Championship

THERE are 75 players in the first-team squads of Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town — and how many of them will be playing Premier League football next season?My guess is two — Ipswich striker Liam Delap and Southampton kid Tyler Dibling. Two out of 75.Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling, 19, is likely to be in big demandCredit: GettyIpswich striker Liam Delap, 22 has been linked to Prem giantsCredit: RexWhat a damning indictment that is of the recruitment at the three clubs who were promoted last summer and are all going straight back down to the Championship.When I was promoted with Watford a decade ago, we made a point of telling each other, ‘Ten wins and we will stay up’. Well, these three clubs have managed only ten wins between them!This is the second successive season in which the three promoted clubs will all suffer instant relegation but don’t tell me the gulf between the top two divisions has suddenly got a lot wider.Three years ago, Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest went up together and all three are in the top half of the table, eyeing Europe, with Forest even vying for a Champions League spot.Nothing much has changed financially in two years, so bridging the gap between the Championship and Premier League can be done.What you need is a club united in its vision, with pragmatic management and with players who have experience, character and desire.Don’t get me wrong, it is a huge gap. As a player, you notice an astonishing difference in the physical and mental demands when you’re promoted into the top flight.I’d had three consecutive seasons of scoring 20-plus goals in the Championship before we went up in 2015.BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKIn the Premier League, I had never felt more motivated and I was playing some of the best football of my life but I didn’t score in my first nine games.On Match of the Day, they were saying, ‘Well, he scored a lot of goals in the Championship but can he do it in the Premier League?’ and that got me riled — although I’m getting my own back a bit on that show these days!Liam Delap talks about joining Ipswich Town But I’d got four or five assists, the team had picked up two wins and four draws and I was performing well in a different role with more defensive duties — but there I was being doubted to the whole nation.And that’s another thing you really notice in the Premier League — the incredible media attention.Watford versus Crystal Palace in the Championship barely registers on the radar.That same fixture in the Premier League has a massive worldwide event.As a player, you notice an astonishing difference in the physical and mental demands when you’re promoted into the top flight.Troy DeeneyAnyway, my tenth match in the Premier League was Stoke away — and when I scored, it was a pretty aggressive goal ‘celebration’.It was such a release of frustration that I belted the s**t out of the corner flag.But that was a difference between the Championship and the top flight — you’d often only have two shots per match. Sometimes you wouldn’t have any because you’d be getting humped by Manchester City.The amount of effort you have to put in to get one win — to score one goal — in the Premier League is extreme.Those levels of determination are what Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich have been lacking — as well as a proper vision from the clubs as a whole.Transfer-market strategy has to be ruthless.Ex-Man City kid Delap has amassed impressive stats this termTroy Deeney, centre, says taking on Crystal Palace was a global event in the Prem but pretty low-key in the ChampionshipCredit: Action ImagesDibling has been a rare bright spot for the long-doomed SaintsMatej Vydra scored 16 goals in Watford’s promotion season, he was hugely popular and I loved playing with him, but the club bombed him out, selling him to Reading without him playing a single top-flight game.That felt cruel but it’s an example of what’s needed.We also signed a host of players who had been captains at their previous clubs, which gave us the necessary  character.I also look at Fulham under Marco Silva and Brentford, who were promoted under Thomas Frank a year earlier, and remember how they adapted so ­intelligently to the Premier League.Both played champagne football in the second tier but changed markedly when they went up.Brentford became much more direct, while Fulham released their tiny ball-playing defensive midfielder Jean Michael Seri and signed an absolute beast in Joao Palhinha.Contrast that with Southampton, whose manager Russell Martin stuck with his purist footballing philosophy and was sacked after 13 defeats in 16 games — many of them good hidings.But it’s not as if the Saints improved under Ivan Juric — they got even worse and registered the fastest-ever relegation.Unless they can earn two more points in their final six games, they will go down as the worst team in the history