Darren Moore impressed as interim manager in the club’s unsuccessful fight for Premier League survival, and now results have brought the feelgood factor back to the HawthornsDarren Moore is never going to blow his own trumpet but, after the alienation, strain and pain of relegation last season, the Hawthorns seems a happier haunt these days. “I hope so,” Moore, the affable West Bromwich Albion head coach, says, sitting in a pocket of the stadium overlooking the pristine pitch. “It certainly feels a different place.”Results help. After almost hatching the greatest of great escapes, the Baggies are back in the Championship, for the first time since 2010. After impressing in caretaker charge – Moore memorably won the manager of the month...
Using statistical analysis to sign players, ditching their academy and scrapping the captaincy are some of the innovations that have turned Brentford into Championship contendersWith the transfer deadline looming on Thursday, you could forgive scurrying rivals for peering over the wall at Brentford in envy. It may seem an odd thing to say given they have lost their captain, John Egan, and the winger Florian Jozefzoon to Championship competitors this summer but few clubs navigate transfer windows better.Brentford do not panic but rather rebuild and, once more, Dean Smith’s stimulating side – top of the tree after a thumping 5-1 first-game win – have plans for surprising the field. Related: Middlesbrough cope without Traoré in home win over Sheffield United...
Big-spending Nottingham Forest will hope they can do a Wolves but the English second tier remains unpredictable Related: League One 2018-19 preview| Ben Fisher Related: League Two 2018-19 season preview | Ben Fisher Related: Number of clubs sponsored by betting firms is ‘disturbing’, say campaigners Related: Football League 2018-19: 20 things to watch out for this season | Jacob Steinberg Continue reading...
Will Lampard, Bielsa and Potter light up the Championship, is Barton manager material and how low can Sunderland go?After seeing Rúben Neves help Wolves tear the Championship apart last season, Nottingham Forest have also decided to tap into the Portuguese market as they attempt to end their long absence from the top division. They have broken their transfer record to buy João Carvalho from Benfica for £13.2m and have also signed Diogo Gonçalves on loan. The arrival of the Portugal Under-21 internationals are signs of big-spending Forest’s ambition. Related: Football League fixtures: Lampard's Derby kick off season at Reading Related: Aston Villa should stick with steady Steve Bruce after recent turmoil | Nick Miller Related: Marcelo Bielsa sets modest target...
No 26 did not deliver destiny for Villa in the Championship play-off final against Fulham and now Steve Bruce has problems preparing for another promotion tiltSurely football’s gods would not deny Aston Villa this time: 26 May was the 36th anniversary of the club’s European Cup victory when the team in claret and blue, against all the odds, beat the bluebloods of Bayern Munich. The number 26 was on the back of Villa’s captain, John Terry, the warrior central defender who would pass his 38th birthday back in the Premier League, taking a couple of days off when his adopted club play Chelsea to whom he said goodbye a year ago in the 26th minute.That was to be the narrative except...