In this post we’ll be taking an in depth look at each club in the Championship, including an overview of the club, predicted finish, club vision and some key players, hot prospects and finally I’ll suggest a formation. Welcome to the Football Manager 2021 Championship Guide.

Clubs in this post

• Barnsley
• Birmingham
• Blackburn
• Bournemouth
• Brentford
• Bristol City
• Cardiff
• Coventry
• Derby
• Huddersfield
• Luton
• Middlesbrough

Barnsley

Barnsley were promoted to the Championship in 2019, on the back of a campaign that saw them finish second in League One under Daniel Stendel. Having only played in the top flight for a single season (1997-98), reaching the Premier League would be a huge achievement.

Predicted Finish	Training Facilities	Youth Facilities	Stadium
19th	Good	Good	Oakwell (22,815)

Club Vision

Sign players under the age of 23 for the first team	Desired
Sign players under the age of 20 for the future	Preferred
Develop players using the club’s youth system	Favoured
Play entertaining football	Favoured
Play high-tempo pressing football	Favoured
Do not sign players over the age of 29	Desired
Sign players from the lower levels of the domestic game	Favoured
– First Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Avoid Relegation	Required
FA Cup – Reach Fourth Round	Required
Carabao Cup – Reach Second Round	Required

Key Players

Alex Mowatt

Cauley Woodrowe

Herbie Kane

Hot Prospects

Luke Thomas

Jack Walton

Elliot Simões

Suggested Formation – 4-4-1-1

There’s a lack of depth at left back, and not much quality out wide, but Barnsley do have a lot of quality in the centre of the park, so it’s worth looking at using a formation with three CMs. Cauley Woodrow is capable of leading the line himself, so one up top is definitely an option. A fluid counter attacking style could work well here.

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Birmingham

Birmingham City are championship regulars, this year will be their tenth season in a row in England’s second tier. Throughout the 00’s they were ritual yo-yo’ers, with three promotions and three relegations in ten seasons. Taking them back to the Premier League would be a tough ask.

Predicted Finish	Training Facilities	Youth Facilities	Stadium
18th	Great	Great	St Andrew’s (30,016)

Club Vision

Develop players using the club’s youth system	Desired
Play entertaining football	Desired
Play attacking football	Desired
– First Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Top Half	Required
FA Cup – Reach Fourth Round	Required
Carabao Cup – Reach Third Round	Desired
– Second Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Play Offs	Favoured

Key Players

Iván Sánchez

Mikel San José

Neil Etheridge

Hot Prospects

Jonathan Leko

Odin Bailey

Fran Villalba

Suggested Formation – 4-2-3-1

The blues have excellent options at full back, as well as impressive options in the AM strata, so a counter-attacking 4-2-3-1 could be a great choice. Dan Crowley looks a great option to play at number 10, with Gardener and Kieftenbeld good options for functional central midfielders. Reaching the play-offs in your second season is a big ask, but the squad definitely has potential.

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Blackburn Rovers

Premier League winners Blackburn Rovers find themselves stable again in the Championship after bouncing back from relegation in 2016. Rovers will have their eyes set on returning to the top flight, having been outside the Premier League since 2012. It may take a couple of seasons to reach, however.

Predicted Finish	Training Facilities	Youth Facilities	Stadium
12th	Excellent	Great	Ewood Park (31,363)

Club Vision

Develop players using the club’s youth system	Desired
Sign players under the age of 22 for the first team	Preferred
– First Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Reach Play-Offs	Required
FA Cup – Reach Fourth Round	Required
Carabao Cup – Reach Third Round	Preferred

Key Players

Adam Armstrong

Stewart Downing

Bradley Dack

Hot Prospects

Tyrhys Dolan

Daniel Butterworth

Ryan Nyambe

Suggested Formation – 4-4-2

With Bradley Dack and Adam Armstrong both exceptional options up front, it’s hard to stray from two up top. Nyambe adds quality at Right Back, and 4-4-2 just seems to fit the squad well. If you wanted to experiment slightly, you could try a variant of 5-3-2, with Lenihan Ayala and Williams all possessing the ability to play at centre half in the first team.

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Bournemouth

After being relegated last season, The Cherries will have aspirations of a swift return to the top flight. They have a strong squad for the division, but poorer facilities than you might imagine. Promotion is definitely the aim here, anything less and you could be in trouble.

Predicted Finish	Training Facilities	Youth Facilities	Stadium
6th	Good	Average	Vitality Stadium (11,464)

Club Vision

Play possession football	Preferred
Play attacking football	Preferred
– First Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Win the Title	Required
FA Cup – Reach Fifth Round	Required
Carabao Cup – Reach Fourth Round	Preferred

Key Players

Jefferson Lerma

David Brooks

Josh King

Hot Prospects

Chris Mepham

Lloyd Kelly

Mark Travers

Suggested Formation – 4-4-2

The Bournemouth team picks itself, there is so much quality and depth here, you should have no problem selecting any formation. However, I think an attacking 4-4-2 would work wonders, with Brooks and Stanislas operating from the wings, and King and Solanke up front. There are plenty of options at left back, with Kelly and Rico both capable of playing in the first team.

