The Championship has paused for the second international break of the season – here’s the lie of the land at MKM Stadium and across the league
Hull City have reached Base Camp No. 2 in their Championship campaign, nine games with 12 points and sitting in 15th place.
Three wins, three draws and three losses, some decent performances, some less so but the all-important 1-0 win over Sheffield United has sent Sergej Jakirovic’s side into the international break reasonably content.
The Tigers are above big-spending Birmingham City and Premier League relegated outfit Southampton but behind the likes of Preston North End and Charlton.
Coventry City lead the way from Middlesbrough, while the city of Sheffield is having a tough time of it with Wednesday and United propping up the league.
With no football for a couple of weeks we thought it would be a good time to take stock across the division, with Reach writers from around the country.
HullLive has checked in with our Tigers reporter Barry Cooper (BC), as well as StokeOnTrentLive’s Stoke City man Pete Smith (PS), CoventryLive’s Sky Blues reporter Andy Turner (AT), DerbyshireLive’s Rams correspondent Leigh Curtis (LC), LeicestershireLive’s City writer Jordan Blackwell (JB), Reach’s Football Correspondent Brian Dick (BD), who also co-hosts Birmingham City podcast Keep Right On and TeessideLive’s Craig Johns
What have you made of the start to the season?
BC (Hull City, 15th): It’s been inconsistent, but for a team that came into the season with a new manager and 13 new signings after being slapped with transfer restrictions, I think you’d have taken it in.
City are very much a work in progress under Sergej Jakirovic and will continue to be so for some time; however, the win over Sheffield United ensured the opening chunk of the campaign can be viewed as steady and encouraging.
Getting that win over the Blades was crucial in so many ways. It showed they can grind out 1-0 wins and play in a more conservative way when needed, rather than the swash-buckling style we’ve seen at other points.
They’ve also won three at home and it took until March for that to happen last season. Now the challenge is to get that so far elusive away win. Things are moving in the right direction, though, and there’s reason to be excited about Jakirovic’s City.
CJ (Boro, 2nd): It’s been a great start to the season for Middlesbrough. While disappointing to lose the unbeaten record rather meekly at Portsmouth just before the break, to head into the break second in the table with just one defeat from nine is massively beyond the pre-season expectations.
A change in management after a disappointing end to last season plus a slow start to the summer transfer window left few predicting Boro would even make the top half of the table, never mind being in the promotion picture.
PS (Stoke, 5th): It’s been very encouraging and really quite fun. The defence has been tight and the new faces who have already got into the team have had a positive impact.
The focus for improvement has been scoring more and they’ve been making more chances and taking more shots over the last couple of weeks without that translating into goals.
Mark Robins seems pretty confident that will come with time and he’s overseen so much progress in such a relatively short space of time that you feel confident to back him on that score.
AT (Coventry, 1st): Following a flat and frustrating opening day goalless draw at home to Hull, the Sky Blues’ Championship campaign has taken off like a rocket with five wins and three more stalemates in their first nine games which has produced a whopping 27 goals to take Frank Lampard’s men to top of the table.
They are currently the only team in all four divisions to remain unbeaten and it’s fair to say City fans are pinching themselves a bit while enjoying every moment of what is shaping up to be a really exciting season.
LC (Derby, 20th): It’s gone largely as I expected it to really. Derby embarked on a serious overhaul of their squad in the summer and with 13 players arriving and 13 players leaving, it was always going to take a while for the team to settle down.
Derby entered the season with a considerable injury list too but they’ve started to get players back. Patrick Agyemang, for example, had a double hernia op in the summer, Owen Beck has not even kicked a ball yet after signing from Liverpool and then there were a couple of signings that happened towards the end of the window such as Lewis Travis and Max Johnston.
They’re still bedding in and think it will be a couple of weeks or so to go before they start to really build that understanding and chemistry. But there has been undeniable progress on that.
There’s been good bits and some bad bits, but all in all, it’s gone as exactly as I thought it would. They’ve had five draws and now it’s about turning them into wins moving forward.
BD (Birmingham, 16th): It’s been a mixed bag, a good start, both in terms of points and performances but it’s been a bit more uphill lately.
I could bleat about tough fixtures, two teams relegated from the Premier League, Stoke and Coventry away and a trip to Ewood Park where they hardly ever win. But that feels a bit of a cop out.
Chris Davies seems to be struggling to find his best team – or the players are struggling to convince him they deserve to be in it – and there are issues in both boxes.
