Buzzin Championship Football

Part One: the top six. 

1. QPR

By far and away the most improved team in the Championship last season: were never out of the top two spots and after beating Preston at Loftus Road in November they were top for good. Only club to keep clean sheets in more than half of their games: may have some sticky moments in the Premier League but as only three of the last ten Championship winners have been relegated they should be fine.

2. Norwich City

The catalyst for Norwich’s promotion push was the 4-1 win over Ipswich at the end of November: after that game the Canaries occupied a top six position for the rest of the season, but only reached second spot after beating Bristol City in mid March. One possible worry for Norwich in 2011/12 is that they only kept four clean sheets at Carrow Road last season.

3. Swansea City

Spent three quarters of the season in the top six but it’s probably true to say that they flirted with automatic promotion rather than looking certainties: defeat at Derby with nine games to go was probably the end of any hopes of finishing second. Had a slightly better home record than QPR, which ought to stand them in good stead in the Premier League next season.

4. Cardiff City

Manager: Malky McKay (appointed June 2011)

Current odds to win the Championship: 18/1

The Dave Jones era ended in a whimper rather than a bang: if the season had ended at Christmas they would have been promoted, but after being beaten at Bristol City on New Year’s Day their form became erratic. Cardiff appeared to be in a position rally at the end of the season but only won one of their last four games and then collapsed at home at the worst possible time with two straight 3-0 defeats. The Bluebirds may have reached their peak and look set to drop back to mid table in 2011/12: Chopra and Bothroyd will both be missed and dodgy away defence may not improve under Malky Mackay’s stewardship.

5. Reading

Manager: Brian McDermott (appointed January 2010)

Current odds to win the Championship: 12/1

Hadn’t really troubled the playoff positions on a consistent basis due to reaching the quarter finals of the FA Cup, but as soon as eventual winners Manchester City had knocked them out the Royals won eight consecutive games to cement their playoff spot. Last season’s draw specialists need to win more games away from home to mount a serious challenge for automatic promotion and it’s also worth remembering that only three of the last ten playoff final runners up reached the post season the following year and only one of those teams was promoted automatically (WBA in 2008)

6. Nottingham Forest

Manager: Steve McClaren (appointed June 2011)

Current odds to win the Championship: 12/1

A sold but unspectacular start – seven draws in their first ten games – meant that Forest didn’t reach the top six until their win at Derby at the end of January. That victory came in the middle of a six game winning streak that saw Forest reach second place but they only won two of their next 13 games and despite a mini revival at the end of the regular season they were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs – and Billy Davies lost his job. Forest are in a similar position to Cardiff – a new manager, a sense that they’ve overachieved in the last couple of seasons and possible goalscoring issues.