With the World Cup in South Africa due to start in 142 days, Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies has shaken things up a little by suggesting his goalkeeper, Lee Camp, should be on the plane with Fabio Capello and the England squad. Now, Davies is known for speaking his mind a little, but is there any truth in his latest claim? Well, yes there is actually, on the proviso that Capello looks beyond the Premier League to pick what is likely to be his third-choice shot-stopper. Camp, a 25-year-old former England Under-21 international, is rated as the second-best keeper in the division according to the Index, with only Shay Given’s former understudy and body double Steve Harper ranked above him. Camp has been one of the key figures in Forest’s 18-game unbeaten run in the league, making 116 saves for the City Ground outfit. He is not the busiest keeper in the Championship, though, with that honour going to Peterborough’s Joe Lewis, who has denied the opposition 152 times so far this season. Lewis has actually already received a call-up from Capello but, should a lower-league custodian get the nod this time around, it is unlikely to be him.

Two of the goals Lewis conceded in Peterborough’s 3-0 home defeat to Derby last weekend were scored by livewire striker DJ Campbell or, to give him his Sunday name, Dudley Campbell. The on-loan Leicester star managed to net himself 49 points for his two-goal show, a haul that earned him the best performance of the week in the whole division and a place in the Team of the Week alongside fellow forwards Dean Shiels (Doncaster) and Victor Moses (Crystal Palace).

Like Davies, Palace boss Neil Warnock is another who has rarely been afraid of expressing his opinions and earlier this week he claimed that Moses, still only a teenager at 19, is the complete player. The Nigeria-born playmaker is widely expected to leave Selhurst Park before the close of the transfer window, with a clutch of Premier League clubs and even Barcelona and Real Madrid reportedly eyeing him up. How Cristiano Ronaldo would feel about lining up alongside Moses remains to be seen but Moses’ 36 points last weekend helped him leap 30 places in the overall Index into 54th. Three Palace players are above him in the rankings, though, with Alan Lee (47), Julian Speroni (43) and Darren Ambrose (12) all bettering him. Curiously, Warnock has also hailed Argentine goalkeeper Speroni as being the best in the country. With so many world-class players on their books, Palace may just have a chance of improving their current league position of eighth before the end of the season.

Last weekend saw two new managers make their bows with ex-Preston boss Alan Irvine leading out Sheffield Wednesday for the first time while Darren Ferguson took charge of Preston at Bristol City. To say their fortunes differed would be an understatement. Irvine saw his men come away from Barnsley with a 2-1 win, with both goalscorers, Tommy Spurr and Jermaine Johnson, earning themselves a place in the Team of the Week as a reward. It was not such a happy occasion for Ferguson, though, who watched on as the Lilywhites were beaten 4-2 by Bristol City. Veteran Scot Paul Hartley – braveheart beard and all – led from the front for the Robins, registering a season-high score of 44 to leave his fellow countryman Ferguson redder in the face than his famous father when the fourth official reveals how much injury time is going to be played.

Down in Ipswich, things finally seem to be looking up for Roy Keane. Tell him quietly, but it became something of a running joke throughout the rest of football that Ipswich were always good value to throw away a lead earlier in the season, with a barrage of injury-time goals leaving the Tractor Boys without a win in their first 14 league games and a clutch of local journalists with a flee in the ear after another post-match spray from an angry Keane. But, the Irishman has managed to galvanise his men sufficiently enough to start a foray up the table and, although they are only 19th, some are saying they could embark on the one Keane’s Sunderland side went on three years ago when they came from nowhere to earn promotion. Keane will need his players to perform more consistently if that is to happen, though, with only Liam Rosenior (32) and Jon Walters (50) currently inside the top 100. With the amount of games remaining running out, Keane will hope that his trusted foot soldiers Grant Leadbitter (166) and Carlos Edwards (283) can continue their recent improvements and help themselves up the Index and his side up the table.

But finally, while things begin to look up for Keane, spare a thought for Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan. The fiery Scot, a multiple trophy-winner during his time in charge of Celtic, has seen his men fall from promotion favourites to rank outsiders since replacing Gareth Southgate in October and another defeat, this time a 1-0 loss at Sheffield United, has only served to irritate the Boro faithful even more. Strachan made three signings last week, bringing in the Celtic trio of Willo Flood, Chris Killen and Barry Robson, but while they adapt to life in the Championship, wee Gordon needs experienced performers such as Leroy Lita (85), David Wheater (110) and Emanuel Pogatetz (382) to start making their presence felt if Boro are to even think about returning to the Premier League at the first attempt.

View the latest Actim Index >

Continuing the series on Match of the Dave following the fortunes of former Reading FC players for their new clubs.

Dave Kitson (Reading 2003-2008, Loan 2009) Middlesbrough (on Loan from Stoke City), Coca-Cola Championship & Leroy Lita (Reading 2005-2009) Middlesbrough, Coca-Cola Championship

Troubling times at Boro, another defeat today to local rivals and table toppers Newcastle. Kitson and Lita both started the game as Middlesbrough went down 2-0 to the Toon.

Simon Cox (Reading 2005-2008) West Bromwich Albion, Coca-Cola Championship

West Brom’s game at Blackpool was postponed due to a frozen pitch, so no match time for Cox this week.

