The Alternative League One Team Of The Year

You've more than likely seen the League One team of the year, announced on Sunday evening, that consisted of, Kelvin Davies, Inigo Calderon, Gordon Greer, Jose Fonte, Dan Harding, Anthony Pilkington, Elliott Bennett, Adam Lallana, Alex Chamberlain, Bradley Wright Phillips & Craig Mackail Smith.
In this special blog I'll pick my best of the rest, the players that didn't get into that team but in my eyes weren't far off or perhaps deserve the mention. So sit back, enjoy and feel free to agree or disagree with me.

Goalkeeper- Alex Smithies of Huddersfield

Now this could have gone to a number of players, Dagenhams Tony Roberts or Bournemouths Shwan Jalal. However I've opted for Huddersfield Town stopper Alex Smithies. He has been solid all season in goal for the Galpharm outfit, pulling off some great stops in that time and being named the League One player of the month for February for keeping three clean sheets as Huddersfield continued to stay unbeaten in the league in 2011. His fine form has seen many other clubs with higher reputations sniffing around him and has been called up to the under 21's on numerous occasions.

Left Back- Dean Lewington of MK Dons
I'm not a particular fan of Dean, but this player has been consistent for a number of season's now and has had another great season in Milton Keynes. He leads the Dons every week and always puts in a captains performance with some crunching tackles and he even manages to find away forward, bursting down the left to deliver some great crosses to the heads of the strikers. He should be noted for his goal scoring as well, three goals from left back this season which isn't a bad return, nothing but good words to say about him performance wise.




Centre Back- Craig Dawson of Rochdale

He's been simply solid this season, after being sold to West Brom and being loaned back to the Dale for this season, he's helped them push on to what would be yet another magical season should they get into the play offs. At the heart of the defence he has been solid and has added eight goals to his name this season as well, being noted as a player that likes to get forward. After being named the player of the year in league two last season, he's lived up to the bill in a higher league and retaining him in essence has been one of the main reasons why Rochdale have been so good this term. Unlucky to not be in the real team of the year.

Centre Back- Peter Clarke of Huddersfield Town

I know what you're thinking, is this gonna be the Huddersfield show ? The fact that no Hudds players made the team is a shame in itself especially considering the fact that they're unbeaten in 2011. Clarke has formed part of a rigid defence that has been one of the hardest to break down. Being solid in the centre and with good aerial capabilities is always a good sign and Clarke has both of these qualities, which is why he deserves to be in this team.

Right Back- Frank Simek of Carlise United

Inigo Calderon was by far the best left back in the league this season, but i had to dither between Simek & Abu Ogogo for this one, seeing as though I'll be adding a couple of Dagenham players in later on I thought this one ought to go to the American. He's been fairly consistent this season down the right and hasn't really made any mistakes, as I said it's hard to replace Calderon, but Simek has been solid for Carlisle and probably worthy of his place in this team.

Left Midfield- Dean Cox of Leyton Orient
Again, I'm not a fan of him due to his attitude he showed against us this season, but performance wise he's quite worthy of his place. He's been terrorising most full backs all season with his skill and dazzling pace, whipping excellent balls into the box, not only have assists been a major feature of his game (18 in total), goals have too. He's averaged a goal every four game for Slade's men and played a significant part in their run early in 2011 which is why this wing wizard fins himself in my team.

Centre Midfield- Romain Vincelot of Dagenham & Redbridge
I don't care if you accuse me of bias here, but he has been simply excellent this season. This small Frenchman can be accredited of playing a major part in the Daggers survival should they pull it off. His constant battle and willingness to make every tackle and never give up on a ball have been a trademark of his game this season. The real thing about Vincelot is aerial prowess, scoring 11 goals from midfield, 9 of which have been with his head I believe. The fact that he is a paltry 5ft 10 inches and he can out jump players well over 6 foot is testemant to his belief and passion. A great player who fully deserves his place in my team.

Centre Midfield- Gary Jones of Rochdale

This man is probably Mr Rochdale, the 33 year old has been an ever present since re signing in 2004, being especially good under current manager Keith Hill. Gary holds the Dale midfield in place and his experience has shown through this season, their record appearance holder hit a wonder goal against Southampton at St Mary's back in September and described it as the best he's ever struck. He has been their top scorer this season with an outstanding 17 goals and his battling in the middle shows that he is probably a stand out candidate for his spot in my team.

Right Midfield: Danny Green of Dagenham & Redbridge

Now I'm sure some will disagree with me on this one, being a Dagenham supporter, you may say I'm being biased, but without this man, the Daggers would be deep in the mire. A fantastic tally of 12 assists in the league is phenomenal considering the Essex club's current position, his fantastic deliveries have become a trademark with several Championship clubs sniffing around the Bishop's Stortford man. Another great feature to his game, are his goals, 9 in the league this season, the best of which was probably his free kick against Notts County, he has also become reknowned as a great penalty taker, scoring all he's taken this season.

Striker: Will Hoskins of Bristol Rovers
This man was the first I had in my head. Will Hoskins has scored 16 goals this season for Rovers and considering their league position of 21st and that they've only scored 43 all season. A great effort by this man who is a fans favourite, a great signing from Nottingham Forest, he may follow in the foot steps of fellow former Pirates Rickie Lambert and Barry Hayles. A truly fantastic effort and a deserved place in this team.