Blues have a real problem at defensive set-pieces and are yet to score from one themselves.
That first failure is affecting the pattern of games and Blues’ inability to turn possession into chances is grating many.
Of the 12 new signigs only Demarai Gray has really proved himself.
However, it’s only nine games and Blues didn’t really click for a couple of months last season, so there’s certainly no panicking from me.
JB (Leicester, 3rd): It’s been intriguing. With Marti Cifuentes not arriving at the club until mid-July, and with no outfield players signed until deadline day, there was always the potential for a wobbly start, but they have been reasonable.
But now the transfer window is moving out of the rear-view mirror, changes are being made. Players like Harry Winks and Wout Faes, merely substitutes in the early weeks amid doubts around their futures, are now coming into prominence.
The results have definitely been better than the performances so far. They’re vulnerable at set-pieces and on the counter, and creating can sometimes be difficult.
But they do have a lot of quality in their squad still and it’s earned them points when they’ve not been at their best.
What has been the best performance so far?
BC: Southampton. Without question. City controlled the game without the ball and hit the Saints three times to lead 3-0. The only blot on the copybook was conceding in the 95th minute to take the shine off what was a dominant, controlled performance.
From back to front, they were exceptional, and the second goal was a delight to behold. That’s the standard they must look to reach consistently.
CJ (Boro): To go to Millwall and win 3-0 was probably the most eye-catching result, but the scoreline maybe flattered Boro a bit on the day. They dominated against Sheffield United and won 1-0, but the Blades have been really poor this season.
With that in mind, the 2-1 win over West Brom who were, at the time, second in the table after a great start to the season, was a really impressive victory. Boro dominated for almost all of it and were more than good value for their win.
PS (Stoke): Stoke looked very good in a 1-0 home win against Birmingham and they gave Middlesbrough a real test in the second half of a draw at the Riverside. But I’ll probably go for a 2-1 win away at Southampton, seen out after Divin Mubama had been sent off. Two really well taken goals, could have had more and a very entertaining game.
AT (Coventry): Although the 7-1 thrashing of QPR was the most comfortable and comprehensive, and the 5-3 comeback win at Derby was packed full of character and the ruthlessness of three goals in the space of seven scintillating second half minutes, the 3-0 home victory over Midlands rivals Birmingham was arguably the most satisfying in terms of securing the bragging rights in style in front of a packed local derby crowd at the CBS Arena.
LC (Derby): In terms of result, then it would have to be West Brom away. To nick a 1-0 win there when they had such a good start was a coupon wrecker if ever there was one. Derby didn’t create much at all on the day and managed to nick all three points with their only shot on target.
The Baggies must be sick of Derby and John Eustace who both have good records against them. But if we’re talking a footballing performance then the 1-1 draw with Southampton at the weekend was undoubtedly their best.
There was evidence of chemistry and understanding which led to some great chances and on another day they could have won, but equally could have lost it. But it was encouraging to see them create chances from open play which was certainly a problem last season.
BD (Birmingham): Best performance probably first game of the season at home to Ipswich when they were denied a deserved win by a late penalty decision against Lyndon Dykes.
The best result would have been the late, late show beating Blackburn Rovers deep into added time.
JB (Leicester): This is a tough one. Leicester have had periods in every game where they have done well, but also had moments where they’ve struggled. Even Cifuentes said recently that the club’s best performance on his watch was in the final pre-season game against Fiorentina.
The weekend’s win over Swansea was far from perfect but there was probably a combined 50 to 60 minutes at the start and end of the game where Leicester were pretty good, so that probably stands out.
Who has stood out since the season began?
BC: Oli McBurnie. City spent all summer trying to get him, and at various stages, it looked like the move wouldn’t happen, especially when they were hit by their transfer restrictions; however, they got it over the line, and he’s exceeded expectations.
Seven goals and three assists so far only tell part of the story. His all-round game has been superb. Against the Blades, he might not have scored, but he led by example all over the pitch. Oli is City’s talisman and the fans love him to pieces.
CJ (Boro): As well as their midfield pairing of Hayden Hackney and Aidan Morris, who have helped Borop control most of their games this season, Luke Ayling stands out. The veteran right-back had issues with injuries last season and, at 33, many had written him off.
He even admitted himself he started to doubt if he could continue. But a switch to right-sided centre-back has worked perfectly for Ayling, who was just nominated for the PFA’s Player of the Month award.
