Leeds

Cardiff went into the International break on a high after thumping Wolves 4-1 at home in their last match. It was easily the most impressive performance from Malky Mackay’s side thus far this season but there were definite signs that they were close to rediscovering their best form. They started the season with a narrow victory over Huddersfield at home where they relied on a late goal to clinch the spoils. In truth, it was a game that the visitors were the better side but they failed to take their chances and paid the penalty as a result. Sandwiched in between those home successes was a draw and a loss on the road against Brighton and Bristol Rovers respectively. Teams who miss out in the play-off’s can often have a hangover at the beginning of the following season but it’s testament to the consistency that the club have shown in recent years that they are nearly always in and around the promotion picture, season after season. The challenge for Mackay and his players is to go that one step further and gain promotion to England’s top division.

Leeds have been nowhere near as consistent as the they face on Saturday which has proved to be their downfall in recent season. They seem to start the campaign strongly, but ultimately, they are unable to sustain it over the course of the entire season. Neil Warnock – who has earned promotion from the Championship with Sheffield United and QPR – was brought in for that very season, because he’s been the distance and has the capabilities required to instill that much needed discipline in sides. It’s too early to judge whether or not he has managed that at Elland Road as there has been a large turnover of players and the fact he is only just beginning his first full season as boss of Leeds. Their results – and form – thus far have been positive having only tasted defeat once, away to Blackpool. An opening day victory over Wolves and an away win at Peterborough was followed by an entertaining 3-3 draw at home to Blackburn in their last fixture before the break.

Acquiring Craig Bellamy on a permanent basis could prove huge providing they can keep the enigmatic forward fit for most of the season. He could easily hold his own in the top half of the Premier League so his quality and experience will prove invaluable in their quest for promotion. He’s not the only coup that Mackay and the ambitious owners have managed to pull off in terms of brining players to the club. Heidar Helguson, Nicky Maynard and Tommy Smith have all dropped down from the Premier League to join the Bluebirds and together they form a potent front line.

One of the best buys of the Championship this early on has been Leeds’ Rodolph Austin who has been very impressive in the centre of their midfield. Signed from Norwegian side Brann in the Summer, the Jamaican’s combative, box to box style of play has been a real winner with the Elland Road faithful and he looks a very good addition. He epitomises what Warnock sides are all about and it’s no surprise that he’s been a stand-out in the manager’s team already.

Cardiff v Leeds has been a grudge match for a while now and there is very little love lost between both sets of supporters. Leeds have certainly endorsed what Neil Warnock is all about and look as though they have enough about them to challenge for a play-off spot. Cardiff were hitting form just before the International break and they have an array of attacking options. It’s that which I think could just edge what should be a close encounter, in favour of the home side.

Cardiff 11/10 @ Ladbrokes

Cardiff v Leeds

Cardiff need a win to secure their play-off place but Leeds will not be doing anyone favours and should prove stubborn opponents.

I analysed Cardiff’s recent form last week before their match against Barnsley and felt that they were not getting the results their performances deserved. A week on and they have won back to back games in the league for the first time since the turn of the year. The determination showed at Oakwell last Saturday was followed up with a comfortable home win against Derby in midweek. Couple those wins with Middlesbrough’s recent capitulation means that the Welsh side should make it into the play-off’s yet again. Malky MacKay will of course not be counting his chickens yet and will be telling his players that they need to keep the momentum going in the next to regular season games before, hopefully, they find themselves competing against three other sides for a place in the Premier League. It can often take a side, who aren’t used to playing in cup finals, time to get over a defeat as painful as their penalty shoot-out loss to Liverpool in the league cup final, but if they have finally got that out their system then the Bluebirds could prove the shrewd pick to earn promotion such is their style of play.

