The Championship: Incoming and outgoing managers!

•  There were 10 managerial changes 
•  The replacements are made up of rookies and veterans
•  Only three of the new coaches are English

The Championship is brutal, for players and especially for managers. It’s little surprise, then, that we’ve seen so many changes in the dugouts during the summer months. Here, we look at all 10 clubs that have made a move in the coaching department. 

West Brom

Outgoing manager: James Shan

Shan became the caretaker manager at West Brom for the final two months of the 2018/19 season, a huge honour for a man who had been working as a coach at the club since 2006. His team came up short in the play-off semi-final against Aston Villa.

Incoming manager: Slaven Bilić

Former Croatia and West Ham manager Bilić boasts an impressive CV and West Brom believe that he can lead them back to the top flight. “I have never experienced the Championship, but I have thought about it a lot by watching games, talking to managers, talking to players and putting myself in the situation,” he said in an interview with The Telegraph. 

Hull City

Outgoing manager: Nigel Adkins

“It is with a heavy heart and after much careful consideration that I have decided that our futures are not aligned,” wrote Adkins on social media. With that, he was off after a year and a half in charge at Hull City. 

Incoming manager: Grant McCann

After leading Doncaster Rovers to the League One promotion play-offs, McCann was the man selected to take charge at Hull City to replace Adkins. 

General tactical shapes used by McCann in his coaching career

4-3-3: 34% of the time

4-4-2: 32% of the time

4-2-3-1: 9% of the time

3-5-2: 9% of the time

4-3-1-2: 8% of the time

Other: 8% of the time

Luton Town

Outgoing manager: Mick Harford

Harford took over as Luton manager midway through the 2018/19 season on a caretaker basis and led the team to promotion to the Championship with a record of 12 wins, six draws and two defeats from his 20 matches in charge. He was, though, always expected to move aside at the end of the campaign and duly did so.

Incoming manager: Graeme Jones

This is a quite risky appointment from Luton as this is Jones’ first time as a head coach. Previously, he had been assistant to Darren Moore and to Roberto Martínez, even forming part of the coaching staff as Belgium finished third at the 2018 World Cup. 

QPR

Outgoing manager: John Eustace

Following the dismissal of Steve McClaren, Eustace took charge of QPR for the final seven matches of the 2018/19 season. He won two, drew one and lost four, and ruled himself out of the running for the permanent position.

Incoming manager: Mark Warburton

The permanent role went to former Brentford, Rangers and Nottingham Forest manager Warbuton. “I like players being brave in possession, understanding the first thought is to play forward and be positive,” he told the QPR website as he was announced. 

Middlesbrough

Outgoing manager: Tony Pulis

Pulis was supposed to lead Middlesbrough back to the Premier League, but they didn’t even make the play-offs last season and his contract wasn’t renewed. 

Middlesbrough in 2018/19

7th: 73 points 20 wins 13 draws 13 losses +8 goal difference

Incoming manager: Jonathan Woodgate

Woodgate spent five and a half seasons at the Riverside during his playing career and was also part of Pulis’ coaching staff last year. Following the Welshman’s departure, Woodgate was promoted to the top job and has insisted he wants to bring back the philosophy of football he grew up watching Middlesbrough play.

Swansea City

Outgoing manager: Graham Potter

Swansea City didn’t want to lose him, but an offer from Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League was too good for Potter to turn down and he leaves after just one year, and a 10th place finish, with the Welsh club.

Incoming manager: Steve Cooper

Cooper, a 39-year-old Welshman, has been brought in to take over at Swansea. This is his first foray into senior management as a head coach, having previously worked at academy level with Liverpool and England. 

Birmingham City

Outgoing manager: Garry Monk

Monk was sacked by Birmingham City over a month after the end of the season. He wasn’t let go because of results on the pitch, after doing a fine job of keeping the team in the division. Instead, it seems that differences of opinion with the ownership led to his dismissal. 

Incoming manager: Pep Clotet

Clotet has been named as caretaker coach at Birmingham City, but it remains to be seen just how long he’ll remain in that post. 

Derby County

Outgoing manager: Frank Lampard

Derby County came close to promotion under Lampard last season, making it to the promotion play-off final. They didn’t go up, but their coach did as he accepted a job with his former club Chelsea. 

Incoming manager: Phillip Cocu

Lampard’s replacement may actually be an improvement, in the eyes of some. Derby went out and acquired Cocu, who had an illustrious playing career and who had also done well with PSV Eindhoven as a coach.

Cocu’s honours as a manager

Eredivisie title: 2014/15, 2015/16, 2017/18

KNVB Cup: 2011/12

Johan Cruyff Shield: 2015, 2016

Sheffield Wednesday

Outgoing manager: Steve Bruce

Bruce is unlikely to be remembered too fondly at Wednesday. After being appointed in January and being allowed to take a month off before starting, after which the team’s performances remained about the same and they finished 12th after being 15th when he started. The manager then resigned in the summer and was soon hired as the new coach of Newcastle. 

Incoming manager: Lee Bullen

Bullen has been caretaker coach of Sheffield Wednesday twice before and was appointed to this role for a third time after the exit of Bruce. 

Nottingham Forest

Outgoing manager: Martin O'Neill

He won two European Cups with Forest as a player, but O’Neill’s return as manager didn’t work out as well. After taking over in January, they actually moved further away from the promotion play-off places with eight wins, three draws and eight losses from his 19 fixtures as boss.

Incoming manager: Sabri Lamouchi

It didn’t take long for the club to hire O’Neill’s replacement. Just 18 minutes, in fact. Less than 20 minutes after announcing the former Celtic coach’s departure they revealed that Frenchman Lamouchi was to take over, after previously having some success with Rennes. 

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