Following fellow promotion hopeful Wrexham’s 2-0 loss at the hands of Birmingham City, Southampton are in pole position to confirm their place in the Championship play-offs.
Yet another good week, keeping up their unbeaten run, could see the Saints rubber-stamp their spot among the four play-off teams as soon as the weekend, with three games remaining in the season.
It’s a credit to the job Tonda Eckert has done on the south coast, taking his Southampton side from 21st to 5th in just five months.
Play-offs could be confirmed
Following seventh-place side Wrexham’s loss at the hands of Birmingham City, Southampton now have a five-point cushion in the play-off spots, with a game in hand.
If Southampton beat Blackburn on Tuesday then Swansea City on Saturday, their spot in the top six could be confirmed if results across the Championship go their way.
While a spot inside the top six being confirmed would be fantastic for Southampton’s season, their automatic hopes aren’t yet over. By next weekend, Ipswich failing to get results could pull the Saints back into the picture for the top two.
Outside hopes for automatics
The Saints sit six points off the automatic spots, with a game in hand on third and fourth-placed sides, Millwall and Middlesbrough, while Ipswich have one game in hand on Southampton.
Ipswich, like Saints, have a two-game week ahead, going away to Fratton Park to play relegation-threatened Portsmouth, then have a huge home clash against Middlesbrough.
If Ipswich drop significant points this week, and Saints extend their unbeaten run to nineteen games, the final run-in could look extremely favourable for Tonda Eckert’s side.
Southampton defender Ryan Manning told the Daily Echo, "We've gotten ourselves into a position where we can half think about the automatic spots, but we were 21st in the table at one stage.
"If we manage to keep winning our next three or four, and manage to get ourselves in contention for automatics, then happy days. But making sure we get into the play-offs comes first and foremost."
Southampton currently sit 17 games unbeaten, and have won their last six games, for the first time since August 2014 under Ronald Koeman.
A good end to the season could see them continue the surge up the table - a Premier League return could be just weeks away.
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