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Away date will help England

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England have one foot at next summer’s European Championships and will be confident of sealing their place in Poland and Ukraine this weekend. It has all been a bit to straight forward for Fabio Capello’s men to date, but surely they can’t slip up now?

England have a six-point advantage at the top of Group G and know a point in Podgorica (Montenegro 9/2, Draw 23/10, England 8/11 – Match Betting) will be good enough to seal top spot. Defeat and victory for Montenegro in their final group game in Switzerland will leave England facing the prospect of a two-legged play-off.

This is likely to be their toughest game of the group so far, against a side that frustrated England at Wembley and claimed a 0-0 draw. That result highlighted their ability to defend, but the jury is out on whether they have the attacking threat to cause problems at the other end of the pitch.

The home side have conceded just three goals in six qualifying games to date, but just five goals scored tells its own story. Montenegro (20/1 to win Group G) are unbeaten in their three previous home matches in this group, although they did slip up in their 1-1 draw with Bulgaria.

They have also scored just once in each of those matches and England will be the toughest backline that they will have faced in this group. Capello insists that England won’t go there looking for a draw, but the visitors do have that as a cushion if needs be. But England (9/1 Euro 2012 Outright) have the firepower to kill off any hopes Montenegro still harbour of automatic qualification.

The major plus for England is that this game is away from home, bearing in mind their performances have been better on the road. Scoring eight goals in their three away games, the Three Lions have been impressive in victory in Switzerland, Bulgaria and Wales.

The players have recently admitted that they feel extra pressure from playing at Wembley. The tension that would have come across from the home crowd will be replaced by a positive vocal support in Podgorica.

Even with a couple of injuries, England have the luxury of bringing in young players with Premier League experience. Manchester United duo Danny Welbeck (11/8 To Score At Anytime) and Phil Jones are tipped to feature, while Scott Parker is expected to start the midfield after consistently impressive displays for Tottenham.

Montenegro midfielder Marko Cetkovic has described this as the “biggest game ever” for his country, but it looks likely to be the visitors who will be celebrating come the final whistle.

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Celtic nations set for Euro test

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Friday night will throw up some intriguing games in the race to qualify for the Euro 2012 Championships in Poland and the Ukraine and it’s a big night for the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales for very different reasons.

The Republic have a crucial away trip to the continent to take on Andorra in what is a must-win for manager Giovanni Trapattoni and his men (Andorra 33/1, draw 12/1, ROI 1/20).

A victory on the road and a win against Armenia on Tuesday night would secure at least a play-off place for the Irishmen, who have enjoyed a decent qualifying campaign so far.

However they will not want to be looking too far ahead and must first focus on bagging the three points in Andorra.

Ireland currently sit in second place in Group B behind Russia but would overtake the favourites if they secured a victory on Friday night and the Russians failed to do likewise.

And Ireland really should come away with the win, as Andorra are one of only two teams in any group to have not picked up a single point in qualification so far.

Ireland will have Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne out of action due to suspension, however Darren O’Dea, who is on loan with Leeds United from Celtic, is set to deputise in a strong Republic side.

It’s hard to see the Andorrans causing any problems for Trapattoni’s men and it will be important for his side to improve their goal difference, with this group looking like it will come down to the wire.

A game that’s important for different reasons is Northern Ireland’s clash with Estonia, as under pressure manager Nigel Worthington looks to prove his doubters wrong (NI Evs, draw 12/5, Estonia 11/4).

The Ulstermen’s chances are all but over for qualifying for Euro 2012, and with another major tournament slipping them by, people have called for a fresh face to be brought into the managerial  hot seat.

With only two wins from their eight games so far, Northern Ireland have struggled to compete with the likes of Italy and Serbia.

However in Estonia, Worthington’s men have a real chance of pulling off a win if they can be backed by the home support at Windsor Park.

The Baltic nation have won two more games in Group C, however in what is likely to be a wet and windy night at Windsor Park, Northern Ireland might just pull off a victory for their under pressure boss.

