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FA Cup betting will be torn on this quarter final. The Portsmouth saga rumbles on this season, with the crisis club uncertain of its future still, and boss Avram Grant not promising to stay. But they are still living the dream in the FA Cup, and it could be their one outlet to salvage something from the season. Their fans certainly deserve something, after the hardship of all the financial woes, and being unable to prise themselves off the bottom of the Premier League all season. They have fought well in the FA Cup this season, in contrast to the league, where everything piece of bad luck seems to go against them. They came through a potentially tricky tie in the 5th round, a derby match away at fierce rivals, neighbours Southampton.

A late burst of goals saw Pompey run out 4-1 winners, to book their quarter final fixture at home against Birmingham. They have encountered Birmingham once this season, back in August, when Birmingham won a close match, 1-0. Portsmouth have already beaten Premier League opposition in the FA Cup this year, taking out Sunderland 2-1, and now boss Avram Grant will hope to get a little closer to that silver lining of a miserable season, an FA Cup final appearance. They do have home advantage, and all in all, it is not a bad draw for them. Their opponents, although stubborn and resolute in their defence, haven’t been setting the Premier League alight in goals scored.

Birmingham, under Alex McLeish are enjoying a season of comparative success. They were enjoying a long unbeaten run, until coming unstuck a little bit of late, and that will give Pompey heart. Birmingham’s game has been built around defence, and they, like Portsmouth, do struggle for goals. This could mean that there will be a tight game at Fratton Park on Sunday, with Birmingham looking to cap a fine season with at least a place in the Semi Final. For both of these teams, the FA Cup this season represents a lot to their fans. Whatever happens with Portsmouth in terms of administration, it is pretty much a dead cert that they will be relegated this year.

For Birmingham, it represents the opportunity to show that they are an up and coming club, giving them a further platform to build off for next season. Neither team are in great form at the moment, with just three wins between them in their last five matches. Still, it should make for an entertaining encounter, even if it is a tight, scrappy cup tie on the south coast. Birmingham have only scored 26 goals in the Premier League all season, but even that paltry amount tops Pompey, who have netted just 23 times. Therefore it is unlikely to be a goal fest down at Fratton Park, and every likelihood that this could head back to St Andrews for a replay.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Birmingham 1, Portsmouth 0
Portsmouth 4, Birmingham 2
Birmingham 0, Portsmouth 2
Birmingham 5, Portsmouth 0
Portsmouth 1, Birmingham 1

Last 5 Match Goals
Portsmouth: 4 For, 10 Against
Birmingham: 5 For, 6 Against

Last 10 Form
Portsmouth: W2, D2, L6
Birmingham: W3, D4, L3

Win Percentage:
Portsmouth have a 23.1 win percentage at home
Birmingham have a 30.8 win percentage away from home

Portsmouth to win: 13/8 at SkyBet
Draw: 23/10 at Totesport
Birmingham to win: 2/1 at Victor Chandler

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: This is one of those games where trying to gain rewards from a draw would be worth investigating. If you want to be safe, then the first place to go for this, would be a Draw No Bet on whoever you think will sneak the tie, the equivalent of which, in Asian Handicap Betting is 0. Leaning towards Portsmouth though, simply because of the home fixture and nothing left to lose this season, and coverage with a half win, if they draw:
Portsmouth +0.25 Asian Handicap: 4/6 at Paddy Power

Saturday 27^th February

English Premier League

Birmingham City v Wigan Athletic

Birmingham have stuttered of late after a fantastic run of games unbeaten so they will be determined to get back on track and to winning ways when they host Wigan at St Andrews.

Alex McLeish has worked wonders with his Birmingham side after winning promotion to the top flight last season. He bought shrewdly with the acquisitions of Scott Dann, Roger Johnson, Christian Benitez and Barry Ferguson all coming in during the summer transfer window. All 4 have been exceptional for the most part and played a huge part in City’s 15 match unbeaten run earlier in the season. These 4, along with Joe Hart, Lee Bowyer and Cameron Jerome have built an excellent spine down the centre of the side which has made them resilient, hard to beat and disciplined. Their strength is shown with them having the joint best home defensive record in the league, losing just 8 goals in 13 matches thus far, which has resulted in them losing only 2 at St Andrews. Their record against sides below them in the table at home has been good, with wins over Wolves, West Ham, Blackburn, Sunderland and Portsmouth already. Bolton are the only team currently below Brum who have escaped with all 3 points – it took a late goal for this to occur.

Wigan are still in the thick of a relegation battle after going on a run of 6 games without a win in the league. Roberto Martinez’s side suffered a heavy defeat in their most recent game against Tottenham at home. The first goal in a 3-0 reverse was blatantly offside but it shouldn’t mask the fact that Wigan offered nothing in an attacking sense and looked decidedly weak, slow and cumbersome at the back. Unsurprisingly the have only scored 3 goals in their last 6 matches which doesn’t bode well for Saturday as they were playing against far weaker defences than the only they’ll be up against at St Andrews. Part of Martinez’s problems have been the lack of goals but the main problem is their porous defence. Wigan have the 2^nd worst away defence in the Premier League, the only above them in this table is Burnley who haven’t won away from home all season. Wigan’s away record isn’t too bad for a team fighting relegation as they have been victorious 3 times on the road already this season. Their wins have come against Wolves, Aston Villa and Burnley. The win over Villa was a freak result in the sense that it was the opening day of the season and they have never looked like emulating such a win again.

