{"id":4046,"date":"2025-08-11T01:50:21","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T01:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/11\/championship-1-24-predictions-promotion-race-decided-as-ipswich-and-wrexham-discover-fate\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T01:50:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T01:50:21","slug":"championship-1-24-predictions-promotion-race-decided-as-ipswich-and-wrexham-discover-fate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/11\/championship-1-24-predictions-promotion-race-decided-as-ipswich-and-wrexham-discover-fate\/","title":{"rendered":"Championship 1-24 predictions: Promotion race decided as Ipswich and Wrexham discover fate"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Championship is officially back this weekend and the division’s 24 teams will all spend the next 10 months battling it out for the prize of promotion to the Premier League<\/h2>\n
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06:00, 07 Aug 2025<\/span>Updated 08:45, 08 Aug 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Daniel Marsh is a senior sports reporter for The Mirror, where he predominantly reports on football. He joined The Mirror in 2022 and has also worked for The South London Press. Daniel specialises in EFL features and news.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/figure><\/span>Ipswich Town start the season as the red-hot favourites for promotion – and for good reason<\/span>(Image: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n
After months of ticking off Saturdays on the calendar, the Championship is finally back. And we’re kicking things off in style with a big opener between Birmingham City and Ipswich Town on Friday night.<\/p>\n
Between Friday and May, all 24 teams will fight it out for a shot at the big-time: a golden ticket to the Premier League and the untold riches that come hand in hand with promotion.<\/p>\n
The Championship has garnered a reputation as one of the most exciting leagues in the world in recent years and a big reason for that is the unpredictability of it.<\/p>\n
So, of course it makes sense to do the impossible and attempt to predict where every single team will finish.<\/p>\n
My 1-24 is below, so feel free to get stuck in and bookmark accordingly for when May comes around…<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Transfer news LIVE: Sesko makes Man Utd decision, huge Liverpool deal close, Chelsea triple sale<\/span><\/span>READ MORE: Sheffield Wednesday have been left to rot by Dejphon Chansiri – he MUST sell crisis club<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
24 – Sheffield Wednesday<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, it’s hard to see how Sheffield Wednesday recover from a severely damaging summer. Dejphon Chansiri’s failure to sell the club has not only caused turmoil off the pitch, from a football perspective it’s seen the Owls lose key players. To make matters worse, they are also now bound by restrictions when it comes to replacing them.<\/p>\n
At the time of writing, Wednesday have made no signings at all this summer and another of their players, Max Lowe, has just handed in his notice and will likely be at a new club before the month is out.<\/p>\n
If Henrik Pedersen, the Owls’ newly minted head coach, keeps Wednesday up then he deserves the keys to the Steel City.<\/p>\n
23 – Oxford United<\/p>\n
In Gary Rowett, Oxford have a manager who practically guarantees Championship survival. Yes, Birmingham went down with Rowett at the helm two years ago, but the damage was done long before he took over. With that being said, I’m tipping them to go down.<\/p>\n
Why? I’m not blown away with the recruitment in a division which looks far tougher than last year on paper. Goals are probably the biggest concern; Mark Harris started the 2024-25 campaign on fire with four goals in as many games but scored just two more between the end of August and May.<\/p>\n
They averaged just over a goal a game last season (49 in total) and if Nik Prelec and Will Lankshear fail to hit the ground running, it could be a long hard season.<\/p>\n
22 – Hull City<\/p>\n
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\n<\/figure><\/span>Hull City owner Acun Ilicali sacked Ruben Selles at the end of last season<\/span>(Image: Getty Images )<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Sorry Hull fans, but I’ve got you marked for the final relegation spot after another turbulent summer under the enigma that is Acun Ilicali.<\/p>\n
The goodwill that Ilicali built up after acquiring the club back in January 2022 is quickly (and justifiably) eroding and the off-field turmoil that has made headlines in recent months is bound to have a detrimental effect on a squad which has a manager who is untested in the Championship in Sergej Jakirovic.<\/p>\n
