Which side will win the Championships play-offs and return to the Premier League?
This time next week we will already know one team which will have secured a place at Wembley.
Tomorrow night and next Monday Cardiff and West Ham face off, with the Welsh side at home in the first leg.
Blackpool host Birmingham on Friday with the return leg next Wednesday night.
Here we take a look at the four sides and ask which has the best chance of making it through the play-off ‘lottery’?
West Ham United
The Hammers finished third in the Championship, missing automatic promotion by just two points. They finished 10 points ahead of their nearest playoff rivals, and 11 ahead of semi-final opponents Cardiff City. The club are desperate to bounce straight back to the Premier League, and for much of the season it appeared to look a foregone conclusion, until Reading’s late surge swept them aside. All of this has intensified the pressure on Sam Allardyce and his players, who will want to get past the Welsh side and to the Wembley final with minimum fuss. Both sides have one win a piece this season against each other, with West Ham winning 2-0 in Cardiff in March.
Their star man is Ricardo Vaz Te who has hit more than 20 goals for the Hammers and Barnsley, making the switch in January. The side is packed with experience, and Allardyce will look to players like Kevin Nolan and Robert Green to help the younger members of the squad deal with such a high pressure situation.
Odds: 9/5
Birmingham City
Early in the season a play-off spot looked far beyond Birmingham City, which goes to show what a superb job Chris Hughton has done. Just over 12 months ago the club were at Wembley beating Arsenal in the Carling Cup, and they would love a chance to head back there. After enjoying but ridding themselves of the Europa League distraction, Hughton’s men picked up in the new year, losing just one of the last 10 games. Their top scorer is ex-jailbird Marlon King, who has netted 18 this season, and will spearhead their attack against Blackpool. Most of their Premier League stars have moved on, but Nikola Zigic, Steven Carr, and Keith Fahey still remain, while former West Ham defender Jonathan Spector could yet haunt his former club.
Successful or not, what the squad and manager has achieved this season in the face of 60 plus games and all the incomings and outgoings of last summer, is truly remarkable.
Odds: 11/4
Blackpool
Blackpool complete the three relegated teams from last year’s Premier League who want to make the most of their last shot at an instant return. They finished in fifth by virtue of a superior goal difference over Cardiff and face Birmingham in the semi-final. You get the feeling this could be Ian Holloway’s last throw of the dice at Blackpool, with him being linked with a number of managerial jobs including West Brom. Their strength is their settled side, with largely the same team which competed in the Premier League last year minus Charlie Adam. Their trump card is the addition of veteran Kevin Phillips, who is their top scorer with 17 goals this season. The Tangerines will be looking to him to fire them through, particularly in their home leg on Friday night. Blackpool were successful in the play-offs two years ago, and remain outsiders this time around too, and there may still be a repeat of their 2010 final clash with Cardiff.
Odds: 7/2
Cardiff City
Carling Cup runners-up Cardiff City have already proved their quality on the biggest stage of all this season and like Birmingham would love a return to Wembley. They face the toughest task of all against much-fancied West Ham, but can lay down a marker and put the pressure on by winning the home leg, especially with the Hammers mixed form at Upton Park. Manager Malky Mackay is highly rated, and has done a very good job since switching from Watford last summer. Experienced Scottish striker Kenny Miller remains their dangerman along with midfielder Peter Whittingham, and they are on a run of 10 games without defeat. The Bluebirds have come so close over the years to going up with plenty of false dawns, and will be hurting seeing Welsh rivals Swansea winning plaudits in the Premier League and would love to join them.west h
Odds: 17/4
Who will win promotion?
image: © joncandy
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
