EFL weekend preview: Savage to face Leicester on Peterborough debut as Alexander returns to Preston
EFL weekend focus after international break
October offers a fresh start across the English Football League. League One and League Two have continued through the international break while new managers close to the start of the season are now in a position to make an impact.
Derby day in the West Midlands and on the South Coast
West Bromwich Albion are fifth in the Championship, three points above 10th-placed Birmingham City. West Bromwich Albion defender Conor Townsend labelled their 1-0 loss to local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers their "worst performance of the season" but the Baggies return to action with bragging rights on offer again, welcoming Birmingham City to The Hawthorns on Saturday lunchtime, 12:30 BST.
Like Wolves before them, Blues could leapfrog their hosts with victory and Albion will be keen to stop allowing their West Midlands foes from using them as a stepping stone closer to the top. Last season the two shared the points in both Championship fixtures with just one goal each.
The South Coast meetings between Southampton and Portsmouth last season carried high expectation but both games fell flat. The teams have drawn four of their past five meetings. Saints meet Portsmouth at St Mary's on Sunday, 12:00 BST, with Spygate finally behind them after boss Tonda Eckert was given a six-week suspended ban for his role in the controversy by the FA. Portsmouth arrive on a three-match unbeaten run and will hope the media spectacle of Eckert's punishment can prove a distraction for their opponents.
Schumacher returns to Stoke
Steven Schumacher left a promoted and thriving Plymouth Argyle to head north to the Bet365 Stadium in December 2023, only to be sacked in September after 32 games. Schumacher is back in the Championship after leading Bolton to promotion and the Trotters have shown plenty of fight, with three of their four losses by a single goal and wins in their past two games to sit just three points short of the play-off positions.
His former employers represent a tough challenge on Saturday, 15:00 BST, with Stoke on a five-match undefeated run, W4 D1, and consolidating a promotion-contender goal. Former Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town defender Luke Chambers told the 72+ podcast: "At Stoke there has been lots of change, they've moved managers on, they've tried these winning formulas. But with Mark Robins, he's a fabulous manager. Stoke City have impressed me, especially within the past few weeks."
Alexander the Great to Preston's rescue?
Graham Alexander is much loved at Deepdale from his playing days, where he made 410 appearances and became club captain. Fourteen years after his retirement he is back at the club he claims is "special" to him with a mammoth challenge on his hands. The Lilywhites are kept off the bottom spot on the Championship table by just one goal and have managed a solitary win so far this season.
Next they face Millwall on Saturday, 15:00 BST, a team beleaguered with injuries but still just two points off the play-off positions.
Bradford and Duff
Bradford City will aim to show recent successes have come from more than just possessing Graham Alexander in charge. Alexander led the Bantams to promotion in 2025 plus a play-off semi-final last season before losing to eventual winners Bolton. He has left them in pretty good stead, second on the table level on points with League One leaders Plymouth Argyle.
The man in charge of making sure they continue where they left off is Michael Duff, the former Wycombe Wanderers boss with some big boots to fill. Duff isn't concerned about the eyes on him as he prepares for his first game at the helm against Leyton Orient on Saturday, 15:00 BST. "I'm under no illusions, they [the owners] will let you know [if you're doing a bad job]," Duff told the 72+ podcast. "I like the fact they will because there is an expectancy. It's a big football club. I'd rather have that pressure than playing in front of 200 people that don't care if you win or not."
Will it be a Savage day for the Foxes?
Robbie Savage has undertaken a huge task in leading Peterborough United away from the bottom side of the table but it's already got off to a good start. Posh scored four times in less than 10 minutes for Savage's first game in charge, a 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town in the EFL Trophy. The club is renowned for attacking prowess but is finding itself lacking this season as the lowest scorers in League One with just four goals in eight games.
Savage's first chance to make an impression in the third division and the EFL in general is against former club Leicester City, where he made 204 appearances as a player across a five-year stint. Former Middlesbrough defender Tommy Smith told the 72+ podcast: "He is box office, isn't he? But he's got a tough start. Three of his next four are away from home. He's got Leicester on Saturday, he's then got Huddersfield and also Bromley." The two sides meet on Saturday, 15:00 BST, while Russell Martin is still struggling to win over hearts and minds at the King Power Stadium, the Foxes' league form has shown signs of life with a win over Stockport and a draw at Barnsley leading into the fixture.
Awards watch
Things are going well for Salford City and Cheltenham Town as of late. After three successive losses to open their campaign in August, the Red Devils' turnaround to rise to the top spot has earned boss Peter Cklamovski the manager of the month award for September. Meanwhile, Cheltenham have only lost two games and midfielder Charlie McCann has shown so much influence in the middle of the park that he was named player of the month.