Play-off fear with big threat as Boro's automatic promotion battle falters

Boro are currently on a winless run of five. Since taking top spot back in February, they’ve since won only two of their last 11 games and have since dropped out of the Championship top two.

The form doesn’t tell the whole story, with Kim Hellberg’s side regularly dominating games and created a hatful of chances per game. But unable to be clinical enough, they’ve dropped far too many points at such a critical stage of the season.

That’s handed an advantage to Ipswich Town who, after Easter Monday’s game, moved top on goal difference while having two games in hand on Boro and Millwall.

With one of the trip ultimately taking the second automatic promotion spot, the other two will be forced to realise their Premier League ambitions via the play-offs. But Waddle believes Southampton’s form would be something to worry about in that scenario.

Waddle told BetVictor: “If Middlesbrough miss out on the top two, I think confidence goes a bit. Then it's a lottery, let's be honest. It's games you probably don't need. It's very, very close in that league.

“There's a lot of key teams on a little run at the minute trying to get up there. Norwich are on a terrific run. I know they've got to win nearly every game, but everybody at the top keeps faltering when they should win. They get beat. Pressure gets to them a little bit.

“I said at the start of the season that the league was so open. There wasn't a favourite for me. It's been the most open Championship I've ever seen. Teams who have been up there, like Stoke, like Derby.

“Teams like Bristol City are fading away a bit. Preston has faded away. And then you've got these teams coming up on the run, I'm telling you. Like Southampton, you've got to say Southampton are favourites if they do get in the playoffs, to win it. They're playing well.

“They've just beat Coventry, they're playing good football, they've got a lot of buzz about them in the FA Cup. They're in a great run of form. And that's the sort of team running towards the end of the season. They'll go into the playoffs full of confidence. Been there before, done it.

“So if you're looking at the two going up, you'd say Coventry would hold on. Second could easily be between them. Millwall and Middlesbrough. That could easily be one of them. But at the minute, if you get in the playoffs, you'd think, ‘Well, I don't want to play certain teams.’ Wrexham is a dangerous team, you know. So it's all to play for.

“I think Coventry will go up, but as for second, it could be one of three. And in the playoffs, as I say, the team I think will come out of it, the team I wouldn't want to play, would be Southampton.”

As well as securing a trip to Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final over the weekend, Southampton recorded an eye-catching 5-1 victory over Wrexham to move into the play-off places on Tuesday evening. It was their fifth straight win.

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