Buzzin Championship Football

On the same day that Premier league club West Ham were taken over in a deal reported to be around £85million, the recent newcomers to the Coca Cola Championship league Newcastle are reported to have dropped the price for their club to £100million.

Doesn’t make sense does it.  While West Hams problems have been firmly brought about by the ravaging effect of the global credit crisis on the clubs previous owner, the problems at Newcastle would appear to be more self inflicted.

Sam Allardyce could surely have secured a mid table place for them given time, Kevin  Keegan left the club because he felt he had no say in transfer policies and poor old Joe Kinnear was never given a chance by the ‘cockney mafia‘ doubters, ending the season on sick leave after heart bypass surgery.

Alan Shearer was eventually made an offer he couldn’t refuse, in an ill conceived effort to avoid relegation that frankly he could do little about. Newcastle were relegated on merit and now need to find a buyer who can bring some calm and offer a future to the club.

Former chairman Freddy Shepherd is among the interested parties and would appear the ideal candidate to steer the club back to it’s former state and more importantly bring an end to the Mike Ashley era and furthermore an end to his personal misery.

I can’t be the only one already feeling sorry for former Ipswich boss Jim Magilton on hearing the news that he has been given the managers job at Queens Park Rangers, thus becoming the fifth permanent manager employed by Flavio Briatore since his take over in 2007.

Considering that Magilton was sacked by Ipswich in April for failing to steer the team into the Championship play offs, Ipswich finished the season just two places higher in the table than QPR, with five more points.

Ipswich Town chief executive Simon Clegg explained at the time of Magilton’s sacking that the manager had failed to deliver despite significant funding by club owner Marcus Evans. He went on to say that Ipswich Town were looking for ‘a winner’ to replace Magilton.

On this evidence there is every chance that Magilton will not last the season with QPR, given their fondness for sacking ‘under achieving’ managers.

Jim Magilton is an honest manager who will certainly give 100% at QPR, he always has as player and manager, he certainly deserves the chance at what is now considered a big club waiting to happen. I hope that I am wrong, but I don’t see QPR having the patience to think long term and allow someone to build the team and for that reason I would expect Magilton’s stay to be quite brief.

After winning promotion to the Premier League with Burnley, Owen Coyle appears to be a man in demand. Only a few days after watching his team defeat Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final, he was linked with the vacant manager’s position at Celtic.

Gordon Strachan resigned from the post after the last game of the season and being a boyhood Hoops fan, Owen Coyle was immediately touted as one of the favourites.

However, in some news that will please Burnley fans greatly, the Scotsman has distanced himself from the speculation. He said that everyone is ‘putting two and two together and making five’. Just because he supported Celtic as a boy, doesn’t mean that he will take the position.

There is no doubt that his long-term future is uncertain, but as for what Owen Coyle’s next step will be – he is going on holiday. He is taking a well-earned break and doing so ‘as Burnley manager’.

As for the club themselves, well they are obviously very keen to keep hold of the man who has guided them to the top flight. They have offered him a contract extension and stated on their website that they have ‘not received any official approach from Celtic’, nor would they welcome one.

In the end though, it will all come down to what Owen Coyle wants to do. If he decides that the Celtic job is too hard to turn down – he will go.

However, to manage in the Premier League is also a huge opportunity and one that doesn’t come along too often.

Steve Coppell has resigned from his position as Reading manager after watching his side miss out on a place in the Championship play-off final. The Royals lost 2-0 at home to Burnley and went out 3-0 on aggregate to Owen Coyle’s men.

The former Crystal Palace boss had been in charge of Reading since 2003 and enjoyed many successful times including two seasons in the Premier League.

Following relegation back to the Championship though, Steve Coppell’s men were unable to secure an automatic promotion spot and have now missed out on promotion altogether.

Speaking about his resignation, Steve Coppell said that he thought it was the ‘best thing for the club’ that he steps down as manager. As for his six year spell at Reading, the 53-year-old said that he had ‘thoroughly enjoyed his time’ at the club.

It was a disappointing end for Steve Coppell though as many expected his team to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. However, their home form slipped at the wrong time and they were beaten to a place in the top two by Birmingham City on the final day.

This meant that they had to play Burnley in the semi-final of the play-offs in order to continue their promotion dream. However, after a 1-0 defeat at Turf Moor, The Royals were stunned at the Madjeski Stadium when goals from nMartin Paterson and Steven Thompson handed Burnley a 2-0 win.

Steve Coppell refused to comment on his future in the press conference after the game, but announced his decision to resign a few hours later.
As for Burnley, they will now meet Sheffield United in the English Football League Championship play-off final at Wembley for a place in the Premier League.

The Championship play-off final takes place on Monday 25th May and it is likely to be a very tense encounter.

Birmingham clinched  second place, and with it automatic promotion to the Premier League by beating Reading 2-1 at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday in a fantastic last day of the 2008/09 Championship League season.

There was plenty to play for as all games kicked off simultaneously. Birmingham’s fate was in their own hands as they withheld attempts from Reading and Sheffield United to join Wolves in gaining automatic promotion to the Premiership.  Sheffield United could only draw 0-0 away to Crystal Palace, while inform Burnley (beat Bristol City 4-0) and Preston (beat QPR 2-1) both won their games to join the Reading and Sheff Utd in the Championship Play-off matches.

Cardiff City lost to Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 and as a result missed out on a place in the play-offs on goal difference.

After guiding Birmingham back to the Premier League at the first attempt, manager Alex McLeish attempted to quosh rumours that he would be leaving St. Andrews.  Though less convincingly he said

“As far as I know I’ll be here but you’ll have to ask the board.”

Birmingham chairman David Gold suggested that following promotion, Birmingham will not overspend in an attempt to stay in the Premier League next season. “We won’t bankrupt the club, whilst we are in charge. We won’t be a Leeds, Southampton, Leicester etc,” said Gold.

Last season Birmingham were the subject of a failed takeover bid by Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung.  The disruption of the attempted takeover was partly to blame for thie relegation, and played a big part in losing manager Steve Bruce to Wigan.

The Championship Play-offs:

Friday, 8 May 2009
Preston v Sheff Utd - kick-off 19:45 (1st Leg)
Saturday, 9 May 2009
Burnley v Reading, kick-off 17:20  (1st Leg)

Monday, 11 May 2009
Sheff Utd v Preston - kick-off 19:45 (2nd Leg)
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Reading v Burnley - kick-off 19:45 (2nd Leg)

My money will be going on Burnley as it seems they have peaked just at the right moment.