Leicester's form has been rather dodgy over the last couple months. They've lost 5 of their last 9 (I just looked). They're still topping the table, but Leeds and Ipswich are each just a point off. They could easily piss away what a couple months back looked like a dead certain automatic promotion. And if they drop to 3rd, you probably wouldn't back them in the playoffs on current form.
Stoke ang Blackburn both getting tonked, which is nice. But more importantly, Brum is a goal down to Cardiff with about ten minutes left. If that one sticks, Wednesday are only points differential off 21st. Come on you Bluebirds!
One hour in, and Plymouth are a goal up to Leicester City. The latter appear to be dominating in most everything, save goals. Get Vardy on! He'll get one back - he's Wednesday through and through!
Well, Vardy came on around '67 ... and didn't get a touch for almost 20 minutes. What do I know? 1-0 to Plymouth. Ugh. Solid result for the Pilgrims, but not helpful at all to Wednesday.
Blackburn beat Leeds at Elland Road in the early match. I've got a bad feeling about today.* Hope I'm wrong. *Spurs getting battered at Newcastle can't have helped.
Huddersfield came heartbreakingly close to winning but Bristol got a penalty in the 10th minute of injury time. Ouch! If we lose to Birmingham next week it's looking like the both of you are going to need 5 or more points to stand any realistic chance of staying up now what with goal difference being against you.
Brum held to a draw at Rotherham, and Huddersfield hammered at home v Swansea, so a win at Blackburn gets Wednesday up to 21st, and in control of its own fate. Actually, they control it as of now. Just keep winning. For what it's worth, Stoke and QPR both won, so while they're both technically still in it, it very much looks like two of Brum, 'udders, and Wednesday joining Rovrum in the 3rd tier.
Birmingham play Huddersfield next, a draw or Huddersfield win is the probably the best outcome and will put either team on 47pts going into the last game. I don't think Plymouth are safe yet if Birmingham beat Huddersfield and they lose their two remaining games.
1-3 to Wednesday. What a massive win that is! Out of the drop zone for the first time this season. Yeah, Hudders/Brum is at Huddersfield, which is good, as I couldn't see them getting anything at St Andrew's. In fact, they've been so shite, I doubt they'll get anything at home. Birmingham are bad enough, though, that there could be a draw there, which would be nice. Even better would be would be a Terriers win, because they have to go to Ipswich in their final fixture, and Ipswich will almost surely be playing for automatic promotion. So I'll be pulling for Huddersfield next weekend, for sure. Wednesday cannot secure safety next Saturday, no matter what. But a win v West Brom and a Terriers win v Brum will be as close as they can get.
Darren Moore has now officially taken Port Vale down to League2. They've taken only nine points from the sixteen League games in which he's been in charge, including just one point from their last six. That is shocking. Add that to having taken only 3 wins from 22 League matches at Huddersfield, and it very much looks like he'll have played the dominant role in getting two separate clubs relegated this season. Rather a shame, as I liked him at Wednesday ... but that is really, really poor.
By the way, what the hell happened to Blackburn Rovers? They were absolutely pissing the Championship last year, until they only got one win from their last nine League games, even then only missing the playoffs by goal differential. And of course, this year they're still flirting with relegation with only two games left. Somewhere last April the wheels fell off. I wonder what happened.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that Danny Rohl is what's making the chairman look a bit better right now. If he can make the fans forget about hiring Xisco Munoz, he can sure as heck make them forget about letting Moore go. If Wednesday stay up (and that's not a given) I don't think there'll be many fans - even among Darren's biggest supporters - who won't be happy with the managerial situation.
In more South Yorkshire footy news, Barnsley have sacked Neill Collins. A poor run of form has seen them drop a bit too close to being out of the playoff places. They currently sit 5th, but 6th, 7th, and 8th are all within one, one, and two points of the dingles, respectively. 'Panic' is the word coming to mind. Or 'ballsy' if it all works out. But now the board's going to own the outcome, in the end. I wouldn't bet on 'em.