Weekend Championship Review

Much closer on the predictions front this week with 7 correct results, two correct scores and one goal away from two more. The Big Bet went down but it was looking very positive at 4.25pm with four teams winning and Pompey drawing. West Brom, Bristol City and Carlisle all won but Millwall slipped to an unfortunate defeat having been reduced to 10 men and Pompey conceded against Spurs.

Charlton slipped to 5th as Bristol City and Stoke took advantage of our defeat but things tightened at the top with Watford losing at home again. Ordinarily, we should have room for improvement this week because we would expect expect to complete the double over Hull City at the Valley. Watford are away at the unpredictable Sheffield Wednesday and fourth placed Stoke entertain West Brom. I can see Barnsley slipping to a pre-Christmas defeat at Bristol City but with one or both of the other results doing us a favour. The big question is, will we be able to get a decent enough side out to beat Hull City?

Iwelumo, Reid and Ambrose all look likely to miss out on Saturday and none of the other longer-term casualities look ready yet to return to the fray. This could be the chance that some of the B team have been waiting for. Thierry Racon must come into the reckoning in midfield and may join Semedo if Moutaouakil is ready to return at right-back; I suspect Izale Mcleod may get another chance to show that he has something to offer us beyond January and he should start in a 4-4-2 with Luke Varney. Assuming Chris Dickson is recalled this week I would have him on the bench as an incentive to the front pair and as a wild card should we need it.

A win against Hull will be a great boost as we can expect one or two more to return next week and to get results against Leicester and Colchester. Three more wins in succession and we should finish New Years Day back in the automatic promotion places.

January Sales

January transfer speculation is beginning to mount. Our priorities must be to keep Mills and Sodje, at least to the end of the year. Beyond that we still look short up-front but the difficulty is getting anyone in who we can afford who is actually any better than we've got. Loathe as I am to say it, Marcus Bent is probably one of the more attractive options open to us (cover for Iwelumo and he can be recalled), but that might be a step too far for Pards. Wigan, too, might fight hard to keep him bearing in mind their predicament and his hat-trick this weekend. The elusive midfield tiger remains a requirement, particularly as Reid is looking vulnerable (to tiredness and Christmas Pudding).

Beyond the possible incomings, I guess we shouldn't rule out losing one or two. Reid is rumoured to be a target for the big boys but I'm not convinced he has enough mobility/pace to attract an offer we couldn't refuse. I suppose Thomas could still be on someone's shopping list (Birmingham?) but I can't see anyone else being targetted.