Celtic 1-0 St Mirren: What Robinson said
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The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
How the Championship's compelling and cruel nature delivers every time
After an indictment of the Championship, its advertisement came shortly after. Its last three escapees procured just 59 Premier League points between them and were swiftly cast back to the Football League. Yet Tommy Watson's injury-time play-off winner for Sunderland showed the Championship in its full glory: the drama and the dream, the £200m reward for promotion, but also the emotion. And, crucially, the unpredictability. Sunderland's promotion without the benefit of parachute payments offered hope for the Championship's upwardly mobile middle class; it was less good news for Chris Wilder, sacked by Sheffield United. Luton's relegation back to League One, with parachute payments, showed the Championship can be both compelling and cruel. Last year's division was both tight, with only 20 points separating demoted Luton from fifth-place Coventry, and subject to a rare level of domination, with Leeds and Burnley twinned on 100 points at the top. So to the 2025-26 Championship, to the familiar assortment of the ambitious and the expensive, the impatient and the impoverished. The division starts with the familiar expectation that, in footballing gravity, what has come down must go back up, but also the potential that those who have come up, in Birmingham City and Wrexham, may be expected to do the same. It also begins with 11 managerial changes. Two of them are among the outcasts from the Premier League. Marti Cifuentes has been tasked with emulating Enzo Maresca at Leicester, but becomes the club's sixth manager in under three years and starts with the handicap of a potential points deduction, after Leicester were charged with a PSR breach in 2023-24. While there have been a few arrivals and, aside from Jamie Vardy, few notable departures, the squad still boasts plenty of quality. Southampton hired the managerial wunderkind Will Still, in charge of a fifth club at just 32. It could be seen as a dramatic response to a calamitous season or the best appointment they could make in the circumstances. After getting just 12 points, it is a peculiarity that their last two managers, Russell Martin and Ivan Juric, could both manage in the Champions League this season. In the Championship, Saints will be without Aaron Ramsdale, Kyle Walker-Peters, Jan Bednarek, Adam Lallana, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Paul Onuachu, presumably with a couple more departures to follow. But some players who seemed to inhabit the no-man's land of being too good for the Championship and not good enough for the Premier League. Certainly, an attacking contingent of Adam Armstrong, Ben Brereton Diaz, Cameron Archer and Ross Stewart belong in that category; the young American Damion Downs, a £7m buy, could be another source of goals. Then there is Ipswich, with continuity in the dugout under Kieran McKenna, and much on the pitch. Liam Delap has left, and Omari Hutchinson may follow, but part of their recruitment last year was to sign the Championship all-stars, which should stand them in good stead. They look set to be joined by the 2022-23 Championship player of the year, Chuba Akpom, while Ashley Young won promotion from the division in 2006 and is older than his manager. Ipswich may look the likeliest bet for promotion. Their journey from League One to the Premier League in successive seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24 may offer encouragement to Birmingham and Wrexham. The Blues come fresh from earning 111 points last season and a manager in Chris Davies, who has a similar career path to McKenna, as a highly-rated coach at a top club. Birmingham have bought the former Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi, and alongside Jay Stansfield, gives them considerable firepower. While bringing back Demarai Gray, at 29, shows an immediate determination to get promotion. Wrexham, meanwhile, have the Hollywood owners and the least Hollywood of managers, in Phil Parkinson. Their income is boosted by their commercial appeal, and some of it is being spent on a series of signings. Conor Coady may be both the most high-profile and the loudest but it is worth remembering this is just the second spell in the second tier in their history and that, three years ago, they were in non-league. In clashes of clubs who have travelled in opposite directions, it scarcely feels a coincidence that the first games of the season are Birmingham against Ipswich and Wrexham's trip to Southampton. Yet the 18 clubs that went neither up nor down may look at Sunderland, and their influence might be seen across the division. Some of the managerial newcomers look like attempts to find their own Regis Le Bris. QPR went for Julien Stephan, another Rennes alumnus, to take over from Cifuentes. Sergey Jakirovic has become the latest in an eclectic line of Hull appointments. Paulo Pezzolano, deemed a promotion specialist, was hired by Watford, which tends to be a precursor to being fired by Watford. Sheffield United replaced Wilder with Ruben Selles, looking for more AI-led recruitment; artificial intelligence led them to the Bulgarian market. The Spaniard may have traded up in the division, but there was intrigue in Liam Manning leaving play-off finishers Bristol City, for Norwich, who came in the bottom half despite having two of the four top scorers. It spoke to the untapped potential at Carrow Road. It is a boost, though perhaps only a temporary one, that Josh Sargent has stayed while the Canaries are looking for new signing Mathias Kvistgarden to replace Borja Sainz. Among last season's other underachievers, Ryan Mason gets his first managerial job at West Bromwich Albion. Middlesbrough have brought in Rob Edwards, who played a part in Luton's exit from the division in each direction, for Michael Carrick. Carrick may have underperformed last season, but not as much as an old teammate. Thus far, however, no one has made the mistake of appointing Wayne Rooney. Frank Lampard has been lazily lumped in with some of England's golden generation as they stumbled in various dugouts, but he had a transformative impact at Coventry last season. In a division where the majority of teams are evenly matched, the right choice, coupled with momentum, can make a difference. Lampard's predecessor, Mark Robins, might end Stoke's status as the division's annual disappointments. Millwall's club-record buy of Josh Coburn shows their goals too. There were, though, too few goals last season, with just 2.45 per game, down from 2.68 per game in 2023-24. And it was not just because of Burnley's astonishing total of 30 clean sheets. Parsimony paid off for them. Others are forced into frugality. Hull have a transfer embargo, meaning they cannot buy. Sheffield Wednesday are in more desperate straits as owner Dejphon Chansiri's reign unravels. Their transfer embargo is compounded by the exits of unpaid players and the manager, Danny Rohl, leaving his replacement Henrik Pedersen with a horribly thin squad, despite the admirable loyalty of Barry Bannan. The enforced closure of the North Stand at Hillsborough on safety grounds has not helped matters. A club is in crisis. While others imagine going up, the season begins with the probability that an increasingly beleaguered Wednesday will go down.
