What does the future hold for Bristol Rovers?

John Ward has stepped down as manager of Bristol Rovers, to be replaced by his assistant, Darrell Clarke, with immediate effect. Ward is now a Director of Football at the club. He will be helping with behind-the-scenes matters such as youth development, offering advice, and overseeing the building of the new UWE stadium.

The change of manager could be a move that suits all parties. Ward has had two spells as Bristol Rovers boss, the first beginning back in 1991. Although he did have a brief stint at Bristol City before he returned to the Memorial Ground, Rovers fans must have respect for the job he has done. Ward managed to turn around a poor run of results under Mark McGhee, and guide them to safety last season in style, with a comfortable fourteenth place finish.

John Ward

A positive aspect of his reign has been the introduction of youth. Academy graduates, Tom Lockyer, Ollie Clarke, Alefe Santos and Ellis Harrison, had not been given a chance until Ward took over. Lockyer, in particular, is dubbed as one of the best young defensive players in the Football League. John Ward clearly has a good way of developing, and building confidence in youngsters, and this bodes well for the club’s future.

However, Ward has been criticized for being somewhat tactically negative. He is a fan of the long ball game, and has tended to use a 4-5-1 system. Not all Bristol Rovers fans appreciated Ward’s style of football, particularly away from home. The Pirates have one of the worst away records in the Football League. In nineteen away games, they have had an average of less than ten shots per game. Often, they have less possession than their opponents. On the few occasions that the side has had more of the ball, the case has either been that they let in an early goal and needed to attack more, or there was a low number of shots, relative to possession. This suggests that players do not naturally get forward too much under John Ward.

Darrell Clarke

Given how far Bristol is from most northern towns, and given that the team has a respectable away following, it is arguable that Pirates fans deserve to see more positive football away from home, and more than just one away win in nineteen attempts. Darrell Clarke might shake things up in that sense. Though the 36-year-old was employed by John Ward as a member of the coaching staff, his appointment will represent a slight change of regime.

Clarke is a more progressive tactician. By all accounts, he favours a high-tempo 4-4-2 system, with a more prominent use of wingers. Saturday’s match against Morecambe saw the team pass the ball out from the back more often than they might have done under Ward, who generally encouraged route one football.

It remains to be seen what Clarke’s plans are for John-Joe O’Toole. The goalscoring midfielder will return from suspension for the match against Bury on Tuesday night, but there are no guarantees he will start. O’Toole naturally looks to get into the box, in a Kevin Nolan type of role, yet his critics point out that he rarely tracks back and tackles.

In a 4-4-2 formation, if you have two attacking wingers and one midfielder breaking forward, there’s only one holding midfielder left to cope with opposition counter attacks. The versatile Tom Lockyer has often played in midfield, when he has not had to cover for injuries in defence. Ollie Clarke, like Lockyer, came through the Bristol Rovers academy, and adds a tenacity to the side, having recovered seamlessly from a long-term injury. Likewise, Seanan Clucas and Danny Woodards have suffered from injuries since signing, but the latter played and won the man of the match award on Saturday.

John-Joe O'Toole

Darrell Clarke has plenty of options in midfield, all of whom would offer more of a defensive protection than John-Joe O’Toole. Part of the reason the midfielder signed for Bristol Rovers this summer, was to play under John Ward, who he worked with at Colchester. With Ward no longer manager, you might think O’Toole would be happy to leave. However, the 25-year-old is reportedly on high wages, and tied down to his contract until summer 2016. Given the financial problems with most clubs in League Two, and that O’Toole has not quite proved himself in League One, it is possible that no-one will want to pay a transfer fee for him. He might remain at the Memorial Ground next season, but in a more bit-part role.

Bristol Rovers may have Elliot Richards back in the side next season, if Darrell Clarke favours him up front. He has already scored ten goals this season, and was bizarrely loaned out to Exeter in February, until the end of the season. Bristol Rovers have lacked a clinical striker this season, although perhaps due to a lack of creativity in midfield, and Richards could be that man.

Individuals aside, Bristol Rovers have the nucleus of a very talented young side, underlined by the average age of the squad which faced Morecambe on Saturday being just twenty-four. A lot of unproven youngsters were put on the bench, which indicates Clarke’s willingness to continue to introduce youth. If they can keep the core of their team together in the next few years, brighter days may lie ahead for Bristol Rovers.

Championship Weekend Review: 29th March

This weekend, we have seen Leicester take another step towards clinching the Championship title, while bad results for Yeovil and Millwall have reduced their hopes of survival. The key issue, though, is the increasing unpredictability of the race for sixth place, that final play-off spot. We will also look at Barnsley's chances of survival, and who will partner Chris O'Grady up front for the Tykes. Here's a review of the weekend's action.

Play-off race is wide open

Will Reading hold onto 6th?

With promotion all but certain for Leicester and Burnley, and the relegation battle not as compact as it has been in recent years, it’s a good job that the race for the play-offs is still wide open.  Just a week ago, it looked to be between Reading, Nottingham Forest and Brighton for the final spot. However, neither side have won any of their last two games. On the other hand, Ipswich and Bournemouth are in good form, and Watford picked up a convincing 4-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Beforehand, Watford were without an away win since early October beforehand, and form on the road was the main thing holding  them back. The Hornets have scored goals in recent weeks too, and will start picking up wins if they can couple that, with their solid defence under Giuseppe Sannino. Ipswich were looking out of the equation, but they have taken seven points from their last three, thanks to a couple of arguably fortuitous wins. The Tractor Boys are now just two points off the play-offs, although they will have to cope without top scorer David McGoldrick.

Bournemouth have taken nineteen points this March, and are now just five points off the play-offs, having hit four goals past Leeds and Birmingham in the last week. Another factor will be the new manager that Nottingham Forest appoint. They are without a win in eight, but a new boss could give them a ‘honeymoon period’ and revive their promotion push. These recent developments make the battle for sixth an intriguing one.

Barnsley are alive and kicking – but who will partner O’Grady?

Chris O'Grady

What a difference a week makes. Barnsley looked to be sinking to the drop after a 1-0 loss to Bournemouth, with an injury-time goal being the sucker punch. Two wins, an uplifting 3-1 victory at Reading and a vital 4-1 win at Yeovil, mean the Tykes are now level on points with 21^st-placed Charlton, though Charlton have two games in hand.

Chris O’Grady scored a brace, his first goals since early-February. Both chances presented themselves to O’Grady favourably, for the first he latched onto a poor opposition back pass, the second he was in acres of space, one-on-one with the keeper. However, those goals could give him a crucial confidence booster going into the remainder of the season.

The big question for Barnsley, is who will play up front alongside O’Grady. When Nick Proschwitz first arrived on loan, he looked to form a great partnership with the 28-year-old, he had the quality movement to compliment O’Grady’s strength and hold-up play. However, in the last few weeks, Proschwitz has disappointed at Oakwell, meaning Marcus Pedersen has come back into the side. This summer, the loan of Pedersen was deemed a coup. A young player who has played five times for Norway, and had attracted interest from Liverpool in recent years.

Known for his combative, all-action style of play, Pedersen has struggled with a hamstring injury this season, but back to fitness, his energy could be the perfect foil for Chris O’Grady. 21-year-old Dale Jennings often looks to cut inside, and operate behind the front two. He was snapped up by European Champions Bayern Munich not long ago, and has already scored a couple of long-range goals for the Tykes. Finding a good strike partner for Chris O’Grady will be key to Barnsley’s survival chances.

The Bournemouth View

Before Birmingham’s match against Bournemouth on Saturday, I interviewed opposition fan Peter Bell. Peter writes a blog on Bournemouth called Cherry Chimes (link at the bottom), and you can follow him on Twitter @PeterBell19. Here, he discusses the journey the club has been on in the last few years, his thoughts on Bournemouth’s manager, Eddie Howe, and backs his side to nick a narrow win…

You’re eleventh in the table and seventeen points clear of the drop. Could your first season in the Championship have gone much better?

At the start of the season I predicted a finish of 18^th and half way through, having seen the other teams I thought 12^th was possible with a good wind, so to see the Cherries sitting in 11^th and still a good month or more of games to go is absolutely fantastic. The club’s best ever finish was 12^th in the 1988-89 season, under Harry Redknapp. That will be the next target and who knows perhaps a record points total in the Championship. I think the play-offs might be out of reach but it was not about that this season – consolidation is what the club wanted and they have more than achieved that.

Howe - one of the best young English coaches?

From what I can see, Eddie Howe has got you playing some good, possession football. If we want to see our country produce better technical players, do we need more coaches like him?

I had a joke with my mates this week saying I’ll shoot the next person who says Eddie Howe should be an England manager one day. It’s not that I don’t believe his is good enough or that he has the talent to get there but I just want to keep him all to ourselves at AFC Bournemouth. When anyone mentions Eddie being linked with any move away from the club, I keep saying shush! We have lost him once and we don’t want to lose him again. I think Everton is one club he would consider in the future if they made an approach as it is the club he supported in his youth, but Eddie has just signed a two-year extension to his contract at Bournemouth and we are overjoyed to keep him for as long as he wants to stay.

Brendan Rogers gave an eloquent speech after the FA Cup Third Round tie we had with Liverpool where he pointed out that playing from the back with possession football was the way England players will progress. He also said that Eddie Howe is one of the coaches that players will learn a great deal from in the way he sets up his team to play, being brave on the ball and using movement and quickness to create space and opportunities. It is not just the first team that plays that way at AFC Bournemouth it is all the teams, from Development, to Youth and Junior squads.

Only a few years ago, your club went into administration and could have dropped out of the Football League. Talk us through the journey the club has been on since then…

It has been a remarkable experience to be a fan that has seen how close the club was to exiting the football league and yet, in just a few years, has mounted a strong challenge in the Championship this season, following two promotions. In 2008-9 we started with a -17 point deficit along with Rotherham and Luton on -30 points. Bournemouth employed the league’s youngest manager from its own coaching squad and then saw Steve Fletcher score his 100^th goal with the winner against Grimsby to keep us up.

Move on a year and the team spirit that had been built up by Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall pushed the team to promotion in 2009-10 to League One. While Eddie and Jason left during the 2010-11 season, Bournemouth still reached the play-offs under Lee Bradbury and Steve Fletcher. But then most of the team were sold to balance the books and while the following season was disappointing and Paul Groves could not resurrect the good times, it was only in October 2012 when Eddie and Jason returned and things took off again. The club went from the bottom three to finish second in League One.

Credit should also go to Eddie Mitchell our former chairman who found new Russian investors to secure the financial future of the club and totally changed the landscape around the ground to make it Championship quality. Now that Bournemouth are in the Championship the ambition is still growing, because Premiership football is something that the club and fans feel can be achieved with this squad of players under Eddie Howe.

Smash-and-grab job for Blues at Dean Court

What did you make of the game against Birmingham back in December – a 2-0 win for Blues?

I probably was not too complementary about Birmingham’s win as I thought the game really showed the naivety of Bournemouth at the Championship level at that time.  The Blues showed us that you can defend as a team and just use your quality strikers to win the game as long as they can finish. It was a sucker punch job, but we’ve learned from that. It has taken until February to really get a few clean sheets but the team is defending much better now.

On my away day there, Bournemouth didn’t strike me as a town that especially welcomes football culture. Has it been difficult for the club to attract fans?

The Saints down the road has a bigger population to pull from but with Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch being one of the country’s conurbations with good wealth creation and more young people now coming for the University and career opportunities in the south there are signs that things are changing. AFC Bournemouth attracted six thousand season ticket holders for the 2013-24 season and I believe the Junior Cherry membership has grown significantly from 303 in 2009 to 1400 in 2013. We average about 10,000 supporters for every home game now and will be looking to build that further next season.

You spent £2 million this summer on South African striker Tokelo Rantie. With two goals so far, the consensus seems to be that the club has been ripped off a bit. Would you agree?

