I'm Still Here!

Ahoy sailors! Thought I'd better post an article-type on this here blog of mine (it's been a while and all that) about the soccer, eh? So here are some musings from yesterday's action:

• Car Crash FC (aka Arsenal) had a bit of a disaster yesterday, and the injury to Laurent Koscielny has heightened calls for Arsene Wenger to sign another central defender. Among the names suggested has been Gary Cahill, however there must be doubts about Cahill's ability to fit into Arsenal's playing style, however good he may be aerially. The clearest example of this would be Cahill's pass completion stats from Bolton's 4-0 opening day win at QPR, in which Cahill succesfully completed only 28 of 39 passes (71.79%), which pales into comparison Koscielny's stats from Arsenal's 0-0 draw at Newcastle of 50 of 59 (84.75%) succesfully completed passes


• 2 more players linked with Car Crash FC have been Phil Jagielka of Everton and Scott Dann of Birmingham. Looking at the same stats for these 2 players, Jagielka didn't exactly cover himself in glory, losing possession in the build-up to QPR's goal, and completing only 74.45% of his passes successfully, with Dann faring only slightly better in Birmingham's 1-1 draw at home to Spurs last season (77.14%). Arsene Wenger's hunt for a ball-playing centre-back is likely to lead him overseas


• Sunderland's Simon Mignolet didn't impress in their 1-0 defeat at home to Newcastle- his positioning for Ryan Taylor's goal was terrible, so much so that it would have been rude of Taylor not to put the ball in the far corner (the goal he conceded at Liverpool last weekend was from a similar position on the other side). Mignolet's distribution was poor as well, with less than half of his passes finding a team-mate. It's therefore difficult to see why Mignolet is in Steve Bruce's team ahead of the far superior Craig Gordon


• I quite like the Guardian chalkboards

Also, y'all may have noticed the absence of a full-blown season preview. This is mainly due to the fact that I've been superuberdeuberdeduper busy, but also because of the situation where the season starts before the close of the transfer window. Therefore, were I to write at the beginning of August, for example, that Stoke City needed a new striker, Tony Pulis could then read this and go out and sign the required frontman

Weekend Betting, Saturday 26th February

Howdy folks. Here are a few tips for the weekend for you to either:
a) spend what little is left of your last pay cheque on
b) start spending your new pay cheque on

• 'Tis the Carling Cup Final on Sunday. Arsenal are overwhelming favourites to win the trophy, although a defence as stodgy as Birmingham's could frustrate them for some time if Arsenal don't score early, therefore I'm thinking about avoiding Betfred's 4/7 on Arsenal to win in 90 minutes. I'm more tempted to place a sizeable sum on Arsenal Draw No Bet at 2/9 with Bwin, or the 3/10 on Arsenal to win the trophy at 3/10 with Skybet
• A league I know a fair bit about, having followed Ross County through its good, bad and mostly ugly travails, is the Scottish 1st Division, and there are a few interesting bets to be had today. One of the oldest footballing cliches is that the league table never lies. However, it does in the 1st Division this season, thanks to Dundee's 25 point deduction. Without it, they would be 6 points clear at the top of the league, which would be a fair reflection of their status as the best team in the league. They are unbeaten at home in the league this season, and hence are well worth backing at a general 4/7 to beat a Morton side with an away record of 1-4-5. Also worth backing in the 1st division are Falkirk to beat Cowdenbeath at a general 4/11. A more speculative punt in the same division comes at Stark's Park, where the first signs of the widely-expected Raith collapse have appeared, losing 3 of their last 5. John McGlynn's side are without a number of players due to injury for the visit of an improving Stirling Albion. If you're feeling particularly brave, Stirling can be backed to win at a general 15/2, otherwise the Double Chance Draw/Stirling is available at a general 12/5

RIP DEAN RICHARDS

Weekend Betting, Saturday 27th November

Scottish Category 1 referess may be on strike this weekend, but this writer isn't, so here's a look at this weekend's somewhat truncated fixture list:

