Clinton Morrison on the EFL: Birmingham are too strong for League One
Will Jackson 
Popular pundit Clinton Morrison has joined up with the Freebets.com team this season to discuss the biggest games and talking points each week in the EFL.
The former Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Republic of Ireland striker will be giving his views and predictions on the pick of the matches each week.
This week he discusses how Birmingham are "too strong" for League One, how Daniel Farke must get Leeds United promoted, and why Mark Robins deserves patience at Coventry.
Take advantage of Clinton's predictions using the best football betting offers from our top football betting sites.
Portsmouth v Sheffield Wednesday
Question: Portsmouth lost 2-0 to fellow strugglers Cardiff on Tuesday night. I think a few people expected Portsmouth to do quite well this season after last year and with Ipswich’s success - are you surprised to see them struggling so much?
Answer: You have to look at where Portsmouth are at the moment. They have played a lot of the top teams and now they have games against sides in and around them like Wednesday on Friday, and that will be a big football match - and I’m covering it so it should be a good one!
Portsmouth beating QPR was a massive result because you have to beat teams in and around you but they have a run of games now where you think ‘this could determine how Portsmouth do this season’.
Q: Do you think people maybe fell into a bit of a lazy trope thinking Portsmouth, having won League One so impressively, could go on to do something similar to what Ipswich did last season?
A: I think you’re spot on. People fell into that trap with Portsmouth because of their fanbase, and because you look at the history of the football club, the Premier League, and the fans are fantastic and they expect (success).
John Mousinho is a bit inexperienced as a coach and he has done a fantastic job, but for them to think after that draw against Leeds, to expect them to go on that trajectory where they just fly up the table…nah, in the Championship nothing is given.
There are some teams in there that have spent quite a bit of money, and Portsmouth haven’t spent a lot so I think this season they just have to consolidate and not be relegated. So games like this one tomorrow against Sheffield Wednesday, it's a massive football match.
Q: You mentioned Mousinho, what about his position with just one win so far?
A: He’s just signed a new contract, so he’s not under pressure and they can clearly see the progress.
They knew that coming into the Championship it wouldn't be easy; they don't have a lot of money and haven't really brought in a lot of players so it was always going to be a struggle.
You look at Portsmouth this season and they might not like me saying this, but their main aim should be to stay in this division and then next season they can kick on.
It will be hard for Portsmouth but there will come a time - with this next run of games - where if he doesn't get any results then the pressure will be on, but at the moment he is alright.
Q: Sheffield Wednesday up next. Danny Rohl impressed people last year and with his punditry during the Euros but it hasn’t happened so far this season - any ideas why?
A: They did bring in a lot of signings and I think they have one of the best managers in the Championship in Danny Rohl, he’s a very good young manager and the job he did last season going to keep them up was brilliant.
They’ve added players, started well and then had a bit of a drop-off, got a couple more results and then had a disappointing game the other night so it’s been quite an up-and-down season and they lack consistency, which is what you need in the Championship.
I still think they will finish in the top half because no one is running away with it and the gap isn't that big. If you can get a few runs together and a few wins under your belt, I think they’ll start climbing because they have a good manager, a good squad of players and they should be doing better.
Q: One of your former teams of course, do you realistically think they have it in them to push on for a play-off spot? Or is survival about the best they can hope for?
A: I tipped them with an outside chance for the play-offs because there is always one team that surprises you, and why not Sheffield Wednesday?
If you look at years gone by when teams have been right by the bottom and just fly up like Coventry a few years ago…it could happen with Sheffield Wednesday but it's all about consistency. Danny Rohl needs to find his best XI and stick with that at the moment.
Bristol City v Leeds
Q: Focusing on Leeds, this has got to be the season hasn’t it? With the talent at their disposal, Daniel Farke has to take them up…
A: He has to take them up, Daniel Farke. The pressure will be on him because that’s why he was brought to the club. He’s done it before.
They were disappointing in the play-off final last season for the amount of talent they had on show, and then to lose players like (Crycensio) Summerville, (Georginio) Rutter and Archie Gray - who I think is an outstanding young player - you lose those players and I thought, ‘how do they go again?’
But credit to Daniel Farke because he was under pressure. There were a few games where he didn't get any results and there was serious pressure, but they’ve turned it around now.
As I’ve said all along, while Sunderland are flying and doing well, I think Leeds will win the Championship their squad is just brilliant. They’re winning football matches now without their two main midfielders in (Ethan) Ampadu and (Ilia) Gruev and that shows the work Farke is doing. Look at the bench, they brought on Dan James and Pat Bamford so you know the squad is good and they have very, very good Championship players.
Q: You mentioned that Farke has been under pressure, a lot of that has come from the fans because of the style of play. But if you look at the numbers, his side outscored Marcelo Bielsa's promotion-winning side from 2019/20 - does the style of play matter or have Leeds fans been spoiled by Bielsa?
A: He’s had big shoes to fill. Bielsa was brilliant and his time at Leeds was very exciting. He put a lot of strain on the players, they had to work almost 150% in training every day and then take that into games, so it is hard to compare Daniel Farke.
