The seven most interesting Championship managers

The Championship is a really interesting league to consider.

Despite being a second-tier league it is one of the best-supported divisions of football anywhere in the world. More recently, despite its strange and confusing name it has managed to overcome a long-standing reputation as a test of one’s physical endurance and little else.

18+ See HERE for full T&Cs. Promotion dates: 10/12/18 – 1/01/19. New players only. Deposit and stake a min. of £50 on Casino or Live Casino to get 1 ticket into the prize draw- X2 packages for a 5-night stay at the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Finland for two. Winners will be contacted on 2/01/19. Opt in to bonus and communications to be eligible. BeGambleAware.org

This change in image has come about largely because of the change in the type of managers in charge in the Championship these days. Sure, you’ve still got Tony Pulis, Tony Mowbray and Steve McClaren knocking about, but there are a large number of coaches in English football’s second division who bring something more to the table, something different. Here’s a list of the seven most interesting managers the division has to offer:

1. Marcelo Bielsa

Managing: Leeds United
Since: June 2018
W/D/L: 13/6/4 (56.5% win rate)

They call this man “El Loco” and he’s influenced everyone from Mauricio Pochettino to Pep Guardiola. You could write a book about how his training and tactical focus is so intense it physically shatters players (look at how many injuries Leeds have suffered this year) but how it also turns nearly everyone he coaches into a tactically aware, hyper-intelligent positional footballers. You probably won’t ever win anything with Bielsa but he will lay some of the greatest groundwork in the world (just ask Chile and Athletic Bilbao who broke huge trophy droughts with the coach after Bielsa).

2. Daniel Farke

Managing: Norwich
Since: May 2017
W/D/L: 34/21/22 (44.2% win rate)

Straight out of the home of Gegenpressing comes this coach with a possession obsession. Farke is the latest Dortmund II wunderkind coach to be imported into the Football League but his style of play is so different one can’t help but admire him. His use of young players and focus on passing play and possession means that Norwich can adapt to losing star men like James Maddison and keep on developing. It also means their system has a near-infinite ability to scale as long as the investment is consistent.

3. Darren Moore

Managing: West Brom
Since: April 2018
W/D/L: 15/8/7 (50% win rate)

Darren Moore is an all-too-rare instance of a black coach being given a chance (Moore is one of fewer than 10 black and minority ethnic (BAME) coaches working among the 92 professional coaches in England). Moore was given caretaker charge last season as West Brom looked doomed, and he nearly kept them up with while beating Tottenham and holding Manchester United to a draw. Now in permanent charge, he’s redeveloping West Brom into a genuine contender for an instant return to the Premier League.

4. Graham Potter

Managing: Swansea
Since: June 2018
W/D/L: 8/5/9 (36.4% win rate)

At first glance, there’s nothing interesting about Graham Potter. Then you look closer and you realise that for eight years prior to getting the Swansea job he managed Ostersund, in Sweden, whom he guided from the fourth tier of Swedish football all the way to the Europa League while encouraging his players to engage with their community, perform theatre and so on. He’s extremely unconventional and although he’s had a rough start in South Wales, here’s hoping he can turn it around.

5. Dean Smith

Managing: Aston Villa
Since: October 2018
W/D/L: 5/2/2 (55.6% win rate)

Dean Smith is one for the stat heads. The English coach developed previous club Brentford into one of the most joyous passing teams in the Championship. When he left for the Midlands, Brentford’s expected goals (xG) was a whopping 2.02 (a league-best) while Villa’s was a paltry 1.30. Since he’s been at Villa Park, the former European Champions have an xG of 2.12 (the best in the league) and Brentford have dropped all the way to 1.04. Dean Smith makes football fun again. And for that, he can’t be commended enough.

6. Neil Harris

Managing: Millwall
Since: March 2015
W/D/L: 90/52/62 (44.1% win rate)

Managers have a very short shelf life in modern football, but Neil Harris has been managing Millwall for over three years. In fact, Harris is the longest-serving Championship manager by at least a year (and the 10th longest-serving boss across all 92 active managers). That in itself is incredibly interesting; as Harris hasn’t exactly had resounding success – though he did get them promoted via the play-offs. Harris’ status as a Millwall legend (he played over 350 league games for the club) probably makes him harder to sack.

7. Frank Lampard

Managing: Leeds United
Since: May 2018
W/D/L: 13/5/7 (52% win rate)

Frank Lampard looks great in a suit, but he also looks like he genuinely does have some managerial chops too. He’s reshaping Derby, getting them to play some wonderfully attractive football based around youngsters like Mason Mount and Harry Wilson. The resounding victory over Manchester United in the EFL Cup was like a flag being planted by Lampard; he means business. With Super Frank at the helm Derby are on the road to promotion; and who’d bet against them?

18+ See HERE for full T&Cs. Promotion dates: 10/12/18 – 1/01/19. New players only. Deposit and stake a min. of £50 on Casino or Live Casino to get 1 ticket into the prize draw- X2 packages for a 5-night stay at the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Finland for two. Winners will be contacted on 2/01/19. Opt in to bonus and communications to be eligible. BeGambleAware.org

The post The seven most interesting Championship managers appeared first on Squawka News.

From Squawka NewsSquawka News https://ift.tt/2RYvqGT