PS (Stoke): Sorba Thomas has been infectious with his energy and urgency. He wants to take on his man, get balls into the box and make things happen. It’s the antidote to the boring sideways sludge that has been flooding through the game for too long.
AT (Coventry): There are a few but Matt Grimes is a Rolls Royce of a player who is consistently 8/10 every week doing an incredible job in midfield, keeping the team ticking over, mopping up and never giving the ball away. Haji Wright is in hot form, having scored nine in nine in all competitions and eight in the league to top the Championship scoring charts.
LC (Derby): Carlton Morris has been an outstanding signing and would be my pick of the new players. He just leads the line so well, great professional and plays with real intelligence which you would expect from a player of his experience.
Had Patrick Agyemang started the season and done as well as he has for a longer period of time, then I would have maybe said him. But I love what Morris brings to the team, particularly as Derby have long needed a forward who can make the ball stick.
BD (Birmingham): Not too many to be honest. Demarai Gray has shown real moments of quality. Jay Stansfield has scored four but at times has been bogged down by Blues’ creative shortcomings.
I’d say captain Christoph Klarer has probably been the most consistently impressive.
JB (Leicester): Abdul Fatawu. It was known how good of a player he was, but there were doubts, inevitably, over how long it might take him to get back to his best after his ACL tear last November, and if the serious nature of the injury would impact him permanently, especially as his pace is a major part of his game.
But he looks as quick as ever, and perhaps the determination to make up for lost time is powering him on too. Like Leicester as a whole, he’s still had poor games, but he’s able to produce magic. Swansea at the weekend was a perfect example. He frustrated all afternoon and then with 15 minutes to go stuck one in the top corner from 20 yards.
Have your pre-season predictions changed at all based on what you’ve seen?
BC: At the start of the season, I said they could finish 4th, 14th or 24th, and I stand by my assessment of City being a difficult prediction. I settled on 12th.
So far, I’ve seen signs they can finish inside the top six and signs they’ll finish in lower mid-table. If they can find the consistency in results, then they’ve got every chance of challenging.
Performances like Watford, where they dominate to lead 1-0 but lose 2-1, or PNE, where they’re 2-0 down after 10 minutes in an awful first half before rescuing it in the second to draw 2-2, show the inconsistency within games that must be ironed out if they’re to be capable of moving up the table.
Keeping McBurnie fit will be key, getting wingers Mo Belloumi and Liam Millar back up to speed after ACL injuries is another major factor, and Eliot Matazo will be a big player when he returns from ACL surgery around Christmas.
CJ (Boro): While I didn’t share the pessimism of many heading into the new season, I did predict an 8th-place finish and just missing out on the play-offs. There’s still an awful lot to play for, and many improvements that have to be made, but based on the start, and the amount of new players still to show their true quality yet, I’d be really disappointed now if Boro didn’t make the top six.
PS (Stoke): Well, I put Stoke as the surprise package in our pre-season predictions. I had Sheffield United for the play-offs and Southampton for the top two and I wouldn’t say that again now. Will Still’s got a big job on his hands and I’m not sure how much patience he can rely on or justify.
I still reckon Ipswich will come through for automatic promotion and Coventry will stay in the mix. But we can all see the division is as open as ever if not more so this season. Just hope you’re in the right position when the music stops.
AT (Coventry): In a word, yes. While I was fairly confident that last season’s side that finished 5th and has largely stayed intact – aside from Ben Sheaf – would again make the play-offs, City’s blistering start suggests that the Sky Blues are capable of competing for automatic promotion and certainly look a top four side.
However, injuries will hold the key to whether or not they achieve success from what is a very thin squad. It’s worth noting, however, that recent results – in particular the 3-0 win over Birmingham, followed by the 4-0 and 5-0 victories at Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday, were achieved without star man Jack Rudoni in the team.
LC (Derby): No. I still expect Derby to finish mid-table and there’s nothing that I’ve seen in the early part of the season that will change my mind. There have been others who have predicted a top-six finish, but that’s a bit of a wild prediction.
There are still a couple of gaps in the squad that need addressing, but I think it will be another window or so before we see this Derby team truly in a position where it can start challenging for a place in the upper echelons of the table.
BD (Birmingham): I thought Blues would be top ten with a potential play-off challenge. I’m tempted to revise that down a bit due to the lack of impact of the new signings.
But it’s nine games, I still think Chris Davies will iron out the wrinkles.
JB (Leicester): Regarding Leicester, no. I thought they would finish in the play-offs and I’ll stick by that for now, especially with the potential for a points deduction later in the campaign.
