Gabriel Sutton’s Championship season predictions

Some might raise their eyebrows at a title prediction for a team that slumped to 16th last season, especially when it isn’t predominantly based on their recruitment, nor managerial appointment.

The reason? Rapid development. This squad is not only jam-packed with prodigious talent, many of whom are set to hit an enormous spike in their progress, having had a couple of years of development under their belt.

The Black Cats have seven players who could be the best player in the league in their position, in goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, right-back Trai Hume, centre-back Dan Ballard, midfielders Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham, plus wide men Patrick Roberts and Jack Clarke.

Plus, they have another couple in defender Luke O’Nien and midfielder Alan Browne, the latter signing on a free from PNE in the summer, who will provide crucial leadership qualities.

And, while this is a young group that may need some guidance, with the club having employed such a youth-led recruitment policy, only three of the 27 first-team players are teenagers – of which the likes of Jobe and Chris Rigg are generational talents – so almost any of them could be close to hitting their peak.

The big one to watch is Trai Hume, who could be the Championship’s most complete right-back, now Kyle Walker-Peters is out of the picture.

The Northern Irishman is highly tenacious, making himself a hit with Mackems, and he has both the intelligence to operate as an inverted full-back, and in a more traditional role.

Typically, Hume will invert in possession to allow O’Nien, Ballard, when fit, and Dennis Cirkin to forge a back-three, and free up Dan Neil to operate further forward, linking up with Jobe in the attacking midfield spots.

When the ball goes to Patrick Roberts, though, and there are oceans of space on the outside, Hume has the energy and initiative to fly forward on the overlap, creating a massive dilemma for the opposition.

If they put too much attention on blocking out the wide areas to stop Clarke and Roberts, then Hume can invert to hand Neil and Jobe the freedom to combine to potentially devastating effect in tight areas but operate too narrow and Hume can link up with Roberts.

As such, Hume could be a key cog in a Sunderland side that should, also, be strong against the ball.

The Black Cats will operate with a team sheet 4-2-3-1, an in-possession 3-2-4-1 at times, but an out of possession 4-4-2 with Jobe pressing up with the striker, whether that’s Eliezer Mayenda, Luís Semedo, or a recruit.

That system should allow Régis Le Bris’s side to threaten in transition with Roberts and Clarke breaking ahead of the duo, dancing away from opponents and laying chances on a plate.

So, Sunderland should be dangerous, if this young group can prosper from a developmental couple of seasons.

Leeds represents the safe bet, though, if Daniel Farke’s side retain key man Crysencio Summerville from a lethal attack, maintain defensive continuity after 19 clean sheets, and gain midfield creativity from Bournemouth loanee Joe Rothwell.

Elsewhere, Luton and West Brom could be solid runners.

After Danny Röhl inherited the worst start in Championship history last season, he suffered five defeats in his first six games, but the upturn in performances was instant.

From there, a 1-1 draw with eventual champions Leicester catalysed an astonishing turnaround, accruing a whopping 47 points from 29 games – Play-Off form, essentially – to beat the drop on the final day.

So, there’s no reason to think the Owls can’t be a top six side, after a full summer for Röhl to recruit, after signing a new long-term contract, and get his ideas across in an extended format.

One such idea is a 4-2-2-2 system, with two wide men given freedom to cut inside and threaten in transition, one striker dropping off into pockets, and another stretching the line.

The midfield, however, is not a conventional one, with Barry Bannan given freedom to drop into defence in the early stages of build-up, with centre-backs splitting wide, and full-backs pushing high and wide.

Essentially, this is a way of getting their most technical players on the ball as much as possible, whilst also drawing the press from the opposition to maximize wide overloads and create artificial transitions.

The risk, of course, is losing out on a more consistent midfield structure, but this can be overcome with the right amount of aggression against the ball from forwards, possibly Jamal Lowe and Josh Windass.

A similar strategy has worked elsewhere, too, from new Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler at FC St. Pauli, with the idea being to dominate the space rather than, necessarily, the midfield.

