Speaking on the BBC Radio Five Live Football Daily Podcast, Chris Wilder has been speaking about the landscape of the Championship after his return to management.
Wilder is back in the EFL. He’s taken the reins from Neil Warnock at Middlesbrough, and he’s immediately looking at a place in the top six.
However, despite being an eternal-optimist, Wilder has conceded that his side probably won’t get into the top three this season, claiming that Fulham, West Brom and Bournemouth will be at least 10 points better off than their competitors.
What’s been said?
Wilder was speaking about the unpredictability in the Championship, but even in the most erratic league in the world, the former Sheffield United boss thinks there are three standout teams.
“I think anything can happen in the Championship. You look at it and I’ve been to a few games this season and looked at a few teams and kept up to date with it. Obviously, things never change in that division, any result can happen. The top two in terms of Bournemouth and Fulham, as well as West Brom, they’ll be 10 to 15 points clear of the group behind them, but to get into that group behind them is doable,” Wilder said.
Fight for the top two
We may only be in the early stages of the season, but it does seem as though it’s a three-horse race for a place in the top two.
Fulham and Bournemouth have been exceptional this season and while West Brom aren’t playing their best football right now, they’ve shown already this term that they have what it takes to beat any team in the division.
Wilder’s Boro will probably have to aim for a place in the top six rather than the top two this term, but as the Championship has shown so many times, anything is possible at this level.
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