Weekend Betting, Saturday 21st January

Big weekend of soccer matches coming up (although, to be honest, they're all going to be big now. We're getting towards the part of the season where the football actually gets good), let's have a look at what we can have a punt on:

• Newcastle away at Fulham firstly. The Geordies are currently shorn of 2 key men in Cheik Tiote and Demba Ba, along with new number 9 Papiss Demba Cisse. However, despite an arguably poor performance they still had more than enough to see of QPR last weekend. Fulham are wildly inconsistent this season, and were extremely poor last time out away at Blackburn. An improvement at home will be hoped for, but Newcastle are well worth backing, with 3/1 generally available


• Stoke at home to West Brom has home win written all over it. West Brom's early-mid season form has tailed off badly, with Woy Hodgson's side winless in the league since early December and facing a Stoke side against whom they have a horrible recent record- 2 draws and 7 defeats for West Brom in their last 9 meetings. With the Europa League put to bed until the middle of next month, Stoke have recovered their league form, and are available at 11/10 to triumph with Hills. Get on that if you know what's good for you


• As regular readers will know, I like a bit of trend-spotting. I like to find a reliable bet with good returns and stick it on most weeks. Last season, that was backing Norwich to win most games, which itself replaced Darren Bent 1st goalscorer. This season has yet to produce such a bet, apart from, well..er...Norwich again. The on-form Canaries are available at 5/1 to pull off a win against a slightly unconvincing Chelsea, shorn currently of Didier Drogba. They are not, though, without a goal threat, with Juan Mata adapting well to English football. He's 2/1 to score anytime today against a Norwich defence that has ye to keep a clean sheet this season


• Outside the Premier League, there are a plethora of teams at backable odds today, among them Barnsley, Birmingham, Bournemouth and Carlisle

Tuck in

Thoughts from today's games

Something of a Super Saturday today in the Premie League (no offence, but Norwich v West Brom and Fulham v Blackburn a Super Sunday does not make), here are my thoughts for your digestion:

• The biggest surprise at the Britannia Stadium today is that people were surprised by the result. Stoke have always been exceptionally difficult to beat at home, and their deadline day additions have enhanced them even more. Liverpool's start may have looked encouraging, but if you dig a bit deeper the truth is rather different- they only gained control during their 2-0 win at Arsenal once Arsenal DM Frimpong had been dismissed and the Bolton side they dispatched have been exposed as severely wanting by both Manchester clubs. In summary, they are a long way from any sort of title challenge- fourth place is probably the extent of their realistic ambitions. Of Stoke, should they cope with this season's Europa League allied to their league campaign, then an entry to next season's competition is not beyond them


• The Myth of Bolton Under Owen Coyle: they are no more aesthetically pleasing and no less thuggish than they were under both Megson and Allardyce. The only advantages Coyle has on Megson are that his teams do at least play with 2 wingers and 2 out-and-out strikers, and that he is more media-savvy. 8 defeats in their last 9 as well- the end-of-season slump from last season has not been arrested


• FAO Kevin Davies: I hope you're proud of yourself for your assault on Tom Cleverley today. Despite the injury, Cleverley has achieved more in the last 6 weeks than you've done in your entire career. You and your mate Paul Robinson should have been off before the 20th minute today. And what happened to you roughing up De Gea?


• It would be a surprise if both Phil Jones and Chris Smalling do not make the England squad for Euro 2012. One of the 2 should make the right-back berth their own, and after another shambolic showing today, there must be question marks about Gary Cahill's ability at the highest level, as highlighted by this blog recently

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 30th April

Well, with all the blogging about next weekend's debauchery going on, I thought I'd better squeeze in (or should that be squeeze out) a look at some of this weekend's games:

