Sounds mad, doesn't it? But the price tag being bandied about for Carroll can be justified. Here's how.
At 22, Anrew Thomas Carroll still has the majority of his career ahead of him, and has already established himself in the Premier League and with the England national team. Given that his playing style is not overly reliant on pace, which usually a player starts to lose once they reach 30, it's not unreasonable to speculate that he has perhaps 12-15 years of top-flight and international football to look forward to. Given his current level of ability, allied to his future potential, his market value based purely on that is probably somewhere in the region of £15 million.
There are, however, more factors in a transfer fee than just that. Firstly, Carroll's English nationality and junior coaching at Newcastle means he counts as a "home-grown" player, of which each Premier League club must have at least 8 in their 25 man squad, with a similar rule in existence in European competition. Given the dearth of talented English players capable of performing regularly at the highest level, players such as Carroll are much sought-after, thereby increasing their market value- a recent example of this would be the £24 million Aston Villa paid for Darren Bent. Liverpool in particular are short on this type of player.
What also must be considered is the impact Carroll's departure at such a late stage in the transfer window would have on Newcastle. Should the transfer go through, Newcastle would have very little time to source a replacement for Carroll, and given that the prospective fee has been so publicised, this would hinder them in negotiations with other clubs (for example, should Newcastle offer £10 million for a new striker, why should the selling club not push them for more, knowing that Newcastle had £35 million in the bank?), and also leaves them surely too little time to bring in a replacement from overseas. The bracketed argument also applies to Newcastle as the club selling Carroll to Liverpool, with Liverpool's £50 million sale of Fernando Torres set to be completed.
Newcastle would also have to deal with the loss of a player who has scored almost 31% of their league goals this season. Should they fail to sign a striker to replace Carroll (and perhaps even if they do, as the prospective new striker settles in and Newcastle make any adjustment required to their playing style), they would have to deal with the increased possibility of finishing further down the league than their current 9th position, and perhaps even relegation.
And that is why Andy Carroll is worth £35 million
Showing posts with label Liverpool. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Liverpool. Show all posts
Monday, 31 January 2011
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Manchester City v Liverpool, Monday 23rd August 2010
My Thoughts
Two teams here with ambitions of a top 4 finish, both with 1 point on the board thus far. While Liverpool were denied all 3 points on the opening weekend only by a rare late blunder by goalkeeper Pepe Reina, City never looked like getting 3 points at Spurs due to a complete lack of creativity and incision in the middle of the park. For Liverpool, Fernando Torres has been working his way back to full fitness following the World Cup, and could be ready to start with Joe Cole, who hasn't had the best of weeks, unavailable, although Woy Hodgson may well have Thursday's UEFA Cup tie away to Trabzonspor in mind when naming his team. City could hand home and full debuts respectively to Mario Balotelli and James Milner- they certainly need a more creative influence in central midfield, something the introduction of Milner could provide either as a direct replacement for perhaps Nigel de Jong or Gareth Barry, or wide left to allow David Silva to occupy a more central position
The Verdict
As aforementioned, both teams have aspirations of a top 4 finish and therefore would love all 3 points. However, a defeat for either would leave them 5 points off the top of the league, which even at this early stage of the season would leave them playing catch-up. Both managers are also likely to have one eye on UEFA Cup games on Thursday night. Draw
The Bet
The draw can be backed outright at a general 9/4. It's likely to be a cagey affair, so also consider under 2.5 goals at a best price of 4/6 with Boylesports. Also, with Fernando Torres still finding his form and fitness, Liverpool's best hope a goal with Joe Cole suspended could well be Steven Gerrard (who may or may not have obtained a superinjunction to prevent the reporting his alleged impregnation of a 15-year-old girl). He can be backed to score (as he may or may not have done in the aforementioned alleged incident) anytime at a best price of 7/2 with Paddy Power
