A new season and finally a new special computer crunching the numbers to determine the final Championship positions for 2016/17.
Last season the Octopus feature was a regular feature for the Premier League, but whilst it might be a late arrival for the Championship – well better late than never – it might have been having its tentacles given a Brazilian I don’t know.
Then again I still don’t know why I call a number crunching supercomputer an Octopus but some things are probably best left unasked.
In any event we now have predictions for the Championship season of 2016/17 and here they are after most sides have played 26 games of the campaign.
Who goes down?! Who is the current favourite to lift the title this year?
Well you don’t have to guess.
With most playing 26 games in the Championship in the season of 2016/17, the current favourite to lift the title is Newcastle United but Brighton are only a point behind with a game in hand, but as the second half of the campaign continues the predictions have Newcastle drawing themselves ahead quite comfortably.
The Play Off spots are also pretty nailed on if the predictions are to be believed – Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield Town and Fulham take their places in the hopes for Wembley success – with only Reading and Preston getting near with 70 points being cleared.
At the other end of the table Blackburn Rovers, Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United are set for life in League One in 2017/18 but Queens Park Rangers only escape by one victory.
The one thing that can’t be denied now we’ve past the half way point of the season is a number of clubs will now be very disappointed with where they find themselves (if they put any stock in predictions) and will be looking for a speedy change in form as the second half of the season progresses.
Prediction wise there are a number in midtable who will be delighted with their finish if it plays out like this, but clearly others will be horrified with how they are expected to fall off the pace come May.
But predictions are a reflection on the season so far, and absolutely nothing more.