Another manager who would love to see his side pick up three points is Wales manager Gary Speed, who has not made a smooth transition into international football on the none-playing side.

Wales’ most capped outfield player sees his side sit rock bottom of Pool G, which also includes the likes of England, Montenegro and Bulgaria.

Friday’s opponents for the Welsh at the Liberty Stadium will be Switzerland, who still have a chance to qualify for Euro 2012 (Wales 10/3, draw 13/5, Switzerland 4/5).

Speed has some injury concerns with Jack Collison and Andy King join fellow midfielder Joe Ledley on the list of absentees, in what is already a limited Wales squad.

Switzerland have proved to be an efficient team which can grind out results and unfortunately for Speed and his men, it could be another disappointing night for the Welsh.

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Pearce’s young Lions to roar on

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Stuart Pearce’s England Under-21s can continue their good start to their Euro 2013 qualifying campaign when they meet Iceland in their second Group 8 game on Thursday (England 8/13 – match prices).

Pearce’s side kicked off their bid to qualify for the Euros in two years’ time with a thoroughly-convincing 6-0 win over Azerbaijan at Watford’s Vicarage Road last month and, while they are likely to be asked more questions in Reykjavik, another victory looks on the cards.

The Under-21s have plenty of Premier League experience within their squad with Liverpool pair Jordan Henderson and Martin Kelly, Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell and Arsenal starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain among the players who have featured regularly for their clubs in recent weeks.

Add to them Manchester United defender Phil Jones and the return from injury of Spurs’ Danny Rose and you have a very capable squad at this level.

With talent such as this, it is likely Pearce’s side will have too much for an Iceland side that have won one and lost one in Group 8 so far.

The Icelandic youngsters kicked off their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Belgium, before slipping to a 2-0 reverse in Norway to suggest they will be harder to beat at home than on the road (Iceland 18/5 – match prices).

England will have to be wary of their opponents, especially early on in the Icelandic capital, but, with a bit of patience, a comfortable victory can eventually be secured to keep them top of the qualifying table and, looking at the markets for the game, Draw/England – HT/FT at 10/3 appeals.

Henderson, Henri Lansbury and Martyn Waghorn were all on target in the 6-0 thrashing over Azerbaijan but don’t expect a repeat scoreline in Iceland. A more realistic 2-0 to the young Lions looks a good bet at 13/2.

Pearce is set to make full use of his squad with another qualifying game coming up in Norway on Monday. With that in mind, Aston Villa striker Nathan Delfounso may get the nod to start up front in this one while Connor Wickham, who has struggled for action at Sunderland since his summer move there, will also hope to be in the first XI.

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Saints can maintain promotion bid

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An international break gives us the chance to take stock of how the Championship has been panning out and who look like genuine promotion candidates. Many people will be surprised that Southampton currently sit top of the pile, but Nigel Adkins’ men look like they could be real contenders this term.

Having won promotion from League One last season and losing young star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the summer, several pundits would have been expecting a season in the bottom half of the table for Saints. But they have taken to life in the Championship like a duck to water and have a 100 per cent record at St Mary’s.

In Rickie Lambert, Saints (5/4 to win promotion) have the joint top goalscorer so far this season, with the former Bristol Rovers man banging in eight goals already. Adam Lallana has also highlighted his ability in tandem with Lambert, while Southampton’s defensive record is also impressive – with just 12 goals conceded in 10 games.

Middlesbrough (13/5 to win promotion) are hot on the heels of the league leaders and are the only team in the division unbeaten at this stage, with five wins and five draws. Tony Mowbray has done a fantastic job in a short space of time and has experience of winning promotion to the Premier League with West Brom.

The former centre back has built a solid foundation at Boro, having had to stave off the threat of relegation last term. The only worry for Mowbray will be the lack of goals in recent times, with Boro relying heavily, at present, on midfielder Marvin Emnes.

