Championship 2023-24 Preview: Clubs and Predictions

The parachutes are fewer, the favourites thinner on the ground, and the road to May looks wilder than ever. The Championship is back – and this time the usual safety nets aren’t there.

Only four clubs arrive with parachute money: West Ham, Wolves, Burnley and a Southampton side already starting four points in the red after the spygate scandal. Lincoln return to this level for the first time since 1961, Cardiff are back after a year away, Bolton rejoin the party. Twenty‑four clubs, 46 games, nine months. Chaos, basically.

Here’s how the division shapes up, club by club, with Jobi McAnuff’s verdict on where they might land.

Birmingham City – aiming higher, travelling light

Chris Davies goes into his third season knowing the bar has been raised. Tenth last time out felt like a missed opportunity; this time, the owners expect at least a top‑eight finish and a proper tilt at the play‑offs.

Continuity is Birmingham’s biggest ally. The mid-season revamp brought in younger, hungrier legs and the benefits should now show. Carlos Vicente out wide, destroyer Jhon Solis in midfield and towering striker August Priske have all had a taste of the level. Behind them, captain Christoph Klarer and Phil Neumann look like one of the division’s more imposing centre-back pairings.

The problem? The road. Only five away wins and one of the worst away goal tallies in the league undermined a formidable St Andrew’s record – 44 points at home, fourth best in the division. If Davies doesn’t crack his away formula, talk of the play-offs will remain just that.

Priske could flip the script. The 6ft 5in Dane has bulked up, started scoring in pre-season and, at 22, looks ready to become a 15‑goal striker over a full campaign.

Jobi’s prediction: 11th

Blackburn Rovers – survival first, then see

Tony Mowbray returns to familiar territory with a simple brief: do not repeat last year. Rovers survived, but only just, winning four times at Ewood Park. That home record has to change.

Two relegation battles in three seasons have hardened this group. If they can keep key players fit, the hope is for a calmer year. Yet the squad still looks light on Championship know‑how in key positions, something both Michael O’Neill and now Mowbray have flagged. The goalkeeping situation is another headache with Balazs Toth and Aynsley Pears both in the final year of their contracts and Toth potentially on the move.

The beacon is Tom Atcheson. Handed the number six shirt and already first choice at centre-back, the 19‑year‑old is being tipped for the top and will not be short of Premier League admirers if he keeps progressing.

Jobi’s prediction: 22nd

Bolton Wanderers – back, but on a budget

Promotion via the League One play-offs has put Bolton back on the Championship map. The message from Steven Schumacher is clear: consolidate first, dream later.

Schumacher knows this division from his previous spell and understands exactly what it demands. That matters, because Bolton are operating on one of the lowest budgets in the league. Recruitment has been frantic – eight signings already and more expected – as they scramble to deepen the squad.

The glaring concern is up front. Bolton created plenty in League One but didn’t always turn chances into goals. That conversion rate has to improve. The club is banking on Ryan Hardie, on loan from Wrexham, to rediscover the ruthless streak he showed under Schumacher at Plymouth and become the difference-maker again.

Jobi’s prediction: 21st

Bristol City – change everywhere, belief growing

Ashton Gate has been rebuilt off the pitch as much as on it. A new sporting director in James Ellis, a new head coach in Michael Skubala, eight signings and more money spent than many fans expected. Optimism has returned – cautiously.

City’s spine looks strong if it stays healthy. Centre-backs are well stocked, central midfield has been bolstered by Lisav Eissat and Gibson Yah, and the hope is that last season’s injury crisis in defence is not repeated. But there are caveats: Jason Knight could yet follow Max Bird out of the door before the window shuts, and would need replacing quickly.

Up front, the excitement is real but unproven. Lorent Tolaj and Dom Ballard tore up League One, yet neither has kicked a ball in the Championship. Skubala’s new style will take time to bed in and how quickly his forwards adapt will shape the season.

Tolaj, with his relentless work-rate and eye for goal, already looks like a cult hero in waiting. Yu Hirakawa might be the wild card. Frozen out by systems that shunned wingers, the Japanese wide man now fits perfectly into Skubala’s plans and could be the key to unlocking stubborn defences that have frustrated City for years.

