Championship Lowdown

Which Championship clubs should we be getting excited about — and which teams should be worried after the opening eight games of the 2026/27 season?

Tom and Kelan take a deeper look beyond the Championship table to pick out the teams whose performances might be better — or worse — than their results suggest.

Birmingham City have lost just once, and their underlying numbers point towards a potential play-off push, while Millwall are producing some of the best attacking numbers in the division despite an extraordinary injury list. We also look at the cases for Bristol City and Southampton climbing further up the Championship table.

At the other end of the argument, the warning signs are flashing for Charlton Athletic and Watford. Charlton's attacking numbers are among the weakest in the league, while Watford's injuries and lack of squad depth leave them looking increasingly vulnerable.

There are also questions over whether Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion can sustain their strong starts. Both sit high in the table but are creating relatively few big chances, with West Brom also relying heavily on some outstanding goalkeeping performances. And could Sheffield United's problems off the pitch eventually drag Chris Wilder's side into real trouble?

Before all of that, we discuss Preston North End's appointment of club legend Graham Alexander. After taking Bradford City from League Two into the upper reaches of League One, can Alexander translate his direct, wing-back-heavy style to the Championship and lift a struggling Preston side?

If you enjoy Championship coverage, subscribe to the Championship Lowdown for twice-weekly EFL Championship analysis, match reviews, previews, predictions, transfers and debate throughout the 2026/27 season.

#EFLChampionship #Championship #EFL #ChampionshipLowdown #FootballLowdown #PrestonNorthEnd #BirminghamCity #Millwall #BristolCity #SouthamptonFC #CharltonAthletic #WatfordFC #StokeCity #WBA #SheffieldUnited

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro & Welcome
00:39 - Graham Alexander to Preston
08:00 - Birmingham City
10:34 - Bristol City
13:00 - Millwall
15:36 - Southampton
17:35 - Charlton Athletic
21:26 - Watford
24:33 - Stoke City
26:33 - West Brom
29:03 - Sheffield United
32:18 - Wrap-up & Sign-off

Part of the Football Lowdown Network
https://footballlowdown.com

Visit our other channels: League One Lowdown, League Two Lowdown and National League Lowdown.

What is the Football Lowdown?

Football Lowdown is an independent, fan-created football media platform covering the game across the English pyramid. Created by Ryan Whelan, Gary Hutchinson, Jamie Ward, Sam Griffin, Callum Moseley and Chris O'Brien alongside a dedicated group of football supporters, the network is built by fans who know their clubs best.

What is the Championship Lowdown?

The Championship Lowdown is Football Lowdown's dedicated EFL Championship podcast and YouTube channel, covering the latest Championship news, transfers, results, analysis and debate throughout the season.

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The Championship Lowdown returns for our international break special, and this time we're reviewing all three relegated clubs — West Ham, Wolves, and Burnley — after their first eight games back in the Championship.The contrast is stark. West Ham banked a record £185M and reinvested heavily, but they've already shown they can be beaten. Wolves quietly appointed César Peixoto, parted ways with Rob Edwards early, and look remarkably settled. Burnley, meanwhile, are winless, bottom of the league, and the pressure is mounting on Nicky Hayen.Adam and James break down each club's transfer window, assess their starts, analyse the fixtures ahead, give their updated predictions on where all three finish, and pick the one January signing each club needs.Was sacking Rob Edwards the right call? Is Kyle Walker's Turf Moor career over? Can West Ham hold their nerve? All that and more on this episode.⚽ Drop your predictions in the comments — who finishes where?🔔 Like and subscribe for weekly Championship content.TIMESTAMPS:0:05 — Intro & welcome back1:38 — Transfer window recap: ranking all three relegated clubs5:18 — Will West Ham go again in January?5:47 — Predictions: who bounces straight back?6:14 — Wolves manager change: the César Peixoto appointment7:33 — West Ham deep dive: £185M rebuild, Nuno staying & the 6-0 statement15:51 — West Ham's upcoming fixtures & can anyone stop them16:11 — Wolves deep dive: Edwards sacking, defensive concerns & Peixoto's impact20:49 — Was sacking Rob Edwards harsh or smart?21:08 — Wolves' fixture run through December24:54 — Burnley deep dive: chaos at Turf Moor & the effort problem27:42 — Does Nicky Hayen survive to January?31:30 — Burnley's transfer churn vs West Ham's profitable rebuild32:20 — Final predictions: where do all three finish?35:12 — The one January signing each club needs40:38 — Wrap up & what's coming next