McLeish’s side are so good at frustrating the bigger teams so it will be interesting to see if they adapt this style of play and take the game to the visitors. If they do change and be more expansive, it could mean they leave space for the likes of Hugo Rodallega and Charles N’Zogbia. I think McLeish is too canny for that and he’ll stick to his side strengths of having two compact units of 4 and trying to hit the away side on the break using the pace of Benitez and Jerome. Both players should relish the prospect of playing against Gary Caldwell and Titus Bramble. Both are very awkward when up against pace and power in my opinion, especially Caldwell. The Scottish international is a good reader of the game and his distribution isn’t the worst but he’s not physical enough for a centre half which could prove to be Wigan’s downfall come the end of the season.

Birmingham have won both games against Wigan at St Andrews in recent years and they will have targeted this match as one where they can get back to winning ways. They’ve not lost a home game since that defeat to Bolton back in September and I can’t see a poor Wigan side altering that statistic come 5pm on Saturday. Birmingham will be pushing for their best finish in the league for a long time and I think they’ll get another 3 points in this fixture.

My selection: Birmingham to beat Wigan

Best odds available: Evens available with Betfred

English Premier League

Burnley v Portsmouth

It will be Premier League first on Saturday when Burnley take on the first top flight side in England to go into administration – Portsmouth.

Brian Laws took the reigns from Owen Coyle in January and has tasted victory once thus far – a 2-1 win over West Ham in their last home match. For all their failings on the road (and there have been many) their home form is still more than decent with 6 wins and 4 draws from the 12 games played at Turf Moor this season. The only team to beat them at home, other than Wigan, were Chelsea at the end of last month, and even that was a close run thing. They are most definitely difficult to beat on their own patch. They are also beginning to get key players back at the right stage of the season with Martin Paterson returning last week and Steven Caldwell also getting back to fitness.

Portsmouth have had a disastrous season already and it’s set to get worse tomorrow (Friday) when they officially enter administration and automatically incur a 9 point penalty deduction. They’re already 7 points adrift at the bottom so when the penalty is incurred they are as good as relegated. It’s a shame for the players, supporters and the likes of Avram Grant who have done nothing to deserve such problems, but for the likes of Peter Storrie and the multiple owners who have tried to make a quick buck and totally mis-managed the finances of the  club in the last few years, it’s nothing more than justice. You simply can’t break the rules so extremely and expect to get away with it in the long run. They’ll go down because they deserve to. On the field Pompey have 1 win and 10 defeats from 13 away games and have lost 7 of their last 8 away league games.

Laws and Burnley are running out of games between now and the end of the season and they know that Saturday’s game is a must win if they are to survive their maiden season in the Premier League. Home games will be vital in their bid, especially home games against sides in and around their own position in the league. Pompey are the only side below them in the league at this point but it’s not all bad, only 4 points separate 7 positions and a win on Saturday could arguably see the Claret’s move to 14^th providing other results go their way,

You expect nothing else other than Portsmouth to give 100% on Saturday as they have done in every match this season, but the hype, attention and scandal surrounding the club at this moment is bound to have an affect. They have struggled on the road for the whole season and as I have already proven, Turf Moor isn’t the easiest of hunting grounds.

Burnley need the points more and I think their desire will prove to be too much for a club in crisis.

My selection: Burnley to beat Portsmouth

Best odds available: 6/5 available once again with Betfred

Sunday 28^th February

Scottish Premier League

Rangers v Celtic

It’s derby weekend once again in Glasgow when Celtic travel across the city to take on their bitter city rivals at Ibrox.

Rangers go into the match with a 7 point lead, a game in hand an 20 goals better off in terms of goal difference. The league really is theirs to throwaway and it will be a surprise if they don’t make it back to back league championships in May. Their team is not the greatest to watch, they don’t play free flowing football but their style of play is effective. They have a strong goalkeeper and defence, a hard working midfield and a good partnership upfront with Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd. They are undefeated at home this season and have already defeated Celtic in the league earlier this season – a 2-1 win back in October. Manager Walter Smith is likely to have a fully fit squad to choose from with Allan McGregor likely to take his place in goals despite being assaulted last Saturday in Glasgow. Smith will more than likely line up 4-4-2 and try to overpower Celtic using Lee McCulloch and Kevin Thompson as his midfield partnership.

Celtic are massive underdogs in the league but anything can happen in this fixture as we all know. They have played Rangers off the park twice already but only have a single point to show for their efforts. The last match between these two was the most one sided game I’ve watched in a long time – if it a was a boxing match it would have been stopped at half time. With a mix of shocking refereeing and some horrible finishing from Celtic, the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Celtic have failed to record back to back wins in the league since the beginning of December which is a damning statistic only made worse hen you consider it’s against teams such as Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Falkirk. Tony Mowbray knows his side are in last chance saloon on Sunday and it’s up to them whether they take it or not.

Marc Antoine Fortune has been a big player for Celtic of late and his performance in the last game against Rangers was excellent. He dominated both of their centre halves and they couldn’t cope with his pace and power. His partner that day was Giorgios Samaras who missed a glut of glorious chances which were created because Fortune pulled the defence all over the place. On Sunday his partner will be Robbie Keane so it’s a massive difference in terms of quality, ability and bottle. Keane has done it all throughout his career and he will be desperate to score for his beloved Celt’s at Ibrox, providing of cours it is in a Celtic win.

