By Tony Alvarez
At 13:30 tomorrow the game that could shape the rest of Arsenal’s season and possibly the club for the next few years will kick off.
Media outlets especially Sky tend to over hype games such as these because in reality saying 4th vs. 3rd no one would really care. But this game could really be the all important blockbuster Sky are always promoting.
I’m sure you are aware of or are one of the many Arsenal fans who have completely lost faith in manager Arsene Wenger and want him out the club as soon as possible. Whilst these fans have been in this mood for quite some time, there dismay at Wenger has heightened over the last 10 days following an embarrassing loss in Milan and then a totally inept performance in the 2-0 FA Cup loss at Sunderland.
The club are in danger of dropping out of the much cherished top four which the club have become so used to, the last time the club came this close to struggling to qualify for the Champions League they were in the Champions League final so they moaning from fans was muted.
This year it is guaranteed the club will end this season as their 7^th consecutive year without a trophy with the real possibility of being in the Europa League next term.
The reason this game is so important is that with the fans already on Wenger or the boards back a loss to local rivals will see morale drop amongst the fans massively if that moral drop should hit the squad then they can kiss goodbye to Champions League football next term and likely they would be seeing the back of star man Robin Van Persie along with maybe a couple of other players. A mass exodus of players would surely mean another rebuilding phrase which would see the clubs baron spell of trophies extended and would see serious investment in the squad needed something the board/ manager haven’t offered for many years now.
Despite all the doom and gloom Arsenal are currently in the much coverted 4th spot so it’s all in their hands. However it’s very close they currently are ahead ofChelsea on goals scored whilstNewcastle are only one point further adrift.

As a write this a move that will please most Arsenal fans (me not being one of them) is being completed as it is being reported that Russian winger Andrei Arshavin is completing a move back to Zenit St Petersburg from whom Arsenal signed him. A lot of fans have been giving Arshavin grief over the last few months due to the level of performance or effort not being what they expect from an Arsenal player.

I am worried about the loss of Arshavin because it leaves us a bit light, Henry has now gone back, Walcott is out of form, Chamberlain cannot be relied upon for multiple games in a row, Ryo Miyachi is out on loan, Gervinho is inconsistent and no matter what your thoughts are on Arshavin he’s better than Yossi Benayoun.

I’ve made it clear that my view is Wenger is the right man for the job, I think we have the right manage but the wrong board, aside from that point I do believe tomorrows fixture is make or break, if Arsenal win I can see them marching on to get 4th spot if they lose not only the lost points but the confidence issue I can see them finishing 5th or even 6th.
I don’t share in all the doom and gloom around the Emirates at the moment and think in phases Arsenal have played quite well and are capable of beating most sides, that said I think for the first time in many a year Arsenal enter a home fixture against Tottenham as under dogs and I must admit right now Tottenham look more likely to win the game.

 What are your thoughts? Can Arsenal get a result on Sunday? Are you glad to see the back of Arshavin? Is this fixture as important as I make out?

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Neil Warnock takes charge of Leeds United for the first tomorrow when they travel to Fratton Park to face crisis club Portsmouth.

While much of the focus will be on the reaction of the Pompey supporters in their first home game since the club went back into administration, for the away fans all eyes will be on their new boss.

Warnock has agreed an 18-month deal with the Yorkshire outfit just six weeks after he was sacked by Queens Park Rangers despite guiding them to the Premier League.

Many felt that the 63 year-old was unfairly treated when QPR owner Tony Fernandes relieved him of his duties, and he has made it clear that he feels he has unfinished business in football management.

“I feel I have one big challenge left in me and believe Leeds is a club that should be in the Premier League,” said Warnock following his appointment last Saturday.  

Leeds Chairman Ken Bates was looking for a manager with an illustrious CV of getting clubs promoted, and in that respect he has certainly turned to the right man.

Over the last 25 years, Warnock has helped gain promotions at Scarborough, Notts County (twice), Huddersfield Town, Plymouth, Sheffield United and last season with QPR.

