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Yorkshire stalemate on the cards

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Former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock is sure to receive a hot reception on Friday evening when he takes his Leeds United team back to the city to play Sheffield Wednesday (Sheff Wed 5/4, draw 12/5, Leeds 21/10) but will he have the last laugh and come away from Hillsborough with the points?

Warnock enjoyed an eight year spell with Sheffield United, his boyhood club, between 1999 and 2007, guiding them to the League and FA Cup semi finals in 2003 and a lone season in the Premier League during the 2006/07 campaign. His appearance in the away dugout on Friday night therefore will add even more spice to what is already set to be a feisty Yorkshire encounter.

The Owls secured promotion back to the Championship in dramatic fashion last May, nudging ahead of their near neighbours United on the final day of the season. But their return to England’s second tier has been a chastening one of late. The Yorkshire club have won just twice in the league all season and are without a victory in eight games across all competitions.

Their lowly position of 22nd suggests this season is set to be a long and arduous one unless boss Dave Jones can turn things around quickly. The former Southampton and Wolves manager was only appointed as Gary Megson’s successor in March, but knows a defeat on Friday could put his future at risk.

Should Wednesday lose and other results go against them, they could easily find themselves bottom of the table come Monday morning.

Leeds United meanwhile are gathering a head of steam ahead of what could be a sustained challenge for the play-off positions. They have risen up to seventh place following a four-game unbeaten run, while they also overcame Premier League side Everton in the Capital One Cup in September.

However, Wednesday fans will be hoping the form book goes out of the window when the two teams take to the field. The influence of 30,000 home supporters in a sell-out crowd could prove pivotal.

The last time these two sides met at Hillsborough was way back in 2006, when Leeds came away with a 1-0 victory. The Owls had their revenge in the return meeting at Elland Road however, winning 3-2 in March 2007.

Of the 42 games played in South Yorkshire, The Owls have recorded 20 wins while United have come away with 13 victories. Local derbies are always difficult to predict and despite the two teams’ contrasting form, the support of the home crowd should act as a great leveller.

Warnock thrives under such adversity though and he will expect some big game performances from some of his star players. This looks a game where the fear of losing overrides everything else, meaning the draw looks a decent bet. The 0-0 draw is priced at a tempting 15/2, with even more value found in the half-time/full time market.

Wednesday will no doubt come flying out of the blocks, but questions remain over their ability to sustain a level of performance over 90 minutes, meaning Leeds should be allowed back into the game. The Sheff Wed/draw HT/FT bet is tantalisingly placed at 12/1 and is worth considering.

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Home nations make nervy qualification start

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Following the World Cup qualifiers over the past week, the European groups are beginning to take shape with a feel for who is now likely to make it to Brazil in 2014 emerging. Here, we assess how the home nations’ chances look after the early games.

England

Wednesday’s delayed draw with Poland exposed England’s frailties and dampened the optimism generated by big wins over Moldova and San Marino earlier in the group.

Roy Hodgson’s side remain well placed to qualify for Brazil and their favourites tag in Group H proves they will have no problem getting positive results against the aforementioned two minnows.

However, it is against the better sides that they struggle – as the draws against Ukraine and the Poles have proved – and the Three Lions certainly need to improve overall if they are to seal a spot in the top two.

Montenegro’s unexpected rise to the top of Group H early on has moved them into contention in the betting market and shaken things up somewhat and Hodgson and his players know how important a run of victories now is for his side to ensure their place in Brazil.

Scotland

The pressure has intensified on Scotland boss Craig Levein following their meek surrender in Belgium that leaves the Tartan Army on just two points from four games and now long odds to qualify with totesport.

Draws against Serbia and Macedonia, whose odds have now shortened to qualify, followed up by that dramatic defeat in Wales, means their chances of making a major tournament for the first time since 1998 are hanging by a thread.

Only a remarkable comeback from this position in the group and a series of unlikely wins over seemingly better-equipped opposition will save Scotland now – and that, sadly, looks about as likely as Levein still being in the job come the start of November.

Wales

Wales are only marginally better off than their Celtic cousins after the 2-0 defeat in Croatia on Tuesday left Chris Coleman’s side on three points in Group A. They, too, simply do not look good enough to find big wins over Serbia, Macedonia and Croatia in the return game and the feeling is the wait for an appearance at a World Cup Finals will go well beyond 2014, as their qualifying odds now reflect.

