More in Columnists

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  Play-offs to eighth adds new intrigue

  Graham Westley EX-STEVENAGE, PRESTON, PETERBOROUGH AND NEWPORT MANAGER THE Championship has a distinctly American feel to it this year. No longer is the 46-game season all that really matters. Promotion can now be won for a season of eighth-placed ‘mediocrity’, followed by a strong four-game play off campaign. The Premier...

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  Identity crisis puts Clarets in the mire

  Chris Dunlavy A FRESH TAKE ON FOOTBALL AY what you want about Burnley over the last ten years, but the Clarets always had a clear identity. Under Sean Dyche, it was unabashed pragmatism. Under Vincent Kompany, patience and possession. Under Scott Parker, the bus wasn’t so much parked as ruthlessly...

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  Chris Dunlavy: Slow start has put Preston in great peril

  Chris Dunlavy examines Preston North End’s worrying start to the Championship season and asks whether their commitment to sustainability is finally becoming incompatible with life in the second tier.

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  Simon Grayson: It can be so tough to shake Premier League relegation hangover

  West Ham and Burnley have both struggled to hit top form on their return to the Championship. The Hammers’ 4-2 win over Wolves last Tuesday evening was their first three-point haul of the season.