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Saturday 28^th November

English Premier League

Fulham v Bolton Wanderers

Fulham play their 3^rd match in 7 days when they come up against Gary Megson’s Bolton Wanderers who will be determined to halt their recent run of bad form having lost their last 3 matches in the league.

Roy Hodgson’s charges have had a hectic season to date having already played 22 games in all competitions thanks to their involvement in the Europa League. They have also had to contend with key personnel being injured with the likes of Danny Murphy, Andy Johnson and Diomansay Kamara missing large chunks of the season to date. All that considered, they are in decent enough shape in the league at the moment as they currently sit in 10^th position, 4 points off of 5^th place. They have gathered most of their points at Craven Cottage, amassing 4 wins from 6 matches. They have defeated the likes of Liverpool, Everton and most recently triumphed over Blackburn in midweek. Their only two defeats at the Cottage this term have been against Arsenal and Chelsea which is no disgrace at all. Hodgson has turned their home ground into something of a fortress and any visitor knows they’ll have to be at the top of their game to come away with anything.

Bolton, after a decent run of form at the end of September and beginning of October have started to slide down the table. Currently in 18^th position, they have conceded 11 in their last 3 matches, scoring just once and gaining zero points. Their latest match against Blackburn was arguably the poorest of their season thus far as they never looked capable of getting much from the game from the first few minutes. Rovers, who were searching for their first away win of the season, dominated large parts of the game and as soon as they opened the scoring they never looked in any real danger. One of Bolton’s problems is the main striker position. They have tried several players in the position but no-one has made it their own and this results in a lack of fluency going forward. Unfortunately for Megson and his side, the other main problem is that they give the opposition too many chances throughout the 90 minutes making them more likely to concede. It’s not often a trait you associate with Gary Megson’s side’s, they are normally hard to beat and stubborn but this season they have shipped 26 goals in 12 games, which equates to more than two goals a game.

Despite key injuries in the last 3^rd of the part for the Cottagers, they still have a lot of options available for Saturday and good ones at that. Erik Nevland and Clint Dempsey both got on the scoresheet on Wednesday night against Rovers so they have staked their claim ahead of Saturday’s match. Hodgson also has the likes of Damien Duff, Jonathan Greening and Zoltan Gera whilst Johnson should be fit enough for the bench on his comeback from injury. Duff and Dempsey especially will cause immense problems for most teams in the league so Bolton’s porous defence will be under pressure from the off. Their movement and ability to make telling contributions at vital stages of the game is crucial to Fulham’s style of play and with a predator like Nevland lurking, they are liable to score goals from the first minute to the last.

Bolton have actually won more games on the road this season than they have at home which is surprising considering the amount of teams which used to struggle at the Reebok. Their wins, however, have come against Birmingham and Portsmouth who, no disrespect, are not as potent at home as Fulham are.

Fulham have had the better of this fixture in recent years having won 3 of the last 4 meetings at the Cottage in the league. Bolton just give too many chances away for my liking and I think the home side’s attacking players will be too much for the visitors.

My selection: Fulham to beat Bolton Wanderers

Best price available: 10/11 available with several bookmakers including Coral

English Championship

Newcastle v Swansea

First versus fourth at St James’ Park on Saturday as Paulo Sousa and his Swansea side travel north to take on league leaders Newcastle who are still unbeaten at home this season.

Newcastle have dusted themselves down and got on with the job at hand after their relegation at the end of last season. They have managed to retain most of their squad with a couple of exceptions but look all the better for it. Chris Houghton has been appointed as manager until the end of the season and this has had a massive, positive effect on the club and its players. One of the most noticeable things about Newcastle this season is they don’t have that one superstar in their team this season that they have had in the last decade or so. It used to be Alan Shearer for so long and he passed the torch to the injury ravaged Michael Owen. Nowadays, they are much more of a team and unit.

Swansea City, after a pretty slow start under their new manager, have rejuvenated their season with a run of 11 games unbeaten in the league which has propelled them right up the table. Sousa has built from the back and made them stuffy, resilient and hard to score against. They currently have the 2^nd best defensive record (Newcastle have the best) conceding just 12 goals. Their defence on the road is the best, losing just 5 goals in 8 games. Scoring goals has proved problematic however as they are the lowest scorers in the division with Craig Beattie their top scorer on a measly 3 strikes.

