Championship Manager of the Month: August Nominees Revealed

Four managers, one month on the clock, and the Championship has already drawn its early battle lines.

Nathan Jones, Vitor Matos, Cesar Peixoto and Julien Stephan have been shortlisted for August’s Championship Manager of the Month award after guiding their sides through near-flawless starts to the campaign.

Jones drives Charlton to the summit

Nathan Jones has wasted no time stamping himself back on the English game. Charlton Athletic opened the season at full tilt, three wins from three and straight to the top of the table.

It wasn’t just the points. It was the authority. Charlton set the pace, looked organised, and played like a side that expected to be leading the pack, not chasing it. For a club eager to shake off recent frustrations, Jones has turned August into a statement.

Matos makes instant impact at Swansea

Over in South Wales, Vitor Matos has slipped into senior management with barely a mis-step. Swansea City’s new boss navigated his first month unbeaten, collecting seven points from their opening three fixtures.

Key to that start were victories over Stoke City and Derby County, two sides with ambitions of their own. Swansea didn’t just edge through; they looked assured under a new voice in the dugout, hinting that Matos’ ideas have landed quickly in a demanding division.

Peixoto steadies Wolves’ promotion charge

Cesar Peixoto walked into a high-pressure job at Wolves: first season in charge, and an immediate return to the Premier League expected. His response? Seven points from nine to open the campaign and a place among the early contenders.

Wolves have begun to look like a club intent on correcting last season’s slide in one clean sweep. Peixoto’s first month hasn’t solved everything, but it has done the most important thing of all in August – kept them right on the promotion track.

Stephan sparks QPR revival hopes

QPR, under Julien Stephan, have also found early rhythm. Unbeaten through August, Rangers stitched together an encouraging run that included eye-catching away wins at Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers.

Those results matter. Winning on the road in this league is a currency of its own, and Stephan has quickly coaxed resilience and belief from a squad that needed both. QPR may not be shouting about promotion yet, but the tone of their season already feels different.

The first managerial prize of the Championship season will be handed out on Friday, 11 September. Four strong starts. One early marker for who can turn a promising month into a defining year.