The Championship table currently has Leeds United sitting at the top of the roost but does this mean Bielsa is the best manager?
At the other end of the spectrum is Ipswich Town and the experienced Paul Lambert. Is Lambert the worst manager in the league?
To answer these questions I have developed the manager performance table. I will analyse how well each manager is doing and I will take various different matters into context.
These will include, their position in the table with regards to the amount of money they have spent and the squad at their disposal. Managers who have brought through youth and given them a chance will also be rewarded.
It would be unfair to judge Jose Gomes, Nathan Jones, Steve Bruce and Martin O’Neill this early into their reign so Paul Clement, Gary Rowett, Jos Luhukay and Aitor Karanka will all be included.
Manager Performance Table
1. Chris Wilder- Sheffield Utd 
Wilder is once again doing a marvellous job with the Blades. After leading them back to the Championship, securing 100 points in the process, Wilder is challenging for promotion to the Premier League and they have never had a better opportunity to do so. This time last season they looked all set to at least reach the Play-Offs but they went on a horrific run which led to them eventually sliding out of the top 6.
Sheffield United are second in the league and they are massively overachieving. On paper, they are mid-table side at best but Wilder is getting the most out of experienced pro’s like, Oliver Norwood, Enda Stevens, David McGoldrick and Billy Sharp.
To make it even more romantic, Chris Wilder is a Blades fan and he wears his heart on his sleeve as the club means so much to him. The players are so galvanised each and every week and credit has to go to Chris Wilder and that is why he is sitting top of the table.
2. Daniel Farke- Norwich City
An unknown commodity when he joined the Canaries is most definitely known in Norfolk now as his side are third in the league. Delia Smith kept faith with Farke after a disappointing 2017-2018 season and they are reaping the awards now.
Norwich City are a yo-yo club who are known to bounce from Premier League to the Championship. However, all the foundations are set for possibly an extended stay in the Premier League if the German can get them promoted.
Daniel Farke has introduced youth and flair to the side and many of the players will be unheard off to the casual fan. Jamaal Lewis, Ben Godfrey, Felix Passlack, Maximilian Aarons and Todd Cantwell have all featured prominently throughout this season and they are all 20 years old or under!
A mid-table side on paper has blossomed with attacking flair, youth in abundance and entertaining football.
3. Garry Monk- Birmingham City 
Monk is now at his third Championship side in as many seasons but this one looked to be most difficult on paper. The club is currently locked under Transfer Embargoes meaning Birmingham have limitations on who they can sign. This should’ve been a bitter blow to Monk and his staff but they have been doing incredibly well considering the circumstances.
A small squad is made up of 25 players with four of them being goalkeepers. This theoretically should’ve made the season really difficult for Monk but his Birmingham side have thrived with striker Lukas Jutkiewicz being the star player and in my opinion being the player of the season in the EFL Championship.
Birmingham are now 8th in the league and they have a real good chance of making the Play-Offs. If they can pull this off, Monk will boost his CV massively, as a side that should be lower mid-table is really thriving under difficult circumstances.
4. Marcelo Bielsa- Leeds United
Put aside the whole ‘spygate’ saga and Leeds United’s season has been full of positives and entertaining football. Largely made up of the players from last season, they are now top of the league and signing Bielsa looks to be the best bit of business they have done in the last decade.
His team play entertaining football, being patient and playing out from the back. His methods certainly seem to be working and their sub bench from Fridays game against Derby County sums up how well they have been performing. All seven players on the bench were 20 or under and Bielsa has not complained once about the lack of options at his disposal.
The defensive partnership of Pontus Jansson and Liam Cooper are playing superbly and they are keeping clean sheets. Pablo Hernandez has contributed to 17 goals and assists this season, making him their standout player.
Even though typically a club of Leeds’ stature should be performing at the top end of the Championship, this side is by no means the strongest in the league. A team that should be realistically finishing just outside the Play-Offs is looking like they can finally put an end to Leeds’ fans anguish and push on to the Premier League.
5. Lee Johnson- Bristol City
Bristol City are doing things the opposite way round this season. For the past few seasons, Bristol have started strongly but the wheels have fallen off when they got to the mid way point. However, this season after a summer of incomings and outgoings, Bristol City have gone from a slow start but they have now been on a sensational run which has led them to 7th in the league.