• Aston Villa v Arsenal looks interesting, with one team managed by a Frenchman featuring plenty of talented youngsters who like to play quick, counter-attacking football but have been prone to late defensive lapses in recent weeks against...erm...you get the picture. Arsenal have lost their last 2 and must also now do without Cesc Fabregas for a couple of weeks, however they do have alternatives for his position, with Samir Nasri or Tomas Rosicky likely to play in Fabregas' advanced central midfield position, meaning they still possess a potent goal threat for an Aston Villa defence that is not always the most mobile. Villa themselves possess considerable attacking threat, with Ashley Young and Barry Bannan in particular thriving under the management of Gerard Houllier, and more than capable of troubling an Arsena backline that has looked distinctly unsettled without Thomas Vermaelen. All this makes the generally available 10/11 on over 2.5 goals worth snapping up
• After their impressive start, West Brom's form has nosedived, with the Baggies now dowin in 16th place in the league. Everton, meanwhile, have recovered somewhat form their traditional awful start, and can be backed at a general 4/7 to beat Roberto di Matteo's side at Goodison Park
• Quick word of warning for anyone blindly sticking Celtic on their accumulator tomorrow. Their opponents, caley thistle, are unbeaten in the league away from home for 364 days. That's not the sort of stat you oppose lightly
• It's El Clasico on Monday night (yes, Monday night. It's unknown if anyone's actually pleased about this), with Barcelona v Real Madrid set to feature a dramatic contrast in playing styles and mentalities. Madrid will travel to the Camp Nou set on not losing the game and will most likely look to frustrate Barcelona, therefore it's worth backing them to manage this at least until half time, with 0-0 half-time available at 5/2 with Blue Square

"Wonder if Brewster likes Willie. Maybe he'd be convinced if Willie got Wood"

Weekend Betting, Saturday 16th October, and the incontinence problem among bookmakers

Getting these on the now as I'm off to Old Trafford tomorrow. K Stand Tier 2

Here are a few tips for the weekend, then:

• Arsenal, despite their recent aberration at home to West Brom, should have enough to comfortably dispose of a Birmingham side whose recent form can best be described as patchy. Boylesports' 1/3 is probably about right, along with over 2.5 goals at a general 1/2 in a game that usually produces them
• Aston Villa host Chelsea in the 5.30pm game, a fixture that Villa won 2-1 last season. Given this, and that Chelsea will be without Drogba, Lampard and Alex amongst others, the 4/1 generally available on Villa seems good value. This is a fixture that has caught Chelsea out in the past, indeed a trawl through this very blog's archives will produce this writer tipping Villa in this fixture last season. Also, you'll never guess where this writer was the day of that game. Also worth considering in this game is John Carew 1st goalscorer- the giant Norwegian will be relishing the prospect of facing a potentially makeshift Chelsea defence, and is available at a best price of 10/1 with bwin
• There are a few interesting bets to be had in the Championship this weekend. Doncaster to win away at Scunthorpe are great value at 15/8 with Stan James, while another away win in Yorkshire could be seen at Bramall Lane, with Burnley available at a general 7/4 to triumph over inconsistent Sheffield United. The best value bet, though, might just be Norwich to win away at QPR at an outstanding 9/2 with bet365. QPR's excellent start to the season has been well-documented, but Norwich under Paul Lambert have been quietly impressive on their return to the Championship and currently reside in 3rd place. The 9/2 on the Canaries could be a nice single if you're feeling brave, alternatively the double chance Norwich-Draw is available at a general 11/10
• It's official: the bookies have shat themselves! Many have suspended betting on Stirling Albion v Dundee tomorrow, and those that are still running markets have severely shortened Stirling Albion after the redundancies at Dundee today. Of the odds still available, Hills' 6/5 as as good as you'll find (they were 7/4 yesterday), and should be snapped up- Albion must surely now be favourites given the shedding of playing and coaching staff forced upon Dundee
• As regular readers of this blog will know, this writer tends to shy away from betting on his own teams, but the 4/1 offered by Ladbrokes on Ross County to win away at Dunfermline is very tempting, especially considering the return last weekend of strikers Andy Barrowman and Steven Craig for the Staggies

Remember the name, Shinji Kagawa

With the Premier League Season Almost Over...