Leeds will want to forget this season as soon as possible. For a club their size they simply haven’t performed and have failed to build on a promising season last time around. Simon Grayson paid the price for that failure with his job but his replacement Neil Warnock has been unable to work his magic with this squad of players in the limited time he’s been at Elland Road. There’s expected to be a massive cull in the summer and players are certainly playing for their futures but one thing is for sure, the Leeds United team that take the field in August will scarcely resemble the current group of players. Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat away to Blackpool was their fourth reverse in five games. Their one win came last weekend at home to Peterborough despite going a goal behind. Warnock will be hoping to end the season on some sort of positive with a couple of good performances in the next two games but failing that, there is little other than pride to play for, for the men in white.

Cardiff don’t usually win with lot’s to spare in way of big margins but they do have a habit of grinding out results and that is key at this stage of the season. Liam Lawrence has freshened things up since his move from Portsmouth and his goal against Barnsley could prove pivotal.

Leeds will not be there to make up the numbers on Saturday and these games do have a history of being fiercely fought encounters, with little love lost between both sets of supporters. With it being an early kick off as well on Saturday, there is a little extra spice added.

Cardiff have a four point cushion over ‘Boro for the final play-off spot but as mentioned previously, they will want to keep their good run going and that means getting another win on Saturday to secure their position in the end of season fixtures. It’s a game I can see being tight but that normally suits the home side and I think they will pick up all three points.

My Selection: Cardiff to beat Leeds

Best odds available: 8/11 available with Totesport

Championship

Tuesday 17^th April 2012 – Kickoff:  2000hrs

Blackpool will be keen to return to winning ways when they host Leeds at Bloomfield Road on Tuesday night, following two frustrating draws.

The Seasiders have been held to a 1-1 and 0-0 draw against Barnsley and Nottingham Forest respectively which has delayed cementing the Lancashire outfit’s play-off place and has added that little bit more pressure on them.

However, Blackpool have lost just once in their last seven matches which was an away defeat at Reading which is no disgrace, but they must bounce back with a win with the likes of Middlesbrough, Brighton, Leicester City and Hull City waiting in the wings to make a late claim for a play-off berth.

Blackpool’s home record stands at  11-7-3  37/21 and they’ve already beaten Southampton and Reading, along with draws against Birmingham City and Cardiff City, whilst losing to West Ham. So, you can see their record against the other top five teams at home isn’t bad.

The return from injury of Gary Taylor-Fletcher (7 goals, 10 assists) will certainly be a boost to them along with Ince (6 goals, 5 assists), Crainey (6 assists) and Baptiste (5 assists) providing the ammunition.

Visitors Leeds will have also been boosted by their 4-1 home win over Peterborough United on Saturday to give them a much-needed win, but it all appears to be too little too late for them this time around.

Their away form recently has been a bit sketchy with losses at league leaders Reading which is understandable but they previously lost at Coventry City back in February. Draws at Portsmouth and Hull City have held them back from making a late charge despite wins at Bristol City, Middlesbrough and Millwall.

Their away record stands at  8-6-7  30/25, and their inconsistency has held them back this term. However, they do possess one of the most potent attacking personnel in the form of McCormack (18 goals, 6 assists), Snodgrass (13 goals, 14 assists) and Becchio (10 goals) and they can still cause some serious problems up front.

If Leeds can keep hold of these three, and keep them fit, they will be one of the favourites to go up next year I daresay. Becchio missed quite a large portion of the season through injury and I think it would be fair to say that Leeds missed his contributions.

Blackpool need all three points in this one to keep up with the pace and fight off any gate-crashers and they’ll want to put it to bed against Leeds rather than wait for the local derby against Burnley or away at Millwall last game of the season. I’ll back Blackpool to edge it tonight 2-1.

Main Pick:  Blackpool straight win @ 1.80 Coral

Value Pick:  Blackpool AH-1 @ 2.31 Pinnacle

English Championship

Portsmouth v Leeds

Crisis club Portsmouth play host to Leeds and their new manager, Neil Warnock, at Fratton Park on Saturday.

