The Sack Race: Championship Edition

Theo Hunter Jones
Posted on: 29 September 2008 - 11:41
Football
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Although there have actually been no sackings so far in this year’s Championship, an alarmingly refreshing statistic in today’s game, I think it is time we take an in-depth look at who, of the 24 Championship managers, will be the first to receive their p45 form.

There is no shortage of under-fire managers within the Championship and, as much I hate to say it, it looks as though it won’t be too long before someone bites the proverbial dust - in particular, Paul Jewell springs to mind.

Derby have endured a poor start to the season and, until their last league game, hadn’t recorded a victory all season. And with their new, vastly wealthy American owners, Jewell may not have too much more time to win over his new employers and secure his long-term future at Pride Park. The Derby fans have experienced one of their worst years on record and Jewell will need to do produce the goods in order to appease the increasingly impatient Rams supporters. Getting beaten week-in-week-out in the Premiership is bad enough, but when you achieve the same results in the Championship something will have to change.

It is generally assumed nowadays that if a manager fails to achieve a decent start to the season, he will find himself out of a job. Championship owners are no longer in it for the football but to pursue business interest. Good results generally mean increased income and if managers aren’t getting the results, they will be sacked. I think the wise words of the late Alan Ball sum up the situation perfectly; “Football is a beautiful game, but a horrible business”. Unfortunately, it is as simple as that. The days when Championship’s teams were run by boards willing to give their managers a fair crack of the whip are long gone.

Now, back to the issue of the sack race front-runners. Charlton manager Alan Pardew has to be another contender for the first Championship sacking of the season. Since the Addicks were relegated from the Premiership two seasons ago, I think it would be fair to say that they haven’t ever really reached their full potential, which is a real shame considering the vast wealth of talent they have at their disposal. The south London club are in real financial trouble at the moment, so the pressure will be on Pardew to take the club back where it belongs and reap the financial rewards that come with top-flight football.

My final contender would have to be Jim Magilton of Ipswich Town Football Club. Just like Derby and Charlton, Ipswich have struggled since their departure from the Premier League. And to further compound the problem, the Tractor Boys have started this Championship campaign poorly and there is no doubt Magilton will have to pull off something special, namely promotion, if he wants to remain at the helm of “ambitious” Ipswich. Although Magilton plays the game in the right manner, encouraging stylish football and bringing in the right breed of players, Town fans will ignore all that should Ipswich miss out on the play-offs.