Manchester United V Portsmouth
Hard to look past Man Utd here. They are in irresistible form and it’s hard to see any team beating them at Old Trafford. 11 wins on the trot and they seem to brush aside some sides with ease. Goals are coming thick and fast with 13 in the last 4 weeks and certain players such as Ronaldo and Rooney are playing with massive confidence. Ronaldo is knocking them in for fun and his tally of 17 goals is amazing for a midfielder. Even at this early stage he looks like a cert for player of the year.
Scholes is back in the frame and his presence is a huge boost to United as his passing and distribution is second to none.
Portsmouth have enjoyed much more success on the road then at home which is unusual. However they have struggled against the top 4 but will fancy their chances of at least threatening United, especially with the news that Vidic is out.
I’m not going to over analyse this one too much.
Its very hard to see anything other than a Manchester United win here. However Pompey have scored in all but two of their away games and I think they can cause plenty of trouble to United tomorrow night.
Portsmouth remain in the top half of the table and have an away record that's bettered only by Chelsea, they've struggled badly in recent weeks.
Their last seven games have seen them suffer four defeats and they don't look the same side without players who are absent on international duty.
Overs looks like the best call for me as United look like scoring almost every time they go forward. Hopefully Portsmouth can get on the scoresheet but it wouldn’t surprise me if even United beat the overs on their own.
With Arsenal back in top spot anything other than 3 points will be viewed as a disaster and you can expect Manchester to attack from the start.
Interestingly the last 6 meetings between the two at Old Trafford have gone over 2.5 so the omens are good!
Overs at 1.73 looks like a reasonable call
Everton V Tottenham
The two teams that are looking at breaking into the top four meet here and three points are critical for both.
Everton have won their last three in the Premiership and go into this after a weekend off following their third-round FA Cup exit.
They will be fresh and motivated to hold on to the fourth spot ahead of archrivals Liverpool.
Their home record is solid and they have scored in all bar one game this season, which was a 1 – 0 defeat to Man United way back in September.
However they are facing a Spurs side that are playing with a bit more confidence and slowly moving up the table. They thrashed arch rivals Arsenal 5-1 last week to reach the Carling Cup final and this part of the season is vital for them as they bid to make it back into the European spots after such a poor start to the season.
Ramos has brought belief to the club and the Likes of Keane and Berbatov are playing much better.
Still, I can’t see them beating this Everton side. Everton are grinding out the results week after week and the 2.3 about the home side looks about right.
Rather than take either side to win I fancy the both teams to score bet.
Spurs have scored in 9 of their last 10 away games and definitely have enough up front to trouble Everton. As mentioned before, Everton have scored in all but 1 home game this year and this stat looks good against a side that has kept just 4 clean sheets all season and just one on their travels.
PICKS
Man United V Portsmouth over 2.5 goals ( 1.73 @ stan james) 4 points
Everton V Tottenham – both teams to score = yes (1.73 @ bet365) 4 points
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Premiership on Tuesday
Arsenal V Newcastle
I was on Arsenal to beat the handicap against Newcastle last weekend and see no reason not to go in again. Arsenal are by far a better team, they pass it around better, they look more threatning when going forward. Their home record is excellent with 10 wins from 12. The main reason that they have such an advantage over the likes of Newcastle is that the gunners always look like scoring at some stage of a game, they have scored in every home so far and have only failed to score in one game overall.
Tomas Rosicky limped off in Saturday’s game and will be absent on Tuesday night. Theo Walcott is the likely replacement Elsewhere, Wenger should recall some of those left out of the cup game, with Almunia, Sagna, Hleb and Eduardo among those likely to start.
Kevin Keegan has a tough job ahead of him as Newcastle boss, they matched Arsenal in the early stages of the last game before being hit by the Gunners now traditional late goals. Keegan must look at his squad though and its my opinion that he needs a few new players and maybe the time has come for the likes of Nicky Butt and a few more to depart.
3 points for Arsenal will see them back atop the premiership and if they get ahead a little earlier then it could be a rout.
Sunderland V Birmingham
A massive game for Sunderland as 3 points will take them out of the bottom three, if only for a short time. To be fair to them Sunderland have looked a lot better in recent times and at this stage survival is very realistic. They've managed wins in the last two home games against Bolton and Portsmouth, but now they must keep it going against Birmingham. They were beaten 2 - 0 by Spurs away last time out but at least showed signs of competing and if they play like this again they should be in with a fighting chance of 3 points.
I honestly feel that Birmingham are over achieving and are due a reality check. Their last 3 games have been against Man U, Arsenal and Chelsea and despite losing two of these they came out with immense credit and its fair to say, a lot of new admirers. Its also fair to say though that they raised their game alot and its hard to see them raising the same level to compete against Sunderland. They are level on points with Sunderland and this game is make or break for both sides. I'm looking forward to this one as i think both sides will go for the win. Its hard to call but i feel Sunderland will win it 2 - 1
PICKS
Arsenal -1.5 (1.95 @ canbet) 4 points
Sunderland 0, -0.5 ( 2 @ unibet) 5 points
I was on Arsenal to beat the handicap against Newcastle last weekend and see no reason not to go in again. Arsenal are by far a better team, they pass it around better, they look more threatning when going forward. Their home record is excellent with 10 wins from 12. The main reason that they have such an advantage over the likes of Newcastle is that the gunners always look like scoring at some stage of a game, they have scored in every home so far and have only failed to score in one game overall.
Tomas Rosicky limped off in Saturday’s game and will be absent on Tuesday night. Theo Walcott is the likely replacement Elsewhere, Wenger should recall some of those left out of the cup game, with Almunia, Sagna, Hleb and Eduardo among those likely to start.
Kevin Keegan has a tough job ahead of him as Newcastle boss, they matched Arsenal in the early stages of the last game before being hit by the Gunners now traditional late goals. Keegan must look at his squad though and its my opinion that he needs a few new players and maybe the time has come for the likes of Nicky Butt and a few more to depart.
3 points for Arsenal will see them back atop the premiership and if they get ahead a little earlier then it could be a rout.
Sunderland V Birmingham
A massive game for Sunderland as 3 points will take them out of the bottom three, if only for a short time. To be fair to them Sunderland have looked a lot better in recent times and at this stage survival is very realistic. They've managed wins in the last two home games against Bolton and Portsmouth, but now they must keep it going against Birmingham. They were beaten 2 - 0 by Spurs away last time out but at least showed signs of competing and if they play like this again they should be in with a fighting chance of 3 points.
I honestly feel that Birmingham are over achieving and are due a reality check. Their last 3 games have been against Man U, Arsenal and Chelsea and despite losing two of these they came out with immense credit and its fair to say, a lot of new admirers. Its also fair to say though that they raised their game alot and its hard to see them raising the same level to compete against Sunderland. They are level on points with Sunderland and this game is make or break for both sides. I'm looking forward to this one as i think both sides will go for the win. Its hard to call but i feel Sunderland will win it 2 - 1
PICKS
Arsenal -1.5 (1.95 @ canbet) 4 points
Sunderland 0, -0.5 ( 2 @ unibet) 5 points
Championship on Tuesday
Hull v Coventry
Hull have been one of the better side’s in the championship in recent times and with only 5 points between them and the playoff places making the top 6 is still a realistic goal.
Having not played a game since January 12th should have them fresh and raring to go. Their home record has been good and they have only tasted defeat once in the last nine games, that defeat, a loss to West Brom last time out. The 3 – 1 scoreline to the Baggies flattered them, as possibly a draw was the fairest result. Hull were 2 – 1 down close to the end and just pushed too far up the field searching for that equaliser. That defeat to the league leaders was hardly an embarrassing result and if Hull can perform like that again they should have no problem taking 3 points from Coventry.
Their home form in general has been quite good losing just three of their 14 games at the KC Stadium this season, and with just one defeat from their last six league outings.
Hull’s last 5 home games
Hull 2 2 Cardiff 01/12/2007
Hull 2 0 Leicester 15/12/2007
Hull 2 0 Wolves 26/12/2007
Hull 1 0 Sheff.Wed 30/12/2007
Hull 1 3 W.B.A. 12/01/2008
Coventry have been on a dire run of late in the league, just four points taken from a possible twenty one and five defeats in the last six has seen them slip into 20th place. With just five points between them and safety the results need to pick up and fast or Ian Dowie could find himself in an unnecessary relegation battle. Their defence has been their main achilles heal with 44 goals conceded, a stat amongst the worst in the league. Two clean sheets in the league is a poor return from 27 games and not the best record when playing against a side who have scored in all but one home game.
On the selection front, Dowie has many problems with Kevin Kyle and Arjan De Zeeuw both suspended.
Marcus Hall, Colin Hawkins, Leon McKenzie, Ellery Cairo, Andy Marshall, David McNamee and Ben Turner are all out through injury to leave a pretty bare squad to chose from.
Coventry’s last 5 away games
Norwich 2 0 Coventry 24/11/2007
W.B.A. 2 4 Coventry 04/12/2007
Blackpool 4 0 Coventry 22/12/2007
Bristol C. 2 1 Coventry 01/01/2008
Leicester 2 0 Coventry 12/01/2008
Verdict
Coventry have enjoyed a bit of success in the FA Cup but are all over the place in the league. Their defence is leaking goals at an alarming rate and with all the injury problems they have its impossible to see them keeping Hull out for 90 minutes.
Hulls home record is impressive and 3 points should be enough incentive to see them back into the top 10 and at a nice price too.
Hull to win 2 - 0
PICK
Hull –0.5 (2.05 @ gamebookers) 6 points
Hull have been one of the better side’s in the championship in recent times and with only 5 points between them and the playoff places making the top 6 is still a realistic goal.
Having not played a game since January 12th should have them fresh and raring to go. Their home record has been good and they have only tasted defeat once in the last nine games, that defeat, a loss to West Brom last time out. The 3 – 1 scoreline to the Baggies flattered them, as possibly a draw was the fairest result. Hull were 2 – 1 down close to the end and just pushed too far up the field searching for that equaliser. That defeat to the league leaders was hardly an embarrassing result and if Hull can perform like that again they should have no problem taking 3 points from Coventry.
Their home form in general has been quite good losing just three of their 14 games at the KC Stadium this season, and with just one defeat from their last six league outings.
Hull’s last 5 home games
Hull 2 2 Cardiff 01/12/2007
Hull 2 0 Leicester 15/12/2007
Hull 2 0 Wolves 26/12/2007
Hull 1 0 Sheff.Wed 30/12/2007
Hull 1 3 W.B.A. 12/01/2008
Coventry have been on a dire run of late in the league, just four points taken from a possible twenty one and five defeats in the last six has seen them slip into 20th place. With just five points between them and safety the results need to pick up and fast or Ian Dowie could find himself in an unnecessary relegation battle. Their defence has been their main achilles heal with 44 goals conceded, a stat amongst the worst in the league. Two clean sheets in the league is a poor return from 27 games and not the best record when playing against a side who have scored in all but one home game.
On the selection front, Dowie has many problems with Kevin Kyle and Arjan De Zeeuw both suspended.
Marcus Hall, Colin Hawkins, Leon McKenzie, Ellery Cairo, Andy Marshall, David McNamee and Ben Turner are all out through injury to leave a pretty bare squad to chose from.
Coventry’s last 5 away games
Norwich 2 0 Coventry 24/11/2007
W.B.A. 2 4 Coventry 04/12/2007
Blackpool 4 0 Coventry 22/12/2007
Bristol C. 2 1 Coventry 01/01/2008
Leicester 2 0 Coventry 12/01/2008
Verdict
Coventry have enjoyed a bit of success in the FA Cup but are all over the place in the league. Their defence is leaking goals at an alarming rate and with all the injury problems they have its impossible to see them keeping Hull out for 90 minutes.
Hulls home record is impressive and 3 points should be enough incentive to see them back into the top 10 and at a nice price too.
Hull to win 2 - 0
PICK
Hull –0.5 (2.05 @ gamebookers) 6 points
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Sunday Plans
I had intended to put up an ACON pick last night but it just didnt happen and i must admit i didnt take my choice which was the double of Cameroon and Egypt. Of course they decide to steamroll the opposition, which was just typical as i didnt back either.
There was a report in the papers linking Sam Allardyce to the Ireland job yesterday so his odds have been cut down to 20 or so. I hope a few of you got on him at the bigger prices as i advised. Theres still a long ways to go in this though and it could be dragged out by the FAI for another few weeks yet.
Anyway onto todays selections, No African cup picks for me as i havent seen some of todays teams in action yet.
Manchester United V Tottenham
Man Utd come into this one with a hugely impressive record at Old Trafford. 11 successive victories and an amazing 29 goals scored to just 3 conceded is a statistic that other clubs can only dream about. Their last home game was the 6 – 0 drubbing of Newcastle though in truth they could easily have gone into double figures as the ripped the Magpies apart.
Today though they face a Tottenham side brimming with confidence after humbling near rivals Arsenal 5 – 1 in the midweek carling cup. Strangely enough Ferguson had his men out in Saudi Arabia during the week to play in a testimonial. The long flight and full 90 minutes of play was hardly the ideal preparation for this tie. Ferguson sees the Cup as third in his list of priorities behind the premiership and champions league so he may give some pitch time to some of his fringe players today.
Ben Foster, Mickael Silvestre, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes are all injured, and Louis Saha is very doubtful.
As mentioned before Tottenham bridged a 21 game run and finally beat Arsenal and did it in sensational fashion. Robbie Keane and Berbatov have been playing very well together and goals has not been a problem this year with 44 scored. Their main problem has been in the defence but with Ledley King back they look more assured at the back though it will take a massive effort to keep Rooney, Ronaldo and co out for 90 minutes.
Ramos has a reputation as a cup expert so it will be interesting to see how he gets on today. United have only conceded 3 goals at home but if theres a team that can score there then its Spurs.
Verdict
I’m a little concerned that United may be a little tired after their trip to the Middle East during the week. Tottenham’s confidence is sky high and they will attack the game from the start. I think United may just edge this one though but I still fancy Spurs to get on the score sheet. Both teams to score is priced up at 1.71 at expect and looks good to me.
Sheffield United V Manchester City
Two teams that just cant hit the net. Man City’s success this season has been built on a solid defence in which they have conceded 24 goals (6 coming in one game). Anyone who watched their two games against West Ham Last week could identify their attacking as a big weakness.
I am not going to over analyse this one too much. 15 of their 23 league game have gone under 2.5 goals and 8 of their 11 games away from home have also gone under.
Sheffield United have slipped down the league table and they don’t look like a team that was competing in the Premiership a few short season ago. They are here today courtesy of a 1- 0 win over Bolton in the last round but can be found at prices of 3/1 to claim another premiership scalp today. Goals have also been a problem for them with 31 scored this season, a stat among the lowest in the championship. Sheffield United's 14 home games have produced just 35 goals in total and eight of their last nine matches in all competitions have come in under the 2.5 line,
I won’t go any further with this. I expect Man City to win and 1 – 0 looks like the best shout. Under 2.5 goals all the way for me.
Real Madrid V Villareal
Real Madrid are playing like a side possessed this year. They have built up a commanding 7 point lead at the top of the table and have taken 50 points from a possible 60!
At the Bernabéu they have been simply unstoppable with 9 wins from 9 and have averaged almost 2.5 goals a game.
After their victory over Athletic they were given a welcome 2 days rest and although their Cup dreams are over for another year they should be in good spirits for this game. With Capsules and Van Nistlerooy on top form the odds for the home win look good.
