The Championship season came to a close with most of the clubs’ fates having already been decided in a term that saw a huge gap between the bottom and top.
Fantastic storylines were found up and down the table as delight and disappointment etched themselves onto the faces of the different fanbases.
TIBS News reviews the 2021-22 campaign.
Promoted sides
Champions: Fulham
The Cottagers were red-hot favourites to go up at the start of the season and met their expectations with ease. Scoring 106 league goals, they scored for fun and never looked like dropping out of the top two, despite a collapse in form very late in the season. Aleksandar Mitrovic demolished the record for most goals in a Championship season with 43 as Harry Wilson and Fabio Carvalho finished joint-second with 10 each. Wilson also finished with 19 assists as Fulham prepare to survive in the Premier League next season to break their form of constantly yoyoing between the divisions.
Runners-up: Bournemouth
Scott Parker proved himself to be the right man for the job as he helped a new-look Bournemouth reach the top division again. Dominic Solanke started to show why he cost the Cherries a reported £19million, scoring 29 goals and finishing second in the league goal-scoring charts. Their grip on second place looked to be slipping as they headed into the last month of fixtures but a vital win over Nottingham Forest secured promotion in front of the delirious Vitality Stadium.
Play-offs: Nottingham Forest
One of the most historic clubs in England returned to the Premier League for the first time since 1999 courtesy of a 1-0 play-off final win over Huddersfield Town. Brennan Johnson proved himself to be one of the most exciting prospects in the EFL after finishing as the club’s top scorer and top assister aged just 21-years-old. Veteran striker Lewis Grabban chipped in with 12 goals as well as he secured promotion to the Premier League for the second time in his career.
Relegated sides
22nd: Peterborough United
Dropping straight back down to League One after being promoted last season, it was an underwhelming season for the Posh. Jonson Clarke-Harris was a bright spark as he scored 12 goals and assisted three as he led from the front. Darren Ferguson left his role as manager at Peterborough for the third time, but the change in leadership proved to be too little too late. Retaining much of the squad will be crucial as they return to a League One that has got even more competitive in their one-year hiatus.
23rd: Derby County
The Rams’ relegation seemed almost a formality after suffering a total 21-point deduction as well as being in administration. With a limited squad that was heavily reliant on young players, Derby bounced back and, at one point, looked as if they could pull off the impossible. It turned out to be too much of a battle to overcome as their dip in form coincided with the teams above them starting to pick up points. Wayne Rooney and his band of loyal players can hold their heads high though after giving their utmost effort all season, earning plaudits from across the country.
24th: Barnsley
After finishing in the play-offs last season in a stunning season, the wheels well and truly fell off following Valerian Ismael’s departure last summer. Carlton Morris led the scoring charts with nine goals with no other player scoring more than four all season. Having to compete on a much smaller budget than most of the teams in their league, Barnsley had been described as a ‘Moneyball’ team by the Wall Street Journal, referencing the similar recruitment that the Oakland Athletics’s used in 2002 as they signed cheaper or undervalued players that, on paper, would still get the job done. However, despite the initial success for both clubs, the deeper pockets of their opponents proved too much as Barnsley went down and the Oakland A’s failed to win the World Series.
Honourable Mentions
Huddersfield Town – The Terriers weren’t expected to do badly but they went one step further to finish third and go all the way to the play-off final, where they unfortunately lost to Nottingham Forest. Sorba Thomas, who joined from non-league side Boreham Wood in the beginning of 2021, recorded 12 assists as he continued to go from strength to strength. Danny Ward finished top scorer with 14 goals as Huddersfield will look to return to the top tier after their relegation in 2019.
Luton Town – In 2014, the Hatters won the National League. Two more promotions, which were back-to-back, followed as the resurgence continued. Still on a much smaller budget compared to the other teams challenging in the top half, Luton have made astute signings and are one of the most proficient teams at doing so. With many of their key players having joined from the lower leagues, Luton continue to show that not everyone needs to splash the cash to be successful.
Cardiff City – In a season that highlighted how badly an injection of life is needed in the Welsh capital, not many were expecting a campaign so forgettable from the Bluebirds. Kieffer Moore’s departure in the winter transfer window didn’t help but only four teams scored less than Cardiff and three of those sides were relegated. Their top assister, Ryan Giles, was recalled from his loan in January, and still finished the season with three more assists than any of his team-mates, highlighting the Bluebirds’ severe lack in creativity.
Reading – If John Swift’s brilliance hadn’t shone through in a struggling side, Reading more than likely would have been relegated. As it was, they did enough to survive with a little help from Derby’s points deduction. Paul Ince steadied the ship after Veljko Paunovic left the club after failing to build on his seventh-place finish last season. Still wary of their financial situation, the Royals will need to manoeuvre carefully in the summer transfer window to start climbing the table again.
Top Players
1. Fulham – Aleksandar Mitrovic
2. Bournemouth – Mark Travers
3. Huddersfield – Lee Nicholls
4. Nottingham Forest – Brennan Johnson
5. Sheffield United – Morgan Gibbs-White
6. Luton Town – Kal Naismith
7. Middlesbrough – Jonny Howson
8. Blackburn Rovers – Jan Paul van Hecke
9. Millwall – Murray Wallace
10. West Bromwich Albion – Karlan Grant
11. Queens Park Rangers – Chris Willock
12. Coventry City – Gustavo Hamer
13. Preston North End – Daniel Iversen
14. Stoke City – Jacob Brown
15. Swansea City – Joel Piroe
16. Blackpool – Marvin Ekpiteta
17. Bristol City – Andreas Weimann
18. Cardiff City – Cody Drameh
19. Hull City – Keane Lewis-Potter
20. Birmingham City – Matija Sarkic
21. Reading – Andy Yiadom
22. Peterborough United – Ronnie Edwards
23. Derby County – Curtis Davies
24. Barnsley – Brad Collins
By Joshua Stewart
