We'll miss you Gylfi!

Well now that Sky Sports is calming down a bit from its day of “twist and turns” (sure), the transfer deadline is upon us and teams can no longer make any more permanent signings. The football league sides can still sign free agents and make short term loan signings, but any permanent signings in these hard economical times are all complete until January. When it comes to the Championship, teams are often on a strict budget and new signings are very common, but who were the biggest winners and losers in this window?

Winners:

Cardiff City:

Craig Bellamy. That is without a doubt THE Championship signing of the summer and arguably one of the top signings in English football all together. Put on top of that the fact they’ve kept hold of Peter Wittingham, who may be signing a new contract soon, and Michael Chopra who disappointed some fans by announcing his intention to leave the club. Regardless of that, Cardiff City have the strongest attack in the Championship and they can only build on their good start to the season which has seen them gain 10 points from four games. Jason Koumas has also returned for his second spell on loan at the Bluebirds along with Manchester United youngster Danny Drinkwater, Hull City’s Seyi Olofinjana and Wolves striker Andy Keogh. Under new ownership, the future looks a little brighter for the Welsh outfit, after last season’s protests against Peter Ridsdale.

Middlesbrough:

Or team SPL as many people are calling them now, ‘Boro made the big signing of Kris Boyd this summer and excellent Steve Gibson has certainly took a gamble and shown his support to Gordon Strachan. Brad Jones is out and to be honest I think ‘Boro got a good deal from Liverpool as I always thought that he was a terrible goal keeper, they may not have brought in a replacement yet but I would expect a loan signing or free transfer to come in soon. Nicky Bailey is another honourable mention as well as Matt Kilgallon, who has come on loan from local rivals Sunderland. You could argue that they’ve not exactly taken the league by storm in the first four games, but as Sir Bobby Robson once said “there’s no point in looking at the table until November”. The defeat to Barnsley was a bit of a shock, but I’ve been to Barnsley before and they always make it hard for the opposition, despite many labelling them for relegation this season I think they may stay up. The fact for ‘Boro is that the team will still be growing relationships with each other and the side has fantastic depth that will benefit them greatly through the winter.

Losers:

Hull City:

I was quite shocked to hear that Nigel Pearson was admitted to hospital after complaining about a tight chest, but luckily the Hull manager is set to return. Pearson had hoped that a number of top earners would move on and although a number were sent out on loan and a few released/sold, there still remains a lot of players damaging an already tricky financial situation at Hull. Most notably is Jimmy Bullard, who wasn’t played in pre-season in order to ensure that he would remain fit in the prospect of a sale or loan move. Robert Koren and Jay Simpson are decent signings, but the club still has a lot of top earners that they were hopeful to get rid of and if Jay Simpson doesn’t start smashing in the goals then the club could really struggle to bounce back at the first time of asking.

Reading:

If you’re a Reading fan you’ll probably know why your club was one of the big losers this transfer window and that reason is Gylfi Sigurdsson. It appears that my article regarding the 5 players to watch this season has been a kiss of death for these guys, particularly Nicky Maynard who is out for 4 months (which all but ended my bet for him to finish top goal scorer this season!). Sigurdsson has made the move to Germany for a reported £4.25m, as he will wear the colours of Hoffenheim next season. I know it’s quite a bit of money for a Championship side, but this guy got 21 goals for Reading last season and he is a midfielder. At only 20 years old he still has a lot of progress to make and it would seem that Reading have lost the main cog in their system. On deadline day the ageing Ian Harte and Zurab Khizanishvilli (took me a while to spell that one) have came in, and although they’ll provide much needed support in the full back positions, Reading have lost their top player and it’s a shame that one of the Championship’s top players has left this season.

Derby County:

The board at Derby should be ashamed. They’ve promised to fund the squad for every transfer window and rarely does there appear to be any sort of ambitious investment from them. The reason they are in the losers section is the fact that Derby County have one of the loyalist, if not THE loyalist, fan base in the country and if you were to put teams in the top league based on their fans then Derby would be up there every season. Luke Varney is off the wage bill, but the squad hasn’t exactly been strengthened to challenge in the league too much. Supporters of the Rams will be hopeful that loan signing Alberto Bueno comes good, but truth be told this is another transfer window of what could have been for Derby, the squad really does need quite a lot of fresh talent. As I write this Rob Hulse may also be on his way out to QPR and Derby fans will be disappointed to see him leave.