James Harper (Reading 2001 – Present) Sheffield United (Loan), Coca-Cola Championship

Harps played the full match but had to settle for a share of the spoils as Sheffield United drew 1-1 with QPR.

Nicky Forster (Reading 1999-2005) Brighton & Hove Albion, Coca-Cola League One

Fozzie got himself on the scoresheet against Swindon but the result didn’t go his way, final score Swindon 2-1 Brighton.

Stephen Hunt (Reading 2005-2009) Hull City, Barclays Premier League

A bad day at the office for Hull as they lost 3-0 to Arsenal. Hunt was booked and by all accounts didn’t do himself any favours leading up to the card.

Kevin Doyle (Reading 2005-2009) Wolves, Barclays Premier League

Doyle’s in a rich vein of form at the moment, scoring one and playing a strong part in another as Wolves beat Burnley 2-0 to move out of the Relegation Zone.

Marcus Hahnemann (Reading Loan 2001-2002, 2002-2009) Wolves, Barclays Premier League

Another fine clean sheet for the big American, saving well to deny Burnley a way back in to the game.

Nicky Shorey (Reading 2001-2008) Nottingham Forest (on Loan from Aston Villa), Coca-Cola Championship

Shorey will perhaps be seeing the surrounds of the Premier League again next season, as news comes that Forest plan to turn his loan in to a permanent deal in January and the club continue their good form. As of yesterday, Forest are level on points with 2nd placed WBA and sit in third only on goal difference. WBA have a game in hand.

Nicky celebrated the news by getting an assist on the second goal as Forest beat Preston 3-0.

Steve Sidwell (Reading 2003-2007) Aston Villa, Barclays Premier League

Sidders got some time on the pitch, playing the last 10 or so minutes of Villa’s 1-0 win over Stoke City. He made an impression during this short run out but fired wide twice.

Nottingham Forest striker Robert Earnshaw leads the way in this week’s Championship Actim Index following his hat-trick against local rivals Leicester. Earnshaw’s three goals helped Billy Davies’ side to an impressive 5-1 victory at the City Ground and also earned the Wales forward a bumper haul of 59 points. The diminutive 28-year-old is no stranger to scoring three goals in a match, having previously notched a hat-trick in all four divisions of English football, both domestic cup competitions and an international match.

Reading have been struggling at the wrong end of the table this season but Brendan Rodgers’ men have three representatives in the team of the week after their 2-0 win at fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday. Grzegorz Rasiak and Kalifa Cisse were on target at Hillsborough and are joined in this week’s leading XI by goalkeeper Adam Federici. Rasiak was the Royals’ top-scorer with a hefty total of 47, while Cisse and Federici collected 37 and 24 points respectively for their efforts.

Scunthorpe’s defenders showed their steely side in a 1-0 home victory over Coventry. Two of the Iron’s backline have been rewarded with spots in the team of the week following their determined display. Marcus Williams led the way with an Actim score of 25 while team-mate David Mirfin claimed 24 points. However, Scunthorpe’s highest-placed player in the overall standings is Gary Hooper, who is up to 59th after scoring the goal which sunk Chris Coleman’s side.

Newcastle midfielder Kevin Nolan has seen his lead at the top of the overall standings cut to 40 points. Nolan failed to add to his tally of 390 points after he was sent off for two bookable offences in the 2-0 triumph over Watford at St James’ Park. Second-placed Peter Whittingham, meanwhile, picked up 24 points for his efforts in Cardiff’s 1-0 win against Preston. Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson remains in third position, ahead of Watford forward Danny Graham and Coventry striker Leon Best.

Doncaster registered their first away win of the season – and arguably the result of the weekend – with a 3-0 success at Crystal Palace. Surprisingly, Rovers do not have any representatives in the team of the week. But the three goalscorers at Selhurst Park (Billy Sharp, Martin Woods and James Hayter) are all among the top 20 points scorers. Sharp was the pick of the Doncaster bunch with 38 points while Woods and Hayter also achieved impressive scores of 33 and 31 respectively.

Middlesbrough will be hoping to surge up the Coca-Cola Championship table over the festive period and two of their players have made significant strides in the overall Actim standings as a result of their 5-1 win at QPR. Leroy Lita hit the target twice at Loftus Road and his 42-point haul lifts him 20 places to 23rd. Gary O’Neil was another Boro player on target and jumps 33 places to 39th after collecting 39 points.

View the latest Actim Index >

Prompted by the plentiful supply of former Reading players in the Final Score updates today, I thought I’d start a new series on Match of the Dave tracking the fortunes of players us Royals fans once loved, perhaps still love. Players often form such polarizing opinions; One player may leave your club and you never want to hear about them again for their disloyalty, while another may move on amicably. If you’re a Reading fan, this series may be of interest to you.

Dave Kitson (Reading 2003-2008, Loan 2009) Middlesbrough (on Loan from Stoke City), Coca-Cola Championship

“David Kitson, what a bargain, what a bargain!” as we used to shout. Well, he’s popped up on Loan at Middlesbrough this season and opened the scoring today as Boro thrashed QPR 5-1. That’s three in three for the Ginger Ninja, who seems to find the net best away from Stoke, though who can blame him.

