The Relegation Run In

[davieG]

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/portsmouth-fc/portsmouth-fc-news-west-brom-leicester-city-pompey-blackburn-rovers-oxford-united-5629787

 

The run-in: How race for Championship survival shapes up for Portsmouth, West Brom, Leicester City & Co

By Jordan Cross

Pompey writer

Published 12th Mar 2026, 13:00 GMT

 

The battle lines are drawn with 10 games remaining in which Pompey have to secure their place in the Championship. The mid-week results saw the Blues’ gap to the drop zone cut to just two points, with John Mousinho’s side collecting one point from 12 and picking up two wins from past eight league fixtures.

At this critical juncture, The News today take a look at how things stand for Pompey and their chief relegation rivals in terms of their current form and remaining fixtures, in a fight for survival which looks set to go down to the wire.

 

Pompey

Form (past six)

W 2 D 1 L 3

Remaining fixtures

Derby (H)

QPR (A)

Norwich (A)

Oxford (H)

Boro (A)

Ipswich (H)

Leicester (H)

Coventry (A)

Stoke (A)

Birmingham (H)

Ten games remaining for Pompey, who have a game in hand against their relegation rivals - Ipswich Town on Tuesday, April 14. That makes it an even split of home and away fixtures for the Blues, with two of those matches immediately standing out - Leicester City and Oxford United. John Mousinho’s side have to play three of the current top four, two clear relegation rivals with Derby, QPR, Norwich, Stoke and Birmingham their other fixtures.

 

West Brom

Form (past six)

W 0 D 3 L 3

Remaining fixtures

Hull (H)

Bristol City (A)

Wrexham (H)

Blackburn (A)

Millwall (H)

Preston (A)

Watford (H)

Ipswich (H)

Sheff Wed (A)

West Brom are the team on the steepest downward trajectory with the Baggies winless in 14 league fixtures, though they’ve picked up a couple of draws in their last two under new interim boss James Morrison. Like many of Pompey’s relegation rivals, they still have to play Sheffield Wednesday who are dead and buried - with their match with the Owls on the final day. Of the rest, only Blackburn are relegation rivals with four of the top six still to come for Morrison’s men.

 

Oxford United

Form (past six)

W 3 D 1 L 2

Remaining fixtures

Charlton (H)

Southampton (A)

Hull (H)

Pompey (A)

Watford (H)

Derby (A)

Wrexham (H)

Sheff Wed (H)

Millwall (A)

Matt Bloomfield’s side have rejuvenated their fortunes with three wins on the spin, as they looked at the point of being cut adrift. That means it’s goal difference keeping Oxford out of the bottom three. The U’s have to come to Fratton Park on Easter Monday in what looks a relegation slugfest. Four of the top seven, marooned Sheffield Wednesday, Derby, Charlton and Watford make up the rest. Millwall away on the final day could be big for both clubs.

 

Leicester City

Form (past six)

W 1 D 3 L 2

Remaining fixtures

QPR (H)

Watford (A)

Preston (H)

Sheff Wed (A)

Swansea (H)

Pompey (A)

Hull (H)

Millwall (H)

Blackburn (A)

Five at home and four away for Leicester, with the trip to Fratton on April 18 potentially massive. It looks a presentable run coming up for the Foxes against an out-of-form quartet, though Watford have picked up a little on a run of two wins from 12. Their Pompey clash starts a testing finale against Hull, Millwall and a final-day trip to Blackburn which could be significant.

 

Blackburn Rovers

Form (past six)

W 2 D 1 L 3

Remaining fixtures

Millwall (A)

Middlesbrough (H)

Birmingham (A)

West Brom (H)

Stoke (A)

Coventry (H)

Sheff Utd (A)

Southampton (A)

Leicester (H)

The only team featured who have more away games than home, with just four fixtures to come at Ewood Park. Blackburn are also the only other team apart from Pompey featured who don’t play Sheffield Wednesday. Michael O’Neill’s men go up against four of the current top seven, including the top two in Boro and Coventry, as well as relegation rivals West Brom and Leicester. Birmingham, Stoke and Sheffield United make up the remainder of probably the toughest run-in featured.

 

[john ridley]

In our own hands ,if we **** up a favourable run in we've only ourselves  to blame  for what we're gonna get .

[Les-TA-Jon]

Always prefer this format as a way of comparing fixtures

 

 

Projections:

 

 

[davieG]

9 minutes ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

Always prefer this format as a way of comparing fixtures

 

 

Projections:

 

 

Far superior.

[Stuntman_Mike]

Charlton and QPR are only 9 points clear as well, which in this league can see you in trouble within a week. 

[mohammedsaqib]

QPR are the dark horses here - they play us and Pompey next and are on a downward curve.  

[Sol thewall Bamba]

10 minutes ago, Stuntman_Mike said:

Charlton and QPR are only 9 points clear as well, which in this league can see you in trouble within a week. 

If we beat QPR they'll be looking over their shoulders.

[AKCJ]

11 minutes ago, Stuntman_Mike said:

Charlton and QPR are only 9 points clear as well, which in this league can see you in trouble within a week. 

Mental that we'd be behind both of these even without the points deduction  

[filthyfox]

Next season we repeat...

-Top

[Foxmeister]

8 minutes ago, filthyfox said:

Next season we repeat...