• There looks like being only 1 winner of Chelsea v Tottenham tomorrow teatime, and it's not Tottenham. Paddy Power will give you 8/15 on the home win, which would see Chelsea continue their recent good form which has seen them overhaul Arsenal in 2nd place. Tottenham can't be fancied, given their recent form- 1 win in their last 8 games in all competitions. Tottenham may also have one of their main attacking threats somewhat subdued- with Benoit Assou-Ekotto injured, Gareth Bale may have to drop back to left-back. Add this to the breaking of Fernando Torres' scoring duck, and the complete lack of form of any of Tottenham's strikers, and Chelsea to Win to Nil holds some appeal at 9/5 with Unibet


• Blackpool v Stoke looks a tough one to call. Stoke appear not to have suffered any sort of hangover from their FA Cup Semi Final dismantling of Bolton, having drawn at Aston Villa and beaten Wolves at home since. Having said that, one can make a case for Blackpool, who won the reverse fixture 2-0 and will create chances against anyone. Therefore, the bet to be on is Both Teams to Score at 8/13 with Stan James, a bet that has a 100% success rate at Bloomfield Road this season


• The remainder of the Premier League games on Saturday (and probably Blackpool v Stoke) all look distinctly drawy- this could be an opportunity for a rather speculative punt. Any combination of 4 of those games all to end in draws will generate odds of approximately 95/1. Have a go

EVERYBODY GTF (GET TO FALKIRK) TOMORROW. MON THE STAGGIES!

Blackpool v Chelsea, Monday 7th March

My Thoughts
2 sides here whose respective form is going in opposite directions. After a hugely promising start to the season, Blackpool's form has nosedived somewhat, with Ian Holloway's side bottom of the 6-match form table, and now just 2 points above the relegation zone. Chelsea, on the other hand, are getting back to their best form. Once Fernando Torres is fully integrated into their side, there may be even more to come from them

The Verdict
All the stats here point to an away win, and one by a considerable margin at that. Blackpool are further handicapped by the absence through suspension of both Charlie Adam and DJ Campbell. That said, they will still fancy their chances of scoring against a Chelsea defence which fares considerably worse away from home than at home- they have managed clean sheets in 62% of their league home games, but just 29% away from home, and with their gung-ho, all-out attack style, even without the aforementioned 2 key players, Blackpool should still create chances. That said, Blackpool's defensive record is little short of woeful- they have yet to keep a clean sheet at home this season, shipping 24 goals at Bloomfield Road so far (an average of 1.84 per game)- it's therefore nigh-on impossible to see at least one of Chelsea's frontline consisting of 2 from Torres, Anelka, Drogba and Kalou not hitting the net. It looks like goals could be plentiful, but Chelsea should come out on top. Away win

The Bet
With Chelsea a best price of just 1/3 with Paddy Power to win outright, best to look elsewhere for value. If Chelsea manage an early goal, then they should go on to win convincingly, therefore 2 bets to be looking at would be Half Time/ Full Time Chelsea/Chelsea available at a general 4/5, along with Chelsea on the handicap- Chelsea -1 available at 4/5 with Blue Square. A more speculative punt would be on the correct score- 3-1 Chelsea at 12/1 with Coral and 4-1 Chelsea at 17/1 with Unibet

Some Tips and Thoughts for 2011

Happy New Year, y'all!

Now, being the generous soul I am, I thought I'd furnish you with a few of my thoughts and tips for 2011. Here goes:

• At least 1 Midlands side will be relegated. Currently occupying 20th place are Wolves, and they look most likely to go down, due to their extreme difficulties in scoring and preventing the concession of goals. Last season, their home record kept them up, as their away form was honking. This season, however, their away form has remained honking (4 points from trips to Merseyside are all they have garnered thus far from 10 away games) while their home record of 4-2-4 leaves much to be desired. They are little better than 1/2 across the board to go down. Along with them, another Midlands team with dreadful away form, Birmingham City could well go down, as they too have seen a previously excellent home record disintegrate somewhat- they are 3-5-2 at home thus far. Frankly, Alex Mcleish's side would not be missed, with their defensive, physical approach and their continued deployment of Leeds Council Asian Community Outreach Officer Lee Bowyer. 32RED will give you 11/5 on Birmingham returning to the Championship
  
