Stoke City boss Steven Schumacher was definitely one of the happier managers in the Championship as his side secured their second-tier status for next season with a 1-0 win against promotion-chasing Southampton.

"The win means everything to us, I'm relived more than anything," Schumacher told BBC Radio Stoke.

"Overall I'm delighted with the performance, the players were excellent and fully deserved the win.

"We have had more shots than Southampton, double as many attacks. Not many teams will come here and do that."

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton boss Russell Martin said his side were now getting ready for the "two biggest games of the season" [the play-offs] after a disappointing home defeat by Stoke.

"There were a lot of changes today, we had a bad start to the game and Stoke were really good," he told BBC Radio Solent.

"It's been a busy week and a tough week, I'm disappointed its ended like that today at home.

"We have another game to prepare for before the two biggest games of the season."

Image source, Getty Images

Some more here from all-but relegated Huddersfield manager Andre Bretienreiter who hasn't held back when talking about some of his players and their alleged commitment to the Terriers' cause to try and stay in the Championship.

"All the players are disappointed. It’s clear some players are more disappointed than other players," Bretienreiter, who was appointed on 15 February, told BBC Radio Leeds.

"Some players left early, but they leave early every day so this was also a question for me of heart and passion and the willingness to stay together with the team.

"This is also a big problem in the team for the whole season in think, but for sure for the time I am here.

"I’m not here to find excuses. For me as a person I am strong enough. We all make mistakes, and me too. I think I made mistakes that I waited too long to suspend some players or to find the right players to play with heart and passion but we had a lot of injuries, we had not many options."

Watford head coach Tom Cleverley signed a permanent contract on Wednesday and started his official reign in fine fashion.

Ryan Andrews' 64th minute winner sealed the Hornets victory on home soil against Sunderland but Cleverley wasn't fully satisfied with his side's performance.

“I would have taken that before the game - a bang average performance but a 1-0 win. It’s possibly our poorest performance since I’ve been in charge, and football has a funny way of working out," he told BBC Radio Three Counties Radio.

“Our defence was very good but we were sloppy in possession. Sunderland created a lot of problems in the second half and we showed a bit of grit to see it out.

“Unfortunately it wasn’t a stellar performance, but the result was huge for us. I wasn’t pleased with the performance. There’s a lot of scope for improvement.”

Image source, Getty Images

Coventry manager Mark Robins told BBC Radio CWR he thought Liam Kitching's red card ended any chances their tired players had of winning the game.

"It was frustrating because we were lacking energy a little bit and the one thing you don't need is to lose a man and go down to 10 men, and that's what happened," he said.

"They were nervy and if we had started really brightly on the front foot, the outcome is different, but such is where we are at in terms of energy levels and availability of players.

"When we went down to 10 men we worked our socks off to keep the clean sheet, and we needed one, we've been conceding too many goals lately, so that's a good starting point for the final two games of the season."

Blackburn assistant boss Keith Downing was speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire after manager John Eustace was sent off in their goalless draw with Coventry.

Rovers are one of five sides who will take their Championship survival fight to the last week.

"Overall we're disappointed because we had 30 attempts on goal and that final touch was elusive all afternoon, but the attitude of the players to create those chances (was good). Credit to Coventry as well, there were 10 blocks in that," Downing said.

"It was a bounce-back game for us because last week was disappointing. We wanted a response and we got that, it was just the final-third quality that eluded us.

"People underestimate what Coventry have been through this week with the semi-final and the Wednesday night game but they still put some good players out on the pitch and are always a threat. We nullified them very, very well."

Image source, Getty Images

Bristol City boss Liam Manning was pleased with his mid-table side's showing against already-relegated Rotherham today.

They won 2-0 courtesy of goals from Tommy Conway and Scott Twine.

“I thought it was a solid performance from start to finish. We had control and created really good chances. I’m delighted to get the win and clean sheet," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

“We set the players a challenge going into the final eight games really pushing to build momentum for next season and trying to develop some strong habits. You’re starting to see that come out.

“It’s about making sure that every time we turn up we’re at our maximum and you can really see the group are growing and moving forward.

“We’ll finish higher than last season with more points. The bit we’re chasing is consistency.

“In the summer we need to add the right ones and it hopefully allows us to progress next season.”

Sunderland interim head coach Mike Dodds says he feels he's "running an uphill battle" after his side lost to Watford. The Black Cats have lost two and drawn two of their last five games, leaving Dodds feeling down as the season draws to close.

“I’m really upset. I’m not upset in terms of the performance - I felt we looked a lot more threatening in the top area of the pitch - but we’ve got to take our chances," Dodds told BBC Radio Newcastle.

“I thought we were the better team. I’m upset for the fans. That’s a game we should not be losing."

Dodds spoke about how he felt it was his team's "lack of concentration" that led to the defeat.

“I’m disappointed with the goal. They breached our back line far too easily and this group must realise that one lapse in concentration can get punished," he added.

