Portsmouth flop is expected to take the Southampton job

Tony Adams is Sky Bet’s 8/11 favourite to be named Saints’ boss

Photo Credit: Chris Ison/PA Wire

After months of bad news, things seemed to be looking up for Southampton last week: the club were saved from going instinct and star player Kelvin Davis spurned West Ham’s advances to stay at St Mary’s.

However, any Saints fans who were getting their hopes up about a brighter future will have been disappointed to hear that after much talk of Gordon Strachan - the man who took them to the 2003 FA Cup Final - returning, Tony Adams is Sky Bet’s 8/11 favourite for the job.

Adams spent three-and-a-half months in charge of Portsmouth last season before being sacked and the last man to take charge of Southampton shortly after leaving Pompey - Harry Redknapp - got them relegated and deserted

Posted: July 13th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 1 Comment

Five reasons why Burnley should progress to Wembley

Reading/Burnley, 7.45pm, Sky Sports 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

1. Just one of the last ten Championship teams to have taken a first-leg lead in the play-offs have failed to reach the final (Ipswich against West Ham in 04).

2. If an aggregate score was taken from the two Reading/Burnley league clashes, the Royals would have won. However, in two of the last three seasons the side in the fourth-versus-fifth play-off that has had the worst of the league showdowns has triumphed.

3. Reading have won just six of their last 24 games and haven’t won any of their last eight at the Madejski - losing four of the last six.

4. Whereas Burnley are ending the season on good form having lost just one of their last 12. A draw is enough for them to progress.

5. The Clarets have lost just three of their last eight away games against Reading in league competition.

Posted: May 12th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 2 Comments

Birmingham, Sheff Utd and Reading fight for second

The battle for automatic promotion reaches a thrilling climax

The table above shows every possible scenario that can occur in the battle for second on Sunday and what team goes up in each eventuality.

Birmingham control their own destiny but after throwing away a 1-0 lead and losing at home to Preston last week, they must now win away at Reading. If they flop, Sheffield United will take second with a win away to former boss Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace. If the Blades fail to win then Reading can win promotion by beating the Blues, having been six points behind a week ago.

Posted: May 1st, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Will Reading get their season back on track at Doncaster?

Off-form promotion hopefuls travel to the league’s form team

Besides having a chairman who named their stadium after himself and not showing enough love to the FA Cup, there’s plenty to like about Reading. They have Steve Coppell as their manager, try to play good football and have consistently got up the nose of grudge-bearing sports journalist Oliver Holt.

However, their prospects of an immediate return to the Premier League have dwindled recently courtesy of a horror run of one win in eight league games. As a result they are now seven points behind second-placed Birmingham, albeit with two games in hand. Tonight they travel to Doncaster, who have been the best team in the Championship from Christmas onwards.

Posted: March 17th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment