How have newly promoted teams fared in the Championship this season?

Making the move to a higher division, in any case, can be a daunting step up, especially if the season doesn’t go to plan.

There is arguably no finer example of this than when clubs make the move from League One to the Championship as the skill gap is some of the biggest in English football. If clubs get the move right, it can go well, but for those who don’t, it can go horribly wrong.

This season two out of the three newly-promoted teams are now relegated. Both Rotherham United and Wycombe Wanderers have had sub-par seasons. Even with the latter’s exploits in the playoffs at the end of last season, which catalysed Adebayo Akinfenwa’s odd call for managers such as Jurgen Klopp to sign him.

Even with such personalities within their teams and a trusted manager like Gareth Ainsworth, nothing looks to have saved The Chairboys in what is their inaugural season in the second flight of English football. Championship odds look to have prescribed their fate as almost certain relegation, which is backed up by their negative thirty goal difference and a poor goalscoring season indeed.

Was that his final game?

Matt Bloomfield says he'll always be ready when called upon, but if his playing career ends this summer, he's proud to have finished on a 3-0 away win in the Championship.#Chairboys pic.twitter.com/9x2EcbLUaJ
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) May 8, 2021

The inherent challenge that the promoted teams to the Championship this season have faced. This is especially in the case of Wycombe Wanderers, where their 2020/21 season marked their first time in the Championship.

Since the skill gap between the top and bottom teams is so great that it practically spans two divisions. After all, the relegated teams from the Premier League will go against the promoted League One outfits. This is just one of the issues that those promoted teams may face. Not forgetting that those teams at the top have a higher budget and pulling power, as shown by the departure of Nathan Ake for £41m to Manchester City. There’s a reason why the back-to-back promotions from League One through the Championship and to the Premier League are rather rare.

This large gulf has also been reflected in the transfer policies of the likes of Wycombe and Rotherham, although Rotherham did bring some defensive stability with the addition of Jamal Blackman in a loan move from Chelsea, as well as the former Newcastle midfielder/full-back Daniel Barlaser. Despite recruiting well, it hasn’t been a good season for Rotherham, who, much like their other newly-promoted counterparts haven’t been the best goalscorers all season.

The only notable success story of the triplet that got promoted would be Coventry City, who with Matt Godden upfront, have a proper goalscorer in their ranks, and were propelled up to the realms of the mid-table in the 2020/21 season.

🎥: It's been a memorable and unprecedented season – we look back at some of the best moments from the 2020/21 campaign! ⚽

This was for you… 💙 #PUSB pic.twitter.com/BR7ThpfPKE
— Coventry City (@Coventry_City) May 10, 2021

It’s fair to say that the likes of Rotherham and Wycombe Wanderers didn’t get that transition from League One to the Championship right. However, what this does mean is that they have another season in League One to rebuild and make the push for promotion for two years.