Coventry

Saturday 3rd December

Aston Villa v Manchester United

The evening kick off see’s Alex McLeish take on his former Aberdeen manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, as Aston Villa host Manchester United.

Villa were outclassed when they travelled to Tottenham just under two weeks ago and it was alarming to see the gap between two sides who were pretty even 18 months ago. The 2-0 scoreline does not really tell the full story as Spurs were by far the better team and looked stronger in every department. Since then Villa played out a 0-0 draw with Swansea at the Liberty Stadium last Sunday. The game was overshadowed by the tragic death of Wales manager Gary Speed that morning. Both sets of players done well to remain professional and do their jobs but there was certainly more than a few affected by the news. McLeish, who took over in the summer, will be anxious for his side to hit back infront of their own fans tomorrow night and make amends for the Spurs game where they never turned up at all. Their home record has been good and they have suffered just one defeat at Villa Park all season. That defeat was when they went down to 10 men in the first half against West Brom so the home fans will be expecting another big performance from their heroes.

Manchester United were the victim of a terrible decision from the assistant referee last Saturday which proved crucial as they dropped a couple of points in the 1-1 home draw against Newcastle. The equaliser came from the penalty spot after Rio Ferdinand was adjudged to have brought down Hatem Ben Arfa in the area. The United player clearly played the ball but the penalty was given and converted. It was United’s first dropped points since losing 6-1 at home to rivals Manchester City. Ferguson is not silly, he knows that they can’t afford to slip much further behind the league leaders as their big squad will no doubt negate the usual problems such as injuries and suspensions later in the season. Away from home United have looked more clinical than last season when they drew too many games. Four wins and two draws from six matches is certainly heading in the right direction and what will be pleasing from the manager’s point of view is the fact they have conceded just three goals on their travels – the lowest amount in the league.

History also suggests tha this will be a close game. This fixture is often tight and there’s not much between the sides when they face each other at Villa Park. United managed to rescue a late draw in their last meeting in the Midlands whilst their last win was in December 2009.

As mentioned, Villa have only lost once at home but they have yet to play any of the bigger sides at home. Wins against Norwich, Wigan and Blackburn as well as a couple of draws against Wolves and Newcastle means that they are hard to beat but the big test will come when the current champions visit tomorrow.

United have already seen off the likes of Swansea and Everton in recent weeks, team’s who are often hard to break down when playing at home. It’s likely that they’ll set out in a similar fashion tomorrow by looking to get the goal on the break and keeping things tight at the back. WIth City playing earlier and big favourites to win their match, United will be determined not to drop any further behind and should collect all three points.

My Selection: Mancester United to beat Aston Villa

Best odds available: 3/4 available with William Hill

English Championship

Portsmouth v Coventry City

Our attention turns to the bottom end of the Championship as Coventry travel to Portsmouth with both teams looking for the points to lift them away from the relegation zone.

Michael Appleton took over the Portsmouth job after Steve Cotterill left for Nottingham Forest and it’s fair to say that it his first game could have went better as they lost 2-0 to Watford. His next match was against big spending Leicester at Fratton Park and it was much more encouraging as Pompey took the lead only to have to settle for a share of the points. Now he has a loss and a draw to his name, the natural progression will be for tomorrow’s match to be his victory. He couldn’t ask for a much better chance as Portsmouth have a strong record at home and the opposition tomorrow are on a dire run of form at present. Peterborough and Brighton are still the only two teams to have won at Fratton Park this season. Up until the Leicester match, Pompey had been on a run of three straight victories, all of them comfortable. It’s also worth noting that two of those wins were against the other two sides who sit in the relegation zone – they face the third club tomorrow.

Coventry were previewed a couple of weeks ago and even then it was obvious that they were in the midst of a crisis as they just couldn’t score goals. It’s much of the same as they have still yet to win a match since October, going through the whole month of November without picking up a victory. Their only point last month was a 1-1 draw at home to Cardiff whilst their last away match was a 2-1 loss to Brighton. Andy Thorn is still entrusted with the job of turning things around but you have to wonder how long he will get before the board decide it’s better off in someone elses hands. If they are to end the rot they must do something they haven’t achieved since April – win an away game in the Championship. Funnily enough, their last away win in the Championship was against tomorrow’s opponents. That may provide a source of comfort for the travelling players and fans and at this stage, they need every positive they can get their hands on at the moment.

Pompey are certainly part of the relegaton picture as well as they are only out of the bottom three places on goal difference. With only one win in five things need take to a turn for the better if they wish to climb the table and alleviate some of the pressure which will no doubt be building. Coventry are in deeper trouble however as they are without a win in nine and are seven points adrift of safety.

Portsmouth’s home record swings this for me having seen a couple of Coventry’s recent games. They look toothless upfront and are always liable to concede a goal at the other end. Pompey were unlucky not to collect all three points last week against Leciester who are a much better side than the one they face tomorrow.

My Selection: Portsmouth to beat Coventry City

Best Odds available: 5/6 available with Betfred

Sunday 4th December

Everton v Stoke City

Everton play host to Stoke at Goodison on Sunday with just one point seperating both sides in the league.