Striker: Jamie Cureton of Exeter City

I said at the start this team wouldn't be made of players from the top 4 or 5 clubs, I've broken that rule with Huddersfield on a couple of occasions, this player could ply his trade there after his fine form this season. At the grand old age of 35 Cureton is still firing in the goals on a consistent level and has propelled the Grecians from relegation fighters into play off contenders. He gets a wide range of goal types and he fits great into this team.

Substitutes, I won't go into detail here:
David Martin (goalkeeper) from MK Dons
Johnnie Jackson of Charlton Athletic
Aiden White from Oldham Athletic
Evan Horwood from Hartlepool United
Francois Zoko of Carlisle United
Matt Ritchie of Swindon Town
Jeff Hughes of Bristol Rovers

I hope you enjoyed my alternative team, feel free to comment who you'd have put in or anything you agreed or disagreed with, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Hillsborough, The debate rumbles on.

In 1989 the most tragic event in English football occurred with the death of 96 Liverpool supporters following a crush at the Leppings Lane end of Hillsborough in the FA Cup Semi Final between Liverpool & Nottingham Forest.  The game was abandoned after just 6 minutes as supporters ran on to the pitch to escape the disaster that changed football and the way it was viewed forever, but was it right. Whilst everyone rightfully remembers those tragic events every year on the 15th April, some still believe it was wrong to take away standing at a top class football stadium.

Debates have raged on for years whether standing should be brought back or not at the highest levels of the English game, even going to Parliament now with several petitions being signed by football fans to bring it back. You have to weigh up the different perspectives though. For one the top bosses have a very valid point, the Taylor report making sure that no standing could be used at high class grounds after the incident because of the potential threat it caused. After all it could have all too easily happened again at some of the older grounds in the country that are in the top two tiers, but the newer ones don't carry that threat so much.



The Globe Arena

 Another factor that should be looked at is the satisfaction of football fans. If you ask a selection of football fans from any league they would tell you that they would prefer to stand rather than sit and in many cases they do stand rather than sit, whether it be at Manchester United or Morecambe. Lower league teams do still of course have the standing as it is cheaper and provides a much better atmosphere to games, even new grounds that are built lower down the pyramid contain terraced sections, Morecambes Globe Arena for example. This is because it brings more atmosphere to the game, it feels more natural, more traditional which is what people like. Even if you are to go up to the Premier League, there is always a section of supporters standing up in a standing area. Why? Because it's what they like, it's what they grew up with, it's how they want to support their team.

There are many safe ways to accommodate both needs. For example one of my personal favourites for this is the away end at Brentford or Southend for example. They have parts for both your needs. The bottom section is dedicated to standing for the more lively, traditional etc whilst the upper tier is for seating. This pleases everyone as it gives a good, safe choice to fans and lets them do what they want to do. This would obviously be a lot harder to replicate for a larger scale, but it is an idea that is well worth looking into. Another idea is one that has been used in German grounds for a while now. Much like the idea of allocated seats, you have allocated standing positions. Each fan is given a ticket number and a little bar to stand at to watch the action, it's perfectly safe as you can't over sell and combines the organisation of seating with the want and traditionalism of standing.

Other arguments that have been heard before is that, because it only happened once, why should it change the face of spectating. Whilst the statement has a point, would you really have risked it happening again, the incident highlighted the problems with standing like that, it also didn't help that it was a high profile game with many supporters trying to cram in right at the start of the match. The organisation of the police was very poor, obviously if their was more security then perhaps it wouldn't have happened, but at the end of the day, there wasn't enough control or security and it did happen.



Standing At Scunny Soon To
Be Gone

 The Taylor report said that all stadiums in the top two divisions had to be all seated, that standing was no longer permitted. This does provide financial concerns for the smaller clubs of the Championship. Take Scunthorpe United for example, only a small club who have been forced into investing money they don't have into seating or face being demoted down to League One, it's simply wrong. Personally I feel that this kind of system should work on the attendances you get on average. Let me explain it too you. Clubs that hardly fill up their grounds, such as Scunthorpe or Preston. They are forced to pay millions for seats that may never be used and just be covered by flags etc, it is wasted money that could be spent on much better things for them and the league. Things like a crush would never happen at Scunny, or hardly any grounds any more, because safety is better and so is security.

One of the main reasons accidents occurred back then such as Hillsborough was because people were able to stroll up on the day and pay a couple of quid to get in. Nowadays that isn't possible at higher class grounds, all tickets have to be bought in advance which ensures no more can get in than is permitted which once again makes it safer.  The organisation is also much better now a days. There is enough space to handle a large amount of supporters and there are more turnstiles to handle more supporters whereas at Hillsborough there were clearly not enough.

You can say that it was a good thing all seater stadiums were introduced because it simply eradicated the possibility of something like this happening ever again. Safety is more important than standing if we're all honest, whilst many people like myself believe standing should be brought back in a safer way at high level, the move they made was correct at the time. The right move was the safe move. These types of fences were removed because of the danger that could be caused and the results speak for themselves. How many incidents like that one have happened since then? None. It was the right move at the time, but with the safety we have now, maybe we do need to look back into it.

