Recently relegated Portsmouth’s troubles are not over. Far from it. They may have just begun. As someone who has followed the whole sordid affair since the first signs of trouble in the summer of 2008, I can tell you it’s difficult to type that sentence. The fire sale that began with Sulley Muntari in July […]
championship talk blog
Several teams have managed to put together some pretty decent runs in the Championship this season. All of them, though, are susceptible to poor form and bad results. This is partly because this is a tight league with little difference between top and bottom — especially compared with the Premier League — but also because […]
It’s difficult to argue too much with Newcastle’s recent decision to appoint Chris Hughton as their permanent manager. After all, Newcastle are two points clear at the top of the table, averaging two points per game and are undefeated at home. Yet if I was a Newcastle fan I would have deep concerns about the decision. […]
It is probably against all the rules of a blog to direct the reader away in the first paragraph, but I think it’s worth it. Before you read this little ramble, have a listen to the BBC interview with Kevin Blackwell, conducted after Sheffield United’s 3–0 defeat at Blackpool a week ago last Saturday. Fun, […]
Newcastle and Middlesbrough entered the Championship from the wrong direction yet still boasted two of the most talented squads in the history of the division. With Newcastle’s off-field dramas threatening to do serious damage, many expected Middlesbrough, with their more settled structure, to prosper. Newcastle were always likely to lose the likes of Owen and […]
Less than two weeks to go until the new Championship season. Squads are coming together. Some managers are content, others are panicking. Fans are enjoying a final fortnight of optimism before reality sets in. With this in mind, here are five random predictions for the coming season, hung on a flimsy animal theme: Dark Horses: Nottingham Forest […]
Of the 24 teams that kicked off the Championship just under a year ago, eleven now have new managers. In the majority of cases, the manager was removed due to perceived failings. Being a Championship manager is like being a duck at a shooting gallery. It’s a question of ‘when’, not ‘if’, no matter how […]