Celtic are due a victory over Rangers but I normally refrain from betting on the outcome of these games because they are so hard to predict. I think the 9/4 on offer for an away win is too big as I strongly believe that Celtic have far more quality in their ranks, so I wouldn’t put anyone off backing them. The bet I will advise is for Keane to score at anytime. Fortune will do a lot of the ‘ugly work’ for his strike partner and Keane’s movement and quick thinking should seem him have at least a couple of good chances. He’s also scored in his last two games for Celtic so the signs are there that he is hitting top form as he get’s his sharpness.

My selection: Robbie Keane to score at anytime

Best odds available: 21/10 available with PaddyPower

KTF

Chelsea will look to reclaim their top spot in the Premier League, after being leap-frogged by both Arsenal and Manchester United. Chelsea are on 48 points, two behind leaders United, but have two games in hand over Alex Ferguson’s men. They can give themselves a huge advantage by leaping one point ahead with a win over Birmingham at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. Boss Carlo Ancelotti has injury worries over Frank Lampard, and is hopefully that he will be fully fit as Chelsea push on with their title charge. Lampard was withdrawn early from their FA Cup victory over Preston on the weekend, as a precaution over his fitness.

Some good news for Chelsea is that Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are heading home, after favourites Ivory Coast crashed out of the African Cup of Nations to England’s World Cup opponents, Algeria. That will boost the challenge of the Blues, not that they have struggled without the big centre forward, as Nicolas Anelka has been in possibly the most sparkling form of his career. He won’t be back in time to make Wednesday’s line-up, but should make a return to action on the weekend. First the London side need to find a way to overcome Birmingham, who are proving that they are no pushovers in the league this year. Bad news from the African Cup of Nations, is that influential midfielder Michael Essien will be missing for up to 6 weeks after picking up an injury.

Under Alex McLeish, Birmingham have recently gained draws against both Manchester United and Chelsea. They have climbed to seventh in the Premier League and are on a fantastic unbeaten run of 12 Premier League games without defeat. That is a club record for the Midlanders, and having been the first team to stop Chelsea scoring this season in a 0-0 draw, they will be hoping for more of the same at the Bridge. Chelsea have the best home record in the Premier League and Birmingham will meet the Blues in a confident mood, having found the back of the net 14 times in the last three matches.

Birmingham, thanks to a lot of consistency, should field the same side which they have done for the large part of the season. They had been in the hunt for Liverpool’s Ryan Babel to boost their scoring, but nothing has come of that of yet. Instead they have confirmed that they want to sign Ranger’s striker Kris Boyd to look for more potency up front. Birmingham have only scored 9 home goals all season, so there is a lot of room for improvement. McLeish has already signed a new playmaker for midfield, with Michel joining them from Spanish side Sporting Gijon. He won’t be available for Wednesday night’s match though.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Birmingham 0, Chelsea 0
Birmingham 1, Chelsea 1
Chelsea 3, Birmingham 2
Birmingham 0, Chelsea 0
Chelsea 2, Birmingham 0

Last 5 League Match Goals
Chelsea – 12 For, 5 Against
Birmingham – 5 For, 3 Against

Last 10 Matches Form
Chelsea – W6, D3, L1
Birmingham – W6, D4, L0

Win Percentage
Chelsea have a 90.9 win percentage at home
Birmingham have a 40.0 win percentage away from home

Match Prices:
Chelsea to win: 5/19 at Expekt
Draw: 5/1 at SkyBet
Birmingham to win: 14/1 at Totesport

Betting Advice: Two thoughts come to mind when looking at this game. One, is that Birmingham’s great unbeated run has to end some time, and the second is that Chelsea won’t like having been pushed down into third. Even with the games in hand they have, it should give them enough incentive to put on a confident display. Both factors lean heavily towards backing a comfortable Chelsea win at Stamford Bridge, even though Birmingham are tight at the back.
Over 2.5 Goals: Evens at Coral

Where do Manchester United go next? After their abysmal showing in the FA Cup last weekend, losing to League One leaders Leeds United, and having their Carling Cup semi final against rivals Manchester City called off due to the bad weather conditions, Alex Ferguson may have welcomed the break to rally his men. The defeat against Leeds came off the back of two strong Premier League victories for the Red Devils, and those in turn came off the back of a shock 3-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham. No one in the league is looking as impervious as they have been in previous seasons, and this has brought a lot of excitement back into the Premier League.

Manchester United and Chelsea are still the strongest challengers for the title, with Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in hot pursuit. But with defeats for both Chelsea and Manchester United coming against opposition that would have simply been brushed aside in the past. Now games which should have been bankers for the might of Manchester United are having small shadows of doubt cast over them. Their next difficult task comes at St Andrews on Saturday when they take on a resurgent Birmingham, who are having an excellent season under Alex McLeish.

Birmingham are currently 8th in the league and are right in the mix along with Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City as clubs look for that fourth placed finish behind the big three. Birmingham are in no way shape or form a team full of goals, but they are getting the job done in climbing up the table with narrow victories and stubborn drawn games. The Blues have only scored 20 goals this season, at an average of one per game. Six of the seven teams above them in the league, have scored more than that just at home. Birmingham’s plight in front of goal is shown perfectly in the fact that they have the lowest total of goals scored at home in the league, which stands at a paltry eight.

