The QPR boss made nightmare predictions about the fortunes of Huddersfield Town, Fulham and Reading, but wasn’t far off when it came to Newcastle United, Brighton, Leeds United, Wolves, Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa.
The Championship is a notoriously difficult division to call before a ball has been kicked. Even once you get to Christmas making predictions can be a risky business. For that reason, perhaps, maybe we ought to cut Ian Holloway some slack when taking a look at his predictions for England’s second tier, made in August 2016 for Sky Sports. Now the Queens Park Rangers manager, Holloway was working as a pundit last summer, and predicted that his current club would finish 11th, but how did he think the rest of the league would fare?
Ian Holloway is now manager at QPR
Best Predictions
Among Holloway’s best predictions are already promoted duo Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United. The 54-year-old predicted that those two would occupy the top two places, and with just one game remaining, that is how it has turned out, with the two teams still battling it out for the Championship title. Newcastle United were many people’s pre-season favourites, with the bookies offering very short odds on Rafa Benitez’s men making an immediate return to the Premier League.
Brighton weren’t as nailed on with some but they were still firmly among the favourites having come so close last time out, and both teams have gone on to have strong seasons, exceeding the 90 point mark already. Another decent prediction by Holloway comes in the form of Sheffield Wednesday. Having fallen at the final hurdle last season, former Brentford midfielder Holloway backed the Owls for a strong season, predicting a 5th placed finish behind Newcastle, Brighton, Norwich and Derby. Whilst Norwich and Derby haven’t performed quite so well, the side from the Steel city currently sit fourth in the Championship.
The QPR boss predicted the top two of Brighton and Newcastle
Level on points with fifth placed Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town, Holloway’s prediction could still be spot on should the Terriers better Wednesday’s result on the final day. Staying in Yorkshire, Holloway also came oh-so-close when it came to predicting Leeds United’s fortunes this season. Crediting Massimo Cellino for the intelligent appointment of Garry Monk, Holloway predicted a 6th placed finish for the Whites.
For so long it looked as though Leeds United would finish in one of those play-off spots, but a late season collapse (just two wins in their last 10 games) has seen Monk’s men slip out of the top six and their chances of reaching the Premier League this season dashed. Nevertheless, they will finish the season seventh, and that has to be considered a decent shout by Holloway.
Holloway made fairly accurate predictions for Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday
Up next, it’s Aston Villa. A difficult side to predict in pre-season, Villa spent a lot of money, but never quite seemed as much of a sure-thing as Newcastle. They had been utterly woeful in the Premier League and it remained to be seen whether Di Matteo could hack it in the Championship. Ultimately, Tony Xia would judge that he couldn’t, and replaced him mid-season with Steve Bruce. Holloway predicted a 16th place finish for Villa, and with one game to go it is possible that they could finish as high as 11th or as low as 14th.
He was even closer to the mark when it comes to Wolves, who Holloway backed to finish 13th, the club currently in 15th. Lastly, in both Holloway’s and the real Championship table, is Rotherham United. The favourites for relegation before a ball was kicked, it may not have been the boldest of predictions, but you can’t fault the accuracy. Rotherham go into the final day with a pitiful 22 points to their name, dead last and having never looked like staying in the division.
Aston Villa have only performed slightly beyond Holloway’s prediction
Worst Predictions
Look away now Ian. It’s time for the former Blackpool boss’s worst predictions, including one absolute nightmare. Without doubt, Holloway’s worst call has to be predicting Huddersfield Town to get relegated. Holloway called David Wagner inexperienced and said he hadn’t seen much progression from the club over the summer. Nine months on and the Terriers have spent the entire season in the top six with Wagner being the flavour of the month.
Going into the final game, Huddersfield can finish as high as third and as low as fifth, an excellent season by anyone’s estimations. Of course, even most Huddersfield Town fans weren’t predicting a promotion push back in August, but putting them down to finish second from bottom, ahead of only Rotherham United, has to be considered a shocker by the now QPR manager.
Holloway’s worst prediction has to be relegating Huddersfield Town
Next up is Brentford, who Holloway also predicted to get relegated. Instead, the Bees have put in an impressive showing once more, and could finish as high as eighth, ahead of Norwich and Derby, if results go their way on the final day.
Even more regretfully, Holloway predicted fellow Londoners Fulham to struggle and finish 17th, labelling their experienced players as overpaid and complaining that the club had too many youth players. After an astonishing season, Fulham will go into the play-off’s having finished sixth in exceptional form, and many people’s picks to win promotion to the Premier League.
Fulham and Reading have performed considerably better than Holloway expected
One more shocker has to be Reading. Holloway admitted that he was unsure how the Royals would fare, and that was his reason for predicting a 15th placed finish, but that still looks like a poor call with the benefit of hindsight. Jaap Stam and his team have been competitive all season, currently occupying third place in the Championship. At the opposite end of the table, Holloway’s prediction of a 9th placed finish for Birmingham City may have come true with Gary Rowett at the helm, but the club is currently languishing in 20th place.
All Predictions (Actual Position in Brackets)
1. Newcastle United (2)
2. Brighton & Hove Albion (1)
3. Norwich City (8)
4. Derby County (9)
5. Sheffield Wednesday (4)
6. Leeds United (7)
7. Ipswich Town (16)
8. Cardiff City (13)
9. Birmingham City (20)
10. Bristol City (17)
11. Queens Park Rangers (18)
12. Nottingham Forest (21)
13. Wolverhampton Wanderers (15)
14. Preston North End (11)
15. Reading (3)
16. Aston Villa (12)
17. Fulham (6)
18. Blackburn Rovers (22)
19. Barnsley (14)
20. Wigan Athletic (23)
21. Burton Albion (19)
22. Brentford (10)
23. Huddersfield Town (5)
24. Rotherham United (24)
Original predictions published here for Sky Sports.
Queens Park Rangers manager Ian Holloway
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