Leroy Lita (Reading 2005-2009) Middlesbrough, Coca-Cola Championship

Clearly the lad had his attitude problems, but I was sad to see him let go at the end of last season. Great finisher and of course, the man who scored the winning goal in our first ever Premier League game – against Middlesbrough, of all teams. They must have been paying attention as they snapped him up on a free transfer and he’s scored a few for them already this season. Today he built on Kitson’s opener to add two goals in the aforementioned whipping of QPR (maybe the Blue and White hoops made him angry), one of which was a penalty.

Simon Cox (Reading 2005-2008) West Bromwich Albion, Coca-Cola Championship

We didn’t get to see much of Cox, as he only made 2 appearances for the Royals and spent most of the rest of his years with the club out on loan, before signing for Swindon. Now at WBA, he’s trying to live up to his price tag and has netted a goal or two in the league this season. Today he drew West Brom level with Derby with a controversial goal that had a hint of handball to it, a game which ended 2-2 after Derby levelled it again in the 4th minute of injury time after the Albion had themselves taken the lead late on.

James Harper (Reading 2001 – Present) Sheffield United (Loan), Coca-Cola Championship

Not technically a “former” royal, as Harps is still a Reading player, on loan at the Blades, but widespread opinion is that his time at Reading is over and this season-long loan is just the fairest way to treat a long-serving player that was surplus to requirements in the manager’s eyes, but without any offers from other clubs looking to sign him permanently.

Blades fans will be happy with the loan agreement today as they were heading for a goalless draw away to Plymouth until Harps popped up with 25-yard shot to score the only goal of the game at the death, giving Sheffield Utd a 1-0 win.

Nicky Forster (Reading 1999-2005) Brighton & Hove Albion, Coca-Cola League One

Fozzie is doing well for himself down at Brighton, having netted the League One Player of the month award for September 2009. Today he played 94 minutes of the game between Brighton and Exeter, with his side emerging 1-0 victors, though he wasn’t on the scoresheet this time.

Stephen Hunt (Reading 2005-2009) Hull City, Barclays Premier League

A loyal servant for most of his time at Reading, though not as fondly remembered for his want-away attitude in our first season back in the Championship, Hunt has been doing pretty well for himself at Hull. His luck was out today, however, as he played the whole match as Hull lost 3-0 to Villa.

Kevin Doyle (Reading 2005-2009) Wolves, Barclays Premier League

I won’t have a bad word said about the legend that is Kevin Doyle. Fresh from the disappointment that the Irish were not going to be going to the World Cup in such sour circumstances, he got back to concentrating on Wolves’ Premier League campaign and had a good game, playing the full match as Wolves beat Bolton 2-1. He wasn’t on the scoresheet but by all reports had a lively performance in attack, proving a handful for the Bolton defence.

Marcus Hahnemann (Reading Loan 2001-2002, 2002-2009) Wolves, Barclays Premier League

Hahnemann was a great servant for the Royals and was one of our greatest goalkeepers. When he moved to Wolves in the summer, he was fully aware that he was being signed as back up for Hennessey, but today he was the man between the sticks and played the whole game. As mentioned above, Wolves won 2-1 and that 1 goal conceded came despite Bolton having 10 attempts on target.

Nicky Shorey (Reading 2001-2008) Nottingham Forest (on Loan from Aston Villa), Coca-Cola Championship

Shorey’s fortunes have wavered since moving on from the club where he made his name. There was talk of an England Career when called up as a Reading player, but despite chasing that dream with a move to Villa, his opportunities have been limited and this season he’s moved on loan to Forest after facing up to the prospect that he may not be in Martin O’Neill’s plans.

His mood will have been lifted today though, as he played the whole game as Forest thumped promotion rivals Leicester 5-1.

Steve Sidwell (Reading 2003-2007) Aston Villa, Barclays Premier League

Sidwell, so integral in the promotion-winning Royals of 05/06, faltered at Chelsea where he failed to see much playing time and ended up at Villa, where by all accounts only injury has curtailed his impact. He will have been happy with the result today, but played no part as he was an unused substitute in Villa’s 3-0 win against Hull.

Ibrahima Sonko (Reading 2004-2008) Hull City (on Loan from Stoke City), Barclays Premier League

Not included in Hull’s squad today.

Eurolines just printed off the bus ticket I’d bought online and I’m now on my way to Lithuania, all surprisingly easy and efficient. It was 15 Euros which isn’t bad for a just over 4 hour trip.

I had a few remaining Lats to get rid of so was buying a plethora of different snacks and drinks at the station. It actually seems quite hard to find anything substantial in Latvia unless you eat in a restaurant, all the little shops just do crisps and chocolate but not much else. Luckily there were a few vending machines though. I threw an orange juice (one where it uses fresh oranges in front of you, too pulpy for my liking) and a hot chocolate down my neck and got myself a big bottle of water, some onion crisps (not cheese and onion mind, just onion) and a distinctly minging looking sandwich (I couldn’t begin to tell you what’s on it and I’m perpetually putting off actually eating it).

