BILLY BUNTER

Weblog: The football punter

Jilted Tangerines can rebound with replay win

YOU know you're in trouble when the No.1 candidate to become your manager turns you down to join Bristol City.

Harry Redknapp thought he was saddled with a challenge when he signed on at Loftus Road but jeez! Sean O'Driscoll, a bloke with a good pedigree who won't be short of offers in this sack-happy period of the season, must have seen something the rest of us have missed by agreeing to take over at Ashton Gate.

So how does that make Blackpool feel? The Tangerines reckon they had their man and apparently were poised to offer O'Driscoll the manager's job at their place, but they suddenly find themselves being jilted.

He prefers the karma at Bristol City where they've had fewer clean sheets than a maternity ward at peak time.

It means Blackpool are in the capable - or I guess they're capable - hands of Steve Thompson for the visit of Fulham in a third round FA Cup replay, and notwithstanding all the unhappiness around Bloomfield Road, I'm taking them to spring one of two shocks.

Fulham aren't in the greatest of form so there's no way Martin Jol is going to head for Lancashire with all his big dogs chomping at the bit.

The same's got to be true of Wigan at Bournemouth. The Cherries could have won the first game at Wigan but had to settle for a second chance at Dean Court where they can take apart Roberto Martinez's second string.

The other upset - ie, a team from a lower division beating a team from a division higher - is the MK Dons against Sheffield Wednesday, though as you can see from the prices, it'll be no surprise to anyone if the Dons pull it off.