No losses in 10 has represented a great return and if they can keep their form up, they could finally reach the Play-Offs. Stephen Lansdown, the Bristol City owner must be given huge credit for the patience he showed when Johnson was going through winless runs. Adam Webster has been the standout player for them.
6. Steve McClaren- QPR
4 losses in his first 4 league games in charge meant the ‘wally with the brolly’ was under huge pressure at the start of the season. The late loan signings of clinical Nahki Wells and Tomas Hemed produced an upturn in form and QPR haven’t looked back.
A nice mix of youth and experienced players have meant QPR have been comfortable all season and are outsiders for a Play-Off spot. The defensive duo of Toni Leistner and Joel Lynch is solid and that is where the base of the foundations have been built.
A mid-table finish would indicate a good return as Tony Fernandes has cut back costs and is not pumping money into club as much as he once did.
7. Tony Mowbray- Blackburn Rovers 
Blackburn have not looked back following their promotion last season. Bradley Dack, Charlie Mulgrew and David Raya have really flourished in the second division. Mowbray is excelling and consistency has been brought back to Ewood Park.
Young midfielder, Lewis Travis has featured in the last couple of weeks and Mowbrays faith in the youngster has not gone unnoticed.
Blackburn have definitely got their man and they should look to keep hold of him for many years.
8. Frank Lampard- Derby County
Although his side had a footballing lesson on Friday, Lampard has taken to his first job like a natural. The lack of funds meant that in the summer the recruitment featured multiple loan signings and this has not hampered Derby County.
Harry Wilson, Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount have the standout players at Pride Park and Derby fans will be dreaming of signing them on permanents. Although the Rams are not massively overachieving, a Play-Off finish will still represent a great first season for Frank and they look likely to do just that.
Lampard has his side playing good football with the ball on the floor and it’s some of the best football they have seen in years.
9. Alex Neil- Preston North End 
I’m anticipating a few supporters, including North End fans to be a bit shocked about that one but hear me out. After an impressive 7th placed finish last season, which was massively overachieving with the shoestring budget PNE operate on. Neil is still arguably overachieving.
Preston fans and pundits alike both predicted a Play-Off push this season but is this realistic, when you consider the amount of money he has had available in his time at the club.
Many of the players he has signed have come from lower leagues and the League Of Ireland. Making Alex Neil’s job not easy at all. Considering the amount of injuries PNE have had this season then Neil is doing a marvellous job as it was only a couple of weeks ago that 12 key first-team players were sidelined! Could they be doing better? They could, especially when you take previous years finishes into account but with the poor luck they have had this season, Preston fans are still happy with the young Scottish manager.
10. Nigel Adkins- Hull City
Turmoil. This is a word that has surrounded Hull City for years now and up until 2 months ago it looked like it was only going to get worse as Hull were languishing in and around the relegation zone. However, an upturn in form has much improved their season!
One loss in 13 games has bumped Hull right back up the league and their fans are dreaming of a Play-Off finish. When looking at their side, they are accompanied by some fantastic talent and Jarrod Bowen is the key player in that team with him contributing to 16 goals this season.
Adkins has got them playing with confidence and positivity is finally surrounding the KC stadium. Adkins should be very proud of the job he is doing and he will want a second stint in the Premier League after how harshly Southampton sacked him.
11. Darren Moore- West Brom
In Darren Moore’s first job as a manager, he is shining. The old ‘ West Brom way’ has been re-introduced and this is shown with the 55 goals that have been scored in their 27 games.
This is just over 2 goals scored per game and they also boost the strongest goal difference. West Brom are playing with real flair and arrogance.
The reason for Moore being bang in mid-table is because luckily they were able to keep hold off many of their first team players following the relegation which has left him with a very strong squad.
In my opinion, with the likes of Aston Villa and Stoke struggling, West Brom should be targeting Automatic Promotion at the very least. Any less will be disappointment at the Hawthorns.