Quality wise, is Hull’s squad worse than 21 other Championship teams? No. But I reckon the aforementioned other factors at play will ultimately bring down the Tigers.<\/p>\n
21 – Charlton Athletic<\/p>\n
Charlton will be up against it after coming up through the play-offs, but their activity in the summer transfer window has given me just about enough optimism to back them staying up.<\/p>\n
While the majority may be untested at Championship level, the Addicks have an abundance of options at the top end of the pitch: Tanto Olaofe, Rob Apter and Charlie Kelman have all arrived for seven-figure fees to bolster an attack which already featured Matty Godden and Miles Leaburn.<\/p>\n
At the other end of the pitch, Thomas Kaminski and Reece Burke were part of a defence that got relegated last season. But Charlton’s options up top should be enough to get them over the line.<\/p>\n
20 – Preston North End<\/p>\n
After sleepwalking into the relegation dogfight last season, Preston North End could well find themselves flirting with League One again in the coming months.<\/p>\n
Paul Heckingbottom has good Championship pedigree and could be worth his weight in gold if the season plays out how I think it might. At the time of writing, PNE are among a clutch of clubs pursuing a deal for Wycombe’s Richard Kone which would arguably be one of the division’s top summer coups.<\/p>\n
But at the moment – like most of the clubs I’m tipping to finish in the lower echelons of the table – I’m not bowled over with PNE’s current options in attack. Will they go down? No. But I don’t think they’ll be tearing up any trees.<\/p>\n
19 – Blackburn Rovers<\/p>\n
Tipping the team who finished seventh last year to end up in 19th place this time around feels bold, but I’m struggling to see how Blackburn improve on that this time around.<\/p>\n
The reasoning? Well, they’ve lost two of last season’s top performers in Tyrhys Dolan and Callum Brittain. When you then factor in the departure of Andi Weimann, Rovers feel light on firepower and it’s hard to see where the goals will come from. The jury is still out on Valerian Ismael for me personally, too.<\/p>\n
19th might feel low but at the same time I think Blackburn are substantially better than the bottom five.<\/p>\n
18 – Wrexham<\/p>\n
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\n<\/figure><\/span>Phil Parkinson has taken Wrexham to the Championship but has a poor record in the second-tier<\/span>(Image: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
This is one of the shouts which could age horrifically over the next nine months given Wrexham are capable of doing pretty much anything in the transfer window between now and 1 September, but their current squad struggles on paper.<\/p>\n
They’ve signed well and players like Lewis O’Brien, Josh Windass and Kiefer Moore are quality additions. But the majority of Wrexham’s players are not Championship calibre, which is completely understandable given their rapid rise through the divisions.<\/p>\n
Phil Parkinson has taken Wrexham from non-league to the second-tier but his Championship record is unremarkable to say the least. He won just 26 games across 141 in total during spells at Bolton and Charlton; I don’t see that changing this year and that means Wrexham will likely have a tough decision to make at some point this season.<\/p>\n
17 – Stoke City<\/p>\n
Mark Robins worked wonders during a near-decade long spell at Coventry City. And if anyone needs a bit of magic after a few dire years in the Championship, it’s Stoke.<\/p>\n
They’ve failed to finish in the top half of the Championship at all since dropping down to the second-tier eight years ago and even with Robins at the helm (who I rate highly) I’m not ultra convinced that sorry run changes this year.<\/p>\n
They do, however, have one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship in Viktor Johansson. And I like the signings of Sorba Thomas and Maksym Taloverov. I fancy Stoke to be steady but they won’t rip up any trees.<\/p>\n
16 – Middlesbrough<\/p>\n
Rob Edwards has replaced Michael Carrick at the helm ahead of the new campaign but I’m not convinced that move has particularly made Middlesbrough a better bet for promotion.<\/p>\n
Yes, Edwards guided Luton to the Premier League three years ago. But is he an improvement on Carrick? I’m not so sure personally. Nor do I think Boro have a better squad this time around even if the additions of Alfie Jones and Callum Brittain are good ones on paper.<\/p>\n
Boro will need to replace the goals of Emmanuel Latte-Lath if they are to get anywhere close to troubling the top-six this season. Add in the fact that Boro’s two other top players in Hayden Hackney and Rav van den Berg could also be sold before the deadline and all of a sudden things are looking pretty bleak.<\/p>\n
