Author Archives: archieharris43

IPSWICH FLIP THE SWITCH

The Tractor Boys have finally slept off their relegation headache and are back firing on all cylinders. Another emphatic win this weekend in Wales has edged them that bit closer to a Premier League return at the first time of asking.

Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich came into the season as heavy favourites for the title, and it’s clear to see why. Despite having the usual exodus of star players that you expect when a side is relegated, they kept hold of the strong core of their team and reinvested smartly, utilising the loan market to patch any perceived holes in the squad with some top talent for this level. It was a surprise when they started the season in stuttering form. They didn’t taste victory for four games before winning the lottery by playing Sheffield United when they still had Ruben Selles at the helm. They beat them 5-0 and many thought that would be the moment they kick on and start to shoot up the table, and they sort of have. Losses at Middlesbrough and at home to Charlton have dampened spirits slightly, but they’re now on a run of 3 wins and a draw in their last 4 outings and looking much better value for those victories than they had previously. After back-to-back 4-1 wins on the road, is there anyone that can stand in between Ipswich and promotion?

One man who struggled in his first season in blue was winger Jack Clarke. He joined Ipswich from Sunderland for a substantial fee after impressing for the Black Cats in the Championship to help keep his new side in the top tier, he found it hard to adapt to the new level and failed to score in the Premier League as they were relegated. So far this season, however, he has six goals in fourteen league games and looks like the player we all knew he could be at Sunderland. The latest edition to his collection was one of his best yet. He latched on to a loose ball in the middle of the park, held off his man and whipped his shot across goal into the bottom corner from 25 yards to give Ipswich the lead after a cagey opening half an hour.

Swansea City are an interesting team. On the surface, it seems like they’re doing fine. Maybe a little disappointing, but they’re seven points clear of the bottom three and only eight off the play-offs down in 18th position. Their only four wins of the season, however, have come against the abysmal bottom three and Blackburn, who sit a place below the Swans in 19th. Their inability to eek out a result against the better, or even mid-table, teams could come back to bite them as the season progresses. You can only play the rubbish teams twice, and if they slip up against one or two of those they could find themselves tied up in a relegation battle come the latter stages of the campaign. Since their relegation from the Premier League in 2018, the Swans have finished in the play-offs twice and missed out by a few points on most other occasions. At their worst, they have found themselves marooned in mid-table with nothing to play for in the final weeks of the season. Never have they faced the prospect of a drop to the third tier for the first time since 2008, a relegation that would be particularly bitter if Cardiff leapfrog them back into the Championship. With their squad, they should be fine, but Alan Sheehan needs to get his side firing against better teams if they’re to avoid being dragged into a fight at the bottom. Their equaliser came against the run of play just after the half-time break. Left-back Josh Tymon put in a dangerous cross from the near the corner flag and caught the Ipswich defence napping as Goncalo Franco waltzed into the area unchallenged and had all the time in the world to calmly slot the ball beyond Christian Walton in the Ipswich goal. If they want to seriously challenge at the sharp end of the league, they’ll need to defend better than that. Not everyone will let you score four goals to make up for your lax marking.

Cameron Burgess left Ipswich after four seasons, two brilliant promotions and 127 appearances in summer. He joined Swansea on the expiry of his contract to keep playing regular football at Championship level, a great signing for the Welsh side. Across his Ipswich career the centre-half managed five goals, he upped that tally to seven today as he turned two into his own net to gift the points to his former side.

The first was unfortunate, Leif Davis was given the freedom of the pitch down the left-hand side as nobody in white opted to track his run. He burst into the box and shot towards the bottom corner, Burgess threw his body on the line to try and block the attempt at goal and ended up wrong-footing his own ‘keeper and diverting the ball into the opposite corner. Lead restored for Ipswich.

In between the own goals, Christian Walton made a fantastic save to deny Swans defender Ben Cabango, turning his close-range header onto the post with an acrobatic dive. Swansea goalie Lawrence Vigouroux tried to equal his opposite number, using his great reflexes to stop Dara O’Shea’s header from a corner but only diverting the ball into the path of Iván Azon. The Spaniard headed the ball in from a yard out to open his account for Ipswich after he joined on loan from Como in summer. I’m sure living in East Anglia is practically identical to Lake Como this time of year. At 3-1, any dregs of hope the home fans had of a comeback had been washed away.

To top off the day, Cameron Burgess completed a brace, and this one was less excusable than the last. Ipswich again came flying down their left-hand side unchallenged. Jens Cajuste had plenty of time to pick out his cross, whipping the ball across the face of goal with a late-arriving Marcelino Nunez the target at the back post. Before the ball could reach the Ipswich man, however, Burgess stuck a leg out and dinked it perfectly beyond his ‘keeper into the bottom corner. 4-1. A great day out for the Ipswich fans, a horrid day to be Cameron Burgess.

Ipswich ran out deserved winners, though the scoreline probably flattered them slightly. With their disparity between the level of the players Ipswich have in comparison to the rest of the league, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them turn up and play relatively average and still turn teams over with brute force. It’ll be tough to stop their rise, if they win their game in hand they’ll move up to fourth, three points off the automatic spots, without even playing that well. If everything starts to click and they get into full flow, Coventry will be peering over their shoulders in fear.

Swansea need to turn it around to avoid an unnecessary and unwanted relegation battle. The fact they haven’t been down there before is concerning, should they be pulled into a scrap at the bottom you worry that they haven’t got the know-how and experience to dig themselves out of that mess. For their sakes they’ll hope that the teams below them continue to perform as badly as they have been to keep a healthy gap between them and the relegation zone.

After this weekend, both of these sides will have eyes on different ends of the table. Will the Swans quack under the pressure? And are Ipswich stuck in a tractor beam dragging them straight to the Premier League?

The halfway mark is here! The table is starting to settle and we can really see who means business and who isn’t quite living up the hype. With a precious automatic place in the Round of 16 on offer, who will stake their claim as top 8 contenders?

Just two weeks after the last lot, here we go again! Another round of Champions League action for you this week as the first half of the League Phase draws to a close. The fight for the top 8 positions is crucial, but last season’s champions PSG hadn’t even sealed a spot in the play-offs until the gameweek eight, so anyone is still in with a chance.

Arsenal have been in imperious form domestically and look the favourites to lift a first Premier League title in over 20 years, will their push for league glory distract them from their Champions League campaign? And how will the recently-shaky Liverpool navigate hosting a Real Madrid side who have won 13 out of 14 games this season? A fascinating week with plenty of goals, red cards and drama. As per.

