Kevin Phillips’ Expert Analysis: Championship GW29 Predictions & Analysis

Noah Sadiki

First and foremost, it’s hugely important that Sunderland keep hold of him. He’s been one of their most influential players, most key players alongside Xhaka for the season. And now he’s back from the AFCON, he’s probably even more important now because they did miss him. So it just shows what type of player he is. That engine in the midfield. So it would take an incredible offer to try to even tempt Sunderland to let go of him. There’s not even a thought in their mind about letting him go.

So, he’s a player that Sunderland certainly cannot afford to let leave. He’s a quality midfielder. He’s shown that. He almost reminds me of players who have played in the Premier League in that position over the years. Kante notably at Leicester, a similar kind of build, a similar kind of player. So, certainly a player that’s got a huge future in front of him.

Trai Hume

He’s done well. Unfortunately, Trai did not have one of his best games at the weekend. He was played out of position, got subbed at halftime and gave the penalty away. But he was playing out of position. Trai’s a right back, and when you play him there, you know what you’re going to get. So, he’s come in for a lot of applause this season. He knows that position inside out, and rightly so, he’s earned a lot of credit. So, I’m not going to criticise him over the weekend.

But again, when you’re playing well in the Premier League, people are going to sit up and take notice. So, again, a player that, certainly at this stage of the season, you wouldn’t like to lose. Is it a position, maybe in the summer, that Regis Le Bris might look at, bringing in some serious cover, probably to give competition? But at the minute, I think the squad is certainly settled, and it doesn’t need to be unsettled by players wanting to leave the football club.

Josh Sargent Situation

I think it’s not healthy for anyone concerned, and what you don’t want to do is upset the dressing room and affect results. At the minute Norwich have found a little bit of form, so it’s clearly not affecting them on the pitch. Great result against Coventry the other night. So they’ve got players that can step up. But again, you don’t know what’s been going on in the background, what the player’s saying, what the agent’s saying.

So to solve it and for it to be a healthy dressing room, I think the transfer will happen. The player holds all the keys, and I just think at some point, the club are digging their heels in. But, I think by the end of the window, he will go. I think they’re just trying to play a bit of hardball, keep him waiting. It’s as simple as that.

Have I ever wanted to leave a football club? I have, but I haven’t gone about it in the way that he’s gone about it. We saw in the summer about players who went about it the right way. Marc Guehi is a classic example. He was patient, did the right things, and got his move to Man City. So, there are times when I’ve wanted to leave, but I’ve always gone down the right avenue of doing it the right way, talking to the club first, trying to get an agreement before it goes public.

Prediction

I think it’s going to be a good game. Norwich are in a bit of form coming off the back of a really tough game against Coventry, but Middlesbrough are flying, absolutely flying, being at home. I think it’s going to be a tight game, but I think Middlesbrough will just edge this one 2-1.

Middlesbrough 2 – 1 Norwich

Birmingham’s Big Spending

If they don’t go up, then potentially the spending could impact them. Of course, I’m sure that before they spent this money, they would have looked at what the consequences were. But sometimes you put your eggs in your basket, and you go for it. So you’re right, they have spent a lot recently in the last couple of days, seven million on Carlos Vicente, only time will tell whether that will work out. But what they are doing is giving themselves an opportunity at a stage of the season where, I think, they’re only five points off the playoffs, so they’re in a good position.

Strength and depth now in the squad going into the back end of the season, when the games come thick and fast, they’ve given themselves an opportunity. Only time will tell with the financial fair play, what could happen at the end of the season if they don’t go up. I personally hope they do go up because obviously, having my connections there, playing there for three years, so I really hope it works out for them, and they get there.

Prediction

Again, Oxford, come off the back of an excellent result. I don’t think anyone saw that coming, but I’m actually going to go for a Blues away win. So I’m going to go Oxford 1, Birmingham 2.