Bluebirds player Bellamy and Blades Manager Speed

It’s a good week for Welsh football, as not only has one of the greatest ever Welsh players produced become manager of Sheffield United, but a Welsh striker of top Premier League quality has joined the Bluebirds. Gary Speed is expected to be named manager of Yorkshire outfit Sheffield United and Craig Bellamy will make a dream move to play for Cardiff City on a season long loan. The move to management for Speed was something I always felt was coming and it is great to see one of the most likeable people in the game get a start at a good club like the Blades. The move for Bellamy is one that will surprise many however, as last season Bellamy was putting Premier League defences to the sword and considering Cardiff’s uncertain financial situation it is a massive coup for the club who will feel that if Bellamy stays fit then they could finally become the first Welsh side to play in England’s top flight.

A first chance in management for Speed who recently received an MBE earlier in the year and his first shot at taking the reins could be rather tricky. Although a decent opening day draw at Cardiff, where the Blades went down to ten men, Hartlepool and QPR found it easier in against United in the league cup and Championship respectively. A 3-0 home defeat against QPR and former manager Neil Warnock and it appeared to be the final straw in the relationship between Kevin Blackwell and the Blades board. To me, it seemed quite bizarre to make this decision with only two games into the season. Many fans were apparently calling for Blackwell to be removed from his position after seeing their side humbled by Rangers and it appears that the board members heard those cries. I think Speed has all the makings to be a great manager, but it is important that he is put alongside and assistant who is experienced. Sheffield United have brought in a few decent signings, but due to a few financial constraints, itis difficult to expect them to really push on for a playoff berth this season and it is probably more expectant the he has a decent first season in charge of the Blades that they can then build off. As a fan of Gary Speed I wish him all the best and hope he finds success in his first managerial job.

The other piece of big Welsh news this week is of course that Craig Bellamy has now signed for Cardiff. This for me (and probably everyone else) is signing of the summer for any Championship side. Man City’s reluctance to give Bellamy to one of their Premier League rivals has seen the player fulfil a dream of his by finally getting to play for his hometown club. Last season, Bellamy looked like an important part of the Man City attack and if he stays fit he will terrify every defence in England’s second tier. It’s a sensational transfer and I bet there are a lot more people throwing money on Cardiff to gain promotion now. Bellamy could start in the game against Doncaster Rovers this weekend and will have a chance to get the first team football he has been craving. It’s unlikely that Cardiff are funding his entire wages and this may well be a case of Man City being unwilling to strengthen fellow Premier League sides, as Bellamy is still a quality player that can play at the top level. If he stays fit, few will doubt that Craig Bellamy will have a great season in the Championship and could give Cardiff that little extra push to help them finally achieve promotion. In any case, Dave Jones must be doing cartwheels around the streets of Cardiff right now.

Welcome To Wembley

Excuse the Stephen Colbert reference above (I wish he would return to UK TV screens!). Saturday signals a great day for football with the Champions League final taking place, but before that there is a game that is worth even more money to the victor. The Championship playoff final takes place at Wembley in a traditional 3pm kick off, and unlike previous seasons which has seen each football league play off final played one day after the other (usually on what is  a bank holiday weekend for the UK – next weekend), the Championship final is up first and has the whole weekend to itself. Blackpool, a team with an average attendance of just over 8,000 this season, find themselves in dream land and have credited Ian Holloway with much of the credit for helping them get a chance at entering the Premiership. Holloway himself has deflected praise back at the tangerine’s and the quotable manager has received much backing from many neutrals in England, although many would love to see Blackpool in the top flight for a various number of reasons. The famous seaside resort has a big opportunity to return to the top flight after a number of years of exile, and a club that is perhaps most recognisable for having Sir Stanley Matthews on their books has a chance to write more history into the books. Anyone with a lack of knowledge of Blackpool’s impact on the English game should look up the 1953 F.A Cup final, which is one of the greatest finals in history and often labelled as the ‘Matthews final’ after the above mentioned Stanley Matthews performance, despite the fact Stan Mortensen scored a hat-trick in the game (typical).