Pepe, Gabriel Heinze and Javier Saviola are out while Wesley Sneijder is doubtful. Christoph Metzelder, Arjen Robben and Roberto Solgado are all back to fitness but unlikley to play any part.
Villareal will be out for revenge after being hammered 5 – 0 by Real on matchday 2. They seem to have left their poor early form behind then and have crept up to third place
They were in action midweek with a hard earned 0 – 0 draw with Barcelona. Good news for them was Matías Fernández, Josico and Jon Dahl Tomasson all returned from injury and played without any problem.
While Madrid look set to win the league again, Villareal’s aim of a top 4 finish and a champions league spot looks a little trickier. There are several clubs fighting it out for 3rd and 4th place but its some of the upcoming games against Mallorca and Murcia that may be key to their success. Their away form has been patchy and despite some notable victories such as the 4 – 3 win over Atletico, they have been largely unpredictable and were easily accounted for losing 3 – 0 to Espanyol last time out.
Verdict
Villareal had a tough game midweek, which will have drained their energy. They love to attack from the start but if they attempt this tonight then theres no more lethal team than Madrid to catch them on the break.
Its just too hard to ignore Real’s home form, and they should have another 3 points tonight.
PICKS
Man Utd V Tottenham- both teams to score = yes ( 1.71 @ expect) 4 points
Sheffield Utd V Manchester City - under 2.5 goals (1.70 @ betsense) 5 points
Real Madrid - 1 asian hdcp ( 1.88 @ mansion) 4 points
There was a report in the papers linking Sam Allardyce to the Ireland job yesterday so his odds have been cut down to 20 or so. I hope a few of you got on him at the bigger prices as i advised. Theres still a long ways to go in this though and it could be dragged out by the FAI for another few weeks yet.
Anyway onto todays selections, No African cup picks for me as i havent seen some of todays teams in action yet.
Manchester United V Tottenham
Man Utd come into this one with a hugely impressive record at Old Trafford. 11 successive victories and an amazing 29 goals scored to just 3 conceded is a statistic that other clubs can only dream about. Their last home game was the 6 – 0 drubbing of Newcastle though in truth they could easily have gone into double figures as the ripped the Magpies apart.
Today though they face a Tottenham side brimming with confidence after humbling near rivals Arsenal 5 – 1 in the midweek carling cup. Strangely enough Ferguson had his men out in Saudi Arabia during the week to play in a testimonial. The long flight and full 90 minutes of play was hardly the ideal preparation for this tie. Ferguson sees the Cup as third in his list of priorities behind the premiership and champions league so he may give some pitch time to some of his fringe players today.
Ben Foster, Mickael Silvestre, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes are all injured, and Louis Saha is very doubtful.
As mentioned before Tottenham bridged a 21 game run and finally beat Arsenal and did it in sensational fashion. Robbie Keane and Berbatov have been playing very well together and goals has not been a problem this year with 44 scored. Their main problem has been in the defence but with Ledley King back they look more assured at the back though it will take a massive effort to keep Rooney, Ronaldo and co out for 90 minutes.
Ramos has a reputation as a cup expert so it will be interesting to see how he gets on today. United have only conceded 3 goals at home but if theres a team that can score there then its Spurs.
Verdict
I’m a little concerned that United may be a little tired after their trip to the Middle East during the week. Tottenham’s confidence is sky high and they will attack the game from the start. I think United may just edge this one though but I still fancy Spurs to get on the score sheet. Both teams to score is priced up at 1.71 at expect and looks good to me.
Sheffield United V Manchester City
Two teams that just cant hit the net. Man City’s success this season has been built on a solid defence in which they have conceded 24 goals (6 coming in one game). Anyone who watched their two games against West Ham Last week could identify their attacking as a big weakness.
I am not going to over analyse this one too much. 15 of their 23 league game have gone under 2.5 goals and 8 of their 11 games away from home have also gone under.
Sheffield United have slipped down the league table and they don’t look like a team that was competing in the Premiership a few short season ago. They are here today courtesy of a 1- 0 win over Bolton in the last round but can be found at prices of 3/1 to claim another premiership scalp today. Goals have also been a problem for them with 31 scored this season, a stat among the lowest in the championship. Sheffield United's 14 home games have produced just 35 goals in total and eight of their last nine matches in all competitions have come in under the 2.5 line,
I won’t go any further with this. I expect Man City to win and 1 – 0 looks like the best shout. Under 2.5 goals all the way for me.
Real Madrid V Villareal
Real Madrid are playing like a side possessed this year. They have built up a commanding 7 point lead at the top of the table and have taken 50 points from a possible 60!
At the Bernabéu they have been simply unstoppable with 9 wins from 9 and have averaged almost 2.5 goals a game.
After their victory over Athletic they were given a welcome 2 days rest and although their Cup dreams are over for another year they should be in good spirits for this game. With Capsules and Van Nistlerooy on top form the odds for the home win look good.
Pepe, Gabriel Heinze and Javier Saviola are out while Wesley Sneijder is doubtful. Christoph Metzelder, Arjen Robben and Roberto Solgado are all back to fitness but unlikley to play any part.
Villareal will be out for revenge after being hammered 5 – 0 by Real on matchday 2. They seem to have left their poor early form behind then and have crept up to third place
They were in action midweek with a hard earned 0 – 0 draw with Barcelona. Good news for them was Matías Fernández, Josico and Jon Dahl Tomasson all returned from injury and played without any problem.
While Madrid look set to win the league again, Villareal’s aim of a top 4 finish and a champions league spot looks a little trickier. There are several clubs fighting it out for 3rd and 4th place but its some of the upcoming games against Mallorca and Murcia that may be key to their success. Their away form has been patchy and despite some notable victories such as the 4 – 3 win over Atletico, they have been largely unpredictable and were easily accounted for losing 3 – 0 to Espanyol last time out.
Verdict
Villareal had a tough game midweek, which will have drained their energy. They love to attack from the start but if they attempt this tonight then theres no more lethal team than Madrid to catch them on the break.
Its just too hard to ignore Real’s home form, and they should have another 3 points tonight.
PICKS
Man Utd V Tottenham- both teams to score = yes ( 1.71 @ expect) 4 points
Sheffield Utd V Manchester City - under 2.5 goals (1.70 @ betsense) 5 points
Real Madrid - 1 asian hdcp ( 1.88 @ mansion) 4 points
Friday, January 25, 2008
Saturday picks
Im just not picking them at the moment and it looks like im heading for my first month in the minus figures. Doncaster were absolutely rubbish tonight so i was actually considering a clean break this weekend but i decided to stick with it and have another go
Arsenal V Newcastle
It was “only” the carling cup last Wednesday night but make no mistake about it, the 5 – 1 hammering that Arsenal received from Tottenham will not go down well in the Gunners camp. They were outplayed from start to finish and it’s the kind of reminder that some of the players need every now and then.
The FA cup may not be a number one priority for Arsene Wenger but good performances and positive results are needed just to keep the confidence up. During the carling cup game something happened between Adebayor and Bendtner, with the Togo International allegedly headbutting the Dane. There have been several apologies issued since then but the question is, Will it drive the players apart or gel them together even more? There has always been a sense of unity at Arsenal amongst the players which is why the incident was so surprising. I’m of the belief that Wenger is a great man manager and that the players will burst out of the traps tomorrow to set thing right. As I mentioned before I’m not sure that the FA Cup is the biggest concern for Wenger but going out of two cup competitions in five days will be viewed as a disaster. Their recent form has been patchy but the results have still been ok. Last weekend they never hit top gear yet still cruised past Fulham 3 – 0.
At the Emirates this season they have been near unbeatable with 10 wins from 12. 26 goals scored and only 8 conceded is an impressive record and they have scored in every home so far and have only failed to score in one game overall.
Defenders Philippe Senderos and Gael Clichy are available after injuries, but Denilson is out for a month with a hamstring injury. Also unavailable through injury are Johan Djourou (groin) and Robin van Persie (thigh), while Toure, Eboue and Song are on African Cup of Nation’s duty
Newcastle are a team that often frustrate. With the arrival of Kevin Keegan last weekend I was sure they would have enough to overpower Bolton at St James Gate. Instead we were treated to an inept performance which lacked any real creativity or clear-cut chances from the home side. It was a real let down after such a high level of expectation amongst the fans and media. However Keegan has had a week to get reacquainted with the players and get back into the swing of things after his absence from management.
Newcastle are a big club, that I cant deny, but the more I look at their squad the more I think Keegan will have his work cut out for him. Players such as Duff and Owen for example, two class players on their day but sadly that day has passed in my opinion. Both spend more time in the treatment room and there needs to be an injection of fresh young talent if the magpies hope to rise back to the heights that they enjoyed under Keegan’s previous term.
Newcastle’s away form has been poor with only two away wins to their credit. One being against Bolton at a time when the trotters were rooted to the bottom of the premiership and the other victory, a 1 – 0 win at lowly Fulham. Scoring goals has been a weak spot for Newcastle this season with only 1 goals in the last 5 outings and only 27 goals overall.
Newcastle welcome back midfielders Nicky Butt and Alan Smith from suspension, but Emre is still out.
Striker Mark Viduka is doubtful with a calf problem, and Joey Barton has trained this week, but is not expected to be involved. Newcastle are without Martins, Geremi, Beye and Faye who are on duty in Africa.
Verdict
It’s been a strange few days for the Gunners. Expect plenty of changes to the team and a more experienced side to start.
Its time for Keegan to show his worth and start getting some positives back in the performances. However a journey to the Emirates to play a wounded home side may not be the best place to start. Arsenal are still a better team and their passing style should create enough chances to see them through to the next round.
Arsenal to win 2 – 0
PICK
Arsenal -1.25 (2 @ betdirect) 4 points
Im looking at one game for the ACON tomorrow so check back
Arsenal V Newcastle
It was “only” the carling cup last Wednesday night but make no mistake about it, the 5 – 1 hammering that Arsenal received from Tottenham will not go down well in the Gunners camp. They were outplayed from start to finish and it’s the kind of reminder that some of the players need every now and then.
The FA cup may not be a number one priority for Arsene Wenger but good performances and positive results are needed just to keep the confidence up. During the carling cup game something happened between Adebayor and Bendtner, with the Togo International allegedly headbutting the Dane. There have been several apologies issued since then but the question is, Will it drive the players apart or gel them together even more? There has always been a sense of unity at Arsenal amongst the players which is why the incident was so surprising. I’m of the belief that Wenger is a great man manager and that the players will burst out of the traps tomorrow to set thing right. As I mentioned before I’m not sure that the FA Cup is the biggest concern for Wenger but going out of two cup competitions in five days will be viewed as a disaster. Their recent form has been patchy but the results have still been ok. Last weekend they never hit top gear yet still cruised past Fulham 3 – 0.
At the Emirates this season they have been near unbeatable with 10 wins from 12. 26 goals scored and only 8 conceded is an impressive record and they have scored in every home so far and have only failed to score in one game overall.
Defenders Philippe Senderos and Gael Clichy are available after injuries, but Denilson is out for a month with a hamstring injury. Also unavailable through injury are Johan Djourou (groin) and Robin van Persie (thigh), while Toure, Eboue and Song are on African Cup of Nation’s duty
Newcastle are a team that often frustrate. With the arrival of Kevin Keegan last weekend I was sure they would have enough to overpower Bolton at St James Gate. Instead we were treated to an inept performance which lacked any real creativity or clear-cut chances from the home side. It was a real let down after such a high level of expectation amongst the fans and media. However Keegan has had a week to get reacquainted with the players and get back into the swing of things after his absence from management.
Newcastle are a big club, that I cant deny, but the more I look at their squad the more I think Keegan will have his work cut out for him. Players such as Duff and Owen for example, two class players on their day but sadly that day has passed in my opinion. Both spend more time in the treatment room and there needs to be an injection of fresh young talent if the magpies hope to rise back to the heights that they enjoyed under Keegan’s previous term.
Newcastle’s away form has been poor with only two away wins to their credit. One being against Bolton at a time when the trotters were rooted to the bottom of the premiership and the other victory, a 1 – 0 win at lowly Fulham. Scoring goals has been a weak spot for Newcastle this season with only 1 goals in the last 5 outings and only 27 goals overall.
Newcastle welcome back midfielders Nicky Butt and Alan Smith from suspension, but Emre is still out.
Striker Mark Viduka is doubtful with a calf problem, and Joey Barton has trained this week, but is not expected to be involved. Newcastle are without Martins, Geremi, Beye and Faye who are on duty in Africa.
Verdict
It’s been a strange few days for the Gunners. Expect plenty of changes to the team and a more experienced side to start.
Its time for Keegan to show his worth and start getting some positives back in the performances. However a journey to the Emirates to play a wounded home side may not be the best place to start. Arsenal are still a better team and their passing style should create enough chances to see them through to the next round.
Arsenal to win 2 – 0
PICK
Arsenal -1.25 (2 @ betdirect) 4 points
Im looking at one game for the ACON tomorrow so check back
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Doncaster V Swansea - Friday night
Doncaster V Swansea
Doncaster host league leaders Swansea at Belle View as the bid to make it 3 successive wins against a top five opposition.
Doncaster have really laid down a marker in recent times and come into this game on the back of two 1 – 0 wins over 3rd placed Carlisle and 5th placed Leeds. Last weekend victory over Leeds was most impressive, as Elland road is not the easiest place to go and get a result. 13 points taken from the last 15 has pushed them right up into the promotion fold and a win against Swansea would leave them in 2nd place.
Their home this season has been solid if unspectacular. Early results were poor but they seemed to have turned a corner and as with each win the confidence has grown.
Defender Gordon Greer looks to be the only casualty as manager Sean O' Driscoll has an otherwise full strength side to chose from.
Doncaster’s last 5 home games
Doncaster 0 0 Brighton 04/12/2007
Doncaster 1 2 Yeovil 16/12/2007
Doncaster 2 0 Northampton 26/12/2007
Doncaster 3 1 Southend 29/12/2007
Doncaster 1 0 Carlisle 12/01/2008
Swansea have been a revelation this year. They have been backed at big prices on the exchanges and are currently trading at odds on to become the League champions. It’s hard to argue against them too. 9 wins from the last 10 outings and their last defeat was a 1 – 0 reversal to Huddersfield way back in mid November.
They have been scoring goals for fun and top the goalscoring charts with 48 goals, a feat equalled only by Leeds this term. Much of their recent success has come at home with 7 successive victories. On the they have picked up plenty of points also but they still have some tough fixtures to negotiate in the form of Carlisle and Nottingham Forest amongst others. The trip to Nottingham comes next Tuesday and with games coming thick and fast at the Swans they can be quite happy at the fact that they have an 8 point cushion at the top of the table.
Andrea Orlandi looks set to be out for a long spell as scans reveal he has sprained medial ligaments of the knee and has a tear in the cartilage.
