Don Goodman talks Championship after the end of the January transfer window | OneFootball

The Sky Sports pundit has shared his thoughts on the second tier

With the January transfer window now closed, we are heading into the business end of the 2024/25 Championship season.

The second tier very rarely disappoints where drama is concerned and this term looks set to be no different – with a four-horse race for automatic promotion, a host of clubs jostling for the play-off spots, and a relegation battle that is set to go down to the wire.

Speaking via OLBG, Sky Sports EFL pundit Don Goodman has shared his thoughts on the latest Championship issues...

Sheffield United had one of the strongest January transfer windows in the Championship

Who has enjoyed the best transfer window in the Championship?

Goodman said: "One of the standouts are Sheffield United. Chris Wilder has added Championship experience in Ben Brereton Diaz, Tom Cannon, Hamza Choudhury, Harry Clarke and Rob Holding. Clarke and Choudhury were both promoted last season, so Chris has really padded out his squad with depth for the remaining 15 games.

"Middlesbrough have been busy with some eye-catching business, but I'm surprised they haven't made any defensive reinforcements as that's the area which is holding them back.

"Hull look to have done some good business, too. Losing Alex Palmer is a blow to West Bromwich Albion, while I'm also surprised that Burnley haven't added a striker to their ranks, too. You wouldn't expect Ashley Barnes to start many games for them this season.

"Sunderland have more young, saleable assets in their squad than any club in the Championship. Getting Wilson Isidor on a permanent deal was important and they've kept hold of all their talented young players."

Ruthless Leeds United will win the Championship by a wide margin

Has anything changed your mind to think Leeds won’t win the Championship?

Goodman said: "The way Burnley set up at home in their 0-0 draw against Leeds United was a massive compliment to the visitors. Burnley dropped deep and didn't take any risks, which was very impressive, but it leaves you asking questions about them. They played with too much respect for Leeds.

"Burnley's defence is bonkers, though. I've never seen anything quite like it. But their problem is scoring goals and, by my projections of scoring 1.2 goals a game, they're set to score only 55 goals. I couldn't see any promoted teams that had scored as few as 55 goals and been automatically promoted.

"Leeds United are the most well-rounded team in the division, their win against Coventry City was huge. They have scored 13 more goals than anyone else and their defensive record is impressive, too. They've got the best balance.

"I can't see any situation where they don't finish in the top two. They've got past Coventry and face Watford away, Sunderland at home, Sheffield United away and West Bromwich Albion at home soon. If they get through these next few games, I would imagine they will win the league title by a wide margin. They've been ruthless against teams in the bottom half and still have to face a few of those teams, too."

Sunderland can take hope from Ipswich Town in promotion push

Where can Sunderland find the edge over others in the Championship promotion hunt?

"Sunderland are strong all over the pitch and will be an even bigger threat when the injuries dry up," noted Goodman. "Romaine Mundle and Tommy Watson are still to come back and they've just signed Jayden Danns, too.

"Chris Mepham is having the season of his life, they've got a fantastic goalkeeper, the two full-backs are attack-minded, and their midfield duo of Jobe Bellingham and Dan Neil will be sought after by Premier League clubs. They have an abundance of explosive, dynamic and ball-carrying talent. We saw against Middlesbrough how they can hurt opponents, against a team that hadn't lost in six games. It was an excellent win.

"Anybody who saw that game and the performance of Enzo Le Fee will know he's a sensational player and he's only playing at 70% according to Regis Le Bris! You can see his class and that he does not belong in the Championship. The only way Sunderland will be able to keep Le Fee is if they win promotion. If not, he'll still be a Premier League player but for somebody else.

"I'm delighted to see them doing so well. Sunderland are the outlier, they are this year's Ipswich Town. We all waited for Ipswich to fall away last year and it didn't happen. Sunderland have got the tools to challenge Sheffield United and Burnley, as I'd suggest Leeds United will win the title."

Middlesbrough can still finish in the top six despite Emmanuel Latte Lath exit

Thoughts on Middlesbrough? Still can’t put together a consistent run of wins...