Watching Newcastle on Monday night away to Preston was interesting due to the fact that it was almost inevitable that they were going to win the game no matter how much North End threw at them, you always felt United would nick a goal and take all 3 points. It of course did happen and proves yet again that the better teams in the division win games despite not playing all that well. They will create chances at home and have proven even harder to beat at St James’ with 6 wins and 2 draws from 8 games.

I can’t see the game being pretty or having a plethora of goals (cue a 3-3 draw) with such good defences on show. I can, however, see the home side creating a couple of really good opportunities and taking at least one of them such is the form they’re on at the moment. Swansea, I feel, will have to score to get something from the match, at least once, which I think is debatable given their poor scoring record. As a result I think Newcastle will take all 3 points and strengthen their position at the top of the league.

My selection: Newcastle to beat Swansea

Best price available: 5/6 available with Bet365

English Championship

Sheffield Wednesday v West Brom

Sheffield Wednesday, searching for their first win in 6, look to have it all to do against 2^nd placed West Bromwich Albion at Hillsborough.

I tipped against Wednesday last week when opting to go for Ipswich, and but for a masterclass in goalkeeping by Lee Grant, I would have been right. As it was, the keeper had a day out and saved his side, earning a good point in the process. Their home record is better than their form on the road so their fans will be expecting them to be more threatening and adventurous on Saturday. They have already defeated Coventry, Cardiff and Scunthorpe on their own patch this season but they’ll be up against one of, if not the best, side in the Championship when West Brom come calling.

Roberto Di Matteo has fitted in really well with WBA’s footballing philosophy since joining as Manager from MK Dons in July. His side play the best football in the division and have proved too much for so many teams already this season. They are currently the highest scorers in the division, averaging more than two goals a game. They have lost the one game in their last 7, a run which has included thumping wins against Watford and Bristol City and an excellent away victory over Leicester City.

Simon Cox has taken a while to get fully fit after an injury at the start of the season but the £2m signing from Swindon is beginning to find his feet leading the line for the Baggies. Cox has scored twice in his last 3 matches and will fancy of notching against Wednesday who have shipped 4 goals in their last two home games. Cox doesn’t just bring goals to the team, his overall play has made a big difference to West Brom who at times lacked a potent attacking threat up top.

West Brom have brushed aside better teams than Sheffield Wednesday already this season and I for one can’t see Brian Laws’ men getting anything from Saturday’s match. This one is easy enough for me anyway, away win.

My selection: West Brom to beat Sheffield Wednesday

Best odds available: 23/20 available with 888Sport

Good luck and happy punting

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

Saturday 14^th September

English Championship

Preston North End v Swansea

The home side have started where they left off last season whilst Saturday’s visitors are still coming to terms with the loss of former manager Roberto Martinez who left for Wigan during the summer.

Preston remain unbeaten after 5 games accumulating a total of 9 points in the process. They find themselves just inside the ridiculously early play-off picture in 6^th position, 4 points of current leaders Newcastle United. As mentioned in a previous article, North End had the most amount of home wins in the division last season and have started in a similar vein. From their 4 home games this term, 2 of which were in the League cup, they have won 3 and drawn 1.

Swansea were a somewhat surprise package when promoted to the Championship a year ago. They were in and around the promotion picture for much of last season only to lose out in the final few weeks of the season. They played an open and expansive style of football under Martinez with the likes of Ferrie Bodde, Jordi Gomez and Jason Scotland flourishing. Gomez and Scotland have since followed Martinez to JJB Stadium whilst Bodde is just coming back from a long term injury.

Preston should be able to welcome back influential defender Youl Mawene from injury whilst manager Alan Irvine will be hoping Sean St Ledger will return from international duty ready to take his place alongside Mawene. Swansea will be hoping to give debut’s to Craig Beattie and Abu Bakr whilst prodigal son Lee Trundle will be looking to start his first game of his 2^nd spell at the Swans after a deadline day move from Bristol City.

