Paul Merson and the Sky Sports Soccer Saturday panel have predicted the Championship playoffs, ahead of Leeds United’s match against Norwich.
The Whites and Daniel Farke will play his former side in the first semi-final, with the first leg at Carrow Road (12 May), while Southampton will face West Brom in the second semi-final, with the winners meeting at Wembley later this month for a spot in the Premier League.
When Merson, Clinton Morrison, Darren Bent, and Gary Rowett were asked to predict who will be in the top tier next season live on Sky Sports (11 May), their answers were virtually evenly split.
“I have a feeling for West Brom,” Merson confessed. “I feel for them.
“I believe they are a decent squad with no pressure on them. “I believe they will be the one.
Darren Bent, a former Ipswich striker, stated he was going with Southampton because he couldn’t pick Norwich, before Rowett and Morrison chose the Whites.
“I am going to go for Leeds,” Rowett stated simply, before Morrison explained why.
“I think, me personally, I do think it will be a Leeds Southampton final,” he stated. I believe it will be a Leeds-Southampton final, but don’t shout at the TV, West Brom and Norwich fans.
“This is a challenging one. Leeds, Southampton. I’m going to go for Leeds. Leeds will win it. Simply win it. It will be a tight final between them and Southampton.”
Leeds United are under enormous pressure.
If Leeds were not already the clear favourites for the playoffs, they should be now.
Farke’s side were comfortably the third best team in the division this season and should have advanced based on that logic, but the turmoil of the Championship means that isn’t the case, and they must still earn their place.
Four defeats in the last six games is not a nice way to enter the playoff semi-finals, but Norwich have been beaten both at home and away this season, and this is a one-off game.
Southampton demonstrated their ability to beat Leeds on the penultimate day of the season, and West Brom also performed well against them this season, so it will not be simple.
However, the squad’s recent form could be the wake-up call they need to get back on track. If they play to their potential, promotion is theirs to lose.
