Off to Ashton Gate - All change

A last minute change for this weekend's game.

On Tuesday I was asked to cover the Walsall/Yeovil clash up at the Bescot, but have just been informed that I'm no needed in Bristol to watch City play Norwich.

It will be good to get along to Ashton Gate for the first time this season and I'm looking forward to seeing Paul Lambert's high flying Canaries.

I interviewed Lambert a few times when he was in charge of Wycombe and the guy is a typical dry humoured Scot who had an excellent reputation as a player, turning out in over four hundred games for St. Mirren and Celtic while also serving Borussia Dortmund with distinction.

Lambert was capped by Scotland 40 times and - after cutting his managerial teeth at Livingston and Wycombe - joined Colchester briefly before taking Norwich up as League One champions last season.

It looks as though they haven't lost momentum if the early season results are anything to go by as they are tucked in behind QPR and Cardiff at the right end of the table.

City on the other hand are playing well below their best and don't seem to have recovered from Steve Coppell's shock resignation at the start of the season.

Keith Millen took over and the heat is now on despite being given the manager's job by the board.

One win - away from home at Scunthorpe - in isn't quite the start that the Bristol fans had envisaged when they parted company with Gary Johnson towards the end of last season.

At the time,  I remember thinking that maybe everyone was expecting too much, too quickly from Johnson. He had taken them from the foot of League One to a defeat in the Championship Play-Off Final and - in my humble opinion - deserved full backing from the board despite a below par showing last term.

It would indeed be ironic if Johnson were to take Posh - sitting pretty in fifth spot in League One - back up to the Championship at the first attempt while City passed them going in the other direction.

But of course the season is still young and anything can happen. Ask Norwich fans who saw their side thumped 7-1 on the opening day last season by a Colchester side managed by, er, Paul Lambert!

Oxford versus Rovers – Keep your eye on the money

I’m off to watch the 'big one' tonight in the Carling Cup and while the Premiersip sides seem to increasingly see this tournament as a bit of an inconvenience, for the cash strapped smaller clubs, it could be a way of easing their financial pressures.

Arguably both of these clubs need the money as well .

Having done well last season to get back into the league, Oxford have every chance of making it two promotions on the trot in what is a fairly even division and so any extra cash would be welcomed by boss Chris Wilder as he looks to strengthen.

Paul Trollope is in the same situation at Rovers.

The Memorial Ground fans have backed him for the last few seasons, but are becoming more demanding and the pressure will build if they aren’t in the play-off places come May. The problem is that the crowds at the Mem don’t bring in enough revenue to underwrite big money signings and so a win against Oxford - and therefore the chance to get one step nearer to meeting a ‘big’ club later in the competition - is certainly something the bank manager would be keen on!

I suspect that Trolls would love to buy (or loan) a target man to act as a foil for striker Jo Kuffour and I believe this could help spur them on. Certainly another 3-0 drubbing like the one they received at Peterborough (managed by former Bristol City boss Gary Johnson) won’t help with finances or morale.

Money aside, the game will be a good test for Oxford. It’s an opportunity for them to pit their wits against an established League One side.

Personally I see it going to the wire and penalties … so – as my predictions are usually crap - put your money on one or other side being three-nil up by half time!!