The bad news from the Championship: West Ham are unbeaten in seven games.
The good news: that run includes four straight home draws. Now the 'ammers are second, behind Southampton and level on points with Reading. Their next two games are Leeds away and Boro (4th) at home. Like Richard Gere at the Oscars, I entreat you all telepathically to send thoughts to David and David at West Ham; may your message be "panic sacking, panic sacking." Brighton and Cardiff fill out the other play-off spots. Birmingham, Blackpool, Hull and Leeds are not out of it yet.
At the bottom, Portsmouth are last, having had the stuffing knocked out of them by administration. The same event seems to have given the previously nosediving Forest the will to live; following a decent run they are now in the dizzy heights of 20th, above Bristol City, Coventry (who look set for huge financial trouble if relegated) and Doncaster.
League One:
Automatic promotion-Charlton (10 points clear), Sheffield United
Playoff spots-Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield (sacked Lee Clark for too many draws; on Saturday drew at home to bottom-placed Rochdale to lose ground. Ha!), Evil, Ugly, Stupid, Soapless MK Dons and Notts County
Within six points of playoffs: Carlisle (hurray), Stevenage (boooh. Three games in hand, come on everyone they play against.).
Relegation mix-up: loads of teams and let's face it, few people care
League Two:
Automatic promotion-Swindon (goosestepped into an 8 point lead), Shrewsbury (hurray!), Southend
Playoff spots-Cheltenham (level with Southend, no doubt to the anguish of certain souls), Torquay, Crawley, Oxford
Within six points of playoffs: Gillingham, Crewe (hurray!), Rotherham
Relegation places: Dagenham & Redbridge, Plymouth. Changes of manager have given Northampton and Hereford a boost but they are only two and three points clear of the drop respectively. Macclesfield are three clear, Barnet five.
Fleetwood continue to canter a country mile ahead of everyone in the Conference. Wrexham now have my permission to earn promotion via they playoffs because Dean Saunders has left them to go to Doncaster.