The man of the moment, David Healy takes centre stage this Friday as he tries to help Leeds United begin their fight against relegation when they take on Preston North End at home.

The 27-year-old took his Northern Ireland tally to nine in six games in the stunning 2-1 victory against Sweden on Wednesday that took the province to top spot in Group F.

However, at club level Healy has managed just eight goals in 25 games and United find themselves rooted to the foot of the table.

Fourth-placed Preston are the visitors to Elland Road and that spells trouble for the home side.

David Nugent, who scored on his England debut against Andorra in midweek, will be brimming with confidence watched by a posse of scouts ready to make their bid ahead of the inevitable summer sale.

But we think there could be something of an upset in Yorkshire.

Leeds boss Dennis Wise must surely come to his senses before it's too late and take Healy away from the right wing and plonk him at centre forward.

The Ulsterman is 13/2 with Betterbet.com to score the first goal and we will go with that.

We return to Euro 2008 qualifiers this Wednesday and Steve McClaren must be dreading the very thought of failing to win against Andorra.

The goalless draw in Israel on Saturday hammered another nail into the former Middlesbrough boss's coffin and only a comprehensive win will earn him some respite - but one suspects only some.

Make no mistake, this is a 'can't draw' game far less a 'can't lose' game but although talk of rifts in the England camp continues, even under the less than inspirational guidance of McClaren, victory is assured.

No real value in the England win at 1/40 in some places so we will take Betterbet.com's 5/2 for the every-angry Wayne Rooney to score the first goal and double it up with a bet in the Scotland versus Italy game in Bari.

Alex McLeish's side sit atop Group B along with France with 12 points out of 15 but they will have to make history if they are to beat the World Cup holders.

The Scots have never won on Italian soil and indeed have only scored once in five attempts.

We think that even a draw is beyond the visitors and again, given that there is no value on an Italy win, we will take Betterbet.com's Luca Toni at 10/3 to get the first goal.

We thought we were rather unlucky with Saturday's tips, England drawing and Ireland winning as we said, only for Georgia to trip us up with a defeat against Scotland at Hampden.

Klaus Toppmoller's side were the better outfit but paid for a lack of
conviction by losing a last-gasp goal to Craig Beattie.

Monday night's fare is a little less rich but the Nationwide Conference game
between Oxford United and Dagenham and Redbridge sees the top two teams in
the league go head-to-head live on television.

The Daggers are leading the way, 11 points ahead of Jim Smith's side who
really need all three points if they are to have a realistic hope of
catching the Essex club.

We think the visitors will be good enough to get the point that will keep on
track for the title and will take Betterbet.com's 11/5 for the draw.

The Euro 2008 qualifiers take over the weekend and the most interesting ties involve England at Israel and Scotland at home to Georgia as well as the historic match at Croke Park between the Republic of Ireland and Wales.

England cannot travel to Tel Aviv with any real confidence after four games without a win and just one goal.

Israel are no world-beaters but you have to remember that Steve McClaren's side have drawn 0-0 at home against Macedonia and lost 2-0 in Croatia, shocking results for the former Middlesbrough boss who is a hairsbreadth away from totally losing the support of the public.

Israel are a formidable side at home, they have lost just one game in their last six which leads us to think that England may have to settle for a draw which Betterbet.com offers at 2/1.

We will go for glory at Hampden Park and add that draw to high-priced Georgia to stump Alex McLeish in his first match as Scotland boss.

The Scots are top of Group B after four games but many think that Walter Smith got out at the right time when he departed to take over at Ibrox for the second time.

McLeish's appointment was arguably one of convenience and he is under pressure to get all three points against Georgia before they travel to Bari to play Italy.

The visitors have lost three of their four qualification games but have beaten Uruguay and Turkey in their last two friendlies.

We have a hunch that the 6/1 that Betterbet.com offers for the Georgia win will turn out to be the best bet of the weekend.

A triple is perhaps pushing it, given the risk we are taking with Georgia, but if you are feeling lucky then the Republic at 8/13 should nudge their way past Wales in the first ever soccer match played at Croke Park.