Limited resources and only a handful of top drawer players, like Gareth Bale and Joe Allen, suggest the best they might be able to hope for come next autumn will be the satisfaction of finishing above local rivals Scotland in the final standings.

Northern Ireland

Michael O’Neill’s side produced the result of the past week as far as the home nations are concerned when they came away from Portugal with a point after a 1-1 draw in Porto.

Niall McGinn’s goal was giving the international minnows, who have not made it to the World Cup since 1986, a superb 1-0 away win until Portugal eventually equalised in the second half but the result gives Northern Ireland hope of better to come after years in the doldrums.

True, tough tests lie ahead in upcoming clashes against Russia and Israel, and they have only two points from three games but if they can build on the Porto point with fellow minnows Luxembourg and Azerbaijan also in the group, the qualification dream, despite their generous odds, could well be alive.

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Wanted: Promotion-winning boss

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premier league logoThere seems to be a lack of quality managers in Lancashire at the moment with vacant positions at Bolton, Blackburn and Burnley. Eddie Howe, Owen Coyle and Steve Kean have all tried and failed at their respective clubs and now the search is one for someone who can guide these teams out of the Championship.

Blackburn

Perhaps the most likely out of the three to achieve promotion this season based on their start to the campaign. Heading into the international break, Rovers were ninth in the table having dropped out of the play-off places after a run of two points from four games. The majority of the slump Blackburn experienced before the break after Kean left his post, the 45-year-old finally realising his position was untenable 12 months after the rest of the world.

The hunt is now on for someone who can not only deal with the stress of managing a football team but also coping with some questionable owners in Venky’s. The Rovers board are after Tottenham coach Tim Sherwood but negotiations have been less than smooth by all accounts. Also mentioned in connection with the post have been Ian Holloway, Roy Keane and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, although the latter has ruled himself out of the running recently.

Rovers are 7/1 to win the Championship this season and are keen to have someone on board before the weekend’s game with Derby. Despite his reluctance, Sherwood still appears to be the favourite, although as Jimmy Greaves said football is a “funny old game” so don’t rule out Blackburn hero Alan Shearer taking over yet.

Bolton

Many Bolton supporters are probably still asking where it all went wrong for fans’ favourite Coyle, after he made such a good start to life in charge at the Reebok Stadium. A combination of injuries, luck and some poor purchases conspired to bring the Scot down and now the hunt is on for someone who can guide the Trotters back up to the Premier League.

Whoever does takeover has a tough job on their hands, with Bolton languishing in 18th, 11 points off league leaders Cardiff City. Mick McCarthy and Dougie Freedman are the front-runners for the post, although Palace boss Freedman was coy on the rumours when asked if he’d take the job. McCarthy appears as though he would be an unpopular choice, so the Bolton board might be wise to look elsewhere with Paolo Di Canio, Michael Appleton and Billy Davies also mentioned in connection with the job.

Perhaps Davies would be the best option given his Championship experience and the ability to get the best out of limited resources. His style of play is unlikely to win over too many supporters but at least it isn’t Gary Megson Bolton fans.

Bolton are 4/6 to beat Bristol City this weekend with Sammy Lee in charge.

Burnley

In terms of resources, the job at Burnley is perhaps the least attractive, with Howe having been given limited resources to work with. Having gone down the route of appointing a young, upcoming manager it will be interesting to see what the Clarets board does now, especially since the club has had an overhaul in the boardroom.

Sources within the club have rubbished rumours of Coyle coming back, while talk of Phil Brown getting the job is hardly likely to go down well with the Turf Moor faithful. Perhaps someone like Keith Hill is the way to go, the Barnsley boss having done relatively well at Oakwell on a shoestring budget.

The 43-year-old also guided Rochdale to their first promotion in what felt like a millennium but was in fact 41 years. Appleton has also been mentioned in connection with the post and will probably jump at the chance to leave Portsmouth, with all their problems, for a stable club. McCarthy recently came on top of a poll of fans favourites to takeover and he looks destine to get a new job somewhere soon.

Burnley face a tough test this weekend against Blackpool and are 13/8 to win the game, with the Seasiders 5/4 and the draw 12/5.