Blackpool’s opponent is the Welsh outfit of Cardiff, who almost need to win this game if they are to balance the books at the Welsh capital. Due to Blackpool’s prestige in the English game and their loveable manager, the fact that this is and England V Wales tie has been almost amplified in England, which is just one of the many talking points of this particular final. Whether Wales is united remains up for debate however, I remember watching the final episode of the BBC’s football league show this season, in which one Swansea fan (apparently) e-mailed in wishing Cardiff all the luck in the world as they were representing the nation of Wales. That’s probably a load of rubbish and I doubt any Swansea fan would like to see Cardiff doing better than their team who narrowly missed out on the playoffs themselves. Dave Jones has hailed his team’s spirit ahead of the tie, but will be sweating on the fitness of star player Peter Wittingham, who has bagged a number of vital goals for the Bluebirds this term. Cardiff have had a number of troubles this season, but promotion the top flight of the English Premier League would soften many of the problems off the field this seasons, and the side will probably go in as favourites.

The semi-finals were exciting, full of action, goals and attacking displays – so surely one must go with Holloway’s prediction that this will be an action packed affair? Not exactly, as five of the last six finals have ended 1-0, and we often see teams understandably playing with caution. People often cite the 90′s and the excitement the playoffs brought, at this time of year in England, you’re bound to see THAT playoff final between Charlton and Sunderland which ended 4-4 after extra time and was decided on penalties. The thing that makes these matches so great and amazing is that you feel like you are a fan of one of the teams for 90 minutes; the tension and atmosphere just takes you over and you can find yourself jumping up and down for a team you have no association with. Albeit, I believe this year’s playoff final could really shake things up and be exciting. Blackpool proved against Forest that they were not here to make up the numbers, and Cardiff showed plenty fighting spirit against a passionate Leicester side.

Many American viewers will be able to relate the playoff final, and the truth is that English people love it – yet they are resilient to extend it to the top flight. In England, there is a belief that you should be rewarded over the course of an entire season, and many see a playoff as pot luck. I am inclined to agree with this, mainly due to the culture of English football I have been brought up with, but no one can deny how amazing and tense the football league playoffs are. It’s a modern spectacle of English football and it draws massive viewers in every year because of the excitement it creates. When the Premiership proposed that the fourth Champions League spot could be decided via a playoff, I was all in favour of the motion, yet it appears to have been cut down, most likely by those who are worried they will lose out on the revenue the European game creates. It’s a lottery – sure – but how much excitement does it create for the fans? You have people who don’t watch a game outside the Premiership all season sitting down in front of their screen for the playoff final, and the fans really enjoy it. The Premiership could really learn from this, American football has the Superbowl which is the most watched live event in the world every year, and it’s an amazing concept to think that it all comes down to one game; everyone all of a sudden feels the excitement which I feel can sometimes be lost in a Premiership season despite Sky’s constant attempts to remind us of GRANDSLAMDECIDERJUDGEMENT whatever.

I can’t see a playoff ever deciding a Premiership champion in the near future, but I do believe that it should be put in place to some degree in the title – the proposal of the fourth Champions League spot being decided this way should not have been shot down so quickly. I do believe that eventually there will be one league in Europe that will adopt the playoff mentality to determine a champion, and I just wonder whether this will create so much commotion that it will shake the world of football. Look at how it has transformed the Championship and the football league. In truth, if you were and English football fan and you were told that you will be promoted via top spot in the Championship or the playoffs, you would chose the playoffs as it has so much excitement about it. If you need any more proof about how exciting this game is, think about this: it’s amazing that a game in England’s second tier could even be mentioned as important or placed on the same day as the Champions league final.

Wembley awaits for two hopefuls

After Sunday’s playoff drama which saw Blackpool just edge their way onto the right side of the line, we now get to one of the most exciting times in English football, as four teams attempt to realise their dream of playing in the top flight of English football. Nottingham Forest V Blackpool and Cardiff V Leicester will be play each other over two legs, in games where away goals do not count, so each team has something to play for in all the games. Then, when these matches are decided, two teams will travel to Wembley for a one off game, which has been described in recent seasons as the richest game in football. History of this exciting system would tell us that it is near impossible to pick a favourite from the four and its truly all up for grabs.