Michael Appleton has had to contend with a lot of issues in his short time as manager of Portsmouth and for somebody so inexperienced; it must have been difficult for him. The 10 point deduction for going into administration again has meant that his side have slipped the relegation picture, currently occupying the third and final relegation spot. Their last match was a 2-0 defeat away to Barnsley where their problems were added to with the sending off of Dave Kitson. It means that the experienced striker will now be missing tomorrow and that comprises their current predicament even further as they also lost another forward in the shape of Erik Huseklepp who has been moved off the wage bill for the rest of the season with a loan move to Birmingham. Portsmouth will take heart from the fact they are pretty strong at home with only four defeats this season at Fratton Park. They’ll need that to continue if they wish to remain in the league beyond the end of the season.

Leeds parted company with Simon Grayson last month and took their time in naming the replacement. Neil Warnock was confirmed as the preferred candidate last weekend and he took his place in the stands to watch his new club come back from 2-0 down at home to local rivals Doncaster and win 3-2. It was a dramatic win but it could be pivotal in their quest for a play-off spot. Warnock will take charge for the first time tomorrow and will be determined to get off on the right foot to avoid any issues with the Leeds support, some of whom have questioned his appointment due to his past employment at one of their arch rivals – Sheffield United. Leeds know that in order to achieve their goal of promotion through the playoff’s they need to be far more consistent. They have not managed to win back to back games since December. Away from home their form has been decent, picking up six wins on their travels in the Championship. A win tomorrow would be the perfect tonic for the new manager and could also propel them into as high as 8^th and close the gap on the teams occupying the play-off positions.

Portsmouth have won just once in their last eight games so their form before the administration saga was certainly not great and there would have been a decent chance of them encountering problems with relegation anyway. Their last home win was their first game of 2012 so the fans will feel another win is long overdue.

Leeds do have a good record in this fixture and they will, as ever, take a big away support with them in the search for a vital three points. Robert Snodgrass and Ross McCormack will be key to their chances again as the two young Scottish forwards have been in prolific form this season.

The selection is a little more speculative than normal picks but with the state Portsmouth are in, aided by the new manager at Elland Road, I think Leeds are good value to take advantage and help themselves to a welcome three points.

My Selection: Leeds to beat Portsmouth

Best odds available: 7/5 available with Coral

LEEDS v BRISTOL CITY

Saturday 17^th September 2011 – Kickoff: 15:00hrs

Leeds United take on Bristol City at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon as the Yorkshire side look to gain back-to-back wins for the first time this season after their tense 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace last weekend.

When you look at their home record they’ve lost just one in their last nineteen which was a 0-1 reverse to Middlesbrough a few weeks ago. They currently sit mid-table and a win here today could take them to the edges of the play-off positions. However, Simon Grayson’s men are perhaps a bit fragile in these early weeks of this new season so approach a home win for Leeds with caution.

There are no doubts about their attacking prowess, and even with the likes of Jermaine Beckford and more recently, striker Max Gradel (to St Etienne) departing, experienced striker Mikael Forssell has joined the Elland road ranks, while Luciano Becchio should also figure at some stage. Former Wolves forward Andrew Keogh is also useful and his motivation will be to cement his place in the starting line-up.

Leading scorer is Ross McCormack (5 goals, 2 assists), and the ever-consistent Robert Snodgrass (1 goal, 3 assists) will always provide that killer ball, so Leeds continue to be in safe hands up front I feel. Their home record stands at  2-0-1  7/4.

Their Achilles heel seems to be at the back though, and will often concede soft goals from almost out of nothing. They have won their last two head-to-heads (2-0 away and 3-1 at home), but I am still not confident of a straight win.

Visitors Bristol City upset the early formbook when they beat Leicester City 2-1 last month, and do possess that knack of upsetting seemingly straight-forward home wins from time to time. Their other two matches on the road so far ended in a 1-3 loss at Cardiff City and a 1-1 draw at Doncaster Rovers.

Therefore, their away record stands at  1-1-1  4/5, and manager Keith Millen will be keen for his team to improve their away record from last season which finished up at  7-5-11 32/36 which placed them in an ordinary mid-table position.

Reliable forward Nicky Maynard (3 goals) who seems to have been around for a long time but is still only 24, will always possess a threat to opposition defences. Midfielders Albert Adomah, Neil Kilkenny, Marvin Elliott and Jamal Campbell-Ryce can all create chances, while strikers Brett Pitman and Jon Stead are lining up for starts following their 0-1 loss at home to Brighton last Saturday.

