Neil Warnock names Middlesbrough, Birmingham City, Southampton & Norwich in EFL prediction

The EFL managerial icon believes all four sides have reasons to challenge for promotion this season

Championship managerial icon, Neil Warnock, believes that one of Birmingham City, Middlesbrough, Norwich City and Southampton are likely to give this season's promotion favourites a run for their money in the race to secure Premier League football.

After three months away, the second tier of English football returns to our screens this weekend, and there are plenty of reasons for supporters across the country to be excited.

Last season, only one side who were newly-relegated from the Premier League were able to instantly return to the top-flight, but there is already strong pressure on the likes of West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers to achieve such feats in 2026/27.

However, the expansion of the play-off format from third, now all the way down to eighth, will open the door for a third of the division's sides to have a crack at achieving promotion either as champions, automatically or at Wembley Stadium in football's 'richest game'.

Naturally, fans of the Championship's 24 clubs, as well as an array of television and radio pundits have already offered their predictions, and Warnock, 77, has joined the party on the opening weekend of the season.

Neil Warnock believes Birmingham, Middlesbrough, Norwich or Southampton can challenge for promotion

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The charismatic Sheffield native needs no introduction as to what it takes to achieve promotion to the top-flight, having achieved success on that front a record-equalling four times.

Last season, Coventry City won the title on 95 points, with Ipswich in second coming 11 points behind, whilst Hull City, who finished in sixth on 73 points, won the play-offs.

Burnley when it comes to the promotion race, with two of those clubs under newly-appointed head coaches in Cesar Peixoto and Nicky Hayen.

When asked about who could potentially run them close, he told the Athletic: “You’ve always got to look at the three teams who have come down, even though I was surprised Wolves changed their manager. But, as always happens in the Championship, someone will emerge strongly.

“Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Southampton, Norwich… one of them will come out and have a real go. I don’t see much beyond those teams we’ve just mentioned. There are plenty with potential, so who really knows?," Warnock added.

“That’s the beauty of the Championship. It’s why we all love it so much.”

Warnock is likely to have a keen eye on developments at Middlesbrough more than most clubs this season, given his managerial stint at the Riverside Stadium earlier in the decade.

However, Kim Hellberg's side have been heavily fancied to challenge for automatic promotion this term, having missed out in agonising fashion on two counts when it comes to ending their Premier League hiatus.

After losing to Hull in May's Wembley final, the Swede has invested heavily in seven new signings thus far, with the standouts of those being Radek Vitek, Sebastian Berhalter and Will Lankshear.

The former and latter of the trio have both signed for hefty transfer fees from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, whilst another eye-opening deal with Spurs for Ash Phillips, to further boost Middlesbrough's defensive department, is being targeted.

That said, the other three of Warnock's picks for a potential 'dark horse' have all been predicted by many others themselves.

It has been well-documented for some time that Birmingham have ambitions of returning to the Premier League after investing heavily, and whilst transfer fees haven't exactly been splashed about this summer, Chris Davies has attempted to plug plenty of gaps with experience and quality this summer as more consistency is targeted in the Second City.

Norwich, meanwhile, were revived under Phillipe Clement, with the Belgian winning 20 of his first 35 games in charge after replacing Liam Manning in November whilst also enduring the loss of Josh Sargent and a major injury crisis.

It was a blow for the Canaries to lose Canadian international, Ali Ahmed, to a long-term injury in pre-season, but many believe if Clement continues to weave his magic, Carrow Road can continue to be a fortress.

And, it's fair to say Southampton are entering the season in unprecedented circumstances due to Spygate, with the club starting the season on minus-four points, and it remains to be seen whether that deficit will see them just fall short of the pace-setters.

A managerial change could also impact their fortunes, with it recently being suggested that Tonda Eckert's potential FA ban could come into force in September, after which the first three matches of the season, at least, will have been played.