Stephen Warnock analyses the early front runners in the Championship and League One.

It’s been a contrasting start to the EFL season for teams across Lancashire.

In the Championship, both Burnley and Preston North End have struggled - with the latter yet to pick up their first point.

Elsewhere, in League One, Blackpool have made a bright start to Ian Evatt’s first full campaign in charge.

The Seasiders have picked up seven points from their opening four, and were unfortunate to come away with nothing from their 2-1 defeat away to Barnsley on Wednesday night.

Pundit and ex-Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock played in both the second and third tiers during at the back end of his playing career, and knows it can be a long season where plenty can quickly change.

“It’s always difficult in the Championship because if you look at the first few games and then you look at the transfer window, you only have to look at Wrexham to see what they’ve done in the last few days and the way they’ve strengthened,” he told the Gazette and the Lancashire Post via Gambler Media.

“I actually spoke to someone who supports QPR, and he said: ‘Don’t be surprised if we get promoted this season - we’ve got a really well-balanced squad, we are very well organised, we know how to score goals and how to keep clean sheets’

“Now things have settled in the transfer window, I think we will start to see the usual suspects climb to the top of the table. Southampton obviously had the points deduction but are now starting to show a little bit of form.

“The biggest surprise is probably Burnley, and the start they’ve made. When you look at the ownership model, it’s very much a buy to sell model. When you look at the core of the squad that went up under Vincent Kompany, a lot of that is gone now.

“That was a know-how of how to get out of the league, and understanding of how to play Championship football. That’s a skillset you buy within itself. You can’t judge them too early, as you need to give them time to bed in, as the league is long and competitive.

“That’s the difficult part - if you catch a team on the wrong night, it can be so difficult.

“Preston (at the bottom) have spent decent enough money for the Championship where they could’ve spread it across and bought a couple more players. Last year they had Harrison Armstrong for a period of time, and he bolstered them and made them a better team.

“It’s just how competitive the Championship is, and if you get off on the wrong foot and you start poorly, you suddenly find yourselves at the bottom with no confidence. They were beaten heavily by Everton, and didn’t really show anything where you could see the signs, so Paul Heckingbottom has a big job on his hands at the moment.”

In League One, Huddersfield Town are the early pace setters with 10 points from their opening four games, with Sheffield Wednesday behind them in second.

Warnock pinpoints the importance of having proven goal scorers, with Blackpool having their fair share on paper.

“The big name is Sheffield Wednesday in that league, but when you look at what Huddersfield have done and the start they’ve made with a change in system; it’s just whether Joe Taylor can continue that good form,” he added.

“If he continues that then you’re looking at 20 to 30 goals, and they also look organised and like they’re not going to concede too many.

“Goal scorers are at a premium, you need that ability to change games. I played in League One with Wigan, and we had Will Grigg. You knew when you had him in your team, that given one or two opportunities he would take them. It’s gold dust in the lower leagues.

“It’s also about the defensive side. That’s what you’ve got to be, defensively sound on a consistent basis. You can’t be like Luton where you win a game, and then get pumped. It’s almost a psychological edge going into games to be difficult to play against.

“It drives me insane teams thinking they can play out from the back, and getting caught out and conceding silly goals. It’s a side of the game you’ve got to eradicate because you will get punished.

“Everyone wants this beautiful way of playing, this Pep Guardiola style of football. I’ve been in dressing rooms where the manager says: ‘It’s on me.’

“You think: ‘It’s not, it’s absolutely on me because I’m the one standing in front of a crowd who’s putting us under pressure or conceding a goal playing out from the back.’

“The confidence gets taken to pieces for the player, because he’s the one in that situation. You’ve got to be brave enough as a player to read certain situations.”