To summarise, I’m not 100% confident that Leeds will win this one, but I am more confident in taking the Over 2.5 goals option as Leeds are more than capable of scoring 2 goals while also confident that they’ll concede as well – hence a possible scoreline of 2-1 to Leeds United.

Pick:  Over 2.5 @ 1.75 Betfair

Thank God for that, football’s back – and it all kicks-off at the KC Stadium in Hull, which is a fitting place for the season to start, as I quite like the look of those Tigers.

Despite their mundane 11th-place finish, Hull had their moments last season, like going a staggering seventeen matches on the road unbeaten. It was actually their ordinary form at The KC that let them down come the end, but as everyone I’m sure has told you in their pre-season previews of either the Championshio or of Hull, it’s far easier to amend your form at home than it is elsewhere.

Furthermore, manager Nigel Pearson has seriously instilled some discipline and organisation throughout the team, in particular in defence, which was their strongest area last term; only three teams conceded fewer goals than Hull over the course of the season. Scoring them, however, was an issue; only three teams conjured fewer goals, and two of those ended up being relegated while the other escaped by the skin of their teeth. But that’s strange, as I see no reason why the forward personnel at the club of Aaron McLean, Matty Fryatt, Jay Simpson and summer signing Dele Adebola cannot put their heads together and come up with the goals needed to compliment their resolute back-line that would surely propel The Tigers into promotion territory.

Hull are available at handsome odds to stun bookies’ favourites Leicester City and West Ham, who I’ll discuss a little further on, while another team I’ve taken a fancy to at alluring odds is Ipswich Town – a club renowned for giving supporters false hope during the build-up to a new campaign which promises some kind of promotion push but only ends in collective desolation.

Roy Keane’s forgettable spell in charge of Ipswich has just about been forgotten, partly because his miserable spell in charge didn’t leave too much lasting damage. His replacement came in the form of former Wigan manager Paul Jewell, who has a great deal more experience then his predecessor and has slowly but surely restored confidence within Portman Road; guiding The Tractor Boys to a strong finish in an otherwise disappointing 2010-2011 season certainly helped his cause, when masterminding five victories from Ipswich’s final nine games.

Plus, Jewell appears to have done some shrewd business over the summer months. Fulham’s David Stockdale will take full control of the gloves after signing on a season-long loan; Ivar Ingimarsson and Tommy Smith will help shore up a defence that conceded too many last season, while in midfield, Grant Leadbitter will be partnered by the always combative Lee Bowyer, and the pair will provide the side with some useful steel in the middle of the park. Meanwhile, up front they have a plethora of individuals who could do some serious damage. Jason Scotland and Michael Chopra can both score goals in this division, while some direct-play and guile is brought to the table by former Arsenal youth product, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.

I’m going to presume that for most of you, looking past Leicester and West Ham for the Championship will prove a daunting task. I suppose you’re not to be blamed, both have exceptionally talented squads for this level and anything less than promotion for either would be both a turn up for the books and a massive disappointment for the fans. In terms of value, though, I just don’t see much in either – although that’s mainly due to my stubborn attitude when it comes to backing favourites in a large, competitive field.

Just about every fan in the land has got Sven Goran Eriksson’s Leicester (To Win Championship: 5/1 WilliamHill) on the brain. That’s because they’ve invested heavily in building a team strong enough to take a tough league – the fourth most-watched in Europe, so I’m led to believe – by storm, and they definitely could this season.

Last season, Leicester could score goals but struggled to prevent them being shipped at the other end. So Sven took the proverbial bull by the horns, as well as his cheque book in hand, and bought a whole load of players to bolster the club’s chances of restoring their top-flight status. Their defensive problem looked fixed when they signed arguably the best centre-half in the division in Matt Mills from Reading, for a large sum. Then the dosy Swede went and bought a pair of suicidal full-backs by the names of Paul Konchesky and John Pantsil, the latter an own-goal scoring machine.