Last night’s sleeping was better relative to the previous few nights, maybe 5 hours. The room was darker and quieter and when my alarm went off early this morn I could happily have dozed for a week or more in that very spot. But that is not the life of a traveler, onwards.

One of the lads from Wolverhampton happened to be in the bunk above me and woke me up at about half 4 in the morning when he got in and then proceeded to chat to me for the best part of an hour. Nice chap but boy can he rabbit. It’s probably just as well I didn’t end up bumping into them earlier as I’d of ended up going out and a night out at a Latvian club might well have just finished me off.

A major international incident was just nearly sparked off by myself when an armed man in combat gear boarded the bus asking for passports, I’d left mine in my bag in the luggage haul, gulp. Luckily he decided not to shoot me and gave me permission to go and get it. Though he didn’t actually bother checking it in the end anyway, I reckon by this point he had twigged by my demeanor that I knew my way round a Kalashnikov.

I’ve been attempting to get a little kip time the past couple of hours but these Baltic roads just aren’t on par with the ones back in Albion, no Siry.

So I’ve given up and am spending the journey listening to some excellent bluegrass – ‘Catfish On The Line’ by The Water Tower Bucket Boys. That and a bit of reading and blogging is making it a decent enough trip.

My Dad has warned me to be extra vigilant in Lithuania as he reckons the Liths are nearly as dodgy as the Mexes, not to be trusted. I’d better hope I don’t come across a half Lith half Mexey on my travels, that bad ass Eastern Bloc desperado would be one mudda not to turn your back on, you could easily end up sporting dead man’s hand I reckon.

Am there now and I’ve just managed to sort my train ticket for Warsaw (after weighing up the bus options) come Monday in the adjacent station. 66 Litas (or Leroys as I will here-on-in refer to them) which is roughly the equivalent of 16 quid. Not bad for around an 8 hour journey.

Though I managed to acquire said ticket it was not done without a stiff upper lip. I encountered various levels of disinterest, impatience and downright rudeness with the worst being a woman who made a huge frown, sigh and roll of the eyes because I dared to enquire how long the night-bus took. I’ve had this a fair few times before and the way I handle it is to switch to ultra polite and sarcastic mode while mumbling insults under my breath. All in a traveler’s day you see.

Some would argue, well it’s a different country and a different way of life and they well may be right, but for me manners are manners in any country, language, race or creed. You don’t have to know the lingo to know whether or not you are being treated or are treating someone correctly.

I’m just watching the City game in The Dubliner now. I’m pretty much the only one here and the commentary is turned down, but still, I’m happy to have found somewhere, plus the beer is very cheap as the British stags (and the British language) have yet to add this city to the big list.

The jukebox (or whatever is piping the music into my ears) is a diverse one. Jonathan Richman and The Beach Boys being the highlights and U2 and Aswad being the low so far.

Two old arrogant Southerners have joined the proceedings now and are sat behind me making a big noise with no sound. “Man City is it, they’ve all taken their Chelsea tops off and put Man City ones on”. Yeah, I’ve just flung my 2005/06 Chelsea shirt off and put my 1995/96 City one on. ‘ossers.

Anyway, 2-0 and the proverbial game of 2 halves. Well it just goes to show you get what you pay for and what you train up. Class strike (and even classier first pass) from Adebayor and wonderful composure (I’m reluctant to say it, but it was George Best like) from Ireland. That kind of stuff wins games.

To celebrate I had some lovely mince meat potato dumplings in crispy bacon and white wine sauce at a local Lithuanian cuisine gaff. Lovely food but again little in the way of friendliness.

Blimey, country number 5 you know. How many do you reckon I’ll do in all?

The picture is of a bridge where Latvian couples place Halfords bumper-locks for symbolic purposes when they become bestowed to each other. Lovely isn’t it, I’m filling up here.

I post this at nearly 6:00 am in the morning after a pub crawl. I’m yet to fully form my opinions on the fellow crawlers.

A new season upon us, but it’s not quite the same as usual for a Middlesbrough fan. More often than not we get to the start of a season predicting the inevitable relegation battle that awaits us, wonder why we aren’t splashing the cash on big name signings and question sales of fan favourites. That was a premiership team however. This season, there is a somewhat unfamiliar air of optimism coming from a lot of the fans (of course, there are still the traditional pessimists lingering around). Most of us are daring to predict we might challenge for the top 2, at the least the top 6 and into the playoffs. We accept that our best players of last season will have to leave, Downing gone already and everyone surrounding the club amazed that Tuncay is still here. Though we imagine its only a matter of time until he does go.

Incoming we’ve brought Leroy Lita. A risky purchase on the face of it, he’s not had that many games over the last 18 months or so, and he’s allegedly got an attitude problem. I suppose anyone would though, if you were stuck in a job where you weren’t happy and they wouldn’t let you leave nor give you a chance to prove yourself to anyone who would be willing to take you anyway. Again though, there is optimism with regards to this signing, the man has proven he can score goals, especially when it comes to the championship with a record of around 1 in 2. Not only that, he seemed very very positive in his press conference, delighted to be here or at least away from Reading and seemed sure he could prove himself to be a good player. Other signings have come in Mark Yeates, an exciting prospect for either of the wings and Danny Coyne, an experienced goalkeeper which we were in need of. Hopefully he can prove to be an astute signing.

