Another week of Championship Football awaits, flying the flag for the Football League as the lower divisions and Non League teams are battling for the right to play these teams in January in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup.
The Championship remain tight as ever with the top 5 covered by just 4 points, and top of those teams is the surprise leaders for most of the season Brighton. Brighton are a bit like Chelsea in reverse this season – their league position is a surprise and most are wondering when the bubble will burst and the losses start, whereas everyone is expecting the Chelsea turnaround that thus far hasn’t arrived. Brighton do look good though, and with their new stadium would be a welcome addition to the EPL if they can keep avoiding defeat.
Looking to avoid defeat for a different reason is Bolton who didn’t pay their players last month, is in crippling debt, the owner is so keen to sell the club he’ll write off a nine figure loan. If the form doesn’t turnaround soon they may be a hard sell in the third division no matter how big or how much EPL prestige.
Two teams remain permanent manager-less and are only separated by a few miles in QPR and Fulham. Why a club would sack a manager without a replacement ready to go defies common thinking. The usual names are thrown around for these gigs, but unfortunately what usually happens is a lower league manager is plucked from a well performing lower league team, the lower league team go backwards, and if the higher club doesn’t do much either, the manager is never heard of again. The rumours are that Burton mastermind Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank will take over at QPR. Not a bad choice, but a shame for Burton who are flying high in the third tier. Both clubs will need to hurry – Fulham have been looking for 15 days and QPR 29 days.
STATISTICS PLEASE
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION remain unbeaten so far in their 18 games. BURNLEY are next up with 9.
Only three teams currently have a winning streak of more than one – second, third and second last.
BOLTON continue on their winless run – up to 12 games now.
HUDDERSFIELD have lost three in a row.
Three teams have drawn 50% of their games – BOLTON, BLACKBURN & PRESTON. BOLTON have actually drawn 7/9 at home.
11 teams have one loss or less at home.
BEST BET MULTI
$1 pays $35
BRENTFORD to bet Milton Keynes
HULL to beat Leeds
NOTTINGHAM FOREST to beat Fulham
WOLVES to beat Rotherham
BIRMINGHAM to beat Huddersfield
