The battle to avoid relegation from the Championship is bound to be just as exciting as the battle for promotion to the Premier League. It can be a very anxious time for all the clubs involved though. At the end of the 2019/2020 season, there were several teams that faced relegation on the last day. That time around, Barnsley and Luton survived but Hull, Wigan and Charlton were all relegated.
Let’s have a closer look at the battle to avoid relegation at the end of the 2020/2021 season and then at the wider impact of going from the Championship to League One.
Which teams are currently struggling?
Looking at the Championship table, you would have to argue that the teams within the bottom five are the ones that are currently in a battle to avoid relegation.
Wycombe Wanderers are currently bottom of the league and the Championship betting indicates they are heavy favourites to go down as they have struggled with the move up to this level. Sheffield Wednesday are also expected to ultimately suffer relegation. They have struggled for most of the season but have put on the occasional great performance. Their 5-0 win over Cardiff City was a definite highlight.
Above the bottom two, it starts to look very tight. Rotherham United are third from bottom but have at least three games in hand on some of the teams above them. Like many teams at the wrong end of the table, their recent form has been very inconsistent. This is something that they’ll obviously need to improve.
Despite a series of struggles off the pitch, Coventry City did well last season to get promotion from League One. Avoiding relegation in their first season back in the Championship would be a huge achievement, but with Rotherham’s games in hand, they do have a fight on their hands.
Wayne Rooney’s Derby County have gone through a lot of changes in recent years. They were perhaps unlucky not to have been promoted from the Championship in 2019; however, once Frank Lampard departed for the Chelsea job, they have struggled. Those promotion dreams will almost seem like a lifetime ago for Derby fans but they will be hoping that a successful fight against relegation will see the start of better times for the club.
The impact of relegation from the Championship
So, how will the three clubs be impacted if they suffer relegation from the Championship into League One? This article from 2017 looks at the cost of relegation and there’s a substantial drop in TV revenue between the Championship and League One.
Relegation will also mean that some of these sides’ best players and maybe even the managers could depart. Wayne Rooney is obviously a well-known figure within football and should Derby get relegated, there will more than likely be speculation about his future at the club.
Should a team avoid relegation, they will look to Barnsley for inspiration on making sure things are more positive during the following season. After struggling last season, Barnsley have recovered well and are now well placed to finish the season within the play-off places.
We’re set for an exciting end to the season at both ends of the table, but this is certainly a nervous time for a number of fanbases.