Supercomputer makes new Blackburn and Portsmouth relegation prediction after midweek Championship games
Opta’s supercomputer is now predicting Blackburn Rovers to be relegated with Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday after the latest round of midweek Championship games.
The Championship has thrown up more shocks and surprises than ever this season, with pretty much every club now aware of what they are set to be fighting for in the latter stages of the campaign.
Coventry have led the way at the top throughout, while a battle for the second automatic promotion spot between Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town could go right down to the wire.
The clubs at the wrong end of the table require some inspired form in the remaining few months to survive relegation, with two spots in the bottom three needing to be occupied as Sheffield Wednesday coast towards League One on minus seven points.
Just four points separate 17th and 22nd as it stands, with those at Opta providing an updated prediction on who they expect to go down following the latest round of second-tier fixtures.
Blackburn predicted to be relegated with Portsmouth to survive after latest Championship games
Blackburn suffered a 3-1 defeat at Swansea City on Tuesday night to slip to a third consecutive defeat, while they have now won just once in their previous 13 matches.
Valerien Ismael is the current second-favourite to be sacked among all second-tier bosses, and he could soon be out of a job with Rovers now in the bottom three after Portsmouth earned a point with a 1-1 draw at Watford on Wednesday.
Following the changes in the table after both of those results, Opta‘s supercomputer is now predicting Blackburn to be relegated at the end of the campaign, with a 33.82 per cent chance to Pompey’s 27 per cent.
Norwich were previously backed to go down by the supercomputer, but they thrashed West Brom 5-0 on Tuesday to move up to 20th, with Opta now giving them a 17.74 per cent chance of going down.
The Baggies are only one point and one place above Norwich, and so have been given a 26.02 per cent chance of relegation, with 23rd-placed Oxford (73.72 per cent) and Wednesday (100 per cent) both backed to be in the third tier next season.
Who could replace Ismael as Blackburn manager if he is sacked?
Ismael was appointed as Blackburn’s new boss last February with the club sixth in the second-tier, but they missed out on the playoffs last term and are now embroiled in a relegation battle.
He could well lose his job soon if their poor form continues, with Damien Duff installed as the favourite to be Blackburn’s next manager if that decision is taken.
The former Rovers star could return soon as he takes time out of management after he left Shelbourne last June, with ex-boss Tony Mowbray the second favourite at odds of 6/1 and David Wagner next up in the running at 8/1.
Lee Carsley is priced at 10/1 to be the next Blackburn boss, ahead of David Lowe and Russell Martin at 12/1 respectively, while another former player, Phil Jones, is also believed to be in the running at odds of 14/1.