EFL pundit Andy Hinchcliffe has praised Watford for changing their head coach when they did but still thinks they will require the playoffs to earn promotion to the Premier League.

Speaking on the Sky Sports EFL podcast, Hinchcliffe said that the next six matches will be crucial for Watford, Swansea and Brentford, who he has backed to claim the second automatic promotion spot.

Norwich City are ten points clear at the top of the table and look to have all-but gained promotion back to the top flight, leaving a scrap between the Hornets, the Swans and the Bees for the coveted second place.

While Hinchcliffe said Watford were achieving more than he expected them to in recent weeks, he still feels that they will need the playoffs to achieve their goal of promotion this season.

"If you look at the next six games, they're crucial, crucial games for Brentford," he said.

"The form that they are in, they aren't playing any of the teams in and around them in the table, is that a good thing? Is that a bad thing? We'll soon find out. As we know in the Championship, on its day, anybody can beat anybody.

"I think it's crucial games for Watford more than anybody. In the next six, they've got Cardiff, Middlesbrough and Reading out of those six fixtures - not that it's going to be all sorted out in the next six games - but we could have a better idea in six games' time.

"I would still hang my hat on Brentford, I still feel that Brentford are in the top two teams in terms of quality of teams in this division. But Watford, with the change of coach, change of formation, they are a lot more dangerous and they've picked up more than I expected them to do.

"You have to give them credit for changing it so they are right in the mix, but it's absolutely wide open."