Jermaine Pennant delivers Leeds, Southampton prediction amid Ipswich wobble | OneFootball

Jermaine Pennant has predicted that Ipswich Town will miss out on promotion to the Premier League this season.

The Tractor Boys have been the surprise package in the second division this year, with Kieran McKenna’s side currently occupying a top-two spot.

The Suffolk outfit are aiming to secure back-to-back promotions, having finished second in League One in the previous term.

However, recent form has seen the gap to third place Southampton close to just three points.

The pressure is on Ipswich to turn around their results quickly, otherwise they risk slipping into the play-off places.

Pennant gives automatic promotion prediction

Pennant has predicted that all three of the teams who went down from the Premier League will go straight back up this year.

While he has praised how Ipswich have performed this campaign, the former winger is unconvinced that they can maintain their good form through the entire season.

“When you go down, it's always difficult. It's always difficult to get used to the Championship,” Pennant told Football League World, courtesy of William Hill.

“It’s a completely different league. It’s so competitive, the games come non-stop, and everyone can beat everyone on their day.

“I think Leeds struggled with that at first, with the pace of it, after coming down from the Premier League. Then they realised what it’s about - the players, the fans, and the club got used to it. Now they’re really kicking on and you see where they are.

“Obviously, Leicester have just taken off like a rocket. Southampton have got back in the groove.

“I’ve said it all along since the start of the season, the three clubs that went down, they will come back up.

“Leeds, in the second half of the season, I think you will start seeing stronger results and them climbing even higher up the table.

“They’ve got to be one of the favourites for the automatics but then you’ve got Southampton, who are doing well as well, so it’s going to be an interesting back-end of the season.

“Then again, Ipswich are in the mix. They’re doing well but are we going to see, as sometimes happens, teams start to dip in the back-end of the season and when you do that, the teams chasing you can capitalise.”

The promotion battle has heated up in the last few weeks, with Ipswich failing to win any of their last five league games.

Meanwhile, Southampton’s form has seen them go unbeaten since late September, which has played a huge role in their closing the gap to the top two.

Leicester lead the way by a comfortable 10 points over McKenna’s side, and Leeds have dropped behind the Saints by four.

A tense promotion battle ahead

The race for the top two spots was looking like it might be as predictable as last season at one stage, but the last few weeks has spiced things up.

Southampton look imperious in their current form, while Ipswich have completely collapsed in terms of results.

However, there is still a long way to go and there will surely be more swings in form to come.

Ipswich have done extremely well to compete with the three former Premier League sides, and it is now well set up for an entertaining promotion battle in 2024.