Swansea’s last five away
Yeovil 1 2 Swansea 27/10/2007
Millwall 2 2 Swansea 06/11/2007
Tranmere 0 1 Swansea 24/11/2007
Swindon 1 1 Swansea 01/01/2008
Luton 1 3 Swansea 12/01/2008
Verdict
Swansea are on a 10 game unbeaten run which will have to end eventually. They had a game last Tuesday night and a long trip to Doncaster will really test their fitness levels. On top of this, another journey to Nottingham is close on the horizon. Doncaster have had two excellent results in the last two games and are full of confidence. This game will test them but luck is on their side as I feel this is the best time to be playing the Swans. Doncaster play a very expansive passing style and it’s a game that’s hard to play against. It also wears down the opposition and the advantage of playing at home and having an extra three days rest over their opponents may just give them that slight edge to nick 3 points. The prices on the home side are too good to turn down
Doncaster to win 1 – 0 or 2 - 1
Pick
Doncaster 0,-0.5 (2.05 @ canbet) 5 points
Doncaster host league leaders Swansea at Belle View as the bid to make it 3 successive wins against a top five opposition.
Doncaster have really laid down a marker in recent times and come into this game on the back of two 1 – 0 wins over 3rd placed Carlisle and 5th placed Leeds. Last weekend victory over Leeds was most impressive, as Elland road is not the easiest place to go and get a result. 13 points taken from the last 15 has pushed them right up into the promotion fold and a win against Swansea would leave them in 2nd place.
Their home this season has been solid if unspectacular. Early results were poor but they seemed to have turned a corner and as with each win the confidence has grown.
Defender Gordon Greer looks to be the only casualty as manager Sean O' Driscoll has an otherwise full strength side to chose from.
Doncaster’s last 5 home games
Doncaster 0 0 Brighton 04/12/2007
Doncaster 1 2 Yeovil 16/12/2007
Doncaster 2 0 Northampton 26/12/2007
Doncaster 3 1 Southend 29/12/2007
Doncaster 1 0 Carlisle 12/01/2008
Swansea have been a revelation this year. They have been backed at big prices on the exchanges and are currently trading at odds on to become the League champions. It’s hard to argue against them too. 9 wins from the last 10 outings and their last defeat was a 1 – 0 reversal to Huddersfield way back in mid November.
They have been scoring goals for fun and top the goalscoring charts with 48 goals, a feat equalled only by Leeds this term. Much of their recent success has come at home with 7 successive victories. On the they have picked up plenty of points also but they still have some tough fixtures to negotiate in the form of Carlisle and Nottingham Forest amongst others. The trip to Nottingham comes next Tuesday and with games coming thick and fast at the Swans they can be quite happy at the fact that they have an 8 point cushion at the top of the table.
Andrea Orlandi looks set to be out for a long spell as scans reveal he has sprained medial ligaments of the knee and has a tear in the cartilage.
Swansea’s last five away
Yeovil 1 2 Swansea 27/10/2007
Millwall 2 2 Swansea 06/11/2007
Tranmere 0 1 Swansea 24/11/2007
Swindon 1 1 Swansea 01/01/2008
Luton 1 3 Swansea 12/01/2008
Verdict
Swansea are on a 10 game unbeaten run which will have to end eventually. They had a game last Tuesday night and a long trip to Doncaster will really test their fitness levels. On top of this, another journey to Nottingham is close on the horizon. Doncaster have had two excellent results in the last two games and are full of confidence. This game will test them but luck is on their side as I feel this is the best time to be playing the Swans. Doncaster play a very expansive passing style and it’s a game that’s hard to play against. It also wears down the opposition and the advantage of playing at home and having an extra three days rest over their opponents may just give them that slight edge to nick 3 points. The prices on the home side are too good to turn down
Doncaster to win 1 – 0 or 2 - 1
Pick
Doncaster 0,-0.5 (2.05 @ canbet) 5 points
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Wednesday update
Well its wednesday and i just said id update this place a little. There has been plenty of games happening midweek but nothing that caught my eye for serious backing. I have to admit that I fancied Tottenham to progress but not to demolish the gunners in the fashion that they did.
As for tonight i think that it will be very close between Everton and Chelsea. If theres any team that can frustrate and hold Chelsea to few chances then Everton are the team. Maybe a small punt on them to qualify may be the answer.
Anyhow, I'm having great fun trading on the "next Ireland manager" market. There are many names being mentioned for the job and so far there are only about 3 - 4 that stand a realistic chance. I'm not entirely convinced by the surge of betting for Houllier. As i understand he is employed by the French Fa and the FAI would have to but him out. I cant see this happening as everyone knows that the FAI like to cut corners and they wont splash out the big bucks. I'm led to believe that Terry Venebles was very interested but that the powers that be would not agree to his financial demands. ( He is still in the frame though) There are a few that never ever had a chance yet all traded at low prices, John Giles (past it now) Didier Deschamps (why would he want it) and i just cannot see Glen Hoddle getting it either. People need to realise that generally, Ireland is a religious country and theres no way that Hoddle's religious persuasions would sit well with the public.
Another name that was mentioned was Souness but he was another who never stood a chance. Any person with a rangers connection would never be appointed to the Irish national job plain and simple. Im not so sure about Dalglish's chances but i would be 98% sure that another name in the frame, Liam Brady will not be first choice and would only get the job as a last resort.
There is still plenty of time and id say this market could go on for a while yet.
If i were to tip anyone up i would say that it may be worth a few bob on Sam Allardyce, his name has not been mentioned much yet but at prices of 50 or so on betfair it may be worth having a small bet on him. He has managed at club level here and despite having reservations about his management style i think the general public would welcome his appointment.
Much to look forward to for the weekend. Check back as i may have an early preview up to take advantage of some early prices.
As for tonight i think that it will be very close between Everton and Chelsea. If theres any team that can frustrate and hold Chelsea to few chances then Everton are the team. Maybe a small punt on them to qualify may be the answer.
Anyhow, I'm having great fun trading on the "next Ireland manager" market. There are many names being mentioned for the job and so far there are only about 3 - 4 that stand a realistic chance. I'm not entirely convinced by the surge of betting for Houllier. As i understand he is employed by the French Fa and the FAI would have to but him out. I cant see this happening as everyone knows that the FAI like to cut corners and they wont splash out the big bucks. I'm led to believe that Terry Venebles was very interested but that the powers that be would not agree to his financial demands. ( He is still in the frame though) There are a few that never ever had a chance yet all traded at low prices, John Giles (past it now) Didier Deschamps (why would he want it) and i just cannot see Glen Hoddle getting it either. People need to realise that generally, Ireland is a religious country and theres no way that Hoddle's religious persuasions would sit well with the public.
Another name that was mentioned was Souness but he was another who never stood a chance. Any person with a rangers connection would never be appointed to the Irish national job plain and simple. Im not so sure about Dalglish's chances but i would be 98% sure that another name in the frame, Liam Brady will not be first choice and would only get the job as a last resort.
There is still plenty of time and id say this market could go on for a while yet.
If i were to tip anyone up i would say that it may be worth a few bob on Sam Allardyce, his name has not been mentioned much yet but at prices of 50 or so on betfair it may be worth having a small bet on him. He has managed at club level here and despite having reservations about his management style i think the general public would welcome his appointment.
Much to look forward to for the weekend. Check back as i may have an early preview up to take advantage of some early prices.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Saturday plans
Here is the last of my picks but check back later as i may have another in the pipeline, just have to check a few things out first
Newcastle V Bolton
Never did i expect to say it but the magpies look like bankers to me today. Theres a few things to consider, not least the arrival of Kevin Keegan as manager. His arrival is sure to spark the geordies into action and you can expect a 110% committed performance from the home side today. Many players have a lot to prove as the new man tries to sort out the various problems at the club and i would think all players will be rearing to go a show their value.
Midweek after the news of Keegan broke they went out and gave Stoke a good beating in the FA Cup.
For Bolton this game couldnt have come at a worse time. Anelka is gone and Diouf is absent on International duty so just where are the goals going to come from?The two mentioned players have scored over half of Bolton's goal tally alone this season just to emphasise the point. They have conceded 13 in the last 4 away games and heading to a packed St James gate to play a fired up Newcastle side. Bolton are still without a win on the road. Dont expect that to change today.
New managers usually mean improved performances and the so called "honeymoon period" begins today. Im not sure how long it will last but for me today Newcastle look like winning and i would be thinking they can also cover the handicap.
Fulham V Arsenal
Reading V Manchester United
I expect two away wins here but the odds are low enough so im going to double them up.
pays out at 2.10 at expect and that looks good to me.
PICKS
Newcastle -1 (2.4 @ betsson) 6 points
Arsenal & Man Utd double (2.10 @ expect) 4 points
Newcastle V Bolton
Never did i expect to say it but the magpies look like bankers to me today. Theres a few things to consider, not least the arrival of Kevin Keegan as manager. His arrival is sure to spark the geordies into action and you can expect a 110% committed performance from the home side today. Many players have a lot to prove as the new man tries to sort out the various problems at the club and i would think all players will be rearing to go a show their value.
Midweek after the news of Keegan broke they went out and gave Stoke a good beating in the FA Cup.
For Bolton this game couldnt have come at a worse time. Anelka is gone and Diouf is absent on International duty so just where are the goals going to come from?The two mentioned players have scored over half of Bolton's goal tally alone this season just to emphasise the point. They have conceded 13 in the last 4 away games and heading to a packed St James gate to play a fired up Newcastle side. Bolton are still without a win on the road. Dont expect that to change today.
New managers usually mean improved performances and the so called "honeymoon period" begins today. Im not sure how long it will last but for me today Newcastle look like winning and i would be thinking they can also cover the handicap.
Fulham V Arsenal
Reading V Manchester United
I expect two away wins here but the odds are low enough so im going to double them up.
pays out at 2.10 at expect and that looks good to me.
PICKS
Newcastle -1 (2.4 @ betsson) 6 points
Arsenal & Man Utd double (2.10 @ expect) 4 points
Friday, January 18, 2008
The weekend ahead
I have a few more picks to get off my chest but i wont get them all up tonight. You will have to wait until tomorrow and i should have everything posted by 12 pm at the very latest so please check back.
Time for me now to update the stats as i haven't had time to do so in a while.
Finally, Ive received some helpful, and some not so helpful emails about suggestions for a website. Keep them coming though as I'm always interested to hear other people's views.
Time for me now to update the stats as i haven't had time to do so in a while.
Finally, Ive received some helpful, and some not so helpful emails about suggestions for a website. Keep them coming though as I'm always interested to hear other people's views.
League 1 Saturday afternoon
Carlisle V Crewe
Fourth placed Carlisle take on 19th placed Crewe as they attempt to make it 8 successive wins at Brunton Park.
Carlisle sit in fourth position in league One and are in a great position to push for promotion. For now il concentrate on their home record as it’s important to acknowledge the fact that they seem to be a completely different team on their travels. They have been completely overpowered in the last three away games conceding 6 goals and failing to score. But at home they are a more confident side and they owe most of their seasons points tally to a tremendous record in which they are second only to Leeds in the home table chart. Nine wins from a possible 11 at Brunton Park and as mentioned before they are going for 8 in a row, which is a remarkable run for any club. Averaging almost 2 goals a game and their defence has been tight with only 7 goals conceded, the best defensive (home) record in the league.
Carlisle are pretty much at full strength apart Paul Thirwell. They also have the benefit of an extra two day’s rest as Crewe were in action on Monday night.
Carlisle’s last 5 home games
Carlisle 3 1 Leeds 03/11/2007
Carlisle 3 0 Swindon 04/12/2007
Carlisle 1 0 Leyton O 15/12/2007
Carlisle 4 2 Hartlepool 01/01/2008
Carlisle 3 2 Port Vale 05/01/2008
Crewe are on an awful run of form lately having picked up only five points from a possible twenty seven in their last nine league games. With four points between them and the relegation zone, things are tight especially as they have played a game more than three teams below them. On their travels they have only the one victory, a win which came way back in early November against fellow strugglers Port Vale. I watched them against Leeds last Monday night and although they put it up to their more illustrious opponents for large parts of the game the thing that struck me was their lack of penetration up front. They have only recorded five goals in their last seven outings with four of those coming in the one game. Their away goals tally is not too impressive either with a disappointing two goals in the last five games. With twenty-five goals scored in total only Cheltenham and Port Vale have scored less and things need to change fast in that department if they are to survive. Ryan Lowe is out as is long term absentee Billy Jones. Ben Rix and James Bailey have been sick during the week and are rated as 50/50
Crewe’s last 5 away games
Port Vale 0 1 Crewe 06/11/2007
Nott'm Forest 2 0 Crewe 24/11/2007
Hartlepool 3 0 Crewe 15/12/2007
Huddersfield 1 1 Crewe 26/12/2007
Millwall 2 0 Crewe 29/12/2007
Verdict
Carlisle lost out last weekend to Doncaster and will be keen to get back to winning ways. Promotion is a very realistic target but it will be tough with teams such as Leeds, Swansea and Nottingham forest fighting up there also. Games such as these will determine their finishing position and I expect them to make it another home victory on Saturday against a poor travelling, goal shy side.
Carlisle 2 – 0 Crewe
Millwall V Tranmere
Millwalls fortunes have changed since the arrival of manager Kenny Jackett and they will look to push themselves further away from danger when they take on 10th placed Tranmere on Saturday.
They have got their act together and won 5 of their last 6 in all competitions on home ground. Their 2 – 1 victory over Wallsall on Tuesday night was a great result for them which brought to an end the 18 game unbeaten run held by the visitors. Sitting just three points above relegation they still have a game in hand over the teams above them and will be looking to make it count and keep their mini revival going.
Striker Neil Harris returns from suspension and Jackett has had good news with Richard,Marcus Bignot and Marc Laird, Zak Whitbread and Adrian all back in contention for a place.
Chris Hackett, Mark Phillips, Chris Day, Ahmet Brkovic and Alan Dunne are all still absent.
Millwall’s last 5 home games
Millwall 2 2 Swansea 06/11/2007
Millwall 2 1 Yeovil 24/11/2007
Millwall 2 3 Oldham 15/12/2007
Millwall 3 0 Brighton 26/12/2007
Millwall 2 0 Crewe 29/12/2007
Tranmere have been in disappointing form of late. They crashed out of the FA Cup on Wednesday night losing 2 – 1 to Hereford. They are winless in the last 5 games and haven’t won an away game in the league since the start of October.
11 points taken from a possible 39 has seen them slip as realistic title contenders to a team that would be very happy just to make the playoffs at this stage. On the road they have conceded 7 in the last 2 games but with Ian Goodison back to marshall the defence this should change. The worst stat attached to their away record is the fact that they have failed to score in 6 of the last 8 games and with leading scorer Greenacre (9 goals) set to miss out its hard to see where the goals will come from.
As mentioned already, leading striker Chris Greenacre looks set to miss out with a thigh strain as does long term absentees Chris Shuker and Steve Davies. Skipper Ian Goodison returns from suspension to lead the side out again.
Tranmere’s last 5 away games
Hartlepool 3 1 Tranmere 04/12/2007
Port Vale 0 0 Tranmere 15/12/2007
Luton 1 0 Tranmere 22/12/2007
Crewe 4 3 Tranmere 01/01/2008
Leyton O 3 0 Tranmere 08/01/2008
Verdict
This is Millwall’s fist home game of 2008 and you can expect them to get a great reception in front of their own fans. Both teams had midweek games but crucially Millwall didn’t have to travel and have an extra days rest. Tranmere had to travel to Hereford on Wednesday night and now face another journey to London.
The Den has never been welcoming to other clubs and I feel that they have enough to take three points from a tired Tranmere outfit.
Millwall 1 – 0 Tranmere
PICKS
Carlisle (1.62 @ betfred) 6 points
Millwall ( 2.25 @ betdirect) 4 points
Millwall 1 - 0 correct score ( 8 @ betdirect) 1 point
Fourth placed Carlisle take on 19th placed Crewe as they attempt to make it 8 successive wins at Brunton Park.