Tokelo Rantie - worth the fee?

It is too early to say how good Tokelo Rantie is going to be. Very few players are an instant success when they change countries and leagues. He is a young international striker who plays for South Africa and is still learning his trade.  Eddie Howe will work with him over the summer.  It’s three goals I think, even if one was a bit disputed but you are right it’s not enough. He has to learn how to make a bigger frame and hold off challenges better with a good first touch.  It’s a much more physical league than in Sweden where he played for Malmo. We have already seen that he can do the spectacular as seen in the Burnley away game. If he can start to put away chances from six yards as well he may yet prove to be a valuable signing within the next 12 months.  And if the media reports are right, it was nearer to £2.25-2.5 million.

Time for your prediction. I’ve been looking through my record book, and the last time Birmingham scored a goal against you at St Andrews was in a 1-1 draw back in August 1987. We’ve failed in five attempts since then, and with your defensive record of late, are we in danger of making it a sixth?

I am writing this before the Leeds game which will take a bit out of our players. I know Birmingham will need the points perhaps more than us, but I can see more frustration for Lee Clark and perhaps another away win coming for our boys 0-1. We will bring good support.

Thank you for inviting Cherry Chimes to talk about AFC Bournemouth. Please note that anyone who is interested can read more about the team’s last promotion season and this season in the Championship by visiting Http://afcbchimes.blogspot.co.uk

Gabriel's Championship Predictions: 29th March

This weekend, the key game comes in the lunchtime kick-off at Turf Moor. Both Burnley and Leicester are running away with promotion, but they will be looking to cap off an excellent season by clinching top spot, and a victory on Saturday would help them on their way. At the opposite end of the table, Yeovil host Barnsley, as the two teams engage in what will be seen as a must-win game. A resurgent Charlton will be hopeful of getting a result at out-of-form Derby, who can be sure of their play-off place, and there is rivals clash taking place in South Lancashire, between Bolton and Wigan.

Burnley vs. Leicester

Junior Stanislas

Both teams’ promotion to the Premier League is looking inevitable. The main incentive in this game, therefore, is which team can put the icing on the cake of their season, and win the Championship title. Another clinical performance from Burnley on Tuesday night saw off Doncaster. Junior Stanislas scored in that game, he earned the man of the match award, and it will be interesting to see whether Stanislas starts again, ahead of Michael Kightly. Stanislas has arguably put in better performances of late, but Kightly may offer more of a defensive contribution, up against Leicester’s attacking right-back, Ritchie De Laet. Leicester managed to extend their unbeaten run to eighteen games, with a stoppage-time equalizer against Yeovil on Tuesday. Similarly, Burnley are unbeaten in sixteen, and I could see both records still be in tact after Saturday’s lunch-time kick-off. 1-1.

Birmingham vs. Bournemouth

Birmingham went eight points clear of the drop zone on Tuesday thanks to a 3-2 win at Millwall, with Nikola Zigic scoring for the first time since New Years’ Day. In a feisty game at the Den, Blues held on for an eighth away win of the season, despite being put under pressure at times. If Bournemouth win this match, they will have picked up a remarkable nineteen points from March. After a 4-1 win against Leeds on Tuesday, they seem to have got things right in all areas of the pitch, as Yann Kermorgant returned from injury to net a brace. Birmingham struggle to take any points when they play at home, and Bournemouth’s away form is improving. 1-2.

Jack Collison

Bolton vs. Wigan

Bolton are in impressive form, having lost just one of their previous eight games. The Trotters ground out a 1-0 win over Blackpool on Tuesday, with a fourth clean sheet in seven, and defensively they have looked a lot more organised in recent weeks. Wigan lost 1-0 at QPR on Tuesday, with the consensus being that they should have taken more out of the match. They've also brought in Jack Collinson recently, which will will give Uwe Rosler more options in midfield. Wigan came out 3-2 victors in this South Lancashire derby back in December, Rosler’s first league game in charge. I would predict a draw this time around. 1-1.

Brighton vs. Middlesbrough

Two weeks ago, Middlesbrough fans were making their long journey south to watch a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth. Now, Boro have another lengthy trip, down to Brighton. The Seagulls have failed to score in their last two matches, and ended up conceding costly goals in the second half. The Seagulls created plenty of chances in both of those games, but lacked finishing quality, and Will Buckley has not quite built on his brace at Bolton a couple of weeks ago. Under Aitor Karanka, Middlesbrough have been best on the counter-attack, with the pace of Tuesday’s two goal hero Albert Adomah often being key. Brighton are not the sort of team to push bodies forward from midfield, though, so opportunities for the visitors could be limited. 1-0.

Derby vs. Charlton

Patrick Bamford

A priceless win and another clean sheet for Charlton under Jose Riga. His side came out 1-0 victors at Nottingham Forest, in a match they scored from their only shot on target, late on. The recent loan signing of Davide Petrucci from Man United could give the Addicks some quality going forward, too. Charlton now have a third trip to the East Midlands in the space of a month, as they travel to Pride Park. Derby’s result at Ipswich, a 2-1 loss - despite Patrick Bamford's opener in the first minute - does not change the fact that they will be in the play-offs come May. The main aim for them is to try to build momentum between now and the end of the season, and that defeat somewhat takes the gloss off their recent 5-0 win over Forest. Charlton will take a point. 1-1.

Ipswich vs. Nottingham Forest

As Nottingham Forest’s promotion chances have crumbled in the past week, Ipswich’s have risen. Despite the absence of top scorer David McGoldrick, the Tractor Boys completed back-to-back victories on Tuesday. They beat Derby 2-1 thanks to a late winner from Christophe Berra. That goal came from another set piece, a source of goals which Ipswich have hugely benefitted from this season, with five goals each from Berra, and fellow centre-back Tommy Smith. After Stuart Pearce has declared himself out of the job for family reasons, Nottingham Forest are still looking for a full-time manager. Academy boss Gary Brazil took charge of the 1-0 defeat to Charlton, but the club needs to bring someone in quickly if they want to get their season back on track. 2-0.