Nottingham Forest V Blackpool:

(First Leg – Saturday 8th May, 12.45pm GMT @Blackpool) | (Second Leg – Tuesday 11th May, 7.45pm GMT @Forest)

Third place Nottingham Forest will take on the plucky tangerine army in the first playoff game, and for Forest, a place in the playoffs seems like more of a consolation prize after the great season they’ve had, where at one point they were being tipped for automatic promotion. Just because Forest finished third does not make them favourites, and their final league result against Scunthorpe will give their fans cause for concern. Instead, it is Blackpool who come to this game in form, and the orange army will be looking to Charlie Adams for inspiration after the spectacular season he has had. Billy Davies does give Forest an edge however, as he has winning playoff experience with rivals Derby, so will be well accustomed to the pressure this mini competition brings. However, one thing that could hinder Forest players is Billy Davies’ recent quotes in which he claimed he would love the opportunity to manage Scottish champions Rangers and it is possible that Davies already has other priorities on his mind; Derby fans will know all too well that Davies is quick to jump ship. Blackpool’s DJ Campbell has ran into controversy recently, being linked with a nightclub stabbing, although the player has featured in recent weeks it will be interesting to see whether he can focused on the job in hand. In any case for Blackpool, they are happy to be in this position, and although much of the credit has gone to the hilarious Ian Holloway, he has deflected this praise to the clubs chairman and whatever the result, Blackpool can look back on this season with a big smile on their face. From what I’m getting from people in England, Blackpool will have a big backing from the neutrals in the playoffs, no more so from Premiership fans who would love nothing better than seeing their football team play followed by a night out in the seaside city.

Cardiff City V Leicester City:

(First Leg – Sunday 9th May, 1.15pm GMT, @ Leicester) | (Second Leg – Wednesday 12th May, 7.45pm GMT, @Cardiff)

Cardiff City has had an up and down time this season. Great on the pitch, but problems off the pitch have had fans protesting as the club was one of the many teams this season who were politely asked by the British government if they could pay tax money they owe. This is why this game could be make or break for the Welsh outfit, as Peter Ridsdale (a man that should not be allowed near football or any other business for that matter) appears to have plummeted the club into heavy amounts of debt, and their future appears uncertain. If the club fail to get promotion, they will need to sell off a number of assets to keep the tax man happy and promotion would help the club gain money they so badly need right now. Manager Dave Jones has rallied his Bluebird troops ahead of the two semi-final matches and the club will be hoping Michael Chopra and Petter Whittingham, who have both featured in a number of ‘teams of the season’, will fire to club to Wembley and help the club represent Wales in the top flight of English football. Leicester manager Nigel Pearson has issued a similar vote of confidence ahead of their ties against the Bluebirds, and the club have recently welcomed back the dangerous Matty Fryatt, who could be key to the Foxes promotion push. Nigel Pearson has done a fantastic job at the famous outfit, and from near bankruptcy in the past decade, to relegation two seasons ago to League One, Leicester are now facing the prospect of back-to-back promotions. It would be a dream come true for long suffering Foxes fans if they could have a trip to Wembley and a chance at the Premiership.

I don’t know where your money is at for this season’s playoff competition but all four teams are in quite different situations and we are bound to see a lot of emotion from the fans and on the pitch. The dream will come to one team, but you can’t think about Wembley yet, as the first hurdle is the semi-final and you don’t want to be a player who thinks ‘what if…?’

Wembley Will Be Waiting For Two Lucky Clubs

Firstly, congratulations to Roberto Di Matteo and his West Brom side who clinched the second automatic promotion berth and will be once again in the top flight next season. The sound coming from West Brom fans is that they’re desperate for their team to spend money and cement their place in the Premiership, as in previous seasons West Brom have been considered as the team ‘too good for the Championship – not good enough for the Premiership’. Albeit, many would of argued in the previous season when they did go down, they ill-deserved their fate as many met their style of football and mentallity favourably. Early rumours coming out of the club suggested that the Albion would be looking to invest heavily this summer but this may no longer be the case, as instead the chairman, Jeremy Peace, is hoping for sensible purchases. Next season will be an interesting one for the Baggies and they have added to the recent success of other clubs in the area such as Villa, Birmingham and Wolves.