12. Tony Pulis- Middlesbrough
Tony Pulis is effective and he knows how to get results but it can be ugly so the results come at a cost. Regularly you will find them just launching the ball onto Hugills head and looking for runs. This team really is the definition of a Pulis side.
Although the play is dull and pre-historic it is effective and it gets constant results. Middlesbrough have conceded the least goals in the league with 19 goals let in, in 27 games! They are currently 5th in the league and whilst the other teams let leads slip, Middlesbrough know how to keep clean sheets and in my opinion they are most likely going to up at the end of the season.
So even though the football can be dire at times, it balances itself out as Pulis really is a genius at getting results.
13. Neil Harris- Millwall
After an impressive season which nearly culminated in Millwall securing a Play-Off place, their current position could be considered as an underachievement. However, Harris shouldn’t be a victim of his own success as keeping Millwall up should be in itself as an achievement.
Boasting one of the weakest squads on paper is not an accomplishment many Lions fans will want to celebrate but they are operating on a limited budget and Harris should be greatly appreciated for the job he is doing.
The recent run of form which has returned 4 wins in their last 5 should be a big boost for Millwall and they will be hoping that they can replicate the second half of the season run they went on this time last season.
14. Paul Warne- Rotherham
Keeping Rotherham up would be an incredible achievement for Warne and as things stand they are currently 2 points above the dreaded relegation zone.
It isn’t pretty football from the Millers but nor should it be. Rotherham fans shouldn’t expect their team to be able to compete with the big teams when a lot of the teams have one player that are worth more than their whole squad.
Will Vaulks has stood out this season as one of the best players in his position and Rotherham need to keep hold of him if they have any chance of survival.
15. Paul Cook- Wigan Athletic 
Wigan have struggled for consistency throughout the season but they are still doing well, once again when you consider the budget etc.
Cook has led the Latics back to the Championship and it really is about consolidation now. They have to stabilise themselves in the Championship for a couple of seasons before they can even start to dream about the Premier League again.
Anthony Pilkington is a tremendous signing and he showed his credentials in the 3-0 win over Aston Villa.
Paul Cook should still be credited for doing a good job and they should have enough to steer away from the relegation dogfight.
16. Aitor Karanka- Nottingham Forest
Recently departed, Karanka was doing a decent job at the City Ground. Play-offs was the minimum target when you consider the 25 million they spent in the summer. They looked on course for that before the wheels came off and Karanka walked.
Neutral fans would’ve backed Forest for the Play-Offs with the Spaniard doing it once before with Middlesbrough.
The football was not always exciting and there was too many draws along the way but Karanka should’ve been able to see the season out at the very least. It will be interesting to see how Martin O’Neill lasts at the City Ground and it would be no surprise that if we are sitting here, this time next year and Forest are looking for another manager.
17. Phil Parkinson- Bolton Wanderers 
The circumstances with Bolton are extremely difficult for any manager to work with. The survival last season was a sensational attainment.
Forest Green Owner (Dale Vince) was particularly damning and brutal in his assessment of Bolton Owner (Ken Anderson). Vince described Anderson publicly as “a rogue chairman, a slippery character and untrustworthy”.
This is all going on in the background whilst Parkinson is trying to get on with his difficult job of keeping Bolton up. Parkinson must be commended for the loyalty he has shown to Bolton as he has not walked away from the job, which I’m sure many managers would do if they were working under similar circumstances.
Unfortunately, the team is not doing the required work on the pitch and they have the unwanted stat of being the lowest scorers in the League. Phil Parkinson must try and muster some goals if they want to stay up.
18. Paul Lambert- Ipswich Town
Relatively new to the club is former Canaries boss, Paul Lambert. It has taken time for the results to get going but the 1-0 win this weekend will have been hugely encouraging for the Tractor Boys.
Lambert needed backing in the January transfer Window and the signings of James Collins and Alan Judge suggest they could pull off the impossible and stay up.
Performances on the pitch have improved since Lambert joined but the results must follow suit. I think they will and I’m backing an Ipswich survival.
19. Graham Potter- Swansea City 
Potter brought lots of enthusiasm and hope in abundance after his success in Sweden with minnows, Osterstunds. At the moment, the results have not been particularly encouraging but Potter lost key players in the summer and he has developed some fantastic young talent.
