Tony Mowbray says the Championship's big guns are starting to make their presence felt - but outside the upper echelons the table is still difficult to read even as the season nears its halfway point. Going into this weekend, four of the top six spots were occupied by clubs who have recently played in the Premier League - and therefore benefit from parachute payments - with Burnley leading the way as they look to make an immediate return to the top flight.
Sheffield United, who were relegated the season before last, occupied the second automatic promotion spot, while Watford and Norwich City were in play-off positions as they battle to win promotion at the first attempt. But only nine points separate sixth-placed Norwich City and third-bottom Wigan Athletic in the relegation zone, while a gap of just six points stands between seventh-placed QPR and 17th-placed Stoke City.
For their part, Sunderland went into the weekend sitting in tenth place just a point outside the top six but knowing that this afternoon's games could mean they slip into lower midtable by the time they kick-off against West Bromwich Albion on Monday night. "What do I make of it [the table]?" said Mowbray.
