#championship

#championship

This week's Championship action has not just deepened long-standing hangovers suffered by the three clubs relegated from the Premier League but pointed to issues more wide-reaching than simply having to adapt to life back in the second tier.

The opening Ashes Test in Perth on 21 November is drawing ever closer, but first England touch down across the Tasman for a limited-overs tour of New Zealand, beginning in Christchurch on Saturday with the first of three T20s. White-ball cricket as a warm-up for the greatest Test series of them all might seem curious but the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka follows hot on the heels of the Ashes.

So, this might not be the best time for his former club, Bristol City, the ones he guided to the play-offs last season, to come rolling into view. The Robins were enjoying life under new boss Gerhard Struber but a four-match winless run has somewhat put the brakes on. Manning can expect a hot reception from the travelling fans, having ditched them in the summer and, with home support already wavering, friends may be hard to find if there's another defeat.

Last seen earlier in the week extending on their EFL Cup campaign as they collected a 2-0 victory at home against League One outfit Reading, the former Bolton boss has eased some of the reported pressure on his shoulders. Landing an action-packed 3-2 win away at Norwich last weekend, the Red Dragons have won four of their previous five appearances across all competitions and they have found a clinical edge in the final third.

I feel very good, I feel happiness. I feel like this is home, it's like family now,

As a game it was a fantastic spectacle and both teams had chances. I think it was fitting that they both scored unbelievable free-kicks. Manning's was outstanding but he was definitely out-done by Irankunda - it was a worldie. I like the look of both sides and there is a lot of expectation on them both, especially Southampton as they have just come down from the Premier League.

Jones was furious with the performance of the referee in his side's 1-0 defeat against the Foxes at The Valley, describing the decision to disallow what would have been a Lloyd Jones equaliser as a "fairytale". And after going out of the EFL Cup to Cambridge, Jones said it was important to put in an improved performance against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

The NBA Draft was the least of the Raptors' worries during this time period, as the team was cashing in its chips in hopes of a championship. They made good on that promise, which was well worth punting on a couple of draft classes to achieve those heights. It does, however, make it harder to take a look back at these drafts after the Raptors were basically non-factors throughout the process.