Fulham 0-0 Newcastle

Preamble: Life hasn't been much fun of late for either Sam Allardyce or Lawrie Sanchez. Sanchez's Fulham have won one of their last 13, while Big Sam's boys' victory over Birmingham last week was their first since mid-October. Despite a couple of pretty miserable home defeats, Newcastle's indifferent season thus far has been largely down to their away form - one win in seven, and that on the opening day of the season against Little Sam;s dreadful Bolton side. They've even lost at Derby.

Fulham poor run away from home has gone on for longer than a Garth Crooks interview question, but results at Fortress Craven kept them up last season and they'll need to start picking up a few wins by the river if they hope to repeat that feat. Sunderland's draw with Aston Villa this afternoon has dumped the Cottagers in the bottom three - not a nice play to be.

For the X-Factor fans among you, don't worry about missing tonight's grand final - this should be finished before the creepy brother/sister combo, the opera fella with the white hair and that other one go head-to-head this evening. The pressure is on - who remembers Ray Quinn? Nobody. Ben Mills? Didn't think so. Finishing second and third in the X-Factor is like qualifying for the Uefa Cup: people pretend to be bothered, but no-one really cares.

And on a side note, it's great to be back on the MBM - and it's been a while. The last one was so good it's only taken the powers that be four-and-a-half years to ask me back for a second shot. Let's see if we can break that four email record.

Craven Cottage Fabio Capello watch: He's not at there.

Teams: Fulham: Niemi, Omozusi, Hughes, Stefanovic, Bocanegra, Davies, Murphy, Davis, Bouazza, Healy, Dempsey. Subs: Warner, Seol, Smertin, Kuqi, Baird.
Newcastle: Given, N'Zogbia, Rozehnal, Cacapa, Beye, Geremi, Butt, Barton, Milner, Smith, Martins. Subs: Harper, Jose Enrique, Emre, Edgar, Viduka. Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)

So, as expected, the gaffe-prone Claudio Cacapa is back in for Newcastle, while David Healy comes in for Fulham with Diomansy Kamara suspended.