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Welcome back to The Championship Lowdown! With the international break in full swing, Adam, Kelan and Jonathan deep-dive into the three promoted clubs — Lincoln City, Cardiff City and Bolton Wanderers — eight games into the Championship season.We break down each club's transfer window strategy, assess the starts they've made, and deliver our honest final table predictions. Plus: what does each team need to fix in January to stay up?From Lincoln's dual head coach experiment and record signings, to Cardiff's clinical finishing woes and Bolton's defensive meltdown — no promoted side is safe yet.Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube so you don't miss the next episode, where we'll turn the spotlight on the three relegated teams: Burnley, Wolves and West Ham.Timestamps:0:05 — Welcome back & what's on today's agenda2:42 — Transfer window: how the three promoted clubs spent4:53 — Lincoln City: the big spenders11:18 — Lincoln deep dive: signings, loan bench & dual head coaches15:10 — Lincoln's tough October fixtures ahead19:59 — Cardiff City: the quietest window in the division21:24 — Cardiff's incredible shot stats but where are the goals?28:30 — The conversion problem: 53 shots on target, only 10 goals30:43 — Bolton Wanderers: 14 signings, barely any money spent33:24 — Bolton's 4-3 Norwich win: papering over the cracks?34:11 — Defensive crisis: shipping 3+ goals in four of five games40:12 — Who's most likely to be mid-table by Christmas?43:35 — Final table predictions: Lincoln, Cardiff & Bolton47:30 — One thing each club must fix in the January transfer window51:39 — Sign-off & what's next: Burnley, Wolves & West Ham

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In this episode of Championship Lowdown, Tom and Kelan debate the players and managers who have defined the Championship era since the division was rebranded in 2004.From Neil Warnock, Mick McCarthy and Tony Mowbray to Billy Sharp, Jordan Rhodes, David Nugent, Albert Adomah and Peter Whittingham, we look at the biggest Championship legends, cult heroes, goalscorers and long-serving stalwarts of the modern EFL era.This is not simply a list of the best players or managers to have appeared in the Championship. The challenge is to find the people who feel most synonymous with the league itself: the names, careers and moments that immediately make you think of Championship football.We debate the managerial cases for Neil Warnock, Tony Mowbray and Mick McCarthy, before tackling one of the hardest Championship striker debates possible: Billy Sharp vs Jordan Rhodes vs David Nugent.There are also strong cases for Albert Adomah, Peter Whittingham, Troy Deeney, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Wes Hoolahan, Ross McCormack, Lee Camp and plenty more Championship favourites.So who gets robbed of a place, and who ends up etched into our fictional Championship Mount Rushmore?Who would make your four?Let us know in the comments.Subscribe/follow *Championship Lowdown* for EFL Championship analysis, discussion, reaction, predictions, transfers and more throughout the 2026/27 season.