• Regular readers of this blog will know of my love for all bets based on Darren Bent scoring. His continued good form this season, along with Wayne Rooney's lack of proficiency infront of goal, means that the circa 3/1 currently on offer on Betfair for Bent to be the Top English Goalscorer in the Premier League should be snapped up


• The Premier League title is Manchester United's to lose.They have the ability and experience required to make it to the finishing line 1st, even though most of their performances this season have been at best average. The know-how of "Golden Oldies" Giggs, Scholes and van der Sar (Gary Neville might be old, but he certainly hasn't been golden when he's played this season), allied to the match-winning abilities of the likes of Nani (who had a sparkling 2010), Berbatov, Park (the scourge of Arsenal), Rooney (whose goal against West Brom might just see him kick on again) and Hernandez should see United claim a 19th league title. This side isn't up to the standard of Arsenal's 2003/04 unbeaten vintage or the Treble-winning side of 1998/99 (Darron Gibson and Gabriel Obertan, pictured, would never have got near that side), but it's arguably the strongest of the current league. Betfred will give you Evens on the Premier League trophy returning to Old Trafford. He can't understand why you'd bet anywhere else, and with that price, neither can I
  

Fancy a rummage in the January sales? Me neither. Get your hard-earned cash on those treats

• Anyone see that Simpsons episode (around about season 14 I think) where Mr Burns buys up every media outlet in Springfield apart from Lisa's Red Dress Press, where she inspires the residents of Springfield to oppose Burns' empire by starting their own newspapers? Well, I'd like to think of myself as Lisa to Mr Burn's Rupert Murdoch. Check out Graeme's Rant at http://gtm999.blogspot.com
• The Guardian is a great newspaper

FAO JAMES DART: I WANT A PLACE IN YOUR 100 FOR 2012

200 Not Out

Ladies, gentlemen, boys, girls and the ruler of the planet Omicron Persei 8 (actually, who am I kidding? No girls read this), history today is made, for this will be my 200th post on this here blog! Many thanks to all who have read and contributed since the birth of this blog sometime early last year. This special 200th post will feature a bit of everything that we've tried to encapsulate since we started:

Tottenham might not win the Premier League or the Champions League. But we're certainly having fun watching them try
Harry Redknapp's side's Champions League debut has been most impressive, topping what looked like a tricky group (even moreimpressive after being pillaged by Young Boys for the first 30 minutes of their first qualifier), playing with real attacking gumption, while also maintaining a league position on the shoulder of the leading pack. With their impressive array of attacking options, their games have tended to be particularly entertaining, with their 16 league matches so far featuring an average of 2.8125 goals (regular readers of this blog will know of my belief that the under/over 2.5 goals stat is as good an indicator as any of a side's entertainment value and attacking potency). Even more impressively, their 8 European games so far have seen that average rise to a frankly preposterous 4.75 goals per game. Even their 0-0 draw on the opening day at home to man citeh was entertaining, as their attack peppered Joe Hart's goal with shot after shot. Their clash with Chelsea at White Hart Lane on Sunday is massive for both sides

Manchester United might have finally found replacements for Giggs and Scholes- it's just taken Sunderland and Wigan for them to realise this
The form of Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley during their loan spells has been particularly impressive. The technical abilities of the pair have never been in doubt, with the players now gaining invaluable Premier League experience (along with England Under 21 honours) in preparation for, they hope, places in Man Utd's first team next season. Both have also proved to be extremely versatile performers, with Welbeck impressing for Sunderland both upfront and from the left wing, and Cleverley featuring right across Wigan's midfield, capable of both pulling the strings from a central position, and running at full-backs and providing industry from the wings

Now, some tips for this weekend (assuming the games go ahead)

