One Leeds United factor is more important than ever in Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton battle: View | OneFootball

The Championship title race is reaching boiling point.

The 2023/24 Championship automatic promotion race has been as exciting as ever before, and with less than ten games remaining, it continues to be a fierce contest.

Leicester City had remained at the top of the table for several months, but recently hit a rough run of form and were subsequently overtaken by Leeds United, who have astonishingly won 12 of their last 13 league games.

Elsewhere, Ipswich have also been relentless in their push for promotion, as they aim to reach the top flight for the first time since 2002. They sit right on the tails of Leicester and Leeds United, who have far bigger budgets and resources.

Southampton have been in and among the race all season, but play-offs look a little more likely for the Saints, unless results at the business end of the season go their way.

Leeds may just have the edge.

The 47-year-old is no stranger to achieving promotion from the Championship and claiming the second tier title. In fact, he has already won the title on two occasions, both with Norwich City.

The first came in the 2018/19 campaign as the Canaries, under Farke's guidance, won the league on 94 points, 5 points clear of Sheffield United, who provided strong competition. Then, in the 2020/21 Championship campaign, Farke's Norwich claimed the title once again, this time finishing on 97 points.

The German has been there and done it, which will give Leeds United supporters plenty of hope going into the final stretch of the season. Farke will feel less pressure, as he has earned automatic promotion to the Premier League twice before, so knows exactly what he has to do to achieve it for a third time. If his side finishes the season consistently, then they will return to the top flight, it is as simple as that.

The only factor that may be a cause for concern with Farke in charge is that on both occasions that his side won the Championship title, they were then relegated from the Premier League in the following season. The German is yet to keep a side in the top flight for more than a season, which could worry the Leeds faithful going into next season.

Looking at Leeds' three main rivals for automatic promotion, it is very clear that Farke has the most experience at this level. Leicester's Enzo Maresca, for example, is currently in his first season in first-team management in English football, after being Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City. While that experience with one of Europe's elites is vital, he has never been in this position before.

As for Kieran McKenna at Ipswich, he has also never managed in the Championship before this season, let alone earned promotion to the Premier League. He does know how to get an Ipswich side over the line though, after last season's promotion from League One.

While Southampton's Russell Martin has managed in the Championship for the last three seasons, he is also inexperienced when it comes to Championship automatic promotion races. With Swansea, he only managed a 10th-place finish and a 15th-place finish.