Fortunately though, their defence is proving to be just a stubborn, having only conceded 5 goals at home. Their latest conquest was to hold league leaders Chelsea to a 0-0 tie. They have also held Liverpool and Manchester City to draws. Goalkeeper Joe Hart is courting a lot of attention with his excellent performances, many which think that he deserves a call up to the full England squad for the World Cup. He is being praised from all departments, and is, inevitably, at the centre of some transfer speculation. Their weekend FA Cup Third Round tie didn’t quite go to plan, as they could only manage a 0-0 draw against lower opposition Nottingham Forest.

A win for Alex McLeish would really spark some excitement amongst the home fans, who, with the lack of goals scored and conceded at home, must be feeling a little frustrated in amongst all of their success. They are now on a run of 11 games in the league without conceding defeat, and that, this season, looks like an admiral stat to cling onto. Now they will be relishing taking on one of the best teams in the country again, and seeing if their defence can stand up to the likes of Wayne Rooney. The Blues seem to gently poking around the transfer scene to try and bolster their challenge for a top six finish, and they could use a little extra edge up front.

If they are going to beat Manchester United, then it is more than likely that it will be a victory stolen by just one goal. It is hard to see them busting out and scoring a hatful of unanswered goals against the defending champions. Manchester United need the win to keep the pressure on Chelsea at the top. The gap is down to two points at the moment after Birmingham did the Red Devils a favour by blanking Chelsea. Now they have the chance to turn the tables and give Chelsea a reprieve at the top by taking points off Alex Ferguson.

Betting Stats
Saturday, January 9th
St Andrews
Kick Off 3pm

Head to Head
Man Utd 1, Birmingham 0
Man Utd 1, Birmingham 0
Birmingham 0, Man Utd 1
Man Utd 3, Birmingham 0
Birmingham 2, Man Utd 2

Last 5 Matches Goals
Birmingham – 5 For, 2 Against
Man Utd – 11 For, 5 Against

Last 10 Matches Form
Birmingham – W6, D4, L0
Man Utd – W7, D0, L3

Match Prices
Manchester United to win – 8/13 at Bet365
Draw – 14/5 at Boylesports
Birmingham to win – 23/4 at Expekt

Betting Advice: It is unusual to talk about Manchester United blowing hot and cold, but that is exactly what has happened this season. The performances against Fulham and Leeds were well below the standards of a team challenging for the Premier League title. Still, on their day, they have the mettle to grind out results, if not with as much flair as the Old Trafford crowds are used to. This will be a stern test for them, to see if they can break down a resilient Birmingham. Manchester United don’t seem to draw games, and Birmingham like to sneak odd goal victories. This could be tight if Birmingham continues to live up to their expectation, and it could all hinge on the fitness and shake-up of the Manchester United players after their latest defeat.
Birmingham +1 Asian Handicap – 4/5 at Bet365

*Manchester United’s two-legged Carling Cup semi final against Manchester City, has been rearranged for January 19th and 27th.

St Andrews
Saturday, December 26th
Kick Off: 12.45 pm

Premier League leaders Chelsea will be looking to avoid any Boxing Day hangover, as they need to get back to the form and the heights which they were hitting earlier in the year. This is an important time for Chelsea, made more so my uncharacteristic slip ups in recent weeks. The Blues only managed a 1-1 draw at second from bottom West Ham last weekend, draw 3-3 with Everton and their only highlight over the past few games, was a less than impressive looking 2-1 victory over Portsmouth. Chelsea have not managed to keep a clean sheet since thumping Arsenal 3-0 at the Emirates on January 29th, and boss Carlo Ancelotti will be scratching his head and wondering why?

Most of their problems have come trying to defend away from home, where they have suffered three defeats. But those problems have also been creeping into their game at home, and they are not looking as solid at the back as they were. They need keeper Petr Cech to sharpen up in confidence a bit and deal with long balls into the box. But, despite only getting recent results thanks to some Frank Lampard penalties. They have seriously failed to capitalise on more strange goings on in the Premier League, which has seen Manchester United lose two games in a row. Aston Villa first conquered the Red Devils at Old Trafford, which is unheard of, and then Fulham went and trounced Alex Ferguson’s patched up men, 3-0.

That will have been a wake-up call for Ferguson, as he has been trying to field a defence with barely any recognisable defenders in it. Until the January transfer window comes around, there’s not a lot he could have done, but there simply is not the quality at United in depth like there has been in times past. There are arguments that the Premier League is getting a tougher place, with the likes of Tottenham, Aston Villa and Manchester City all pushing the big four. With the defeats suffered by Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal this season, there might just be a case that the Premier League standards at the top are not as good as they have been.

Certainly Liverpool are lacking any world quality beyond Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, and Arsene Wenger is unlikely to go all Real Madrid and pay money for a star striker, something they need. Manchester United have an uncreative midfield, which, under normal stances they could probably cope with if their defence was sound. But it’s not, neither is their goalkeeping. Which could all mean that Chelsea are at the top only because they are the ones who have lost the least amount of points. Carlo Ancelotti inherited a team bursting of world class internationals, and yet even they are showing frailties of a middle of the table team.

