Gabriel's Championship Predictions: 5th April

This weekend, we could have our first up/down of the season decided. Leicester may have their promotion rubber-sapped, if results go accordingly. Burnley are hoping for a similar fate, but will travel to midtable Watford without a number of key players. Barnsley will see if they can build on impressive away wins against Reading and Yeovil, when they host out-of-form Brighton. Stuart Pearce is likely to be at the City Ground watching Forest host struggling Millwall, as he will take charge of Nottingham Forest this summer. Here’s a preview of the weekend’s action.

Leicester vs. Sheff Wed

Chris Wood

Leicester could tie up promotion this weekend if they win on Friday night, QPR lose at Bournemouth, and Derby fail to win at Middlesbrough. If this does happen, it seems a shame that Leicester’s match will be played before QPR and Derby kick-off. Promotions are always more enjoyable for fans when they are completed by beating a team, rather than waiting for the results to come in. Sheffield Wednesday lost 4-1 at home to Watford last week, and they looked vulnerable through the middle. Loovens and Onyewu are not the most mobile of defenders, so perhaps the one piece of good news for Stuart Gray is that the ever-energetic Jamie Vardy might miss out for Leicester. Still, if Chris Wood’s goal against Burnley last week was anything to go by, the loss of Vardy will not be a telling one. 2-0.

Wigan vs. Leeds

Wigan had Ali Al-Habsi to thank for a point last week at Bolton, ironically the Omani’s old club. That match was talked about as one of their worst performances of the season, but it does say something about Wigan’s quality that they still took a point. Al-Habsi has a wealth of experience in the top flight, and with him keeping the margins tight, Bolton’s lead was always vulnerable. After home defeats to Doncaster and Charlton, Leeds have now lost six of their last seven, conceding nineteen goals in that time. There have been too many situations where they are out of a game by the hour mark, and have given themselves too much to do to come back, such was the case against Doncaster. You’d suspect that if Wigan are on form, it could be a resounding win for the Latics. 3-0.

Barnsley vs. Brighton

David Rodriguez

Just a couple of weeks ago, we were talking about Barnsley as a team that could not score. They have just won back-to-back games, scoring seven goals, which is more than half the number they had scored since the turn of the year, before that. Unfortunately for the Tykes, Charlton won at Leeds on Tuesday, so they remain odds-on to go down. Like Barnsley, Brighton’s last match showed a sign of improvement going forward, as the Seagulls netted three times at Blackburn on Tuesday, even if they did only pick up a point. Forward David Rodriguez scored his first goal since signing in January, and will hope to build on that. I can’t see a couple of good results changing Barnsley’s season, and I think Brighton will return to the play-off fringes with a win. 1-2.

Blackburn vs. Ipswich

In the first half of the season, Blackburn’s home form was one of their strong suits. Now, they have not won at Ewood Park since February 1^st – a 2-0 win against Blackpool. They missed the opportunity to end that record in midweek when they conceded a late equalizer against Brighton. In that particular game, Tom Cairney played very well and will be someone to watch out for next season. Ipswich have taken an impressive seven points from three difficult games, against Brighton, Derby and Nottingham Forest. However, their away form has been a problem at times this season. Four games on the road this April will be the ultimate test of whether they can break into the play-offs. 1-1.

Blackpool vs. Yeovil

Byron Webster

Unfortunately, it’s looking like curtains for plucky Yeovil, who fell to a 4-1 home defeat against relegation rivals Barnsley. A horrendous mistake from defender Byram Webster epitomized an afternoon of awful defending from the Glovers. Blackpool might not be in great form, but seven points from their last five is a notable improvement, given they recently went eighteen games without a win. The Tangerines defended deep to pick up a respectable draw at QPR last week, but this time the onus will be on them to take control against Yeovil, who seem destined for the drop. 2-0.

Bournemouth vs. QPR

A contrast of perspectives here. If Bournemouth break into the play-offs, they will be celebrating a remarkable achievement. If QPR stay in the play-offs, they will be quite disappointed. In just one month, Bournemouth picked up almost half the number of points needed to stay up, accumulating nineteen points in March. QPR dropped two points at home to Blackpool last week. Despite dominating, they could not break their opponents down - copy and paste that sentence a few times, and you’ve got the story of QPR’s season. The way Bournemouth are playing, they will be a real handful for the Rs, in a game where both teams may have to settle for a point. 1-1.

