The 10 most hated EFL Championship clubs named and ranked by AI | OneFootball

We asked AI to rank the top 10 most hated clubs in the Championship.

As the new season draws ever closer, it is shaping up to be another exciting campaign in the Championship.

Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland all won promotion to the Premier League last season, and they will be replaced in the Championship by Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton, who were all relegated from the top flight after just one year in the division.

Luton Town, Plymouth Argyle and Cardiff City suffered relegation to League One last season, but their places in the second tier will be taken by Birmingham City, Wrexham and Charlton Athletic, and all three clubs will be hoping to make an impact in the upcoming campaign.

Given the competitive nature of the Championship, many strong rivalries have been built up between clubs from across the division over the years, regardless of geographical location, and there are sure to be plenty of fierce battles on the pitch in the year ahead.

With that in mind, we asked ChatGPT to name and rank the 10 most hated Championship clubs.

10 West Bromwich Albion

It was a disappointing campaign for West Bromwich Albion last season as they finished ninth in the Championship table following a year of managerial instability, but they will be hoping that better times are ahead under new head coach Ryan Mason.

According to ChatGPT, the Baggies are not top of the dislike list of many supporters across the country, but it notes that they are hated by their Midlands rivals, including Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and Birmingham City.

AI also believes there is some discontent towards Albion from outside the Midlands for what it describes as an "entitled vibe" after their relegations from the Premier League, with some of the club's fan base believing they have a right to compete for promotion back to the top flight.

Watford made the controversial decision to part company with popular head coach Tom Cleverley in May after a poor second half of the season saw them finish 14th in the table, but after some strong transfer business this summer, they could be a team to watch in the upcoming campaign under new boss Paulo Pezzolano.

Pezzolano is the 22nd different manager to take charge of the Hornets since Gino Pozzo's takeover of the club in 2012, and ChatGPT claims that the constant changes in the Vicarage Road dugout have been a source of frustration for both supporters and neutrals.

AI believes that the high managerial turnover has led to Watford being seen as "soulless" or "artificial" by those football supporters who value stability and a long-term approach.

After avoiding relegation from the Championship last season under former head coach Ruben Selles, Hull City would have been hoping for a more comfortable campaign under new manager Sergej Jakirovic this time around, but that may not be the case given the club's current financial problems and transfer restrictions.

While ChatGPT admits that many football supporters are simply ambivalent about the Tigers and do not have any strong feelings about them either way, it believes the final years of the Allam family's ownership and their attempt to change the club's name have caused some reputational damage.

Late former owner Assem Allam infamously attempted to rebrand the club as Hull Tigers in 2013, but after widespread fan protests, the FA twice rejected his application.

7 Queens Park Rangers

QPR finished 15th in the Championship last season after a turbulent campaign in which they flirted with relegation at times, but they may be optimistic they could launch a play-off push in the year ahead under new head coach Julien Stephan.

ChatGPT claims that R's supporters are seen as "smug" given their relatively limited achievements in recent times, while it also believes that the club's chaotic Premier League years have created a negative perception in the minds of some.

The Hoops signed a host of high-profile players during their brief spell in the top flight in the early 2010s, including the likes of Julio Cesar, Christopher Samba, Esteban Granero and Loic Remy, but it is fair to say the strategy backfired, and they were still dealing with the financial consequences many years later.

It has been an eventful summer for Swansea City, with some exciting signings arriving at the club and big names such as Luka Modrić and Snoop Dogg joining the board, so an intriguing campaign could be ahead under new permanent head coach Alan Sheehan.

There will be no South Wales derby in the Championship next season after Cardiff City's relegation to League One, but, according to ChatGPT, the Swans' fierce rivalry with the Bluebirds has contributed to their sixth-placed ranking on this list.

AI notes that Swansea also have some bad blood with Bristol City, and after the Robins missed out on promotion last season, the pair will lock horns again in the upcoming campaign.

After finishing in an underwhelming 10th place in the Championship last season, Middlesbrough parted company with head coach Michael Carrick in June, replacing him with former Luton Town manager Rob Edwards.

ChatGPT believes Boro are fifth on the list of the most hated second tier clubs, with their rivalry with North East neighbours Newcastle United and Sunderland contributing to that ranking, as well as their underachievement on the pitch in recent years.

However, AI also claims that the "confident" and "combative" nature of Boro supporters on social media has created tension with fans of other clubs.

4 Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday recorded a respectable 12th-placed finish in the Championship last season, but after a nightmare summer that has included late wage payments, transfer embargoes and the departure of a number of key players, they look nailed on for relegation in the upcoming campaign.

The Owls were beaten 1-0 in both Steel City derbies last season, and ChatGPT believes that their bitter rivalry with Sheffield United makes them one of the most hated clubs in the division.

AI also stated that the Wednesday fanbase often act "bigger" than their recent achievements would suggest, and it claimed that some supporters have a "short temper" when debating the fortunes of their team.

It was another year of underachievement for Stoke City last season as they finished 18th in the Championship table, but manager Mark Robins was at least able to successfully guide the club to safety after replacing Narcis Pelach in January.

The Potters have now been out of the Premier League for seven years, but ChatGPT believes that their time in the top flight has left a lasting impression on many football supporters.

AI claims that the direct style of play Stoke became known for under former manager Tony Pulis has seen them become the embodiment of what it describes as "ugly" football, with that reputation still remaining to this day, despite the Welshman departing the bet365 Stadium over 12 years ago.

After storming to the League One title last season with an EFL-record total of 111 points, Birmingham City are preparing for life back in the Championship, and owner Tom Wagner has made it clear that the club are targeting back-to-back promotions in the upcoming campaign.

According to ChatGPT, the tension between the Blues and Midlands rivals Aston Villa has contributed to their high ranking on this list, as well as their "general volatility" with other fan bases in the division.

Birmingham's big spending under Wagner has seen them come in for plenty of criticism from supporters of other clubs, with some also likely to feel slightly jealous of their bold ambitions, while the involvement of NFL legend Tom Brady on the club's board has also split opinion.

After a strong second half of last season under Alex Neil, Millwall only narrowly missed out on the play-off places in the Championship, and they will be confident they can challenge for the top six again in the upcoming campaign.

The Den has become known as one of the toughest away grounds to visit in English football, and ChatGPT believes the intimidating atmosphere the Lions create has made them the most hated club in the second tier.

AI claims that Millwall have firmly established a negative reputation in the eyes of many supporters, while it also stated that their "we don’t care" attitude has done little to improve relations with fans of other clubs.