Are Leeds wobbling & can Wrexham make history? – Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast | Football Newsnews24

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Across the Championship Catch-up and the League One & Two review on the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast, our experts took a look at the latest in the promotion races…

Are Leeds wobbling in the Championship promotion race?

It is two from three now for promotion in the Championship. Leeds looked a shoo-in a few weeks ago, but just one win in four has reoponed the door for Sheffield United and Burnley.

Don Goodman: “What happened last season and what they experienced should stand them in good stead. The pain of that will surely drive this group and the manager onwards.

“The biggest factor in their favour for me is, and I say this with the greatest of respect to Burnley and Sheffield United, is that Leeds are the best team in the league.

“That doesn’t mean they’re going to get the most points, but the mentality of the group needs to be: ‘We are the best team, and even if things go wrong we can recover.’

“But Burnley and Sheffield United taking double the amount of points Leeds have in the last four games will keep them on their toes.”

Jobi McAnuff: “We know about the fanbase there and how anxious they will be getting at this stage of the season.

“Not just because of last year, but in other years gone by where things haven’t gone well.

“After they beat Sheffield United the table looked like they had a bit of a cushion. I expected them to kick on from there.

“They have been the best team for me, but they have been reeled back in, and that’s where the doubts start creeping in a little bit, doubts that shouldn’t really be there.

“Because Burnley have picked up, and with Sheffield United hanging around and nicking wins, there’s a lot more anxiety around then there should be.

“We know down the stretch that Leeds have had issues in the past, so I’m not as confident for them as I was that they’ll get the job done.”

Wrexham favourites to join Birmingham in League One promotion chase?

Wrexham are currently on course to secure a third successive promotion. They would be the first side to achieve that feat in English football history. They currently sit three points clear of Wycombe in third – although the Chairboys do have a game in hand.

Aaron McLean: “Both teams will be desperate to finish in that second spot. Back in January when it was neck and neck I tipped Wrexham to go up, and I stand by that.

“It was a huge win, first of all when they beat Wycombe the other week to get above them, then to back it up against Stockport – because that game has turned into a bit of a ‘derby’ in recent years.

“They’ve both been in competition for promotion so often. There is a real rivalry now. So to get on the right side of that was a huge three points.

“Wrexham have got a much easier run-in on paper. They only play one of the top 10 in their final games of the season, while Wycombe play six of the top 10. For that, the odds are heavily stacked in Wrexham’s favour.”

David Stowell: “This time of the season it’s not just about being a good team or good individual players, it’s about what you’ve got between the ears in terms of the mentality, focus, the confidence and maybe a bit of arrogance.

“You almost have to walk onto the pitch feeling that you can make the difference and that your team is going to do the job. It really comes down to that for these two teams now.”

Can Walsall cling on in League Two tussle?

Walsall won nine games on the bounce in League Two in December and January, and almost had the promotion champagne on ice. But their form has slipped off since, winning just two of their last 13.

The dip has coincided with the departure of teenage striker Nathan Lowe, who was recalled by Stoke in January. He had provided 15 goals and five assists. At one stage they were 12 points clear of second place, and 15 clear of fourth. That gap has been swallowed up.

Aaron McLean: “They were on an incredible run and at one point it looked like they could have the title wrapped up by now. But all of a sudden Nathan Lowe goes back to Stoke and their season almost falls off a cliff.

“It shows how well they did at the beginning of the season that they’re still top, but now they are clinging on by their fingernails.

“I’m sure Bradford will go and overtake them and win the league. Walsall will be lucky if they can stay in that top three The next couple of weeks are huge and they need to put some wins on the board.”

David Stowell: “I don’t think it’s just down to Lowe. That would be very unfair on the collective and the coach as well.

“But when you have a player who comes in and has the impact Nathan had, you don’t just take away his goals when he goes, you take away the psychological edge everyone has that they had a player who was doing the business in terms of goals and assists.

“You take that out and the whole dynamic of the team changes a little bit. It puts that doubt in people’s minds, and the confidence they had can very quickly change.

“They just have to forget what’s gone before, now. It’s an eight-game season and if they do well then they’re up.”