Out of the seven promotions, it would’ve been his two most recent achievements to catch the eye of Bates after getting the Blades and the Hoops to the promised land of the Premier League.

He takes over a Leeds side that have come a long way under previous boss Simon Grayson, and now have aspirations of reaching the play-offs in the run-in.

United find themselves in 10th position in the Championship table, but more significantly only a few points off of the top six with 14 games remaining.

While there is plenty of work to be done at Elland Road, Warnock has inherited a group of players that have plenty of quality to launch a late-season push for promotion.

They have one of the top strikers in the division in the rejuvenated Ross McCormack, with his 15 league goals helping to maintain their hopes of the play-offs.

The Scot has been well supported by the likes of midfielder Robert Snodgrass and fans favourite Luciano Becchio, with goals not a problem for this Leeds side.

With 52 goals to their name only Southampton have scored more goals than United, and with loan players such as Fabien Delph and Andros Townsend available to the end of the campaign, there is plenty of creativity available to provide the ammunition for McCormack and co.

However, the big problem for Leeds this season has been at the back, conceding more goals than any other side in the top half.

Their defensive frailties were exposed again last Saturday when they fell 2-0 behind at home to local rivals Doncaster that showed the watching Warnock of where the biggest improvement needs to take place.

But he will also have been delighted with the response and in particular the character of the squad as they launched a stunning fightback to seal a 3-2 win in injury time against Rovers.

It was a game that epitomised the good and bad of the Leeds class of 2012, but Warnock knows that if he can tighten things up at the back then they are more than capable of being in the mix.

For a club the size of Leeds and the support that they have, their eight-year absence from the top-flight has been far too long for most footballing neutrals.

Now, whether it is this season or next, the club have a man at the helm that can ensure his one last challenge ends in his finest hour of a distinguished managerial career.

Source: BBC Sport

So what do you think? Will Warnock guide Leeds back to the big-time? Or is the task at hand greater than many people realise? Leave a comment and let us know your views.

By Tony Alvarez

Following Saturdays somewhat embarrassing loss at the hands of Cheltenham Town, Dagenham and Redbridge sit bottom of League Two and look in real danger of dropping out of the Football League.

The Daggers are three points off safety albeit with a game in hand however with their inferior goal difference largely due to Saturdays defeat the gap more resembles four points than three.

Some may think me calling the defeat embarrassing is harsh it was a side in the top three against a side in the bottom three some may even say it was expected, however the Daggers were at home and should be fighting for their lives not only in the Football League but the players should be fighting for a new contract or their move in the Summer. A team in this situation should never be turned over the way the Daggers were on Saturday.

The Daggers now have 16 games to save themselves, it’s very achievable there not completely off the pace and if a run of results is put together then they can steer clear. However the change in fortune has to start immediately. None of the remaining 16 games will be as important as the fixture coming up this Saturday against fellow strugglers Plymouth Argyle.

Argyle were at rock bottom earlier in the campaign and never going out of existence due to financial problems however they have found some form which has taken them up to 21^st place on 27 points.

In the last 10 they have only lost three with some of the fixtures coming against the divisions top sides.

In contrast to this Dagenham are struggling badly, not only are they rock bottom they are low on confidence and in a poor vain of form picking up four points from the last available 21.

Another problem facing Dagenham is that some of the teams around them have found some form and are picking up points, Northampton have won their last two and Plymouth have already been mentioned.

There is of course still hope for Dagenham there are other sides such asHerefordwho are performing equally as bad if not worse than Dagenham. On top of that they are not bottom of the form table; although Macclesfield are currently six points better off than the Daggers they have played a game more and have remarkably lost their last 8 league fixtures. So there is still hope but a defeat on Saturday could see the end of what little confidence there is in the camp.

From what I have seen of Dagenham I do not think they have enough to stay up, I hope they do as I want as many teams as possible that are in and around London in the Football Leagues but I just have seen the level of performance to suggest they can keep their heads above water.

What are your thoughts? Is Saturdays fixture against Plymouth make or break? Can the Daggers survive? Who will go down?