Two teams here with ambitions of a top 4 finish, both with 1 point on the board thus far. While Liverpool were denied all 3 points on the opening weekend only by a rare late blunder by goalkeeper Pepe Reina, City never looked like getting 3 points at Spurs due to a complete lack of creativity and incision in the middle of the park. For Liverpool, Fernando Torres has been working his way back to full fitness following the World Cup, and could be ready to start with Joe Cole, who hasn't had the best of weeks, unavailable, although Woy Hodgson may well have Thursday's UEFA Cup tie away to Trabzonspor in mind when naming his team. City could hand home and full debuts respectively to Mario Balotelli and James Milner- they certainly need a more creative influence in central midfield, something the introduction of Milner could provide either as a direct replacement for perhaps Nigel de Jong or Gareth Barry, or wide left to allow David Silva to occupy a more central position
The Verdict
As aforementioned, both teams have aspirations of a top 4 finish and therefore would love all 3 points. However, a defeat for either would leave them 5 points off the top of the league, which even at this early stage of the season would leave them playing catch-up. Both managers are also likely to have one eye on UEFA Cup games on Thursday night. Draw
The Bet
The draw can be backed outright at a general 9/4. It's likely to be a cagey affair, so also consider under 2.5 goals at a best price of 4/6 with Boylesports. Also, with Fernando Torres still finding his form and fitness, Liverpool's best hope a goal with Joe Cole suspended could well be Steven Gerrard (who may or may not have obtained a superinjunction to prevent the reporting his alleged impregnation of a 15-year-old girl). He can be backed to score (as he may or may not have done in the aforementioned alleged incident) anytime at a best price of 7/2 with Paddy Power
Saturday, 24 April 2010
Tips for Sunday 25th April
So, to follow up my Saturday tips, here are another couple for Sunday's games:
- Aston Villa have found some form again at just the right time, winning 3 of their last 4, and should overcome a fading Birmingham City's side, whose season has tailed off somewhat in recent weeks, with Alex McLeish's side failing to win any of their last 7 games
- Burnley have gone from being a team who had good home form but shipped bucketloads away to being a team who just ship bucketloads, and are unlikely to adopt a safety0first, cautious approach now that they know they must win all of their remaining games in order to have any chance of staying up. Their opponents are Liverpool, who are travel-sick in more ways than one- still awaiting their first away win in 2010, it remains to be seen what effect (if any) their unorthodox travel plans for their midweek European game will have had on them. They too will know that they must go all out for the win, in order to maintain any chance of finishing 4th. Even without Fernando Torres, they still carry a goal threat, particularly against Burnley's shaky defence, so this game could well see over 2.5 goals
Friday, 5 February 2010
Liverpool v Everton, Saturday 6th February
My Thoughts
Both sides go into this Merseyside derby in decent form- Liverpool unbeaten in 6 league games (not including their shambolic FA Cup exit against Reading), while Everton are unbeaten since the reverse fixture in November. However, it would be unwise to read too much into that stat- while Everton have generally looked impressive (most notably in their 2-2 draw at Arsenal, a match which even Arsene Wenger admitted they deserved the win, and in their 2-0 swatting aside of man citeh), Liverpool are still not playing with the sort of fluency and penetration that they are capable of, as away draws at Stoke and Wolves proved.
The Verdict
Betting on Liverpool this season has been something one would do only if one was mentally incapacitated, as they lurch from one dismal performance to another. While their home record this season (8-2-2, winning their last 4 in the league) is reasonably good, those two defeats came against Arsenal and Aston Villa, and on current form one could argue that Everton are of the same calibre of these two sides. While their league record at anfailed is poor (their last win there was in the 1999/2000 season) they did have the upper hand in derbies last season, drawing 1-1 twice away from home, and with new signing Landon Donovan making an instant impression, they can extend their unbeaten run against a Liverpool side still without Fernando Torres.
The Bet
I'm at work, so odds will follow tonight. Back Everton outright if you're feeling brave, otherwise I'd recommend Everton 2X. For Liverpool, Steven Gerrard will surely be relied upon to carry the team. He's gone a while without a goal, but will surely want to impress if there's a sniff of the England captaincy being available again- with Alberto Aquilani starting to take the creative pressure off him, he could be considered on the anytime scorer market
Both sides go into this Merseyside derby in decent form- Liverpool unbeaten in 6 league games (not including their shambolic FA Cup exit against Reading), while Everton are unbeaten since the reverse fixture in November. However, it would be unwise to read too much into that stat- while Everton have generally looked impressive (most notably in their 2-2 draw at Arsenal, a match which even Arsene Wenger admitted they deserved the win, and in their 2-0 swatting aside of man citeh), Liverpool are still not playing with the sort of fluency and penetration that they are capable of, as away draws at Stoke and Wolves proved.