On the whole, though, Sven has bought wisely. Kasper Schmeichel will do a job in goal (Signed from Leeds), Matt Mills and Sean St Ledger are fantastic captures at the back, Michael Johnson and Gelson Fernandes arrive on loan deals and both played under Sven while at Man City, while David Nugent has added to their attacking options, just in case Paul Gallagher, Steve Howard, Martyn Waghorn or Darius Vassel fail to impress.

So then, The Foxes are certainly a force to be reckoned with this season. However, the quality within Sam Allardyce’s ranks at West Ham (To Win Championship: 5/1 WilliamHill) is keeping Leicester’s odds of success this season honest.

If those barmy Hammers aren’t blowing bubbles at Upton Park, they’re bouncing between divisions. And many rate their chances of promotion straight back to the promised land at the very first time of asking following a bottom-place finish in the Premier League, especially under a manager who promises results in former Bolton and Newcastle gaffer, Sam Allardyce.

‘Big Sam’ has freed up some funds by releasing some who were on catastrophic wage sums, with the likes of Matthew Upson, Kieron Dyer and Thomas Hitzlsperger all booted out the club. In the opposite direction came Matty Taylor from Bolton, Abdoulaye Faye from Stoke and Kevin Nolan from Newcastle, who has quickly been installed as West Ham skipper – which doesn’t sound at all promising for those fans desperate to see the club retain the services of Scott Parker, their captain for the last two seasons and whom won countless awards for his valiant displays last term.

Some useful individuals remain at Upton Park, though; including Robert Green between the sticks, James Tomkins in defence – who I do genuinely rate, Mark Noble, Jack Collison and Freddie Sears in midfield, while Carlton Cole and Frederic Piquionne really ought to help themselves to a hatful of goals this season should they not find new clubs before the end of the transfer window.

Outside of the ‘Big-Two’, the usual bunch lye in waiting, all with varying levels of potential and appeal.

Nottingham Forest (To Be Promoted: 4/1 SkyBet), now without Billy Davies at the helm, could be absolutely anything under Steve McClaren. The Reds don’t usually relinquish too many points at home either, so if Forest travel well under their mercurial tactician, who has done a fair bit of travelling himself of late, then another play-off could be on the cards.

Middlesbrough (5/1 Bet365) haven’t done much business over the summer, to the displeasure of both their manager, Tony Mowbray, and the fans, but play some decent stuff on the deck and could possibly surprise a few – although you cannot help but feel that Mowbray’s squad was crying out for some fresh, new faces.

Financial restraints at Reading (5/1 Coral) mean another play-off finish would be considered a successful campaign, this, of course, a club which narrowly missed out on promotion last season after losing to Swansea in the play-ff final at Wembley. However, perhaps if they could keep their sought after stars sweets, more notably midfielder Jimmy Kebe and forward Shane Long, then who knows, Brian McDermott’s men could surpass expectations again.

The two teams which gained automatic promotion from League One aren’t being ruled out of the equation, with bookmakers of the opinion that both Brighton (To Be Promoted: 6/1 Totesport) and Southampton (11/2 Totesport) are capable of causing a stir.

Brighton were dominant en route to securing the League One title, ending the season with some impressive figures; only two clubs scored more than them, while only Southampton conceded fewer. Moreover, their brand-spanking new Falmer Stadium is officially up-and-running, while in Gus Poyet the Seagulls have a manager who refuses to abandoned his principles of playing an attractive brand of pass-and-move football. Well, if they play with the same attacking intent as last season, they should be fine, especially with Craig Mackail-Smith slamming them home – who, by the way, became the club’s most expensive ever signing at a little over £2.5m.

Much of Southampton‘s promotion success was down to Nigel Adkins. The former Scunthorpe manager has transformed a youthful, exuberant Saints side into one that can certainly play football whilst getting the job done. Scrooge-like in defence but ruthlessly clinical in the final third, I don’t see Southampton having any problems with relegation this season. That said, I do think promotion is beyond them in their first season back in the second tier – but it is a shop window for some, Arsenal target Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to name but a few, so expect several decent performances from Adkins’ Saints over the course of the season, which should culminate in some sizeable scalps, in particular down at St Mary’s.