• West Brom's form appears to have picked up after a recent slump, and they make the short trip to Villa Park in good spirits having won their last 2 league games, and with Villa seriously out of form themselves, Coral's 11/4 on the Baggies to triumph looks massive. Worth a punt, especially considering this writer priced them up at 9/5
• There's much that unites Stoke and Blackpool- fond memories of Stanley Matthews, larger than life characters in charge and defiance of expectations in the Premier League. However, there's much that divides them, too, most notably their styles of play. While Stoke's physical, direct style is well-documented, Blackpool's quick, attack-minded gameplan has been a breath of fresh air, although it does leave them exposed to the sort of rapid counter-attacks that experienced Premier League teams are well-versed in, and the evolution in Tony Pulis' side that has seen them bring in speedy, direct wingmen Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant means the Potters can now execute these kind of breaks, as well as offering a significant threat from set-pieces, another area Blackpool have been found wanting in on occasion this season. Admittedly Betfred's 4/6 on the home win is shorter than the 11/10 this writer has priced them at, it's still worth your while taking advantage of it
• Sky's advent of Monday Night Football (well, it was actually the NFL that came up with it) was designed for matches like Man Utd v Arsenal, a crucial game for both sides- a win for either side would be a huge boost for their title chances, with the top 4 all playing one another in the coming weeks. Last season, this clash very much went to stereotype- Arsenal dominating early on with some majestic football but failing to capitalise, with their defensive frailties costing them late in the game. These traits are still very much a part of their game, meaning Sportingbet's 28/1 on half-time/full-time Arsenal/Man Utd should be considered
• Wanna have a guess at what price you'll get on Real Sociedad, 6th in La Liga, having won their last 2 (including the Basque derby conquering of Athletic Bilbao), to win away at Barcelona on Sunday? Victor Chandler will give you 33/1. Yep, that's right, 33/1. A quid on them nets you £34 if they beat Pep Guardiola's superteam. Tempted?
• Have a wee flutter on the mighty Staggies tomorrow. New manager Willie McStay takes Ross County to Partick Thistle tomorrow, with Blue Square offering 7/4 on County taking all 3 points

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 Preview, Saturday 6th November

Good evening, all. First things first, happy birthday Craig.



Now, down to business. The appearance of this entry on a Thursday has probably left you wondering that this writer is either a) super-organised or b) off out on the bevvy this weekend. It is the latter of those two options, and relates to the aforementioned birthday greeting. So, this weekend's tips, then (with it being a UEFA Cup Thursday, many games are on Sunday):

• In the Premier League (curiously, the more accurate moniker of Bundesliga and La Liga are Better League has yet to catch on), Manchester United should extend their current unbeaten run to 24 games by beating Wolves at Old Trafford on Saturday, despite "Irishman" Mick McCarthy's side's victory over citeh last weekend. Coral's 1/4 on a United win isn't going to make you a millionaire, though, so for a bit more value, have a look at a few other markets. United have been in good goalscoring form of late, and with Wolves shipping an average of just over 2 goals a game away from home, the general 6/10 available on over 2.5 goals should be snapped up. Another market favoured by this writer is the Anytime Goalscorer market- with Darren Fletcher and Anderson likely to miss out injured, and the possibility of Paul Scholes being rested with Wednesday's Manchester derby looming, there could be a starting place for Darron Gibson (SHOOT!) which makes bet365's 4/1 on him to score anytime appealing


• It's FA Cup 1st Round time! There are a number of "David v Goliath" clashes for you to blindly stick on an accumulator, and among them it's worh backing AFC Wimbledon (1/2), Carlisle (2/9), Port Vale (4/7), Hartlepool (4/11), Hereford (2/9) and Notts County (4/11). However, look a bit deeper and you can find a few potential shocks. One of those could take place at Highbury. No, Arsenal haven't decided to rebuild their old pad, but Fleetwood Town of the Conference host Walsall, who are currently bottom of League One, on a poor run of form and with just one league win away from home this season. Fleetwood Town, in decent form themselves, can be backed at a general 9/4 to beat The Saddlers


• As promised earlier, let's have a look at the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend. The weather is likely to play a significant part in proceedings for Friday and Saturday at least, with a dry race currently forecast, although that could all yet change. If qualifying were to stay dry, then the general 16/1 available on local boy (and Interlagos specialist) Felipe Massa must be snapped up, even if only each-way. Elsewhere, on what is essentially a power circuit, the Mercedes engine is the donkey to have in the back of your motor, and after doing so in the last 2 races, Michael Schumacher could be set for another top 6 finish- Blue Square'll give you 3/1 on him doing just that. He's pretty handy in the wet, too

"I'm a pro athlete, I'm not trying to be the best at exercise"

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

Shifty's Season Preview Part 5

BBB

After the Wigan preview, let's stay in Lancashire and assess the chances of Blackpool, Blackburn and Bolton.