15 – Portsmouth<\/p>\n
Portsmouth stayed up with games to spare last year and I’m expecting a year of consolidation this term under the impressive John Mousinho.<\/p>\n
Adrian Segecic is an intriguing signing, while John Swift is still a quality operator at this level. They feel light in attack, though, and it’s imperative that Josh Murphy and Colby Bishop stay fit if Pompey are to stay clear of trouble.<\/p>\n
They will be buoyed by how they finished last season, though, and boast one of the EFL’s top young managers, so I’m backing more progress for Pompey.<\/p>\n
14 – Bristol City<\/p>\n
Liam Manning took Bristol City to the play-offs last season but I can’t see Gerhard Struber replicating that feat this season.<\/p>\n
Style-wise, going from Manning’s controlled approach to Struber’s heavy metal football is quite the leap. But with the Championship’s fascination of keeping possession for possessions’ sake seemingly dying out, Struber’s philosophy should translate well.<\/p>\n
For me, the biggest question mark yet again is around the goals. Anis Mehmeti top scored last year with 12, followed by Nakhi Wells on 10 and Scott Twine on five. That’s a big drop and Wells is no longer around. Is Emil Riis the answer? The jury is out on that for me personally but he has hit double figures in two of his five seasons in the Championship for PNE – including last year – and should be a good fit for what Struber wants to do. A drop-off from last year feels inevitable, though.<\/p>\n
13 – West Brom<\/p>\n
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\n<\/figure><\/span>Ryan Mason will take on his first senior managers job at West Bromwich Albion<\/span>(Image: Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC\/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
West Brom are probably the hardest team to place in these predictions.<\/p>\n
Much of that is down to their new head coach, Ryan Mason. The former Tottenham man has never been the main man before and while he inherits a decent squad on paper, this is largely the same group which fell away from the play-off picture pretty meekly after Carlos Corberan departed on Christmas Eve (good tidings and all that).<\/p>\n
Their squad is alright and firepower is something they do have in abundance with Josh Maja and Daryl Dike now joined by summer signing Aune Heggebo. Sometimes it’s alright to hold your hands up and say you’re not sure. Appointing Mason could go either way.<\/p>\n
12 – QPR<\/p>\n
A mid table finish might be boring, but I think QPR will be anything but this season: they have Illias Chair, Karamoko Dembele and Kwame Poku in their ranks after landing the latter from Peterborough United on a free transfer.<\/p>\n
Exciting, yes, but will that translate into a top-six finish? Maybe. There’s certainly lots to like about their squad and Julien Stephan is an intriguing choice to replace Marti Cifuentes. Keeping goals out was the issue last season, rather than scoring them, but Amadou Mbengue is a shrewd addition, as is bringing in Steve Bould – formerly of Arsenal – as head of defensive coaching. Both should help on that front.<\/p>\n
Could QPR trouble the top-six? All I’ll say is that I’d have them higher if I was higher personally on their No 9 options.<\/p>\n
11 – Derby County<\/p>\n
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\n<\/figure><\/span>John Eustace has already had a big impact at Derby County<\/span>(Image: Gareth Copley)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
I almost tipped Derby to finish a couple of places higher than this and I quietly fancy John Eustace will make them a bit of a force after coming in and having a huge impact last season.<\/p>\n
Eustace is a top coach and Derby have added well: Carlton Morris, Patrick Agyemang and Rhian Brewster will spearhead a new-look attack alongside the returning Andi Weimann and David Ozoh is also back for another loan spell. The business they’ve done is right up there, for me.<\/p>\n
Derby have strengthened in key areas, suffered no big losses and have a coach who outperformed his parts at both Birmingham and Blackburn. The Rams should go well indeed and could be dark horses.<\/p>\n
10 – Swansea City<\/p>\n
Swansea have done some quality business. But I’m not sold on them having the necessary depth to push for a top-six finish.<\/p>\n
Picking up Cameron Burgess on a free transfer from Ipswich is one of the most eye-catching deals of the summer and Ethan Galbraith just oozes class. But they still feel a quality striker short of being bonafide play-off contenders.<\/p>\n
I like Alan Sheehan, though, and I think Swansea are a good bet for a top-10 finish. Higher than that? Maybe next year.<\/p>\n