Everton are on their best run of the season thus far as it’s the first time they have managed to record back to back victories in the league. It may not be championship winning form but it’s certainly a sign of some sort of consistency being restored to a club who have been severely lacking in it in recent months. Last weekend’s 2-0 win away to Bolton followed on from their home win against Wolves. The late penalty against Mick McCarthy’s men could be one that shape’s the season for the Toffee’s as they looked much better last weekend. Davie Moyes will be hoping that they can kick on from that and boost their league position. It has taken them a wee while to get adapt to the loss of Mikel Arteta, now at Arsenal, but things are coming together and other players are starting to take more responsbility. Having already lost three times at Goodison this season they will be looking to put on a good show for their supporters who have been short changed at times.

Stoke managed the draw they needed to qualify for the next stage of the Europa League against Dynamo Kiev on Thursday night. It’s a magnificent achievement for Tony Pulis and his men as it’s their first season in the compeition. It’s also impressive as they have qualified with a match to spare. As with a lot of clubs who are not used to playing European football, league performances have sometimes suffered and they have found it difficult to balance their midweek matches wit domestic action at the weekend. Everytime Stoke have played a group match in the Europa League, they have lost their next league match. They have been unlucky in the sense that every match that has followed has been away from home but it’s something Pulis will have been tearing his hair out at. The latest example was a 5-0 hammering away to Bolton after a very good win in Israel. The travelling abroad doesn’t seem to be the biggest reason in their domestic defeats as they have lost to Arsenal and Swansea after playing at home in Europe beforehand.

Everton could always rely on Tim Cahill to pop up with a goal when the going got tough but it’s not been the case this season. The midfielder come striker has not scored in the Premier League since the middle of December last year. It’s an incredible record when you consider how many goals he is used to scoring throughout his career. Worryingly for Stoke, however, is that he is getting closer and closer to breaking his duck for the season and it would be a brave man to bet against him doing it before too long.

Stoke will once again freshen things up after their midweek exertions. Peter Crouch is likely to come back in alongside Jon Walters upfront after being rested on Thursday. The two first choice strikers were a thorn in Blackburn’s side last Saturday in the 3-1 success. That was Stoke’s first win in the league since the middle of October. Like Moyes, Pulis will be drilling into his players the importance of consistency in this league.

Everton impressed me last weekend against Bolton and Stoke’s European hangovers speak for themselves. The home win is very tempting in this instance. Another bet I believe is worth a go is for Tim Cahill to finally get off the mark this season. He is getting into all the right positions and is going to take one of the chances sooner rather than later.

My Selections: Everton to beat Stoke at a best priced 3/4 available with PaddyPower
Tim Cahill to score anytime at a best priced 2/1 available with Coral

Saturday 19th November

Coventry v West Ham United

Second top West Ham travel to second bottom Coventry tomorrow as the Championship returns from taking a break last weekend due to the International break.

Coventry have endured a torrid season thus far and find themselves just one place off the bottom of the Championship. Doncaster are the only team who sit below the Sky Blue’s at the moment but they have the same number of points so it’s obvious that results need to improve otherwise Andy Thorn will soon be out a job. Their last match was a 4-2 home defeat by league leaders Southampton. The only crumb of comfort they can take from that was they came back from two goals down to level the match, only to lose two late goals. It means that they have not won any of their last five matches – their last win was in the middle of September. At home they have won just two of their seven matches to date, losing three of them. Attendances have been plummeting over the years at the Ricoh Arena and they don’t show any sign of stopping as crowds slip to just over 10,000.

West Ham have adapted to life in the Championship pretty well as the only have one team above them heading into the winter. Sam Allardyce has bought very smartly in his quest to return the Hammers to England’s top flight. The likes of Matt Taylor, Kevin Nolan and John Carew were all playing in the Premier League last season so there experience and quality have been essential. Arguably, however, the most exciting signing thus far has been Sam Baldock from MK Dons who has bagged five goals from his first nine league games. Baldock notched his fifth of the season last time out against Hull in an impressive 2-0 victory at the KC Stadium. It was West Ham’s fifth away win from eight games having just lost once, incidentally against the current league leaders. Allardyce has shored things up at the back and employed plenty of attacking threat which has struck a very effective balance, especially away from home.

Coventry will be hoping that their more experienced players come to the fore and turn in a performance tomorrow. Gary McSheffery is one such player who has simply disappointed this term. A player of his calibre should have more than one goal by this stage but it’s just further proof of how much the club as a whole have been struggling. It’s fallen up on a less experienced player to get the goals with top scorer Lukaz Jutkiewicz the only player in the squad to have hit more than one goal in the league all season. It’s clear what has to change if they have any desire to climb the league in the short term.

West Ham will be hoping to close the gap at the top but know that if they do drop points, there are several teams waiting to take advantage as the challenge for the automatic promotion spots hot up. The squad they have at their disposable may well prove vital come the end of the season as the likes of Henri Lansbury, David Bentley and Papa Bouba Diop have not yet hit top gear. Another shrewd signing has been the loan deal which brought Manuel Almunia to Upton Park. The Arsenal goalkeeper has yet to taste defeat at his new club and was outstanding in the win over Hull.

I’m confident that West Ham will be raring to go after the week’s break whilst Coventry, in my opinion, are on a very slippery slope at the moment so I think the away team will be taking maximum points back home with them tomorrow evening.

My Selection: West Ham to beat Coventry

Best odds available: 4/5 available with William Hill

English League One

Sheffield United v Carlisle

A resurgent Carlisle travel to Yorkshire to take on Sheffield United as both sides look for the points in their quest from promotion to the Championship.

