Another pivotal round of fixtures in the Premier League. Midweek madness both top and bottom, contrasting fortunes in North London. More football in the EFL Championship next season, surely there is enough already. Turns out not. Issue 79. Go.

As has been hinted over the past couple of months and certainly in a previous couple of Real Football Filter issues, the EFL Championship playoffs are now going to expand. What was an additional promotion lifeline for four teams, will now be extended to six.

The EFL Clubs voting in favour on Thursday, from their point of view you can understand why. A vote that means from next season, the seventh and eighth placed finishers will also get a shot at reaching the Premier League.

The format will be the same as the National League in that the two highest ranked teams go straight through to the semi-finals. The four lowest will meet each other in one-legged quarters.

More football at the end of a 46-game season. Ok, it is only two more games but do we really need more? Everything packaged as more drama, more entertainment, more artifcial excitement at the end of a long campaign.

For the record, I think play-offs are a great concept, but I also think what the EFL have is the perfect format. The right balance between jeopardy and integrity, why tinker when it has worked well for more than 30 years?

The reason is that everything one in football feels the need to keep expanding but at what point does everythng go pop. Let’s take next season’s Championship playoffs as the example.

Admittedly this will be a jump but always best to paint out scenarios so we can map out practicalities. Say a team is 10th. Stoke. Results go their way on the final day of the season and the Bet365 Stadium is rocking as they sneak into eighth with a win.

Then Stoke go on a dream run in the playoffs. They get all the way to Wembley, their 50th Championship fixture of the season (regular and extra games) sees them earn a return to the Premier League.

Celebration in the short-term. A lot of work to do in the long-term and for any promoted team to the top tier in this day in the age, the job to stay up would become even more difficult.

Obviously that is the most unlikely of examples but an example all the same. An example of when meddling with things is not best practice. The EFL selling the change as creating less dead rubbers towards the end of the season, that in itself is part of the problem.

The fact that the league has 24 teams in it under an already creaking schedule is obscene. I get the strength of English football and all that, this strength and the structure it finds itself can sometimes be its biggest weakness.

It all goes back to entertainment, the need to give the broadcasters more for the money. But why is there no need for the League One or Two playoffs to also extend to eight clubs?

The reason is that so many Championship club owners have bet their house on reaching and then staying in the Premier League - just look at the peril that Leicester find themselves in, houses have that rather leaky roofs.

The stretching of budgets, the greater needs for promotion to the level above than their League One or Two counterparts. Of course, third and fourth tier outfits would love to level up but at the same time it is hardly promotion or bust for their bottom line.

The bottom line is that the football calendar keeps expanding but somehow we keep finding space for all these games. Do we need all these games? No. Do we need all this entertainment? No, but you are going to get it anyway. Now where did I put the remote.

With Manchester United suffering defeat to Newcastle on Wednesday night it arguably puts the spotlight on Michael Carrick for the first time in his second interim managerial tenure at the club.

All the talk before the game was based on the Red Devils board surely having no other choice to give Carrick the job on a permanent basis and although one defeat does not alter the decision making process that much, it does highlight the need to make a call.

Do they stick or do they twist and if so when? The problem United like any other club is that although football clubs are run like businesses, they operate on different rules when it comes to time.

If say Tesco were looking for a new CEO, they would hire an interim in the meantime. Their process would take as long as it needs to take, until the best man or woman has been identified by their board.

Compare that to Manchester United’s board and they cannot wait until the best person is available because everything is seasonal. They couldn’t keep Carrick on an interim over the summer just to finally find their man in October.

They have to not only make a decision but they also need to work out who that best man is. The longer they leave it, the harder it is going to be. They longer they leave it, they may as well just stick with what they already have.

Defeat for Leeds on Tuesday would have felt bad if the result was in isolation. It would have felt worse the follow evening when both West Ham and Nottingham Forest picked up points. The comfort zone still large enough for now, Daniel Farke’s men could do with another win next week.

As for Sunderland, a return to winning ways keeps their European hopes alive and also keeps them above local rivals Newcastle for another week. Not the prettiest of wins but one that sees them reach the 40 point barrier in March and for that, Regis Le Bris must be appluaded.

Of course James Tarkowski was going to score against Burnley. Written in the stars as the former Claret opened the scoring on Tuesday. A comfortable win for Everton, their second in a row as they find themselves just a point behind Brentford in the race for Europe. Will the Toffees need their passports in a few months?

As for Burnley, it really is a case of what to do with Scott Parker and especially now that Wolves are nipping at their heels. Defeat means that there are only three points seperating the two sides in the race to the bottom. Would be hard to make a case for the current boss if they do hit the foot of the table.

A share of the points in a bore draw at the Vitality Stadium. A result that feels a better point for the visitors than the hosts. The Cherries still well in the European mix but a win would have really thrust Andoni Iraola’s men into the picture. Three successive draws, just a little more in attack would change their outlook completely.

The only thing that was really up in the air was the ball from kickoff. Not sure I like the rugby style kick off. Hopefully its one of those fads that passes quickly. Like Pogs. Remember Pogs those disc-shaped cards that you used to flip over. They were a waste of time as well.

