Our resident North-East football expert has cast his opinion on the games around the region this weekend.
Try our feedback button, and see if you can beat him!
Saturday 3pm
Premier League
Newcastle United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
If ever there was a better time to play the deflated Wanderers, then Newcastle won’t have it! No-one wanted the managerial post at Molineux following the sacking of Mick McCarthy two weeks ago, leading Chief Executive Jez Moxey to appoint in the interim, McCarthy’s number two, Terry Connor yesterday. Wanderers haven’t lost in their last five away games, but their home form is alarming, and they come to the Sports Direct Arena licking the wounds of a 5-1 home reverse to arch rivals West Brom. Alan Pardew’s Toon Army look to press on for a top-four berth, and have the fire-power of Demba Ba and Papiss Demba Cisse to call upon. Chiek Tiote returns for the Magpies, who won the reverse fixture 2-1 in October, with goals from Ba and Jonas Gutierrez.
I’ll go for a crushing Magpies victory, by 4-0.
West Bromwich Albion vs Sunderland
Martin O’Neill’s bandwagon bounces into The Hawthorns as the rejuvenated Black Cats look to leapfrog Norwich into eighth spot. The Baggies is no easy haunt to go to, and last season they completed the double over Steve Bruce’s men, including a 1-0 victory in the corresponding encounter. Earlier this year, the Baggies drew 2-2 at the Stadium of Light, but have won just twice in the league since the turn of the year, including that crushing victory at Molineux when they knocked the final nail in Wolves’ manager Mick McCarthy’s coffin. Sunderland’s front line will be buoyed by the call-up of Fraizer Campbell to the England squad, and he’ll be looking to show Stuart Pearce and the rest of the country that he is worthy of his place, despite only playing five times since an 18-month lay-off through injury.
Gritty O’Neill’s men to grab a point in a 1-1 draw.
Championship
Middlesbrough vs Reading
Mogga’s Boro face fellow promotion hopefuls Reading in a top-six clash at the Riverside. Reading (fourth) come to the North-East one point and two places better off than Boro after a run of four straight wins which has seen them unbreached by their opponents. Boro had a good 3-1 win at Millwall during the week but their home form in the league has seen them draw too many games. The reverse fixture in October produced a 0-0 stalemate, but with the return to form of Dutchman Marvin Emnes, expect Boro to do to the Royals what no team has done since Hull over a month ago, score a goal.
I’m opting for the Boro to take this tight encounter 1-0
League One
Wycombe vs Hartlepool
11th placed Pools travel to basement boys Wycombe hoping to continue a run which has seen them beaten only once in the last seven, since the return of former boss Neale Cooper. Wycombe, by contrast, have won just twice in their last 10, though both did come on home turf, against Tranmere and Rochdale. The Chairboys have recruited former Spurs and Norwich defender Gary Doherty this week, but Pools exciting talent, 17-year-old Luke James will show no fear against a man over twice his age.
Pools to edge this one, 2-1, avenging their 3-1 reverse at Victoria Park in October.
