Swansea City v Carlisle - Match Preview

After a long hard week on the road there is nothing like returning home to the family. And that is exactly what Swansea City will experience tomorrow when they return to action at the Liberty Stadium on Family Day with a 15,000 plus crowd expected for the occasion. From our point of view we need a win to move back into the play off places and we have to kick start a run of form somewhere. We hope.

Shall we start with the good news or the bad news? The good you say? Darren Pratley is back from suspension. And onto the bad which sees us without Tom Butler, Shaun Macdonald, Owain Tudur Jones, Darren Way and Gary Monk. Those are the definite absentees. The possible absentees are Izzy Iriekpen, Marcos Painter and Tom Williams. Theres an inbalance in there somewhere.

Carlisle will hand a debut to on-loan Ipswich defender James Krause as Peter Murphy and Zigor Aranalde are banned.

Paul Arnison and David Raven are both fit again so Danny Livesey should move back to the centre of defence.

Until we hit the road in the last week or so our form was quite good but defeat at Brighton and a point at Blackpool has undone that just a tad like. However, home form is better with 11 points from the last 15 secured at the Liberty.

Carlisle have only picked up four points from their last six away trips but their overall form (7 points from 6 games) is just a point behind us over the same period. A win will see them move above us in the table.

The bookies are in no doubt that we are clear favourites for this with the Swans priced at 4/5 for the game with an away win a longs hot at 3/1. The draw can be backed with 365 at 23/10

I think the first goal scorer odds tell their own story with Trundle (7/2), Fallon (9/2), Bayo (5/1) , Robbo (5/1), Craney (13/2) and Chris Jones (15/2) all at shorter odds then Hawley or Gall (both 8/1) to grab the first goal. Leon Britton is a goal machine and the 12/1 available on him is just screaming "back me, back me"

I don't know why I bother talking doubles cos they never happen and I never back them anyway. But there are those out there that do so back this little gem. Izzy to score 1st in a 4-0 Swansea win at 850/1. If it happens you'll thank me, if it doesn't then you won't. Have a quid on it - its Christmas after all - the silly season!

Blind optimism this week with 85 of 94 predictions to date screaming home win - 5 draws and 4 away wins make up the rest.

LT10 (51) is the clear favourite to score first and 2-0 (33 votes) is the favourite scoreline for the Swans. 1 person believes the 4-0 I mentioned above. Lunacy I tell you!

Predictions for the Swans next match are as follows. You can still enter the prediction league by clicking here. A Swans shirt is up for grabs for this season's winner

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It's Christmas and goodwill to all men and even Kenny Jackett it is said and on that basis alone I have to say a Swans win. By two goals.