Jobi’s prediction: 14th

Burnley – familiar ambition, unfamiliar uncertainty

Burnley have made bouncing back look easy in recent years, twice topping 100 points in their last two Championship campaigns. This summer feels different. One major signing so far in Ugo Raghouber, several key departures and plenty of business still to come.

New head coach Nicky Hayen inherits a squad with something to prove. Aaron Ramsey, signed for serious money three years ago, has been derailed by injuries. If he finally stays fit, he will feel like a new signing. Mike Tresor, underused by previous managers, is another who could be reborn under Hayen.

The fear is further exits. Zian Flemming has suitors in the Premier League and would be almost impossible to replace at this stage. Hayen has been blunt: anyone who doesn’t want to be here can go, if the price is right.

Marcus Edwards could light the way. Bright in the second half of their last promotion season and underused in the Premier League, the Championship stage looks tailor-made for him to dominate regularly.

Jobi’s prediction: 5th

Cardiff City – fearless, but still learning

Brian Barry-Murphy has dragged life and excitement back into Cardiff with a bold, attacking style. Survival is the primary target, but a fast start could push the Bluebirds into top-half territory.

Youth is everywhere. The squad is stacked with academy products who have been allowed to play with freedom and pace. Last season it transformed the mood around the club and made Cardiff a threat to anyone on their day.

That exuberance cuts both ways. Only three players are over 30 and naivety crept in at times last year – the sort of lapses the Championship punishes ruthlessly. On paper, a couple of seasoned second-tier campaigners would help. Barry-Murphy has so far resisted that temptation.

Up front, everything hinges on Yousef Salech. The powerful Dane scored eight in 20 Championship games before relegation two seasons ago, then 15 in League One before a serious neck injury. If he is fully fit, he gives Cardiff a focal point few defenders will enjoy facing.

Jobi’s prediction: 23rd

Derby County – ambition checked, but not gone

Derby’s summer flipped in an instant. A proposed takeover collapsed, taking dreams of a lavish rebuild with it. Now John Eustace must work the final weeks of the window hard just to give his squad the depth required for a top‑half push.

The core is strong. Jacob Widell Zetterstrom is a steady presence in goal, Lewis Travis has enjoyed a full, injury‑free pre-season and Carlton Morris offers a genuine focal point if he can rediscover pre-injury form. On paper, that spine can compete.

Everywhere else, they are light. Both flanks, full-back, central midfield and the forward line all need reinforcements, ideally with proven Championship pedigree – the hardest profile to find at reasonable prices.

Bobby Clark, 21, looks ready to emerge as a major asset. Patrick Agyemang’s return from his World Cup‑ending injury, expected in January, could feel like a transformative mid-season signing.

Jobi’s prediction: 10th

Lincoln City – underdogs with a plan

Sixty‑plus years away. One summer to get ready. Lincoln return to the Championship with the smallest budget in the division and one clear objective: stay up.

They’ve chosen continuity over churn. Most of last season’s title‑winning squad remains, and that familiarity should help them hit the ground running. Tendayi Darikwa and Adam Reach bring valuable experience at this level, while the decision to appoint Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw as joint head coaches has raised eyebrows but also drawn admiration from within the game.

The window has been quiet so far, and more arrivals are expected before it closes. They will need them.

Between the posts, George Wickens might be the breakout star. After a tough first year, he excelled last season, earned a new contract and continues to refine his game under respected goalkeeping coach David Preece. Lincoln know all about keepers suddenly stepping into the limelight – just ask former loanee Carl Rushworth.

Jobi’s prediction: 24th

Middlesbrough – unfinished business

Boro were within sight of automatic promotion last season before a late wobble and a play-off final defeat. This year, the expanded play-offs are the bare minimum for Kim Hellberg’s side.

The platform is there. Boro were defensively sound and ruthless at shutting games down once they scored first. Hellberg’s high-octane style won admirers across the division and, when it clicked, it blew teams away.

The Achilles heel? Breaking down deep, passive opponents. A run of two wins in their final 10 league games, as rivals sat off and gifted them the ball, cost them dearly. The arrivals of Will Lankshear and Kyle Joseph are designed to add a more direct threat when the intricate stuff fails.