Ian Holloway's Blackpool must be one of the most favoured relegation candidates in Premier League history at a general 2/7, and it's difficult to argue against that. So I won't bother.

The squad lacks not only quality but also quantity, and the morale of those players must surely be affected by the late payment of their promotion bonuses- given that they've had to spend money to bring Bloomfield Road up to Premier League standards, Holloway is unlikely to have much leeway to do anything other than raid the reserve teams of bigger clubs for a few loan deals, a tactic they had success with last season with Everton's Seamus Coleman and Aston Villa's Barry Bannan both impressing. Even if Holloway finds another few gems (and Charlie Adam continues his Championship form), they are unlikely to be anywhere other that 20th come May.

Blackpool prediction: 20th
How they'll cope with the home-grown rule: Absolutely fine- their squad is almost exclusively home-grown players, although it's still some way short of the permitted 25.

Blackburn Rovers ended last season very well, finishing 10th. The football under Sam Allardyce wasn't easy on the eye (and never has been under Allardyce) but Blackburn were difficult to beat, particularly at home, as their 10-6-3 record at Ewood Park shows. Allardyce must address their lack of potency in attack, though- their top scorer, David Dunn, managed just 9 league goals, and it's by no means certain that he'll be fit for all 38 games. Allardyce has brought in Manchester United youngster Mame Biram Diouf (allowing him the possibility of a Diouf and Diouf strike partnership), but one suspects they may still struggle to match last season's achievements. They have enough steel and defensive solidity, though, to avoid being dragged into a relegation scrap.

Prediction: 13th
How they'll cope with the homegrown rule: Just about OK. Allardyce may yet add more Premier League experience, particularly in attack
RoversBet: Their lack of a proven Premier League goalscorer means Paddy Power's 25/1 on them to be the Premier League's lowest scorers is very tempting, especially when you consider the more cavalier styles of the 3 promoted sides

Bolton Wanderers under Owen Coyle were a more aesthetically pleasing side than under the deeply unpopular Gary Megson, finishing 14th. They look well placed to continue their improvement, with Coyle promising more entertaining football. Defensively, they are solid- Jussi Jaaskelainen has excelled in this league for a number of years, while Gary Cahill's England debut should come at some point this season. In midfield, Lee Chung-Yong has adapted very well to the Premier League, and was one of the few players in the league to have a good World Cup, while on the opposite flank Martin Petrov could be the free transfer of the summer. Up top, Kevin Davies provides bulk and a physical presence (if not massively prolific infront of goal), while Johan Elmander must surely start to justify his £9 million price tag. The Trotters' squad features a good mix of experienced Premier League campaigners, such as Davies and Jaaskelainen, along with promising youngsters such as Lee, Cahill, Marcos Alonso and Mark Davies (as opposed to the Allardyce regime, which almost exclusively contained 30-something journeymen booting both the ball and the opposition into the air). A top 10 finish is within their reach, provided they can maintain their upward trend under Coyle

Prediction: 10th
How they'll cope with the home-grown rule: Fine. No problems for Coyle in this department, with his side containing experienced Premier League home-grown players such as Davies, Zat Knight, Paul Robinson and Jlloyd Samuel alongside young talent such as Cahill, Mark Davies (a much more cultured technician than Kevin. They are, unsurprisingly, not related, which is unusual, as most people in Bolton are related to each other), Fabrice Muamba and Chris Basham
BoltonBet: Ladbrokes offer 5/1 on Bolton to finish in the top 10