Danny Wilson who took over the job as manager in the summer is not having it all his own way as he did earlier in the season. Sheffield United were roundabout the top two for much of the early part of the season but recently they are slipping down the table. They are still in a healthy enough position but will be hoping to climb the table again and challenge for the automatic promotion spots which their supporters will be expecitng, especially as rivals Wedensday are also performing well at the moment. Although they are not quite in the same vein of form they were in earlier in the campaign they have only one league game in their last seven. Their home form is decent with five wins and just two defeats from nine matches. Their last home match in the league was a 4-4 thriller with Exeter. It was an entertaining match for the neutral but Wilson will be determined to shore things up at the back.

Carlisle had been on a run of five defeats from six matches in September but they are coming strong now with just one loss from their last nine games in all competitions. Greg Abbott celebrated his third year in charge this month and he can look back on what he has done with some amount of pride. He led his side to Wembley two years in a row and after losing heavily the first time around, they won the Football League Trophy in March with a 1-0 win over Exeter. Despite their slow start this season they are looking like they can mount a challenge for a play-off position. Currently 10th, they are only three points off of sixth place so are definitely one of several clubs in the mix as the season begins to hot up.

Sheffield United brushed aside Oxford United at home in the FA Cup last Saturday scoring three and keeping a clean sheet. It would have been the perfect tonic heading into this match against a team in form. Brammall Lane has definitely been one of the most entertaining grounds on matchdays this term as there have been 34 goals scored in just nine matches. It’s easily the most out of all the League One clubs so it will be no surprise if there are a few goals for the fans tomorrow.

Carlisle have won four and lost just two games on their travels this season so will be heading to Sheffield tomorrow knowing they have a chance against their more illustrious opponents. Like the Blades, the Cumbrians enjoyed a comfortable cup victory last weekend and being on the run they are currently on, will be confident they can cause a shock and go level on points with tomorrow’s opponents.

I can see this match being very open tomorrow and there could be several goals as both sides like to get the ball forward quickly and each have strikers bang in form. Carlisle have a good away record but they have not played many of the better sides thus far. One side they have played who are above them was league leaders Charlton who were far too good and ended up thrashing them 4-0. With that in mind, seeing as Sheffield United have been strong against the lesser lights of League One at home, I am siding with the home side.

My Selection: Sheffield United to beat Carlisle

Best odds available: 19/20 available with William Hill

Scottish Cup

For my third preview this weekend, rather than selecting one team, I am going to suggest a treble as the Scottish First division clubs enter the cup for the first time this season.

Ayr v Montrose

Firstly, my local town club host third division Montrose so will be hot favourites to turn over a side who sit two tiers below them. Ayr are no stranger to cup runs and have already made the semi-final’s of the other cup competition having put out SPL sides Hearts, Inverness and St Mirren. Montrose on the other hand are one of the worst sides in the Scottish Football professional set up. The club are thrid bottom of the third division and have won just four of their 12 league matches. They were 4-0 down last weekend only to come back and draw 4-4 with Stranraer. The main reason for their comeback was the fact their opponents goalkeeper got sent off and they never had a replacement on the bench.

Ayr are not the greatest by any stretch but they should prove far too strong here and are certainly one of the few clubs who target the cup competitions as it provides much needed income.

Ayr are a best priced 4/11 available with William Hill

Bo’ness United v Cowdenbeath

One of three Junior sides left in the competition, Bo’ness, host Division two leaders Cowdenbeath hoping to cause a shock and take their place in the draw for the next round when the SPL teams enter it. Bo’ness playing their league games in the East of Scotland Premier League and are certainly one of the better sides at the at level. This is a big step up though and they will need to raise their game in order to get a result against their league opponents. Cowdenbeath done us a turn last weekend when winning the top of the table clash against Stenhousemuir and although their away form is not as strong as their form on the road, they go into this match as heavy favourites.

Bo’ness are on a bad run of form and have won just one of their five league matches this season. They are currently sitting third bottom so would have been hoping for a better preparation as they head into one of their biggest matches in their history.

League form can often count for little in cup compeitions but when there is also a gulf in class between the two sides, it’s harder to ignore. Hopefully Cowden can oblige for us again this week.

Cowdenbeath are best priced 4/7 available with William Hill

Irvine Meadow v Livingston

The third leg of our treble also see’s a Junior side take on league opposition. Irvine Meadow, who qualified after winning the West Superleague, host First division Livingston at Meadow Park. The Ayrshire club have a big repuation in Junior circles because they were once able to offer a lot more to players than teams in the professional game. That financial clout has gone but they remain successful and lost their first match of the season last Saturday. Livingston are placed higher on the pyramid than Cowdenbeath so the challenge for Meadow is even greater despite being in better form. Livi sit third in the table at the moment and have lost just two league games although they have drawn seven of those.

The task Meadow face is a stiff one because Livingston are a full time professional club so their players do this for a living whilst the junior’s will also have their main occupation as well as playing football at the weekend. This can often be the decisive factor as fitness can tell in these sort of matches.

With than in mind, the away win is added to Cowdenbeath and Ayr to complete our cup treble.

Livingston are a best priced 4/11 available with William Hill

Good Luck

Saturday 28^th August

English Championship

Millwall v Coventry City

Millwall will be looking to put last week’s disappointing defeat away to Leeds behind them when they entertain unbeaten Coventry City at home tomorrow.

