English Football Weekend


Birmingham City v Sheffield Wednesday
25th October - 15:00 BST Championship

A team that boasts having one of the deadliest strikers in the Football League in Kevin Phillips as a casual sub striker should tell you all you need to know about the strength in depth that Birmingham possess. Having been dropped from the Premiership there were those who felt that they would perhaps struggle to adapt to life back in the Championship and I for one hold my hands up and admit that I was in that very camp, but the West Midlanders have proved to any doubters that they are more than up to the challenge and were justifiably installed as pre-season jollies for the title by the bookies.
Having won five out of their six home league games which gives them an 83% success rate compared with four defeats in six away days for Sheffield Wednesday which is a 67% loss rate you can see why Birmingham would be hot favourites for such a contest.
The leaky defence of Wednesday on the road can be a bit of a killer for them as they have shipped eighteen goals in their six away days thus far meaning that despite the lack of value in an outright pick, Birmingham still look good to win by more than a single goal because their attacking prowess should be able to unlock the Wednesday defence with ease and at will.
 
RECOMMENDATION - 3 Points on Birmingham -1 (h'cap) @ 2.7 (Paddy Power)
 
Coventry City v Derby County
25th October - 15:00 BST Championship

Last season's Premiership whipping boys Derby have seriously got their act together at last and they are climbing up the table and the form has come just at the right time to save Paul Jewell from the dreaded sack that was looming over his head.
Coventry are a team lacking in confidence right now which is clear to see in their somewhat panicky displays so far this season. Having been given a boost by the arrival of Chris Coleman and the arrival of some key names in Clinton Morrison and Freddy Eastwood, you would have thought that they would be up and around the play-offs but their patchy form has found them not far from the danger of the relegation zone. Early days yet though.
My feelings on this one are that we will get a cagey encounter because Coventry are desperate not to lose this one. Jewell has called for a better defensive display from his Rams after the defeat to Blackpool in midweek and therefore that should give an idea of the potential lack of adventure that his side may show..
My strong feeling here is that there will not be many goals in this one. Cue the goal fest of the decade!!
 
RECOMMENDATION - 3 Points on Under 2.5 Goals @ 1.88 (Canbet)
 
Hartlepool United v Brighton Hove Albion
25th October - 15:00 BST League One

Having made a very disappointing and stuttering start to the season, the Seagulls head to Hartlepool in search of what would be a much needed boost to their hopes of making a march for the play-offs. Being too good to go down is simply not going to cut it with the management so Micky Adams will need to begin delivering.
Luck has been something that Brighton have been severely lacking in as late goals have been regularly costing them victories. Some will say that luck is something that pretty much evens itself out over the course of a season so where better to start than in the North East on a ground on which they got a fortunate victory last season. Believe in omens? I certainly don't but I am sure that there is a bit of psychology involved.
If we look at some stats of these two respective teams we can see that Hartlepool have enjoyed themselves at home in winning three of their six homes games and that Brighton have been a pretty good road team on the whole only losing once in their six away days thus far and winning two.
I will concede that Hartlepool are great to watch because they just open things up and regularly get involved in high scoring games but they could hit a brick wall here because Brighton have had two consecutive goalless draws and have really shored up their defence which could frustrate the Pools and leave them open to counter attacks.
This is not a large recommendation but really just a value shot. There is no way that Brighton should be anywhere near as high as the 3.75 mark generously offered..
 
RECOMMENDATION - 1 Points on Brighton @ 3.75 (Ladbrokes)
 
Enjoy yet another bumper footy weekend!
 
Crafty Stan