Goodman said: "Middlesbrough should be in the top five, battling for the top two with Sunderland, Sheffield United, Leeds United and Burnley, but their defensive issues have prevented them from doing so. It's shot them in the foot time after time.

"It frustrates me as I like them as a team, I like the style of football and I like the players they have. But the individual errors they've made this season have been bonkers. They need to tighten up at the back. The game against Sunderland was the third time in their previous nine fixtures that they'd conceded three goals. For context, they conceded the same amount of goals in nine games that Burnley have conceded all season! I'm not saying they need to have a defence like Burnley, but Leeds United with 19 goals, Sheffield United 21 with goals, and Sunderland with 26 all have good defensive records. Boro have let in 36 and the gulf is massive.

"Generally, having a solid defence is the foundation you need to get out of the Championship and that's why I'm surprised Boro didn't make any defensive reinforcements in January. I really thought they would but I'd still back them to finish in the top six. I've got faith that they'll start picking up results.

"They've got some good-looking games on paper coming up soon and could even go to Sheffield United and get a result. After that game, I think it's possible for them to go on a really good run but they do need to shore up defensively."

Thoughts on Emmanuel Latte Lath leaving Boro and the signings of Illing Junior and Iheanacho?

Goodman added: "The money for Emmanuel Latte Lath was too good for Middlesbrough to turn down. I think he would have made it to 20 goals and even though Boro are ambitious, £20 million is such a significant figure to turn down.

"It's even harder to turn down when you're able to attract somebody like Kelechi Iheanacho who's won the FA Cup and been promoted out of the Championship. If you can get him firing to anywhere near the level that he's capable of, you could argue that he's a better player than Emmanuel Latte Lath.

"Middlesbrough will be in good shape if Michael Carrick can do that."

Sheffield Wednesday may miss play-offs despite fantastic Danny Rohl

How do you rate Sheffield Wednesday’s chances of a play-off spot?

Goodman said: "When you're only three points off the play-offs, you must be considered a contender. They're in a fight for two available places but I don't think the public spat between Dephjon Chansiri and Danny Rohl would have anyone.

"They've managed to bring in Ibrahim Cissoko, who did really well for Plymouth Argyle, and Stuart Armstrong, who is someone I really rate. Keeping Shea Charles was a bonus, too.

"But when you consider that they've conceded 46 goals this season, I wouldn't back them to make the top six. I think they're having a brilliant season and that Danny Rohl is a fantastic manager but if you put me on the spot now, I wouldn't be backing them to make the top six.

"Sheffield Wednesday can be a chaotic club at the best of times but the fact that Rohl is managing to keep things stable on the pitch is very impressive."

Josh Sargent is among the Championship's best strikers but it's now or never for Norwich City

Where does Josh Sargent rank amongst the Championship’s best strikers? How influential is his return to fitness for Norwich City?

"Norwich City are fighting it out with some very good teams," noted Goodman. "I expect they'll go close with Borja Sainz returning soon and Josh Sargent's return has been very timely. They eased him back in very sensibly, scoring three goals in the first two games he started. That means he has seven goals and five assists in 15 goals off the back of injury problems.

"He also scored 16 goals in 26 games last year despite, again, having his season disrupted by injury. Sargent has to be in the conversation of being the best number 9 in the Championship.

"I think Norwich will go close. Their only recent blips were against Sheffield United and Leeds United, where anyone can lose. Their next three games against Preston North End, Hull City, Stoke City. On paper, you would expect them to pick up points and Hull have the worst home record in the league.

"There's a chance for Norwich but it's now or never because if they can't find consistency, they'll end up missing out."

Frank Lampard has work to do if Coventry City are to reach the Premier League

We pretty much wrote Coventry City’s play-off hopes off before their recent winning run. Your thoughts now?

Goodman said: "When you win four games in a row and collect 12 points in such a short period of time, you will catapult up the league. Coventry City are now in a top-half position which reflects their squad, particularly their attacking talent. Losing against Leeds United, who are the best team in the league, is nothing to worry about.

