The Championship - Week 16 review / week 17 preview

By Andrew Iddon

Week 16 - Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson paid the price for his side’s poor start to life in the Championship when he was axed following the defeat at Newcastle. Whilst the decision was harsh on Ferguson considering the progress he had made at the club over the last couple of years, the result on the day was anything but with the Magpies strolling to victory at their ludicrously renamed sportsdirect.com@St James Park Stadium. The home team motored into a three goal lead, with Andy Carroll joined on the scoresheet by maiden goalscorers Jonas Gutierrez and Danny Simpson. Dean Keates scored a consolation, the last goal of Ferguson’s era, but it was Newcastle who took the points in Chris Hughton’s first game as permanent manager.

The Welsh derby at the Liberty Stadium provided five goals as the home team emerged victorious. With Cardiff missing 24 goals-worth of attackers in Peter Whittingham and Michael Chopra, it was left to Swansea’s Darren Pratley to play the goal hero. Nathan Dyer and Pratley had put the Swans into a two-goal lead only for Jay Bothroyd and Mark Hudson to quickly level matters before half-time. As the hour mark approached, it was Pratley who settled the tie with a close range volley, ensuring that his team’s unbeaten record extended to a 10th match.

Having won for the first time last weekend, Ipswich were unable to repeat the feat as a Simon Church goal for Reading cancelled out Jon Stead’s opener at the Madejski Stadium. With the Royals yet to win at home and the Tractor Boys yet to win away, the smart money was on a draw, although Reading were harshly denied a chance to claim a win from the penalty spot after Shane Long was hacked down in the area. The point was enough to lift Ipswich off the bottom but was not enough to prevent Reading from slipping into the bottom three.

Gordon Strachan saw his second match in charge of Middlesbrough end in a second defeat as his team fell at Crystal Palace. Darren Ambrose hit his tenth goal of the season, eight of them coming in the league, as Boro slipped to tenth, just two points above Palace. There was better news for promotion favourites West Brom as they ended Leicester’s winning run. Goals in quick succession before the break from Graham Dorrans and Gonzalo Jara were enough for the Baggies, with Bruno Berner’s stoppage time goal merely a consolation for the Foxes.

Blackpool moved into the play-off spots with a comprehensive victory over Scunthorpe. Paul Hayes gave the Iron, who had goalkeeper Joe Murphy sent off, the lead in the second half, but four different players got on the scoresheet for the Tangerines to seal victory. There were also home wins for Derby, Plymouth and Watford, whilst QPR won away at Sheffield Wednesday. Nottingham Forest and Bristol City both scored late on as they drew at the City Ground and the weekend was rounded off with a Monday night draw at Oakwell in the derby between South Yorkshire sides Barnsley and Sheffield United.

Week 16 results

Friday November 6, 2009
Derby 2-1 Coventry

Saturday November 7, 2009
Blackpool 4-1 Scunthorpe
Crystal Palace 1-0 Middlesbrough
Leicester City 1-2 West Brom
Newcastle 3-1 Peterborough
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Bristol City
Plymouth 2-1 Doncaster
Reading 1-1 Ipswich
Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 QPR
Swansea 3-2 Cardiff
Watford 2-0 Preston

Monday November 9, 2009
Barnsley 2-2 Sheffield United

Week 17 - With the international break interrupting league action for two weeks, there is a chance for Championship managers to take stock of how their team has fared in the first third of the season. Among the happier managers will be Chris Hughton of Newcastle. Ahead of their away visit to Preston, the Magpies sit two points clear at the top of the table and a whole six points above the play-off spots. Having started the season as caretaker manager amidst a club in chaos, Hughton now finds himself with a permanent contract and with an owner who is not currently looking to sell to the first acceptable bidder. Newcastle have kept hold of enough of their Premier League-quality players to ensure they have settled well at a lower level and a swift return to the top flight looks much more likely than it did when the season kicked off.

Also among the happy chaps in charge will be Ian Holloway. Always in possession of a sound bite or six, Holloway’s managerial record has been patchy. The neutrals will be willing him to succeed, if only to keep the bizarre analogies coming after each game, but it looks like he has found his fit at Blackpool. Few will have predicted the low-budget Tangerines would be occupying a play-off spot after 16 games but their lofty position is more than deserved. Whilst they have just one win away from home, something they will hope to add to when they travel to Reading, they are unbeaten at home and victorious in their last six games at Bloomfield Road.

Less happy will be new Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan. His high profile reputation and outspoken nature means expectations will be high, and they will be even higher at the Riverside given that the two clubs that were relegated along with Boro last season are flying high at the top of the table. Having started the season well, the Teesside club are stuttering badly, winning just twice in the last nine games. Their home form will be Strachan’s biggest worry, with three points taken just once in a five game run that includes three defeats. Goals have been a problem, with the inconsistent and selfish Leroy Lita joined in recent weeks by misfiring loanee Marcus Bent. Both club and manager will have the necessary draw to entice worthy signings in January but the worry will be that top scorer Adam Johnson is likely to be snapped up, most likely for less than his true worth. Next up, Strachan has a tricky home tie with Nottingham Forest to contemplate and he will be eager to get a first win under his belt.

Love him or hate him, Neil Warnock is one of the Championship’s real characters and his mood in recent weeks will have been much improved. After a poor start to the season that included a home hammering by Scunthorpe, the Eagles are now beginning to soar. Just one defeat in the last ten games has seen the team rise to 13th and they are just five points off a play-off position. Palace perhaps draw too many games but avoiding defeat regularly will do wonders for the confidence of a young team, and with freebie signing Darren Ambrose in the form of his life in front of goal, Warnock’s boys should continue to prosper. The resumption of league action serves up a trip to Coventry, a winnable game for the London side with the Sky Blues winless in four games at the Ricoh Arena.

Week 17 fixtures

Friday November 20, 2009
Swansea vs. Derby - 19:45

Saturday November 21, 2009
Barnsley vs. Cardiff - 15:00
Coventry vs. Crystal Palace - 15:00
Doncaster vs. QPR - 15:00
Ipswich vs. Sheffield Wednesday - 17:20
Leicester vs. Plymouth - 15:00
Middlesbrough vs. Nottingham Forest - 15:00
Reading vs. Blackpool - 15:00
Sheffield United vs. Peterborough - 15:00
Watford vs. Scunthorpe - 15:00
West Brom vs. Bristol City - 15:00

Monday November 22, 2009
Preston vs. Newcastle - 19:45

The Championship 2009/10

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