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You may have noticed that the managerial merry-go-round has royally kicked off in the last week. Warnock: gone. Irvine: gone. Pardew: going. Sherwood and Pulis: in talks? Collocini: really?

The latest is this: Pardew is in talks with Palace, but for the time being Keith Millen is in temporary charge. Sherwood and Pulis are vying for the West Brom job, which is currently being looked after by Rob Kelly and assistant head coach Keith Downing. At Newcastle, John Carver and Steve Stone look set to be in charge for the next two games at least.

Alistair Bruce-Ball
BBC Sport at the Ipro Stadium

"Derby start in fourth spot and could move into the automatic promotion spots if results go their way tonight. Leeds have won just once in the last six games - a victory which came against tonight's opponents Derby."

Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland:, external Looking forward to watching Derby v Leeds tonight, enjoyed my time at both, hoping for a good 0-0 high scoring win for both teams. #fence

Leeds manager Neil Redfearn: "The endeavour and work rate in our win against Derby was top and we played our football. We have the utmost respect for them and it is a tough game for us.

"We have not had the rub of the green and we said this season we will be two steps forward and one back for us. The performances have been good but we have to work harder to make ourselves more lethal in front of goal."

Derby manager Steve McClaren: "We are used to this, we have had a lot of games. We had a tough week and recovered against Birmingham and we need to continue that. The Championship is lacking consistency, you look at Leeds, they beat us a few week ago and have struggled since. It will be a tough game tonight.

"They are a good team that can play football. When they hit it off, they can be a big threat. We have to match their fight."

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Leeds fans will have been calling their side much worse than damned over recent seasons as they continue to lurch from crisis to promised recovery and then back to crisis. After two failed managerial reigns already this season, they are currently in promised recovery mode under controversial owner Massimo Cellino and caretaker-turned-permanent manager Neil Redfearn.

After glimpses of better times to come (not least of all the 2-0 win over tonight's opponents at Elland Road last month) things have taken a significant downturn with three defeats in four games. The latest of those came on Boxing Day when Liam Cooper's comical own goal exposed the brittleness that lies underneath their occasionally enterprising attacking play and led to a 2-0 defeat by Wigan.

No matter which way you look at it, they are in a real dog-fight now in 20th place and desperately need some points. Fast.

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Revie and Clough and would despair at some of the hard times on which their former sides have fallen since the 70s. There have been significant high points for each for sure, but some very low ones too.

Both are still spoken about as sleeping giants, but at the moment only Derby are stirring from their slumber. Steve McClaren's Rams are fourth in the table and still very much in the frame for an automatic promotion spot. If Ipswich slip up tonight that is exactly where they will end 2014. And if they end the season there maybe people will finally let McClaren forget about that brolly? Not the fake Dutch accent, though. Some crimes are too great.

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Historically, tonight's biggest fixture is the one taking place at the iPro Stadium between Derby and Leeds. During the late 60s and early 70s, Don Revie's Leeds and Brian Clough's Derby were regular rivals at the top of the first division table, especially the 1971/72 season when the Rams came out on top of four-horse race for the title, finishing a point above United, Liverpool and Manchester City.

The connection between the clubs was heightened further when Clough succeeded Revie at (then champions) Leeds for a notorious 44-day spell that was only ever destined for disaster. For a largely fictional take on this, I urge you to read David Peace's The Damned United. For a factual look at the way those 44 days further heightened the bitter feud between Revie and Clough get on over to YouTube to watch the 1974 spat between the two just after the latter was sacked by Leeds. You won't be disappointed.

Derby make just one change to the side that thrashed Birmingham on Boxing day as Jake Buxton comes in for Ryan Shotton in defence.

Leeds manager Neil Redfearn makes two changes from the side that lost to Wigan on Friday, with Rudy Austin and Souleymane Doukara coming in to replace Michael Tonge and Billy Sharp.

Derby XI: Grant; Christie, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth; Eustace, Hendrick, Hughes; Russell, Ibe, Martin.

Leeds XI: Silvestri, Byram, Bellusci, Cooper, Warnock, Austin, Bianchi, Mowatt, Cook, Antenucci, Doukara.

