Sky Bet Championship 2016/17: 5 things we’ve learnt - Matchday 18

Aleksander Mitrovic
Newcastle brought back down to earth

You won’t believe the going’s on in this week’s Championship round-up. Yet another manager departs, Rafa Benitez’s Geordie boys are beaten and Brighton take full advantage. Plus, two former Premier League teams keep up their good form on their push for promotion.

Well, it finally happened, Newcastle United have been beaten for only the 4th time this season. We’ll take a look at how that happened and by which team, plus which manager has left their post after lasting just 5 weeks?

All this and more to come from your Sky-Bet Championship round-up, Week 18.

#1 Geordies are beatable!

Just when you thought that Newcastle United were looking unbeatable, up came a home fixture against Blackburn Rovers. A fixture that on paper at least suggested that the Geordies would extend their winning run to 10 games. After all, Blackburn, a team battling against relegation, had shown few reasons to expect that this would be anything other than a Newcastle home win.

However, it was Owen Coyle’s men that emerged victorious on a day that saw Newcastle coach Benitez make 6 changes to the team. Charlie Mulgrew volleying home after 75 minutes of a close fought contest to send the disbelieving Rovers fans into raptures.

It was a frustrating game for the Magpies. A match that could have seen them set a club record with 10 straight league wins, instead went to the more industrious away team. Benitez blamed a poor attitude and in part at least, his changes to the side:

"I didn't like our reaction when we were losing, and we have to do better. I didn't like the chances we didn't take, and I didn't like my decisions.

"I knew that when you lose a game and you change your players, everyone blames the manager. I knew that, but in the same time we have to show more character and more personality."

Their next league game is away at Nottingham Forest. Yet another game they should win. Can they bounce back quickly and prove that this was just a blip on the way to the Premier League?

#2 Brighton close the gap

Chirs Hughton
Chris Hughton looking for another success after leading Newcastle to promotion in 2009-10

Brighton and Hove Albion will be hoping that Newcastle United’s loss last weekend was more than just a blip and their own good form continues.

Their 2-1 victory at home to Fulham stretches their unbeaten run to 12 league games and moves the Seagulls to within 2 points of the league leaders.

This hard earned victory was anything but straight forward. Trailing after 18 minutes to a header by Kevin McDonald, Brighton appeared to be struggling for any sort of form as Fulham dominated the first half.

That was until the 52nd minute when Simon Baldock netted a volley from the edge of the area to level the scores.

From that moment, belief seemed to flow back into the Brighton players and they went ahead at the 79th minute thanks to a Glenn Murray volley from a Baldock cross.

At the final whistle, Seagulls manager Chris Hughton was impressed with the character of the team:

"They were better than us in the first half because we gave them too much room and we were pleased when half-time came.

"But it shows the character of the team that, despite not being at our best, we were able to fight our way back and that is what you need when you are up there challenging.

"It was an important win because it was unexpected for Newcastle to lose, and one thing I still feel is that the team closest to Newcastle in the table at the end of the season will have a really good chance of going up."

#3 Jackett takes off

Kenny Jackett
Kenny Jackett

After just 39 days and 5 games in charge, Rotherham manager Kenny Jackett has seen enough and has quit the club. The news comes after previous manager Allan Stubbs’ sacking, who himself was only in charge for 14 games in League and Cup.

The latest defeat, a 2-1 loss to fellow Yorkshire club Leeds United, appeared to be the final straw for Jackett who offered his resignation after the game. The Rotherham board accepted and released this subsequent statement:

"Kenny's resignation came as a shock to the club and is disappointing," said a statement on the club website.

"Paul Warne has agreed to take care of first team matters on an interim basis whilst the board of directors begin the process of appointing a new first team manager."

Jackett leaves the club languishing at the foot of the Championship table on just 7 points, 11 points from safety. Their next games include travelling to fellow strugglers Burton Albion, then a home fixture against mid-table Queens Park Rangers.

Both games could have been seen as winnable due to the poor current form of the opposition. But unfortunately, with the latest crisis to hit the club, it looks unlikely that there is any way back for the Millers and they will see next season in League 1.

#4 Villa keep on climbing

Aston Villa
Smiles back at Villa Park

Aston Villa, under Manchester United legend Steve Bruce, have enjoyed a huge turnaround in form.

Over the last couple of months, they have gone from battling relegation to the kind of form that could see them in the playoffs for the Premier League come 2017.

Villa remain unbeaten in the 7 games since he took charge and Bruce suggests the teams above them will be nervous:

"There'll be a few looking over their shoulders, which is good.

“But there is a big expectation. You have to be a big player and a good player to handle that expectation."

Villa’s 3-1 victory against Cardiff during Matchday 18 saw them up to 11th in the table just 4 points away from the playoff positions.

Their manner of victory was closer than the score-line suggested. Cardiff’s Lee Peltier sent off with 10 minutes to go and a last minute penalty from Rudy Gestede securing the victory after Cardiff dominated the second half despite trailing 2-1.

Bruce knew that he had been in a game and praised Neil Warnock’s Cardiff:

"Cardiff are difficult. They are right in your face and, if we hadn't shown the resistance we displayed, it could have been a difficult afternoon.

"You have to be brave facing a side like Cardiff. It was a typical performance from a Neil Warnock side."

Aston Villa next face a tricky trip to Yorkshire to face Leeds United. Can they keep up their unbeaten run under Bruce?

#5 McClaren marches on with Derby

Derby County
Derby have been on an upswing under McClaren

Another team in form in the Sky-Bet Championship are Steve McClaren’s Derby County. The Rams currently lie 9th in the table, just 3 points off the play-off places after their latest victory, a 1-0 win over out of form Norwich City, their 5th consecutive loss.

This was the 4th victory in a row for the ex-England manager who took charge after only 2 wins from their previous 10 games under former boss, Nigel Pearson.

Since then McClaren has swiftly turned things around and after this performance praised his side’s resilience:

"It's a big win for us; a big step forward. We had to dig in at times, but that's a good team we've kept a clean sheet against.

"We controlled the game when we had the ball or didn't have the ball and that's important if you want to be a top team.

"We might lose next week, but I know this team is capable of winning big games and today went a long way to showing me this team has got something."

His next few games will give the side more opportunity to extend their unbeaten run, they face relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic away, then play mid-table Nottingham Forest at home, before travelling to Queens Park Rangers.

After these games, is it possible McClaren’s side could be sitting in the play-off places?

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Edited by Staff Editor