Championship Playoff Chasers - Five Games Remain!

Championship Playoff Chasers - Five Games Remain!


Championship Playoff Chasers

Vital Sheff Wed

14/04/16

Wednesday had a dump in the road in the shape of a heavy defeat at the hands of Bristol City. Rumour washed over social media of disputes on the team coach and issues with Westwood and Hooper. None of which have been confirmed and all players and staff have presented a united front thereafter. There is now five games left and Wednesday still have a five point lead over seventh placed Cardiff City.

Despite, mathematically not being out of the race it looks likely that Wednesday will be settling for the Playoffs as a route back to the Premier League rather than automatically as the gap created by Brighton, Boro and Burnley. After the last time this type of article appeared, Birmingham City`s form looks like to have counted them out of the last three playoff spots, however if the Blues` go on a winning streak then can gatecrash the top six.

It`s ours to lose at the present time with Cardiff City and Ipswich Town sitting in seventh and eighth spots on 63 and 60 points respectively. Blues in ninth with 59 points and blew their game in hand on Tuesday night losing, yes losing to Leeds!

Below are the fixtures that each team face heading into the final eight weeks of the season -

Wednesday:

- Ipswich Town (H)
- MK Dons (H)
- Derby County (A)
- Cardiff City (H)
- Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Cardiff City:

- Queens Park Rangers (H)
- Brentford (A)
- Bolton Wanderers (H)
- Sheffield Wednesday (A)
- Birmingham City (H)

Birmingham City:

- Burnley (H)
- Preston North End (H)
- Huddersfield Town (A)
- Middlesbrough (H)
- Cardiff City (A)

Ipswich Town:

- Sheffield Wednesday (A)
- Fulham (H)
- Middlesbrough (A)
- MK Dons (H)
- Derby County (A)

Derby County:

- Charlton (A)
- Bristol (A)
- Wednesday (H)
- Brighton (A)
- Ipswich (H)

Birmingham have an awkward looking run-in to say the least with two of the top four in the Championship to face. A big fixture in the play-off race could be the last game of the season between Cardiff and Birmingham at St Andrews. When Wednesday travel to face Wolves and Ipswich travel to Derby.

Ipswich still have to visit Hillsborough and that's coming this Saturday, April 16th. After this weekend's matchup Town face relegation battlers Fulham and MK Dons lodged between Derby and Boro who of course have end of season matters on their mind.

Derby County, where to start with the Rams? Along with Wednesday, Derby spent big this summer from signing Darren Bent (wages) to Johnson (£6m from Norwich City) yet despite sitting in fourth they sacked Paul Clement as manager. They've since dropped in places and form and look unlikely to trouble the automatic promotion places now, they have a run-in that is comparable to the Owls and when the two clash on Sky Sports at the end towards the end of April it could be a cracker or quite the opposite if the teams are safely nestled in the top six.

Wednesday after a trip to iPro/Pride Park still have to face Cardiff to at S6, but after that Russell Slade's side have flattered to deceive all season and sit five points back on the top six can you see them managing to dislodge Wednesday, Derby or Hull? When Cardiff face Wednesday and a win for Carvalhal`s side could count the Bluebirds out of the playoff race in a few weeks. But, games against Brentford, Bolton and QPR all being winnable ties the S6 clash could be a barnstormer with both teams going for it.

Thus, it can be argued that the Owls have the easier set of final fixtures of the four teams involved. But, as Rotherham have shown under Neil Warnock there are no easy games in the Championship.