Former Peterborough United and Hull City striker – and Final Score pundit – Aaron McLean gives his five takeaways following Saturday’s action as things start to heat up across the Championship, League One and League Two.

It is happy days for Middlesbrough and Will Lankshear as they sit two points clear at the top of the Championship following their 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic, with two more goals from Lankshear taking his tally to 13 in 13 league games since his £20m summer move from Tottenham.

McLean: “Before a ball was kicked this season, I said Will Lankshear would be an England international in the next few years. I watched him at Oxford last season and I loved the way he played and the way he scored goals in a struggling team.

“He’s got something, that X-factor. Now he’s showing exactly why Middlesbrough spent £20m on him. The biggest thing for Boro is making sure they get promoted with him in order to keep him.

“The longer he keeps up this type of form, he’s just giving himself a bigger price tag and a bigger reputation and before long, bigger clubs will be coming and saying, ‘We need a Will Lankshear in our side’.

“I think England is too soon. For his progression, I don’t think he needs to be thrown into that limelight yet. He just needs to make sure he has a good season, finish top goalscorer in the Championship, get himself into the Premier League and then those type of questions will be asked.”

West Ham’s problems at the London Stadium continued as they conceded three for the second Saturday running to lose at home to West Bromwich Albion, with all of three of their Championship defeats this season coming in front of their own fans.

McLean: “West Ham just don’t seem to be handling the pressure. The fanbase is very split in terms of whether they want Nuno Espirito Santo in charge but the thing you have to do when playing for West Ham in front of 60,000 fans is put in a performance and if you’re in the Championship, you have to win.

“What is the reason for them conceding so many early goals at home and not scoring themselves? Are they not paying the opposition enough respect or are the opposition thinking they start slowly and they’ve got a soft underbelly and they can get themselves a goal. Whatever it is, it needs to be addressed and fixed.

“When you have a lovely stadium and playing surface, teams want to go there and enjoy it. If you make your home ground a fortress, that can work for you but at the moment, the London Stadium is not a fortress and teams are going there and enjoying the experience, which is the total opposite of what West Ham need.”

Southampton are purring nicely in the Championship, especially at St Mary’s after a convincing 4-1 win over QPR leaves them in fifth. After last season’s Spygate controversy, the Saints and Tonda Eckert are bouncin back strongly.

McLean: “Southampton are doing brilliantly. They’ve obliterated their four-point deduction at the start of the season and without that, they would be sitting second.

“I just think it was the right thing for the club to keep Tonda Eckert. They respect how good he is and how well motivated and organised the club and the team are under him.

“Yes, mistakes were made last season but they have put that behind them. If anything, there is even more reason for them to kick on and go and get promoted this season and right the wrongs of last season.

“Everyone is playing to their level and that’s the difference between them and say, West Ham. James Ward-Prowse is back playing the football we were used to when he was at Southampton before. James Bree, who went out on loan last season, has come back in and is playing out of his skin.

“They also have that siege mentality about them of, ‘Everyone wants us to fail’ because of what happened in May. It’s them against the world and it’s working for them.”

Luton Town made it four straight wins in League One after a 2-0 success at Peterborough United. They rose to fourth and have a trip to leaders Huddersfield Town on Tuesday as Jack Wilshere’s side bid to demonstrate they have what it takes to get into the promotion race.

McLean: “League One is extremely tight, but are Luton top-two contenders? I wouldn’t say so, just yet.

“They are capable of being in and around it and being in the play-offs, but I feel there are a few better clubs, who are more consistent.

“Promotion is a must for the Hatters this season, I don’t think anything else will be acceptable and I’m sure that’s what Jack Wilshere’s expectations are.

“But their level of consistency needs to improve. They’re not as consistent as Huddersfield or Stockport and I would put Bradford in there – although they are struggling to score goals since Michael Duff went in, but they are keeping clean sheets.

“A club like Luton will be looking to break into that pack and if they put a sustained run together, there is no reason why they can’t.”

After their incredible Carabao Cup penalty shootout triumph over champions Arsenal in midweek, it was back to League Two matters for Fleetwood Town and the Cod Army responded with an important 3-1 home triumph over out-of-form Bristol Rovers after beginning the day in 18th place.

McLean: “What an incredible achievement in knocking out Arsenal. For the club, for everyone involved. I spoke with (assistant head coach) Mark Yeates when the fixture first came out and since the Arsenal result and the place is absolutely bouncing.

“Today was the first of six league fixtures between now and the quarter-final with Everton and it is important to get their League Two form in order. They had lost five out of their past seven in the league so it was really important they got three points.

“Now they have more five more before welcoming Everton to make sure they go into that in a good league position and don’t let the cup run hinder what they’re trying to achieve.

“Fleetwood were up against top quality opposition and for them to come through it in the manner they did, full credit to them.

“I’m glad they got another home draw because it gives them another chance and they’ll go into that Everton tie absolutely full of belief that they can go exactly what they did against Arsenal.”

Aaron McLean was speaking to BBC Sport England’s Adam Lanigan