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Being the manager of a football team is a job without the security of tenure. In this profession, many managers do not last long. Performance is key to longevity in the job. In this post, we look at some of the longest-serving managers for their clubs in the English Football League (EFL) in the current season since their appointment. Read on.

1. Lee Johnson – Bristol City

Lee Johnson is currently the longest-serving manager in his post with an EFL Championship club since his appointment. The Bristol City manager continues to coach the team four years into the job since his appointment in February 2016. Lee, who turns 39 this year, has transformed Bristol’s way of play to make it a team that consistently upsets top-performing teams. It is interesting to see what the future will hold for this promising manager.

2. Tony Mowbray – Blackburn

A former defender himself, Mowbray has helped transform Blackburn’s defence into one that concedes fewer goals in the EFL. While the team has had its ups and downs, the board continues to trust Mowbray’s leadership and has thus kept him in the position for three years running. Compared to other managers that have taken charge of the team before, Mowbray offers the promise of returning Blackburn to its former glory.

3. Paul Cook – Wigan Athletic

53-year-old Paul Cook is one among the many managers that Wigan Athletic has had in the last ten years. Notably, he has been the longest-serving since the team’s relegation from the Premier League. For the two and a half years that he has been in charge at Wigan, he has worked on a squad overhaul that saw the team return to the EFL Championship after its relegation to League One. Cook continues to rebuild the team, and it’s interesting to see if he can get them back to the EPL.

Big money signings are no longer a surprise in the world of football. Not to be left behind in the cash rush, the English Football League (EFL) has also witnessed some big money spending in recent times. This post looks at some of the most expensive EFL signings of all time. Read on.

1. Ruben Neves – £15.8m

Ruben Neves is a name that is making rounds in the Premier League as we speak. Since his arrival at Wolverhampton Wanderers from FC Porto, the Portuguese has been a revelation. At the time of his signing, Neves became the most expensive signing by an EFL team. It was all worth it though as Wolves have gone on to gain promotion to the Premier League. In their first season in the EPL, they qualified for Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Europa League and now continue to fight for a Champions League spot.

2. Britt Assombalonga – £15m

Having started his career at Nottingham Forest, Britt developed into a promising striker at the EFL club. This caught the attention of another EFL club that was looking to add a prolific striker to its ranks. In came Middlesbrough calling. The player made a move for £15m. This figure remains the second most expensive transfer in EFL history. It is hard to tell whether Middlesbrough’s investment paid off as the club keeps struggling in the EFL.

3. Joao Carvalho – £13.2m

A client of super-agent Mendes, Joao became the third most expensive transfer in EFL history with his move to Nottingham Forest. A former youth player of Benfica, Joao offers the promise of further development. Still, his first season in English football has not gone so well. The player has only managed four goals and eight assists in 38 appearances for Forest this season. Forest splashed a whopping £13.2m on the Portuguese player last summer.

The English Football League (EFL) contributes three teams to the English Premier League (EPL) each season. The teams that gain promotion do so in a specified manner that we shall discuss in this post. Read on.

a) Automatic Promotion

Automatic promotion is similar in all leagues across Europe. In this format, the team with the most points gains automatic promotion to a higher league. The same happens in the EFL as well. The two most prolific teams gain promotion to the English Premier League.

These two teams are the best two in the league in terms of points. If several teams tie in the same position because of similar points accumulated, the focus shifts to goals scored and those scored against.

The league officials compare these two figures and the team with the highest number of derived goals gains a higher league position than the other. Derived goals refer to the difference between the number of goals scored and those scored against the team in question. This rule goes by the phrase ‘goal difference rule’. In recent times, it was a crucial determining factor when Manchester City won the Premier League title against bitter city rivals Manchester United in the 2011/2012 season.

b) Playoffs

The playoffs are the other means by which promotion from the EFL to the EPL is determined. In this case, the teams that finish the league as position three to six, after considering points and goal difference, enter the playoffs.

These four teams are then pooled, and the winners from either match after two legs then square it off at Wembley Stadium. The winner from playoff final then makes the third promotion spot to the EPL. The playoffs attract a huge crowd and compare to a mini world cup in English football. Upsets are common in the playoffs, and many times underdogs surprise the favourites.