IPSWICH TOWN
Ipswich Town are still in danger of missing out on of a playoff spot on goal difference and face a tough encounter away to Blackburn on Saturday.
Mick McCarthy is a highly experienced manager and will do his best not to allow the pressure to get to his players, so expect Ipswich to feature in the battle for a Premier League spot.
The Blues owe a lot of its success to striker Daryl Murphy, who is the Championship’s leading marksman with an impressive haul of 25 goals.
Ipswich still have to get the job done however, with Brentford sitting just outside the playoffs with a +16 goal differential in comparison to Ipswich’s +19.
It makes for a nervy ending, but you’d expect Ipswich to feature in the playoffs.
Murphy will be key for Ipswich in the playoffs, but whether they have enough quality to match the likes of Middlesbrough and Norwich remains to be seen.
DERBY COUNTY
Derby County need just a point on the final day to secure a playoff spot thanks to its superb goal difference, but a win against Reading at home could see them jump Ipswich Town into fifth, providing Mick McCarthy’s side slip up against Blackburn at Ewood Park.
Steve McLaren has a wealth of experience in these sorts of situations, and it would come as a major surprise if the Rams don’t collect three points against the 17th-placed Reading.
Tom Ince has quite simply been superb for Derby this season while Chris Martin’s 18 goals have helped steer his side into a shot of reaching the Premier League.
Derby’s form has taken a bit of a dip of late following two draws in as many matches, but McLaren’s men have not lost in six games.
If Derby can get through its clash with Reading, they have every chance of getting the job done and return to the top tier.