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With the upcoming games this weekend marking the halfway mark of this year’s championship, the 2012 Six Nations reaches a critical stage.

Following the postponement of France v Ireland in round two, it is Wales and England that lead the way with two wins out of two, and they face each other at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon.

Earlier that day, Ireland will finally play their second game in this tournament at home to Italy as both teams look for their first win in the championship.

Then on Sunday, France travel to Murrayfield to face a Scotland side looking to claim a notable scalp after a disappointing campaign so far.  

Week Two Results

Italy 15-19 England; France P-P Ireland (Due to frozen pitch); Wales 27-13 Scotland

Ireland v Italy (Saturday, 1:30pm)

This championship has been one of frustration so far for Ireland as they prepare for the visit of Italy to the Aviva Stadium.

A last-minute defeat at home to Wales was followed by their game against France being abandoned 10 minutes before kick-off at the Stade de France due to a frozen pitch.

It means Ireland will play consecutive games over the next four weekends, with the postponed match in Paris rescheduled for Sunday 5th March.

The beginning of that hectic period sees them take on an Italian side who have had their own frustrations to deal with, most notably in their last game at home to England.

Having led 15-6 with half an hour remaining at the Stadio Olympico, Italy were on course for their first ever win over an inexperienced England side before the away side launched a fightback to claim a narrow triumph and deny Jacques Brunel a famous victory over the English.

Brunel has ensured that his side have maintained their hard to beat nature developed under previous coach Nick Mallett, while trying to play with a bit more ambition going forward.

But much will depend on how clinical the Irish backs will be, especially if the Irish back-row of Stephen Ferris, Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip can help dominate possession in the breakdown.

There is also a big blow in the pack for the visitors, with the hugely influential Martin Castrogiovanni ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to a broken rib.

So Declan Kidney will hope his side can get their tournament up and running ahead of a gruelling fixture list in the coming weeks.

Prediction: Ireland will be out to prove a point, and while Italy will provide a stiff test the Irish quality should eventually take its toll: Ireland to win by 23 points.

England v Wales (Saturday, 4pm)

The game of the weekend sees two teams with a perfect record go head-to-head in what will be a fierce contest at Twickenham.

Wales go into the game as favourites against a young England side, and following wins over Ireland and Scotland they know victory at rugby HQ will earn them the Triple Crown.

As for England, they have matched the Welsh record of two wins from two, although their victories over Scotland and Italy have been far from convincing.

There has been a distinct lack of creativity so far, with the two tries scored in the tournament coming from kicks charged down  by Charlie Hodgson.

While Stuart Lancaster will be pleased with the way his young team have defended, the Interim Head Coach is set to ring the changes.

The trio of Toby Flood, Courtney Lawes and Manu Tuilagi have returned to the squad and could be set to jump into the starting XV and add an injection of guile, pace and power to the side.

But whoever lines up will face a confident Welsh side that have all those features in plenty of abundance, particularly in the likes of Rhys Priestland, Jamie Roberts and George North.

Warren Gatland is set to keep a similar team to the one that comfortably saw off Scotland, with Sam Warburton set to return after the skipper missed the win through injury.

It is set to be a game of few chances with two impressive defences, and Lancaster will hope his side develop a cutting edge to keep their championship dreams alive and boost his chances of landing the England job on a permanent basis.

Prediction: Wales’ class and power will have the edge over a learning England: Wales to win by seven points.

Scotland v France (Sunday, 3pm)

The final game of the weekend takes place at Murrayfield as France look to keep their Grand Slam hopes alive with victory over a beleagured Scotland.

Andy Robinson has been left to rue his side’s wasted opportunities in the Six Nations so far, as their inability to convert chances into tries have left them still searching for their first win of the championship.

Against England and then in the first half against Wales in Cardiff, Scotland had plenty of territory and possession but were unable to find a cutting edge to turn that dominance into points.

The enforced change at fly-half from the retired Dan Parks to in-form Edinburgh number 10 Greig Leidlaw didn’t provide the spark many felt would be provided.

