Championship promotion and relegation favourites named by supercomputer after winter transfer window

Coventry City have retained their status as favourites to win the Championship after a strong winter transfer window.

Romain Esse has joined Coventry on loan, and he is among several highlights, including the reported £4.3million signing of Jahnoah Markelo.

The winger scored twice and assisted three times in 14 Swiss top-flight games this season, and is expected to add an exciting presence.

On transfer deadline day, Middlesbrough fought off the interest of Nottingham Forest in Hayden Hackney to prevent what would have been a big loss.

And on the incoming side, Leo Castledine impressed massively at Huddersfield Town in the first half of the season, and Boro have snapped up the Chelsea youngster.

Supercomputer predicts Championship race for promotion

The race for the Championship title has looked to be a straight shootout between Coventry and Middlesbrough for some time.

The Sky Blues looked to have soared ahead earlier this season, but a strong resurgence from Kim Hellberg‘s team now sees both sides on level points at the top.

Opta‘s supercomputer has kept its faith in Coventry, however, giving them a 48.72 per cent chance of winning the title to Middlesbrough’s 32.93 per cent.

The race for the play-offs has remained anyone’s guess, however, with just five points separating 12th-placed Birmingham City from Wrexham in sixth.

The Blues enjoyed a particularly strong window, but they have been handed an 11.06 per cent chance of making it to the play-offs by the supercomputer.

Hull City, Ipswich Town and Millwall have all been handed percentage chances in the 60s of making the play-offs, while Wrexham’s 37.72 per cent leaves the door open for those below Phil Parkinson‘s side.

Supercomputer predicts Championship relegation contenders

Sheffield Wednesday are not officially relegated yet, but the supercomputer has given a 100 per cent chance of the Owls going down, which seems fair given their predicament.

Oxford United are the favourites to join them in League One, with a 72.62 per cent chance, while Blackburn Rovers and West Brom are predicted to battle it out for the final spot.

It was a busy window for both clubs, but the most important activity came in the dugouts. Valerian Ismael was dismissed on Monday, and Ryan Mason was replaced by Eric Ramsay earlier in the window.

Blackburn’s next manager will need to avert a 51.54 per cent chance of relegation, according to the supercomputer, while Ramsay needs to turn his side’s form around in light of the 35.50 per cent odds of disaster at The Hawthorns.

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