Chelsea, however, are expected to push on still, and compete for the league title, the FA Cup and of course, lead the English charge in the Champions League. They need to tighten up though, and get a little confidence back. They have the players to do so, and with their next three league games against Birmingham, Fulham and Hull, they will be expecting to take maximum points. With the African Cup of Nations on the horizon, Chelsea will be losing players. They need to get the most out of Didier Drogba while they can, starting on the away trip to Birmingham. That is why the festive period will be extremely important to them. They will need maximum points.

It won’t be that easy though, as Birmingham fans will probably not be believing their eyes at the moment, as Alex McLeish has taken them up to seventh in the league, one place above Liverpool. There has been an incredible amount of graft put in by the players, something the boss recognises. By no means are they setting the league alight, as they have only scored 8 home goals all season, something which should comfort Chelsea on Saturday. Birmingham have, however, won five out of their last six matches, something Chelsea fans wish they could boast about right now. One interesting stat from a betting point of view, is that all of those victories have been by one goal.

BETTING STATS:

Last Five Head to Head:
Birmingham 0, Chelsea 1
Chelsea  3, Birmingham 2
Birmingham 0, Chelsea 0
Chelsea 2, Birmingham 0
Chelsea 1, Birmingham 1

Last Ten Matches
Birmingham W6, D3, L1
Chelsea W6, D2, L2
Last Five Matches Goals
Birmingham – For 9, Against 4
Chelsea – For 10, Against 7

League Win Percentage
Birmingham have a 55.6% Win percentage at home
Chelsea have a 55.6% Win percentage away

Match Prices
Birmingham to win: 13/2 at Coral
Draw: 3/1 at Ladbrokes
Chelsea to win: 4/7 at Bet365

Betting Advice: Not really sure with Chelsea at the moment. They should beat teams like Birmingham without too much fuss, but they can’t be high on confidence, especially away from home. They have the quality to win matches with their star studded side though, but they are showing cracks. One attractive looking bet is Birmingham +1 Asian Handicap 4/5 at Victor Chandler.

Anfield
November 9th
Kick Off: 8.00pm

Liverpool will look to move up the Premier League from their current 7th position, with a win over Birmingham at Anfield on Monday night. The Reds almost did their Champions League campaign a huge boost when they took a late lead against Lyon last week, but the French side hit back with an equalising blow which still leaves Liverpool’s qualifying position in a lot of doubt. The draw has left Liverpool’s record as six defeats in their last eight games in all competitions. This however, is a chance to start building some form and momentum.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez will be hoping that Fernando Torres comes through a fitness test and is able to take part. The Reds really need his awesome presence at the moment, for if anyone is going to ease the pressure off Benitez, then it is going to be him. Steven Gerrard, who has been out with an injury too, has been back in training, but there is only a slim chance that he will take the field against Birmingham. With Birmingham down in 15th position, this is the ideal chance for Liverpool to build on what they achieved in Lyon. Even with a weakened side, should they not field Gerrard and Torres, Liverpool should still have enough in the tank at Anfield to beat Birmingham.

Blues boss Alex McLeish recently gained a valuable win over Sunderland in the league, and then followed it up with a 0-0 finish against draw specialists Manchester City. The Scot will know that his team have not been good on the road, winning only one and losing four. Birmingham’s problems are in front of goal, where they have only mustered eight in the league so far, the exact amount which they have conceded in all of their away games. They do not have a bad defensive record really, but there has just not been enough of a balance in going forwards to back things up. The Blues, who have recently been taken over, are hoping that the January transfer window comes sooner rather than later.

So too may Rafa Benitez, if he is going to be given cash to spend. On the current view of things, they do, certainly if they want to compete with Chelsea, who opened up a five point gap over Manchester United with a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. It is a disappointing predicament for Liverpool fans, seeing that such early in the season, a lot of hopes have gone. It seems a far stretch for them to have realistic Premier League dreams, they were knocked out of the Carling Cup by a young Arsenal side, and their Champions League progress has been seriously impaired. Where to turn to for Benitez in front of the Kop on Monday night, if they cannot produce a much needed win?

Liverpool to win: 4/11 at Bet365
Draw: 4/1 at Ladbrokes
Birmingham to win: 10/1 at BetFred

Betting Advice: Birmingham will probably be happy enough with a draw at Anfield. It is probably how they will go and set their stall out anyway, hoping to catch the often vulnerable reds on the break. Liverpool should win, even if it’s a scrappy 1-0 affair, so it could be worth taking that, or perhaps backing a Birmingham surprise, especially after how Fulham outsmarted the Reds.
Liverpool to win 1-0: 13/2 at Victor Chandler
Birmingham Draw No Bet: 8/1 at 888Sport

Birmingham City play hosts to Manchester City on Sunday afternoon’s Premier League kick off, with the Midlands club looking for a win which would push them away from the relegation zone. Sitting 15th out of twenty teams, will be making the Blues supporters a little edgy at the moment, even at this early stage of the season. Last weekend’s 2-1 victory over the rising Sunderland was a huge result for them, and now they need to built upon that success to continue to climb towards the safety of the middle of the table.

Manchester City have a chance to push their way into the top four by chalking one up in the win column. They have gotten into a habit of drawing fixtures in the league though, something which will be frustrating to boss Mark Hughes after all of the summer investments that were made at Eastlands. While definitely looking in better shape than they have done for some seasons, they have fallen short too often in being able to kill of teams. But will Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa all failing to pick up wins on Saturday, it does allow City to close within one point of third placed Arsenal, and still maintain a game in hand over them.

