Championship talking points: Business as usual for Middlesbrough despite uncertainty over Rob Edwards future
The Sky Sports Football writers analyse the weekend's Championship action as Middlesbrough make light of uncertainty over Rob Edwards' future and Coventry win ugly at Stoke - thanks to a beautiful goal from Ephron Mason-Clarke
Sunday 9 November 2025 07:35, UK
Business as usual for Boro despite Edwards unrest
Speculation about his future had been rumbling on all week and, on Saturday morning, it emerged Rob Edwards had been stood down by Middlesbrough for the visit of Birmingham to the Riverside, amid interest from Wolves.
The decision came only 137 days after he had been appointed on a three-year contract. Later came the confirmation he had been given permission to talk to Wolves.
The Teesside club could have done without the disruption: they were top of the Championship throughout September, but had only won two of their last eight.
But first-team coaches Adi Viveash and Harry Watling, and academy manager Craig Liddle stepped in - and it was business as usual when the Blues came to town, like nothing was untoward whatsoever.
The fans made their feelings towards Edwards clear in the form of a banner that read "Fans deserve to see people who really want to be here" and chants that cannot be repeated here.
And the mood was jubilant after the final whistle, with local boys Dael Fry and Hayden Hackney scoring the goals that sent Boro into the automatic promotion places.
Life will go on if Edwards does ultimately return to Wolves, and after this, Boro will feel as though they will be able to cope without him.
Dan Long
- Watch all Championship highlights from the weekend here
- Live Championship table
- All Championship scores & fixtures
Mason-Clarke provides stunning end to an ugly Coventry win
A goal worthy of winning any game of football, anywhere. Ephron Mason-Clarke with a glorious bicycle kick winner for Coventry City in the 86th minute to steer them to a 1-0 win at Stoke.
It was a brave effort from the winger, who got injured in the act and ended up being forced off. But he may deem it a worthwhile sacrifice as it extended their lead at the top.
Frank Lampard's side now sit five points ahead of Middlesbrough in second, and seven clear of Stoke in third. It was their 10th win of the season after 15 games, and probably their ugliest scalp.
"We worked hard yesterday on having the best possible approach to winning this game." Lampard said.
"We showed that we had really good focus and work rate. The lads worked hard and carried out the approach perfectly. I thought we played really well and our off the ball work today was outstanding.
"We created chances, but not great chances. It needed that bit of extra skill and we got that with the goal. I think we deserved it for the way we approached the game. It was amazing quality for the goal, he has got that in him."
Norwich ambitions look lofty as manager search begins again
There was no obvious indication in the immediate aftermath at Carrow Road to suggest that Liam Manning's time had come to an end.
Hundreds of fans congregated outside the directors' entrance following the full-time whistle. The boos and chants against the manager and sporting director Ben Knapper could be heard from inside the tunnel. Knapper walked quietly through the tunnel. But Manning still conducted his post-match media duties. In our TV interview, the soon-to-be departing head coach was downbeat but still retained hope. The press conference that followed seemed to show a dead man walking.
Manning departs having failed to pick up a single point from his seven home matches in charge - a staggering statistic for a manager who led Bristol City to the play-offs just months earlier.
Football can be defined by fine margins.
The Canaries came within inches of taking a 2-0 lead, only for a fabulous save from Asmir Begovic to deny Oscar Schwartau. Minutes later, Bobby De-Cordova Reid equalised, Norwich's game management fell apart and an unmarked Jordan James arrived inside the box to head home Leicester's injury-time winner. It would prove to be the final nail in the coffin for Manning.
In the club's annual report - released on Friday - Norwich restated their ambition to become an established Premier League club by 2028. The top flight feels a million miles away right now as the club look for yet another manager.
James Savundra
Eustace's winning return to Blackburn bodes well
John Eustace spoke about the long-term potential at Derby when, in February, he left Blackburn to join the club he finished his playing career at.
He succeeding in keeping the Rams in the Championship last term, but one or two Rovers fans will have raised a wry smile when Eustace's side endured a difficult start to 2025/26, with just one win from the first 10 league games.