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No time to panic for winless trio

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Queens Park Rangers (2/1 – Premier League relegation), Norwich City and Reading are still waiting for their first wins in the Premier League this season but, with plenty of points up for grabs, there is no need to press the panic button just yet.

There is no doubting that Mark Hughes is one of the managers who is under the most pressure to keep hold of his job in the top flight, with the Hoops spending big bucks over the summer to strengthen the squad at Loftus Road.

Hughes has had the backing of the chairman recently, which is always a worrying development for a man in his position.

With three defeats on the bounce, Rangers’ clash at home to Everton on Sunday is a massive game, even though the London outfit are just two points off safety (QPR 11/5, draw 9/4, Everton 6/5 – Match Betting).

Six goals in seven matches show that finding the back of the net has been difficult for Hughes’ men.

But, with the likes of Bobby Zamora, David Hoilett, Jamie Mackie and Djibril Cisse in their ranks and the ability spend money on a striker in January, it should not be long before QPR start bagging goals and climb out the relegation zone.

Having seen manager Paul Lambert make the switch to Aston Villa over the summer, Norwich (8/13 – Premier League relegation) are really struggling, with what appears to be that classic ’second season syndrome’.

The Canaries finished comfortably in mid-table last season and could have been placed higher had they not had a sloppy end to the campaign, as they knew their Premier League status was secure.

Chris Hughton has struggled to build on the work done by his predecessor and, with 17 goals conceded in their first seven games, the problems in defence have been clear at Carrow Road.

A 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in their last outing will not have done Norwich’s confidence any good and things won’t get any easier when they host Arsenal on Saturday (Norwich 11/8, draw 9/4, Arsenal 15/8 – Match Betting).

Unless Norwich can cause some major upsets in the coming weeks then it could well be a long old season for the Canaries.

Reading (8/11 – Premier League relegation) make up the last of the trio still searching for their first thee points and, like Hughes and Hughton, Brian McDermott has been somewhat unlucky not to have guided his side to a victory.

In Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, the Royals have a man who can get goals and, although he has made a relatively slow start to the season, he is likely end up as the top goalscorer at the Madejski this term.

Reading will have a job on their hands to stay up this season but if they can get their home form sorted they should have a good chance of survival, although hosting a resurgent Liverpool this weekend will be tough (Reading 8/11, draw 7/2, Liverpool 17/2 Match Betting).

With Everton, Arsenal and Liverpool the next opponents for the struggling trio at the bottom of the table, they might have to wait beyond this weekend for their first win in the Premier League but the battle to avoid the drop is really just beginning.

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Dons to keep up with pacesetters

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There are two League One fixtures on Sunday as Preston play MK Dons and Shrewsbury take on Walsall. The Dons are riding high towards the top end of the table and will want to make sure they end the weekend in the play-off zone (MK Dons 9/2 League One Outright).

Preston v MK Dons

Milton Keynes’ fans must be wondering what they have got to do to earn promotion to the Championship having lost out in the play-offs in three of the last four seasons.

The simple answer is to finish in the top two and that is the challenge for Karl Robinson and his men this term.

And they have made a decent start to proceedings with five wins and two draws from their first nine games to sit in fifth place in the table.

They are currently eight points behind table-topping Tranmere but it is open to question whether the Birkenhead club will sustain its challenge throughout the ten months of action.

Home form has been excellent for the Buckinghamshire outfit but they have struggled on their travels with just five points away from Stadium MK to date and they will want to put that right at Deepdale.

But Preston are no mugs at home with 10 points from their five home games this season and this one has the makings of a tight encounter in Lancashire, with the clubs locked together in the market.

The Dons have drawn their last two league fixtures while Preston beat Doncaster away from home before losing to Oldham on their travels and they will happy to be back on home soil on Sunday.

Shane Cansdell-Sherriff should return to the Preston defence after missing the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy win over Morecambe through suspension, while Akpo Sodje has been tipped to return to the starting line-up after his brace in the Morecambe victory.

MK Dons will have to do without defensive duo Gary MacKenzie, who has undergone hip surgery, and Anthony Kay., who is suspended, while Mathias Doumbe could be in line to make his first start of the season in defence.

Preston are the league’s joint-top scorers at home and so it seems as though Milton Keynes may have to add to their tally of six away goals if they want to come away from the north west with anything this weekend.