Carlisle sit in fourth position in league One and are in a great position to push for promotion. For now il concentrate on their home record as it’s important to acknowledge the fact that they seem to be a completely different team on their travels. They have been completely overpowered in the last three away games conceding 6 goals and failing to score. But at home they are a more confident side and they owe most of their seasons points tally to a tremendous record in which they are second only to Leeds in the home table chart. Nine wins from a possible 11 at Brunton Park and as mentioned before they are going for 8 in a row, which is a remarkable run for any club. Averaging almost 2 goals a game and their defence has been tight with only 7 goals conceded, the best defensive (home) record in the league.
Carlisle are pretty much at full strength apart Paul Thirwell. They also have the benefit of an extra two day’s rest as Crewe were in action on Monday night.
Carlisle’s last 5 home games
Carlisle 3 1 Leeds 03/11/2007
Carlisle 3 0 Swindon 04/12/2007
Carlisle 1 0 Leyton O 15/12/2007
Carlisle 4 2 Hartlepool 01/01/2008
Carlisle 3 2 Port Vale 05/01/2008
Crewe are on an awful run of form lately having picked up only five points from a possible twenty seven in their last nine league games. With four points between them and the relegation zone, things are tight especially as they have played a game more than three teams below them. On their travels they have only the one victory, a win which came way back in early November against fellow strugglers Port Vale. I watched them against Leeds last Monday night and although they put it up to their more illustrious opponents for large parts of the game the thing that struck me was their lack of penetration up front. They have only recorded five goals in their last seven outings with four of those coming in the one game. Their away goals tally is not too impressive either with a disappointing two goals in the last five games. With twenty-five goals scored in total only Cheltenham and Port Vale have scored less and things need to change fast in that department if they are to survive. Ryan Lowe is out as is long term absentee Billy Jones. Ben Rix and James Bailey have been sick during the week and are rated as 50/50
Crewe’s last 5 away games
Port Vale 0 1 Crewe 06/11/2007
Nott'm Forest 2 0 Crewe 24/11/2007
Hartlepool 3 0 Crewe 15/12/2007
Huddersfield 1 1 Crewe 26/12/2007
Millwall 2 0 Crewe 29/12/2007
Verdict
Carlisle lost out last weekend to Doncaster and will be keen to get back to winning ways. Promotion is a very realistic target but it will be tough with teams such as Leeds, Swansea and Nottingham forest fighting up there also. Games such as these will determine their finishing position and I expect them to make it another home victory on Saturday against a poor travelling, goal shy side.
Carlisle 2 – 0 Crewe
Millwall V Tranmere
Millwalls fortunes have changed since the arrival of manager Kenny Jackett and they will look to push themselves further away from danger when they take on 10th placed Tranmere on Saturday.
They have got their act together and won 5 of their last 6 in all competitions on home ground. Their 2 – 1 victory over Wallsall on Tuesday night was a great result for them which brought to an end the 18 game unbeaten run held by the visitors. Sitting just three points above relegation they still have a game in hand over the teams above them and will be looking to make it count and keep their mini revival going.
Striker Neil Harris returns from suspension and Jackett has had good news with Richard,Marcus Bignot and Marc Laird, Zak Whitbread and Adrian all back in contention for a place.
Chris Hackett, Mark Phillips, Chris Day, Ahmet Brkovic and Alan Dunne are all still absent.
Millwall’s last 5 home games
Millwall 2 2 Swansea 06/11/2007
Millwall 2 1 Yeovil 24/11/2007
Millwall 2 3 Oldham 15/12/2007
Millwall 3 0 Brighton 26/12/2007
Millwall 2 0 Crewe 29/12/2007
Tranmere have been in disappointing form of late. They crashed out of the FA Cup on Wednesday night losing 2 – 1 to Hereford. They are winless in the last 5 games and haven’t won an away game in the league since the start of October.
11 points taken from a possible 39 has seen them slip as realistic title contenders to a team that would be very happy just to make the playoffs at this stage. On the road they have conceded 7 in the last 2 games but with Ian Goodison back to marshall the defence this should change. The worst stat attached to their away record is the fact that they have failed to score in 6 of the last 8 games and with leading scorer Greenacre (9 goals) set to miss out its hard to see where the goals will come from.
As mentioned already, leading striker Chris Greenacre looks set to miss out with a thigh strain as does long term absentees Chris Shuker and Steve Davies. Skipper Ian Goodison returns from suspension to lead the side out again.
Tranmere’s last 5 away games
Hartlepool 3 1 Tranmere 04/12/2007
Port Vale 0 0 Tranmere 15/12/2007
Luton 1 0 Tranmere 22/12/2007
Crewe 4 3 Tranmere 01/01/2008
Leyton O 3 0 Tranmere 08/01/2008
Verdict
This is Millwall’s fist home game of 2008 and you can expect them to get a great reception in front of their own fans. Both teams had midweek games but crucially Millwall didn’t have to travel and have an extra days rest. Tranmere had to travel to Hereford on Wednesday night and now face another journey to London.
The Den has never been welcoming to other clubs and I feel that they have enough to take three points from a tired Tranmere outfit.
Millwall 1 – 0 Tranmere
PICKS
Carlisle (1.62 @ betfred) 6 points
Millwall ( 2.25 @ betdirect) 4 points
Millwall 1 - 0 correct score ( 8 @ betdirect) 1 point
Thursday, January 17, 2008
An early saturday pick
First of all, apologies about last night. Shortly after posting my pick and placing my bets Kevin Keegan was unveiled as the new Magpies boss and if i had known that then i would have stayed well away.
Next up is an early value pick that I've found
Mansfield V Darlington
When looking through the coupon this game is hardly the one that jumped off the coupon for most but I think I've found some real value here with the away side.
We’ll get to Mansfield first, last week they recorded their first away win of the season with a battling 1 - 0 victory over Chester. However on closer inspection that Chester team is in somewhat of a freefall having only collected 1 point from the possible 12 before last weekend. Mansfield’s home form itself has been erratic with some excellent wins such as the 5 – 0 drubbing of Macclesfield and the 2 – 0 win over Peterborough. However, consistency has been a problem and they have lost the last two at Field Mill, the last game a 4 – 0 hiding at the hands of Wycombe. One of the reasons that I'm inclined to oppose Mansfield this weekend is because they are preparing for a FA Cup 4th round tie at home to Middlesborough, just to add to the excitement the TV cameras will be present also. The Boro game has been described as “the biggest cup match in 20 years” by Mansfield followers and manager Bill Dearden will have his work cut out for him to keep the players focused.
Mansfield last five home games
Mansfield 5 0 Macclesfield 03/11/2007
Mansfield 0 0 Bradford 05/12/2007
Mansfield 2 0 Peterborough 26/12/2007
Mansfield 1 2 Accrington Stanley 29/12/2007
Mansfield 0 4 Wycombe 08/01/2008
Darlington have pulled themselves back into promotion territory with two successive 3 – 0 wins over Bury and Morecambe respectively. After a poor Christmas period in which they only took one point for their efforts, they seem to have got a bit of momentum going again and will be keen to build on it as they go in search of a third win on the trot. Darlington have been less than impressive against some of the top teams in the division but against the lower ranked teams they have been top class. 27 points from a possible 33 against the teams in the bottom half of the table is a terrific return for any team. In fact a glimpse down through their away results and the results are impressive, averaging almost two goals a game on the road and with three 3 – 0 wins and two 4 – 0 wins. They have also taken more 3 pointers on the road so it seems they are not the kind of team to collapse when they leave their home patch. Their defensive efforts have been immense with 16 clean sheets collected to date and only five conceded in the last ten games.
Darlingtons last 5 away games
Brentford 0 2 Darlington 17/11/2007
Grimsby 0 4 Darlington 04/12/2007
Lincoln 0 4 Darlington 22/12/2007
Rochdale 3 1 Darlington 01/01/2008
Morecambe 0 3 Darlington 15/01/2008
Verdict
At the time of writing there has been 116 away wins in this league, which is, equal to the 116 home wins. The days of teams being impossible to beat on their own patch seems to be fading and in fact more and more teams look more comfortable on the road.
For me Darlington fit the bill here and with Mansfield eyeing up a possible FA Cup upset its hard to see a 100% committed performance from the home side. The 2.25 on the away side is good enough for me and I'm taking it now as I don’t see it lasting.
2 – 0 to the away side is the call
Pick
Darlington (2.25 @ VC) 5 points
Next up is an early value pick that I've found
Mansfield V Darlington
When looking through the coupon this game is hardly the one that jumped off the coupon for most but I think I've found some real value here with the away side.
We’ll get to Mansfield first, last week they recorded their first away win of the season with a battling 1 - 0 victory over Chester. However on closer inspection that Chester team is in somewhat of a freefall having only collected 1 point from the possible 12 before last weekend. Mansfield’s home form itself has been erratic with some excellent wins such as the 5 – 0 drubbing of Macclesfield and the 2 – 0 win over Peterborough. However, consistency has been a problem and they have lost the last two at Field Mill, the last game a 4 – 0 hiding at the hands of Wycombe. One of the reasons that I'm inclined to oppose Mansfield this weekend is because they are preparing for a FA Cup 4th round tie at home to Middlesborough, just to add to the excitement the TV cameras will be present also. The Boro game has been described as “the biggest cup match in 20 years” by Mansfield followers and manager Bill Dearden will have his work cut out for him to keep the players focused.
Mansfield last five home games
Mansfield 5 0 Macclesfield 03/11/2007
Mansfield 0 0 Bradford 05/12/2007
Mansfield 2 0 Peterborough 26/12/2007
Mansfield 1 2 Accrington Stanley 29/12/2007
Mansfield 0 4 Wycombe 08/01/2008
Darlington have pulled themselves back into promotion territory with two successive 3 – 0 wins over Bury and Morecambe respectively. After a poor Christmas period in which they only took one point for their efforts, they seem to have got a bit of momentum going again and will be keen to build on it as they go in search of a third win on the trot. Darlington have been less than impressive against some of the top teams in the division but against the lower ranked teams they have been top class. 27 points from a possible 33 against the teams in the bottom half of the table is a terrific return for any team. In fact a glimpse down through their away results and the results are impressive, averaging almost two goals a game on the road and with three 3 – 0 wins and two 4 – 0 wins. They have also taken more 3 pointers on the road so it seems they are not the kind of team to collapse when they leave their home patch. Their defensive efforts have been immense with 16 clean sheets collected to date and only five conceded in the last ten games.
Darlingtons last 5 away games
Brentford 0 2 Darlington 17/11/2007
Grimsby 0 4 Darlington 04/12/2007
Lincoln 0 4 Darlington 22/12/2007
Rochdale 3 1 Darlington 01/01/2008
Morecambe 0 3 Darlington 15/01/2008
Verdict
At the time of writing there has been 116 away wins in this league, which is, equal to the 116 home wins. The days of teams being impossible to beat on their own patch seems to be fading and in fact more and more teams look more comfortable on the road.
For me Darlington fit the bill here and with Mansfield eyeing up a possible FA Cup upset its hard to see a 100% committed performance from the home side. The 2.25 on the away side is good enough for me and I'm taking it now as I don’t see it lasting.
2 – 0 to the away side is the call
Pick
Darlington (2.25 @ VC) 5 points
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Well last night wasnt as good as planned though we ended up very slightly ahead. I was fairly confident of the Liverpool win though at times they had me worried. I had Norwich posted up quite late so hopefully most of you missed that and didn't lose anything. I had narrowed down my selection to that of either Norwich or Peterborough but felt that Norwich had slightly more to offer. Of course you will remember that Peterborough burnt us badly last weekend so i wasn't too keen to jump on them again... silly mistake, Norwich practically gave the game to Bury and Peterborough decided to score 8 goals!!!
As i find myself saying quite a lot these days, onwards and upwards. I have a website under construction at the moment so hopefully everything will be moved over there at some stage in the near future. Anyone with some constructive suggestions, please feel free to drop me an email.
Onto tonight's action, its quite tricky out there so tread with caution, small stakes for me and il keep the powder dry until the weekend.
Newcastle V Stoke
Newcastle are in turmoil at the moment. No manager, coming into this one on the back of a 6 - 0 drubbing at Old Trafford last week. No captain after Alan Smith was dismissed in that game.
All in all that means, central midfielders Alan Smith and Nicky Butt are suspended, while Habib Beye, Abdoulaye Faye, Geremi and Obafemi Martins are away on African Nations Cup duty.
Confidence must be at an all time low at the moment with fans not knowing who's coming or going. They have no form going and have lost 4 in a row in the premiership. They have failed to win in 6 games in all competitions and have only scored 1 goal in their last 5 games. Yet the bookies still have them priced up as 1.75 favourites!!!
Stoke have a reputation as a tough team to beat. At the weekend they went to fortress Ipswich and were unlucky to only come away with a point. They are a no nonsense team that like to play it direct and i feel that they will be well up for the challenge at St James tonight. Their record reads 5-7-2 away from home with 24 goals scored and 18 conceded.
Stoke are waiting on Andy Wilkinson and Carl Dickenson to prove their fitness in time for this game.
Verdict
How anyone could consider backing Newcastle at these odds is beyond me. There is a division between them but the way Newcastle are playing, half the championship teams would beat them. Lets not forget Newcastle were hammered 5 - 1 last year at this stage by Birmingham who were in the championship then. Due to Stoke's tendency to draw away games I'm a little cautious about taking them to win. The odds that appeal to me are them to qualify at just over 3's
The winner of this game gets the chance to play Arsenal next, something that i think Stoke should be more excited about that Newcastle.
PICK
Newcastle V Stoke - Stoke to qualify ( 3.75 @ boylesports) 3 points
As i find myself saying quite a lot these days, onwards and upwards. I have a website under construction at the moment so hopefully everything will be moved over there at some stage in the near future. Anyone with some constructive suggestions, please feel free to drop me an email.
Onto tonight's action, its quite tricky out there so tread with caution, small stakes for me and il keep the powder dry until the weekend.
Newcastle V Stoke
Newcastle are in turmoil at the moment. No manager, coming into this one on the back of a 6 - 0 drubbing at Old Trafford last week. No captain after Alan Smith was dismissed in that game.
All in all that means, central midfielders Alan Smith and Nicky Butt are suspended, while Habib Beye, Abdoulaye Faye, Geremi and Obafemi Martins are away on African Nations Cup duty.
Confidence must be at an all time low at the moment with fans not knowing who's coming or going. They have no form going and have lost 4 in a row in the premiership. They have failed to win in 6 games in all competitions and have only scored 1 goal in their last 5 games. Yet the bookies still have them priced up as 1.75 favourites!!!
Stoke have a reputation as a tough team to beat. At the weekend they went to fortress Ipswich and were unlucky to only come away with a point. They are a no nonsense team that like to play it direct and i feel that they will be well up for the challenge at St James tonight. Their record reads 5-7-2 away from home with 24 goals scored and 18 conceded.
Stoke are waiting on Andy Wilkinson and Carl Dickenson to prove their fitness in time for this game.
Verdict
How anyone could consider backing Newcastle at these odds is beyond me. There is a division between them but the way Newcastle are playing, half the championship teams would beat them. Lets not forget Newcastle were hammered 5 - 1 last year at this stage by Birmingham who were in the championship then. Due to Stoke's tendency to draw away games I'm a little cautious about taking them to win. The odds that appeal to me are them to qualify at just over 3's
The winner of this game gets the chance to play Arsenal next, something that i think Stoke should be more excited about that Newcastle.