However, what we have to remember is the long term consequence of this event. You can argue one way or another whether it was a good or a bad thing to abandon standing in the top two tiers, but these events will never and should never be forgotten. It is a reminder to what can happen at football one of the greatest spectacles in the world can brought down with one person falling that triggers a snowball effect. The 96 that died that day will never be forgotten by anyone, regardless of what team you support, no one ever deserved that.

RIP the 96.

From Billericay to Brazil, the CMS story

Craig Mackail Smith is proof that in football, those who wait get what they deserve. Mackail Smith started his career at St Albans City in 2000, making his debut in a 0-0 draw at home to Billericay Town in the Ryman Premier Division, in front of a very minimal crowd I should think. Just over 10 years on CMS faces the prospect of lining up for Scotland at the Emirates Stadium against one of the best sides in the world, Brazil. Just over 10 years ago who in their wildest dreams, especially Craig himself would have thought that ?



St Albans FC



As I previously mentioned, Mackail Smith came on as a substitute for Danny Davis in a 0-0 draw against Billericay Town at Clarence Park, the match report from the day described it as "a glimpse of the future" and boy were they right? Craig went on to make another 9 appearances for St Albans that season, failing to score in each. The following season, he scored his first ever goal against Hertford Town in the Hertfordshire Senior Cup, a 2-0 win for the Saints in front of 110 people. At this stage of his career he could never have thought about international football, progressing up the non league ladder was his task right now. Another goal followed that season, once again in a small competition, the Billy Minter trophy against Croydon, without a goal to his name yet in the league, the following season was crucial. The 2002/2003 was a very dry one, with only one goal coming towards the later stages against Hampton & Richmond Borough with a 210 attendance, despite the goals not coming, he was still a promising player that was growing and had the potential to go on to bigger and better things. This was his last season with City, after they released him from the club, where would things go from here ?



Craig For Dagenham



Well they went in the direction of Arlesley Town of the Ryman League Division One North. In his season there he built somewhat of a decent reputation for himself, scoring 17 goals in 54 games. This included a great brace in the terrific FA Trophy 4th round replay victory over Dagenham & Redbridge, unfortunately after a look around I can't find any more information on that season. His great form ironically earned him a move to the team that he had scored against in the FA Trophy the previous season. John Still, the new manager of Dagenham & Redbridge had cast his net looking to reassemble a new younger looking squad following the Garry Hill reign. One of three notable new faces was Craig Mackail Smith, a big step up from the Ryman League Division One North, but John Still wouldn't have signed him if he didn't think he was capable. His first Daggers goal came in the 1-0 friendly win against AFC Wimbledon, a great start to his Dagenham career that was only going to get better. Mackail Smith scored one of his first Daggers league goals in a 3-1 win against Burton Albion, for the large part of the first part of that season he was a substitute until he scored when he started against Halifax Town. Another brace against Hereford United cemented his place in the first team as a starter with another 8 goals coming as Dagenham finished in 11th place.

His continuous work ethic and desire had been praised before but he was really beginning to get his rewards, the next season he was to be just as prolific as the last. The opening day provided a brace against Southport which was followed with goals in dribs and drabs, his season total concluding to a very respectable 11. The season after was to be the one that launched his career somewhat, with goals from all angles earning respect and praise from everyone. He made 27 appearances for the Daggers, forming a valuable partnership with Paul Benson where he scored an impressive 15 goals before making a dream move to a football league club. On the 29th January he signed for League Two Peterborough United after being leading scorer in the conference. He made his football league debut on the 10/02/2007 in a 3-0 win over Wrexham at London Road. His first Posh goal came 2 weeks later in a 3-0 win against Bury at Gigg Lane and was followed by another against MK Dons a couple of weeks later. He was making a real impact on Darren Fergusons team, the £200,000 paid for him was seen to be well paying off. Another five goals followed as CMS established himself in the Peterborough first team. The next season saw Peterborough United gain promotion from League Two to League One with Craig netting another 12 along the way including one against former club Dagenham & Redbridge in a 3-2 win at Victoria Road, a win that was part of a 16 game unbeaten streak.



For Peterborough

 Craig and his League One new boys then pushed on in their new league and with his & their new found confidence gained another promotion, all the way up to the Championship. In this promotion winning season Mackail Smith scored another 23 goals, progressing more and more as the seasons go on. This included a hat trick live on Sky against Bristol Rovers in a sensational 5-4 victory, his reputation enhancing further and further more teams were beginning to take note of him. A regular in the team and scoring goals for fun, Craig was on the up and with promotion to the Championship he had a bigger stage to show it on. Craig scored on the last day of that season in a last day draw, they needed a good result to go up and courtesy of him and Dean Keates they did, finishing second behind Leicester City. Their season in the Championship didn't go particularly well, but once again Mackail Smith continued to shine along with George Boyd & Aaron Maclean despite Darren Ferguson being sacked and replaced by Mark Cooper and then Jim Gannon taking charge before finally Gary Johnson stepped into the hotseat. He netted a double in the final day victory against Plymouth Argyle, but both teams ultimately went down, Peterborough finishing bottom.