Shifty's Season Preview Part 4

Wigan Athletic

Wigan under Roberto Martinez last season were consistently inconsistent. Wins over Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Liverpool were followed up by a 4-0 defeat to Portsmouth, 2 5-0 defeats at the hands of Manchester United and 2 8 goal beatings in London.
Over the summer, Martinez had lost experienced campaigners Titus Bramble, Mario Melchiot and Paul Scharner (who is still a free agent. Someone's going to get themselves a real bargain if they snap him up), bringing in Paraguayan centre-back Antolin Alcaraz, Argentinian centre-forward Mauro Boselli, Bolton reserve keeper Ali Al-Habsi and Hamilton midfielder James McArthur. While all these signings have their merits (Alcaraz had a particularly impressive World Cup, Boselli has a good track record in Argentina and McArthur has excelled for Hamilton for a number of seasons despite his tender years), they have a total of 0 Premier League games under their belts. Assuming they can keep hold of Maynor Figueroa, Charles N'Zogbia and Hugo Rodallega, they do have the makings of a good footballing side, however they look more likely to be involved in a relegation scrap, which they may be unable to battle their way out of, particularly given that only Blackpool appear to be significantly worse than them.

Sticking-me-neck-on-the-line-predicted-finishing-position: 18th

How they'll cope with the home-grown rule: Oh dear. 3 more homegrown players are needed. Wigan scout South America very impressively, less so South Lancashire

Shifty's Season Preview Part 3

Wolves

Last season, Mick McCarthy's lot battled their way to safety, although they owe their survival to the sides below them all being absolute murder. During the summer, McCarthy has been busy, raiding 2 of the sides who were below them for reinforcements- Steven Mouyokolo and Stephen Hunt signed from Hull, with Steven Fletcher arriving from Burnley. It remains to be seen how those 3, along with left-back Stephen Ward, will be able to tell when McCarthy bawls out in his Yorkshire (note Yorkshire, NOT IRISH) drawl, "Stephen! Fookin get stuck in and lump it!" who is actually required to fookin get stuck in and lump it. During the World Cup, McCarthy also demonstrated a shocking lack of basic knowledge of the game- a couple of his "highlights" including:

• "Is that the Veron?" upon seeing Juan Sebastian Veron in central midfield for Argentina. When the taxpayer is generously funding your appearance as an "expert" in South Africa, the least you can do is do a bit of research
• "Can they not have Smith marking him?" upon seeing that Greece had deployed Sokratis Papastathopoulos as a man-marker on Lionel Messi

Still, he had one advantage over Mark Lawrenson in that this writer did not feel compelled to complain to OFCOM about him.

Back to Wolves. They stayed up last season but the football wasn't exactly awe-inspiring, as they managed just 32 goals last season. McCarthy often played just Kevin Doyle on his own upfront, with 5 in midfield- it remains to be seen if the signing of Fletcher will lead to a change to 2 upfront or a place either on the bench or in a wide midfield position for one of them. Behind the front line, new man Hunt will add endeavour on the wing, while Serbian Nenad Milijas will look to establish himself as a regular, having offered creativity and the odd long-range thunderbolt sporadically last season. Other than that, the midfield is hard-working and combative, but offers little penetration, and the passing ranges of centre-backs Jody Craddock and Christophe Berra are limited, although Craddock did get his head on a number of Milijas set-pieces last season- indeed, he was their 2nd top scorer. With 5. All told, they look set for another struggle, with failure the likely end result.

Sticking-me-neck-on-the-line-predicted-finishing-position: 19th

How they will cope with the home-grown rule: Fine. Wolves have a decent record of promoting academy graduates (Wayne Hennessey and Stephen Ward 2 of the most recent to make the 1st team) and much of their Championship-winning side who were recruited as promising youngsters from smaller clubs are still at Molineux

Shifty's Season Preview Part 2

Everton

As previously explained, the teams are being written up in a completely random order. This is to ensure each team gets a fair write-up (I'll probably be running round looking even more like a madman than normal to get them all done by next Saturday).

