April Showers - The Battle For Promotion and Relegation in The Championship

April always tends to be a defining month as far as football seasons go. With less than a month to go in the Championship, this Easter weekend could turn out to be especially defining for several teams.
As I write, Wolves have defeated League One bound Southampton 3-0 in devastating fashion. In doing so, Wolves guaranteed themselves at least a play-off place with four games to spare. However, with an eight point gap on 3rd placed Sheffield United, surely Wolves are favourites for the title.
Beyond that, we see a two horse race for second place. Birmingham City currently hold second place, with a three point advantage on Sheffield United. The Blades’ victory over Reading today puts them level with Brum and cranks up the pressure on Alex McLeish’s side for their huge clash with Charlton Athletic tomorrow.
Reading and Cardiff both appear dead certs for the play-offs. Reading, fresh from the Premier League were many people’s favourites for the title this year, and despite often being a delight to watch, they have often dropped points in a sloppy fashion against lesser sides in the division. As for Cardiff, their last season at the excuse for a Championship ground that is Ninian Park could result in a successful one. They hold the advantage of being within the realms of the Welsh F.A, thus being able to rewrite the rule books to their advantage in order to have red cards rescinded on more than one occasion in recent times. Penalty king Ross McCormack has netted the goals that have helped them into a strong position and their home clash with Burnley is undoubtedly one of the biggest games of the weekend.
Below this, we see what is undoubtedly the biggest late season battle in the Championship.

6th Burnley 41 played 66 pts

7th Preston 41 played 62 points

As the table above shows, the race for the final play-off place is extremely tight with Burnley and Preston North End both showing signs they could deserve a play-off place. From a Burnley supporters’ perspective, it is easy to look at points this season where we could have finished games off or held on for points and gone on to not do so.
However, 1pm tomorrow is a huge time for the season. The Lancashire derby between Preston and Blackpool at Deepdale holds the answers to so many unanswered questions for this season. If North End win, they close to within just one point of the Clarets and then the pressure will surely be on Owen Coyle’s men against managerless Q.P.R in the 3pm kick off. A North End draw would see a three point gap which could become six points by tomorrow tea time. The ideal result for all Clarets is a North End defeat and a Burnley win, thus opening up a seven point gap with just seven games to go.
In theory, a Burnley win tomorrow against Q.P.R and away at Cardiff on Monday, coupled with North End defeats to Blackpool and Doncaster would see the Clarets guaranteed a play-off place. This is guaranteed to be an exciting, but nerve jangling weekend for supporters of both clubs.

As we look to the bottom end of the Championship, it appears to be any two of five sides joining hapless Charlton Athletic in League One next season. Two defeats for the Addicks tomorrow will see them relegated in what is a shocking tale of a side who were comfortable in the Premier League just three years ago playing in the third tier of English football.
Southampton appear to be ready to join them in League One. Their 3-0 capitulation today leaves them two points adrift with just four games left with a home tie against Crystal Palace waiting on Monday. The club has been run atrociously since relegation from the Premier League, and they will surely be missed in the Championship, but a teenage side in a big boys league will never last at this level and they look certain for the drop. Will they ever bounce back? Will we see them next season? Both questions we will see answered in the next few years if they do last the summer.
The remaining four relegation candidates can be seen below:

19th Plymouth Argyle (46)
20th Barnsley (45) Game in hand
21st Norwich City (43)
22nd Nottingham Forest (42)

As the table shows, Nottingham Forest currently occupy the final relegation spot. With Barnsley still having six to play, I would back them to survive, along with Norwich City.
This would leave a straight head to head between Plymouth Argyle and Nottingham Forest. Argyle have missed the presence of Sylvain Ebanks-Blake this season and without replacing him, they have struggled. Forest are an unusual side, in the F.A. Cup they destroyed Manchester City 3-0. However, they have failed to replicate this form in the league. Forest still have to face tough ties with Bristol City and Sheffield United, a home tie with Coventry City, aswell as two potentially huge games against Blackpool and Southampton. From this, I can only see them drawing with Coventry and Blackpool ahead of a final day defeat in what potentially could be Southampton’s last ever game.
Argyle have a similarly difficult run in, however, what stands out to me is both have home advantage in their last game of the season. I personally can see a bottom three of Nottingham Forest, Southampton and Charlton Athletic. Whether this prediction becomes reality we wait to see!
Whatever happens, this weekend and the weeks ahead are sure to be key in the multi million pound battle to win promotion and avoid relegation and become champions, just like Kevin Phillips last season (below).