Hear me out. Wolves last eight fixtures are winnable. I’m not saying how many they will win. I am not even saying they are staying up but there are plenty of opportunities for them to get more points on the board. Even some juicy six-pointers if results continue to go their way.

A huge slice of luck at the end against Liverpool on Tuesday but at the end of the day you make your own luck and Arne Slot’s men did none of that at Molineux. Another uninspiring performance under the former Feyenoord managers’ tutelage. You can get away with that if you win but it all comes back to bite you when you lose.

Manchester City have blinked first in the race for the title. Those who desperately want a grandstand finish between now and May will suggest there is still a further twist in the tale. Those of a more pragmatic persuasion will think their 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest has scuddered their hopes of reeling in the Gunners.

Vitor Pereira still searching for a first win in the Premier League as Nottingham Forest manager, it will not be far away if his team can match that level of performance over the next couple of weeks. Both goals against the run of play but who cares about the run of play when you are fighting for your life at the bottom.

Fulham’s inconsistency once again coming back to bite them on Wednesday. A genuine opposition to close the gap on local rivals Brentford in the race for seventh place. An opportunity spurned by Marco Silva’s men. The Cottagers have only drawn four games this season, the most Jekyll and Hyde in the division.

As for West Ham, their smalltown boy is doing the business. Many expected that Jarrod Bowen would have to roll up his sleeves and drag the Hammers to safety, instead it is Crysencio Summerville who is the hero in East London. His purple patch continuing with the winner at the Craven Cottage, it needs to continue for a few more weeks at least.

All the talk of anti-football before the game from manager Fabian Hurzeler before the game, the same conversation after the final whistle. Mind games beforehand, sour grapes after as Bart Verbruggen gifted the Gunners an early winner. The Seagulls momentum disrupted after two wins. A team on the beach in the geographical sense now on the beach in a football sense.

As for Arsenal, the celebrations from supporters at full time had a more gutural feeling. A sense that this was the one. Seven points clear having played a game more, they can now go to the Etihad and lose and still be clear. With the way that Mikel Arteta’s men have been playing these last few weeks, I would not even put that on the agenda.

Aston Villa running out of puff at the worst time of the season. All the talk of being in the title race a forgotten memory, now there is talk of whether they can hold on to a Champions League ticket or not. A single point from the last nine on offer, both Chelsea and Liverpool nipping at their heels. Have they been found out in terms of tactics?

As for Chelsea, their win at Villa Park felt like everything had clicked after a disjointed couple of weeks. Cole Palmer starting to thaw out, Pedro Neto with the attacking display that needs to happen week in week out. No Robert Sanchez in goal and the Blues looked a lot more confident at the back. Funny that.

Big Willy Style in the final minute of the game as William Osula’s wonder strike seeled three unlikely points for Newcastle. Jacob Ramsey sent off for two cautions. The second deemed as simulation. It felt harsh but there was definitely an extra movement. Whether he was expecting a clattering or not, who knows. It did not matter in the end,

As for Manchester United, no real harm done as they stay third in the table. Definitely their flattest performance since Michael Carrick took over but if you dial back from the start, it is still 16 points from the 21 that he has been offered. Not something that should be overlooked. This defeat will be overlooked if they beat Aston Villa next weekend.

Where’s the new manager bounce? You know that thing you are meant to get a new man in charge? Only Tottenham could make a change of coaching personnel and be worse because of it. Three successive defeats since Igor Tudor took hold of the managerial baton. Spurs have an absolute vice like grip on the Premier League Crisis Baton.

No crisis for Crystal Palace as they all but secure their Premier League status. Been a weird season for the Eagles but it is not over yet as they are in the Europa Conference League Round of 16. Nothing to play for domestically, the ideal parting gift from Oliver Glasner would be going all out in this competition and delivering the club more silverware.

To the surprise of hardly anybody, FIFA have announced that advertising breaks will be allowed during the hydration windows in this summer’s World Cup. 20 second adverts are permitted, the next step to quarters begins.

Obviously nothing will change on the BBC in the UK, it will be interesting to see if their counterparts ITV take up the opportunity in a similar way to their recent Six Nations scrum adverts.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East raises the obvious question regarding Iran’s participation. Should they decide or have the decision made for them regarding non-attendance, Iraq are lined up to take their place.

Problem is that most of the Iraq squad cannot get to the United States at present due to airspace issues. Still, less than 100 days to go and all that.

The FA Cup returns this weekend. Can Wolves beat Liverpool for the second time in less than a week. Can Newcastle finally slay Manchester City. Can Wrexham continue their fairytale. Don’t forget that most of it is behind a paywall.

The Arsene Wenger daylight offside concept has been signed off for a trial within Canada’s top tier. Will this be the silver bullet in terms of one the game’s biggest talking points or will it just make things worse.

Time will tell but at least actually trying it will give a better idea if its a bad idea or not. Then again, just because it is a bad idea does not mean it will be kicked into the long grass. Assistant referees may have their work cut out in the not too distant future.

No Premier League action this weekend, an extra week to pour over any much needed transfers.

Right, that’s the end of issue 79 as word continues to spread around the football world.

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Issue 80 drops Tuesday and I’ll be back with another round of insight, analysis and trends that matter. Any feedback or comments on this issue, contact me below:

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