Now that the two automatic places have been decided, that leaves only four more promotion places and in truth only one of those spots will see a team thrust into the top tier as the Championship playoffs draw ever closer. Nottingham Forest are guaranteed a place in the final four and look odds on to finish top and play the team who finishes fourth in the play off section. Forest’s amazing home form and mid-season unbeaten run made them hopeful of obtaining automatic promotion, but I’m sure no fan would have complained at the start of the season if they knew their side would be finishing in 3rd!

Cardiff city also look odds on to play in this season’s play-off semi finals and surprise package Leicester, who are looking for back-to-back promotions, are also in a strong position. The final play-off spot looks less certain however and although Swansea have a slim advantage and sit on the right side of the line, Blackpool and Middlesbrough are snapping at their heels. Outside of that, there is Bristol City and Sheffield United, but with only three games to go their challenge appears to be over. So in my opinion, there is one more play-off place that can really be contested.

Swansea have an all Yorkshire run in for the remainder of the season:

Swansea V Barnsley

Sheffield United V Swansea

Swansea V Doncaster Rovers

These are all tricky ties and although all three of these teams have little competitive to play for, they will be keen to put in the performances towards the end of the season as the opening of the transfer market draws closer. Swansea have been picking off 1-0′s and a lot of draws this season, but with teams motivated behind them they’ll need to give it their all if they want to make it to the play-offs.

Blackpool have two tough games coming up too, but luckily for them they are both at home:

Blackpool V Nottingham Forest

Peterborough United V Blackpool

Blackpool V Bristol City

Forest and Bristol City are two tough oppositions and Bristol City, who sit behind this pack of three, will still be keen to test out whether or not they can reach the play-offs and if by chance they do make it to the run in, that final game of the season could be massive.

Finally, Middlesbrough will need to dig deep and they could most definitely do with winning every single one of these games despite how tall an order it may be:

West Brom V Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough V Coventry City

Leicester City V Middlesbrough

That final game, against Leicester, is such a tricky game and one that few teams would look forward to due to the Fox’s dominance at home games. As well as this, Leicester are not too far away from the chasing pack and could be sucked back into a battle, meaning this could also be an interesting final day tie with everything to play for. It is also hard to say whether a newly promoted West Brom will be a good thing or a bad thing, as players may be in a more relaxed mood but the pressure is off them and they can play with more freedom. ‘Boro need to go for that game and make it competitive as possible, as that is the last thing the Albion will want.

In my opinion these final few games are tricky for every side and it’s going to come down to which team wants it more. If I had to chose one run in, I’d probably go for Swansea’s, with all due respect to those teams, it’s a more balanced fixture list and you would be hoping to challenge for points there, whereas Blackpool play Nottingham Forest and ‘Boro have two daunting away tasks. But like I said, they’re all difficult fixtures and it’s hard to say which team can gain an edge from the games they have. Swansea are looking good to take that final place, but in the Championship you cannot rule anything out.

There were some tremendous games at all levels of British football on Sunday. Cardiff and Swansea battled out a thrilling 2-2 draw. Luton gave the Football League a poke in the eye by winning a wonderful Johnstone Paint Trophy Final 3-2 against Scunthorpe. And finally we had the gasp-inducing 3-2 stormer at Old Trafford.

It was just a shame that fan behaviour cast such a pall over the whole day.

Like many fans I was disgusted with the throwing of the coin that injured referee Mike Dean in the Welsh derby, but I’ve been just as concerned by the reaction of key figures from both clubs.

Peter Ridsdale, Cardiff Chairman, said:

“We’ve now identified an individual who threw a coin, we believe it’s the individual whose coin hit the referee… assuming it’s the right individual he will be banned for life.”

Well, that’s good to know. But it wasn’t ‘an individual’ it was many individuals. The few seconds of footage surrounding the moment Mike Dean was hit clearly shows several items landing near the referee, while Swansea captain Garry Monk has claimed objects were being thrown throughout the match. Cardiff fans have commednably been more open than Ridsdale, speaking of witnessing a number of individuals throwing objects onto the pitch ranging from coins to lighters.

