints start with a four-point handicap after the spygate scandal that poisoned the end of last season. Lincoln City return to this level for the first time since 1961, Cardiff are back after a brief exile, and Bolton rejoin the party for the first time since 2019.

As Wolves and Blackburn get ready to crack the season open on Friday, here’s how the 24 contenders are shaping up – for now, at least, with the transfer window open until 1 September.

Birmingham City – aiming higher, but must travel better

Head coach: Chris Davies
Last season: 10th
Jobi McAnuff’s prediction: 11th

At St Andrew’s, expectations have sharpened. Play-offs felt like a stretch for some last season; now a top-eight finish is more or less the minimum brief for Chris Davies in year three.

Continuity is their trump card. The squad was overhauled mid-season, younger and hungrier players thrown in. Winger Carlos Vicente, midfield enforcer Jhon Solis and towering striker August Priske all have a season’s Championship experience in their legs now. Behind them, skipper Christoph Klarer and Phil Neumann look like one of the more robust centre-back pairings in the league.

The problem? The road. Birmingham were dreadful away from home last season: just five wins, bottom-six form, and only two teams scored fewer away goals. That contrasted sharply with a fortress-like St Andrew’s, where 44 points was the fourth-best home haul in the division. If Davies can’t fix the away setup, the play-offs remain a theory rather than a target.

Priske could change that equation. The 6ft 5in Dane has bulked up over the summer, finally looks the part physically, and has been scoring in pre-season. His first goal for the club arrived on the final day at Portsmouth, where his dad once played. Over a full campaign, 15-plus goals is not a wild shout.

Blackburn Rovers – survival first, again

Head coach: Tony Mowbray
Last season: 20th
Jobi’s prediction: 22nd

Blackburn have one priority: avoid another year staring down the barrel.

Four home wins at Ewood Park last season was nowhere near enough. Tony Mowbray wants more quality through the door and knows this group still feels light on proven Championship nous. That’s been a recurring theme; Michael O’Neill said it before him, and Mowbray has echoed it.

The experience of twice escaping relegation in three years should steel this squad. If key players stay fit, Rovers ought to live a little more comfortably. But the goalkeeping situation is a live concern: both Balazs Toth and Aynsley Pears are in the final year of their contracts, and Toth could still depart.

The bright spark is at centre-back. Tom Atcheson, who turns 20 in September, has been handed the number six shirt and the first-choice role. He’s already being tipped for the top and will not be short of Premier League scouts if he continues on this trajectory.

Bolton Wanderers – back at the level, eyes wide open

Head coach: Steven Schumacher
Last season: 5th in League One (play-off winners)
Jobi’s prediction: 21st

For Bolton, this season is about survival with ambition attached. Consolidation doesn’t mean a lack of belief, just a dose of realism.

Steven Schumacher knows this league. That helps. The budget, though, will be one of the smallest in the division, which makes recruitment absolutely critical. The club have accelerated that process in recent days with a flurry of arrivals and could still add one or two more before the window shuts.

The biggest question hangs over the attack. Bolton create chances; converting them has been the issue. That ratio has to improve if they’re to avoid being dragged into trouble.

Ryan Hardie might be the answer. His best scoring spell came under Schumacher at Plymouth, and the manager will hope to unlock that version again on loan.

Bristol City – big changes, bigger hopes

Head coach: Michael Skubala
Last season: 12th
Jobi’s prediction: 14th

Ashton Gate feels different. New sporting director James Ellis, new head coach Michael Skubala, eight new signings and more money spent than many expected. Optimism has crept back in, along with talk that City might finally become genuine promotion contenders.

They look strong through the middle. The centre-backs and central midfielders, if kept fit, give Skubala a solid base. Lisav Eissat and midfielder Gibson Yah bolster a department that was down to the bare bones at times last season. Lose Jason Knight after Max Bird’s exit, though, and that balance changes quickly.

Up front, Lorent Tolaj and Dom Ballard have lit up fan forums after starring in League One last year. Both score goals, neither has played in the Championship. The talent is there, but the jump is real. On top of that, the whole squad has to adjust to Skubala’s different style.

Tolaj looks tailor-made to become a cult hero with his relentless work-rate and finishing, but Yu Hirakawa might be the wildcard. Frozen out under managers who played without wingers, the Japanese wide man now fits Skubala’s system perfectly. After helping Hull to promotion on loan, he could be the creative spark City have been missing against deep-lying defences.

