Championship clubs have reached the home stretch of their individual seasons now that the winter transfer window has closed.
The top of the second-tier table is particularly interesting, as league leaders Coventry City have allowed Middlesbrough to come up with them after a terrible run of form.
Meanwhile, Hull City and Ipswich Town will believe they can defeat either the Sky Blues or Boro for an automatic promotion position.
At the other end of the Championship table, Sheffield Wednesday have already been demoted due to point deductions, while clubs like West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City, who had play-off ambitions at the start of the season, are also in danger.
Football League World tasked ChatGPT, an AI program, with predicting the final standings of the second division.
24Sheffield Wednesday
The Owls are rooted to the bottom of the Championship table, with zero points, so it’s no surprise that ChatGPT predicts Henrik Pedersen’s team will end exactly where they are.
Wednesday might even be relegated when they play Sheffield United later this month, which the Hillsborough crowd will be anxious to prevent.
23Oxford United
Oxford United is currently concerned about finishing in the bottom three, and unfortunately for U’s fans, ChatGPT believes that is where they will finish at the conclusion of the season.
The Kassam Stadium side started well under new manager Matt Bloomfield, including a 2-1 victory over Leicester City, but then suffered consecutive defeats to Birmingham City and Sheffield United.
22West Bromwich Albion
ChatGPT also believes that West Brom will be relegated to League One.
The AI tool also stated that it believes the Baggies have given themselves too much to do and that their goal differential would never recover.
21Leicester City
Following Leicester City’s six-point deduction, ChatGPT predicts that the Foxes will finish 21st due to inconsistency, but with enough quality to avoid relegation.
20Portsmouth
AI has stated that Portsmouth’s winter transfer window action has given them just enough bite to stay out of trouble.
That view is likely to be echoed by Pompey fans, given that new arrivals Millenic Ali and Ebou Adams both scored in a recent 3-0 victory over West Brom.
19Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers defeated Wednesday 1-0 in early February, but they remain in trouble.
ChatGPT believes Rovers will ‘just escape again’ following a relegation scare in the 2023/24 season.
18Norwich City
Norwich were galvanized by Philippe Clement’s November arrival, winning three consecutive Championship games before losing to automatic promotion rivals Middlesbrough.
With that in mind, and given the Canaries’ strong activity during the winter transfer window, AI predicts that the Carrow Road team will survive the relegation.
17Charlton Athletic
Nathan Jones led Charlton Athletic from League One to the Championship last season and is now responsible for keeping the Addicks in the second division.
AI predicts that Jones’ side will finish 18th, having added veteran Everton defender Conor Coady and Liverpool youngster Luke Chambers during the transfer window.
16Swansea City
Swansea City, like Charlton, could finish in the lower mid-table.
Vitor Matos’ side has battled with consistency, but they recently defeated Blackburn and Watford before losing 2-1 to Hull.
15Sheffield United
Sheffield United had a successful transfer window, signing players like as England international Kalvin Phillips.
However, due to a bad start to the season, the Blades are currently in a lower mid-table position, which AI expects will remain, though the Bramall Lane faithful may disagree.
14Southampton
Southampton began the season with the goal of returning to the Premier League right away, but their play-off bid has yet to materialize.
AI has added that the harm has already been done for St Mary’s, who could finish in the bottom half.
13Birmingham City
Birmingham, led by Chris Davies, have struggled for consistency in the Championship since their stunning League One title win last season.
As a result, despite high-profile additions in the winter transfer market, including the loan signing of Brighton’s Ibrahim Osman, Blues could finish in the middle of the table.
12Stoke City
Stoke City had genuine play-off credentials early in the season, but a string of disappointing results has dropped the Potters to mid-table.
If ChatGPT’s forecast comes true, that is exactly where Mark Robins’ men will remain.
11Queens Park Rangers
QPR’s mid-season transfer window was somewhat successful, with the signings of defender Ronnie Edwards from Southampton and forward Justin Obikwu from Coventry.
AI predicts that the West London outfit will finish 11th after a ‘quietly competent’ campaign.
10Bristol City
Bristol City had a mixed transfer window, with former star Anis Mehmeti joining Ipswich and long-serving goalkeeper Max O’Leary leaving for West Bromwich.
The Robins did acquire former Middlesbrough forward Delano Burgzorg and ex-Sturm Graz midfielder Tomi Horvat, but they may struggle to compete for a play-off spot.
9Preston North End
Preston signed Callum Lang and Andrew Moran from Portsmouth and Brighton, respectively, while Mads Frokjaer-Jensen left the Lancashire club to join Danish side Brondby.
Now that the window has closed, ChatGPT believes North End’s play-off bid will not collapse, but will also not fully launch.
8Millwall
Millwall manager Alex Neil has added famous players to his team, including Sheffield Wednesday great Barry Bannan and former Sunderland star Tommy Watson.
It is remarkable, then, that AI predicts that the Lions will regress in the second half of the season and fall out of the playoff picture.
7Wrexham
Wrexham are attempting to complete their dream journey from the National League to the Premier League by advancing from the Championship this season.
ChatGPT, on the other hand, believes that the Red Dragons’ squad depth will come into play near the end of the season.
6Watford
Watford complete the trio of Championship teams that are currently without a manager following Javi Gracia’s departure.
However, the Hornets signed Edoardo Bove, Stephen Mfuni, Saba Goglichidze, and Pierre Ekwah, prompting AI to feel that they are a ‘more balanced’ team than before and might make the playoffs.
5Derby County
Derby County has effectively kept pace with the play-off contenders this season, and their eye-catching transfer business has undoubtedly aided their efforts.
ChatGPT has also stated that their recruitment has given the Rams the legs they need for the stretch run.
4Ipswich Town
Ipswich presently hopes to beat Coventry or Middlesbrough to an automatic promotion berth, having bolstered their team with acquisitions such as Mehmeti.
After being relegated from the Premier League last season, the Tractor Boys may have to settle for a play-off position.
3Middlesbrough
Boro will fancy their prospects of beating Coventry to the Championship crown now that they have cut the 10-point gap with the Sky Blues.
However, perhaps unsurprisingly, for a club who did not sign the striker they probably needed in the winter transfer window, ChatGPT predicts that Middlesbrough will fall out of the top two when goals dry up.
2Hull City
Hull were recently defeated to a 0-0 draw by Watford, but the Tigers had previously enjoyed a four-game winning streak in the second division.
Excitingly for Sergej Jakirovic’s team, AI predicts that they have what it takes to secure automatic promotion.
1Coventry City
Coventry had been the pacesetters throughout the Championship season, but their lead has slipped substantially in recent weeks.
However, despite the fact that the Sky Blues made important acquisitions such as Romain Esse during the summer window, ChatGPT believes Frank Lampard’s squad remains the most complete in the league.
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