Championship Betting Preview: Blades aim to cut Derby adrift

Championship / Andrew French / 11 September 2008 / Leave a Comment

Paul Jewell is a man under pressure and Sheffield United's eight million pound plus attack will show him little mercy, says Andrew French.

Tune into Saturday's live Championship match between Derby County and Sheffield United at 5.20pm, and you could be watching the prelude to a very unwanted birthday for the Rams.

Should County fail to beat United, then next Wednesday will mark exactly a year since they last won a league match. It was way back on September 17, 2007, that Derby last took three league points when they won 1-0 at Pride Park against Newcastle (who themselves have not had a smooth ride in the 12 months since).

The Rams have gone 36 league games without success: 32 in the Premiership and four more since they dropped to The Championship. It's even been seven league outings since Derby fans saw their side keep a clean sheet at home.

Paul Jewell is a man under pressure. He's spent relatively large sums of money during the summer, but having been backed at [14.0] to win the league, a few weeks into the season and Derby are now available at [65.0].

Visitors United have made a far better start - there was certainly no shame in a last-gasp defeat at Birmingham, their only league reverse so far. In attack they can choose between the likes of James Beattie, Darius Henderson, Billy Sharp and Danny Webber in attack: a quartet that cost more than £8m.

I liked the look of the Blades before a ball was kicked, I still do now and I'm all for backing them at [2.66] to win this one and extending Derby's misery. Laying the home side at [3.0] is a viable alternative.

With all four of Derby's league games this season producing less than 2.5 goals (and three of them coming in under 1.5), I'd also suggest backing Under 2.5 at [1.7]. With United doubtless happy to nick one and get back on the bus, backing Under 1.5 at [3.1] should also be considered.

To that effect, backing the visitors to win 1-0 at [8], and throwing in a 1-1 draw at [6.8] as cover are the Correct Score suggestions.

Viewers tuning into Sky on Sunday afternoon for the usual 4pm Premiership fare are in for a shock with QPR v Southampton filling that slot this week. However, many pundits will tell you Rangers are a Premiership side in the making, with the now requisite rich owner and an influx of overseas talent - even if many are youngsters on loan.

They have won both their home games so far, although quite how impressive beating Barnsley and Doncaster actually is can be open to interpretation. Manager Iain Dowie may be wondering what is around the corner after owner Flavio Briatore said publicly that he would decide how money was spent. The club's continental signings suggest that is already the case, although when the likes of Emmanuel Ledesma - on a season-long loan from Genoa - cracks in a Carling Cup hat-trick on his debut, who can argue?

I watched Southampton give a generally unimpressive display as they lost at home to Blackpool in a recent live game, and new manager Jan Poortvliet clearly has his work cut out just to avoid another season fighting against the drop.

Rangers have not beaten Saints at home in the last three attempts, but I'm confident that will change this weekend - backing them at [1.84] is the suggestion in the Match Odds market.

Rangers score goals, Saints ship them - it has to be Over 2.5 for me at [2.0] and having seen the South Coast side look somewhat powderpuff in attack against Blackpool, I'd throw in backing a Rangers clean sheet at [2.56].