Another Championship manager to be sacked as Birmingham City steal a march on rivals
Birmingham City return to the Championship in good shape after cruising to the League One title with 111 points
There are more than a few Championship clubs in turmoil ahead of Birmingham City’s return to the second tier.
Ordinarily, Blues would be in the mire at this time of year, scraping the barrel for the signings that nobody else wants and preparing for life under another new manager.
That couldn’t be further from the truth about today’s Birmingham City.
The club is a picture of health going into a Championship season looking to add quality to an already strong squad.
In Chris Davies, they have a manager who they hope and believe will lead them from the doldrums of League One to the bright lights of the Premier League. Step one is complete, step two is pending.
But the same cannot be said for the rest of the Championship. Sheffield United are expected to sack Chris Wilder after they failed to reach the Premier League.
The Blades were part of a three-horse race for automatic promotion to the Premier League last season, eventually losing out to Leeds United and Burnley. They went on to lose the Championship play-off final to Sunderland.
There have been five appointments already: Liam Manning at Norwich, Ryan Mason at West Brom, Paulo Pezzolano at Watford, Sergej Jakirovic at Hull and Will Still at Southampton.
There are vacancies remaining at Bristol City and Middlesbrough, while Marti Cifuentes is on gardening leave and about to be replaced at Queens Park Rangers. Danny Rohl appears to be angling for an exit route at crisis club Sheffield Wednesday.
Relegated club Leicester City haven’t clarified the future of manager Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna could yet be handed a Premier League job.
Nine Championship teams are confirmed to begin next season with new managers and there could be more firing and hiring yet.
Blues, meanwhile, head into next season with continuity and that has to count for something.
While the rest of the teams are scratching around, trying to find the best formulas, Blues should be equipped to hit the ground running.