As ever with Preston, their strengths will lie upfront with a powerful duo of strikers in Neil Mellor and Jon Parkin. Swansea’s task will be made doubly difficulty with the absence of Gary Monk and Rangel who are both suspended for Saturday’s match. North End will be looking for their creative players such as Ross Wallace and Richard Chaplow to provide a bit of spark and take the game to the visitors. I really fancy Preston to have a good season this term and their home form will be key to that. Paulo Sousa, Swans manager, is still to prove himself adept at this level and I can see him and his side on the wrong end of a defeat on Saturday.

My selection: Preston North End to beat Swansea

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

English League 1

Charlton v Southampton

Four years ago this match was taking place in the Premier League, as it is, Charlton will be entertaining Southampton in the 3^rd tier of English football.

Charlton can boast a 100% record in League 1 so far with 6 wins from their initial half dozen games. They have adapted well to their new league and have been very impressive, especially going forward. They have brushed aside the likes of Walsall, Tranmere and most recently, Brentford. In these last 3 matches they have amassed a total of 8 goals and managed to keep a clean sheet in the same run of games. Phil Parkinson, manager of Charlton, has rejuvenated an ailing club by bringing in experienced faces to mentor and support their prodigious young talent. Deon Burton, Christian Dailly and Miguel Llera have been brought in over the summer. Add their experience to bright, exciting youngsters such as Jay Shelvey, Lloyd Sam and Nick Bailey and you have a more than decent chance of challenging for promotion.

Southampton were relegated along with Saturday’s hosts last season. Their start to this one, however, has been far different to that of Charlton’s. By going into administration they triggered an automatic 10 point deduction meaning they needed 10 points just to be on level par for the season. As yet, they have only managed 4 points, all coming from draws. They still retain several quality players in the shape of Kelvin Davis, Adam Lallana and Marius Saganowski. They have also signed Ricky Lambert from Bristol Rovers who is a prolific goal scorer at this level.   

I watched Charlton’s last match against Brentford and was very impressed with not only their style of play but their control of the football match. Their midfield was particularly good and their wide players, Sam and Bailey, were threats throughout the match – they’ll always create chances. Southampton have proven to be stubborn opponents already this term losing only two of their 6 matches. Both these defeats however have come on the road and they have looked more vulnerable on their travels.

Charlton just look to be on a roll and I can’t see their progress being halted this weekend. I can’t see Southampton edging closer to the level par mark by picking up a point or 3 on Saturday and fully expect Phil Parkinson and his troops to be chalking up another victory and making it a magnificent 7.

My selection: Charlton to beat Southampton.

Best odds available: 8/11 with Coral

Saturday 14^th March

Manchester United v Liverpool

It’s all or nothing for Liverpool tomorrow afternoon. Win and they still retain hopes of catching Manchester United at the top of the English Premiership. Lose and they will be locked in a battle with Chelsea for 2^nd place and Automatic qualification into the Champions League.

Both sides are coming into this match off the back of excellent victories in the European arena. United eased past Italian Champions, Inter Milan by scoring an early goal in either half and always looked like they could move through the gears if needed. Liverpool turned in the best performance of the week by destroying Spanish Champions, Real Madrid, 4-0 at Anfield. Madrid may not be as good as they once were but the performance of Liverpool should not be under-estimated, they played some of their best football they ever have done under the stewardship of Rafa Benitez.

It will be interesting to see how the away side set up for the lunchtime fixture. Should they attempt to match United like for like and play an open match, you can only see the Champions running over the top of them as they have the better quality of player for that kind of match. It is more likely that Benitez will adopt his European style formation with Torres as a lone striker, ably supported by Steven Gerrard and whoever plays in the wide positions for Liverpool, most likely Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt.

Sir Alex Ferguson will know that a win for his side would all but wrap up the title and he’ll be of the opinion that the sooner they can secure this League, the better it will be for their chances in the other competitions. He may choose to shuffle his pack around with the likes of Anderson, Darren Fletcher, Park Ji Sung and Carlos Tevez all pushing for a starting place. The usual suspects will fill the back first 5 positions on the team-sheet, but there may be one or two surprises in the home side’s line-up as Ferguson was not best pleased with how his players performed in the 2^nd half.