The Verdict
Betting on Liverpool this season has been something one would do only if one was mentally incapacitated, as they lurch from one dismal performance to another. While their home record this season (8-2-2, winning their last 4 in the league) is reasonably good, those two defeats came against Arsenal and Aston Villa, and on current form one could argue that Everton are of the same calibre of these two sides. While their league record at anfailed is poor (their last win there was in the 1999/2000 season) they did have the upper hand in derbies last season, drawing 1-1 twice away from home, and with new signing Landon Donovan making an instant impression, they can extend their unbeaten run against a Liverpool side still without Fernando Torres.
The Bet
I'm at work, so odds will follow tonight. Back Everton outright if you're feeling brave, otherwise I'd recommend Everton 2X. For Liverpool, Steven Gerrard will surely be relied upon to carry the team. He's gone a while without a goal, but will surely want to impress if there's a sniff of the England captaincy being available again- with Alberto Aquilani starting to take the creative pressure off him, he could be considered on the anytime scorer market
Friday, 15 January 2010
Stoke City v Liverpool, Saturday 16th January
My Thoughts
Quick question: in all competitions, which of these two sides has lost more matches this season?
Answer: Liverpool. Wednesday's FA Cup defeat (if you watched the games, you'll know it couldn't exactly be considered a shock) at home to Reading was their 12th in all competitions so far this season, while Stoke have been vanquished on only 9 occasions thus far this season- a stat that few would have thought possible, never mind expected, after Liverpool's 4-0 win in the reverse fixture in August.
The Verdict
Stoke have a little bit of momentum behind them, having won their last 2 games, scoring 3 times against both Fulham and York City in The FA Cup Sponsored By Enron. Their physical, hoof-it-forward-for-the-frontman-to-chase-and-try-and-win-a-throw-in tactics are not exactly easy on the eye, but Tuncay is, and a home record so far of 5-2-3 is strong enough, and a continuation of it should see them survive comfortably, even without David James, after Tony Pulis pulled out of a possible loan deal for the 39 year old. Liverpool must travel to Stoke without Gerrard and Torres, and are likely to look to David N'Gog to try n'lead the n'frontline, and try and improve on an average 4-1-5 away record. Given Liverpool's depleted attack, and Stoke's good defensive record at the Brittania, don't expect a high-scoring game, and given the two sides' recent form, Stoke will certainly fancy their chances of getting a result. Draw
The Bet
Quite a few options here. The draw can be backed at a best price of 23/10 with totesport. Alternatively, Stoke 1X (also known as Double Chance Stoke/Draw) should be given serious consideration if you're torn between the draw and the home win, available at a best price of 3/4 with expekt.com, although this has been shortened a lot due to outward movement on Liverpool outright, who have gone from 4/7 (which was way too short) to 5/4, which is closer to where they should be. Also take a look at under 2.5 goals (Liverpool have been less than prolific away from home this season even with Gerrard and Torres, while Stoke have never scored a Premier League goal against Liverpool), which is available at a best price of 8/11 with Skybet, and for a slightly more speculative punt, expect a few fairly brutal taclkes coming in from both sets of players-it surely won't take long for the referee to put someone in the book, so stick a cheeky quid on Blue Square's offering at 5/6 that it will take less than 33 minutes
Quick question: in all competitions, which of these two sides has lost more matches this season?
Answer: Liverpool. Wednesday's FA Cup defeat (if you watched the games, you'll know it couldn't exactly be considered a shock) at home to Reading was their 12th in all competitions so far this season, while Stoke have been vanquished on only 9 occasions thus far this season- a stat that few would have thought possible, never mind expected, after Liverpool's 4-0 win in the reverse fixture in August.