I did also predict Sheffield United to go up automatically, which surely cannot happen now. Pleasingly, the league seems more open than I expected. I thought both Ipswich and Southampton would be in the top three and looking strong, but it seems the promotion race is going to be wide open.
Who is the best team you’ve played?
BC: To be honest, nobody has really impressed me that much so far. Coventry were decent enough on the opening day, though they’ve obviously they’ve hit form since. For me, this is the most open Championship season for some time, and that gives so many teams hope.
CJ (Boro): That would probably be Southampton. It’s not quite worked out for them yet and their results are far from reflective of the quality they have in their squad.
It was clear there were teething issues and many players still trying to gel, but they still created a lot and missed some big opportunities, which allowed Boro to grind out a 1-1 draw. If they find a clinical touch and start to click as a team, they could be a very difficult team to beat.
PS (Stoke): Probably West Brom, who put in a professional job to win 1-0 at Stoke. They managed to get on top in midfield and keep a handle on Sorba Thomas and Million Manhoef.
I left the stadium thinking they were the kind of organised side that would be a good marker for a shot at the top six – and then, in true Championship fashion, they’ve gone and won one and lose three of their next five.
AT (Coventry): Ummm… City haven’t come up against any of the big hitters yet apart from Leicester, against whom they earned a hard-fought and creditable 0-0 draw at the King Power Stadium on a day when both sides had one big chance apiece to win it and passed those opportunities up. But the Foxes are the best they’ve faced to date.
LC (Derby): That would have to be Coventry, although saying that, Derby led 3-2 in that game and when you score three times at home you should really come away with something. But Coventry have a lot of attacking quality and Lampard has got them playing some decent stuff and I would say they will be right up there come the end of the season.
BD (Birmingham): Coventry. Yes Blues had a man sent off in the first half but they brushed them aside. Keeping the ball, making the pitch big. Blues looked like a dead mouse that day.
JB (Leicester): Although Leicester beat them, there’s no team that’s troubled them as much as Charlton did.
They knew how to disrupt Leicester’s flow and get at them, and did a great job of exploiting their weaknesses, at set-pieces, and in midfield, where Boubakary Soumare and Oliver Skipp were the partnership at the time.
Leicester barely created a chance but won thanks to a Fatawu cracker. Nathan Jones said it should have finished 4-1 to Charlton, which is only a slight exaggeration. They did deserve to win.
Who is the best opposition player?
BC: You’d probably say Gus Hamer, although he struggled to reach those heights on Saturday, aside from crunching an effort off the post in the first half. Technically, there aren’t too many better than him. Adam Armstrong’s 95th-minute finish was superb and showed his quality; it was just a surprise he didn’t start for the Saints and came off the bench.
CJ (Boro): From that same game (Southampton), Adam Armstrong really stood out. West Brom loan last season aside, Armstrong has been successful in just about every Championship campaign he’s been involved in. Now experienced too, he was a real focal point and constant nuisance to the Boro defence and scored a goal of real quality.
PS (Stoke): Koki Saito stood out in a QPR team that beat Stoke 1-0 at Loftus Road. He was lively, got a couple of shots away and was ready to take on Stoke.
AT (Coventry): Leicester City winger Abdul Fatawu who looks every bit Premier League class and gave Sky Blues left-back Jay Dasilva a torrid afternoon, and that’s at a time when the Wales international defender is having a superb season so far.
LC (Derby): Hands down Jack Rudoni. He’s got a lovely balance about him. He’s creative and just seems to have an awareness that is Premier League standard. He’s got a great chance of earning himself a big move if he carries on this trajectory and he’s got a great tutor in Lampard.
That £5m they paid Huddersfield looks a snip because they will probably earn five times that amount when one of the Premier League clubs come sniffing, which will invariably happen at some point.
BD (Birmingham): Gus Hamer is probably the best player in the league but he fell foul of the Ruben Selles mess.
Leicester’s Abdul Fatawu is an absolute livewire capable of winning games on his own.
JB (Leicester): Preston’s Thierry Small. He is the left-back who has kept Fatawu the quietest this season, matching him for pace and strength, but also reading his movements well.
Then, he was great in attack too. He made himself an outlet, timed his runs forward well and delivered plenty of perfect crosses for the likes of Milutin Osmajic. He’s only 21 as well, so I can see him having a big future.
Pierce Charles deserves a shout-out too for some of the saves he made during Leicester’s win over Sheffield Wednesday.
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