Don Goodman issues Championship verdicts as second tier fixtures return | OneFootball

Don Goodman has had his say on the Championship ahead of the return of the second tier

EFL pundit Don Goodman has voiced his thoughts on the 2024/25 Championship ahead of the return of a full slate of fixtures this weekend.

The second tier paused after four games for the September international break but it is back with a bang starting with Hull City v Sheffield United on Friday eve.

Speaking via Betway, Goodman has issued his verdict on some of the division's key talking points after the first month of the new campaign.

Sunderland are the Championship's "biggest surprise"

Sunderland are the division's early pace-setters and sit top of the table after new boss Regis Le Bris has delivered four wins in his first four games.

The French coach's fast start has come despite the departure of talisman Jack Clarke in the summer transfer window and Goodman has been hugely impressed by what he's seen so far.

He said: “At the top of the league, Sunderland are the biggest surprise. At the bottom, seeing Luton down there is a shock.

“Sunderland have flown out of the traps and have bought into Regis Le Bris and his new way of playing. There's nothing quite like winning to help players and fans buy into a new regime.

“The opening game against Cardiff was a standard 'no-thrills and no-spills' victory, but since then, I covered their match against Sheffield Wednesday, who had just smashed Plymouth. I went to the Stadium of Light thinking 'This could be a difficult game' but they blew Wednesday away. They were incredible.

“They've since lost Jack Clarke but have continued to follow up on those wins. Before the Sheffield Wednesday game, I asked Luke O'Nien what had changed and he said 'They've got a structure.' By structure, he means that they now have a structure with and without the ball. It's probably more noticeable out of possession, where teams are struggling to create chances against them.

“They've barely conceded a chance this season, even the goal they conceded on Saturday was an own goal. If you're going to build on that with all the attacking quality they've got, their quality in midfield and with their two brilliant full-backs, then they have definitely got a shot at making the play-offs.

“Sunderland will just want to keep this momentum going. We saw how important winning momentum was to Ipswich last season, they kept it going for a really long period of time and it set them up to kick on to promotion. I'm not saying they’re going to finish in the top two like Ipswich, but they've given themselves the best possible chance under a new manager with new-found belief.

“I like the fact that they have experience dotted around the team with the likes of Alan Browne and Luke O'Nien. Patrick Roberts has been like a different player this season with more experience and even Jobe Bellingham has a full season of Championship football under his belt. Chris Mepham also arrived and adds to the experience of the group.

“I'm pleased to see it as one of the problems I thought could hinder them was a lack of experience. Given the start they've made, they're not missing Jack Clarke yet. At the moment they've shown that they can win games of football and win games without Jack Clarke.

“They've been the best team at both ends of the pitch, scoring the most goals and conceding the fewest."

21-year-old Romaine Mundle has been tasked with replacing Clarke on the left wing so far and he is one of the Black Cats players that Goodman has singled out for praise.

He said: “Romaine Mundle has come in for Jack Clarke and scored in both games. You can't ask for anything more than that. It's not just about Mundle, though, it's about how the team has shared the collective goalscoring bundle. Eliezer Mayenda has scored two goals and two assists after failing to score previously.

“As I mentioned, Patrick Roberts looks a different player and, in midfield, Chris Rigg has just been incredible, absolutely incredible, along with Jobe Bellingham. I really like the two full-backs, too. They have the makings of enjoying a really good season.

“With the Championship also being not as strong as last season in terms of the top four without Leicester, Ipswich & Southampton that opens up the possibility of a fairytale story for a number of clubs. Sunderland are one of those clubs.”

West Bromwich Albion are two points back from Sunderland in second place despite a summer transfer window that was quieter than expected given it was the first under new owner Shilen Patel.

Goodman believes highly-rated coach Carlos Corberan deserves a lot of the credit but has picked out a few of his attacking options for praise as well.

“There are two words as to why West Bromwich Albion are doing well. They are Carlos Corberan," he said. "With the exception of Thøborjn Heggem at left-back, he's working with pretty much the exact same team as last year.

“The difference is Josh Maja, who got off to a fantastic start on the opening day at QPR and looks like a proper striker and a real handful. What I loved was, against Swansea, Maja won his team the game by being unselfish and squaring the ball to Jayson Molumby. That's a striker who is in form and is seeing the bigger picture. I love that.

