We have seen on numerous occasions how steep the step up from League One to the Championship can be. Most seasons we see the newly promoted sides struggle to keep their heads above water and at least one is usually relegated at the first time of asking.
This season seems to be an exception to the rule with Wrexham, Birmingham City and Charlton Athletic currently sat 16th, 15th and 6th in the table. If anything, Wrexham and Birmingham are underperforming given the amount of money they spent in the summer, whereas Charlton are surpassing all expectations.
So, which players have made the step up to the Championship successfully and who looks a little out of their depth?
Thomas Kaminski and Amari’i Bell
It’s been quite the few years for former Luton duo Thomas Kaminski and Amari’i Bell. Two seasons ago they were playing in the Premier League, Kaminski making thirty-eight appearances and Bell making twenty-one.
The Hatters certainly put up a good fight in the topflight, certainly much more resistance than Burnley and Sheffield United put up, but ultimately, they were relegated. Understandably, the expectation going into the next season was that they would be fighting for promotion back to the Premier League.
These expectations turned out to be wildly over the mark as they would finish 22nd and therefore were relegated once again. Kaminski and Bell would both move to Charlton during the summer and have been integral to their fantastic start to the season.
Both have featured in all twelve Championship matches so far, helping to keep five clean sheets. Given how well Rob Edwards is now doing at Middlesborough, it begs the question, where did it all go wrong for Luton.
But that is a discussion for another day.
Louie Barry and Tyler Bindon
It’s well established at this point that Sheffield United’s decision to replace Chris Wilder with Ruben Selles was, to put it mildly, a bad one. Two of the players that the Spaniard signed, Louie Barry and Tyler Bindon, in my opinion, have not made the step up to the Championship thus far.
Barry tore up League One in the first half of last season with Stockport County, racking up seventeen goal contributions in twenty-three league games. He was then recalled by parent club Aston Villa, awaiting a loan move to the Championship.
Ruben Selles’ Hull City would be his destination, but things didn’t play out well for either party. After only four appearances, Barry picked up a knee injury in a win against Sunderland which would rule him out for the remainer of the season.
Following the season’s conclusion, it was reported that Villa wanted to sell Barry to help them comply with FFP regulations, with many clubs chasing his signature. Unfortunately, none of them were willing to meet Villa’s demands and he was loaned out once again, this time to Sheffield United.
He would go on to start all five Championship matches under Selles, not registering a single goal or assist. Under Chris Wilder, he has only started once and come off of the bench twice.
Tyler Bindon has a similar story. Starring under Ruben Selles at Reading, Bindon was also brought in on loan by the Spaniard.
He started the first four games of the season, failed to keep a single clean sheet and has not seen the pitch since. Both Barry and Bindon were nominated for the League One Young Player Of the Year for the 2024/25 season, so a move to the Championship wasn’t a shock for either player.
Perhaps they just weren’t ready for a side with the expectations of Sheffield United, but it’s hard to judge given the calamitous start the Blades made to the season.
Mark McGuinness
Despite being part of the same Luton team as Kaminski and Bell who were relegated to League One last season, just like those two, McGuinness was able to secure himself a move back to the Championship. His first appearance for new club Sheffield United came in Ruben Selles’ final match in charge, the 5-0 humiliation against Ipswich Town.
However, things have vastly improved since then. The Irishman has started every Championship match that has followed and is forming a strong back three alongside fellow new signings Ben Mee and Japhet Tanganga.