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Tom and Kelan are back to break down every game from another chaotic weekend in the 2026/27 EFL Championship.The long-awaited Millwall vs West Ham clash lived up to the billing as Millwall raced into a 2-0 lead before the Hammers fought back to earn a point at The Den. Cardiff City finally turned their performances into goals, with Jack Moylan starring in an emphatic 3-1 win over Charlton Athletic, while Swansea City and Wrexham completed a strong weekend for the Welsh clubs with victories over Lincoln City and Southampton.Middlesbrough and Birmingham City went toe-to-toe in an entertaining 2-2 draw, while ten-man QPR produced one of the performances of the weekend to come from two goals down against Preston North End.Then came complete chaos at Carrow Road. Norwich City and Bolton Wanderers somehow produced seven goals from a game with less than 1.5 combined xG, as Steven Schumacher's Bolton left with a remarkable 4-3 victory.Elsewhere, Bristol City beat Watford, Stoke City's resurgence continued thanks to stunning goals from Jack McGlynn and Sam Gallagher, Portsmouth were held by Blackburn, Burnley's wait for a Championship win continued against Derby County, and Wolves made it back-to-back 1-0 victories by beating West Brom.Plus, we finish with our Championship Team of the Week and Player of the Week.Subscribe to Championship Lowdown for twice-weekly EFL Championship analysis, match reviews, previews, predictions, transfers and debate throughout the 2026/27 season.#EFLChampionship #Championship #EFL #ChampionshipLowdown #FootballLowdown #WestHam #Millwall #CardiffCity #NorwichCity #BoltonWanderers #Middlesbrough #BirminghamCity #StokeCity #WolvesTimestamps00:00 – Intro00:23 – Millwall 2-2 West Ham06:19 – Cardiff City 3-1 Charlton Athletic11:01 – Swansea City 2-1 Lincoln City15:15 – Wrexham 2-1 Southampton19:19 – Middlesbrough 2-2 Birmingham City23:40 – QPR 2-2 Preston North End29:05 – Norwich City 3-4 Bolton Wanderers34:34 – Bristol City 1-0 Watford36:57 – Stoke City 2-1 Sheffield United41:23 – Portsmouth 2-2 Blackburn Rovers44:00 – Burnley 1-1 Derby County48:13 – Wolves 1-0 West Bromwich Albion51:04 – Championship Team of the Week52:30 – Outro

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The Championship is relentless and Game Week 8 serves up an absolute belter before the international break. Adam and Kelan rattle through every fixture with predictions, hot takes, and plenty of debate.This week: Can Cardiff finally get a win? Will West Ham light up Millwall in the first competitive meeting between the sides in 14 years? Is Chris Wilder already counting down the days at Bramall Lane? And the big question — is Nicky Hayen running out of time at Burnley, or can he finally get one over a Derby side that can't buy a goal?Plus: Birmingham vs Middlesbrough, Lincoln vs Swansea, Portsmouth vs Blackburn, QPR vs Preston, Wrexham vs Southampton, the West Country Derby, and Norwich vs Bolton to round out a packed weekend.Hit like, subscribe, and let us know your predictions in the comments!

0:05 - Intro & Welcome

1:08 - Bristol City vs Watford

4:44 - Cardiff vs Charlton

7:33 - Millwall vs West Ham

11:15 - Stoke vs Sheffield United

14:13 - Birmingham vs Middlesbrough

17:10 - Burnley vs Derby — Is Nicky Hayen Next?

20:46 - Lincoln vs Swansea

25:16 - Portsmouth vs Blackburn

28:38 - QPR vs Preston

30:31 - Wrexham vs Southampton

34:12 - Wolves vs West Brom (West Country Derby)

37:12 - Norwich vs Bolton

39:22 - Outro & What's Next

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Tom and Kelan are back with the Championship Lowdown weekend review, breaking down every result from a wild round of EFL Championship fixtures. West Ham put on an absolute masterclass, thrashing Wrexham 6-0 as Jarrod Bowen, Joel Piroe and Mavropanos all got on the scoresheet, while questions grow louder over Phil Parkinson's future at the Racecourse Ground. Middlesbrough also served up the game of the weekend, storming into a 3-1 lead over Norwich inside the first half hour thanks to a Berhalter double and a first Boro goal for Kosi Dubry, before Jacob Wright and Jova McCarma dragged Norwich level at 3-3 with two substitute goals, only for Ashley Phillips to nick a dramatic 4-3 winner late on in a genuine seven-goal classic.The lads also dig into a chaotic day for Burnley, who slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Swansea and remain without a league win in over 200 days, sparking real questions about Nicky Hayen's future. Plus, reaction to the biggest managerial story of the weekend: Preston's decision to sack Paul Heckingbottom following their defeat to Lincoln, with Tom and Kelan running through the early candidates to replace him, including Graham Alexander and Rob Edwards.There's also full coverage of Southampton 4-1 Bristol City, Blackburn 3-1 Millwall, Derby 1-2 Birmingham, Bolton 1-0 Cardiff, West Brom 1-1 QPR, Charlton 0-0 Portsmouth, Watford 1-2 Stoke and Wolves 1-0 Sheffield United, before the guys wrap up with their Championship Team of the Week.Timestamps:0:00 – Intro0:19 – West Ham 6-0 Wrexham9:01 – Middlesbrough 4-3 Norwich13:19 – Swansea 3-1 Burnley21:19 – Southampton 4-1 Bristol City26:47 – Blackburn 3-1 Millwall30:58 – Derby 1-2 Birmingham36:16 – Bolton 1-0 Cardiff39:24 – West Brom 1-1 QPR41:14 – Charlton 0-0 Portsmouth42:40 – Watford 1-2 Stoke45:31 – Preston 0-1 Lincoln & Heckingbottom Sacked53:30 – Wolves 1-0 Sheffield United & Team of the Week