PICK
Newcastle V Stoke - Stoke to qualify ( 3.75 @ boylesports) 3 points
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Some more FA Cup action
Bury V Norwich
Norwich have been in great form of late and manager Glenn Roeder has brought a new lease of life back to the club. Unbeaten in 9 games now and playing against a Bury team with lots of problems. Manager Chris Casper and director of football Keith Alexander have left the club and this is an unwanted distraction for them.
Bury are only three points above relegation in League 2 so its amazing to me that there odds of close to evens offered on Norwich, a team two divisions above them. Their recent home form has been shocking and they have failed to score in their last 4 games which have all ended in defeat.
Bury are missing striker Simon Yeo , plus defenders Paul Scott and Paul Morgan.
As mentioned already Norwich are in good form, Saturday’s away win against Barnsley 3-1 puts them up to 18th and eases relegation fears. The confidence is back and apart from Luke Chadwick and left-back Adam Drury, they have an otherwise strong side to chose from.
Verdict
Two teams with contrasting form here, Bury are playing poorly and could be deeper in relegation worries after next weekend. The league is much more important to them and I expect one eye will be on the weekend game with Stockport, which is vital for them
Norwich are a team on the up and I expect them to progress here.
PICK
Norwich win (1.85 @ betsense) 4 points
Norwich have been in great form of late and manager Glenn Roeder has brought a new lease of life back to the club. Unbeaten in 9 games now and playing against a Bury team with lots of problems. Manager Chris Casper and director of football Keith Alexander have left the club and this is an unwanted distraction for them.
Bury are only three points above relegation in League 2 so its amazing to me that there odds of close to evens offered on Norwich, a team two divisions above them. Their recent home form has been shocking and they have failed to score in their last 4 games which have all ended in defeat.
Bury are missing striker Simon Yeo , plus defenders Paul Scott and Paul Morgan.
As mentioned already Norwich are in good form, Saturday’s away win against Barnsley 3-1 puts them up to 18th and eases relegation fears. The confidence is back and apart from Luke Chadwick and left-back Adam Drury, they have an otherwise strong side to chose from.
Verdict
Two teams with contrasting form here, Bury are playing poorly and could be deeper in relegation worries after next weekend. The league is much more important to them and I expect one eye will be on the weekend game with Stockport, which is vital for them
Norwich are a team on the up and I expect them to progress here.
PICK
Norwich win (1.85 @ betsense) 4 points
Monday, January 14, 2008
FA Cup on Tuesday night
Liverpool V Luton town
It’s impossible to know what to expect from Luton here. Boss Kevin Blackwell has hinted today (Monday) that he doesn’t even know which players he will have to chose from as some of his players are in transfer talks at the moment.
The 1-1 FA Cup draw with giant’s Liverpool nine days ago was a result that even they could not have expected. John Arne Riise’s own goal gave the Hatters that all important equaliser, earning them a lucrative rematch at Anfield and a cashfall of up to £500,000.
Lutons problems are well-documented so theres no need for me to go into them. This game will be a help to them financially but realistically they know this is as far as they will go.
From the last round of the FA Cup they will have at least 5 players missing and maybe more by kick off.
Also to note, goalkeeper Dean Brill is suffering with an injury and he is the only available goalkeeper so that’s an example of how bad things are.
Liverpool are in dire need of a good result. Draws in the premiership have derailed any remaining title hopes and they are under serious pressure to deliver the goods.
Guessing what team Benitez puts out is impossible at this stage but if he has any sense he will play Crouch as the Luton back 4 are seriously lacking in height.
Verdict
Anything but a confident home display could be the final nail in the coffin for Rafa. Three 1 – 1 draws in a row means he really needs a positive display. This may be Luton’s last fling with the big time and they will try to keep Liverpool out for as long as possible but if Liverpool hit form then it could be a massacre.
They should cover the 2 goal handicap with ease.
PICK
Liverpool - 2.25 ( 1.85 @ betfred) 6 points
It’s impossible to know what to expect from Luton here. Boss Kevin Blackwell has hinted today (Monday) that he doesn’t even know which players he will have to chose from as some of his players are in transfer talks at the moment.
The 1-1 FA Cup draw with giant’s Liverpool nine days ago was a result that even they could not have expected. John Arne Riise’s own goal gave the Hatters that all important equaliser, earning them a lucrative rematch at Anfield and a cashfall of up to £500,000.
Lutons problems are well-documented so theres no need for me to go into them. This game will be a help to them financially but realistically they know this is as far as they will go.
From the last round of the FA Cup they will have at least 5 players missing and maybe more by kick off.
Also to note, goalkeeper Dean Brill is suffering with an injury and he is the only available goalkeeper so that’s an example of how bad things are.
Liverpool are in dire need of a good result. Draws in the premiership have derailed any remaining title hopes and they are under serious pressure to deliver the goods.
Guessing what team Benitez puts out is impossible at this stage but if he has any sense he will play Crouch as the Luton back 4 are seriously lacking in height.
Verdict
Anything but a confident home display could be the final nail in the coffin for Rafa. Three 1 – 1 draws in a row means he really needs a positive display. This may be Luton’s last fling with the big time and they will try to keep Liverpool out for as long as possible but if Liverpool hit form then it could be a massacre.
They should cover the 2 goal handicap with ease.
PICK
Liverpool - 2.25 ( 1.85 @ betfred) 6 points
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Monday night
Crewe V Leeds United
Two teams heading in different directions meet up in this clash at The Alexandra Stadium on Monday night. Both teams need three points and both for very different reasons.
Crewe’s recent form has been very poor. Only five points taken from a possible twenty four has left them struggling on 28 points, only barely above the drop zone.
Their home form has deserted them and they have dropped points against Walsall Doncaster and Gillingham in recent times. On new years day they overcame Tranmere 4 – 3 in a game where form and defending went out the window. Manager Steve Holland has had a quiet January transfer period but with the exception of Billy Jones who has damaged cartilage, theres a full squad to chose from.
Crewe’s last 5 home games
Crewe 1 0 Northampton 17/11/2007
Crewe 2 3 Gillingham 04/12/2007
Crewe 0 0 Walsall 08/12/2007
Crewe 0 4 Doncaster 22/12/2007
Crewe 4 3 Tranmere 01/01/2008
Leeds are going through the annual bad patch that most teams go through. Their away form has been poor with only two points taken from the last four games. Defeats at Swansea and to lowly Cheltenham have seriously derailed their league ambitions and they will be desperate to get back to winning ways. Dennis Wise has taken the opportunity to strengthen his squad in the transfer market with midfielders Seb Sorsa, Bradley Johnson, Peter Sweeney and defender Darren Kenton coming into the fold.
Rui Marques is on international duty but captain Alan Thompson looks like being fit again.
Leeds last 5 away games
Bournemouth 1 3 Leeds 06/11/2007
Cheltenham 1 0 Leeds 25/11/2007
Walsall 1 1 Leeds 15/12/2007
Hartlepool 1 1 Leeds 26/12/2007
Swansea 3 2 Leeds 29/12/2007
Verdict
As I mentioned, both teams need points for different reasons. Both are going through a bad spell but I believe Wise has invested wisely and strengthened an already strong squad. These signings may prove the difference as they try and make up ground on the leaders. Crewe have only one win from the last nine games and confidence is low. Leeds have only been beaten 4 times all season and have only failed to score in one game. They should have enough attacking power to take advantage of a side that has conceded 13 goals in the last 5 games
Leeds to win 2 – 1 or 3 - 1
Pick
Leeds win (1.91 @ blue sq) 4 points
Over 2.5 goals (2 @ bluesq) 2 points
Two teams heading in different directions meet up in this clash at The Alexandra Stadium on Monday night. Both teams need three points and both for very different reasons.
Crewe’s recent form has been very poor. Only five points taken from a possible twenty four has left them struggling on 28 points, only barely above the drop zone.
Their home form has deserted them and they have dropped points against Walsall Doncaster and Gillingham in recent times. On new years day they overcame Tranmere 4 – 3 in a game where form and defending went out the window. Manager Steve Holland has had a quiet January transfer period but with the exception of Billy Jones who has damaged cartilage, theres a full squad to chose from.
Crewe’s last 5 home games
Crewe 1 0 Northampton 17/11/2007
Crewe 2 3 Gillingham 04/12/2007
Crewe 0 0 Walsall 08/12/2007
Crewe 0 4 Doncaster 22/12/2007
Crewe 4 3 Tranmere 01/01/2008
Leeds are going through the annual bad patch that most teams go through. Their away form has been poor with only two points taken from the last four games. Defeats at Swansea and to lowly Cheltenham have seriously derailed their league ambitions and they will be desperate to get back to winning ways. Dennis Wise has taken the opportunity to strengthen his squad in the transfer market with midfielders Seb Sorsa, Bradley Johnson, Peter Sweeney and defender Darren Kenton coming into the fold.
Rui Marques is on international duty but captain Alan Thompson looks like being fit again.
Leeds last 5 away games
Bournemouth 1 3 Leeds 06/11/2007
Cheltenham 1 0 Leeds 25/11/2007
Walsall 1 1 Leeds 15/12/2007
Hartlepool 1 1 Leeds 26/12/2007
Swansea 3 2 Leeds 29/12/2007
Verdict
As I mentioned, both teams need points for different reasons. Both are going through a bad spell but I believe Wise has invested wisely and strengthened an already strong squad. These signings may prove the difference as they try and make up ground on the leaders. Crewe have only one win from the last nine games and confidence is low. Leeds have only been beaten 4 times all season and have only failed to score in one game. They should have enough attacking power to take advantage of a side that has conceded 13 goals in the last 5 games
Leeds to win 2 – 1 or 3 - 1
Pick
Leeds win (1.91 @ blue sq) 4 points
Over 2.5 goals (2 @ bluesq) 2 points
La Ligo tonight
After much consideration ive decided to take the odds on offer for an Atletico Madrid win tonight
Atletico Madrid V Valencia
Atletico take on Valencia tonight and its clear that these are two teams heading in different directions. The hosts are in great form at the moment - they've only lost one of their last six league games, and are scoring for fun in La Liga with only Sevilla having netted more on their own patch. 24 goals in 9 home games is an impressive stat and they have a strong squad to chose from tonight with the exception of Zé Castro and José Manuel Jurado. Giorgios Seitaridis and Thiago Motta are all still recovering from long term injuries.
Valencia are a club with a lot of off field problems at the moment. Koeman doesnt appear to be the most popular coach and seems to have rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way. Valencia's away record still reads ok with 5 wins and they have more points gathered away then at the Mestalla where they are traditionally a tough team to beat. On closer look though this is their first visit to a team inside the top 5 and with a difficult trip to Villareal next time out, their away record may be dented by then.
Koeman has confirmed that new signing Ever Banega will travel with the squad but Miguel, Alexis and Fernando Morientes are all unlikely to take part due to injuries. Manuel Fernandes has been loaned out to Everton.
Verdict
Valencia's main problem has been scoring and have failed to score in five of their last 6 outings, including last Sunday's 0-0 draw with bottom-of-the-league Levante.
Atletico can push on for a win here, I’m not so sure they will keep a clean sheet but they have the necessary firepower to outscore Valencia and record a 3 pointer.
PICK
Atletico Madrid -0.5 (2.03 @ canbet) 5 points
Atletico Madrid V Valencia
Atletico take on Valencia tonight and its clear that these are two teams heading in different directions. The hosts are in great form at the moment - they've only lost one of their last six league games, and are scoring for fun in La Liga with only Sevilla having netted more on their own patch. 24 goals in 9 home games is an impressive stat and they have a strong squad to chose from tonight with the exception of Zé Castro and José Manuel Jurado. Giorgios Seitaridis and Thiago Motta are all still recovering from long term injuries.
Valencia are a club with a lot of off field problems at the moment. Koeman doesnt appear to be the most popular coach and seems to have rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way. Valencia's away record still reads ok with 5 wins and they have more points gathered away then at the Mestalla where they are traditionally a tough team to beat. On closer look though this is their first visit to a team inside the top 5 and with a difficult trip to Villareal next time out, their away record may be dented by then.
Koeman has confirmed that new signing Ever Banega will travel with the squad but Miguel, Alexis and Fernando Morientes are all unlikely to take part due to injuries. Manuel Fernandes has been loaned out to Everton.
Verdict
Valencia's main problem has been scoring and have failed to score in five of their last 6 outings, including last Sunday's 0-0 draw with bottom-of-the-league Levante.
Atletico can push on for a win here, I’m not so sure they will keep a clean sheet but they have the necessary firepower to outscore Valencia and record a 3 pointer.
PICK
Atletico Madrid -0.5 (2.03 @ canbet) 5 points
Sunday action
A poor day yesterday. I cannot believe the poor performances put in by Arsenal and Peterborough. We move on today and theres a few things that catch my eye although theres a few factors that may change the games in England today so theres no point in going overboard with big bets.
Bolton V Blackburn
Bolton are making the right moves especially at home as they continue to move away from the relegation zone. Their defence has been their strongest point with only 1 conceded at home in the last 5 games. However, Anelka has moved to Chelsea and Diouf is absent on African Nations duty so its very hard to see where the goals will come from today. The duo are responsible for 5 of the last 9 goals at the Reebok so their absense is a huge blow.
Blackburn are not the team they were last season, something is missing that i cant put my finger on. Still, their away record has been good and they have been scoring goals which gives them every chance in any game. Santa Cruz has been a revelation and they will look to him for inspiration up front. The departure of Robbie Savage may hurt them around the middle but Stephen Reid is making good progress back from injury and should feature.
Verdict
Blackburn have scored plenty of goals on their travels this season but Boltons defence is quite strong. Bolton know that they are lacking up front at the moment and their best chance of a result is to keep Blackburn out and try and hit them on the counter attack. The weather is quite miserable so i dont expect a free flowing game with too many chances, i see a damp affair and 1 goal may be enough to settle it for either team.
PICK
Bolton V Blackburn under 2.5 goals ( 1.73 @ centrebet) 3 points
Bolton V Blackburn
Bolton are making the right moves especially at home as they continue to move away from the relegation zone. Their defence has been their strongest point with only 1 conceded at home in the last 5 games. However, Anelka has moved to Chelsea and Diouf is absent on African Nations duty so its very hard to see where the goals will come from today. The duo are responsible for 5 of the last 9 goals at the Reebok so their absense is a huge blow.
Blackburn are not the team they were last season, something is missing that i cant put my finger on. Still, their away record has been good and they have been scoring goals which gives them every chance in any game. Santa Cruz has been a revelation and they will look to him for inspiration up front. The departure of Robbie Savage may hurt them around the middle but Stephen Reid is making good progress back from injury and should feature.
Verdict
Blackburn have scored plenty of goals on their travels this season but Boltons defence is quite strong. Bolton know that they are lacking up front at the moment and their best chance of a result is to keep Blackburn out and try and hit them on the counter attack. The weather is quite miserable so i dont expect a free flowing game with too many chances, i see a damp affair and 1 goal may be enough to settle it for either team.
