How the League One table would look if it started on New Year’s Day 2022 - and where Sunderland, Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers would be
The League One table would have a hugely different look to it if only results in 2022 counted.
By Joe Buck
Published 2nd Mar 2022, 12:00 BST
Updated 2nd Mar 2022, 12:06 BST
Sunderland’s push for automatic promotion has been derailed recently and their form this calendar year has not only impacted their automatic promotion hopes, but also their hopes for a playoff place.
A great victory over Wigan at the weekend was just the response Alex Neil would have wanted from his side, however, their task is to now back that result up and cement their playoff aspirations.
The business end of the season is upon us and it is now or never for teams to end the season on a high.
The Black Cats will want to start to build momentum in their push for promotion and completely transform their 2022 form.
To illustrate how difficult that might be for Neil, here, we take a look at how the League One table would look if the season started on New Year’s Day:
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The business end of the season is upon us and it is now or never for teams to end the season on a high.
5. 5th: Wigan Athletic
The Latics look a solid bet for automatic promotion this season, however, their form in 2022 may slightly worry supporters. They have games in hand, however, they won’t want to drop points and open the door for MK Dons to usurp them.
Record in 2022 - Played: 12, Won: 7, Drawn: 3, Lost: 2, Goal Difference: +6, Points: 24 Photo: George Wood
Only Rotherham United have conceded less than Ipswich Town in 2022 and although they have drawn three of their last four games, they still hold ambitions for a playoff place.
Record in 2022 - Played: 11, Won: 6, Drawn: 3, Lost: 2, Goal Difference: +9, Points: 21 Photo: Ashley Allen
Oxford have been a fixture in the playoff picture all season and their form in 2022 suggests that they are on course for a playoff place this season - although they will want to add a bit of consistency to their results in order to secure a top-six berth.
Record in 2022 - Played: 13, Won: 6, Drawn: 2, Lost: 5, Goal Difference: +6, Points: 20 Photo: Richard Heathcote
Despite losing their last two games, Cambridge have been one of the surprise packages of 2022 and their form this year has shot them up the table and away from relegation danger.
Record in 2022 - Played: 12, Won: 5, Drawn: 3, Lost: 4, Goal Difference: 0, Points: 18 Photo: Marc Atkins