Women's Football 
/ Hannah Duncan / 05 October 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Jemma Rose's Bristol and Julie Fleeting's Arsenal are both in action this afternoon in the Champions League
"The Vixens struggled to assert themselves in the WSL this season, finishing with 16 points from 14 games and their opponents are well-versed on the European stage, having reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 2003/04 and 2004/05. With match odds at 1.4, a victory for the home side is likely to be the best bet."
There's Champions League action this afternoon but rather than Barcelona or Manchester United, it's the ladies of Bristol who will be taking centre stage. New columnist Hannah Duncan on that match and where Steve McClaren might go next.
As Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney et al take a break from Champions League action, attention turns to the women's version of the competition this week, with Arsenal Ladies and Bristol Academy representing England among Europe's elite.
The Gunners host Belarusian champions FC Bobruichanka this afternoon (kick-off 16:00) and are in a strong position to progress to the last 16 after a 4-0 win in the first-leg. The domestic treble winners are littered with England internationals and anything other than a high-scoring victory on home turf looks unlikely, as the North Londoners vie to better their semi-final showing last season.
This is Bristol Academy's inaugural Champions League campaign and the Vixens will have their work cut out against FC Energiya Voronezh this afternoon (kick-off 16:00) if they want to extend their stay in the competition. After a 1-1 draw at Ashton Gate last week, Bristol will need to go all-out for a win and could find goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain exposed at the back.
However, having conceded 20 goals in 14 Women's Super League games this season, there are unlikely to be many defensive frailties for the five-time Russian champions to exploit. But by the same token, the Vixens' goals-for column in the WSL read at just 14 from 14 outings, so it looks likely to be a low scoring affair - a dabble on under 2.5 goals at around [2.4] could see a return.
The Vixens struggled to assert themselves in the WSL this season, finishing with 16 points from 14 games and their opponents are well-versed on the European stage, having reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 2003/04 and 2004/05. With match odds at [1.4], a victory for the home side is likely to be the best bet.
Away from the women's and European game, the Barclays Premier League takes yet another break this weekend for international matches. But who are the big winners and losers of the halt in proceedings?
While Bolton may relish the chance to regroup after their dismal start to the season, Neil Warnock's QPR have an extra week to stew on the 6-0 drubbing handed to them by Fulham on Sunday, who themselves will miss the chance to build on their recent momentum before their trip to in-form Stoke.
Likewise Swansea, who are just starting to get into their stride, will have to wait an extra week before travelling to Norwich for their next dose of Premier League action.
Blackburn boss Steve Kean gets a breather from the calls for his head, but travels with his side to India for a promotion drive for the club's owners. The under-fire boss claims this will help bring his squad together, but you can't help but feel his comments are just trying to keep Venky's sweet. Whether Kean will even be in charge come Rovers' next League game away to QPR remains a big doubt.
With that in mind, could Lancashire be the next step on the managerial ladder for former England boss Steve McClaren? The 'Wally with the Brolly' departed his post at struggling Nottingham Forest over the weekend, which was a commendable move - saving the club over £2million in compensation for a sacking which looked inevitable.
Blackburn aside, there are unlikely to be many posts opening up over the season for McClaren, particularly in the top flight, though the likes of Owen Coyle at Bolton and Steve Bruce at Sunderland have probably had the odd sleepless night over the past few weeks.
So should a vacancy become available at Blackburn, McClaren may have to take a leap of faith to believe he can turn things around there. Given recent results at Ewood Park and his own record at Forest, he may be one of the few who would believe it.
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