Who is trying and who is on the beach?
Here's a quick update on the promotion and relegation battles still going on in the Football League. It might help you decide a little about who might be more motivated to collect full points, and which teams might already be allowing some complacency to slip in.....
Season definer or Dead Rubber?
The Championship
Wolves are already confirmed champions, so it’s a straight race between Cardiff, Fulham and Aston Villa for second place. The two who miss out will be in the play-offs, and will be joined by two from Middlesbrough, Millwall, Derby, Preston, Sheffield United, Brentford and Bristol City. Just four points split that seven.
At the bottom, Sunderland and Burton would need miracles to survive now really – anything less than three straight wins would surely see them down. The probably means Barnsley, Birmingham and Bolton must jostle to avoid being the final side to join them, but Reading aren’t completely safe either.
On the Beach: QPR, Hull, Sheff Wednesday, Wolves, Norwich, Leeds, Ipswich, Nottingham Forest
League One
Wigan or Blackburn will now almost certainly be champions, but are locked together on 90 points. Wigan have the game in hand though, so are clear favourites. Shrewsbury might be in it mathematically, but only the most ardent fan will still be hoping for automatic promotion, and they are going on our dead-runner list to some extent as they may well look to give some players a rest with play-off participation assured. Rotherham will join them, and then it will be two more from Scunthorpe, Plymouth, Charlton or Portsmouth, with an outside chance for Peterborough, Bradford or Bristol Rovers to join them.
At the bottom, Bury are down, while it’s hard to see MK Dons or Northampton surviving past the weekend, so they are likely to be low on motivation realistically. Walsall, Oldham, Rochdale, Oxford and AFC Wimbledon will almost certainly provide the fourth side to go down, although technically someone like Doncaster could still go up or down!
On the Beach: Rotherham, Shrewsbury, Bury, Southend, Gillingham, Blackpool, Fleetwood, Doncaster
League Two
The title is now between Accrington and Luton, but it would take a major “Steven Gerrard” slip up to stop Accrington taking it. Luton are also going straight up. Who joins them in the third automatic slot remains to be seen, but it will be fought out between Wycombe and Exeter.
Play-Offs spots are available down to 7th place, meaning Notts County still have a little to do, while behind them Lincoln, Coventry, Mansfield and Swindon retain claims, with a more marginal chance for Carlisle if everything went right.
At the bottom, Chesterfield, Barnet and Grimsby will almost certainly provide the two teams to drop, but Forest Green could do with a point or two to be sure.
On the Beach: Stevenage, Crawley, Colchester, Port Vale, Yeovil, Crewe, Morecambe, Cambridge, Cheltenham, Newport