The Results:

Tuesday 4th November

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

They’re the real deal. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal look more than capable of winning everything in their path this season at the rate they’re going at. Defensively immaculate, rarely conceding shots on target, never mind goals. Going forward, they have goals all over the pitch and are the most menacing side from set-pieces I’ve ever seen. Truly, if anyone is going to stop them winning the lot this season it’ll have to be themselves. Be it an injury crisis or a mental block, they could still find a way to throw this away. They maintained their perfect European record here and are yet to let in a goal in the competition, Slavia provided little resistance to The Gunners’ relentless onslaught. The Czech side are yet to register a victory and can see a place in the knockouts slipping away, they have semi-winnable fixtures against Atheltic Club, Spurs and Pafos to come but I struggle to see them making it to the next round.

Napoli 0-0 Frankfurt

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the Champions League so far, Frankfurt kept a clean sheet! They’d tightened things up in recent weeks, following up on their 5-1 loss to Liverpool with a 2-0 win and two 1-1 draws as opposed to their usual 8 goal bonanzas. The hosts probably should’ve come away with a win, Frankfurt ‘keeper Michael Zetterer and some suspect finishing denying the Italian side of a goal on this occasion. The visitors had a few chances and probably should’ve put one away if not for some fantastic goalkeeping, but it would’ve been an unjust victory if they had. Both sides have a solid 4 points to build on in the latter half of the League Phase, and both are capable of picking up more points in the coming fixtures so seal a place in the next round.

Atletico Madrid 3-1 Union St. Gilloise

So close yet so far for the Belgians in Madrid. The visitors had an amazing chance to level it rights at the death but the header was straight at Jan Oblak, Atleti then went up the other end and sealed a victory that looks a lot more comfortable on paper than the reality of it. The Madrid side desperately needed a win here, it’s their second of the campaign and puts them in position to kick on and secure a play-off spot in the second half of the league. USG are still just a point outside the play-off spots, but have suffered three losses on the bounce now. With a tough fixture list ahead I think it’s too much too soon for USG and we won’t be seeing them play knockout Champions League football just yet.

Bodø/Glimt 0-1 Monaco

Oh, Bodø. It’s heartbreak after heartbreak for the Norwegian debutants this year, they again dominated this game and have again come away with nothing to show for it. They should’ve beat Spurs but only managed a draw, and they piled the pressure on in the second half here against Monaco but just couldn’t find a goal. All hope of a comeback was killed off in the 81st minute when substitute Jostein Gundersen was dismissed for a crunching challenge. Juventus, Dortmund, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid await Bodø in the second half, they will rue their missed chances in these opening games as the tough fixtures stack up. Monaco picked up a first Champions League win of the season, and will be delighted with how they held onto their lead. A trip to Pafos is up next, a win there and who knows where they could finish? Play-offs is definitely a possibility for the Ligue 1 club.

Juventus 1-1 Sporting CP

Dusan Vlahovic continued his strong start to the Champions League, grabbing the equaliser for the Old Lady at home to Sporting. The opener for the Portuguese side ended up being their only shot on target all night, but Juventus were unable to capitalise on their dominance and had to settle for a third draw as they search for a first Champions League victory of the season. Sporting have started impressively and have games against Brugge and Atheltic Club to look forward to either side of a serious test against Bayern and PSG. If they get another win and a draw or two under their belts I’d say the knockouts are all but guaranteed. Juve have been well short of their own lofty standards domestically and on the continent this year so far, but with relatively tame fixtures against Bodø, Pafos, Benfica and Monaco to come we could still definitely see the Italian giants reach the knockout stage.

Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid

There’s something about this game. Two of the Champions League’s most successful ever sides dulling it out under the lights, it just always delivers. Liverpool fully deserved their win, Dominik Szoboszlai would’ve had 4 goals and 3 assists if big mad Thibaut Courtois wasn’t up to his usual tricks. A special mention for Conor Bradley too, for the second time against Real Madrid in his young career, he pocketed Vinicius excellently and refused to allow him into the game even for a second. Mac Allister eventually got the goal, a tidy header from a Szoboszlai free-kick that Courtois had no time to react to for once. Liverpool looked back to their brilliant best, maybe Slot is closer to finding out his best team and gelling the new lads in. Frightening. Both sit on 9 points, just inside the top eight and well on their way to the knockouts, but you wouldn’t expect anything less.

Olympiacos 1-1 PSV

American Ricardo Pepi rescued a point at the death for the travelling Dutchmen, denying their hosts a first win of the campaign and keeping them firmly out of play-off contention. PSV currently occupy a play-off place, but they have Liverpool, Atelti, Newcastle and Bayern left to play so it will be tricky to maintain their position. I’d be surprised to see either of these sides make it to a knockout match, the Greeks have marginally easier fixtures but have struggled to beat sides like Pafos already.

PSG 1-2 Bayern Munich

The biggest game of the round, probably the biggest of the competition so far, and it was Bayern who came out on top. Summer arrival Luis Diaz scored a first-half brace before receiving his marching orders on the stroke of half-time, some evening for the Colombian. The Parisians dominated possession and had plenty of shots, but failed to break down the steadfast Bayern defence other than substitute Joao Neves’ back-post header after 74 minutes. The result leaves Bayern top of the tree at the midway point, one of three remaining sides with perfect records. This is the first stain on PSG’s Champions League season so far, and not one to worry about. Bayern are probably the best team in the world right now, and PSG will still certainly qualify for the knockouts and go deep once again.

Tottenham 4-0 FC København

Micky. Van. De. Ven. If you haven’t seen it, watch it. It’s the best goal of the season, it’s one of the best Champions League goals of all time. Screamer aside, this was exactly the result Spurs needed. They’ve been hit-and-miss under Thomas Frank and have scraped good results in this competition without being outstanding against inferior opposition. Even down to 10 men, Spurs were marauding forwards at pace and dominating the ball and the chances. Carry on like this, and they’ll sail through with ease. The Danes have one point after four games and I’d say that’s their European campaign over for another year, the financial disparity makes it hard to compete but they’ve been miles off it this time out.

