Weekend Football Focus

Ken Dyer|Matt Hughes|Paul Fielder|Evening Standard

14 April 2012

Birmingham v Tottenham
3pm Saturday, St Andrew's
Away ticket info: £35 (£17.50-£20 concs). Tel: 0870 420 5000
Last season: 1 (Dunn) 0
Referee: Howard Webb (Rotherham)
Fact: Birmingham striker Walter Pandiani has scored in two of his three games at St Andrew's.
An afternoon at St Andrew's must seem like an attractive alternative to playing international matches for Fredi Kanoute after Mali fans threatened to murder him following their team's defeat by Togo in a World Cup qualifying match. Spurs will feel they can climb higher while Birmingham's season is all but over.
VERDICT: SUPER SPURS

Southampton v Chelsea
5.15pm Saturday, St Mary's - live on PremPlus
Away ticket info: Sold out
Last season: 0-1 (Melchiot)
Referee: Mark Halsey (Bolton)
Facts: Chelsea have lost only two of their last 10 away matches against Southampton. Peter Crouch has scored 13 goals in 27 appearances for the Saints.
John Terry has had a great season and it will get even better over the next few weeks. But tomorrow it will be interesting to see how the England central defender, who was so solid for his country in this week's World Cup qualifiers, deals with Southampton's Peter Crouch, the goalscoring machine who still looks like a set of scaffolding. Of all the teams down there loitering around the trapdoor, Harry Redknapp's Southampton are the most likely to wriggle their way clear although Chelsea will not be charitable.
Verdict: JUBILANT JOSE

Charlton v Man City
12.45pm Saturday, The Valley - live on PremPlus
Tickets: £25 (£15-£20 concs). Tel: 020 8333 4010
Last season: 0-3 (Anelka, Sibierski, Sun Jihai)
Referee: Rob Styles (Waterlooville)
Fact: Manchester City have been defeated in both games since losing Shaun Wright-Phillips through injury.
Stuart Pearce says he will leave Manchester City if he doesn't get the manager's job permanently and with candidates like Iain Dowie and Gordon Strachan being mentioned, the former England lion may be looking around for alternative employment during the summer. In the meantime he will be trying to impress the City directors and a win at Charlton tomorrow would do his cause no harm. However, it won't be easy to achieve.
Verdict: NO GO FOR PEARCE

C Palace v Middlesbrough
3pm Saturday, Selhurst Park
Tickets: £30-£40 (£16 concs). Tel. 08712 000 071
Referee: Steve Dunn (Bristol)
Facts: Middlesbrough have won just one of their last 10 Premiership games but beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at home in the league earlier this season.
Steve McClaren apparently has no time for entertainment in football and the way Middlesbrough have been playing, as they have slid towards mid-table mediocrity, their fans can understand what he means. Palace, on the other hand, continue to fight for their lives and have a fair chance of making it.
Verdict: PALACE PLUNDER PRECIOUS POINTS

Fulham v Portsmouth
1.30pm Sunday, Craven Cottage - live on PremPlus
Tickets: £26-£35 (£5 concs). Tel: 0870 442 1234
Last season: 2 (Saha 2) 0
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (County Durham)
Fact: Portsmouth have lost their last five away Premiership matches.
Portsmouth, post-Harry Redknapp, have been sliding towards the twilight zone while Fulham are one point worse off and could face the drop if they lose this one. But the odds are just on Chris Coleman's side to beat relegation.
Verdict: FULHAM JOY

Liverpool v Bolton
3pm Saturday, Anfield
Last season: 3 (Hyypia, Sinama-Pongolle, Smicer) 1 (Pedersen)
Referee: Steve Bennett (Orpington)
Fact: Milan Baros took his goal record for the Czech Republic to 23 in 37 appearances when scoring against Andorra on Wednesday.
Sam Allardyce's name is being connected with 'bigger' clubs and that's not surprising considering the marvellous job he's done at Bolton. A win for him at Anfield would take his team above Liverpool and deal a blow to the Reds' hopes of overhauling their rivals from the other side of Stanley Park.
Verdict: LIVERPOOL SPIKE SAM'S GUNS

Man Utd v Blackburn
3pm Saturday, Old Trafford
Last season: 2 (Van Nistelrooy, Kleberson) 1 (Emerton)
Referee: Mike Riley (Leeds)
Fact: It is 11 Premiership games since both teams managed to get on the scoresheet in a Blackburn fixture.
It's one thing being bullish but Sir Alex Ferguson will probably still be predicting a Chelsea blip when John Terry lifts the Premiership trophy at the end of the month. United should have too much for a Blackburn side battling to avoid the drop.
Verdict: ALL IN VAIN FOR FERGIE