PICK
Bolton V Blackburn under 2.5 goals ( 1.73 @ centrebet) 3 points
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The last one for League two
Peterborough V Macclesfield
Two teams heading in very different directions here. Peterborough have an excellent home record in which they have only been defeated twice. The highlight being that massive 7 – 0 win over Brentford in November. Sitting in 5th place they will be keen to take another 3 points here and keep the promotion push going strong. They have not had any trouble scoring goals and have hit the net in every single home game this season.
Macclesfield on the other hand will be happy to stay in the League come season’s end. They are just 2 points above the drop zone and are in a poor run of form only taking 3 points (3 draws) from their last 9 games. Their defence has been leaking goals at an alarming rate and they have the worst defensive record in the league.
Verdict
The 2nd highest goal scorers at home to the team with the worst defensive record. Nothing in this league is guaranteed but everything points to a comfortable home win and I think Peterborough will deliver. Taking them –1 on the Asian handicap and at worst a money back result.
PICK
Peterborough –1 (1.82 @ mansion) 6 points
Two teams heading in very different directions here. Peterborough have an excellent home record in which they have only been defeated twice. The highlight being that massive 7 – 0 win over Brentford in November. Sitting in 5th place they will be keen to take another 3 points here and keep the promotion push going strong. They have not had any trouble scoring goals and have hit the net in every single home game this season.
Macclesfield on the other hand will be happy to stay in the League come season’s end. They are just 2 points above the drop zone and are in a poor run of form only taking 3 points (3 draws) from their last 9 games. Their defence has been leaking goals at an alarming rate and they have the worst defensive record in the league.
Verdict
The 2nd highest goal scorers at home to the team with the worst defensive record. Nothing in this league is guaranteed but everything points to a comfortable home win and I think Peterborough will deliver. Taking them –1 on the Asian handicap and at worst a money back result.
PICK
Peterborough –1 (1.82 @ mansion) 6 points
Arsenal V Birmingham
Arsenal V Birmingham
On New years day I had Manchester down for big stakes to beat Birmingham and cover the handicap. Well they didn’t and United won 1 – 0. But, it was a very poor United display in which they never really got into the game and Fergie criticised the United support afterwards for being so quiet. Well its Arsenal’s turn today to face Birmingham on their own patch but I’m confident that Arsenal can make up a 2 goal-winning margin. Arsenal were lucky to take a draw from their midweek fixture against Tottenham in the carling cup. However that has to be said that it was a reserve team that Wenger put out and you can be sure that he will have a much stronger team out today. He does have some injury worries to contend with though, as Senderos is out, Eboue, Song and Toure are away at the African Nations Cup and Van Persie has the flu.
Birmingham sit in 16th place flirting dangerously with the drop zone. They have taken 7 from a possible 33 on the road and have scored 10 and conceded 20 goals along the way. They are a hard team to judge because they are so unpredictable. They put in a great battling performance away at Old Trafford10 days ago and then went out of the FA Cup without a whimper, losing to lowly Huddersfield Town. They are not affected by the African Nations Cup and have a full squad to chose from with the exception of Damien Johnson who must wear a skullcap after a collision a few weeks ago.
Verdict
Arsenal are missing a few today but any time they have Fabregas on board they will be ok. The Emirates is a fine open space and perfect for Arsenal’s wide attacking play. Birmingham have failed to score in half of their away games this year while Arsenal have kept 6 clean sheets at the Emirates. Arsenal just have too much class and a 2 or 3 – 0 win should be on the cards.
Arsenal –1.5 ( 1.81 @ mansion) 5 points
On New years day I had Manchester down for big stakes to beat Birmingham and cover the handicap. Well they didn’t and United won 1 – 0. But, it was a very poor United display in which they never really got into the game and Fergie criticised the United support afterwards for being so quiet. Well its Arsenal’s turn today to face Birmingham on their own patch but I’m confident that Arsenal can make up a 2 goal-winning margin. Arsenal were lucky to take a draw from their midweek fixture against Tottenham in the carling cup. However that has to be said that it was a reserve team that Wenger put out and you can be sure that he will have a much stronger team out today. He does have some injury worries to contend with though, as Senderos is out, Eboue, Song and Toure are away at the African Nations Cup and Van Persie has the flu.
Birmingham sit in 16th place flirting dangerously with the drop zone. They have taken 7 from a possible 33 on the road and have scored 10 and conceded 20 goals along the way. They are a hard team to judge because they are so unpredictable. They put in a great battling performance away at Old Trafford10 days ago and then went out of the FA Cup without a whimper, losing to lowly Huddersfield Town. They are not affected by the African Nations Cup and have a full squad to chose from with the exception of Damien Johnson who must wear a skullcap after a collision a few weeks ago.
Verdict
Arsenal are missing a few today but any time they have Fabregas on board they will be ok. The Emirates is a fine open space and perfect for Arsenal’s wide attacking play. Birmingham have failed to score in half of their away games this year while Arsenal have kept 6 clean sheets at the Emirates. Arsenal just have too much class and a 2 or 3 – 0 win should be on the cards.
Arsenal –1.5 ( 1.81 @ mansion) 5 points
Friday, January 11, 2008
Premiership action
Please note that i will have more picks but wont have previews posted until tomorrow morning .
Everything should be wrapped up by 11 am so check back.
Manchester United V Newcastle
This game could prove to be very interesting. Sam Allardyce got the boot midweek (left by mutual consent my ear!) so its hard to know what way Newcastle will perform. Before I heard this news I had Man U down as bankers to win and to be honest big Sam’s departure hasn’t changed my opinion.
Manchester don’t drop many points at home and 10 wins in a row is a record that is only going to be beaten by Chelsea or Arsenal in my opinion. They have only conceded 3 goals at Old Trafford and scored 23 goals in the same time.
Wes Brown is suspended with Neville almost back to full fitness though unlikely to play any part here. Hargreaves picked up a rib injury in training so Carrick looks likely to take his place. Tevez is also out but Ferguson still has plenty of attacking options to choose from.
Newcastle, where to begin. A set of demanding fans forced Allardyce out but in reality it’s hard to see any manager satisfying the crowd. Newcastle have been trying to get their season going for a long time now but it just hasn’t happened and is unlikely to start at Old Trafford. On the road they are an infuriating team to watch. They played very well at Chelsea and deserved something from the game, yet are the same team that were beaten by Derby early on and almost beaten a second time by Derby county a few weeks back. How can you back a team that is just so inconsistent, here lies the problem with the magpies, they are just too inconsistent to maintain a serious push for the top 6 in the table. Last week they were held 0 – 0 at Stoke in the FA Cup. This is another problem for them, scoring goals, just 1 in the last 4 competitive games against a side with a defensive record such as Uniteds makes for grim hopes.
Verdict
This is a fixture that Newcastle didn’t need at this particular moment in time. There will be much spotlight on them tomorrow and being the televised evening kick off will only increase the pressure on them. They just don’t have the attacking firepower to trouble this United defence. Manchester know that Arsenal are looking at three points tomorrow against Birmingham so three points are vital for United.
United to win and cover the handicap.
PICK
Manchester United – 1.5 ( 1.76 @ unibet) 5 points
Everything should be wrapped up by 11 am so check back.
Manchester United V Newcastle
This game could prove to be very interesting. Sam Allardyce got the boot midweek (left by mutual consent my ear!) so its hard to know what way Newcastle will perform. Before I heard this news I had Man U down as bankers to win and to be honest big Sam’s departure hasn’t changed my opinion.
Manchester don’t drop many points at home and 10 wins in a row is a record that is only going to be beaten by Chelsea or Arsenal in my opinion. They have only conceded 3 goals at Old Trafford and scored 23 goals in the same time.
Wes Brown is suspended with Neville almost back to full fitness though unlikely to play any part here. Hargreaves picked up a rib injury in training so Carrick looks likely to take his place. Tevez is also out but Ferguson still has plenty of attacking options to choose from.
Newcastle, where to begin. A set of demanding fans forced Allardyce out but in reality it’s hard to see any manager satisfying the crowd. Newcastle have been trying to get their season going for a long time now but it just hasn’t happened and is unlikely to start at Old Trafford. On the road they are an infuriating team to watch. They played very well at Chelsea and deserved something from the game, yet are the same team that were beaten by Derby early on and almost beaten a second time by Derby county a few weeks back. How can you back a team that is just so inconsistent, here lies the problem with the magpies, they are just too inconsistent to maintain a serious push for the top 6 in the table. Last week they were held 0 – 0 at Stoke in the FA Cup. This is another problem for them, scoring goals, just 1 in the last 4 competitive games against a side with a defensive record such as Uniteds makes for grim hopes.
Verdict
This is a fixture that Newcastle didn’t need at this particular moment in time. There will be much spotlight on them tomorrow and being the televised evening kick off will only increase the pressure on them. They just don’t have the attacking firepower to trouble this United defence. Manchester know that Arsenal are looking at three points tomorrow against Birmingham so three points are vital for United.
United to win and cover the handicap.
PICK
Manchester United – 1.5 ( 1.76 @ unibet) 5 points
League 1 Saturday afternoon
Cheltenham V Bournemouth
A very interesting clash when two of the bottom three meet each other in what is sure to be a closely fought encounter which could end up costing one a place in the league come seasons end.
Cheltenham have eased relegation worries ever so slightly with three 1 – 0 wins in their last 4 home games. Indeed one of the reasons I fancy them to win this game is because of these three wins, each for different reasons. Beating Port Vale on January 2nd was another clash very similar to this one. Cheltenham were playing at home, against a team of fellow strugglers and needed a win as they do tomorrow. An early Paul Conner goal was enough as their defence stood firm to the Port Vale attack. Another of these wins was against Leeds. Quite simply, Leeds are one of the best teams in this league if not the best and any team that beats them deserves a lot of respect and credibility. As it turns out that is the only game in which Leeds were held scoreless all season to this point, a remarkable achievement for Cheltenham, a team so far down the league ladder. Their away form is shocking so they know that its games like this, especially the home ones that are going to determine their season.
Manager Keith Downing could hand debuts to loan signings Steve Brooker and Alex Russell.
Cheltenham’s last 5 home games
Cheltenham 1 1 Yeovil 06/11/2007
Cheltenham 1 0 Leeds 25/11/2007
Cheltenham 1 0 Luton 14/12/2007
Cheltenham 0 2 Huddersfield 22/12/2007
Cheltenham 1 0 Port Vale 02/01/2008
Bournemouth, as mentioned above are in deep trouble at this stage. They are a point below Cheltenham but more importantly have played a game more than the teams above them within reaching distance.
Much like their opponents here, their away form has been poor and they have failed to take anything from their last 4 games on the road. Credit where credit is due, they have scored in each of their last 9 away games, but the underlying problem is their defence with 12 goals conceded inside the last 6 hours of play. They haven’t fared much better at home and have the conceded more goals than anyone else in the league (44, almost 2 a game)
Injury wise, Kevin Bond has many players returning from spells on the sidelines which should help.
Verdict
It’s hard to ignore the claims for a home win here. Cheltenham certainly appear to be making more progress in the attempt climb up the league standings. Their defence is on a par with most other teams in the league, its scoring that has been their downfall. Why not another 1 – 0 win.
Pick
Cheltenham win (2.20 @ canbet) 5 points
A very interesting clash when two of the bottom three meet each other in what is sure to be a closely fought encounter which could end up costing one a place in the league come seasons end.
Cheltenham have eased relegation worries ever so slightly with three 1 – 0 wins in their last 4 home games. Indeed one of the reasons I fancy them to win this game is because of these three wins, each for different reasons. Beating Port Vale on January 2nd was another clash very similar to this one. Cheltenham were playing at home, against a team of fellow strugglers and needed a win as they do tomorrow. An early Paul Conner goal was enough as their defence stood firm to the Port Vale attack. Another of these wins was against Leeds. Quite simply, Leeds are one of the best teams in this league if not the best and any team that beats them deserves a lot of respect and credibility. As it turns out that is the only game in which Leeds were held scoreless all season to this point, a remarkable achievement for Cheltenham, a team so far down the league ladder. Their away form is shocking so they know that its games like this, especially the home ones that are going to determine their season.
Manager Keith Downing could hand debuts to loan signings Steve Brooker and Alex Russell.
Cheltenham’s last 5 home games
Cheltenham 1 1 Yeovil 06/11/2007
Cheltenham 1 0 Leeds 25/11/2007
Cheltenham 1 0 Luton 14/12/2007
Cheltenham 0 2 Huddersfield 22/12/2007
Cheltenham 1 0 Port Vale 02/01/2008
Bournemouth, as mentioned above are in deep trouble at this stage. They are a point below Cheltenham but more importantly have played a game more than the teams above them within reaching distance.
Much like their opponents here, their away form has been poor and they have failed to take anything from their last 4 games on the road. Credit where credit is due, they have scored in each of their last 9 away games, but the underlying problem is their defence with 12 goals conceded inside the last 6 hours of play. They haven’t fared much better at home and have the conceded more goals than anyone else in the league (44, almost 2 a game)
Injury wise, Kevin Bond has many players returning from spells on the sidelines which should help.
| Hartlepool | 1 | 1 | Bournemouth | 18/11/2007 |
| Yeovil | 2 | 1 | Bournemouth | 04/12/2007 |
| Tranmere | 3 | 1 | Bournemouth | 08/12/2007 |
| Northampton | 4 | 1 | Bournemouth | 21/12/2007 |
| Brighton | 3 | 2 | Bournemouth | 01/01/2008 |
Verdict
It’s hard to ignore the claims for a home win here. Cheltenham certainly appear to be making more progress in the attempt climb up the league standings. Their defence is on a par with most other teams in the league, its scoring that has been their downfall. Why not another 1 – 0 win.
Pick
Cheltenham win (2.20 @ canbet) 5 points
The weekends Championship action
There 3 previews here but theres much more to come from various leagues so check back.
Preston V Watford
The odds on the away win appeal to me here. Preston are going through a rough patch, in fact their whole season could be described as a rough patch. Winless in the last 3 at home and worse still they were playing against Cardiff, Blackpool and Scunthorpe, 3 teams that don’t inspire confidence when playing away from home. With the exception of two games, in which they scored 3 against Hull and 5 against Southampton, Preston have found goals very hard to come by at home. They have been held scoreless in 7 home games so far and its stats like these that will probably have them playing in a lower division next year.
Matt Hill is suspended while Wayne Henderson, Bill Jones and Chris McGrail are all out injured. New signings Chris Brown and Richard Chaplow look set to feature at some point.
Preston’s last 5 home games
Preston 0 2 Charlton 24/11/2007
Preston 3 0 Hull 04/12/2007
Preston 0 1 Blackpool 08/12/2007
Preston 0 1 Scunthorpe 26/12/2007
Preston 1 2 Cardiff 29/12/2007
Watford are in a good position at the moment and im fully convinced they are the team to beat in the Championship. They have already gone through the “rough patch” that teams tend to go through yet they still are level on points atop the league. Their home form has been something of a mystery, at one point they looked unbeatable until West Brom beat them 3 – 0 at the start of November. Since then they have failed to win a home game and strangely enough look far more comfortable away from Vicarage road. Their away record makes for impressive reading and they have only been beaten twice picking up 29 of their 45 point tally. Top scorer Marlon King has been in impressive form and Watford recently turned down a £4 million bid for him from Fulham.
