The fight for the play-off places is going to the final day of the Championship season, with Middlesbrough still in with a shout of salvaging a top six finish despite their recent slip-ups.
Here’s a bumper preview of Saturday’s decisive final day, including the permutations, the form, what the managers have said and Boro’s challenge.
PERMUTATIONS
First things first, Boro have to win at Coventry. Unless they pick up all three points, they’re out of the equation.
But after two disappointing results against Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich, Carrick’s side are now in need of favours elsewhere.
Bristol City’s heavy defeat to Leeds United on Monday night means their place in the play-offs is not yet secured, but Boro can only catch the Robins if they lose at home to Preston on Saturday.
Boro will climb above Coventry if they beat Frank Lampard’s side but they also need Millwall and Blackburn to fail to win away at Burnley and Sheffield United.
Boro’s goal difference is the best of the five teams battling for two spots.
THE FORM
Boro’s isn’t great, with just one win in their last five, and glorious opportunities spurned against Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich.
But Bristol City and Coventry are also staggering over the line, which is what has allowed Millwall and Blackburn to creep into final day contention.
The Robins still look a sensible bet for a top six finish despite two defeats on the bounce and just one win in their last four games, which came against Sunderland when Regis Le Bris was rotating his side. But they’re at home to a Preston side who are winless in seven and have lost four on the bounce, a rotten run which has seen them dragged into relegation trouble. North End are now just one point and two places above the drop and could well need a result at Ashton Gate. Could they pull off an unlikely upset against City?
As for Coventry, they charged up the table after the appointment of Lampard but have won just two of their last six. They have, however, won five of their last six at home.
Millwall and Blackburn are fourth and fifth in the Championship form table but the Lions face a Burnley side who are still gunning for the title, and Rovers head to Bramall Lane, where Sheffield United will, you’d think, be keen on finishing the regular season and signing off for the play-offs in style.
RECOMMENDED READING:
WHAT’S BEEN SAID?
Coventry conceded a last minute goal to lose at Luton on Saturday, but Lampard was determined to look forward not back and believes home advantage will be key on the final day against Boro.
“It’s great for us,” he said.
“We have the feeling of disappointment (from Luton) because we could have affected it. But we still felt we needed to win Saturday’s last game to be clear. So it doesn’t change. We will have a lot of motivation when things settle. We’ll have the home crowd behind us but we can’t disrespect Boro who will be in a similar situation.
“It’s important not to ramp up the pressure on the lads on Monday and Tuesday. They understand what we’re in and we’ll prepare pretty normally for the game, stay calm, prep really well and give everything on match day.”
Bristol City boss Liam Manning pleaded for perspective after their defeat at Leeds.
He said: “We just said it through there, if you’d have asked anyone associated with the club before we started the first game at Hull away, which feels forever ago, would you take going into the final game of the season at home to Preston with the opportunity to get in the play-offs being in our hands? Everybody would have snapped your hands off.
“I think we must not forget that. We mustn’t forget how much of a terrific job the lads have done, how hard they’ve worked, how well they’ve represented the club and the progress they’ve made. There are so many positives that should be thrown at them.”
Millwall’s task at Burnley is tough but Alex Neil says his side will head to Turf Moor with belief.
He said: “The fact is we are in good form and even when we aren’t quite at our best we still managed to win. We found a way to win the game.
“We are very pleased with what we have done.
“I’ve been really impressed with what the players have done since I’ve come here. They are an unbelievable group to work with. But, as I say to them, we still have one more game to go.”
Blackburn have remarkably recovered from five successive defeats to win their last four games.
Boss Valerien Ismael said: “We put ourselves now in a good position.
“We’ve got a real chance now. One month ago, it looked completely different. We had a lot of problems.
“Everyone needs results. This is a good thing. Coventry-Middlesbrough, the two teams need to win. Millwall need to win. We need to win.
“It makes it great and why we love football, to be in that situation. The difference now, it’s a real chance. Just to make sure we are doing our job and it will be tough enough.
“So, focus on ourselves. After the final whistle, we will see.”
BORO’S CHALLENGE
Back to Boro and the challenge facing Carrick’s side.
It’s been a turbulent second half of the season, with Boro falling as low as 13th at one stage and climbing as high as fifth.
But form has deserted them again at the wrong time and they head for the CBS Arena on the back of two damaging results.
But Carrick insisted after Saturday’s Norwich draw that his side would be “lifted” for the final day shootout.
Now, they need to succeed where they’ve failed so far this season. Boro have picked up just one point from a possible 15 away to the five sides they’ve played who are currently in the top six.
Nothing less than a win will do on Saturday.