It is a different story now. For the first time since October to December 2023, Derby have won five league games in succession - the latest of which came at Ewood Park. A pocket of home fans directed chants towards him at kick-off, but they were quietened by goals from Carlton Morris and Patrick Agyemang.
Yuki Ohashi pulled one back from the spot for Blackburn, but, after that, Derby again demonstrated the grit and resilience again that has been so important in this fruitful run, which has seen them also beat Norwich, QPR, Sheffield United and Hull.
To go into the last international break of 2025 in such form, and just a handful of points outside the play-off places, bodes very well indeed.
Dan Long
Wrexham building momentum after another important win
Phil Parkinson's Wrexham side head into the international break in fine form after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Charlton Athletic.
The contest was ultimately settled by a moment of confusion, when substitute James McLean's cross struck the arm of Onel Hernandez inside the area. The referee pointed to the spot, and Josh Windass made no mistake from 12 yards.
Nine minutes of added time caused some nerves among the home support, but Wrexham held firm to claim a valuable three points. The atmosphere at full-time was electric, with fans fully aware of the significance of the result.
Parkinson's men are now unbeaten in five and heading into the break with real momentum. For Charlton, Nathan Jones admitted illness within the squad had disrupted preparations, with several players featuring despite not being fully fit.
It wasn't to be their day, but Wrexham's resilience and growing confidence suggest they are starting to find their rhythm.
Kyle Walker
Louza finally emerges as one of the best midfielders in the Championship
The pass was sensational from Imran Louza to tee up the opener for Watford on Friday night, and you wonder where they would be without him.
Louza, now 26, has finally emerged as one of the best midfielders in the Championship. Based on his quality he always had that potential to be considered up there, but this season he is providing the results to prove it.
The ball to Marc Bola was his third assist of the season, while he has also scored six goals already in the Championship, making him the top scorer for the Hornets.
It is a record made all the more impressive by the fact he missed three games this season after a mad red card against QPR in August. He seems to have learned his lesson, and has largely been in possession of the captain's armband since.
Louza has been at Watford since 2021 and it feels as though he has spent a fair bit of that time either injured or halfheartedly trying to leave the club. Now he's fit and firing, and maybe he's finally realised his best way up is to just show how good he can be.
Simeon Gholam
- Got Sky? Watch your EFL team on the Sky Sports app
- Not got Sky? Stream your EFL team with no contract
Burgess suffers nightmare afternoon as he hands double gift to his old side
There are bad afternoons and there are nightmare afternoons, and for Cameron Burgess it was a nightmare afternoon.
The Swansea defender might have been hoping to show Ipswich what they were missing. He only left Portman Road in the summer after a four-year spell that had taken in two promotions and his first-ever Premier League minutes.
What happened was quite the opposite. The 30-year-old had just seen Goncalo Franco pull his side back level after Jack Clarke's opener, before he put the ball through his own net twice to take the game away from the Swans entirely.
It helped Ipswich return to winning ways after an underwhelming midweek draw at home to Watford, and to within two points of the play-off places - with a game in hand on the sides above.
Burgess may have just inadvertently played a role in a third promotion for Ipswich.
Simeon Gholam
Key stats from the weekend
- Derby County have won each of their last five Championship games; it's the first time they've done so since July 2020.
- Middlesbrough's 29 points after 15 league games this season (W8 D5 L2) is their most at this stage of a league campaign since 2015-16 in the Championship (30), finishing second that season to earn promotion to the Premier League.
- Only Southampton (12) and Wrexham (11) have dropped more points from winning positions than Norwich City in the Championship this season (10), while only Millwall (7) and Wrexham (6) have conceded more goals in the final 10 minutes of games than their five.
- Swansea City's Cameron Burgess is the fourth Championship player to score two own goals in a game - since the rebrand in 2004/05 - after Shane Duffy in August 2016, David Stockdale in April 2017 and Liam Kitching in April 2024.
All Championship weekend results
Friday
Saturday