of the competition.And it’s not as if Leicester are much better — they haven’t scored a single goal during eight successive home defeats and are likely to be relegated by Liverpool tomorrow.There are no short cuts to staying in the Prem – everything has to be done the right way. But at Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich, pretty much everything has been done wrong.What were they doing in sacking Steve Cooper after just 13 games, when they weren’t even in the drop zone?They wanted a more attractive style of football, apparently — well what’s so attractive about losing eight straight home games without scoring, while conceding 21?The appointment of Ruud Van Nistelrooy always felt doomed to failure.Leicester are a mess.Many would cut Ipswich a bit more slack after back-to-back promotions under Kieran McKenna but I’m not really inclined to as their recruitment has been poor.Despite Delap looking a real player, Ipswich have too often been too nice to play against.I don’t see enough desire and belief.In January, they spent £20million on Jaden Philogene from Aston Villa — who has never looked worth that kind of money.And last summer, there was Kalvin Phillips — a ‘name’ signing but a player who seems to have lost his fire.In short, there are no short cuts to staying in the Premier League — everything has to be done the right way.But at Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich, pretty much everything has been done wrong. 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THE Championship season is set for a stunning finale as every club can either go up or down with just four games remaining.Leeds, Burnley and Sheffield United are battling it out for automatic promotion and the title.Leeds look set to earn promotion back to the Premier LeagueCredit: GettySunderland have booked their spot in the play-offsCredit: GettyLuton are in danger of suffering back-to-back relegationsCredit: GettyAnd at the other end of the table, Plymouth Argyle and Luton need to pull off a great escape to avoid relegation.But all could change come the end of the season on May 3 as every team still has something to play for.The top three and Sunderland can all still mathematically win the league and secure automatic promotion.The Black Cats need top two Leeds and Burnley, who are both level on 88 points, to lose all their remaining games by a huge margin to secure the miracle.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd Sheffield United’s run of three defeats on the bounce has seen them also needing results to go their way as Daniel Farke and Scott Parker’s sides look set for first and second finishes.Two more play-off places are up for grabs below Sunderland in fourth and a whopping ten teams can still qualify, as far down as Sheffield Wednesday in 14th.Bristol City, Coventry, West Brom, Middlesbrough and Millwall are in the best positions to complete the top six.The Robins and the Sky Blues are most likely to make the play-offs with 74 and 65 per cent chances respectively, according to Opta. Most read in ChampionshipBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSTowards the bottom, Argyle are on 40 points and are staring at relegation to League One with just a 4.5 per cent chance at survival.Luton are also on 40 points but have an 11.4 per cent hope of staying up due to their better goal difference.Former Premier League boss in centre of huge tunnel brawl as tempers flare following dramatic Championship clashThey could join Swindon, Wolves and Sunderland in becoming clubs to have suffered back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to the third tier.Cardiff are set to complete the three heading down, but Derby and nine other clubs remain in the mix and are not mathematically safe yet.Mid-table trio Swansea, Norwich and Sheffield Wednesday can all incredibly still earn promotion or be relegated this season despite the chances of that happening being under 0.1 per cent. Fans are gearing up for a thrilling end, with one saying: “Best league this season by far. Premier League got nothing on this.”Another added: “It’s the best league in world football and it’s not even close.” More

PREM chiefs have moved to close the rules loophole that saw Leicester escape a PSR sanction.League bosses were left furious and embarrassed in September when an appeal board ruled the Prem did not have the right to charge them for losses in excess of the permitted limit of £105m in the three seasons up to 2022-23.Prem bosses have closed a loophole used by Leicester to escape a PSR chargeCredit: GettyRuud van Nistelrooy’s men are on the cusp of an instant return to the ChampionshipCredit: GettyThe Foxes had been facing a six-point deduction this term after returning to the Prem as Championship winners last season.But the panel upheld Leicester’s claim that the Prem could not sanction them when the club had become a member of the EFL following their relegation that season.The appeal board accepted that Leicester were not subject to Prem rules because the club’s accounting period ended on 30 June 2023, “after the point the club had ceased to be a member of the League”.Prem bosses promised to rewrite the rulebook to prevent other relegated clubs taking advantage of similar situations in future.