Out-of-sorts Leeds United, the form myth and why Norwich should be on alert

If we take the last six games of the Championship's play-off contenders it shows a combined total of eight victories from the combined 24 games played. Eight!

For context the bottom four teams in the Championship had seven wins over that same period and the same number of losses, 11. It's a staggering statistic that is not befitting the nervous and exciting play-off battle that is to follow, as one look at the Championship form book leaves more questions than answers when it comes to who is best placed coming into the end-of-season shoot-out?

With one solitary victory and four points taken out of a possible 18, Leeds United head into the play-offs with the worst run of form and yet start as the clear favourites for promotion. The old adage says form is temporary and class is permanent, which is what Whites fans will be clinging to and clearly the way the bookmakers see things ahead of the semi-final first-leg games.

Read more: I helped end Leeds United's top two Championship dream but I back Whites for promotion

Norwich may have lost their last match of the regular campaign, but an unbeaten run before that and nine points taken from 18 available shows they've enough momentum behind them to underline their credibility as potential Wembley winners and send a warning message across the bow of the good ship Leeds.

Southampton, with three wins and three losses are a model of inconsistency, a factor which has blighted them for more than six games, and West Brom will hope to take advantage despite only winning two of their last six while picking up seven points from the 18 possible.

So, what can we learn from a form book that reads more like it was written by Stephen King than Jane Austen? The lesson is one well trodden on these parts, hope for the best and expect anything when it comes to the Championship!

Leeds United have the quality, they have big game players who can win a match in a moment and pose more of those threats than any of their rivals. Leeds' form is not great, but as is evident above, neither is that of their three other promotion rivals. And if everyone is pretty much on an even keel in that regard, then it could well come down to simply who has the most quality to get the job done. If that's the case, back against Leeds at your own peril!