Man United will be hurting after losing to Liverpool at Anfield earlier on in the season. It was the first time that Ferguson suffered a reverse in the league at the hands of Rafa Benitez. Liverpool have not won at Old Trafford since 2004 and have lost on their last 4 visits to the Theatre of Dreams, including a 3-0 mauling last season. Fergie knows what beating Liverpool means to the United fans and the likes of Scholes, Rooney, Giggs and Ferdinand will be determined to avenge the 2-1 defeat in September.

The match can go two ways. Liverpool may play with a bit more freedom following their midweek victory over Madrid with a little pressure off them as no-one expects them to win the title anymore. Or it could go the way many expect it to with United powering on to their 3^rd successive EPL title victory by defeating their arch rivals and leaving no-one in doubt that they are the best team in the land by a wide margin.

Liverpool will have a chance if they repeat Tuesday night’s performance but United are in scintillating form at present and look an excellent wager.

My selection: Manchester United to beat Liverpool

Best price available: United are 10/11 with Williamhill

English Championship

Swansea v Crystal Palace

A huge match for the home side as they look to heap the pressure on the sides above them as they currently lie one position outside of the play-off positions.

Saturday’s visitors are Crystal Palace who themselves look liked play-off hopefuls over the Christmas period. Since their good run, they have tailed off and have only managed to win two league matches in 2009 in 10 attempts. A run which see’s them 10 points off of tomorrow hosts, albeit with one game in hand. Maybe even more alarmingly for manager Paul Warnock is the fact they’ve conceded 8 goals in their last 3 away matches including 4 in their last outing against Burnley in midweek – a side who play similar football to tomorrow’s opponents.

Swansea have not won as many games as they may have wished recently, drawing 3 of their last 4 Championship matches. 2 of their draws did come in difficult away matches against Derby and Nottingham Forest whilst they defeated a side who had taken points off of Reading, Wolves and Sheffield United in recent weeks in the shape of Plymouth. Roberto Martinez knows his side must grind out similar wins if they are to move up the table, starting tomorrow.

Swansea have suffered defeat only once on home soil and that was back in November against 2^nd place Birmingham. With 9 wins and 9 draws from their other 18 matches at the Liberty Stadium, visiting teams know they will have to go some to taking all 3 points home with them. Swansea can also boast the 3^rd highest total in home goals scored, behind Reading and Wolves.

Palace have not been great away from home, picking up just 5 victories from 18 matches thus far, losing a massive 10 of those. Their bid for a win here will not be helped by the loss of a couple of key defenders and with this being the case, Swansea’s inform striker, Jason Scotland, may prove to be very problematic.

Swansea know they require wins to get into the much coveted play off places and I can see them getting one tomorrow by brushing Crystal Palace aside. Also, Jason Scotland is in terrific form so have a little stake on him scoring at anytime.

My selection: Swansea to beat Crystal Palace

Jason Scotland to score anytime

Best price available: Swansea are 5/6 with Coral

Jason Scotland to score anytime is 5/4 with Bet365

Saturday 14^th February

English FA Cup

Swansea v Fulham

Championship side Swansea host Fulham of the Premier League in Saturday’s early kick off in one of the tie’s of the round.

The away side head into this game on the back of a run which has seen them lose only two matches out of their last fifteen. The impressive form has seen them record 6 wins with 2 of these coming in this competition, both away against lower league opposition.  Despite these victories away from home in the cup, they have yet to take maximum points on their travels in the league. From their last 3 matches in the league they have lost two and drew the other one, last week’s goalless draw with Wigan.

As I have no doubt mentioned before, Swansea have been a revelation this term. Roberto Martinez has put together a team full of craft, pace and ability and entwined it with graft and enthusiasm. Despite missing last season’s star man, Ferrie Bodde, for much of the season they have put together a run of even better form than Saturday’s visitors. Since their reverse at home to Birmingham in November, they have went on a run of 15 games unbeaten. Granted, 9 of those games were stalemates, but it should be noted that they have won 6 of their last 7 games, including their impressive 2-0 victory over Portsmouth in the last round. Incidentally, their last defeat was also their only home defeat of the season; winning 7 and drawing 8.