League One Player Of The Year

Then came a return to a league he was more familiar with, League One and so far this season he has been simply sensational. Goals Goals Goals is the only way to describe it. With 22 already to his name in the league and just over a month or so left, he should break the 30 goals barrier in the league. His sensational form has seen Peterborough score 86 goals as they lie 4th in the table with every chance of automatic promotion. The forward has scored the most goals in all of the leagues in England so far this season and has the best goals to games ratio. The other day he won the prestigious League One player of the year award, an award which is fully justified and that he deserves, not only does he score goals but his tireless work ethic and determination earns him praise from the terraces of home and opposition fans. I don't think anyone could disagree that he is a deserved winner of it. To top off a sensational week came a call up to the Scotland squad to play Brazil at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. This much have been the best week in the world for Craig, he's finally gotten everything he deserves.

To finish this off it is a sheer testament to his professionalism that he his even playing tonight for Posh against Bristol Rovers before linking up with Scotland tomorrow, what a player. I follow him on twitter and he's constantly praising fans and he will fully deserve his move this season regardless of whether Peterborough go up as well. Just think, from playing in front of 110 people at Clarence Park to 60,000 at the Emirates. This man is a true professional, who worked his way up through grit, determination and desire, this is exactly what football needs in times of over paid stars with outlandish behaviour. At only 27 years old he's still got a big career ahead of him, let's hope that it ends up playing in the Premier League one day.

Good Luck Craig !

The Big Preview

Here's my look towards all of the weekend games from the Premier League to Championship, including my prediction, enjoy everyone. All Games 15:00 Unless Stated. Each week it may alternate, with next week being a variation of games from each of the 4 divisions.
PREMIERSHIP

Man Utd vs Man City (12:45 KO) - Probably the biggest game of the weekend, the Manchester derby and with both teams in a scrap for the title, this seasons encounter at Old Trafford promises to be even more explosive than last seasons 4-3 affair. As always Tevez should get a warm reception and City should be buoyed on by their recent form, whilst United come in off the back of their first Premier League defeat of the season to Wolves. Joe Hart hasn't looked particularly confident in recent weeks and City haven't won on the road in six games, but this doesn't count for anything in derbys.
My Prediction, Manchester United 2-1 Manchester City.

Arsenal vs Wolves - You would assume this is a home banker, but Wolves were the first team to beat Man Utd in the league and Arsenals home form to the "lesser teams" this season has been poor so you may see a suprise. Should Wenger start Walcott, Wolves could be in for a torid day, the plus for McCarthys men is that Nasri is still sidelined, Doyle should prove a real threat for Wolves especially with the Gunners recent central defensive pair separated due to injury.
My Prediction, Arsenal 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Birmingham vs Stoke- Not one of the most glamorous ties, but a intriguing one. Both sides come into this on the back of wins, Birmingham against West Ham & Stoke against Sunderland in last weekends goal fest. The potters will once again be looking to John Carew and Kenwyne Jones to score whilst Zigic should retain his place after clinching last weeks winner. The St Andrews tie isn't appealing to me and with both sides not good footballing ones, I'd back the draw.
Birmingham City 0-0 Stoke City

Blackburn vs Newcastle- Yet another interesting one in a game which has the possibility of swinging either way. Blackburn were unlucky to lose to Spurs last week at Ewood Park, whilst Newcastle produced one of the greatest Prem comebacks of the season and perhaps of all time with a 4-4 draw at St James against Arsenal. The lack of firepower may show through for the magpies against a brutal Blackburn defence, whilst Blackburn are a little shy in front of goal as well, set pieces are their main threat with the height they possess.
My Prediction- Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Newcastle United

Blackpool vs Aston Villa- With Blackpool involved you are guaranteed goals, so if your a betting man, get on both teams to score in this one. However the seasiders have lost their lost 5 games home and away, but usually always score, after all they were involved in a 5-3 defeat just last week ! Villa are on the up, but were held at home against Fulham last week, Bent has already scored twice and he netted for England in midweek, and I think he'll find his way to goal in this one as well. Blackpool captain Charlie Adam is their main player, if he's on form expect them to get a result in this.
My Prediction, Blackpool 3-2 Aston Villa

Liverpool vs Wigan- Kenny Daglish has led the revolution at Anfield, after a poor start against Blackpool, and a draw in the Merseyside derby, they have won their last 4, scoring 7 and conceding 0 in the process. Raul Mereiles is in fine form at the moment and they will be full of confidence after beating Chelsea & Torres at Stamford Bridge last weekend. Wigan however are also enjoying a good patch, picking up 5 points in their last 9 with James McCarthy being their star player.
My Prediction, Liverpool 3-0 Wigan Athletic.