West Ham (5/2 to win Championship title), currently fourth, remain the bookies favourites to go up and have arguably the strongest squad in the division. Sam Allardyce’s men are unbeaten in five away games to date, but the Upton Park form will be a concern – with the Hammers already losing twice, to Cardiff and Ipswich.

Of the chasing pack, Hull City (6/1 to be promoted) are enjoying the best run of form at present and look real contenders under the shrewd leadership of Nigel Pearson. Having struggled for goals earlier in the season, the loan capture of Martyn Waghorn looks to have inspired the Tigers.

Hull are on a six-game unbeaten run and with an impressive away record over the last 12 months, will believe they can secure a top-six spot come May. We will get a better idea of their credentials after the break though, with a trip to Brighton to come on October 15.

Leicester (5/1 Championship Outright) have spent a lot of money and the expectations appear to be weighing heavily on Sven Goran Eriksson’s men. Consistency is lacking with the Foxes, but should they find their feet, they must surely be contenders for automatic promotion.

After a poor start, Ipswich have all of a sudden sneaked up to 10th, following a four-game unbeaten run. Michael Chopra looks to have found his shooting boots and the recent addition of Keith Andrews has given the Tractorboys a real lift.

Derby are sitting in third but their recent 4-0 drubbing at Leicester suggests they are punching above their weight, although Nigel Clough has to be praised for the way he has turned around the Rams fortunes on a tight budget.

Cardiff and Blackpool will both believe the play-offs, at least, are within their grasp this term, while Leeds (6/1 to win promotion) can still mount a top-six challenge if they can tighten up at the back and keep Ross McCormack and Luciano Becchio fit.

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Five things we learnt

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The last two days have provided plenty of talking points, no matter what sport you follow. From the Merseyside derby, to the Rugby World Cup, to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe there has been plenty to take on board. We take a look at what you should have learnt (totesport betting).

1. Wales and Ireland are genuine contenders

While all the focus in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup was on the southern hemisphere teams and England these two nations arrived in New Zealand seemingly to make up the numbers. Neither had enjoyed the kind of build-up which would suggest they’d do well in New Zealand, Ireland losing all four of their warm-up matches.

However, the Welsh and the Irish have hit purple patches just at the right time and qualified from the group stages without too much bother. Ireland topped the group after a fantastic win over Australia, while Wales came through the group of death in second after narrowly losing to South Africa.

The two Six Nations team now go head-to-head in the quarter-finals with genuine aspirations of winning the tournament. Ireland are 8/11 for the win, with Wales 11/10 in arguably the pick of the quarter-finals. England or France better watch out, the winner of this one will be tough to beat.

2. England still searching for spark

England fans will have breathed a huge sigh of relief when Chris Ashton crashed over on Saturday to make sure they saw off the plucky Scots. Martin Johnson’s men are through to the quarter-finals but have shown nothing to suggest they will match their final appearance of  four years ago.

Problems on and off the field continue to dog England and the only blessing as far as they are concerned is they have been paired with a French side with as many issues. France (11/8, England 4/7 – match betting) have been shambolic thus far and even playing like they are England should go through. However, bigger tests are on the horizon and based on their current form Johnson’s men are likely to come unstuck.

3. Northern Ireland’s golden golf era set to continue

Northern Irish golf has never known a period like it, two major champions to their name and now the winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Michael Hoey. The 32-year-old had only managed one top-10 finish this year before the weekend but kept his nerve as he overhauled compatriot Rory McIlroy on the back nine in the final round.

The top three at the prestigious European Tour event was made up of players from Northern Ireland, former US Open champion Graeme McDowell finishing third behind McIlroy. With Darren Clarke claiming the Open and McIlory the US Open, Hoey’s victory rounds of a year to cherish for the Northern Irish.

