Never a dull moment in the Championship

It is said by many, although admittedly by fans of clubs in it, that the Championship is where the real magic happens in English football.

The Premier League has in recent years become somewhat predictable.  While Manchester United seemingly romp to yet another league title, Manchester City and Chelsea canter into 2^nd and 3^rd, the usual suspects slug it out for the final champions league place there is a league in England where all such issues are far from decided.

Top of the Championship are Cardiff City and although a healthy 5 points in front of second placed Hull City, connoisseurs of Championship football will know that the Welsh side have been prone to more than one spectacular end of season collapse in recent seasons.  However, don’t think for a second that Hull are the only challengers to what is Cardiff’s title to lose.  Below the Tigers is a collection of clubs that are all in with a shout of gaining automatic promotion come May.  Just 9 points separate Hull in second place with currently out of form Middlesbrough 6^th place.

Although Middlesbrough currently occupy the last remaining play off place, clubs all the way as far down as Leeds United in 13^th are within three victories of sneaking in.  There is always a wild card club that strings a run of wins together at about this time of the season and is able to sneak in the play-offs right at the end of the season.  How many times have we seen this club enter the end of season play-off campaign with all the momentum and propel themselves into the premier league off the back of it?

At the bottom of the table, Peterborough United’s nightmare start to the season left many assuming rather than thinking that the Posh would be returning to League One.  However, a run of just one defeat since the turn of the year has left Darren Ferguson’s men just four points from safety.  In addition to Peterborough’s recent good form, Barnsley and Bristol City, two clubs who were all but relegated have also been able to gather regular points at what is an important time in the season to build momentum going into this term’s home stretch.

Outside of the bottom three is a collection of huge, recently ex-premier league clubs such as Birmingham, Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday who are running the very real risk of slipping into League One.  Most interesting of all of them is Wolves, only relegated from the Premier League last season.

What sets the Championship apart from the Premier League is that we are coming to the end of February and all clubs still have something to play for.  Even the mid table clubs are a couple of defeats from a relegation battle and a couple of wins from a play off challenge.  Whereas there are already a few Premier League clubs planning their summer holidays.

Aaron SharpFollow @ajs26061988