EFL preview: Winter resurgences and winless runs

Marti Cifuentes has taken QPR from bottom to 10th in the Championship, while Miron Muslic has a big task on his hands at Plymouth

Have we ever mentioned that the English Football League is relentless? The games just keep on coming.

Within 48 hours of the final whistles going on Wednesday to conclude a midweek round of Championship fixtures, it all gets going again for another on Friday.

And then add in the thrills and spills of League One and League Two we have in store after the 1-1 "Hollywood derby" on Thursday.

Here's a look at some of the key talking points before the weekend's EFL action.

Promotion chasers v basement battlers

Sheffield United under Chris Wilder have won more Championship games than any other side this season (18)

There are a few games this weekend involving sides with contrasting immediate ambitions - some trying to go up, some trying to stay up.

Sheffield United kick things off on Friday, looking for a fourth consecutive win to go above Leeds at the top of the Championship, at least until the Whites face Burnley on Monday.

The Blades take on Hull City, who beat Millwall on Saturday but suffered defeat at home to QPR in midweek and are aiming to climb out of the bottom three.

On Saturday, West Bromwich Albion will look to get their bid for a play-off spot back on track following a 2-0 loss at Middlesbrough in Tony Mowbray's first game as returning head coach.

Portsmouth are the visitors to the Hawthorns, fresh off the back of two consecutive victories - first over Boro last weekend then against Stoke City on Wednesday.

Pompey might soon find themselves out of the 'basement battlers' category if they can carry their excellent home form on the road with them and pull further away from the bottom three.

Sunderland are four points off the automatic promotion spots and welcome a Plymouth side that are rock-bottom and six points adrift from safety.

Can Plymouth escape the mire?

Plymouth have conceded 60 goals in the Championship - 13 more than any other side

Things have gone from good to bad to utterly bleak for Plymouth in the space of 11 days.

Miron Muslic took charge of his first game on 14 January, just three days after Argyle's memorable shock FA Cup third-round victory at Premier League side Brentford.

It ended in a 1-1 draw with Oxford before the Pilgrims suffered a 1-0 defeat at home by QPR last Saturday.

But Wednesday's 5-0 battering at the hands of Burnley only compounded Plymouth's woes and put the size of the monumental task facing Muslic under the microscope.

That heavy defeat made it 14 league games (D6 L8) without a win for Plymouth, who have the least potent attack (25 goals in 28 games) and the worst defence in the division by some distance.

Their 60 goals conceded are 13 more than the next leakiest backline - Luton with 47.

Without an away win all season, a trip to the Stadium of Light looks ominous, but if Argyle could pull off a positive result, it might just go some way to regaining confidence - something they desperately need to get out of trouble.

Resurgent Os and Hoops in play-off bids

Richie Wellens has guided Leyton Orient to nine wins in their past 14 games

When Leyton Orient lost 2-0 at home to Huddersfield on 26 November, they were 21st in League One, a point from safety in the relegation zone and 12 points off the top six.

A challenge for the play-offs seemed unthinkable, but an astonishing nine-game unbeaten run since - seven wins and two draws - has propelled them up to eighth and just three points off Stockport in sixth.

Orient welcome fellow play-off chasers Reading this weekend in what promises to be a key game in the race to go up.

Similarly, QPR have gone under the radar somewhat in the Championship.

From bottom of the table on 23 November, eight wins from their past 12 games have lifted the Hoops to 10th, just four points off the play-off places before their game with Sheffield Wednesday.

That's quite the turnaround for two teams seemingly on parallel paths over the past two months.

Will winless runs ever end?

Luton and Millwall are both winless in their past six games

There are 11 teams across the EFL that cannot seem to buy a win at the moment.

In the Championship, as well as Plymouth there are two other teams in freefall who will meet when 23rd-placed Luton welcome 17th-placed Millwall.

The Hatters are under new stewardship in the shape of Matt Bloomfield, but they have drawn one and lost one since he took over, extending their winless run to six games (D1 L5).

The Lions have won just one of their past 13 (D6 L6) and also have not tasted victory for six matches (D3 L3), so perhaps something will have to give at Kenilworth Road.

Meanwhile, Derby, who have suffered five defeats on the bounce, travel to Cardiff - a point above them - for a vital game in the relegation battle.

League One's bottom side Cambridge United under Garry Monk have won just one of their past 13 games (D5 L7)

In League One, Wycombe can overtake Birmingham at the top of the table if they beat Northampton, who are struggling at the other end.

Exeter take on Blackpool in a contest between sides that have both seen points dry up in recent weeks.

A run of five games without a win (D2 L3) has seen the Grecians slip to 14th, while Steve Bruce's Blackpool, who are one place below, have now played six games since their last victory, albeit only one of those was a defeat, at high-flying Wrexham.

Peterborough have won only once in 11 games and have gone seven without victory (D3 L4) before their trip to Lincoln.

Relegation strugglers Crawley are on a run of six games without a win (D2 L4) and travel to play-off challengers Stockport, while bottom side Cambridge are seven without a victory (D2 L5) and host Mansfield.

And in League Two, Gillingham have been in freefall mode since winning six of their opening eight games to sit top of the division on 28 September.

The Gills lost five in a row in October before steadying the ship with three wins and two draws from their next seven matches.

But they have hit another particularly barren run since the Christmas period, losing four on the bounce to take their winless run to five games (D1) and slipping to 16th before a trip to strugglers Tranmere.

Barrow have also not won in five (D2 L3) and have only recorded one victory in 15 matches since 5 October (D6 L8). They welcome Grimsby, looking to put an end to the rut.

The weekend's grand finale

Burnley beat Leeds 1-0 at Elland Road in September

What better way to round off the EFL action this weekend than with one of the biggest games of the season?

Championship leaders Leeds United make the trip to Burnley, who are third and just three points behind the Whites.

Both sides are scrapping it out to finish in the top two automatic promotion spots and secure a return to the Premier League. They also both come into this in excellent form.

The Clarets are unbeaten in their past 15 games (W9 D6), have kept 19 clean sheets this season, and have by far the best defence in the Championship (only nine goals conceded).

Leeds are undefeated in their past 10 matches (W7 D3) and boast the best attack in the division with 53 goals scored.

Get the popcorn, or maybe a warming pie, at the ready on Monday evening.