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The Championship is one of the toughest competitions in English football. Every side is fighting for the chance to get promoted to the mighty Premier League, so the desperation and urgency is on display in each and every match.
It is a 46-game slog which strips the weakest sides of life and propels the strongest sides into a shower of cash upon promotion. The top two are automatically promoted, but those who finish in places third to sixth must battle it out in the play-offs. The winner joins the other two in the top flight next season.
The Championship is known for being completely unpredictable and wild, which makes it all the more fun for spectators to follow each game's outcome. But TalkSPORT have turned to their famous Super Computer to calculate the final standings in the league this season. Here are the results…
#24 Barnsley (Relegated)
Barnsley have struggled for much of the season, so to see them finish rock-bottom of the division wouldn't be much of a surprise.
#23 Luton (Relegated)
Luton have only just come up from League One and now it looks like they're set to head straight back down. It's sad to see them go so soon because they certainly tried their best, but their side needs a lot of work before it can realistically compete with others in the Championship.
#22 Wigan (Relegated)
Wigan were once a side who fought for mid-table in the Premier League, but that was over a decade ago now. Since that time, the Latics have been on a gradual decline. Their next destination appears to be League One.
#21 Charlton Athletic
A narrow escape from the drop zone pretty much sums up this season for Lee Bowyer. Charlton haven't been anywhere near as good as they could have been, and many of their fans will view this campaign as a write-off. At least they can start preparing for another season in the Championship, instead of League One.
#20 Stoke City
Stoke City are similar to Wigan in that they've both been on a gradual decline since dropping out of the Premier League. The Potters seem to have lost all ambition hough; their team has been stripped of its best players and so the team that's left behind is a jumbled mess of outcasts and over-the-hill players. Unless they address this issue soon, they could very easily slip down into the next division.
#19 Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield struggled in the Premier League last season, but many neutrals and pundits alike had expected them to return quite swiftly. But based off of how they've performed this season, any possibility of promotion will be incredibly slim next season, unless they bring in a new manager and embark on a squad overhaul.
#18 Hull City
Hull City have turned into a selling club in recent years, offloading their top players like Andrew Robertson, Harry Maguire, Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki, only to not bring in a suitable replacement around the same time. What does this achieve? Well, their bank balance is boosted of course, but their performances on the pitch get dramatically worse.
#17 Birmingham City
An unsurprising finish for Birmingham if this does happen. The Blues have been fighting for survival in the Championship for years now, and find themselves treading water down the lower end of the table each season.
#16 Reading
Another mid-table side, Reading have their great spells throughout a season but always tend to invariably end up lower down the table than expected.
#15 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough had an excellent start to the season and it did look at one point like they were going to challenge for promotion, but the wheels soon fell off by December and they lagged behind most of the competition for a while. Woodgate has done a decent job as manager, but this is a side that could be capable of so much more.
#14 Cardiff City
Whilst a top 10 finish is probably what Cardiff were after when they started this season, I don't think the players or the fans can complain if they finish in 14th. Their team needs serious work before they can think of pushing for a promotion.
#13 Queen's Park Rangers
QPR have been the dark horse of the Championship this season. The squad they've developed over the past couple of seasons is really starting to show now, with key players like Eberechi Eze controlling the centre of the park, they could do great things next season. But they must keep hold of these stars, or risk falling back into obscurity.
#12 Blackburn Rovers
There can be no complaints from Blackburn fans if their side reach a position this high. For quite some time now, Blackburn Rovers have been a mid-table side at best, but at last, they're starting to creep up the table with each passing campaign. Could a return to the Premier League be on the cards soon?
#11 Derby County
The departure of manager Frank Lampard would have undoubtedly been a blow to Derby's confidence, but the arrival of Wayne Rooney in the summer, who has also taken on the Captain's Armband, has revitalised the side. With him involved next season, Derby could possibly even push for promotion.
#10 Swansea City
A top ten finish for Swansea City would be exceeding expectations given how poorly they performed during the first half of the season. City's team is mostly compiled of loan players from clubs in the top flight, so once they leave in the summer, it will mean yet another rebuild for the Swans. They need stability now if they want promotion anytime soon.
#9 Millwall
Millwall have played surprisingly well this season and remained in and around the 10th place mark all season, so a 9th place finish would seem about right. With the right additions this summer, the Lions could potentially sneak into a play-off place next season.
#8 Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday are another side who have surprised the neutrals this season and are ever so close to sealing a playoff spot. But if TalkSPORT's Super Computer is indeed correct, I think Wednesday fans would be sorely disappointed to have missed out on the play-offs.
#7 Bristol City
Bristol City have played fluid, attractive football this season, so it's no wonder that they've found themselves so high up the table in this prediction. But for all their efforts to not be enough to seal a play-off spot would be heartbreaking. But there are so many sides this season who deserve a place in those spots, so it'll be a very tight finish.
#6 Preston (Play-offs)
Preston are a team deserving of their place in the play-offs and will provide great competition to the others looking to gain promotion to the Prem. Their attacking style and swift counter-attacks have made them into a formidable force this season. But would they have what it takes to remain in the top flight?
#5 Nottingham Forest (Play-offs)
It's been a long time since Nottingham Forest were in the Premier League. Anyone who's followed English football for some time will know about their amazing achievements under Brian Clough in the late 70s, where they won the European Cup twice. Perhaps Forest are just a sleeping giant - have they, at last, been awoken?
#4 Brentford (Play-offs)
Brentford have been a joy to watch in the Championship this season. They aren't a side that tends to sit back; instead, they opt for rapid attacking moves which more often than not catch their opponents off-guard and end up in a goal. Their performances this campaign have been way above the normal standards expected of them.
#3 West Brom (Play-offs)
West Brom under Slaven Bilic have been a real force to be reckoned with this season, but it's their inconsistency, especially as of late, that has let them down. At a time in the season where they should be picking up three points like clockwork, they are instead dropping points and drawing against teams which they should really be beating. The Super Computer clearly believes that this poor form will come back to bite them and send them out of the top two automatic promotion spots.
#2 Fulham (Promoted to the Premier League)
Promotion has been a long time coming for Fulham, who have been superb under manager Scott Parker this season. They've built a team capable of surviving in the Premier League, and that's without the players they'd sign in the summer, so a return to the top flight could very well be on the cards.
#1 Leeds (Champions and promoted to the Premier League)
Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa have been a dominant force in the Championship. They narrowly missed out on promotion last season but Bielsa is keen to not let that happen again. However, the pressure is getting to all the clubs competing for first place at the moment, as they drop points and even lose games against weaker opposition. Leeds would be deserving champions if this did indeed turn out to be the final standings.
