Gab Sutton weekly: Three Championship clubs making me eat humble pie

In his latest exclusive column for Odds Now, EFL pundit Gab Sutton praises three Championship clubs who are exceeding his pre-season expectations.

Three Championship teams outperforming Gab Sutton's expectations in 2025-26

#1 – Middlesbrough

It can be a double-edged sword going for a manager who’s different to their predecessor, can’t it, especially when the team hasn’t been too far away.

Clubs who do that are hoping the next manager will maintain what was working previously whilst making crucial tweaks, but the risk is always that they don’t have the personnel to do what they want, which can sometimes bring the flaws of their own approach more sharply into focus.

I wondered if that might be the case for Middlesbrough, where 3-4-1-2/3-4-2-1 pressing disciple Rob Edwards replaces 4-2-3-1 keep-ball connoisseur Michael Carrick.

I expected Edwards to take longer to get his ideas across, both in terms of flying wing-backs, which wasn’t something he inherited in the pre-existing squad, and building a team that would constantly be aggressive against the ball, from what had been a more languid crop.

He’s done superbly on both counts, though, with Callum Brittain looking a fine addition at right wing-back, Sammy Silvera adapting superbly to fresh defensive requirements on the left, and Aidan Morris and Hayden Hackney establishing themselves as one of the best midfield pairings in the Championship.

Thanks to impressive late recruitment, Edwards is implementing his vision surprisingly quickly, demonstrating his charismatic motivational and man management qualities, alongside the coaching nous of Adi Viveash and others.

#2 - Preston North End

After finishing last season with just one win in 15, and three points from the final eight games, Preston North End had looked ripe for another season of struggle, having finished just a solitary point above the drop zone in 2024-25.

Paul Heckingbottom had other ideas.

The Lancashire outfit have added shrewdly this summer, poaching Daniel Iversen from Leicester, Thierry Small from Charlton and Odel Offiah from Brighton, as well as Alfie Devine and Harrison Armstrong on loan from Tottenham and Everton respectively.

The smart recruitment has rejuvenated the squad, the Lilywhites beginning with just one defeat in nine, boasting the Championship’s joint-third best defensive record.

PNE are unlikely to stay 4th, but to already have 16 points on the board shows significant progress: they’re on track to hit the 50 mark well before they did so last season, on the final day.

#3 - Queens Park Rangers

After a 7-1 drubbing at Coventry on week three, Queens Park Rangers bottomed out.

Julien Stéphan recognised he didn’t have the personnel to play the open, attractive style of football he came in with the intention of encouraging, instead opting to utilize the pace and power in attacking areas.

The Rs have that in Richard Kone, poached from Wycombe in the summer after a stellar season for him in League One, with Rumarn Burrell playing support act.

Those two running at opponents is a lot for defences to handle, and it frees up the diminutive Karamoko Dembélé and Koki Saito to demonstrate their skill and flair from wide positions.

The West Londoners have benefited from arguably their best summer of recent years in terms of recruitment, bearing fruit with 14 points accrued from their last six games.