championship

Wba-Coventry

Coventry won't be affraid.They're in a decent run,being defeated vs.Newcastle and last minute shocker vs.Cardiff.They have play-off hopes and confidence is high after scoring twice at Walkers last round.
WBA will be happy to see team that won't park the bus in front the goal.

Over 2.75.

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Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Ex-Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini would rather remain at AC Milan than return to England amid reports the Italian club will offer the France international a new deal. (PA)
Juventus director Roberto Bettega insists goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is not for sale and is confident the Italy international will still be be playing for the Serie A giants next season. (PA) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Inter Milan are set to launch a bid for Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas. (imscouting.com) 
Arjen Robben has called for Chelsea and Real Madrid target Franck Ribery to stay at Bayern Munich. (imscouting.com) 
Chelsea are closing in on Real Madrid's £10m-rated Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart. (The Sun) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp insists he has no interest in signing Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole, who is likely to be available on a free transfer at the end of the season. (The Guardian) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has rejected a a bid by Spartak Moscow to sign winger Albert Riera on loan. (Daily Mail) 
Fulham are favourites to snap up Wigan defender Paul Scharner when he quits at the end of his contract in the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is lining up a £1m bid for Notts County goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.(Daily Mirror) 
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has been put up for sale by the Serie A giants, who hope to lure Manchester City and Bayern Munich into an auction to raise £30m for the Italy international.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England and Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham has lost his position as the best paid footballer in the world to Lionel Messi, with the Barcelona forward's annual pay rising to £29.6m.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal captain William Gallas is ready to sign a new contract following showdown talks between the club and his agent Pierre Frelot.(Daily Mirror) 
Gunners midfielder Andrey Arshavin has claimed the north Londoners will not win the title because they do not have enough "real stars". (Various) 
Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed striker Robin van Persie is looking "very sharp" and could be back playing before the end of the season. (The Independent) 
West Ham are set to launch their bid to rent the Olympic Stadium after the Games in 2012. (The Independent) 
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is confident he will still be in he job next season, even if he wins nothing this term.(Various) 
Everton manager David Moyes believes Manchester City's megabucks stars have no genuine feeling for their club. (Daily Star) 
Peterborough boss Jim Gannon is poised to sign a new four-year contract. (Daily Star) 
England coach Fabio Capello has been given a boost after Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Blues defender Ashley Cole will be able to resume running in training in a fortnight as he steps up his rehabilitation from a fractured ankle.(The Guardian) 
Outgoing Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney has accused the Football Association of failing to face up to its structural problems in the wake of the shock departure of its chief executive, Ian Watmore.(The Guardian) 
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has spoken out against Wembley Stadium being used for sports other than football following the disunity at the FA that led to Watmore's resignation.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United defender Gary Neville will be handed a one-year contract extension by the club this summer.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has criticised Jamie O'Hara for saying he hopes Spurs lose their FA Cup quarter-final replay against Fulham to give the on-loan Portsmouth midfielder the chance of playing in the FA Cup final at Wembley.(Daily Mail)

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West Ham 1-3 Wolverhampton

Wolves made a huge leap towards Premier League safety with a crushing victory over fellow strugglers West Ham.
The visitors went close when Kevin Foley hit the bar and took the lead when a scuffed James Tomkins pass-back fell to Kevin Doyle who fired home. 
David Jones set up Ronald Zubar to fire in and then passed to Matthew Jarvis who blasted in for a fine third. 
Scott Parker hit a post for West Ham in the first half, leaving Guillermo Franco to chip in a late consolation. 
Despite a spirited fightback in the closing stages, the Hammers overall lacked ideas and confidence and boss Gianfranco Zola will be very concerned as he prepares for the final seven games currently three points away from the drop zone. 
After a weekend dominated by talk of an invigorated title race, Tuesday night saw the teams at the other end of the Premier League taking centre stage. 
West Ham, in 17th spot, were facing the team one place above them with Zola calling the clash "a massive six pointer" as he desperately sought to avoid a fifth successive league defeat. 
Mick McCarthy's pre-match motivational speech to his players are likely to have pointed towards their opponents recalling star players after a rested few days with Zola having 'targeted' Wolves.
The Italian boss did indeed bring back fit-again skipper Parker, along with two strikers who did not start in the 2-0 loss at Arsenal, Carlton Cole and Benni McCarthy, but it was the visitors who ripped open a very nervous defence inside seven minutes.

