Big spenders, basket cases and bags of drama

The top flight is on a break, so it’s time for the Championship to take centre stage. Get set for...

As the Premier League unwinds on the sunbeds of Dubai with chilled glasses of pink fizz, the Championship staggers back to the bar, steadfast and defiant in pursuit of its usual frothy brew.

From the top where the glow of the Promised Land reflects upon Marco silva’s smooth and ample forehead at Fulham and tony Mowbray attempts to redefine the Venky’s regime at Blackburn with the power of his deep frown.

to the bottom where Wayne Rooney and his basket case Derby County flirt with oblivion but refuse to surrender, spreading panic through down-on-luck rivals locked in the scramble to survive.

england’s second tier never fails to bend the mind, wrench the heart and nourish the soul.

GOAL-MAD FULHAM

FULHAM have scored 73 in 27 games and are firmly on course to become the first in the Championship era to break through 100 goals in a season.

Reading hit 99 in 2005-06 and Norwich were promoted as champions last season with 75 goals. silva’s team have scored 22 in four league games across 11 days in 2022 and are stretching away as they bid to bounce straight back to the Premier League.

OTHERS MAKING NOISE

PLATES shift at Blackburn when the year ends in a two. Promoted via the play-offs in 1992, League Cup winners in 2002, relegated in 2012 and serious promotion contenders this season.

they have kicked on, despite losing adam armstrong to southampton and harvey elliott, recalled by Liverpool after a positive loan, though he returned to ewood Park on Monday to see Rovers beat Middlesbrough.

Mowbray is close to five years in the job and the longest-serving boss in a division not known for managerial stability.

WHERE’S THE TWIST?

BOURNEMOUTH did not lose until November under scott Parker and then won only three of 12 but they are wealthy, ambitious and have spent £1million on defender James hill from Fleetwood and added ethan Laird on loan from Manchester united.

also on the move are Nottingham Forest, with only three defeats since steve Cooper took control in september, and Middlesbrough under Chris Wilder. Boro’s winning run ended at Blackburn on Monday but Wilder has recruited Premier League firepower on loan, signing aaron Connolly from Brighton and Folarin Balogun from arsenal.

Middlesbrough v Forest on Boxing Day drew the biggest crowd of the season: 29,832.

MOVERS IN THE DEEP

NATHAN JONES has Luton in the groove. Victory against Bristol City on tuesday made it four wins in six games since the start of December. only they and Blackburn have yet to lose a game in which they have taken the lead. the two clubs meet tomorrow.

SURPRISE PACKAGES

FEW expected QPR and huddersfield to be jostling in the play-offs. Coventry continue to impress, playing good football after surviving their first season back at this level. Blackpool are coping best of this year’s promoted sides.

PASS MASTERS

NO team has made more passes than swansea’s 15,489. Fulham and Bournemouth are next. No player has more passes than swans captain Matt Grimes on 2,375.

MUST DO BETTER

SHEFFIELD UNITED are off the promotion pace after a poor start but improving under Paul heckingbottom. stoke, now in their fourth season since relegation, made a promising start but have stalled.

West Brom do not expect to hang around at this level. Valerien ismael was hired from Barnsley to get them promoted but has work to do and has been rocked by news that new £7m signing Daryl Dike will miss two months after injury.

CUT ADRIFT

THE five at the bottom are at risk of drifting away. they all lost last weekend and, on tuesday, Peterborough snatched a draw from the jaws of victory by conceding two late goals at Birmingham City.

Reading, dumped out of the Fa Cup by sixth-tier Kidderminster, are on a wretched run at the bottom of the form table and have lost andy Carroll, who yesterday joined West Brom after his two-month contract expired.

Derby are fighting for their lives despite being docked 21 points and facing the threat of liquidation.

hull City have eased away from trouble by beating Blackburn and Bournemouth.

however, those wins didn’t stop the club’s new turkish owner acun ilicali sacking Grant McCann this week, the seventh dismissal of the season in the Championship, and replacing him with former Rangers striker shota arveladze.