Oxford 1 – 2 Birmingham

Eric Ramsey at West Brom

I’m not going to lie, I am slightly concerned. The drop-off in form has been incredible from where they were at the beginning of the season to seeing themselves lingering in the bottom part of the Championship. So, I think a lot of eyebrows were raised. I know a lot of Baggies fans living in the area, and they’re disappointed.

When you look at his career, he’s been at Minnesota; the league out there is nowhere near compared to the championship. It’s tough dealing with players from the championship, dealing with week-in and week-out games in the championship. But if you haven’t got that experience, certainly with the expectation that the West Brom fans and the board put on the manager, I thought it was a bit of a strange appointment when you look at some of the managers that are out there that could potentially come in there with a bit more experience.

But I wish him all the best. But it’s not got off to the best start. Good point the other night. Now he really needs to follow it up with another result to start climbing that table. So, very surprised about the appointment, if I’m being honest.

Prediction

I think it’s a tough place to go, Pompey. They’re coming off the back of a good point in the derby. I think it’ll be another draw. I think West Brom will follow their draw up with another, a 1-1 draw.

Portsmouth 1 – 1 West Brom

Dan Neil to Ipswich

I think he’s a good ball player. He’s got a great attitude, great legs. He hasn’t caused any issues up here after having a very limited time, after helping the club secure promotion to the Premier League. So, it shows what type of character they’re getting, but he just wants to play football, and he’s a very good technical player. He can handle the ball in good areas, and he likes to get forward and chip in with goals.

They’re getting a very good dynamic footballer. It might take him a couple of games to get up to speed because he hasn’t got that real match sharpness, so they might have to be a little bit patient, but he’s certainly a player who can help Ipswich from now to the end of the season. It makes them stronger in that area, that’s for sure.

So, I think they’ve got a really good ball-carrying player, good attitude, can score goals and can play anywhere across that midfield. They’ve got a really, really good signing. And the biggest thing is he’s desperate to play. So, he’s going to work extremely hard for the club.

Prediction

Ipswich coming off the back of a disappointing loss. I think Ipswich will bounce back, and I’m going to go 2-0 to Ipswich.

Ipswich 2 – 0 Preston

Russell Martin Leicester Manager Links

It’s always difficult to make assumptions about what managers, like Russell Martin, did previously. It’s such a tough place to manage up there in Scotland. The expectation, the goldfish bowl. It’s difficult for any manager, and we’ve seen that. I think Russell Martin’s proved he’s a very, very good manager, technically a very good manager. He’s a manager who, if the club are looking for a manager who wants to play out and play total football, then he would be your guy.

But I think when you look at where Leicester are in the league, they’re six points off the playoffs. Do they need someone with that real experience? Yes, he’s got experience. He got Saints promoted via the playoffs in the final against Leeds when nobody saw that coming. So, yes, he has got the experience. So, is it a gamble? I don’t think it would be a gamble. You’d certainly get them playing some good football.

So, if they were to appoint him, I wouldn’t argue against that. Maybe another potential name I could throw in there is maybe a Tony Mowbray, who has got that experience, can handle big players. But I don’t think I’d be completely disappointed if Russell Martin went to Leicester.

Prediction

They’re having a disappointing season, Leicester, and so are Charlton, really struggling. But I think Andy King, my old team-mate, will get the best out of them at the weekend. So I’m going to go Leicester 2, Charlton 0.

Leicester 2 – 0 Charlton

Wrexham’s Belief and Desire

I was lucky enough to get promoted out of the championship five times, so I’ve got plenty of experience with knowing what it takes to get out and to get out of the league; you need to do what Wrexham did at the weekend. Fight, scrap and keep going right to the very end, and you’re always in with a chance when you do that.

I spoke about whether McLean’s leaving was going to affect the club and the team. I didn’t know because I still felt they had enough quality and they showed that at the weekend. The biggest thing for me, they didn’t down tools; they kept going right to the very end, and they got their results. That’s what you need to get promoted out of that league. You’re going to have setbacks, but you just have to keep going and try to get the best out of each other.

