Sanny Rudravajhala
Presenter, Squad Goals

Image source, PA Media

It's just over a month since Dean Holden was with us on Squad Goals and now he’s back in the dugout!

The former Bristol City boss was most recently assistant at Stoke this season but now is the main man at Charlton Athletic.

He told us all about how addictive being a manager is and I’m looking forward to what mark he can make on the Addicks.

They come into this off the back of a disappointing home defeat by Bristol Rovers but a Carabao Cup shootout win over Brighton has set up a quarter-final tie at Manchester United, so Holden has extra motivation for his players if they want to walk out at Old Trafford in January.

Holden has talked about wanting to play football the right way, and as a defender he’ll know the priority for Charlton starts there - it’s the obvious reason for why they’re in 18th.

Posh have had over two weeks off thanks to the big freeze and are on a sorry run of five defeats in all competitions. Their league form has seen them drop to eighth; a first win since October is surely a must for Grant McCann.

Their goal-threat comes from the usual suspect of Jonson Clarke-Harris. He’s looking to make it at least 15 for the season in all competitions after today but hasn’t scored in his last three.

If he can get one today, I suspect the away side will be heading back to Cambridgeshire with all three points.

Joe Thompson
Former Rochdale and Tranmere midfielder on Squad Goals

The Blades host the side I’m calling the Championship’s surprise package. Coventry City are just outside the play-offs, despite all the noise that’s been going on around them. Mark Robins’ men have been doing brilliantly but they haven’t won at Bramall Lane in nearly a decade.

Paul Heckingbottom’s men have amassed 44 points from their first 23 games and a win today would put them level with Burnley at the top. The Clarets are in action on Tuesday, so it’s a chance for United to put them under a bit of pressure.

Iliman Ndiaye returns for the Blades after getting his chance on the biggest stage of all with Senegal in Qatar. I’m looking forward to seeing how he gets on. He has nine goals and four assists so far this season in the second tier. As for the away side, Viktor Gyokeres is already in double figures with 11 goals. There’s goals on both sides, let’s see how this one plays out!

Up and down the country, from Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium to Bristol City's Ashton Gate, we are getting up and running in our six 15:00 GMT kick-offs.

That, and we have a packed schedule of League One and League Two games also getting under way.

With the top-two facing off on Tuesday, the game of the day is Mansfield, in fifth, at home to Northampton, two places and eight points ahead.

Swindon, in fourth, are at home to play-off chasing Walsall while sixth-placed Barrow head to Salford in another bumper clash.

Seventh plays eighth as Carlisle welcome Bradford while Doncaster head to Tranmere seeking to close the gap on the play-off places.

There is expected to be a party atmosphere at Priestfield as rock-bottom Gillingham, taken over this week by US businessman Brad Galinson, host second-bottom Colchester.

Hartlepool head to Rochdale in another big game at the foot of the table while fifth-bottom Harrogate entertain Grimsby.

Crawley will seek to climb up the table at home to Sutton while AFC Wimbledon host Newport and Stockport are home to Crewe.

Leaders Plymouth will be seeking to at least maintain their two-point advantage as they travel to Cheltenham, while second-placed Ipswich are waiting to pounce on any slip-ups as they host Oxford.

Third-placed Sheffield Wednesday travel to Fleetwood and Barnsley, in fourth, will seek to take advantage of Bolton and Derby facing-off tomorrow with a win at Accrington.

Wycombe host Bristol Rovers in a match with plenty at stake in the play-off race, while Portsmouth will be seeking to return to form and close the gap on the promotion contenders as they head to Exeter.

MK Dons host Forest Green in a huge match in the relegation zone, while fellow strugglers Burton entertain Lincoln and rock-bottom Morecambe head to Port Vale.

Cambridge will be looking for vital points at home to Shrewsbury while Charlton’s new boss Dean Holden will be seeking a winning start against Peterborough.

Hull have won just one of their last seven Championship games while Blackpool are winless in six. Surely something has to give here?

The Tangerines need a win to stand any chance of getting out of the relegation zone while Hull know, should they lose, they will be in the drop zone.

Blackpool had gone unbeaten in 10 against Hull before their 3-1 defeat in the reverse fixture at Bloomfield Road in October.

Blackpool have a good record on Humberside, going unbeaten in their last five visits and not tasting defeat at Hull since a 2-1 reverse in League One in September 2004.

Despite being a mainstay of many a stocking at this time of year, the Tangerines have, however, lost their last four games on Boxing Day, their last success coming at Hartlepool in League Two in 2016.

Another bad omen is the fact that boss Michael Appleton is winless in five league games against the Tigers, despite having won his first encounter with them as Portsmouth boss in March 2012.

Blackpool did lead at Hull last season until the 10-man hosts snatched an equaliser six minutes from time. Both sides will be hoping for a less dramatic afternoon here.

We're five minutes away from kick-off in this afternoon's 15:00 GMT games - and that means Squad Goals is just getting under way.

Click on the audio icon at the top of the page to listen as all the goals go in across the English Football League.

Image source, Rex Features

There's another intriguing clash here with Rotherham, just two points ahead of the relegation zone, knowing a two-goal win would taken them above visiting Stoke.

The Millers were 1-0 winners at Stoke in October and are seeking to complete their first double over the Potters in 19 years.

Stoke boss Alex Neil does not have the best record against United either, winning only one of nine previous meetings, a 3-1 success with Norwich more than six years ago. He has lost five of the other eight, including the last three in a row at the New York Stadium.

