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Championship Round-up

Blackpool on a Wednesday night? No, ta!

Paul Sturr-ed Up

What a dull fortnight that was eh! England batter two eastern European opponents and suddenly we’re right on course to win the World Cup. Well, I suppose the tabloids need to sell papers somehow... Anyway it was back to the proper stuff this weekend with the return of The Championship; unofficially the most topsy-turvy unpredictable league in the world and as Steve Claridge repeats ad nauseam ‘anyone can beat anyone.’
Anyone but Newcastle it would seem as they continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 1-0 win at Cardiff; the Welsh side’s first defeat at their new ground. West Brom continued their fine start to the season with a 3-1 win over Plymouth who are looking solid early candidates for the drop.
Argyle did a Man U by changing their shirts at half-time but it did them no favours leaving an exasperated Paul Sturrock to proclaim; ‘the only thing I haven't tried to change our luck is battering the wife.’ Ah, how I miss KPS’ unique view of the world.

Magilton out on his QPRse?

QPR’s mediocre start to the season has got fans asking questions of Jim Magilton while the Rangers’ board is notoriously quick at pulling the trigger when things aren’t going right. Following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Peterborough one fanzine writer summed up the disaffection amongst their fanbase.
“It’s not hard to see why. £600 is an obscene amount of money to be charged to watch Championship football. The players (with the exception of a select few) would do well to remember to show the fans a bit of appreciation at the end of games. It is after all us who pay their wages, travelling the length and breadth of the country to support them in the process,” said Nik Brumsack of Loft For Words.
It seems Tuesday night’s visit of Palace is already being seen as a crunch game by QPR fans with tough trips to Cardiff and Newcastle around the corner. Magilton next for the sack anyone?

Battle of the Twats?

Everyone’s favourite manager, Roy Keane, isn’t getting any more joy as his Ipswich side slumped to another defeat, this time at the hands of Middlesbrough. Just six games into his reign Keano is already having to defend his position.
“I wouldn’t call it a crisis,” he told local press over the weekend. “Supporters may call it that, but I’d call it a challenge.”
The challenge presumably being keeping Ipswich in this division and not seeing if he can resist the urge to do a runner before Halloween. Ipswich face Forest tonight safe in the knowledge that Billy Davies’ side will do everything they can to ensure it is an open game with no time-wasting at all, of course, never.


Midweek mixed bag of fixtures

The pick of the midweek games would probably have to be Cardiff’s trip to Reading as Dave Jones’ men look to bounce back from Sunday’s defeat to Newcastle while the Royals still search for their first home win of the season. Brendan Rodgers is another man under pressure if Reading don’t start moving up the table.
Elsewhere Swansea host Bristol City in something of a local derby (OK, I know I’m clutching at straws a bit there); Leicester host Peterborough in the clash of last season’s top two in League One while on Wednesday night Newcastle fans face the lovely trip to the seaside as they take on Ian Holloway’s Blackpool. At least it's a Wednesday night in September and not December, eh pet?

Enjoy your football.

Creg,