Once you're bored of Premier League football, if that's even possible, there are countless entertaining challenges to embark on in the English Championship. Can you turn one of the relegated sides back into Premier League regulars or, perhaps, take one of the smaller, financially constrained teams into the top-flight and keep them there, building towards the pinnacle of English football. Managing in the Championship is great, despite the number of games you have to play. The teams are of decent quality to begin with and it's a shorter game than trying to take a League One or Two side all the way to the top.
Although money is understandably tight in the division, no team's finances are deemed insecure. The majority are stable, but Newcastle, Norwich and Aston Villa, the three teams to suffer relegation from the Premier League, are all labelled as rich. Aston Villa, however, spent a significant amount of money over the summer, which Football Manager 2017 accounts for, so you begin the game with a transfer budget of £0. If you're seeking the most money to spend, Norwich are your best bet. The board are willing to part with £10m and, given the initial quality of their squad, reaching the Premier League shouldn't be too challenging. It does mean, however, that the pressure will be fully on you, the manager, to reach the big-time on the first attempt. A note on Newcastle is that they have the best squad in the Championship and if you're looking for an easy ride back to the top, Newcastle are the club for you.
If you're a thrill-seeker wiling to undertake only the hardest of challenges, you should take a look at Burton Albion. In the Championship for the 2016-17 season for their first ever time, Burton understandably are quite tight in the boardroom. With only £150k to spare for transfer and an extra £6k p/w in wages, they're the poorest team in the league and, thus, represent the hardest challenge. It's achievable, however, with the right tactics and a couple of key loans or free transfers.
Other good choices would be Derby, Brighton, Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Wolves, who all start with transfer budgets upwards of £2m. QPR, too, would be an interesting team to take over. Chairman Tony Fernandes is notoriously hard to work with and there's constantly pressure on whoever is in the hot seat. Can you be the one to take them back into the Premier League and keep them there? It's something they've struggled with in recent years. However, it's worth noting that QPR are currently spending over their wage budget by £3k p/w, which is something that needs an immediate resolution.
Team | Transfer Budget | Wage Budget p/w | Wage Current Spend p/w | Financial Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aston Villa | £0 | £951k | £849k | Rich |
Barnsley | £2m | £115k | £102k | Secure |
Birmingham City | £500k | £176k | £168k | Okay |
Blackburn Rovers | £300k | £287k | £246k | Okay |
Brentford | £500k | £172k | £168k | Secure |
Brighton & Hove Albion | £4.5m | £379k | £354k | Secure |
Bristol City | £5.5m | £222k | £201k | Secure |
Burton Albion | £150k | £67k | £61k | Okay |
Cardiff City | £1.2m | £440k | £425k | Secure |
Derby County | £4m | £530k | £496k | Secure |