Exclusive: Don Goodman drops Charlton Athletic, Stockport County play-off view despite "impossible" claim | OneFootball

With the regular League One season almost over, pundit Don Goodman takes an early look at the play-offs

The League One play-offs are just around the corner, as the teams involved gear up for the challenge.

Stockport County, Wycombe Wanderers and Charlton Athletic are all confirmed competitors, with Leyton Orient and Reading to battle for the final spot on the final day of the regular season.

A two-legged semi-final before a meeting at Wembley Stadium awaits, to decide who will take the final place in the 2024/25 Championship.

We asked pundit Don Goodman who he sees clinching it.

Charlton and Stockport identified as marginal favourites

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Goodman said: “League One, it's a jungle. Almost impossible to predict who's going to prevail.

“We don't actually even know whether it's going to be Leyton Orient or Reading. Either way, the team finishing sixth could potentially finish with 78 points, which is a high total and makes whoever out of Leyton Orient and Reading finishes sixth a very good team.

“Wycombe are the ones that are the most out of sorts, that I suppose they've lost their last two games to teams that are potentially going to be in the play-offs with them.

“They play Stockport on the final day, one of the other teams that are going to be in the play-offs, and if they lose that, then their last three games are potentially three losses against teams that are probably going to be in the play-offs.

“So, I'd say on form, probably you're drawn to Charlton and Stockport as possibly the favourites.

“But it's a lottery, and as good as those two teams are, any of the other two could end up winning it. So, it's impossible to call is the answer.”

Given their off-field issues with owner Dai Yongge, it may be easy for some to write off the Royals as Championship promotion hopefuls.

However, having dealt with those same issues for a good portion of the business-end of the season, at points not even knowing if the team was going to remain in the league, the fact that they’ve managed to climb into contention at this stage of the campaign shows an incredible mentality.

At Wembley, players are subjected to a pressure many will not have dealt with before, and it can prove the difference between winning and losing on the day.

Those fine margins are often what decides a game where everything feels like it’s on the line, but Reading players have been battling hefty mental challenges, and succeeding, for some months now.

On form, and with the players they have at their disposal, Stockport, Charlton, and potentially Orient will be highly thought of, but it’s impossible to quantify the mental side of the battle.

In Reading, we already know there is a mentally strong unit there, with a siege mentality that they are going to carry on doing their jobs regardless of what’s happening away from the pitch.

Sentiments like that can carry teams a significant way so, although they would be a late entrant to the race, Reading could be a team to watch.