Swansea have done exceptionally well against the more cultured sides in the Championship this season, defeating the likes of Reading, Preston, Ipswich and Burnley in recent weeks, with relative ease as well it has to be said. The likes of Jason Scotland, Jordi Gomez and Nathan Dyer are far more effective when they are given space to play and Fulham will allow them a lot of the ball on Saturday as they will look to hit the hosts on the counter-attack.

Fulham have been given two tough games thus far in the FA Cup. They have left it late against both Sheffield Wednesday and Kettering Town, the winning goals coming in the last 5 minutes in both cases – they will find this match even tougher. Having only managed 6 points all season on the road, and scoring a paltry 3 goals in the process, I can see them coming unstuck at what is sure to be a rocking Liberty Stadium.

I think Saturday’s game will be an open game and can see both sides scoring, I just feel that the home side will have a little too much for their higher ranking opponents.

My selection: Swansea to beat Fulham

The best odds available for a Swansea win is  13/8 with Skybet

Also, if you are not as confident in the outright result, I would advise a couple of side bets for a little bit of added interest in what is sure to be an enthralling encounter.

Other selections: Jason Scotland to score anytime 2/1 with Paddypower

More than 2 goals in Swansea v Fulham 5/4 with Stanjames

Saturday 14^th February

English League One

Oldham v Northampton

High flying Oldham entertain perennial mid table finishers Northampton at Boundary Park on Saturday in a match they will be looking to gain all three points in a bid to keep their promotion challenge firmly on track.

Despite a couple of recent setbacks on their travels, Oldham have continued to be a force at home. They have picked up 8 wins and 6 draws from their 15 home games in league 1 already this season, including gaining maximum points from 2 of their last 3. A big part of their success is the quality of their strikers, especially Lee Hughes. The controversial hitman has bagged 15 already this term. Midfielders Liddell and Taylor also have 8 goals apiece, add that to the experience of Dean Windass, on loan from Hull City, then it’s not hard to understand why Oldham sit in 5^th place, 7 points off the 2^nd automatic promotion spot.

Northampton are something of an enigma. Despite proving incredibly difficult to beat on their own turf (only 3 defeats from 15), they have only managed to pick up 3 points on two occasions when playing away from Sixfields. Both these victories were against sides below them in the table and both are currently occupying positions within the relegation zone.

Despite having to contend with a suspension to their goalkeeper, the home side should have too much firepower at the other end of the pitch for Northampton to cope with and should take all 3 points. It’s a game they will have targeted as a must win beforehand and they should oblige.

My selection: Oldham to beat Northampton

The best odds available are 8/11 from Betfred Betfred

Saturday 14^th February

English FA Cup

West Ham v Middlesborough

An all Premier league clash between two sides enjoying contrasting fortunes. The home side are flying in the top half of the table under Gianfranco Zola whilst ‘Boro are on their worst run in 13 years. These are games I normally avoid due to their unpredictable nature but I just cannot see where the away side are going to pick up anything.

Survival is the name of the game for Saturday’s visitors to Upton Park on Saturday. Slap bang in the middle of the relegation zone and without a win in the EPL since the beginning of November, manager Gareth Southgate is faced with his biggest task yet since taking charge. In spite of their shocking league form, they have managed to make it through to this stage by defeating lower league opposition in the shape of Wolves and Barrow.

Zola has started to stamp his mark on this side after a relatively timid opening couple of months in charge. Their narrow defeat to Man United last Sunday was their first reverse since the middle of December, a run of games which has seen them win 6 and draw 2. The likes of Cole, Collison, Behrami and Mark Noble will be a handful for an away side who have failed to win at Upton park since 2000.

The cup may prove to be a welcome distraction for ‘Boro but their pitiful recent form leaves a lot to be desired. Zola will know that defeat would mean merely playing out the rest of the season and hoping for a top 10 finish whereas victory could be the catalyst for a prolonged run in a competition they came so close to winning in 2006.

Roared on by an now expectant home crowd, the pace and power of West Ham should be more than enough to brush aside Southgate’s charges.  