Leeds vs. Doncaster

Lucas Neill

The problems at Leeds United have continued, both on and off the field. The current owners are struggling to pay the wage bill, and there is ongoing drama as to whether Massimo Cellino will complete a takeover. If these problems persist until the summer, you would worry about the future of Ross McCormack, who has scored over half his team’s goals this season. Without him, where would Leeds be? Doncaster have brought in Lucas Neill on loan from Watford. If the Australian is match fit, that could be a shrewd signing from Paul Dickov, who is having to work without right-back Gabriel Tamas and centre-back Bongani Khumalo, so Neill’s versatility may come in useful. Doncaster do not win many away games, but I would back them to take advantage of the precarious situation at Elland Road. 1-2.

Millwall vs. Blackburn

Millwall have taken just one point from their last four games, and an immediate improvement in results is required if they want to stay up. Ian Holloway has, to some extent, panicked with the signing of 35-year-old winger Carlos Edwards, but he will suit Millwall’s style of play. Edwards does have a good delivery on him, so he may improve the service to tall strikers in Steve Morison and Stefan Maierhofer, as Millwall have lacked width at times this season. For Blackburn to score three goals away to a solid Watford team is a very good achievement, even if they did come away with just a point. This is a make-or-break time for Millwall. If the game is level towards the end, they will push men into the box, and that may leave them vulnerable at the back. 1-3.

QPR vs. Blackpool

Yossi Benayoun

The loan signings of Apostolos Vellios and Robert Earnshaw should boost a Blackpool side who have scored just nine times since the start of December. Ricardo Fuller has netted a winning goal for the Tangerines in recent games, but their lack of goals over such a long period suggests he cannot be solely relied upon. QPR’s goalscoring problems have improved in recent weeks, with seven goals from their last four. Yossi Benayoun has been a bit-part player for the Rs, and I’m not sure any other Championship club can say that about a player with his level of experience. The Israeli scored the winning goal against Wigan on Tuesday, before getting himself sent off in the closing stages. I’d fancy Vellios’s pace to cause problems for an aging QPR defence, and perhaps grab a debut goal, but QPR will take the points. 2-1.

Reading vs. Huddersfield

Reading’s home hoodoo continued on Tuesday, with a 3-1 defeat to Barnsley. In a table based on every team’s last six home games, Reading would be in the relegation places, with just five points. Huddersfield are now without a win in five, having surrendered their lead twice against Middlesbrough. They have conceded a lot of their goals lately due to sloppy play in midfield, and individual errors. In their match on Tuesday, Oliver Norwood and Oscar Gobern both grabbed an assist, but both also gave the ball away, leading to Middlesbrough’s goals. Reading to get a win at the Madjeski, for the first time since they beat Blackpool 5-1, at the end of January. 3-1.

Sheff Wed vs. Watford

Leon Best

This will be Sheffield Wednesday’s fifth home game this March, and that must good thing, because they have won all of them so far. The Owls beat Brighton 1-0 thanks to a late strike from Leon Best, who has now scored three goals in his last four, and seems to be relishing playing under Stuart Gray. Watford’s away form continues to be poor. They have still not won on the road under Giuseppe Sannino, and have lost their last three on the road. Watford are not positive enough when playing away from home, and this is one of the things they will need to change if they want to get back in the promotion mix next season. 2-0.

Yeovil vs. Barnsley

Both teams will need to take an attacking mentality in this one. Although these sides are just three points off safety, Charlton have games in hand, so Yeovil and Barnsley will be looking to catch the likes of Doncaster and Birmingham. Yeovil’s home form of late has been promising, with nine points from their last six at Huish Park. That total is more than half what they have taken from their home games this season overall. Stephen Dawson scored in Barnsley’s 3-1 win at Reading. The midfielder has perhaps been one of Barnsley’s poorer performers this season, and became less popular with the fans when he got involved in a heated exchange with supporters, after the 5-0 loss at Huddersfield. However, it was a well-taken goal which helped Barnsley on their way to a victory at the Madjeski, and only time will tell how important that win will be for the Tykes. 2-2.

Gabriel's Championship Predictions: 25th March

The Championship’s key game on Tuesday night’s fixtures, comes at the Den. Millwall have only won twice since the appointment of Holloway three months ago, they look to drag Birmingham into the relegation mire, and move to two points off cash-strapped Blues. Two of last season’s relegated clubs, QPR and Wigan, go head-to-head, and the same fixture could well be played in May, with both sides looking likely to get into the play-offs. Barnsley have the worst away record in the Football League, they travel to Reading, whose play-off hopes are being hindered by poor home form. Here’s our preview of the games.

Bournemouth vs. Leeds

Eddie Howe

Outside the current top five, Bournemouth are the Championship’s form side, with thirteen points from their last six games. Furthermore, many of their recent results have come without January signing Yann Kermorgant, who could be out until the summer due to a heel injury. Leeds will be without their tall frontman too, Connor Wickham. The striker has been recalled by Premier League Sunderland, after a brief and uneventful loan spell, with no goals in five games. With or without Wickham, it would be difficult to see any side getting much joy against Bournemouth, who are keeping the ball well and have become more organised of late. A win for Eddie Howe's men, in a game between two sides at opposite ends of the form book. 2-0.

Burnley vs. Doncaster

Doncaster might have taken ten points from their last four, but all three of their wins came from home games. Away form is still their main problem, having failed to score on the road since January. Burnley maintained their ten point cushion with a 3-0 win at Charlton, despite the absence of key men Kieran Trippier and Danny Ings. New signing Chris Baird slotted into right-back well, while striker Ashley Barnes scored on his second start for the Clarets, so the cover in the squad looks very much in place. Doncaster do have a respectable record against the top sides, but not away from home. If Burnley don’t make it a twenty-first game without defeat at Turf Moor, I will not be the only one surprised. 2-0.

