Listen to a new episode of the Sky Sports EFL Podcast every Monday throughout the season.
Monday 26 April 2021 15:37, UK
Jonathan Oakes is joined by Andy Hinchcliffe and David Prutton to discuss a huge weekend of action across the Sky Bet EFL.
Watford joined Norwich in sealing promotion in the Championship, while the relegation battle rumbles on with Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham all in real jeopardy.
In League One, Hull enjoyed promotion over the weekend, while Swindon and Bristol Rovers saw their relegations confirmed. The panel also assess all the weekend's League Two action, and we hear from Huddersfield's Fraizer Campbell in Ten To Tackle.
All leagues and angles were covered in this week's show, but here were some of the major talking points...
Watford joined Norwich in completing an immediate return to the Premier League, meaning it's the first time since 2010 that both automatic-promotion slots in the Championship have been occupied by relegated sides.
It's not often that a side change managers midway through a season and go on to win promotion, but Xisco Munoz took charge in December and steered them back to the top flight at the first time of asking with two games to spare.
Prutton: "What Xisco has managed to do with this group of players is fantastic. The hard-headed cynic in you says they should have been up there a lot earlier, leading the charge like Norwich, but that completely belies how tough it is to get out of this league.
"They are the scalp for other teams, and they deserve huge credit for bouncing straight back up."
The bottom five in the Championship all lost at the weekend, meaning the relegation battle rumbles on for another few days with no sides confirmed to go down yet.
Wycombe are on the brink, needing a goal-swing miracle now to stay up, while Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday are still four points adrift of Derby, although the Millers still have two games in hand.
Hinchcliffe: "My worry for Derby is that Wayne Rooney was struggling to wrestle control back against Birmingham. They have a young team and it all went horribly wrong in the second half.
"If you don't mark Lukas Jutkiewicz when a cross is coming into the box then you're in trouble. It remains to be seen with the games they have left if they can pick up the win that will probably keep them in the Championship."
Huddersfield striker Fraizer Campbell was our latest guest on Ten To Tackle, where he answered our quickfire questions - including what the highlights of his career have been so far.
"There's been a few to be fair!" he said. "Getting promoted with Hull for the first time ever was a great achievement. Same with Cardiff. Then there was playing for England, and playing for Manchester United, who were the team I grew up supporting.
"I was there from the age of 10 to 21, so it was a big part of my footballing education under Sir Alex. It left a big impression on me as a youngster."
Credit to Hull City for sticking by Grant McCann following their collapse last season, as he led them back into the Championship at the first time of asking with two games to spare.
Prutton: "McCann has created a synergy of players, manager and city at a distance, and it's been fantastic. It's only right to applaud him for what they've done and managed to do with a younger side with four homegrown talents - which really does help cement a club to a community.
"He has got on with the job of turning it around this season, and they've been entertaining and the top scorers in the league. Hopefully, when crowds do come back there will be a real upswing for them."
Two of the four League One relegation spots were decided at the weekend, with Bristol Rovers and Swindon being condemned to the drop.
Hinchcliffe: "If you're the third coach in a season it clearly can't be all your fault, but I don't think Joey was deliberately trying to [deflect all the blame]. In a horrible way, it has been a team effort for Bristol Rovers to get relegated, and I think that's what Joey said.
"But is he the guy to get them sorted out and moving in the right direction? He couldn't keep them up, and it's a very difficult job when you're sliding to put the handbrake on. But that's his challenge if he wants to stay in the job."