Burnley – familiar stage, unfamiliar uncertainty

Head coach: Nicky Hayen
Last season: 19th in Premier League
Jobi’s prediction: 5th

Burnley have made bouncing back from the Championship look routine, twice reaching 100 points in their last two seasons at this level. This time, no one can quite tell what they are yet.

The window still has work to do. The Clarets have already lost Maxime Esteve, Jaidon Anthony, Luca Koleosho and Florentino Luis, and more departures could follow. Zian Flemming is the one to watch; a Premier League move would be hard to counter quickly.

There is still quality and motivation in the squad. Aaron Ramsey has endured three injury-hit years since his big-money move, but a fit Ramsey would feel like a new signing. Mike Tresor never really caught fire under the previous managers, and Nicky Hayen is being tasked with reigniting him.

Marcus Edwards, though, might be the season’s key figure. He impressed in the latter half of their last promotion campaign and many fans felt he was underused in the top flight. The Championship stage suits his skillset, and this could be the year he runs games rather than just influences them.

Cardiff City – kids, chaos and a survival scrap

Manager: Brian Barry-Murphy
Last season: 2nd in League One (promoted)
Jobi’s prediction: 23rd

Cardiff’s first job is simple: stay up. Barry-Murphy has revived the club with an adventurous, high-tempo style, and if they start well, a top-half finish isn’t out of the question. But the Championship is unforgiving.

Youth is both their thrill and their risk. The squad is stacked with academy products who have been encouraged to express themselves. The pace and freedom Cardiff play with will unsettle teams; it did last season and could again.

The flip side is obvious. With only three players over 30, naivety has crept in at key moments. At this level, those mistakes get punished. A couple of seasoned Championship signings would help, but Barry-Murphy has stayed loyal to his philosophy so far.

The season may hinge on Yousef Salech. The powerful Dane scored eight times in 20 Championship games two years ago despite relegation, then hit 15 last season before a serious neck injury. If he’s fully fit, he’s a nightmare for defenders and the focal point Cardiff desperately need.

Derby County – promise, but paper-thin

Head coach: John Eustace
Last season: 8th
Jobi’s prediction: 10th

Derby’s summer changed in an instant. A proposed takeover collapsed, taking with it hopes of major investment and a transformative window.

The squad that remains has quality but lacks depth. Eustace needs reinforcements in wide areas, at full-back, in central midfield and up front if Derby are to sustain a top-half or play-off push.

The spine gives cause for optimism. Jacob Widell Zetterstrom is a steady presence in goal, Lewis Travis is set for his first full, injury-free season as captain, and Carlton Morris can lead the line if he finds pre-injury form.

Bobby Clark is the one to watch. At 21, he has the tools to become one of Derby’s most valuable assets. And when Patrick Agyemang finally returns from the injury that cost him a World Cup and half a season, his January comeback could feel like a marquee signing dropped into the run-in.

Lincoln City – tiny budget, big belief

Head coaches: Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw
Last season: 1st in League One (champions)
Jobi’s prediction: 24th

Lincoln are back in the second tier for the first time since 1961. Survival would be an achievement in itself.

They are expected to operate on the smallest budget in the league. Yet that didn’t stop them blowing League One away last season. The core of that title-winning squad remains, and continuity is their best hope of defying gravity again.

Experience exists in key positions. Tendayi Darikwa and Adam Reach know the Championship well, and the dual-head-coach model of Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, while unconventional, has impressed people inside the game.

The window has been quiet so far. More signings are expected before the end of August, but they will need to be smart rather than flashy.

Goalkeeper George Wickens could be their breakout star. After a tough first year, he was outstanding last season and has signed a new deal. Working closely with goalkeeping coach David Preece, he has the profile of a keeper who could suddenly find himself in the wider spotlight – just as former Lincoln loanee Carl Rushworth did.

Middlesbrough – one more push

Head coach: Kim Hellberg
Last season: 5th (lost play-off final)
Jobi’s prediction: 2nd

Boro came agonisingly close last season. After a play-off final defeat, the brief is clear: go again, and at worst make the expanded play-offs.

Hellberg’s side were tough to break down and ruthless when ahead. Once they scored first, they were superb at shutting games down. His attacking style won admirers across the league and, at its best, simply overwhelmed opponents.

The flaw was obvious. When teams sat deep and handed them the ball, Boro often ran out of ideas. A run of two wins in 10 to finish the campaign cost them automatic promotion.

The response has been to add different weapons. Will Lankshear has arrived as a big-money, out-and-out number nine, while Kyle Joseph offers another way of smashing the door down when the subtle approach fails. USA international Sebastian Berhalter, fresh from a strong World Cup, joins a midfield that already looked strong.