Charlton vs. Reading

Sean Morrison

Charlton won at Leeds in midweek, thanks to another clean sheet. Impressively, the Addicks have kept fourteen of them this season, in all competitions. If you go purely on their defensive record, it is hard to believe that they have ever been in a relegation battle – a lack of goals being the obvious problem. Reading captain Sean Morrison returned from injury against Huddersfield, but that is not necessarily an advantage for the Royals. They conceded nineteen goals in fifteen games with Morrison in the side, and twenty-seven goals in twenty-four games without him. In other words, their defensive record has been slightly better without him, and it may take a few games for the Irishman to get back to his peak. Perhaps due to a lack of match sharpness, Morrison looked at fault for Huddersfield’s goal on Saturday. Reading’s away form cannot last forever and I would back Charlton to grind out yet another narrow win towards safety. 2-1.

Doncaster vs. Birmingham

Doncaster’s fine form has been rewarded with an eight point gap between themselves and the drop zone. That 5-0 humiliation against Bournemouth, at the beginning of March, seems a very long time ago now. Birmingham lost 4-2 at home to Bournemouth last week. The Blues lacked protection in midfield with Paul Caddis, an attacking right-back by trade, deployed as a holding player in the centre. They also have problems at left-back, with Tyler Blackett looking defensively frail, since coming in on loan from Manchester United. Doncaster often look to attack down the right, through James Coppinger, or possibly Marc Duffy. That is where they will cause Birmingham problems. 2-1.

Huddersfield vs. Bolton

Alan Hutton

Given how tight this division usually is, it is rare for a Championship outfit to approach April with nothing to play for, but that can be said about both of these teams. For Huddersfield, Nahki Wells has scored three goals in his last four, taking some of the pressure off his shoulders, following a brief goalscoring drought. But overall, Huddersfield appear to be on the beach, and so Bolton have moved to one point off the Terriers, following an impressive run of form. The Trotters have extended Alan Hutton’s loan spell from Aston Villa, until the end of the season, which is good news for the North-West club. Hutton is a very complete full-back, and seems to be getting better under Dougie Freedman. These are two mediocre sides in the context of the table, and a draw is the obvious call. 1-1.

Middlesbrough vs. Derby

Derby’s away form has declined dramatically since the turn of the year. They have only won one of their last seven on the road, and this is why they are not really challenging Burnley at this stage. Middlesbrough do not always dominate possession, and are at times reliant on shots from range, but they are difficult to beat at the Riverside. The unfortunate 3-1 loss against QPR a couple of weeks ago, was their first defeat in nine home games. In truth, neither side has that much to play for. Derby are getting ready for the play-offs, and Middlesbrough are in a similar position to the above mentioned Huddersfield and Bolton – lower midtable obscurity. In the entire Football League, only Bury have drawn more games than Middlesbrough, and I think they will share the points once again. 1-1.

Nottm Forest vs. Millwall

Stuart Pearce

Stuart Pearce has been appointed as the new Nottingham Forest manager, but he will not take over until the summer, with caretaker boss Gary Brazil taking charge until then. While Pearce could be a good appointment, it creates an impression that the board have given up on their promotion ambitions this season, in exchange for getting the man they want long-term. Millwall conceded a late equalizer at home to Blackburn last week, despite having a man advantage. Unless they can win about five of their last seven games the Lions, like Yeovil, are doomed. I’ve got a feeling that Forest having finally decided on a new manager will give the players a big lift, and their winless run could come to an end in style. 3-0.

Watford vs. Burnley

Albert Riera, who played for Man City and Liverpool a few years ago, could make his Watford debut on Saturday. As a winger, you might question where he will fit into this Watford side, and whether he will have the stamina and discipline to track-back enough to fulfil the wingback role. Burnley might be nine points clear at this stage, but just how smoothly they can finish the job is questionable. The Clarets will be without Kieran Trippier, Sam Vokes and Danny Ings, who have been without doubt their stand-out performers. Given their solid home record, I might tip Watford for a surprise victory. 2-1.