Odds: Preston & MK Dons 13/8, draw 23/10

Shrewsbury v Walsall

While Walsall are comfortably tucked away in mid-table the Shrews are in dire need of points as they are hovering dangerously close to the drop zone.

It is true that there are still plenty of games to go but by now the pattern of the season is usually set and it could be a continuing struggle for Graham Turner to keep his side out of the bottom four.

Seven points from a possible 15 at home is not great but by no means a disaster, however it is the club’s form away from New Meadow that is giving cause for concern.

Turner has seen his charges pick up just three points on the road and, while they have managed to secure three draws, it is victories that will guide a team towards safety.

Therefore every home game is vital and they welcome the west Midlanders to Shropshire having not tasted victory since the 4-1 home triumph over Coventry back on September 18.

Two draws and two defeats have followed and it is inevitable that the fans will start to become worried if things do not change sooner rather than later.

And the last team they would want to visit are the away-day specialists from Walsall, who have already taken 10 points from five games on their travels this term.

Had their home form been stronger then Dean Smith’s side could easily have been in the top six by now but they are 11th – just two points short of a play-off place.

But they are not in the best of form heading into the weekend clash having suffered back-to-back home losses in their last two outings while beating Bournemouth on the south coast on September 29.

It could be argued that they will be pleased to get away from the Banks’s Stadium for this one and the Saddlers have a fully-fit squad to choose from, save for Will Grigg, who is on World Cup duty with Northern Ireland.

Shrewsbury will be without injured strikers Terry Gornell and Sam Winnall and it may be that Paul Parry continues up front alongside top scorer Marvin Morgan.

While defeat would not be a disaster for the home side, they will need to get things going quickly and will have to be on their guard against a Walsall side who have made a habit of winning close games away from home.

Odds: Shrewsbury 5/4, Walsall 11/5, draw 23/10

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Welsh hoping to edge out Scots

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Wales take on Scotland in a World Cup qualifying clash on Friday knowing that nothing less than three points will do. Chris Coleman’s side are currently bottom of Group A but victory will see them leapfrog the Scots and regain some pride (Wales 7/4, Scotland 17/10, draw 9/4 – Match Prices).

This was always going to be a vital match for Wales as they look to develop under new boss Coleman and a clash with their Celtic rivals will show just how they are progressing.

A 2-0 home defeat to Belgium and a 6-1 thrashing away to Serbia was not the ideal start but those two nations are arguably the strongest in a tough group and may well qualify for the finals in Brazil.

Scotland have not exactly been pulling up any trees themselves and, with two draws from their opening two games, will also have their work cut out to reach the South American showpiece.

A game between any of the home nations is always a feisty affair and this one should be no different, with vital points and bragging rights on offer.

It could be argued that the Welsh have nothing to lose as they are not expected to make it out of the group and victory over the Scots and Macedonia might be as good as it could get for the Principality outfit, with Croatia completing a formidable looking group (Belgium 6/4fav – Group A Winner).

Wales have clearly got problems in front of goal and a return of just one from their last five games must be a worry for the management.

Assistant coach John Hartson has played down the fact that their last goal in open play came nearly a year ago, suggesting that he would be more worried if they were not creating chances.

But the game is about putting the ball in the back of the net and unless they can find someone to do it on a regular basis, Wales are always going to struggle.

The men in red do have one ace in the pack in Tottenham’s Gareth Bale and reports claim that the left winger will shake off a heel problem to take his place in the starting line-up, while full-back Adam Matthews has also been tipped to recover in time to play.

But Coleman does have a number of absentees to deal with as Craig Bellamy, Neil Taylor, James Collins and Jack Collison are all missing.

A football nation the size of Wales can ill-afford to have too many of its best players absent and they will be up against it on Friday.

But they do have a decent record in this fixture as Scotland’s victory in the Carling Nations Cup in Dublin back in May 2011 was the first time they had triumphed over the Welsh since February 1984.

Of the two mangers on show, Craig Levein is possibly under the greater pressure as expectation north of the border is always huge despite the resources available to the coach.

Wales goalkeeper Jason Brown alluded to the fact that Levein’s decision to recall Steven Fletcher proves the stress that he is under to get results – and he has a valid point.

Fletcher had been in the international wilderness for 18 months, after making himself unavailable for a match with Northern Ireland in early 2011, but will be back in the starting line-up in Cardiff on Friday as Levein knows he can bring goals to the party.