It's time to have a look back and see how my predictions for the season have fared. I've waded through this here blog's archives to dig out how I thought each team would get on this season, and will post them on here over then next couple of days. Here goes:

Arsenal

What I Said: If luck is on their side, they could come very close to the title:
What Actually Happened: Title challengers well into the spring before a late-season, Fabianski-inspired collapse left them in something of a no-man's land behind the top 2 but ahead of the madding, Champions League-chasing crowd

Aston Villa
What I Said: Departures from an already stretched squad could lead to a long, disappointing season, and Villa sliding down the table
What Actually Happened: Disappointment in the cups, but Villa have just about managed to hang onto the coat-tails of the top 4

Birmingham City:
What I Said: Likely to be dour and unambitious yet resolute and organised, look best placed of the newly promoted sides to stay up
What Actually Happened: ALex McLeish's side stayed up comfortably, with an excellent defensive record, albeit without many goals. Joe Hart's performances have surely earned him a place in the England squad for the World Cup

The rest will follow soon....

Birmingham City v Arsenal, Saturday 27th March

My Thoughts

Back in 2008, Arsenal arrived at St Andrews pursuing the league title, and they do the same here. However, back then this game saw Arsenal's title challenge (along with Eduardo's leg) buckle, as 10-man Birmingham managed a 2-2 draw. Arsenal, epitomised by the sulking William Gallas that day, never recovered that season, showing a real lack of mental strength. However, this is a different Arsenal side- recently away at Stoke, they were given a similar examination- with 20 minutes left, and Stoke gamely competing and holding Arsene Wenger's side at 1-1, Aaron Ramsey suffered an equally horrific leg break. Yet this did not defeat Arsenal- instead they rallied, and thanks to late goals from Cesc Fabregas and Thomas Vermaelen (the signing of the season in this writer's opinion), they won the game 3-1.

The Verdict
Birmingham's long winter unbeaten run is now over, with Alex Mcleish's outfit having lost 4 of their last 7 league games. However, they have still lost just twice in the league at home this season, and as such their target for this season has changed from the pre-season hope of avoiding a relegation scrap, to knocking on the door of the UEFA Cup (I'm still calling it that) places. However, Arsenal this season have much, much greater mental strength than witnessed in previous seasons- Nicklas Bendtner's late winner away at Hull is testament to that- and with Fabregas and probably Bendtner available again, Arsenal should edge this, even if they do have to play Mickael Silvestre in central defence in place of the suspended Thomas Vermaelen. On the subject of Arsenal central defenders, I bet Sol Campbell hasn't yet given up hope of a place in Fabio Capello's World Cup squad.

The Bet
Arsenal to win outright are available at a best price of 4/7 with Betfred. As for a correct score bet, 2-1 Arsenal looks tempting given that Wenger's men have averaged exactly 2 goals per game in the league away from home this season, but have only kept 3 clean sheets in those games. It's available at a very tempting 15/2 with Blue Square. Another tempting bet could be Half Time/ Full-Time Draw/Arsenal. 7 of Birmingham's home league games this season have been level at half-time, while Arsenal are developing a canny knack of scoring late goals- it's available at a best price of 7/2 with Skybet

Arsenal v Burnley, Saturday 6th March

My Thoughts
Some say Brian Clough signed him without seeing him play, telling him "If you're crap, Ronnie Fenton signed you. If you're good, I signed you". And that on Wednesdays, he insists on tying his shoes with his teeth. All we know is, he's called Brian Laws, and dear sweet jeebus does he have a tough task on Saturday away at an Arsenal side who are now within sniffing distance of the top of the Premier League.

The Verdict
Last Saturday's victory at Stoke was a massive one for Arsenal; in just about the most adverse conditions possible (having seen Aaron Ramsey suffer such a horrific injury, having failed to deal with the long-throw threat of Rory Delap and being thoroughly bullied off the park) Arsene Wenger's side managed to secure victory with 2 late goals. At home, Wenger's side have an excellent 11-1-2 record in the league this season, averaging 2.71 goals per game- that average goes above 3 if you take out the top 6 sides in the league. Burnley, on t'other hand, have a well-documented dreadful away record, even by the standards of this season's Premier League, in which most teams seem to have a case of Awaydayitis- just the 43 goals conceded in 14 away games so far, in which they have collected a grand total of 1 point. Brian Laws has not arrested a slide that started in the winter months, and it's difficult to see how, even if they go with a more circumspect approach than the attacking style which they deployed away at Aston Villa, they can stop Arsenal scoring a few here. Home win

The Bet
You'll not get much better than Blue Square's 1/7 on the home win, therefore have a look at a few other markets. With Nicklas Bendtner fit again, Arsenal now have one of their most important players available again, and Bendtner has to be considered on the anytime scorers market. Arsenal to win to nil should also be considered, given that Burnley aren't big scorers anywhere right now, and will surely adopt a damage limitation strategy. Along those lines, over 2.5 goals looks a decent bet given Arsenal's firepower, but this writer wouldn't go crazy on the number of goals to be scored- with a midweek Champions League game with Porto coming up, don't be surprised if Arsenal settle for perhaps 3 or 4.