Wednesday 5th November

Pafos 1–0 Villareal

You love to see it. Pafos have their first ever win in Champions League history, and a great win it was. Villareal had a flurry of chances early on but failed to capitalise, and then a minute after half-time Pafos scored from their first corner of the match. The Cypriot side have been a breath of fresh air this year, with 5 points to their name already they’re in with a real chance of professing, if only they’d managed to convert their draw to a win at Kairat last time out. Villareal’s fantastic domestic form has not translated continentally. They sit on just one point and on the verge of crashing out already, with winnable fixtures coming up they could sneak into the play-offs but would need a remarkable turnaround for that to be the case.

Qarabag 2-2 Chelsea

An amazing result for the hosts, and it was so nearly so much more. Qarabag were great value for the point, soaking up Chelsea pressure well and launching devastating counter attacks. The vast chasm between the value of the two sides didn’t translate to the pitch, the mammoth away day clearly had the Chelsea dream-team a little jaded. Oleksii Kashchuk spurned a golden opportunity for the hosts in the last breaths of the game, meeting a cross but only managing to direct the ball into the hands of Robert Sanchez. Both sides sit on 7 points, a remarkable return for the Azerbaijani side. They have Napoli, Ajax, Frankfurt and Liverpool to come. Difficult, but not impossible. A win against Ajax and a point elsewhere could see them reach the play-offs, nonetheless a heroic performance even if they fall short.

Ajax 0-3 Galatasaray

Last week, I said Galatasaray were the best side in the competition outside of the traditional top five leagues. Not only do I stand by that, but I’m doubling down. Victor Osimhen is the best player outside of the big leagues and one of the best centre-forwards in the world. The Nigerian leads the goalscoring charts with six goals in the Champions League already, a hat-trick this time out enough to condemn Ajax to a fourth consecutive European defeat. As good as Galatasaray and Osimhen are, Ajax are just as woeful. One goal scored and fourteen conceded in their four games so far without a singular point. They’re a huge side and there will always be a seat reserved for them at the Champions League table, but if they’re going to keep turning up hammered they won’t be invited back.

Benfica 0-1 Leverkusen

Speaking of big teams that have massively disappointed, Benfica are the only other side without a point at this stage in the competition. Leverkusen have shaken off the Ten Hag curse and have won 5 from their last 7, only failing to beat Bayern and PSG in that time. You can probably let them off for those. They have a couple of winnable games on the horizon, I’d expect them to end the league phase in the play-off spots as long as things go smoothly. Benfica? They may as well not bother showing up to the rest of the games, save on travel and the hotels.

Club Brugge 3-3 Barcelona

Two goals and an assist in this game earned Carlos Forbs his first senior Portugal call up this week. I, like most regular football fans, first became aware of the winger after his hat-trick for Manchester City U21s against Derby County in the Papa Johns Trophy. Safe to say his career peaked at Pride Park, but this might be a tight second. The hosts had a 91st minute goal agonisingly ruled out by VAR to save Barca blushes and keep it to a point apiece, a great day for the Belgians and one to sweep under the carpet for their visitors. Brugge have some winnable fixtures coming up, it would be nice to see them make a knockout appearance. Barcelona will be fine, obviously, but they need to get a wiggle on or the top eight could slip from their grasp as those teams continue to pile on the points.

Inter 2-1 Kairat Almaty

Of course, the first team to inflict a goal on this stoic Inter side is this years’ Kazakhstani representatives. Inter were in control through the game but Kairat certainly made them work to maintain their perfect record. Still just the solitary point for the visitors, but it could be worse, they could be Ajax. Inter look likely to go far once again, can they go one further than runners-up this time out?

Manchester City 4-1 Dortmund

Erling Haaland has 18 in 14 for Manchester City this season. Blimey. Foden looked back to his dazzling best with a brace as City swept aside their German opposition with typical Pep-style efficiency. The Citizens are well-poised to make it to the top eight this time around and Dortmund are only a few points behind. Both will make knockout football with ease.

Marseille 0-1 Atalanta

Atalanta left it late, but they snatched a vital three points at the death in France. A missed penalty and a goal disallowed for offside set the tone that it just wouldn’t be the Italians’ day, but Lazar Samardzic popped up with a late winner. The goal was seriously controversial, the ball bounced and hit an Atalanta player in the arm in their area before being cleared to Samardzic, he then ran the length of the pitch and bent a beauty into the top corner from 25 yards out. The officials deemed the goal was legitimate and no penalty was awarded to Marseille, the result keeps Atalanta firmly in position to qualify while their hosts slip into the elimination zone.

Newcastle 2-0 Athletic Club

Two wonderful headers were the difference between the two sides on the night, the first from Dan Burn was a physics-defying beauty that bent its way into the far corner. That being said, you should probably at least mark the 6’7 monster from set pieces if you’re Athletic Club. The game played out fairly evenly, but the result leaves Newcastle just behind PSG in the top eight and cruising towards a spot in the knockouts. Both of these sides have been hot and cold domestically, but Newcastle are pulling it out of the bag where it counts on the big stage. Athletic Club beat high-flying Qarabag but have lost their other three matches, they’ll need to turn their continental form around if they’re to qualify for the next round, and indeed their domestic form if they’re to make an appearance at next years’ tournament at all.

Game of the Round:

Club Brugge 3-3 Barcelona

It was a night to remember for the Belgian side, they only had 24% of the ball but managed to go toe-to-toe with Barcelona in chance creation and be devastating on the break.

If not for VAR’s intervention, they may have even snatched a winner at the death to cap off a famous night.

Carlos Forbs deservedly collected all the plaudits post-match, not least from his national team as he received a maiden Portugal call-up on the back of this performance.

Barca are still well in contention for a knockout place but will have to work a little harder if they’re to seal a top 8 spot. They were excellent in attacking play but defensively looked all over the place and their midfielders failed to take control of the game in any meaningful way.

Player of the Round:

There were lots of great team performances this week, and a few individuals stood out above the rest. Brugge forward Carlos Forbs certainly earned a mention but my pick this week is the Nigerian hitman in Türkiye, Victor Osimhen.

He leads the way in the Champions League goalscoring charts at this early stage, beating his record for goals in a single Champions League campaign already after just three games.

The Nigerian is a player brimming with confidence, his first few attempts were equalled by the Ajax ‘keeper before he finally got his goal just before the hour mark. Nineteen minutes and two penalties later, the match ball was coming home with him.

