Leeds prepare for bitter battle
Birmingham City and Leeds United were expected to contest the automatic promotion places this season, yet this evening's meeting at St Andrew's could be more of a competition to discover which is the most disaffected club in the Championship.
Rancour is suffocating both teams for entirely different reasons and such bitterness may have hugely differing consequences come season's end.
Leeds are more in danger than ever of losing their proud record of never having played outside the top two divisions, while Birmingham, with their heavy investment this season, risk counting the cost of a missed return to the top tier of English football.
Birmingham's soap opera argument between Steve Bruce and supporters, interspersed with co-owner David Sullivan's bleating about selling up because he receives no adulation and has to drive from Essex for every game, is incredible given the prospect they have of achieving automatic promotion.
Perversely, Bruce is hoping that the anger can help galvanise his team - following their 2-0 defeat by Hull City at the weekend.
The malice, hatred and acrimony spilling out of Elland Road is at least more understandable. Owner Ken Bates, his close friend and ineffective manager Dennis Wise and the players, who have managed to succumb to 21 defeats this season, have all felt the venom.
Leeds have a four-point deficit to make up over their remaining 12 games, but have lost eight of their last nine away fixtures. The portents for this evening are not good.
Wise has signed almost a whole team since taking over from Kevin Blackwell, without significant improvement. The loan transfer window remains open but no one appears interested. "It seems players would rather sit on the bench at Premiership clubs than play for us. I don't understand that," Wise said.
A glance at the league table would help him understand.
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