At the back, Adilson Malanda’s partnership with Alfie Jones will be crucial. If that axis holds, Boro will have the platform to dominate again.

Millwall – underdogs with teeth

Head coach: Alex Neil
Last season: 3rd
Jobi’s prediction: 6th

Millwall finally cracked the Championship play-offs last season for the first time in over 20 years. Now they want to prove it wasn’t a one-off.

Alex Neil is central to that belief. He gets the club, understands the fanbase and has a track record of winning promotion. His nous in tight, defining moments was evident last year and will be needed again in a division stacked with richer rivals.

Budget constraints remain. The Berylson family have backed Neil, but Millwall will still be up against clubs with far deeper pockets. They’ve lived with that reality for years and used it as fuel.

The missing piece has long been a reliable goalscorer. Josh Coburn showed flashes of being that man last season. If he can stay fit and maintain that level across a full campaign, he could turn Millwall from awkward opponents into genuine promotion contenders.

Norwich City – calm, at last

Head coach: Philippe Clement
Last season: 9th
Jobi’s prediction: 7th

Norwich approach this season with something they’ve lacked for a while: stability.

Only three teams picked up more points than City in the second half of last season. Clement took over a side drifting towards League One and turned them into one of the Championship’s form teams. A full pre-season under him has fuelled cautious optimism.

Continuity is their strength. After two summers of managerial churn and scattergun recruitment from various foreign markets, this quieter window feels like a blessing. The squad knows the system and the demands.

The big worry is injuries. Clement was frequently frustrated by the number of absentees last term. The club has responded with a raft of hires in sport science and fitness, but winger Ali Ahmed’s ACL injury has already ruled him out for the season. Kellen Fisher, Jovon Makama and Lucien Mahovo will miss the start as well.

Makama looked a major find before his campaign was cut short in February after 13 goals. Australian striker Mo Toure then arrived and rattled in 10 goals in 12 league games, plus another inside 40 seconds of the Carabao Cup win over MK Dons. Add promising new signing Andre Brooks, and Norwich have the firepower to back up their optimism.

Portsmouth – fragile, but feisty

Head coach: John Mousinho
Last season: 18th
Jobi’s prediction: 20th

Portsmouth are trying to edge away from danger on a modest budget. They’ve already spent roughly double last summer’s outlay, but any improvement on 18th would be a job well done.

There is genuine excitement about the flanks. Josh Murphy and Abu Kamara could be one of the Championship’s most entertaining wing pairs, if they can stay fit. Terry Devlin’s progress last season was remarkable, and Adrian Segecic’s 11-goal debut campaign hinted at more to come.

Depth is the issue. Injuries hammered Pompey last year and they simply don’t have the quality in reserve to absorb long absences. The new signings bring potential, not Championship experience, and opponents no longer underestimate Fratton Park. Teams sit in, frustrate and ask Portsmouth to break them down. Too often, they can’t.

Murphy is the game-changer. When fully fit and firing, he is one of the best players in the division. He will miss the opener, but if he rediscovers the form of two years ago, Portsmouth’s relegation worries shrink dramatically.

Preston North End – big spend, thin squad

Manager: Paul Heckingbottom
Last season: 14th
Jobi’s prediction: 19th

Preston have already smashed their transfer record on Alfie Devine and are expected to add more before the deadline. The aim is clear: repeat last season’s strong first half, but avoid the post-New Year collapse.

The club have also spent over £1.5m on a new Deepdale pitch after last winter’s surface made Heckingbottom’s preferred style almost impossible. They believe a better pitch will bring more consistent performances.

Squad depth, though, is a nagging worry. Key loanees have gone, experienced figures like Robbie Brady have moved on, and the exits of Lewis Dobbin, Harrison Armstrong and Daniel Jebbison leave serious holes, especially in attack.

Devine is both record signing and focal point. He impressed on loan from Tottenham last season, and now the expectation is he kicks on again. For that to happen, Preston need to surround him with enough quality to share the load.

QPR – fixing the leaks, eyeing the climb

Head coach: Julien Stephan
Last season: 15th
Jobi’s prediction: 13th

Loftus Road feels quietly upbeat. A promising pre-season and smart-looking recruitment have supporters wondering if QPR can bridge the gap to the big spenders and sneak into the top eight.

Julien Stephan’s first year in the Championship has given him a clearer picture of what he wants, and this squad looks more tailored to his ideas. That alone should help.

But one statistic screams for attention: 73 goals conceded last season. Only Sheffield Wednesday let in more. If Stephan can’t fix that, any dreams of pushing up the table will evaporate.

