Championship Talking Points: Wrexham Still Winless, Lampards Coventry Soar & Sheff Utd Falling Again | Football News

Wrexham should make home advantage counting

Result: Wrexham 2-3 West Brom

Wrexham has not become accustomed to losing matches in recent years – but they are certainly not used to losing on a racing track.

In the three seasons before returning to the second level for the first time since 1982/83, they either won or drew 64 games and lost only five.

But it was six out of 70 when West Brom turned the game on Saturday lunch time. After the loss of opening day in Southampton, it was also the first time they had lost back-to-back league matches since February 2024.

This was the first of four home matches in six and Sky Sports Football‘p Don Goodman said, “Home is where the heart should be for Wrexham. That’s where they will be strong.

“They’ll have to find a way of maybe just be a little more creative in open game.”

Kevin Phillips added: “Is there a mini-crisis starting to happen? They haven’t had back-to-back losses for two years, so they have a bit of a fight ahead of them now.”

Wrexham needs the experience of older heads like Kieffer Moore and Conor Coady, but chief Phil Parkinson still hopes for more activity and says, “We are looking everywhere. We probably need a few more players.”
Dan Long

Coventry hovering in Derby as Lampard wins at Pride Park Return

Result: Derby 3-5 Coventry

It was undoubtedly played this weekend in the championship. Coventry City led early, pulled early in the second half and then jumped back to Flummox Derby County with a flurry of late target.

That proved quite the difference to Frank Lampard’s side from their opening day’s speechless draw at home to Hull City, and hopefully for him proved a sign of what is going to come from his part and the impressive attacking opportunities he has available.

It would also have given him any less satisfaction, without a doubt when he claimed a first win in his second attempt at his return to Pride Park.

“I thought we were amazing,” Lampard said. “It was a really tough fight for us because of the style of Derby, which makes it really difficult and I thought we were treating the brilliant.

“One of the biggest things is that we showed faith in 3-2 down, there was a feeling for me that we could still do something and the players did it, so it’s one of my favorite games I’ve had since I’ve been here.”

For Derby, meanwhile, there are now two defeats from two and eight goals that were sent at that time. No other side in the league has admitted more than five. There is work to do.
Simeon Gholam

Stark Reminder for Wednesday after protests

Result: Sheff Wed 0-3 Stoke

The spirit both on and off the field is clear on Sheffield on Wednesday, but this was a sharp reminder that Pluck alone won’t be enough for championship survival.

Wednesday’s fans marched through Hillsborough Park before kick-off, and their flute protest had hardly begun when Million Manhoef fired Stoke into an early lead.

However, supporters remained right behind the players and directed their anger against owner Dejphon Cansiri.

Wednesday slowly started the first half and did it again in the second as Divin Mubama doubled the lead before Manhoef’s second ended the job for Stoke.

Much of the focus will be on Wednesday’s situation, and Mark Robins doesn’t mind it too much. Stoke was impressive and has won their first two league matches in the season for the first time since the winner promoting in 2007/08.

Is Robin’s manager for finally breaking Stokes Curses?
Rob Jones

More Sheffield Woe as United Slump again under Seller

Result: Swansea 1-0 Sheff Utd

Remember the gap? Sheffield United are supporting the championship with their troubled rivals right now.

Too early to look at the table? With ominous clouds lingering and questions unanswered after a summer of upheaval, not necessarily.

United See everything but right now after three defeats from three under Ruben Selles, the latest a confused and disconnected screen on Swansea, ending with an exchange between star player Gus Hamer and a frustrated away. The mood is already unstable, with Middlesbrough, Ipswich and Southampton coming before September.

Sky Sports Wrote in front of an opening 4-1 downturn by Bristol City that the high-stakes uprising to replace Chris Wilder would probably undermine United’s promotion views.

The spine of a team that accrued 92 points last season has been swapped for untested replacements, and while the quality is back in attacking areas, the team is short at depth, physicalness and experience. Seller, the lonely voice so far in the middle of a marine change that requires structural support, has already called the recruitment process as “not good enough”.

The new boss needs tangible support in the transfer market before the deadline.

Signs of buy-in for his ideas on the field should come soon.
Kate Burlaga

Middlesbrough makes Best League Start in 31 years

Result: Millwall 0-3 Middlesbrough

It’s been 31 years since Middlesbrough started a league campaign with back-to-back victories, but that changed emphatically Saturday.

A 4-0 demolition of Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup Midweek meant that Rob Edwards’ side had a fire in the stomach to prove doubters wrong and they did just that.

After a first half where there was little to separate the two sides, Middlesbrough came out and fought in the second to take all three points with three goals.

Hayden Hackney opened the scoring with a quiet and collected first-time finish after a Morgan Whittaker cross before Alfie Jones added another in the 87th minute after a corner.

Things got worse for Millwall during injuries when Delano Burgzorg sealed the deal with a third. Both sides have their sights put on the play-off stains this season, but Boro fans hope Edwards can repeat his Luton trick.
Harriet before

Ipswich’s lack of firepower puts damper on promotion-hunting hope

Result: Ipswich 1-1 Southampton

For a page that hit 92 goals during their promotion -winning championship campaign two seasons ago, Ipswich has seen easily and lacked confidence in front of the goal as they start their persecution of a quick return to the Premier League.

Missing the muscles and pigs of Liam Delap traveling to Chelsea this summer, and the creative flair from Omar Hutchinson, who ended his £ 37.5 million. Change to Nottingham Forest earlier this week, George Hirst is tasked with directing the line.

Hirst grabbed a last gasp equation from the site at Birmingham on the opening day of the season, but has been isolated in attack so far this period, especially in 1-1-made at home to Southampton on Sunday-a move, however, stopping a nine-match league that lost strip for Kieran McKenna’s men on Portman Road.

Sam Szmodics was the choice of Ipswich’s attack on saints, his wasp style that created problems, and by preventing the foot of the position he would have opened his own campaign for the season.

Of course, it’s early days, and the arrival of Fremad Chuka Akpom, who saw from the grandstand on Sunday after participating on a seasonal loan, will give the Ipswich fans to hope that the good times – and goals – are just around the corner again.
Vicki Hodges

All championship weekend results

Saturday

Sunday