My selection: West Ham to beat Middlesborough

The best odds available for a West Ham win is 5/6 available with Boylesports

Saturday 31^st January

English Premiership

Fulham v Portsmouth

Fulham host Portsmouth this Saturday in a clash between two sides that are not in the best of form. The home side have not won a league game in 5 when they brushed aside Middlesborough the weekend before Christmas. Since that match they only played one other EPL match at home, a 2-2 draw against 3^rd place Chelsea. Outwith those games, they have only managed to pick up single point from three matches on the road, losing their last two away games against West Ham and Sunderland.

Unfortunately for Portsmouth, they have picked up even less points. From their last 8 league games they have amassed a pitiful 5 points. The run has seen them slip further and further down the table and the lie perilously close to the dreaded relegation places. Tony Adams has actually only managed to win two out of his 14 league matches since taking over at the end of October, it really is a startling stat. His cause has not been helped by the loss of key players such as Defoe and Diarra, as well as the ongoing financial troubles that have impeded his own transfer dealings. The likes of Mullins and Pennant are decent enough players, but they’re also journeymen who their own clubs were only too happy to let go of.

Fulham have also lost a key player in the shape of Jimmy Bullard. The transfer of the much admired English internationalist could prove detrimental to the Cottagers in the long run. His goals, set piece delivery and energy for central to most things that Fulham done well.

The hosts have a home record they can be very proud of. From 10 matches they’ve played at home, they’ve won 6 and drawn 3. Their solitary defeat came against a West Ham side who were extremely lucky to escape with anything, let alone all 3 points. They also have the 4^th best home defensive record in the league, only bettered by the top 3.

Portsmouth have been pretty poor on the road this season. Winning only two of their 11 games on the road thus far, they have lost 5, including two of their last 3. They managed to pick up a draw at Tottenham but even then they were very lucky not to suffer another defeat.

Interestingly enough, Pompey actually have a decent record away to Fulham, winning on their last two visits. Those wins however, came when they had pace to burn going forward. With Peter Crouch and Kanu their likely front pairing tomorrow, they are unlikely to be able to get in behind a resolute Fulham defence.

It’s been a tough old start to Adam’s managerial career and I can’t see it getting much better anytime soon. Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora could enjoy a fruitful today tomorrow.

My selection: Fulham to beat Portsmouth

The best price available for a Fulham victory is 21/20 which is available at Bluesquare

English Championship

Southampton v Swansea

The away side comes into this match absolutely flying. Not only are they unbeaten in any competition since the end of November, they also defeated Portsmouth 2-0 in last week’s FA Cup tie at Fratton Park. The home side are at the other end of the form table, they’ve only managed victory once in their last 11 league matches, which was a single goal victory away to fellow struggler, Barnsley.

The Swans have finally started turning draws into victories. After stalemating in 8 league matches in a row, they have won their last 5 matches, including league wins over Reading and Preston at home and a 2-0 victory over Burnley on the road. Manager Roberto Martinez has put together a very balanced squad which can battle but also play quality football when they get the opportunity. A mixture of home based players and oversee imports has set them up for a very interesting second half of the season.

The home side have suffered a nightmare season to date. They recently lost manager Jan Poortvliet who only came in during the last close season. His philosophy of playing good football and nurturing young players may not have been getting consistent results, but it was the best way forward for a club who have had to loan out or sell their best players because they are in financial difficulties. All is not well at St Mary’s and the fans have not been slow to vent their anger at Chairman Rupert Lowe.

The away side will have to do without a key player in the shape of Darren Pratley. His presence will be missed in the middle of the park will no doubt be missed, but it should be noted that he went off 10 minutes into Tuesday’s 4-1 victory over Preston. Another player missing will be on-loan Nathan Dyer. Last week’s FA Cup hero is actually on loan from Southampton so is ineligible for tomorrows match.

Southampton have only managed to pick up one victory all season long at St Mary’s in the league. They have lost 7 games on home soil, only equaled by bottom club Charlton. Swansea have won only 4 matches on the road, but have only suffered defeat the same amount of times. I was tempted with backing the draw because of the players Swansea are missing but I just feel they will still have too much quality with the likes of Jason Scotland and Jordi Gomez.

My selection: Swansea to beat Southampton

The best price available for a Swansea win is 13/10 available with Coral

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.