Exits & borrowed time - things to watch in the EFL

ByKate Holloway

BBC Sport England

The march to March is almost complete and those sides with ambitions falling awry could be considering an early spring clean - something West Bromwich Albion started earlier this week.

Eric Ramsay only lasted 44 days at The Hawthorns and there are a couple more bosses out there who are hoping the dust will settle before they get wiped away too.

But with the end of the season fast approaching, have they got the time to salvage their positions or is their departure imminent?

Here are five things to look out for in the EFL this weekend.

Eric Ramsay arrived at West Bromwich Albion as a gamble. Another young, untested manager in the image of his predecessor Ryan Mason tasked with getting the Baggies out of their rut.

44 days later, Ramsay has been sent packing and things are looking rather bleak at The Hawthorns.

The Shrewsbury-born Welshman did not pick up a single win in his nine games in charge to leave the Baggies hovering just one point above the drop zone.

Now first-team coach James Morrison is forced to take interim charge at a pivotal time in the Championship relegation battle - and their next game could be the most important of all.

Albion make the trip to fellow strugglers Oxford United on Saturday (15:00 GMT) and could find themselves in the relegation zone at kick-off if Leicester pick up a point at Norwich at lunchtime.

West Brom face all four sides currently in the play-offs before the end of the season, so beating Oxford could well be a must for their survival hopes.

Life as a Championship manager runs in the fast lane... so quick that before you know it you end up back at the place you once called home donning a brand new club crest on your chest.

That's the case for several second-tier bosses on Saturday - but who will enjoy their reunions?

Mark Robins takes his Stoke side to leaders Coventry hoping their win over Oxford on Wednesday will kickstart their season once again having fallen from second before Christmas to 13th.

Derby boss John Eustace hosts former side Blackburn Rovers, who despite a loss to Bristol City in midweek have improved under new boss Michael O'Neill. The Rams need to get back to winning ways after back-to-back defeats has seen them lose ground on the top six.

Alex Neil takes his high-flying Millwall side to Preston's Deepdale, a club he managed for four years, as the Lions seek to close the gap on second-placed Middlesbrough before Boro visit Birmingham on Monday.

Warmer weather may be on the horizon but Northampton Town boss Kevin Nolan may be skating on thin ice.

His Cobblers side have lost their past three games to drop into the relegation zone but, crucially, their fate is far from sealed.

A win on Saturday against neighbours Peterborough could see them climb out of the bottom four and give a much needed boost to fans who saw former boss Jon Brady's Port Vale beat them at Sixfields on Tuesday.

"We really believe we can turn a corner and hopefully that's going to be here on Saturday," Nolan told BBC Radio Northampton.

"We know it's going to be a really good atmosphere and hopefully we can turn a derby day game into a victory and get everyone back on side and get everyone believing again."

There's a classic question when it comes to battle - what's better, attack or defence? We might find out the answer when MK Dons face Cambridge United in League Two.

MK Dons have a scoring prowess like no other in League Two, so much so that only Coventry City (70) and Cardiff City (64) have netted more goals than the Dons' 62 across the EFL.

Meanwhile, Cambridge run such a tight ship that only two sides fighting for the Premier League title - Arsenal (21) and Manchester City (25) - have conceded fewer goals than the U's 26 within the top four flights.

The two sides, both rich in form, will meet at Abbey Stadium in a test to see if attacking power can overcome an almighty defence. However, the result will be more than philosophy.

Should one prevail, they will keep their spot in the top three - and in the case of Cambridge, could end the day at the top of the fourth tier.

But a loss could see one of their trailing rivals in Notts County and Swindon Town pounce and given just how close the promotion race is getting, staying ahead could be a deciding factor come the end of the season.

Walsall's winless run of five league games feels familiar, doesn't it?

Just like last season when they squandered a huge 15 point cushion in the promotion race to eventually lose in the play-off final, the Saddlers seem unable to sustain an excellent first half to their campaign and are fizzling out in the second.

It's put boss Mat Sadler under the microscope and now that the board are calling for results, it feels like they won't be so forgiving this time around.

"Football's a brutal business at times - you can be the perfect man for the job a month ago and then that changes but it changes back very quickly," Sadler told BBC Radio WM.

"I'll be fighting and keep believing that we'll get back on that front foot and play the way we've always played. You have to, otherwise what's the point?"

Walsall will only have to make a short trip to Shrewsbury on Saturday but they take on the division's form side.

Salop have won five successive league matches under head coach Gavin Cowan to take them 12 points clear of the relegation zone.