The battle to beat the drop rests between Albion and Stoke, according to the most successful manager in the First Division.

Harry Redknapp, boss of leaders Portsmouth, reckons Steve Coppell's side or the Potters will join Sheffield Wednesday and Grimsby in the Second Division next season.

Redknapp told The Argus: "It's certainly looking tight. Steve Coppell has done a magnificent job at Brighton to get them back into contention.

"It's looking more and more like four teams. I doubt if Walsall will get sucked in.

"Brighton are bang in form. Stoke got a great result at Ipswich on Saturday and Sheffield Wednesday have had a couple of great results against Coventry and Leicester. Grimsby were the ones looking out of form before their draw at Nottingham Forest on Monday.

"It's really difficult to choose. I was talking to Steve the other week and I know they have got a tough run-in, but I think Brighton or Stoke will get out of it."

Ipswich will have a big say in the demotion dogfight. They visit Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, then entertain Albion the following Saturday.

Town chief Joe Royle is backing Coppell to steer the Seagulls to safety. He said: "Steve is a close friend and I've got a lot of time for him. He has always done a good job with clubs with small budgets and he is a great motivator.

"I know when we got a draw at Brighton we were quite pleased to come away with that result. I would say at this time Brighton have slightly the best chance of ecaping relegation."

Nigel Worthington, the man at the helm of Ipswich's East Anglian neighbours Norwich, disagrees.

"I still fancy Sheffield Wednesday to beat the drop and not just because they are my former club," he said.

"They did well to turn around a two goal deficit into a 2-2 draw against us at Hillsborough and that is the sort of spirit that will keep them in this division."

Derby's John Gregory was in the Albion team which stayed in the First Division and sent Norwich down by winning their last four games in 1980-81.

Gregory believes it could go to the final day again. "It looks like three from four and back to back wins by any of those can make a huge difference," he said.

"We have seen in the last month how one of the teams can suddenly jump out of the bottom three and then fall back in after a bad result. That looks like it will continue for the rest of the season.

"It is very similar to what is happening at the bottom of the Premier, where again three from four look like scrapping it out."

Former Scotland coach Craig Brown, now in charge of next month's Withdean visitors Preston, is also non-committal.

"It's too close to call," he said. "They have all been showing a bit of form and they are all capable of getting out of it."