The players are heading out across the EFL. Don't forget, you can have your say on any of today's matches via #bbcefl on social media.

Image source, Rex Features

None of the past six permanent Aston Villa managers have won their first league match in charge.

If you can name them all via #bbcefl on social media, you'll win... Well, our respect. Good luck.

Image source, Getty Images

Same as the old boss?

Brentford have promoted assistant coach Thomas Frank after Dean Smith jumped ship for Aston Villa during the international break.

The former Brondby manager had been Bees assistant for the past two years and co-director of football Rasmus Ankersen said: "Thomas knows the club's strategy inside out."

Like Smith, he'll be hoping to start with a win against a Bristol City side who have picked up just two points in their past five games.

Image source, Rex Features

Don't be fooled by the headline, this is not a record to be proud of.

Macclesfield Town equalled the English League record of 36 consecutive games by losing to Tranmere last weekend, but they can have it all to themselves if they fail to beat Carlisle this afternoon.

It's quite an odd statistic, as Macc were out of the Football League between May 2012 and this season.

Ninety minutes from history.

Image source, Rex Features

It's been a difficult start to life as Reading manager for Paul Clement.

The former Derby and Swansea boss just about steered the Royals to safety last season but with just two wins in their opening 12 matches this term they look set for another season of struggle.

Clement's record as Reading boss reads played 22, won five, drawn five, lost 12 and if those stats don't improve soon he may find himself out of a job.

Bad luck then that they face Millwall today and not a few weeks ago.

The Lions have picked up four points in their past two games after battling back from 2-0 down to draw at Nottingham Forest and beating the then-managerless Aston Villa.

As well as following this live text service, you can - as ever - watch Final Score live on the BBC Sport website and app.

The show is now under way, so simply click on the play icon at the top of this page. You can also watch via the Red Button on your TV.

Image source, Rex Features

Accrington Stanley are in their first ever season in the third tier after winning League Two last term, and it could hardly have gone much better so far.

John Coleman's side are doing their best to shake off the "who are they" catchphrase associated with the club - they're sixth in the table having lost just two of their opening 13 games.

But things really step up for Stanley this week, as today they're away at second-placed Peterborough and next Saturday they host current table toppers Portsmouth; sandwiched between is a trip to Luton.

For Pompey this afternoon, they look to build on their three-point lead when they face Joey Barton's Fleetwood Town at Fratton Park.

Unfortunately, rights restrictions mean we cannot bring you live radio commentary of this afternoon's EFL matches online.

However, you can of course tune in via your BBC local radio station, if you're in the relevant local area.

For example, the BBC WM team are in position at Villa Park...

Joe Lolley is turning into something of a talisman for Nottingham Forest.

The former Huddersfield forward has scored seven goals for the Reds since joining in January and has never been on the losing side when he has scored.

He's notched in Forest's past two games, including the opener in their impressive 2-0 win at Middlesbrough last time out.

Norwich will be looking to get back to winnings ways after picking up one point from their past two matches.

Here's the bottom six as it stands in the Championship, ahead of this afternoon's games, which involve all of them.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

If goals are your thing then West Brom are the team to follow this season.

The Baggies have scored 31 times in their opening 12 league games, as many as they managed in 38 Premier League matches last season.

Add their not exactly watertight defence to the mix and games involving Darren Moore's side average an Alan Hansen-enraging four goals per game.

Today, they visit a Wigan side who initially adapted well to life back in the Championship but will be stinging after a 4-0 defeat by Preston in their previous outing.

It's just under two years since Stoke boss Gary Rowett was sacked as Birmingham City manager.

Blues were seventh in the Championship at the time but needed a final day win to secure survival that season and in 2017-18 too.

After a disastrous start to his time in the Potteries, Rowett's side have won back-to-back matches to kick-start their season.

They face a Blues side who are the division's draw specialists.

Garry Monk's men have picked up a point in eight of their first 12 matches, winning two and losing two of the other four.

There were plenty of pre-match photos for Villa's new assistant boss John Terry...

Image source, Rex Features

But now the serious work starts for the former Chelsea and England captain, under new head coach Dean Smith...

Image source, Rex Features

"We weren't as good as we have been recently, quite obviously."

Rotherham boss Paul Warne's appraisal of his side's performance in their 3-1 defeat by Birmingham was nothing if not honest.

The Millers, relegated with just 23 points in their last season in the second tier, won three of their first seven games this term but are now without a win in five.

For their part, Wanderers have won just one of their previous eight matches.

It might still be early days but make no mistake, both teams will know how important points today could prove to be come May.

In case you missed it, Torquay boss Gary Johnson was mistaken for a skip hire company owner, live on BBC Radio Cornwall this week.

So that of course begs the question - which teams have been properly rubbish this season?

Who are you predicting to go down? You can have your say via #bbcefl on social media.

Paul Hurst had to wait a long time for his first win as Ipswich boss.

The Blues finally got the monkey off their back with a 3-2 win at Swansea City in their 12th game of the season.

They'll be hoping to register successive wins today as they look to move out of the relegation zone.

An Ipswich victory today would give them a first home success since 10 April.

QPR have recovered well after enduring a miserable start of their own, and three wins in their past six matches has helped them to move five points clear of the bottom three.

It's not been a good start to the season for Hull City.

The Tigers have won just twice and lost eight of their opening 12 league matches to sit bottom of the Championship.

The uncertainty surrounding their ownership, with two consortia believed to be bidding to take over, has led to boss Nigel Adkins admitting the club is going through a "challenging period".

Their opponents today, Preston, have just come through a challenging period of their own but four points in their previous two games suggest Alex Neil's men could be on the up.

New Aston Villa boss Dean Smith will hope to hit the ground running in his first game in charge.

Villa fan Smith has been appointed as Steve Bruce's successor and says that promotion "has to be the aim" despite their slow start to the season.

His new assistant, John Terry, will also be in the dugout for the first time.

The Villans are 15th in the table, with just three wins from their opening 12 Championship matches.

"The stats are not good at the moment, that's why I am sat here, but it's a realistic aim to get promoted this season. It has to be the aim," he said.

"This is as even as I have seen this league. At the moment I do not see any team that is going to run away with it and there's not an insurmountable gap between us and the top six."

Image source, Getty Images

We've got nine 15:00 BST kick-offs in the Championship today and, rather unusually, five of them see two teams in the bottom half of the table play one another.

It's only October but there will be a few managers feeling pretty nervous in dressing rooms around the country right now.

A win could prove to be the catalyst to a climb up the table, while defeat could leave their team's, and their own, prospects looking pretty glum.

Our 15:00 BST Championship games are:

• Aston Villa v Swansea City
• Brentford v Bristol City
• Hull City v Preston North End
• Ipswich Town v Queens Park Rangers
• Nottingham Forest v Norwich City
• Reading v Millwall
• Rotherham United v Bolton Wanderers
• Stoke City v Birmingham City
• Wigan Athletic v West Bromwich Albion

Thanks Rob. Good afternoon, one and all!

Let's have a look at what's coming up this afternoon...