Birmingham City’s home meeting with Swansea City on Saturday (15:00 GMT) sits at the centre of a busy Championship weekend, with both clubs using the fixture to measure their promotion credentials. Chris Davies’ side have won five of their past six league games and could go top with a win at St Andrew’s, where they are unbeaten this season.
Davies, whose team beat Millwall 3-0 on Tuesday, said the table is temporary and pointed to the club’s progress since relegation two-and-a-half years ago. Birmingham’s rise has been powered by Jay Stansfield, whose 19 goals helped secure a record-breaking League One promotion after a club-record fee.
Swansea arrive after a 3-1 defeat at Portsmouth on Tuesday, which followed a 5-0 loss at QPR and a 4-0 win over Blackburn. Vitor Matos’ side have dropped out of the automatic promotion places, making this a first real test of recovery for both teams.
Scott Parker begins West Ham tenure
West Ham United’s week has been turbulent: a home defeat by West Bromwich Albion led to Nuno Espirito Santo’s dismissal, Scott Parker’s appointment and a 3-3 draw at Cardiff City in which the Hammers recovered from 3-0 down. Parker, who made 129 appearances for West Ham as a player, has won promotion from the Championship with Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley.
He said he has been in the division three times and got out three times, and will use his experience to bring consistency. His first 45 minutes in charge showed the scale of the task. West Ham travel to Blackburn on Saturday (15:00 GMT), facing a side that has lost two in a row but has a habit of producing a result when written off.
Sheffield United face Charlton
Sheffield United have moved quietly into ninth place, five points off the top two, with four wins from their past six games. Chris Wilder said after Tuesday’s win at Preston that he is not getting carried away and that the first international break was used to work things out.
Charlton Athletic, by contrast, have lost four straight since starting the season with three wins and sit without a victory since the end of August. Saturday’s meeting at The Valley (15:00 GMT) carries weight for both clubs.
Preston and West Brom in focus
Graham Alexander’s Preston North End are nine points adrift after six games under his management, with one draw to show for his efforts. Alexander said the players are carrying baggage from the past and that his job is to help them see the rest of the season as an opportunity. Southampton, who have taken seven points from their past nine on the road, visit Deepdale (15:00 GMT).
West Bromwich Albion host Millwall at The Hawthorns (15:00 GMT) with James Morrison now permanently in charge. A five-game unbeaten run, including wins over Wrexham, Blackburn and West Ham, has lifted Albion into the top six. Millwall have been hampered by a lengthy injury list and are still seeking the form that took them close to automatic promotion last season.
The weekend’s Championship action begins on Friday when Derby County host Bolton Wanderers (20:00 GMT).