Written by Borocooper from Away Goals Rule Football Forum

Check back tomorrow at 9am For Part 2

So we’re warming up for the new football season here in the UK, with teams across the country getting in some pre-season friendlies and generally trying to get fit again.

Millwall have the potential hangover of a playoff final defeat lingering but the signs seem good so far in pre-season.

One problem we will have is with our defence depending on how the next few days/weeks pan out.

With our captain Paul Robinson and right back Danny Senda both injured it doesn’t help that Zak Whitbread wants a transfer (not takers so far though) as it effectively leaves us with 4 or 5 defenders to fill 4 positions… which just isn’t enough. Hopefully we may sign a few more players before the season starts on Saturday.

And it’s a tough game, Southampton away – one of the ‘big three’ (Southampton, Norwich, Charlton) who were relegated from the Championship last year.

Add in Leeds, MK Dons, Tranmere and Oldham (amongst others) and League One is shaping up to be very competetive indeed.

I’m tipping Leeds and MK Dons for automatic and hoping we can make the playoffs again and maybe win it this time.

In the Championship it’s all about Newcastle – either they are tipped for the title or generally being laughed at. I don’t think they will get automatic but they have enough strength in depth to make the playoffs… depending on who they put in charge.

For the other teams that came down I expect West Brom will be up there and for Middlesbrough I think it hinges on the impact of Alves and new signing Leroy Lita. If those two fire there is no reason they can’t push for promotion straight back up.

Reading and Derby will both be dangerous and it’ll be interesting to see what Roy Keane gets out of the players at Ipswich.

In the Premier League the apparent loss of Alonso at Liverpool will really hurt their title chances despite the threat of Gerrard and Torres.

Manchester United will have to work extra hard to retain the title, although the shrewd signing of Michael Owen could tip the balance in their favour if he stays fit. Chelsea’s new coach has a lot of work to do but has the squad to push even harder for the title in 2010, along with that elusive Champions League trophy.

You can never write off Arsenal but their 4th place is really under threat from the likes of Aston Villa, Everton, Manchester City and even Spurs.

I suspect Hull have had their time in the Premier League unless Jimmy Bullard returns in top form and I’d tip Burnley (as much as I’d love them to stay up) and Wolves or Wigan to join them in the drop – but there will be plenty of teams dragged into the fight.

Down in League Two it seems to be another competitive, tight league and I suspect you’ll be looking at three from Barnet, Bournemouth, Dagenham & Redbridge, Crewe, Rotherham, and Bradford for the promotion places but I expect Northampton and Port Vale to also be strong.

Grimsby need a change of fortunes to avoid being sucked out of the league along with Shrewsbury who have been treading water in League Two of late.

It’ll be interesting to see if Burton and Torquay can survive, with the latter looking more likely.

It’s looking like a great season ahead in all the leagues and I’ll be keeping an interested eye on everything that’s going on as the season progresses.

The advent of meaningful matches has ushered in a convivial spirit. Goodwill towards fellow supporter and club has been restored at the end of this long and winding road…

Optimism abounds as we’re inside 48 hours of the start of a new beginning – the Blades beckon on Friday – is it genuine, or merely masked by the miasma caused by a hot summer lull? The currency of jobs, reputations, and livelihoods will be staked to ensure a satisfactory rebate of football happiness and contentment. Will all the effort and culture change that occurred over the summer interval, in the public view or behind the scenes, manifest itself on the pitch? It’s the main query as we forge forward…

The squad shaping that we hoped to be done with by this time continues:

In For Sure: Leroy Lita is on board – a fairly quick bit of business after talks w/ Sheffield Utd stalled

Rumoured: a duo of forwards from Olympique de Marseille – Mamadou Samassa and Elliot Grandin – the former a potential centre forward option that’s desperately required, and the latter an additional candidate to spring assaults from his preferred position on the right side of attack; Henri Camara, bequeathed ‘The Rabbit With The Rifle’ in his native Senegal…the striker is available on a free after release from Wigan

Stationary, For Now: Tuncay will be unwrapped for the Championship public to see – no takers yet for the charismatic captain of Turkey…if he’s still around come the end of the transfer window it could prove to be the best ‘signing’ of the off-season

Connecting Through AMS: Afonso Alves, wherever the fuck he goes…France and Qatar are the probable destinations per the latest tattle

Friday will be here shortly, especially if spending the interim steaming drunk. We’ll be cautiously confident of one of these will be on offer whilst at work…

Boro trudged on back home for final pre-season prep after drawing 1-1 @ Millwall – Rhys Williams continued his uprising by contributing a 4^th goal in 5 exhibitions…the gaffer sported a side that probably will not deviate too much from what we’ll see come Friday – Didier Digard, Marvin Emnes, Jonathan Grounds and Gary O’Neil returned from various knacks to take part in east London…Danny Coyne continued deputising for Brad Jones, a look that’ll continue into the real fixtures while Jonesy recovers from his own ankle ailments suffered before Oldham earlier this week

Mido’s off back to Cairo, presumably to start a parmo empire, but he’s gonna be expected to turn up for El Zamalek from time to time after they secured his services on loan…their chairman claims £4m compensation to us is what sealed the move, though speculation mounts about the units of currency we’re dealing with…Anthony Vickers reported it’s not sterling, but Egyptian pounds, which make that £4m more like £450,000…christ, isn’t there a distinguishing symbol for mummy money?