West Brom vs West Ham- A battle of the W's in a relegation dogfight, at the Hawthorns. The baggies are without a manager after being abruptly sacked last weekend following a dreadful run of form, the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City being the final straw. New signing Demba Ba should start up front after having a impressive impact as a sub against Brum, whilst Victor Obinna has been in fine form recently. The hammers were enjoying a decent little spell should be an away win.
My Prediction, West Bromwich Albion 1-2 West Ham United

Sunderland vs Spurs (17:30 KO)- A real battle at the Stadium Of Light with both sides that are pushing to get into a European competition for next season. The black cats have been scoring pretty freely since the move of Darren Bent, but the need to tighten up their defence, having conceded 8 goals in their last 3 games. Gyan will be key in this game, should he be given the service, I'm confident that Sunderland will get at least a draw. Spurs however are doing well in the league, having won their last two. Van Der Vaart is scoring freely as usual and Crouch even chipped in with the sole goal last week, Bale has been slightly off goal scoring form recently, but that should return soon.
My Prediction, Sunderland 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur.

Bolton vs Everton (Sunday at 16:00)- A game that could swing either way, Bolton have an impressive home record whilst Everton have been picking up results recently, including that extraordinary 5-3 win last week. Loan signing from Chelsea Darren Sturridge has been playing well recently and scored in his last two games and should partner Kevin Davies up front again. Louie Saha bagged four last weekend and will be hoping to carry that form into this game.
My Prediction, Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Everton

Fulham vs Chelsea (Monday at 20:00)- It's the West London derby and this has proved rather difficult to call over recent years with it being evenly matched. Chelsea are on poor form, and will be on a downer having lost at home to Liverpool last week, however Torres should be feeling a little better not playing against his former team this week and is good money for a goal. Fulham are comparatively playing pretty well in 2011, with some good results on the road and at home, the blow for them here is that loanee Gael Kakuta is unable to play against his parent club. The new partnership of Andy Johnson & Clint Dempsey has been doing will under Hughes so far and I'd back them to score a couple in this one.
My Prediction, Fulham 3-3 Chelsea, goal fest in West London.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Barnsley vs Ipswich- Barnsley come into this on the back of a 4-1 drubbing at Leicester City, but are in a comfortable mid table position, Ipswich, now managed by Paul Jewell have had a good start under him and are just a place behind the tykes. Ipswich have won their last two in the league and will be hoping that teen sensation Connor Wickham is on form and that striker David Norris has put his contract negotiations to the back of his mind.
My Prediction, Barnsley 1-2 Ipswich, Jewells men march on.

Bristol City vs Leeds- Bristol City come into this after a fine 4-0 victory away at Preston last week and they'll be hoping that their two strikers Keogh & Clarkson continue their good form. Leeds however are pushing for promotion and will be looking to win this game against a lowly City side. The whites defeated Coventry last time out, they might give a debut to on loan Aston Villa midfielder Eric Lichaj on loan for a month, he's played in the premier league this season.
My Prediction, Bristol City 0-3 Leeds United

Cardiff vs Scunthorpe- This game should seem like a home banker, but I don't view it like that. Cardiff come into this on the back of a great 1-0 derby win over Swansea City and striker Craig Bellamy is on great form so you'd expect a home win. You'd expect that even more considering that Scunny lost 5-1 at home to Hull City last week, but they have won 6 of their 7 games on the road this season, back in November, Cardiff won 4-2 at Glanford Park in a game which led to Jay Bothroyd getting an England call up.
My Prediction, Cardiff City 3-2 Scunthorpe United, Dave Jones scrapes home.

Coventry vs Crystal Palace- One of the harder games to predict in the division, Coventry haven't won in 5 games since the FA Cup victory against Palace at the Rocoh Arena, so maybe this will herald a change in fortunes for the Midlands team. Palace did win the other game in the league, 2-0 at Selhurst Park with both goals coming from Darren Ambrose. Coventry will be hoping Marlon King is on form as he's scored in 3 of his last 4 games for the, whilst the eagles beat Middlesborough last time out and are unbeaten in 4 games, although 3 of them were draws. This good form has coincided with the return of James Vaughan on loan from Everton.
My Prediction, Coventry 1-0 Crystal Palace, a return to winning ways.

Doncaster vs Portsmouth- A game of two teams with not to much to play for at the moment, with both still wary of the threat of relegation. Donny lost out to the odd goal to Millwall at the weekend although their last game at the Keepmoat was a 1-0 win against Burnley, they will be boosted by captain Brian Stock signing a new deal at the club. Portsmouth are a tricky club, they can win big but then are capable of being quite dreadful. They haven't won since the 11th December, a run that culminates to 10 games that has seen them go down the table rapidly. They did however grab a last minute point at home to Derby courtesy of a great David Nugent strike.
My Prediction, Doncaster Rovers 3-1 Portsmouth, Steve Cotterills problems continue on the South coast.

