The real thing - The Championship

The Premiership gets all the focus and media attention but it's boring and predictable isn't? However meanwhile the Coca Cola Championship with around about 7-8 games left is wide open. Anyone of 10 teams can still gain promotion with only 5 points separating the top 4 and at the bottom 10 teams are involved in the relegation dogfight with just 5 points between the bottom 7.

The leaders often change over a weekend, with Derby the current incumbents. Billy Davies was my choice last summer for the Charlton job and his has proven his worth with The Rams after walking away from Preston in the summer. The interesting fact and the reason it is so close is that Derby have lost 10 games this season, Reading last year lost just two.

Birmingham are most people's favourites and with Andy Cole adding even more fire power to McSheffrey, DJ Campbell and Jerome they have some real firepower. They are pretty deadly at home as well but have struggled recently away from St Andrews.

Now, hands up who thought Roy Keane would do as well as he has done? I don't think I did. However he has taken a low on confidence bedraggled squad, added some Irish and Trinidad players and inspired them to clim the table and put themselves in with a real chance. If they don't make the top two, I think they will be hard to beat in the play-offs.

Preston are very topsy-turvy but they can score goals, which is half the battle in this division. they have been close so many times before but need to put a run together in the final part of the season to not come out as the bridesmaids again. Wolves fan's slated Mick McCarthy early in the season but he has slowly built a good team but they struggle for goals. I think they will miss out.

The league's leading scorers West Brom under Tony Mowbray still have top two potential if they can re-find the consistency they had early when Mowbray first arrived.

I think below them teams are looking at play-offs. Cardiff don't quite seem to have the quality especially with out Michael Chopra but Southampton do. George Burley has brought in some experience to mix with the youth players he inherited and they have good play-off potential but I have just looked at their run-in, and it's tough.

Stoke's team is almost all made up of loan players. They also lack an out and out goalscorer but their run in is good. Colchester have had an amazing season with their tiny ground and lack of resources. Journeyman Jamie Cureton has weighed in with 17 goals and has been instrumental in the U's success.

Below these teams I think it is unlikely that anyone will challenge but I will throw one name in the hat - Coventry. Iain Dowie's record since he took over is Won 4, Drew 2, Lost 0. Their run-in's not easy but how much would Dowie like to breeze by Simon Jordan's Palace and grab a last minute play-off spot?

My top 6:
Derby
Birmingham
Sunderland
Preston
West Brom
Southampton

At the bottom. How the mighty have fallen, a lesson of how not to operate a football club and then employ historically one of your biggest rivals ex-chairman and ex-players. Dirty Leeds, what a story, a lesson to those that support big clubs and think they are indestructible. Just like Notts Forest and Sheffield Wednesday once were. I think Man City (who battled back from the depths of despair once before) have all the ingredients of being the next Leeds. Sorry Rob, but despite a recent up turn in form I think its goodbye.

The one thing that Leeds and Southend both have in common is that they have closed the gap on the teams above them. Southend have 3 good players that will get them goals - Eastwood, Campbell Ryce and Lloyd Sam (on loan from Charlton). Luton are a disaster. Mike Newell is finally history after having what seemed a death wish. All the good work done their collapsing in a few months. Hull have their top scorer out on loan at Stoke but it is in their own hands and Phil Brown has steadied the ship. With experience like Ray Parlour and Nicky Barmby I think they will scrape it.

Burnley need to pick up some wins. The early play-off contenders are 18 games without a win and if they don't watch they could go. QPR have an awful run in and I don't like their manager either. Barnsley are probably the team the bottom 3 are hoping to catch. They have lost a lot of games and drawn few.

My bottom 3:
Leeds
QPR
Luton