Up front, Rumarn Burrell could be the surprise package. He has the tools – pace, movement, physicality – to trouble Championship defences. With a clean bill of health and decent service, he might just explode.

Southampton – wounded, but loaded

Head coach: Tonda Eckert
Last season: 4th (expelled from play-off final)
Jobi’s prediction: 4th

Southampton start this campaign with a four-point penalty and a sense of unfinished business after being thrown out of last season’s play-off final. They’ve been blunt: automatic promotion is the target.

The core of the side that went 21 league games unbeaten remains. On top of that, the club have made permanent two crucial figures from that run, Cyle Larin and Daniel Peretz. Continuity and quality, rolled into one.

The main question is up front. Divin Mubama arrives from Manchester City on loan as Ross Stewart’s replacement. The talent is obvious, but five goals in 20 starts at Stoke before injury is not yet the record of a promotion talisman. He has to prove he can handle the grind of a full Championship season.

Leo Scienza is the star turn. The Brazilian winger tortures full-backs and, unless a “stupid bid” lands before the deadline, will be doing so all year. With him on the pitch, Saints always look one moment away from changing a game.

Stoke City – defence first, then dare

Manager: Mark Robins
Last season: 17th
Jobi’s prediction: 15th

Stoke’s hierarchy has set the bar: they expect a play-off challenge.

Last season’s early promise was built on a rock-solid defence and Viktor Johansson’s excellence in goal. Keep that foundation and add sharper attacking edges, and the Potters can climb quickly.

The problem is the lack of goals from anywhere other than Sorba Thomas. There is no prolific striker in the squad and the supporting cast has yet to prove it can contribute enough to make up for that.

Luke Graham, the young centre-back from Dundee, is one for the long term. Left-footed, robust and comfortable stepping out with the ball, he has already flashed his potential. Stoke will hope his development tracks their own upward curve.

Swansea City – pressing, spending, waiting on Vipotnik

Head coach: Vitor Matos
Last season: 11th
Jobi’s prediction: 12th

Swansea once again enter a season talking about turning mid-table into a play-off push. Once again, the answer may depend on who stays and who goes.

Zan Vipotnik, last season’s Championship top scorer, is at the centre of that uncertainty. If he leaves, Swansea’s attack will look very different. Ethan Galbraith, another standout, has already gone, leaving Josh Tymon and goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux as the remaining pillars from last year’s core.

Matos has stamped his identity on the team. His pressing game, honed alongside Jurgen Klopp, worked particularly well at home. Improving the away record is the obvious next step; a few more points on the road would have changed everything last season.

Out wide was their weakest area, so Swansea have spent big on Joseph Opoku and Moussa Yeo. Opoku, a powerful 21-year-old Ghanaian winger, looks tailor-made for the Championship’s intensity. At the back, academy product Filip Lissah is poised to become a regular after impressing on loan at Falkirk.

Up front, if Vipotnik goes, the burden shifts to Adam Idah – who struggled in his first season – and new signing Ross Stewart. That’s a gamble Swansea may not want to take.

Watford – talent on the flanks, holes down the middle

Head coach: Alessio Dionisi
Last season: 16th
Jobi’s prediction: 16th

Watford’s board and Gino Pozzo would love another promotion tilt. Plenty of fans are braced for something more modest.

Last season ended with an eight-game winless run and a slide to 16th. Recruitment has been slow, and the spine of the team looks worryingly thin. Two recognised centre-backs is nowhere near enough; most clubs carry five. Central midfield is light, with Imran Louza’s future unclear, and up front the two young strikers are still short of Championship level.

The Hornets do still have talent. Othmane Maamma tops that list. The gifted attacker can play off either flank, glides past players and has an eye for goal. Interest before the window closes would surprise no one. Kwadwo Baah and Rocco Vata need to find fitness and form, while Edoardo Bove should benefit from a full pre-season.

Maamma is the difference-maker if he stays. He has the tools to reach the top level and could carry this side at times. Keep an eye, too, on Amin Nabizada, a young attacker tipped internally for a breakout year.

West Bromwich Albion – back to basics, eyes on the play-offs

Head coach: James Morrison
Last season: 21st
Jobi’s prediction: 17th

West Brom flirted with disaster last season. Relegation to League One was a live threat until James Morrison arrived and stitched together a 10-game unbeaten run that kept them up.

Now he has the job permanently. With two extra play-off spots available, Albion should be aiming high, but the reality of a younger, developing squad may make a top-half finish a more realistic sign of progress.