-Top

This is the thing. Will it be a kick up the arse like ‘91 or a lesson not learned like ‘07?

[Lionator]

There’s 15-18 points at least in that run in if we play the way we have over the past 4 games. 

[Pliskin]

Imagine if we win all 9……… 

[STEVIE B]

1 hour ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

If we beat QPR they'll be looking over their shoulders.

We want them on the beach. We can't have them thinking they're in a spot of bother. 

Hopefully we're too strong for them either way. 

Edited 12 March by STEVIE B

[fazzyfox]

On paper WBA and Blackburn have tough run ins, however you have to factor in that it’s a bonkers league and that there may be some “on the beach” opponents, not many whilst the play offs are in reach for some but once they’re not momentum can drop / collapse. Also play off certainties rotating and resting players before the knock out ties.

[nnfox]

I think we'll be OK, but it's a mad league.  There's no real way of knowing what will be a big game.

 

Blackburn have a really tricky run in.  Two of their home games are against fellow relegation battlers which can be a blessing or a curse and their other two home games are against the current top 2.

[Dan]

I think Blackburn look in real trouble. They're performing probably the worst of the five and have the hardest run in. They've gotten worse for the managerial change.

 

Our next four are brilliant. Save the obvious about Wednesday, but QPR and Preston have gone off a cliff themselves. We've really caught those two and Bristol City at a good time.

 

I just cannot put my finger on West Brom. I feel like they've been really unlucky but there's clearly a mentality problem with them as well. Just seemingly incapable of holding out and getting a win. The amount of games they've blown late is mental.

Edited 12 March by Dan

[fox_favourite]

2 hours ago, Pliskin said:

Imagine if we win all 9……… 

#GaryOut! Can't have that sort of behaviour in our club. 

[JimJams]

3 hours ago, Pliskin said:

Imagine if we win all 9……… 

In a weird way I'd be fxxking livid.

Obviously pleased that we go on a winning run, but would show that this side was well capable of promotion and even winning the last 10 wouldn't get us playoffs, and we've fxxked it.

[Number 6]

Realistically both QPR and Charlton are safe. They'd have to lose almost all of their remaining games. Only Sheff Weds have had a run that bad this season.

[Rubbersoul]

1 hour ago, Dan said:

I think Blackburn look in real trouble. They're performing probably the worst of the five and have the hardest run in. They've gotten worse for the managerial change.

 

Our next four are brilliant. Save the obvious about Wednesday, but QPR and Preston have gone off a cliff themselves. We've really caught those two and Bristol City at a good time.

 

I just cannot put my finger on West Brom. I feel like they've been really unlucky but there's clearly a mentality problem with them as well. Just seemingly incapable of holding out and getting a win. The amount of games they've blown late is mental.

Have to remember this is still us we’re talking about but not sure we could’ve asked for a kinder next 4.

 

QPR completely on the slide, lost 4 in a row 

Watford only won 2 in 11 

Preston winless in 6 + lost 4 of them  

 

Sheffield Wednesday self explanatory 

 

Even Swansea at home after that have a pretty poor away record. 
 

Again this is me just forcing myself to be optimistic. Still don’t trust us yet 

Edited 12 March by Rubbersoul

[Winstonthedog]

5 hours ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

Always prefer this format as a way of comparing fixtures

 

 

Projections:

 

 

Although I like to see these predictions on paper ... unfortunately we have to play on grass and this is where the reality lives,

Edited 12 March by Winstonthedog
Spelling

[ramboacdc]

We have the more favourable of run ins then. Like someone else has said, if we **** it up, its our fault. 

 

Sitting relying on other games to go your way is never a situation you should be in. We should avoid that.

[Dan]

1 minute ago, Rubbersoul said:

Have to remember this is still us we’re talking about but not sure we could’ve asked for a kinder next 4.

 

QPR completely on the slide, lost 4 in a row 

Watford only won 2 in 11 

Preston winless in 6 + lost 4 of them  Sheffield Wednesday self explanatory 

 

Even Swansea at home after that have a pretty poor away record. 
 

Again this is me just forcing myself to be optimistic. Still don’t trust us yet 

I agree completely - this team hasn't really earned my trust yet. But QPR, Preston and Wednesday are all looking worse than us at the minute and we need to beat all three. I'd throw Watford into that as well but I just can't believe this lot can win five in a row.

 

I thought it about Bristol City as well. Another team we caught at a brilliant time. If we have anything about us, we take a minimum of 8 from this last 4. It's as good a run of fixtures as you could ask for. Literally all of the on the beach teams.

[Pita]

6 hours ago, john ridley said:

In our own hands ,if we **** up a favourable run in we've only ourselves  to blame  for what we're gonna get .

We can **** up anything very easily 

[Rubbersoul]

1 hour ago, Dan said:

I agree completely - this team hasn't really earned my trust yet. But QPR, Preston and Wednesday are all looking worse than us at the minute and we need to beat all three. I'd throw Watford into that as well but I just can't believe this lot can win five in a row.

 

I thought it about Bristol City as well. Another team we caught at a brilliant time. If we have anything about us, we take a minimum of 8 from this last 4. It's as good a run of fixtures as you could ask for. Literally all of the on the beach teams.

Be hilarious if after all this we end up going on a 5 game winning run and are basically safe with 3 games left