City are winless in their last six visits to Rotherham over the past 21 years but, in positive news for Potters fans, they have lost only one of their last six Boxing Day matches, winning three of them, and they have won three of their last five games on the road in the Championship too.

They will take further heart from the fact that Matt Taylor’s side have lost their last three at home and won just one of their last nine games in the league.

Festive football has been a unique part of British culture for generations, and few teams have enjoyed seasonal cheer as much as Bristol City.

The Robins have an incredible record on Boxing Day, Harold MacMillan was Prime Minister and Tottenham were the reigning champions the last time they tasted defeat at Ashton Gate, going down 2-1 to Brighton in 1962.

City are unbeaten in the 25 home games they have played on 26 December since, winning 15 and drawing the other 10.

Should City topple the in-form Baggies today it would also complete their first league double over Albion in 117 years, following their 2-0 success at The Hawthorns in October.

Recent form isn't persuasive, however, as City are winless in their last six home games while the Baggies won five straight before Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at Coventry.

West Brom know victory could take them into the top half, depending on other results, while City could leapfrog the Baggies and pull up to six points clear of the relegation zone if they can secure the historic three points.

Image source, Rex Features

Michael Carrick v Kolo Toure: a clash of two decorated Premier League stalwarts who have chosen to wade into the scrap in the lower reaches of the second tier as managers.

Carrick’s Boro side lost 3-1 at Burnley last time out – their first defeat in six in the Championship – while Toure has overseen a draw and a defeat by Sheffield United in his two games so far after taking charge of Wigan.

Boro won the reverse fixture in October but have never previously completed a league double over the Latics.

That 4-1 reverse made it 12 league games without a win for Wigan against the Teesiders, with six draws and six defeats in that span.

Wigan are also a little short on festive cheer, going winless in their last five Boxing Day matches, claiming only three points in total, their last success coming with a 2-0 win at Leeds eight years ago.

Should Toure’s side spring a surprise then they could drag themselves potentially up to four places higher and out of the relegation zone, while a victory for Carrick’s side could find them in the top-half or even the top-10 depending on other results today.

Preston are seeking a third win of the season against basement-boys Huddersfield after a 4-1 success in the Carabao Cup and a 1-0 win in the league in Yorkshire.

The Lilywhites have a proud record against Town and are unbeaten at home against the Terriers dating back to November 1969, a run of 16 games, nine of them victories with the other seven drawn.

A win today could take Ryan Lowe's side back into the top five, depending on other results throughout the day.

There is not much seasonal cheer for lowly Town who have lost their last three Boxing Day away games and have not won any of their last six since a 1-0 success at Darlington in 2003.

The visitors have picked up fewer points on their travels than any side in the Championship, with six points from their 10 matches and just a solitary win.

Mark Fotheringham’s side have only scored in one of their last six league games and are already seven points adrift of safety.

Image source, Rex Features

In one of the tastiest games on the Boxing Day menu, in-form Coventry head to Sheffield United.

The Sky Blues are seeking a first league double over Sheffield United in more than 20 years after a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture in October courtesy of an 87th-minute penalty.

City were 1-0 winners against West Brom on Wednesday and have won five of their last seven lague games to move within striking distance of the play-off places.

Second-placed Blades have won six of seven in the Championship and are also unbeaten in five against City at Bramall Lane, keeping clean sheets in their last three meetings.

The omens look even better for United as Coventry have also won only one of their last seven league games on Boxing Day, losing five of them, including the last three in succession.

Blades hitman Billy Sharp has scored eight goals against the Sky Blues, he has only scored more against Blackpool, though he has not netted in his last four appearances against City.

The leading scorer on display, however, will be Viktor Gyokeres who has six goals in his last six appearances and 11 for the season already.

Right, with the two early games done, let's look ahead to this afternoon's 15:00 GMT kick-offs.

Here's what's coming up in the Championship:

• Bristol City v West Brom
• Hull v Blackpool
• Middlesbrough v Wigan
• Preston v Huddersfield
• Rotherham v Stoke
• Sheffield United v Coventry

Craig Hignett
Former Blackburn midfielder on BBC Radio Lancashire

Bitterly disappointing for Blackburn. They were good defensively but the other side disappointed me. They looked the more dangerous in the second half for a 10-minute spell but Elllis Simms has come up with a poked finish and it's disaster for Blackburn.

If Rovers can stay in the play-off spots this season then it's job done for me. They can go and win games but they are so erratic - you don't know which team is going to turn up.

Ellis Simms is man of the moment for Sunderland, as the substitute earns a dramatic victory with a prodded injury-time winner for the hosts.

Let's not forget Ross Stewart, who scored Sunderland's equaliser from the penalty spot in the first half having minutes earlier bundled the ball into his own net to hand Blackburn the lead.

It will be a delicious victory for Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray, who of course is a former Blackburn manager.

Sunderland are bolding steady as Blackburn come at them in waves late on.

Can they hold on for just a minute longer? The ball runs deep from Blackburn's latest attack and precious seconds are chewed up as a goal kick is taken.

Craig Hignett
Former Blackburn midfielder on BBC Radio Lancashire

It is agony for Blackburn. I thought there was a push in there, but the ref didn't give it and Simms has toe-poked it in. There was no chance for Kaminski. Heartbreak for Blackburn.

Five minutes of added time have been indicated by the fourth official.

The number is greeted by loud cheers from the Sunderland fans.

Blackburn's John Buckley is the next to go on the naughty list.

And he hardly hides his lack of cares when show a yellow card, as he knew exactly what he was doing when he broke up a Sunderland counter attack with a little clip of Jack Clarke's ankle as he attempted to race up the middle.