Newcastle are slipping up again, Derby and Leeds staking a claim for the playoffs and a couple of five-goal thrillers to on hands mean there’s plenty to pick out from last weekend’s Sky-Bet Championship.
Few could have foreseen the last 2 results for the Geordies, did manager Rafa Benitez see red like two of his team? Also, two sides between them managed to rack up 10 goals in their matches. Even more impressive was that one of them couldn’t buy a win in the last month!
There’s also another loss for the division’s bottom club, more McClaren magic for the Rams, and a tear or two nearly shed - all in the Sky-Bet Championship roundup!
#1 High fives for Fulham and Norwich
Both Fulham and Norwich City had home advantage in the weekend’s fixtures, playing Reading and Brentford respectively. However, while Fulham’s form of late was decent with just one loss in the last 4. Norwich were on the sort of run that would see them into relegation, losing each of their last 5 games.
Even the most ardent fan wouldn’t have predicted that both teams would be celebrating huge victories on Saturday evening.
Fulham turned on the style in the second half against 10 men Reading, scoring 4 of their 5 goals in that period. However, their manager Slavisa Jokanovic still wasn’t happy and thought they could have had more:
"We scored five but we could have been more clinical at some moments. It is important when your moment arrives that you kill off the opponents.”
For Norwich City, the turnaround from their last match was scarcely believable. From no wins in five games to a 5-0 win over Brentford will surely give them the tonic they need to now go on a run of form.
One more loss and Boss Alex Neil was potentially another managerial casualty in the Championship. But all that talk seems now to have disappeared after this victory. Neil knew just how important this match was:
"It's only one win, and we need to build on it. November was a really tough month for us. Hopefully, that is us seeing the back of that and we can push on.
"The players knew the importance of the game for everyone connected with the club - myself, the fans, the staff - and they responded in the perfect manner."
#2 What’s happened to Newcastle?
Another weekend, another loss for Newcastle United. Only 2 weeks ago, the Geordies were celebrating their 9th successive victory and were 5 points clear of second placed Brighton. Fast forward 12 days and the team that looked unbeatable were left licking their wounds after a second league loss on the run, this time away to Nottingham Forest.
It’s safe to say that luck was not with them. Having two men receiving red cards in the one match while also having what looked to have been a perfectly legitimate goal disallowed, would leave many a neutral feeling sorry for them. Particularly because both red cards have since been rescinded by the reviews panel.
However, Rafa Benitez remained a very calm figure and praised the side’s efforts:
"It's very difficult to understand what happened, we can complain about the penalty not given, the goal offside, the [Forest] penalty given and the two red cards.
"I haven't spoken to the referee, I don't need to do it, I've seen the images and it's obvious and clear to me.
"We did really well, we were doing what we had to do but it's a big difference when you have 45 minutes, numerical inferiority it's not easy."
Despite this setback, the Toon Army can still be optimistic, they sit 2 points ahead of Brighton on top of the table and six clear of 3rd place.
Their next 3 matches should give them the opportunity to pick up points once again. Matches against inconsistent Midlands team Birmingham City is up first, then they travel to Wigan who sit in the relegation zone, followed by a trip to Burton Albion who lie 19th in the league.
Can they turn their form back around in time for Christmas?
#3 Frank admission from Rotherham’s boss
Part time manager, Paul Warne’s Rotherham United are on an awful run of form. They have won just 7 points from a possible 57 and being 13 points from safety, it’s surely already over for the struggling Yorkshire club.
Having lost their last full-time manager, Kenny Jackett after just 39 days in the role last week, the club struggle on with the caretaker boss trying to make the best of a very difficult situation. He has already made it clear that he isn’t interested in the full-time managerial role.
"It's still ridiculously hard, it's ridiculously stressful, I gave everything I could [in the last game]. It sounds pathetic I suppose, but I 'teared up' in front of the lads.”
Despite this frank admission, that came after the sides latest 2-1 defeat to fellow strugglers Burton Albion, Warne has managed to bring in some assistance at the club.
John Breckin rejoins the coaching set up and the caretaker boss welcomed the appointment:
"Everyone knows him. He is a Miller and he has said he will come in and help me and the club, so I am delighted."
Let’s be honest, he’s going to need all the help he can get if Rotherham are going to stand any chance of making it out of the relegation zone.
After facing inconsistent QPR at home next weekend, the Millers take a trip to Fulham and then Sheffield Wednesday, who both had aspirations of being around the playoffs toward the end of the season.
It will take a Festive miracle for them to escape their current plight.
#4 Stat Attack - Derby down Wigan
Derby County have really got their act together under Steve McClaren. They have managed to climb to 9th in the table after an impressive run of 5 consecutive wins. He has earned 19 points out of a possible 24 during his tenure so far.
Their last victory – a hard fought 1-0 win over struggling side Wigan Athletic means that they haven’t conceded a goal in over 270 mins of Championship football. It was also ‘keeper Scott Carson’s 7th clean sheet in 10 matches.
Pretty impressive if you consider that towards the end of September, they were lying in 22nd place and had not won or managed to keep a clean sheet in 5 games.
Not that this latest victory was without good fortune. Wigan were very unlucky to come away from the game without anything to show for their efforts, after spurning several good chances including hitting the woodwork.
Worse still for the Latics was the Derby scored with their only shot on target in the whole of the match.
McClaren acknowledged this and suggested the need to grind out these kinds of matches:
"We had a great start and for some reason, we kind of took our foot off the pedal when we needed to go up.
"We knew this would be a difficult place to come, and when we didn't manage to get the second goal the last 10 to 15 minutes were always going to be a bit nervy.
"You're not going to play well every week and it's getting to a time - December, January, February - where you have to grind out results."
#5 Leeds up to fourth
Leeds United have been quietly, but impressively going about their business this season in the Championship.
Until recently they had been operating under the radar. However, the high-profile game in the EFL Cup during the week in which they gave a very good Liverpool team a few scares, means that eyes have been turned to face them and what they are doing this season.
Perhaps Steve Bruce’s Aston Villa were guilty of not paying Leeds enough attention, as they ended up on the wrong side of a 2-0 score-line that proves people need to sit up and take notice of the Yorkshire side as promotion contenders.
The impressive Kemar Roofe netted his first goal for the club and alongside club high scorer Chris Wood who finished the game off in injury time, handing Bruce his first loss in 8 games as Villa manager.
Leeds Boss Gary Monk suggested they weren’t even at their best:
“We didn’t play our best, to be honest with you.
“It has been a difficult week, so it’s hard to be critical, great character from the lads. I think we deserved the win and I can’t really remember Villa having a shot on our goal.
“Great spirit and great character. Like I said, we weren’t at our best today but we have done enough to win the game.
“I think when the first goal came, that’s when we started to play better. We have a real busy period coming up at Christmas and we know we will have to play”