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLAnd in a series of changes introduced into the rulebook only on Friday, but which will take immediate effect, League chiefs have now tightened the regulations.That includes ending the flaw that meant new clubs were able to claim the full £35m allowance for their promotion season, rather than have losses for that campaign in the EFL capped at £13m.Crucially, the new Rule E.49 states that relegated clubs “remain bound” by Prem regulations, effectively aligning the top flight with the EFL in enforcing financial rules.Leicester were able to successfully argue their two successive seasons of changed membership meant they were not subject to the regulations of either league.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKHowever, the new rules, agreed by the clubs and enacted last week, state that any punishments recommended by an EFL disciplinary panel can now be imposed by the Prem board in the top flight.Leicester are destined for an immediate return to the Championship next season.Leicester fans spotted streaming out just 35 minutes into Newcastle clash as hopeless Foxes hurtle towards relegationRuud van Nistelrooy’s appointment in November has failed to spark the Foxes’ season into life.The ex-Manchester United striker has won just 3 out of 21 games at the King Power. Leicester have earned only four points in total from their last 17 games. After Wolves’ 4-2 win over Tottenham last weekend, the Foxes’ fate could be sealed as early as next week. If they fail to win their next match, at home to leaders Liverpool on April 20, their relegation will be confirmed. More

WAYNE ROONEY is in line for a shock return to management just four months after being sacked by Plymouth Argyle.Blackburn are reportedly considering him as pressure mounts on boss Valerien Ismael.Wayne Rooney is a candidate for the Blackburn jobCredit: GettyValerien Ismael is under pressure after a poor run of formCredit: RexIsmael took over at Ewood Park after John Eustace surprisingly left the club to join Derby in February.But Blackburn have won just one of the Frenchman’s eight games in charge and they have slipped out the race for the play-offs.talkSPORT claim Ismael is under mounting pressure despite him signing a three-year contract just months ago.The Rovers are already weighing up his replacement and Rooney is supposedly on the list of possible candidates for the job.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLRooney, who has swapped dugout for punditry so far this year, was axed on New Year’s Eve by Argyle.The Manchester United and England legend guided the club to just four victories from 23 games in the Championship.At the time of his departure, they had conceded more goals (51) and scored the fewest (22) in the division.Rooney started his managerial career at Derby, miraculously saving them from Championship relegation in the 2020/21 season.Most read in ChampionshipBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSBut he was unable to do the same the following campaign after they were hit with a huge 21-point deduction for going into administration.Rooney then moved to the States and took charge of DC United before returning home to be Birmingham’s boss.I get the same text from Sir Alex Ferguson every time I get sacked from a job, admits Wayne Rooney But he lasted just 15 games, winning just two, in a nightmare reign.Despite his struggles in the dug-out, Rooney has said he’d be keen to give it another go.He told the Stick to Football podcast that he would open the door to a return – with the right club.And he even admitted he would accept a role as assistant manager.He said: “I’d have no problem dropping into an Under-21 team or going in as a coach.”I’m still young enough to learn and develop. Just having a good group of players who were at a [good] level.”Blackburn strugglesBlackburn are currently tenth in the Championship, seven points off the all-important top six with four games to go.Ismael has blamed injuries for his tough start to life in Lancashire, saying: “When you see the injury, we lost key players, massive players are missing for us. “Ten players are missing. 10 players are missing. It’s just too much.”It was really difficult for us to deal with that. At the same time, you are playing and need to get results and you’re losing players every game, every time. Read More on The Sun”We are not a dead team. We were a team with issues. We tried to deal with our issues. We tried to give our best. “But as I say, you have to stay calm. Focus on your job. Try to find the solution, ride the storm. At some point, you know it will come back. But some ingredients have to be right.” More