It's gameweek 14 of the EFL and the margins for error are exponentially shrinking.
One win from 13 matches proved to be the nail in the coffin for Steve Bruce and son, but manager-less West Brom won’t find any sympathy from Paul Ince’s high-flying Reading (nor from Roy Keane ). Swansea City’s Russell Martin - in the post for a little over the year - now ranks amongst the top-six longest serving Championship managers, which is a larger reflection of the Championship’s tendency to act more like the French guillotine than a bastion for job stability.
Meanwhile in League One, it’s Plymouth Argyle’s world, while Leyton Orient and Northampton Town battle it out for second place in League Two.
We break down the biggest games of the weekend below.
Championship
Swansea v Burnley:
Sixth-place Swansea City travel to fourth-place Burnley, and if a potential promotion battle isn’t enough to whet the appetite, let’s toss in some ghosts of Deadline Day past.
The two clubs found themselves recently embroiled in an eleventh-hour transfer day saga when Swans striker Michael Obafemi was heavily linked with a move to Vincent Kompany’s side in August.
Burnley painfully didn’t meet Swansea’s evaluation, and manager Russell Martin felt forced to remove Obafemi from two subsequent matchday squads, citing a need for the Irishman to “get his head straight”. On international duty, Obafemi scored a wicked goal, then celebrated by "silencing the haters". The Jack Army was hardly impressed.
Nevertheless, Obafemi returned to goal-scoring ways, and as these things generally go in football, the sour feelings magically melted away. Whether a tender spot remains makes Saturday’s match-up all the more intriguing.
Swansea are riding a four-game winning streak, thanks in large part to a searing Ryan Manning. Meanwhile, Burnley extended their undefeated run to 10 matches. Top spot is within touching distance for both.
Former boyhood Swan Connor Roberts also comprises Burnley’s ranks. The layers are lovely.
Norwich v Watford:
Watford might sit 14th in the Championship table but being a recently-relegated side going up against another recently-relegated side immediately makes this clash one of note. Their current position 12 places apart is a wider reflection of the wildly different directions relegation clubs can take.
Norwich sit second in the table, and it’s premature to suggest they are on a wobble after a 3-2 loss to mid-table Preston at home. Norwich will be eager to return to winning ways and stake an early claim for automatic promotion.
The Hornets were booed off the pitch in their grim 3-1 loss away to Blackpool last weekend, in which Slaven Bilic’s side predictably made a slow start and went behind to a poorly-defended goal. Despite giving a good response and finding an equaliser, a familiar story played out as Watford’s lion share of possession came to nothing. By the end, chants of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” made an appearance.
Reading v West Brom:
Will fortunes finally look brighter for still manager-less West Brom? The odds don’t look pretty, not least with high-flying Reading eyeing them up for Saturday’s match-up at the Select Car Leasing Stadium. Reading can take comfort that their recent form, regardless of a 2-1 loss to QPR last weekend, is far more intimidating than their stadium name. The Royals sit just two points off league leaders Sheffield United.
West Brom dropped into the relegation zone after their drab stalemate with Luton Town last weekend. Despite just a sole league win in Steve Bruce’s Baggies armoury, manager Nathan Jones backed Bruce to “turn it around” at the Hawthorns, which is only further evidence to the fact that one should never put too much credence in an opposition manager’s prediction.
West Brom desperately need points if they are to staunch a very dangerous rot. And yes, those reports suggesting Roy Keane will be the one taking up the job are wide of the mark.
League One:
MK Dons v Plymouth Argyle:
Things are peachy at Plymouth Argyle. Attendances are reaching 18-year record heights, captain Joe Edwards has signed a new long-term contract and, after 10 wins from 13 matches, Steven Schumacher’s side sits pretty at the top of the League One table.
The same cannot be said for Saturday’s opponents in MK Dons, who suffered their third consecutive league defeat last weekend in a 1-0 loss at home to Bristol Rovers and remained third-from-bottom.
What do you think will happen in the EFL this weekend? Have your say in the comments below.
Only a quarter of the season has been played, but the feelings of excitement and trepidation gripping the respective fanbases are understandable. The weekend’s match-up has the potential to inflame either.
League Two:
Leyton Orient v Northampton Town:
Third-place Northampton Town travel to second-place Leyton Orient on Saturday, Three points separate the pair, with Northampton eager to nip a two-game losing streak in the bud with a victory away to their promotion rivals. Leyton Orient’s recent form is only so much better, with a draw and loss in their last two matches.
The biggest winner of this match is potentially league leaders Stevenage, who face 19th-place Gillingham as their nearest promotion rivals face off. Stevenage boast 31 points, two points ahead of the O’s and five points ahead of Northampton. Gillingham might be riding a three-match unbeaten run but Stevenage are relishing a four-game winning streak. The Boro look poised for a happy Saturday indeed.
