Left back - a football blog

It is the final day of the Championship season on Sunday and, finally, one of the most surreal years in the division’s history will be coming to an exciting conclusion. West Brom are all but promoted after taking a point against Southampton on Monday, but the question of who will be joining them for those glamorous trips to the Riverside and Ewood Park is less clear.

Stoke vs Leicester is undoubtedly the match of the day as Tony Pulis’ side look to claim the point they need for automatic promotion - anything more than that could steal away the title from WBA – while they can also send Leicester into League One. Beneath them, Hull City will be hoping to end that stat about being the largest city in Europe never to have hosted top-flight football, while Bristol City have the serenity of knowing their playoff spot is assured.

Beneath the aforementioned though, there will be plenty of itchy-bum syndrome as no less than five clubs do battle for two playoff positions. Watford currently occupy fifth, with Crystal Palace sitting in sixth, but do not let those positions fool you, the Hornets are a side in dire need of a lift having put their supporters through hell over the last five months, while Palace are rejuvenated after the shambolic reign of Peter Taylor with Neil Warnock at the helm. Wolves, Ipswich and Sheff Utd are the chasing pack – expect fireworks as they meet Plymouth, Hull and Southampton respectively.

Things are no less clear at the bottom of the table as Southampton, Leicester, Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry and Blackpool all look to avoid the drop. Four of those five are former Premier League teams and, as Nottingham Forest will no doubt testify, once you go down, there is very little to guarantee coming straight back up. It appears as if the Saints are in the most trouble though currently sitting in the bottom three with a –17 goal difference. I hate to utter phrases such as ‘I told you so’ (lie: I love it) but click here for my opinions on the appointment of Nigel Pearson as first team manager back in February.

Will Hull end their hoodoo? Will Watford choke away a playoff spot? Is it the end for Leicester City and the reign of Ian Holloway?

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Onto League One today and it is all a bit of a mess. Swansea are already up as (potential) Champions courtesy of a fantastic season under the stewardship of Roberto Martinez, but, for the chasing trio of Doncaster, Carlisle and Nottingham Forest, nothing can be settled until the arbitration hearing over Leeds’ 15-point deduction has been wrapped up later today. The fall out if United were to be given their points back has the potential to be monstrous, with Doncaster chairman John Ryan stating it would be a ‘sad day for football’ if such a situation was to arise.

Ignoring any such possible plight for the time being though, it is Rovers who sit in the driving seat, needing a win against relegation threatened Cheltenham to secure promotion. There is sure to be plenty of drama before 4.45pm on Saturday afternoon though with Carlisle meeting Bournemouth and Gillingham facing Leeds in a cruel top vs bottom twist that only the fixture computer could chuck up a good 10 months in advance. Crewe are also in the mire and one of the aforementioned sides will join the already relegated Port Vale and Luton in League Two.

Tomorrow: The Championship.

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The Championship may bamboozle at both ends of the table and League One has plenty of exciting final day fixtures to enjoy, but life in and out of League Two was settled on Tuesday night as Chester gained the point needed to avoid relegation and end Mansfield’s 77-year stay in the football league. The Stags will be joined by a pitiful Wrexham side who have never looked like staying up since hitting rock bottom at the beginning of February, while a special mention must go to Dagenham & Redbridge who have survived a first season in League Two on nothing more than a shoe string budget, a fantastic team-spirit and a handy forward in the shape of Ben Strevens.

Up at the top, money has talked as arguably the division’s richest two sides, MK Dons and Peterborough, cantered to automatic promotion. Paul Ince is undoubtedly doing football management the right way after keeping Macclesfield up last year and guiding the Dons to promotion this year but, personally, the jury is still out on the qualities of Darren Ferguson. Hereford will be joining them in League One, while the quartet of Rochdale, Stockport, Darlington and Wycombe will do battle in the playoffs.

Tomorrow: League One.

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Aldershot became the latest side elevated into the Football League on Tuesday night after gaining the point they needed for promotion.

Past winners of the recently re-branded Blue Square Premier have fared extremely over the years indicating that the once large gulf between non-league and league football is becoming ever more blurred. In the past six seasons, since an extra place for playoff winners was introduced, none of the sides going up have gone down and three of them have even managed to make that step to the next level. Last years promotion hopefuls have had indifferent seasons with Dagenham currently fighting the drop, but Morecambe have proved somewhat of a revelation under the stewardship of former Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy and currently sit tenth.

Whatever lies in wait for Gary Waddock (much maligned after a stint at QPR) and his Aldershot squad, the team and town can take great satisfaction from an outstanding season.

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It was the annual Football League awards in the plush surroundings of London’s Hilton on Sunday as the cream of the Coca-Cola League descended on the capital. Kevin Phillips (Championship), Jermaine Beckford (League One) and Keith Andrews (League Two) were the big winners for their respective divisions but the biggest pat on the back must go to Four Four Two magazine for deciding the league needed this kind of ceremony in the first place.

Now in its third year, it is a chance for those down the divisions to let hair down, take in the free champagne and generally enjoy the fanfare of such an occasion. It is clichéd to say fans of league football and beyond have more of an affinity of what happens to their club, but this is glaringly true in most cases and a bash such as this is just the sort of reward to those who endure 46 game season slogs. With the full ceremony being broadcast on Sky Sports this Thursday, we also have the chance to enjoy some fantastically uncomfortable acceptance speeches/interviews as well.