The star forward is exactly the sort of player Galatasaray, or any teams from the fringe leagues around Europe, needed to be taken seriously at the top table. He is a lethal finisher capable of crafting his own chances as well as dispatching any that fall his way. Every club in the world was linked with him in the summer of 2024 and many were shocked to see him make the loan switch to Türkiye. Equally, many were even more shocked when the move became permanent this year after he netted 37 goals in 41 games for his new club.

In Gala, Osimhen has found a home and a fanbase that will adore and worship him like a God. In Osimhen, Galatasary have a world-class talent entering the prime of his career to help them make that step up into regular contenders in big European knockout fixtures once more. It’s a match made in heaven.

Table:

Newcastle are holding their own amongst Europe’s elite in the top 8 so far – Eddie Howe will be a very happy man at this stage. Turns out being owned and controlled by a trillionaire nation/state can help you become a better football team.

Qarabag and Pafos are the heroes of the completion so far, if both or either of them can remain in the knockout spaces come game 8 it will be a huge statement from their nations as a whole. In a time where football seems more separated into haves and have nots than ever, the little guys can still hang in there on the big stage.

Four down, four to go. Plenty more twists and turns along the way, and we’ll be here for every moment.

LIKE THREE POINTS IN SHEFFIELD, LIKE A CHEEKY CHIPPED FINISH

Sheffield United’s Championship nightmare continued this Halloween weekend. Without any sweets to hand out, they instead gifted goals when Derby County came knocking at the door.

Two weeks ago, Derby were teetering above the drop zone by a single point having won just once in ten Championship games and had just succumbed to an embarrassing and listless defeat at fellow strugglers Oxford. Things looked desperate for the midlands club, and manager John Eustace’s position was starting to come under question amongst the fanbase. Fourteen days and three wins later, fans are looking up the table rather than down it and Eustace’s name was echoing around the empty seats in Bramall Lane as the Rams ran out comfortable winners.

Sheffield United’s start to the season has been dreadful, the only silver lining being they aren’t the worst club from Sheffield, but things are even starting to look more positive at Wednesday. They have a squad packed with individuals that can obviously compete at a higher standard than they’re showing, having achieved 90 points and narrowly missing out on promotion in the play-off final last time out, but something just won’t click for the Blades.

A lot of the pre-match chat was about this Sheffield United side being in a false position, and I have to agree. If they’d been beaten at Oxford as they had deserved to and their neighbours’ financial transgressions had been resolved, the Blades would find themselves rock bottom where they belong. If Chris Wilder’s side are going to dig themselves out of this mess, home games against teams like Derby simply have to be turned into wins. The Rams have a hideous record at Bramall Lane – a fact that I, a Derby fan who spent his university years living in Sheffield, know all too well. They hadn’t won there in fourteen years and hadn’t managed three goals since 1972.

It’s no coincidence that the resurgence of Derby has coincided with the return from injury of defender Sondre Langas. The Norwegian was a key figure in the miraculous survival last season, putting his body on the line for the cause and leaving himself in need of an operation that has kept him out of action until last week. He finally reappeared as he was subbed on at half-time against Norwich, his side reverted to a back three and went on to win their first home game of the season and have never looked back.

Another player left out in the cold was right wing-back Joe Ward. Derby have had their fair share of players in his position over recent years, Ryan Nyambe and the now-MK Dons player Kane Wilson took precedent over him previously and marquee summer signing Max Johnston is now the Rams’ first choice. Johnston picked up an injury last week against QPR, however, so Ward was called upon to make his first Championship start since December 2024. One thing Ward is known for is his delivery, and this was evident in this game as his whipped corner found the head of Carlton Morris who glanced the ball inside the far post for 1-0. Sheffield United were unable to muster a reply, their best chance falling to Callum O’Hare who was stopped by a lunging tackle before he could get his shot away, so the score remained 1-0 at the break.

The second goal came 19 seconds after the restart, as Sheffield United’s anthem was still blaring out over the speakers. Midfielder Sydie Peck played a pass back to his defence under Derby pressure without realising Carlton Morris was lurking. The striker latched on to the wayward ball and charged into the box, lifting his shot over Michael Cooper in goal just as the tannoy was cut off to avoid further embarrassment.

Morris then completed a first career hat-trick from the penalty spot just after the hour mark. Rams forward Patrick Agyemang beat his man and dribbled into the box, using his strength to bully Alex Matos who dropped to the floor and grabbed the ball expecting a free kick. The referee blew for a penalty and handball, deeming that Agyemang simply out-worked Matos. The penalty was definitely soft, but will epitomise everything Wilder wants to change about this team if they’re to get out of the relegation zone. Three players stood around the ball as Agyemang pressured Matos and nobody was brave enough to stick themselves in the way of it to get it clear. Add that to a sloppy second goal and poor marking from a set piece for the first, this team looks a million miles away from a Chris Wilder side.

Callum O’Hare struggled in his first season in red and white, widely maligned by fans for being too weak and not working hard enough, but he has been the only player that looks like he’s trying so far this campaign. His goal came from hard work in the box following a long throw, latching on to the bouncing ball and finishing well beyond Jacob Zetterstrom in the Derby goal. He had a few other chances himself as well as helping create them, the best of these a near-post effort that was well saved by the Swede. Zetterstrom has been the busiest keeper in the division this season, so he’s well practiced.

The game finished 3-1 and condemned Sheffield United to another weekend languishing in the Championship’s bottom three. They face a difficult trip to leaders Coventry in midweek before welcoming QPR to the Lane. Losses in both these games could really spell disaster for Wilder’s team as they then have to face Sheffield Wednesday, who will love nothing more than to drag their city rivals down to League One with them.

Derby, on the other hand, can start to look up the table for a change. Hull come to Pride Park in midweek, they’ve been in good form but their away record is middling and Derby will hope to capitalise on their winning streak and keep charging up the table. Then it’s a trip to strugglers, and Eustace’s former side, Blackburn and a home tie against the worst away side in the league in Watford. It would be very Derby to lose both of these, but if they were to extend their winning streak even further it might not be long before dreams of the play-offs are circling around fans’ heads once more.

LEICESTER OUTFOXED AT THE DEN

Millwall have catapulted themselves into the dizzy heights of third after an impressive victory while Leicester fall further adrift of the play-offs in their quest for an instant return to the top flight.

