A rollercoaster race to the Premier League - who will hold their nerve?
As Coventry City prepare to uncork the champagne and celebrate promotion back to the Premier League after 25 long years away, the race to join them is suddenly as clear as mud. Coventry just need a point at Blackburn on Friday evening to secure automatic promotion to the top-flight. But the battle behind them for an automatic slot is promising to go down to the wire.
With a two-point advantage and two games in hand, Ipswich Town seemingly held all the aces. But the 2-0 loss at Portsmouth on Tuesday was a perfect reminder that nothing ever runs without a glitch in the Championship. Millwall, in third, have pricked up their ears again, while Southampton are coming up on the rails on the back of a six-game winning run that has catapulted them into fourth.
Even Middlesbrough, whose form has deserted them at the wrong time with three draws and three losses as they sit in fifth - their lowest position of the season - could still be celebrating automatic promotion on 2 May. And with Ipswich facing Boro and Saints in two of their final four games, trying to second guess who comes second has become almost impossible. Ipswich are aiming for a fourth promotion to the Premier League Ipswich were pre-season favourites for promotion back in August, so sitting second with five games to play should be regarded as expected.
Despite that position, there has been something a little underwhelming about how the Tractor Boys have gone about this campaign and certainly nowhere near the excitement of their promotion charge under Kieran McKenna two years ago. They have a stacked squad which was strengthened further in January with the addition of Anis Mehmeti and Dan Neil, but still there is a nagging feeling of wanting more. Their best run was four successive wins in the New Year period, but a stumble or disappointing result has never been too far around the corner.
"The result at Portsmouth summed up the season," said Jobi McAnuff on the 72+ EFL podcast. "When you look at the players at their disposal it's ridiculous, but I'm not seeing what I should be given the quality within the squad. " Ipswich need 10 points from their five remaining games to be certain of automatic promotion and despite the lacklustre showing against Portsmouth, former captain Mick Mills, believes that is definitely still doable.