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Championship: Who’s managing the place in ‘brutal’ league after yr of upheaval


Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom is one of three managers in the league to have previously won promotion out of it.

After spells at this level with Barnsley and Leeds United, he led the Blades up in 2023 and is realistic about the demands and expectations on bosses.

“It’s how it is. If you’re worried about job security or the fact the buck stops with you, then you shouldn’t do it,” he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

“For me, it’s arguably the best thing about it. It’s crazy.

“I don’t know all of the guys who have gone personally, or the politics and environments in their clubs, but I bet a lot of money they weren’t the worst performing person in their organisation when they got sacked. It’s just the way it is.”

Valerien Ismael endured a tough start to life at Blackburn Rovers after taking over in February, but they almost gatecrashed the top six after a late-season run of good form and will look to pick up from where they left off.

Also aiming to do that will be Nathan Jones at Charlton Athletic, after the former Luton boss led the Addicks back to the second tier after five seasons away with victory in the League One play-off final.

Frank Lampard guided Coventry City to a fifth-placed finish last season after taking over from the long-serving Mark Robins in November – and will hope to have the Sky Blues challenging again. John Eustace led Derby County away from trouble after swapping Ewood Park for Pride Park in February.

Kieran McKenna’s three full seasons as Ipswich Town manager have been action-packed. The Northern Irishman led the Blues to successive promotions from League One before suffering relegation from the Premier League in May.

The men in charge of Millwall and Oxford United have seen just about everything this division has to offer. Lions boss Alex Neil is on his fifth team at this level, having won promotion to the Premier League as Norwich boss a decade ago, while U’s counterpart Gary Rowett (who himself had four years as Lions manager) is also on his fifth Championship side.

Robins, like so many before him, found life tough going after being appointed as Stoke City’s third boss of the season in December. He will be looking to be the first person to lead them to a top-half finish at this level since their Premier League relegation in 2018.

Alan Sheehan starts his first full season as Swansea City boss after an encouraging spell in caretaker charge resulted in him being given the role full time.

And Wrexham have kept faith with Phil Parkinson after back-to-back-to-back promotions from National League to this level. He has managed at this level before with Hull City, Charlton and Bolton Wanderers, but this is his first time back in the second tier since 2019.

The 57-year-old is the division’s longest-serving manager, having taken over at the Welsh club in July 2021.

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