Two months into the new Championship season, a handful of teams appear to be in grave danger of relegation.

Preston North End has had a terrible start to the season, sitting bottom of the Championship with only four points from their opening 11 games, and the Lilywhites are joined by some surprising strugglers in the basement tier.

Many predicted that Derby County, Burnley, and Norwich City would compete for promotion this season, but the trio are currently barely above Preston, with John Eustace, Nicky Hayen, and Philippe Clement all under increasing pressure.

Watford, Cardiff City, and Lincoln City are also too near to the relegation zone to be comfortable, with Charlton Athletic rounding out the bottom eight after an eight-game winless streak that has dropped them to 17th after a promising start to the season.

Of course, there is still a long way to go in the season and plenty of opportunity for things to change, but based on the preliminary evidence, we asked ChatGPT to guess who the Championship’s bottom eight will be at the end of the season.

17th – Portsmouth

Despite being embroiled in relegation battles in both of their two seasons back in the Championship, Portsmouth avoided relegation both times.

Pompey were able to maintain head coach John Mousinho this summer despite interest from Bristol City, but following another disappointing transfer window, another season of struggle appears to be on the horizon at Fratton Park.

Portsmouth’s recent victories over Sheffield United and Norwich have pushed them six points clear of the relegation zone, but with a roster lacking depth and talent in certain places, they may struggle to maintain their present pace.

ChatGPT believes Pompey will be able to retain their Championship status this season, but acknowledges that they may struggle for consistency away from home, preventing them from moving up the table.

18th – Wrexham

After earning a historic three successive promotions from the National League to the Championship, Wrexham’s first year back in the second tier ended in heartbreak last season when they missed out on the play-offs on the last day.

Having spent heavily in the summer on Anthony Patterson, Danny Imray, Jacques Ekomie, Ben Whiteman, and Callum O’Hare, the Red Dragons would have expected to be in promotion contention again this season.

However, a mixed start to the season has put manager Phil Parkinson under pressure, with reports saying that Wrexham are investigating Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker as prospective replacements, but Saturday’s 4-1 home win over Preston appears to have earned the 58-year-old more time.

Unfortunately for Parkinson, ChatGPT does not believe he will be able to lead another promotion push this season, forecasting the Red Dragons will end in 18th place.

19th – Cardiff City

Cardiff immediately returned to the Championship last season after finishing second in League One with 91 points.

The Bluebirds have adjusted well to life back in the second division, but despite a couple of good performances, their failure to convert opportunities means they have won only two of their first 11 games, placing them 19th in the league.

Cardiff, who have had a relatively easy fixture schedule thus far, emerged with plenty of credit from arguably their toughest test of the season, a 2-2 draw with second-placed Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, and head coach Brian Barry-Murphy will be hoping for a similar level of fight from his side in their upcoming games.

ChatGPT predicts the Bluebirds will avoid relegation this season, but warns they could be drawn into a dogfight if their inconsistency continues.

20th – Norwich City

Norwich were in the relegation zone when Philippe Clement arrived at Carrow Road in November, but they finished ninth in the Championship last season following an incredible second half of the season.

With that in mind, many predicted that the Canaries would finish in the play-offs this season, and some even believed they may contend for automatic promotion, but they have failed to meet expectations thus far.

Norwich are presently 21st in the rankings, one point clear of the relegation zone, having won only three of their first 11 games, and they suffered their fifth consecutive league defeat on Saturday, losing 1-0 at home to Portsmouth, piling pressure on Clement.

With the season still in its early stages, the Canaries will be confident that they can salvage their campaign and climb the table. ChatGPT believes that they have enough quality to survive, but predicts a disappointing 20th place.

21st – Lincoln City

Lincoln City lost head coach Michael Skubala to Bristol City just weeks after winning the League One title last season and regaining promotion to the second division of English football after 65 years.

Following Skubala’s departure, the Imps promoted coaches Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw to joint managers, and while the pair’s daring choice raised some eyebrows, it appears to have been a wise decision.

Lincoln have been extremely competitive in the Championship this season, with away victories over Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, and Bristol City, but their current four-game losing streak has pushed them into the relegation zone.

The Imps were crushed 6-0 by West Ham United at Sincil Bank last week in a game in which they were reduced to nine men early in the first half, but while ChatGPT admitted that their defensive weaknesses are concerning, it has backed them to avoid relegation.

22nd – Watford.

While there is never a boring moment at Vicarage Road, Watford’s season has started off on a particularly exciting note.

After going through three managers last season, the Hornets hired Alessio Dionisi as their new head coach in the summer, but it was reported last week that they were about to break ways with the Italian following back-to-back heavy defeats against Burnley and Cardiff.

Later reports suggested that Watford were eager to give Dionisi more time to turn his team’s fortunes around, and the 46-year-old provided himself with much-needed breathing room with a 2-0 victory over Charlton on Saturday, although it remains to be seen whether his reprieve will be short-lived.

As Hornets supporters up their protests against owner Gino Pozzo, the environment around the team becomes increasingly tense, and ChatGPT predicts their difficult season will result in relegation from the Championship.

23rd – Derby County

After missing out on the play-offs on the penultimate day of last season, Derby were largely anticipated to mount another promotion campaign this season, but that has not been the case thus far.

The Rams have only won one of their first 11 games this season, and they are currently 23rd in the table, three points from safety, after losing 1-0 to Stoke City at Pride Park on Saturday, extending their winless streak to seven games.

In recent weeks, an increasing number of Derby County fans have called for the dismissal of head coach John Eustace, but owner David Clowes appears to be patient with the 46-year-old for the time being.

Clowes will be hopeful that Eustace can lead the Rams up the table in the coming months after a dismal start last season, but ChatGPT predicts that they will be demoted to League One, citing their huge injury list.

24th – Preston North End

Preston became the first Championship club to make a managerial change this season, sacking Paul Heckingbottom last month after six defeats in the opening seven games.

The Lilywhites lured back club veteran Graham Alexander to Deepdale to replace Heckingbottom, with the 55-year-old choosing to quit his post at Bradford City to return to Lancashire, despite the Bantams being top of League One at the time of his departure.

However, it is fair to say that the appointment has not had the anticipated effect, with Alexander losing his first three games in charge against Millwall, Birmingham City, and Wrexham, leaving North End five points adrift of safety.

Alexander had a sluggish start to his tenure at Bradford before delivering great success at Valley Parade, but AI does not expect a similar pattern at his new club, forecasting that Preston will finish last in the league.