Kevin Phillips’ Expert Analysis: Championship GW27 Predictions & Analysis

Wrexham’s Promotion Chances

I think they’ll be there or thereabouts. They didn’t get off to the best of starts, but they’ve come good. Kiefer Moore has been a really good signing, 10 goals, he’s a real handful up top. One of the biggest things for them that’s going for them is their home ground. It’s a really, really tough place to go. The atmosphere is really intense, and some teams find it hard to deal with. I think what Phil Parkinson’s done has been remarkable.

They’ve got an opportunity. Of course, the top two are way out of their reach. There are probably only three teams that are maybe competing for that. But certainly, they have put themselves in a position with the run that they’ve had. They’ve won their last four games to push for a playoff spot. Now, listen, we’ve only just got into January. There are a lot of games to go, and they’ll need a little bit of luck along the way.

Does Phil dip into the transfer market and really strengthen that squad? I would imagine he’s got the funds to do that with the backing he’s got from the two owners who have been, again, remarkable. So only time will tell, but I feel if they can keep everyone fit, add maybe one or two players to that squad, maybe another striker, because I think the other two, Broadhead’s only got four goals, Windass has only got seven.

If they could bring another striker in that can maybe come in and get them between 10 and 15 goals from now to the end of the season, then I think they’ve got a great chance of making the playoffs.

Sustainable Premier League Future

They’ve definitely got the resources. We’ve seen that it’s clear what the two owners want to do at that football club, and what they’ve done from the minute they walked in to now, it’s been unbelievable. They want to get to the Premier League. They’re not shy about saying that. They know it’s difficult. I think what you have to do is probably look at what Bournemouth did and where Bournemouth still are, and competing comfortably in the Premier League year in and year out with a club that only holds 15-16,000 down there.

Wrexham holds, I think, a bit more than that, and they will do with the new stand. So, I think you use them as a model to go from and I think it’s a club that certainly are on the up and if they were to get in the Premier League, I believe there would probably be other people that would look to invest in that football club to give them even more funds to go out and get the players that you need to stay in that league. So I think, first and foremost, get there, and if they get there, use Bournemouth as that role model.

Josh Sargent Situation

It’s never nice to read how players go about things. We saw it over the summer with Isak and then Wissa going to Newcastle. It’s never nice to read how these players, is down tools the wrong phrase? I would say go about wanting to leave the football club.

Now I read, whether it’s true or not, Josh texts the manager on Saturday saying he wasn’t available for the game. For me, first of all, if that’s true, then I think show some respect and ring the manager if you’ve got an issue, speak on the phone or meet. So there’s clearly something not right there.

Now, Josh is a good player. He’s an excellent player in the Championship, and there’ll be many teams looking to sign him. So for both parties, I hope it gets resolved very, very quickly because it’s not helpful for Norwich, and it’s clearly not helpful for the player. So, for me, he has gone about it the wrong way. Have a face-to-face chat with him. But if he is to be moved, I read that Norwich are not going to let him go, but ultimately the player generally holds the cards.

If he wants to leave and he does down tools, it’s going to be very, very hard to keep hold of the player.

Prediction

I think Wrexham are in great form. Norwich are obviously really struggling at the bottom of the Championship. I’m going to go for a comfortable home 3-1 win.

Wrexham 3 – 1 Norwich

Southampton’s Struggles

I think they’re running out of time. Do I think they’ll make the playoffs? No, if I’m being honest, there are probably stronger teams in the league, which I shouldn’t be saying, really, should I, about Southampton? I know them very, very well. Spent many years down there, and for me, it’s uncomfortable to see because it’s a fantastic football club. I think just consistency is a big key at that football club at the minute.

Obviously, they changed the manager. They brought Will Still in at the beginning of the season. That didn’t work out. I was very dubious about that decision when I saw it, having not managed in this league, in one of the toughest leagues in the world. When the results didn’t come, it was only going to be one outcome. And then they change managers, they bring another one in, Eckert, who got off to a good start. They were scoring goals when he came in, and he kind of took the pressure off the players and just let them go and play. They got some results.

But again, now they’re going back to conceding. They’re conceding too many goals. Defensively, they’re poor at defending against crosses. They’ve conceded 38 goals, and they’ve only scored 38 goals. So clearly, the goal scoring isn’t too bad, but conceding 38 is not good enough, and that’s an area that they need to tighten up on if they have any chance of going on a run and making the playoffs.

Prediction

I’m going to back Hull. They’re more than capable of winning anywhere in this league, and with the problems at Southampton, I’m going to go for a 2-1 win to Hull.

Southampton 1 – 2 Hull

Do Ipswich Need a New Striker?

It’s always a difficult one because Ipswich are on a good run at the moment. A lot of people are tipping them to get promoted to the Premier League, win the league, and overtake Coventry. Now, only time will tell whether that happens, but they’re in an unbelievable position. Now, with the squad they have got, everything’s really good at the minute, confidence is high, morale’s good, and so is team spirit. Now, sometimes when you dip into the transfer market and bring a player in, it can sometimes upset that, or, roles reversed, it can improve the side and make them even stronger.

Do they really need to go and get a striker? Akpom, we know, can score at this level. Yes, he’s only got two goals, Hirst six, Azon two, but they’ve got Philogene and Clarke, who are two players that are scoring nearly every game between them. So they’ve certainly got players in the squad that can score goals.

It’s just about whether they really want to take it to that next level and bring a player in now that if they were to get promoted, can go to play in the Premier League. That’s going to cost money and quite a few quid. So at the minute, I think they’re OK. I think they’re going to be finishing the top two, in my opinion. Whether they finish top again, I don’t know. But I think okay at the moment, to be honest.