City unleashed their forward power in their midweek Carling Cup victory over Scunthorpe, where they ran out 5-1 winners. After missing through injury for that match, Kolo Toure and Martin Petrov should reclaim their places in the stating eleven, as the blue side of Manchester look for something to cheer. After suffering a run of injuries, City are almost back to full strength, with only Robinho the big name to still be sitting on the sideline through injury. They could certainly use his force and creativity to help turn one point into three, and it will not be long before the Brazilian is fit enough to start roaming the pitch in a City shirt.

Birmingham City have recently been taken over by Carson Yeung, who has promised a lot of investment come the January transfer window. Until that time, Birmingham will need to scrap and fight tooth and nail to get all the points they can. They operate with a back four which is not a cohesive unit at the moment, and that is an area which boss Alex McLeish needs to have been working on, ahead of the visit of Manchester City, who will start with Craig Bellamy, Adebayor, Carlos Tevez and Shaun Wright-Phillips. While the back four has looked a little rickety at times, Birmingham are also lacking in goals scored, having only found the back of the net eight times so far this season in the league. Few goals makes victories hard to come by.

Birmingham have enjoyed some recent success in the past seasons, as they have seen off the challenge of Manchester City three times out of the last four attempts. But with the victory over Sunderland being Birmingham’s first home victory of the season, it could be a positive thing to build upon. Form comes in streaks, such as bottom club Portsmouth showed, backing up their Carling Cup win, with a thumping 4-0 league victory over Wigan. The Blues will be looking to the same against City, using the Sunderland victory, which entailed keeping a potent strike force at bay for the large part, as a springboard to leap up the league.

Birmingham to win: 7/2 at SkyBet
Draw: 13/5 at Bet365
Manchester City to win: 17/20 at William Hill

Betting Advice: Despite have a penchant for drawing games lately, Manchester City should have enough in the tank to dominate games like this. The difference in class between them and neighbours Manchester United is still clear, even though it may be closing. If this were United, you would have no trouble backing them for a win, be it a solid one or a hard fought one. City however, still look like an unknown quantity, which their three drawn games in a row have proved. Their romping Carling Cup victory though, should have instilled a little more belief in their game, and they cannot afford to lose more ground by not taking advantage of teams around them failing to win on Saturday. Mark Hughes should be pressing this point home.
Manchester City to win 2-1: 8/1 at SkyBet

The Carling Cup swings back into midweek action on Tuesday, with some interesting matches in the Third Round. Often taking a back seat because of its midweek games and lesser standing of importance to the FA Cup, the Carling Cup is still an important piece of silverware for teams to chase down. The chance to put a bit of silverware in the cabinet is nothing to be sneezed at, and while some of the top teams may take the opportunity to give some big game experience to their young fledglings, the competition can still stir up emotions and produce some cracking games.

Hitting the headlines on Tuesday are the fixtures of Leeds v Liverpool and Arsenal v West Brom. There is also an interesting pair of Premier League clashes to look forward too, and eyes will of course be on some of the lower teams in football tier, to perform a big night of giant killing.

Bolton v West Ham
Two Premier League sides struggling to get going this season, and neither with a home win, and both with just one away win. This will be a good chance for both teams to build a little confidence and get their league campaigns kick started. It will be hard to pick a winner out of these two, as they are very similar in form this year. The Hammers have a couple of injury problems, notably Matthew Upson, who took a knock in the weekend’s defeat to Liverpool. Bolton boss Gary Megson is under a bit of pressure, and he has insisted that it will be a strong side which he fields. For that reason and for them being at home, the sensible money should go on a home win.
Bolton to Win 7/5 at William Hill, Draw 12/5 at Bet365, West Ham to win 21/10 at BetFred

Barnsley v Burnley
The battle of the B’s. Burnley are credible 9th in the Premier League with three home wins. Their away form leaves a lot to be desired though, as they haven’t managed a single goal yet in three matches. That could be down to class of opposition, and it is notoriously hard for newcomers to get away points in the highest level. Barnsley on the other hand haven’t won at home all season, and their single win has been away. This sounds like an even match up, but the Premier League side probably won’t field their strongest team, as their status in the league will be far more important to them, and they already have a few injury worries. They do have a good cup record though, so a bet would probably favour them.
Barnsley to win 21/10 at Coral, Draw 12/5 at BetFred, Burnley to Win 7/5 at William Hill

Carlisle v Portsmouth
Whether cellar-dwellers of the Premier League, Pompey, will fancy this awkward trip much, is up for debate. Carlisle are 18th in League One, and the northerners have only 8 points from 8 games, which would explain their position. Pompey are going backwards this season, and are still looking for their first league win, having only scored four times in six matches. Definitely not the stuff of Premier League survivors. Pompey boss Paul Hart has some selection problems because of injury and players being cup tied and this could be one of the upsets of the night.
Carlisle to win 10/3 at Coral, Draw 13/5 at William Hill, Portsmouth to win 18/19 at Expekt

Nottingham Forest v Blackburn
Rovers, one of those teams that always seems to hang around and cause a nuisance of themselves in the Premier League, are, like Pompey, finding it tough going this season. They are third from bottom with only one home win to their name so far. Forest aren’t exactly setting the Championship alight either, as they are lingering down in 18th place. This may not be a match to inspire a lot of neutral interest, but it throws up another good chance for a lower team to claim a Premier League scalp. Rovers boss Sam Allardyce is one person who is always up for a scrap, and he’ll be openly honest and determined to change their form around quickly. This could be a platform for them, and their fighting spirit, and just that little bit of class should see them edge through.
Forest to win 9/4 at BetFred, Draw 12/5 at Boylesports, Blackburn to win 11/8 at Coral

