At the 2026-27 EFL season launch in Manchester, several EFL players and managers gave their thoughts on the change.
Nigel Clough, manager of League One side Mansfield Town, expected the format to be used in League One and League Two in future seasons, but was not keen on the expansion.
“If you come third and are 20 points away from eighth and in the same competition for the last few games, that does seem a little bit unfair, but it does keep the season alive for so many teams,” he said.
“With how close League One was last year, you could be fighting relegation and trying to make the play-offs at the same time. How far do you take it?
“There must be a reward for your 46 games. I know there is for the top two, but maybe going to top eight is a bit far for my liking because if you are the third-best team after 46 games you should get some reward.”
Derby striker Rhian Brewster, whose side finished eighth in the Championship last season, said: “It will be good as some teams will have slow starts and kick on and could have a chance of getting in the play-offs this year and going up.
“It is going to be harder but you could be near the bottom and go on a run and finish eighth or seventh. You want to finish first or second, but if you end up in the play-offs then win the play-offs.”
Burnley and former England defender Kyle Walker played in the 2009 Championship play-off final.
He was featuring for Sheffield United, who had finished third in the league, and they lost 1-0 in the Wembley final to Burnley.
He was in favour of the new format and said: “I think it’s good, more chances for more people, but first of all you don’t want to be involved in the play-offs.
“I’ve been involved in it and it’s a roulette, anything can happen. Make sure you make a gap between first, second and let the rest deal with it themselves.”
Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray scored in the 2000 Championship play-off final as his Ipswich Town side beat Barnsley 4-2 to win promotion into the Premier League.
“I think it’s good and keeps the dreams alive for fans and a lot of football teams. You could be sitting 10th, 12th or 14th but still be three points off the top eight and two wins back-to-back and you can catapult yourselves in,” Mowbray said.
“People have to dream, they have to have a reason why they want to go and believe they can still do it. For me, it’s only positive. The argument is you could have a team finishing eighth and getting promoted, but good luck to them.
“Sunderland when they scraped through the play-offs [in 2025], Coventry in the semi-finals over two legs were the better team but Dan Ballard got them through with a header right at the death.
“Then, at Wembley, Sheffield United might have been the better team over 90 minutes and they [Sunderland] got there. Then they spent £180m and are now playing in Europe so it can happen to any team.”
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