These two clubs are almost a perfect dichotomy of the two typical archetypes of sides you find in the top half of the Championship. On one hand you have the promotion veterans, they’ve spent years up in the Premier League and are used to yo-yoing between the divisions, they’ve thrown money at players to keep them up and been let down and are now facing the consequences of their reckless spending. Alternatively, you have the hopefuls doing things the right way. They sign young, high potential players from the lower divisions and abroad, developing them into superstars and moving them on to make room for the next crop of talent in the hope that one year the stars will align and they’ll find themselves reaching the big time.

Millwall aren’t one of the clubs blessed with bottomless resources or parachute payments to help them bolster their squad and make a push for a maiden promotion out of the Championship. However, through careful squad building and cleverly reinvesting funds from large player sales, they now find themselves in position to make a real push towards the Premier League. It’s been a long road for The Lions, which at many times has felt like it’s leading to nowhere. The club have been in the Championship since promotion from a brief stint in the third tier in the 2016/17 season. In the following years they have flirted with relegation just once and found themselves just outside the play-offs and hovering around mid-table every other season. The Championship’s nearly men have finished between 8th and 13th in every season bar one since promotion, finishing exactly 8th a remarkable four times and missing out on the play-offs again on the final day last season. While frustrating on occasion, their model of buy low and sell high while building and maintaining a competitive squad around their superstars is much more sustainable than throwing money that doesn’t exist at the team and risking falling short and being the next in a long line of Boltons, Derbys and Sheffield Wednesdays. After years of knocking on the door, it looks like this season may be the one they knock it down. Let’s just hope they don’t pass rivals West Ham on the way up, the Premier League deserves a Dockers Derby on Millwall’s first season in the division.

Leicester City have experienced it all in the last decade; promotions, relegations, an FA Cup win, Champions League football and the infamous odds-defying Premier League title. Due to their recent successes, you’d be forgiven for presuming they would walk the league with 100 points and 100 goals on their return to the Championship, but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for The Foxes. The club has been plagued with financial issues due to having a squad of players on inflated Premier League wages and being unable to sustain a regular spot in the division over the last few seasons. To combat this, Leicester had a fire sale in summer. They brought in around £50m in sales as well as letting high-earner’s contracts run out, namely club legend Jamie Vardy. Despite the clear out, the club haven’t been able to bring in anyone on a permanent basis as they are still trying to balance the books and make sure they don’t find themselves in a similar, or worse, situation again as soon as they’ve dug themselves out of this one. This isn’t to say they are playing the kids every week and are doing brilliantly to compete near the top end of the league, their squad is still mostly comprised of players signed in the Premier League era and those that helped them gain promotion last time out, and their players are valued at more than three times that of the Millwall squad that turned them over this weekend.

The visitors came into the game in dreadful form, winning only once in their previous seven outings. They’d also only lost once in this time, however, they’re just struggling to put games to bed when it matters and having to settle for disappointing points against sides they should be beating. Such is the tumultuous nature of the Championship, their run of draws has still kept them well in the race for a play-off place. Millwall had been in patchy form, but had built up a bit of a winning streak prior to this weekend. They had won three on the bounce, all against fellow promotion-chasers, and this form had seen them right back in the mix for a spot in next season’s Premier League.

The man of the hour was Millwall winger Femi Azeez. He fired off a few warning shots early doors, Belgian midfielder Casper de Norre latched onto a loose pass in the middle of the park and drove his team forwards before finding Azeez on the edge of the box. The wide man stormed into the box unopposed but his low shot was well saved by Leicester stopper Jakub Stolarczyk and nobody in navy blue was positioned to turn in the rebound.

Undeterred, de Norre and Azeez combined again just before halfway, and this time they wouldn’t be stopped. The Belgian received the ball in his own half, took a touch out of his feet and played a raking 50-yard ball over the top of the entire Leicester team towards a full-pelt Femi Azeez. The pass was perfectly weighted, arcing out of reach of any of the Leicester defence and dropping at the feet of the Millwall winger. Azeez held off the challenge of Luke Thomas expertly, brought the ball under his control and dinked the onrushing keeper before he could close the gap between them. Millwall went into the half in the lead and never looked back.

A 1-0 lead at the break was far from comfortable for the home supporters, however, as Millwall have lost three matches at The Den already this season despite being yet to lose away. As patchy as their home record has been, there was some comfort in the fact The Lions haven’t dropped a point from winning positions at all so far this campaign. Once they’ve got the lead, they tend to hold onto it.

Their afternoons could’ve been made a lot more comfortable had Mihailo Ivanovic converted his penalty just after half time. Once again Azeez was the heart of all things bright for Millwall, bursting into the box and being clumsily brought down by Harry Winks, leaving the referee with no choice but to point to the spot. The penalty was well saved, keeping the deficit at one goal and the heart rates of the Millwall faithful still rising.

The visitors had a couple of chances to level things up, substitute Julian Carranza sent an acrobatic overhead kick over the bar before Patson Daka was unable to direct his free header far enough into either corner to trouble the ‘keeper. Not Leicester’s day in the end as the home side ran out deserved winners in a close contest at The Den.

Millwall will, and should, take a lot of confidence from their recent run of results. Maximum points from West Brom, QPR, Stoke and Leicester is nothing to be sniffed at, and will be the kind of run they look back on and highlight if they are to end up promoted at the end of the season.

Their opponents need a turnaround, and quickly. They’re only two points from the top six but they’re in free-fall and in serious danger of losing a grip on the play-offs before it’s too late. The players are more than good enough to compete at the very top end of this division, so it won’t be long before attention begins to turn on Marti Cifuentes in the dugout. A lot of sides are performing above expectations at the top of the table as well as there being plenty of teams that haven’t played to their best that you’d expect to start picking up points soon, namely fellow relegated sides Ipswich and Southampton. If these teams kick on and the rest of the top half keep picking up points at the rate they are doing, Leicester could be left in the dust before they know what’s hit them. A long stint in the Championship is the last thing they need financially.

Millwall are fast becoming the feel-good story of the season. The question remains- is this sustainable? And will they still be up there come May?

Everyone likes them, they don’t care.

The Champions League is hotting up as we near the halfway stage of the league phase. Everyone’s domestic seasons are well underway and we now know what all the teams stand for, it’s time to test them against Europe’s very best.

Three weeks is a long, LONG time in football. So much has changed since I wrote the last one of these it feels like I’m reporting on a different competition entirely. Liverpool are rubbish now, Erling Haaland has somehow found another gear and Atletico and Inter are spending their international break playing friendlies in Benghazi. As you were.