4. City don’t need Carlos Tevez

If City fans were worried they’d struggle without Carlos Tevez then Saturday’s 4-0 demolition of Blackburn will have gone along way to calm their nerves. The opposition certainly wasn’t the best but there was enough to suggest that if the moody Argentinian left tomorrow no-one at Eastlands would miss him.

Since arriving at the club Tevez has been vital to City’s success but Roberto Mancini has brought well this summer and in Mario Balotelli, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko he certainly has plenty of strength in depth. City are 5/2 to win the Premier League this season and for once aren’t relying on one man to perform. Those days, along with Tevez’s, are over for City.

5. England moving on from ‘golden generation’

Having promised to give new blood a chance after their disastrous World Cup campaign Fabio Capello is finally starting to deliver. The Italian announced his squad for the Euro 2012 qualifier with Montenegro on Sunday and notable by their absence were Rio Ferdinand and Steve Gerrard. Both have been struggling with injuries recently but did feature for Manchester United and Liverpool at the weekend. In the past these two would have been called straight back into the squad for such a vital game.

However, Capello decided that he didn’t need them and in the likes of Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka, Scott Parker and Gareth Barry he has more than able deputies. The days of the supposed ‘golden generation’ are over and Ferdinand, Gerrard and Frank Lampard will all have to fight for their places from now on. England are 8/11 to beat Montenegro on Friday night, with the draw 9/4 and a home win 10/3 as they look for the point they need to qualify.

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Capello shows Euro 2012 hand

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England have all but qualified for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine next summer, but what conclusions can we draw from Fabio Capello’s squad selection for this week’s trip to Montenegro (England 9/1 – Euro 2012 – Outright).

The Three Lions hold a six-point lead over this week’s opponents having played a game more which means avoiding defeat will be enough to send the likes of Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Ashley Cole to another international tournament. England did not feature at Euro 2008 thanks to Steve McClaren’s disastrous reign and it’s fair to say hopes will not be too high in nine months’ time given the fact the 2010 World Cup campaign is still too fresh in the memory.

In fact, the Three Lions have an extremely unspectacular record in the history of the European Championships – third place in 1968 and 1996 are all they can shout about – and fans are wary after the flop in South Africa. As in the current qualification campaign, England made short work of getting to South Africa 2010 so what does the future bode for the crop of players – based on the squad for Montenegro – who will represent the country in the summer of 2012?

Goalkeepers: Scott Carson (Bursaspor), Joe Hart (Man City), David Stockdale (Ipswich)

No disrespect to the others, but Capello had better hope Joe Hart stays fit as he is simply head and shoulders above the competition which can cause its own problems.

Should anything happen to Hart, a keeper who will play a lot of high-pressure games between now and next summer, the cupboard is pretty bare.

On the flip side, Hart is competing in the Champions League this term and will be better for it.

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Bolton), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Man Utd), Micah Richards (Man City), John Terry (captain, Chelsea), Kyle Walker (Tottenham)

All things being equal, captain John Terry and left-back Ashley Cole will be among the first names on Capello’s teamsheet.

Rio Ferdinand used to be but the centre-half now faces a battle not just for an international start but also one at Manchester United given his injury problem and the Red Devils’ recruitment drive.

Gary Cahill and Phil Jones will want to push Ferdinand – who has only just returned to fitness – all the way as he looks to return at some point.

At right-back Glen Johnson seems to have slipped behind Kyle Walker and Micah Richards because of his ongoing injury issues.

Midfield: Gareth Barry (Man City), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Man City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Man City), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Man Utd)

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has rightly been omitted as he has hardly played since March but will make Euro 2012 if fit.

Elsewhere, Capello has big calls to make with many of his current squad hardly guaranteed starts at their respective clubs.

England’s midfield used to be predictable but only Ashley Young seems sure of his place at the moment, while tough-tackling Scott Parker’s suitability for international tournament football surely a question mark over his role in Poland and Ukraine.

Going out on a limb, Owen Hargreaves and Jack Wilshere will not be living in fear of making an impact now the former is back and the latter certain to make an impact at some point when he does return to action.