Now Scotland return to the capital hoping that they can turn their good performances into an effective one on the scoreboard as they prepare for the visit of a French side that haven’t played since their opening weekend win at home to Italy.

Coach Philippe Saint-Andre will prepare his side for four games over the next month following their postponement against Ireland a fortnight ago.

But they remain favourites for the championship with their strength in depth and burgeoning potential as they prepare for a tough trip to Edinburgh.

They have a formidable pack in the likes of Fabien Barcella and Nicolas Mas, while their back-row contains heavyweights such as Thierry Dusatoir and Louis Picamoles.

Vincent Clerc and Maxime Medard showed they have not lost none of their finishing class in the backs, while centre Wesley Fofana looks like being one of the finds of the tournament.

Saint-Andre will hope his squad continue to prosper over the remainder of the Six Nations – but first they have to overcome a big test against a Scotland side determined to finally come of age.

Prediction: Scotland to push the French all the way, but Saint-Andre’s men will keep their Grand Slam dreams intact – just. France to win by 2 points.

So what do you think? Who will come out on top in this weekend’s Six Nations battles? Leave a comment and let us know your views.

By Tony Alvarez

I like to look forward to matches I will be attending so although this match doesn’t have the same attraction as the Crawley vs Cheltenham clash I previewed a couple of weeks back I have choose to look ahead at this evenings League Two tie.

Aldershot welcome Southend (and me) to their EBB Stadium on the back of a short spell of fine form having picked up some much needed points, after Saturdays 1-0 victory over Macclesfield Dean Holdsworth’s men have won their last three and picked up 10 points from the last 12 available to calm any relegation fears there were around the club, this is despite having a terrible January on and off the pitch.

Prior to the win against Macclesfield they had beatenHerefordalso 1-0 and recorded a fine 2-1 win away at AFC Wimbledon.

In January as well as having some horrific results which included three straight defeats at the start of the month they also lost many players including some of their better known ones such as Luke Guttridge and Jermaine McGlashan.

Although Southend are League leaders they have not had it all their own way of late in the last four fixtures whilst Aldershot have recorded three wins and a draw, Southend have picked up seven points with two wins a draw and a loss.

The Essex club however do come into this fixture on the back of two victories with a Bilel Moshni strike being enough to see off Crewe on Saturday before a 2-1 victory away atGillinghamlive on Sky Sports last Monday.

It is expected that Holdsworth will keep faith in the men who took all three points away at Macclesfield last time out after striker Guy Madjo has recovered from a knock he received in that game.

Southend manager Paul Sturrock could also name an unchanged starting 11 from the side who won atCrewe, the only doubt is whether or not full back Luke Prosser who missed that game through illness can force his way back into the side.

This match up is intriguing as despite their League position Aldershots defence at home is not too bad only conceding 12 goals in 14 games, whilst Southend have been scoring for fun on their travels notching 34 goals in their 15 games.

On the flip side of that coin Aldershot have been shocking in front of goal at home finding the net only 11 times, whilst Southend are not exactly “as safe as houses” conceding 22 goals when away from Roots Hall.

Aldershot striker Danny Hylton will be looking to recapture his form that earned him League 2 player of the month in October, in all competitions in October he scored 7 goals in 6 fixtures but has not found the net since and has recently found himself being played wide left of just being Madjo in attack.

This is the first of three consecutive home games forAldershotwhere they will look to continue their charge towards mid table. Following this match they welcome Barnet before Morecombe are visitors to the Hampshire side.

If I was too make a prediction for tomorrows game I would go for a 2-1 win for Southend they haven’t been particularly impressive but then neither have Aldershot despite their victories, I’m also going to hazard a prediction at Bilel Moshni finding the net as he seems to score every time I watch Southend play which is incredibly for someone who is primarily a defender.

What are your thoughts? Will Aldershot be able to stop the League leaders? What is your result prediction? Can Hylton finally end his baron spell? Will Moshni add to his tally?

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The undoubted growing pressure on Andre Villas-Boas only served to increase at the weekend after they were booed off in a disappointing 1-1 home draw to Championship side Birmingham City in their FA Cup fifth round tie.

