The Fizzy Pop league

Cardiff are flying high at the top of the fizzy pop league with the help of Michael Chopra's 6 goals. With the experienced Dave Jones at the helm, they must be championship hopefuls in the vein of Reading last season. And I have a bet on Chopra for top goalscorer!

Birmingham with their array of experience and big money signings are in 2nd. Looks like the Blue Noses are given it their all to get up first time around, doesn't always happen though - just ask Wolves, Ipswich, Derby, Leeds and Leicester. Surprise package are Burnley followed by George Burley's Southampton. Grzegorz Rasiak has also scored 6 goals so far this season and they have a nice mix of youth (Bale, Wright-Philips) and experience (Makin). They are also one of my bets for promotion and with no Clive Woodward or Rupert Lowe either, they've almost become that likeable little club down on the south-coast again.

QPR have been the slowest out of the blocks, with novice Gary Waddock struggling at Loftus Road. Above them are 3 teams that show the strength these days of the 2nd tier with Leeds (I give Kevin Blackwell two more weeks), Hull and Sheffield Wednesday all struggling despite each pulling in crowds of 20,000+.

In Div 1 another past giant Nottm Forest are at last showing a turnaround in fortune for their weary fans. One defeat in nine for Colin Calderwood. Tranmere are in 2nd, I fancied them last year and they choked but they have ex-Addick Ronnie Moore in charge now and a bloke called Zola up front, no surely not....

Port Vale have had a good start as have Bradford and Bristol City. At the bottom, if we ignore poor Rotherham, who started the season with an imposed 10 point deficit, it is good 'ol Millwall. "Let them come, let them come," down to the 4th division boys it looks like unless Nigel Spackman, who last worked in football around the same time as Paul Kelleher was old enough to drink legally, can sign someone to score some goals.

In the lower echelons Wycombe under the tutelage of Scot Paul Lambert are top, a point ahead of my favourites Swindon Town. The sleepy Wiltshire town has been woken up with the arrival of Dennis Wise and Paul Ince, who has joined as player-coach.

Walsall, perennial play-off candidates Lincoln and mad dog Martin Allen's MK Dons are also amongst the early leaders. Rock bottom are Macclesfield, who have already conceded 19 goals.

Bury are above them and have the youngest manager in the league trying to steer the club away from trouble. 31-year old Chris Casper has improved fortunes at Gigg Lane though after they lost their first 4 games.

In the Conference it's like the old days for Jim Smith's Oxford United. Big crowds at the Kassam Stadium have helped Oxford to the top of the table ahead of Dagenham and Redbridge and the ambitious Weymouth and Grays Athletic.