Kenny Jackett has worked wonders since taking over the reigns as Millwall boss at the tail end of 2007. He stabilised the club before pushing for promotion and, after a couple of near misses, eventually succeeded last season when they defeated Swindon in the play-off final at Wembley. They have had a good start as well to life in the Championship, after thrashings of Bristol City and Hull. Their only blot thus far has been last week’s loss to Leeds at Elland Road. It was a strange match as the visitors took the lead despite being 2^nd best for much of the game. Leeds dominated for long spells and the result was fair at the end of the day. However, as good sides tend to do, the Lions recovered during the week with a win at home to Middlesbrough in the League cup. It was as comfortable a 2-1 victory as your likely to see and further enhanced the reputation of the New Den as being something of a fortress.

Coventry City have made an even better start to the new season under new manager Aidy Boothroyd. The former Watford manager has been a breath of fresh air for the midlands club and there is a genuine belief that the club can move forward and challenge for promotion this season. Home wins against Portsmouth and Derby, either side of a well earned draw away to Watford, have set the tone and standard for the weeks ahead. Saturday is expected to be their hardest test of the season to date and it will be a good yardstick to how far they have come as there have been many false dawns of late for the blue’s faithful. Indeed, at the exact same point as this last season, City had 7 points from their first 3 league games before going on to lose their next 2. That was ultimately another disappointing season so the players should be under no illusions as to what a good start counts for if it’s no followed through.

Millwall have a very similar squad of players available to them this season that they had last. A couple of loan signings in the shape of Darren Carter and Kevin Lisbie, who know the league well, are the only notable additions to the squad. This is endemic of what Jackett is all about. He needs to be able to trust his players and usually goes with experience. One player that was a possible exception to the rule is Steve Morison. The Welsh striker came from non-league football last season to star in League 1. He has carried on where he left off and his form this season has earned him a call up to the Welsh side where he made his debut earlier this month. It’s been a proper rags to riches story and Jackett and the Millwall fans will be hoping there is a few more chapters to be written.

Coventry have been busier during the summer than tomorrows opponents. They have strengthened their squad with the purchases of Lee Carsley, Clive Platt, Lukas Jutkiewicz and Gary McSheffrey. Two of those 4 have previously played with the club, and at a higher level than the Championship, so they understand the demands of the club and the expectation level from the fans. One player that could be added to that list is Marlon King. The disgraced footballer has recently been released from Prison for indecent assault of a woman. Boothroyd, who had him at Watford, is said to be keen on linking up with him again and a deal is close.   

I previewed several Millwall matches last season and heralded their strength as being how good they are at home. They have continued that form with 2 wins from 2 and looked excellent against Hull a couple of weeks ago. They were once again very strong during the week against big spending ‘Boro. Coventry have started pretty well too, and currently sit above Millwall by a point. However, they have not had any serious tests thus far. Portsmouth, Watford and Derby are not the strongest of sides, and in their only other match, they were soundly beaten by Morecambe in the League cup. I think Millwall’s style of play and their directness will be too much tomorrow afternoon and fully expect a home win.

My selection: Millwall to beat Coventry

Best odds available: 20/21 available with a couple of bookmakers including Victor Chandler

Scottish Premier League

Inverness Caley Thistle v Hamilton

A clash of two sides who are expected to make up the numbers in the SPL’s bottom 6 by many, but Caley Thistle and Hamilton have surprised many before so an interesting clash awaits at Caledonian Stadium.

Terry Butcher and his players managed to bounce straight back from relegation at the first time of asking. A strong second half of the season in the First division last term, entitled the highlanders to another crack at the SPL. Much like Millwall, ICT have went about their business pretty quietly and kept much of the same squad as they had for their promotion campaign. It has served them pretty well so far as they held their own against Celtic on the opening day of the season, narrowly losing 1-0, before a fantastic 4-0 away success against Dundee United last weekend. They followed this up with a comfortable 3-0 League cup win over Peterhead in midweek. Butcher will be delighted with the start but he knows there is a long way to go and will be demanding his team to be focused from the off tomorrow.

Hamilton were previewed last week and fortunately for us, not so for them, they came through with a pitiful home performance against Hearts. They were well and truly trounced for the second week in a row in the league and also conceded 4 without reply for the second week running. It’s dark times at the moment for Billy Reid as he also witnessed his side go out the League cup in midweek to 1^st division Raith Rovers. It was always going to be difficult start with the games they had in the league added to the turnover of players in the summer, but they have had no encouragement that thing will get better with their performances so far.

Inverness have a goalscorer in Adam Rooney who has netted 4 in all competitions so far. His two against Dundee United last season will give him the confidence boost he needed to prove he can cut it in the SPL after finishing top scorer last season in the league below. Hamilton, on the other hand, do not have anybody at this moment in time who will put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis. They lost Marc-Antoine Curier during the summer and as yet, he’s not been replaced. That is the difference at this level.

Hamilton were toothless last week and completely played into Hearts’ hands by playing 3 at the back. There’s a very good reason as to why that system has become null and void in world football as it’s so easy to counter against. Caley Thistle will have received a boost after last week’s result and performance, and with confidence being a lot at this level, I can see them getting their first home win of the season and heaping yet more sorrow on the visitors.

My selection: Inverness to beat Hamilton

Best odds available: 10/11 available with several bookmakers including Betfred

Saturday 19^th September

Preston North End v Coventry City         

PNE entertain Chris Coleman’s Coventry on Saturday looking to maintain their above average start to the season.