It was a result that clearly did not go down well within the Stamford Bridge heirarchy either, with a shake of the head from Chief Executive Ron Gourlay and a stern expression from Chairman Bruce Buck evident at the final whistle.

While Birmingham deserved great credit for an excellent performance that merited a replay at St. Andrews, much was made of the lack of creativity and a cutting edge in the Premier League big boys.

This latest setback for the Blues means it’s no win in their last four matches, and comes during a period where the focus on the manager has never been more scrutinised.  

In recent weeks owner Roman Abramovich has visited the club’s training ground on two occassions, studying first-hand what is going on behind the scenes and in particular focusing on his young Portuguese boss.

To make the current situation more uncomfortable for Villas-Boas, he was involved in a heated team meeting where he and the players gave honest opinions of the current state of affairs.

Abramovich paid a world record fee of £13 million for a manager when he took Villas-Boas from Porto, after the 34 year-old won the Europa League as well as a domestic double to rise to prominence.

It was made clear that this appointment was for the long-term, where big changes would have to be made on the pitch and a new era ushered in at the Bridge.

Buck even made it clear earlier in the campaign that they wanted Villas-Boas to have a similar length of reign to his main rivals Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.

However the period of transition has been more difficult than many anticipated, and not only are their title hopes well and truly over, but the nightmare scenario of missing out of Champions League football is very much a possibility.

Chelsea currently lie fifth in the table, and the main aim this season for the squad now has to be the minimum requirement of securing a top-four finish to preserve the status amongst Europe’s elite.

This objective is hardly what the owner would have demanded at the start of the season, so there is plenty of emphasis on their Champions League clash against Napoli, which begins with the first leg in Italy tomorrow evening.

The Serie A outfit will be no pushovers having proved their worth against English opposition already this season after taking four points from two matches against Manchester City in the group stage and knock out Roberto Mancini’s men.

Missing out on the quarter-finals could spell the end for Villas-Boas, but a successful run in the competition could provide a welcome lifeline for under-fire boss.

He now needs to find that missing spark within a side that has plenty of quality but clearly lack the confidence to play to their potential.

The West London outfit have not been as solid defensively as they have been in the past, with their inability to see out a 3-0 lead at home to Manchester United a few weeks ago a prime example of their deficiencies at the back.

With the likes of Michael Essien, Raul Meireles and Ramires in the heart of midfield there is plenty of industry, but too much reliance is placed on Mata to provide the creativity for the Blues.

As for up front, Fernando Torres’ problems have been well documented, with the £50 million Spaniard now without a goal in his last 20 matches, while Drogba is coming to the end of career, although the emergence of Daniel Sturridge has been a real positive in a season of few so far.

Villas-Boas’ future all boils down to the mindset of Abramovich; when he appointed him in the summer, it was under the agreement that a long-term plan had to be in place to bring a new cycle of success.

If Abramovich wants immediate results then he is better off looking elsewhere, but with Guus Hiddink now unavailable the lack of alternatives is not so apparent.

His alternative is to back Villas-Boas in his plan and allow him to create a new era, with a spine of the future already starting to appear in the likes of Gary Cahill, David Luiz, Oriol Romeu, Mata and Sturridge.

With club legends such as Drogba and Frank Lampard coming nearer to the end of their careers, anyone in the Chelsea hotseat would have the same major decisions.

Now the upcoming battle to remain in the Champions League both this season and next could provide the chance for Villas-Boas to see through the project he was originally brought in to complete.

So what do you think? Will the Champions League give Villas-Boas the chance to redeem himself to the owners? Or is his position already doomed after a disappointing season? Leave a comment and let us know your views.

By Tony Alvarez

On Tuesday night Gary Waddock’s Wycombe Wanderers side succumbed 3-2 at their Adams home park to fellow strugglers Yeovil, this result was followed by a painful away defeat toWalsall. This leaves Wycombe 24th in the table thus in the relegation places, at this point they are five points adrift of Scunthorpe who hold the last position of safety but have three games in hand.