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Adam and Kelan return to preview every fixture of Matchday 7 in the Championship. With the international break looming, the duo break down all 12 matches — from Friday night's West Ham vs Reading clash to Sunday's lunchtime showdown between Sheffield United and Wolves. Score predictions, form analysis, injury updates, and tactical discussion throughout.*Timestamps:*0:05 — Intro & International Break Discussion1:25 — West Ham vs Reading (Friday Night)5:31 — Bolton vs Cardiff (Saturday 12:30)8:59 — Derby vs Birmingham (Saturday 12:30)12:37 — West Brom vs QPR (Saturday 12:30)18:35 — Blackburn vs Millwall (Saturday 3:00)21:38 — Charlton vs Portsmouth (Saturday 3:00)26:02 — Middlesbrough vs Norwich (Saturday 3:00)28:57 — Southampton vs Bristol City (Saturday 3:00)33:06 — Watford vs Stoke (Saturday 3:00)37:31 — Preston vs Lincoln (Saturday 3:00)43:16 — Swansea vs Burnley (Saturday 3:00)47:18 — Sheffield United vs Wolves (Sunday Lunchtime) & Wrap-Up

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The Championship delivered another chaotic midweek as West Ham edged a five-goal thriller against Bolton, Southampton made a statement at St Mary’s and Watford fought back to punish a wasteful Preston North End.

Tom and Adam break down all nine games from the midweek Championship slate, including Jarrod Bowen inspiring West Ham to a 3-2 win over an impressive Bolton side, Kyle Larin finding the net again as Southampton beat Swansea City, and Watford overturning a dreadful first half to beat Preston 2-1 – despite Paul Heckingbottom’s side arguably creating enough chances to win comfortably.

We also look at Cardiff City’s finishing problems after they somehow failed to beat Stoke despite 26 shots, Blackburn Rovers suffering another harsh defeat against Sheffield United, and Burnley remaining winless after a 1-1 draw at Wrexham. Plus, Norwich City continue their impressive run against Birmingham, ten-man West Brom hold on to beat Derby County, Jimmy-Jay Morgan’s outstanding start continues, and Charlton and QPR share the points after a controversial disallowed Tyrese Campbell goal.

There’s also discussion on Jamie Vardy to Burnley, the pressure building on Paul Heckingbottom and Chris Davies, Blackburn’s injury crisis, Cardiff’s remarkable underlying attacking numbers and whether Norwich are beginning to emerge as genuine contenders.

*TIMESTAMPS*

00:00 – Introduction

00:17 – Bolton 2-3 West Ham United

05:11 – Southampton 3-1 Swansea City

08:52 – Watford 2-1 Preston North End

13:58 – Cardiff City 1-1 Stoke City

17:35 – Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Sheffield United

22:15 – Wrexham 1-1 Burnley

26:49 – Norwich City 2-1 Birmingham City

31:33 – Derby County 0-1 West Bromwich Albion

36:46 – Charlton Athletic 0-0 Queens Park Rangers

37:47 – Outro

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Gameweek 5 of the 2026/27 EFL Championship season is complete — and there is plenty to unpack as Burnley’s problems deepen, Stoke City suddenly click into gear and Birmingham City and Wolves serve up a chaotic West Midlands derby.