The Verdict
Stoke have a little bit of momentum behind them, having won their last 2 games, scoring 3 times against both Fulham and York City in The FA Cup Sponsored By Enron. Their physical, hoof-it-forward-for-the-frontman-to-chase-and-try-and-win-a-throw-in tactics are not exactly easy on the eye, but Tuncay is, and a home record so far of 5-2-3 is strong enough, and a continuation of it should see them survive comfortably, even without David James, after Tony Pulis pulled out of a possible loan deal for the 39 year old. Liverpool must travel to Stoke without Gerrard and Torres, and are likely to look to David N'Gog to try n'lead the n'frontline, and try and improve on an average 4-1-5 away record. Given Liverpool's depleted attack, and Stoke's good defensive record at the Brittania, don't expect a high-scoring game, and given the two sides' recent form, Stoke will certainly fancy their chances of getting a result. Draw
The Bet
Quite a few options here. The draw can be backed at a best price of 23/10 with totesport. Alternatively, Stoke 1X (also known as Double Chance Stoke/Draw) should be given serious consideration if you're torn between the draw and the home win, available at a best price of 3/4 with expekt.com, although this has been shortened a lot due to outward movement on Liverpool outright, who have gone from 4/7 (which was way too short) to 5/4, which is closer to where they should be. Also take a look at under 2.5 goals (Liverpool have been less than prolific away from home this season even with Gerrard and Torres, while Stoke have never scored a Premier League goal against Liverpool), which is available at a best price of 8/11 with Skybet, and for a slightly more speculative punt, expect a few fairly brutal taclkes coming in from both sets of players-it surely won't take long for the referee to put someone in the book, so stick a cheeky quid on Blue Square's offering at 5/6 that it will take less than 33 minutes
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Weekend Preview, and some other stuff that'll be on here soon
Aye aye, chappies, here's a quick rundown of what you can expect to see on the blog this weekend:
- Shifty will be breaking from tradition and writing up his own team, Manchester United, in their home game against Burnley. That game will be written up as soon as the Lancashire Hot-Pot Munchers confirm the identity of their new gaffer, likely to be either Brian Laws, Sean O'Driscoll, Brian O'Driscoll, Sean Penn, or The Stig
- Graeme's Silly Bet should be up by Saturday morning
- Providing the weather doesn't decimate the fixture list again, expect to see another 1 or 2 games written up by Saturday morning
An Exciting Side Project that Shifty and Graeme will be working on in the coming weeks and months
As an extra feature on the blog, over the next wee while, Shifty and Graeme will be posting reviews of all (well, the ones we played or can get hold of easily) the great football computer games of the last 2 decades. Yes, we really are that old. Expect to see classics such as World Cup Italia 90 and FIFA 96 for the Mega Drive, iconic games such as Pro Evloution Soccer 3 and Championship Manager 01/02, through to contemporaries such as FIFA 2010 and Football Manager 2010. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!
A Small Tip for Tonight
Liverpool v Reading, FA Cup 3rd Round Replay
Both sides are having something of an annus horriblis and, after dismal starts, both have not shown the signs of recovery and title challenges that were hoped for. It's difficult to judge where exactly these teams are in terms of form given that their matches at the weekend were both postponed, therefore neither side has played since the 1-1 draw at the Madejski. Liverpool haven't exactly been trouncing teams (Hull don't count- they are terrible sans Jimy Bullard) at anfailed, so Reading need not fear a walloping. Indeed, while Liverpool should eventually triumph (as long as Gerrard and/or Torres are somewhere near their best infront of goal), Reading could make them sweat, and may even force extra time. In terms of bets, have a wee look at HT/FT Draw/Liverpool.
Friday, 20 November 2009
Will there be any controversial handballs this weekend? It's a Given
Here's this week's edition of Graeme's Silly Bet:
The 1987 Crystal Light National Aerobic Champioship Team Competition: The San Francisco Bay Club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeMJOPlK-0E
After the midweek excitement of the play-offs which had it all, handball controversy, Shay Given going mental and Russia getting bundled out, it's back to normal league action this weekend.
Post-international games tend to throw up problems for the more multi-cultured clubs. For example, how are Arsenal going to cope without placenta-drench Robin van Persie leading the line for a few weeks. You could say his ankle is a big bloody mess. Arsenal cannot be happy with Giorgio Chiellini's ligament busting challenge.
This weekend has thrown up some interesting match-ups, onwards with the bets:
Sunderland v Arsenal
Steve Bruce will continue to highlight his growing reputation in management circles with a stonking 2-0 victory over what, some believe, will be his future club
Sunderland to win 5/1 @ Paddy Power
Liverpool v Man City
AT the beginning of the season there were a few mentals who thought that this would be a top of the table clash. Instead, Hughes and Benitez have managed to make some crazy signing decisions to determine the contrary. This Saturday's 4th spot decider looks set to see Aquilani make his first start in the league for his new club with Johnson and Gerrard on the bench, therefore I think City will lose this late in the game by 2 goals to 1
Liverpool to win 2-1, 13/2 @ William Hill
Dundee v ICT
I hate Caley, Sean Higgins FTW!