At this stage in the season with Wycombe’s form being so poor of late many are starting to doubt whether the squad has the ability to remain in League one. There run of form has been horrendous taking just nine points from their last 11 fixtures.

Tuesdays tie against Yeovil was billed as a must win fixture with even Wycombe’s goalkeeper Nicki Bull tweeting “Do or Die time again tonight at AP. No time to fear our situation but to embrace it, relish the challenge & realise its all in our hands!”

Even prior to Tuesdays fixture Bull the former Aldershot and Brentford keeper shared the belief that the club would need to take 7 points from their next 3 fixtures a task which is now unachievable “The end of another Demoralising weekend. Matches starting to run out have to take at least 7 points from next 3 games. Huge couple of weeks”

Two of those three games have now been played 0 points have been gained.

It is understandable that Bull’s head seems to of dropped Wycombe t have problems at the back and concede way too many goals, they have the worst goal difference in the league and have conceded the most by a distance. Bull is a proud man and will be disappointed that more goals have gone past him than anyone else in the league regardless of whether they were his fault or not. The one thing that Wycombe can’t afford now if they are to avoid toe drop and the tag of being a yo-yo club is the moral of the squad being low.

For anyone who has seen Wycombe this term it is clear to see Wycombe are not an awful side for a team in a lowly league position they certainly know how to find the net and in striker Stuart Beavon they always have a hope of scoring. He has netted 14 times from 28 starts and 3 substitute appearances in all competitions this term, a record of nearly 1 in 2 is good for anyone let alone a player in a massively struggling side.

I know a few people who have worked with the boss Gary Waddock and they all speak glowingly of him and especial his skills as a motivator along with his assistant manager Martin Kuhl, if that’s the case its now when Waddock and Kuhl really need to earn their wages.

They will look to bounce back from their defeats next weekend when they travel host Hartlepoolwho sit 9^th in the table, at this stage of the season every game is vital for Wycombe.

This season has been an unfortunate one for Wycombe losing teenage protégée Jordan Ibe to Liverpool along with losing key man in the middle Scott Donnelly to a season ending injury in mid December things could have been better for the club, they will know better than anyone that Football is not an industry where you can feel sorry for yourself, they will have to pick themselves up give 100% between now and the end of the season and hope its enough to keep them in League One.

Unfortunately for them and as much as I would like them to stay up I fear deeply for Wycombe I really can’t see them staying up, there players are made up of a bunch of very good league two players who are probably a bit shy of League one level without that older more seasoned player around them.

What are your thoughts? Can Wycombe survive? Is Saturdays tie with Walsall do or die? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts

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It is the weekend of the FA Cup Fifth Round, and 16 teams will be battling it out to earn a place in the quarter-finals of one of the world’s most famous cup competitions.

There are some eye-catching ties over the next couple of days with Stevenage Borough - who have only been a football leagye club for two and a half years - take on Premier League big boys Tottenham at Broadhall Way while another David vs. Goliath clash sees League Two outfit Crawley take on last season’s finalists Stoke City.

Other intriguing match-ups include Arsenal travelling to Sunderland just a week after winning at the Stadium of Light in the league, while Brighton’s reward for knocking out Newcastle United in the last round is a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool.

However, the focus of this feature will be on this afternoon’s game at Goodison Park, as a resurgent Everton entertain high-flying Championship side Blackpool.  

These two sides met each other last season in the top flight, and this fixture provided a fantastic match as the Toffees edged out the Seasiders in a 5-3 thriller.

Now both meet in the cup having recovered from difficult starts to the campaign to set up potentially exciting conclusions to the season.

Having struggled for consistency and more significantly goals, Everton are unbeaten in five league matches that has seen them climb into the top half of the table and just six points off of a potential European spot.

Manager David Moyes was able to bring in some much-needed attacking reinforcements in January after losing Mikel Arteta, Jermaine Beckford and Yakubu on the last day of the summer transfer window.

The Scot brought midfielder Darren Gibson from Manchester United and Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic, but it was the return of two former favourites that have sparked renewed optimism amongst the Everton faithful.

