FL72 Talking Points: Huddersfield sack Chris Powell and Steve Evans gets first Leeds win
Wednesday 4 November 2015 14:09, UK
Hull City moved top of the table as unbeaten Brighton dropped to third on a busy night of action in the Sky Bet Championship.
Gerry Francis and Ray Wilkins visited Sky Sports News HQ studio to recap all the major talking points, including Huddersfield's decision to sack Chris Powell and Leeds' first win under new boss Steve Evans.
Elsewhere, the pressure is mounting on Chris Ramsey after QPR's latest defeat, while Brighton may have dropped from first to third, but their 15-match unbeaten start to the season continues following a 0-0 draw at Hillsborough.
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Huddersfield sack Powell after 14 months
It's all over for Powell at the John Smith's Stadium, as he becomes the fifth managerial casualty in the Championship this season. The Terriers were the better team at the Madejski Stadium, and would have taken a precious three points but for Reading substitute Ola John's 84th minute equaliser.
But Powell paid the price after managing just 15 wins in 58 matches since his appointment in September 2014, although Francis and Wilkins believe he deserved more time.
"Nothing surprises me in football now but it's getting worse and worse," Francis told Sky Sports. "The one thing managers do need is a bit of time and they just don't get it.
"He hasn't been there that long - 58 games - and it was a really good result against Reading, who only equalised late on. It's a really competitive league, the Championship, and I would have thought they would just be happy to stay in there. I think he'll feel really disappointed.
"I don't know what people are looking for, I really don't," Wilkins added. "It's such a tough league to play in, your budgets are restricted and you are bringing in loan players left, right and centre, so it's always difficult to get a settled side."
Leeds break duck but Cellino saga rumbles on
The boardroom drama at Elland Road continues to draw attention, despite Alex Mowatt's stunning 30-yard winner over Cardiff that earned just their third victory of a difficult campaign, and their first over the Bluebirds since 1984.
Early on Wednesday morning, Leeds Fans Utd - the fan group hoping to buy a controlling interest in the club - announced that owner Massimo Cellino had changed his mind over plans to sell the club to the supporters.
Twice banned by the Football League, Cellino faces three criminal cases in his native Italy, all of which distracts from an important win for new manager Steve Evans over promotion hopefuls Cardiff. The Leeds boss faces a tough challenge as it is, but the off-the-field machinations don't help.
"It's such a wonderful club with massive support," said Francis. "You are selling it one minute, you are not selling it the next; six managers gone already. If I was a supporter, I wouldn't know what was going on."
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Hull on top
It was a fantastic night for Steve Bruce as the Tigers moved top of the Championship table with an impressive 2-0 away win over Brentford.
Hull's form over the last four league games has been flawless - they have scored nine and conceded none in victories over Ipswich, Birmingham, MK Dons and the Bees.
Their strength in depth is among the strongest in the division, as demonstrated by Bruce's freedom to call on the likes of Tom Huddlestone, Harry Maguire and Mohamed Diame from the bench as two second half-goals from Andrew Robertson and Samuel Clucas secured the win. The Tigers simply outlasted Brentford, as Bees head coach Lee Carsley conceded after the game.
"It's not a surprise at all," Wilkins continued. "The gulf is massive - it's widening all the time - so when you do get relegated, you have a real chance to get back because you have players of Premier League quality."
Brighton & Birmingham surprise packages
A bittersweet night for Brighton as they maintained their unbeaten start to the season but lost their grip on top spot in the process.
The Seagulls' wait for a Hillsborough win goes on - it's now no victories in 16 attempts - but they remain the only side in all four divisions of English football who have yet to lose a league game this season.
As for Birmingham, the draw at home to Blackburn keeps them in touch with the promotion pack, although Gary Rowett's side drew a blank for the fourth time in five matches at St Andrew's, which will be concerning.
They managed to keep Rovers star Jordan Rhodes quiet, but have now won just three of their eight home matches this term. It's a record that will have to improve if they have play-off ambitions.
"You wouldn't have thought Brighton at the start of the season would still be unbeaten and in the top three," said Francis. "Chris Hughton's doing a brilliant job. Birmingham are doing really well, too. Those are the two surprise packages for me."
Ramsey under pressure
It was more misery for Ramsey as QPR slipped to their third loss in five games with defeat at the iPro Stadium.
In a rematch of the 2014 Championship play-off final, Andreas Weimann's 51st minute strike was enough to win it for Derby, leaving Ramsey to concede that "you are always going to be under pressure as a manger when you are not winning."
Before Tuesday's result, rumours suggested the QPR board were considering their options, with former Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood reportedly a candidate, but Wilkins hopes the Hoops can get back on track.
"I really hope they can turn it around," said Wilkins, a former player and manager at QPR. "They are great guys, it is a great club. Both of us [Wilkins and Francis] had fantastic times there and I sincerely hope they can do it."
Joe Cole magic lights up Cov
In Sky Bet League One, Joe Cole scored his first goal for Coventry in a topsy-turvy 4-3 win over Barnsley at the Ricoh Arena. The former England international found the top corner with a free-kick on the hour mark, condemning the Tykes to their seventh straight league loss.
Blackpool's troubles show no sign of abating as they went down 1-0 at Bradford in the night's other game. After a six-game rally, they have now lost two in a row and find themselves just one point above the relegation zone.