I’ve tipped Preston twice already this season and find myself bored of repeating the reasons as to why I’m tipping them. They’re direct, aggressive approach to the game is very affective, especially against lesser sides in the Championship. Rather than repeat myself, regular readers are able to look back at why I like Alan Irvine’s side and why his tactics will be successful in such a league.

I’ve yet to comment on the away side this season so let’s look a bit more closely at them. Coventry have started the season reasonably well with 11 points from their opening 7 matches. It may not sound or look impressive, but their points haul find themselves in 10^th position just a solitary point outside of the play-off’s. What should be noted is that Coventry have managed to accumulate 8 goals from their first 7 matches. What is even more interesting is the fact that Leon Best and Clinton Morrison have notched 7 of those 8 goals between them, with Martin Crainie getting the other.

Preston’s impressive home record (2 wins and 1 draw from 3) will be halted at some point but I can’t see it being on Saturday. Jon Parkin, Chris Brown and Neil Mellor are very effective at this level and will pose numerous problems for any defence. Coventry have shipped 8 goals thus far and I can see that being added to come Saturday evening.

My selection: Preston to beat Coventry City

Best odds available: 5/6 with several bookmakers including Coral

English Championship

Barnsley v Swansea

Both these sides find themselves at the bottom end of the table after poor starts which has even resulted in Barnsley appointing a new manager in Mark Robins.

Barnsley had a total of 1 point after 6 games under former manager Simon Davey. Their single point came away to Sheffield Wednesday at the beginning of August. As they lost every other game, they sacked Davey and brought in Robins as his replacement. His appointment had an immediate effect on Tuesday night as the Oakwell side notched their maiden victory of the season with a 3-2 success at Derby.

Paulo Sousa’s Swansea are struggling to emulate Roberto Martinez’s Swansea. He may have the same philosophy and thoughts on the game but he has unable, as yet, to translate them on to the park. Sousa has had to contend with injuries and suspension to key players but will have the likes of Gary Monk, Ferrie Bodde and Angel back this week, whether it is enough to stop the slide is another matter. The Swans are suffering a massive hangover after such a good first season in the Championship. The loss of Martinez, as well as Jordi Gomez and Jason Scotland, to Wigan has been monumental.

I highlighted Swansea’s shortcomings last weekend when they face Preston and I feel they’ll fall short once again with a weak backline up against the likes of Andy Gray and Jon Macken. Both strikers are proven at this level and have simply been lacking confidence in recent weeks. Their strength and direct style of play is very similar to North End’s attackers who Swansea failed to deal with. As a result, I think Robins will continue his successful start by guiding his new club to their 2^nd successive 3 points haul.

My Selection: Barnsley to beat Swansea

Best odds available: 6/4 with several bookmakers including  Skybet

Scottish Premier League

Hibernian v St Johnstone

The home side will be looking to make up for a dismal performance last  time out against Hamilton by taking all 3 points at home to newly promoted St Johnstone.

John Hughes had a bright start to his reign as Hibs manager, taking 6 points from his first two matches before being narrowly beaten by Celtic. This makes last Sunday’s defeat at New Douglas park all the more surprising. They were very poor all over the park and never looked liked getting anything from the game.

St Johnstone have started the season in a positive manner with their only defeat coming against the green and white half of Glasgow on the 2^nd day of the season. They may, however, consider themselves to be unfortunate as they have only picked up 3 points. Without a win, their impressive performances against Motherwell, Hearts and St Mirren have all resulted in stalemates which may prove to be their downfall in the long run.

Hibs have talent and quality in abundance. The likes of Derek Riordan, Anthony Stokes and Liam Miller are excellent players at this level. This is highlighted even further by the fact Celtic have had two of them on their books and offered £2m for Stokes 3 years ago. The problem they have, however, is they lack real leadership since the departure of Rob Jones in the summer.

Derek McInnes has adopted an expansive style of football in his first season as SPL manager. If he chooses to go this way on Saturday I can see a home win. The ability of Miller and Riordan allied with Stokes’ pace and strikers instinct should see the home side prevail in an entertaining and attacking match.

My selection: Hibernian to beat St Johnstone

Best odds available: 4/5 with  Bet365

by Matthew Chapple

With the championship season just four games old, there has already been a few surprise results with both Derby and Crystal palace occupying two of the relegation places. The biggest shock of the season so far came on the opening day with new boys Doncaster defeating Derby at Pride Park. Derby, who are widely tipped by several to be serious promotion contenders, have already given themselves a mountain to climb under Paul Jewell and are without a win after their first 4 league fixtures.

Crystal Palace are the other side who have made a dreadful start to the season. Two draws and two defeats see them lye in 22nd in the league and are also without a win from their first 4 fixtures.

Several have made undefeated starts to the season with Wolves, Preston, Birmingham, and Bristol City all yet to taste defeat. Wolves currently occupy top spot on goal difference which was largely down to their two terrific home victorys over Sheffield Wednesday which finished 4-1 and their 5-1 rout over Nottingham Forest.

Another surprise is that none of the three new clubs occupy any of the relegation places with Nottingham Forest the lowest out of three in the league in 16th. After Doncasters opening victory at Derby they went on to get 4 points from their next 3 matches.

Outright Betting: With Birmingham winning 3 out of the first 4 fixtures they are justified 10/3 favourties to win the league and judging by their early performances, they should go close. Wolves look good value at 11/2. They eased past their first few league games especially at home and look the team to beat in my opinion. Reading will be thereabouts come the end of the season and the bookies think so too and have priced reading up as third favourties at 7/1 while the new rich boys, QPR are currently 9/1 to win the Championship outright.

