Reading have their work cut out if they want to hold onto their play-off place, the Royals will look to win at a Wigan side revelling from an FA Cup run. Brighton will look to capitalize on the strong possibility of dropped points for Reading, as they travel to out-of-form Huddersfield. Another out-of-form side, Leeds, make the short trip to Barnsley, who are back in the survival hunt after a crucial win on Tuesday night. Having been a legend at both clubs, Birmingham and Nottingham Forest fans will celebrate the birthday of Trevor Francis in a meeting at the City Ground. A clash between Leicester and QPR at this stage, bears less significance than we might have expected, with the fate of both clubs decided.
Blackburn vs. Yeovil
Blackburn picked up what must go down as a disappointing point at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, having led 3-1 in the closing stages. At least boss Gary Bowyer looks to have found the perfect partner-in-crime for Jordan Rhodes, in Rudy Gestede. The Frenchman has won the man of the match award in three of his last four starts, scoring three and assisting one. Gestede is 6ft 3, so he has the height and strength to compliment Rhodes’ predatory goalscoring touch. Yeovil could be relegated by Monday night, if they lose their next two and results go against them. It has become a question of ‘when’ they go down rather than ‘if’ for the Glovers, and fans will be looking to savour their last few games of Championship football. Blackburn to keep their feint play-off hopes intact, with a comfortable victory. 3-0.
Bournemouth vs. Sheff Wed
Bournemouth will be without midfielder Harry Arter, who got himself suspended after a rash challenge in that win over QPR. On average, Bournemouth have only lost an average of 0.15 points per game without him in the side, yet you get the feeling Arter is a key player. In the draw with Yeovil, Bournemouth played at a fairly low tempo, so they perhaps missed Arter’s energy, not to mention the impact he can make in both boxes. Adthe Nuhiu scored twice in Sheffield Wednesday’s draw against Blackburn on Saturday, and he got a flick-on to assist the first goal as well. The Austrian does need to build on this though, because he has only started 12 games out of a possible 26 since the change of manager. As a very lanky striker who lacks work rate, you would wonder whether he is part of Stuart Gray’s plans for more progressive, costless-flowing football. Both teams have been involved in high-scoring games lately, so I’ll go for an entertaining draw. 2-2.
Charlton vs. Bolton
It’s Charlton who go into this one under the most pressure. Riga’s hopes of an instant rise from the relegation mire have been quashed, as the Addicks have now lost three of their last four games. They missed an opportunity to put daylight between themselves and the bottom three when they hosted Barnsley on Tuesday, losing 2-1. Barnsley were Bolton’s previous opponents too, a fixture which saw the Trotters grind out a third consecutive win. Dougie Freedman’s side have not lost an away game since 1st February, and have become very well organised on the road, led by Zat Knight’s knowhow. I cannot see Charlton, a rather inexperienced side, being able to break them down. 0-1.
Huddersfield vs. Brighton
Huddersfield must stop the rot, otherwise they face a minor danger of getting dragged into the relegation dogfight at this late stage. Defensively they will have problems, after 2 members of their 3-man back line were sent off in the 3-1 loss at Derby. This has come at completely the wrong time, because they play a Brighton side who are making significant strides, certainly from a goalscoring point of view. The Seagulls have found the net 10 times in their last 4 matches, thanks to improved performances from Leandro Ulloa, and loanee Jesse Lingard. With 6th place Reading having an arguably harder game at Wigan, Oscar Garcia’s men will fancy their chances of moving into the play-off places. 1-3.
Wigan vs. Reading
Wigan can take heart from their FA Cup semi-final defeat. They matched Arsenal, one of the best teams in England, for 120 minutes, losing only on penalties. The Latics now aim for a second trip to Wembley in the space of a month. They need to regain some of the momentum that they had lost in recent weeks, with just 2 wins from their last 7 league games. Reading’s play-off place is looking under more threat than Wigan’s, and Nigel Adkins has been dealt a blow by the recent news that midfielder Danny Guthrie may be out until the summer. Guthrie looks to be the only player who provides any sort of creativity in the centre of the park for Reading, making his loss of sizeable concern. If the Royals do not win this, maximum points could be needed from their final 3 games. 1-1.
