Credit for McKenna and Hull a play-off force - Sam Parkin's EFL takeaways

[BBC]

With promotion, the play-off places and relegation all settled, former Swindon, Ipswich and Luton striker, and BBC Final Score pundit, Sam Parkin gives his takeaways from across the EFL.

McKenna deserves credit for Ipswich's promotion

Kieran McKenna has led Ipswich to promotion in three of the past four seasons [Shutterstock]

Kieran McKenna has led Ipswich Town back to the Premier League after just one season in the Championship and it is his third promotion in four years.

Parkin: "Ipswich must have learned lessons from the previous season, I suppose it's all about what type of player they get in. Maybe the benchmark now has become Sunderland, how they've attacked it, maybe not going for that Premier League experience and just signing the best players available to you from home and abroad. So that'll be really fascinating.

"What I will say is that the previous Ipswich team that got promoted was a real swashbuckling team, scored loads of goals, conceded plenty too.

"They're a bit different now, they're a bit more defensively minded. They've certainly let in a lot fewer goals. Maybe they had one eye on next season or maybe that's just how organically it's changed for them.

"I think Kieran McKenna deserves an incredible amount of credit. That's three promotions in four years and you have to question whether they'd have done it without him. Yes, he's been that important. If they'd had the uncertainty of changing manager, you never know.

"But I think even the most ardent of Ipswich supporters will say this is probably the least favourite of their most recent promotions and maybe that's because you're expected to go up, so you're there to be shot at.

"But still, for them, it would have been an incredible feeling and all the sweeter to do it at Portman Road."

Hull 'a force to be reckoned with' in play-offs

Hull City fans celebrate reaching the Championship play-offs [Shutterstock]

Hull City ended their six-game winless run to come from behind and beat Norwich City 2-1 at the MKM Stadium and reach the Championship play-offs, 12 months after they avoided being relegated on goal difference.

Parkin: "This is one of the stories of the EFL season. They were expected to finish nowhere near the top six after last season's struggles.

"They took a different kind of approach, signing Championship veterans, the likes of John Egan, Paddy McNair, John Lundstram and Oli McBurnie. These are guys that have been there and done it in the second tier.

"It's definitely been a different tact, in contrast to their more recent approaches, where they've signed a lot of players from the continent with varying degrees of success.

"I think appointing the manager, Sergej Jakirovic, has been a masterstroke. They were written off this season and they were the ones everyone thought would drop out of the top six.

"They had Norwich, probably the hardest game out of them Derby and Wrexham, because Norwich have had an unbelievable 2026, so full credit to Hull.

"And because of that experience, they're a force to be reckoned with because they don't give much away."

Stevenage a tough nut to crack in play-offs

Alex Revell is in his second spell in charge of Stevenage [Shutterstock]

Alex Revell has guided unfancied Stevenage to the League One play-offs - although they did need a 92nd-minute winner against Wigan from Dan Sweeney to secure their place.

Parkin: "Luton and Plymouth Argyle have really kept Stevenage honest in the last few weeks because their form has just been incredible and they have been very free scoring.

"Stevenage are not that, but they are a team capable of keeping it very tight, keeping lots of clean sheets and nicking a goal. That's been evident in their run-in and I think that's their 12th 1-0 of the season.

"That shows you they're hard to break down. They don't score many and I think only the bottom three have scored fewer than Stevenage, which tells its own story.

"They don't give much away and it'll be very interesting to see what happens when they take on Stockport in the play-offs.

"It's a massive well done to Alex Revell because they were nowhere near the promotion favourites this season. The Wigan game was billed as the biggest in their history and they got over the line, courtesy of quite a contentious goal I must say."

Caldwell's exit key to Exeter's relegation

Matt Taylor was previously manager of Exeter from June 2018 to October 2022 [Shutterstock]

Exeter City have been relegated from League One after a traumatic season, which saw Gary Caldwell leave for Wigan and Matt Taylor return and fail to keep them up.

Parkin: "It was destabilising for the players to lose Gary Caldwell midway through the season when they were going particularly well.

"By my reckoning, they wouldn't be in this predicament if they had the continuity of Gary remaining as manager. Then you had a period where the interim was in charge before Matt Taylor came back, and he was the reason they were in League One.

"Ultimately, it was too little, too late and they had an over-reliance on Jayden Wareham, who's had a really good season in terms of goals.

"They had quite a formidable back three for a period of the season and I think injuries to two of them has cost them as well.

"They're a pretty well-run club, Exeter, and you would hope that they'll get their ducks in a row and come back stronger next season."

Cambridge promotion a brilliant achievement

Neil Harris has led Cambridge to promotion in his first full season with the club [Shutterstock]

Cambridge United's 0-0 draw with Crewe was enough to earn them automatic promotion back to League One after they were relegated 12 months ago.

Parkin: "I'm delighted for Cambridge. I played my first ever football alongside Neil Harris as my strike partner, so I've got a soft spot for Neil.

"He got Millwall promoted previously, he had to drop down to League Two and it's a job well done.

"It's the defensive record which jumps out at me about Cambridge. There are different ways to skin a cat and it's not all about free-flowing beautiful football and outscoring the opposition. They've conceded 33 goals, which is an incredible achievement.

"They've got one of the best home records in the league and they've only lost two home games all season.

"People outside might have thought it maybe looked a little bit peculiar with Mark Bonner, who's a previous manager, becoming the director of football, but it's proved to be a masterstroke.

"Him and Neil are two local guys, who've got the best interests of the club at heart, and if you have that, good things can happen and this a brilliant achievement for them."

Sam Parkin was talking to BBC Sport England's David Anderson