Stoke City v Arsenal, Saturday 27t February

My Thoughts

A notable clash in playing styles is set to take place on Saturday: Arsenal's array of continental short-arse stars will arrive at the Britannia intent on weaving their way through Stoke with endless precise, quick passing, with besuited Economics graduate Arsene Wenger masterminding it all from the touchline. Stoke, meanwhile, will look to outmuscle Arsenal, with a side packed full of 6 foot-odd homegrown musclemen (plus the brilliant Turkish international Tuncay), generally getting stuck in, going for the long-ball and shouting BULLY!. Leading them from the touchline will be the tracksuited, baseball-cap-wearing Tony Pulis. He's from Wales.

The Verdict
One of these teams is unbeaten in 2010, and saw off Manchester City in the FA Cup Sponsored By Enron in midweek, as well as their opponents in this one 3-1 the last time they met. Yep, Stoke. 11 unbeaten, they gave an admittedly under-strength Arsenal side one hell of a bloody nose in their FA Cup meeting last month. They are extremely strong at home (6-4-3) for a side in mid-table and with only Manchester United having won with any sort of conviction at the Britannia this season (in fact, ever), Wenger's side will know that they're in for quite an evening. Arsenal's previous 2 trips to the Britannia have both ended not only in defeat, but a convincing outmuscling from Tony Pulis's men, and given Stoke's current form (plus Arsenal's less-than-convincing current form), it would be no surprise if Stoke got at least 1, if not 3, points from this one.

The Bet
On Wednesday evening, this writer placed a considerable sum of money on Stoke to win at a price of 4/1 with William Hill. After their victory over Manchester City, there's no way you''l get 4/1 on Saturday morning (continuing my experiment of pricing games myself, I actually had Stoke at 17/10, with Arsenal 13/8), so if you're looking to get on Stoke outright, get on it quickly. A safer bet would be Stoke 1X, which considering Stoke's home record of 6-3-4 exactly matches Arsenal's away record, should be seriously considered. The best bet to be on, though, is probably Half Time Draw, a bet that would have come in for Stoke on Wednesday night, and also in Arsenal's Champions Leage tie away at Porto last week.

Well-Organised Graeme's Silly Bet

Weekend Betting:

Arsenal to draw with Sunderland
Chelsea to beat Wolves
West Ham to beat Hull
Derby to beat Swansea
Celtic to beat Dundee United
Inverness to beat Queen of the South
Stirling to beat Brechin

Odds: 154/1 with William Hill

Graeme's Silly Bet, Saturday 6th February

We are into February, getting near the business end of the season, and the 6 nations are back. Result.
Scotland are 20/1 to win the Six Nations this year. Don't do what my brother did and put a fiver on it. Idiot.
A more realistic punt this weekend, I believe, is an England/Scotland double. Cheeky fiver on that.
Moing on to the Active Nation Scottish Cup, a large accumulator is necessary.
Dundee to beat Ayr
Hibs to beat Montrose
Aberdeen to beat Raith
Inverness CT to draw with Kilmarnock
St Mirren to beat Rangers
Ross County to beat Stirling Albion (an interesting side battle in this game will be whether or not Shifty takes revenge on the Albion fan who's been slagging him off on OverTheBridge)

In the Premiership,
Bolton to beat Fulham
Man City to beat Hull
Man Utd to beat Portsmouth
Arsenal to beat Chelsea

Quick mention on an upcoming feature on here:

Shifty, Graeme, and a selection of guest pundits will be predicting the 23 players they think will be in the England World Cup Squad. Watch this space, because unlike the other much-hyped new features Shifty's always going on about, this one is actually going to happen quite soon

Graeme's Silly Bet, ken

JT gets pumped!