Leroy Lita talks heat up after Boro step in after a breakdown w/ Sheffield United…it’s a risk/reward proposition given the known off-the-pitch proclivities, but the lolly is right (free), and he actually fits the profile of having tangible Championship experience, albeit w/ varying degrees of success…

With teams in the football league producing good strong footballing talent, is it possible for teams to hold onto these gems indefinitely or is it an uphill struggle against the financial clout of teams from The Premiership. As a fan of Bristol City I have seen the money bags of the premiership wafted in the faces of our club on a few occasions, but Bristol City aren’t alone in this problem, with teams like Crystal Palace and Leeds also churning out a fair amount of youngsters with the potential to do well. These days young players  seem to want one thing in their career and that is to play in The Premiership, this is in no way a bad ambition, but I do not see why these young players to seem to only think with their bank balances. In the past Bristol City have sold a fair few number of their academy graduates with players like Dave Cotterill going to Wigan for £2mil  back in 2006 and Leroy Lita went to Reading for a fee of £1mil. With money like this being thrown around is it worth teams holding onto these players and pushing on for promotion or selling them for a nice profit and securing the financial future of the club. Too many a young fan it would seem inconceivable to want to leave the club that gave them their first chance, and this is why it seems when a young player leaves in this way it always feels like a bit of bitterness is felt towards the player. One positive can be taken from the sale of these academy graduates is the fact that it does seem to have a very positive outcome financialy for the club in the long run, for example looking at Bristol City after the sale of these two players the squad has been improved, the team has been promoted from league 1, have made the play off final for the championship and as I type this are pushing on for a second consecutive place in the play off final.

So overall fans should be happy we banked in on the young players when we did.

Maynard hopes his goals will fire City to promotion

Another one to cross off the list was one of the motivating factors in braving the freezing conditions present in Cider country to watch Palace take on the mighty Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

Although not the grandest as stadiums go in the Championship, in the shadow of the Clifton Suspension Bridge the home of the Robins has a certain charm to it. To liken it to our own Selhurst Park wouldn’t be too far from the truth, only a little less glamorous as it’s smaller and has no stand that can be directly compared to our Holmesdale end.

The away end would have been far from comfortable had we had to have sat down for the entire game as the seats have no backs to them and tended to lean forward slightly, apart from that on a warm day it would be good fun standing at a ground of the like we probably won’t be graced with for much longer.

As for the game itself it was settled by Nicky Maynard’s sublime strike early on. He swivelled on the edge of the box whilst firing the ball past a helpless Julian Speroni to send the crowd into raptures. Had it not been Speroni it could have been many more. Palace have played worse than this away from home and there are many positives that can be taken from the game such as Nathaniel Clyne who seems to improve every game.

Warnock must address the strikers problem though as today we looked extremely short up front and will need to strengthen in that area even if we want to make the playoffs. Alan Lee and Shefki Kuqi are not enough and someone like Leroy Lita could be picked up for under £1million which could give us a realistic shot at the playoffs. Let’s hope so eh!

There are games when you appreciate getting a draw. And then there are games when you know you should have won the game and a draw let the other team off the hook.

If you’d offered me two all after 3 minutes I would have probably taken it. City went one down in the 3rd minute to a shocking defensive cock up when they had ample opportunity to clear the ball. Blind panic set in and of course, ex Norwich striker, Chris Brown hammered the ball home at odds of 8/1 for the first goal scorer. Incidentally, the system of backing the ex Norwich striker to score the first goal often pays dividends.

For ten minutes or so the game was dire. Until that is City got into their stride and Lita jumped high to equalise from a corner 15 minutes in. From then on for the rest of the half it was all Norwich and had a few good chances. Unfortunately, none were converted and at half time the score was one all.

After the break Norwich continued to play well and soon scored to go two one up. Kennedy bundled the ball in from a free kick.

After this I would like to say Norwich dominated for the rest of the game and went on to score another three. But I can’t. They were shocking. What happened? Well the one thing consistent about Norwich is their inconsistency. For the rest of the game they continued to try and give Preston an equaliser and then on 79 minutes, Darryl Russel was bizarrely sent off. Apparently for a off the ball push on a Preston player. From the Jarrold Stand, this looked harsh to say the least. But since the incident was by the dug outs, it was difficult to judge. There didn’t appear to be any complaint from the bench. A minute later, Preston equalised. From then on it was ten man Norwich clinging on to the final whistle and a point.

Performances like this are unacceptable. A footy game is 90 minutes long. Not 30, not 60. 90 Minutes. Until City can learn to play for 90 minutes then they will continue to struggle. Roeder was forced into his substitutions today, Doherty come on for Stefanovic when he went off in a leg brace midway through the first half and Siberski was replaced by Curteon just before the break after a knock. Crofty had a good game but looked totally knackered was replaced by Patterson. Roeder really needs to do something though to get a more consistent approach. This is his team. He is the manager. He needs to motivate them.