Does Ridsdale think that getting rid of this one person somehow solves the problem? Moreover, was this individual more guilty for hitting the referee than anyone else who tried but missed?

Cardiff manager Dave Jones said:

“I hope the club don’t suffer serious repurcussions as it was only one person and there were 20,000 people here… It’s ridiculous as I thought those days were long gone.”

Only one person, Dave? Really? And you thought those days were long gone? Good job the police didn’t share your view or they might not have sent those 450 officers to Ninian Park to try and minimise trouble between the fans.

What weasel words by both of these people. I would expect more of Jones in particular, but perhaps he is just trying to protect the club. If that is the case then he has been shown up by the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust who condemned the ‘mindless idiots’ (notice the plural) and for those Cardiff fans who stood up and pointed out the offenders at the time. If only club officials were so forthright.

It is unfair that the whole club should be tainted by this, but football must not continually attempt to hide the truth. Whenever there is violence at a game we are fed the same line about how “these people are not football fans” – well, who are they then? There can be no doubt things have moved forward over the last 20 years, but problems still exist. Every club still has their trouble-makers.

In the midst of all this you might expect Swansea to act with quiet dignity, but manager Roberto Martinez, a good, honest, likable man, a successful coach and a very decent TV pundit, has waded in with some ill-advised comments of his own:

“You don’t want to see coin throwing incidents like that but looking at the overall performance of the referee maybe he was affected by it… you work all week not to get emotional performances from your players and you drop two points because of an emotional decision by a referee.”

In one sense, Martinez is right – Cardiff’s late penalty for the equaliser was probably the wrong decision – but to show such callous disregard of the referee’s health beggars belief. He had been hit in the end, no more than a few centimetres from his eye, yet made little fuss and carried on refereeing the game – on the whole very well. It seems incredible that rather than blaming the fan for his actions he suggests that the referee failed to deal with the situation adequately. I wonder what Martinez’s reaction might have been had his goalkeeper received a blow to the head. Would he have publicly blamed him for dropping a cross and for becoming too emotional?

The fallout from this will undoubtedly continue for some time, but what sort of punishment should be meted out by the Football Association? Ridsdale has a point in that it seems unfair to punish Dave Jones’ team for the actions of some of the fans. Cardiff have improved the image of the club in recent years and so a fine or a points deduction seems ill-fitting.

Perhaps the FA must leave it to the club to identify as many of these coin-throwers as possible and have them thrown out of all football grounds for good, but while Ridsdale continues to suggest it was only one person, this is not a problem that will disappear any time soon. In the meantime, football officials need to start being a little more honest when it comes to assessing the behaviour of some fans.

ALL ABOARD! But who will be riding the open-top buses this year?

Well it’s here yet again, that time of the season where supporters of clubs at both ends of the table are suffering ‘twitchy-backside’ syndrome (a genuine medical term).

Naturally a popular subject of conversation now is ‘who is going up’. Here are my thoughts.

Wolves

Mick Mcarthy’s men appear to have overcome that dreadful run of results from December to March where they only picked up two league wins in eleven games. The men from Molineux have won four from their last five games and next up is an enormous clash with Birmingham in The Blues back yard. The run in sees games against mid table QPR and Derby but the games against relegation threatened Southampton, Barnsley and Doncaster may spring some unwanted surprises.

Verdict

Wolves will win the title with a few monumental battles on the way – just about.

Birmingham City

Despite an away loss to promotion rivals Sheffield United, City are still sitting in second place four and six points above Reading and Sheffield United respectively. Albeit the Blues have played a game more than their two nearest rivals. Defeat against Wolves in the aforementioned top of the table clash could put a real dent in their promotion bid, City also face Reading away in the final game of the season that stands a chance of effectively being a play-off final at the Madejski.

VerdictBirmingham cannot afford to lose to Wolves and Reading. Defeat in both games could cost them the chance to land the coveted 2nd spot. It will be a dogfight for second but the Blues have to be favourites as Reading and Sheffield United still have to win their ganes in hand to keep the pressure on.