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Sheffield Wednesday may be languishing in mid-table, but the Owls enjoyed a Boxing Day victory against Blackpool and beat Wigan 2-1 at Hillsborough last month - their first win in four meetings against Wigan in all competitions. And although Wednesday lost their last away game 4-0 - at Fulham - it was their first defeat on the road since September.

A win tonight will keep up Wednesday's pursuit of the play-offs, leaving Stuart Gray's side six points short of sixth-placed Brentford.

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History would suggest Wigan are favourites in this match, given they've won both home games against Sheffield Wednesday. But - and it is a big but - the Latics have not won any of their last eight games at the DW Stadium, losing three. When was their last home win? Back in August when they beat Birmingham 4-0.

However, they did end a run of nine games without victory on Boxing Day when they claimed a 2-0 win at Leeds. Another win here and they will move out of the bottom three and bring a welcome bit of good news to what has been a tough month or so for the club.

Wigan bid for a second win under Malky Mackay as Sheffield Wednesday visit the DW Stadium.

The Latics make one change from victory over Leeds as Adam Forshaw replaces Don Cowie.

Image source, Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday, with three wins in their last five before kick-off, make four changes from their 1-0 triumph over Blackpool.

Captain Glenn Loovens returns while Lewis McGugan will form part of the attack.

Wigan: Carson, Tavernier, Taylor, Ramis, McCann, Watson, McClean, Perch, Forshaw, Kiernan, Fortune.

Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Mattock, Loovens, Semedo, Palmer, Nuhui, Maguire, Lees, Helan, Maghoma, McGugan.

As always, we need you to get involved with your opinions on tonight's action through the usual social media channels. As a starting talking point how about this... With all six of tonight's Championship teams having previously played in the Premier League, which of them do you think would fare best in the top-flight now? Answers and reasons on a tweet to #bbcfootball, external or text to 81111.

Ipswich keep faith with the starting line-up which convincingly beat Brentford 4-1 on Boxing Day and extended their unbeaten league run to 10 games.

Charlton make two changes to the team which drew 1-1 against Cardiff, bringing in Igor Vetokele and Oguchi Onyewu for Joe Gomez and Callum Harriott.

Ipswich XI: Bialkowski, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Parr, Skuse, Anderson, Tabb, Bishop, McGoldrick, Murphy

Charlton XI: Etheridge; Onyewu, Bikey, Ben Haim; Solly, Gudmundsson, Buyens, Jackson, Cousins; Vetokele, Tucudean

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Charlton have had a tougher time of it of late, claiming just one win in their last 10 games. Their sole victory since 21 October was 1-0 at Reading on 8 November. However, the Addicks are unbeaten in the last three meetings at Portman Road, winning one. Ipswich's last win at home against Athletic was 2-0 in March 2008.

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WWWWDDDLDWWWDWWDWW. Ipswich actually only won one of their first five games this season, but the aforementioned sequence is their run since then. Nay bad lads. For your viewing ease, the bolded W is the 1-0 victory they secured at the home of tonight's opponents Charlton on 29 November. It was only just a W, though, with on-loan forward Noel Hunt coming off the bench to score in the 95th minute.

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As is so often the case, this season's Championship has thrown up more than a few surprises, not least of all Bournemouth ending the year top of the lot. Just behind them, though, are another unexpected challenger: Mick McCarthy's Ipswich Town.

McCarthy has done a belting job at Portman Road since succeeding Paul Jewell in November 2012. He guided them away from trouble in his first few months, finished ninth in his first full season and now has them pushing for promotion after losing only one of the last 19 games. Take a well-earned bow Big Mick.

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The Premier League has finished its business for 2014, but that doesn't mean football has pulled down the shutters for the year, oh no. We've still got three Championship matches to go before the new calendars kick in.

The trio of games in question are pretty damn tasty - certainly more than what's still left in your Quality Street* tin (probably the red ones). Second-placed Ipswich host Charlton, fourth-placed Derby take on Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday travel to Wigan. All six of these have been Premier League outfits at some point. And a few of them have realistic designs on being top-flight teams again very soon. Chew on that.

*Other types of festive sweets are available. In fact, it's probably Easter eggs in the shops now.