Tom is joined by Jonathan and Kelan to break down all 12 Championship matches from the weekend, starting at St Andrew’s as Birmingham City and Wolves play out a brilliant 2-2 draw. Fer López strikes again, Jay Stansfield produces a much-needed moment of quality and Wolves’ attacking threat is once again accompanied by questions over their defensive stability.

The pressure is rising rapidly at Burnley after Bristol City come from behind to win 2-1 at Turf Moor. Despite the individual quality in Nicky Hayen’s squad, the Clarets create almost nothing and are punished late on by a Bristol City side beginning to flourish under Michael Skubala. Is this still a team experiencing teething problems, or is there something fundamentally wrong with Burnley’s squad construction and style?

There is a very different mood at Stoke City. Mark Robins’ switch to a back three produces another victory as the Potters demolish previously unbeaten Charlton Athletic 4-0. Justin Devenny marks his debut with two goals, Ethan Galbraith and George Hirst also score, and we discuss whether Stoke have finally found a shape which actually suits the squad they have assembled.

Norwich City also produce one of their best performances of the season, winning 3-1 at Sheffield United. Anthony Musaba continues his impressive start, Norwich’s attacking players are given the freedom to combine and Philippe Clement’s side finally turn some of their promising football into a convincing result.

Then it is derby time at Deepdale. Preston North End finally get their first Championship victory of the season by beating Blackburn Rovers 2-1, with Callum Lang scoring twice. Blackburn have plenty of the ball and create pressure, but Preston dig in for a hugely important Lancashire derby victory. Is it the springboard Paul Heckingbottom needed — or did the performance still expose some significant problems?

Portsmouth pick up their first home league win with a 2-0 victory over Cardiff City. Pompey look far more comfortable attacking quickly without dominating possession, while Cardiff’s lack of cutting edge continues to expose the shortcomings of their summer recruitment. We also discuss the Christian Bielik incident and the growing pressure surrounding Brian Barry-Murphy’s winless side.

Elsewhere, West Ham United make it back-to-back league victories with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Derby County, Middlesbrough edge QPR 1-0 as Will Lankshear scores again, and newly-promoted Lincoln City earn an excellent 1-1 draw against Southampton at Sincil Bank.

Swansea City remain top of the Championship despite being frustrated in a 0-0 draw with Wrexham, while Jimmy-Jay Morgan continues his outstanding start to the season by scoring the winner as West Bromwich Albion beat Watford 1-0.

#EFLChampionship #Championship #EFL #ChampionshipLowdown #FootballLowdown #BurnleyFC #BristolCity #StokeCity #CharltonAthletic #NorwichCity #SheffieldUnited #BirminghamCity #Wolves #PrestonNorthEnd #BlackburnRovers #Millwall #CardiffCity #PortsmouthFC

⏱️ *Timestamps*

00:00 – Intro & Championship Gameweek 5 Review

00:09 – Birmingham City 2-2 Wolves

05:42 – Burnley 1-2 Bristol City

13:41 – Stoke City 4-0 Charlton Athletic

20:28 – Sheffield United 1-3 Norwich City

25:27 – Preston North End 2-1 Blackburn Rovers

31:02 – Millwall 4-0 Bolton Wanderers

36:53 – Portsmouth 2-0 Cardiff City

43:39 – West Ham United 3-0 Derby County

45:29 – QPR 0-1 Middlesbrough

47:19 – Lincoln City 1-1 Southampton

49:08 – Swansea City 0-0 Wrexham

50:59 – West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Watford

53:02 – Championship Team of the Week

54:19 – Outro

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Part of the Football Lowdown Network, 

https://footballlowdown.com

Visit our other channels;

Premier League Lowdown,

League One Lowdown,

League Two Lowdown, 

National League Lowdown,

What is the Football Lowdown

Football Lowdown is a fan created independent media platform. Our company, created by Ryan Whelan, Gary Hutchinson, Jamie Ward, Sam Griffin, Callum Moseley and Chris O'Brien alongside a dedicated group of football fans. 

The entire business is created for fans, by fans who know their clubs best. 

What is the Championship Lowdown?

The Championship Lowdown is a podcast and YouTube channel built to focus solely on the EFL Championship including the latest transfers, news and all the results across the season.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices