Championship

READING have been plunged into further turmoil after being slapped with yet another transfer embargo.The Royals have been hit with not one but two points deductions in what has been a difficult season on and off the pitch.
Reading are currently in turmoil on and off the pitchCredit: Getty
The League Two side are facing their second transfer embargo in two monthsCredit: GETTY
The club faces yet another points deduction if they fail to player players and staff on FridayCredit: REX
And their bid to avoid back-to-back relegations has taken a major hit after having another transfer embargo placed on them.
They’ve been hit with their second embargo in just over TWO MONTHS for failing to pay HMRC on time.
And they’re now facing an unprecedented FOURTH winding up order.
That’s according to The Telegraph, who claim the club has been hit with a second set of transfer restrictions after “missing another deadline for the tax bill to be paid”.
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Owner Dai Yongge is facing huge pressure from fans to sell the club after racking up a whopping 16 points in deductions for multiple breaches of the EFL’s financial rules.
And that pressure will increase on Friday if the club fails to pay its players and staff on time.
Failure to pay wages this week will lead to yet another points deduction – which will no doubt enrage the Madjeski faithful.
Royals fans are set to protest Yongge’s turbulent ownership ahead of Saturday’s home match against Burton Albion.
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Dai Yongge is facing strong calls from Reading fans to sell the clubCredit: Rex Features
Reading’s woes are the direct result of Yongge’s troubles funnelling his wealth into the country.
Government restrictions have hindered the Chinese multi-millionaire’s ability to move capital into the UK and have resulted in a major cash-flow problem.
The EFL directly charged Yongge earlier this month after he failed to deposit 125 per cent of the club’s wage bill into a specially allocated account.
Reading are currently 22nd in the League One table, one solitary point behind 20th-placed Albion. More

RUSSELL MARTIN keeps telling Southampton fans they must suffer pain before things get better … but they must be reaching for the morphine now at St Mary’s.Put simply: the Saints are the sick men of the Championship.
Russell Martin is trying to get Southampton through their pain
And although ‘Doc Martin’ has made the correct diagnosis, he is struggling to find the remedy.
Southampton are beginning to look like they need to be taken to A&E and if things get any worse it’ll be intensive care.
It was painful enough crashing out of the Premier League after finishing rock bottom last season.
Then they had a whole glut of stars like James Ward-Prowse, Romeo Lavia and Tino Livramento surgically removed from the squad in the summer to ease a cash trauma.
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But to then haemorrhage NINETEEN goals — the worst in the Championship — and lose four on the spin, Southampton after eight games look in a critical condition.
Martin himself did not fully comprehend the enormity of the job he was taking on in July — but he certainly knows now.
The Southampton boss is trying to change the whole culture at the club — the way they train, the way they bond and interact with one another, the way they connect with the fans and of course the way they play.
Martin told me during the week that there is a lot of “scar tissue” at Southampton — more than he ever thought — and that when a group of players are used to continued disappointment it takes more time to lift them.
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Gutted Saints players react to their relegation from the Premier League
James Ward-Prowse was one of the prized assets to leave St Mary’s
It is known that the mood is far better around Southampton’s training ground than it has been in recent seasons. There is a lot more energy around the place — which is no surprise given Martin’s full-throttle way of doing things.
He always wants his teams to be brave on the ball, not be scared to make mistakes, be on the front foot, keep possession and score goals.
Not being able to call on his star signing — striker Ross Stewart — because of injury has not helped on the scoring goals front.
And the “being brave on the ball” bit is seriously hurting them right now because so many times when they are trying to do just that they are losing possession inside their own third, and getting ruthlessly punished for it.
I’ve not seen any other Championship team make so many elementary mistakes this season than the Saints … although Norwich ran them a close second with their horror show at Plymouth on Saturday.
But all this is because Martin wants his teams to play this way and, because they’re in transition, they haven’t yet got the hang of it.
Being without star signing Ross Stewart has not helped Saints’ cause
He wants time and patience to get it right.
But after the 2-1 loss at Middlesbrough on Saturday, he is now under huge pressure. 
The Southampton board want to make an immediate return to the Premier League and this current run of results will be alarming them.
So while Martin wants players to be brave on the ball, will the club’s hierarchy be brave in the boardroom and stick with him?
They should give him time because they were the ones who bought into his vision.
When a club has been on a tailspin like Southampton, it’s crucial to first make sure you stop the rot. You regroup in the Championship before looking upwards again. It’s an extremely tough process and one that can be hard for fans of relegated clubs to take.
If Saints were to part company with Martin and rip up everything they wanted the future to look like, they could then run the risk of sinking even further.
Russell Martin was successful with MK Dons and got Swansea motoring
Sunderland suffered back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One from 2017 to 2018. They let go of Simon Grayson in October before going for Chris Coleman. They could not stop losing and crashed into League One, which then took them four years to get out of.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether Martin can lead a club out of the Championship. 
So far in his managerial career he has won promotion out of League Two with MK Dons.
And he certainly looked like he was creating something exciting at Swansea. The seven wins and two draws from their last nine games saw them fall just three points short of making the Championship play-offs last season.
He should have stuck with the Swans given what he was doing there. 
Now he is in danger of losing his job already with the Saints.
But if they were to get rid of him now, it could leave the sick men of the Championship on life support and it could be touch and go if they would be able to make it through.
Giggs would be a ‘no-brainer’ for Salford
RYAN GIGGS has been getting tipped for a return to management with Salford — the club he co-owns with his Class of 92 pals.
League Two hasn’t proved to be the cakewalk they thought it was going to be with the club now in their fifth season in the EFL.
Ryan Giggs would be perfect manager for Salford
Paul Scholes gave it a go for a few weeks as a caretaker after Gary Neville bizarrely sacked Graham Alexander in 2000.
And now Giggsy is said to be ready to step into Neil Wood’s shoes after five straight defeats leaves Salford fourth from bottom.
It has surprised me that during all the time the club have been in the EFL that none of their owners have decided to take up the managerial role.
When you have David Beckham, Giggs, Gary and Phil Neville and Nicky Butt among your owners, it is surely a no brainer that one of them should be leading the team.
If Giggsy does take up the job, it will be the most sensible thing they have done since getting promoted.
Moore back but sad to see Warnock go
GREAT to see Darren Moore back in management at Huddersfield.
The way he was treated by Sheffield Wednesday’s mad-cap owner Dejphon Chansiri after winning promotion from League One was nothing short of shameful.
Wednesday fans certainly let their feelings known at Swansea as they chanted against their Thai businessman as they lost 3-0 — leaving them stranded bottom of the Championship with just two points from eight games.
Neil Warnock did a superb job keeping Huddersfield in the Championship
But while it is great to see Moore back in the dugout 25 miles up the road in Huddersfield, we’ll miss Neil Warnock … but no fear he will be back soon.
If anyone thinks the proud Yorkshireman is going to retire (again) after doing a superb job keeping the Terriers in the Championship, you can forget that.
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He will pop somewhere later this season … but where?
Maybe Chansiri should get on the blower.But, as Warnock is a boyhood Sheffield United fan and Bramall Lane legend, I think we all know what his answer will be! More