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Brentford

Brentford had so many chances to win promotion last season and flopped every time, culminating in a 2-1 loss in extra time of the play-off final against Fulham. Promotion will be the aim again this season, but could be a tough ask with the loss of Ollie Watkins.

Predicted Finish	Training Facilities	Youth Facilities	Stadium
3rd	Average	Basic	Brentford Community Stadium (17,250)

Club Vision

Play possession football	Preferred
Play attacking football	Preferred
Do not sign players over the age of 29	Preferred
Sign players from the lower levels of the domestic game	Favoured
Play entertaining football	Preferred
– First Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Play-Offs	Required
FA Cup – Reach Fourth Round	Required
Carabao Cup – Reach Third Round	Preferred
– Second Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Win Promotion	Desired

Key Players

Christian Nørgaard

David Raya

Ivan Toney

Hot Prospects

Bryan Mbeumo

Jan Zamburek

Ellery Balcombe

Suggested Formation – 4-3-3 DM Wide

The Bees have plenty of depth in wide areas and a 4-3-3 seems a good fit for their central midfielders. Nørgaard is an excellent Deep Lying Playmaker who I would play in the DM strata, with Dasilva and Jensen adding quality and energy ahead of him. Ivan Toney is a capable striker, and with a technical squad, tiki-taka or a similar heavy possession tactic would be my choice here.

Bristol City

Bristol City have been building momentum in the Championship since their promotion from League One in 2015. The Robins will be eyeing the play-offs this year, but it will be a tough ask. They have a few great young prospects coming though so this could be a great club if you’re looking for a youth development save.

Predicted Finish	Training Facilities	Youth Facilities	Stadium
13rd	Good	Good	Ashton Gate (27,000)

Club Vision

Develop players using the clubs youth system	Favoured
Sign players to sell for a profit	Favoured
– First Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Play-Offs	Required
FA Cup – Reach Fourth Round	Required
Carabao Cup – Reach Third Round	Preferred

Key Players

Joe Williams

Adrian Marriapa

Nahki Wells

Hot Prospects

Tyreeq Bakinson

Han-Noah Massengo

Antoine Semenyo

Suggested Formation – 4-2-3-1

Bristol are strongest down the wings, and don’t have particularly great options at STC, so a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1 looks a good fit. They are particularly strong at centre back, with Alfie Mawson and Adrian Mariappa both great options. There is a lot of depth at the club, and therefore a lot of formations could work here.

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Cardiff City

Cardiff have been fluctuating between the Premier League and Championship for the last few years, with two promotions and relegations in eight years. The Bluebirds will have a tough time attempting to win promotion this season, but after finishing 5th last season, they will be expecting to finish similarly this time around.

Predicted Finish	Training Facilities	Youth Facilities	Stadium
4th	Great	Great	Cardiff City Stadium (33,280)

Club Vision

Play attacking football	Preferred
– First Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Play-Offs	Required
FA Cup – Reach Fourth Round	Required
Carabao Cup – Reach Third Round	Preferred

Key Players

Joe Ralls

Joe Bennett

Lee Tomlin

Hot Prospects

Joel Bagan

Ntazana Mayembe

Caleb Hughes

Suggested Formation – 4-2-3-1

Cardiff have a solid squad and potential to reach the top 6. They are strong at the front with players such as Harry Wilson, Junior Hoilett and Sheyi Ojo in wide areas, and Kieffer Moore upfront. They are a fairly physical with strong free-kick and corner takers. A direct attacking tactic could work really well here.

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Gustavo Hamer

Wesley Jobello

Hot Prostpects

Josh Eccles

Will Bapaga

Jordan Shipley

Suggested Formation – 5-2-1-2

Callum O’Hare is a great fit at AMC so I would be trying to include one here. Coventry have a great defence, McCallum and Dabo excellent options at full back or wing back. Considering you will be the weaker team in most games, backing the defence could be the way to go. 5-2-3 is also a good option if you want to include Jobello in the team, as O’Hare can also play on the left.

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Derby County

Derby have been banging on the Premier League door for a few seasons now, their closest being a 3rd place finish in 2014. The Rams expectations are pretty low compared with their predicted finish, so this could be a good save for someone inexperienced with Football Manager. Wayne Rooney adds a lot of quality to the side and there is a huge wave of young talent at the club.