“Karlan Grant has had a resurgence and I knew Tom Fellows would have a big season, it's no surprise that Premier League clubs are sniffing around.

“It seems to me that Albion want to control the ball more than previously under Carlos Corberan. It's a little different from how they've played under him and they absolutely dominated Swansea in the first half. It's looking good, despite being different. He's coached the team in a different way, while retaining their ability to be resolute and solid.

“The balance is good and while it's too early to be certain about anything, it's looking good for West Brom. Mikey Johnston is a phenomenal signing and it's encouraging to know that while he had options elsewhere, he chose to come back to West Bromwich Albion.

“The fact that Heggem has established himself already, the fact that Milos Racic got minutes on Saturday, and the fact that Johnston has returned, means it all looks pretty good. Especially when before a ball was kicked you were pretty worried for West Brom.

“It's been a solid start and long may it continue.”

Leeds United were tipped as favourites for the Championship title by many ahead of the new season but lost a host of key players over the summer and haven't had it all their own way in the opening weeks of the season.

But Daniel Farke's side sit fourth and Goodman still believes they'll finish top of the tree by the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

“100%, Leeds United are still my favourites for the title," he said. "I think that conceding three goals against Portsmouth and against Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup made them reset defensively. That's the reason they went to West Bromwich Albion with the intention of not losing and it's helped them re-establish themselves as that solid unit which was one of the best defences in the Championship last season.

“They went to the Hawthorns and kept a clean sheet, as opposed to throwing caution to the wind, and nobody has scored against them since. You can't expect to concede so many goals and be successful.

“They're unbeaten this season with eight points on the board, whereas this time last year they only had five points. Daniel Farke's teams have been notoriously slow starters, too.

“Another reason I still have them as favourites is, despite losing Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter, I think they had a decent window. Through those sales, they've recouped so much cash and resolved every FFP problem while also bringing in the likes of Joe Rothwell, Manor Solomon, Largie Ramazani and Ao Tanaka. These are good players. Solomon has already shown the impact he can have, by assisting Mateo Joseph's goal at the weekend.

“Looking at the bigger picture, it could have been a lot worse for Leeds United, I'm really optimistic for them. If there's one team that I can see having the ability to establish a comfortable lead at the top of the table, it is Leeds.”

Bristol City can bounce back in coming weeks

Bristol City are hoping Liam Manning's first full season in charge can bring a play-off challenge after years of mid-table mediocrity.

The Robins made a strong start before an alarming 3-0 defeat to Derby County ahead of the international break.

According to Goodman, the coming weeks represents a real opportunity for them to bounce back and make the most of a kind run of fixtures.

He said: “Bristol City's defeat against Derby County was a bit of a wake up call and a shock to the system after a solid start. Most people thought Bristol City would have the tools to beat Derby, even at Pride Park. They won't like the manner in which the goals were conceded.

“Bristol City need to be more clinical and ruthless with the chances they create. But I like their recruitment and think Liam Manning is a young and exciting coach, so patience is probably the order of the day.

“They've got Blackburn next, where Manning will be looking for a response. After that, it's then Oxford at home, Swansea City away, Sheffield Wednesday at home and Cardiff City at home. On paper, that's a run of five games where you could see them possibly collecting 9 or 10 points, and if they can do that, the league table will suddenly look very different for them."

No panic needed yet at Coventry City

Coventry City have endured another slow start to the season but despite sitting 17th after four games, Mark Robins and co. will still have their eyes firmly set on a promotion challenge this term.

Goodman is not concerned just yet but has warned that the pressure will really build if the tides don't turn soon.

He said: “Historically, Coventry City have poor starters recently. Previously, they had to play lots of games away from home to begin the season due to pitch issues and then last year there were lots of new players gelling, which is similar to this season.

“Having seen their solitary win of the campaign against Oxford, which was a great game, I thought they'd kick on after that, which they haven't managed to do. It is a little bit concerning when you look at their talent on paper. I'm surprised.

“They'll be disappointed with the results, but at the same time, their two defeats have been 1-0 and they're not being blown away. By the same token, however, if you want promotion, and Coventry do, they'd need to build some winning momentum soon.

