5 Things We've Learned from the Championship Halfway Through the Season
The Championship has a reputation for being one of Europe’s most exciting and unpredictable leagues, and the 2014-15 season hasn’t disappointed.
Several teams have significantly bettered their pre-season expectations, while others have failed to live up to their billing. In between, several teams have experienced a dramatic change in form—some for the good, some for the bad.
Here are five things that can be gleaned at the halfway stage. These are things that have stood out from the norm and have defied what was expected before the season began.
Experience Isn’t Everything
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Perhaps the most obvious takeaway of the season so far has been the remarkable stories of Bournemouth and Brentford. The Cherries finished a highly respectable 10th last season, their first in the second tier for over 20 years, while the Bees were automatically promoted from League One. It would have taken a brave punter to put these teams first and third, respectively, at the halfway point.
Neither side has relied heavily on players with experience of this level, keeping their squads largely intact following their promotions. Even more impressive are their managers. Eddie Howe spent the majority of his playing career with Bournemouth and—apart from a spell in charge of Burnley—has only managed the south coast club. Mark Warburton is in his first full managerial role and is giving a sensational account of himself.
While there is much to be said for experienced head coaches—Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich lie second, and Steve McClaren’s Derby County are in fifth—Howe and Warburton are emphatic proof of the benefits of clubs shunning the managerial merry-go-round.
Build a Team Around a Single Player at Your Peril
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Few teams have blown so hot and cold as Nottingham Forest. They began the season on fire under former player Stuart Pearce and topped the table after eight games. However, since then very little has gone right for the club.
It’s no coincidence that the week before they lost their position at the top of the table was the week in which Andy Reid played his last game for the club before injury. The Republic of Ireland midfielder had been a focal point of the club’s attacking prowess. While they still boast two of the best offensive players in the league in Michail Antonio and Britt Assombalonga, it just hasn’t clicked for the team since.
Forest’s website states that Reid’s return is imminent, and it can’t come quickly enough.
Changing Managers Can Sometimes Work
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One debate that will never have a truly categorical answer is that of changing a manager versus persisting with the established one. One school of thought looks at the honeymoon period and the revitalising of certain players, while the other points to the success that followed Sir Alex Ferguson’s early barren period in charge of Manchester United.
However, the more weighty evidence from this season’s Championship seems to favour twisting rather than sticking. Cardiff, Bolton, Fulham and Birmingham have all experienced notable upturns in their fortunes after replacing their managers. Watford occupy the final playoff spot despite being on their fourth permanent manager of the season.
...And Sometimes Changing Managers Doesn't Work
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Malky Mackay’s return to football as Wigan’s manager attracted huge criticism following the storm that surrounded his departure from Cardiff. The Latics—and chairman Dave Whelan in particular—would have hoped the potential improvement of the club's form would outweigh the inevitable bad press.
However, the revitalisation simply hasn’t materialised. Mackay has registered a dismal single point from his first five games in charge and may well find himself needing to rehabilitate his image in an entirely different way very soon.
Leeds, like Watford, have changed their manager multiple times. Unlike the Hornets, United have lacked consistency and find themselves perilously close to the drop zone. Brighton lost Oscar Garcia in the summer, and Sami Hyypia has failed to hit the ground running on the south coast. The Seagulls are currently in the relegation zone, which is a significant drop from the consecutive playoff berths they have achieved.
We Can Expect a Fresh Face in the Premier League Next Season
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Assuming at least one of the current top three carries on in the same vein, the Premier League will be greeting a relatively fresh face come next season.
Ipswich haven’t featured in the top flight for over ten years and would make a welcome addition, given the east of the country is lacking Premier League representation. However, the real headline would be if Bournemouth or Brentford were to come up.
The Bees haven’t appeared in the top division since the 1940s, and this season is their first in the second tier for over 20 years. If they were to achieve successive promotions despite the relatively small size of the club, it would arguably be the story of the season.
The Cherries have never featured in the top flight in their 124-year history, and last season’s finish of 10th was their highest ever. They’re already well on course to beat that, and a berth alongside the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool next season would be miraculous for the club that barely escaped relegation from the Football League in 2009.
None of the clubs have much financial clout—Ipswich’s squad cost a total of £10,000, while Bournemouth spent nothing in the summer—and how they’d compete in the big-money Premier League is a concern, but that’s a bridge to be crossed if they reach it.