Reading

The Royals have won only two of their last ten championship games after that superb pre-Christmas run that saw them win six games back to back. At that time I thought that it was only a matter of time that the Berkshire club would storm to the title. However, since beating Wolves in late January the title challenge appears to have lost momentum with Steve  side struggling to find a consistent run of good form. Having said all this they have a game in hand on 2nd place Birmingham that would cut the gap to a mere point. That, coupled with that impending possible promotion decider with ‘The Brum’ in the final game at the Madejski could see the club return to the top flight.

 Verdict

Aside from a huge game against Sheffield United at home on Good-Friday, this is Reading’s to lose. Dogged-determination and a vociferous home crowd should see the Royals up on the final day if they land those big six points against The Blades and The Blues.

Sheffield United

The in-form side in the top four, The Blades are no doubt in with a real shout. Winning their game in hand is a must. That game is the clash with local rivals, Barnsley and is likely to be a thunderous battle in the wake of the Iain Hume and Chris Morgan elbowing incident. The Blades, like Reading have a lot in their own hands but face a difficult run-in, with Burnley and Reading away being the key fixtures. Should the Blades overhaul Reading at the Madejski and Wolves beat Birmingham, Kevin Blackwell’s men have four home games from their last seven with a potentially huge final game awaiting them when they visit Bramall Lane old-boy Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace.

 Verdict

If the Blades can continue their current form and pick up big wins at Reading and Burnley they have every chance of making a return to the Premier League. However, other results must go the Blades way for them to achieve this.

Cardiff City

A calamitous refereeing performance from match official Paul Taylor saw the Bluebirds reduced to the nine men in their last game against the Sheffield United at Ninian park, culminating in 3-0 defeat at the hands of their rivals. This was a huge loss for Cardiff but they still have two games in hand which could see them cutting the gap to 2nd place down to three points. Next-up for City is a massive South Wales derby at home and how The Swans would love to kill off their bitter-rivals automatic promotion challenge. Should the Bluebirds prevail they still have to win two games in hand and face play-off hopefuls Burnley and Preston.

Verdict 

Far from impossible but realistically Dave Jones’ side needs to win six from their last eight games while depending on other results. I’m afraid I think it may be a little too much to ask. It’s looking like the Play-Offs could be a more realistic way to send Ninian Park, their home for 99 years off in the way the club would like to.

Apologies to Burnley but without games in hand I cannot see the Clarets closing a seven-point gap at this stage. I will try and call the play-offs after the traditional end of season shake-up.

The 5^th round of the FA Cup gets underway this Saturday and Sunday and the question is will there be any upsets or will it be business as usual?

Watford v Chelsea – Vicarage Road

Just last week I would have said there was no chance of Watford pulling an upset but I’m not sure. With Chelsea playing poor football and Scolari being sacked just 4 days before the match how will Chelsea react? Will they come out and have a hangover or will they take any anger over their managers dismissal out on Watford? The talent gulf is clear between the two clubs but that doesn’t always guarantee a victory. Watford does have the home pitch advantage which will help boost them. However, I still think Chelsea will squeak by Watford 2-1 but it won’t be pretty.

Derby County v Manchester United Episode III  “Revenge of the Rams?”- Pride Park

This will be the third time Derby and United have faced off this year, with Derby taking the first leg of the Carling Cup 1-0 and United taking the tie and second leg 4-2. I give Derby a 15% chance of springing the upset on United. Derby are playing good football right now, Rob Hulse and Kris Commons are on hot streaks and Commons has showed he not intimidated by United. Pride Park will be a sell out and the Rams fans will be loud and in full support of Derby. However United are full of talent and if they play like they can, Derby wont stand a chance. I think Derby will do well but I expect United to take this 3-2.

Swansea City v Fulham – Liberty Stadium

This is a battle of two teams who are performing above expectations in their respective leagues. Swansea City is showing it can handle life in the Championship with no problems while Fulham are having a good year after barely escaping relegation last season. Swansea isn’t afraid of any team and they will be playing at home which will help Fulham dispatched non-league Kettering Town while Swansea struggled to beat non-league Histon. I think Fulham will take this tie but it depends on which Swansea team shows up that will determine the score, my guess 3-1 Fulham.