Micah Richards came through Friday's sessionGroup E: Israel v EnglandDate: Saturday 24 MarchKick-off: 1830 GMT Venue: Ramat Gan StadiumCoverage: Live on BBC Five Live Sport, updates on the BBC Sport website, highlights on BBC 1 at 2220 GMT
Manchester City defender Micah Richards should available to play for England in their Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
The 18-year-old defender limped out of City's win against Middlesbrough at the Riverside with a calf injury.
But Richards was able to train with the rest of the England squad on Friday after shaking off the injury.
Coach Steve McClaren will now hope Richards suffers no reaction to Friday's training session.
All 23 players in McClaren's squad were involved in training.
Jonathan Woodgate has remained in England for treatment on a knee injury.
Woodgate, on loan at Middlesbrough from Real Madrid, has not travelled to Tel Aviv but could be back to play Andorra next Wednesday.
"Jonathan's fitness comes first and we won't take risks with any player," said England coach Steve McClaren.
"We will keep in close contact with Middlesbrough to determine his availability for the Andorra match."
Woodgate's withdrawal has added to McClaren's defensive problems.

Right-back Gary Neville is out injured, left-back Ashley Cole is suspended and Richards must come through a training session.
Full-backs Luke Young and Gareth Barry were late call-ups to help ease McClaren's problems at the back but Woodgate's injury will leave England short of cover in central defence.
John Terry and Rio Ferdinand are expected to start in the heart of the defence and, with Jamie Carragher set to play on either the right or left side of defence, will be the only recognised centre-backs in the squad.
In attack, injured striker Darren Bent has been replaced by Preston's Nugent.
Nugent will be getting his first taste of the senior international scene and, If he plays, the 21-year-old would be England's first outfield player from outside the top flight since Michael Gray in 1999.
Nugent has scored 16 goals this season and is the first Preston player to be called up by England since Sir Tom Finney in 1959.

Dear punters, let us refresh your memory concerning Monday's tip for the two FA Cup quarter-final replays.

In advising a Manchester United and Chelsea double, we said: 'We will take Betterbet.com's 7/2 for the Old Trafford side to emerge victors after a drawn first-half and ….take Chelsea at 11/10 with Betterbet.com for the other part of your double.'

As you know, that is exactly what happened and hopefully you cashed in.

While we wait on the Euro 2008 qualification weekend coming up, the Conference clash between Halifax and Oxford United allows us the chance to add to Monday's winnings.

The visitors are still battling to catch leaders Rushden and Diamonds at the top of the table while Halifax are clear of the relegation zone and it doesn‘t look like they will be under any pressure.

To us, it looks like it's a case of the form side winning. Oxford carved out a fine 3-0 win at Altrincham at the weekend while Halifax went down 1-0 to Tamworth.

Jim Smith believes that United's comprehensive victory - their biggest away win since October - showed that his side can still make promotion and we certainly don't think they will trip up at Halifax.

Betterbet.com offers a healthy 12/5 for Oxford to be winning at half-time and full-time. Lump on.

Manchester United and Chelsea will thank no one for their respective FA Cup quarter-final replays which add greatly to their already-congested fixture list but fans and viewers will be glad to see some more exciting knockout football this Monday night.

United drew 2-2 with Middlesbrough in the first game at the Riverside and inevitably they are favourites to finish the tie off at Old Trafford.

Saturday's thrashing of Bolton showed that Sir Alex Ferguson's men are on top form and despite Boro having sprung a couple of surprises on their trips to Old Trafford in the previous few years we can't see anything but a home win.

The Teessiders suffered something of a shock home defeat by Manchester City on Saturday and are no match for an on-form Red Devils side.

Watford await the victors in the semi-final and unfortunately for the Hornets, we expect them to be facing United.

We will take Betterbet.com's 7/2 for the Old Trafford side to emerge victors after a drawn first-half and add it to the other replay at White Hart Lane where Spurs and Chelsea fight out for the right to meet Blackburn Rovers in the semi-final.

Spurs managed to pass up on the chance of a famous victory over the Blues in the first game at Stamford Bridge when they surrendered a 3-1 lead and conventional thinking is that they will be made to pay for that ineptitude in the replay.