Strikers: Darren Bent (Aston Villa), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Man Utd), Danny Welbeck (Man Utd), Bobby Zamora (Fulham)

Wayne Rooney’s 2010 World Cup meltdown seems an eternity away and the fans will be delighted about it.

But what he really needs is a foil to play off and you could make cases for both Andy Carroll and Darren Bent.

However, Capello likes pace around Rooney like Young and Walcott so it seems Rooney + A.N. Other up front will likely form the Italian’s Plan B.

What does seem certain though is that Peter Crouch and Michael Owen can book their summer holidays already.

England are 8/11 to win in Montenegro, the draw is 9/4 and a home win available at 10/3.

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London Calling

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The Premier League throws up two London derbies on Sunday afternoon – at Craven Cottage and White Hart Lane – while 11/2 title shots Chelsea  travel to Bolton and new boys Swansea entertain Stoke City.

The afternoon’s biggest game undoubtedly takes place in north London when Tottenham play host to Arsenal for a game in which no love will be lost between the rival sets of fans.

The Gunners’ season – and in fact most of 2011 to date – has been a huge letdown although Arsene Wenger’s men were the only Premier League side to win in the Champions League in midweek courtesy of a 2-1 home victory over Olympiakos.

Spurs were also winners in Europe, although the fact they managed to see off Shamrock Rovers in the Europa League with just a handful of first-team regulars on show bodes well for Harry Redknapp’s men this weekend.

The table shows Spurs are two points and seven places better off than Arsenal with a game in hand so the incentive is there to strike an early blow to a side who will be challenging Redknapp’s for a top-four finish.

Arsenal appear to be the worst off in terms of injuries while Spurs should start with Emmanuel Adebayor, who has a fantastic record of scoring in this fixture during his time at the Emirates so 11/10 about him scoring anytime looks a decent bet.

This fixture has always tended to produce goals – the 0-0 draw in February 2009 aside – so 4/6 for over 2.5 goals is skinny for a reason but the 15/8 about four or more might pay off.

In west London Fulham take on Queens Park Rangers in a rare league fixture – they last met in the second tier in 2001 when the Cottagers were heading into the Premier League and Rangers were heading for administration and relegation.

Times have changed though and Rangers look to be on the up following the arrival of Tony Fernandes while Fulham have found the going tougher in the top flight this term.

Martin Jol has not managed to win a Premier League game for his new club but three draws out of three at the Cottage means they have been hard to beat – just ask Manchester City – however one of those stalemates was against an ordinary Blackburn side.

But even money on a home win looks a sound bet considering QPR will be forced to play centre-half Matthew Connolly at left-back in the absence of Armand Traore, Jay Bothroyd is yet to break his duck for the visitors and Fulham will be able to call on Bobby Zamora after illness.

If Fulham’s start to the season has been slow then Bolton’s have been stuck in reverse – they are rock bottom with five defeats on the spin including three at the Reebok Stadium – ahead of the visit of Chelsea.

The Blues may well be without the suspended Fernando Torres but Daniel Sturridge is fit and available to stick the boot into his former loan club (Chelsea 11/10 – Half-Time/Full-Time).

Like Fulham and QPR, Swansea and Stoke last met in 2001 although it was in the third tier which just goes to show the fluid nature of league football in England.

Fast forward a decade and the Potters are threatening to establish themselves as a Premier League side although the distraction of the Europa League is a new pitfall boss Tony Pulis must negotiate.

It’s tricky to get players up for games so quickly when they are not used to it, but the canny Welshman has bought well and will need his experienced campaigners to keep their eye on the ball at the Liberty Stadium.

Stoke are an inviting 7/4 to inflict the Swans’ first-ever Premier League defeat on them this weekend having held Manchester United to a draw at the Britannia Stadium last time out.