They were a breath of fresh air in their first ever spell in the Premier League, however Blackpool (Promotion: 6/1 WilliamHill) will probably require a good season or two to find their feet again, especially after losing their two stand-out performers from last season as Charlie Adam finally got his dream move to Anfield and QPR eventually got their man in striker DJ Campbell. Ian Holloway’s capture of midfielder Barry Ferguson from Birmingham is interesting, though.

Fans at Cardiff (11/2 Bet365) are optimistic about what the new season has in store, with former Watford chief Malky Mackay replacing Dave Jones at the Bluebirds helm. Strikers Jay Bothroyd and Craig Bellamy have left the club, but all that’s done is free-up some valuable funds. In their places are Robert Earnshaw, who is proven at this level, and former Rangers hitman Kenny Miller, who will appreciate being back in the British Isles but will be wary of how former SPL stars Scott MacDonald and Kris Boyd fared at Middlesbrough last term, which was miserably.

Another club who have undergone a major overhaul is Birmingham City (9/2 SportingBet). Alex McLeish controversially walked out on the club to join fierce arch-rivals Aston Villa, despite protests from the Villa faithful. Chris Hughton was his successor and although he has inherited a decent group of players who should quickly acclimatise to their new Championship surroundings, he may not have the likes of Scott Dann, Liam Ridgewell, Cameron Jerome or Nikola Zigic for much longer. Ben Foster has also joined West Brom on a season-long loan, with Boaz Myhill joining in the other direction on a similar deal; Steven Caldwell arrives from Wigan, while Marlon King was snapped up after starring for Coventry last season. So a mixed bag really, and while they have had this knack of bouncing back quickly, it is unlikely they’ll perform the same trick on this occasion.

Not much has happened with Leeds over the summer, nor at Portsmouth for that matter – though the latter will be delighted with that, as Posh have had to deal with their fair share of drama over the last couple of seasons.

At alluring odds, Burnley (7/1 bWin) and Derby (16/1 WilliamHill) look interesting; potential dark horses for promotion.

Eddie Howe’s Clarets only missed out on the play-off’s by a few points – okay, seven – however this will be his first full season in charge at Turf Moor and although he will have to sieve through a relatively small squad, his optimum XI will be a match for anyone on their day.

As for Derby, Nigel Clough’s men encountered so much bad luck last season; conceding an alarming amount of late goals yet rarely managing one themselves. However, the majority of their football wasn’t as bad as their finishing position of 19th would suggest. The board clearly have faith in their man, why else keep on a manager which failed to meet their targets last season, or hand him the necessary funds to complete eye-catching moves for goalkeeper Frank Fielding – on loan from Blackburn, Kevin Kilbane, Nathan Tyson, Theo Robinson and Jamie Ward; the latter three are strikers so Clough has clearly focused on Derby’s weakest area from last season, which was their inability to score goals regularly. The Rams are definitely worth a punt, I feel.

Despite scoring at a cantor in League One, newly-promoted Peterborough are among those tipped for relegation, along with Barnsley, Bristol City, Crystal Palace, Coventry, Doncaster and Watford.

Posh (Relegation: 5/2 VictorChandler) have lost several players who made scoring such a breeze last season, in particular striker Craig Mackail-Smith, who moved to Championship rivals Brighton. But everyone at the club are more humble and honest with their capabilities at this level than they were two seasons previous, when finishing rock-bottom at the end of the 2009-2010 Championship season, and the focus this time will be on consolidating their status as a second tier club.

The changes that have occurred at Barnsley (2/1 Bet365) over the summer have spiced things up a little; given supporters something new to ponder rather than the imminent threat of relegation yet again. Keith Hill left Rochdale to manage Barnsley’s first-team affairs and he hasn’t held back in stamping his mark on the team, recruiting half-a-dozen new faces during the off-season. Of those, Miles Addison has joined on loan from Derby, defender Rob Edwards is also on loan from Blackpool, but it’s Craig Davies, scorer of 25 goals as Chesterfield gained promotion from League Two last season, who could be the difference between The Tykes having an enjoyable campaign or fans having to typically endure the season near the foot of the table.

