Championship Manager of the Month Candidates: August 2023

Four managers, one early marker laid down in the Championship. August has barely closed and already a quartet of coaches have forced their way into the conversation.

Nathan Jones (Charlton Athletic), Vitor Matos (Swansea City), Cesar Peixoto (Wolves) and Julien Stephan (QPR) have all been shortlisted for August’s Championship Manager of the Month award after sharp, assured starts to the new campaign.

Jones fires Charlton to the summit

Jones has wasted no time stamping his authority on Charlton. Three games, three wins, and top of the table. No settling-in period, no easing into the season – Charlton hit the ground running and kept on going.

His side’s perfect record in August has set the early pace, and with it, Jones has reminded the division that his high-energy, front-foot approach still travels well in the Championship. It is the sort of start that changes the mood around a club almost overnight.

Matos makes instant impact at Swansea

Vitor Matos walked into a Swansea side needing direction and delivered clarity from the off. Unbeaten in August, his team collected seven points from their first three matches, including eye-catching wins over Stoke City and Derby County.

Those victories did more than pad the points column. They hinted at a team quickly buying into a new voice, a new structure, a new way of playing. Under Matos, Swansea have not just avoided defeat; they have looked organised, purposeful and hard to shake.

Peixoto steadies Wolves’ promotion charge

Back in the Championship and under pressure to respond, Wolves turned to Cesar Peixoto. The early signs are promising. Seven points from three games in his first month in charge have put their promotion intentions in clear view.

The brief is simple: return to the Premier League at the first attempt. Peixoto’s opening return doesn’t guarantee anything in May, but it does suggest Wolves have found a manager capable of handling the weight of that expectation.

Stephan sparks QPR revival on the road

Julien Stephan’s QPR have not grabbed the headlines with a perfect record, but their August might be just as significant. Unbeaten through the month, they stitched together an encouraging run that included impressive away wins at Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers.

Those results matter. Winning on the road in this division is a test of character as much as quality, and Stephan has coaxed both from his squad in the opening weeks. After recent struggles, QPR suddenly look competitive again.

The first managerial prize of the Championship season will be handed out on Friday, 11 September. Four men have already made their case. The rest of the division now has its benchmark.