Another juicy set of fixtures are lined up to put the very best through their paces, all eyes are on minnows Qarabag to see if they can go 3/3 and it’s a first proper test for Arsenal. A million goals this week, so strap in as we explore the drama and intrigue this famed competition always throws up for us.

The Results:

Tuesday 21st October

Barcelona 6-1 Olympiacos

An outstanding performance from one of the early favourites in Barcelona although the referee killed the game for the Greek side. After having a goal ruled out by VAR and changed to a spot kick, they scored the resulting penalty to bring the score to 2-1 before receiving the worst red card you’ve ever seen. Argentine midfielder Santiago Hezze’s arm gently brushed the face of Barca’s Marc Casado, Casado dropped like a sack of bricks and the referee immediately blew and gave a second yellow card. A ridiculous decision that ruined a game that, while they were on the back foot, Olympiacos were genuinely in with a chance of getting something from. The Barcelona players then began taking apart the Greek side with ruthless efficiency, Fermin Lopez hit a hat-trick and Marcus Rashford bagged a brace as the Catalan side built up their goal difference to help avoid missing out on the top eight by the finest of margins. Job done, gutting for Olympiacos.

Kairat Almaty 0-0 Pafos FC

Not exactly a headline-grabbing result, but amazing for Kairat to get the first ever Champions League point in their history. Pafos lost a man to a straight red card after just three minutes for a very reckless high boot but, despite the man disadvantage, Pafos had the better of the chances and should have scored on at least three occasions. Veteran defender David Luiz will be furious with himself for missing two sitters. Kairat were limited to mostly efforts from range as they struggled to break down the ten men of Pafos. An historic night to be proud of, but it could have been so much more for either side as they each chase a maiden Champions League victory.

Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid

It would be fair to level the criticism at Arsenal that some of their performances, while ultimately victorious, have been more function than stylish so far this season. Against Atleti however, they turned it up to eleven. The first half was cagey as both sides felt each other out, but Arsenal burst into life in the second period. Four goals in thirteen minutes buried a usually stoic Atletico beyond reach, Gabriel scoring his weekly header and Martinelli burying a great finish to make it three goals in three Champions League games before Viktor Gyökeres bundled in a brace to seal the points. Maximum points after three games for Arsenal and they look like they’re ready to go all the way this year. Atleti have lost twice already and have a tricky run in, they’ll need to turn it around against Belgian side USG next time out to put themselves in contention for the knockouts.

Bayer Leverkusen 2-7 PSG

Reigning champs PSG made it 3 wins from 3 in emphatic fashion on the road in Germany. Both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half, PSG centre half Ilya Zabarnyi received his marching orders just a few minutes after Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich. God only knows what the scoreline would’ve been if PSG had retained the man advantage for the rest of the game. Everyone got in on the act, not least Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé who marked their returns to Champions League action following injuries with a brace and a goal off the bench respectively. PSG aren’t even at full strength yet and they look magnificent, with everyone fit and firing and eleven men on the field I don’t see how anyone can beat them to the title in their current iteration. Frightening. Very little remains of the Xavi Alonso Leverkusen team that captured the hearts and minds of the world a couple of years ago, with the manager moved on and most of the players sold they are still yet to win in this years Champions League. They have a fairly favourable draw, but now have a large goal difference to overcome if they are to push themselves into contention for the knockout rounds.

FC København 2-4 Dortmund

Dortmund remain unbeaten and are cementing themselves as one of the most entertaining sides to watch in the competition. They’re the second highest goal-scorers, behind PSG, and have the leakiest defence in the top 18 sides at this stage. It’s safe to say you rarely leave a Dortmund match unsatisfied as a neutral. Both sides had dominant spells, but an away win is probably a fair result on balance. The first København goal was a gift from their visitors and they will be kicking themselves that they didn’t go on to capitalise on their subsequent spell of pressure. The Danes look buried already, they’re only on one point and will have to play consecutive Champions League games around friendly matches as their domestic season breaks over winter. It’ll be a huge ask for them to take on a fully-fit Barcelona side without having played competitively for weeks prior.

Newcastle 3-0 Benfica

Anthony Gordon is not letting Rashford take his England spot easily. The Newcastle winger is up to four goals and an assist already in this competition and looks to be combining wonderfully with big (monetarily and physically) Summer signing Nick Woltemade. A well deserved win for the Magpies that sneaks them into the top eight and Jose Mourinho’s Benfica still sit on zero points, they’ll have to conjure up the old Jose if they’re to come back from here.

PSV 6-2 Napoli

PSV grabbed their first win of the Champions League season by burying Napoli in The Netherlands. The Italian side took the lead through Scott McTominay before succumbing to two quick fire goals to go into half time 2-1 down. PSV struck next to make it 3-1 before Lorenzo Lucca received a straight red card to end all hopes of a comeback for the visitors. McTominay managed to grab another but the Dutch side hit 3 to seal an emphatic win. Antonio Conte will be furious his side have allowed their goal difference to take such a drastic hit so early on, three must-win games against teams that should be fairly routine tests are up next, it’ll be interesting to see where they are come week six.

Union St. Gilloise 0-4 Inter

Last year’s runners-up Inter have started as they mean to go on. 3 wins from 3 and no goals conceded as well as not being shy in front of goal, they’re definitely out for revenge. USG have suffered back-to-back 4-0 losses and have a wounded Atletico next, it’ll could be an early goodbye for the Belgian newbies.

Villarreal 0-2 Manchester City

Erling Haaland gives me nightmares. Each day I thank the powers above that the team I support don’t have to face this freak of nature, we have enough trouble with Championship forwards. Goals in 12 consecutive games and no sign of faltering, Erling Haaland is a big Norwegian steam train and nobody can stop him. City look nearly back to their best, turning teams over and seemingly invincible, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go all the way and win a second Champions League.

Wednesday 22nd October

Athletic Club 3-1 Qarabag

Consider my heart broken. The dream was on as Qarabag took the lead within a minute and I seriously started to believe we could see them get into the top 8 positions. My dreams were subsequently shattered as the Basque club brushed off their early setback and settled in to a dominant display, putting on a clinic on how to sweep aside weaker opponents in this competition. It was their first European points of the season, a platform to build before their trip to Newcastle.