Joe Rodon has been one of their best players this season and he is really flourishing in Potter’s system of playing out from the back. Elsewhere, Courtney Baker-Richardson was on the scoresheet this weekend and that move typified the football Potter wants to play.
Currently 13th, there is no reason for why Swansea can’t have a strong second half of the season as they still possess Premier League class in Mike Van Der Hoorn, Kyle Naughton and Jefferson Montero.
Even though Swansea are underachieving it would be premature to even consider sacking him as the Englishman is developing Swansea’s style and producing youth for the future.
20. Dean Smith- Aston Villa
The Villa fan left Brentford after Steve Bruce was sacked from the Villains. In what started as a promising start, with lots of goals and victories the wins have dried up and they have only won one in their last eight games.
The defensive steel is completely gone and the 3-0 loss at the DW stadium this weekend was one step too far. Don’t get me wrong, this was no easy job to walk into and Smith isn’t a miracle worker but Aston Villa on paper have one of the strongest squads on paper and they will never go up if they can’t defend.
They play an extremely high line and a ball over the top is always catching James Chester and James Bree out and Smith needs to be careful.
A few whisperings are coming out now that Aston Villa may have made the wrong appointment and even though Smith’s teams always play wonderful football, his teams have never challenged for the Play-Offs and it was a gamble the Villa board took.
They shouldn’t consider sacking him yet but the Play-Offs has to be the minimum target for a club like Aston Villa.
21. Thomas Frank- Brentford 
When Frank came in, Brentford were 7th in the league and they had a real look in at the Play-Offs, with their striker (Neal Maupay) being the top scorer.
Brentford are now at the other end of the table in 17th place. A promising run of no losses in six has seen them move away from any relegation talk but Brentford have to keep this up to ease the pressure on Frank.
The Bees should be finishing in the top ten when you consider the young talent they have influencing the game. 8 points separate them and the top 10 so it’s in touching distance but this good run of form needs to continue.
22. Jos Luhukay- Sheffield Wednesday
The Owls were massively underachieving under the Dutch manager but some sympathy does have to be placed with Luhukay. He was only able to bring in a handful of players due to the transfer embargo and this damaged the plans Luhukay had for the side.
Granted, his man-management skills clearly weren’t working as he fell out with star players such as, Kieran Westwood and Sam Hutchinson and they were frozen out of the squad.
Ever since he was sacked on the 21st of December, the results have improved and the football is more entertaining at Hillsborough.
23. Paul Clement- Reading 
Reading sacked Clement after less than nine months in charge and he left the Royals 21st in the table. After only four wins in 20 games, the Berkshire club decided to removed him as their manager.
In his time at the Madjeski Stadium, he was unable to identify a style of play and this Reading side has quality in depth which means he was massively underachieving.
This could possibly be his last job as a first team manager following, three sackings at Derby, Swansea and now Reading.
24. Gary Rowett- Stoke City
Now to the bottom of the league and it’s the man who Derby County fans know as the ‘snake’. Just last week, Rowett was removed as Stoke manager after an failed experiment.
Boasting the strongest squad for not just this season but arguably in any Championship season, Stoke have underachieved.
They are currently 15th in the league and after their 3-1 loss this weekend against Brentford, it showed it wasn’t just one quick fix. Play-Offs wouldn’t even be good enough for the fans of Stoke and it looks like they won’t even finish in the top half!
Stoke may not be bottom of the league but Gary Rowett definitely is.
Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below and whilst your at it, go and give @thebigdivision a follow on Twitter.
Goodwin Out
Leeds Owner, Andrea Radrizzani has apologised to Derby County for the ‘spygate’ saga which has overshadowed the Leeds versus Derby match, that took place on Friday night
Nottingham Forest parted company with Aitor Karanka on Friday Morning, announcing that he “has asked to be released from his contract”. 
Aitor Karanka has departed as Nottingham Forest manager after crunch talks at the City Ground last night. 
Reading appointed Portuguese boss, Jose Gomes following the dismissal of Paul Clement. He has a big job on his hands as they are winless in ten games and are currently five points from safety as they sit in 23rd place. 
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