Currently vying for automatic promotion from the Championship are Leeds United, Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and even Southampton.
The door was pushed wide open yesterday night as Leicester City suffered another shocking loss away at Plymouth Argyle. All four teams have been struggling lately.
Leeds now has the opportunity to take the lead in the league when they play relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers in today’s early kickoff, but Ipswich can make sure it’s only temporary as they host Middlesbrough.
With 78 points, Southampton is still far from the top three, but they do have a few games left and still have travels to Leeds and Leicester, so they have some hope.
A spectacular season finale has resulted from each team’s abrupt decline in form in a race where it had appeared like 100 points would be needed to finish second.
Now, McAnuff reveals his prediction for who will advance straight out of the Championship.
Over the past week or two, experts from all throughout the football globe have been making predictions, and it’s safe to say that this is a race that cannot be predicted.
Troy Deeney had picked Ipswich to defeat Leeds and finish in the top two with Leicester just a few days prior, but the outcome of yesterday night’s game might have changed that.
And now Jobi McAnuff has become the latest pundit to offer his prediction on the race, suggesting there is one side he can definitely envisage finishing in the top two.
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The former Reading winger, who was speaking on the most recent episode of BBC’s Football Daily Podcast, believes Leeds will be that team because of their attacking “firepower” and remaining schedule.
“I have given up on who might win the league,” he stated, “but I still have them finishing in the top two.” Leeds has the firepower and personnel in the final third to cause some damage, therefore in my opinion, they should be in the top two of the three teams, ahead of Leicester and Ipswich.
“They also have some good games, and even though I know everyone is hating on teams like Blackburn and QPR, you would rather play them because in the long run,
Regarding Luke O’Nien’s penalty [against Sunderland], he is correct. It’s absurd that he hasn’t received it; he has essentially punched the ball.
Leeds needs its attacking players to step it up once more.
It’s true that Leeds has the deepest and most talented group of attacking players in the division, and they have demonstrated this throughout the majority of the season.
Daniel Farke’s first-choice front four have, however, clearly suffered from a dip in form during the international break, with only Crysencio Summerville truly standing out.
Willy Gnonto, Joel Piroe, and Mateo Joseph are all striving to get started, so Farke has plenty of choices if he wants to make a change.
After some of the dismal performances over the past few weeks, perhaps Farke has the guts to make some changes. It might be just what Leeds needs to get back on track.
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