The North London side have beaten Chelsea at home in the Premiership this season but we think the psychological damage done in the first cup game will hand Jose Mourinho's side the advantage.

Take Chelsea at 11/10 with Betterbet.com for the other part of your double.

There is something about Arsenal without striker Thierry Henry that instantly makes you think about betting against them.

The Frenchman is out for the rest of the season through injury and hence will miss the trip to Goodison Park on Sunday.

The Gunners are out of all the cup competitions and while they are on course for another Champions League spot, Arsene Wenger needs to put down a marker for next season.

However, they're coming up against an Everton side who have lost just three times in 14 starts at home in the league this season and have suffered defeat just once in their last seven games.

Arsenal will probably have enough class to escape with a point so we will take Betterbet.com's 9/4 for the draw and take it onto the CIS Insurance Cup final between Kilmarnock and Hibs at Hampden.

Betterbet.com's 11/5 for the draw in this match looks good to us.

Both sides are evenly-matched, to say the least. Both sit on the same points total in the SPL, with the three clashes this season producing a win for each and a draw.

On their day both are capable of playing good football with perhaps the Easter Road side just easier on the eyes than their more robust Ayrshire counterparts.

Hibs have not won the Scottish Cup in 105 years but their League Cup record is better - it's only 16 years since they last paraded that trophy down Princess Street.

Killie, meanwhile, have to go back 10 years for their last major trophy.

But it's a draw for us with the Rugby Park side maybe to nick it in extra-time.

West Ham's visit to Blackburn on Saturday could end up as another depressing day of public humiliation for the Hammers.

United's season has moved from bad to worse and it looks like they are on their way to the Championship with some spectacular displays of defensive ineptness.

The loss of eight goals in their last two games does not augur well for the Irons who are coming up against a side who are, by their standards, on a roll.

And given that West Ham have taken just three points from a possible 42 and scored only four goals, their supporters who travel up to Ewood Park could be forgiven for watching the match through their fingers.

Certainly Rovers are in rude health. In the semi-finals of the FA Cup and having now won their last four games, this is a run of form as good as anything in recent years.

Mark Hughes' side are not prolific in front of goal however, so we don't think there will be a barrowload of goals.

We will take Betterbet.com's offer of 11/2 for a 2-0 win with a side bet of 3-0 at the more attractive 10/1.

Manchester City versus Chelsea at Eastlands is a delicious contest between two managers under different pressures.

Under-fire Stuart Pearce has vowed he 'will not hide' as he faces crisis point as City boss but many are saying he could be out if they get beat by the Blues.

After four successive league defeats, followed by an FA Cup quarter-final capitulation at Blackburn, the Sky Blues fans are on the warpath.

And it has to be said, a game against the Chelsea superstars is not what he would want.

However, all is not running smoothly in West London either. The Stamford Bridge manager Jose Mourinho has been in the news again but it's nothing to do with side who continue in their quest to win four competitions this season.

Coming back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Spurs in the FA Cup showed the fighting qualities of the players but not for the first time, the former Porto boss made the headlines for the wrong reasons.

To is great relief, Mourinho will not face any disciplinary action from the Football Association over allegedly using the Portuguese word 'puta'- which translates as 'bitch', towards referee Mike Riley at half-time against Tottenham on Sunday.

Let's hope Chelsea make the news for the right reasons after this match but we think it will be Pearce who will be closer to the precipice.

There seems to be a split in the City dressing room and we can't see them galvanising so quickly.

We shall take Betterbet.com's even money for Chelsea to be win both halves and nudge Pearce nearer the exit.

Monday night provides us with some Conference football and the rare chance to see Burton Albion live on television when they welcome Forest Green Rovers.

The home side are in sixth place at the moment while the visitors are languishing 12 points behind in mid-table so there is a gap in class.

Burton's 2-1 win over Woking on Saturday kept their promotion hopes alive while Forest Green registered a fine 2-0 win at Oxford United although there is no chance of them getting out of the league.

It's not always easy to find a winner in a Conference table which is characterised by inconsistency and with so many former League clubs looking to get back among the big boys.

