Another EFL season is upon us, with Huddersfield Town and Burnley kicking the opening weekend off on Friday night. With that, it is time for some pre-season predictions.
The Football League is renowned for its unpredictability, so here are five potential promotion candidates you may not have considered.
Millwall
The Lions pushed for a place in the Championship play-offs last season, though they ended up six points adrift in ninth. This was the club’s third consecutive top-half finish under Gary Rowett, who has proven a reliable operator in the second tier.
Rowett took over at The Den in October 2019 following a poor eight-month spell at Stoke City. His reputation has been rebuilt following fruitful spells in charge at Birmingham City and Derby County.
Millwall’s defence was one of their major plus points last term, with them being in the play-off places in terms of goals conceded (45 in 46 games).
They were also assisted by the sensational showings of Jed Wallace, who was a regular provider of goals and assists from midfield.
Wallace leaving to join West Brom on a free transfer is a blow for Rowett’s men, but Zian Flemming from Fortuna Sittard appears to be a more than suitable replacement.
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder grabbed 12 goals and six assists in the Eredivisie in 2021/22 before joining Millwall for a reported £2.25m or so.
Charlie Cresswell and Jamie Shackleton have moved south on loan from Leeds United. Benik Afobe and George Honeyman have also signed permanently. Millwall are maximising its resources and they are well-placed to kick on.
Sunderland
After four long seasons being stuck in League One, the Black Cats are finally back in the Championship. It was a tough road to get here, with them making many a bad decision along the way.
Their 2021/22 season took an upturn following Alex Neil’s arrival in February. Promotion via the play-offs was secured after the so-called ‘Premier League game in all but name’ – the semi-final versus Sheffield Wednesday – and win at Wembley against Wycombe.
Sunderland sacking Lee Johnson in January was seen as a risk, though the appointment of Neil was a sure-fire slam dunk: a manager with two promotions on his record (with Hamilton and Norwich City), plus a prosperous three-plus-year spell at Preston North End.
Neil is rightly regarded as one of the best managers in the Championship, and him being in charge is the main reason why Sunderland are on this list.
The North East side…
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