Chesterfield preview

When and where:
Wednesday 20th September 2006, Saltergate

Current form:
City are mired in a disastrous away form at present and have spent most of the week fending off growing talk of a 'crisis'. A potential banana skin tie at lower league opposition does not exactly feature highly on the agenda of games to turn it around.
Chesterfield meanwhile have a mixed start themselves, taking twelve points from their opening nine games - but have only won once in the past five games.

Team news:
I doubt we are in a position to be able to rest any players in this tie, but it is a shame that Isaksson and Trabelsi could not get some first team action. It will be good for Hamman to get ninety minutes under his belt but I don't see Pearce chopping and changing the line-up, although youngsters Sturridge, Etuhu and Johnson have been named int he squad.

Keys to the game:
It is vital that we can impose ourselves on the game early and establishing an early lead wouldn't go amiss as the last thing we want is for Chesterfield to get a foothold in the game with what will likely be a partisan crowd behind them. We are clearly the better side so it is imperative that we play like it.

Why City will win:
Because we are the better side and there are several players in the likely starting line up who are due a good performance. The players should also be up for it as it is realistically our best shot of silverware and European qualification.

Why City will lose:
Doncaster, Lincoln, Barnet. Could Chesterfield add themselves to the list of sides to humble us in this competition over the past ten years? Confidence is low in the side, there is pressure being put on from certain sections and historically we have fared badly. Surprising then that Sky haven't sniffed around this game sensing an upset.

Prediction:
Chesterfield 0 City 3