Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has assessed the race for the expanded Championship play-off places, now stretching down to eighth.
The former West Brom , Sunderland and Wolves striker has backed John Eustace 's Derby County and Philippe Clement 's Norwich City to be right in the mix, and explained why the wider play-off net will make the run-in extraordinary.
Goodman has also weighed up a pivotal season for Birmingham City , and argued that Wrexham 's Hollywood ownership is not the pulling power some assume, with certain players preferring Rangers or Celtic .
Derby County
What's the Ambition For Eustace and Derby Next Season?
I have to be completely honest; I did not expect them to finish eighth last season. Following their previous campaign, I envisioned them sitting somewhere in that middle bracket, perhaps tenth to 14th place. However, we should never write off John Eustace because he genuinely possesses the Midas touch when it comes to organising teams and making them exceptionally difficult to play against.
Given that they managed an impressive eighth-place finish last year, and with the play-off spots extending down to eighth position this coming season, they simply have to be aiming for a play-off spot. I do not think you will find anyone involved with Derby County possessing any other attitude than believing that if they reached eighth last season, there is no reason they cannot achieve it again. So far, they have not done an awful lot of transfer business. They have brought Sammie Szmodics back on loan and secured Bobby Clark on a permanent deal after his loan spell last season. The only other additions appear to be Charlie Taylor and a lad from Paderborn named Filip Bilbija , whom I do not know too much about.
Considering the Championship is going to be significantly stronger at the top end this season, I firmly believe they will require further additions. My overall take on Derby County is that not much has dramatically changed from last season just yet. If they truly want to finish in the top eight once again, they are going to need to continue improving the squad.
Norwich City
How About Norwich City After Their Momentum?
Losing Ali Ahmed to an ACL injury represents a truly massive blow for Norwich City , simply because he was absolutely brilliant for them during that strong run. However, bringing in someone like Andre Brooks is an incredibly eye-catching addition that should help soften that impact. Looking at the bigger picture, I genuinely cannot see any realistic reason why Norwich will not be right up there challenging for the top six again. Philippe Clement has come in and instilled a tremendous sense of tactical discipline, structural organisation, and a clear identity into that squad. They look remarkably resilient and strong right now.
Much like Southampton , if you isolate their performances from the second half of last season, Norwich were genuinely one of the most formidable teams in the entire division. Given the foundation they have laid at Carrow Road , there is every reason to believe they can replicate that high level of form over the course of a full campaign.
How Will the Extended Play-offs Change the Run-in?
If you look back at the league table with just four games remaining last season, practically the top 16 or 17 teams in the Championship would have still been in with some sort of a shout of snatching a spot in an expanded top eight. For an ambitious club like Norwich City , that extra breathing room provides a fantastic safety net, though their primary objective will undoubtedly be securing automatic promotion or finishing as high up the table as possible.
Beyond the obvious financial incentives that clubs stand to gain from reaching those extra positions, the pure drama and sheer fascination of having so many mathematical permutations late in the season will make the run-in extraordinary. Having three quarters of the league fighting for a play-off spot until the final weeks means every single fixture will carry immense weight, creating a remarkably thrilling and tense race all the way to the wire.
Birmingham City
How Pivotal Is This Season For Birmingham City?
Birmingham City have been very public about their Premier League ambitions from the very top, so the pressure is always on. It is a big season for Chris Davies and for Birmingham City . I think they will have learned a lot from last season in the Championship about what it takes to be at the top. There was a massive change in personnel last summer followed by another influx in January , so trying to get all those new players and establish structure, tactics and formations was very difficult for Chris Davies .
With a full pre-season to bond and get to know one another even better, the excuses are removed. I am really interested to see how they get on. They need a good start; otherwise, the pressure will mount, but with play-off spots extending down to eighth, they will definitely feel they need to be in that top eight.
Does the Expanded Top Eight Cut Managers Some Slack?
I feel it actually cuts a manager like Chris Davies and many other managers of ambitious clubs a bit of slack, particularly when you consider the huge expectations resting on many clubs in the Championship . When a club has very public Premier League ambitions, missing out on the top six can normally feel like a disaster. Expanding the play-offs down to eighth position provides a genuine safety net for clubs expected to be in the top six that find themselves on the periphery towards the end of the season.
Depending on how the season unfolds, there are seasons where the gap between sixth and eighth position could be vast, but now that seventh and eighth get you a chance, it could be golden for some clubs keeping promotion dreams alive when, until now, those dreams could have been gone. People questioned whether extending to the top eight was fair, just as they did when the play-offs were first introduced decades ago, but everybody knows the rules before a ball is kicked. It's still a tough ask for the team that finishes eighth. Having to play the fifth-placed team away in a one-off game would be tough, then you'd have to come through another demanding two-legged tie, and then ultimately win at Wembley . Nobody could possibly argue that promotion that way would not be extremely difficult and so thoroughly deserved should it be achieved!
Wrexham
Did Wrexham Benefit From the Extra Play-off Places?
Wrexham obviously generate huge amounts of revenue, massive global publicity, and immense interest through their Hollywood documentary, but when it comes to attracting quality players, they are ultimately just another fish in a very competitive Championship pond. Professional players are naturally looking for the absolute best move for their footballing career and personal development, rather than simply being wowed by high-profile celebrity owners or the prospect of appearing on a television show.
Just like most clubs at Championship level, they are having to exercise a real degree of patience in the transfer market because they simply do not hold the same pulling power as an established Premier League side, or possibly even giant institutions like Celtic and Rangers . Because of that dynamic, there will likely be quite a bit of late movement in the market. That is far from ideal, especially when you consider that Phil Parkinson explicitly alluded to how genuinely challenging it was trying to integrate and gel so many new signings during the previous summer.
Having said all that, Wrexham still remain a thoroughly attractive proposition for prospective recruits. They only narrowly missed out on securing a play-off spot last season, so their overarching target this time around will undoubtedly be to push on and cement a place in those top positions. With the clock ticking on the transfer deadline, I fully expect to see a good deal of activity both in and out of the Racecourse Ground over the course of the next week or two.
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