Burnley, Millwall, and Leeds United pairings to compete for monthly EFL awards after ‘stunning’ final run-in

Add as preferred source on Google

The season may be over for all but four teams, but while the dust settles and the Championship play-offs kick off, there are still the monthly awards for April to dish out, and we can now reveal the nominees.

After a relentless and very entertaining campaign, Burnley were pipped to the post by Leeds United, who clinched the Championship title on the final day.

Both clubs ended up on a massive 100 points, and it’s safe to say they have been two of the best sides to ever feature in the second tier.

Now, most of our attention turns to the Championship play-offs, but by Friday, we’ll know the winners of the EFL Manager of the Month and Player of the Month awards for April. Here are the nominees.

• READ MORE: Forget the play-offs, May 17th is the most important date of the summer for Championship clubs and here’s why

Championship Manager of the Month nominations for April

Naturally, after a strong showing in May, both Daniel Farke and Scott Parker have been nominated for the award. They’re joined by Valerien Ismael, who oversaw a resurgent Blackburn Rovers side to within touching distance of the play-offs, and Alex Neil, who did similar with Millwall.

On Farke, the Sky Bet judging panel wrote: “If April began with an edginess among Leeds fans and a draw at Luton that dropped them to third, Farke’s absolute belief in his players swept them to automatic promotion with five straight wins, 14 goals scored and only one conceded.”

For Ismael, they added: “Ismael had much to contend with entering April. A losing run, a slew of injuries to key players and fan unrest. He embraced the turmoil and inspired his players, leading them back into the play-off race with 13 points from six games.”

Millwall shot up the league in the final month, but just missed out on the play-offs, earning Neil immense praise. The panel said: “Neil’s experience in gaining promotion helped Millwall to move to the cusp of the play-offs with five wins in six games, including a stunning victory at Sheffield United. He has shown bravery in playing two strikers to pose a constant threat.”

And finally, on Parker, they added: “Parker’s side made a difficult set of fixtures look easy with 16 points from six unbeaten games. They demonstrated the steel he has instilled in comeback wins at Coventry and Watford before beating rivals Sheffield United to clinch promotion.”

The Sky Bet Manager of the Month winner will be revealed on Friday, May 9. The judging panel is made up of former Barnsley manager Danny Wilson, EFL expert Don Goodman, and Sky Bet EFL trader Ivor Davies.

• READ MORE: How to watch the Championship play-offs as Sheffield United take on Bristol City and Coventry face Sunderland

Championship Player of the Month nominations for April

As for the Player of the Month award, Don Goodman, Ivor Davies, and EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch selected Josh Brownhill, Harry Darling, Mihailo Ivanovic, and Manor Solomon as their nominees for May.

On Burnley’s star man, they wrote: “It was no surprise that it was Brownhill who led Burnley across the automatic promotion line with three goals and three assists in six games, including the winner at Watford and then both goals in the clinching victory over Sheffield United.”

Swansea defender Harry Darling had this said about him: “Darling contributed at both ends of the pitch as Swansea won all five of the April games in which he played. Commanding in the air and poised on the ground, he helped preserve four clean sheets while scoring two decisive goals at set pieces.”

Mihailo Ivanovic was among the goals in the dying stages of the campaign, prompting the panel to write: “Five goals in six games – three headers – for the 20-year-old, and important goals, too, with the openers against Portsmouth and Norwich, and Millwall’s equaliser at Blackburn. His instinct to be in the right place is matched by his calm finishing.”

Finally, on Manor Solomon, who won the title for Leeds with his final day goal, the panel said: “Solomon either scored or assisted in each of Leeds’ five April wins as they won promotion. A superb curler against Preston was equalled by the importance of the winner at Oxford, while his vision and calm passing featured in his five assists.”

Winners will be announced on the morning of Friday, May 9.