Ruben Sellés Admitted His Future As Sheffield United manager is out of his hands as Blades fans called for the Spaniard to be sacked after just four league games in charge.
Sellés’ nightmare start to life in charge of United continued as they went down 1-0 at table-topping Middlesbroughleaving the Blades bottom and without a point going into the first international break. The away fans at the Riverside turned on Sellés and chanted the name of former manager Chris Wilder after Tommy Conway sealed a fourth straight win for Boro with a fine second-half strike.
Sellés said: “Listen, I cannot control the situation. I will expect to go to my house tonight and then tomorrow go to work and then continue as normal. It’s not in my hands to make a decision. And until the very last moment, I will just do my best and try to do my things.
“At least if I go out, whether that’s tomorrow or if it’s in three years, I will always go out with the feeling that I made the decisions that I want to make. Obviously that includes my mistakes, but my decisions were honest and what I thought was the correct thing to do in every single moment.”
Rob Edwards has enjoyed a dream start to life at Middlesbrough and his side climbed top of the Championship thanks to Conway’s second goal of the season. Boro have only conceded one goal in their opening four games and Edwards and his players celebrated with the fans at full-time.
The former Luton manager handed new signings Matt Targett and Kaly Sene debuts from the bench and is hoping Boro keep hold of star midfielder Hayden Hackney beyond Monday’s transfer deadline. He said: “There’s a good feeling around the place and that’s great and long may that continue.”
Jack Clarke scored in the 16th minute of stoppage time from the penalty spot as Ipswich rescued a 2-2 draw with Derby at Portman Road as both sides searched for their first win of the new campaign. Jacob Greaves gave the home side the lead from a header direct from a corner in the 33rd minute, but former Norwich striker Carlton Morris drew the sides level from the penalty spot after 50 minutes.
Ipswich had claims for what appeared to be a foul in the penalty area by Matt Clark on George Hirst controversially turned down by referee Lee Doughty, and Derby went ahead through a fine strike by Rhian Brewster after 70 minutes. However, after David Ozoh was adjudged to have fouled Jack Taylor deep in added time, Clarke stepped up to ram the ball home to snatch a point.
Emil Riis scored his first goals for Bristol City as the Robins maintained an unbeaten start to the season with an exhilarating 4-2 victory over Hull at Ashton Gate. The visitors took a third-minute lead when a poor touch from Rob Atkinson saw David Akintola rob him and feed Joe Gelhardt, who deftly chipped advancing goalkeeper Radek Vitek. But Bristol City responded strongly and equalised on 16 minutes when a deep right-wing cross was volleyed back across goal by Ross McCrorie for summer signing Riis to shoot home from close range.
McCrorie was again the provider on 32 minutes, heading another far-post cross from the right across the six-yard box for Anis Mehmeti to fire past Ivor Pandur. Riis made and scored the third on 42 minutes, robbing defender Charlie Hughes and racing forward unchallenged to score with a low right-footed shot. Substitute Max Bird wrapped up an emphatic win by shooting home off the underside of the crossbar from Mehmeti’s 78th-minute cross before substitute Kyle Joseph got an injury-time consolation, set up by Oli McBurnie.
While West Brom beat Stoke 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Nat Phillips in the first half at the bet365 Stadium, two stunning free-kicks in the space of three second-half minutes lit up a 2-2 draw between Watford and Southampton at Vicarage Road.
First, Ryan Manning curled his left-footed low set-piece shot into the bottom corner of Egil Selvik’s net to put a rebuilding Southampton side on the verge of a second away win of the season. Then, Watford’s Nestory Irankunda, who had posed a threat all match, used his right foot to take the aerial route past Southampton keeper Gavin Bazunu and into the top corner. The draw means that both sides have claimed five points from their opening four matches as they seek to bed in under their respective new managers.
Josh Sargent’s double gave Norwich a 2-0 win over 10-man Blackburn at Ewood Park. The USA international was lively all afternoon and had several chances to open the scoring before he finally did so from the spot in the 45th minute after he was brought down by Blackburn’s Sean McLoughlin, who was sent off for the challenge. Blackburn produced a spirited second-half performance and Augustus Kargbo was denied on the hour by a sensational Vladan Kovacevic double save. But there was no doubt Sargent was the difference maker and he made the game safe in stoppage time.
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Julien Stephan confirmed a change of tactics was needed to deliver his first win as QPR manager after his side beat Charlton 3-1. Late goals from Koki Saito and Richard Kone secured the three points, a week after Rangers were humiliated 7-1 by Coventry.
Stephan promised after that debacle his team would look very different in the derby at Loftus Road, and he delivered on that promise, making five changes and introducing a more direct style of play. “Yes, it was an adaptation. Not a transformation but an adaptation,” he said. “Sometimes you need to use more long balls. It’s a tough league and we want to improve.”
Kieffer Moore’s header put Wrexham on their way to their first win of the season as they ground out a 2-0 victory against Millwall at The Den. It was the Red Dragons’ first win in the second tier since they defeated Rotherham on the final day of the 1981-82 season, and it was sealed by Lewis O’Brien’s goal deep into stoppage time. The only thing that took the shine off the result for Phil Parkinson’s side was a serious injury to Danny Ward, who was taken off on a stretcher not long before O’Brien’s clincher.
Cameron Brannagan hit a stunning free-kick equaliser 15 minutes from time to earn Oxford their first Championship point in a highly entertaining 2-2 draw against Coventry. The midfielder moved the ball a yard to the right to give himself a better angle then bent a brilliant low shot around City’s defensive wall to beat goalkeeper Carl Rushworth at his left-hand post. It capped a fine recovery by Gary Rowett’s team, who twice came back from a goal down against the free-scoring Sky Blues.
Haji Wright put City in front in the 12th minute, turning a defender and firing left-footed low under Jamie Cumming from a central position for his fifth goal in the last four games. But Oxford levelled eight minutes later when Rushworth could only parry Brannagan’s fiercely hit free-kick, and Will Lankshear followed up with a clinical right-footed finish from 12 yards. However, Coventry regained the lead eight minutes before the break, Victor Torp driving a 20-yard free-kick over Oxford’s wall and high into the net after Lankshear had fouled Torp.
Goals in the second half from Zan Vipotnik and Ronald gave Swansea a deserved 2-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. Vipotnik’s effort soon after the interval, and the Brazilian’s late strike, were enough to ensure the visitors claimed their first three points on the road this season. The Owls remain without a win and slip down to 23rd in the table, above only city rivals Sheffield United. Chants against chair Dejphon Chansiri rang around the stadium for most of the match as Wednesday fans’ protests continued.
Andre Dozzell’s second-half goal was enough for Portsmouth to claim their first home win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Preston. Dozzell’s deflected shot four minutes before half-time proved enough for John Mousinho’s side in a largely uninspiring game at Fratton Park. The Lilywhites have won just three of their last 29 games on the road.