American midfielder Landon Donovan re-joined the club on a two-month loan spell from LA Galaxy in a similar deal that saw him play for the Toffees back in 2010.

Meanwhile, South African playmaker Steven Piennar has made a return to Merseyside after a difficult 12 months since leaving the club to join Tottenham, and a lack of opportunities at White Hart Lane has allowed the 29 year-old to come back until the remainder of the season on loan.

Their return has added another creative dimension to the side and has given greater encouragement that Moyes can guide his team on another strong second half to a season and make a push for at least a top-eight spot.

The only disappointment is that Pienaar is cup-tied for today’s match having played in the earlier rounds for his parent club as they prepare to face a Blackpool outfit that are brimming with belief themselves.

Ian Holloway‘s side are well in the mix for the play-off spots following a run of six games without defeat, and are not out of reach of the automatic promotion spots as the club seeks an immediate return to the top flight.

Blackpool have played with the same sort of freedom in their attacking expression that won them so many admirers in their 12 months in the big time, and Holloway has overcome the loss of key personnel in the likes of Charlie Adam and DJ Campbell to put the Tangerines right in the promotion mix.

They have some wonderful young attacking players in the likes of Thomas Ince and Matt Phillips, with Holloway stating that the latter is so good he will only go to a top five Premier League club if he ever left Bloomfield Road.

Holloway also has the wonderful experience of Kevin Phillips to call upon, with the 38 year-old already scoring 11 goals so far this campaign and proving he has lost none of his prowess in front of goal.

The big concern going into this afternoon is the fitness of the younger Phillips, with the 20 year-old winger struggling with a hamstring injury after missing the midweek game against Doncaster.

But with or without their star man, Blackpool will stick to their attacking principles as they try to cause one of the upsets of the round and reach the last eight.

Prediction: While Blackpool will constantly cause a threat all afternoon, Everton’s recent form and home advantage should give them the edge. The Toffees to win 2-1.

So what do you think? Will Everton march on to the quarter-finals? Or will Blacpool cause a shock on Merseyside? Leave a comment and let us know your views.

By Tony Alvarez

This weekend sees the FA Cup 5th round fixtures take place with sides hoping to cause upsets up and down the country and reach the quarter finals of arguably the Worlds greatest Cup competition.

As regular visitors to the website will know both myself and Laurie chose a side to follow in round one of the competition, should that side lose we follow the side that beat them.

Tomorrow, Laurie will publish his preview of the tie between Blackpool and Everton whilst I today will be focusing on Leicester and their trip to Premier League surprise packageNorwich.

I started my FA Cup journey with Colchester who lost out to League Two Swindon who I followed through a high profile victory against Wigan before a defeat in the last round toLeicesterCitythanks to two Jermaine Beckford goals.

Leicester entered the FA Cup in the 3rd round with a tie against local rivals Nottingham Forest, the tie was drawn 0-0 at Forest City ground in the subsequent replay Leicester ran riot winning 4-0 thanks to a hat trick from Beckford and a George Boateng own goal.

This brought them on to the League Two high flyers Swindon as mentioned above,Swindonjust couldn’t cope with travelling to the Championship big spenders where Beckford’s fourth and fifth goals of the competition were enough to seal progression to the next round for the Foxes.

Whilst Leicester have beaten Forest and Leicester Norwich have had a somewhat tough route to the 5th round, in the third round they brushed aside Championship side Burnley 4-1. In the 5th roundNorwichtravelled to fellow Premier League sideWest Bromthey progressed after a very hard fought 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson who were both notching their second goals of the competition.

Leicester will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing midweek defeat away atWatfordand will be hoping beating a team from a higher division will bring back the feel good factor around the club.

The foxes will be without Danny Drinkwater but don’t seem to have too many ore injury concerns ahead of the tie. They could also welcome back Sol Bamba fresh from playing for Ivory coach in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Norwichcome into this game on the back of a morale boasting 3-2 win away atSwanseawhich is only the Swans second loss at home all season.

Norwichare also not struggling from any major injury concerns or none that are not replaceable.

