Stockport County have got two warning shots in 2024, demonstrating what League One victory could entail for Hatters manager Dave Challinor.
The 48-year-old took over the Greater Manchester club in November 2021 after leaving Hartlepool United, and he has since taken the team from the National League, to League Two, and into League One.
That, combined with his outstanding management record prior to his arrival at Edgeley Park, means that ties to higher-level clubs, most recently Birmingham City and Sunderland, are becoming more common.
It’s something that County fans may need to get used to if Challinor gets his side off to a good start in the third tier.
Links away are becoming more common
The initial link emerged at the start of last season, when BBC Radio Manchester reported that Challinor had been interviewed for the Charlton Athletic position.
Things quieted down after that, but speculations resurfaced at the end of the season, with high-profile posts at Birmingham and Sunderland becoming vacant and both failed to secure early targets.
With the latter two roles, there was some debate about the strength of the links, with journalist Sam Byrne confirming that Challinor had not been interviewed for the Blues job, and similarly for the Black Cats position, but reports from Alan Nixon suggested the Hatters manager was mentioned at the Stadium of Light.
As a result, the intensity of the various links tends to vary from case to case, but the fact that Challinor’s name now emerges frequently when this level of vacancy arises speaks to both County’s current position as a club and the manager’s performance.
The traditional’sacking season’ in fall will undoubtedly see more changes in the hot seats at several Championship and top-tier League One clubs. If Challinor has demonstrated that he has what it takes to advance to the third tier, he will become even more appealing to prospective employers.
Few could blame Challinor for taking the step up
Challinor’s association with higher-level positions is unsurprising given his track record since switching from playing to management.
Challinor began his management career with Colwyn Bay before moving on to AFC Fylde and Hartlepool before joining Edgeley Park. He has seven promotions to his name, including his latest League Two title, and has never finished outside the play-offs in a whole season as a manager.
The main negative for possible employers is his lack of higher-level experience, since he is currently entering unexplored management area with County in the third tier.
Despite appearing to be at ease in his current role, few Hatters fans could blame Challinor for moving up to the Championship, particularly for ex-Premier League clubs like Birmingham and Sunderland, who have their sights set on the top flight in the not-too-distant future, regardless of where they are now.
If it ever happens, it will be some time before County is in a similar position, with comparable resources. No job in football is guaranteed, even Challinor’s at County, and he may never have these possibilities again.
Taking the job at clubs like Birmingham could present greater risk
However, the clubs associated with Challinor’s name may pose a far greater risk than his current role.
At Edgeley Park, he has won over the fans, has a good backroom structure, and a club owner in Mark Stott that most managers would dream of dealing with.
In Birmingham and Sunderland, the picture is much messier, with frequent management changes, somewhat distant owners, and a far more expectant audience, where Challinor’s reputation will mean little to the majority.
The pressure to get off to a strong start in a job like this would be intense, and as Wayne Rooney shown at St. Andrew’s, a tide may be tough to turn when a string of poor results begins.
Challinor deserves to be linked with movements higher up the pyramid, and he will be linked if he makes a great start in the third tier, but while County are still growing and progressing, he may be better served staying put for the time being.