Watford’s last 5 away games
Barnsley 3 2 Watford 24/11/2007
Colchester 2 3 Watford 04/12/2007
Stoke 0 0 Watford 09/12/2007
Sheff.Wed 0 1 Watford 22/12/2007
Southampton 0 3 Watford 01/01/2008
Verdict
Its top v bottom here and everything points to a Watford win. Poor home record V excellent away record (best in the league) A team struggling to score against a team that has the 2nd highest goals tally in the league and the highest goals scored record away from home. Odds of 2.3 or so on the away side are attractive and odds of 1.65 or so on Watford also look good for the more cautious punter.
Cardiff V Sheffield Wed
Cardiff sit in 11th position in the table yet they playoffs are still within reach and they will be hoping to make it 4 wins on the trot at home. After some poor results early on Cardiff stopped the rot at home and started recording some decent results. Successive wins against Colchester, Sheffield United and Plymouth have now put them in a good position. They avoided a potential banana skin last week in the FA Cup defeating non-league Chasetown 3 – 1.
In general their home form reads as any other mid table team would. However it’s their recent form, especially against the other mid to low ranked clubs that im more interested in. They have hardly been prolific in front of goal but have scored in 19 from 26 games which always gives them a chance.
Kasper Schmeicel has finished his loan spell at the club and returns to Man City. Robbie Fowler is the top scorer but hasn’t appeared in a blues shirt for some time now. Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank has been restricted to appearances here and there as a sub. Otherwise Dave Jones has few other worries to contend with.
Cardiff’s last 5 home games
Cardiff 1 0 Ipswich 24/11/2007
Cardiff 0 2 Charlton 04/12/2007
Cardiff 4 1 Colchester 08/12/2007
Cardiff 1 0 Sheff.Utd 22/12/2007
Cardiff 1 0 Plymouth 01/01/2008
Sheffield Wednesday are coming into this game in 19th place and sitting one point above the relegation zone. Despite the low ranking they are still only 8 points away from Cardiff, an insight into how close the teams in this division really are. On the road they have collected 4 points from their last 6 games. Last weekend they went 2 – 0 up against Derby in the FA Cup before being pegged back and being held to a 2 - 2 draw.
Sheffield Wednesday will be helped by the return of Wade Small, Richard Wood and Steve Watson for Saturday's Championship encounter. Midfielder Yoann Folly has left for Plymouth Argyle with Ronnie Wallwork coming in from West Brom.
Sheff Wed’s last 5 away games
Q.P.R. 0 0 Sheff.Wed 24/11/2007
Southampton 0 0 Sheff.Wed 04/12/2007
C.Palace 2 1 Sheff.Wed 15/12/2007
Burnley 1 1 Sheff.Wed 26/12/2007
Hull 1 0 Sheff.Wed 30/12/2007
Cardiff City prepare to entertain Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon, looking to continue an impressive head to head record. The Bluebirds are clearly on top, having won 15 and lost only 6 of the 27 games.
Verdict
Recent form points towards a home victory here. Sheffield Wednesday are having trouble finding the net on their travels and this could really hurt them. Cardiff are a dogged side to play against and I feel they will have enough here to scrape a win. Cardiff –0 .5 are available at 1.95 @ canbet and well worth a bet
Hull V West Brom
Ok I may be going against a lot of people here but I believe that Hull can snatch this one, or at least prevent the Baggies from taking all 3 points.
Hull are in 9th place with the playoffs very much a realistic target. They are a typical championship side picking up most of their points at home allowing for a mediocre away record. They are unbeaten in 8 home games and have kept impressive 6 clean sheets in those matches. Two defeats all season, one of those an opening day blip against Plymouth shows they have kept their performances at a consistent competitive level.
Hull City’s last 5 home games
Hull 0 0 Bristol C. 27/11/2007
Hull 2 2 Cardiff 01/12/2007
Hull 2 0 Leicester 15/12/2007
Hull 2 0 Wolves 26/12/2007
Hull 1 0 Sheff.Wed 30/12/2007
West Brom are sitting on top of the pile on level points with Waterford and Bristol City and looking for a speedy return to the premiership. Their strength has been their home form though with 30 points taken from their tally of 47. On the road their spell of 5 games unbeaten was brought to an abrupt stop with defeats at Stoke and Ipswich. Last weekend they earned a replay after a 1 – 1 draw at Charlton. However they would have been out if not for an excellent display from Goalkeeper Dean Kiely.
Key players such as Kevin Phillips and Roman Bednar will return for the trip to Hull.
West Broms last 5 away games
Plymouth 1 2 W.B.A. 28/11/2007
C.Palace 1 1 W.B.A. 01/12/2007
Leicester 1 2 W.B.A. 08/12/2007
Stoke 3 1 W.B.A. 22/12/2007
Ipswich 2 0 W.B.A. 01/01/2008
Verdict
I haven’t came across one place yet that’s recommended the home win but in my opinion its not out of the question. Hulls recent form and general home record is too good to ignore. West Brom are coming off the back of 2 away defeats and will be keen to get back to winning ways but they may have their work cut out for them. Hull won’t lie down easy and both teams may have to settle for a point apiece.
PICKS
Watford win ( 2.3 pinnacle) 5 points
Cardiff -0.5 (2 @ canbet) 5 points
Hull V West Brom draw (3.3 @ totesport) 2 points
Preston V Watford
The odds on the away win appeal to me here. Preston are going through a rough patch, in fact their whole season could be described as a rough patch. Winless in the last 3 at home and worse still they were playing against Cardiff, Blackpool and Scunthorpe, 3 teams that don’t inspire confidence when playing away from home. With the exception of two games, in which they scored 3 against Hull and 5 against Southampton, Preston have found goals very hard to come by at home. They have been held scoreless in 7 home games so far and its stats like these that will probably have them playing in a lower division next year.
Matt Hill is suspended while Wayne Henderson, Bill Jones and Chris McGrail are all out injured. New signings Chris Brown and Richard Chaplow look set to feature at some point.
Preston’s last 5 home games
Preston 0 2 Charlton 24/11/2007
Preston 3 0 Hull 04/12/2007
Preston 0 1 Blackpool 08/12/2007
Preston 0 1 Scunthorpe 26/12/2007
Preston 1 2 Cardiff 29/12/2007
Watford are in a good position at the moment and im fully convinced they are the team to beat in the Championship. They have already gone through the “rough patch” that teams tend to go through yet they still are level on points atop the league. Their home form has been something of a mystery, at one point they looked unbeatable until West Brom beat them 3 – 0 at the start of November. Since then they have failed to win a home game and strangely enough look far more comfortable away from Vicarage road. Their away record makes for impressive reading and they have only been beaten twice picking up 29 of their 45 point tally. Top scorer Marlon King has been in impressive form and Watford recently turned down a £4 million bid for him from Fulham.
Watford’s last 5 away games
Barnsley 3 2 Watford 24/11/2007
Colchester 2 3 Watford 04/12/2007
Stoke 0 0 Watford 09/12/2007
Sheff.Wed 0 1 Watford 22/12/2007
Southampton 0 3 Watford 01/01/2008
Verdict
Its top v bottom here and everything points to a Watford win. Poor home record V excellent away record (best in the league) A team struggling to score against a team that has the 2nd highest goals tally in the league and the highest goals scored record away from home. Odds of 2.3 or so on the away side are attractive and odds of 1.65 or so on Watford also look good for the more cautious punter.
Cardiff V Sheffield Wed
Cardiff sit in 11th position in the table yet they playoffs are still within reach and they will be hoping to make it 4 wins on the trot at home. After some poor results early on Cardiff stopped the rot at home and started recording some decent results. Successive wins against Colchester, Sheffield United and Plymouth have now put them in a good position. They avoided a potential banana skin last week in the FA Cup defeating non-league Chasetown 3 – 1.
In general their home form reads as any other mid table team would. However it’s their recent form, especially against the other mid to low ranked clubs that im more interested in. They have hardly been prolific in front of goal but have scored in 19 from 26 games which always gives them a chance.
Kasper Schmeicel has finished his loan spell at the club and returns to Man City. Robbie Fowler is the top scorer but hasn’t appeared in a blues shirt for some time now. Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank has been restricted to appearances here and there as a sub. Otherwise Dave Jones has few other worries to contend with.
Cardiff’s last 5 home games
Cardiff 1 0 Ipswich 24/11/2007
Cardiff 0 2 Charlton 04/12/2007
Cardiff 4 1 Colchester 08/12/2007
Cardiff 1 0 Sheff.Utd 22/12/2007
Cardiff 1 0 Plymouth 01/01/2008
Sheffield Wednesday are coming into this game in 19th place and sitting one point above the relegation zone. Despite the low ranking they are still only 8 points away from Cardiff, an insight into how close the teams in this division really are. On the road they have collected 4 points from their last 6 games. Last weekend they went 2 – 0 up against Derby in the FA Cup before being pegged back and being held to a 2 - 2 draw.
Sheffield Wednesday will be helped by the return of Wade Small, Richard Wood and Steve Watson for Saturday's Championship encounter. Midfielder Yoann Folly has left for Plymouth Argyle with Ronnie Wallwork coming in from West Brom.
Sheff Wed’s last 5 away games
Q.P.R. 0 0 Sheff.Wed 24/11/2007
Southampton 0 0 Sheff.Wed 04/12/2007
C.Palace 2 1 Sheff.Wed 15/12/2007
Burnley 1 1 Sheff.Wed 26/12/2007
Hull 1 0 Sheff.Wed 30/12/2007
Cardiff City prepare to entertain Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon, looking to continue an impressive head to head record. The Bluebirds are clearly on top, having won 15 and lost only 6 of the 27 games.
Verdict
Recent form points towards a home victory here. Sheffield Wednesday are having trouble finding the net on their travels and this could really hurt them. Cardiff are a dogged side to play against and I feel they will have enough here to scrape a win. Cardiff –0 .5 are available at 1.95 @ canbet and well worth a bet
Hull V West Brom
Ok I may be going against a lot of people here but I believe that Hull can snatch this one, or at least prevent the Baggies from taking all 3 points.
Hull are in 9th place with the playoffs very much a realistic target. They are a typical championship side picking up most of their points at home allowing for a mediocre away record. They are unbeaten in 8 home games and have kept impressive 6 clean sheets in those matches. Two defeats all season, one of those an opening day blip against Plymouth shows they have kept their performances at a consistent competitive level.
Hull City’s last 5 home games
Hull 0 0 Bristol C. 27/11/2007
Hull 2 2 Cardiff 01/12/2007
Hull 2 0 Leicester 15/12/2007
Hull 2 0 Wolves 26/12/2007
Hull 1 0 Sheff.Wed 30/12/2007
West Brom are sitting on top of the pile on level points with Waterford and Bristol City and looking for a speedy return to the premiership. Their strength has been their home form though with 30 points taken from their tally of 47. On the road their spell of 5 games unbeaten was brought to an abrupt stop with defeats at Stoke and Ipswich. Last weekend they earned a replay after a 1 – 1 draw at Charlton. However they would have been out if not for an excellent display from Goalkeeper Dean Kiely.
Key players such as Kevin Phillips and Roman Bednar will return for the trip to Hull.
West Broms last 5 away games
Plymouth 1 2 W.B.A. 28/11/2007
C.Palace 1 1 W.B.A. 01/12/2007
Leicester 1 2 W.B.A. 08/12/2007
Stoke 3 1 W.B.A. 22/12/2007
Ipswich 2 0 W.B.A. 01/01/2008
Verdict
I haven’t came across one place yet that’s recommended the home win but in my opinion its not out of the question. Hulls recent form and general home record is too good to ignore. West Brom are coming off the back of 2 away defeats and will be keen to get back to winning ways but they may have their work cut out for them. Hull won’t lie down easy and both teams may have to settle for a point apiece.
PICKS
Watford win ( 2.3 pinnacle) 5 points
Cardiff -0.5 (2 @ canbet) 5 points
Hull V West Brom draw (3.3 @ totesport) 2 points
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Carling cup action
Arsenal V Tottenham
Carling cup time again and with although this is not a cup held in high regard by many teams there is still four of the big premiership teams in with a shout tonight.
Arsenal come into this one on the back of a 2 – 0 FA cup win over Burnley. There was very little to shout about though and on another day the championship side could have earned a replay. However expect things to be much different here though as a north London derby will bring out the best in both sides. Eduardo is in top form with 6 goals in his last 4 matches and if he gets half a chance tonight he’ll take it. The gunner’s home form has been sensational this year. 10 wins from 11 and the only points dropped were to Man United, hardly an embarrassment. Goals wise, things have averaged out to about 3 goals per game at the Emirates.
Its very hard to know what team Wenger will send out. He usually gives the younger players a chance in the cup games but even they will be out to impress. Hopefully he starts with Adebayour as he has an excellent record against the Spurs.
Tottenham know that the domestic cups probably represent their best chances of silverware this season. They have been exciting to watch this year for all the wrong reasons, as they have had to resort to “outscoring” teams as their inept defensive displays have left them with much work to do. Games such as last weeks 6 – 4 victory over Reading are a nightmare for a manager but exciting from a fans view. Their strengths are definitely up front as they have many options to choose from. Captain Robbie Keane always gives it everything and Berbatov is simply unstoppable at the moment. Away from home Tottenham have only recorded one victory this year. As usual scoring hasn’t been a problem but keeping them out has, 12 scored and 17 conceded. Spurs have the highest goal per game ration this year with an amazing 3.8 goals per game, much higher than anyone else.
Verdict
A closely fought London derby with all the trimmings is expected. Arsenal won the corresponding fixture 2 – 1 just two weeks ago though Spurs will feel they should have got something from the game. With this being the most realistic chance of glory for Tottenham this year I expect them to put in a good showing. Arsenal have looked a little shaky at the back in recent times and I can’t see them holding Berbatov and co out for 90 minutes.
On the other hand, no matter what team Wenger puts out, they will have class throughout. Eduardo is flying well and if he gets half a chance he’ll take it. Il take overs as I think it’s the best shout and should hopefully come in well before the 90 minutes is over.
PICK
Arsenal V Tottenham over 2.5 goals (1.9 @ pinnacle) 4 points
Carling cup time again and with although this is not a cup held in high regard by many teams there is still four of the big premiership teams in with a shout tonight.
Arsenal come into this one on the back of a 2 – 0 FA cup win over Burnley. There was very little to shout about though and on another day the championship side could have earned a replay. However expect things to be much different here though as a north London derby will bring out the best in both sides. Eduardo is in top form with 6 goals in his last 4 matches and if he gets half a chance tonight he’ll take it. The gunner’s home form has been sensational this year. 10 wins from 11 and the only points dropped were to Man United, hardly an embarrassment. Goals wise, things have averaged out to about 3 goals per game at the Emirates.
Its very hard to know what team Wenger will send out. He usually gives the younger players a chance in the cup games but even they will be out to impress. Hopefully he starts with Adebayour as he has an excellent record against the Spurs.
Tottenham know that the domestic cups probably represent their best chances of silverware this season. They have been exciting to watch this year for all the wrong reasons, as they have had to resort to “outscoring” teams as their inept defensive displays have left them with much work to do. Games such as last weeks 6 – 4 victory over Reading are a nightmare for a manager but exciting from a fans view. Their strengths are definitely up front as they have many options to choose from. Captain Robbie Keane always gives it everything and Berbatov is simply unstoppable at the moment. Away from home Tottenham have only recorded one victory this year. As usual scoring hasn’t been a problem but keeping them out has, 12 scored and 17 conceded. Spurs have the highest goal per game ration this year with an amazing 3.8 goals per game, much higher than anyone else.
