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Championship Round-up

I don’t think I’ve ever started this weekly (ahem) round-up with a Wednesday-related review but three wins in eight days under Alan Irvine surely warrants Championship-wide attention. Despair has turned to disbelief at S6 where the new gaffer has turned a team whose confidence (and seemingly ability) was completely shot into winners again. Three successive 2-1 wins have led the most optimistic Wednesdayites to suggest a late surge for the playoffs is on the cards. While the more pessimistic (who would probably call themselves realistic) would diagnose ‘Honeymoon Syndrome’ and suggest we wait and see how Wednesday get on in their next two games before we make any wild speculations. I’m just happy to enjoy the ride, although the last twenty minutes against Peterborough showed the ‘old Wednesday’ is still more than capable of rearing its ugly, error-prone head. More on The Posh later...

Elsewhere in the Championship this weekend Blackpool got back to winning ways with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Watford. Ian Holloway was sat in the stands due to a touchline ban which was probably the best thing that could happen to the Seasiders while Charlie Adam continues to impress from midfield with another goal. Brett Ormerod got the winner to pop Blackpool back into the playoff spots ahead of the cup tied-up Blades. The only other game in the second tier saw Middlesbrough’s lowest ever league crowd witness a 1-1 draw against promotion hopefuls Swansea. Gordon Strachan’s masterplan to end Boro’s slide down the table seems to be raiding Celtic for anyone who will go to Teesside. One of these men, Willo Flood, got the equaliser with a goal which was almost as flukey as Barnsley’s solitary goal against the Owls seven days previously.

To the FA Cup then where the magic is well and truly dead if our only hope of an upset is plucky League One minnows Leeds. Preston were dumped out of the Cup by Chelsea at Deepdale in possibly the visitors most emphatic 2-0 win ever. It’s good to see Preston going from strength to strength under Fergie mk. II and it’s good to see he isn’t relying on loaning players from Daddy. Oh? What’s that? They’ve signed Danny Welbeck on loan? More on Fergie Jnr. later! Reading pulled off the only Premier League scalp by a Championship side beating Brian Laws’ Burnley at the Madejski. Of course Brian will be focussing on the upcoming game against Bolton where he will hoping to tactically mastermind a victory over Owen Coyle for a third successive time. Don’t hold your breath though. Talking of Coyle he sent Kevin Blackwell home with his tail between his legs yet again by dumping United out of the Cup but great credit to United for their excellent Cup run which included just the one win; one more than Wednesday managed granted. West Brom knocked out Newcastle in an all-Championship affair in the first game this season featuring the Geordies which wasn’t live on TV! Ironically I’ve not seen the highlights either but apparently there were some shocking refereeing decisions, whine whine, blah blah...

A busy midweek Championship programme awaits with 11/12ths of the league in action, and no I can’t be bothered to work out the two teams that’s aren’t in action. There’s a basement battle down at Home Park with Plymouth hosting Derby, meanwhile up the top Forest look to extend their excellent run as they host QPR. Of course if QPR lose they will probably sack their manager, in fact do they even have a manager right now? By the time you’ve read this they probably won’t. There’s two games on Wednesday as Wednesday visit Scunny and Newcastle host Colin’s Palace.

And finally news from London Road where Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony launched an astonishing midnight attack on the current Posh squad; former boss Darren Ferguson and even the fans, some of whom allegedly believe ‘Barry Fry is the Devil’. The Q&A-style rant is available in all its glory on Peterborough’s official site and one wonders what sort of effect it will have on their season; surely not exactly the rallying call Mark Cooper might have been hoping for? Certainly Darren Ferguson doesn’t come out it too well with MacAnthony making accusations of players being tapped up and Fergie Jnr. extraordinarily taking most of the current first team out for a Christmas drink AFTER Cooper had been installed at manager. Amazing allegations there and you have to think Posh are destined for a swift return to League One.


Enjoy your football.

Creg,