Premier League clockwatch - as it happened

Afternoon folks Welcome to today's Premier League Clockwatch. Actually, it's not just a Premier League Clockwatch at all, because I'm also hoping to keep you updated on some of the bigger games outside the top flight too – including Leicester v QPR, Ipswich v Cardiff and Southampton v their own incompetence in front of goal. In the Premier League itself we've got Mark Hughes heading back to Blackburn with Fulham, Aston Villa taking on Bolton in Kevin MacDonald's last game as caretaker (Gérard Houllier officially takes over after the game), Tottenham trying to end a run of three games without a win as they take on Wolves, and a Midlands derby between West Brom and Birmingham. Oh, and Aston Villa v Bolton. We've just received the first of today's team news ... And it looks like Bidvest Wits coach Roger De Sa has gone with Geoffrey Sserunkuma up front for their clash with Orlando Pirates. Bidvest Wits: Murambadoro, Morton, Mashamaite, Batabaire, Pule, Phillips, Haskins, Myeni, Subisiso Vilakazi, De Oliveira Junior, Sserunkuma. Subs: Keet, Chintu, Mngomeni, Richards, Flandorp, Sifiso Vilakazi, Langwe. Orlando Pirates: Josephs, Cloete, Johannes, Lekgwathi, Jele, Mbuyane, Chansa, Jali, Modise, Klate, Msowoya. Subs: Meyiwa, Ngobeni, Mayambela, Malokase, Segolela, Mabena, Mahamutsa. Referee: Victor Hlungwane (Johannesburg) Bidvest Wits I decided to have a peek at the aforementioned team's Wikipedia page, and it transpires that their team badge also carries their nickname - The Clever Boys. This is presumably a nod to their affiliation with the University of the Witwatersrand, but it also my favourite official team nickname ever. Anyone know of any better? Before anyone gets too panicked This is indeed an English Premier League clockwatch. I make no promises of further updates on Bidvest Wits v Orlando Pirates. 1.57pm: Still no team news from the 3pm Premier League games as yet, but if you were wondering it's currently Stoke 1-1 West Ham in the early kick-off. You can follow that game live with Jacob Steinberg here . 2.01pm: Getting back to the 3pm games, then, it will be interesting to see what kind of reaction Sam Allardyce gets from Blackburn's own fans at Ewood Park today after he insisted he was "not suited" to the club. "I would be more suited to Inter or Real Madrid," Allardyce said. "It wouldn't be a problem to me to go and manage those clubs because I would win the double or the league every time. Give me Manchester United or Chelsea and I would do the same, it wouldn't be a problem." But since none of those clubs are offering, any other suggestions for where Big Sam might feel more at home? 2.06pm: For what it's worth, by the way, I do actually think Allardyce is a pretty good manager who has done a decent job at Blackburn. But come on, who says that/ 2.11pm: The word on the street (well, Twitter), is that Tottenham are starting all of Van der Vaart, Keane and Crouch in an attacking line-up against Wolves, but I'm awaiting official confirmation. 2.15pm: "Hmm, where would Big Sam feel more at home," muses Gary Naylor. "Panto?" 2.16pm: Aha, the first proper team news. Despite his obvious discomfort with his surroundings, Big Sam has managed to get a team together. Blackburn: Robinson, Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Grella, Jones, Mame Diouf, Pedersen, El-Hadji Diouf, Kalinic. Subs: Bunn, Emerton, Linganzi, Nzonzi, Mwaruwari, Hoilett, Chimbonda. Fulham: Schwarzer, Kelly, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido, Duff, Etuhu, Murphy, Davies, Dempsey, Dembele. Subs: Etheridge, Pantsil, Baird, Gera, Riise, Eddie Johnson, Greening. Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire) 2.18pm: Gary McAllister has agreed to become Gérard Houllier's assistant manager at Aston Villa. Gordon Cowans has been promoted to become the first-team coach. 2.22pm: Sol Campbell had been expected to make his Newcastle debut today, but if he does it won't be from the start - he's on the bench for the game at Everton. Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Osman, Arteta, Heitinga, Pienaar, Fellaini, Beckford. Subs: Mucha, Bilyaletdinov, Neville, Gueye, Yakubu, Coleman, Barkley. Newcastle: Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Tiote, Barton, Ben Arfa, Nolan, Carroll. Subs: Krul, Campbell, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Smith, Gutierrez, Ameobi. Referee: Andre Marriner (W Midlands) 2.28pm: Another former Arsenal player, Alex Hleb, meanwhile, does make his debut - replacing James McFadden in the Birmingham side to face West Brom at the Hawthorns. West Brom: Carson, Jara, Olsson, Tamas, Shorey, Thomas, Scharner, Mulumbu, Brunt, Odemwingie, Fortune. Subs: Myhill, Tchoyi, Pablo, Barnes, Bednar, Reid, Dorrans. Birmingham: Foster, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson, Gardner, Ferguson, Bowyer, Hleb, Jerome. Subs: Taylor, Murphy, Derbyshire, Michel, Fahey, Zigic, Beausejour. Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside) 2.30pm: Andrew O'Brien replaces the suspended Gary Cahill in the centre of defence for Bolton for their game at Villa. Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Petrov, Albrighton, Ireland, Downing, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor. Subs: Guzan, Carew, Heskey, Reo-Coker, Clark, Cuellar, Bannan. Bolton: Bogdan, Steinsson, Knight, Andrew O'Brien, Robinson, Petrov, Muamba, Holden, Lee, Kevin Davies, Elmander. Subs: Lainton, Taylor, Mark Davies, Klasnic, Ricketts, Moreno, Blake. Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral) 2.34pm: Still no sign of the Tottenham v Wolves teams, but in the meantime Scott W would like to stick up for Big Sam: "I feel sorry for Allardyce - and that is not something I say too often. The only reason he said such a daft thing was, presumably, because he was tired of the constant implication that his half-season at Newcastle was proof that he is not suited to a job at a bigger club. He brought Hughes into his argument no doubt out of frustration that the top jobs in his industry are almost universally awarded to names with a whiff of foreign glamour, who have proven themselves in other leagues, rather than pros who have proved they know the ropes in the Premier League (look at the negative reaction by Liverpool supporters to Hodgson's appointment - many crying out for Real flop Pellegrini; and Hodgson the LMA manager of the year for last season, too). Sadly, the way these things work, rather than being beaten round the head by the press over his time at Newcastle, Allardyce is now forever going to be asked how the application for the Real job is going. Sometimes, Sam, you just can't win." 2.38pm: Full-time at the Britannia Stadium, and it's finished Stoke 1-1 West Ham . 2.40pm: And here, at last, are the teams for Tottenham v Wolves. As predicted earlier, it's Van der Vaart playing behind Keane and Crouch up front. Tottenham Hotspur: Cudicini, Bale, Kaboul, Huddlestone, Jenas, Keane, Van Der Vaart, Gallas, Crouch, King, Assou-Ekotto. Subs: Pletikosa, Hutton, Lennon, Pavlyuchenko, Palacios, Bassong, Kranjcar. Wolverhampton Wanderers: Hahnemann, Foley, Craddock, Stearman, Ward, Mancienne, Henry, Jones, Doyle, Fletcher, Jarvis. Subs: Hennessey, Van Damme, Elokobi, Edwards, Guedioura, Ebanks-Blake, Bent. 2.45pm: Right then, here are my predictions: West Brom 0-1 Birmingham Aston Villa 2-1 Bolton Blackburn 1-1 Fulham Everton 2-0 Newcastle Tottenham 3-1 Wolves 2.48pm: "It's not really a favourite official nickname," honks Les Brown in response to the question posed in my preamble. "But it just occurred to me that if you first saw Saint Etienne ("les verts") playing away and not wearing their green home strip, you might thing that their fans were shouting 'Allez, les vers!' or 'Come on, you worms!'." 2.51pm: Just a little reminder before we get going that you can check on all the scores from all the big European leagues throughout the weekend on our live scoreboard . 2.55pm: "If Sam Allardyce did go to Manchester United, Chelsea, Real or Inter, what kind of football would he play," ponders Aidan Gibson. "Looking at some Real fans reaction to José Mourinho's style, I think some at Real might object to lumping it 50 yards for El Hadj Diouf." Sadly Aidan, I think it's a question we may never have answered. 3pm: Away we go then - games kicking off all over the place. At White Hart Lane, Van der Vaart nods a ball down in the box but Peter Crouch can't quite get his toe to it. 3.01pm: Middlesbrough have already taken the lead against Reading - Barry Robson needing just 26 seconds to prod his team in front. 3.03pm: "Any idea how William Gallas was greeted by the Spurs fans," asks Michael Ryan, but sadly I don't. Saw him exchanging high-fives with Huddlestone and a few other team-mates just before kick-off but sadly didn't have the sound on. 3.05pm: Alex Hleb has wasted no time getting involved for Birmingham, having a pair of throughballs cut out on the edge of the West Brom box. But if there was any one consistent criticism of Hleb at Arsenal it was that at times he would get obsessed with trying to play a killer ball. Sometimes he would be better off taking the simple pass. Either way, though Birmingham have started brightly. 