Lankshear, a big-money, out‑and‑out number nine from Tottenham, is expected to be the spearhead. Behind him, USA international Sebastian Berhalter will be tasked with carrying his World Cup form into the league, while Adilson Malanda’s partnership with Alfie Jones at the back must remain rock-solid if Boro are to dominate again.

Jobi’s prediction: 2nd

Millwall – the disruptors who want more

Last season Millwall ripped up reputations on their way to the play-offs for the first time in over 20 years. The aim now is simple: do it again.

Alex Neil is central to that ambition. He understands the club and its demanding fanbase, and he knows how to build promotion-winning teams. His game management in big moments has already earned trust in SE16.

The challenge is financial. Millwall have been backed again by the Berylson family, but they cannot match the spending power of the division’s heavyweights. That gap could tell over 46 games, but it will not be for lack of effort.

The missing piece for years has been a ruthless number nine. If Josh Coburn can stay fit and reproduce his best spells from last season, he might finally be the striker to turn Millwall from awkward opponents into genuine contenders.

Jobi’s prediction: 6th

Norwich City – calm at last, and quietly dangerous

After two summers of upheaval, Norwich have embraced stability. Philippe Clement transformed a side heading for League One into one of the Championship’s form teams in the second half of last season. With a full pre-season behind him, expectations have crept up.

Continuity is their strength. The revolving door of coaches and scattergun foreign recruitment has stopped. The squad knows the system, the club knows the coach. It feels calmer, and Norwich fans like it that way.

Injuries remain the cloud overhead. Clement was exasperated by the number of absentees last year, prompting a revamp of the sports science department. It has already bitten again: Ali Ahmed has suffered an ACL injury and will miss the entire season, while Kellen Fisher, Jovon Makama and Lucien Mahovo are sidelined for the opening weeks.

Makama, when fit, looks a serious prospect, scoring 13 before injury cut his campaign short. Mo Toure, the Australian World Cup striker, rattled in 10 goals in 12 league games after arriving last winter and needed just 40 seconds to score in the Carabao Cup against MK Dons. New signing Andre Brooks has also impressed in pre-season.

Jobi’s prediction: 7th

Portsmouth – wary, but not beaten

Eighteenth last season, modest budget again this time, and a clear aim: stay out of trouble. Any climb up the table will be hard-earned for John Mousinho’s side.

There is talent, especially out wide. Josh Murphy and Abu Kamara, if fit, could be one of the most exciting wing pairings in the league. Terry Devlin’s rapid development has already attracted admiring glances, while Adrian Segecic’s 11‑goal debut campaign underlined his potential.

Depth is the worry. Injuries hammered Pompey last season and they do not have the squad to absorb similar blows. The new signings bring promise, but very little Championship experience. Fratton Park is no longer a soft touch; teams come organised and respectful, often sitting deep. Pompey have struggled to pick those locks.

Murphy is the game-changer. One of the best players in the division when fully fit, his last campaign was wrecked by injury and he will miss the opener. If he returns to the form of two seasons ago, Portsmouth’s relegation fears will shrink dramatically.

Jobi’s prediction: 20th

Preston North End – new pitch, old questions

Preston have gone big this summer – on and off the pitch. A new playing surface at Deepdale has cost over £1.5m after last winter’s turf turned into a mudbath and sabotaged Paul Heckingbottom’s passing game.

On the recruitment front, they’ve smashed their transfer record, spending £6m on Alfie Devine, who impressed on loan from Tottenham last season. More signings are expected, and needed, if North End are to avoid a repeat of last year’s boom‑then‑bust campaign.

Squad depth is the nagging concern. Key loanees have gone, experienced heads like Robbie Brady have departed, and the exits of Lewis Dobbin, Harrison Armstrong and Daniel Jebbison leave significant gaps in attack.

Devine is both the marquee arrival and the man under the microscope. Now permanent, he is expected to drive this team, but he cannot do it alone. Preston’s season will hinge on whether the club can surround him with enough quality.

Jobi’s prediction: 19th

QPR – leak less, dream bigger

QPR’s summer has been quietly impressive. New goalkeeper options in Calum Ward and Pierce Charles, defensive reinforcements in Boy Kemper, Tariq Lamptey and Dennis Cirkin, and midfield steel in Glen Kamara. Expectations have risen.

