Midweek Championship Preview

Tuesday's game at Hull City will provide another test of our promotion ambitions, coming four days after the visit to the Ricoh Arena. Jay-Jay Okocha will provide the threat from midfield and Henrik Pedersen and Dean Windass will challenge us upfront. Bryan Hughes should get an opportunity at some point to try and demonstrate what we're missing, but I for one, am comfortable he has nothing to show us that we haven't seen before. Having said that, I expect Hull to give us a hard game and possibly go one better than Coventry by taking all three points.

As far as the rest of the midweek programme is concerned, I suspect we might see fewer draws than of late. Here's my take...

Barnsley v Bristol City

- A close game in prospect here but I fancy Barnsley to nick this knowing that a win will move them above City in the table.

Prediction; 2-1

Burnley v Ipswich Town

- Ipswich are poor travellers at the moment and they won't fancy this.

Prediction; 2-0

Coventry v Blackpool

- Coventry to make up for lost ground on Saturday. Blackpool did well to take a point at Vicarge Road.

Prediction; 2-1

Hull City v Charlton Athletic

- Tough for Charlton and we will need to score first to get anything here. I'm going with Hull to open the scoring and take the points (it would then put us under the requisite pressure to beat Barnsley on Saturday).

Prediction; 2-1

Leicester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers

- Leicester will be looking for a double of sorts having beaten Villa last week. I can see Wolves going down here.

Prediction; 1-0

Norwich City v Scunthorpe

- Oh dear! Losing at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday was a very poor result and Peter Grant might be feeling the heat after tomorrow. On current form Scunthorpe will relish this.

Prediction; 0-1

Plymouth v Crystal Palace

- It's a long way to go on a night game for Palace but I think they have enough about them to share the points.

Prediction; 1-1

Preston NE v Southampton

- Excellent win for Southampton at Sheffield United on Saturday and their camp will be itching to get out and do it again. George Burley's boys to make up for their poor start.

Prediction; 0-2

Sheffield United v Cardiff City

- Sheffield United are due a win and Cardiff might be feeling satisfied with themselves for nicking a point at Oakwell.

Prediction 2-0

Watford v Sheffield Wednesday

- Watford should be too good for an improving Wednesday team even without Marlon King and Darius Henderson.

Prediction; 2-1

Colchester v QPR

- QPR sacked John Gregory after their humping at West Brom on Sunday. I don't believe Gregory is the cause of their problems and they will be weaker without him.

Prediction; 3-0

West Brom v Stoke City

- West Brom are beginning to find the form that made them automatic contenders for most of last season. The goals are flowing and they will be confident of more against hard-to-beat Stoke side.

Prediction; 2-0