3.08pm: "I hadn't ever thought I'd have anything in common with Big Fat Sam but it would seem I have two things," toots Nicholas Jackson. "Just like Sam I could manage Inter or Real, and again just like Sam I would win sod all." 3.10pm: Tottenham are essentially camped in the Wolves half at the moment - Bale pinging crosses in towards Crouch. As yet, though, no joy. 3.12pm: My colleague John Ashdown is covering a QPR game for the second time this week. "QPR have the same starting XI as on Tuesday in Ipswich, but the tactics are different," he writes. "At Portman Road they played slick, controlled football, today things are already much more direct, the heavy artillery trundling up from the back for throw ins and free-kicks (even the ones on halfway). Good game so far, though. Leicester carrying plenty of threat." 3.12pm: First Premier League goal of the 3pm kick-offs and it's Aston Villa 1-0 Bolton . Ashley Young with a free-kick. 3.14pm: And now QPR have taken the lead at Leicester. Jamie Mackie got the goal, and my colleague James Dart tells me that's his seventh goal from eight shots on target so far this season. Efficient. 3.15pm: Here's John Ashdown on that QPR goal: "Walkers Stadium has just seen a goal of the highest quality. Fantastic raking ball out to the right from Shaun Derry (of all people), Taarabt pops the cross in, Jamie Mackie steers home his third goal of the week and his seventh in seven games this season. Leicester simply carved open. " 3.16pm: And now Birmingham have taken a 1-0 lead at West Brom . A very tidy goal it was too, Ridgewell heading Larsson's cross back across the area, where Cameron Jerome volleyed it home. 3.18pm: Villa have got their tails up now, and Zat Knight might count himself lucky to have avoided a red card after bringing down Young just outside the area - the forward would have been through on goal. Instead it's a yellow card and Downing drags the free-kick wide, but Andy O'Brien has picked up an injury. He's coming off. 3.20pm: A quick check in on Twitter informs me that William Gallas was subjected to "mild booing" from Tottenham fans before kick-off, in the words of the Times's Nick Szczepanik. 3.23pm: There's not a lot happening at Blackburn v Fulham, so here's another email about Big Sam instead. "Self confidence is great and all, but I feel like he has attained a grand level of self-delusion if he thinks his style of 'football' would be welcome at Europe's finest," toots Sam Zubaidi. "He needs to stick to his abrasive approach in games, as it works, and leave media relations to someone else." 3.25pm: Probably Tottenham's best chance of the game so far, that. Bale's initial effort was blocked by Hahnemann after the Welshman cut in from the left, but the ball rebounded to Keane, whose low drive was flying in before Mancienne threw himself gamely in front of it to block. It's the sort of block that, when executed by an England defender in an international, might be deemed "heroic". 3.28pm: Blackburn have a penalty shout turned down as Diouf goes down on his way past Hangeland inside the area. Replays suggest the defender did get the ball. 3.29pm: But now Blackburn do have the lead with some truly Real Madrid-esque route one football. Robinson punted the ball directly upfield into the Fulham area, where El-Hadji Diouf took out Schwarzer - entirely illegally - and Samba glanced the ball into the net. 3.31pm: If you liked that Blackburn goal, you'll love Scott Murray's latest Joy of Six . 3.32pm: Newcastle have been taking the game to Everton at Goodison Park and Nolan's deflected shot from outside the area requires a sharp save from Tim Howard. Speaking of saves, Hahnemann has just made a couple in quick succession to deny Van der Vaart and then Crouch at White Hart Lane. 3.34pm: Trouble for Newcastle now, though, as Harper appears to have injured his shoulder after falling awkwardly from a collision with Beckford. Must be serious because he's coming off, to be replaced by Krul. 3.35pm: And now Kevin Davies has levelled the scores at Villa Park - making it Aston Villa 1-1 Bolton . Robinson had knocked the ball back across the area after it reached him at the back post and the striker smashes it in in from close range. 3.38pm: "'Mild booing' - I like that," chirrups Scott W in response to Nick Szczepanik's description of the reaction to William Gallas (3.20pm). "Sort of like a weather report, only measuring intensity of crowd response. Perhaps it could be incorporated into Sky Sports News' match previews? For example: 'Away supporters can expect some light chants about the condition of their finances; and Player X should look out for extreme reactions to his former club connections.' Works for me ..." 