Gary Rowett seems to think Leeds United will be promoted ahead of Sheffield United this season.
The former Stoke City manager believes that Norwich City have already done enough to go up. Then it will be a straight fight between Leeds and the Blades.
“If you look at the teams at the top of the Championship they all have goals in them,” Rowett told the Daily Star.
“Norwich have Teemu Pukki – and Billy Sharp is banging them in for Sheffield United.
“By the looks of it, Norwich should win enough in the next few weeks to get themselves over the line.
“All it could take now is one good week where they pick up six or nine points. If the others slip up, it’s Norwich plus one.
MORE UNITED STORIES
“It could come down to a couple of injuries. What would happen to Sheffield United if Billy Sharp picked up a knock, for instance?
“Chris Wilder has assembled a rough and ready group who look capable of staying the course. But could they cope without Sharp?”
Are United reliant on Sharp?
Sharp is the Blades’ top scorer in the Championship this season with 22 goals. That is around 34 percent of the overall 64 league goals they have in 2018/19.
Behind Sharp is David McGoldrick with 12 strikes. Beyond that the numbers fall quite quickly, with Mark Duffy on five, Chris Basham with four and then Oliver Norwood with three.
Only Norwich’s Pukki has scored more than Sharp in the second tier of English football with 24 goals. The Finland international has around 31 percent of the Canaries’ overall goal tally of 77.
While there is then a big drop to their second highest scorers – Emiliano Buendia and Mario Vrancic with seven – they also have three others who are tied on six.
Leeds’ top scorer, in contrast, is Kemar Roofe with 14 goals. That is only 22 percent of their overall 63 league goals. Pablo Hernandez is second with 10 strikes. They then have three others with six or more.
However, Sharp has now not scored for seven league games. During that time United have won six and drawn one.
Does Rowett really have a point?