Millwall boss on Championship complexion for next season – Ipswich Town ‘deserve success’

Millwall head coach Neil Harris has given his verdict on some of the movers in and out of the Championship.

The complexion of the Championship make-up for next season will be fully known after today when Leeds United and Southampton face each other in the play-off final at Wembley.

Ipswich Town and Leicester City have already been promoted but one of the clubs relegated from the top-flight in the previous campaign will not be bouncing back.

Portsmouth and Derby County have come up as the top two from League One with Oxford United winning the play-offs after defeating Bolton Wanderers.

Rotherham United, Huddersfield and Birmingham City have dropped into England’s third tier.

Harris, speaking to the South London Press a couple of weeks ago, said: “Ipswich falls into that bracket of Norwich and Hull that have invested well into their group. Maybe similar to West Brom as well – that secondary phase behind Leeds, Leicester and Southampton. They are big spenders in the division. You’ve seen Leicester get out of it and Southampton and Leeds are in the play-offs.

“I’m delighted for Kieran (McKenna, Ipswich boss). He has done an unbelievable job – their points per game over the two years he has been in charge is phenomenal. They deserve success. They are really well-run and financially backed over the last couple of years to get an opportunity to go to the Premier League.

“I’ll be really interested watching the play-off games.

“Portsmouth and Derby are huge football clubs and they will be welcomed into the division. Two big clubs replacing the likes of Birmingham and Huddersfield.

“In terms of the teams coming down, you know Sheffield United will be competitive under Chris Wilder. They will recruit well and be well-backed. There are the solidarity payments and they will have investment into their playing structure.

“As always the Championship will be a tough league next season.”