With Fulham and West Brom also dropping from the Premier League last season, the Championship looks as strong and brutal as ever – with new Blades boss Slavisa Jokanovic refusing to entertain talk of his side being favourites for promotion back to the promised land.
“They are the favourites, we are the favourites, I don’t know what people mean by that in sport,” Jokanovic said. “I find it difficult to understand, because we need to play 46 games. Those are what decides.
“France were the favourites [for the European Championships] weren’t they?
“If I believe we are already so good and that things are that easy, that being favourites matters, then maybe I can just go away, take a little rest and then come back to just prepare the team for the first game?
“Seriously, in this moment, you can’t talk about favourites.”
United finish their season at home to Fulham on the final day – setting up a potentially mouthwatering clash against a possible promotion contender, and one of Jokanovic’s former clubs.
But where are each second-tier club predicted to finish next season?
Based on the EFL sponsor SkyBet’s odds for 2021/22 Championship promotion, Danny Hall runs through where the odds compilers are predicting each team to finish in reverse order.
“France were the favourites [for the European Championships] weren’t they?
5. Preston North End
North End are priced at 12/1 with SkyBet to win promotion and would surely rely on Ched Evans to have a chance of doing so...
Photo: Clive Brunskill
6. Coventry City
Back at the Ricoh Arena, City are 12/1 with SkyBet to be promoted
Photo: Marc Atkins
7. Millwall
With George Long set to join them, Millwall are 10/1 to win promotion next season
Photo: Jacques Feeney
8. Bristol City
Can former Wednesday man Nigel Pearson take City up? SkyBet price them 10/1, too
Photo: Nathan Stirk