However, we can't see this being anything other than a straightforward home win.

Nigel Clough believes home form can take Albion up this season and certainly on their day, they are a match for most in the Conference. We agree and will back them against Rovers.

We will put enough money on Albion at 8/11 with Betterbet.com to make it worth our while.

We tipped Middlesbrough and Manchester United's FA Cup quarter-final tie to go to a replay so let's hope our luck holds out when we look at the other three ties that are being played this Sunday.

Chelsea are still going for "The Quadruple" this season and take on arch rivals Tottenham at Stamford Bridge, a side they traditionally beat with regularity and ease.

The Blues are unbeaten in 10 matches and haven't lost at home all season but Spurs are also in good form having won five on the trot, their latest victory coming against Braga in the UEFA Cup on Thursday night.

Tottenham's win over Chelsea earlier in the season at White Hart Lane, however, was their first over the Blues in 11 games and all things being equal, their next won't come in this game.

Take Betterbet.com's 4/9 and put it on Blackburn to beat Manchester City at Ewood Park.

Rovers are not everyone's cup of tea but they have played City twice in the league this season, winning 4-2 at Ewood Park and 3-0 at Eastlands.

Mark Hughes' FA Cup history is well chronicled and so maybe his name is on the trophy again this season.

City's last win over a Premiership side was a 1-0 victory over Everton on New Year's Day so there is nothing to suggest they can raise their game to take on the stuffy Lancashire side.

We will take Betterbet.com's 5/6 on offer for Blackburn win and put it on Plymouth at 7/5 to beat Premiership Watford in the third tie of the day.

The Pilgrims have some unfinished business with the Hertfordshire outfit reaching back to 1984 when the Hornets came out trumps in their FA Cup clash and we think a large and vociferous home crowd will roar their heroes into the semi-finals.

The rebuilding of Wembley Stadium has cost £757m
The Football Association has finally taken control of the new Wembley Stadium, more than a year after it was originally scheduled to open.
Construction firm Multiplex handed over the keys late on Friday, signalling an end to its £757m building work.

The FA said it was a "significant step" towards staging May's FA Cup final at the new north London complex.

Works were originally scheduled to finish in January 2006, and the cost of the project has increased dramatically.

Test events

In a statement on the FA website, chief executive Brian Barwick said the handover was a "significant step towards staging this year's FA Cup final and opening the new Wembley Stadium".

But he said confirmation of whether the final on 19 May would take place at Wembley would only be given after two "ramp-up events" of up to 60,000 capacity to test the facilities.

"We have been preparing for a very long time and are delighted to finally get inside the stadium," he added.

The first of two test events needed to get a safety certificate will be a community day for 60,000 people on 17 March.

606: DEBATE
Do you think the new Wembley will have been worth the wait?

There will be a mini-football tournament on the day involving celebrity teams, and visitors will also help the organisers test facilities such as the turnstiles, escalators and toilets.

The second test event will be an England Under-21 match against their Italian counterparts on 24 March and, unless there are unforeseen problems, a safety certificate will be awarded in time for the FA Cup final to take place.

Pop star George Michael is scheduled to play the first concert at the revamped stadium on 9 June.

Tom Kelly, an official of the GMB union, which represents many of the workers involved in the building work at the stadium, said the complex was a "wonderful memorial to the craftsmanship of the skilled workers" involved.

He added: "We are proud of it and we are certain that Wembley will stage many dramatic and memorable events in the future."

The prospect of this season's FA Cup final returning to Wembley appears to have increased and the eight quarter-finalists will be going all out this weekend to make sure they are in the hat for the semi-final draw.

Only one tie, however, is being played on Saturday, the tea-time clash between Middlesbrough and Manchester United at the Riverside.

Boro, under Steve McClaren, knocked United out of the competition in 2001/02 and Gareth Southgate's side have shown enough good form recently to suggest they could spring a surprise.

The Teessiders have lost only once in their last 14 games in all competitions as they have consolidated after a dodgy start to the season.

But despite their good form, United remain a formidable obstacle.

