“Sounds crazy” – EFL pundit makes prediction involving Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, Derby County and Plymouth Argyle | OneFootball

League One has been a division of an extremely high standard, both this season and last season, evidenced by Sunderland competing for a top six berth in the Championship this season, when a play-off finish looked unlikely for extended periods of 2021/22 in the third tier.

Plymouth Argyle could well be the neutral’s favourites as the underdogs in the promotion race, surrounded by clubs with wage bills that may even be towards the middle level of the second tier.

A fair few sides in the top half and mid table would be grateful for some of the financial juggernauts to move out of their way and win promotion this term, to see the division become more evenly matched in the coming campaigns.

Former Swindon Town striker Sam Parkin offered his prediction on who will go up to the Championship this season on What The EFL?!.

He said: “I think Sheffield Wednesday are probably going to be too powerful.

“So, I’ve gone them, then I’m going Plymouth, I just can’t, I can’t be nasty about Plymouth after we had Steven Schumacher on, he’s a top man, I said they’d capitulate last year, I can’t see them doing it, I cannot see them doing it (capitulating), but it sounds crazy because, no question Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich have better squads, in my opinion.

“It shows me that he (Schumacher) is a very, very good young coach, a very good tactician, so I’m going to go for Plymouth to finish second, and I’m going to go for Derby to break Ipswich hearts in the play-off final.

“I think Ipswich are the best side, I just don’t see this having a happy ending.”

The Verdict

Quiz: Are these 20 Sheffield Wednesday facts real or fake?

1 of 20

Darren Moore is the current manager?

True False

It is quite puzzling how the Tractor Boys have fallen away when their performance data has remained rock solid throughout.

Derby County’s 3-2 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers at the weekend was a bit of a reality check, after the Rams had looked close to unstoppable with the experience of David McGoldrick, Conor Hourihane and most importantly Paul Warne in their ranks.

Barnsley and Bolton Wanderers also look mightily good at the moment, expected to take up fifth and sixth spots, with Wycombe Wanderers and Peterborough United the most likely sides to compete for a top six berth.

As things stand, the only outcome the vast majority of people are sure about, is that Wednesday will finish in the top two.