Millwall or Ipswich Town? Lee Hendrie predicts who will “chase Boro down” | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has dropped his verdict on Sky Sports with Sue Smith over who will chase Middlesbrough down between Millwall and Ipswich Town...

Ipswich Town and Millwall are the two teams closest to Middlesbrough in the Championship table and Sky Sports duo Lee Hendrie and Sue Smith have had their say on the race for second.

Given Coventry City have won the last six league games and pulled away — with an eight, nine, and 12-point cushion to Middlesbrough, Millwall, and Ipswich Town respectively — it appears that there is just one automatic promotion place up for grabs.

There are sure to be many twists and turns to come, with each side having nine or 10 league games remaining before the season ends. However, this is the business end of the season, during the run-in, where form can go out of the window.

At this crunch stage of the season, holding your nerve is more imperative than anything else. A well-timed run at the top two can be built on momentum and the confidence that brings, with Millwall having that in abundance right now.

But do Sue Smith and Lee Hendrie believe that Alex Neil's side can break into the top two and stay there? They have revealed their thoughts live on Sky Sports News.

Sue Smith provides her verdict on Millwall getting ahead of Middlesbrough or Ipswich Town

Speaking on Tuesday night's Gillette Labs Soccer Special, Julian Warren asked: "Are Ipswich or Millwall Middlesbrough’s biggest threat?"

Sue Smith responded: "I would say Ipswich because I’ve pretty much said them all the way through. I think you look at the squad and look at what they are capable of and the players they can actually bring on to change things.

"I watched them against Swansea and they were brilliant in the first half. Some of the attacking moves were superb.

"But Millwall? Wow. What a job Alex Neil has done. Absolutely brilliant. You know Millwall are going to be strong defensively and very well organised.

"But I think what he’s done now is he’s got that balance, hasn’t he? So they can score goals. You know, there’s no coincidence they are where they are. They’ve put in some brilliant performances.

"I would say Ipswich but I think Millwall have done fantastic."

She was not the only one to provide her verdict, with former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie also having his say on Millwall and their chances of securing a place in the top two.

Lee Hendrie drops Millwall verdict amid Femi Azeez praise

Hendrie added: "There’s one thing I will say about Millwall is that you know that you are going to get a fight.

"When things aren’t quite going, you talk about teams that can stick together. I think what Alex Neil has done this season, and particularly in the January window — they’ve bought in quality.

"I mean [Femi] Azeez there, he’s been outstanding. He’s probably one of the — he’ll be in the Championship Team of the Season.

"You’ve still got to put the ball in the back of the net and that’s where I feel Alex Neil’s got a nice blend at the moment. They know how to really dig deep and put it up against teams.

"Even though, at times, they’re not playing well. I’ve seen them play some outstanding football considering people call them the ugly team of the Championship — to a certain extent and respect.

"Because that’s what they’ve been known to be; a horrible team, aggressive. They’re not all that and that’s where I think the balance they’ve got at this moment.

"I personally think Ipswich will be the one that chase Boro down but there’s no doubt that I see Millwall in that play-off. There’s not a doubt that I can see them falling away.

"They’ve got too much quality that they’ve bought in. And, as I say, when there’s a fight, they can stand up and fight."