So to Everton. After a horrific start to last season, both in terms of results and injuries, Everton did well to recover to 8th place, just missing out on a UEFA Cup (yes, I'm still calling it that) place. On the plus side, this means that their Thursdays are free this season. However, this does mean David Moyes has had little room to manoeuvre in the transfer market, a couple of young forwards notwithstanding.

Moyes has built a strong team at Goodison Park: the spine of the team is strong, provided by the likes of Phil Neville, Tim Howard, Tony Hibbert, Johnny Heitinga (Howard Webb's first appointment at Goodison will be interesting) and the fit-again Phil Jagielka, with flair and incision coming from the impressive Steven Pienaar, Mikel Arteta and Russian Lad Dinyar Bilyaletdinov. In attack, in Louis Saha and Yakubu they have 2 players who, injury permitting, could score 20 goals a season. Their resurgence in the 2nd half of the season (in the 2010 table, they are 3rd) was built mainly on an excellent home record of 11-6-2, as well as developing a handy knack of scoring late goals- 21 of their 60 league goals were scored in the last 15 minutes of games.

What will work against them is the continuing splashing of the petrodollars by other sides, but as long as they can stay clear of injuries, then with 1 or 2 additions (more on them in a minute) they can better last season's 8th place finish

Sticking-my-neck-on-the-line-predicted-finishing-position: 6th

How they'll cope with the new home-grown rule: Well, seeing as you ask, they might be a bit short. Hibbert, Jagielka, Neville, Baines, Osman, Vaughan and Anichebe are their only current homegrown players (Jack Rodwell is not yet 21, and therefore does not count as 1 of the required 8). Don't be surprised to see them linked with a loan move for David Bentley

Bet: Everton to finish in the top 6 @7/4 with Stan James

Shifty's Season Preview Part 1

It's that time of year again: Season Preview time! Here's part 1 of a few, it'll probably be a mad dash to get them all on in time for next Saturday, but I'll manage it. Hopefully.

Stoke City

Right, hold on a minute here, you're thinking. Why not start with Arsenal, as per the alphabet, you ask. Well, as I hinted at earlier, this has sprung up on me quickly, and to start with Arsenal and go alphabetically would probably not give me enough time to properly write up the chances of the Ts and the Ws of the league.

So we begin with Stoke, who, after last season's 11th place finish, have established themselves in the league, and also the shinpads of many of its players (get well soon, Aaron Ramsey). Their summer transfer activity has so far been notable for its complete non-existence, although that could change if boss Tony Pulis finds a player with a throw-in akin to that of Rory Delap who can actually contribute in open play. Transfer speculation linking them with Carlton Cole is said to be wide of the mark, though.

Their playing "style" is well-documented, and despite managing an improvement from 12th place in 08/09 to 11th last season, the football didn't improve- don't count on that changing this term unless Pulis plans a late swoop for a ball-playing midfielder more comfortable in possession than the likes of Salif Diao, Delap, Amdy Faye or Glenn Whelan. One area they did improve on last season was their away form- while just 4 away wins is still nothing to shout about, it nevertheless represents progress.

While their defence is hard-as-nails, marshalled by a rejuvenated Thomas Sorensen (who developed a handy knack of saving penalties, which helped cover the backsides of a defence who gave away far too many of them), they simply must score more than last season's meagre total of 34 goals with winger Matthew Etherington top scorer with just 5. Etherington, like Sorensen, has found a new lease of life at the Britannia Stadium, and providing Pulis can find a new frontman (or get more goals out of his current motley crew of James Beattie, Dave Kitson, Mamady Sidibe and Ricardo Fuller) to get on the end of Etherington's deliveries, they should comfortably survive again without ever threatening the top 8.