And the Scots certainly need his goalscoring prowess in the side as they have found the net just once in their first two qualification games.

Levein will also have to cope with a few missing stars after Jordan Rhodes and Robert Snodgrass were forced to withdraw through injury, while Grant Hanley pulled out on Monday.

Celtic winger Kris Commons has been called up to the squad having not played for the national side for more than a year, while striker Steven Naismith will miss the match and Tuesday’s clash with Belgium because of suspension.

Having been placed in such a strong group, it always looked likely that the British sides would have to play out of their skin to qualify for the World Cup, but victory over one of the great rivals would at least give both Scotland and Wales something to cheer about.

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England goal glut on cards

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England will look to stack up the goal difference in their favour when international whipping boys San Marino arrive at Wembley for their Group H World Cup 2014 qualification showdown on Friday.

Roy Hodgson’s men comfortably put five past Moldova away from home in their opening group clash before being held by Ukraine at Wembley so it could be that qualification goes down to goal difference and goals scored in what is already looking like a tight group.

England (2/5 Group H winner) will be aware that current group leaders Montenegro stuck six past San Marino in their own backyard so it is no surprise that they are 1/100 to come out on top on Friday evening.

However, the real value will be looking at the correct score and anytime goal scorer markets as the Three Lions will no doubt tear into their opposition, who are officially ranked as the joint-worst team in the world by FIFA.

They have lost their last 19 competitive matches ‘to nil’, conceding 101 goals in the process, an average of just over five per game so expect the San Marino net to ripple on numerous occasions during this match.

Hodgson does have injury and suspension problems to contend with going into the match as captain Steven Gerrard is suspended following his red card for two bookings in the Ukraine clash, Glen Johnson is also banned while Frank Lampard and Ryan Bertrand have joined Kieran Gibbs on the sidelines having withdrawn from the squad on Thursday because of respective knee and illness issues.

But, that should not have a detrimental impact on the outcome of this match as it will be one-way traffic throughout.

Looking at potential score-lines and England have not scored six since the 6-0 drubbing of Andorra in 2009, while their last seven-goal haul came against San Marino in Graham Taylor’s last game in charge when the Three Lions recovered from falling behind to an early goal to win 7-1 in late 1993.

Punters who feel England are not prolific in games against teams of San Marino’s stature might fancy 6/1 for 6-0 in the Correct Score market, while those fancying a double figures haul can get 20/1 for a 10-0 rout.

In the anytime scoring market it is better to steer clear of the likes of Wayne Rooney and Jermain Defoe, both currently 1/5, and look to the defensive players.

Kyle Walker, who will deputise for Johnson and is always liable to bomb forward down the right flank is 7/2 to find the net and left-back Ashley Cole can be backed at a tidy 9/2 to make amends for his recent Twitter outburst and grab a first goal for his country while collecting his 99th cap.

If set-piece and penalty specialist Leighton Baines is given the nod over Cole on the left side of defence with one eye on the game in Poland on Tuesday, he can be backed at 7/4 in the anytime goalscorer market.

Value Bet: England 8-0 Correct Score @ 10/1

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Can Europe deliver in Brazil?

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As the European nations prepare for another World Cup qualifying double-header over the course of the next week, it’s time to assess if a European team can triumph at Brazil 2014.

The obvious answer to that is ‘yes’ when you consider Spain (4/1 – World Cup outright) are the defending world champions and the likes of Holland, Germany and Italy all look strong.

But winning in South America is not as straightforward as in Europe and Brazil, on home soil, are rightly the early favourites at 7/2 overall for more glory in 2014.

But what of the European challenge?

Spain

Let’s start with the obvious. Spain are a fabulous team when at their best as they – eventually – showed at Euro 2012.

It took La Roja a while to get going this summer but, when they clicked, Spain were once again irresistable and virtually unplayable. Any side containing the talents of Xabi Alonso, David Silva, Jordi Alba, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta – to name just six – is going to take some beating.

When you consider Premier League stars Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla can barely get a look-in then you know you have something special.

Up front they also have what appears to be a rejuvenated Fernando Torres and, barring fresh injury setbacks, should be able to welcome David Villa back into the fold for the World Cup in 2014.

It is early to be predicting Spain can go all the way in Brazil, though, and there may be fresh doubts in two years’ time over what is an ageing squad.

