It’s all change yet again in the Championship, with Michael Carrick the latest to lose his job after the end of the Championship season a little over a month ago.
Carrick was the longest-serving manager having been appointed just before Liam Rosenior was at Hull City back in late 2022, but that honour has now been bestowed upon Portsmouth chief John Mousinho.
From Mousinho’s two years and four months, you’d have to go down to Danny Rohl’s one year and seven months at Sheffield Wednesday, though that tenure looks increasingly precarious.
Here’s a look at what else is happening around the EFL and beyond….
City linked with winger
Danny Armstrong is the latest player to be linked with a move to the Tigers. The 27-year-old is out of contract at Kilmarnock this summer, and according to our colleagues at the Daily Record, City are keen on signing the winger.
The left-footed right winger played 40 times for Killie across the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup and in Europe last season, scoring three times and carving out nine assists and was regarded as one of the club’s top performers.
There’s no shortage of interest in Armstrong, and was offered a pre-contract by Edinburgh giants Hearts in January but he decided against signing that deal at the time.
Armstrong, who was born in Taunton but has Scottish and Irish citizenship, came through the ranks at Wolves before moving north of the border. Since moving to Rugby Park, he’s played 158 times, scoring 26 goals and notching up 35 assists.
Another one bites the dust
A month on from the end of the Championship season, Middlesbrough have sacked Michael Carrick after a lengthy end-of-season review. Having been heavily backed by Steve Gibson, Boro missed out on a place in the top six and finished the season 10th.
Carrick’s brother, Graeme and fellow assistant Jonathan Woodgate have also left the Riverside Stadium in another managerial shake-up. In his three seasons, the ex-Manchester United midfielder won 63 of his 163 games in charge and ended with a win rate of 46.3 per cent, finishing 4th, 8th and 10th.
Steve Cooper, Gary O’Neil and Rob Edwards are the early favourites to replace Carrick, though as we saw with the early betting following Ruben Selles’ exit, you can’t read too much into that market just yet.
Carrick becomes the second departure of the week, following on from Liam Manning’s decision to quit Bristol City and move to Championship rivals Norwich City.
Alex Neil signs contract extension
The Scotsman has agreed a new long-term deal at Millwall after coming agonisingly close to snatching a place in the Championship play-offs in the final weeks of the season. Neil, who was interviewed for the City job before Ruben Selles got it in December, and was eyed again following his departure, says he’s relishing the future at The Den.
“I’m delighted and incredibly proud to sign this new contract,” Neil said. “Since my first day, the commitment and togetherness I’ve seen from everyone at the club – players, staff, and fans – has been really special. That unity has helped us build strong foundations for the seasons ahead, and to be a part of that journey is incredibly exciting.
“I’ve said it many times: this club is special. It’s only when you truly experience the work going on behind the scenes, speak with the fans, and work alongside the players and staff day in and day out, that you realise just how unique it really is.
“In the second half of the season, we all shared some memorable moments together, and that just motivates us all to keep pushing forward and continue striving for success.”
Cairney to stay?
There has been a huge amount of talk in recent weeks about the future of Tom Cairney. The ex-City playmaker is out of contract now that the Premier League season has come to an end. Championship new boys Wrexham were one of the clubs linked with the 34-year-old, with claims suggesting the Welsh outfit would fork out up to £50k per week.
Now, in a bid to fend off interest and extend his ten-year stay at Fulham, the Cottagers have offered the former Tigers man fresh terms. Speaking after the season finale, Cairney admitted that talks were ongoing, though should he stay, opportunities may well be limited. Despite playing 25 times in the Premier League this season under Marco Silva, the Nottingham-born Scotland international started only three times.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said. “We are still in talks, so it’s a weird feeling right now. I don’t know which way to go about it, obviously I want to thank a few people, but at the same time, we’re still in talks.”
Taylor on his way?
Celtic defender Greg Taylor was a player City cast an eye over during the winter, and now, reports suggest Greek outfit PAOK are the latest to show an interest in the Champions League left-back.
Taylor is out of contract at Parkhead this summer and has been offered fresh terms by Brendan Rodgers, but could yet opt to leave Glasgow.
Arsenal man Kieran Tierney is heading back to Celtic in a move that will limit the 27-year-old’s gametime, so he could opt to move on this summer. Dinamo Zagreb are another European outfit believed to be interested.
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