Exclusive: Ally McCoist issues promotion verdict involving Leeds, Leicester, Ipswich, and Southampton | OneFootball

Former footballer and manager turned pundit Ally McCoist has given his verdict on which of the Championship's top four will win automatic promotion to the Premier League.

With just over a month to go in the season, it's all still to play for at the top end of the second tier of English football.

Leeds United lead the way, as things stand, on 81 points, but only due to their +2 better goal difference over fellow Premier League team of last season, Leicester City, who have led the race for most of the way.

Closely following them is Ipswich Town, who are looking for back-to-back automatic promotions after finishing second in League One in 2022-23.

The points tally alone, which sees Ipswich just a point behind the front two, would indicate a three-horse race, but games in hand for Southampton could keep them in with a shout.

They have two games in hand on Leeds and the Tractor Boys, and one on the Foxes. Even if they were to win both of them, they would remain fourth in the table, but they'd only be two points off third if they were to do so.

Any of the four could claim the top two spots, which come with automatic promotion to the Premier League, and it is a very tight call as to who those teams will be.

Ally McCoist verdict on Championship promotion race

McCoist, who is a regular pundit on talkSPORT, has given his view on how the run-in in the second tier will pan out, and who will go up to the top flight automatically.

Speaking to Football League World on behalf of talkSPORT BET, the former Scottish international praised the league for how tough it is, and commended those at the top for making the run-in so interesting.

"I love the Championship man, honest to god," said McCoist.

"You've got to be top drawer to be winning the Championship - every Saturday, every Tuesday, it is one hard, hard league.

"I'm going to tell you the gospel truth, two-and-a-half to three months ago I thought Leicester and Ipswich were away, I thought they were plain sailing, but that was me underestimating the league again. But it's been brilliant, they've [Leeds] clawed it back.

"Leeds' performances at home have been brilliant, Ipswich went through a really sticky spell, but I think they've done remarkably well to rally again and have kicked on, and what a job Kieran McKenna is doing, by the way, the last couple of years he's done an unbelievable job.

"And Leicester, as I said, I thought that they were away, but they've been pulled back into it, and, when I say that, I mean that there's the possibility of three or four teams challenging for the automatic places.

"I've got to tell you, I mentioned Leeds' home form had been tremendous, but one of the best performances that I've seen in a long, long time was Southampton for about 65-70 minutes up at Anfield (in the FA Cup in February). They knocked the ball about really well. Again, another good young manager (Russell Martin) that I know very well.

"I think it's very tough to call. I think the momentum is with Leeds, and I think that they'll go up, and that would certainly excite me. They are a club that I love watching, and I love going to Elland Road.

"I know Southampton have a couple of games in hand, but they've got to win them to give themselves any real opportunity to get into the automatic places.

"If they don't, I think it will be between Leicester and Ipswich, and, if you poke me with a stick, I'd probably lean towards Leicester at this moment in time."

Southampton will have a big say on who goes up automatically

Even though the Saints are the least likely of the four to win automatic promotion, their upcoming fixtures will largely dictate how the race for promotion pans out.

In their final 10 games, they still have the three teams above them left to play.

Taking points off direct promotion rivals not only benefits the winning team, but it can also act as a help or a hindrance to the other teams that are jostling for positions.

None of these games will take place at St Mary's Stadium, but that's not all bad as Southampton have been the fourth-best team in the league when away from home this season; they've been the sixth-best team at home this season, so it could be taken as a positive.

But Leeds, Leicester, and Ipswich