Sean Higgins 1st goalscorer, no odds up yet
On a side note, check out this comic blog drawn by two guys from Alness with nothing better to do with their time
http://www.drawnbydrunks.co.uk
The 1987 Crystal Light National Aerobic Champioship Team Competition: The San Francisco Bay Club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeMJOPlK-0E
After the midweek excitement of the play-offs which had it all, handball controversy, Shay Given going mental and Russia getting bundled out, it's back to normal league action this weekend.
Post-international games tend to throw up problems for the more multi-cultured clubs. For example, how are Arsenal going to cope without placenta-drench Robin van Persie leading the line for a few weeks. You could say his ankle is a big bloody mess. Arsenal cannot be happy with Giorgio Chiellini's ligament busting challenge.
This weekend has thrown up some interesting match-ups, onwards with the bets:
Sunderland v Arsenal
Steve Bruce will continue to highlight his growing reputation in management circles with a stonking 2-0 victory over what, some believe, will be his future club
Sunderland to win 5/1 @ Paddy Power
Liverpool v Man City
AT the beginning of the season there were a few mentals who thought that this would be a top of the table clash. Instead, Hughes and Benitez have managed to make some crazy signing decisions to determine the contrary. This Saturday's 4th spot decider looks set to see Aquilani make his first start in the league for his new club with Johnson and Gerrard on the bench, therefore I think City will lose this late in the game by 2 goals to 1
Liverpool to win 2-1, 13/2 @ William Hill
Dundee v ICT
I hate Caley, Sean Higgins FTW!
Sean Higgins 1st goalscorer, no odds up yet
On a side note, check out this comic blog drawn by two guys from Alness with nothing better to do with their time
http://www.drawnbydrunks.co.uk
Friday, 23 October 2009
Can't get that 99 Red Balloons song out of me head
Here's this week's edition of Graeme's Silly Bet:
Saturday Accumulator:
Wolves v Villa- Draw
Burnley v Wigan- Home Win
Coventry v West Brom- Home Win
Crystal Palace v Forest- Home Win (Forest will not get 6 wins in a row)
Queen of the South v Airdrie- Home Win
Ladbrokes accumulator odds: 65/1
Sunday Accumulator:
Liverpool v Man Utd- Home Win
Man City v Fulham- Home Win
West Ham v Arsenal- Away Win
6/1 @ William Hill
Liverpool v Man Utd:
1st goalscorer, Yossi Benayoun @ 8/1, William Hill
1st card to Man Utd @ 8/11, William Hill
xxxxxxxxxx
Saturday Accumulator:
Wolves v Villa- Draw
Burnley v Wigan- Home Win
Coventry v West Brom- Home Win
Crystal Palace v Forest- Home Win (Forest will not get 6 wins in a row)
Queen of the South v Airdrie- Home Win
Ladbrokes accumulator odds: 65/1
Sunday Accumulator:
Liverpool v Man Utd- Home Win
Man City v Fulham- Home Win
West Ham v Arsenal- Away Win
6/1 @ William Hill
Liverpool v Man Utd:
1st goalscorer, Yossi Benayoun @ 8/1, William Hill
1st card to Man Utd @ 8/11, William Hill
xxxxxxxxxx
Friday, 16 October 2009
Sunderland v Liverpool, Saturday 17th October
My Thoughts
With speculation mounting that both of Liverpool's players, Gerrard and Torres, will miss this game, expect money to be pouring into bets backing the draw and Sunderland- indeed Liverpool outright have gone from 4/6 to 11/10 in some places today, although this writer will stop short of predicting that they could drift as far as 96/1.
As for Sunderland, having personally seen them (from way up in K Stand Tier 2) very nearly beat Manchester United, this writer feels qualified to say that they are a very decent side. Hard-working lads such as Phil Bardsley and Lee Cattermole would most likely fancy their chances at tackling a Robot XI featuring a mechanised Michelin Man in goals, Sergeant Bash and Killalot from Robot Wars at full-back, Megatron from Transformers in central defence and a midfield 7 consisting entirely of Storm Troopers (with regards to Saturday's match, one cannot help but feel Lucas and Ryan Babel would not enjoy said battle quite as much), such is their willingness to run, kick, tackle and be general hard bastards for the Wearisde cause. Guile and industry is provided by talented midfielders such as Lorik Cana, Steed Malbranque and Andy Reid. Kieran Richardson also plays for Sunderland. Up top, Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones are arguably the in-form strike partnership in the Premier League.