You can only rely on the manager so much. It’s over to the players when they’re on the pitch to dig each other out and keep them going, motivate them. And they’ve certainly got players that can do that, because we saw that at the weekend. So to get promoted, you need performances like that.

Prediction

I’m going to go Wrexham again. I think they’re on a roll. They’re full of confidence, full of life. I’m going to go Sheffield Wednesday 1, Wrexham 2.

Sheffield Wednesday 1 – 2 Wrexham

Coventry Title Race Advice

I think, from a player’s point of view, you’ve got to kind of almost switch off to the outside noise, all the negativity that’s going to come from the press and social media. And I know it’s very hard because it’s in your face, especially if you’re in and around the Coventry area, but you’ve got to try and switch off. You’ve got to try and think what got you to the top of the league, what got you those really good performances to get you there. And sometimes, you have to go back to basics.

So, as I said about Wrexham, you’re going to get setbacks, but it’s how you respond. And Coventry generally, when they’ve had a bad result, they’ve reacted and got a response. So Frank would be delighted with that. So, you can’t let it affect you. It’s as simple as that. They’re still in a healthy position. Still top of the league, which is where every one of those clubs in the championship wants to be, but they’re being chased, and that’s sometimes the hardest thing.

They’ve just got to ignore the outside noise from my point of view.

Prediction

I think they’ll bounce back. Coventry disappointed to lose the way they did against Norwich, but I can’t see nothing other than a win for Coventry. So QPR 1, Coventry 2.

QPR 1 – 2 Coventry

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi to Stoke

I think Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is a good player. He’s still very young, 23, he’s had some loans, At Charlton, he scored 15 goals in 49 appearances, and at Sheffield United, he scored seven goals in 36 appearances, currently been in Turkey. So, he’s certainly a young player with prospects. So, if they can secure him, he’s the type of player that will excite people, will excite those Stoke fans. It would be a good coup for them to bring him to the football club.

And again, Stoke are trying to strengthen, to push for those promotion places. So, that could turn out to be a very, very good signing. And the biggest thing, he’s young, he is slightly raw, but I think under Mark Robins, he’s got the experience to get the best out of him. Potentially, it’d be a really, really good signing.

Prediction

Really, I should be saying Stoke home win, but I think Stoke coming off the back of that really good point down at Portsmouth in a local derby. I’m going to go Stoke 2, Southampton 2.

Stoke 2 – 2 Southampton

Mamadou Doumbia to Newcastle

If I’m being honest, it’s nothing against the player. He’s a young player, 19 years of age. He’s almost one of those who’s going to be developed. Could he go in and make Newcastle a better squad at the moment? I don’t think so because of the players they’ve got, the quality, the experience in those areas. So he’d certainly be a good signing to develop.

Maybe it’s one of them they’re looking at to sign and then to re-loan him back somewhere for his development. So maybe that could happen for Watford. He goes to Newcastle and gets loaned back to Watford, which, if he is going to go, would be a perfect scenario for both clubs. So, if anything were to happen, that’s probably what would be best.

He’s made 30-odd appearances, five goals. This season, he’s made 18 appearances, three goals. So, he still needs to develop. He’s still learning. So, I’d like to see him, if he is to go, come back to Watford.

Prediction

I think, again, they’ll bounce back. They’ll have a good result at home. I’m going to go Watford 2, Swansea 1.

Watford 2 – 1 Swansea

Millwall vs Sheffield United

Good result, Sheffield United. Millwall flying at home. I’m going to go for a home win, Millwall 2, Sheffield United 1.

Millwall 2 – 1 Sheffield United

Blackburn vs Hull

Again, Blackburn struggling. Hull City flying. I’m going to go for an away win, Hull City 2, Blackburn 1.

Blackburn 1 – 2 Hull

Bristol City vs Derby

Bristol City good at home, Derby very good this season so I can’t see much between them. I’m going to go Bristol City 1, Derby County 1.

Bristol City 1 – 1 Derby