Hot favourites for the drop were Doncaster (9/4 VictorChandler) originally, and it’s easy to see why. When injuries hit them hard during 2010-2011, their threadbare squad was exposed for all to see. But one things for sure, Rovers battle gamely under Sean O’Driscoll, who has strengthened over the summer, bringing in Ryan Mason and Giles Barnes on loan from Tottenham and West Brom respectively, while Chris Brown, Kyle Bennett, Richard Naylor and Tommy Spurr also signed permanent deals. But there is still a distinct lack of physical presence in this squad which, in my honest opinion, leaves them exposed and worryingly vulnerable.

Coventry (15/8 PaddyPower) were a little unfortunate to lose top-scorer Marlon King during the summer, as the club basically took him in when no other dare would. But that’s the harsh nature of football these days. Even so, I reckon manager Andy Thorn, who performed minor miracles with limited resources to guide The Sky Blues to a reasonable finish of 18th, can get even more from a group who certainly aren’t the most talented bunch you’ll see this season but do have sparks in certain areas; Joe Murphy in goal and Freddy Eastwood up front are two examples.

Crystal Palace‘s Dougie Freedman worked wonders in convincing last season’s second most prolific goalscorer in League One, Glenn Murray, who scored 22 times as Brighton cruised to promotion, to swap Brighton’s Swanky new Falmer Stadium for Selhurst Park. Palace were crying out for a striker after amassing just 44 goals from 46 league games last season; the joint-second worst tally in the division, and Murray’s arrival could prove to be a stunning piece of business by Freedman. The club have evaded the clutches of relegation in each of the previous two seasons by the slimmest of margins, so fans would be appreciative if they could avoid the drop with a little more comfort this time around.

Betting Picks

Naps:

Hull City (To Win Championship: 30/1 WilliamHill – To Be Promoted: 7/1 Bet365)

Ipswich Town (To Win Championship: 22/1 WilliamHill – To Be Promoted: 6/1 bWin)

E/W Value: Derby County To Be Promoted @ 16/1 WilliamHill
To Be Relegated: Doncaster Rovers @ 9/4 VictorChandler

Here you will find our various multiple bets for this weekend’s action, in this instance: 28th December. These are the actual bets I, Matt, will place this weekend.

All of our picks have been carefully chosen through various methods, and the teams/matches highlighted below are by no means selected on a quim. However, on this occasion, no team news (Injuries/Suspensions) was taken into consideration.

I wish you the best of luck with your Acca’s/Multiples!

Four Homes: Manchester City, Burnley, Plymouth, Swindon

Odds: 13.12 (12/1) totesport

Four Aways: Manchester United, Barnsley, Cardiff, Shrewsbury

Odds: 62.53 (61/1) VictorChandler

Both Teams to Score (Goals Galore): West Ham V Everton, Bristol City V Crystal Palace, Burnley V Scunthorpe, Leeds V Portsmouth, MK Dons V Bournemouth, Swindon V Peterborough (6)

Odds: 33/1 BetFred

First Goalscorer Lucky 15: Tim Cahill (Everton), Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd), David Silva (Man City), Gareth Bale (Tottenham)

Returns (£4.50 Stake): £3,419.70 VictorChandler

Remember, keep your stakes low as Accumulators are a bookies best friend.

Here you will find our various multiple bets for this weekend’s action, in this instance: 26th December, Boxing Day. These are the actual bets I, Matt, will place this weekend.

All of our selections have been hand-picked with a lot of consideration; various forms of statistics, form and team news as well as our own blend of knowledge of the English leagues.

