Birmingham v Preston
Saturday, 15:00
Preston did us proud in midweek by toppling leaders Cardiff in comprehensive fashion. Predictably, Neil Warnock fell back on fatigue as the root cause of that defeat, batting away any suggestion that North End had delivered anything beyond what was expected of them, but the market finally appears to be giving Alex Neil's men the respect they've been due for weeks.
Sadly for Neil, circumstances might now be conspiring against him. "Utter domination" was how Harry Redknapp described Birmingham's second-half performance at Leeds in midweek, an evaluation that wasn't disputed by too many around Elland Road afterwards, and the suspicion is that Preston could be meeting Blues at the worst possible time.
The hosts have lost five on the spin but it feels like a new beginning after Redknapp's deadline-day business and their display in midweek can be put into context by the fact that Leeds have been the most dominant team in the division to date.
"That was the first time I really felt I have seen a football team since I have been at Birmingham," concluded Redknapp.
With Blues aching to crown their new dawn with that landmark first win and the visitors perhaps basking too much in the satisfaction of their last result, the home win looks like a decent play at 2.62. Video analysis has been a big part of North End's success this term but they don't have a wealth of worthwhile footage to work with ahead of this clash.
Recommended Bet
1pt Birmingham to win at 2.62

Sheffield United v Norwich
Saturday, 15:00
Sheffield United are riding the crest of a wave after romping to the League One title last season, with Chris Wilder integrating a handful of new faces to keep everyone on their toes without upsetting the last season's formula. The Blades have won five of their seven games so far and look a decent price at [2.45] to continue that solid form against over-rated Norwich.
Only trips to Middlesbrough and Cardiff have been beyond United at this stage. Wins over Brentford (1-0), Barnsley (1-0), Derby (3-1), Sunderland (2-1) and Bolton (1-0) have mostly been played in the realm of fine margins but their team spirit, and strong belief in the manager and his decision-making prowess, has been enough to see them home time and time again.
Compare this with the Canaries, who are trying to buy into a new boss who brings an entirely new philosophy, and it's easy to appreciate how this might be another tight game that falls in favour of the team who are more relaxed and applying themselves with greater conviction. As it stands, Norwich are fifth from bottom in terms of shot ratio under Daniel Farke.
Heavy defeats at Aston Villa (2-4) and Millwall (0-4) put the Canaries on the verge of crisis. The tension was eased with a narrow win over Birmingham (1-0) last weekend but their failure to beat Burton (0-0), testing opposition goalkeeper Stephen Bywater only once across the whole 90 minutes, raises alarm bells once again. Norwich could be nervy.
Recommended Bet
1pt Sheffield United to win at [2.45]

Portsmouth v Fleetwood
Saturday, 15:00
Portsmouth are struggling to live up to their pre-season billing as instant promotion contenders under Kenny Jackett. The Hampshire club were third favourites for the title at the beginning of the season but have only triumphed once in the last eight matches (all competitions), netting just three goals from open play in the last nine hours of league action.
So it's a mystery why they should be evens to beat a Fleetwood side that reached the play-offs last term and posting superior shot data this time around. The Cod Army won 11 of their 23 matches on the road last season, which included convincing wins at Sheffield United and Scunthorpe, so the trip to Fratton Park will hold no fears. Back the away win at 4.40.
Indeed, one assumes that Uwe Rosler will be relishing this clash as an opportunity to play the role of underdog and claim one of the biggest managerial scalps in the division. The astute German is capable of devising a game plan to unhinge most opponents and Pompey lack the variety to believe they will have the upper hand from a tactical perspective in this game.
A lack of energy and attacking thrust has been a recurring problem for the hosts. They were 2-0 down after 35 minutes at Northampton in midweek and have now conceded the first goal in five of their last six matches. Fleetwood had the best first-half record in the division last term and should be fancied to manage the game properly if they get their noses in front.
Recommended Bet
1pt Fleetwood to win at 4.40

Port Vale v Forest Green
Saturday, 15:00
It's make of break for Michael Brown with rumours abound that Port Vale are set to call time on his nine-month tenure if he fails to win this game. The Valiants are bottom of League Two, having lost six on the spin since the opening day, but things got a bit tasty at Kenilworth Road in midweek and they could bully newly-promoted Forest Green into submission here.
A lack of creativity is the main problem for the hosts but they couldn't have handpicked better opponents if they wish to end a miserable run of nine hours without a goal. The Little Club on the Hill have have shipped 19 in their seven outings and their expected goals against average (2.23) is nearly an entire goal bigger than Vale's (1.40).
With Chris Morgan stood alongside Brown in the home dugout, everyone was braced for Vale to be one of the most bruising teams in the division this term and it's probably no small thing that six of their seven matches have been against teams with an average age above 26, whereas only Colchester (23) are younger than the side assembled by Mark Cooper (24.4).
Vale have stood up to Notts County (0-1), Coventry (0-1) and Luton (0-2) in their last three outings and matched them all in terms of possession, chances and territory. It shows that the players are still fighting for their manager and their combative style should reap greater rewards against a leaky Rovers defence when it really matters most.
Recommended Bet
1pt Port Vale to win at 2.30

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