Championship Player of the Month and Manager of the Month nominees are in, they may surprise you

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As we approach the business end of the season with everything still to play for at the top and bottom of the Championship, it’s time to take a look back at the month of March and dissect the nominees for the Player of the Month and Manager of the Month awards.

What a month, and indeed, what a season it has been in the second tier. Right now, there are five games to go in the Championship, and we still don’t know who will win the title, who will get a play-off place, and who will get relegated.

It’s a fascinating position to be in for any neutral following the division. Results in March saw the Championship relegation battle truly open up thanks to a revival from Derby County, while Leeds United began to fall apart allowing Sheffield United and Burnley back into the title race.

April promises to have plenty more twists and turns in store for us. But, for now, we’ve got the names of the best players in the Championship for March, as well as the four nominees for the best manager of the month, too.

• READ MORE: How many points are required for Championship survival? What PPG and historic totals tell us about the relegation battle

Championship Player of the Month nominees for March

The nominees for the Player of the Month award for March include Sheffield United striker Tyrese Campbell, Luton Town’s Jordan Clark, Derby County’s Marcus Harness, and Sheffield Wednesday defender Michael Ihiekwe.

On Campbell, the Sky judging panel said: “Playing in a system that suits him, a confident Campbell tapped into a rich vein of form in March, scoring in four of his five games, including a stunning disguised strike at QPR, while his run and cross made the winning goal in the Sheffield derby.”

On Clark, they added: “Luton may have struggled but Clark has been a constant driving presence in their midfield, assuming the captaincy when needed and always wanting the ball, as he did for his winner against Portsmouth and a superb solo goal in the win at Cardiff.”

For Harness, the panel said: “Normally a wide player, Harness embraced the challenge set him by new Derby manager John Eustace to make an impact through the middle. Three goals, including two in the vital 3-2 win at relegation rivals Plymouth, and an assist were the result.”

And finally, Ihiekwe, who was a surprise inclusion, had this said about him: “Not a regular starter this season, Ihiekwe contributed at both ends of the pitch. Dependable as ever in defence, he scored two headed goals from corners. The first began the 3-2 comeback win at Norwich, the second was an equaliser at Cardiff.”

If you ask us, the award should go to Derby star Marcus Harness. The resurgence of the Rams was the big success story last month, and Harness was at the heart of that with his crucial goals and assist.

• READ MORE: Championship title race set for surprising outcome as supercomputer decides between Burnley, Leeds, and Sheffield United

Championship Manager of the Month nominees for March

We also see three clubs earning dual player and manager nominations, with Luton’s Matt Bloomfield, Derby’s John Eustace, and Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder in the running. They’re joined by Burnley boss Scott Parker.

On Bloomfield, the panel said: “Bloomfield left a winning mentality at Wycombe to inherit a losing one at Luton, but persevered with tightening up his side at the back. A first win, against Portsmouth, was followed by two more – and hope – in a haul of 10 points from five games.”

For Eustace, the panel wrote: “Derby were on a desperate run when Eustace arrived. The upturn in results wasn’t immediate but his passion and attention to detail were, restoring confidence and belief in his new side that led them to three wins from four games.”

As for Parker, they added: “Burnley finally conceded two goals in March but scored 10 at the other end in collecting 13 points from five unbeaten games and closing the gap on the top two. It was due reward for Parker’s plan to add attacking flair to a solid base.”

And finally, Wilder had this said about him: “Finding a way to get over the line and give that little bit extra to do it is a quality every bit as valuable as sweeping teams away. The intensity with which Wilder’s team plays is admirable and won 13 points from five unbeaten games.”

For us, this should be a double for Derby, with John Eustace’s smart tweaks making all the difference in helping the Rams put together an impressive winning streak to climb out of the drop zone.