Contrast this with Liverpool's situation, where they were second best in their last game away at Chelsea, and now having to face a tricky away trip to an in-form Sunderland side off the back of what has been an expensive international week, and it's all of a sudden very possible to make a case for Sunderland to get some sort of result in this one.
The Verdict
Forget Chelsea last weekend, this is where we're going to get the best idea of what are left of Liverpool's title-winning credentials. No Gerrard, no Torres, fatigued players (Mascherano and Lucas were late back from South America this week), if Benitez's squad (and it will be the depth of their squad as much as anything that will be tested on Saturday) are really up to the task, then Saturday is the time to prove it. Nevertheless, there's a real vibe, an air of confidence that Steve Bruce has brought to Sunderland, and this writer fancies them to take another result off a top 4 side this weekend.
The Bet
As alluded to earlier, Sunderland's odds are shortening, and will most likely continue to do so right up until kick-off. For the win, Bruce's men are currently around a general 11/4, and are unlikely to drop below 2/1 prior to kick-off, with the draw following a similar pattern from its current 12/5. In terms of alternative markets, have a wee think about an own goal being scored, best price 15/2 with Paddy Power. Last week Anton Ferdinand put through his own net for Sunderland, with John Mensah having done likewise the previous weekend. There's a belter of a quiz question been doing the rounds recently as well: which current Premier League English player has scored the most Premier League goals against Liverpool?
Answer to follow next week
With speculation mounting that both of Liverpool's players, Gerrard and Torres, will miss this game, expect money to be pouring into bets backing the draw and Sunderland- indeed Liverpool outright have gone from 4/6 to 11/10 in some places today, although this writer will stop short of predicting that they could drift as far as 96/1.
As for Sunderland, having personally seen them (from way up in K Stand Tier 2) very nearly beat Manchester United, this writer feels qualified to say that they are a very decent side. Hard-working lads such as Phil Bardsley and Lee Cattermole would most likely fancy their chances at tackling a Robot XI featuring a mechanised Michelin Man in goals, Sergeant Bash and Killalot from Robot Wars at full-back, Megatron from Transformers in central defence and a midfield 7 consisting entirely of Storm Troopers (with regards to Saturday's match, one cannot help but feel Lucas and Ryan Babel would not enjoy said battle quite as much), such is their willingness to run, kick, tackle and be general hard bastards for the Wearisde cause. Guile and industry is provided by talented midfielders such as Lorik Cana, Steed Malbranque and Andy Reid. Kieran Richardson also plays for Sunderland. Up top, Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones are arguably the in-form strike partnership in the Premier League.
Contrast this with Liverpool's situation, where they were second best in their last game away at Chelsea, and now having to face a tricky away trip to an in-form Sunderland side off the back of what has been an expensive international week, and it's all of a sudden very possible to make a case for Sunderland to get some sort of result in this one.
The Verdict
Forget Chelsea last weekend, this is where we're going to get the best idea of what are left of Liverpool's title-winning credentials. No Gerrard, no Torres, fatigued players (Mascherano and Lucas were late back from South America this week), if Benitez's squad (and it will be the depth of their squad as much as anything that will be tested on Saturday) are really up to the task, then Saturday is the time to prove it. Nevertheless, there's a real vibe, an air of confidence that Steve Bruce has brought to Sunderland, and this writer fancies them to take another result off a top 4 side this weekend.
The Bet
As alluded to earlier, Sunderland's odds are shortening, and will most likely continue to do so right up until kick-off. For the win, Bruce's men are currently around a general 11/4, and are unlikely to drop below 2/1 prior to kick-off, with the draw following a similar pattern from its current 12/5. In terms of alternative markets, have a wee think about an own goal being scored, best price 15/2 with Paddy Power. Last week Anton Ferdinand put through his own net for Sunderland, with John Mensah having done likewise the previous weekend. There's a belter of a quiz question been doing the rounds recently as well: which current Premier League English player has scored the most Premier League goals against Liverpool?
Answer to follow next week
Friday, 2 October 2009
Chelsea v Liverpool, Sunday 4th October
My Thoughts
This weekend sees another BIG TOP 4 OMG THE APOCALYPSE IS COMING SUPERAMAZING FORD SUPER FANTASTIC SUNDAY SHOWDOWN!!!!! in the Premier League (suppose the La Liga is Better League isn't such a great name), with Chelsea and Liverpool going tete-a-tete, once bar staff throughout the nation return their tables and chairs to their rightful places after the Old Firm game.