"Frank Lampard has improved Coventry's defensive performances. After the Leeds game, they've get six clean sheets in 14 games, having only kept two clean sheets in their previous 17 outings. If you want to have any success in the Championship, the best way to do it is by building from a solid foundation. They were conceding too many goals earlier on in the season.

"I do think they'll be in the mix. I can actually see them winning another four games on the bounce at some point as they've got the attacking talent. You can't rule them out. When I previously wrote them off it was due to an 11-point gap, but a month later it's now down to three and they certainly have the ability to make the play-offs.

"Frank did well at Derby, did well at Chelsea during his first spell, you can write off his second stint, and kept Everton up. We've seen how difficult it's been for other managers at Everton, too. He hasn't had a bad coaching career, so I never doubted he could do well at Coventry, given the squad at his disposal.

"When Wayne Rooney went to Plymouth, there were always going to be doubts about his record, even though I wanted him to do well. But I had no doubts that Frank Lampard would do okay. But he needs to do more than okay, he needs to get Coventry to the Premier League under this regime."

Matt Grimes may have left Swansea City due to a lack of ambition

Thoughts on Matt Grimes to Coventry?

Goodman said: "If you're a Swansea fan, you're maybe a little bit exasperated at this moment in time and maybe Matt Grimes was a little bit exasperated with everything going on at the club. Apart from two seasons under Steve Cooper, Matt Grimes has been stuck in a Swansea team that hasn't been anywhere close to getting to the Premier League.

"For a player of his quality, he'll want to play in the Premier League. He's a fantastic passer of the ball, which I think will appeal to Frank Lampard and a proven Championship performer."

Thoughts on the current situation at Swansea City?

Goodman added: "Look at the transfer window. You wonder if Matt Grimes left Swansea City due to a lack of ambition.

"Paul Watson, the Director of Football, left in October, which begs the question of who's been in charge of footballing decisions? Is it Andy Coleman the Chairman? Is it a non-footballing person? Ultimately, they've had a terrible window, losing their captain which is a shock to many.

"It's different ownership but the same problems for Swansea City. We expected the ownership change to be a real positive thing but they've had a poor window and only managed to bring in Hannes Delcroix and Lewis O'Brien, who has got to prove he's still a good player with his career having taken a nosedive after leaving Huddersfield.

"If doesn't go well on the pitch, I can see things getting messy at Swansea, in terms of the fans' relationship with the owners. I hope for their sake they turn it around.

"They've lost four in a row, have no win in six and, if they are not careful, have the potential to get dragged into a relegation scrap. If I were a Swansea fan, I'd be worried about the relegation battle as teams like Oxford have improved, Stoke and Cardiff have closed the gap recently and I expect Hull to progress up the table. Luton will also hope their new manager can help them rise up the table, so it wouldn't take much for Swansea to get sucked into a relegation battle."

Cardiff City have a huge run coming up

Thoughts on Cardiff City?

"Someone was going to be on the receiving end of a hammering at Elland Road, so I wouldn't be too concerned about that as a Cardiff City fan," noted Goodman.

"Omar Riza will focus on the fact that his team were seven unbeaten before the Leeds game and that they managed to dig themselves out of a hole. They're still in a scrap but have a four-point cushion, which is what they'll be hoping to maintain.

"It could go down to the wire for Cardiff. They face Portsmouth away, Bristol City at home and Plymouth away, which are like three cup finals. If they can win two of those three, you'd fancy them to pull away. But Pompey are scrapping, Bristol City are pushing for the play-offs and Plymouth have been resurgent.

"The next three games are absolutely massive as they face Burnley and Sunderland after that and also have five games against teams who are in the top seven to come. They've lost seven and drawn two against top-seven games this season. It's an enormous run of games coming up for Cardiff."

Louie Barry can help Hull City move clear of the relegation battle

What impact can Barry make at Hull City? Are we seeing how Ruben Selles can improve players?

Goodman said: "Aston Villa were keen to get Louie Barry playing at a higher level. If you look at his rise, he's played in League Two, League One and now the Championship across the last couple of seasons. Aston Villa will want him to continue that development and have rewarded him with a new deal. He's an excellent player.

