Leeds Utd v Charlton Athletic Wednesday 22nd July at 19.30pm | Elland Road Lee Bowyer's relegation threatened Charlton are the visitors to Elland Road as the curtain finally falls on the 2019/20 season. The Addicks sit one place above the drop zone. They share 48 points with Luton Town, but have a far superior goal difference. Never say die Barnsley have kept their slim chance of survival in tact by beating Nottingham Forest last weekend. Gerhard Strubers Tykes have 46 points. Not only would they need to beat Brentford in West London, but will have to rely on Leeds to beat Charlton and Blackburn to defeat the Hatters. In the unlikely event that Charlton and Luton both win, Derby would need to beat Birmingham to give the Blues that sinking feeling! It is mathematically possible for Neil Warnock's Middlesbrough to join Hull in league 1, but Charlton, Luton and Birmingham would all need to win, and the Smoggo's would need to lose at Hillsborough. Much will also decide on whether Wigan are successful in appealing their 12 point deduction. They currently sit mid table on 58 points, yet if the football league decide to uphold their decision, they too would find themselves in need of results going their way if they wanted to be playing Championship football again next season. Whilst Leeds will be parading the Championship trophy around Elland Road, West Brom, Brentford and Fulham will be fighting it out for the second automatic place. West Brom (along with Leeds) have occupied one of the top two automatic places since the start of the season. Would they have the character to recover in time for the play offs if Brentford were to topple them at the last minute? If West Brom and Brentford lose, Fulham could steal the last automatic place, but they would have to overcome Wigan. Thomas Frank's Brentford have been the in-form team in the Championship since the season restarted a month ago. They won their first seven games on the trot, before unexpectedly losing at Stoke. If the Baggies beat QPR, they're up; anything else, it will give the Bees an opportunity to join the top flight for the first time in their existence! Brentford (or West Brom), Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Cardiff make up the play offs. Swansea have an outside chance of stealing the last play off slot but would have to overcome Reading and relying on Hull to beat Cardiff. Leeds will be without Gaetano Berardi who suffered an ACL tear in his knee during Sunday’s win over Derby County. Berardi now faces nine months on the sidelines without a club! Berardi is joined by Phillips, Costa and Forshaw. Bielsa needs to choose between Meslier and Casilla between the sticks. The gaffer surprised everyone by dropping the Frenchman in favour of the former Real Madrid shot stopper. Will he do the same on Wednesday? Remember it was at the reverse fixture that the alleged racism incident happened. Although Jonathan Leko has returned to West Brom due to injury, it could raise more than a few eyebrows if the Spaniard starts.
Nice one, Ell, but you missed a small detail. Fulham can still make the other auto spot now. Unlikely, but possible - especially if the Baggies & Brentford are really rattled..
I really want the Baggies to go up auto now as if Brentford fold in the playoffs we might go in for Benrahma. Other way round we ain’t getting Ferreira, let’s face it. See Swift is off to the Blunts - we have missed out on some bargains last few years, Watkins, McGinn, Benrahma, Ajayi, Sawyers to name a few.
Doesn't Wigans minus 12 have a say in all this? Isn't ****ing ace going to the last game and not really caring.MOT.
Brentford were relegated from the first division in 1946/47 together with Leeds United ( Leeds with 18 points a record low}.
Which game would that be? I started work in 1946 at the age of 14 I was playing soccer myself but a leg injury resulted in a long stay in hospital which finished me playing. As you can imagine it was not much fun supporting Leeds at the time although I did go to Elland Road occasionally.
Final day of the championship battle Isn’t it great to just sit back and watch the others squabble over the scraps Went on the Charlton forum the other day seems as though they are hoping we will not be interested in tonight’s game Fools Didn’t have the heart to wind e’m up