However, the feeling is that this ultra-talented generation can enjoy one last hurrah and bow out in style in Rio.

Holland

Holland (12/1) were fancied to do well in Euro 2012 this summer but ended it with the unwanted tag of ‘heavyweight under-performers’ in a major tournament – there’s usually one -  after crashing out at the group stage.

This after they reached the World Cup final in 2010 and only lost out to Spain in extra time. There is no doubt they have the talent to make an impact come 2014 but much will depend on top striker Robin van Persie’s form and fitness.

The likes of Arjen Robben, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Rafael van der Vaart and Nigel de Jong add plenty of experience and guile but, come 2014, Holland’s hopes may rest with up-and-coming stars like Manchester United new-boy Alexander Buttner, Kevin Strootman of PSV and 20-year-old forward Ola John.

They are likely to advance to the knockout stage but don’t expect too much beyond that.

Italy

The Azzurri surprised many with their run to the final of the Euros and always seem to perform when it matters most in the big tournaments. Well, aside from the last World Cup anyway.

They remain a country to be feared on the world stage when they get it right and will no doubt unearth some new talent come 2014.

Andrea Pirlo was class personified in Poland and Ukraine but, at 33 now, is very unlikely to be around in Brazil so a replacement for him will need to be found.

Mario Balotelli may well develop into the free-scoring, world-class centre-forward some believe he can be come the World Cup, but, overall, unpredictable Italy (16/1) look a tad short of genuine quality players and game-changers to muscle in on the final stages.

Expect either another dramatic early exit with an abject group failure or an unexpected run to the semi-finals.

Germany

The Germans (8/1) looked like the side destined to battle it out with Spain for the Euro crown but ultimately disappointed when losing to Italy in the semi-finals earlier this summer.

When they are in top form, though, they are one of the best sides in the world and will be rightly feared in Brazil.

Mesut Ozil, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira will have benefited from a couple more years of big-game experience come 2014, while up-and-coming talent like Mario Gotze, Andre Schurrle and Marco Reus will be top international players in a few more years.

The three-times World Cup winners are always likely to be involved come the last eight and, from there, expect a big challenge from the Germans once again, with some astute pundits even tipping them as strong outsiders to lift the famous trophy once again.

The rest….

England (22/1) will no doubt have talked themselves up to believe a place in the last four is achievable in 2014 and there is no doubt emerging players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck and even Liverpool teenager Raheem Sterling could be hyped up and tipped to carry the Three Lions through.

But with a cautious Roy Hodgson likely to be in charge and a squad very much in transition, another glorious failure – probably on penalties – at either the second-round or quarter-final stage, again, beckons.

Of the others, France (25/1) will always fancy their chances of making an impact while neighbours Belgium have what appears to be a ‘golden generation’ coming through with Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Maroune Fellaini, Thomas Vermaelen, Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke amongst others tipped to take them far in the competition.

Odds of 33/1 here do seem a little generous considering their ability and they might end up being lively outsiders.

Portugal, Turkey, Russia, Poland, Serbia and Croatia are all traditionally strong but, at this early stage, they look like qualifiers out of their groups at best and there isn’t much beyond that among Europe’s challengers to worry the rest of the world.

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Pompey to worsen Wycombe woe

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Portsmouth will be looking to past experience to win the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy this season and the League One outfit will be confident they can avoid a potential banana skin against Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night (Portsmouth 8/13 draw 13/5 Wycombe 7/2 – Match Betting) in their second-round tie.

Pompey, who lifted the FA Cup back in 2008, have suffered a steep decline since they beat Cardiff City in that final at Wembley and now sit 17th place in the third tier of English football.

Having made a poor start to the season, the south-coast club are unbeaten in their last three outings, including wins over Scunthorpe United and Yeovil Town.

Manager Michael Appleton will have been disappointed his side were two goals to the good against MK Dons on the weekend before being pegged back to a 2-2 draw.

Izale McLeod has been a standout performer this term for Pompey, with five goals to his name already this term.

The former England Under-21 striker will be a threat to a Wycombe side who put an end to their eight-game winless streak last weekend with a 2-1 victory over Torquay.

Wanderers still sit just above the relegation zone in 22nd place in League Two and face a tough season ahead of them, as they aim to avoid relegation to the conference.

The side are currently being led by captain and now caretaker manager Gareth Ainsworth who will be looking for his side to cause a big upset against Portsmouth.

