The Championship is as stacked as it’s ever been and with so many teams battling for promotion, there’s bound to be disappointment for some in May.
It is often regarded as one of the most difficult leagues in the world to get out of and that’s set to be truer than ever for the 2016-17 campaign in the Championship.
With the likes of Newcastle being tipped to storm the division and teams like Huddersfield and Fulham making surprisingly good starts, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will reach the top flight this year.
While that means there could be some surprise promotion contenders, it also means that we can expect to see some teams tipped for greatness fall short of expectations – here’s a look at three clubs likely to underachieve this term.
Derby County
The first selection won’t surprise many considering how they’ve begun life under their new manager. After years of being tipped to make it to the Premier League, Derby have fallen into the same category as the Cardiff team of a few years ago, who simply couldn’t make it over the finish line year after year.
The addition of Nigel Pearson was seen as a positive given his past work with the likes of Leicester. However, a combination of questionable tactics and the lack of support from fans has seen him come under fire already.
The decision to send Chris Martin to Fulham was also a contentious one among Rams fans, as the 20-goal-a-season striker is often one of the saviours for County. With fan favourite Will Hughes also being dropped to the bench it’s no surprise to hear the boos coming thick and fast, and with the expectation bearing down so heavily it looks like another year of disappointment at Pride Park.
Norwich City
Another prime selection for suspected underachievers, the Canaries are quickly turning into something of a yo-yo club with their recent promotions and relegations.
With that reputation comes the anticipation of yet another successful season in the second tier. However, a less than convincing start has led to some people second guessing them, especially considering that they haven’t really faced any major teams at this point.
One of the biggest frustrations surrounding Norwich has been their failure to address the glaring striker problem at the club. With no big name of note brought in, coupled with the fact that Kyle Lafferty and Steven Naismith don’t even look like they want to be there, it’s hardly shocking that the Carrow Road faithful are starting to hit the panic button.
They have got the ability to turn it around, but it may end up being a case of other teams being that little bit hungrier throughout 46 games.
Sheffield Wednesday
The third and final pick is awarded to Wednesday. After one of the most successful seasons in the club’s recent history, the Owls have a lot more eyes on them this time round following their play-off final appearance in May.
It is often said that a defeat at Wembley can either have an extremely positive or extremely negative effect on a team, and given the early signs it may end up being the latter for the Owls.
Whilst we all know that five games isn’t the perfect indication of how a season is going to pan out, one win is a tad alarming given how some of the other favourites have started. There is going to be a bucket-load of pressure on the likes of Fernando Forestieri at Hillsborough, and the rest of the league will know that a great deal of their play runs through the Argentinian. It could go either way for Wednesday, and they will be hoping their fortunes will soon turn around.
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