EFL on Sky this weekend: Three managers feeling the heat in final act of gruelling festive run
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Friday 2 January 2026 13:29, UK
There will be three Championship managers feeling the pressure as we head into the final round of a hectic festive schedule on Sunday and Monday night.
Chris Davies will lead Birmingham City against Coventry on Sunday on the back of a poor run for the Blues, while Monday night sees two beleaguered bosses meet at the King Power Stadium - as Marti Cifuentes leads Leicester City against Ryan Mason's West Brom.
It is set to be a fascinating final act of a gruelling festive run in the Championship and the EFL...
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Davies feeling the pressure at Birmingham as leaders Coventry come to town
It has been a pretty grim run for Birmingham City bookended by two clashes with Watford. Victory over the Hornets on December 1 took them to within a point of the play-offs, but no wins since in seven has seen them drop to 17th in the table - nine points off the top six.
They were comfortably beaten 3-0 at Watford on New Year's Day. Ironically, Javi Gracia's side have since climbed from 15th to fourth. A win is needed for Chris Davies - who knows the expectation at Birmingham and will no doubt be feeling the pressure.
"We were nowhere near the level required to win a football match," Davies said after their defeat at Watford. "We didn't defend well enough at all in the first half and we conceded soft goals.
"We've had games recently where we've narrowly lost or where we've drawn when we deserved to win a match but on this occasion, we didn't deserve anything from the match.
"It was well short of the level you expect from a Birmingham City team."
The next visitors are Championship leaders Coventry City. They have stumbled a little in their last two, beaten at home by Ipswich Town on December 29, before being pegged back to be held by Charlton on New Year's Day.
The Tractor Boys are now the nearest challengers to the Sky Blues, but still trail them by eight points. Frank Lampard and his team will likely have more of an eye on Middlesbrough in third - who are nine points behind them, but have just a point in their last four games, and haven't scored in that time either.
A lot is on the line at St Andrew's.
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Elsewhere in the Championship
QPR headed into Christmas just a place off the play-offs, but just a point since Boxing Day has seen them drop to 12th. They should get back on the horse at home against Sheffield Wednesday, who still have just one win all season that came back in September.
While Sheffield United could take a step closer to a potential play-off push when they host an Oxford United side that are still without a permanent manager, since sacking Gary Rowett before Christmas. The Blades head into Sunday eight points off the top six, while Oxford are down in 23rd, three points off safety.
And in Leagues One & Two
Bolton Wanderers have dropped to seven points off the automatic promotion places in League One as they host a Northampton Town side that are just a point above the relegation zone. While second-placed Lincoln City host an in-form Peterborough United.
And in League Two, mid-table Cheltenham Town host a Crawley Town side struggling just two points above the drop, while MK Dons - currently sat in sixth - welcome Chesterfield. They are sat in eighth, just outside the play-offs.
More dugout drama on Monday night
- Leicester vs West Brom - live on Sky Sports Football from 7.30pm on Monday night; kick-off 8pm
Expect nerves and tension in the air on Monday night, as two sides struggling in the wrong half of the table meet at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester City have lost three of their last four under Marti Cifuentes in a dismal festive run, and were hopelessly outplayed in defeat at Sheffield United on New Year's Day.
The fans, again, voiced their frustration. A decade ago to the day they were sat second in the Premier League table, about to go on the run that saw them win the title. It feels a long, long time ago now.
"I understand that the fans want to show their frustration. I understand the frustration, it's completely fair," Cifuentes said after defeat at Bramall Lane.
"There are certain things that I can share with the fans and some things that I can't. What I can say is I'm sorry that we are in this difficult moment. We need to stick together."
Ryan Mason will no doubt be feeling it worse. West Brom have lost their last nine away from home on the bounce.
"The run we've been on, in terms of the games we've lost, it's incredible," he said. "It's embarrassing. As I've done all season, I'll take responsibility for everything.
"But, as a player, also, we have to have men who take responsibility. Regardless of where you are, what league, what country you play in, to lose that amount of games, it's not good enough."
Beaten 1-0 at Swansea on New Year's Day, he underlined his conviction that he could get the Baggies back on track.
"I wouldn't be sat here if I didn't think I could turn this around," Mason added. "As a coach, you can do a lot right and not necessarily get the rewards. That's the beauty of football.
"But no-one, or nothing, is going to stop me believing in how I want the team to be and how I want them to look. It's a game of fine margins and too many times this season we've come out on the wrong end for different reasons."
