There have been multiple managers in the Championship that have experienced a positive campaign so far, despite manager turnover always remaining a prominent topic across the division. A selection of managers have exceeded expectations halfway through the season, whilst a few others are on track to delivering successful campaigns with their respective clubs.
However, which managers deserve to be in the current conversation for ‘Manager of the Season’, after strong showings in the first half of the campaign? Here are five firm candidates.
Daniel Farke – Leeds United
It’s difficult for any team to lose their three best players in the summer transfer window, but that was the scenario at Leeds, with Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray & Georgino Rutter all departing, before the start of the 24/25 campaign.
Although Leeds United accumulated substantial money for those three individuals, the pressure was on Daniel Farke to make the correct choices, for the options displayed to him by the recruitment team.
Ao Tanaka, Manor Solomon, Joe Rothwell & Largie Ramazani were brought in to replace those high-profile departures, and have all made an immediate impact on Leeds’ promotion push – highlighting Farke’s wise recruitment decisions.
Not only has the German manager brought the best out of his recruits, but he’s maximised the most out of his existing players, such as Joel Piroe, Dan James, Wilfried Gnonto and his reliable defensive spine of Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk & Ethan Ampadu.
He also reinstated Brendan Aaronson back into the team, which has paid dividends as he’s accumulated nine goal contributions across the season. Aaronson has provided sublime enthusiasm in the attacking third, combining with his teammates at a high intensity, whilst applying his strong technical qualities in front of the goal.
However, this season hasn’t consisted of individual quality for Farke’s side, with the team collective being the key ingredient for their dominance. This theory is reinforced by their stellar home record, as they’ve accumulated the most points at home across the entire league (32).
Farke has implemented a controlled style of play at home, often relying on patience to break opposition teams down, as they’re relentless at playing proactive passes at a high tempo – resulting in their opponents losing energy.
According to the Daily Mail , Farke recently admitted that his focus wasn’t on ‘winning the league’, but more on ‘thinking how to be successful after losing so many key players’. Given the high expectations from Leeds supporters, Farke is dealing with the pressure admirably, with his current players stepping up to his demands.
Chris Wilder – Sheffield United
After an incredibly difficult 23/24 season in the Premier League for the Blades, Chris Wilder has done an impeccable job at revitalising the club internally and externally – putting Sheffield United in an automatic promotion race.
Wilder was placed in a difficult situation during the summer transfer window, as they mainly relied on free transfers and loan signings to propel them up the table. Pertinent examples include Sam McCallum, Callum O’Hare, and Tyrese Campbell who all arrived on free transfers, whilst Alfie Gilchrist, Harry Souttar & Jesurun Rak-Sakyi joined the club on loan.
Those aforementioned individuals have all made a significant impact for the Blades this season, playing a plethora of minutes, due to the thin nature of the squad.
Due to the mass exodus of players leaving the club during the summer, numerous young players have had to step up for the first team, with the academy used prominently. Sydie Peck has been a key example, as the midfielder has played eleven consecutive games for the Blades, since mid-November – stepping up admirably, due to the absence of first-team starters, Ollie Arblaster & Vinicius Souza.
Wilder’s faith in Sheffield United’s academy players has been refreshing to see, as he’s willing to play them during critical moments of matches when points are firmly on the line.
The homegrown manager has been adaptable during matches across the season, interchanging between various tactics, depending on the match scenario. Wilder also demonstrates a willingness to make those tweaks quickly, underlining his proactive nature as a coach.
Although the external viewpoint of Sheffield United’s success will get associated with parachute payments, that isn’t fair on Chris Wilder, as it isn’t easy to change the momentum of a club’s negative results, with Luton Town being an ideal example.
Régis Le Bris – Sunderland
Not many Championship supporters would have predicted Sunderland to be involved in the automatic promotion race, but that’s the position that the Blackcats currently occupy, after an underwhelming 16th-place finish, during the 23/24 campaign.
Régis Le Bris joined the club in the summer after the Sunderland hierarchy believed he would marinate with the young squad nicely, delivering a style of play that could mount a promotion chase.