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Strugglers set for showdown

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There is just one Championship fixture on Sunday as Nottingham Forest host Birmingham City at the City Ground. Both clubs have struggled early on in the campaign and are hovering just above the relegation zone and we will take a look at who might come out on top and make a move up the table (Forest 11/10, Birmingham 5/2, draw 23/10).

Both of these clubs have spent a few years in the Premier League but currently find themselves struggling to keep themselves in the second tier of English football.

While Forest have not eaten off the top table for 12 years, Birmingham were a top-fight club just last season and qualified for Europe by beating Arsenal in the final of the Carling Cup.

But it may well be that winning the Carling Cup sealed their fate as a Premier League side as they were unable to replicate that form during the run-in to the end of the season and were relegated into the Championship.

And so Chris Hughton has to deal with the twin tasks of trying to get the club back into the Premier League and taking his men on European journeys in mid-week (Birmingham 100/1 Europa League Outright).

Whether or not the Europa League has taken its toll is open to debate but the Blues have won just two Championship games all season and have been beaten on three out of four occasions they have ventured away from St Andrews.

And so it is not looking good for Hughton as he takes his men the short distance to Nottingham, although he has been boosted with the news that defenders Curtis Davies and Stephen Carr should be fit to play as their injuries were not as serious as first thought.

Confidence was low after the 4-1 trashing at the hands of Southampton but a draw with Barnsley and the mid-week European victory at NK Maribor will have given the players a shot in the arm and the belief that they might be able to cure their away-day blues domestically as well.

And what better time to play a Forest side who are still trying to come to terms with their mid-week mauling at the hands of Burnley?

Steve McLaren’s job was already coming under pressure before the 5-1 defeat and a home loss to the Blues might be the end of the line for the former England chief.

He has been critical of the lack of investment in new players and it is clear that his men are struggling to compete in the Championship with just two points from a possible 12 at home and two victories on the road.

The Clarets’ defeat might turn out to be a watershed in the season for Forest but it remains to be seen whether McLaren wields the axe following the debacle.

But he does not have too many options with a lengthy injury list as Paul Anderson, George Boateng, Garath McCleary, Chris Cohen and Dexter Blackstock are all currently sidelined.

Having blotted his copybook with England, the former Middlesbrough boss regained some respect in Holland and, following his departure from Wolfsburg, it was thought that he might be able to re-establish himself in English football.

It has not quite worked out that way yet but it will be the mark of a top-class manager if he can achieve success at the famous club on a shoestring budget.

A glance at what David Moyes has achieved at Everton proves that it can be done and McLaren needs to get his head down and just work with what he has got.

McLaren’s men did beat Watford prior to the Burnley result and they will need a repeat performance to take all three points from this one.

But with Forest unable to win at home and Birmingham winless on the road, the smart money will be on a low-scoring draw in this one

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No easy task for Bhoys

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Hearts are outstanding value at 9/2 to use their home advantage to cause a surprise upset against Celtic at Tynecastle on Sunday. Although the top two in the SPL are likely to surge clear from the rest of the pack this season, any side travelling to Hearts will find it tough to bring away anything from their ground.

Paulo Sergio’s side have won four of their five home league fixtures this season, conceding just one goal in the process. They have been difficult to break down, and have tasted defeat just once on home soil.

Despite a disappointing run of form away from home, Hearts are fourth in the SPL table and will relish the challenge of taking on Celtic in front of their home crowd. If they could improve on their results on the road, they could be a lot closer to the top two in the league.

Sergio does have the disappointment of not being able to select Andrew Driver into his squad on Sunday, he is struggling with the knee injury that has kept him out of action for large parts of this year. Whilst Marian Kello and Kevin Kyle are still are still on the sidelines. Otherwise it is a full strength side for the Portuguese man.

The visitors did have the distraction of a tough Europa League tie against Udinese on Thursday evening. As we have seen in the past, side’s often struggle from a European hangover when they return to domestic action the following weekend. They have just had two days to recover and prepare for this tricky SPL clash.