Huddersfield vs. Middlesbrough

Konstantopoulos

Two teams who have been destined for midtable since January. In the first half of the season, Huddersfield were relatively strong at home, but they have lost three of their last four at the John Smith’s stadium. Middlesbrough lost 3-1 at home to QPR on Saturday, after a late blunder from Konstantopoulos. In fairness to the goalkeeper, the ball did take a massive bobble before he miskicked it. He had also only conceded one goal in three games for Boro before this match, and made some impressive saves to preserve a point at Bournemouth, the week before. Neither side have won any of their last three matches, but Huddersfield will secure a narrow victory. 2-1.

Ipswich vs. Derby

Ipswich won 2-0 at Brighton on Saturday (more on this here). Ipswich have kept six clean sheets in their last eleven games, although they have arguably been slightly fortunate that a lot of their opponents, have lacked quality in the final third. Finishing quality has looked like a problem for Derby in recent weeks, but that was before they thrashed rivals Nottingham Forest 5-0. Craig Bryson netted a hat-trick in that match, which could be key to his confidence. Prior to then, the Scot had failed to score or assist since January. The reverse fixture ended in a thrilling 4-4 draw, that saw Derby claw back a 4-1 half-time deficit. In rather less dramatic circumstances, I would back them to win here. 1-2.

Leicester vs. Yeovil

Craig Shakespeare

Nigel Pearson will be in hospital for this game, after being taken ill during Leicester’s 1-1 draw at Blackburn. Assistant manager Craig Shakespeare will take charge, and it is difficult to see the Leicester players being particularly affected by this change. Since late-January, Yeovil have dropped a remarkable seventeen points from winning positions. It was a similar story for the Glovers again on Saturday, against Bolton. Having been 2-0 up at half-time, they conceded twice in the second half and missed a penalty, so a lack of experience is a clearly a major problem for Gary Johnson’s side. They might put in a typically spirited display here, but I could see them conceding another costly late goal. 2-1.

Millwall vs. Birmingham

For the most part of this season, Millwall’s home form and Birmingham’s away form were both club’s respective strong suits. However, Millwall have not won any of their last five at the Den, scoring just twice in those games, while Birmingham have lost three of their last four on the road. Charlton might be level on points with the hosts, but they have three games in hand. If Charlton have a ‘honeymoon period’ under a new manager, then it is Birmingham that Millwall need to catch. Due to their poor form, this game has become arguably as important for the Blues as it is for Millwall. Lee Clark’s side have taken just one point from their last five games, although they were a touch unfortunate to lose to Reading on Saturday. This will be a tight, nervy game in South Bermondsey. 1-1.

Nottm Forest vs. Charlton

Joe Pigott

It has been announced that Nottingham Forest have sacked manager Billy Davies, with Neil Warnock in line to replace him (more here). If Warnock is taking over on Monday, it could just be a watching brief for him on Tuesday night. Charlton have recently changed their manager, too. After five points from four games, we are yet to see what kind of impact Riga is having on the team. Goals is a worry, as the Addicks have only scored once since his appointment. They have not found a reliable striker since the sale of Yann Kermorgant, and Riga has recalled striker Joe Pigott from his loan spell at Gillingham. Pigott had only scored one goal in seven games there, at League One level, so it seems like a slightly desperate measure. In truth, neither side seem able to score at the moment, so this is likely to be a low-scoring affair. 1-0.

QPR vs. Wigan

When these teams played out a 0-0 draw back in October, they were eleven places apart, with QPR second, and Wigan languishing in thirteenth place under Owen Coyle. Uwe Rosler has transformed Wigan’s season since taking over, while an inconsistent sequence of results seems to have consigned QPR to just a play-off spot. Now, the two sides are just one place apart. Wigan are unbeaten in ten games. They have only failed to score more than once in one of those ten games, which underlines their constant attacking threat. The Latics’ momentum will be too much for QPR, who have blown hot and cold lately. 1-2.

Sheff Wed vs. Brighton

Jesse Lingard

Brighton’s away form is quite good, with three wins from their last six on the road. Against Ipswich on Saturday, they lacked quality in the final third, which seems to be a recurring theme for the Seagulls this season. They had twenty-two shots – more than any other Championship side that weekend – but still could not find the net, with Jesse Lingard particularly culpable. Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday have won each of their previous three home games, the last two being by impressive scorelines. Stuart Gray has started to play a more consistent first XI in recent weeks, and arguably that cost them in terms of energy at Doncaster, during this congested fixture period. Both teams are in similar form and this might be a draw. 1-1.

Watford vs. Blackburn

Watford currently have the best recent home form in the league, having won all of their last five games at Vicarage Road, and keeping a clean sheet on each occasion. Blackburn’s away form was a problem in the first half of the season, but it seems to be improving, with just one defeat in five on the road. On their last outing, the Rovers won 4-2 at Huddersfield, with Jordan Rhodes netting a hat-trick. You can imagine Rhodes will not get so many opportunities against Watford, who have become very difficult to break down under Giuseppe Sannino. Troy Deeney has scored in Watford’s last four home games, and I think he’ll have another good day. 2-0.

Bolton vs. Blackpool

Zat Knight

Both teams look to be safe, after a difficult season. Bolton managed to claw back a two goal deficit to take a point at Yeovil, thanks to a late equalizer from Zat Knight. With that goal, Bolton can consider themselves safe, and start building for what will be a future-defining summer ahead, given the club’s perilous finances. Blackpool are having ownership problems themselves, with Tangerines fans protesting against the regime of chairman Karl Oyston. On the field, they have won two of their last three, Ricardo Fuller stepping up to score the important goals. Neither side will be particularly desperate for a win, as these two clubs look to drag themselves over the safety line. 1-1.

Reading vs. Barnsley

Reading have not won at home since late January. Away, they have been successful, because home teams have attacked them, leaving gaps at the back which they can exploit very well. But when opposing sides come to the Madejski they tend to sit back, and so Reading run out of ideas. In fact, Reading have not scored a winning goal in the second half of a home match since mid-September. Barnsley have become more defence-orientated under Danny Wilson, and you can imagine they will sit deep and get men behind the ball. In Luke Steele, the Tykes have a goalkeeper who is capable of making one or two top saves, and he nearly preserved Barnsley a point last week. I foresee a frustrating day for Reading. 0-0.

