Football icon Mick Mills has issued a cautionary note, expressing concern that the team who finishes third in the Championship may struggle to muster up the motivation needed for the playoffs. The battle for automatic promotion is heating up, with Ipswich Town, Leeds United, and Leicester City all vying for the coveted spots at the top of the table.
Ipswich Town’s recent 3-2 victory over Southampton has kept them firmly in first place, while Leeds United currently occupy the second spot. Leicester City, sitting in third but with a game in hand, have the opportunity to reclaim their position at the top with a win in their upcoming match.
Mills highlighted the fact that all three top teams are on track to surpass the 90-point mark this season, a remarkable achievement that would typically secure promotion in most other seasons. The team finishing third, despite amassing an impressive 95 or 96 points, may feel a sense of injustice at having to compete in the playoffs instead of securing automatic promotion.
As Ipswich Town prepares for a challenging clash with Norwich City in the upcoming East Anglian derby, Mills emphasized the difficulty that the third-place team will face in summoning the necessary resilience to navigate the intensity of the playoffs. The prospect of lifting themselves for a high-stakes knockout competition poses a daunting hurdle for whichever team ultimately finds themselves in that position.
