Newcastle United are currently top of the Championship.
Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez has said the race for automatic promotion from the Championship is not a two-horse race, naming four other sides who are pushing for a place in the Premier League, the Chronicle reports.
Benitez was responding to a question following up on the suggestion of Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough that the Magpies and Brighton & Hove Albion are the two sides in the division likely to go up automatically.
The Spaniard is quoted in the Chronicle, saying: “I understand what he says but I don’t agree totally with him.
“I don’t agree totally because I don’t think there are only two outstanding teams. Also there are Leeds and Derby who are good teams.
“Reading are doing really well. Huddersfield Town are doing really well.
“So when you talk about six points difference, or nine points difference, it’s not massive.
“As I have said so many times before, we have seven games in April. So you have to be sure that you keep being consistent because the other teams are still winning and it’s still a long race until the end of the season.”
Newcastle’s 2-1 win at the weekend ensured they are top of the Championship going into Christmas, with his side a point clear of Brighton.
Benitez’s side are currently nine points clear of Reading while sides from third to seventh are separated by just four points with the only side the Newcastle boss did not mention, Sheffield Wednesday, currently occupying the last of the play-off places.
As is always the case with Benitez, he does not want any notion of complacency setting in at the club, and a bad run of form from his team, with another side not far behind them putting a good run together at the same time, could produce a very different complexion in their race for promotion.
Although seen as favourites in the eyes of many, Benitez and his side have a long way to go before they can be sure of a Premier League return.
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