"My money would be on" - Exclusive: Sky pundit reveals Ipswich Town prediction involving Southampton and Leicester City | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman spoke exclusively to Football League World about relegation-bound Ipswich Town's chances in the Championship next season

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has tipped Ipswich Town to be the most competitive of the three sides likely to be relegated from the Premier League back into the Championship next season.

The fact that all three outfits that gained promotion from the Championship less than twelve months ago are now poised to suffer relegation is a damning indictment of the quality gap separating English football's top two tiers, and it's one which none of Ipswich, Leicester City or Southampton have been able to bridge.

Southampton, who achieved promotion via the Championship play-offs at the very first attempt last term, have spent almost the entirety of the 2024/25 campaign cut firmly adrift at the foot of the table.

The Saints, now under the management of Ivan Juric following Russell Martin's dismissal earlier this term, are set to etch their name in history as one of the division's worst sides, having managed just two wins and nine points from 29 matches, leaving them a staggering seventeen points from safety with nine games to spare.

Leicester won the league title with 97 points but have seldom looked capable of re-establishing themselves in the top-flight. The Foxes were hampered by Enzo Maresca's decision to leave for Chelsea last summer and promptly appointed Steve Cooper, but the Welshman was swiftly relieved of his duties for Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who has lost 14 of his 18 games in charge.

Ipswich, who are tied on points with Leicester, are the only newly-promoted side to have opted against a change in the dugout, with their faith seemingly fully intact with highly-rated head coach Kieran McKenna.

The Tractor Boys can lean on a sense of continuity that Leicester and Southampton simply do not have, while they have retained the core of the squad that romped to successive automatic promotions from League One to the top-flight, and those factors may just place them in finer stead when the 2025/26 campaign begins.

Don Goodman tips Ipswich Town to fare better in the Championship than Southampton or Leicester

Speaking exclusively with Football League World, Goodman revealed that he holds higher expectations for Ipswich in the Championship next term than for Southampton or Leicester.

He puts this down to Ipswich's recruitment policy, which saw them cherry-pick a host of outstanding second-tier talent in the wake of their promotion under McKenna.

Last summer, Ipswich signed the likes of Chiedozie Ogbene, Jack Clarke, Dara O'Shea, Arijanet Muric, Jacob Greaves and the previous term's top scorer in Sammie Szmodics from Blackburn Rovers, while they also sealed a permanent transfer for exciting loanee Omari Hutchinson before picking up Jaden Philogene and Alex Palmer in January.

"I would say without hesitation, assuming Leicester, Southampton and Ipswich all get relegated, my money would be on Ipswich Town to be more solid next season," Goodman explained to FLW.

"I do think when you look at the squads at Southampton and Leicester, there are an awful lot of lads that haven't got much Championship experience and wouldn't want Championship experience.

"When you look at Ipswich's transfer policy in the summer and in January, they predominantly brought a lot of lads in - I think it was seven - from Championship clubs and then another three signed from clubs that had been in the Championship but were relegated [from the Premier League], two from Burnley [Dara O'Shea and Arijanet Muric] and one from Luton [Chiedozie Ogbene].

"So my money would be on Ipswich, particularly if you throw in the mix Kieran McKenna staying with them."

Ipswich Town, Kieran McKenna continuity could help them usurp Southampton and Leicester City in 25/26

Goodman raises a strong case for the wealth of esteemed Championship experience in Ipswich's squad, and the likes of Clarke and Philogene in particular will be expected to pick up where they left off with Sunderland and Hull City and ignite the division once more.

It's a squad rather familiar with what it takes to cut it at the top-end of the Championship and is in alignment with McKenna's philosophy. The former Manchester United coach knows exactly how to get the best out of this squad - in the Championship especially, as 23/24 proves - and they will have continuity heading back into the second-tier with him at the helm.

The same cannot be said for Southampton and Leicester, both of whom have made changes in the managerial hot-seat already this term and will likely not be going into the following campaign with their current bosses still in charge.

That instantly hands Ipswich a vital advantage, one would imagine, although much naturally hinges on whether McKenna remains at Portman Road.

The 38-year-old chose to stay in Suffolk amid reported interest from both Chelsea and Man United last summer and, though his stock has perhaps lowered somewhat in recent months, it would be no surprise to see suitors circle in the off-season and Ipswich's single biggest priority in the not-too-distant future may just be making sure he opts against going elsewhere.