Lampard’s ruthless Coventry go top – they are genuine promotion contenders

Top of the league and the only club left still unbeaten in the country this season, Frank Lampard is remaining tough to please at Coventry City.

They were 3-0 up at half-time at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, on their way to a 5-0 victory. But he still believed there were improvements to be made.

“Professionally, the early goal helped, but it made us a bit sloppy through the first half, in my opinion,” he said after the game. “We weren’t quite at our usual selves off the ball. Little bits that we had to talk about at half-time.”

It is a week leading into the international break that has seen them win 3-0, 4-0 and 5-0. They have scored 27 goals at a time when no other Championship side has notched more than 15.

“It’s a period where we’re playing well. All the work that we do is coming together,” Lampard continued. “It won’t always be that way, but at this point, yeah, we’re very clinical in front of goal.

“We’re creating a lot of chances and four clean sheets is obviously great for us because the early games, we were conceding a lot.”

Ruthless in attack and tight at the back. Coventry have emerged as undoubted contenders for automatic promotion this season.
Simeon Gholam

How long will ‘reality’ be acceptable at Birmingham?

“My expectation is reality, I know how hard the Championship is. Anyone who thought this would be a stroll in the park is deluded.”

Those were the words of Chris Davies after full-time on Friday night, after Birmingham City fought back to claim a draw at Wrexham.

Patience, however, is rarely a virtue in football. Especially not in the Championship with a club as aspirational as the Blues. It is just one win in six heading into the international break.

Tom Wagner, the club owner, was in attendance at the Racecourse on Friday night – in with the away fans in fact – and spoke to Sky Sports ahead of kick-off.

“Chris has the complete and total confidence of the board, period, full stop,” he said. Before later adding: “The goal is to play highly competitive football. I see no excuse for a club that has the capacity to spend as we do not performing well.”

Make of that what you will.
Simeon Gholam

Ipswich star Philogene delivers warning to Championship

“We’re on an upward curve but we have a lot more to work on, once we get going it could be game over.” Those were the words of Jaden Philogene after his stunning long-range goal helped Ipswich to a first victory in 16 years over their rivals Norwich.

Ipswich have made a slow start in their attempt to make an immediate return to the Premier League, but there are signs now that they are starting to move through the gears.

Three wins in their last four have lifted Ipswich up to ninth and they are just three points behind third-placed Leicester.

Kieran McKenna’s squad have strength in depth to go the distance. It showed against Norwich in how they made six changes from their draw against Bristol City before the triple substitution he made midway through the second half powered them over the line.

“Performance-wise, our execution was mixed,” said McKenna. “I really liked our intent, we got from the middle of League One to the Premier League for being brave and we came into the game with that intent.”
David Richardson

Wilder return falling flat for Sheffield United

Any hopes that Chris Wilder’s return to Sheffield United would immediately inspired a resurgence have been largely quelled.

They did pick up their first points of the season last weekend, but two defeats have since followed, meaning the Blades have collected just three points from a possible 12 since the start of his third stint in charge. They remain bottom of the table.

On Saturday they should have picked up at least a point at Hull City, but were denied by Ivor Pandur’s late penalty save from Harrison Burrows.

“We got into so many positions, and we have to find that moment of quality to win the game,” said Wilder. “When we get into those positions, we have to put teams to bed.

“We need patience, we need time to work, but players have got to give their heads a shake. At times players have got to find those answers.

“When we had an opportunity of finding that last little bit we never found it. We’ve not come up with that little bit.

“I think it’s an individual mentality to be calm. It looks like previous performances have affected those players who can produce those big moments.”

There is work to do for Wilder during the international break.
Simeon Gholam

Small celebrates against old club as Preston continue fine start – are they dark horses for play-offs?

Thierry Small’s goal against his former club, which he would celebrate after firing Preston ahead, did not arrive until the 67th minute.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side took some time to settle into this fixture but once they held the lead, there was no looking back. Daniel Jebbison’s goal with 10 minutes to go merely calmed the nerves.

After finishing in 20th last season, Preston are looking to flip the table on its head this time round. With 16 points from nine games, they have bolted out from the gates and solidified themselves as dark horses for promotion this term.

“We’ve got no right whatsoever to be beating anyone,” their boss said after the game.

“We’ve got to earn it and everyone’s got to come and turn up and help us get over the line.”

With that attitude, do not be surprised to see them scrapping away in the top six come the end of the season.
Patrick Rowe

Turning point for Millwall as West Brom fail in front of goal

Having won just once in six before the visit of West Brom and being thumped 4-0 by Coventry at home midweek, Alex Neil asked for a response from his Millwall side. He got one.

This was everything you would expect from a Millwall team playing at home; agressive, front footed and determined to win.

They took their chances, they restricted West Brom to just the one shot on target and Femi Azeez lit up the Den with a piece of magic in the second half.

It feels like a defining moment in the season for Millwall. Losing three of their last four with just the one goal scored is proof they can score goals, be tight defensively and are a team that can operate and compete in the top half of the table.

Finishing just outside the play-offs last season, the expectation would have been for Neil to emulate that, or even better it, and this is the type of performance that will give encouragement that those ambitions are accurate.

As for Ryan Mason, more head scratching about where it went wrong. They dominated the ball but had no threat in front of goal and having watched them a couple of times this season it feels like the big question remains, who will get the West Brom goals?

West Brom are clearly very well coached, they play some good stuff – but unless they find some goals they’ll remain in the second tier for another season.
Mark McAdam

Key stats from the weekend

• Millwall defender Jake Cooper has now scored in each of the last nine Championship seasons, netting 27 goals in total – five more than any other defender during this period.
• Watford’s Jeremy Ngakia scored two goals within the space of three minutes and 35 seconds, this after netting just one goal in his first 88 appearances in the Championship.
• Coventry City have scored 27 goals in the Championship this season after nine matches. This is their second-most at this stage of a league campaign in their history only behind 1935/96 – 28 goals after nine matches.
• Sheffield United have lost eight of their first nine Championship matches this season (W1), their joint-most defeats at this stage of a league campaign in their history and their outright most at this stage of a campaign outside the top flight.

Championship weekend results

Friday

Saturday

Sunday