"I fear" - Sky Sports pundit reveals Plymouth Argyle, Stoke City and Portsmouth concern | OneFootball

Don Goodman has been speaking about the relegation battle in the second tier

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has said that he fears for the likes of Stoke City, Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle in the battle to avoid the drop in the Championship.

As always, the winter months are seen as a season-defining period for many teams and their respective short-term aims, and this season has proven to be no different in the second tier, with only seven points separating Derby County and the Potters from Argyle, who remain bottom of the division heading into the FA Cup break.

Last season saw the relegation battle head down to the last game of the season, as Birmingham City were relegated with a tally of 50 points alongside Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United.

And, with so many points left to play for, which includes several six-pointers against each other, many will be predicting that it will go down to the wire, and Goodman has outlined who he has particular concerns about with 20 matches remaining for most sides in the league.

Don Goodman issues verdict on Championship relegation battle

The 58-year-old started by discussing the fortunes of the Green Army, who recently parted ways with Wayne Rooney after a dismal winless run that has continued to stretch back to November 5th, although the likes of former Huddersfield and Norwich City boss, David Wagner, have been linked with the Home Park vacancy.

"I fear for Plymouth the most. Their away form is horrific and I don't believe they can solely get enough points at home because they're playing against some superior teams," the pundit told Plejmo.com.

To the surprise of many, Luton Town, who are set to part company with Rob Edwards - as exclusively revealed by FLW - after a run of five defeats in six games, and Hull City also find themselves in potential danger, despite both squads being littered with quality.

Goodman believes that the aforementioned duo, alongside Stoke, who recently appointed Mark Robins, must improve their results as soon as possible, especially as the Staffordshire side have a favourable run of fixtures approaching on paper.

"Teams like Luton Town and Hull City, with the players in their squads, have to improve," he stated.

"After Stoke City play West Bromwich Albion, they have a run of games against Portsmouth, Oxford and Hull. If they don't get a reasonable amount of points from that trio of matches, I'd then be concerned for them."

Portsmouth currently find themselves outside the relegation zone by virtue of scoring five more goals than Ruben Selles' Tigers, and the former striker believes John Mousinho's men have to pick up more points on the road, with 16 of their points and 17 of their 30 goals coming at Fratton Park.

"I have concerns for Cardiff but also, Portsmouth's away form worries me. Can they survive just on home form? Four of their next six games are at Fratton Park and if those don't go well, that would leave them in trouble," he concluded.

Championship relegation battle set to go the distance

With there being such a narrow points gap, it is no surprise that many believe the relegation dogfight will run the entire length of the season, and that if sides highlighted by Goodman improve form as soon as possible, there is scope for the likes of Oxford - who have picked up 10 points from 12 under Gary Rowett - to be dragged back into the equation.

Hull have shown an improvement throughout Selles' first month in charge, picking up victories against Swansea City and Blackburn Rovers and credible draws with Watford and Leeds United, but have still failed to iron out their inconsistencies in other outings, which has held them back all season.

Robins has been viewed as the ideal man to progress Stoke forward, given his exploits at Coventry in largely similar circumstances, and the former Sky Blues boss must steady the ship and get a tune out of a side that continues to be a mismatch of signings from several previous managers.

Meanwhile, Luton and Plymouth must get their next managerial appointments spot on, and, especially, in the Hatters' case, show some intent in the transfer market this time around, whilst Pompey, like the Green Army, have to improve on several away performances, as the Blues have shown their quality on home soil with recent thrashings of Coventry and Swansea.

Cardiff have also been inconsistent for large parts of the season, picking up five points in the last six games.

But, it is clear that Omer Riza is looking to rectify the Bluebirds' lack of creativity, which has seen them score just 25 times thus far, with FLW exclusively revealing recent interest in Peterborough United's Hector Kyprianou and Ricky Jade-Jones.