Championship Weekend Reflections: 22nd March

Davies out, Warnock in?

Billy Davies

Nottingham Forest fell to a 5-0 defeat at the hands of East Midlands rivals Derby on Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off. It has been reported that Davies and his coaching staff have been absent from training this Monday morning, meaning his dismissal seems inevitable.

Nottingham Forest have spent in excess of £6 million this summer, and about another £4 million in January, so the manager can have few complaints. Some might argue that the squad has been hit by injuries, yet Davies is notorious for his overly physical training regimes. With an irregularly long injury list, you might wonder whether he is over-working players.

In terms of the Scot’s replacement, Neil Warnock is being lined up. He has won seven promotions in his managerial career and, in recent years, he has led Sheffield United and QPR into the Premier League. The Yorkshireman also has an impressive record in the play-offs. Four out of the five times he’s led his side into the play-offs, they have gone up. The one time he didn’t take a side up through the play-offs was with Sheffield United in 2003, and they reached the final on that occasion.

Warnock is not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’, and it would be a relatively short-term appointment, with the simple objective of getting the club promoted this season. He certainly has the experience of taking teams up a division, and his arrival could potentially fire up the Forest players. The board would be taking a risk by making this change, but with the team two points adrift of the play-offs, it is one they need to take.

Does Ipswich’s win paper over cracks?

Tommy Smith

The Tractor Boys won 2-0 away to Brighton, their first away victory since Boxing Day, thanks to second half goals from Tommy Smith and Daryl Murphy. However, this was not the best Ipswich performance, and the underlying factor was Brighton missing key chances.

The Seagulls had twenty-two shots, and no Championship side had more shots than them this weekend. This suggests that the clean sheet had more to do with Brighton’s lack of guile in the final third, than Ipswich being particularly organised. Luke Chambers, originally a centre-back, has struggled slightly in his role at right-back. Centre-back Tommy Smith has scored in both of their last two matches, yet he has looked slow defensively in both games. Last week, he was arguably at fault for two of Wigan’s goals and on Saturday, he might have been culpable, seeming to have a poor turn of pace.

Furthermore, the fact that Smith is Ipswich’s joint-third highest scorer, suggests a lack of goal threat in other areas. Their top goalscorer from midfield is Paul Anderson, who has netted just three goals, and no other midfielder at Ipswich has scored more than once this season. Up front, Mick McCarthy has been faced with an injury to top scorer David McGoldrick, and Ipswich lack an attacking threat in other areas. In recent matches, on average 53% of their play has gone down the left flank, mainly through full-back Aaron Cresswell. As talented as Cresswell is, he is still young and has dropped in form lately, with just one assist since the turn of the year. He is not good enough to be their main creative outlet, yet the team seems to be relying on him to make things happen.

A large proportion of Ipswich’s goals this season have come either via set pieces, or via looping crosses from deep on the left. More positive play in midfield will be required at Portman Road.

Promising times for neat passing Bournemouth

Lewis Grabban

Bournemouth kept themselves in the top half of the Championship table, after a late 1-0 win at Barnsley. The key to a successful first season in the Championship has been, quite simply, their players’ ability to pass to someone in the same coloured shirt.

The Cherries have had an average of 60% possession in recent matches. And at home, they have only failed to hold a majority in possession on three occasions. One of them was against Wigan back in August, a match they won, and the others were against two of the best possession teams in the league - Derby and Brighton. These Bournemouth players have taken to playing in the Championship with ease, and everyone in the team looks comfortable on the ball.

The main priority for manager Eddie Howe now, is to establish a good strike partner for Lewis Grabban. Both Tokelo Rantie and Yann Kermorgant were signed with this in mind, but neither have convinced thus far. The consensus amongst Bournemouth fans is that the club have been ripped off paying £2 million for Rantie, who lacks the strength to hold the ball up. Kermorgant, signed in January for an undisclosed fee, has much more of a physical presence. He scored a hat-trick against Doncaster, but his progress is being restricted by a heel injury. Bournemouth will need one of those two strikers to play in an advanced role. Although Lewis Grabban has netted fifteen times this season, he has tendencies to drift out wide and contribute to build up play, rather than lead the line.

Bournemouth play with quite technical, forward-minded fullbacks in Simon Francis and either Ian Harte or Charlie Daniels, which perhaps cost them defensively in the winter months. However, any concerns about a lack of organisation have been eradicated in recent weeks, as the Cherries have conceded just one goal in their last six matches. A big factor in this has been some strong performances from centre-back and captain Steve Cook, who netted the stoppage-time winner at Barnsley. Both Cook and Elphick are quite cultured defenders, in that they like to pass the ball short out from the back, and this has been key to Bournemouth’s possession game.

The Reading View

Before Birmingham's match against Reading on Saturday, I interviewed opposition fan Dan Wimbush. He has been going down to Reading matches since 1995, and writes a blog on the Royals: http://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/

You can also follow the blog on Twitter @TheTilehurstEnd

Here, Dan discusses Birmingham and Reading's promotion and relegation battles together in the last few years, the Berkshire club's ownership situation, and he backs his side to record a win today.

How would you assess Reading’s season so far?

To use a cliché it's been a bit of a roller-coaster as we've swerved from lethal to lethargic, sublime to silly and powerful to pathetic on an almost weekly basis. Nigel Adkins has done his best but faced with an ownership crisis and an injury list as long as your arm it's not been easy to get any sort of consistency together and with that in mind, hanging around the top six for the majority of the season is a decent effort.

Your lot strike me as the type of unpredictable team which can hit four or five goals one week, and not turn up the next. Is more consistency required?

Absolutely, but truth be told there's been more of a pattern emerging in recent weeks which must be glaringly obvious to those charged with studying us each week. If you come at Reading we've got the players to punish you on the break, quick pacy wingers and strikers that generally take their chances. However, if you sit deep and force Reading to try and break you down, we're often clueless and have no idea how to go about things. I'd like to think we're learning our lessons but sadly we're running out of time....