Morrison’s rescue act was built on structure. He went old-school with a 4-4-2, put players in their best positions and saw immediate results: seven clean sheets in nine, more penalty-box entries thanks to attacking full-backs, and a style that was organised but not dull.

Scoring remains the headache. Only four teams scored fewer league goals, and two of those went down. Aune Heggebo managed nine in his first English season and needs help. Goals have to be spread across the side.

Jimmy-Jay Morgan’s five pre-season goals have raised expectations, but Morrison is wary of piling pressure on an untested forward. Instead, eyes turn to Felix Horn Myhre. At 27, with European experience and a reputation as SK Brann’s most important player, he looks ready to handle the demands. If he adapts quickly, he could become the heartbeat of Morrison’s midfield.

West Ham United – Bowen and the burden of expectation

Head coach: Nuno Espirito Santo
Last season: 18th in Premier League
Jobi’s prediction: 1st

For West Ham, anything short of promotion is failure. Automatic promotion is the stated aim; going up via the play-offs would be tolerated, not celebrated.

The biggest win of the summer was keeping Nuno Espirito Santo. He has already won this league with 99 points at Wolves and knows exactly what it takes. Around him, West Ham still possess a strong core and, crucially, Jarrod Bowen.

Bowen is probably the best player in the division. His numbers are outrageous: 131 goal contributions in 228 games for the club since the start of 2021-22. He is West Ham’s talisman and the Championship’s standout star.

There are complications. An ownership tug of war continues in the background and could yet affect transfer business. High-calibre exits – Mateus Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville among them – have lowered the squad’s ceiling. Those gaps must be plugged smartly.

But with Nuno on the touchline and Bowen on the pitch, West Ham start as the team everyone else measures themselves against.

Wolverhampton Wanderers – big names, big questions

Head coach: Cesar Peixoto
Last season: 20th in Premier League
Jobi’s prediction: 3rd

Wolves head back into the Championship with optimism humming around Molineux. Over 21,000 turned up for a Carabao Cup tie last Friday, a sign that supporters are ready to believe in an immediate return.

The club’s new executive chairman Nathan Shi talked back in February about an 18‑month plan to be a Premier League club again by 2027-28. The mood in the stands now suggests fans think that timeline could be accelerated.

On the pitch, there is quality everywhere. Raul Jimenez and Kieran Trippier bring proven Premier League pedigree, Adam Armstrong has already shown he can terrorise this division, and several players who might have left after last season’s misery appear willing to stay and lead the charge. Jimenez’s decision to return and Andre’s choice to stay, when both had options higher up, point to a renewed sense of unity.

But doubts linger. Is the exodus truly over, or just delayed until late August? If players who were deemed expendable in May suddenly become key and then depart, can Wolves avoid repeating last summer’s recruitment missteps? Is the defence strong enough beyond Ladislav Krejci, whose pre-season was shortened by the World Cup? And will one of the two international goalkeepers remain, or must they find a new number one at speed?

Mateus Mane might make those questions feel less urgent. A year ago he was a name known mainly to Rochdale and Wolves youth-watchers. Under Rob Edwards he was thrust into the spotlight, perhaps too often, but showed flashes of enormous talent. This pre-season he has looked refreshed and focused, aware that a dominant Championship campaign could launch him into a different stratosphere.

Wrexham – ruthless finishers, fragile at the back

Manager: Phil Parkinson
Last season: 7th
Jobi’s prediction: 9th

Wrexham want promotion. After narrowly missing the restructured play-offs, they know exactly where they fell short and what needs fixing.

The squad is packed with individual talent. Josh Windass and Callum Doyle bring craft and control, while Kieffer Moore is a handful for any defence, capable of scoring all types of goals. Statistically, Wrexham were deadly: they outperformed their expected goals by 12.21, the best figure in the division. If they stay that clinical, they’ll be in the mix again.

The issue is at the other end. Parkinson’s side conceded too many chances and took a long time to settle on a back three last season. Injuries at wing-back disrupted everything. The expectation is that, with a year’s Championship experience, the defensive structure will improve.

Danny Imray, the first signing of the summer, is central to that plan. The right-sided player has racked up 76 appearances across loans in the past two years, a stark contrast to the injury records of Liberato Cacace and Issa Kabore. If he locks down that flank, Wrexham’s balance might finally match their ambition.

The Championship rarely follows the script. West Ham and Wolves carry the weight of expectation, Southampton and Burnley lurk with serious intent, and a pack of ambitious clubs – Middlesbrough, Millwall, Norwich, Swansea, Wrexham and others – are ready to pounce if the favourites stumble.

The only certainty? Over the next 46 games, someone will rip up the odds. Who dares to be that club?