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West Ham - Wolverhampton

Six pointer game. Despite the decent team quality, Hammers are first above the line and have three points more. Zola has got an ultimatum from the board to get 4 points in next two games (Stoke next) to safe his job. Some rumors say he’s gone anyway (Hughes as successor), but I’ll wouldn’t consider it seriously. He has good rating in the dressing room and I believe players will give everything to keep his boss. West Ham have four consecutive defeats. Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd on the road were expected epilogues, while only failure came at home vs Bolton (1-2). They conceded two fast goals after two big errors by defensive line, dominated rest of the game, but lost at the end. At the same time, Bolton are the only side from the bottom crew that West Ham didn’t win. Another important thing is Zola rested his keys, Cole and Diamanti vs. Chelsea, Cole came on in the 2nd half vs. Arsenal and skipper Parker will play tonight after a break. No other injury concerns for Zola. West Ham are unbeaten at home in their last six matches against Wolves (4 wins, 2 draws ).

 

Oppositely from West Ham, Wolves play over their real capabilities. Considering their team quality, (in my opinion) they should relegate. They usually score after set pieces, while lack of creativity and fighting spirit are main characteristics of their play. They’re, however, in a good shape. Four points from last two games (both away), win vs. Burnley 2-1 and a draw vs. Villa 2-2 in a small derby. They’ve increased their chances to keep the status, will have less pressure than Hammers tonight, but I think they also see their chance for all 3 points. Boss Mick McCarthy has no injury worries and is expected to name an unchanged side for the seventh successive match. Problem could be (beside less quality) a possible fatigue. Wolves' only win in their last 15 visits to Upton Park was in March 1978.

 

West Ham will be fully motivated. They’ll be under a pressure, but I think they used to cope with it (Birmingham 2-0 at home, same circumstances). Hammers are also more rested, possess more quality and play at home. They don’t belong down there. Home win for me.

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea and Manchester City have been alerted after Valencia decided they will sell Spanish international striker David Villa this summer, with the price likely to be about £40m.(The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Manchester United could move for Villa's Valencia team-mate David Silva, with the attacking midfielder likely to fetch around £20m. (The Sun) 
Internacional defensive midfielder Sandro, 21, flew to London on Monday night to undergo a medical with Tottenham but the Brazilian will not officially join Spurs until the summer.(imscouting) 
Inter Milan's Brazilian full-back Maicon, 28, is being lined up for a move to Real Madrid in the summer - although Manchester City could still be an option for the defender. (imscouting) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has shelved his plan to sign Roman Pavlyuchenko from Tottenham because the striker's recent form has been too good. The Blues had a £10m bid for the Russian turned down in January.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has lined up a deal to sell Albert Riera to Spartak Moscow. It follows the midfielder's outburst in which he described the Anfield club as "a sinking ship". 
(Daily Mail) 
Everton are planning a £650,000 summer swoop for Portugal Under-20 striker Joao Silva, who plays for Desportivo das Aves and is the top scorer in his country's second division. (Daily Mail)
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy hopes to land Ghana striker Jordan Ayew, 19, from French club Marseille - possibly on an initial one-year loan deal. (Daily Mirror)
West Bromwich Albion could make a move for defender Calum Davenport, 27, who is a free agent after being released by West Ham.(The Sun) 
Queens Park Rangers will send on-loan goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, 23, back to Wolves so manager Neil Warnock can bring in more loan signings. (Daily Star)
Doncaster say they cannot afford to sign on-loan striker Billy Sharp, 24, in the summer because his club Sheffield United want £1.5m for him. (Daily Star) 
Former Celtic striker Chris Killen wants to stay with Middlesbrough beyond the end of his current contract, which expires this summer. (Daily Record)

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has owner Roman Abramovich's full backing - unless the Stamford Bridge outfit have a disastrous end to the season. (Daily Star)
Or Ancelotti has 21 days to rescue Chelsea's season and his job or he will be shown the door.(Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Chelsea's injury problems have worsened, with the news that Branislav Ivanovic has been ruled out for a month, leaving the club without their first (Jose Bosingwa) and second-choice right-backs. (Daily Mail) 
Barcelona's French striker Thierry Henry says he does not want to play against Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final - and he will not celebrate if he scores against his former side. (Daily Express) 
The Premier League's sale of its overseas broadcasting rights for 2010 to 2013 will raise about £1.4bn, more than double the previous level and a leap of £13m per club, per year.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is confident Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano will commit his long-term future to the club. (The Times) 
Former Charlton and West Ham United boss Alan Curbishley is ready to take over as manager of Championship side Bristol City following Gary Johnson's departure last week. (Daily Star)

AND FINALLY

Days after rapper P Diddy was linked with a move to buy Crystal Palace, fellow hip hop superstar Jay-Z has revealed he could be interested in investing some of his estimated £500m fortune in Arsenal.(Daily Mirror)