Galatasaray 3-1 Bodø/Glimt

Victor Osimhen is wasted in Türkiye, but it looks like he’s having a wonderful time. Two goals for him today sealed Bodø’s first loss in the competition, it looks like they could come to rue missed opportunities against Spurs last time out. The Norwegians had the majority of the ball but Galatasaray were devastating on the counter, they’ve won twice now after a big loss to Frankfurt to start the campaign and they’re really starting to pick up steam. If any team outside the traditional top 5 leagues are to break the status quo and go deep this year, I’d wager it’d be them.

Atalanta 0-0 Slavia Prague

Atalanta’s performance had everything but the goal to seal a victory. Slavia defended admirably and warded off wave after wave of attacks from the Italians, but the home side will know they should’ve done better. The visitors had plenty of chances of their own and, on another day, they could’ve come away with all the points. A solid performance from both sides, but a point the away team will be happier with.

Bayern Munich 4-0 Club Brugge

Bayern are another of the five sides on maximum points after 3 rounds. Seventeen year-old Lennart Karl stole the headlines this time out with a fantastic strike to open the scoring on his first start in the competition, as if Bayern needed any more top-class forwards. Speaking of, Harry Kane scored again. It’s coming home.

Chelsea 5-1 Ajax

All three of Chelsea’s youngest ever Champions League goal-scorers were in this game, with Brazilian winger Estevao taking top spot. Ajax received a red card after just fifteen minutes for a reckless challenge and then subsequently never offered anything at either end of the pitch. The penalty was their only shot on target all game and they were split open by an extremely professional Chelsea display. Ajax are still without a point and have looked abject in their matches so far, not the performances you expect from such a storied club.

Frankfurt 1-5 Liverpool

Liverpool are back baby! I think. All three of Frankfurt’s games have finished 5-1 so far, with them being on the receiving end twice. They’re a great watch for the neutral, a 3-0 loss to Bayern being the lowest scoring game of their season so far, but their defensive frailties are so easily exploitable by any half-decent side that they’re primed to be picked apart in this competition. Frankfurt took the lead early on before Liverpool hit 3 in 9 minutes to put the game to bed, seeing out the second period in professional fashion and grabbing an extra two goals to boost their goal difference. Interestingly, Liverpool started the game without Mohammed Salah and looked a much more balanced and fluid team than they have done in recent weeks with their main man in the side, I’m sure if Arne Slot had any hair he’d be pulling it out mulling over his next team selection.

Monaco 0-0 Tottenham

Spurs ‘keeper Guglielmo Vicario should be carried around the training ground on his teammates’ shoulders all week after this performance. If not for him, Monaco could’ve easily hit 4 or 5 and on another day they would’ve ran away with the game from the first whistle. Brennan Johnson missed a golden chance to steal the points late on but couldn’t quite find the net, so Spurs have to settle again for a point they probably don’t deserve. They’ll need to perform significantly better than this to advance any further.

Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus

Jude Bellingham is back! Did I mention it’s coming home? Real extended their 100% winning record in their favourite competition in a solid and professional manor, restricting Juventus to few opportunities while dominating possession and probing their box until they got the goal they’d been pushing for. Dusan Vlahovic did have a great chance in the second half to put his team in front but enormous Belgian machine Thibaut Courtois was equal to his effort. Madrid march on, Juventus remain winless.

Sporting CP 2-1 Marseille

The sixth, and final, red card of the round fell to Marseille as they went down to 10 men on half-time at 1-0 up. Sporting took full advantage and pushed all the way through the second-half until they broke Marseille’s resolve and got themselves into the lead. Any week Marseille lose is a great week in my books as they shamelessly continue to employ the players they do. The sooner they’re knocked out the competition, the better.

Game Of The Round:

Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid

Arsenal recorded their 100th win in Champions League history with an emphatic 4-0 thumping of Atletico Madrid, the English side certainly came into the game as favourites but not even the most devout Gooner could’ve seen such a rout coming.

The Gunners are 3 from 3 and yet to concede in the league phase so far, a perfect start for Mikel Arteta’s side. The first half was a bit cagey, the best chance falling to the feet of Julian Alvarez as the normally dependable David Raya came way out of his area and left the net gaping. Fortunately for Arsenal, the angle was just too tight for the forward to squeeze the ball in and they were let off with a warning.

The second half came and the home side exploded, four goals in thirteen minutes buried any hope for Atleti and sent the fans home bouncing.

Accusations of Arsenal being boring and not clinical enough have, up to this point, been absolutely valid. But it looks like they might be starting to turn a corner. Makes a change to just scoring from them every week.

Gabriel remains a devastating threat from set-pieces and Eberechi Eze thrived deployed in a more central role in the absence of Martin Ødegaard. A special mention to the performance of Myles Lewis-Skelly by the way, the teenage sensation has found game time hard to come by as Arsenal strengthened their backline over the summer, but he took his chance excellently. The way he drove almost the length of the pitch through the compact Atleti midfield to lay the assist on for Gabriel Martinelli was phenomenal. He’ll hope Thomas Tuchel saw that one.

A great day for Arsenal and an uncharacteristically poor one for their opponents. After Arsenal overcome a test like this it’s hard not to think of them as contenders for a first European title.

Player Of The Round:

In a week with goals all over the place I’m going with one of the only players who managed to stop them flying in, Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Italian goalkeepers, you just expect them to be good. They’re like Spanish midfielders or Argentinian 10s, they just always seem to be brilliant.

While not his country’s first choice, the Spurs stopper is a more than capable deputy that has proven his ability at the top level on many occasions. His performance in Monaco this week might be the best of the lot.

Vicario made 8 saves across the game, some of which looked like certain goals, as well as being strong in the air and distributing the ball well to his hapless teammates. Monaco could have, and perhaps should have, won the game by a few goals and his performance could be crucial in how both of these sides’ Champions League campaigns progress with points hard to come by.

Guglielmo, you deserve better.

The Table:

3 down, 5 to go.

The table is starting to shape up a bit now and we can start to project where teams might finish come judgement day.

Newcastle fans will be delighted with their performances after a difficult opener against Barcelona, if they could occupy those top eight spots come the end of the league phase that would be a fantastic achievement after the summer of unrest they’ve just faced.

Qarabag, Sporting and Galatasaray are the three sides outside the traditional “Top 5” leagues to pick up two wins from their opening three games, it would be great to see all of them make the knockout stages to mix it up a bit.

Juventus, Benfica and Ajax are yet to win. The latter two are yet to even pick up a point. Fans of these historic clubs won’t accept the performances they’ve been shown for much longer and I wouldn’t be shocked to see some movement in the Ajax dugout if things don’t turn around sharpish.

