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23 October 2006
Carling Cup Preview
The League Cup has in
recent seasons been littered with so-called giant killings,
as Premiership clubs' team selections have reflected the
diminishing priority of the competition within their busy
schedules. Sky's cameras are at Chesterfield's Saltergate
home on Tuesday night, scenting another victim, in the shape
of beleaguered West Ham.
Halloween is just around
the corner but Alan Pardew must already be having
nightmares. On Sunday he witnessed his side slump to their
seventh successive defeat, thereby falling into the
relegation zone. Despite the double signing of Argentine
internationals, Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, the
Hammers have failed to score in 630 minutes of competitive
football, and the vultures are beginning to circle. The
wildly celebrated arrival of the South Americans in East
London has actually had a negative impact on the pitch, and
if that wasn't enough for the embattled Irons take-over
rumours have further rocked the boat. Pardew now heads the
Premiership sacking race, little better than even money to
be the first head to roll, and pundits believe a defeat here
could cause the blade to fall.
West Ham are chronically
short of confidence, with performances a far cry from the
form that took the club to last season's FA Cup final. The
Spireites will be acutely aware of the visitors
vulnerability, as will the 9,000 fans that will pack their
tiny ground, expecting a repeat of the heroics in the
previous round when they dumped out Manchester City (also of
the Premiership). Despite all of this bad karma,
Pinnacle
Sports has West
Ham as favourites 1.90 (-0.5 & -1) with the League One
outfit 1.943 (+0.5 & +1). Take a close look at team news
for this one, as given the circumstances Pardew may well put
out a full strength side seeking a confidence-boosting win,
which might also loosen the noose around his
neck.
The pick of Tuesday's
other Carling Cup fixtures must be at the Walkers Stadium,
where the Midlands' Derby between Leicester and Aston Villa
has the added spice of Martin O'Neill's return to the club
he managed for five largely successful years. The Villans
are the only unbeaten Premiership side, playing with
increasing confidence under O'Neill's tutelage. The Foxes
have been on a slide ever since parting company with the
Irishman, but are currently on a seven game unbeaten run,
and certainly capable of an upset, as when shocking Spurs in
last season's FA Cup. Pinnacle Sports price the Championship
outfit 2.08 (+0.5) while the Claret and Blues are 1.855
(-0.5).
On Sunday afternoon
Manchester United beat Liverpool watched by almost 76,000
fans at Old Trafford, but come Wednesday they will be
slumming it at Gresty Road, as they take on Division One
Crewe in the Carling Cup. This fixture is a re-run of two
years ago, when the Red Devils ran out comfortable winners,
with Alan Smith opening the scoring. Smith should feature
again here as he continues his return to full-fitness after
a horror broken-leg. In fact the United side could feature
some other big names seeking match fitness after lengthy
lay-offs, such as Gabriel Heinze and Mikael Silvestre in
defence, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer up front. Alex Ferguson
may even be tempted to bring Wayne Rooney just to give the
England star a chance to get back among the goals, as he has
drawn a blank since the opening game of the season. Given
the likely strength of the United line-up, Pinnacle Sports
have them 1.87 (-1 & -1.5), with the home side 2.06 (+1
& +1.5).
The Railwaymen warmed up
for the game by losing at home to Blackpool, continuing a
five game run of fixtures featuring at least three goals. It
will be a concern for Dario Gradi, facing the Premiership's
top-scorers, that Crewe have already conceded 25 goals from
their 15 league fixtures. Unsurprisingly Pinnacle Sports
have priced over 2.5 goals at 1.794, which should see plenty
of action.
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