Relegation Odds: With both Blackpool and Barnsley not getting particularly good starts the bookies have priced them up as favourites for the drop with Blackpool 5/4 and Barnsley 11/8. The value looks to be with Derby County at 7/1. They are winless in 4 games and have just 1 point to their name. Their performances have been poor and haven’t really looked like winning any of the first 4 fixtures. Burnley lack quality and at 11/4 they look a fair bet for relegation and they should be around the foot of the table come the end of the season.

How we rate each team chances individually.

Barnsley
Players In: Luke Steele, Iain Hume, Roberto Colace, Mounir El Haimour, Darren Moore
Players Out: Paul Reid, Sam Togwell
Key player: Iain Hume
Prediction: 21st Despite making it all the way to the semi-final of the Fa Cup last season they struggled in their domestic campaign and finished 18th. They have a distinct lack of quality especially up front and they will struggle for fire-power in front of goal. We expect them to be around the bottom again this season.

Birmingham
Players In: Lee Carsley, Kevin Phillips, Marcus Bent, Kemy Agustien, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie
Players Out: Adam Lezgdins, Fabrice Muamba, Daniel de Ridder, Olivier Kapo, Sone Aluko
Key Player: Kevin Phillips
Prediction: 2nd They were unfortunate to be relegated last season as they got some decent results in the Premiership. They have kept the basic structure of the team while adding the likes of Everton’s Lee Carsley and West Brom’s Kevin Phillips. They have made a decent start to the season and they should be challenging for the automatic spots this season.

Blackpool
Players In: Matt Gilks, Joe Martin, Alex Babtiste, Steve Kabba, Jermaine Wright, Adam Hammill, David Vaughan, Marlon Broomes, Rob Edwards, Sone Aluko, Alan Gow
Players Out: Marcus Bean, Keigan Parker, Michael Jackson, Wes Hoolahan, Kaspars Gorkss
Key Player: Daniel Nardiello
Prediction: 23rd They did extremely well to avoid any sort of relegation battle come the end of the season but with a lack of quality, we fancy them to have a difficult season this time around. With just 4 points from the first 4 fixtures it doesn’t look too good.

Bristol City
Players In: Nicky Maynard, Gavin Williams, John Akinde
Players Out: Alex Russell, Nick Carle, Darren Byfield, Richard Keogh
Key Player: Nicky Maynard
Prediction: 9th They had a fantastic season last year and were unfortunate in the play-off’s. Once again they have made a great satrt to the season and with 8 points from the first 4 games they currently lye in 4th position and look on course for another good season. They were the surprise team last season but we doubt they will beat that and we fancy them to settle in the top half of the table this time around.

Burnley
Players In:Martin Paterson, Kevin McDonald, Christian Kalvenes, Diego Penny, Remco van der Schaaf, Chris Eagles, Russell Anderson, Steven Thompson
Players Out: John Spicer, Kyle Lafferty, James O’Connor, Jon Harley, Djemba-Djemba, David Unsworth
Key Player: Martin Paterson
Prediction: 22nd Burnley finished in mid-table last term and will be lucky to surive this season in our opinion. Chris Eagles should provide them with creativity while fan will be looking towards Martin paterson for goals this season after they let Kyle Lafferty go to Rangers. With just a single points form the opening fixtures the writing looks on the cards already. They lack quality and look set to face a relegation fight this season.

Cardiff
Players In: Darren Dennehy, Ross McCormack, Mark Kennedy, Jay Bothroyd, Eddie Johnson, Peter Encklemen
Players Out: Aaron Ramsey, David Forde, Warren Feeney, Robbie Fowler, Steven Thompson, Jimmy Flyod-Hasselbaink, Trevor Sinclair
Key Player: Joe Ledley
Prediction: 7th Cardiff somewhat sacrificed their league campaign for a great cup run in the FA Cup which seen them lose 1-0 to Portsmouth in the final. They will be disappointed with the departure of Aaron Ramsey who had a lot of potential and doesn’t seem as if Cardiff have found a replacement. Joe Ledley will be key if they are to push for the play-off’s this season but we think they will just come up short.

Charlton
Players In: Stuart Fleetwood, Martin Cranie, Hameur Bouazza
Players Out: Patrick McCarthy, Darren Randolph, Chris Iwelumo, Marcus Bent, Madjid Bougherra, Osei Sankofa, Sam Sodje, Ben Thatcher, Jerome Thomas, Amdy Faye,
Key Player: Marcus Bent
Prediction: 8th We’re not impressed with their lack of incoming transfers but they do posses some decent players in the final third. I think their season will rely heavily on a good start. If they hit a win less streak then they could start struggling. 6 points from 4 games isn’t the ideal start they would have hoped for and we doubt they will make a claim for one of the play-off spots.

Coventry
Players In: Guillaume Beuzelin, Aron Gunnarsson, Keiren Westwood, Freddy Eastwood, Steven Wright, Clinton Morrison
Players Out: Liam Davis, Julian Gray, Donovan Simmonds
Key Player: Freddy Eastwood
Prediction: 10th They had a poor season last year and were lucky not to go down. A new manager at the helm in Chris Coleman and their new signing Freddy Eastwood could one of the buys of the season. The welsh international is a proven goalscorer at this level and his goals this season will be crucial for Coventry’s ambitions. I don’t think they have the credentials to push for promotion and might have to settle for a mid-table finish.