Four Homes: Everton, Crystal Palace, Cardiff City, Huddersfield

Odds: 12.87 (11/1) BetFred

Four Aways: Liverpool, Plymouth, Burton, Oxford

Odds: 89.92 (88/1) VictorChandler

Four Draws: Blackburn – Stoke, Leicester – Leeds, Charlton Athletic – Southampton, Shrewsbury – Bury

Odds: 139.23 (138/1) VictorChandler

Both Teams to Score (Goals Galore): Bolton – West Brom, Barnsley – Burnley, Bournemouth – Plymouth, Leyton Orient – MK Dons, Shrewsbury – Bury

Odds: 17/1 BetFred

First Goalscorer Lucky 15: Raul Meireles (Liverpool), Mikel Arteta (Everton), Stephen Hunt (Wolves), Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)

Return (Total Stake £4.50): 3,778 with VictorChandler

In case you were wondering why some of my main tips, those highlighted in articles, haven’t all been included, I try to refrain from combining my main tips with my multiples as it can lead to double heartache should they disappoint. For me, there’s nothing worse than seeing all your bets drown in one foul swoop.

Simon Grayson and Billy Davies come to face-to-face tomorrow in a clash which promises to leave absolutely no prisoners between Davies’ Nottingham Forest and Grayson’s Leeds United. Both these two sides suffered opening day defeats and may well be reeling still, but Leeds found the winning track in midweek, and in some style, smashing Lincoln 4-0 in the Carling Cup. The same couldn’t be said for Forest, who were sent packing following an extra-time loss at Bradford City. So will it be Leeds who continue to march forwards or will Forest drag them back and notch up their first win of the campaign?

We’re leaning towards the latter if truth be told. Billy Davies worked wonders with Forest last season and like a well breded stallion, primed and ready for the big time, they were pipped on the line by the rank outsider, which in this instance was Blackpool. By like Horse Racing form, Blackpool backed up their promotion form by leathering Wigan Athletic 4-0 away from home on Saturday, meaning Forest were beaten by a progressive sort. But Davies has retained his biggest performers from last season; Paul McKenna, Robert Earnshaw and Nathan Tyson, and were only narrowely beaten by one of the promotion favourites on the opening weekend, falling to a 1-0 defeat away at Burnley. Granted they didn’t began with the same confident swagger they played in throhghout the majority of last season, but they were the better side in the second half. Davies rotated his squad during their midweek defeat to Bradford, so cast that disappintment to one side if you would.

Despite regaining their composure to beat League Two Lincoln during the week, Leeds were outfought and outplayed at Elland Road by Derby County, who were then beaten 2-1 at home to Cardiff City yesterday to do their opening day victory over Leeds an injustice. Simon Grayson could only watch on as his team were ripped to pieces at the back whislt ensuring almost every mistake Derby made would go unpunished. It was evident that Leeds recently made the step up from League One and the gulf in class appeared far greater than it should of, seeing as Derby County aren’t a team we rate a great deal in this company. Plus, the Leeds manager had little option but to wave goodbye to his most prolific forward asset during pre-season, with Jermain Beckford, the player which knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup last season before later forcing Tottenham into a replay at Elland Road, leaving for pastures new with Everton in the Premier League. In fairness, the club did remarkably well to keep the player, now apparently of Premiership calibre, but they’re now reliant on Lucciano Becchio and Billy Paynter to score the goals to keep them in the division, which while they should do so doesn’t mean they will against the better equipped and more talented sides in the division, with Forest certainly entering into that category.

Considering Leeds were ousted at home last weekend by Derby County, Simon Grayson will need to rally his troops something wild in order to get them playing to the standard of Forest, who were more than a match for Burnley last Saturday for the most part. And Davies will welcome back a whole host of individuals which didn’t play in the Carling Cup during midweek, with Robert Earnshaw, Chris Gunter, Ryan Bertrand and Radi Majewski all returning from international duty, raring to go and desperate to taste that winning feeling once again. Forest are favourites tomorrow, and rightly so, they play far better team football than Leeds United and have more quality in the final to put away their chances, unlike Leeds. The 5/6 on offer with Bet365 may look a little slim but we think it’s a delightful quote for a team which will take on the beating on Sunday afternoon.

Matt’s Tip: Nottingham Forest to WIN – 5/6 (1.83) Bet365