GARY Rowett doesn’t feel the Championship will be any more of a challenge next season despite some big names entering the league, because it’s “always incredibly competitive”.
Leeds United, Premier League champions in 2016 Leicester City and Southampton were relegated from the top flight.
Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday were promoted from League One.
Queens Park Rangers boss Gareth Ainsworth said recently he was “scared” by the strength of the league.
“It’s going to be tough, have you seen that Championship? Where’s the small teams now? Where have they gone?” Ainsworth said.
“No disrespect, Rotherham are still in there, I think that could be a smaller team than everyone else.
“Where’s your Wigans, where’s your Blackpools, where’s your Wycombes? There are none anymore.
“Sheffield Wednesday have come up, Ipswich have come up, Leicester have come down, Leeds have come down, Southampton have come down – I’m scared.”
Rowett was asked about that and whether he felt the Championship was stronger than last season.
“It is, on paper,” Rowett said. “But I think I’ve been in this division a long time and every season it seems like, ‘oh, this is going to be the hardest one’, or ‘it’s going to be an easier league’.
“But I think it always ends up being pretty much of a muchness. The names of the teams change and of course there are some big teams coming down into the league and coming up into the league.
“Of course that’s going to make a difference to the dynamic but at the same time the standard is always very strong. There are always very good teams, it’s always incredibly competitive.
“And I don’t see next season being any different, really.”
Image: Millwall FC
