Championship talking points: Are Middlesbrough now promotion favourites as Coventry slip again?
Are Middlesbrough now Championship favourites?
Middlesbrough 1-0 Norwich
The day couldn't have gone much better for Middlesbrough. With Coventry and Ipswich dropping vital points, Boro drew level at the summit with this hard-fought win over Norwich.
The two teams went into the game as the form sides in the Championship and it showed - this was a high-level game. Hayden Hackney's 17th-minute stunner was all that separated the sides as Norwich pushed Kim Hellberg's side all the way.The glaring question post-match was why Norwich find themselves where they are in the table given the strength of this performance, allied to recent displays. They might even have a chance of a play-off spot if they keep this up.
For Hellberg, it was a vital win. Five wins on the spin now makes them favourites for the title.
I had the temerity to ask, if like any other manager, he ignores the league table at this stage of the season. "Of course I look at it", he smiled. "I just looked at it before I came in to speak to you. It looks good, huh?"
He knows exactly where his side are, and the rest of the Championship now know Boro are the team to beat. The signing of a striker between now and the transfer deadline might just given them the last piece of the jigsaw.Keith DownieMore away day misery costing Coventry
QPR 2-1 CoventryIt is seven without a win now for Coventry City away from home, the latest a defeat at QPR after taking the lead.In truth, they didn't really do much to deserve the advantage in west London, but they still took it through Josh Eccles early in the second half.But from there, it fell apart. Richard Kone levelled, Nicolas Madsen fired in the winner. It has simply not been good enough on the road, and it is derailing their promotion push.Luckily for Frank Lampard and Co, Ipswich have also slipped in the last week, losing at Sheffield United and then drawing at home to Preston. So the damage is limited.But for the first time since early September, Coventry are probably no longer favourites for promotion.Simeon Gholam
Smit struggles for misfiring Stoke on debut
Stoke 0-2 SouthamptonStoke City will hope there is plenty more to come from Milan Smit after the striker's disappointing debut in their home defeat to Southampton.Mark Robins' side have struggled for goals from their strikers this season and Smit's arrival on loan from Go Ahead Eagles, with an obligation to buy in the summer, was believed to help solve their problems in attack.The 22-year-old had hardly lit up the Eredivisie with nine goals in 41 league appearances for Go Ahead Eagles since joining from fellow Dutch side Cambuur in 2024 and he struggled against Southampton.Smit was isolated and starved of service, touching the ball just 15 times in the entire game, twice in the opposition box, and failing to have a shot.Stoke, now winless in four, face struggling West Brom next, which is a must-win to keep their play-off hopes alive and Smit could do with firing them to three points.David RichardsonCifuentes departure doesn't halt misery for Leicester
Leicester 0-2 CharltonMarti Cifuentes' time at Leicester came to an end after defeat at home to Oxford last week, but any hopes of a new manager bounce were brought to an abrupt end after 15 minutes on Saturday.Struggling Charlton were the visitors to the King Power Stadium, with Leicester legend Andy King in the dugout on a caretaker basis. A recipe for optimism.Then, the red card for Memeh Okoli. Followed by goals before the break from Sonny Carey and Lyndon Dykes.Charlton had not won away from home since mid-October. They had won only one of their last 10 at Leicester. Jordan Ayew's penalty miss at 2-0 down summed up another miserable day for the Foxes.A decade ago at the end of January they had just gone top of the Premier League, and wouldn't be knocked from the summit again that season. How things can change. League One feels closer right now.Simeon GholamThe wheels are falling off for Watford
Watford 0-2 SwanseaThe wheels are falling off Watford's play-off push. The Hornets are winless in four having won four in a row over the festive period to enter the promotion conversation.Defeat to a Swansea side who had lost seven of their previous eight away matches raises major questions as to whether this squad are good enough to finish inside the top six.A cryptic post-match interview with Javi Gracia raises further questions as to whether the Spaniard and the club's hierarchy are on the same page. History would suggest a change in the dugout cannot be ruled out.Watford's season appeared to be growing steadily under Gracia in his second spell in charge. Yet the home supporters will be left contemplating another season in the second tier following a run of one point from their last three home matches.They failed to lay a glove on Swansea and never looked like getting back on level terms despite boasting the best comeback record in the EFL this season - picking up 24 points from losing positions.On paper they remain in the hunt for the play-offs. But the evidence at Vicarage Road would suggest otherwise.James SavundraDelight for Jakirovic as Hull climb to third
Blackburn 0-1 HullHull started the brighter, making plenty of darting runs forward and looking threatening, but then Blackburn took the initiative 10 minutes in as Todd Cantwell and Ryoya Morishita came to the fore without really creating clear-cut openings.Ryan Alebiosu's mazy run and shot brought a smart save from Ivor Pandur before Cantwell got tangled up with Oli McBurnie towards the end of the first-half and had a nibble at the Hull striker. He was perhaps lucky to only receive a yellow card.Rovers went close with two headers after half-time and enjoyed more of the possession but lacked a cutting edge and Hull punished them when Lewis Koumas struck on debut, just five minutes after coming on after a neat Tigers move.Sergej Jakirovic was unimpressed with his side's performance when I spoke to him afterwards, but was delighted to win and be up to third in the Championship.David StowellDerby have the firepower for a serious play-off push
Bristol City 0-5 DerbyThere was a lot of talk about the struggles swirling around Bristol City after their 5-0 home mauling at the hands of Derby County on Friday night, but take nothing away from the Rams.It was a scintillating display. The attacking weapons they have at their disposal are impressive to say the least, and that is taking into account they are still missing top goalscorer Carlton Morris.Patrick Agyemang, a US international, started slowly this season but has really stepped up in scoring seven times since Morris got injured in mid-November.While since the turn of the year Ben Brereton Diaz has rediscovered some of the form and confidence he showed towards the end of his time at Blackburn.Add Rhian Brewster to that, as well as having options from the bench such as Lars-Jorgen Salvesen and Andi Weimann, and you feel that John Eustace really does have the firepower at his disposal to mount a serious play-off push.FridaySaturday
