No more hiding…

As a huge Coventry fan, I am preparing myself for the possibilty that the Sky Blues really could get relegated this coming Sunday. The league table doesn’t lie, and it does not make pretty viewing right now.

Pos	Team	Played	GD	Pts
18	Blackpool	45	-5	53
19	Coventry	45	-9	53
20	Sheff Wed	45	-4	52
21	Leicester	45	-3	51
22	Southampton	45	-17	51
23	R Scunthorpe	45	-23	45
24	R Colchester	45	-24	37

Southampton are in big danger of the drop and their minus 17 goal difference means that even if they end up on level points with another team, they are likely to go down due to their abysmal defensive record, and with their final match against the in-form Sheffield United, they are the 1/1 favourites to go down

Leicester have the best goal difference out of the five teams that could be relegated, but they are away to Stoke City, who know that a win would seal their promotion to the Premiership. You can get odds of 6/4 on Leicester to go down, but their impressive goal difference (considering the circumstances) really could prove vital.

Sheffield Wednesday have arguably the easiest game of the lot, at home to Norwich who have nothing to play for but pride. However, saying that it’s an easy game means nothing – Wednesday still have to do the business on the pitch. Odds of 13/2 are very good value. 

So we come to Coventry, just two points clear of safety, and with the second worse goal difference of the five. We are away to Charlton, but with Addicks boss Alan Pardew saying that he’s ready to give “the kids a run out” that could spell disaster for Chris Coleman’s men – young, hungry teenagers willing to prove a point.

I can only hope and pray that results go our way, because I can’t see us winning. Coventry are actually the outside bet to go down at 25/1, which is superb value, and well worth a quid or two (even if I say so myself!). 

I’m even half tempted to put £10 on Coventry to go down myself, that way, even if we are relegated I’ll have enough money to drown my sorrows!

Meanwhile, 18th placed Blackpool face play-off candidates Watford, at home, in a far from easy clash. Despite odds of 22/1 to go down, I wouldn’t say that Blackpool are totally safe. Anything could, and probably will happen.

See you on the other side…

(All odds courtesy of http://www.bet365.com)

 

Welcome back Derby, but who’s next?

 

A year is a long time in football, just ask Derby County. Just under 12 months ago they were celebrating an unlikely, but all-the-same impressive victory over West Brom in the play-off final at Wembley.

Now, with a new manager at the helm and having won just one league match since that date, they are back in the Championship.

Some will say that they are in a much better state financially, but is a few quid really worth seeing your team thrashed week in, week out? I’m not so sure!

So with Derby having secured the bottom of the league spot, two more spaces remain.

I would like to see both Reading and Fulham make the drop down – not because I don’t like them, but because I feel that they are both clubs who could compete at a decent level in this division.

Roy Hodgson has gone some way to sorting out the mess that Lawrie Sanchez created in his short spell as Fulham boss, while Steve Coppell has more than enough Championship experience in order to master-mind a Reading promotion charge.

Tough at the top, tight at the bottom

Well, what a superb weekend of Championship football. Things are getting uncomfortably close for teams both vying for promotion and dreading the drop.

West Brom moved one step closer to finishing within the top two while Leicester climbed out of the bottom three with Sheffield Wednesday taking their place.

Stoke moved in to the second automatic promotion spot with a 2-1 win over fellow promotion hopefuls Bristol City at the Britannia Stadium.

Mamady Sidibe grabbed both the goals for Stoke and in doing so doubling his season’s goals tally! One wonders if ‘Big Mama’ will make the grade in the Premiership, should Stoke get there.

Elsewhere Coventry boosted their survival hopes with a thumping 5-1 win at relegated Colchester while Southampton remain in big trouble after a 1-0 home defeat to Burnley. Coventry’s win took them from 21st in the league to 17th. What a difference an hour and a half makes, hey.

Hull missed the chance to cement their place in second spot after a 2-0 defeat at 10-man Sheffield United and Crystal Palace boosted their play-off hopes with a 2-0 success at Watford. Any of the teams down to 9th placed Wolves still stand a chance of promotion.

Down at the bottom, things are equally, if not more tense:

Pos	Team	Played	GD	Pts
15	Preston	44	-3	55
16	Blackpool	44	-2	53
17	Coventry	44	-9	52
18	Norwich	44	-10	52
19	Barnsley	44	-13	52
20	Leicester	44	-1	51
21	Southampton	44	-17	50
22	Sheff Wed	44	-6	49
23	R Scunthorpe	44	-24	42
24	R Colchester	44	-23	37

With six points still left to scrap for eight teams still face the prospect of relegation. Looking at the table now, I feel that Southampton will have to work very hard to secure their Championship status and with games against West Brom away and Sheffield United at home, they will do very well to grab a win against either.

Let the relegation battle commence

Just three games remain of the 07/08 English Championship season and remarkably still nine teams face the possibility of playing League One football next campaign.

Unfortunately both Colchester and Scunthorpe already have their fate’s decided and will be plying their trade in England’s third tier of football come August.

A quick look at the table shows that Leicester currently occupy the dreaded 22nd position, but they have games against both Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday which if won, would surely see them clear of trouble.

Pos	Team	Played	GD	Pts
14	QPR	43	-2	55
15	Preston	43	-3	54
16	Norwich	43	-9	52
17	Barnsley	43	-12	52
18	Blackpool	43	-3	50
19	Southampton	43	-16	50
20	Sheff Wed	43	-5	49
21	Coventry	43	-13	49
22	Leicester	43	-2	48
23	R Scunthorpe	43	-25	39
24	R Colchester	43	-19	37

Coventry look a side in real danger of the drop. A goal difference of -13 is far from ideal and with games against play off candidates Wolves and Charlton, an easier run in would have been much the preferred option for manager Chris Coleman.

In reality, it is impossible to call. It really will go down to the wire. From a personal point of view, I believe that 52 points will be the benchmark for safety. But we’ll see…