By Paula Marcus
After the last few years of weekly manager changes, it’s certainly been nice to not have the distraction of who will be the next to go. But after just four manager changes in the first half of the season we have already had four new appointments in the first part of 2018 (well three and one pending). But have these recent changes been for the best, who is just about hanging on by their nails and who is next to be going, going, gone?
Let’s start with the changes. Sheffield Wednesday gave manager Carlos Carvalhal the worst Christmas present possible, relieving him of his position on Christmas Eve. This is the man that had guided Wednesday to the play offs in the past two seasons, but that was not enough to save his job. Wednesday have certainly not been in the best form this season, sitting in mid-table when the decision was made.
Sure, he maybe wasn’t the most successful manager and, while results do count, it still seems like a slightly strange decision. There are some very strong and competitive teams in the Championship this year, and sometimes you have to look at that and accept that you just aren’t quite up there yet.
New manager Jos Luhukay has so far not had the turn around that often comes with a new manager. His first win in the job came last week in his sixth game in charge, leaving Sheffield Wednesday even further adrift from those play off places.
If Carvalhal had a bad Christmas, Mark Warburton had a very bad end to the year after being sacked on New Year’s Eve. Warburton left the City Ground along with his assistant and director of football. Like Wednesday, Forest had just had a seven game run without a win and apparently enough was enough. After turning things around and keeping Forest in the Championship last year, a position of 14th hardly seemed like a sacking offence, even with a poor run.
The one thing really against him was the change of ownership last year. You don’t need many hands to count the number of managers still in their position a year after the sale of the club as new owners want to put their mark on a club. Well they have, and the ex-Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka isn’t exactly turning things round. They have won just one of his five games in charge, and whilst beating Wolverhamton Wanderers away is certainly impressive, losing to Hull City at home isn’t.
Next up is the Championship managerial merry-go-round. It seems writing about the goings on at Leeds United last month was a little premature as they have started February with another red card and another new manager. Thomas Christiansen had only been in the job eight months, but another seven game winless run (notice a pattern) was enough for Leeds to give him the boot. It seems hard to believe Leeds were top just a few months ago, but poor form has seen their play off push completely derail.
Leeds wasted no time in appointing current Barnsley manager Paul Heckingbottom as their ninth manager since 2014, much to the dismay of Barnsley. It really shouldn’t have been a shock to Barnsley, Heckingbottom was linked with the Forest job the month before and apparently even spoke to the club, so his commitment was hardly set in stone. Although maybe quitting four days after signing a new contract caught them a little off guard.
It certainly seems like a strange appointment for Leeds. Sure, Heckingbottom has done wonders at Barnsley, gaining promotion to the Championship and sealing a 14th place finish last year. But I’m sure expectations at Barnsley were probably a little different from. As for Barnsley, they have yet to make an appointment, but St Mirren manager Jack Ross seems to be favourite. Whoever comes in will have a big job to keep them in the Championship.
If those are the already gones, what about the going, going? In previous years, almost every team below 14th had changed their manager by now. So far this year, that really hasn’t been the case. Both Sunderland and Hull City, finding life in the Championship tougher than they thought, changed managers at the later part of 2017 to no real avail as they both sit in a relegation battle. Barnsley would certainly have kept their manager if it wasn’t for Leeds. And who knows what Birmingham City were thinking sacking Harry Redknapp a month into the season.
It seems there is a no win space owners now have. Fans complain when managers are sacked too quickly, but they also complain when managers aren’t sacked and that is where Reading find themselves. Japp Stam’s current record of one win in 12 games, puts most of the other teams to shame (and not in a good way), yet the Dutch man is still in charge. With every new defeat it seems like he must be sacked, but here he is. Whilst it is certainly refreshing to see owners sticking by a manager, rumours of a large fee to be paid out if he is sacked has hardly helped fan sentiment and it will be a surprise if he sees out the season.
QPR are the only other team in the lower parts of the table that may have some cause to sack their manager, although I think after years of relegation battles and manager changes, a16th place is probably very welcome. Finally there is bottom placed Burton Albion. Even if they remain bottom for the rest of the season I still can’t see them removing Nigel Clough. Like Heckingbottom, he has done well at a club with very limited resources and, should they get relegated, they know they will have a much better chance at returning with him in charge.
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Listen to Paula’s latest Championship podcast at Premier Punditry.