Blackpool vs. Burnley
After this match, you can imagine Burnley fans will be rushing back home to look the 2nd half of Derby’s game at Doncaster. If Burnley win and Derby drop points, then the Clarets will have their promotion to the Premier League confirmed, after last week’s disappointment. Blackpool have only won 2 of their last 27 matches, and are languishing dangerously close to the relegation zone. To rub salt into the wound, top scorer Ricardo Fuller and recent signing Robert Earnshaw, are both out with injuries for the Tangerines. Burnley should be able to keep a clean sheet, making it a comfortable afternoon. 0-2.
Doncaster vs. Derby
Doncaster have a habit of flirting with the drop zone. They go on a good run and you think they’ll pull away comfortably, then lose a few games and they’re right back in it. Right now, they have lost their last three, to Birmingham, Bolton and Ipswich, all of which were relatively winnable games. Since the turn of the year, Doncaster have taken 17pts from 9 home matches, while Derby have barely taken over half of that away, 9pts from 9 games on the road. The Rams do not win enough away games, although they did come out 3-1 victors at Blackpool recently. McClaren’s men may just have to take a draw, which could mathematically end any chance of automatic promotion. 1-1.
Leicester vs. QPR
A good bet is for there to be a goal scored from a set piece in this match. 6 of the last 10 goals Leicester conceded, have come from set pieces. And, for much of the season, defending set plays was QPR’s bread and butter, yet this is no longer the case. 5 of their last 7 goals conceded have come from these situations. The Rs did let in 2 from corners against Nottingham Forest, but this concern was smoothed over, as a late blitz saw them win 5-2. They played so well to score 3 goals in the final 10 minutes, so Harry Redknapp will be wondering why they couldn’t perform like that all season. In January, we all thought this fixture would be a real promotion decider, but in fact the result will change little. Leicester are already up, and QPR are already in the play-offs. 1-1.
Barnsley vs. Leeds
If Barnsley could pick any fixture at this stage, it would be Leeds at home, for several reasons. Firstly, they have an excellent recent record at home to the Whites, having won the last four Oakwell encounters. Another reason, is that while Leeds are in no danger of going down, uncertainty regarding the ownership situation has led to a dismal run of form, with just 2 wins from their last 13. I don’t think anybody expected Barnsley to go and beat Charlton, but they did so thanks to a strong performance from Jean-Yves M’Voto. The Frenchman got off to a shaky start at Oakwell since signing from Oldham. He has not necessarily been the first name on Danny Wilson’s team sheet, but more solid performances from the centre-back will give his side a chance of staying up. 1-0.
Middlesbrough vs. Millwall
Middlesbrough managed to grind out a 1-0 win at Burnley last time out. That victory was made all the more impressive by the fact that Burnley could have gone up that day, so inevitably they had to defend deep at times. Millwall might be unbeaten in four, but they looked fortunate to take a point against Watford. There was no defensive protection for both of the goals, and they made it too easy for their opponents to have a shot. The fact that they grabbed a late equalizer, and that Charlton lost on Tuesday, means Millwall’s survival hopes are still alive. The Lions could get past this Boro defence. A small defender in Kenneth Omeruo for Middlesbrough, may struggle against the height of tall strikers like Maierhofer and Morrison. It’s Millwall’s defence that is the problem. 2-1.
Nottm Forest vs. Birmingham
Nottingham Forest are without a win in 12 games, which is the 2nd longest winless run this season, after Blackpool. Perhaps the one minor positive for Forest fans, has been the recent return of Henri Lansbury from injury, and the midfielder grabbed himself an assist in the loss at QPR. Birmingham fans may be encouraged by rumours of a potential takeover, with four consortiums interested, one of which supposedly consists of Blues fans. On the field, Lee Clark’s side need the points, as they remain just three points above the drop zone. This match is fittingly on the same day as the 60th birthday of Trevor Francis, a man regarded as a legend by both Nottingham Forest and Birmingham supporters. Hopefully he’ll be acknowledged by both sets of fans, at what has potential to be a high-scoring game. 2-3.
Watford vs. Ipswich
Watford just do not concede goals at home. They have kept eight out of a possible ten clean sheets at Vicarage Road since Giuseppe Sannino took over, often having less possession than their opponents. Once Watford score, they are happy to sit back for large spells and put the onus on the visitors to break them down. So far, this seems to be working, and it is hard to see Ipswich scoring. The Tractor Boys could be without their main creative outlet, left-back Aaron Cresswell. Mick McCarthy has been dealt another blow, learning that top scorer David McGoldrick will definitely not return before the season’s end. A Watford win to nil is the best bet. 1-0.