Middlesbrough, Derby County, Hull City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Burnley are in the hunt for automatic promotion.
Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy says he will be very surprised if anybody finishes above Middlesbrough and Derby County this season following his side’s defeat to the Rams, the East Anglian Daily Times report.
Ipswich have been on a good run of form of late yet their previous results against the Championship’s better sides leading up to their clash with Derby hadn’t been great.
With an opportunity to put that right in-front of a buoyant Portman Road crowd, it just never happened for the Tractor Boys as they created very little and succumbed to a Tom Ince first-half strike.
The 1-0 victory saw Derby leapfrog Brighton and join Middlesbrough in the top two, and McCarthy said after the game that he would be very surprised if the current top two aren’t the same come next May.
“I think they’ve [Derby County] got the best away defensive record in the league. They’re a good team. Perhaps we have to give them a bit of credit today,” McCarthy explained.
“They are a good side and if anyone finishes above them or Middlesbrough then I’ll be very, very surprised.”
Derby’s rise to the automatic promotion places is all the more impressive considering they only took four points from the opening five games, nine less than fellow challengers Brighton.
The Seagulls have been absolutely terrific this season, yet their defence has been wobbly of late and Boro took advantage of that at the Amex on Saturday by recording a superb 3-0 win.
Aitor Karanka’s men look well placed to secure a return to the Premier League, though fellow challengers Hull City and Burnley may yet have something to say about that.
The Tigers have enough quality in their squad to really put a run together, while Sean Dyche’s Burnley are keen competitors with arguably the league’s outstanding striker in Andre Gray.
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