Newcastle v A Villa
3pm Saturday, St James' Park
Last season: 1 (Robert) 1 (Dublin)
Referee: Barry Knight (Kent)
Facts: Newcastle are unbeaten in 12 games and haven't lost at home to Villa since 1999. Villa have won one of their last eight away league matches.
The Newcastle public have about as much affection for Graeme Souness as Jamie Oliver does for Turkey Twizzlers, but after a 12-match unbeaten run not even militant Magpies suggest that the board chop Souey. Villa, meanwhile, have little to play for.
Verdict: SOUEY COOKS UP A TREAT

West Brom v Everton
4.05 Sunday, The Hawthorns - live on Sky Sports 1
Referee: Graham Poll (Tring)
Fact: Twelve of Everton's last 18 Premiership goals have been scored after half-time. West Brom haven't beaten Everton at home since 1984.
West Brom suddenly have some hope although it still looks a long shot. It will be tough against an Everton team who are determined to finish above Liverpool and in that fourth place.
Verdict: POINTS SHARED

COCA-COLA LEAGUE

Burnley v Watford
3pm Saturday, Turf Moor
Away ticket info: £18 (£9-£11.50 concs), available at the turnstiles
Last season: 2 (McGregor, Adebola) 3 (Devlin, Helguson, Cook)
Referee: Mike Pike (Cumbria)
Fact: This fixture has produced 16 goals in the last two seasons.

Adrian Boothroyd is basing his blueprint for success at Watford on the early career of Sir Winston Churchill. Watford's recent performances suggest they are already thinking of holidays on the beaches rather than fighting on them. They need to raise their game to win.
Verdict: BATTLING WIN FOR BOOTHROYD

Leicester v Millwall
3pm Saturday, Walkers Stadium
Away ticket info: £22 (£17-£20 concs), available to members and season tickets holders only. Tel: 020 7231 9999
Referee: Dermot Gallagher (Oxfordshire)
Facts: Millwall have lost their last four away games against Leicester. Craig Levein's side have not won in seven.
Having publicly criticised his chairman, Dennis Wise may be considering his exit from Millwall but, as Leicester and Callum Davidson would point out, he is unlikely to go quietly. Millwall have begun to demonstrate some of Wise's fighting qualities recently and will travel north with confidence.
Verdict: WISE MAKES HIS POINT

QPR v Sunderland
3pm Saturday, Loftus Road
Away ticket info: ALL TICKET MATCH. £21-£28 (£13-£16 concs). Tel: 0870 112 1967
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
Fact: Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips were both on the scoresheet in a 2-2 draw when Sunderland last visited Loftus Road, in 1999.
Having cancelled their survival party Queens Park Rangers' players are driving forward impressively for a play-off place to celebrate. Tomorrow, however, a point against the table toppers may be the best they can hope for as Mick McCarthy aims to show why he is manager of the month.
Verdict: BLACK CATS TAMED

Wigan v West Ham
3pm Saturday, JJB Stadium
Away ticket info: ALL TICKET. £17 (£12 concs). Tel: 0870 112 2700
Last season: 1 (N Roberts) 1 (Deane)
Referee: Brian Curson (Leicestershire)
Facts: Wigan's Nathan Ellington has scored in three home matches in a row (two penalties). West Ham have gone five games without a win.
Alan Pardew's future at West Ham looks grim and a trip to the JJB Stadium is unlikely to improve matters. The Hammers drew at Wigan last season to deny the Latics a play-off place but this time around they're the ones likely to miss out.
Verdict: PITY POOR PARDEW

Stockport v Brentford
3pm Saturday, Edgeley Park
Away ticket info: £19 (£7-£12 concs). Pay at the turnstiles
Last season: 1 (Barlow) 1 (Jackman og)
Referee: Trevor Parkes (West Midlands)
Facts: Brentford have kept clean sheets in four of their last six matches. Stockport have conceded 12 goals in their last four games.
Martin Allen links himself with so many jobs that it would be little surprise to read tomorrow that he's ruled himself out of contention of becoming the new Doctor Who. At least Brentford should be capable of exterminating Stockport.
Verdict: NO PROMOTION FOR ALLEN

L Orient v Northampton
3pm Saturday, Brisbane Road
Tickets: £16 (£10 concs). Tel. 020 8926 1010
Last season: 1 (Alexander) 1 (Low)
Referee: Gary Lewis (Cambridgeshire)
Facts: Orient, who are unbeaten at home against Northampton since 1986, have gone five games without a win.
Striker Lee Steele scored the fastest goal in Leyton Orient's history after just 12 seconds against Oxford last week, but the club have failed to build on their electric start to the season and have slumped somewhat this year.
Verdict: O'S ARE OUT

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