Just when I have nearly finalised my mental predictions for the England World Cup Squad (we'll do a feature on that sometime soon- Ed) that prick John Terry goes and bollocks it all up. He has possibly jeopardised his place in the squad by shafting his team-mate's ex-wife. She isn't even that fit, hilariously old, or a popstar. Idiot. (Graeme had posted a link, but it was from the Daily Mail website, and I didn't want readers' PCs getting infected with bigotry, royalty-bumming and out-of-touch viruses- Ed)

So get your money on Beckham to be restored as England captain for the World Cup.

On to the weekend's football

One general rule this weekend is not to touch Liverpool. I can't believe how predictably bad they continue to be. Failure to win this weekend will mean a confirmed end of season exit for Benitez and roflcoptering all over Manchester

Two value bets that I reckon could be worth a punt are Hamilton to beat Celtic @ 6/1 and Peterborough to beat Palace away @ 4/1, both William Hill. Celtic this season are statistically worse than when John Barnes was in charge and Palace have gone into off-field turmoil so who knows how their players will react on the pitch. Both teams will win nothing this season.

In the big Sunday match, Arsenal v Man United, put some cash on Sol Campbell being sent off for being far too old and slow (although Craig Brewster is 7 years older. I have no idea why I thought of Brewster when writing about Sol Campbell- I can't think of anything that connects them- Ed). But a 2-1 home win for Arsenal, with United being without guest Guardian editor Rio Ferdinand.

Finally, all readers look out for the massive First Division clash between Dundee and Ross County on Saturday, a game that Shifty will be attending. If the Staggies win, they will be 6 points off the top, 3 games in hand. SPL here we come. Also look out to see how much coverage the Sunday papers give to this match as they seem to have been ignoring the current 2nd-placed team so far

Weekend Betting, Saturday 23rd January

Quick look at some good bets for this weekend (this writer is going to the Man Utd v Hull City match on Saturday, so all things blogtastic will be up by Friday night)

• Bolton to beat Sheffield United is very good value at 5/6 with bet365. Despite two defeats against Arsenal this week, there have been signs of improvement under Owen Coyle, who will be looking to claim a first win as Bolton manager against a Sheffield United side who are nothing special away from home, and could be weakened further if Matthew Kilgallon completes a transfer away from the club
• Think twice before piling into Fulham at 1/2 with Skybet away at Accrington Stanley. Fulham are notoriously bad away from home, and are weakened further by the absence of Clint Dempsey, Bobby Zamora and anyone Woy Hodgson decides to rest for the trip to the Crown Ground. It may even be worth having a small bet on Accrington 1X (aka Double Chance Home/Draw) at a best price of 13/8 with Boylesports- Accrington have lost only 1 of their last 7 games
• Cowdenbeath are excellent value at 11/8 with Blue Square to win away at Dumbarton on Saturday. Dumbarton have been shaky at home all season (2-3-4), while Cowdenbeath have been impressive home and away, and sit top of the Second Division, a league that they were actually relegated from last season. My advice to those of you with accounts with Blue Square is to get on this. My advice to those of you without Blue Square accounts is to open a Blue Square account and get on this
• Arsenal at 7/2 to win the league with Betfred is big. They play Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool within the next 3 weeks. One way or the other, they're likely to have moved from 7/2 by then
• If you're seriously considering taking the general 4/5 available on Chelsea to win the league, then you were born yesterday. With Essien likely to be ruled out for up to a month, and the fixtures above still to be played (as well as trips to Old Trafford, White Hart Lane and anfailed still to be played), they are a long way from being in the clear. For the big man's sake, they're not even top
• To return to Bolton, despite showing signs of improvement, they still took zero points from their 2 games against Arsenal. While this wasn't exactly unexpected, it does mean that they still find themselves in 19th place. Owen Coyle's desire to get Bolton playing football again would no doubt have been centred on the technical ability of midfielder Mark Davies, who could be set for a while out injured after Wednesday's loss at Arsenal- they also have the highest goals conceded per game stat, a figure that's not likely to improve if Bolton continue to defend they way Coyle's Burnley team did away from home. To that end, it's amazing to see that they can still be backed at a general 11/4 to go down

Arsenal v Everton prices

There's been no word of this game being called off so far, so here are the prices for the bets recommended:

Arsenal to win outright: best price 2/5 general
Over 2.5 goals: best price 4/5 with Paddy Power
Aaron Ramsey anytime scorer: best price 7/2 with Extrabet

Arsenal v Everton, Saturday 9th January

My Thoughts

Given the current wintry weather that be affecting these here isles, this game may not even go ahead. But nonetheless, this writer's going for writing up the game, and preparing as if the game will be taking place- after all, it's what Arsene Wenger and David Moyes will be doing, isn't it?