His job is to get Leeds back to the Premier League and if he does it this season, Leeds will be fine and they will just kick on, the owners will invest and they will be fine.
For me, Leeds are a Premier League club, the fan base is of a Premier League club. They deserve to be in the Premier League and with the additions they’ve made to the squad, they look in a really good place.
I really like young Joseph up front, and with Joel Piroe, (Wilfried) Gnonto and (Largie) Ramazani - they have a lot of players who will go and score goals. I don’t worry about Leeds.
(But) It’s a big game for Bristol City as well as Leeds. It's a hard place to go and get a result but I think Leeds will edge this one 2-1. I think Bristol City will score because they always score goals, but Leeds away from home, their counter-attacking and pace in the front areas will cause problems.
Mansfield v Birmingham
Q: Birmingham are another side too good for their league aren’t they?
A: They are too good for this league, and they should be!
I was disappointed as an ex-Birmingham player that they got relegated but that’s neither here nor them now. They have kicked on this season, brought in a new manager, the new owners have backed the manager and spent a lot of money so clubs will want to target Birmingham City.
I think they will be too strong and win the league comfortably.
They have some good players, and they’re probably good Championship players who have actually dropped down to League One. Stansfield is one in particular who they spent a lot of money on from Fulham - he’s a bright young prospect and scores goals and with players like him, I just think they’re too strong.
Q: They hammered Bolton on Tuesday night by all accounts. It was only 2-0, but a side who are likely to be one of their closest challengers, and to beat them in the fashion they did…it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the league does it?
A: Yeah and Bolton are always in and amongst it. But they’re (Birmingham) bringing in players from Celtic like (Tomoki) Iwata - he’s a top player. I watched him a lot at Celtic and now he is starring for Birmingham. The players they have are expected to deliver but it’s not always that easy, because these leagues are tough, but at the moment they are delivering.
I think Birmingham are too strong and they will win the league this season. I said it at the start of the season and I’ll say it again now, I think they’re way too strong.
Q: Mansfield won't be an easy game though...
A: No way is that going to be an easy game, absolutely no way at Mansfield.
It will be a difficult game, the fans will be right on top of the pitch and with (Nigel) Clough doing a fantastic job, with young players, good strikers in good form capable of putting the ball in the net, they’re compact in midfield and they don't concede many goals so it won’t be an easy game for Birmingham. Clough will have a game plan so it won’t be easy but it's one I will be looking out for that’s for sure.
The job Nigel Clough has done at Mansfield has been fantastic.
For Mansfield to be in and around it where they are at the moment with some of the big boys, they haven’t spent the money like some of the other teams around them and have been outstanding.
If Mansfield do make it into the play-offs it will be a great achievement, especially with the other clubs that are in League One. The job Nigel Clough has done has been fantastic.
Coventry v Luton
Q: Rob Edwards can turn this around for Luton can’t he? Would you be surprised to see them push for the top six by the end of the season?
A: Luton were unfortunate on Wednesday (against Sunderland), but (Elijah) Adebayo got his first goal of the season and the partnership with (Carlton) Morris will cause Coventry a few problems.
Rob Edwards, they have had a slow start but come the end of the season, he will have Luton in the top six and the play-offs. The squad is starting to click. It was a bit of a smash and grab from Sunderland but I thought Luton were the better team and unfortunate not to come away with anything
The job Rob Edwards has done in the Premier League and to get them promoted was fantastic, but now this is the most difficult part when you come down and have a hard job to try and get back up there. They have the squad, they kept the majority of their players so I give them a good chance of getting into the top six.
Q: Bringing a team down is not as easy as others have made it look is it, but you’d expect them to have started a bit better than this
A: It looks worse than it is.
When you get relegated, everyone immediately thinks you should be up there the next season, but the Championship is a hard league and it takes time to adjust.
I know Luton are used to it because they went up before, but it's a different league and sometimes you start slow, have some new players in and they have to adjust to the way Rob Edwards wants to play.
There would be pressure because the fans and the owners would think they should be up there but it takes time. If come December they are still around where they are now, the pressure will be on Rob Edwards but I think they will comfortably be in the top six by the end of the season because they have some good players and a very good manager.
Q: Two under-fire managers going into this one. Mark Robins I think is the third longest-serving manager in the EFL, is he under pressure for his job?
A: Coventry do this a lot; they start slow and just come strong at the end of the season and I don’t think Mark Robins wants that to keep happening!
Mark Robins is in credit, we always talk about Mark Robins whenever other jobs become available and I’m so surprised that his name is never in the running. The job he has done at Coventry has been fantastic, but there is pressure because they have spent quite a bit of money in the summer to progress and take that extra step to get to the Premier League.
I did say at the start of the season that I thought Coventry would finish in the top six, and you have to give Mark Robins a bit of time to make it click.
Obviously Coventry fans will be disappointed with the way the season has started, but we see this so many times with them and Mark Robins will get it right….and I hope he does get it right because I know him personally and I think he is a very good manager! Hopefully they start climbing up the table.
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