"Aston Villa clearly feel that they can trust Ruben Selles to help with Louie Barry's development and rightly so. He's got a track record of doing that, particularly during horrific times at Reading.

"As for Hull City, It's a great coo. They're getting a player with undoubted talent and he's one of those rare players that has the magic to create something out of absolutely nothing and win a game of football. Hull City will need those moments in the relegation battle. I think the move is a win-win for all parties.

"I expect Hull City to start climbing the table and move away from the relegation zone. They've got decent players and, on paper, are stronger than those teams currently around them. Barry will have to play a key part with goals and assists and, I would expect over the course of 16 games, he'll be a hit with the supporters."

Stoke City must follow up on Hull City boost after Tom Cannon blow

You said Stoke City need to win games, so how big was their win at Hull City?

"Stoke City's win at Hull City was huge. Absolutely, huge," said Goodman. "Before that, they had only won one in 15 games. They were in serious danger and still are but it was also really important for Mark Robins to get his first win in charge.

"I worry that Stoke's best player has been their goalkeeper. The data suggests that Viktor Johansson has prevented 11 goals this season and imagine he hadn't done so. They could already be relegated! The data tells you only Plymouth Argyle concede more chances.

"Stoke are also the lowest scorers in the Championship and they've lost Tom Cannon, who had scored a large percentage of their goals. I know Nathan Lowe has bags of potential but, at the minute, potential is what it is.

"From a psychological point of view, more than anything else, that win at Hull was huge but it's vital Stoke back it up now."

What impact will Tom Cannon departing Stoke to Sheffield United have on both teams?

Goodman added: "Losing Tom Cannon was a massive blow for Stoke. He's only 22 goals and has massive potential. Chris Wilder, as a motivator will get the best out of him.

"Cannon has gone to a club where the pressure to be promoted is on. He'll have to learn how to deal with periods where everything might not go his way. The pressure will probably be different to his stints at Leicester and Preston North End.

"It's the Preston Tom Cannon which Chris Wilder will try to unlock. I don't think he's reached those sort of levels since but he's going to be playing in a team that creates plenty of chances and the hope will be that he can rediscover those type of levels."

Derby County are an example of how quickly things can change in the Championship

How much trouble are Derby County in? They cannot stop losing at the moment and this is something you have suggested could happen despite impressive home form.

Goodman said: "Derby County were massively reliant on their home form and were massively reliant on set pieces. But now they've lost their last four home matches, lost six of their last eight home games and scored just one goal in their last five fixtures.

"The fear I had of Derby becoming overreliant on their home form is coming home to roost. You need to find alternative ways to score on a consistent basis. Derby have only scored 14 goals from open play in 30 Championship games. It cannot continue.

"Derby are a great example of how quickly things can change in the Championship after they 14th after beating West Bromwich Albion on boxing day and sitting eight points clear of the drop zone. All of a sudden they've lost seven in a row and they're third bottom. That's how quickly things can turn.

"I feel for Paul Warne's as he's one of the nicest men in football but doesn't want to be remembered as that. He wants to be remembered as a successful Championship coach.

"You have to worry for Derby County."

Plymouth Argyle have a great opportunity over their next eight games

Thoughts on Miron Muslić’s start to life at Plymouth? Does he represent the best possible chance of survival?

Goodman said: "Plymouth Argyle were hugely unfortunate not to win at Sunderland after putting in a brilliant performance and I think Regis Le Bris conceded that. I have talked about how it's important for Stoke City to back up their recent win, but that's what Plymouth did with a great home victory against West Bromwich Albion and an incredible win against Liverpool in the FA Cup

"In both Sunderland and West Brom games, Plymouth have come from behind which shows real character and spirit amongst the squad. I had written them off as they've conceded 63 goals this season, which is a bonkers amount. I don't think anybody would have seen this resurgence coming.

"In their next eight games, Plymouth Argyle play Millwall, Blackburn, Luton Town, Cardiff City, Hull City, Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth and Derby County. It's a great opportunity. If they can reproduce recent performances, they are going to win some of those games. But it's here and now for Plymouth and if they miss this opportunity, it will be goodbye to the Championship