The Verdict
Assuming the game does go ahead, there can be no denying that Everton have a real task on their hands to get anything out of this game. Despite recent improvement (unbeaten in their last 5 league games, although 4 of those were draws), Everton are still nowhere near as tough a proposition as they were the last 2 seasons, when they were very much Best of the Rest in 5th. It's extremely tempting to conclude that they still have not fully recovered after being utterly destroyed 6-1 on the opening day at home to, yep, you guessed it, Arsenal. Their away record (2-2-5) befits that of mid-table stragglers, and a lack of available strikers means that they will struggle to improve their average of 1.33 goals scored per away game this season.

Arsenal, on t'other hand, are playing majestically, swatting aside almost all comers in December - a 1-1 draw away to Burnley the only blip on an otherwise perfect league record for December. Last Sunday's FA Cup tie at West Ham produced another win, this time 2-1, but what was intriguing was that the Gunners were 1-0 down with 12 minutes remaining, yet were able to show what many lazy pundits call The Mark Of Champions, which is the ability to score late goals to win games from losing positions. This writer always thought that The Mark Of Champions was Premier League Winners Medals, such as those adorning the hairy chest of Ryan Giggs.

Arsenal's stats this season are almost as ridiculously good as Barcelona's, which I guess is kind of what Arsene Wenger was aiming for when he changed his side's shape this season- an average of 3.11 goals per home league game, 51 in total scored so far this season, and goals raining in from all parts of the team. It might not be 6-1 again, but expect another comfortable win for Arsenal.

The Bet
Usual banter here, folks- I'm at work, so will get odds put up tonight. Arsenal outright are unlikely to be much better that 2/5, so best check out some other markets. Given the sheer number of goals they score, and the continued absence of some of Everton's key defenders, over 2.5 goals has to be worth a look- also think about a cheeky punt on Aaron Ramsey anytime scorer- with Fabregas set for another week or 2 out, Ramsey is a probable starter (best wait until the starting XIs are confirmed before placing the bet) in an advanced central midfield position

Some random bets that be taking my interest

With the Premier League back in action this weekend, here are a few more bets that look like providing good value:

• Sunderland v Arsenal over 2.5 goals- best price 4/6 with Coral. Arsenal have scored a preposterous 55 goals in 19 games in all competitions this season (10 of their 11 Premier League games this season have featured over 2.5 goals), and even without the injured Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner, Arsene Wenger's side still carry plenty of goalscoring menace for a Sunderland side whose 1st choice keeper Craig Gordon is out injured. Also factor in the current goalscoring form of Darren Bent for Sunderland, and the fact that Arsenal's defence may well include Mickael Silvestre at left-back. Statistically speaking, Arsenal's 11 Premier League games have featured an average of 4.54 goals per game (this is actually insane), while Sunderland's matches themselves have averaged 3.25 per game. If you're feeling really brave, one could even be tempted by over 3.5 goals, available at a best price of 6/4 with Boylesports
• Chelsea really ought to be beating Wolves quite comfortably, and a best price of a general 1/6 reflects this. Therefore, it's necessary to look elsewhere if you want a decent value bet on this game. If you're looking for a correct score, then anything between 2-0 and 6-0 is probably worth considering. Chelsea haven't conceded at home since the opening day of the season, and after getting a pasting from Arsenal last week, it's difficult to imagine Wolves being terribly adventurous in this one (also consider that seeing footballers in blue adidas shirts probably brings Wolves striker Kevin Doyle out in a cold sweat right now), so, at a best price of 8/11 with Blue Square, Chelsea to win to nil could represent decent value
• Birmingham v Fulham is one of those games that, at first glance, looks like resulting in a draw. Alex Mcleish's Birmingham side have drawn their last 2, while Roy Hodgson's Fulham have drawn 3 of their last 5. The draw can be backed at a best price of 23/10 with Victor Chandler. Another bet worth considering here is under 2.5 goals- neither side have been exactly potent infront of goal this season (Birmingham have scored just 4 goals in 6 Premier League home games this season, with Fulham managing 7 in 6 away games), while at the same time having reasonably solid defensive records, therefore Skybet's 4/6 on under 2.5 goals is worth considering