However, at Fratton Park, Pompey should have too much for Wycombe, who will have bigger concerns of football league survival on their minds (6/1 Portsmouth 2-0 – correct score) this season.

In another cup encounter on Tuesday night Chesterfield make the relatively short 30 miles trip north to face Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium (Doncaster 8/11 draw 5/2 Chesterfield 3/1 – Match Betting).

Rovers find themselves just two points off the play-offs as they settle into life in League One following relegation from the Championship last term.

Manager Dean Saunders has picked up former Chelsea youngster Michael Woods this month, who will be hoping to kick-start his career with Doncaster.

The 22-year-old will have plenty of experienced players around him in the form of Robbie Blake and James Harper so he will learn a lot by playing regularly for Rovers.

Doncaster go up against a Chesterfield outfit who have proved to be a tough nut to crack this term.

With only one defeat in their last 11 outings in all competitions, caretaker managers Tommy Wright and Mark Crossley have a side that will not give up even if they go behind against Rovers.

The Spireites will undoubtedly show plenty of character at the Keepmoat on Tuesday night but Doncaster will have the experience, with the likes of Blake and Harper, to get them through the second round tie (7/1 Doncaster 2-1 correct score).

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Premier League Weekend Fall-Out

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The Premier League takes a break for the international action this week but here we look back on another weekend of high drama in England’s top flight.

1 – The real Manchester United finally showed up

After what has been a stuttering start to the season from Manchester United, finally we got to see Sir Alex Ferguson’s side’s true colours on Sunday as the 3-0 win at Newcastle proved they are very much title contenders again this term (United 2/1 – Premier League Outright).

St James’ Park remains one of the toughest places to get a result in the top flight but the way the Red Devils tore the Toon apart in the opening half hour should be an ominous warning to Manchester City, Chelsea and co.

They may have lost twice already this season but United appear back to their best and the rest of the league should be worried.

2 – But City click into gear too

If United’s start had been below-par then City, while unbeaten heading into Saturday’s home clash with Sunderland, could hardly be described as looking like defending champions in the early weeks of the season.

Draws at Stoke, Liverpool and at home to Arsenal, coupled with narrow victories over Southampton and Fulham, have led to questions marks over whether Roberto Mancini’s side can handle the pressure that comes with being champions (City 13/8f – Premier League Outright).

However, the utterly convincing 3-0 win over the Black Cats – that could easily have been five or six – suggests they too are now ready to prove the doubters wrong.

3 – Paul Lambert has plenty to do at Aston Villa

Paul Lambert’s arrival at Villa Park over the summer was greeted with cheer by the fans, but a thoroughly underwhelming start has left them scratching their heads.

Villa, who are 3/1 to be relegated, have won just one game so far and only really impressed in that victory over Swansea and in fits and starts since.

Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Spurs was a meek surrender after they had held their own in the first 45 minutes while Lambert’s decision to again start proven goalscorer Darren Bent on the bench is baffling.

4 – Diving remains an issue to be tackled

Another weekend in the Premier League and another Monday is dominated by talk of how to combat players diving.

Luis Suarez (9/1 – Premier League Top Goalscorer) has drawn plenty of criticism from managers for it in the past and Stoke boss Tony Pulis described his going to ground in the second half of his side’s 0-0 draw at Anfield on Sunday as “embarrassing”.

The ‘dive’ was laughable with no Stoke player even making a challenge let alone contact with the Uruguayan, although the Liverpool striker will claim in his defence – if it is one – that he has had three legitimate spot-kicks turned down this season already by referees in earlier games.

Gareth Bale was also guilty of it in Spurs’ win over Aston Villa so is it now time for retrospective action to be brought in by a panel of experts assessing the weekend action?

5 – Hughes must pick up points soon

Despite receiving the backing of chairman Tony Fernandes this week, QPR boss Mark Hughes must now be under some degree of pressure at Loftus Road after another weekend defeat (QPR – 2/1 To Be Relegated).

Despite heavy summer investment, the Rs look like a side without a structure and, at times, appear totally disjointed. The arrival of so many new faces is bound to unsettle things and they will need time to gel.

There is talent in the ranks at Loftus Road and Fernandes will clearly stick by Hughes but wins are what is needed after the 3-2 reverse at West Brom on Saturday.

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