Peterborough v Newcastle
Fallen giants Newcastle are making early seasons strides to work towards getting back where the Toon Army belong, in the Premier League. They currently sit in second place in the Championship, just one point behind leaders West Brom. Here they take on 18th placed Peterborough, in a week where the club has been remembering the sad passing of Sir Bobby Robson. With contrasting seasons so far, Newcastle should have the form and the edge to get through this tie without too much trouble. The Posh only picked up their first win of the season in injury time on the weekend, while Newcastle were cruising to a 3-1 win.
Peterborough to win 11/5 at BetFred, Draw 5/2 at Bet365, Newcastle to win 11/8 at SkyBet

Scunthorpe v Port Vale
Scunthorpe, 13th in the Championship, take on Port Vale who are 14th in League Two. The gulf here between the two sides, combined with Scunthorpe’s home advantage, should mean a relatively easy passage through for them. The home side will be missing their top striker through injury though, and maybe the Vale shouldn’t be too underestimated though, because they have already knocked out both Sheffield teams, both of which are championship sides.
Scunthorpe to win 8/15 at BetFred, Draw 10/3 at William Hill, Port Vale to win 6/1 at Bet365

Stoke v Blackpool
Premier League newcomers Stoke, who are sitting mid table after a good start to the season, will be looking for safe passage past the seasiders in this tie. This should be an interesting match actually, with not too much between the two teams. Again, like Burnley, Stoke will probably field a team that is different to their main league one, in order to rest important players and not risk injuries. Blackpool are enjoying a fairly good start to the Championship season, as they sit in 7th place. They are doing admirably because of injury problems, and the Potters, with a changed side, could be in for a really tough fight.
Stoke to win 4/5 at William Hill, Draw 11/4 at Coral, Blackpool to win 4/1 at SportingBet

Sunderland v Birmingham
The other Premier League match up. Both teams are kind of mid table in the league, and will be looking at each other, and thinking they are in with a good chance of progressing to the fourth round. Sunderland will naturally be the happier of the pair with the home draw. Birmingham have been cited as potential drop candidates for this season, and their league position could be a little flattering. Sunderland on the other hand have been looking forward after investing in the team during the off season, and should be the stronger of the two sides here.
Sunderland to win 5/6 at SkyBet, Draw 5/2 at Bet365, Birmingham to win 4/1 at Coral

First things first, I can’t apologise enough for my awful selections last weekend. A freak occurrence such as Manchester United losing 4 goals at Old Trafford in the Premiership for the first time 1992 only happens once, well every 17 years, so I’ll not dwell too long on that. However, the Swansea pick was even worse from my perspective, I failed to take into account the fact the Swans were without a couple of key defenders and I can only offer my apologies once again.

Let’s hope this week’s picks return more positive results.

Saturday 21^st March

English Championship

Birmingham v Norwich City

We delve back into the Championship this week for a clash between two sides, both of whom are on a decent run of form. Norwich have won 3 of their last 4, including impressive wins over Cardiff at home and QPR on the road. Birmingham have also won 3 of their last 4 as well as their last 3 at home.

Both sides need to keep on winning for very different reasons. The hosts are sitting pretty, currently 3 points off of top place and occupying that all important 2^nd automatic promotion place. Norwich, however, require the points the steer themselves away from the drop zone. Sitting 4^th bottom and just one point above the 3^rd relegation spot held by Nottingham Forest.

Birmingham are in the fortunate position of most of their key players returning from injury at the same time. Strikers Gary O’Connor and Kevin Phillips both take their place in the squad for tomorrow’s game whilst impressive left back, David Murphy, also looks set to play some part against City. James McFadden is also close to a return although tomorrow’s match will be too soon for the Scottish internationalist. With this caliber of player returning, there is sure to be a feel good factor surrounding the club.

The away side, on the other hand, has the opposite problem. Not only is key player Wes Hoolahan out of the rest of the season, star midfielder Darrel Russell is suspended for two matches, starting tomorrow, after a silly last minute sending off last weekend against Plymouth. These two players have been excellent for the Canaries this term and will be sorely missed at St Andrews.

Norwich’s away form has not been great throughout the season although they did pick up a vital 3 points away to QPR as mentioned earlier on. That was only their 3^rd away success this term however whilst they have lost a total of 12 games on their travels. City have only taken 1 point from the top 8 sides when playing away from home this season. Birmingham have the 2^nd best home record in the league after Preston and also have the joint best defensive record along with Cardiff City, conceding a mere 13 in 19 games.

This will be both sides last game before the International break and both will be doubly determined to sign off with a positive result. Birmingham have a lot of experience within their squad and have been in this position enough times recently to know what it takes to get promoted. Their returning stars, especially the strikers, will be a huge boost and the 4/5 on offer atBet365   is value for a team with such a good home record.

My selection: Birmingham to beat Norwich City

Sunday 22^nd March

Scottish Premier League

Dundee United v Celtic

Celtic are coming off the back of a morale boosting cup final win against arch rivals Rangers last weekend and well head to Dundee in confident mood. The home side have struggled for consistency since Christmas but will be sure to raise their game for the visit of the Champions.