Man of the match – David Bell. Played well throughout for his first start.

It’s no wonder Norwich want to keep hold of Leroy Lita.

The on-loan Reading man has netted four goals in four games for the Canaries up until last weekend and was the Actim Index’s top-scoring player over the round.

Lita earned 61 points for his hat-trick in the win against high-flying Wolves, his treble coming from three shots on target and three off. It was the fifth highest score of the campaign.

Lita wasn’t the only striker to showcase his talents over the round. Birmingham’s Garry O’Connor moved up to 21st overall with his best score of the season so far – a healthy 54 points in his side’s 3-1 defeat of Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

O’Connor has scored five Championship goals for the Blues this season from just eight shots on target, playing just 540 minutes so far in the league campaign.

Speaking of shots, there’s a surprise name at the top of the list of those on target so far this season. Most money would be on one of the division’s frontmen to be pulling the trigger. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (18) is up there, as is Neil Mellor (20), David McGoldrick (21) and Nicky Maynard (19). However, the man most unafraid to chance his arm is Wolves midfielder Michael Kightly, who has made the keeper work 24 times. Throw in 18 efforts off target and you see why with five goals he is the second-highest scoring midfielder in the Championship.

At the other end of the pitch, the race to be the golden glove of the Championship is a close-run affair. Two stoppers with plenty of Premier League experience currently lead the way in the shape of Birmingham’s Maik Taylor and Reading’s Marcus Hahnemann.

Taylor is the top-ranked keeper on the Actim Index as it stands, sitting in ninth place overall with 192 points from 13 games.

Hahnemann is just a point and a place adrift in 10th, having played just seven minutes less than his rival.

QPR’s Radek Cerny is 10 places further back and 21 points shy – with 16 of the division’s goalkeeper’s occupying a place in the top 100 rated players in this week’s Actim Index.

We turn our attention to youth in our next segment as we investigate the battle to be the top teenager in the Championship this term.

Surprisingly, no player under the age of 20 occupies a berth in the current top 100. The kids aren’t cutting the mustard it appears, with Norwich defender Elliott Omuzusi the highest-placed nipper in 142nd. The 19-year-old has 109 points from 12 appearances, averaging nine points per appearance. Maybe the Championship is no place for the kids after all.

We can’t look at our whippersnappers without eyeing the old timers. In the 35’s and over bracket the aforementioned Taylor and Hahnemann lead the way in 9th and 10th. Burnley defender Graham Alexander is a couple of places further back in 12th, with Kevin Phillips surging into the top 20 in 19th spot with a good climb this week. Sheffield United’s veteran midfielder Gary Speed is the other old boy in the top 100 in 88th.

Now you’re talkin ….

Norwich 5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2

A good win, coming hard on the heels of a disappointing away loss at Bristol City on Saturday.

I was in two minds whether to go to this game. I wasn’t feeling fantastic and had an early start to consider for the following day. But struggle along to Carrow Road I did and was grateful for the result. A good win with a hattrick from Leroy Lita with Sammy Clingan and Lee Croft adding others.

Goals are a bit like busses I suppose. We’ve not looked like scoring for so many matches now. So when five do come along you wonder why there have been problems in other games. But then again, if you look at the goals again, at least three were total gifts from the visitors. The first bundled into the back of his own net by the keeper, the second was almost certainly an own goal, and the third a gift to Lita.

And why is it, Norwich can up their game for the table toppers – Wolves today, Birmingham last month. It really shows what this team is capable of given the right attitude.

Norwich went into the break two one in front. This in itself was disappointing with Wolves getting a late goal. But it was shortly 3-1 after the break but City gave yet another penalty away – the second at home this season and 6 all told. This can’t be all bad luck. But City took their chances well. And to be the table toppers 5-2 is no mean effort.

Let’s try and keep this up with the visit of Doncaster on Saturday.

Steve Coppell’s hopes of keeping Kevin Doyle at Reading are diminishing by the week. The Republic of Ireland striker, who will no doubt be linked with a move back to the Premier League in the January transfer window, moved to the top of the Coca-Cola Championship Index with a brace in the 4-0 win over Swansea. It took his tally to eight for the season and sees him sit 14 points clear of team-mate Stephen Hunt in the Index.

Hunt is another who could well leave the Madejski Stadium. The 27-year-old, who was wanted by Sunderland last summer, posted his highest score of the season – registering 47 points in the rout of Swansea. Hunt scored once and also contributed 10 passes, one dribble and six crosses in an all-action display.

Coventry striker Freddy Eastwood managed to achieve something he had done just once in 42 games for club and country – score a goal. The Wales international was on target in the Sky Blues’ 1-1 draw at Blackpool. He is still waiting for his first goal at the Ricoh Arena though. Eastwood lies 111th in the Index with 74 points.

Gary Speed continues to roll back the years. The Sheffield United midfielder, 39, posted 27 points – one of his highest scores of the season so far – in the 2-1 win over Watford at Bramall Lane. He is the second-highest Blade in the Index, sitting 57th with 93 points.

