It's been another topsy-turvy campaign outside the top flight. Mike Holden explores half a dozen of the most unexpected stories from further down the pyramid...
1. Brighton’s unbeaten start
The unbeaten record may have gone but the egg on our face remains: FFT tipped Brighton for relegation in our season preview after their attacking woes had led to just two wins and six goals in their last 13 games of 2014/15, so we can hardly claim to be unmoved by Chris Hughton’s men marching through their first 21 matches undefeated.
New arrival Tomer Hemed has given the Seagulls the attacking focal point they were so badly missing last term, but Dale Stephens, Kazenga LuaLua and Solly March (just 31 starts between them last term) have also been revelations. This time last year, the Seagulls were third from bottom; now they sit third from top, just four points shy of last season’s overall points total. Early resistance has been the main difference. Albion conceded the opening goal in 22 of their 46 matches last term, but after 22 matches of this campaign, they’ve blinked first just three times. Bravo.
2. Reading’s remarkable shot data
When Steve Clarke was shown the door earlier this month, the underlying performance data suggested it was a bad decision
Based purely on results, Reading would appear to be nothing special this year, the epitome a of mid-table side. Scratch beneath the surface, though, and you’ll find one of the Championship’s most intriguing sub-plots. When Steve Clarke was shown the door earlier this month, the underlying performance data suggested it was a bad decision. The Royals possessed the division’s best shot ratio at a fraction under 60%; to put that into context, it’s a better record than 18 of the last 24 promoted sides.
On a tactical level, Clarke was evidently giving his players a significant edge but his relationship with the fans was soured the moment he accepted an invitation to speak to Fulham. That was considered an act of betrayal that eventually brought about his dismissal, thereby denying the analytics community some suitable answers to a developing mystery. The nerds will be keen to see where Clarke ends up next.
3. No Championship takeovers
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You’d expect that the £30m asking price for Wolves or Leeds, or the £15m for Bolton, would represent an attractive investment
How much is an average Championship club worth now? Nobody knows, that’s the problem. The Premier League’s new TV deal kicks into action next August, which means promotion from the second tier will be valued anywhere between £160m and £200m, or £100m per season without relegation. The trouble is, players’ wages typically make up around 70% of a club’s turnover and that's unlikely to change, so while the value of clubs is sky-rocketing, potential buyers remain sceptical.
Even so, you’d expect that the £30m asking price for Wolves or Leeds, or the £15m for Bolton, would represent an attractive investment for any committed billionaire, with business analysts predicting that plenty are waiting in the wings. The precedent has yet to be set but a domino effect is expected to follow once a benchmark deal has been done. In the meantime, the sense of stagnation at those aforementioned clubs is crippling.
4. The new and improved Graham Westley
An infamous exponent of the dark arts throughout his two spells at Stevenage, it’s hard not to be impressed by Westley’s adaptability to different conditions
When Westley sent out an email to Peterborough United season-ticket holders to reassure them of his appointment by setting targets of 600 passes and 25 shots per game, few could have imagined it would instantly become a reality. In truth, it hasn’t and never will. Posh have averaged only 18 shots per game, but that’s four more than any other team in League One – and what’s seven shots between friends?
Initially sceptical, the London Road faithful are quickly taking Westley to their hearts purely because his actions have spoken louder than his words – and that’s pretty loud. An infamous exponent of the dark arts throughout his two spells at Stevenage, it’s hard not to be impressed by Westley’s adaptability to different conditions, or surprised by his emphasis on all-out attack with better resources. He's basically morphed from Jose Mourinho into Pep Guardiola in the space of six months. Who knows, this time next year he might be as popular as Jurgen Klopp. At least in Cambridgeshire.
5. Coventry’s pulling power
Like a League One pied piper, the big names have followed, with Joe Cole, Marc Antoine Fortune, Ben Turner and former Gael Bigirimana also now dancing to Mowbray’s tune
Tony Mowbray is making Coventry City sexy again. There’s so much intuitively wrong with that phrase, it’s impossible to know where to start. But it’s true. The Sky Blues are playing scintillating football and punching well above their weight in the transfer market, creating the inescapable sensation that this season has to climax in promotion, one way or another (or at least a first top-six finish since 1970).
Blessed with a festival of playmakers at the top end of the pitch, James Maddison was the only talent Mowbray inherited. The former West Brom boss has since cut loan deals for Adam Armstrong, Jacob Murphy and Ryan Kent, then let the football do the talking. Like a League One pied piper, the big names have followed, with Joe Cole, Marc Antoine Fortune, Ben Turner and former Sky Blue Gael Bigirimana also now dancing to Mowbray’s tune. They might only be renting at the Ricoh, but that isn’t going to stop them having a party.
6. Carlisle enjoying their football
When striker Billy Paynter revealed in the summer that the torment of Curle’s man-management had reduced him to breaking point, it was hard to imagine the Brunton Park boss going much beyond his average tenure (across four previous jobs) of around 11 months
There’s clearly two sides to Keith Curle, and most of us only know the bad side. Sacked by Mansfield Town following accusations of bullying, the former Crazy Gang member later won a case for wrongful dismissal. But mud sticks and when striker Billy Paynter revealed in the summer that the torment of Curle’s man-management had reduced him to breaking point, it was hard to imagine the Brunton Park boss going much beyond his average tenure (across four previous jobs) of around 11 months.
However, Paynter’s departure was one of 14 and the rest of the troops have been galvanised to welcome 14 new arrivals and a fresh brand of attacking football that sets the Cumbrians apart as League Two’s great entertainers. Carlisle matches average 3.6 goals per game, their 4-4 draw with Cambridge in August setting the tone for a campaign that has subsequently produced five 3-2 thrillers (three in their favour) and a 4-3 victory at Luton last month, in which Carlisle came from 3-1 down.