Alex McCarthy looks like a talented keeper. Has he got potential to get into the England setup?

Alex McCarthy

Very much so, although he's perhaps not quite ready yet. He went with the squad for last summer's friendly matches after a stunning end to our doomed Premier League campaign and started this season as one of our most consistent performers. His shot stopping is up there with any keeper we've ever had, perhaps only rivalled by Shaka Hislop but he's still got some work to do with his kicking and with the ball at his feet if he's truly to take on the likes of Joe Hart. Just recently he's been through a shaky spell so it'll be interesting to see how he copes with a downturn in his own form, fingers crossed the clean sheet against Derby has gone some way to calm those nerves.

Gareth McCleary is one of the top assisters in the Championship. Would you agree he’s your main creative outlet? Anyone else to keep an eye on?

Like any winger he blows hot and cold but when he's good he's great and a real force in this division, with plenty of assists and a few stunners of his own from outside the penalty area. Otherwise right now we're finally seeing glimpses of why Royston Drenthe played for Real Madrid and with two goals in three games, we're hoping he can be that man to unlock a defence that does sit back and try to play deep. Adam Le Fondre is one of those players that just pops up with goals out of nowhere while keep an eye out for young full-back Jordan Obita who is really growing into the role after coming through the ranks as a midfielder.

2008 - Murphy's goal consigned Blues & Reading to relegation

My team, Birmingham, have been in a couple of promotion and relegation battles alongside you in the last few years. 07-08, we both went down on the final day despite winning both our games comfortably. A bad day for both of us…

Yeah, I couldn't help but notice Danny Murphy eulogising on the BBC website about how to survive the drop after he scored that goal against Pompey to send us both down, while making no mention of how nice it was to be facing a Portsmouth side on the beach and put together out of I.O.U's. Reading should have never been relegated that season but mistakes in the transfer market and our previously all conquering side suddenly taking their eye off the ball led to a downfall we can only really blame on ourselves. I imagine you look at your 2010/11 relegation season in much the same way!

The season after that, we pipped you to promotion by winning at your place on the last day. Towards the end it was a bit nerve-wracking for us – did you feel you could have nicked it?

2009 - Blues promoted at Reading's expense

Again, could have and should have done it easily. Reading didn't win a home game after January 27th and just one win against the likes of Bristol City, Ipswich, Preston or Barnsley would have made that final game academic. As a result it wasn't really nerve-wracking for Reading fans, more a continued sense of disappointment and accepting the inevitable end of a Steve Coppell era that had just totally run out of steam. It's never nice seeing away fans going ballistic on your own patch and we had to deal with that twice in two weeks as Owen Coyle's side took us apart in the play-offs on their way to promotion. Still, we had our own party a couple of years ago at your place so I guess it's even now!

What are your thoughts on your ownership situation at the moment?

It's a shambles but it could be worse as I'm sure you'll point out! Our Russian owner has disappeared and now we're back in the steady but financially limited hands of Sir John Madejski who is doing his best to keep us ticking along. Our lack of funds has been highlighted by the fact we haven't made a single signing since October and can't even afford to loan in a player despite a chronic lack of strikers. I'd like to think we're an attractive club to buy with a fantastic academy, good stadium and big catchment area but until someone makes a bid and more importantly proves they've got our best interest at heart, it's a nervous time.

Nigel Adkins

Nigel Adkins has a decent track record – do you think he’ll take you into the Premier League?

Again I think that's going to depend on how the ownership situation plays out. He's basically working with Brian McDermott's team which didn't exactly play in Nigel Adkins' style and his early attempts to get them to play a more passing style didn't go particularly well. If he was allowed to reshape the squad I'd be a lot more optimistic but right now I'd still say we're more likely to stay down than go up.

And finally, your prediction for Saturday…

We've got one of the league's best away records and you've got one of the worst home records so my head says it should be a comfortable win for Reading. With that being said, Reading have developed a reputation for helping teams lose their bad streaks so who knows? I guess I'll stick with my head and say 3-1 Reading but little would shock me at the weekend.

Gabriel's Championship Predictions: 22nd March

This weekend, the key game comes in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off. Derby and Nottingham Forest need a win to boost confidence, as both sides are hitting something of a goal drought. Charlton are looking to build on a good start to Jose Riga’s reign, but they will have their work cut out against 2^nd-place Burnley. Bad boys Leeds and Millwall may not have the friendliest of encounters, while relegation strugglers Yeovil and Barnsley have winnable home games against Bolton and Bournemouth respectively.

Derby vs. Nottm Forest

Steve McClaren

In terms of pride, this rivals clash will mean everything to both sets of fans. In terms of points though, the game bears more significance on Nottingham Forest’s fate. They are without a win in seven, and facing a battle to hold onto their play-off place. Failure to win in this early kick-off, would hand Reading and Brighton a chance to leapfrog them. By contrast, local bragging rights will be the main motivating factor for Derby. The Rams are ten points off the automatics, but seven points ahead of those below the play-offs, so they are left with little to aim for. The reverse fixture defeat back in September was arguably a blessing in disguise for Derby, because it led to their change of manager, which has propelled them to a promotion push. Both teams are struggling to score goals at the moment, so this is bound to be a tightly-fought contest. 1-0.

Barnsley vs. Bournemouth

Each of the three goals Barnsley conceded at Watford last week, came from them giving the ball away. They have got to cut out these simple errors, because defensively, the likes of Ramage and M’Voto have no turn of pace. Whenever Barnsley lose possession, their players struggle to re-organize quickly enough. Bournemouth have shown that they can keep the ball well this season. The Cherries were unfortunate to lose at Charlton on Tuesday, and they are improving at the back, with some solid performances from captain Steve Cook of late. Before the season started, you would not have expected there to be a gap of twelve places between these two sides. On paper they should be quite evenly-matched. 1-1.

