Pundit makes Birmingham City, Rotherham United and Huddersfield Town promotion prediction | OneFootball

The relegated Championship trio have been tipped to bounce back quickly in League One

Highlights

Carlton Palmer has named Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United as his three early favourites to win promotion from League One to the Championship next season.

The trio all suffered relegation to the third-tier of English football last season, and will be looking for bounce back in the coming campaign.

Rotherham finished a distant bottom of the table, with Birmingham and Huddersfield battling to avoid the drop for much of the season, before their relegations were confirmed on the final day.

However, Palmer is currently optimistic that all three will be able to secure a swift return to the second-tier over the course of the next 12 months.

Relegated trio backed for League One promotion

There have already been some significant changes at the three clubs relegated from the Championship last season over the course of the summer.

Rotherham, who reappointed Steve Evans as manager in April after relegation was confirmed, have already made seven new senior signings, as they work to replace the ten players who have left the club.

Huddersfield and Birmingham are yet to make any additions in terms of players, but have both appointed new managers since the end of the campaign.

Michael Duff, who has plenty of experience of this level as a manager already, has replaced Andre Breitenreiter at Huddersfield, returning to management after a brief, less successful stint in the Championship in charge of Swansea City at the start of last season.

Meanwhile, Chris Davies has left his role as part of Ange Postecoglu's coaching staff at Tottenham, to take over as Birmingham manager, after Tony Mowbray was forced to step back for health reasons.

Davies is now stepping into a senior managerial role for the first time in his career, taking charge at St Andrew's, where the Blues have already made their big long-term ambitions clear under the ownership of Neil Wagner.

Now it seems as though Palmer believes all three sides will have enough to win immediate promotions back to the Championship this season.

When asked who his three early favourites to win promotion from League One in the 2024/25 campaign are, the former England international told Football League World:

"Very early to speculate who's going to get promotion but you have to stick your neck on the block and you have to be honest and go off what you really think might happen.

"I think Rotherham, under Steve Evans, he's a serial promotion winner, knows what he's doing so I fancy Rotherham.

"Birmingham City, obviously coming down, they've got good players, they've just got to get a good man and in in charge and I think Birmingham City will be very strong to go back up. "Huddersfield, I think they'll be very strong. They're going to lose one or two players, but they've got a manager who I rate very highly. It didn't work out for him at Swansea, but I think he'll get redemption with Huddersfield and get them promoted this season.

"So my three favourites to get promoted from League One this season would be Rotherham, Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town."

Birmingham, Huddersfield and Rotherham could win promotion

It certainly would not be a surprise if these three relegated teams did immediately win promotion back to the Championship this season.

Rotherham have strengthened well with plenty of promotion winning pedigree, and have a manager who knows the club, and about success at this level too.

Huddersfield also have a manager who is proven in this division, and who many feel will suit the club, so you would expect them to challenge as well.

Birmingham too, have the ambition and backing that means it would be a surprise if they do not put together a squad capable of challenging for promotion.

However, this is a strong division, and there are plenty of sides who will not make it easy for those three relegated teams in the promotion battle.

Bolton, Barnsley and Peterborough will all be expected to challenge again after being beaten in the play-offs. Meanwhile, Lincoln and Blackpool may count themselves unfortunate not to make the top six last season.

With a full summer to put a squad together, Nathan Jones will now be aiming to take Charlton up the table. Wigan also showed plenty of promise last season, and with their points deductions seemingly behind them and a strong start to the window, they too could be contenders.

Given the momentum and backing they have, it would also not be a huge surprise if League Two promotion winners Stockport County and Wrexham are again pushing for honours.

As a result, while Birmingham, Huddersfield and Rotherham all ought to be contenders for promotion from League One this season, it surely should not be a procession for any of them.