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Leeds United 0 - 2 Millwall

In-form Millwall blew the race for second place and automatic promotion in League One wide open with a stunning win over Leeds at Elland Road.
Steve Morison made it six goals in four games on 11 minutes when he fired in at the far post after fine build-up play. 
The home side were on the back foot in the early stages as the rampant Lions pushed forward looking for a second. 
Leeds settled and had chances either side of half-time but substitute Shaun Batt wrapped up the win on 80 minutes. 
Batt latched on to a throw in and cut inside from close to the corner flag, beating two men before firing a low shot that somehow squeezed past Leeds keeper Casper Ankergren at his near post. 
Leeds were without their 21-goal top scorer Jermaine Beckford who missed out with a hamstring injury and they needed to be at their very best to cope with a Lions side who have now won 10 of their last 12 league games. 
Millwall were 21 points adrift of Leeds in January but are now three points behind in the race for second place, with both Charlton and Swindon only one point behind the Lions. 
The Yorkshire club have been in the top two since August but four wins from their 13 league games in 2010 means the prospects of being dragged into the play-offs, where they lost last year to Millwall, is now very real. 
Batt's goal was a blow for Leeds who had created opportunities as they recovered from an uncharacteristically shaky start. 
Leeds's slow start got worse when defender Patrick Kisnorbo exited on a stretcher after collapsing in agony in the build-up to the opening goal.
The Australian defender suffered a suspected Achilles injury and is likely to face a long period on the sidelines.

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Leeds United – Millwall

Bad blood between these two clubs made from their rivalry a real derby. Their games are followed with incidents, usually outside but sometimes even on the pitch. Previous season, Millwall made a first class surprise and knocked Leeds (hard favorite then) from a play-off. All those facts make from their games wars, when team quality stays in the shadow and win a team with bigger heart.

 

Leeds frozen in “war of the roses” Utd at Trafford and then started their downtrend. Lost first position and even put in doubt automatic promotion. Just two home wins in eight competitive games from then and Charlton have sneaked up to 4 points margin (Leeds have a game in hand). In last round they lost away to Saints 0-1, another failure would bring the problems and pressure. Defender Ben Parker is returning after injury, striker Tresor Kandol and winger Max Gradel as well.

 

Millwall are in a great run of results. They’ve lost just one game in 2010. of 14 competitive games (away to Wycombe, 0-1). That game and FA Cup encounter vs. Derby on the road (0-0) were the only two where Millwall didn’t score. They hold 5th place and it seems we’ll watch them again in play-off. Club legend, striker Neil Harris, is doubtful.  

 

I didn’t intend to get involved in this game, but odds on home win have been rising whole day and now are around even. I think it worth a shot. Home win.

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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has told Dutch television he is now "medically fit" and will return to training this week following his long injury lay-off.(IMScouting) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Midfielder Joe Cole, 28, will be the first victim of a "purge of older players" at Chelsea now that their Champions League dream has ended for another season.(The Times) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish concedes a move for Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has been shelved because of the striker's red-hot form.(Daily Mirror) 
Derby boss Nigel Clough wants to sign former Rams striker Tommy Smith from crisis-club Portsmouth on loan for the rest of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn are keen on 24-year-old Egyptian playmaker Shikabala. (Daily Mail) 
Roma and Celtic are lining up to swoop for Portsmouth full-back Nadi Belhadj, thought to be available for £2m. (Daily Mail)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney raised concerns over his fitness as he limped away from Old Trafford after his side's 2-1 victory over Liverpool.(Daily Mail) 
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has hit out at England boss Fabio Capello for not looking to keeper Chris Kirkland.(Daily Mail) 
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola paid Arsenal the ultimate tribute by claiming they are a better footballing team than his beloved Chelsea.(Daily Mirror) 
Lionel Messi underlined the Champions League task Arsenal face with a hat-trick in Barcelona's 4-2 away win over Real Zaragoza - but Manchester United fans may take heart from Bayern Munich's 2-1 defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt, the former's first Bundesliga loss in 20 games. (The Times) 

AND FINALLY

If England reach the 2010 World Cup final, fans watching them go all the way could pay as much as £6,400 - or £3,000 just to see one group game.(The Sun) 
A band of 180 Rochdale fans walked the 14 miles to see their side face Accrington Stanley on Saturday, to be rewarded with six goals and two sendings-off in a 4-2 victory. (Daily Mail) 
Reading's Matthew Mills, under fire having gestured obscenely at a section of the club's own supporters in their midweek victory over QPR, vaulted advertising boards to hand his shirt to fans as a peace offering after their 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough. (Daily Express)

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