Five games left, this is the bottom of D3:

With 45 points needed to be 100% sure to avoid relegation, we can be sure that Gladbach are gone, and their manager Ken jumped two games ago before he was pushed. Ken had amassed a paltry 5 points in twelve games since his halt-time team-talk, while the interim caretaker manager is unbeaten with a win and draw so far.... Gladbach look certain to play D4 football next season for the first time in their history.

It's almost certainly not going to require 45 points this season to avoid the drop, but next most likely are Twente. Manager Jamie Alldridge some mistakes in the transfer market and which he's been trying to rectify all season. He's managed 18 points from fourteen games since, but even if he keeps that level up it's not enough to stay up, and probably not enough to avoid the bottom three and the sack.

Stuttgart have managed just 13 points from 14 games, and that's seen them drop into the sack zone since the halfway mark. Manager Feargal Hickey joined in controversial circumstances from Atalanta after Tharani took the vacant Manchester United job. Tharani had taken Stuttgart from D5 to D3 in consecutive seasons so was a hard act to follow. Only Hickey himself had done the same in S2 and S3, and he won the Top 100 Shield!

Under another former Atalanta manager (and also a former Gladbach boss) Attila Olah, Galatasaray have taken 15 points from 14 games since Ken's halfway review and they remain in the drop zone. After just missing out on the playoffs last season, Gala - like Gladbach - could be playing D4 football for the first time in their history next season.

Hoffenheim were in D1 three seasons ago, but are now flirting with a return to D4 for the first time since S5. Under Anthony Guardiola, they have taken 17 points from 14 games since the halfway mark, and if they can continue their relative uptick in form compared to the four teams floundering below them, they'll be fine.

It's a similar story for Liege, who look like they will just be able to do enough to survive under Attlio Bonnici. Critics might argue they should be doing much better!

Cruzeiro are in an awful run of form, but even if they lose their last five that could still have enough points already to survive simply because the teams in the bottom four are so poor.

Here's the top of the D4 table with six games to play:

With 60 points needed to "guarantee" a playoff place, 67 points for the top three, and 73 for the title, it actually looks like none of the teams are likely to reach the points totals that would "guarantee" those finishing positions this season. Whether that's down to a lack of quality or increased competition, or a combination, I don't know, but it makes for an exciting run-in.

Leaders Brugge have a four point cushion and are looking for a second successive promotion and a return to D3 after seven seasons in the lower divisions under long-time boss Davy V.

Sevilla are on the long road back to D1, and who better to lead them there than the old dinosaur himself Mr TRX. Only the Mckenzies, Guri and ALB have won more division titles than Malcolm!

Olympiacos have made good progress under Master T over the last four seasons.

Like the three clubs above, Fiorentina are nother team doing well under a progressive manager Andy Martin. They will hope their run to the Cup Final won't hinder their promotion chances. Fiore have one of (if not) the most unfortunate histories in Top 100 with four successive relegations in S7 to S10 that saw them plummet from D1 to D5.

Lille have been there or thereabouts in six of the last eight seasons, including promotion in S19. Have they got what it takes to go up and stay up?

CSKA are another progressive team, and like Lille had a recent promotion followed by immediate relegation. In fact, CSKA have had five promotions in their history, four of which have been followed by relegation the next season (other other time relegation came the season after next).

Another Moscow club Lokomotiv are really doing better than they hoped for at this stage. Promotion might be too soon?

It's hard to imagine Wolfsburg in D1, but that's where they spent S6 and S7. In fact, the once mighty Wolves had never been as low as D4 until The Special Gyan guided them there in S14. The club got a severe nosebleed under the glory days of Niall Taylor, who took them to two titles and up to D2 in three seasons.

Finally, Monaco have had an up and down career in Top 100 with four promotions and six relegations in their 21 seasons to date.

I think D4 is too close to call and a lot can change in the last six games. None of the teams look to have the consistency or quality to dominate, and luck will play a big part in who goes up and who misses out.

The bottom of D4 currently looks like this:

44 points are usually needed to "guarantee" not finishing in the bottom three and getting sacked. (45 points to avoid relegation).

With six games to play, Montpellier should feel reasonably secure, but haven't won in their last six games and have picked up just three points.

Manager Stuart Monteith has led something of a resurgence in recent seasons as well as providing the club with much needed stability as their longest serving manager.

Zenit are traditionally the club no one wants, even having three managers in one season (S10)! Their D1 heyday under current Torino boss L H's stewardship are a distant memory, although they had a revival under Mark Stewart who took them back to D2 as recently as S19.

Two successive relegations have seen them playing their first ever season in D4 this time around under another new manager J Walker. A third consecutive drop would be hard to stomach for Zenit fans.

PSV are another club with quite a turnover of managers, and until S18 had never dropped into D5. Padraig Corcoran's disastrous four seasons in charge saw them fall to the foot of D5. Manager Chris East transformed the club's performances securing promotion in his first season against the odds. Can they do enough to survive their first season back?

Ajax are staring down the barrel of D5 football next season a third consecutive relegation (and a second in two seasons for current boss Syed Shah), which would be a disaster for the once proud D1 and D2 yo-yo club.

Their first season aside, Ajax have had management stability with just two managers prior to Shah. It's certainly arguable with hindsight that the club acted hastily in dismissing two long-serving managers, neither of whom wanted to leave.

On the plus side, they've had a recent uptick in form, and you would think they have the quality to stay up.

Augsburg came close to promotion last season, so it's been something of a surprise to see them struggling all season this time. Manager Paddy D jumped ship during the season, and new boss Anmol Satam has struggled to turn things around. They're unbeaten in the last four, however, so that's certainly cause for hope.

Former Zenit boss L H's Torino have a mountain to climb. This is their fourth season in D4 which is already a record for the most seasons outside of D5.

Atalanta finished a creditable 8th under previous boss Feargal Hickey last season after promotion from D5 in S20. They look doomed to return this time, though, and Hickey has moved on to Stuttgart, leaving new gaffer Russell Jordan with a baptism of fire (just two wins in eighteen games).

For my money, Atalanta and Torino will be joined by Zenit in the bottom three, and I think Augsburg may just fail to catch Montpellier for the final relegation spot.

The top of D5 looks like this with six games to play:

According to my latest stats, Shakhtar under new manager Dan W can celebrate promotion now, and need only one more point to be sure of the D5 title. Quite a turnaround from last season!

With 66 points needed to "guarantee" a top three finish, it looks like two from the next three.

Rubin Kazan have only ever been promoted once - in S10 under Dave Inglis. Not even Doc could manage that! Current boss Frank Tyson has had them knocking on the door in two of the last three seasons. Will this be their turn?

Independiente are on course for their best ever league season - better even than under Gregg Robinson! In fact, if they do go up, it will be their first promotion after 22 seasons in D5. That would be a nice way to follow up last season's shock Shield win.

Boca Juniors are another team who have been knocking on the promotion door in successive seasons, but without success.

With 58 points needed to be sure of a playoff place, the above three look certain of that barring complete collapse in the final straight.

Of the chasing pack, AZ Alkmaar won the D5 title as recently as S18 under manager Golden Bear (who like Dan W this season transformed his bottom place team from the previous season).

Dynamo Kyiv's best days were winning D3 in S14 under Alessandro Ioli, but current boss Chris Baggio has fostered Ukrainian talent to begin the long road back to glory.

The Fall and Rise and Fall Again of Basel is one of the great stories Top 100. They won the D5 Playoffs in S7 under Dr Martinez five seasons later they were in D1. Within another six seasons they were back where they started.

Current manager Josh McMillan took a lot of criticism after four seasons going ever downwards in the table, but this time around has splashed the cash and got the results to match.

Villarreal, Newcastle and Marseille are all outside the top 7 waiting to pounce if one or more of the teams above suffer an end of season collapse in form.

The bottom half of D5 looks like this currently:

With 18 points left to play for, I can't see any of the sides from Spartak down getting the 46 points in total that would guarantee avoiding the bottom three and the sack.

So that means it's three from five....

Chievo are six points adrift of 17th place and that already looks far too big a gap to close. It's a long time since their Harmer heyday!

Lazio have invested heavily in some better quality players recently, and they must be favourites to escape this time around as a result. It's even longer since Lazio were a D1 club! (But only seven seasons since they were in D2!)

Dynamo will want to avoid a second successive bottom three finish following relegation from D4 last season.

Another former D1 club Lyon, and another Moscow club Spartak (who started Top 100 life in D2), have a two point advantage (massive win for Lyon last night!), which could be crucial, but Lyon's leaky defence could be their undoing at the end.

A tough debut season for Spartak manager Ben!

Who will get sacked? Who will survive? Who deserves to fight another season?