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Do slow starts matter come May?
- Updated: August 11, 2016
Pre-season optimism can disappear just as fast it grew. Just ask fans of Aston Villa, Barnsley, Brentford and Wigan, all knocked out of the EFL Cup just days after losing their opening Sky Bet Championship game of the season.
But with nine months, 269 days and 45 games remaining, they need not be concerned just yet.
Statistics from the last 10 Championship campaigns show that a fast start does not always result in promotion come May, and that several clubs have tasted promotion glory after poor openings.
Going back to the 2006/07 season, none of the 30 promoted sides won all of their opening five games, and only seven won four out of five.
In fact, 12 of the 30 promoted sides picked up less than eight points from a possible 15, and six won only one of their opening five games.
Newcastle, still favourites for the Championship title, were brought down to earth last week with a 1-0 opening-day defeat by Fulham at Craven …
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