Still, the rich get richer as those teams at the sharp end of things are the ones you’d typically expect. Bayern, PSG, Inter, Arsenal and Real Madrid top the tree with maximum returns from their games so far, but all five of them can’t play in the final.

Who will make it to Budapest in May? And, more importantly, who won’t even make it out of the league?

Just two weeks until the halfway mark and things really start to get tasty.

TIGERS CLAW THEMSELVES INTO PLAY-OFF CONTENTION

Chris Davies’ Blues continue to find life back in the Championship more difficult than they had imagined in pre-season, whereas their opposition are enjoying a fantastic start to the campaign after they flirted with relegation last time out.

This is the first time Davies has had to face any adversity in his managerial career, his first head coach role came just last season in Birmingham’s record-breaking rout of the third tier and all was rosy. Everyone was keen to see how he’d react if things started to go against them, and at the moment it doesn’t look good.

The home side dominated possession and had the majority of the chances but were unable to make it count when it mattered. They were yet to lose at home this season before this weekends’ game, but this result marks a fourth consecutive game without a victory and takes them to just one win in eight across all competitions. Something has to change quickly, they spent big in the Summer on high-profile players and the board will need their faith in Davies to be rewarded, football is a cut-throat business so don’t be surprised to see question marks around his future if things don’t start to turn around soon.

It was a bad day to have Jack Robinson in your fantasy team. He scored the opener after ten minutes, albeit in his own net, and followed up with two yellow cards for dissent in quick succession on the hour mark to see his afternoon cut short. This was Robinson’s second dismissal in just four appearances for his new side and the Birmingham faithful have not taken to their new boy, there is plenty of clamour for him to be dropped permanently and replaced by fellow summer arrival Phil Neumann. If he carries on as he is doing, the fans don’t have to worry about him being available to play most of their matches anyway.

Jay Stansfield cost Birmingham, depending on whose fans you consult, anywhere between £15-100m. He managed to score a brace today to take his tally to 42 in blue and white. His first was a classic striker’s finish, lingering around the six-yard box and tapping home a smart finish on the volley as he followed up on a rebounded effort from a teammate. 1-1 with just under half an hour played.

It looked like the scores would remain level into the break, but Hull midfielder Regan Slater decided against it. The visitors broke forwards on one of their rare forays into the box and crossed the ball in from the right. Slater was unmarked in the box and diverted a beautiful header back across goal into the top corner to give his side the lead in the last seconds of stoppage time. A brilliant time to score for Hull and Birmingham had it all to do to come back into the game in the second period.

Robinson’s red card ceased all hope of a Birmingham win, although the hosts did still push forwards for an equaliser with the man disadvantage and managed to limit Hull’s chances at the other end. Sergej Jakirovic’s side defended admirably and soaked up the pressure from Birmingham with ease. They looked comfortable in defence and frightening on the break, a far cry from their bumbling mistake-ridden and confidence-shy approach last season under Ruben Selles. Promising signs for the Tigers.

The standard of officiating in the EFL is often derided, and for good reason. The latest stain on their record came in this match as Stansfield was brought down on the break by Hull midfielder Matt Crooks. Already on a booking, Crooks was dismayed as he saw the referee reach for his pocket to give him a second yellow. The yellow card came, but it was given to John Egan in error and the match continued with Hull having their full quota of eleven players and Birmingham rightfully incensed. These headline errors are obviously unacceptable, but the general standard across the divisions is really poor and something has to be done to make sure every team across the football league is confident that whoever’s in charge of the game has the ability to make the rights calls under pressure. It will take a long while to build up the trust between the officials and players, coaches and fans back to where it should be.

Birmingham’s best chance of equalising came, bizarrely, from their goalkeeper James Beadle. He had made his way up for a late corner and found himself with a free header only a few yards from the goal. To be fair to him, it’s probably not something he spends hours practicing, so his header sailed harmlessly over the bar. What an end to the game that would have been.

Hull finally hammered home their man advantage in stoppage time, breaking forwards clinically on the counter and sliding the ball to an unmarked Joe Gelhardt in the box for the Leeds loanee to bury his third of the campaign. There was a faint glimmer hope for the home side as Jay Stansfield converted an extremely late penalty to bring the game back within a one goal margin but there wasn’t enough time, or Birmingham players on the pitch, for them to mount any meaningful comeback. Full-time, 3-2 to Hull.

The Championship, eh? Who doesn’t love it? Jack Robinson scoring an own goal and getting sent off for dissent in the same match, mistaken identity causing Hull to avoid a deserved sending off and a goalkeeper nearly scoring an injury-time equaliser. It’s the best league in the world.

As much as the drama is excellent, the standard of play from this season’s Championship roster has been comparatively poor to previous years. Hull are certainly in the play-off race, but who isn’t? It’s hard to make an argument for anyone bar the troubled Sheffield Wednesday not being capable of making a few tweaks and shooting up the table into the play-offs, and simultaneously easy to see any of the current top six dropping out. The level across the league feels very even at this stage, and it’s making for great viewing. Anyone can beat anyone, not that everyone is exactly proving that at the minute, and every team has players that can make the difference in key moments.

As far as these sides are concerned, Hull will be ecstatic with their start. It began a bit shaky, but three wins from four and the excellent form of Ryan Giles, Oli McBurnie and Joe Gelhardt will be enough to put a smile on even the most hardened Hull fans’ faces. They have a clear identity, direction and system and a centre forward that knows where the goal is, and in this division that’s sometimes all you need to push you into contention. Long-term, they’ll hope this run continues, but many people had them as relegation-certs before a ball was kicked so any position above 22nd is a welcome bonus.

The current Birmingham administration hasn’t had need to pressure Chris Davies as of yet, as their main man delivered the best possible season for them last time out. We’re yet to truly get to grips with how they operate, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see their trigger fingers start to get a little twitchy if the tide doesn’t turn Birmingham’s way sooner rather than later. They have the ambition, and the backing, to join their city rivals Villa in the Premier League, but are currently equidistant from the play-offs and relegation and risk being buried under a pile of marginally better Championship sides. We haven’t seen enough to know how Davies will cope under the pressure, but he has the squad at his disposal to deliver on the board’s expectations and they have shown glimpses of what they’re capable of this season.

Two sides with opposing expectations at the beginning of the season now looking with wide-eyes at the end of the table they didn’t expect to be muddled in with. It’ll be interesting to see how things look come Christmas.