Both sides, it has to be said, were disappointing on Champions League duty in midweek; although Chelsea laboured to a 1-0 win away at APOEL Nicosia, Liverpool were horsed 2-0 away at Fiorentina, which resulted in one unhappy fat Spanish waiter.
The Verdict
Given their recent results (and the tendency of these matches to be somewhat underwhelming affairs), expect a mixture of tedious dullness and dull tediousness. Due to Petr Cech's suspension, Chelsea will start with either Hilarious or the slightly more amusing Ross Turnbull in goals. In attack, Nicolas Anelka v Jamie Carragher looks set to resemble an encounter between a bulldozer and a Lambourghini. For Liverpool, Javier Mascherano could return to kick people (the number of hatchet men who could be deployed in this one on both sides is staggering, all that would be needed would be Lee Cattermole and Kearney from the Simpsons), while Daniel Agger played for the reserves this week, but is unlikely to be considered.
These matches, as previously stated, have a tendency to be underwhelming, last season's Champions League ding-dong between these two notwithstanding, and it could well come down to which side's two players, I mean star players, perform on the day (Torres and Jukebox Gerrard for Liverpool, Drogba and Rank Lampard for Chelsea), in what is likely to be a low-scoring affair.
The Bet
Under 2.5 goals is available at a general 8/11- these games are also notorious for slow starts, therefore 0-0 at half-time at 17/10 with expekt.com is worth considering. Also, as previously stated, due to the "combative" nature of some of the players likely to be on show, a sending-off in the game at a general 5/2 could be a shout.
This weekend sees another BIG TOP 4 OMG THE APOCALYPSE IS COMING SUPERAMAZING FORD SUPER FANTASTIC SUNDAY SHOWDOWN!!!!! in the Premier League (suppose the La Liga is Better League isn't such a great name), with Chelsea and Liverpool going tete-a-tete, once bar staff throughout the nation return their tables and chairs to their rightful places after the Old Firm game.
Both sides, it has to be said, were disappointing on Champions League duty in midweek; although Chelsea laboured to a 1-0 win away at APOEL Nicosia, Liverpool were horsed 2-0 away at Fiorentina, which resulted in one unhappy fat Spanish waiter.
The Verdict
Given their recent results (and the tendency of these matches to be somewhat underwhelming affairs), expect a mixture of tedious dullness and dull tediousness. Due to Petr Cech's suspension, Chelsea will start with either Hilarious or the slightly more amusing Ross Turnbull in goals. In attack, Nicolas Anelka v Jamie Carragher looks set to resemble an encounter between a bulldozer and a Lambourghini. For Liverpool, Javier Mascherano could return to kick people (the number of hatchet men who could be deployed in this one on both sides is staggering, all that would be needed would be Lee Cattermole and Kearney from the Simpsons), while Daniel Agger played for the reserves this week, but is unlikely to be considered.
These matches, as previously stated, have a tendency to be underwhelming, last season's Champions League ding-dong between these two notwithstanding, and it could well come down to which side's two players, I mean star players, perform on the day (Torres and Jukebox Gerrard for Liverpool, Drogba and Rank Lampard for Chelsea), in what is likely to be a low-scoring affair.
The Bet
Under 2.5 goals is available at a general 8/11- these games are also notorious for slow starts, therefore 0-0 at half-time at 17/10 with expekt.com is worth considering. Also, as previously stated, due to the "combative" nature of some of the players likely to be on show, a sending-off in the game at a general 5/2 could be a shout.
Saturday, 19 September 2009
West Ham v Liverpool. Saturday 19th September
My Thoughts
West Ham head into this game off the back of a somewhat disappointing 1-0 loss away at WIgan last weekend, while Liverpool also had a somewhat underwhelming 1-0 scoreline in their most recent game, although they managed to emerge victorious from Wednesday's Champions (someone's going to need to remind me what exactly Liverpool are currently champions of) League encounter with Debrecen.
West Ham have added numbers in attack in recent weeks to complement Carlton Cole, with Alessandro Diamanti and Guillermo Franco both joining, although of the two new boys, only Diamanti is likely to be involved against Liverpool, who themselves are not exactly blessed with great strength in depth in attack. One quote following their midweek result which caught the eye went along the lines of "Torres looked tired last night. Benitez should rest him for the next game and play....Oh".