9 – Norwich City<\/p>\n
Norwich were one of the Championship’s biggest disappointments last year under the uninspiring Johannes Hoff Thorup. Enter Liam Manning, who defied the odds to steer Bristol City into the play-offs last season.<\/p>\n
I’m a big fan of Manning and Norwich have been ambitious in the transfer market with 11 new signings. Most are unknown quantities at this level but some, such as Papa Amadou Diallo and Mathias Kvistgaarden, are eye-catching additions. If they can hit the ground running in Norfolk, then expect Norwich to push higher than ninth – even if they lose the impressive Josh Sargeant.<\/p>\n
At the bare minimum, though, the appointment of Manning and Norwich’s attempt to overhaul a squad which massively fell short of expectations last year are signs that the Canaries are back on the right track.<\/p>\n
8 – Leicester City<\/p>\n
Plenty fancy Leicester for an instant return to the Premier League, but I don’t think it will be as cut and dried as that.<\/p>\n
Marti Cifuentes is fine as a Championship operator. But the division is strong this year and I’m not sure that fine cuts it. The same goes for Leicester’s squad; there have been no major additions to the group that dropped out of the top-flight last year and they look light on quality No 9 options.<\/p>\n
A possible points deduction would leave Cifuentes and Co with a mountain to climb from the off. When you also factor in financial concerns, fan unrest and the likelihood of key players such as Mads Hermansen and Bilal El Khannouss moving on, it gets harder to tip Leicester for that top-six finish. My gut says they miss out.<\/p>\n
7 – Watford<\/p>\n
12 months on from being suitably worried about Watford to tip them for the drop, I’ve done a complete 180 and am calling them as my dark horses this year.<\/p>\n
They’ve got a player I rate as one of the division’s very best in Giorgi Chakvetadze and there’s some serious quality around him, too, in the form of Imran Louza and Kwadwo Baah further forward. Watford’s summer business has been largely promising, too, even if the likes of Nestory Irankunda and Luca Kjerrumgaard are Championship newbies.<\/p>\n
The same can be said for the Hornets’ new head coach, Paulo Pezzolano. And while that means there’s maybe an element of risk backing Watford to finish this high, there’s lots to like about them this year. Put it this way: after being proved massively wrong by them last season, I’m not making the same mistake this year.<\/p>\n
6 – Birmingham City<\/p>\n
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\n<\/figure><\/span>Chris Davies’ Birmingham have been active in the transfer market<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Birmingham have one thing on their mind this season: promotion back to the Premier League. And while that may seem bold for a team who have just come up from League One, they look nailed on for a top-six finish.<\/p>\n
If we’re being blunt, Birmingham’s squad was far too good for the third-tier last year. Add in the likes of Tommy Doyle, Kyogo Furuhashi, Demarai Gray and Eiran Cashin amongst others to that group and you’ve got a squad which is up there with the best in this division.<\/p>\n
Do I think Blues go up automatically? No. But they should be shoo-ins for the top-six unless something goes drastically wrong.<\/p>\n
5 – Millwall<\/p>\n
Without being biased (honestly) I think this is the year Millwall finally crack the top-six after some near misses in recent years.<\/p>\n
4-4-2 is sexy again down at The Den and Mihailo Ivanovic and Josh Coburn (signed permanently for a club-record fee after a positive loan spell) have the scope to add the goals Millwall have been sorely lacking in recent years. In the former, it feels like the Lions have a genuine golden boot contender IF they can keep him beyond 1 September.<\/p>\n
The signing of Alfie Doughty is a major coup and his quality can keep Millwall’s front two well fed, while in Alex Neil the Lions’ boast one of the Championship’s most consistent coaches. What does this all add up to? I’m saying a fifth place finish.<\/p>\n
4 – Sheffield United<\/p>\n
We’ll start on Sheffield United with this: I really like Ruben Selles and Hull’s decision to sack him will be another decision from their eccentric owner that doesn’t age well.<\/p>\n
The Blades already have a strong squad, albeit one which struggled to get over the line when it mattered at the business end of last season. They have quality all over the pitch and in Michael Cooper and Gus Hamer, they have two of the division’s best players in their respective positions.<\/p>\n