Predicted Finish	Training Facilities	Youth Facilities	Stadium
8th	Excellent	Excellent	Pride Park (33,597)

Club Vision

Play entertaining football	Favoured
Develop players using the club’s youth system	Required
– First Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Avoid a relegation battle	Required
FA Cup – Reach Fourth Round	Required
Carabao Cup – Reach Third Round	Preferred
– Second Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Top half	Preferred

Key Players

Wayne Rooney

Martyn Waghorn

Tom Lawrence

Hot Prospects

Louie Sibley

Jason Knight

Max Bird

Suggested Formation – 4-2-3-1

In my opinion, Rooney fits best as an AMC who will not be asked to run very much. An Enganche is a great option here, with runners helping from the central positions, such as Sibley and Shinnie. The defence is pretty strong here, but you may need to bolster the forward line if you find you aren’t scoring many.

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Huddersfield

Huddesfield were relegated in 2019 on the back of a pretty poor second season in the Premier League. They finished 18th last year, and will be looking to improve on that this time around. Guiding them back to the Premier League could take a couple of seasons, but they’re capable of reaching those heights again

Predicted Finish	Training Facilities	Youth Facilities	Stadium
21st	Great	Great	The John Smith’s Stadium (24,590)

Club Vision

Sign players from the lower levels of the domestic game	Favoured
Develop players using the club’s youth system	Favoured
Sign players under the age of 22 for the first team	Favoured
Sign players under the age of 20 for the future	Favoured
Sign players to sell for a profit	Desired
– First Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Avoid a relegation battle	Required
FA Cup – Reach Fourth Round	Required
Carabao Cup – Reach Third Round	Preferred

Key Players

Danny Ward

Juninho Bacuna

Alex Pritchard

Hot Prospects

Demeaco Duhaney

Ryan Schofield

Kieran Phillips

Suggested Formation – 4-4-1-1

Fitting Mbenza, Bacuna, Pritchard and O’Brien into your team means you’ll be looking to play an AMC and two wide players, so a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1 looks good hear. I’d lean towards the latter, as you’ll be looking to defend more than you will attack with this Terriers side. Schindler and Stearman are solid centre halves, but lack pace, so you would be best playing without a high line.

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Luton Town

Luton are a really interesting story. After three successive relegations from 2006 to 2009, they found themselves in the National League, owing to financial mismanagement at the club. Over the past few years Luton have clawed their way back from the brink, and reached the second tier again in 2019. They also have one of the most iconic stadiums in the EFL, Kenilworth Road, with entrances built into the surrounding housing estate.

Predicted Finish	Training Facilities	Youth Facilities	Stadium
20th	Great	Great	Kenilworth Road (10,265)

Club Vision

Play possession football	Favoured
Play attacking football	Preferred
Make the most of set pieces	Favoured
Sign players under the age of 22 for the future	Favoured
Develop players using the clubs youth system	Preferred
– First Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Avoid relegation	Required
FA Cup – Reach Fourth Round	Required
Carabao Cup – Reach Third Round	Preferred
– Second Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Become an established side	Favoured

Key Players

Simon Sluga

Tom Lockyer

Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu

Hot Prospects

Gabriel Osho

Peter Kioso

Eddie Corbit

Suggested Formation – 5-3-2

With Elliot Lee and James Collins at the club, it’s hard to look past two up top. There are also a lot of good options at Centre Mid and Centre Half, as well as Bree and Norrington-Davies at Full Back, who are capable of playing further forwards, so a 5-3-2 seems a good option. The only issue is there’s no room for Kazenga Lua Lua or Harry Cornick, so if you wanted to include them, a 4-3-3 DM Wide is your best bet.

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Middlesbrough

Once a staple Premier League team and a team capable of European qualification, Boro have now solidified themselves as a Championship side, for better or worse. A poor season last year saw them finish 17th, so it could be a while before they are back in the top flight, where most fans would argue they belong. If you’re looking for a youth development save, you might want to start here, Boro have a great youth system.

Predicted Finish	Training Facilities	Youth Facilities	Stadium
10th	Superb	Superb	Riverside Stadium (34,746)

Club Vision

Develop players using the clubs youth system	Preferred
Sign players from the lower levels of the domestic game	Favoured
– First Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Top Half	Required
FA Cup – Reach Fourth Round	Required
Carabao Cup – Reach Third Round	Preferred
– Second Season	–
Sky Bet Championship – Reach the play-offs	Preferred

Key Players

Sam Morsy

Chuba Akpom

Dael Fry

Hot Prospects

Djed Spence

Nathan Wood

Calum Kavanagh

Suggested Formation – 5-2-3 WB Wide

Boro have a lot of quality up front, so playing with a wide front three looks like a good option. In central areas, McNair and Morsy offer solid partnership which should allow your wing backs to get further forward. Another option could be 4-3-3 DM Wide.

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Thanks for reading, Part 2 is in the works and will include the remaining 12 clubs in the Championship. After that I aim on making a League One and League Two Club Guide. Hopefully this guide will have given you some insight to clubs in the second tier and maybe guide your choice of club.

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