Still, at least the Premier League never had an insufferable Coca-Cola ‘Real Fans’ advert patronising them.

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The Manager of the Month awards for February are in, so avoid backing the following teams as the dreaded curse descends on…

Stoke City! Tony Pulis was the victor in the Championship after guiding Stoke to five wins in six but, somewhat predictably, once the Potters reached the poisoned chalice of first place, they contrived to lose against Preston to give the sides directly beneath them a lifeline. Next up for City are the trio of QPR, Burnley and Norwich - all tricky, but all ultimately winnable. Expect to see them languishing in 4th by the beginning of April then.

Carlisle manager John Ward is the deserved winner in League One after wins over fellow promotion hopefuls Walsall, Doncaster and Huddersfield saw the Cumbrians end the month in 2nd, only the 12 points behind Swansea, while in League Two Peter Jackson gained the plaudits after Lincoln City won five of their six February games - all while battling cancer.

With the season beginning to hit its business end in terms of promotion and relegation, can the above continue their good form into the pivotal month of March?

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The bottom half of the Championship table is not a pretty site if you are a fan of mid-nineties Premiership football as a litter of clubs battle relegation in the vain hope of preserving safety and dignity. Southampton are one of those who have endured a torturous few years and, with their latest managerial appointment famed for being Sam Allardyce’s puppet on the BBC, is Nigel Pearson the right man to lead the Saints away from the perils of League One?

The 44-year-old comes in on the back of a pitiful FA Cup exit to Bristol Rovers at the weekend and the former Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough and Shrewsbury defender has plenty of work to do on a team who looked painfully out of shape. The club is crying out for investment with the side lacking in any great quality and, while Pearson’s coaching credentials may fit the bill, this does appear to be another cut price venture by club chairman Leon Crouch. QPR are one of the teams around Southampton who have shown what a few extra quid can do, but while the club continue to count the pennies to make the pounds, the Saints have an arduous few months, if not years, ahead.

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The FA Cup 5th round has a fantastic glow to it in 2008 with no less than ten of the 16 clubs who have made it this far coming from the Coca-Cola league and, if the draw is kind to those who are left standing, it is not totally inconceivable that one of the ‘minnows’ could find themselves at Wembley come May. If we are to assume that all of the top-flight sides progress against those in the divisions below, there will still be three league teams flying the flag. Who says the magic is dead? I will try to make that the only cliché.

Despite the big four still being in the competition, this year does represent the best chance the league cliental may ever have of winning the fabled cup again. West Brom will be chief amongst the contenders if they come through their derby clash against Coventry, while Sheffield United, who dumped out Man City in the last round, have an extremely winnable game with Middlesbrough in front of them. Incidentally, the Baggies are a best-priced 40/1 to win the FA Cup, so if you fancy an optimistic flutter, now is the time.

Those in the upper echelons of the Premier League (and even those in the lower: I’m looking at you Dave Kitson) may have a blinkered view of the competition, but in the bread and butter of the football league, it is proving a year to remember. Do you think there are any shocks on the agenda?

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It is sad to report that Lincoln City manager Peter Jackson has been diagnosed with cancer of the throat. The former Huddersfield boss joined the Imps in October and has elevated the League Two strugglers clear of the relegation zone since the departure of John Schofield. Iffy Onuora, who only joined the club in midweek as assistant manager, will take over first team affairs from the 46-year-old when he begins his treatment in March. Our thoughts are with Peter and his family.

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Another round of Championship games are over, and have we learnt anything we didn’t already know? Not particularly, as no team seems overly intent on walking away with the division this year. Watford appear to have finally ended their midseason slump though and Tuesday’s one goal victory over struggling Leicester moved them back to the summit of the table. Speaking of the Foxes, will Ian Holloway be yet ruing his decision to up sticks from Plymouth and move to the Midlands? Everyone’s favourite rent-a-quote has won just four games of 18 since leaving and no defeat would have caused more hurt than their 1-0 reverse against Argyle last weekend. While Plymouth continue to push for promotion to the Premier League, things look bleak for a City side low on confidence and quality.

Elsewhere in the division Norwich continued their renaissance under Glenn Roeder having not lost in the league since the 1st December, while QPR, funded by some of the richest and most glamorous males on the planet, are also in good shape despite a 4-2 capitulation against Burnley. While many Canaries fans were dismayed at the initial appointment of Roeder as first team boss back in October, the former Newcastle and West Ham man has been nothing short of a saviour and, with the Championship mid-table more congested than the M25 on Friday rush-hour, a playoff place is becoming more of a realistic ambition with every passing game.

Down to League One and Swansea continued their march towards promotion with a 1-0 win over Walsall which puts Roberto Martinez’s side eight points clear of Doncaster. Leeds, who have yet to win under Gary McAllister, got a morale boosting point against Nottingham Forest, while the hilariously woeful Port Vale let a two-goal lead slip over Hartlepool who claimed a 3-2 win to boost their survival chances.

Finally League Two and another match in which Paul Ince and the MK Dons failed to take away three points, despite holding a three-goal lead over Shrewsbury at the break. With the former Manchester United ace constantly being linked with any available job in the leagues above, it is a make or break year for the MK Dons who have once again spent big as they look to leave the likes of Accrington and Macclesfield behind. In a division where it is possible to beat anyone put in front of you, it will be interesting to see if the club can hold onto their automatic spot and their in-demand manager.

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