LEEDS UNITED manager Daniel Farke left fans stunned after showing off his skills on the touchline during Saturday’s match against Watford.Midway through the match, the 46-year-old plucked the ball from the air with a perfect touch.
Daniel Farke left fans stunned with his first touchCredit: Twitter @LUFC
He received a standing ovation from the crowdCredit: Twitter @LUFC
He then received a standing ovation from awestruck spectators behind the dugout, with many visibly stunned.
Fans also took to social media to react, with one person writing: “Nonchalant as! That’s our manager!”
Another added: “This is class. The touch. The fans reaction. His little knowing look.”
A third wrote: “Better touch than most footballers.”
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A fourth fan said: “Thought it was never going to be good again after Bielsa, but here we are!”
While a fifth made a joke at Chelsea’s expense, writing: “Get ready for a £100M offer from@ChelseaFC for him.”
Before becoming a manager, Farke played as a striker.
He spent the majority of his playing career with German side SV Lippstadt 08 and eventually went on to manage the club for six years.
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Farke then took charge of Borussia Dortmund’s reserve team before being appointed as Norwich boss in 2017.
He helped the club get promoted to the Premier League during his second season in charge, but they were relegated the following year.
The German manager was sacked in 2021 and went on to take charge of Krasnodar and Borussia Monchengladbach before returning to England to join Leeds. More

JAMIE VARDY has broken the internet after his celebration against Bristol City.The Leicester City striker ran the pitch after scoring to celebrate in front of the Robbins supporters in a similar vein to Emmanuel Adebayor.
Jamie Vardy scored against Bristol City from the spotCredit: Twitter @AwayDays_
He then ran the pitch to celebrate in front of the opposition fansCredit: Twitter @AwayDays_
The celebration has been compared to Emmanuel Adebayor’s against ArsenalCredit: Getty
Vardy, 36, netted the game’s only goal to give the Foxes a 1-0 win over their Championship rivals.
But it was his celebration that caught the attention of fans online.
Vardy ran back down the pitch after converting his penalty to celebrate in front of Bristol City’s travelling supporters who were thought to be signing about his wife Rebekah.
They were reportedly chanting: “Jamie Vardy, your wife is a grass.”
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The former England international cupped his hand to his ear before gesturing to the name on the back of his shirt.
The moment has been compared to when Adebayor, 39, netted for Manchester City against his old club Arsenal, at the Etihad Stadium in 2009.
The Togolese striker sprinted to the Gunners’ travelling fans before sliding on his knees to celebrate.
And fans loved Vardy’s “top s***housery” as they flocked to social media.
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One Tweeted: “Jamie Vardy ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the 3,300 Bristol City fans because they were singing about his wife all game. Top class s***housery.”
A second commented: “Jamie Vardy doing an Adebayor and sprinting right after scoring to the stand of Bristol fans who were chanting about his wife English football legend.”
A third wrote: “Adebayor 2.0.”
A fourth commented: “Absolutely thrives in that villain arc.”
A fifth said: “Jamie Vardy has to be the biggest s***house in football ever.”
Another added: “Vardy absolutely lives for being a s***house, gotta admire it.”
The three points were massive for the former Premier League champions as the club now sits top of the Championship. More

NEIL WARNOCK is looking for his next managerial job – but he can take his time thanks to Huddersfield Town.The veteran boss has already put the feelers out for potential moves.
Neil Warnock has left Huddersfield after being replaced by Darren MooreCredit: Getty
Warnock is looking for his next gig despite his advanced age of 74Credit: Getty
But he is under no pressure as he is still being paid by the Terriers for the rest of the season.
The agreement is that Warnock can take another post without that impacting his cash from Huddersfield on the remainder of his contract.
The 74-year-old is also planning to catch up on some speaking engagements that he cancelled when he was unwell.
The Sheffield born tactician was given his “perfect” send off on Wednesday after Huddersfield’s Championship clash with Stoke as he admitted “I’ve never felt better”.
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The veteran boss dismissed rumours of his exit coming as a result of a falling out with American owner Kevin Nagle.
Warnock was re-appointed as Huddersfield’s manager in February as the club looked to avoid relegation.
The ex-Crystal Palace boss managed to keep the team in the Championship and was awarded a one-year contract extension as a result, but that has since been mutually terminated.
Darren Moore has been appointed as Warnock’s replacement at John Smith’s Stadium.
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Moore had been out of a job since he left Sheffield Wednesday in June.
The 49-year-old head coach led the Owls back to the Championship in May.
That was after a 1-0 win over Barnsley in the League One Play-Off final at Wembley. More