Prediction

I’m going to go for a 2-0 home win to Ipswich.

Ipswich 2 – 0 Blackburn Rovers

Leo Castledine Signing and Promotion Push

I think when you bring in any forward attacking player, it helps. He had experience in League One last season at Huddersfield, scoring 12 goals in 27 games. So he’s clearly a player who likes to score goals, and he’s got ability as well. He’s very young.

It is a big step up from League One to the Championship, and he’s going into a team where the pressure’s on straight away. Middlesbrough are sitting second in the league on an unbelievable run. Kim Hellberg’s done an excellent job, but they see him clearly as a player that will enhance their squad, and I think it’s a smart signing because he’s not just being brought in for this season, he’s being brought in for a period of time.

It might take him a while to gel in, but he’s got experience from League One, so I think it certainly improves their chances of promotion. If he hits the ground running, then they’ve got a player who certainly knows where the back of the net is.

Prediction

I’m going to go as much as it pains me to say, with my connections with West Brom. I think Middlesbrough is coming off the back of some really good results. I think they might just edge this one 2-1. 2-1, I’m going to go to Middlesbrough.

West Brom 1 – 2 Middlesbrough

Rushworth at Brighton

I see him definitely being able to take that number one spot at Brighton. I’ve seen him quite a few times this season, covered him a few times, and his stats have been phenomenal. For crosses, shot saves, his distribution is very, very good, and he’s clearly, for me, the best keeper in the Championship.

Brighton have got a very, very good goalkeeper, and I think the biggest positive for them is if the Brighton keeper were to move on, then this player has been playing week in and week out, getting glowing accolades from people around the football. I think he could step in quite easily as a number one. And fit the style, the way that Brighton wants to play.

So if Coventry weren’t to go up, clearly he’d go back to Brighton. But then if Coventry were to go up, I’m pretty sure Frank Lampard will be trying everything to try and keep him on board. But I think he will probably end up as Brighton’s number one.

Coventry’s Form Dip

It’s been over a few weeks, hasn’t it, where the form’s dipped just before Christmas. We asked Frank, when I was working for TV, whether he was going to dip into the transfer market and try to strengthen the squad. Obviously, he lost his top goal scorer, Asante, who was on fire. And he said himself, yes, we will look to strengthen.

They brought Esse in from Palace. I know they were trying to sign a player this last couple of days, who I think has agreed to go to Birmingham, so that’s a bit of a blow. But Frank is clearly trying to strengthen that squad because he knows he’s in an unbelievable position.

They are still six points clear at the top of the league, which is huge, and they’ve still got a game in hand over Ipswich as well, which is crucial. So the fans shouldn’t panic just yet. They’re in a good position, but they clearly need to get back to winning ways. So they’ve lost, drawn and lost in their last three games; they need a win, simple as that.

The sooner they can get Asante back who’s on ten goals, the better. But they have Sims, who’s chipped in with nine, Haji with eight, plus a couple of more players, so I think they’ll be fine.

Prediction

Midlands derby, they’re literally just down the road from each other, but I’m going to go with a home win for Coventry, and I’m going to go 2-1 Coventry.

Coventry 2 – 1 Leicester

Kyogo Return to Form

One of my best friends is a massive Blue Nose. He goes to all the home games, and they like Kyogo. They think he’s a good player. He’s just one of these players who’s just had a bad run in front of goal.

Now, I can tell you from a forward-thinking player, once you get that goal, it releases all the pressure off you. It takes all the, is he going to, when’s he going to score? He’s clearly got ability. He’s a very good player, and the Blues fans love him. So now that he’s got his goal, I think you’ll see a different player.

Believe me, he will be full of confidence. And I think he’ll be a player that will go on now and shine for Blues for the rest of the season and hopefully maybe help them chase that playoff spot.

Prediction

It’s always a tough place to go, Swansea, and I think Blues, they’ve had some good results over there. I’m going to go 1-1.

Swansea 1 – 1 Birmingham

Incredible Season So Far

They’re having an incredible season. Everyone who’s watched them play this season has been very, very impressed with what they’ve seen. Me so more than anyone, because obviously I’ve followed them for many, many years, followed the journey that they’ve had over the last six, seven years, dropping to League One for four years.

Getting into the championship and then getting promoted when they probably shouldn’t have. So then it’s a case of what they’re going to do. And I was very surprised in terms of the chairman spending as much money as he did in terms of, I think it was £153 million more than anyone else. And it’s fine spending that type of money, but you have to make sure that you bring in the right types of players.

Squad Building and Xhaka’s Influence

I’ve been very impressed with the players that they signed over the summer. They brought pretty much a whole new squad to compete in the Premier League. And then it’s a case of, can you mould them and gel them quickly enough to get results? And what Regis Le Bris, the manager, has done so far with that group of players has been quite remarkable, really.

The biggest key for me was probably the signing of Xhaka and his experience in the middle of the park, organising, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch, around the training ground, setting standards. I’ve been very, very impressed, and they’ve played some good football. Defensively, they’re solid. I think they’ve got the third-best defensive record in the league, which is incredible for a team that just got promoted.

Striker Needed for European Push

My only slight concern would be, are they going to score enough goals? I feel they’ll be safe, 100% they’re safe, but can they score enough goals to really push maybe into that top six for European spots? I think potentially they need a striker. Their top goalscorer, Isidor, has only scored four goals, and Brobbey has only scored three.

If you really want to push for a European spot in the Premier League, you need a player who’s going to get you 15 goals at least in the Premier League. So I think the missing piece of the jigsaw is a striker. They’ve competed well, but if they were to go out and spend serious money on a top striker, then I feel Sunderland could really push for a European spot.