“It feels like I’m running an uphill battle at the moment in terms of the inconsistency. Some weeks I look at the group and really like what I see and some weeks I don’t."

Image source, Getty Images

Huddersfield boss Andre Breitenreiter was fairly resigned to the club's fate after that 1-1 draw to Birmingham this afternoon. While they're not down yet, they're all-but certainly down next Saturday.

"It's a disappointing day today but we weren't relegated because of today," he told BBC Radio Leeds.

"The performance was absolutely ok. We started well.

"The second half we played much better and the crowd was behind us and the stadium was positive.

"The team played with willingness, heart and passion but we didn't show passion in every game so we didn't deserve to stay in the league. The mood is sad."

Birmingham City boss Gary Rowett said he could understand why the away fans were unhappy with the side after their 1-1 draw at Huddersfield in a huge game at the bottom of the table.

Blues will now start the final day of the season in the bottom three and realistically must beat Norwich next Saturday to stay up.

"I get the frustration," he told BBC Radio WM.

"When you are playing two teams down at the bottom you expect to go and win the game but we are also down there and we have no right to win a game.

"They've supported us fantastically well and we have an opportunity to win another home game next week."

Blues led at the break through Koji Miyoshi but Rhys Healey equalised in the opening moments of the second half.

"I thought there were some really bright moments in the first half," Rowett added.

"It was a really poor goal for us to concede and to concede that kind of goal at this stage of the season... You have to switch on as a player and make sure that doesn't happen.

"I thought both teams put it all out there on the line and competed fabulously well."

The managers are beginning to give us their thoughts from this afternoon's action.

Let's hear what they've got to say...

Image source, Rex Features

Today's one remaining fixture is at the MKM Stadium with big consequences at the top of the Championship.

A win for Ipswich takes them into second above Leeds.

A Hull victory keeps them in the play-off picture heading into the final week.

We'll have plenty more build up from 19:00 BST.

Image source, Rex Features

• Southampton fall to their third consecutive defeat with a 1-0 loss to Stoke and will have to settle for fourth place and seek promotion through the play-offs.
• Norwich and Swansea play out an entertaining 2-2 draw that moves the Canaries up to fifth, a point above West Brom.
• Tom Cleverley wins on his first game since being appointed as Watford's permanent boss, as Ryan Andrews' goal gives the Hornets a 1-0 win against Sunderland.
• Cardiff fall to their heaviest home defeat of the season as Middlesbrough cruise to a 4-1 win at the Cardiff City Stadium that moves Boro up to eighth.

Image source, Rex Features

• Sheffield Wednesday produce one of their best displays of the campaign, thrashing play-off chasing West Brom 3-0 to move out of the bottom three by three points and send Albion down to sixth.

• Huddersfield and Birmingham play out a 1-1 draw that technically keeps the Terriers from going down today but all-but certainly means they'll be down on the final day next Saturday due to their inferior goal difference. Birmingham remain in the bottom two points above them.
• Millwall record their fourth win in a row with a 1-0 victory against Plymouth that nudges Argyle precariously close to the bottom three. Plymouth are now just a point above Birmingham.

• Blackburn and Coventry play out a 0-0 draw which means as Rovers are still not yet safe from the drop as manager John Eustace is also sent off.
• Relegated Rotherham end the season without any wins away from home as they lose 2-0 to Bristol City - the first EFL club to do so since the Millers last did it in 2016-17.

If you're just joining us, here's what you missed on another exhilarating afternoon in the Championship...

Anon: This is the Southampton players letting the board know that it's time to change the manager.

Jeepers, not sure Southampton are going to sack Russell Martin before the play-offs. Although League One Barnsley did just that last week...

Dan George
BBC Sport

A poor result and performance from Southampton today, they lacked any urgency after going behind and never really threatened Stoke keeper Daniel Iversen's goal.

I was excited to see how Bournemouth loanee David Brooks would get on centrally today but he was disappointing, the Welshman failed to stamp his mark on the match and was substituted in the second half.

It's really a shame to watch Southampton limp towards the play-offs like this, three defeats now on the spin.

Still in position here at St Mary's as the players do their lap of appreciation to a near empty stadium.

A few remain to put their hands together for the player and their families.

Norwich (5th, 73 pts): Birmingham (a)

West Brom (6th, 72 pts): Preston (h)

Hull City (7th, 69 pts): Plymouth (a)

Hull also play their game in hand against Ipswich tonight at 20:00 BST.

West Brom's defeat at Sheffield Wednesday means Hull City are still in with a chance of overhauling them and climbing into the top six next week.

But the Tigers will need to start with three points this evening against Ipswich (20:00 BST start).

Norwich could only draw at home to Swansea and so their play-off place is still not secure.

Blackburn (19th, 50 pts): Leicester (a)

Sheff Wed (20th, 50 pts): Sunderland (a)

Plymouth (21st, 48 pts): Hull (h)

Birmingham (22nd, 47 pts): Norwich (h)

Huddersfield (23rd, 45 pts): Ipswich (a)