Looking atLeicesterthis term they will have to outscore their opponents with the likes of Jermaine Beckford and David Nugent up front they have every chance of doing this, as I earlier mentioned Beckford has 5 goals in 2 games in the competition already this season while Nugent has 12 goals in all competitions this term. That’s not also forgetting Paul Gallagher who has notched 9 goals in all competitions this season.

Norwich are a good unit they all work hard for each other and they play some decent football, Leicester are the most hit and miss team in the country in my opinion, when they are good they can match most teams when they are bad they can lose to anyone Unfortunately for their fans have been more bad than good this term, I would never completely write them off but my money would be on a 2-0 Norwich victory.

What are your thoughts? Who will progress to the next round? Can Leicester cause an upset? Can Beckford add to his scoring record in this seasons competition?

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Birmingham City go into this weekend’s FA Cup clash at Chelsea full of confidence after their recent form has sparked real belief that this fixture could once again be a league clash next season.

The Blues currently sit in the play-off places, but with a game in hand over second-placed Southampton after a hugely impressive run of results.

They are unbeaten in nine Championship matches having taken 21 points from a possible 27, and after catching up with the majority of their games in hand carried over from their Europa League campaign, Chris Hughton’s side have catapulted from mid-table obscurity to promotion contenders.

It’s a fantastic achievement not only because of the amount of matches Birmingham have played this season (42 with at least another 17 to foll0w) but what is becoming an epic campaign has been carried out by a squad that has been stripped of it’s best players in the past six months.  

After their heartbreaking relegation in the final minutes of the final day of last season was followed by owner Carston Yeung being arrested and charged for alleged money laundering in his native Hong Kong, City have had to cash in on many of their biggest assets.

Birmingham lost their centre midfield of Craig Gardner and Barry Ferguson, their excellent centre-half pairing of Roger Johnson and Scott Dann, as well as goalkeeper Ben Foster on loan with a possible permanent move at West Brom.

With further departures in January of defender Liam Ridgewell and Jean Beausejour helping to balance the books, most managers would be preparing to stabilise their club in the Championship and ensure they secure safety.

Thankfully after the departure of Alex McLeish to fierce rivals Aston Villa, Birmingham acquired one of the most astute and underrated managers in the country.

Chris Hughton had been out of management ever since his hugely unfair sacking from Newcastle United in December 2010.

The former Tottenham assistant coach had steadied the ship at St. James’ Park to guide the club back to the top flight at the first time of asking, accumulating a record points total in the process.

However, despite having a solid start in the Premier League Hughton was sacked, and although his replacement Alan Pardew has done an excellent job, it was a decision that left a bitter taste for the Toon supporters.

His appointment at St. Andrews’ was a low-key affair, and the ensuing months only brought Hughton into focus due to the difficulties he faced in overcoming the departures of key personnel.

But after producing an admirable effort in Europe that saw them come just a point away from qualifying for the last 32, Hughton has built a squad that is starting to flourish.

They have a very good replacement for Foster between the sticks, while Curtis Davies has been one of the best centre-halves in the division in a defence containing a lot of experience in the likes of Stephen Caldwell, Stephen Carr and Jonathan Spector – only Hull have conceded more goals than Birmingham this season.

Chris Burke has taken a big creative role in the side since his summer move from Cardiff, and the Blues have one of the top emerging talents in the country in 17 year-old Nathan Redmond.

More importantly, they have the firepower to last the distance; the striking trio of Marlon King, Nikola Zigic and Adam Rooney already have 25 goals between them.

It’s a side brimming with confidence, but more significantly it’s a side that Hughton is getting the best out of, and the longer the season develops the more this squad are increasing in belief.

Birmingham have almost gone under the radar so far in the battle for promotion, but now they look as capable as anyone for promotion then they might get the credit they deserve.

They and their often understated and underrated manager.

So what do you think? Does Hughton get the level of credit he deserves as a manager? Can Birmingham maintain their excellent form to remain in the battle to reach the Premier League? Leave a comment and let us know your views.