3.40pm: Robbie Keane blows another absolutely fantastic chance for Tottenham. Bale picked him out perfectly with fine cross from the left but from a central position six yards out, Keane can only glance the ball across goal and wide of the far post. 3.41pm: Leroy Lita has made it 2-0 to Middlesbrough against Reading. Not a lot of goals elsewhere in the Championship - Derby are one up at Barnsley, as are Coventry at Bristol City and QPR at Leicester. Watford lead 2-0 at Millwall, but other than that it's goalless everywhere else. 3.44pm: And just to prove me wrong, Jimmy Kebe has got one back for Reading at Middlesbrough, while Marvin Elliott has made it Bristol City 1-1 Coventry. 3.45pm: My oh my, in his second start for Wolves, Steven Fletcher has scored his second goal for Wolves, making it Tottenham 0-1 Wolves . Tottenham will be wondering how on earth they are behind in a game they have dominated massively to this point. Younes Kaboul is coming off. Meanwhile, Hatem Ben Arfa has given Newcastle a 1-0 lead at Everton . 3.48pm: Half-time whistles being blown everywhere now ... 3.51pm: Here are the half-time scores in the Premier League: Aston Villa 1-1 Bolton Blackburn 1-0 Fulham Everton 0-1 Newcastle Stoke 1-1 West Ham (FT) Tottenham 0-1 Wolves 3.52pm: Here are the half-time scores in the Championship: Barnsely 0-1 Derby Bristol City 1-2 Coventry Crystal Palace 0-0 Burnley Ipswich 0-0 Cardiff Leicester 0-1 QPR Middlesbrough 2-1 REading Millwall 0-3 Watford Preston 0-0 Norwich Sheffield United 0-0 Portsmouth Swansea 0-0 Scunthorpe 3.53pm: In other news, Southampton still haven't ended their goalless run and are currently drawing 0-0 with Colchester. If you want a comprehensive run-down of scores elsewhere, you can get it here . 3.57pm: I'd say we've got time before the second halves kick off to squeeze in another defence of Big Sam "The abuse Allardyce gets is absolutely ridiculous," harrumphs an emailer going only by the name Max. "Looks at his net-spend at Blackburn since he arrived and the thoroughly respectable job he's doing with the limited players at his disposal. "Wenger gets lauded for working within his means from football purists -- and rightly so. But because Sam adopts a rougher, less aesthetically pleasing style - which is still within the fundamental rules of the game - he gets crucified. Granted his comments were delusional. Yet he's still won the same as Wenger this past five years and deserves more credit. It must be a Fleet St thing. Fat, rough northerner, against sophisticated French professor. And no, I'm not a Blackburn fan - I'm a Manchester United season ticket holder." Hey - as I said earlier, I think he's a good manager. But it was still a stupid thing to say. 4pm: "Further to Les Brown at 2.48pm, one could take the play on words even further: les vers verts levèrent le verre vert vers le ver vert (the green worms lifetd the green glass towards the green worm). Alternatively, in a bow to football, your Italian heritage, and Sol Campbell's predicament: sotto la panca la capra campa sopra la panca la capra crepa (on the bench, the goat lives, under the bench the goat dies)." 4.04pm: Apologies, I somehow managed to miss West Brom 0-1 Birmingam out of my list of half-time scores. 4.05pm: Games are beginning to kick off again. "It's still 0-0 at White Hart Lane," declares Phil Thompson, before catching himself. "Wait, no it's not. It's 1-0 to Wolves." Good to know I'm not the only one who makes mistakes ... 4.07pm: Tottenham really will have themselves to blame if they don't get something from this game. Hutton had space to attack as he cut in from the right and drove the ball across goal, but Keane opted not to stick a toe out and the ball whistled just wide of the far post. 4.08pm: "Leicester have dominated since the goal - just lacking that cutting edge," reports my colleague John Ashdown from the Foxes game against QPR. "The local journalists have all got their fingers crossed for a repeat of Tuesday, when the Foxes trailed Cardiff by the same score and roared back to win. In other news, I missed the pre-match pies and there was no even a biccie to speak of in the press room at half-time. Getting seriously peckish now. Oh to be at Molineux, enjoying the usual slab of half-time cake ..." 4.09pm: Goal in the Midlands derby - it's West Brom 1-1 Birmingham . Peter Odemwingie is being credited with the goal, though on Sky Sports News Chris Kamara is admant it was a Scott Dann own goal. 4.11pm: And now we've had an equaliser at Ewood Park too. Clint Dempsey makes it Blackburn 1-1 Fulham , crashing a header past Paul Robinson from a Carlos Salcido cross. 4.15pm: Crikey, Millwall, who have lost just one of their last 36 home games, are now 4-0 down home to Watford. 4.16pm: Adrian Mariappa was the man who got the fourth, and within less than 120 seconds Liam Trotter is the man who gets Millwall's first, making it Millwall 1-4 Watford. 