The Red Devils are sweeping all before them this season and even when they are not playing particularly well, like against Lille in midweek, they are still grinding out the results.

United are also on course for the Barclays Premiership, holding a nine-point lead over Chelsea and in case Middlesbrough forget, the Old Trafford side gathered three points at the Riverside with a 2-1 win at the end of last year.

They won't like it but we think the visitors may have to settle for a draw and another replay to add to their congested fixture list and so we will take Betterbet.com's 5/2 for the side to be level after 90 minutes.

Championship drama is assured in the mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash between Birmingham and Derby at St Andrews.

This promises to be one of the most compelling encounters of the season between two sides who are nip and tuck as the title races approaches the final furlong.

As the leaders appear to change on a game-by-game basis, County are currently top of the table over Birmingham by two points although the Blues have a game in hand.

Sunday's 1-0 win over Cardiff was City's fourth such scoreline in the last six games and they have received another boost to their Premiership aspirations this week.

Steve Bruce could throw striker Mikael Forssell into the fray, the Finland international continuing his successful comeback from knee surgery by scoring twice in a 4-1 win over West Brom at The Hawthorns.

But it won't be easy. Derby's hard fought 2-1 win over Norwich on Tuesday night took the Rams back top of the table and it is likely that they will be there or thereabouts when the trophy is won.

However, home advantage could be crucial and the midlands club are building up a nice head of steam.

We think Birmingham will return to the top and will take Betterbet.com's 7/2 for the game to be drawn at half-time before the Blues emerge as winners.

Another dramatic Champions League night is promised as three British sides aim to join Liverpool and Chelsea in the quarter-finals of Europe's most prestigious club tournament.

On the face of it, the easier task on the night falls to Manchester United who take on Lille at Old Trafford 1-0 up from the first leg in France.

There was a huge furore when they nicked that victory with Ryan Giggs' free-kick but they won't need luck to cruise through to the last eight.

We will take Betterbet.com's admittedly skimpy 1/3 for the Red Devils win and add it to Arsenal to beat PSV in London.

At the Emirates Stadium, things could be tricky for the Gunners who try to recover a 1-0 deficit against the Dutch.

The return of talismanic Thierry Henry will be a boost but the pressure is on the Frenchman and his team mates because, despite all the plaudits they have received for their good football this season, they are struggling at the moment.

Out of the Premiership race, losers in the Carling Cup final and dumped out of the FA Cup by Blackburn, Arsene Wenger knows he needs to make a significant impact in Europe.

We think they will just about manage it and will take Betterbet.com's 4/9 for the home win and an English double.

In Italy, Celtic attempt to grab their first ever away win in the Champions League when they take on the formidable AC Milan at the San Siro.

The Hoops were put through hoops at Parkhead a fortnight ago in the first leg but escaped with a goalless draw which means one goal will turn the tie in their favour.

However, in each of their away games in the tournament this season, they have lost three goals and sides like Copenhagen and Benfica didn't need to work hard for their wins.

The Rossoneri are not the side they used to be but it is difficult to see them slipping up and so we will have some of Betterbet.com's 8/1 for a 3-0 with a side bet of 11/2 for 2-0.

While we look ahead to the Championship clash between Preston and Southampton let us remind you of Sunday's tip that came up trumps albeit courtesy of a dramatic last-gasp goal.

Our advice was, '..We think things are too far gone for Curbishley's side and although Spurs have displayed a soft centre in crunch games, we reckon they are worth Betterbet.com's 11/10 for the win.'

This game in Lancashire might end up being a little less dramatic than Spurs' 4-3 win at Upton Park but there can be no disguising how crucial this match is to the home side. But we think they may come a cropper.

George Burley's talent as a boss is well recognised and he has the knack of gelling players together into solid football side.

Southampton moved up to sixth place with a 1-0 win over Ipswich and that occurred despite the backdrop of backroom turmoil, the Saints confirming last week that Leon Crouch has taken the role of acting chairman of the club following Michael Wilde's departure.

Preston, on the other hand, were hammered 4-1 at Cardiff on Friday and they will be reeling from what was a comprehensive defeat.

