Neil Warnock names the 3 EFL Championship clubs he thinks will get promoted | OneFootball

Legendary manager Neil Warnock has named the three Championship clubs he expects to gain promotion in the 2026/27 season...

Neil Warnock is arguably the most famous manager in EFL history, with eight promotions from the Football League and three of those since the EFL Championship was founded.

The veteran manager turned pundit has had his say on the outcome of the 2026/27 season, with the Championship already underway for many of his former clubs. Those include Middlesbrough, Queens Park Rangers, Cardiff City, and Sheffield United.

His promotions with the latter three clubs were all famous successes at the time, with the 77-year-old considered as one of the greatest ever managers for each. His QPR side lit up the division in 2010/11, while Cardiff and Sheffield United were built on sturdy foundations.

Neil Warnock's EFL Championship predictions for 2026/27

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Of course, for many neutrals and pundits alike, relegated clubs like West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Burnley are the favourites to gain promotion. However, Millwall, Southampton, and Middlesbrough all made the play-offs and are fancied, too.

Warnock has had his say on that battle at the top of the Championship, speaking via Midnite's ‘Built Different Index’ launch which ranks all 92 clubs across the Premier League, Championship, League One, and League Two.

He said: "I think I would go Burnley, West Ham, and possibly Middlesbrough. I think they would be my three to go up. I think the team that might surprise a few would be QPR. I know everyone thinks they’re relegation fodder, but they’ve got some good players in that team if they can keep them fit.

"Going down, I mean, you’ve got to look at teams like Derby County, Stoke City, and Preston [North End]. You know, it’s hard when you’re down there. I do think that Watford might be a dark horse, having watched their first game as well. They might be a dark horse for going up, well, for doing well, anyhow.

"But at the bottom, I think it’s going to be dog-eat-dog, really. Portsmouth as well, you know. I think there are five or six clubs that I’d be surprised to see pushing for the play-offs. I think they’ve got it all on. Blackburn [Rovers] and Tony Mowbray as well, but I thought their team looked really, really good against Wolves, and he’s got some decent players. And what Tony’s good at is using what he’s got to the best of the ability of the team.

"Sorry, I forgot about Lincoln. I think they’ll have a chance of staying up, me. I know the manager left, which is not a good thing, but the squad itself, I was really, really pleased with how they played at Middlesbrough. Yes, they had to defend a lot, but everybody’s going to have to defend a lot against Middlesbrough.

"But I thought the attitude was really good, so I wouldn’t write them off at the moment, even though I think the bookies will have them down as the odds-on favourite to go down, won’t they?"

Neil Warnock knows what he is talking about regarding the EFL

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If anyone knows the Championship, it's Warnock. His final three promotions are particularly impressive since the reformat of the EFL. He took Sheffield United into the Premier League in 2006, guided QPR to the Championship title in 2011, and then pulled off perhaps his most remarkable achievement with Cardiff City in 2018.

After taking them up automatically after arriving with the club 23rd in the Championship, the latter is arguably his most impressive. Three promotions in the modern era, all into the Premier League, underline why he was one of the EFL’s greatest promotion specialists.

Since 2004, however, a handful have matched his three: Eddie Howe, Steve Evans, Chris Wilder, Steve Bruce, and Phil Parkinson have each achieved three promotions during that period. Warnock remains unique for having four promotions into the top flight overall, though, and his eight career promotions remain the English record.

Middlesbrough are the dark horses for promotion in 2026/27

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In so many ways, it is hard to overlook the likes of Middlesbrough, Wolves, and West Ham as the three likeliest sides to win promotion this season. Boro's quality under Kim Hellberg and their impressive recruitment make them genuine contenders, while Wolves and West Ham have the Premier League quality and resources to bounce straight back.

I also expect a surprise package to break into the top eight, much like Hull City and arguably Millwall did last season. Southampton and Burnley will certainly have something to say about the promotion race too, particularly with their parachute-payment advantage. But Middlesbrough look like the darkest horse without such an advantage.