The ex-Lorient manager has been a revelation at unlocking the talent of Jobe Bellingham, Chris Rigg & Romaine Mundle in particular, turning them into high-quality consistent Championship performers. Le Bris has developed those three players into quick thinkers, performing dangerous actions at a high intensity, resulting in the Blackcats being dangerous on the counter-attack.
Furthermore, Le Bris has installed a strong mentality within the Sunderland group – eliminating the weak mental qualities from last season. Alan Browne & Chris Mepham have made a brilliant impact at strengthening the resilience across the group, with the latter particularly impressing the French manager, as Mepham has started every game since the 21st of September – excluding the games he was suspended.
It’s evident to see that Sunderland’s hierarchy made the correct choice of hiring Régis Le Bris, as he’s been effective at utilising the attacking young talent available to him, whilst constructing a regimented rest defence structure that’s difficult to play through.
Tom Cleverley – Watford
With many years of turbulence from a managerial perspective at Watford, a season of consolidation under Tom Cleverley is occurring for the Hornets, despite many media outlets tipping them for relegation before the season.
Watford has been extremely successful at home, having the fourth-best home record in the league – accumulating 29 points from 13 games. Cleverley has beaten a selection of automatic promotion, and playoff candidates within those games, winning against Sunderland, Middlesbrough, West Brom & Blackburn.
The ex-England midfielder has allowed Watford’s attacking players to express themselves with freedom in the attacking third, with Kwadwo Baah & Rocco Vata producing moments of eccentricity and dynamism.
Another player that Cleverley’s unlocked to great effect is Giorgi Chakvetadze, with the Georgian international backing up an eye-capturing Euro Championships campaign, with seven-goal contributions in the league.
Cleverley has displayed flexibility from a tactical perspective, varying his methods of play depending on the opponent in front of them. Not only has his stylistic approach differed in terms of going direct or playing short, but he’s showcased a willingness to interchange between a back-three and back-four structure.
Although Watford’s away form is poor, which Cleverley must take accountability for, he’s exceeding expectations greatly, considering the limited depth, and financial resources available to him.
John Eustace – Blackburn
Eustace has to be categorised as one of the Championship’s most underrated managers, considering the terrific job he did with Birmingham City, as well as currently with Blackburn Rovers.
Similarly to all of the managers mentioned, John Eustace has also managed to make his side a strong outfit at home, as Blackburn obtained the eighth-best home record in the league – collecting 23 points from 13 games.
Rovers have accumulated six clean sheets in the league, stressing the importance of familiarity amongst their defensive structure. The ex-Birmingham manager has found a reliable centre-back pairing of Danny Batth & Dominic Hyam, with the two individuals demonstrating their experience fantastically during a range of defensive scenarios, making critical tackles and interventions to keep their side in games.
John Eustace has also created an effective central midfield partnership, as Sondre Tronstrad and Lewis Travis have provided fantastic physical qualities in the heart of midfield. Travis has been effective at making marauding runs forward throughout the campaign, whilst Tronstad retains a deeper position, bringing tremendous ball retention attributes to the side.
Similarly to Birmingham City, Eustace has created an efficient defensive structure at Blackburn Rovers, recruiting and working with existing players to represent his beliefs perfectly.
Moreover, the 45-year-old head coach has made Blackburn an exciting prospect to watch from an attacking sense, urging them to play at a quick tempo, by putting crosses into the penalty box and combining at a sharp intensity. Todd Cantwell and Tyrhys Dolan have resembled those ideologies perfectly, with the pair arguably playing their best football in a while for the Lancashire club.
Conclusion
All these managers deserve respect for the current league positions that they have their teams occupying – considering the competitiveness of the league during this campaign.
A common theme that each of these five managers has displayed across the season, is their ability to maximise the talent of each individual, with many players from amongst their sides, having their best season in their careers. Multiple examples include Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg of Sunderland, whilst Lewis Travis and Tyrhys Dolan are impressing at Blackburn.
Despite these managers doing a commendable job in the present, football can change quickly, with narratives changing after a few negative results. If these managers are still within the conversation come the end of the season, then they can expect personal accolades to come their way, as well as their general stock increase.