Blackburn Rovers v Coventry City – Ewood Park

I sense an upset here, Blackburn are not playing well at all while Chris Coleman has Coventry doing well in the Championship. Blackburn struggled to get past fellow BPL team Sunderland while Coventry likewise had issues with BSP Torquay. I think out of all the ties this one has the best chance for an upset. Coleman has Coventry believing they can win and Blackburn are having a bad season. My guess 2-1 Coventry.

Sheffield United v Hull City – Bramell Lane

The surprise package of the BPL travels to a solid Sheffield United squad. While United are playing well and on track for the CCC playoffs, Hull are having a magical season in the BPL. They are not afraid of anyone which has contributed to their success. Hull takes this 1-0 in typical Hull fashion.

Arsenal v Cardiff City 4^th Round replay – Emirates Stadium

Cardiff did well to hold Arsenal in the first match but I think Arsenal will show their class in the replay of the tie. The talented youngsters Wenger has at his disposal is frightening. Arsenal to advance 4-2.

Sadly I see this weekend as a continuation of business as usual for the FA Cup. Other then Coventry springing an upset on Blackburn I think it will be a clean sweep for the BPL Clubs. I hope and would love to be proven wrong and of course Lets Go Ewe Rams!!

It’s been almost ten years since the two teams that are one of the most hated rivalries in British soccer last played a league match against each other. On that cold Spring morning in 1999, the Welsh derby between Cardiff City against Swansea City ended in a drab nil-nil draw. Both teams, at the time, were in the bottom division of the Football League.

The two Welsh sides finally play against this each other this Tuesday (September 23, 2008) in the Carling Cup in a game televised live on Sky Sports (and on Setanta in the United States) at 2:30pm ET/7:30pm BST. It’ll definitely be a classic to watch if you’re a fan of the beautiful game.

While the nineties were mostly a dark time for Welsh club football, a lot has changed since then. That season, Cardiff were promoted to League One where they continued their slow ascent into the Championship League. Last season, Cardiff were finalists in the FA Cup Final and came within six points of qualifying for the playoffs.

Forty one miles west of Cardiff, the capital of Wales, Swansea’s fortunes haven’t been as pronounced but a recent resurgence under the leadership of Spaniard Roberto Martinez saw the club break their record of most points in one season (92) when they finished as champions of League One.

Now that Swansea has returned to the Championship League for the first time in 24 years, football fans have three opportunities this season to see why the Welsh derby is one of the most heated battles in the Football League.

Interestingly, the rivalry is more pronounced off the pitch than on it. On the pitch, the match often resembles a Merseyside derby played at a frenetic pace involving plenty of red cards and rough play, but few moments of brilliance or goals.

For me, when I was growing up in Wales until the age of 14, I would go to as many Swansea matches as possible. But in the late 70s and early 80s, the only two matches I would purposefully stay away from was when Swansea’s opponents were either Cardiff or Chelsea.

Off the pitch, the viciousness and hatred between the Cardiff and Swansea fans is the most venomous in all of England and Wales.

After ten years of no league matches against each other, the fear is that violence will rear its ugly head when both teams play each other this Tuesday and on November 30 and April 4. In the past decade, old grudges have had a chance to fester.

One recent incident that will be on the minds of Cardiff fans looking for retribution is the April 2006 Football League Trophy final. After Swansea beat Carlisle at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, two Swansea players unfurled a Welsh flag that contained anti-Cardiff insults written on it. To make matters worse, one of the Swansea players wore a T-shirt with an image of a Swansea player urinating on a Cardiff shirt.

Club officials and local police, looking to reduce the likelihood of mass violence, have scheduled the November 30 match between both sides for an eleven thirty kick off on a Sunday morning. A heavy police presence will be on display for the match will be televised live on Sky Sports as the Bluebirds of Cardiff battle the Swans. Expect a very heated atmosphere both inside and out of Swansea’s Liberty Stadium.

Cardiff City

Founded: 1899

Nickname: The Bluebirds

Ground: Ninan Park (Wales) (22,008, 16,000 seated)

Last Season: 12th in the CCC 64 Points

English FA Cup Winners: 1927

Welsh FA Cup Winners: 22 Times