The three pundits have revealed who they are backing for the upcoming Championship play-offs.
Four sides are just 270 minutes away from securing promotion to the Premier League, with the action kicking off this Sunday lunchtime.
Both Leicester City and Ipswich Town confirmed their places among England’s elite next year, with Leeds United, Norwich City, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion all hopeful of joining them in the top flight next season.
| Championship standings 2023/24 | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 3 | Leeds United | 46 | 38 | 90 |
| 4 | Southampton | 46 | 24 | 87 |
| 5 | West Brom | 46 | 23 | 75 |
| 6 | Norwich City | 46 | 15 | 73 |
Pundits disagree with Leeds United’s play-off chances
Ahead of this weekend’s action, which we shall discuss further below, pundits across the footballing world have given their predictions of who will seal a place in the Premier League next season.
Former Manchester City defender, Micah Richards, believes that Leeds have what it takes to secure an immediate return to the top flight, disagreeing with his colleagues Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.
Speaking on the The Rest Is Football podcast after the final weekend of Championship action, Lineker and Shearer backed Southampton to emerge victorious and seal a return to the Premier League, with Russell Martin’s side having ended the campaign with a final day victory over Leeds.
“Southampton,” Shearer predicted on the The Rest is Football podcast. Lineker agreed with the former Newcastle United striker, adding: “I fancy Southampton – they have a bit of form again, haven’t they, at the right time.”
Richards, though, was adamant Leeds are the side to back, pointing to the quality in the club’s frontline as something that could be a difference maker.
“I’m going to go with Leeds,” Richards said, disagreeing with his colleagues.
“I just think in the last couple of weeks they have underperformed.They went on that amazing run, didn’t they, and then sort of fizzled out a little bit.
“But, the reason why I say Leeds is that in the forward areas, if they get it right, I believe they have the most quality.”
Doubling down, Richards continued: “I know they have (been in bad form), but you have got to put that to bed,”
“The play-offs is a completely different thing, it’s another chance.”
Championship play-off fixtures
With the second tier play-offs set to get underway next weekend, Southampton will face West Bromwich Albion in the semi-finals, with Leeds taking on Norwich City.
The Saints travel to The Hawthorns in the first leg on Saturday (14:15 KO), before hosting the Baggies on the south coast on Friday 17th May (20:00 KO).
Before the first leg between those two, the outcome of Leeds United’s trip to Norwich will already be decided, with the Whites set to face the Canaries at Carrow Road on Saturday (12:00 KO).
The second leg between Leeds and Norwich is set to take place on Thursday 16th May (20:00 KO)).
The Championship play-off final is currently scheduled to take place on Sunday 26th May (15:00 KO)
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