Four Championship managers have been shortlisted for the division's manager of the month award for August, with the winner due to be announced on Friday, 11 September.
Jones puts Charlton top
Nathan Jones is among the nominees after guiding Charlton Athletic to three wins from their opening three league fixtures, a return that placed them at the summit of the second tier in the early weeks of the campaign. Jones, who has been tasked with restoring Charlton to a position befitting the club's size and support base at The Valley, made the perfect start. Whether that momentum can be sustained over a 46-game season is the question supporters will be asking, but no one can fault the opening.
Matos makes an unbeaten mark at Swansea
Vitor Matos oversaw an unbeaten August for Swansea City, who collected seven points from their first three games. Victories over Stoke City and Derby County were among the results that helped establish the Welsh club near the top of the early table. Matos, in charge at the Swansea.com Stadium, has attracted considerable attention for the manner in which Swansea have started the season, and this nomination reflects the opening-month body of work. It is worth noting that a nomination is still press-release territory until the trophy is handed over, but the underlying numbers back the recognition.
Peixoto aims for Wolves' swift return
Cesar Peixoto, in his first season at the helm of Wolverhampton Wanderers, matched Swansea's seven-point haul across his opening three Championship fixtures. Wolves are operating in the second tier with the explicit aim of working their way back to the top flight, and Peixoto has begun that project with a degree of authority. The scrutiny at a club with Wolves' resources and recent history is considerable; a strong August at least gives him a platform to build from.
Stephan keeps QPR unbeaten
QPR head coach Julien Stephan rounds out the four-man shortlist. Queens Park Rangers came through August without a defeat, with away wins at Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers among the results that brought Stephan to the panel's attention. Away wins are the currency that tends to separate genuine promotion contenders from sides that merely bank home points, so the results at Portsmouth and Blackburn carry genuine weight.
What the shortlist tells us
Four nominees, four clubs who made an encouraging start to the season. What the shortlist does not tell us is how those same clubs will look come February, when fixture schedules thicken, squads are tested for depth, and early-season confidence can be worn down. The Championship has a habit of levelling things out.
That said, any manager overseeing a genuine promotion challenge from within this division deserves recognition on its own terms. The second tier is routinely the most competitive league in the country by the time the final table settles, and a strong August is far from given. The winner will be announced on Friday.
Frequently asked
- Who is nominated for the Championship manager of the month award for August?
- Nathan Jones (Charlton Athletic), Vitor Matos (Swansea City), Cesar Peixoto (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and Julien Stephan (QPR) have all been nominated for August's Championship manager of the month award.
- When is the Championship manager of the month winner announced?
- The winner of the August award is due to be announced on Friday, 11 September.
- How did QPR start the Championship season under Julien Stephan?
- QPR went through August unbeaten, including away wins at Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers, earning Julien Stephan a nomination for the manager of the month award.