Managers, fans and pundits give their thoughts on proposed plan to change the EFL playoffs

A number of managers, fans and pundits give their thoughts on the proposed plan to change up the EFL playoffs.

The EFL is exploring a proposal to expand the Championship playoffs to include teams from 5th to 8th place, inspired by the National League’s format.

The 5th-placed team would face the 8th-placed team, and the 6th would play the 7th, with the higher-placed teams hosting the second leg.

Winners would advance to play the 3rd and 4th-placed teams in the existing playoff semi-finals, followed by the final at Wembley.

The idea, initially proposed by Preston’s Peter Ridsdale, has gained traction among Championship clubs to increase competition and counter the advantage of parachute payments.

However, it requires FA and Premier League approval and won’t be implemented this season. Concerns include potential dilution of promoted teams’ quality, and there’s debate about applying similar changes to Leagues 1 and 2.

EFL play-off proposals: Verdicts of Peter Ridsdale, EFL pundits and #pnefc boss Paul Heckingbottomhttps://t.co/I6PYuQy72q

— Preston North End Post (@PNEFCPost) October 2, 2025

Peter Ridsdale said to talkSPORT – “First of all, people are giving me credit for having thought of it in the first place. It was actually discussed at the EFL board and I chair the Championship meetings, therefore I was the person to put it forward to the Championship clubs. Certainly, I am in favour of it.

“The issues we’ve got are as follows… firstly, we cannot get anyhere on redistribution from the Premier League. The disparity between £200million if you get promoted and £11m per season in the Championship is causing even more problem, year-in-year-out – forcing clubs to spend money they perhaps haven’t got, to try and get into the play-offs.

“You’ve then got TV rights, which are coming up shortly, and the games that really sell for the media companies are the teams trying to get into the play-offs and then, of course, the play-offs. And then the relegation places, from both the Premier League and Championship into League One.

“If you look at last season the competitiveness in the Championship was something like eight points difference between 12th and relegation, and something like 10 between mid-table and the play-off places. If we can get every one of our games with something to play for, right up until the last game, it will help sell media rights, crowds, income and it will help us compete more easily.”

Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom said – “Yeah it would (keep it open for longer). I think I’ve said many a times that along with three points for a win, the play-off changes all those years ago was one of the best things that happened to football.

“I think Championship, because it generally is tight, a lot of teams are in with a shout right up until the end. But, yeah I’m all for it. If it went to eight teams for example instead of six, I think it should be harder for the seventh and eighth to get into that play-off shake-up if you like.

“And the eighth team can’t get the same statistical advantage of getting up as the third place team. So, the format of it would be all important for me but yeah, extending the season, more and more interest, fans certainly if you’re involved in the game. I’d more than welcome it.”

Jobi McAnuff – “Well my first point on that is, how many dead rubbers do we actually have? All the EFL leagues, they are so competitive at both ends of the table. We see so many teams involved, down to the last day who have a chance of getting into that play-off spot as it is already. Likewise, at the bottom of the table.

“My thing, probably, at this moment in time – and it’s still very fresh – is that there is nothing wrong with it, so why try and fix it? Do I get some of those club’s perspective, who are finding it more and more difficult to compete at the top end, with the parachute payments and the discrepency in terms of financial balance?

“Yes. Would they maybe want more of an opportunity to break into that? In these really early stages, I love the format. I think it needs to be celebrated and is a fantastic thing we’ve got in the game, so it’ll be interesting to see how it goes.”

Luke Chambers – “Yeah, the initial reaction is like, ‘Why are you even discussing it?’. But then, the more you start to delve into it and see the history of change that has happened – especially in 2003 when that was rejected by the Premier League and FA – there have been discussions in the past and the more you talk about it, you can then understand the discrepancies.

“I think last season, Bristol City were in (sixth) on (68) points and Middlesbrough were in (10th) on 64, so it is a three point swing. It does bring more teams into it. You mentioned the money, parachute payments… there are lot of things and moving parts that need to be taken into account, I think.”

Lukas Jutkiewicz – “It’s something you would get used to. Again, we are all afraid of change sometimes. Occasionally, you do get those games that don’t quite have the same edge to them at the end of the season and there isn’t quite that jeopardy.

“It might even be that the third and fourth teams – who’ve usually secured their play-off place and field weakened teams – all of a sudden worry they might get drawn into a knockout game.

“It just affords them to have to play full strength to the end of the season. I think it would be a good thing for the EFL as a product, to have more games that mean important things to both clubs.”

Speaking on talkSPORT in September, Troy Deeney said: “The playoffs are perfect for what it is.

“I think we get to this point where people try and fill dead spaces because there is this nice little gap of eight, nine days between the semi-finals and the final.

“They’re just trying to maximise money, but it’s been perfect; in my opinion, the playoff final is the best game in football.

“We’ve had so many iconic playoff moments in the playoffs, so why mess about with it?”

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson said: “That’s the first I’ve heard of it, so I’ll have to have a think about that. If you ask me off the top of my head, I’m happy with the format as it is.”

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna: “I’ve only seen that this afternoon,” said McKenna, who is yet to compete in the play-offs as a manager.

“I get it, sort of extends it. But I feel like it’s really competitive anyway, if you look at the last few seasons in the Championship and the way teams can go up and down the league with a run and how tight it’s been at the bottom.

“I know the teams at the top for the last one or two seasons have hit a really high points total, but there’s no guarantee that’s going to continue forever.

“There’s no doubt, even coming back into it, you realise again watching the other teams and the other games, it’s one of the most competitive divisions in world football already.

“The gap between every team is small, every team has good players, you can get good players in the Championship whether you’ve got a big budget or a small budget. It’s one of the most competitive divisions anywhere.

“Extending that to give a few more teams something to fight for in the last couple of games, would probably bring more jeopardy to it at the end, so I can see the thinking behind it.”

So he’d give it the nod if it were down to him? “I’d have to think about it a little bit further.”

Derby County head coach John Eustace: Asked whether he would back such a move, Eustace said: “Yeah, for sure. It happened in non-league when I was manager at Kidderminster. Unfortunately, I was on the other end of it, finishing very highly in the league and then getting knocked out by a team just finishing eighth.

“That wasn’t great, but it’s about momentum. If teams finish the season very well and if they’re coming into that eighth spot full of momentum and maybe the third or fourth place is losing that, then it makes it an exciting challenge.

“The one thing I would say is if you finished 20 odd points ahead, it’s a little bit unfair that you don’t get promoted and the other team does.

“But it’s over the course of 46 games, and the playoff system, that’s what it’s all about.

“That’s why it’s probably the most exciting league in Europe.”