Blades team-mate James Beattie finally broke his duck for the season against the Hornets. Beattie posted his best score of the campaign so far – 36 points – to become the highest mover in the Index, climbing 227 places to 287th. The Blades will be hoping Beattie can now go on a run and spearhead a promotion challenge.

Wolves have made an impressive start to the season as they bid for a return to the Premier League. Striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake – last season’s top goalscorer in the Championship – netted his fifth goal in the 2-0 win over Bristol City. He is fifth in the Index (159 points) with Chris Iwelumo (190) third, Michael Kightly (179) fourth and Kevin Foley (146) in sixth.

Struggling Barnsley’s goalscoring woes were compounded by Jon Macken’s penalty miss in the goalless draw with Norwich at Oakwell. Macken registered his worst score of the season – minus 7 – as the Tykes once again drew a blank. Simon Davey’s side are the joint-lowest scorers in the division.

Norwich are not much better off in the scoring department. Jamie Cureton has yet to score from 11 attempts, Arturo Lupoli has netted three from 18 efforts and Antione Sibierski has one from nine. No wonder manager Glenn Roeder has delved into the loan market again to sign Reading striker Leroy Lita on a one-month loan!

The Premiership Party

Carlos Tevez did an Eric Cantona this weekend: popping up with a vital goal after an undistinguished display a la the Frenchman’s final season in football. The late equaliser at Blackburn could be the goal that will win the title at United. Even if Chelsea beat them 5-0 at Stamford Bridge, two wins in their last two games will secure one of United’s more impressive championships. However…don’t rule out the improving Wigan – who United take on at the JJB on the final day – from making it tense.

The Relegation Race

Fulham and Birmingham occupy the two remaining relegation positions – the two teams I predicted to go down with Derby a few months back. It will be tight though – Birmingham need to beat Fulham to condemn them for sure and then face a last day tug-of-war with Bolton for that remaining slot. At home to Blackburn, who have nothing to play for, it’s possible Birmingham might be able to pull it out of the fire. Bolton will be at Chelsea – who may have to win to win the league.

Champions League

The only reason I watch the Champions league is to watch the English clubs lose so unfortunately I have to pick a favourite between Liverpool and Chelsea this week. Liverpool has been there before so I’d prefer to see Chelsea advance. Also I dislike the way Bentiez has put all his eggs in one basket (again), sacrificing the league to advance in a tournament that is arguably easier to win. I think the first leg at Anfield will be a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, Man United may not have the outstanding individual talent that Barcelona does but with the Spaniards unable to buy a win recently the English Champions-elect are slight favourites. I think they’ll win 1-0 at the Nou Camp.

Gareth Barry

If it’s true that Liverpool want Gareth Barry, Rafa Benitez will never learn. You can file Barry alongside Benayoun, Bellamy, Zenden and Pennant: decent Premiership players who are not going to distinguish themselves at the “business end” of the season. The problem for the likes of Martin O’Neill at Villa is that Barry is a semi-international who is 27 years of age and unlikely to command a huge fee despite being the heartbeat of his current club. It’s a similar situation to what faced West Ham last summer who ended up only getting £5m for Benayoun despite his importance to the club – he has started 14 league games for Liverpool this season.

Lita back at Reading

I like Leroy Lita and was surprised he struggled to make his mark this season with Reading. They loaned him to Charlton but have now recalled him for their three remaining critical Premiership games. I predict that Lita will play a part in keeping Reading up.

Man City v Portsmouth

An entertaining clash won 3-1 by City. A few points from the game.

1) David James: This guy is a clown. Yes, he makes some wonderful saves but you can bank on him fluffing something in every game. This time he got stranded outside his area and Portsmouth directly conceded from his behaviour. That he’s on the shortlist for Player’s Player of the Year is a farce.

2) Darius Vassell: Always liked this guy and he’s in really good form for City at the moment – Eriksson has been a positive influence on his career.

3) Benjani: He might not score much but Benjani looks to be a model professional – great attitude, works his socks off, skilful. One of my favourite players to watch.

4) Manager’s myopia: After Manchester City’s impressive substitute, Sam Williamson, was yellow carded for a late challenge in the 65th minute, Portsmouth’s management team of Joe Jordan and Harry Redknapp were absolutely incensed, gesturing angrily to anyone who would give them attention on the sideline. Presumably they thought Williamson should have been sent off.

When Portsmouth right-back Lauren was carded for a far worse scissors-tackle on the same player five minutes later, they seemed less animated – as were the Manchester City coaching staff who didn’t run around moaning for the sake of it. Some people may scoff at Sven-Goran Eriksson but at least – with the exception of Faria Alam – he conducts himself with dignity. Redknapp is a wagon.

With the Royals looking more doomed by the minute, Steve Coppell has made the decision to recall Leroy Lita from his loan spell at Charlton.

The decision to recall the controversial striker was made as the Royals continue to struggle in front of goal and have now fallen right into the centre of a relegation dogfight. One can’t help but wonder whether this decision might have been better made three games ago, when Kevin Doyle was proving he couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo. But he’s not the only one struggling.

Lita scored three times in his brief stint at Charlton and we must hope his presence in the side will make an immediate impact or Lita will find himself back in the Championship, only this time with this club.