Sky Sports presenter and Sky Bet EFL expert David Prutton discusses the big talking points in the English Football League this weekend.
On Wolves looking the title
Wolves travel to fellow promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough in Sky Sports' late kick-off on Friday looking to move a step closer to wrapping up the league title
Wolves have been so far ahead for so long that becoming champions of the division will be thoroughly deserved. They’ve played the best football in the Championship and find themselves as one of the best teams to have played in this league.
⚽️ The Easter weekend brings a bumper package of Sky Bet EFL action with games across the next six days.
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) March 29, 2018
🗣️ EFL expert and Sky Sports presenter David Prutton joins Sporting Life's @TomC_22 to discuss some of the big talking points
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Middlesbrough will be a tough test for them though. They’ve slumbered into life under Tony Pulis and he’s got them to where they should be. It came as a bit of a shock when they sacked Garry Monk because they weren’t doing too badly but Pulis is starting to get the results.
For Wolves, they have seen mini blips throughout the course of the year, as any team does, but they’ve been that far in front that they will want to finish it as champions. They’ll be in the Premier League next season, but winning the title adds the bit more to it and they should be the ones with the trophy at the end.
On Middlesbrough looking to bounce back into the Premier League
For Middlesbrough, victory over Wolves would help them push further into the play-offs with top six a minimum requirement for Tony Pulis' this season
The momentum from Middlesbrough and Bristol City has been in stark contrast. City have dropped out of the play-offs, which is a bit of a surprise given the fact that they looked like automatic contenders at one point and had a terrific cup run as well.
Sky Bet Championship promotion (odds via Sky Bet)
- Cardiff - 1/7
- Fulham - 6/5
- Aston Villa - 5/2
- Middlesbrough - 9/2
- Derby - 11/2
- Bristol City - 12/1
Middlesbrough were the only side coming down from the Premier League with promotion ambitions. Hull City and Sunderland find themselves at the bottom end of the division and maybe expected to be in the bottom half. For Boro though, they got the man they eventually wanted in Tony Pulis who has guided them into the top six.
Pulis came in having recently only left the Premier League and will want to return as soon as possible. The last time he was in the second tier he got Stoke City promoted so he knows what it takes.
On Leeds United
Despite swapping Thomas Christiansen for Paul Heckingbottom during the second-half of the season, Leeds United's fortunes have failed to change and they find themselves with just one win in 2018
The summer is going to be massive for Leeds as they look to build for next season. Due to the nature of the competition, when other sides are doing well compared to Leeds there is a stark contrast and it can look bad.
We’ve seen them make another managerial change, as has been the case in recent years, and that caused a bit of a debate amongst supporters when Paul Heckingbottom came in.
There’s also been questions about the standard of players that they are bringing in under Victor Orta and questions about which have been successful, which a couple of them have been but others have been far from it.
Sky Bet Championship top half finish (odds via Sky Bet)
- Sheffield United - 1/100
- Millwall - 1/33
- Brentford - 1/10
- Norwich - 8/1
- Ipswich - 5/2
- Leeds - 5/2
Heckingbottom is under no illusions about the size of the task he has at Leeds United. It’s good for him that the club fits in with what he wants, to be the man on the touchline and saying ‘I’m in charge’. It’s a different kettle of fish to Barnsley where he found himself operating in a number of roles, which maybe he didn’t want in the end.
For the players that are still there from last season, it will feel less of a success compared to the last campaign because there has been a stark contrast in their results. Last season they just missed out on the play-offs whereas now they find themselves paddling to the edge of the pool to get out.
There are lots of players there with a point to prove, as is the same with the manager, and the 2018/19 season will be massive as ever for a club like Leeds United.
On Rotherham and Peterborough in the promotion hunt
Peterborough United boss Steve Evans comes up against one of his former clubs in Rotherham as both sides aim for promotion to the Sky Bet Championship next season
For the second half of the season, Plymouth Argyle have been great and that’s caused problems for clubs like Peterborough. They’ve also made a managerial change, like many of the clubs in the Football League, but in Steve Evans they have a man who knows that side of things.
Rotherham are a team now who look good for the play-offs. There has been an upswing for teams below them but they should have enough of a gap already to secure a spot in the top six. For me, Rotherham were always that traditional second tier team whilst Peterborough have bounced between the second and third tiers so this is set up to be a great promotion clash.
Sky Bet League One promotion (odds via Sky Bet)
- Wigan - 1/20
- Blackburn - 2/9
- Shrewsbury - 8/11
- Rotherham - 15/8
- Scunthorpe - 6/1
- Peterborough - 10/1
- Portsmouth - 11/1
Paul Warne may have little managerial experience, but he’s come in and addressed some of the issues that they had. Kenny Jackett was there for a very little amount of time, which maybe shows that the job wasn’t for someone of Jackett’s experience levels.
Rotherham do have someone in their managerial infancy but he’s got the energy and the positivity to turn it around and he has. We saw the phenomenal turnaround that they had under Neil Warnock in the Championship, they were a pacey, strong, attacking team and its shades of what we are seeing with Cardiff now.
Full credit to Warne though for what he has done and having the bravery to take on the job. They’ll be hopeful of promotion to the second tier and taking their place in the Championship back.
On Lincoln City's promotion hopes
In Sky Bet League Two, Lincoln take on Exeter as they aim to move back into the top seven of the table and look for consecutive promotions
Danny Cowley plays down the achievements of Lincoln City so far, but they’ve done well to go up and also challenge in Sky Bet League Two. He’s someone who is ambitious and wants to take this club as high as possible.
They would enjoy being back in the professional game. Lincoln benefitted from having the club ran as a professional outfit during their time in non-league and that contributed to both their league success and the club run they saw last season.
Sky Bet: Lincoln City to beat Exeter and over 2.5 goals in the match is 15/8
It’s fair to say though that they are not a small fry of the division and have some resources behind them to help them be towards the top end of the table but they’ve also earned their place.
For Exeter, we saw how close they came last season and the fact that they were one game away from a place in Sky Bet League One.
Paul Tisdale has been there for a long time now and he’s helped to build them up to be a great club who are now in a strong position to go up this season.
There is potential for play-offs for Lincoln as they sit just outside of that top seven. Defeat in this game doesn’t necessarily close the door on another promotion, but it makes it that bit harder so it’s a massive game for both sides.