4.17pm: What a turnaround this is at the Hawthorns - West Brom 2-1 Birmingham . The visitors were well on top in the first half, but Odemwingie, widely credited with the first goal despite Chris Kamara's protestations, certainly got this one - seizing on a poor touch by Lee Bowyer to snatch possession and round Ben Foster. 4.21pm: Everton have started the second half well but no equaliser as yet. Much the same as Tottenham at White Hart Lane. 4.23pm: "People dislike Allardyce because he's open about his ambition: he does think he should be England manager and he would rather manage a massive European club than Blackburn," says Hugh Collins, wading into our ongoing Big Sam discussion. "Both those things apply to Harry Redknapp as well. It's just that Redknapp, like most managers, talks vaguely about how happy he is rather than coming out and saying 'I want bigger and better things'." 4.23pm: Ipswich have taken the lead against Cardiff, an own goal from Adam Matthews breaking the deadlock. 4.26pm: It's all gone quiet in the Premier League, but Middlesbrough have extended their lead at the Riverside - David Wheater putting them 3-1 up against Reading. 4.27pm: And it's exactly the same scoreline at the Hawthorns - West Brom 3-1 Birmingham . Jonas Olsson rises to head home a corner and the Baggies are now on course to make it seven points from their first three home games. 4.30pm: Tottenham continue to probe at White Hart Lane, but it's been a little while since they had an opportunity of note. 4.32pm: Ipswich look to have got that defeat to QPR on Tuesday out of their system without too much trouble - Jason Scotland puts the home side 2-0 up. 4.34pm: Penalty to Tottenham! Hutton is brought down right on the edge of the box - and Wolves's defenders are arguing that the incident was outside the box - but the referee points to the spot. 4.34pm: Tottenham 1-1 Wolves . With Jermain Defoe out Rafael Van der Vaart steps up to open his Tottenham account - stroking the ball calmly into the bottom left corner. 4.37pm: Portsmouth's miserable start to life in the Championship looks set to continue, as they go 1-0 behind at Sheffield United. 4.39pm: "How about disliking Sam Allardyce because his teams play ugly, unpleasing football," demands Francis Mead. "As well as the fact that he claims he is a great manager though he hasn't won anything; and that when he did get a chance to manage a bigger club he failed - but then says he would win everything in sight if he managed Chelsea and Real Madrid? I think those are pretty good reasons to dislike him." 4.42pm: Wolves have actually responded very well to that Tottenham equaliser - they've had a few corners in quick succession as well as a couple of free-kicks on the edge of the Tottenham area but so far the score remains the same. As do all the other top-flight scores. 4.44pm: Tottenham 2-1 Wolves . Isn't that just the way this sport works - Tottenham, who had dominated for so much of the game, finally take the lead during their worst spell of the entire match. After breaking rapidly from his own half Lennon - who came on a short time ago for Van der Vaart - squares the ball for Pavlyuchenko - himself on for Keane - to prod home from short range. 4.47pm: Time running out for Everton to find an equaliser against Newcastle - they've had plenty of the ball in Newcastle's half but Krul has barely had a save to make since coming on for the injured Harper. 4.50pm: Tottenham 3-1 Wolves. Insult to injury time for Wolves, as Richard Stearman takes a moment too long on the ball inside his own area, allowing Hutton to close him down and then seeing his late attempted clearance ricochet off the Tottenham player and up over Hahnemann into the net. 4.53pm: It's full-time now at White Hart Lane, and also at Ewood Park. Not long left elsewhere. 4.55pm: Oh my - Fellaini misses an absolutely golden chance to equalise for Everton, failing to convert Baines's cut-back from close range. Within seconds the final whistle is blown, and the boos come cascading down from the stands at Goodison Park. A fine win for Newcastle. 4.57pm: Right then, here's confirmation of all the full-time results so far today in the Premier League: Aston Villa 1-1 Bolton Blackburn 1-1 Fulham Everton 0-1 Newcastle Stoke 1-1 West Ham Tottenham 3-1 Wolves West Brom 3-1 Wigan 5pm: And now those from the Championship Barnsley 1-1 Derby Bristol City 1-2 Coventry Crystal Palace 0-0 Burnley Ipswich 2-0 Cardiff Leicester 0-2 QPR Middlesbrough 3-1 Reading Millwall 1-6 Watford Preston 0-1 Norwich Sheffield United 1-0 Portsmouth Swansea 2-0 Scunthorpe 5.01pm: Right, that's it from me. Sunderland v Arsenal kicks off in half an hour, and you can follow the build-up with Scott Murray right now . For all the rest of today's results, check out our live scoreboard . Thanks for your emails and sorry I couldn't use them all.