This season has seen a lot of management turnover in the EFL Championship, with several clubs changing managers – some even more than once.
Eric Ramsay was the most recent manager to be fired, when he was fired by West Bromwich Albion after only nine games in charge in all competitions, while Ruben Selles was the first of the 2025/26 season following Sheffield United’s disastrous start.
Now, pressure will be rising on some Championship managers, and with just over ten games remaining until the curtain falls on another spectacular year of second-tier sport, there may be some late movement as clubs go all out to meet their goals.
Football League World has identified the eight most probable Championship head coaches to be fired right now, ranking them from eighth to first.
8 Ed Still
FLW is in seventh place, with Watford manager Ed Still. While Will Still’s brother has only been in charge of the Hornets for a short time, anyone who takes on the post of head coach at Vicarage Road is certain to have some reservations.
He is the club’s 14th permanent manager since September 2019, when his predecessor Javi Gracia left for the first time, and the managerial merry-go-round that frequently occurs in Hertfordshire might strike at any time, regardless of how well the squad performs.
Still is Watford’s third manager of the season, and if he is to establish a name for himself in WD18, he must maintain good relations with the Pozo family. However, there is always the possibility that he will be asked to go at any time, and he must lead the club to the playoffs to ensure that he will be around until the summer is over.
7 Paul Heckingbottom
Paul Heckingbottom has overseen a significant climb at Preston North End since taking over the job in August 2024, and after keeping the Lilywhites in the Championship last season, he has propelled them up the league table this season.
However, there is no disputing that the Lancashire club is experiencing an incredibly dismal run of form, and the ex-Sheffield United manager must find a solution before his team begins to slip down the table toward a lower-half finish.
Preston have only won a handful of games in recent months, two of which came against bottom-of-the-table Sheffield Wednesday. It is critical that Heckingbottom achieves some success soon to secure his future at Deepdale.
6 Mark Robins
Stoke City, like Heckingbottom at Preston, had a strong start to the season and appeared to be on track to finish in the play-offs. However, the past several months have been difficult for both the team and its head coach, Mark Robins.
The Potters are now dealing with a slew of ailments, but what appeared to be a promising season has swiftly devolved into the revolving nightmare of the last eight years, with another mid-to-lower-half finish on the horizon.
Robins is unlikely to be fired before the conclusion of the season, but if Stoke’s form does not improve in the next weeks, John Coates may implement a change of strategy to support the club’s campaign for a return to the Premier League.
5Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones has rescued Charlton Athletic from the bottom of the League. One to the Championship in just under two years, and he has played an important role in the growth of a club that seemed like it was heading for League Two.
However, the Addicks have struggled in the second part of the season and have failed to totally avoid relegation. While Jones is undoubtedly safe if the squad remains in the second flight, relegation might be the end of his tenure at The Valley.
Charlton has a big lead over those now in the bottom three, but a poor run in the coming weeks might see them slide into danger, and those at the top may search for an option to help save the club from relegation.
4John Mousinho
Portsmouth are currently in a similar situation as Charlton, and they have an advantage over the bottom three as we enter the final stretch. However, the fear of relegation has persisted throughout the season, and John Mousinho must fight hard to keep his team in the Championship.
Relegation would erase all of the hard work put in over the last few years at Fratton Park, and it could cost the 39-year-old his job if they dropped down the table and into the drop zone.
Mousinho has done wonders for Portsmouth throughout his tenure, but the team must rapidly regain and sustain form, otherwise the London-born manager may be looking for a new position.
3Julien Stephan
QPR have never quite found their footing in the Championship this season, and while they have shown moments of brilliance, there is no disputing that this has been a disappointing campaign for the West London club.
Julien Stephan appeared to be making significant changes to a club that had struggled to return to the Premier League, but consistency has been difficult to find, and a change in direction in the summer would not be unexpected given the competitive nature of the second tier.
The R’s will not be demoted, but they are unlikely to break into the top six with the distance at double digits. Those in the boardroom at Loftus Road may be looking for a change this summer.
2Chris Davies
Birmingham City gained promotion to the Championship less than a year ago after a League One season that broke all records. However, despite exceptional investment for a team that finished in the third tier the previous season, they are looking increasingly unlikely to break into the top six this season.
Unfortunately for Chris Davies, the book will be on him if the Blues fail to finish in the play-offs, and Tom Wagner may search for a new face to lead the squad in their drive for Premier League promotion next season, with even more money set to be spent.
Birmingham have not hung around with managers in the past, with John Eustace and Wayne Rooney both receiving P45s under the present ownership, and Davies is under pressure at St. Andrew’s.
1Henrik Pedersen
This season is one that Sheffield Wednesday fans will never forget, albeit for all the wrong reasons. Administration, point deductions, and relegation in February to their bitter rivals away from home have left Henrik Pedersen with a mountain of work to accomplish this summer.
However, there are worries about whether he will be given the opportunity to stay in S6 after this season ends, with a massive overhaul required at Hillsborough as they hunt for a new owner following Dejphon Chansiri’s departure in October.
At this point, it appears that Sheffield Wednesday will finish with a loss, and while they have had a lot going against them, Pedersen has come under fire at times, and a new ownership group will undoubtedly look to hire their own head coach to oversee the Owls’ rebuild.
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