Gordon Strachan’s Celtic have themselves been erratic since the turn of the New Year but are past masters at timing their run with perfection in the race for their 4^th successive Championship. Currently 3 points ahead of Rangers, they will most likely be in 2^nd place come Sunday’s match as Rangers play at home to Hearts on Sunday and if the win, will go ahead on goal difference.

Dundee United are running the risk of repeating last season’s mistake of faltering at the wrong time in the race for the all elusive 3^rd place and the European football which comes with it. Craig Levein has had to do without a couple of key players for most of 2009 who were pivotal to their excellent run from September through to December. Willo Flood was signed by Sunday’s opponents and may play a part against his old side, whilst Scott Robertson was their best player in the first half of the season and he has been injured since January. These two have been missed hugely and it shows in their results. The Arabs have lost 6 of their last 10 in all competitions, only winning twice.

Celtic look set to bring in a couple of fresh faces after the energy sapping extra-time success last Sunday at Hampden. Scott McDonald is expected to be joined by either Samaras or Vennegoor of Hesselink upfront after playing as a lone striker last week whilst Marc Crosas or Flood should come into the middle of the park.

Strachan’s sides have enjoyed their visits to Tannadice since the flame-haired Scot took over in 2005. In 6 visits, the Hoops have been successful 4 times with the other two matches ending in draws. Celtic’s away form has been cause for concern of late having only been victorious in 1 out of their last 4 matches on the road.

Despite that stat, I expect Celtic to be buoyant after securing the League Cup in the fashion they did and should just have too much for an ailing United side. Snap up the 8/11 on offer at Boylesports.

My selection: Celtic to beat Dundee United

Birmingham vs QPR

Saturday 4th October 12.45 k/o

Birmingham entertain QPR in the live lunchtime match in the English Championship. Both sides were amongst the pre-season favourites to challenge for promotion and they should both be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.

The home side have turned St Andrews into something of a fortress and the partisan crown can be a huge advantage. The likes of McFadden, Larsson and Jerome thrive upon it and when you add Phillips, Owuse-Abeyie and O’Connor to the mix, there is real competition for places. Alex McLeish will admit himself that they have not hit top form, but they’re incredibly difficult to beat and I believe they’re only one game from giving a team a hammering. I’m not saying that it will come tomorrow but I wouldn’t put it past them.

QPR are an enigma, they come into this game having only taken a point out of 2 home games and have already lost to Sheffield United on the road this year where they were completely outplayed. I think Birmingham are similar to United in the way that they have 2 or 3 players with that extra bit of quality.

Birmingham have only conceeded 1 goal in 4 home games and have won 3 of these without really impressing. They are dogged however and I think they’ll target this as a must win having lost their last home match.

My tip: Birmingham to win at 10/11 with William Hill

Carlisle vs Tranmere Rovers

Saturday 4th October 15.00 k/o

Carlisle have suffered 3 defeats in a row with 1 of these coming at home. They play a side in similarly poor form with Tranmere only won 1 of their last 4 matches. Carlisle’s success in recent seasons has been primarily down to their home form losing only 3 games at home all last season. They’ve won 3 out of 4 this season losing only to Leeds who have also beaten Scunthorpe and Swindon on the road this term.

If they have any realistic hopes of challenging for promotion they can ill afford to go 4 games without a win. The effect on confidence and morale would be huge even at this early stage of the season.

Tranmere are hit and miss and although they done the double over tomorrow’s hosts last season, they tend to be stronger at home. They’ve already conceeded 9 goals in 4 matches on the road this season as well as losing 4 at thome to a poor Colchester side last Friday so there will be goals to be had by Carlisle tomorrow. With the likes of Bridges, Dobbie and Graham available the home side tomorrow, they could take advantage of the visitors leaky backline and should secure all 3 points.

My pick: Carlisle to win at 10/11 with several bookmakers including Coral

Aberdeen vs Hibernian

Saturday 4th October 15.00 k/o

Aberdeen take on Hibs looking for their first home win of the season. Both sides were expected to challenge for 3rd spot this year but have yet to really get their season up and running. Having watched Abderdeen play Celtic last week, there is obvious ability within the team when they attack, however, they are shipping goals for fun at the moment have conceeded 7 in their last 2 matches. They have scored 5 goals in these matches themselves so it is clear where the problems lie.

Hibs were terrible last week at home to Rangers, really poor. If they play like that again then the result is not in doubt, it’ll be a home win. I very much doubt they will play like that again but I can’t see them improving enough to take all 3 points. Much like Aberdeen, the away side have had problems at the back. Their goalkeeper cannot instill confidence amongst his team-mates with his constant flapping and poor decision making. The heart of their defence is soft and they lack real aggression all over the park. Upfront they have goals, Fletcher, Riordan and Nish will score against anyone in the SPL, that goes without saying.

Aberdeen have not lost in their last 7 home games vs Hibs so I wouldn’t put anyone off backing the home side tomorrow. At 13/10 with several bookmakers including Coral, it ranks as decent bet in my opinion.

The bet I prefer is over 2 goals. Both teams have and will score goals this season and they will most certainly concede just as many. 5 of the last 6 meetings between the two have ended with 3 or more goals being scored and I see this continuing tomorrow.

My pick: Over 2 goals at 11/10 with several bookmakers including VCBet