When The Sportsman spoke to Queens Park Rangers manager Michael Beale this summer, he had only just got his feet under the table in his new role. Now, 132 days after his appointment, he is the 11th longest serving manager in the Championship. It’s a statistic that perfectly illustrates the volatile nature of one of the most difficult leagues in the world.
This week, West Bromwich Albion said goodbye to Steve Bruce after a woeful start to the league campaign sees the Baggies sit in the bottom three. In a bizarre set of circumstances, WBA actually have the highest xG in the Championship, but they haven’t been able to convert those chances on the pitch.
Aside from basement club Coventry, who are somewhat of an anomaly due to their long-standing affiliation with Mark Robins, the rest of the bottom five have already pressed the panic button and sacked a manager. Middlesbrough was perhaps the biggest shock, as they got rid of the high-profile Chris Wilder when the relationship between him and the club became frosty.
Wilder and Boro had convinced several stupid pundits to back them for promotion, but that dream has now been left in tatters with the club now on the hunt for a new manager. Cardiff and Hull are also still seeking permanent appointments, with one out of work name in particular catching the eye for several clubs in this division, and the Premier League.
Sean Dyche.
After ten years at Burnley it is difficult to picture him anywhere else. But after such a successful stint in the top flight, he is not going to be short of suitors for his potential next role. At the time of writing he is the current favourite for the WBA job, but things can change so quickly when it comes to managerial appointments.
The vacancies will quickly be filled and the wheels will keep on turning, but West Brom are in desperate need of a revival. They’ve got a squad capable of challenging at the top of the division, but are instead battling relegation after 13 matches.
That early season relegation battle has become clearer in recent weeks. Coventry remain rooted to the bottom of the table but their form should improve once Gustavo Hamer and Callum O’Hare are back in the fold and they get a few more home games played. At the moment, Wasps’ financial issues don’t appear to put the Sky Blues’ matches at risk, but that situation is still ongoing.
Huddersfield Town got themselves back on track with a 2-0 win over Hull City, which in turn pulled the Tigers further into danger. Now with Mark Fotheringham at the helm and another win on the board, the Terriers will be hoping to kick start their season. Meanwhile Hull’s next managerial appointment is crucial. Their Turkish owners have grand ambitions but they could all fall to pieces if they can’t survive this season. After such a bright start, the tide has certainly turned at the KCOM.
They face a side tipped for relegation at the start of the season in Birmingham City. However, unlike Hull, John Eustace has managed to steer his side to midtable and the Blues have defied the odds so far this campaign. With the ongoing uncertainty at Hull, the 15/8 Betfred are offering on a Birmingham away win looks tempting. By the same measure, if you fancy West Brom to receive a Bruceless bounce away at high-flying Reading, 23/20 is decent, given how good statistically they have been this term.
Managerial mayhem leads to unpredictability at the bottom. In the Championship, ahead of the World Cup, teams will be desperate to string together some good results. Otherwise, that figure of managerial changes could climb even higher in the next month.
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