A few random bets to tickle your fancy this weekend

Here's a few random bets that have taken my fancy this weekend. Back with a mixture of caution, and pay-day-fuelled gusto:

• Arsenal are 4/6 with Ladbrokes to beat Tottenham in the Saturday lunchtime game. No amount of statistics can accurately portray just how good a bet this is, but OK then, here's a couple. Witness Spurs' complete capitulation against Manchester United and Chelsea this season- their opening day win against Liverpool was a flash in the pan, not a sign of a genuine sustained top 4 challenge. Also, Arsenal don't generally lose home games- witness even their dismantling of Portsmouth and Birmingham this season- perhaps they are finally mastering the art of breaking teams down at home
• A red card in the Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers game. Referee Phil Dowd has issued 4 red cards in his 8 Premier League games so far this season, and has in the past issued no fewer than 5 red cards to Manchester United players, including being a prominent member of the I Have Sent Off Paul Scholes Club (global membership is estimated at 267). Given that Man Utd have had 2 red cards in 3 days, and that Rovers tend to favour a, shall we say, "combative" approach, Dowd could be well be delving into his top pocket in the Saturday teatime game. Paddy Power offer 9/2 on there being a red card in the match
• Livingston to beat Montrose. Livingston will, in all probability, have too much firepower in their squad for the rest of the 3rd Division to cope with, and it's difficult to see struugling Montrose offering much resistance tomorrow. Livingston are 8/13 with Blue Square
• If you're going for Arsenal to win at 4/6 tomorrow, then you can cover yourself with Paddy Power offering 7/5 on the double chance Tottenham / Draw. As for a random punt on this one, how about Arshavin 6/1 1st goalscorer?

Silly Graeme's Bet Here's

With Tottenham undergoing their traditional complete loss of form as the clocks go back, compounded by the suspicious team selections that have nothing to do with Harry seeking ever more funds this coming January (http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Harry_Redknapp ), we can expect to see a heavy defeat for Spurs in the early kick-off this Saturday.

Arsenal to win 3-1: 10/1 @ William Hill

Fortress Turf Moor!

Hull and Brown to sink- 1-0 Burnley

Weekend Accumulator:

Chelsea to win

Sunderland to win

Stoke Wolves Draw

Fulham Torres Draw

30/1 @ William Hill

From the Dungeon of Decrepitude...

Emerges Graeme, with this week's edition of Graeme's Silly Bet:

After a humdinger of an international week with more dead rubbers than can be found on Dwight Yorke's bedroom floor (copyright James Richardson), it's a return to the trudge of the Premiership this weekend.

What better exemplifies the word trudge than the combined towns of Blackburn and Burnley. All Northern, grey, with everyone wearing flatcaps and munching on HOVIS BREAD!

In truth, there is nothing grey about these two sides. Part of all the glitz of the Premier League, they both try to play football in an attractive manner.

With Big Sam's Blackburn side searching for a healthy response to their last game which included an Emirates spanking for having the audacity to dare to attack a highly impressive Arsenal side. Couple that with Burnley's nifty start to the season- while they've been capable of great performances (including a 1-0 win over Team Manchester), they've also, at times, been terrible (Tottenham 5 Burnley 0)- this gives us the potential for a pulsating game come noon+1 on Sunday. Official Blog Party in the MCB pub for this game on Sunday. Come on down for a beer and a burger.