Verdict
A closely fought London derby with all the trimmings is expected. Arsenal won the corresponding fixture 2 – 1 just two weeks ago though Spurs will feel they should have got something from the game. With this being the most realistic chance of glory for Tottenham this year I expect them to put in a good showing. Arsenal have looked a little shaky at the back in recent times and I can’t see them holding Berbatov and co out for 90 minutes.
On the other hand, no matter what team Wenger puts out, they will have class throughout. Eduardo is flying well and if he gets half a chance he’ll take it. Il take overs as I think it’s the best shout and should hopefully come in well before the 90 minutes is over.
PICK
Arsenal V Tottenham over 2.5 goals (1.9 @ pinnacle) 4 points
Sunday, January 6, 2008
The weekend that was the 5th and 6th of Jan
I recieved an email a short time ago from a regular reader wanting (or more like demanding) to know why i had so little previewed this weekend and why i had nothing for today. The reason was simple and you only have to look at the results to see why. Liverpool being held a lowly Luton? Blackburn being hammered at Ewood park and Everton being beaten 1 - 0 by Oldham!!!
Ive been burnt too many times in the past by the FA cup, especially in the early rounds. The reason is straightforward. Its impossible to know just how serious some teams will take this competition. For example teams struggling in their own domestic league may not be worried if they are beaten as they may wish to concentrate on the league table.
The Spanish football also started back but to be honest nothing stood out for me too much so i decided to leave it alone. Il be paying a bit more attention to La Liga nexy weekend though. For now, the weekend itself was ok. There will as usual be more coming at you through the week but as of now i have not done much homework so i cant promise any selections just yet.
Stay tuned and if anyone wants to contact me, its epmexpress@yahoo.co.uk
Ive been burnt too many times in the past by the FA cup, especially in the early rounds. The reason is straightforward. Its impossible to know just how serious some teams will take this competition. For example teams struggling in their own domestic league may not be worried if they are beaten as they may wish to concentrate on the league table.
The Spanish football also started back but to be honest nothing stood out for me too much so i decided to leave it alone. Il be paying a bit more attention to La Liga nexy weekend though. For now, the weekend itself was ok. There will as usual be more coming at you through the week but as of now i have not done much homework so i cant promise any selections just yet.
Stay tuned and if anyone wants to contact me, its epmexpress@yahoo.co.uk
Friday, January 4, 2008
FA cup action
The Fa cup is interupting the weekend and its not my favourite day of the year, especially this early on when there is so many teams in action that we know so little about. Most of the favourites are priced far too low so it remains to be seen if i can find 1 or two teams that can make up a decent acca. Anyway, for now,
Wolves V Cambridge
Cambridge are one of the last remaining non-league teams left and face a daunting task if they are to progress any further.
Wolves sit in 10th place in the championship but seemed to have lost ground in their race to gain promotion. This is mainly due to the fact that they are finding goals very hard to come by. 24 goals scored which is the worst in the league. The main reason that they are as high in the league though is their defence, only 23 goals conceded, the tightest defence in the league.
Cambridge are in 5th place in the conference and while 1st and 2nd place would appear to be sewn up, they are still well in the frame for a promotion spot. Their statistics read very similar to Wolves when it comes to goals scored and conceded. They have scored 35 goals in 24 games which sounds good but is actually a poor record in comparison to the teams around them. And much like Wolves. Cambridge possess the best defensive record in the league with only 22 conceded.
Verdict
Wolves badly need a win for a confidence boost more than anything else. Cambridge will enjoy the day no doubt and will hope that their defence stands firm against the Wolves threat. If they can keep Wolves out for the first 45 minutes then anything is possible. The bottom line here is that you have two low scoring teams that don’t give away any loose change at the back. I think Wolves may be good enough to win this but will have to work hard for it. They have kept 7 clean sheets at home this year to much better opposition and to be honest I don’t see Cambridge scoring. Unders looks like good value to me then as I definitely don’t see Wolves scoring more than 1 or 2 max.
PICK
Wolves V Cambridge under 2.5 goals (2.11 @ mansion) 4 points
Wolves V Cambridge
Cambridge are one of the last remaining non-league teams left and face a daunting task if they are to progress any further.
Wolves sit in 10th place in the championship but seemed to have lost ground in their race to gain promotion. This is mainly due to the fact that they are finding goals very hard to come by. 24 goals scored which is the worst in the league. The main reason that they are as high in the league though is their defence, only 23 goals conceded, the tightest defence in the league.
Cambridge are in 5th place in the conference and while 1st and 2nd place would appear to be sewn up, they are still well in the frame for a promotion spot. Their statistics read very similar to Wolves when it comes to goals scored and conceded. They have scored 35 goals in 24 games which sounds good but is actually a poor record in comparison to the teams around them. And much like Wolves. Cambridge possess the best defensive record in the league with only 22 conceded.
Verdict
Wolves badly need a win for a confidence boost more than anything else. Cambridge will enjoy the day no doubt and will hope that their defence stands firm against the Wolves threat. If they can keep Wolves out for the first 45 minutes then anything is possible. The bottom line here is that you have two low scoring teams that don’t give away any loose change at the back. I think Wolves may be good enough to win this but will have to work hard for it. They have kept 7 clean sheets at home this year to much better opposition and to be honest I don’t see Cambridge scoring. Unders looks like good value to me then as I definitely don’t see Wolves scoring more than 1 or 2 max.
PICK
Wolves V Cambridge under 2.5 goals (2.11 @ mansion) 4 points
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Early Saturday picks
I said id post these two picks up early and try take advantage of the prices before they drop.
Carlisle V Port Vale
3rd place Carlisle take on bottom placed Port Vale on Saturday and the Blues will look to take advantage of an FA Cup interrupted weekend and go into second spot.
Their home form has been great in recent times and they have won six games on the bounce at home and will look to keep that record going. These wins have been made more impressive with convincing displays over the likes of Leeds, Swindon and Hartlepool. Their overall home record has been good having dropped only 5 from a possible 30, with the two points dropped coming way back in September. They have scored 20 goals, which averages out to 2 goals a game and only conceded 5.
They have a full squad to chose from at time of writing.
Carlisle’s last 5 home
Carlisle 2 0 Gillingham 20/10/2007
Carlisle 3 1 Leeds 03/11/2007
Carlisle 3 0 Swindon 04/12/2007
Carlisle 1 0 Leyton O 15/12/2007
Carlisle 4 2 Hartlepool 01/01/2008
Port Vale are rooted to the bottom of league one. Their main problem has been keeping clean sheets as only 4 from 24 games will clarify. They have only picked up 4 points in their last nine away games though they have got some of the more difficult away games out of the way such as Leeds and Nottingham Forest. However results are not going there way at the moment and despite deserving something from the midweek game against Cheltenham they went down 1 – 0 which is typical of their current streak. Incidentally this will be their second away trip inside four days where Carlisle have the advantage of an extra days rest and the comfort of playing a second consecutive game without travel. In the game against Cheltenham, striker Marc Richards limped off with suspected ligament damage and his absence will be a huge blow to Port Vale.
Port Vale’s last 5 away
Oldham 1 1 Port Vale 17/11/2007
Leeds 3 0 Port Vale 04/12/2007
Gillingham 1 2 Port Vale 08/12/2007
Nott'm Forest 2 0 Port Vale 22/12/2007
Cheltenham 1 0 Port Vale 02/01/2008
Verdict
Taking into account that Carlisle are one of the strongest home teams in the league and that they have the advantage of an extra days break it’s hard to look past them for 3 points. They have beaten much better opposition at home this year. Port Vale may be better than their current position suggest but only time will tell if they can pick things up and survive. I can’t see it happening at Carlisle though.
Leeds V Northampton
Have the wheels come off the Leeds express? Two defeats on the trot, one away, and on New Years day the home record went up in smoke as they were brought down to earth by Oldham losing 3 – 1.
That completes a miserable two weeks where they only took five points from a possible fifteen, not the stuff on champions elect.
However when all is said and done I still think they are the team to beat in this division and they are only seven points off the top, albeit with a game in hand. Maybe a bit of complacency had crept in? Who know, but one thing is certain, 3 points is a must against Northampton as its vital to stop the rot and get things moving again.
Before Tuesdays unexpected blip Leeds were on the back of an impressive home streak in which they have only dropped 5 points from a possible 36 at Elland road. They have put in some dominating performances as 26 goals scored and 8 conceded would suggest.
Leeds also have a few out through injury as Radostin Kishishev and Alan Thompson limped out of the action against Oldham. Jonny Howson is also out as is long term casualty Jonathan Douglas.
Leeds last 5 home games
Leeds 2 1 Swindon 17/11/2007
Leeds 3 0 Port Vale 04/12/2007
Leeds 4 0 Huddersfield 08/12/2007
Leeds 1 0 Bristol R. 22/12/2007
Leeds 1 3 Oldham 01/01/2008
Northampton are in 16th place on 28 points. Like most sides in the division they are stronger at home and have picked up more points there than on their travels. On their day they can compete with anyone though the problem has been maintaining consistency. An example of which, a highly impressive performance against Nottingham forest in which they could have taken 3 points if not for a last minute Forest equaliser was followed by a lacklustre 2 – 0 defeat at Doncaster.
Also a problem has been their defence with only one clean sheet on the road and eight teams scoring two or more against them. If they are that careless at Elland road then they will be severely punished.
Bradley Johnson will return to the Northampton Town squad for Saturday's clash at Leeds United. He has been the speculation of a move away from the club but with nothing sorted he is free to play.
Chris Doig, Giles Coke Ryan Giligan, Ian Henderson are all injured and Daniel Jones and Poul Hubertz are both suspended.
Northampton’s last 5 away
Crewe 1 0 Northampton 17/11/2007
Swansea 3 0 Northampton 04/12/2007
Nott'm Forest 2 2 Northampton 15/12/2007
Doncaster 2 0 Northampton 26/12/2007
Huddersfield 1 2 Northampton 29/12/2007
Verdict
3 points are crucial for Leeds. They have a few injury worries to contend with but they are much better than they showed on New years day and you can be sure Dennis Wise will have them pumped up for this one. Northampton can be tough on their day. They have demonstrated that they are capable of scoring goals so I would be a little cautious about taking Leeds to overcome a 1 goal handicap (for big stakes at least) Leeds to win 2 - 0 or 2 – 1 is my call.
PICKS
Carlisle win (1.57 generally available) 4 points
Leeds win ( 1.52 @ unibet) 4 points
Carlisle and Leeds double (2.35 @ betdirect) 6 points
Carlisle V Port Vale
3rd place Carlisle take on bottom placed Port Vale on Saturday and the Blues will look to take advantage of an FA Cup interrupted weekend and go into second spot.
Their home form has been great in recent times and they have won six games on the bounce at home and will look to keep that record going. These wins have been made more impressive with convincing displays over the likes of Leeds, Swindon and Hartlepool. Their overall home record has been good having dropped only 5 from a possible 30, with the two points dropped coming way back in September. They have scored 20 goals, which averages out to 2 goals a game and only conceded 5.
They have a full squad to chose from at time of writing.
Carlisle’s last 5 home
Carlisle 2 0 Gillingham 20/10/2007
Carlisle 3 1 Leeds 03/11/2007
Carlisle 3 0 Swindon 04/12/2007
Carlisle 1 0 Leyton O 15/12/2007
Carlisle 4 2 Hartlepool 01/01/2008
Port Vale are rooted to the bottom of league one. Their main problem has been keeping clean sheets as only 4 from 24 games will clarify. They have only picked up 4 points in their last nine away games though they have got some of the more difficult away games out of the way such as Leeds and Nottingham Forest. However results are not going there way at the moment and despite deserving something from the midweek game against Cheltenham they went down 1 – 0 which is typical of their current streak. Incidentally this will be their second away trip inside four days where Carlisle have the advantage of an extra days rest and the comfort of playing a second consecutive game without travel. In the game against Cheltenham, striker Marc Richards limped off with suspected ligament damage and his absence will be a huge blow to Port Vale.
Port Vale’s last 5 away
Oldham 1 1 Port Vale 17/11/2007
Leeds 3 0 Port Vale 04/12/2007
Gillingham 1 2 Port Vale 08/12/2007
Nott'm Forest 2 0 Port Vale 22/12/2007
Cheltenham 1 0 Port Vale 02/01/2008
Verdict
Taking into account that Carlisle are one of the strongest home teams in the league and that they have the advantage of an extra days break it’s hard to look past them for 3 points. They have beaten much better opposition at home this year. Port Vale may be better than their current position suggest but only time will tell if they can pick things up and survive. I can’t see it happening at Carlisle though.
Leeds V Northampton
Have the wheels come off the Leeds express? Two defeats on the trot, one away, and on New Years day the home record went up in smoke as they were brought down to earth by Oldham losing 3 – 1.
That completes a miserable two weeks where they only took five points from a possible fifteen, not the stuff on champions elect.
However when all is said and done I still think they are the team to beat in this division and they are only seven points off the top, albeit with a game in hand. Maybe a bit of complacency had crept in? Who know, but one thing is certain, 3 points is a must against Northampton as its vital to stop the rot and get things moving again.
Before Tuesdays unexpected blip Leeds were on the back of an impressive home streak in which they have only dropped 5 points from a possible 36 at Elland road. They have put in some dominating performances as 26 goals scored and 8 conceded would suggest.
Leeds also have a few out through injury as Radostin Kishishev and Alan Thompson limped out of the action against Oldham. Jonny Howson is also out as is long term casualty Jonathan Douglas.
Leeds last 5 home games
Leeds 2 1 Swindon 17/11/2007
Leeds 3 0 Port Vale 04/12/2007
Leeds 4 0 Huddersfield 08/12/2007
Leeds 1 0 Bristol R. 22/12/2007
Leeds 1 3 Oldham 01/01/2008
Northampton are in 16th place on 28 points. Like most sides in the division they are stronger at home and have picked up more points there than on their travels. On their day they can compete with anyone though the problem has been maintaining consistency. An example of which, a highly impressive performance against Nottingham forest in which they could have taken 3 points if not for a last minute Forest equaliser was followed by a lacklustre 2 – 0 defeat at Doncaster.
Also a problem has been their defence with only one clean sheet on the road and eight teams scoring two or more against them. If they are that careless at Elland road then they will be severely punished.
Bradley Johnson will return to the Northampton Town squad for Saturday's clash at Leeds United. He has been the speculation of a move away from the club but with nothing sorted he is free to play.
Chris Doig, Giles Coke Ryan Giligan, Ian Henderson are all injured and Daniel Jones and Poul Hubertz are both suspended.
Northampton’s last 5 away
Crewe 1 0 Northampton 17/11/2007
Swansea 3 0 Northampton 04/12/2007
Nott'm Forest 2 2 Northampton 15/12/2007
Doncaster 2 0 Northampton 26/12/2007
Huddersfield 1 2 Northampton 29/12/2007
Verdict
3 points are crucial for Leeds. They have a few injury worries to contend with but they are much better than they showed on New years day and you can be sure Dennis Wise will have them pumped up for this one. Northampton can be tough on their day. They have demonstrated that they are capable of scoring goals so I would be a little cautious about taking Leeds to overcome a 1 goal handicap (for big stakes at least) Leeds to win 2 - 0 or 2 – 1 is my call.
PICKS
Carlisle win (1.57 generally available) 4 points
Leeds win ( 1.52 @ unibet) 4 points
Carlisle and Leeds double (2.35 @ betdirect) 6 points
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