“The result against Norwich will hurt the most, as they'll want the CBS to be a fortress and Norwich hadn't won a game before that this season. But it's early days and there won't be any panic. They had five shots on target, created more big chances and had a better XG than Norwich, so they need to be more clinical.

“I'm not worried for Coventry but if they lose their next couple of games we could be having a different conversation. However, history tells us that we should expect them to start winning games and climbing up the table very soon.”

The Sky Blues sold playmaker Kasey Palmer to Hull City in the summer transfer window, which was an unexpected move from Goodman's perspective.

He explained: “It was a little bit of a surprise, but Mark Robins clearly backs the other players that he's got. I thought Kasey, at the very least, was a player that you could bring on and rely on him to have an impact.

“Mark Robins will see he's got Brandon Thomas-Asante, Ellis Simms, Jack Rudoni, Haji Wright, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Ephron Mason-Clark and Fábio Tavares. If he couldn't give Palmer minutes and there's a fee on offer in the last year of his deal, it makes sense to let him go. It's a win-win for Kasey Palmer.

“It's a little bit surprising but Mark Robins will feel like he can justify his decision.”

Too soon to judge Hull City

Palmer's arrival was part of a busy summer at the MKM Stadium as new Hull boss Tim Walter began to shape his squad.

The Tigers have endured a poor start but Goodman believes it's too soon to pass judgement on their season aspirations or their new coach.

He said: "Hull City have a new head coach, a new style and have seen a massive sqaud overhaul this summer. I think they're impossible to judge yet.

“The signings of Kasey Palmer and Abu Kamara is really good business. They've recruited a brilliant young goalkeeper in Carl Rushworth, we saw how well Liam Millar did at Preston last year and Charlee Hughes is one of the most highly-rated young defenders in the EFL.

“A few of the other signings are unknown quantities, including Mason Burstow. It didn't go well for him at Sunderland but that's not to say he can't do well for Hull City.

“On paper, it looks like Tim Walter has a pretty good squad but it just needs moulding quickly if they want success this season.

“There's one thing I'll be looking out for from Hull City and that's an exciting brand of football. Acun Ilıcalı didn't like Liam Rosenior's style of play, he thought it was too possession-heavy, too safe and didn't carry enough threat. They've appointed Tim Water as he has a track record of coaching exciting football in Germany but I'm not sure the Hull fans have seen it yet. I would excuse him so far, though, due to having such a hectic summer.

“The jury is out for Hull City. They have a good squad on paper, so let's see how they get on across the next six to eight games.”

Middlesbrough are "a shoo-in" for a top six spot

It was a bit of a mixed bag for Middlesbrough ahead of the September international break but the Teessiders are only outside the top six on goal difference.

Michael Carrick's side will be expected to challenge for promotion this term and Goodman is still backing them to have a strong season.

He said: “I still have Middlesbrough finishing towards the top of the table. They are seventh but should really have more points than they do. They've dominated games and just not took their chances. I'm really not worried for them.

“Michael Carrick strikes me as someone who, while you are defined by wins, will be looking more at performances at this stage of the season. There's a lot to be optimistic about for Middlesbrough.

“There are 42 games to play and it's about being consistent over that length of time, not four games. Boro probably should have scored double the amount of goals that they have done.

“Once they re-establish that ruthlessness and Emannuel Latte LAah starts scoring again like he did last season, I would have Boro, from what I've seen, as a shoo-in for a top-six spot. It might be a bold statement but that's how highly I rate them.”

Pride Park form will be huge for Derby County in 2024/25

Avoiding relegation will be Derby County and Paul Warne's primary target this term.

Six points from their first four games represents a good start from the Rams but it is not lost on Goodman that both those victories have come at Pride Park.

“Derby have lost both their away games," he said. "I was in attendance on the opening day against Blackburn which wasn't a good performance from them and while the defeat at Watford was by a narrower margin, I think it was pretty one-sided.

“That's why Paul Warne has said his team probably aren't quite Championship-ready. But we've got to understand that they've come from League One and there is a difference in divisions. Ipswich were an extraordinary one-off, whereas Derby came up as a normal League One side which needed bolstering to help make the step up.

