Bad week for top and bottom clubs

Last updated : 02 February 2012 By Tony Scholes

Nothing has changed at the top. West Ham and Southampton still occupy the top two places and it is also the same four clubs in the play off places. However, it has all closed up with West Ham losing and the next four getting one point each, allowing Birmingham, the only winners from the top six, to move up to fourth place in the table.

Birmingham really are the ones to watch. They were impressive in the first half against us at St. Andrew's back in November and they've managed to get up there despite all the extra games in the Europa League.

They are currently above Middlesbrough and Hull on goal difference and four points behind third place Cardiff, but they do have a game in hand, a home game at that and they haven't been beaten at home all season.

The results really have closed things up. Blackpool and Reading are just a point outside the top six and we come next a further two points behind whilst managerless Leeds and Brighton are one point behind us.

If it's tight at the top then it definitely isn't at the bottom. Bottom club Coventry looked set for a win at Blackpool before conceding two late goals. Two points ahead of them are Doncaster and Nottingham Forest. Donny went above Forest, gaining a point from their 0-0 draw at Hull.

Forest, of course, lost to the Clarets, and I have to say that I've revised my views on their chances of staying up. They looked an appalling side when they came to Turf Moor earlier in the season. I expected them to be better but in truth they weren't. They looked like a side with no confidence at all and unless they find some soon they could be in serious, serious trouble.

Millwall are just outside that bottom three now with Ipswich having beaten West Ham, but they are five points clear so no matter what happens this weekend, the bottom three won't change.

Our win means we have now, alongside West Ham, won more away games than any other Championship club. There always has to be a downside unfortunately and right now only Bristol City, Crystal Palace, Doncaster and Nottingham Forest have won less home games. On points, we're second best away (24 points) but 18th at home (19 points).

The week's results are below along with the stats, leading goalscorers, each club's disciplinary record, the highest and lowest attendances and the next fixtures.

The Week's Results
Saturday 28th January
Peterborough United 0 Portsmouth 3 Reading 1 Bristol City 0
Tuesday 31st January
Barnsley 3 Derby County 2 Leeds United 1 Birmingham City 4
Blackpool 2 Coventry City 1 Millwall 0 Watford 2
Crystal Palace 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Nottingham Forest 0 Burnley 2
Hull City 0 Doncaster Rovers 0 Southampton 1 Cardiff City 1
Ipswich Town 5 West Ham United 1  
Wednesday 1st February
Leicester City 2 Middlesbrough 2  

 

The Week's Stats
Biggest Win Birmingham City 5-1 v Leeds United (away)
Total Goals Scored 35 (16 home - 19 away)

Player Scoring Most Goals

4 - Nikola Zigic (Birmingham City)
Highest Attendance 24,356 - Southampton v Cardiff City
Lowest Attendance 7,555 - Peterborough United v Portsmouth
Total Yellow Cards 28
Total Red Cards 1
Most Cards in a Game Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion (5Y) Ref: Stuart Attwell

 

Leading Goalscorers (League Only)
16 Rickie Lambert (Southampton) - includes 6 penalties
13 Ross McCormack (Leeds United)
12 Darius Henderson (Millwall) - includes 2 penalties
10 Guly Do Prado (Southampton)
David Nugent (Leicester City)
Jay Rodriguez (Burnley) - includes 1 penalty
Billy Sharp (Southampton) - includes 1 penalty - (10 with Doncaster Rovers)
Robert Snodgrass (Leeds Uniited)
Ricardo Vaz Te (West Ham United) - (10 with Barnsley)
Chris Wood (Bristol City) - (9 with Birmingham City)
9 Keith Andrews (Ipswich Town)
Charlie Austin (Burnley)
Craig Davies (Barnsley) - includes 1 penalty
Matty Fryatt (Hull City) - includes 1 penalty
Lukas Jutkiewicz (Middlesbrough) - includes 1 penalty - (9 with Coventry City)
Marlon King (Birmingham City) - includes 2 penalties
Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough)
Kenny Miller (Cardiff City)

 

Hat Tricks
 Date Player & Game
20/08/11 3: Lee Tomlin - PETERBOROUGH UNITED v Ipswich Town
10/09/11 3: Rickie Lambert - SOUTHAMPTON v Nottingham Forest
11/09/11 3: Chris Wood - BIRMINGHAM CITY v Millwall
12/10/11 3: Darius Henderson - Leicester City v MILLWALL
02/11/11 3: Jonjo Shelvey - Leeds United v BLACKPOOL
19/11/11 3: Rickie Lambert - SOUTHAMPTON v Brighton & Hove Albion
26/12/11 3: Matthew Phillips - Barnsley v BLACKPOOL
31/12/11 3: Ricardo Vaz Te - BARNSLEY v Leeds United
21/01/12 3: Darius Henderson - Barnsley v MILLWALL
31/01/12 4: Nikola Zigic - Leeds United v BIRMINGHAM CITY

 

Disciplinary Record (League and Cup)
Club Y R Y R Club Y R Y R
  League   Total   League  Total 
Barnsley 37 1 40 1 Ipswich Town 34 4 35 4
Birmingham City 37 1 39 1 Leeds United 41 5 47 5
Blackpool 37 1 38 2 Leicester City 42 5 48 5
Brighton and Hove Albion 65 5 77 5 Middlesbrough 46 4 47 4
Bristol City 42 2 44 2 Millwall 45 2 50 2
Burnley 40 2 48 2 Nottingham Forest 37 3 42 3
Cardiff City 35 0 49 0 Peterborough United 34 2 37 2
Coventry City 33 2 35 2 Portsmouth 45 3 52 3
Crystal Palace 38 1 42 2 Reading 40 0 43 0
Derby County 37 1 37 1 Southampton 34 3 35 3
Doncaster Rovers 43 2 45 2 Watford 37 1 38 1
Hull City 47 1 48 1 West Ham United 45 3 48 4

 

Highest and Lowest Attendances
Highest Lowest
Att Fixture Att Fixture
34,936 West Ham United v Coventry City (02/01) 6,351 Peterborough United v Cardiff City (18/10)
34,749 West Ham United v Barnsley (17/12) 7,550 Peterborough United v Portsmouth (28/01)
33,465 West Ham United v Portsmouth (10/09) 7,650 Doncaster Rovers v Watford (26/11)
33,010 Derby County v Southampton (15/10) 7,778 Doncaster Rovers v Bristol City (27/08)
33,010 Derby County v Leeds United (26/12) 7,901 Peterborough United v Burnley (17/09)
32,150 Southampton v West Ham United (18/10) 7,928 Peterborough United v Ipswich Town (20/08)
31,812 Southampton v Brighton & Hove Albion (19/11) 8,062 Peterborough United v Coventry City (17/12)
31,718 West Ham United v Nottingham Forest (21/01) 8,320 Peterborough United v Barnsley (03/12)
31,524 Southampton v Crystal Palace (26/12) 8,426 Doncaster Rovers v Coventry City (29/10)
31,448 West Ham United v Blackpool (15/10) 8,500 Peterborough Utd v Doncaster Rovers (01/10)

 

The Next Fixtures
Saturday 4th February
Birmingham City v Southampton (17:20) Doncaster Rovers v Reading
Brighton & Hove Albion v Leicester City Middlesbrough v Crystal Palace
Bristol City v Leeds United Portsmouth v Hull City
Burnley v Peterborough United Watford v Barnsley
Cardiff City v Blackpool West Ham United v Millwall (12:30)
Coventry City v Ipswich Town  
Sunday 5th February
Derby County v Nottingham Forest (12:15)