As we begin to see the home stretch in sight, our attention turns to three main questions; First of all, who is going to win the EFL Championship? Second of all, what about the playoff places? And finally, who has not lived up to expectations?
Who will win the Championship?
To be blunt, with regards to the first question, it really only comes to down to two teams; Newcastle or Brighton. This is because the difference between first and second is one point, whereas from second to third is six points. I think the top two should be satisfied in that they are, most likely, going up automatically to the Premier League.
Whilst this was seen as a formality for Newcastle, Brighton under Chris Hughton have been remarkable. I do expect Newcastle to win it in the end. They have an experienced manager who has managed and won all over Europe (Rafa Benitez) and their players are better. The likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Matt Richie and Dwight Gale, as stated on Fotmob, illustrates that. But let us not ignore the brilliant work of Glenn Murray and Anthony Knockaert for Brighton this season. It should be an interesting tussle between the two.
What about the playoffs?
The playoff positions is a little bit harder to predict. This is because the league is so unpredictable as teams scramble for one of those coveted playoff places.
Although Leeds United have been impressive in recent weeks, one or two defeats and they are looking over their shoulder. The problem with the playoffs is that there are only four places up for grabs, with arguably at least nine teams in with a shout, according to the Statto website. On current standings and form I expect Huddersfield Town and Reading to be there at the end of the season.
If Leeds maintain their good form then they should be ok, but with Norwich and Derby on their coat tails it could get tight. It is such a difficult league to get out of and with a Premier League position up for grabs, expect more twists and turns come what may.
Who has not lived up to expectations?
With regards to the final question, one team stands out, and that is Aston Villa.
They do have a reputable manager in Steve Bruce, good quality players in Micah Richards, Jack Grealish and Gabriel Agbonlahor, as reported on the Sky Sports website, and have a wonderful fan base. But here they are, languishing in sixteenth place. It is simply not good enough for a club of that size and unless they change things in the summer, they may not get back into the Premier League for a while yet.
Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, it will for sure be tense and exciting.