Their summer business hasn’t been overly inspiring but Louie Barry is a shrewd pick-up and will be chomping at the bit to make an impact after injury ruined his move to Hull in the second half of last season. Overall, Sheffield United have too much quality to not be in the mix for a top-two finish – even if I’m tipping them to fall short again.<\/p>\n
3 – Coventry City<\/p>\n
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\n<\/figure><\/span>Frank Lampard took Coventry City to the play-offs last season<\/span>(Image: PA)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Coventry made the top-six last term and while I think they will miss out on going one better in terms of the top two, I reckon Frank Lampard and Co will get another crack at the play-offs this time around.<\/p>\n
They’ve added to what is already a quality squad and will be all the better for their failed play-off campaign last season. Goals are no concern with only the two promoted sides and Norwich bettering Coventry’s tally of 64 strikes last term and in Carl Rushworth they now boast a quality operator in between their own sticks.<\/p>\n
Yes, Lampard had the benefit of inheriting a squad with quality all over the pitch when replacing Mark Robins last season but players like Jack Rudoni have flourished under him. And there should be more to come from Coventry, Rudoni and their manager this season.<\/p>\n
2 – Southampton<\/p>\n
Southampton have way too much firepower to not be in the promotion mix and in Will Still, they have one of the most promising young coaches in football.<\/p>\n
Does that translate to promotion? Yeah, basically. I don’t really see any other outcome: the Saints’ squad is absolutely stacked and they will overpower plenty of teams in their bid to make an instant return to the Premier League led by Still, whose CV is impressive and varied enough to outweigh the caveat of him being an unknown quantity in the Championship.<\/p>\n
Sometimes football is simple. The best players will win lots of matches and subsequently promotion. Southampton have too many good players to not be in the mix.<\/p>\n
1 – Ipswich Town<\/p>\n
They blitzed their way to successive promotions two years ago and Ipswich should be all the stronger for last season’s unsuccessful crack at attempting to stay in the Premier League.<\/p>\n
The fact that Kieran McKenna’s stock remains largely intact following relegation should tell you everything you need to know about the Ipswich Town manager and the swashbuckling style that took them to promotion two years ago should translate well again.<\/p>\n
Liam Delap may be gone but Ipswich have more options in attack than a Swiss Army knife: Jack Clarke and Jaden Philogene have torn up the Championship before, as has Sammie Szmodics. Omari Hutchinson is also still around at the time of writing, and that’s before you even factor in the likes of Chiedozie Ogbene, George Hirst and Conor Chaplin.<\/p>\n
The most important thing about Ipswich is that they don’t feel like damaged goods after succumbing to relegation last term. They will start the season as red-hot favourites for the title and it’s not hard to see why.<\/p>\n
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![\"Kieran](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article32820189.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_GettyImages-2150930503.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"Hull](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article28032856.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Acun-Ilicali.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"Phil](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article34869127.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Wycombe-Wanderers-FC-v-Wrexham-AFC-Sky-Bet-League-One.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"Ryan](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article29826117.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/1_GettyImages-1482466093.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"John](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article34887933.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_GettyImages-2204609801.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"Blues](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article34108309.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_JS349305872.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"Frank](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article35445006.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/1_Coventry-City-v-Middlesbrough-Sky-Bet-Championship-Coventry-Building-Society-Arena.jpg\")
<\/figure>![\"Content](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article33374947.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s510b\/0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\")
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