Neil Lennon’s side were denied a valuable victory over the Italians at Celtic Park, but were tested really hard against a club who ran Arsenal close in their Champions League qualifying defeat to the Gunners.

Joe Ledley was a casualty from the draw with Udinese. He was taken off at half-time with a groin injury, and will be a big loss to the midfield of the Bhoys.

Celtic have shown vulnerability at many points this season, none more so than throwing away a 2-1 lead in the Old Firm clash with Rangers, in which they eventually lost 4-2.

The Hoops are already seven points behind their rivals Rangers in the league, and their season hasn’t gone to plan so far, after being eliminated from the Europa League, but for the reprieve after Sion fielded an ineligible player against them in their victory.

It is unlikely to be anything other than a tight game at Tynecastle on Sunday, but take Celtic to fire blanks. Hearts can judge edge the three points with a 1-0 victory that is priced at 11/1. The home side may have to be patient, and continue to defend as well as they have done at home this season. However, they are more than capable of doing this.

They are likely to frustrate Lennon’s team, and with the backing of their home crowd, can add more torment to Celtic’s season so far.

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Rams value to maul Foxes

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There is a full programme in the Championship on Saturday as the table begins to take shape nine games into the season and the stand-out match has to be the surprise package so far, Derby County, travelling to East Midlands rivals Leicester City.

Moneybags Leicester were busy in the transfer window this summer as they look to return to the ‘promised land’ of Premier League football and are third in the betting to win the Championship, priced at 7/1.

However, it has not been the start to the season they would have hoped for as the new arrivals are perhaps taking their time to gel and they lie six points behind the leaders, down in 11th place in the table.

And one of three teams that share 19 points at the top is Derby, and the Rams are looking for their seventh win in 10 matches to seal their best start to a season for 42 years.

Sven Goran Eriksson’s men have had the better of the recent record between the two, winning both fixtures 2-0 last season (13/2 repeat scoreline), and have been installed as the 4/6 favourites in the match betting.

However, the Foxes have won two and lost two of their four games at the King Power Stadium and although they have gone six games unbeaten in the league, they are struggling to come out on top as four of those results have been draws.

County, in contrast, have won three of the four games on their travels and although a defeat at Coventry earlier in the season and a 1-1 draw against Barnsley last time out do not look impressive, surely a form side is worth considering at a huge price of 4/1, while the draw is available at 11/4.

Leicester have higher profile players in their squad but Jermaine Beckford (5/1 First Goalscorer) is an injury concern for Eriksson along with Richie Wellens, both groin, while Michael Johnson is suffering with a shoulder problem.

However, one-time England striker David Nugent is available again after a hamstring complaint and is priced at 11/2 First/Last Goalscorer, along with Darius Vassell, while Steve Davies is a 15/8 joint favourite to Score Anytime for Derby – no surprise after having bagged five already this term.

West Ham look a good shout to take the points at Selhurst Park in a London derby against Crystal Palace and are Evens favourites in the match betting, with the Eagles on offer at 11/4 and the draw at 12/5.

The Hammers have only ever lost two away matches in this fixture and are unbeaten on their travels this season, with three wins and a draw, scoring nine goals in the process and conceding just one.

The fact that West Ham were beaten at home by Ipswich in midweek might work in their favour as well as Sam Allardyce will want, expect and demand a positive response.

Middlesbrough look a cracking price at 19/10 to continue their perfect away record at Reading, with the home side priced at 11/8 and the draw at 12/5.

It is at the Riverside where Boro have had their problems, although they remain unbeaten this season, with just one win and four draws.

However, Boro have been unstoppable scoring seven goals and conceding just one in their first four wins away from the Riverside.

The Royals lost Shane Long to West Brom before the transfer window shut and have struggled to perform in front of their own fans so far.

Reading are unbeaten in three going into this fixture, winning two of them, but did suffer a 2-0 reverse against Watford before the streak started and will have their work cut out.

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