Norwich’s return to the Premier League did not last very long as the Canaries were relegated to the Championship following just one season in the top-flight. Fans of the Norfolk-based club knew their fate early last season as they soon became adrift of the pack. In many ways, it has helped them to prepare much earlier for life back in the Championship.
There were some performances last season that Norwich can take comfort from. Back in September, they defeated Manchester City 3-2 at Carrow Road, while they reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, losing to Manchester United after extra-time.
WE. HAVE. DONE. IT! 😍 #ncfc pic.twitter.com/WALMdKLzHI
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) September 14, 2019
Norwich have been installed at 8/1 in the live betting for the 2020/21 Championship campaign. This market will be available in-play throughout the season, so if the Canaries get off to a fast start, those odds are likely to shorten very fast. Rather than change their manager following relegation, the club has opted to stick with Daniel Farke. The German led them to their promotion success in 2019 and has now been given a chance to repeat that feat.
Norwich have done a lot of their transfer activity very early in the window. They have signed eight different players so far, many of whom look smart acquisitions for the Championship. The job now for Farke will be to convince some of the leading players in his squad to remain with the club. If he can sell the vision that they can get another promotion, they could be the strongest team in the Championship when the season begins.
Fulham Proved It’s Possible to Make A Quick Return
Norwich will be hoping to replicate what Fulham did last season by making a return to the Premier League on their first attempt.
Fulham defeated Brentford 2-1 to earn promotion to the Premier League.
Joe Bryan, who has played 323 career professional matches, registered his first career brace, including a 35-meter free kick goal.
The win is expected to be worth about $175M over the next 3 years to Fulham. pic.twitter.com/P1FvJy24q6
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 4, 2020
The Cottagers did so via the play-offs as they beat Brentford in the final at Wembley. Farke will be keen to secure one of the automatic places in the table to avoid the nervy competition at the end of the regular season.
Like Fulham, Norwich will have the benefit of the parachute payments from the Premier League. They did not overspend last season in their bid to retain their status in the top-flight so they should be in a solid financial position.
Brentford and Bournemouth Likely to Lose Their Leading Stars
As it always is, the Championship is a wide-open division next season, which is reflected in the betting. Watford top the market at 7/1, while Brentford, Bournemouth and Stoke are all prominent.
Two sides who may find it tough, despite their odds, are Brentford and Bournemouth. The West London club agonisingly missed out on promotion last season with defeat in the play-off final. This is likely to lead to their best players moving on in the summer in the hunt for Premier League football, including Said Benrahma.
Bournemouth have parted company with manager Eddie Howe which ensures it is going to be a new era at the south coast football club. They may just need a season or two to adjust back to life in the Championship.
The new EFL season begins on the 12th September and after losing so many games last season, Norwich fans will be excited about the prospect of a successful campaign.
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