Hull vs Preston- I can't seen any problems with this one, it's a definite home banker. Hull defeated Scunthorpe 5-1 at the weekend and their brutal strike force of Maclean & Fryatt should brush rock bottom Preston aside. North End haven't won in 8 games and recently were thrashed 4-0 at home by Bristol City so this daunting trip to the KC should prove way to much, however they do have Everton keeper Iain Turner on a emergency loan for a crumb of help. Nigel Pearsons men haven't lost in the league since New Years Day & recently held league leaders QPR to a 0-0 draw. The previous encounter finished 2-0 to Hull live on Sky.
My Prediction, Hull City 5-0 Preston North End

Middlesborough vs Swansea- A hard to call clash at the Riverside, the game back at the Liberty in November ended with Scott Sinclair scoring the only goal in a 1-0 swans victory. Borough haven't been beaten at home since late November and could prove a stern test against a promotion chasing swans team, they did lose in the Wales derby last week though. Boro will be hoping Leroy Lita & Kris Boyd will be on form for this vital clash whilst the Jacks will be relying on Darren Pratley & Alan Gower.
My Prediction, Middlesborough 1-1 Swansea City

Norwich vs Reading- A interesting clash at Carrow Road between Norwich who lost to Burnley last week and Reading who suffered an unlucky defeat at home to league leaders QPR at the Majdeski. Reading will be hoping that Shane Long & Jobi McAnuff will be playing the part whilst Norwich will be dependant on 13 goal hitman Grant Holt to fire them to a win.
My Prediction, Norwich 2-0 Reading

Sheff Utd vs Millwall- Micky Adams hasn't won yet as blades boss and will be hoping to get off the mark against a Kenny Jackett Millwall side that beat Doncaster last time out. Millwall will expect a comfortable win here, but anything is liable to happen and Adams has got to get his first win sometime. They'll be boosted by Steve Morrison signing a new deal this week, whilst United haven't win since mid December, their main goal threat is Ched Evans who's scored 8 goals this season.
My Prediction, Sheffield United 1-3 Millwall

Watford vs Burnley- A game that has a draw on cards in my eyes, with Watford having a steady decline in form after a good run, whilst Burnleys fortunes have picked up recently, despite losing to Doncaster a couple of weeks ago. The hornets will be banking on Danny Graham & Marvin Sordell to nab the win in what promises to be a close fought game. Eddie Howe's had a great start with the Turf Moor based outfit and will be hoping to continue his good start here at Vicarage Road.
My Prediction, Watford 1-1 Burnley

Derby vs Leicester (17:20)- A derby game at Pride Park that involves derby, how ironic. The rams haven't won since New Years Day & that includes a defeat to Blue Square outfit Crawley Town. Nigel Clough is looking to sign two more strikers, however it's unlikely they'll be in the squad before Saturday evening. Leicester are on a great run of form, having gone 6 unbeaten in the league & winning their last 3 games with an average of 3 goals a game. They are hoping to shore up their defence with the loan signing of Chelsea centre half Jeffrey Brauma later today or tomorrow.
My Prediction, Derby County 1-4 Leicester City

Graygate

So with all the hype surrounding this topic at the moment here's my perspective on it all.

To start off, what he said was as many people have said from the 1950's, it is so stereotypical and I have to say quite piggish. The game is advancing in many different ways now and having female officials is one, after all there are male officials and managers in women's football so it is only right that they come over into the men's game. What Andy Gray has been accused of saying and doing is damn right wrong, asking a woman to put his microphone in his trousers, that is wrong on so many levels, especially considering that he has a wife of his own !

All three of them, Andy Gray, Richard Keys and Andy Burton, the later not so much are in the wrong here. You simply cannot go around saying these kind of things in this day and age, their views are their views, you cannot change that, but they should at least have the sense to not say them when there are tens of people and cameras around, any of which could be mistakenly rolling. Just because they are women does not mean that they are inferior to men in terms of seeing something, we all have eyesight and are capable of seeing things. Now we all may joke about this, but at the end of the day what is said and recorded is what matters, unfortunately for this trio the "banter" they were sharing has been exposed to the public. You would have thought however that a professional such as Andy Gray could've seen something like this coming after what happened with Ron Atkinson a few seasons back which there was NO excuse what so ever for. What they have said is unfortunately just plain sexism and this will always be a part of football for some fans and pundits alike. Gray grew up in the era of rough footballing men when women were barely involved at all and he has not in my opinion advanced from that.

However, what they said may well have been banter between the two of them, a private joke after all, most of us share in a private joke once in a while, yet we all realise that there is a line to be drawn and saying something like "I bet she doesn't understand the offside rule" is absolute tosh ! The seriousness he showed when he said this was just sheer stupidity, surely a professional like Gray should have been more professional than he was. It was so stereotypical and simply wrong.

At the end he was rightfully sacked by SkySports after another tape was leaked. This was the correct decision as he would not have been respected again by football fans watching the TV, by these three stupid comments he has thrown his career away and be all means he deserves it. The other two however, Richard Keys, Andy Grays lap dog in my opinion, always seems to agree and nod his head when asked just went along with it, agreeing that there should be no place for woman in football. The worst thing about the whole incident that he had to phone the official Sian Massey up on the Sunday ! Whilst ok he probably had to apologise it was clearly forced because you would not apologise for your views if you actually believed in them. Keys was a stupid boy and is lucky to escape with a slap on the wrist, just about hanging on to his SkySports career. Andy Burton the smallest culprit in here, just saying she was a looker. I suppose that he was treating her as an object which is wrong in today's game, unsurprisingly Gray disagreed and said no. Burton will escape I should think with just a small ban and a little fine.

