Blues looking like real force in unpredictable Championship

THIS season's EFL Championship looks like being the most competitive ever. With the current favourites for promotion - the relegated pair of Ipswich Town and Southampton both scraping late points on the opening weekend, there was a reminder that the new US-owned money guns of Birmingham City and Wrexham are there to make a big challenge.

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Of course, it is so early with just one match of 46 played. But just look at the likes of Coventry City, Bristol City, West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough and Watford, to name just a few. It is going to be tough, unpredictable, and highly competitive.

The Premier League opens this weekend and you should be able to pick the champions from a select band of the usual suspects - Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City or Manchester United.

The Championship? You would struggle with any certainty to name the three clubs that will be promoted.

The only safe bet is that there will be managerial changes. It is sheer lunacy on that count in the Championship.

The division has 24 clubs. The FOURTH-longest-serving manager is Nathan Jones at Charlton Athletic who was appointed on June 6 last year! The top three are Wrexham's Phil Parkinson July 1 2021, Keiran McKenna at Ipswich December 16 2021 and John Mousinho of Portsmouth on January 20 2023.

Fifteen different managers THIS year. Birmingham's Chris Davies is the fifth-longest coming in on June 6 last year. Eleven of those 15 by the way are since the last Championship season finished. You could not make it up!

The pressure of reaching the Premier League is almost as difficult as trying to avoid relegation from the money-laden top tier!