Championship / Andrew French / 30 October 2009 / Leave a comment

It may be Halloween weekend, but a lot more people are scared of Roy Keane than they are of ghosts and ghouls, especially as the Ipswich manager is still looking for his first win. Andrew French reckons Saturday's the day.

"Fourteen games without success is miles away from what most Tractor Boys fans were anticipating when the season kicked off, but the signs are that Keane is close to ending that barren sequence."

It may not be the outcome that some fans expected or wanted, but at least Newcastle now have clarity as to where their future lies - and they have a permanent manager to boot. I think Chris Hughton will celebrate his first game as the full-time gaffer by beating a very out-of-sorts Sheffield United on Monday night.

The Toon have not been firing on all cylinders recently but the lack of depth in their squad was bound to take its toll at some point, although they earned plenty of credit for coming from behind to beat Doncaster last weekend. With a week to recuperate and some good news behind the scenes, the mood is likely to be a bit more positive around the camp.

They'll take that positivity to Bramall Lane, where things have been anything but good recently. Sheffield United have not won any of the six games since beating neighbours Wednesday in the Steel City derby, and they have been conceding goals at an alarming rate: 16 in those half dozen matches. Therefore, at a price around [2.68], I'm supporting Newcastle.

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At the other end of the table there will doubtless be a few people sniggering (from a safe distance) at the plight of Roy Keane at Ipswich - but I feel their miserably long run without a league win will end this weekend. Fourteen games without success is miles away from what most Tractor Boys fans were anticipating when the season kicked off, but the signs are that Keane is close to ending that barren sequence. They have drawn their last three, and were only denied victory in their last Portman Road outing by a stoppage-time Watford equaliser.

If they can build on that, then victory against Derby should be within their reach. The Rams are struggling right now with just two wins in their last 10 games. They saw a 2-0 lead turn into a 4-2 defeat at home to QPR last weekend, and their goals against column (conceded 25) is one of the worst in the division. Therefore, back Ipswich at [1.94].

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I said last week Scunthorpe blow hot and cold - and unfortunately their performance was right out of the freezer after I had tipped them to beat Peterborough. Nigel Adkins' side have had batches of results: bad, good, bad, good. They may well be slipping into a bad patch again, as so I am prepared to oppose them when they entertain Swansea on Saturday.

After a slow start of their own, Paolo Sousa's side have now gone eight games without defeat and climbed to halfway in the table. Their games are invariably tight and low-scoring - that eight-game unbeaten sequence has seen just eight goals in total. Therefore, I'll put both the draw and the away win in my pocket and lay Scunny at [2.82].

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Bristol City are undoubtedly one of the hardest sides to beat at home. They lost just three league games at Ashton Gate last season and are undefeated this term: they boast a home record comparable with that of Newcastle. They are also playing well at the moment, winning three and drawing the other two of their last five games. Visitors Sheffield Wednesday were soundly beaten 4-1 at Watford last Friday, making it three defeats in four games with nine goals conceded. They shipped more goals away from home last season than anyone else, and they are faring no better on their travels this term. Therefore, at around [2.02], get behind City.

Tags: Championship Betting, Chris Hughton, Ipswich Town, Newcastle United, Nigel Adkins, Paulo Sousa, Roy Keane, Scunthorpe United, Sheffield Wednesday, The Championship Betting