Julien Stephan now has a year’s Championship experience and a squad more tailored to his ideas. That familiarity should help.

But one number looms large: 73. That’s how many goals QPR conceded last season, with only Sheffield Wednesday worse. Unless Stephan fixes that defensive record, talk of top‑half finishes and outside play-off pushes will remain fantasy.

Up front, Rumarn Burrell could be the surprise package. He has the tools to thrive at this level – pace, movement, finishing – and if QPR can supply him consistently, he might just turn their season.

Jobi’s prediction: 13th

Southampton – talent, turbulence and a target

Southampton ended last season on a 21‑game unbeaten league run, only to be expelled from the play-off final after the spygate scandal. They start this campaign with a four-point deduction but absolutely no doubt about the aim: automatic promotion.

New head coach Tonda Eckert has retained the core of that formidable run and secured permanent deals for Cyle Larin and Daniel Peretz, both key figures in that sequence. The squad, on paper, remains one of the strongest in the division.

The main question is up front. Divin Mubama arrives on loan from Manchester City with big potential but a point to prove after five goals in 20 starts at Stoke before injury. Southampton need him to deliver consistently across a full season.

Leo Scienza is the star turn. The Brazilian winger terrifies full-backs and, unless a major bid lands before the window closes, he will be doing that all year. With him fit and firing, Southampton’s deduction looks more like a nuisance than a barrier.

Jobi’s prediction: 4th

Stoke City – solid, but still short

The message from Stoke’s hierarchy is blunt: they expect a play-off challenge. Mark Robins knows exactly what that entails.

Last season’s early promise was built on a mean defence and the outstanding form of goalkeeper Viktor Johansson. The blueprint remains the same – keep that solidity, find more punch in the final third.

And that is where the doubts lie. Beyond Sorba Thomas, Stoke lack proven attacking threat. There is no prolific striker in the squad and not enough goals from elsewhere to compensate.

Luke Graham, a left-footed centre-back signed from Dundee, could be one for the future. Strong, front-foot and comfortable stepping out with the ball, he has the tools to become a standout defender over the next couple of seasons if he adapts quickly.

Jobi’s prediction: 15th

Swansea City – pressing, spending, and a big decision

Swansea have spent two summers backing their managers. Now, after back‑to‑back 11th‑placed finishes, the owners want a genuine tilt at the play-offs.

Vitor Matos has already stamped his identity on the side. His pressing game, influenced by his time alongside Jurgen Klopp, made Swansea a handful at home. The squad has been reshaped again with Elijah Just, Joseph Opoku, Tiago Parente, Ross Stewart, Stephen Welsh and Moussa Yeo all arriving.

The big question hangs over Zan Vipotnik. Last season’s Championship top scorer was the focal point of their attack, while Ethan Galbraith shone in midfield before departing for Stoke. If Vipotnik leaves, Swansea will lean heavily on Adam Idah, who struggled in his first season, and new signing Stewart to carry the load.

Out wide, last year’s weakest department has been upgraded. Opoku, a powerful 21‑year‑old Ghanaian winger, looks physically ready for the league, while academy defender Filip Lissah returns from a standout loan at Falkirk ready to step into the first team.

Jobi’s prediction: 12th

Watford – talent, but too many gaps

Watford’s board may dream of another promotion tilt; many fans are braced for something more modest after a grim run-in last season and a slow summer.

The squad still contains quality. Othmane Maamma is the jewel – a gifted wide attacker with balance, touch, intelligence and goals. Kwadwo Baah and Rocco Vata need to rediscover form and fitness, while Edoardo Bove should kick on after a full pre-season.

The spine is the issue. Just two recognised centre-backs is a major red flag when most clubs carry at least five. Central midfield is light, with Imran Louza’s future uncertain, and up front the two young centre-forwards are still short of Championship level. Loan signings will arrive, but they must settle fast under new head coach Alessio Dionisi.

If Maamma stays, he could carry this team higher than their current trajectory suggests. Behind him, youngster Amin Nabizada is tipped for a breakout year.

Jobi’s prediction: 16th

West Bromwich Albion – order restored, now for goals

West Brom flirted with disaster last season before James Morrison’s 10‑game unbeaten rescue act. Now in permanent charge, he has a younger, evolving squad and a target that matches the club’s stature: the play-offs. Realistically, a top‑half finish would still represent progress.

Morrison’s turnaround was built on an old-school 4-4-2, defensive discipline and full-backs who attacked with purpose. Seven clean sheets in nine games proved the structure works, and they still managed to increase entries into the opposition box.

The issue is finishing. Only four teams scored fewer league goals, and two of those went down. Aune Heggebo managed nine in his first season and needs help. The goals must be spread more evenly across the side.

Jimmy-Jay Morgan’s prolific pre-season – five goals – hints at promise, but Morrison is wary of piling pressure on another youngster. Instead, eyes may turn to Felix Horn Myhre. The 27‑year‑old midfielder arrives from SK Brann with European experience and a reputation as their most important player. If he adapts quickly, he could quietly become the heartbeat of this team.

Jobi’s prediction: 17th

West Ham United – no excuses

Relegation has not dampened expectations in east London. Anything short of automatic promotion will be viewed as failure. Even going up via the expanded play-offs would be seen as a compromise.

The main reason for that confidence sits in the dugout. Nuno Espirito Santo remains in charge, a coach who knows how to dominate this division after taking Wolves up with 99 points in 2017‑18. He still has a strong core to work with and, crucially, Jarrod Bowen.

Bowen is the division’s standout player. Since the start of the 2021‑22 season he has delivered 131 goal contributions in 228 games for West Ham. His presence alone shifts games, and possibly the promotion race.

The backdrop is messy. An ownership tug of war continues, threatening to disrupt recruitment and unsettle the club. High-calibre departures such as Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville have lowered the ceiling slightly. The Hammers need to replace that quality smartly.

Jobi’s prediction: 1st

Wolverhampton Wanderers – big names, big questions

Relegation was ugly, but Molineux feels different now. Over 21,000 turned up for a Carabao Cup tie, the atmosphere was forgiving, and hope has returned. The club’s own timeline is clear: back in the Premier League by 2027‑28. Many fans are thinking much sooner.

Cesar Peixoto has serious tools at his disposal. Raul Jimenez and Kieran Trippier bring proven Premier League class. Adam Armstrong, signed in January, has a track record of scoring heavily in the Championship. Some of last season’s better performers, expected to leave, appear willing to stay. Jimenez’s decision to return and Andre’s to remain hint at a core of unity that could carry them far.

Yet the doubts are real. Will more senior players leave late in the window? Can Wolves avoid repeating last summer’s recruitment missteps if they do? Is there enough defensive depth beyond Ladislav Krejci, who had a limited pre-season after the World Cup? And will either of their two international goalkeepers still be at the club come September?

Amid all that, Mateus Mane stands out. A year ago he was a prospect; now he is the symbol of Wolves’ future. Thrown in early, he faded late, but his talent is obvious. A strong Championship season would not just lift Wolves – it could launch his career into a different stratosphere.

Jobi’s prediction: 3rd

Wrexham – ruthless, but still too open?

Wrexham brushed close to the play-offs in their first Championship season and have no intention of stopping there. Phil Parkinson wants promotion talk, not survival chat.

He has the firepower to justify it. Josh Windass, Callum Doyle and Kieffer Moore give Wrexham serious individual quality. Last season they were the most clinical side in the division, outperforming their expected goals by 12.21. Keep that edge and they will be a threat again.

Defensively, they must tighten up. Wrexham conceded too many chances and it took Parkinson time to settle on a back three. Injuries at wing-back only added to the instability. With a year of experience behind them, improvement is non-negotiable.

Danny Imray could be pivotal. Signed early in the window, the right-sided defender has racked up 76 appearances in the last two seasons across loan spells. If he brings reliability and availability to a problem position, Wrexham’s back line will look very different.

Jobi’s prediction: 9th

One thing is certain. With fewer parachutes, more wildcards and promotion places stretched by expanded play-offs, this Championship season is built for shocks. The only real question is which club will be the one that rips up everyone’s script.