Football in the Championship is never short on drama.
The second division is widely recognized as one of the best leagues in the world, thanks in large part to the nail-biting, high-intensity matches on the field, and that’s without even taking into account everything that goes on off the pitch!
But who of the current Championship teams has the most turmoil surrounding them?
Football League World decided to find out. Here is a ranking of all Championship clubs according on how dramatic they are today.
24Coventry City
In a season when the Championship is being praised for being as unexpected as ever, Coventry City has emerged as one of the most dominant clubs in the second division.
Given their goal-scoring prowess this season, many of their games have been decided by a comfortable two, three, four, five, or even six-goal lead, resulting in little drama on the pitch.
Off the field, owner Doug King’s purchase of the CBS Arena at the start of the season has ensured a sense of peace in Coventry, which is greatly appreciated after several stormy years.
23Oxford United
From the outside, everything appears to be normal at Oxford United.
Gary Rowett is the division’s eighth-longest serving manager, they’re about to start laying actual plans down for their new 16,000-capacity stadium, and they made it through last season with no fuss.
The second season has proven to be more tough, but the Yellows are doing their best to remain afloat, and even if they fall into the bottom three, there is no doubt that Gary Rowett is still the ideal man for the job.
There is no real drama at the Kassam Stadium right now, despite the fact that many believe the club is punching above its weight.
22Portsmouth
Portsmouth may have started the season slower than they would have liked, but when compared to last year, they are performing well.
When you consider that John Mousinho was trusted to sail the ship successfully despite just winning once in their first 14 games, there will be no worries about their current predicament.
The group is confident that they will win enough games to finish comfortably mid-table, so there are no concerns right now.
21Stoke City
Stoke City’s last several seasons haven’t been very dramatic. There might have been internal frustrations, but seven successive campaigns finishing 14th to 18th does not scream danger, nor does it thrill.
There may have been some drama surrounding how the Potters handled last season. Mark Robins took charge, but Stoke remained just above the bottom three for much of the season.
Now, however, Robins is leading his team on an unusual tour of the top six, and it will be surprising if they do not finish in the top half for the first time since being relegated in 2018.
So for Stoke, it’s a sense of satisfaction rather than worry from any drama.
20Bristol City
For a long time, Bristol City were the least dramatic team in the Championship, going about their business and finishing mid-table.
However, last season’s play-off finish sparked some interest, and there was some drama during the summer when Saudi billionaire Turki Alalshikh was linked with a purchase of the club – links that were later denied by the man himself.
So, now that those links are dead, the Robins can resume their normal operations with little drama, albeit closer to the top of the table, which adds to the excitement.
19Preston North End
Rinse and repeat for Bristol City. Preston have flirted with the notion of the play-offs since their promotion from League One in 2015, but have finished in mid-table instead.
They, like Bristol City, had some dramatic moments on the pitch last season, as a truly dramatic second half of the season forced them into a relegation battle on the final day.
Then, this past summer, manager Paul Heckingbottom officially said that the club is unable to make bids for players, which could raise some red flags.
Despite this, Heckingbottom has Preston back at the top of the league, and the focus now will be on ensuring that a similar drastic decline does not occur again once the calendar turns to 2026.
18Queens Park Rangers
QPR has experienced its fair share of financial controversy over the years, as they attempted but failed to compete in the top flight.
After a few years of toying with relegation and many years of finishing comfortably in mid-table, they are again regaining their footing and attempting to challenge for an outside spot in the top six.
So, in terms of the championship, the Hoops are currently a rather regular team. There is no genuine controversy off the field, but considering their history, they are ranked in the lower mid-table on this list.
17Millwall
Millwall’s ranking of 17th may appear to be low, given the club’s off-field image as rough around the edges and somewhat problematic.
However, save from a few recent years in which they fought for a spot in the top six until the final day, Alex Neil’s team hasn’t had many dramatic moments.
So they currently rank at the bottom. However, given the club’s unpredictability, one incident could be enough to propel them back to the top.
16Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic may boast the most dramatic manager in the division in Nathan Jones, but fortunately for Addicks fans, his larger-than-life personality may be the only exciting thing about the club right now.
Last season, the Addicks were the form club heading into the League One play-offs, and their performances were largely stress-free as they returned to the Championship.
Then, so far this season, they’ve established themselves away from the bottom three, and many anticipate them to finish in the middle of the table, possibly even making an outside bid for the top six.
So, The Valley is currently very tranquil, with the exception of a manager in the dugout who seemed to command drama wherever he goes.
15West Bromwich Albion
Now we’re getting into some more dramatic sides, and it just goes to show how fantastic the Championship is that West Brom remain in the bottom half of this ranking.
There is always drama surrounding a former Premier League club, especially one whose window of opportunity for a quick return is closing as they lose parachute payments and are obliged to sell assets in order to compete sustainably.
Having said that, Shilen Patel, the club’s owner for almost a year, appears to be calm and open while engaging with the fans.
As a result, despite underwhelming performances and rising pressure on manager Ryan Mason, it appears like the Baggies’ management is not panicking, which means less turmoil off the field.
14Watford
Prior to the start of this season, Watford were regarded as the most unpredictable team in the league, capable of finishing in the top six or even in the bottom three.
Since then, they’ve also fired a manager, as is customary at Watford, and brought back Javi Gracia.
However, they finish in mid-table, owing to the fact that, despite their evident off-field troubles, which have seemingly consumed the Hornets under Gino Pozzo, Watford are one of the division’s stronger teams on the pitch.
There’s no real concern about a potentially terrible season at Vicarage Road this season, and while there are still dramatic moments, they’re not as frequent as the majority of their opponents in the division.
13Ipswich Town
Recently relegated teams always produce drama, and Ipswich Town is the least dramatic of the three former Premier League sides.
Given the expectation that sides receiving parachute payments will move straight back up, the world appears to end when these sides hit a tough patch of form.
Ipswich have had the smoothest run among themselves, Southampton, and Leicester City thus far, and despite not being as dominant as most expected, many experts believe they will finish in the top two.
Their squad is still undoubtedly the strongest in the competition, and having kept Kieran McKenna for so long, there’s no reason to be concerned about losing their managerial mastermind anytime soon.
So, while the game may be closer and more dramatic than predicted on the pitch, Ipswich do not have much to worry about in compared to other Championship teams.
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