It will be a shame to see Gray leave SkySports, for all that has happened in the last few days he was a great commentator for them. At the end of the day, it was his own fault, there was no way that he could stay after that, it says all for his pride that he is letting his wife answer the door at his mansion. There is NO room for this in the modern game and he got exactly what he deserved, the sack.

Hope you enjoyed the blog and my views on Graygate.

FA Cup 4th Round Preview Part 2

This is the second lot of previews for the 4th round ties this weekend, 8 down and 8 to go.

Burnley vs Burton - This has the makings of another cup upset in Burtons favour, having defeated Middlesborough in the last round, the Brewers will be gunning for yet another shock, but this time against Eddie Howes Burnley at Turf Moor. The Clarets defeated League Two team Port Vale in the last round, but face Portsmouth during the week, Burton are disadvantaged in the fact that they haven't played since January 8th. I'd swing in favour of a Burnley win due to the fact Burton sold star player Shaun Harrad to Northampton Town last week, but this should be a good tie. This game should have the spirit of the FA Cup to go with it, with a reported 2600 tickets having been sold by the Brewers already.
My Prediction, Burnley 3-0 Burton Albion

Birmingham vs Coventry - The cup has a Midlands derby here, with the sides meeting for the first time since February 2009 which ended in a 1-0 Coventry victory. The sky blue's beat fellow Championship side Crystal Palace 2-1 at the Ricoh Arena in the last round whilst Brum defeated Millwall 1-4 at the New Den. Birmingham also have a Carling Cup semi final second leg to deal with against West Ham on Wednesday so this may be a close one to call. New signing David Bentley should play again for Brum and Freddie Eastwood may start for Coventry at St Andrews. The unfortunate thing about this game may be the attendance, you would expect a good number, but they got their second lowest crowd of the season at home to Aston Villa in the Premiership the other week.
My Prediction, Birmingham City 2-2 Coventry City, a replay at the Ricoh for this one.

Wolves vs Stoke - Another all Premiership tie, with Stoke in 10th and Wolves 19th, this is one to keep an eye on. In the league this season Wolves beat Stoke 2-1 at Molineux, but this game could depend on the side that each manager puts our. Tony Pulis put a largely reserve side out against Cardiff in the last round, whilst Wolves may feel this is the least of their priortities with their current league position, they beat Doncaster 5-0 at Molineux in the replay after being held 2-2 at the Keepmoat originally. Adam Hammill may get his first start for Wolves, Steve Bruce is chasing Stokes Ricardo Fuller, so depending on offers may not play.
My Prediction, Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-0 Stoke City, a fiesty game with a red card in, replay needed.

Notts County vs Man City - This game is being screened live by ITV on Sunday and is a good one to televise. Notts County pulled off one of the shocks of the round by beating Sunderland at the Stadium Of Light in the last round with goals from Westcarr & Lee Hughes, whilst Manchester City needed a replay to overcome Leicester at the City Of Manchester Stadium. Notts County will relish this game, however they did lose 0-1 at home to Carlisle at the weekend, but they may have had one eye on this money spinner. They last met in 2001 when City won 2-4 in a League Cup tie at Meadow Lane, but a lot has changed since then. This has the makings of a great cup tie, but should City play their full team they will have far too much class for the Magpies.
My Prediction, Notts County 2-4 Manchester City, just like their last meeting.

Stevenage vs Reading - The team that pulled off the biggest cup shock by beating Newcastle at home 3-1 in the last round are rewarded with another game against higher league opposition, this time in the form of Championship Reading. The royals beat also beat Premier League opposition, by defeating West Brom 1-0 at home, courtesy of in form striker, Shane Long. The League Two team that have come up from the Conference as champions could cause another upset here in front of what promises to be a large crowd at Broadhall Way.
My Prediction, Stevenage 1-0 Reading, another cup upset for Graham Westleys boys.

Aston Villa vs Blackburn - Another all Premiership game here with both sides hoping for a good run in the cup. In the previous round Villa beat Sheffield United 1-3 whilst Rovers defeated another Championship side, this time league leaders QPR 1-0 at Ewood Park in the game that contained the controversy with Diouf. In the league this season Rovers beat Villa 2-0, but in the League Cup Aston Villa gained a 3-1 victory. Villa should start record signing Darren Bent who scored the winner at the weekend, whilst Blackburn should stick with the same side that beat West Brom at home on Sunday. This is another tough one to call, I think that Blackburn may nick this one at the death.
 My Prediction, Aston Villa 1-2 Blackburn Rovers, Steve Keans men march on.

West Ham vs Notts Forest - This is possibly the trickiest tie to pick the outcome of, Avram Grants team can be so good, yet so bad at times and face a Forest side who have won 4 on the bounce (this was created before Tuesdays game against Bristol City.) The Hammers beat Barnsley 2-0 at Upton Park in the last round to progress, but have a Carling Cup match on Wednesday against Birmingham, so this game will be played on a Sunday. The Irons will hope to have signed Hoffenheim striker Djemba Ba on loan before this game however Freddie Piquionne is now banned. Forest come into this off the back of a great victory against rivals Derby at the weekend, so this one is a tough game to call.
My Prediction, West Ham 1-1 Nottingham Forest, a replay needed for this one.

