The Championship - Every team with something to play for (except Barnsley)

As it stands in the Npower Championship every team (except Barnsley) has something to play for, whether this is gaining automatic promotion, achieving a place in the play-offs or avoiding relegation to League 1 the remaining fixtures in the league will define the majority of teams season. In this blog I will give my opinion on each teams prospects going into the final month of the season.

Part 1 - Promotion/Play-offs

Team - Southampton

Rickie Lambert

My View - Consistently strong throughout the season, Southampton have made St Mary's a fortress with 15 of their 23 wins this season coming at home. Nigel Adkins is now so close to mirroring the achievement of Paul Lambert and Norwich with successive promotions and I see no reason why this wont be the case.

Key Man - Rickie Lambert - The big mans goals and all round play have been the shining light in Southampton's bright season 

My Prediction - 1st

Team - Reading
My View - Reading have, like last season come into form at the right time in the season. Their long run of successive wins has seen them move into the 2nd automatic promotion place and the acquisition of Jason Roberts has proved to be a shrewd bit of business by royals boss Brian McDermott with the former West Brom and Wigan man scoring 5 times in 11 appearances
Key Man - Jason Roberts - His experience of past promotions may be key during the run in
My Prediction - 3rd      


Team - West Ham United

Big Sam

My View - Despite fans complaining that Big Sam's team are not playing the 'West Ham way', the table doesn't lie and with seven games to go the hammers are in with a great chance of getting automatic promotion. Many of their squad have premier league experience and in my opinion this experience may just see them pipping Reading to 2nd place
Key Man - Kevin Nolan - The attacking midfielder may be pushing 30 but has scored important goals this season and I'd back him to get a few more before the end
My Prediction - 2nd


Team - Birmingham City
My View - With their finances apparently in crisis it appears to be promotion or bust for the brummies. They have a strong squad and under the reassuring calmness of Chris Hughton I expect them to make the play-offs.
Key Man - Marlon King -Despite his much publicised background, he appears to have but this behind him and is concentrating on scoring goals.(Still not welcome at the Ricoh)
My Prediction - 6th

Dodgy Keeper

Team - Brighton
My View - Their free flowing football has been a pleasure to watch this season with the likes of Vicente and Mackail-smith shining. However with tough fixtures to come and a questionable keeper in the erratic Peter Brezovan I feel they may fall just short of the play-offs. If they can keep Gus Poyet for next season they have they potential to be champions.
Key Man - Vicente - The Spanish winger is finally fit and showing his pedigree
My Prediction - 8th


Team  - Middlesbrough
My View - Tony Mowbray's men have been in the play-offs for the majority of the season and I expect them to stay their. Strikers Bart Ogbeche and Lukas Jutkiewicz has recently scored important goals to acquire two vital away points at West Ham and Ipswich and with Scott McDonald on the way back from injury plus Marvin Emnes and Curtis Main they appear to have the fire power to see them into the play-offs
Key Man - Barry Robson - The experienced Scot will take over the captain's armband from the injured Matthew Bates
My Prediction - 5th


Team - Blackpool

Ian Holloway

My View - Everyone knows what Blackpool are about; ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK. This season has been no different with players such as Matt Phillips and Thomas Ince showing their worth. I cant see a reason why they shouldn't make the play-offs as they did in the 09/10 season
Key Man - Kevin Phillips - The evergreen striker still knows where the net is and has 17 so far this season
My Prediction - 4th


Team - Cardiff City
My View - The perennial underachievers of the championship and I feel this will be the case again. Despite their league cup heroics I feel there isn't as much quality in their squad as there has been in previous seasons. They haven't utilised the goalscoring talent of Robert Earnshaw as much as I thought they would
Key Man - Robert Earnshaw - Malky Mackay should give him a run in side he may just find his shooting boots at the right time
My Prediction - 7th

Nicky Barmby

Team - Hull City
My View - Nick Barmby has taken to management like a duck to water, he has a defensively solid team with flair players such as Cameron Stewart trying to make the difference at the other end. However recent results haven't been brilliant and at this stage in the season momentum can be everything and they don't appear to have it.
Key Men - Hull's strikers - Hull need to score more goals, if they can they may have a chance
My Prediction - 9th


Team - Leeds United 
My View - An enigma of a team who can dominate and win away at Boro, then concede seven at home to Forest. No question that they have quality in Becchio, Snodgrass and McCormack with 30 goals between them but there are questions to be asked defensively
Key man - Neil Warnock - He's done it all before and maybe can inspire Leeds into the play-offs
My Prediction - 10th


Team - Leicester City
My View - Biggest spenders in the championship have been consistently inconsistent all season long, but with a potent striking duo in Nugent and Beckford scoring consistently now could they put a run together and gatecrash the play-offs.
Key man - Jermaine Beckford - Played well in the prem last season with Everton and is more than lethal at this level
My prediction - 11th

Beckford and Nugent

The best of the rest - Derby, Palace, Watford, Ipswich and Burnley
My View - Despite mathematically still being able to make the play-offs in reality they will all probably miss out. Mid-table consolidation is not a bad thing and going up through the play-offs if your not ready is not always good as Derby will testify to.




     

The Table