Three clubs from Midlands among top contenders

Among the sides fighting it out for the Championship crown are three teams from the Midlands - Birmingham City, Derby County and West Bromwich Albion. At present, they are placed in the top four positions in the standings.

Preston North End, who lost in the semi-finals of the play-offs last season, are tucked behind Derby and Birmingham. Southampton are the other team bracketed with the contenders for direct promotion.

The ones that will miss out from these five teams will probably figure in the play-offs line-up.

You have to go back to season 2001-02 to find Derby in the Premiership. That year, they were relegated after finishing 19th. This could be their year though under the charge of former Preston manager Billy Davies.

Steve Bruce's Birmingham, who caused the shock of the FA Cup third round this month with a 5-1 drubbing of Newcastle in a St James's Park replay, are second in the standings but have two games in hand (home vs Leeds; away vs Leicester).

Birmingham were relegated last season after a four-year stay in the top flight.

Gary McSheffrey (ex-Coventry) has become Birmingham's main asset as midfielders look to his lethal finishing with passes sprayed from all parts of the pitch.

Preston were not affected by Davies's decision to join Derby. His replacement, Paul Simpson, succeeded in keeping the club among the challengers for promotion.

Last year, Preston failed to earn promotion via the play-offs for the second time running.

In 2006, they lost in the semis and in the previous campaign they went down to West Ham in the final.

Mowbray for Robson

Like Birmingham, West Brom were demoted at the end of last season.

Manager Bryan Robson was the second manager of the division to be replaced after Niall Quinn relinquished the reins at Sunderland. Robson's place went to Tony Mowbray who joined from Scotland's Hibernian.

After winning promotion to the Premier League in 2002, West Brom went down the year that followed. They worked their way back to the top flight and stayed for two years until they were demoted in 2006. Now, they have high hopes of making another return.

Southampton were proud to become one of the Premiership founder members in 1992-93.

Although they struggled for several years against relegation, the Saints retained their status for a remarkable stretch of 12 years.

This is their second campaign in Division One. They finished 12th last term but have great hopes of at least reaching the deciders.

Cardiff City, at the top of the heap earlier in the season, will have to stage a real fightback to get back to those dizzy heights once more.

Sunderland, under the guidance of Roy Keane in his first spell as manager and led in the boardroom by former club favourite Quinn, can still mount a challenge for a top-six placing since they bolstered their squad considerably this month.

Wolves, having turned down Graeme Souness's offer to take over as major shareholder, must hold on to manager Mick McCarthy. He can lead them to promotion, perhaps in two years' time.

There is still a lot to play for though and a run of positive results might land them in the play-offs, come May.

It simply hurts to watch a great side like Leeds in such a dire position in the standings. Last season, they contested the play-offs final, going down to Watford 0-3.

Leeds are now managed by Ken Bates' blue-eyed boy, Dennis Wise.

In 2003-04 Leeds were part of the Premiership but who knows when they will return?

Southend United are last in the standings but the Shrimpers, who won promotion as League One champions, would love to stay the pace. Yet, the odds are heavily stacked against them.

Their claim to fame this season is one they will never forget.

In November, they knocked out League Cup holders Manchester United in a fourth round match at Roots Hall.

The other two promoted sides were Colchester United and play-off winners Barnsley.

Colchester have never been in the second tier of the game. At present, they are enjoying their best season in history and with an outside chance for the play-offs. Their other best campaign was in 1970-71 when they reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

The Tykes have played in League One for five years and their hopes this season are to avoid the drop, not to fall further down the doldrums of the Football League.

In 1997-98, Barnsley played in the Premiership.

Sent to Coventry

The most recent managerial casualty in the Championship was Coventry's Micky Adams who signed Maltese stalwart Michael Mifsud only days before his exit.

The main cause for Adams's sacking was the transfer of Coventry's best player McSheffrey to rivals Birmingham.