The Verdict
Historically, Upton Park has been a reasonably happy hunting ground for Liverpool, with 4 of the last 5 games at Upton Park resulting in away wins. A fatigued Torres will still probably pose West Ham's back line all kinds of problems, and with Kuyt and Benayoun also featuring on the scoresheet in recent games, expect an away win.
The Bet
Liverpool are available at a general 4/7. Also, given their recent goalscoring form, as long as Benitez doesn't rotate either of them for the generally inferior Ryan Babel or Albert Riera, Kuyt and Benayoun should be considered on the anytime scorers market- Kuyt is available at 21/10 with extrabet, and Benayoun at 13/5 with bet365
West Ham head into this game off the back of a somewhat disappointing 1-0 loss away at WIgan last weekend, while Liverpool also had a somewhat underwhelming 1-0 scoreline in their most recent game, although they managed to emerge victorious from Wednesday's Champions (someone's going to need to remind me what exactly Liverpool are currently champions of) League encounter with Debrecen.
West Ham have added numbers in attack in recent weeks to complement Carlton Cole, with Alessandro Diamanti and Guillermo Franco both joining, although of the two new boys, only Diamanti is likely to be involved against Liverpool, who themselves are not exactly blessed with great strength in depth in attack. One quote following their midweek result which caught the eye went along the lines of "Torres looked tired last night. Benitez should rest him for the next game and play....Oh".
The Verdict
Historically, Upton Park has been a reasonably happy hunting ground for Liverpool, with 4 of the last 5 games at Upton Park resulting in away wins. A fatigued Torres will still probably pose West Ham's back line all kinds of problems, and with Kuyt and Benayoun also featuring on the scoresheet in recent games, expect an away win.
The Bet
Liverpool are available at a general 4/7. Also, given their recent goalscoring form, as long as Benitez doesn't rotate either of them for the generally inferior Ryan Babel or Albert Riera, Kuyt and Benayoun should be considered on the anytime scorers market- Kuyt is available at 21/10 with extrabet, and Benayoun at 13/5 with bet365
Saturday, 15 August 2009
Shifty's Season Preview Part 5 of I'd better not waste any more time coming up with fancy titles
Liverpool
There is an over-riding feeling that last season, given the relative struggles of the rest of the top 4, represented the scouser's best chance to win the title in the 3 points for a win era. And they blew it. Now, with the departure of Xabi Alonso (their best central midfielder), they may well struggle to get close to the title again. Of their 2 new signings, Alberto Aquilani is unlikely to be fit before university Freshers Weeks, and Glen Johnson, while he will no doubt be more adventurous than the now-departed Alvaro Arbeloa, doubts remain over his defensive capabilities. Moving along the back 4, Sami Hyypia has departed without a replacement having been brought in (is benitez really about to put his faith in a youngster should injuries affect his best 2 centre-backs, Agger and Skrtel?) and, with Fabio Aurelio injured, Andrea Dossena is set to start the season at left-back. Enough said. There are doubts over the strength in depth in attack as well: Can Voronin, N'Gog, El Zhar and co really step up to the plate if required?
Verdict: With everyone fit for the whole season, they could challenge again. But, should injuries affect their 2 main players, they may find themselves losing touch with the lead
There is an over-riding feeling that last season, given the relative struggles of the rest of the top 4, represented the scouser's best chance to win the title in the 3 points for a win era. And they blew it. Now, with the departure of Xabi Alonso (their best central midfielder), they may well struggle to get close to the title again. Of their 2 new signings, Alberto Aquilani is unlikely to be fit before university Freshers Weeks, and Glen Johnson, while he will no doubt be more adventurous than the now-departed Alvaro Arbeloa, doubts remain over his defensive capabilities. Moving along the back 4, Sami Hyypia has departed without a replacement having been brought in (is benitez really about to put his faith in a youngster should injuries affect his best 2 centre-backs, Agger and Skrtel?) and, with Fabio Aurelio injured, Andrea Dossena is set to start the season at left-back. Enough said. There are doubts over the strength in depth in attack as well: Can Voronin, N'Gog, El Zhar and co really step up to the plate if required?
Verdict: With everyone fit for the whole season, they could challenge again. But, should injuries affect their 2 main players, they may find themselves losing touch with the lead
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