Crystal palace
Players In: Patrick McCarthy, Johannes Ertl, Darryl Flahavan, Jos Van Nieuwstadt, Jose Fonte, Simon Thomas, Nick Carle, John Oster, Leandre Griffit, Alan Lee
Players Out: Jeff Hughes, Lewis Spencer, Mark Kennedy, John Bostock, Tony Craig, Clinton Morrison, Tom Soares, Dougie Freedman
Key Player: Nick Carle
Prediction: 6th Crystal palace made it to play-off’s last season and we fancy a repeat this season despite their poor start to the season. Neil Warnock has built a decent side at Palace and his side have the ability to push for promotion back to the top flight once again. One negative for me was them letting go of Clinton Morrison to league rivals Coventry. The forward bagged 16 goals in the championship last season and will be missed.

Derby
Players In: Kris Commons, Steve Davies, Nathan Ellington, Paul Connolly, Ruben Zadkovich, Paul Green, Jordan Stewart, Martin Albrechtsen, Liam Dickinson, Przemyslaw Kazmierczak, Rob Hulse
Players Out: Robert Earnshaw, Kenny Miller, Michael Johnson, Lee Holmes, David Jones, Darren Moore, Jason Beardsley, Craig Fagan, Tyron Mears, Eddie Lewis
Key Player: Rob Hulse
Prediction: 12th Despite them dropping down from the premiership we reckon they will have a difficult season. They were the worst ever team to play in the Premiership last season and they haven’t strengthen enough for us to think they will bounce straight back up. Add that to their poor start to the season we reckon they will find things tougher then they first expected in the Championship. Kris Commons and Rob Hulse look decent signings but we’re not too confident of their defence. A tough season ahead predicted which could see the end of Paul Jewell.

Doncaster
Players In:John Spicer, Darren Byfield, Tomi Ameobi, Matthew Mills, Jos van Niewstadt, James Chambers
Players Out: Paul Green, Stephen Roberts, Mark McCammon
Key Player: Darren Byfield
Prediction:19th Doncaster made it into the championship via the play-offs from League one and although they didn’t go up through automatic promotion, we fancy them to do well this season. They have a solid look about them and they could give some of the bigger sides in the league a surprise when they play them. Derby have already found this out when they lsot at home to Doncaster 1-0. Going by their first few performances they should have enough to stay up.

Ipswich
Players In: Pim Balkestein, Gareth McAuley, Kevin Lisbie, Richard Wright, Ivan Campo, Ben Thatcher, Moritz Volz, Johnathan Stead
Players Out: Gavin Williams, Gary Roberts, Nick Colgan
Key Player: Johnathan Walters
Prediction: 3rd Ipswich are a team with a great home record. They were the best home side of last season with just the on defeat at Portman Road. We didn’t think many would beat them at Portman Road this season but with two straight home defeats it has certainly made us concentrate harder. Although they have made apoor start to the season by their own standards, we still fancy them to at least get one of the 4 play-off positions. A distinct lack of transfers into the club is a slight concern but we fancy them to go well and possibly sneak automatic promotion.

Norwich
Players In: Sammy Clingan, Wes Hoolahan, Ryan Bertrand, Dejan Stefanovic, Elliot Omozusi, Arturo Lupoli, David Bell, Stuart Nelson
Players Out: Matt Gliks, Andrew Cave-Brown
Key Player: Arturo Lupoli
Prediction: 14th Norwich finished 17th last season which is unacceptable for a club with their recent history. They lacked goals last season and have brought in some strikers wit h the aim of putting it right this season. However they still lack quality in the midfield and there is a lack of quality creative players in their squad. If they can provide the former Arsenal youngster, Lupoli with regular service then they may go well but they are very incocnsistent and we fancy them to have another poor season.

Nottingham Forest
Players In: Robert Earnshaw, Guy Moussi, Andy Cole, Joe Garner, Paul Anderson, Mickael Darnet, Lee Martin
Players Out: Kris Commons, Matt Lockwood, Alan Power, Sammy Clingan, Grant Holt, Junior Agogo
Key Player: Robert Earnshaw
Prediction: 17th Last seasons League two runners-up Nottingham Forest look to have enough to see off relegation for one season at least. The signing of Robert Earnshaw from Derby County is a massive positive. The welsh international has bags of pace and can score at this level. If Nottingham are to survive then his goals will play a key part. A 5-1 hammering against Wolves won;t go down too nciely with the players but their other 3 performances look good enough for us to think they should settle nicely in the bottom half of table.

Plymouth Argyle
Players In: Jason Puncheon, Karl Duguid, Yala Bolsaie, Graham Stack, Emlie Mpenza, Nicolas Marin, paul Gallagher, Chris Barker, Simon Walton
Players Out: Paul Connolly, Paul Wotton, Najim Abdou, Peter Halmosi
Key Player: Emile Mpenza
Prediction: 15th I live near Plymouth and the fans are not too optimistic about the season ahead. Plymouth have let several of their best players go over the past year with the likes of Ebanks-Blake going to Wolves in January and their most high profile of them all in Peter Halmosi who couldn’t resist the lure of the premiership with Hull City. Emile Mpenza is a fantastic signing for Sturrock and he could be crucial for Plymouth this season. After a decent season last year we fancy them to finish in mid-table this term.