“Paul Warne won't want to solely rely on home form, but he'll be absolutely thrilled to have picked up six points from six at home. He'll now be looking for them to prove that they can pick up points on the road.

“Home and away form is one of the biggest mysteries in football. It's still 11v11 on a pitch which isn't a vastly different size. It's the crowd-factor which helps Derby County but it can always work the other way where away teams can turn the home crowds.

“Next they've got Cardiff at home, Sheffield United away, Norwich at home and Sunderland away. They'll see both those home games as very winnable but it doesn't get much tougher than those two away games, which are both really difficult places to go.

“They’ll fancy their chances of winning the home games against Cardiff and Norwich and those victories against Middlesbrough and Bristol City will have given them a belief that they belong and can compete at this level.

“I don't think they've played particularly well in three of their four games but to get two wins and play well against Bristol City will give everyone associated with Derby County a shot in the arm.

“Derby's home form will be enormous for them and their away form doesn't need to be absolutely amazing, they just need to be picking up points here and there because the goal for them is consolidation as a Championship club.”

Stoke City are blessed with "very good" forward options

It was another busy transfer window at Stoke City as Steven Schumacher got to work in his first summer since making his move to the Potteries.

Among those to arrive was on-loan Liverpool forward Lewis Koumas, who has impressed in his early showings for Stoke.

"The noise around him from the Liverpool academy is exciting," said Goodman. "He's an exciting young player. I have no doubt that he's been guaranteed game time at Stoke City and he'll be playing for a head coach who will be desperate to do well and want his side to be a front-foot attacking one. Stoke couldn't do that last season in a relegation battle.

“I believe that Stoke have the right man for the job and that, if they're patient, he'll get Stoke to where they want to be. Lewis Koumas is definitely playing under the perfect head coach, against Plymouth he showed that he can also create chances.

“Koumas has been unlucky to have scored just the one Championship goal after hitting the post twice against West Brom. He scored twice in the Carabao Cup against Middlesbrough, he is creating chances and looks like a real prospect.”

Koumas was far from the only exciting attacking option to join the Potters this summer with Tom Cannon signing on loan from Leicester City.

Cannon has scored goals in the Championship in the past and Goodman is backing him to make a real impact at the Bet365 Stadium.

“Tom Cannon is a huge signing for Stoke," he said. "There is no doubt about that. Steven Schumacher hasn't really had much room for manoeuvre this summer, so it's been about coaching the players he currently has to win games of football and they've had a solid start.

“But Tom Cannon will be a very good addition. When you look at their forwards now, they've got Cannon and Sam Gallagher to add to the others, which means they've gone from slim pickings when it comes to forwards to having some very good options.

“They'll be content with the start they've made with two wins and two losses, with one of those being against a very good West Brom team. The Watford loss will be the sore one, but they won't be the only ones to lose to them this season.”

Plymouth Argyle have shown fighting spirit but goals a concern

Schumacher's former club, Plymouth Argyle, have Wayne Rooney at the helm now and are in the relegation zone with two points from their first two games.

But Goodman recognises there have been some positives to take for the Greens in the opening weeks of the season.

He said: “Against Queens Park Rangers, Plymouth Argyle showed the most remarkable character and fighting spirit after what had happened on the opening day against Sheffield Wednesday.

“To get off to the start they did and lose 4-0 at Hillsborough was a bit of a shocker. But looking at the performances since then, which is what Wayne Rooney will be looking at despite having just two points, it took a stunner for Hull to claim a point at Home Park, they battled at QPR and dug deep against Stoke in a game which didn't have an awful lot in it. To lose that game with a goal late on that went in at the near post was tough.

“There are positives for Wayne Rooney to take. I like the fact that, after the obliteration against Sheffield Wednesday, he quickly brought back Bali Mumba, Joe Edwards and Ryan Hardie. The very least you'll get from those players is outright effort and commitment.

“The biggest worry is where are the goals going to come from? They've scored just one goal in four games which is a bit of a worry. They've got an incredibly tough run of games coming up, facing Sunderland, West Brom, Luton and Burnley. It's a tough little run which means it might get worse for Plymouth before it gets better.