Players from QPR, Preston, Norwich, Reading, Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Rotherham, Derby and Stoke all feature as WhoScored.com run through their Sky Bet Championship Team of the Month for January...
Monday 1 February 2021 16:56, UK
Had the Championship season started at the turn of the year, then Reading would lead the pack having picked up 10 of a possible 12 points in 2021 so far. The Royals are the dominant side in the WhoScored.com team of the month for January as they run through their best XI...
QPR have made a solid enough start to 2021, picking up six points from their opening three matches this year in clean sheet victories over Luton and Cardiff to help move away from danger. Seny Timothy Dieng, then, occupies the spot between the sticks after three commendable showings, averaging the fifth most saves per game (3) last month to feature with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.16.
Preston's sole representative in the January team of the month is midfielder Alan Browne, who has found some form at right-back. There has been plenty of focus on ex-teammate Ben Davies of late, but Browne quietly went about his business last month, making eight interceptions and five tackles to return a WhoScored.com rating of 7.10.
Grant Hanley scored his first league goal of the season in January and features in the team of the month at centre-back. That strike proved crucial in a 2-1 win at Cardiff in mid-January to maintain Norwich's title push. The centre-back was superb at playing out from the back last month as Hanley made 253 accurate passes, that the fourth most, to make the best XI with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.63.
The first of three Reading players in the best XI for January, Tom McIntyre partners Hanley at the heart of the defence having yielded a WhoScored.com rating of 7.53 last month. The centre-back had a direct hand in two goals in January, providing a key assist for Lucas Joao at Huddersfield and scoring in the weekend's 3-1 win over Bournemouth.
Rounding off the backline is Blackburn defender Barry Douglas. The Scottish full-back was unable to have a direct hand in a goal for Rovers, but it was not for want of trying as he managed seven key passes in January. It was the 31-year-old's work off the ball that really caught the eye, though, as Douglas made more tackles (23) than any other player to garner a WhoScored rating of 7.56.
Marcus Tavernier scored his second league goal and provided his fourth Championship assist of the season in January, with the latter crucial in a 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest. It was a solid month for the youngster, who ended January with eight key passes to his name and worked hard when out of possession for Middlesbrough as he made 12 tackles and interceptions combined to contribute towards his inclusion with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.45.
Only one player scored more league goals than Matt Crooks (3) in January, which included a vital double in a man-of-the-match showing against Stoke. The midfielder's performance in that 3-3 draw with the Potters saw him pick up his first man of the match award of the season in a superb January that saw Crooks make the team of the month with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.58.
Making the Championship team of the month for the second month running, Krystian Bielik excelled for a rejuvenated Derby side in January. The Pole's playing time was cut short due to injury in the 1-0 win over Bristol City over the weekend, in what is a huge blow for the Rams. Bielik was one of three players to win multiple WhoScored.com man of the match awards in January as he partners Crooks in midfield with a rating of 7.63.
Featuring from the left flank is Reading youngster Ovie Ejaria. The 23-year-old enjoyed a superb January as he completed the second most dribbles (16) in the Championship to reinforce a statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of 'dribbling'. A further assist, his fifth of the season, saw Ejaria return a WhoScored.com rating of 7.68.
The final Reading player in the team of the month is also the top performing star in the January best XI. Lucas Joao earned a WhoScored.com rating of 7.84 last month as he scored more goals (4) than any other player, including a decisive double in a man-of-the-match showing against Huddersfield to kick off 2021. An additional assist in the 3-0 win over Coventry meant Joao was good value for his individual award.
Joining Joao on the frontline is Stoke City man Nick Powell. The Potters would have had two fewer points in January had it not been for the frontman's influence in the final third as he netted in the 1-1 draw with Blackburn and had a direct hand in two of Stoke's three goals in the 3-3 draw with Rotherham, scoring one, with his two goals coming from 13 shots and one assist from seven key passes.