We think the pendulum may have swung away from North End and will take Betterbet.com's 7/4 for a Southampton win.

Have we ever witnessed a club capitulate so quickly as woeful West Ham United have done this season?

This year has been cataclysmic for the Irons and relegation is all too real a prospect for Alan Curbishley who has managed to make things worse since he took over.

The east London club have taken just two points from their last seven games and have also been knocked out of the FA Cup by their fellow Premiership strugglers Watford.

The fact that Curbishley's old side Charlton handed out a 4-0 hammering last week just made things taste all the more sour down Upton Park way.

For their part. Spurs seem to be on fire at the moment, especially on their travels and they have now won three games in a row away from White Hart Lane, a scenario which would have been very unlikely in recent years.

This is West Ham's 'real' London derby and they will be fired up, as will their fans.

But we think things are too far gone for Curbishley's side and although Spurs have displayed a soft centre in crunch games, we reckon they are worth Betterbet.com's 11/10 for the win.

The tension surrounding the Barclays Premiership title race cranks up another notch this weekend and Chelsea hope to remain on the heels of Manchester United with a win at Portsmouth at Saturday tea-time.

The Blues' last game saw them pick up the Carling Cup in that controversial match with Arsenal at the Millennium stadium so their confidence will be high.

Stamford Bridge skipper John Terry misses out after suffering a bout of concussion in Cardiff and that should give Pompey some hope but the hard fact remains that Harry Redknapp's side are on the crest of a slump.

After such a good first half to the campaign, Portsmouth have won just once in eight league games and the 3-0 defeat by Blackburn in their last match was undoubtedly their worst performance of the season.

If you are still swithering, then bear in mind that Chelsea have won all seven Premiership clashes between the pair with the loss of just one goal.

Portsmouth should be able to hold out for a draw in the first half but Chelsea's class will come through after the break and we will take Betterbet.com's 3/1 for that outcome.

The Championship provides three matches this Friday night but we will be focusing on the live televised match from Pride Park where stuttering Derby take on Colchester.

County are now tied in second place with West Brom, a point behind Birmingham and their title aspirations have taken a dent with two league defeats on the bounce, the latest coming in a 2-1 defeat at Sunderland.

In fact, the Rams have not won in four games but this match against the U's offers a more than decent chance to put the pressure back on the front runners ahead of their game on Saturday.

Colchester should not really pose a problem. Realistically, the Essex side are in with a chance of the play-offs but were held to a goalless draw at home to Burnley in their last outing.

With teenage wunderkind Giles Barnes set to start after his superb solo effort against the Black Cats we reckon Billy Davies' side will get their championship hopes back on track and will gladly take Betterbet.com offer of 7/4 for them to be winning at half-time and full-time.

Adebayor protested after his red card in the cup finalArsene Wenger has branded a linesman a "liar" after the official's role in the sending off of Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor during the Carling Cup final.
The Arsenal manager insists Adebayor was the victim of mistaken identity.
Adebayor's appeal against his dismissal was rejected by the FA and Wenger said: "We don't agree with the statement of the linesman. I think it's a lie.
"I feel Adebayor didn't punch anybody so when the linesman says he punched somebody, he lies," claimed Wenger.

"There are players that have punched that haven't been charged," he said after Tuesday's 1-0 FA Cup replay defeat at Blackburn.
Wenger added: "I don't agree at all with the match report, with what the linesman said. This is a lie - a complete lie.
"He comes out now and says Adebayor punched Lampard. I'd like Lampard to come out and say Adebayor punched him.
"Is it just a coincidence that you have 20 men who have a brawl and only the Arsenal players were guilty? It is unbelievable but maybe they have their own way to do justice.
"I personally don't agree at all with the compliance committee and they have a very selective view. It is strange, just a coincidence to look at who has been charged. It is very difficult to accept."
Adebayor's appeal against a three-match ban for his red card was rejected on Tuesday and he was unable to play against Blackburn.
And the striker also faces a separate charge of reacting aggressively and failing to leave the pitch after being sent off.
A hearing has been set for Tuesday 6 March.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea have already been charged with misconduct by the FA.