Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , two-time Championship promotion winner Kevin Doyle has given his opinion on the runners and riders for promotion with Stoke, Preston and Coventry City among a group of teams looking to end their respective top-flight droughts.
The striker gave his perspective on managerial pressures on the likes of Frank Lampard, Liam Manning and Phil Parkinson he stresses the need for clubs to remain patient with under-the-fire coaches, suggesting "player power" has become far too commonplace.
Doyle also spoke about the increasing amount of US investment into the EFL and how that has benefited Birmingham and Wrexham.
Stoke
Can Stoke Return To The EPL?
They've started very well, and I've talked about managers who know the league and know its demands. He's had good success as a manager. Mark Robins has been around a long time and has started very well.
The Championship, to me, seems like if you start well and get up there, you tend to stay there. Look at Middlesbrough; they have a little gap now, four points clear. Stoke are right up there. Yes, they're a big club.
I played against Stoke a lot over the years, and it's been a while since they've been in the Premier League. Now they're due, so they definitely have a good man to do it.
Financially, they're strong; they spend a decent bit of money, so they have what's needed. It just looks like there's nothing between the top half of the table. Second place and twelfth are only four points apart, so it's early days, but it's better to be up there than not.
Preston
Preston
Preston, when I played there, were always around the playoffs, always close but never quite made it. It's a big club with a fabulous fan base. It's a great place to play because there's always a good atmosphere.
No one deserves anything, but for an old, historic club that's been around a long time, it's surprising they've never been in the Premier League. The Premier League has only been around for 30 years, so it's not the total history of football, but they've been so close so many times.
The new manager has started the season quite well again. They always seem to be just around the playoffs or just drop out. It'll happen sometime, so why not this year?”
Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
I like Frank Lampard; he always comes across well and isn't afraid to work or go wherever to get a job.
There's a bit more positivity around Coventry because, for a while, they haven't owned their stadium, and there have been a lot of question marks over that. They've finally sorted that situation out, so everyone's happy now.
It looks like we're on the right track as a club, and that breeds momentum and confidence. Anyone who works for or supports Coventry City will be pleased to hear that they've finally ended the saga of who owns their stadium and will definitely have it forever.
They've started well with a good manager. The Championship is such a league where you can make a case for any club getting promoted. It's a brilliant league to play in because you're full of confidence going into it, thinking, ‘Yeah, we're as good as these.’ That can quickly be proven wrong, but you have hope in the Championship.
You go into a Premier League season knowing that three or four teams are going to win it. But in the Championship, if you're playing for any club, you put a run together, and you think you can get promoted.”
Birmingham
Birmingham Better For US Involvement
Birmingham are a massive club. They've had a tough season or two, sacking their manager last season, which led to things getting worse. It's similar to what happened at Wolves – we were mid-table, sacked the manager, and then got relegated.
With the American owners, there's a definite buzz around the place. Some might say they're too big to be in their current position, but that doesn't guarantee anything.
Having someone like Tom Brady interested in the club, a mega-star who's shown interest, I think it's more beneficial than harmful. People might question his knowledge of football, but he understands sport, winning, and the processes that lead to success. So, it's definitely better to have him involved.
Hull City
Hull City
Hull City is a big club. They go through a few managers. Five managers in two years, and they haven't had the greatest start to the season. It's difficult in the Championship; the confidence in the club needs to get going. When you're changing things so much, it's just not easy.”
Norwich
Liam Manning’s Norwich Task
The manager, Liam Manning, is already under pressure. He prefers to build from the back, a slow process that requires time on the training ground to implement.
However, Norwich cannot afford to spend a season or two establishing a style of play. He arrived in the summer and is already facing scrutiny. While you would ideally like to see managers given time, the culture often demands instant results and a quick turnaround in form.
This pressure means managers don't get the opportunity to change systems, players, or playing styles, even though such changes can take a year or two to embed. Immediate results are demanded in the game now.
Managers vs Players
Player Power
It's never easy for managers; getting sacked has always been part of the job, but it seems to happen much faster now. After just three or four bad games, a manager can be gone, whereas it used to take half a season.
It's a tough job; you're under immense pressure if you don't win your first few games.
“Managers come in with high hopes, a good pre-season, and a desire to implement their ideas. In the Championship, you could play six games in three or four weeks and find yourself out of a job.
The game has definitely changed; clubs are much more trigger-happy now than even seven years ago when I retired.
Players also seem less accepting of criticism and have slightly more power, which has changed how managers need to deal with them. Younger managers, I suppose, have also come through this environment. Ultimately, a manager's job is to get results.
Some managers insist on a particular style of play, but I think you have to set that aside initially. You need to focus on getting results and then slowly embed your style of play and ideas into the club. Some managers try to implement their ideas immediately, disregarding results, and they're out of a job before they can achieve that.
Who Has More Power in Modern Football?
Wrexham
Give Phil Parkinson Time!
Phil Parkinson has done a brilliant job. How much higher, how quickly do they expect to go? We can't look into the minds of the Wrexham owners. They've had a lot of success, a brilliant story, and it's been fabulous for English football, gaining a worldwide audience.
But now, how patient are the owners? Do they want to go up again this year or next year? Coming from so low down to where they are now, I don't think that's realistic.
I think you have to give Phil Parkinson credit and time. But we don't know whether that's what their owners are thinking; they might want another story, another so-called bigger name in there as manager now, which I'm sure they could get if they wanted. However, it would be very harsh on Phil Parkinson if they did that.
Gerrard For Wrexham?
Steven Gerrard has the American connection, having played in the MLS for LA Galaxy. He's a big name. On paper, you would imagine he'd be the type of manager they'd want for their story for Disney, which would be great for viewers.
But you wonder if their aim is to entertain or to stabilise the football club where they are now. They've come this far, and they should slowly build on that and not try to rush it in one season.
In fairness to them, everything they've done so far has been brilliant, so give them credit for that. Wrexham wouldn't be where they are without them. So, just see what their next step is. It's interesting.
Would Gerrard Suit Wrexham?
Moore’s Wrexham Move
Strikers are important in all leagues, but particularly in the Championship, where teams often rely heavily on their centre-forwards for goals.
A good Championship striker needs to be strong and experienced in the league, and Kieffer Moore fits that description, he’s a really good signing for Wrexham.
Derby
Derby
Looking at the bottom of the league, Watford, Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, and Sheffield United, we all started the season thinking they could be promoted. Now, these four massive clubs are in the bottom four. I know it's very early, and a few wins could put them back in the top half, but it just shows the size of these clubs and the quality in the Championship.
Their stadium, everything about Derby, is set up to be a big club. But you can go through a list of Championship teams and make a case for all of them being out of position or deserving to be a Premier League team. The quality and quantity of good clubs in England is frightening.
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Woes
So much went on in the summer. Is there even going to be a club? Not getting paid. It's just an awful situation. I wasn't in that situation as a player ever. I can imagine it's a disaster.
The only hope is that it galvanises the few players that have left, and they get loan signings in. Which they did. They were getting signings in and didn't have to pay any of their wages; the parent club was paying their wages, so you just have to cobble it together and create some sort of team spirit out of that.
Again, it's a massive club, you go there and play there, and it's a fabulous atmosphere. Traditionally, a really good, big club, and it shows how quickly things can go wrong in football clubs. Like my old club, Reading, they were not quite in that situation last year, but not far off in the financial side of it.
Probably something similar, they weren't getting paid, and they finally sorted themselves out, it looks like, with new owners, and that's what Sheffield Wednesday fans will have to hope for, that someone's going to come in and look after them.
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