The Guardian
28 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Football transfer rumours: Baleba to Manchester United? McGinn to Newcastle?
With Benjamin Sesko very close to joining Manchester United, the recruitment bods need something else to do. They have passed the time by trying to find out just how much it would cost to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton. Ruben Amorim needs an extra central midfielder who can actually run around a bit and the Cameroonian would be ideal but the Seagulls are not keen on selling. Across Manchester, it's about trying to get rid of a few as Pep Guardiola wants to trim his squad. Jack Grealish does not look like he will get much in the way of minutes at City this season and will seek opportunities elsewhere. Everton have made contact with City as the seek a season-long loan but are a bit worried about how much the winger is actually on because they will not be able to pay the full lot. One person not heading out the Etihad Stadium exit door is Mateo Kovacic. Saudi Premier League clubs have expressed interest in the Croatian midfielder but it is just not the move for the 31-year-old who would rather stay in the Premier League. Having missed out on every man and his dog this summer, Newcastle have their eyes firmly fixed on the next person to turn them down. He goes by the name John McGinn and he currently plays for Aston Villa. Everton previously made enquiries about the Scottish midfielder but nothing was doing. Nottingham Forest are the latest club to find that Ipswich are not particularly eager to let Omari Hutchinson go. Brentford tried to steal away earlier in the summer and now Evangelos Marinakis has offered a massive wad adding up to £35m, only to be told that is not enough and been sent on his way. A more likely move involving Forest and a winger could see Jota Silva leave the club and return to Portugal with Sporting. The Tricky Trees want double the £5.9m they paid for him 12 months ago. The world may need to get used to two Idrissa Gueyes in the Premier League because West Ham are stepping up their interest in the Metz teenage prodigy who shares a name with the Everton man. The French club want £13m for the forward, who has also attracted interest from Manchester United and Brentford. José Mourinho is eyeing a £13m for the Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma, who is tempted by a move to Fenerbahce. West Ham and Juventus could, however, provide competition for his signature. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion One midfielder wanting to leave Turkey is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The midfielder looks set to be released by Besiktas soon enough and that has alerted English clubs to his availability. Leeds might fancy securing the services on the former England International for absolutely nothing.
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
Birmingham vs Ipswich preview: Free betting tips, odds and predictions for Championship opener
BIRMINGHAM CITY and Ipswich Town will raise the curtain on the 2025/26 Championship season when they meet at St Andrew's on Friday night. SunSport betting experts have previewed the contest and selected the best bets, tips and exclusive sign-up bonuses from our leading betting partners. Birmingham vs Ipswich preview The Championship returns this weekend, promising an exciting start as Birmingham City and Ipswich Town raise the curtain on the 2025/26 season at St Andrew's. This time last year, both sides had very different objectives - the Tractor Boys were battling to avoid Premier League relegation, while Birmingham were chasing automatic promotion. Now, both share the same ambition: promotion to the top tier of English football. Although Ipswich couldn't preserve their Premier League status, optimism remains high around the club, with bookmakers installing them as favourites to win the Championship title outright (1/1). Kieran McKenna's squad looks well-equipped for an immediate bounce back, despite losing Liam Delap to Chelsea. McKenna - who boasts a 58.3% win ratio in the EFL across 116 games - is widely regarded as one of the best managers in the division, and retains much of the squad from last season including the likes of Omari Hutchinson, Jaden Philogene and Jacob Greaves. They've also enjoyed a perfect pre-season, winning all four of their friendlies and netting 12 goals in the process - including an impressive 3-0 victory over Ligue 1 side Auxerre last time out. Optimism is equally high at Tom Brady's Birmingham City, who are third-favourites for promotion at 2/1 - and it's not hard to see why, given the quality of their summer recruitment. Striker Kyogo Furuhashi has arrived in a deal worth up to £10million, Demarai Gray joined on a free transfer, highly-rated midfielder Tommy Doyle has signed on a season-long loan, and Bright Osayi-Samuel - who was playing under Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce - is another exciting addition. Chris Davies' side smashed the League One points record last season, going unbeaten at home and suffering just three defeats all campaign. Birmingham vs Ipswich preview betting tips and predictions Away win This looks like a prime opportunity for title favourites Ipswich Town to make a statement in front of the television cameras - and at a very tempting price. As mentioned, the Tractor Boys look a well-oiled machine, retaining much of the core that secured promotion in 2023/24. Key players such as Leif Davis, Conor Chaplin, Nathan Broadhead and George Hirst are all still in place, alongside standout Championship performers Sammie Szmodics and Jacob Greaves. Ipswich are also unbeaten in their last six Championship meetings with Birmingham City, registering three wins and three draws. There's little doubt that Birmingham will be a force this season - but with several debutants expected to feature, the opening weekend might just be the perfect time to face them. First goalscorer No Liam Delap? Step forward George Hirst. With Delap now at Stamford Bridge, it's Hirst who leads the line for Ipswich - and the early signs suggest he's more than capable of filling the void. The 26-year-old forward, who scored three goals in the Premier League last season, has hit the ground running in pre-season, netting four times in as many games - twice as the first goalscorer. Terms and conditions *Midnite: 18+ New customers only. Place a £5+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get £25 in Free Bets + 50 Free Spins, valid for 7 days on selected bets and games only. T&Cs apply. *7bet: 1st deposit. Min £10 stake. £10 free bet. 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