The basic principle for the Owls will be to use their patterns of play out wide to create openings in central areas, rather than the other way around.

Röhl’s ideas may be more advanced than that of much of the Championship, and his quality of coaching could remain a huge factor.

Recruitment, meanwhile, carries a shrewd mixture of proven Championship performers like Max Lowe and Nathaniel Chalobah, but also the hipster picks of Svante Ingelsson and Olaf Kobacki.

Ingelsson is an athletic box-to-box midfielder, with the acceleration to close down quickly, yet intelligent enough to know how to use his physical attributes, which makes him a great weapon when it comes to supporting the attacking quartet in the press.

Kobacki, meanwhile, is a shot-heavy wide man who loves to carry the ball, despite not having searing pace, and can also create chances.

The Pole is strong on his weaker left foot as well as his favoured right, is a devoted presser and can produce moments of quality and skill around the edge of the box, to offer a different option to the pace and power of Anthony Musaba and Djeidi Gassama.

Elsewhere, key defender Di’Shon Bernard pens a new deal, and star goalkeeper James Beadle returns on loan from Brighton.

So, an outstanding coach of immense potential, smart recruitment, and a team that’s been performing like a Play-Off side for the final 29 games of last season: Wednesday have what it takes to be the Championship’s surprise package.

So, too, could Middlesbrough, who managed to finish within four points of the top six last season without their best XI ever being available, and should make the cut if Michael Carrick’s side can enjoy greater continuity in personnel.

Smart recruitment can pay dividends at any level, perhaps especially in the Championship.

Proven goalscorers at the level come at a premium, an unaffordable premium to most clubs, bearing in mind that Tom Cannon scored eight in 20 at the level with Preston North End, on loan from Everton, before joining Leicester, for £7.5M, to be their fourth-choice centre-forward - for a one up top system!

Middlesbrough don’t have that sort of luxury, but they do possess a diligent Head of Football in Kieran Scott, who heads up a savvy recruitment team.

Emmanuel Latte Lath was something of a gamble because, while the Ivorian was highly rated in youth football, scoring 20 goals in 25 for Atalanta Under-17s in the Campionate Naziole to secure top honours, and similar success with the Under-19s, he couldn’t translate that talent into senior football straight away.

As such, he had five loan spells, one at Pescara in Serie B, where he didn’t get a league game, then four at Pistoiese, Carrarese, Imolese and Pianese in Serie C, where he scored a combined four goals in 49.

The fifth Serie C loan proved the charm, though, with Latte Lath grabbing a respectable nine in 34 at Pro Patria and, while the step up to Serie B earnt just three in 18 with SPAL, he’d earnt a shot in the Swiss Super League with St. Gallen, scoring 14 in 31 in 2022-23.

And it was the centre-forward’s form Kybunpark that peaked Middlesbrough interest, with Michael Carrick citing his quick, sharp movement as one of the main attractions.

Latte Lath seems to have gained that extra bit of confidence in front of goal, going from scoring five goals in his first 18 league games to hitting a whopping 13 in 12 from March onwards, and if he can take that sort of form into 2024-25, he’ll be the frontrunner for the golden boot.

Andreas Hountondji, though, will have something to say about that after signing for Burnley from Caen, after scoring 14 goals in League Two for Rodez.

Hountondji has a great physical profile and is a clear threat in open ground, has intelligent movement, and is a high-volume shooter who is greedy enough to rack up the goals.

Elsewhere, Macaulay Langstaff could go well at Millwall if paired with a target man, after the persistent poacher hit a whopping 42 goals in the National League for Notts County in 2022-23, before being top goalscorer in League Two with 28.

Meanwhile, Ellis Simms is starting to come alive at this level, following an injury hit 2022-23 with Sunderland with a prolific second half of 2023-24 for Coventry, scoring goals in his final 18.

Josh Sargent and Elijah Adebayo are ones to watch if they stay at Norwich and Luton respectively, while Jamal Lowe is the outside bet, if the speedy forward can benefit from Röhl’s system at Sheffield Wednesday.