Preston
Players In: Barry Nicholsen, Ross Wallace, Jon Parkin, Stephen Elliott
Players Out: Tamas Priskin
Key Player: Neil Mellor
Prediction: 13th Preston struggled for the majority of last season and spent a lot of the time near the foot of the table. The eventually finished in 15th and with the lack of activity in the transfer market this summer they won’t be too far away from where they finished last season. They have made a great start to the new season though and have 10 points from their first 4 games beating some of the favourites for promotion. Their start to the season is very good but they are a inconsistent side and we doubt they can keep it up throughout the season.

Queens Park Rangers
Players In: Radek Cerny, Peter Ramage, Emmanuel Ledesma, Kaspars Gorkss, Dani Parejo, Samuel Di Carmine
Players Out: Stefan Bailey, Jake Cole, Daniel Nardiello, Zesh Rehman. Simon Walton, Chris Barker
Key Player: Emmanuel Ledesma
Prediction: 4th QPR fans are confident they can win the title this season. With new investors from the world of Formula 1 they have the cash to push for promotion and a minimum of a play-off spot will be expected from the fans. They have brought in a decent keeper in former spurs shot stopper Radek Cerny and Ledesma is a classy winger who can deliver a good ball. The board have already expressed that they aim to be in the premiership within the next couple of season and we think this could be their year but it will take a lot of work.

Reading
Players In: Noel Hunt, Chris Armstrong
Players Out: Adam Bygrave, Ben Hamer, Glenn Little, Dave Kitson, Scott Davies, Ibrahima Sonko
Key Player: Kevin Doyle
Prediction: 5th Despite Reading being relegated from the Premiership they have managed to keep the majority of their best players. Leroy Lite, Steven Hunt and Kevin Doyle have all stayed at the club with their only big departure being Glen little to Portsmouth. They have started fairly well and are in 6th position after 4 games. They have enough quality to regain their premiership status and we expect them to be in the play-off’s come the end of the season.

Sheffield United
Players In: Greg Halford, Sun Jihai, Darius Henderson, Justin Haber, David Cotterill
Players Out: Chris Lucketti, Rob Hulse, Ben Starosta, Luton Shelton, Johnathan Stead, Michael Tonge, Chris Armstrong,
Key Player: James Beattie
Prediction: 11th A disappointing season last term saw them finish in 9th. They are a club expected to push for promotion each season but are very inconsistent. They did well to keep hold of James Beattie who scored 21 league goals last season. Even with Kevin Blackwell at the helm i can’t see them mounting a promotion challenge this season and will have to settle for another average campaign in mid-table.

Sheffield Wednesday
Players In: James O’Connor, Tony McMahon, Jimmy Smith
Players Out: Burten O’brien
Key Player: James O’Connor
Prediction: 24th Sheffield Wednesday seem to struggle each season and were tipped for relegation last season. They do lack fire-power in front of goal and with no recognised signings they will be in for another difficult campaign and a dogfight at the foot of the table looks inevitable.

Southampton
Players In: Chris Perry, Lee Holmes, Paul Wotton, Tommy Forecast, Morgan Schneiderlin, Anthony Pulis, Jack Cork
Players Out: Cedric Baseya, Andrew Davis
Key Player: Bradley Wright-Phillips
Prediction: 20th Another former Premiership club on the decline. After their stint in the top flight they have seriously struggled for results in the championships and were very fortunate not to go down last season and their survival went down to the last day of the season which saw Leicester take their place in the last relegation spot. A team who lack goals and confidence and if they get off to a bad start, their could be no way back for the Saints.

Swansea
Players In: Ashley Williams, Mark Gower, Federico Bessone, Albert Serran, Fabien Brandy, Stefan Morrision
Players Out: Kevin Austin, Kevin Amankwaah, Darryl Duffy, Darren Way
Key Player: Jason Scotland
Prediction: 18th Last season League one champions will be hoping to avoid a relegation fight but with a lack of depth within the squad they could have one on their hands. Despite manager Martinez making some signings over the summer they do lack a potent striker and could struggle somewhat for goals. Going on their first couple of performances they should have enough to pull off survival though.

Watford
Players In: Jon Harley
Players Out: Nathan Ellington, Jordan Stewart, Toumani Diagoura, Steve Kabba, Darius Henderson, Moses Ashikodi, Danni Shittu
Key Player: Tommy Smith
Prediction: 16th After a great start to last season which seen them top of the league at Christmas, they fell off the pace and only just managed to get the last play-off spot. They went out at the first hurdle to eventual play-off winners Hull City. Their does seem to be cash problems at the club also with Boothroyd being forced to sell several key players with Nathan Ellington, Steve Kabba and Darius Henderson all departing the club. With very little coming into the club they look in trouble. They are widely tipped to struggle this season and we reckon they will finish 10 places behind their position last season in 16th.

Wolves
Players In: Sam Vokes, Richard Stearman, David Jones, Chris Iwelumo, Matthew Hill
Players Out: Freddy Eastwood, Matt Bailey, Seyi Olofinjana, Elliott Bennett, Lee Collins, Jay Bothroyd, Charles Mulgrew
Key Player: Michael Kightly
Prediction: 1st Manager Mick McCarthy has made some decent signings over the summer in a bid to improve on last seasons finish of 7th. Wolves had a disappointing season last term and were fancied to at least get a play-off spot. Welsh international Sam Vokes looks a decent proposition for the future while Chris Iwelumo should be what they need to get the goals to push them higher up the league. They have made the best start to the season out of any of the championship clubs and with them currently in first place, we fancy them to remain their aslong as they keep up the good performances.