Birmingham vs. Reading

Gareth McCleary

After a poor run of form, Birmingham could be bang in trouble. Having looked relatively comfortable for most of the season, they may find themselves in the drop zone if they lose to Reading here, and at relegation rivals Millwall on Tuesday night. Reading have taken as many points away as they have at home this season, and could be buoyed by the chance to climb back into the play-offs, if Nottingham Forest drop points at Derby in the early game. Right winger Gareth McCleary has been Reading’s main creative outlet this season, and he could have a good game against Birmingham, who are struggling for left-backs at the moment. This could be a ninth away win of the season for the Royals. 1-3.

Blackburn vs. Leicester

With such an unassailable lead, in a way the challenge for Leicester will be to stay motivated. At this point, there is potential for them to have one or two games where they take their eye off the ball. It would only be natural for a few of the players to have their minds on the implications of getting into the Premier League, rather than the game in front of them. Jordan Rhodes looks as though he is rediscovering his form for Blackburn, netting a clinical hat-trick at Huddersfield last week. He is the kind of striker who, when playing with confidence, makes scoring goals look easy. I’ve got a feeling Leicester will have a bit of an off-day here, and Blackburn can end their sixteen game unbeaten run. 2-0.

Blackpool vs. Huddersfield

Ricardo Fuller

If Blackpool do sign Robert Earnshaw on a free transfer, that could turn out to be a decent piece of business. Earnshaw has scored goals throughout his career, and at the moment, Blackpool need an injection of finishing quality. Their top scorer is Ricardo Fuller, and he has only netted five times. If you look at four of Huddersfield’s last five results, you would not have guessed that they recently beat Barnsley 5-0. The Terriers are on a poor run of form, and in the 4-2 loss at home to Blackburn, they looked quite vulnerable through the middle. These are two teams who are not playing with much confidence at the moment, and this has the makings of a dull draw. 1-1.

Brighton vs. Ipswich

Brighton’s play-off prospects have improved this March, because they have taken ten points from four tricky games. The Seagulls could go above Nottingham Forest with a win this weekend, and they have played one game less than Reading, a side above them on goal difference. Ipswich have only scored six goals in their last eight games, and five of those came from set pieces. That tells you a lot about their midfield. Ipswich do not have enough players who are capable of breaking forward and chipping in with goals. Lewis Dunk had an excellent game at centre-back for Brighton last week, while Matthew Upson could return to the back four. I would fancy Brighton to pick up a nineteenth clean sheet of the season, and grind out a win. 1-0.

Charlton vs. Burnley

Danny Ings

Three clean sheets, and five points from a possible nine, is a solid start to Jose Riga’s reign at Charlton. They nicked a late goal on Tuesday to take all three points against Bournemouth, and that result could give the Addicks some much-needed confidence, before playing three of the top six.  Burnley are still unbeaten since Boxing Day, and came from behind to beat Leeds last week, despite the absence of top scorer Danny Ings through injury. Ings deservedly won the Championship Player of the Year award, but even with him out for a month, that is unlikely to cost the Clarets. The opportunity is there for Ashley Barnes to prove himself at Burnley, because he has not been given much of a chance so far. 1-1.

Doncaster vs. Sheff Wed

These are two teams who seem to be climbing to safety, after looking in trouble for long spells of the season. Doncaster added to back-to-back home wins with a well-earned point at Nottingham Forest. Sheffield Wednesday meanwhile, have found their scoring boots once more, having netted seven times in their last two games. The key clash will be on Doncaster’s right side. Due to an injury to Bongani Khumalo, right-back Paul Quinn has had to move to centre-back, meaning winger James Coppinger has had to fill in at right-back. This could give Doncaster more of an attacking threat on the right, but it could also leave them exposed. On Wednesday’s left flank, you have the inside movement of Caolan Lavery and the overlapping pace of Jeremy Helan, which can cause Doncaster problems. Expect a high-scoring affair. 2-2.

Leeds vs. Millwall

Connor Wickham

Millwall will have to cope without the injured Danny Shittu in this one. He has not been great for them this season, lacking pace at times, but the Lions will miss his height against tall strikers Connor Wickham and Matt Smith. Leeds wingers Jimmy Kebe and Cameron Stewart have not made much of an impact since arriving on loan. They could be left out of the starting XI for a fourth successive game, and McDermott’s plan may be to simply pump the ball into the box. Millwall have only scored one goal in their last five, while Leeds have lost their last three. This is unlikely to be a classic, but Leeds will put their ownership situation aside to record a first win since early February. 2-0.

Middlesbrough vs. QPR

Just when he was getting game time and building some form, Middlesbrough’s Mustapha Carayol has picked up a long-term injury. Boro defended deeply for a point at Bournemouth, but with Carayol out, you wonder if they will have enough to trouble QPR going forward. Not that QPR’s defence is looking particularly strong at the moment. Surprisingly, reserve goalkeeper Brian Murphy was selected at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek, and he conceded three goals. In that match, centre-back Richard Dunne was sent off, so he will miss this one through suspension. These are two teams who do not have much to play for, so it could be a goalless draw at the Riverside. 0-0.

Wigan vs. Watford

Cristian Battochio

In one of the most dramatic climaxes to a game this season, Wigan dropped two points at home to Yeovil, after a 3-3 thriller. They conceded two of their goals from being careless in possession, but those kind of mistakes may not cost the Latics much in future, just because they are scoring so many goals at the moment. Watford have taken just two points from their last five away games, and the Hornets do not always create enough on the road. And yet, at Vicarage Road, they have recently thrashed Blackpool and Barnsley, and seen some improved performances from Cristian Battochio. Wigan have more reliable attacking options in the squad than the visitors, and Uwe Rosler will be able to make key changes if things are not going to plan. 2-1.

Yeovil vs. Bolton

Away to Wigan, Yeovil showed the kind of battling spirit that is typical of them this season. They refuse to lie down, and could climb out of the drop zone this weekend with a win, though Charlton have three games in hand. Bolton might need one more win before the end of March to consider themselves safe from relegation. The Trotters lost 2-0 to Brighton last week, but they are unbeaten in their last three away games. We will no doubt see another brave performance from Yeovil, but Gary Johnson’s side might just have to settle for the draw. 1-1.