Silly 1 game treble tip- all odds from bet365

Blackburn to win @ 8/11

Under 2.5 goals @ 17/20

Under 11 corners @ 10/11

Furthermore, another cheeky 50p punt which may be worth it is Arsenal and Birmingham to draw. Mcleish's men have taken 2 draws at the Emirates from their last 6 games there, and bet365 go 6/1 on the draw

I love James Richardson

Arsenal v Portsmouth, Saturday 22nd August

My Thoughts

Given the starts that these two sides have made, this one looks like a nailed-on home banker. Expect the home team to appear on numerous accumulators this weekend. In midweek, Arsenal benefitted again from a switch to a 4-3-3 system this season, with more than a hint of an influence coming from the system with which Barcelona were so spectacularly successful last season: constant interchanging of the front players, midfielders such as Fabregas and Denilson carrying the team forward from the centre of the park, and aggressive pressing of the ball by the forward line. Portsmouth, on the other hand, looked unadventurous and have failed to impress in 1-0 defeats so far to Fulham and Birmingham, and it is difficult to see them doing much other than going for an exercise in damage limitation, especially given that the last time they won away from home in the Premier League, George Bush was President of the USA.

The Verdict
It's difficult to predict anything other than a home win. Arsenal traditionally always start well before going up north in winter and finding that they don't like it up 'em. However, that's for the future. As for the game on Saturday, home win, and a comfortable one at that should Arsenal break the deadlock early enough.

The Bet
There's not much value in backing Arsenal outright on a single (1/6 with Blue Square). Best to look at other markets. Cesc Fabregas has been outstanding so far this season, and could be a shout as anytime goalscorer, otherwise it's worth considering over 2.5 goals, as games between these sides have tended to produce goals.

Shifty's Mega Season Preview Part 1 of however many it takes

Well, well, well, folks, it's season preview time!
With the Premier Leagues in the UK kicking off this weekend (although how "Premier" a leage can be considered with Burnley in it is a point for debate), this writer is going to sum up the chances (and give some betting tips) for the season ahead. So, in no particular order, here are my thoughts on the teams:

Arshavin (i.e. Arsenal)
They've been here before: Key, experienced players leaving, with Arsene Wenger deciding to trust young talent over spending megabucks on established players. How is it different this time, you ask? Well, Wenger looks set to change his side's shape this season to a more fluid (apparently it's possible) 4-3-3, with a front line consisting of any 3 from the rejuvenated (and fully fit again) Eduardo, the brilliant Arshavin, van Persie, the rapid Walcott, young Vela and even younger Wilshere. They also have Nicklas Bendtner. Defensively, Kolo Toure has departed, with Belgian international centre-back Thomas Vermaelen joining from Ajax. Manuel Almunia has firmly established himself as 1st choice, while Bacary Sagna impressed in his first season. Expect Cesc Fabregas to be on form again, dictating, pushing on, and numerous other things besides. The anticipated return from injury of Tomas Rosicky will add another option in midfield.

Verdict: They could go either way from last season's 4th place. They undoubtedly have goals in them from a very talented set of forwards, who should all revel as part of a front 3. A lot will depend on how new signing Vermaelen settles into defence. If luck is on their side, they could come very close to the title.

Aston Villa
Manchester United weren't the only team whose season was turned last time out by the intervention of Federico Macheda: after going down 3-2 at Old Trafford, Villa struggled badly, and ended the season with something of a whimper. Thus far, their transfer dealings have been unconvincing to say the least: while Gareth Barry's departure was to be expected, Villa have yet to see him properly replaced, the arrivals of Stewart Downing (out injured until December, and even then his position of left-midfield is firmly occupied by Ashley Young) and Fabian Delph (who is still a teenager, and thus cannot be expected to perform twice a week for 10 months in the exemplary manner Barry did) notwithstanding. The retirement of Martin Laursen is a blow, exacerbated by the departure of Zat Knight to Bolton. The arrival of Habib Beye gives Villa another option at right-back, but they are still weak in the centre: a lot will be asked of Curtis Davies. But perhaps the more worrying outcome of their game at Old Trafford last season was the discovery that Villa are in actual fact a rather limited side, with a somewhat primitive plan A of long balls for the height of Carew or Heskey to knock down for the quickslilver Agbonlahor, and no plan B. Added to this a possibly extensive (if not extensive, then most likely morale-shattering) Europa League campaign, and this could be (assuming they don't bring in some real quality between now and September 1) a long, hard, and ultimately disappointing season for Villa.

Verdict: Without a new central midfield, and reinforcements in attack and at central defence, Villa could slide down the table, especially considering the improvements made by some teams who finished below them. They are 40/1 to be relegated. Think about it