"The strongest team" - Claim made as Leeds, Southampton, West Brom and Norwich play-off fortunes predicted | OneFootball

The 2023/24 Championship play-offs get underway this weekend, and all four sides will truly believe that they're capable of winning promotion to the Premier League.

Leeds United and Southampton will start as favourites thanks to finishing 15 and 12 points clear of fourth place West Brom, but neither side have been in particularly good form recently, so both the Baggies and Norwich City will be quietly confident that they can cause an upset.

As we've seen plenty of times over the years, the side that wins the play-offs isn't necessarily the side who is the most impressive over the 46-game season, it's the side who have the most momentum, and who are best suited to this sort of cup final football.

Given their relegations from the Premier League last season, both Leeds and Southampton will be fully aware of how important it is to make an immediate return to the top-flight for a number of reasons, but at least one side is certain to miss out, which only adds to the drama.

Jermaine Pennant backs Leeds United and Southampton to make it to the play-off final

Former Leeds United loanee Jermaine Pennant has backed his former side to reach the play-off final, and to go on and lift the trophy at Wembley, too.

Speaking to Football League World, via FastestPayoutOnlineCasino.com, Pennant said: "I think they're (Leeds United) probably the strongest team in the play-offs but it's going to be difficult because we know it doesn't matter who's the best team.

"We’ve seen it happen, we know that whoever finishes sixth can have enough. Leeds are obviously the favourites followed by Southampton, who beat them on the last day of the season so it’s going to be tough."

Former Birmingham City and Liverpool star Pennant spent a season on loan at Elland Road as an Arsenal player during the 2003/04 campaign, where he registered two goals in six assists in 36 appearances. He believes that Daniel Farke's side will have enough to get themselves over the line, despite some shaky recent results.

He said: "I think Southampton or Leeds, it’s between one of them, if I had to predict I'd go for Leeds. There was a lot of pressure on their last game but now they can regroup.

"They know what is at stake."

West Brom and Norwich City could cause an upset thanks to their managers

There's no doubt that Leeds United and Southampton are the favourites given they finished on a lot more points than both West Brom and Norwich, but the Baggies and Canaries both have managers with past play-off experience.

Carlos Corberan led an unheralded Huddersfield Town side to the play-off final in 2022 where they were defeated by Nottingham Forest, perhaps unfortunately given some questionable refereeing decisions.

Norwich's David Wagner has gone one better, and he took the Terriers to the Premier League in 2017, a remarkable achievement which no one expected, so it shows he's able to get an unfancied side over the line in the play-offs.

Leeds United's Daniel Farke does have previous Championship promotions on his CV, but they've been through the automatic promotion places rather than the play-offs, so this will be new to him.

Russell Martin has no previous promotion or play-off experience, so this will be completely new to him, and whilst experience doesn't count for everything, it could come in handy over the next couple of weeks.

They certainly start as underdogs, but perhaps Norwich and West Brom shouldn't be written off just yet.