Sheff Weds vs Hereford - This was the last tie to be picked and unfortunately for the sides the one that will probably create the least interest of them all. Wednesday should be nailed on favourites to win this, but come into it after losing heavily at Leyton Orient on Saturday, however they did beat Bristol City at Ashton Gate in the last round and they face Yeovil at home on Tuesday. Hereford defeated Wycombe at Adams Park in the previous round and face Morecambe tonight (when this will be posted.) The Owls could include new signing Gary Madine who signed from Carlisle last week.
My Prediction, Sheffield Wednesday 5-1 Hereford United, a romp for Alan Irvines men.

Thanks for reading, I'll be back for the 5th Round Preview !

FA Cup 4th Round Preview Part 1

In this blog, I'll preview all of the FA Cup 4th round ties and what I think their outcomes will be.
Torquay vs Crawley- The Gulls are enjoying a good second season back in the Football League under Paul Buckle and have come through some tricky tests already in the cup this year. They have seen off two League One teams in the form of Walsall & Carlisle and are not to be underestimated. Crawley of course, the Manchester City of non league, flying high in the Blue Square and having defeated Derby at home in the last round will be buzzing, but they have just come off the back of a tough game at Grimsby.
My Prediction is Torquay United 2-1 Crawley Town.

Watford vs Brighton & Hove Albion - The Hornets are one of the form teams at the moment, having won 6 out of their last 7 games, but losing away to Cardiff 4-2 on Saturday. Watford came through the last round by winning 4-1 against Hartlepool after being a goal down. Brighton, the leaders of League One having a great season, but like Watford lost their last game, 1-0 away to Brighton, although they did defeat last years finalists Portsmouth in the previous round. The possible sale of star player Elliot Bennett this week, could make be a devastating blow to their cup campaign and the league.
My Prediction is Watford 3-1 Brighton, Watford will have too much class for Gus Poyets men.

Bolton vs Wigan  - An all Premiership affair here with Bolton in mid table whilst Wigan are fighting against relegation, they are currently in 18th. In the last round Bolton came through a potential banana skin tie to defeat York City 2-0 at the Reebok, whilst the Latics won a tricky game against Hull 3-2. The league meeting between the two ended 1-1 earlier in the season, but this is the cup and i think Bolton will have this game for breakfast.
My Prediction, Bolton Wanderers 3-0 Wigan Athletic, Owen Coyles men will outplay the Latics.

Arsenal vs Huddersfield - Two sided that play good football will meet at the Emirates on Saturday lunchtime, as the two meet for the first time. Arsenal had to come through a difficult reply at Elland Road to get the, whilst The Terriers edged past brave Dover Athletic at the Galpharm, 2-0. Arsenal come in on a good run of form, with Van Persie scoring at will, Huddersfield drew 0-0 against Colchester on Saturday, I don't think Lee Clarkes men will be able to withstand Arsenals possession and speed.
My Prediction, Arsenal 4-1 Huddersfield Town, but they will make it difficult for Wengers men.

Fulham vs Tottenham - A Premiership London derby for this one, both teams have something to play for in the league, but both in different respects. Spurs beat fellow Londoners Charlton comfortably in the last round, whilst Fulham hit sorry Peterborough for six, this may well prove to be an intriguing game.The added presence of TV coverage for this one, but Fulham have a pretty poor home record this term and may struggle depending on what side Spurs put out.
My Prediction, Fulham 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur, a reply needed for this one.

Everton vs Chelsea - Possibly the game of the round, although it may not seem like it. Both teams struggling in the league, Chelsea on a poor run of form and Everton to close to the bottom 3 for comfort. In the last round the Toffees overcame Scunthorpe 1-5 away from home with ease, Chelsea defeated managerless Ipswich 7-0 at Stamford Bridge. This one is a tough one to call, with Everton capable of being very good at times and yet so poor on others. If Chelseas big names come to the party this could be a long day for Everton, but I'm going on the assumption that they won't.
My Prediction, Everton 1-0 Chelsea.

Southampton vs Man Utd - This is one of the better ties of the round, with  both teams capable of winning this I feel. Southampton are a great well organised side, I've seen them first hand, they have the ability to run teams ragged, if Oxlade Chamberlain & Lallana are on their game, United full backs could have a torrid time. In the last round Saints beat a reserve Blackpool team 2-0 at St Marys, United beat Liverpool courtesy of a controversial penalty in the opening seconds. The Red Devils are on a good run of form, but this result may well hinge on what sort of team Sir Alex puts out, make no mistake the atmosphere at St Mary's will be electric, I can see Southampton nicking a reply here.
My Prediction, Southampton 2-2 Manchester United

Swansea vs Leyton Orient - This game should really be a formality, but yet i sense an unlikely upset may be on the cards. Swansea have a great home record and destroyed Colchester 4-0 at home in the last round, they way they have been playing they should have too much class for the League One O's. This is the FA Cup remember and Orient have carved their way through playing 5 games along the way, the highlight beating Norwich 1-0 at Carrow Road in the last round. They will come in off of a sensational 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend, if Alex Revell is on form, this could be an interesting one. I still fancy the Jacks to win it, possibly at a canter, but anything is liable to happen.

The last 8 ties I'll post tomorrow