3 Championship teams Wrexham can’t underestimate in the promotion playoffs race just yet. Phil Parkinson’s men need to steer clear of these 3 clubs recent surge in form.
Middlesbrough’s 2-1 win over Sheffield United to go top of the Championship has brought quite a shock in the second-tier. Nobody expected Coventry City falling in a title race, most notably when the playoffs race has itself dried up in the past couple of weeks.
Barring the 2-0 Millwall defeat, Wrexham have capitalised well on their top 10 peers slipping up. Bristol City, Watford and Preston North End have tasted defeats more than wins in recent 5 matchdays. As such, Wrexham don’t have an urgent pressure to win each and every game or else they get left outside the promotion zone.
However, that could well be the silence behind the storm. Actually, there are as many as 3 clubs who are picking pace swiftly from sitting mid-table for months. Their winning streaks will concern Wrexham regarding the playoffs.
On that note, below are 3 Championship teams Wrexham can’t afford to underestimate in the playoffs race just yet.
3 Championship teams Wrexham can’t underestimate for playoffs
1. Southampton
Not even 24 hours have passed since Southampton pulled up a dramatic 4-3 comeback win against Leicester City. For Wrexham fans, nothing tops the 5-3 win over Sheffield United on Boxing Day. But the Saints fighting back from 3-0 down to 4-3 winners is worth a shout for the game of the 25/26 Championship season.
READ MORE: Wrexham need to realise scary Coventry City truth (it’s not what fans think)
READ MORE: ‘Calm’ – Dominic Hyam admits he doesn’t lose sleep from 2-0 Millwall defeat
READ MORE: Championship rivals new coach will remind 2-1 heartbreak again to Wrexham
With that 3 points Southampton have moved to 46 points, one less than Wrexham while having played a game more. Hence, they won’t surpass the Reds very soon but their current form is terrifying. The Saints have mustered 4 wins and a draw in the past 5 games that says their playoffs charge could still be on, despite a stop-start campaign.
During January, Southampton winger Leo Scienza fired a promotion warning to Wrexham. That looks to be the case, as things stand. Should the Saints keep flying at this rate, the Southampton vs Wrexham clash in April could become a playoffs decider.
In the reverse fixture, Southampton snatched a 2-1 home win over Wrexham. Hopefully, the Reds settle the score at Racecourse.
2. Birmingham City
Next up, it’s Wrexham’s evergreen promotion rivals Birmingham City. Last season, the Reds constantly challenged Birmingham in the League One title race. This campaign, the rivalry is shaping on the playoffs front.
Quite similar to Southampton’s rise, Birmingham City also haven’t lost in their last 5 matches. The Blues have wrapped up 3 wins and 2 draws in this timeframe to shoot upto 10th in the table with 46 points from 31 outings.
READ MORE: Wrexham need to realise scary Coventry City truth (it’s not what fans think)
READ MORE: ‘Calm’ – Dominic Hyam admits he doesn’t lose sleep from 2-0 Millwall defeat
READ MORE: Championship rivals new coach will remind 2-1 heartbreak again to Wrexham
Definitely, Birmingham City are another ones to watch out for if they stay unbeaten for longer. Talking of head-to-head games, Birmingham City have never lost against Wrexham for the second season running.
Right after facing Southampton in April, Wrexham have a challenging trip to St. Andrews lined up. A win there can act as a 6-pointer result in favour of Phil Parkinson’s men. Fingers crossed for a Wrexham win there.
3. Swansea City
Moving onto third, it’s Wrexham’s Welsh rivals, Swansea City. It’s hard to believe the Swans were languishing at 20th place before they hosted Phil Parkinson’s men almost two months back. The Reds were devastated losing 2-1 late in the game.
For Swansea, those 3 points have acted as a catalyst for their campaign under boss Vitor Matos. The Swans recent wins have come against a struggling Watford, and the relegation fighting Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday duo.
Knowing this, it’s still early to brand them as a threat to Wrexham’s playoffs hopes. Still, Swansea have the Championship Golden Boot leader Zan Vipotnik firing goals for fun at the moment. So, ruling them out will be silly.
In the remainder of February, Swansea have tough evenings ahead against Derby County, Bristol City and Preston North End. Will the Swans do well and climb further from their current 15th position, let’s see.
READ MORE WREXHAM NEWS HERE:
- Wrexham need to realise scary Coventry City truth (it’s not what fans think)
- ‘Calm’ – Dominic Hyam admits he doesn’t lose sleep from 2-0 Millwall defeat
- Championship rivals new coach will remind 2-1 heartbreak again to Wrexham
- Top 5 Wrexham games from 5 years of Hollywood takeover
- ‘Unless’ – Phil Parkinson will leave Wrexham only on one condition