Sticking-me-neck-on-the-line-predicted-finishing-position: 11th

How will they cope with the home-grown rule: Fine. Pulis' squad largely contains British players

Bet: Worst disciplinary record @ 5/1 with Victor Chandler. They'll battle it out with Blackburn (literally on October 2) for this somewhat dubious honour

Shifty's Season Review Part 4

Manchester United
What I Said: They have every reason to belive that they can claim a 4th European Cup and a 19th Premier League title. Expect Ben Foster to be gradually phased in as 1st choice goalkeeper
What Actually Happened: Missed out on both titles, with only the Carling Cup being successfully defended. Poor form early in the season pushed Foster out of contention for the England squad, and may lead to him being one of a number of players through the Old Trafford exit door this summer

Portsmouth
What I Said: With minimal investment in an already limited squad, expect Pompey to be near the bottom come January, and praying for another miraculous escape
What Actually Happened: The financial situation deteriorated to such an extent that Pompey became the first Premier League club to be placed into administration, with the subsequent 9-point deduction merely serving to confirm what already looked like certain relegation. They at least went down with a fight, with some decent end-of-season form giving them a glimmer of hope for the FA Cup Final

Stoke City
What I Said: It won't be pretty, and may require a couple more shrewd signings, but expect Stoke to survive again
What Actually Happened: Dear sweet Jeebus it wasn't pretty (just like Aaron Ramsey's leg), even with the addition of Tuncay, but Stoke comfortably survived, notching up 2 more points than they did last season. This is a crucial summer for Tony Pulis and his side- how much ambition do they have, now that they have established themselves in the league? Will they look to play some more stylish football next season?

Sunderland
What I Said: A talented midfield and forward line (with potential for further investment in the squad in January) suggests that mid-table is very much achievable
What Actually Happened: Finished 13th after a consistently inconsistent season. Darren Bent's goals (many of them 1st, as previously reported here) not only won this writer a fair wad of cash over the season, but also got him into Fabio Capello's initial 30 man squad for the World Cup. Just 2 away wins in the league all season, though, sugest that there is still work for Steve Bruce to do

Tottenham Hotspur
What I Said: Spurs shouldn't concede too many once again, while strength in depth in midfield and attack suggests that a top-half finish is where they're heading
What Actually Happened: A great season saw Harry Redknapp's side finish 4th. They're still a long way off the level of those sides ahead of them, and demonstrated some worrying inconsistencies particularly against the smaller teams in the league (Stoke, Hull, Wolves and Burnley all took points off them), but they showed plenty of admirable qualities in trumping Man City, Aston Villa and Liverpool in the race for 4th

West Ham
What I Said: A quiet summer on the transfer market demonstrating Zola's faith in some talented youngsters
What Actually Happened: Never got going, and ended up in a relegation battle they seemed ill-equipped for. The January signing of Ilan proved to be of paramount importance, as the Hammers would have been in even more bother (only goal difference would have kept them ahead of Burnley) than they already were- it could be credibly argued that they were only saved by having 3 teams below them who were, let's be honest, pretty terrible. Zola's dismissal came as no real surprise

Wigan and Wolves both stayed up without ever looking like doing much more, but both did it in completely different ways. While Wolves plundered just 32 goals all season, and were generally pretty poor to watch, Wigan at least gave us some entertainment, and some remarkable scorelines. Home victories over Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea were offset by some utter gubbings- three 4-0 losses (including one at Portsmouth!), a 5-0 loss at Old Trafford and of course 8-0 and 9-1 shellackings away at Chelsea and Spurs respectively

Shifty's Season Review Part 3

Fulham
What I Said: Mid-table obscurity, 1 or 2 more reinforcements may be required in order to compete in the Premier League and Europa League- Bobby Zamora hast to improve on last season's tally of 2 league goals
What Actually Happened: 12th counts as mid-table obscurity I guess. They didn't half compete in the Europa League, though, making it all the way to the final. Zamora's improvement brought him to the verges of the England squad

Hull City
What I Said: They will need to start in a similar manner to last season if they are to survive- it will be fascinating to see how US striker Jozy Altidore adapts to the Premier League. Phil Brown will need to demonstrate all his managerial skills in order to keep the Tigers roaring in the Premier League
What Actually Happened: Went down not roaring, but with something of a whimper. Brown "relieved of his duties" in February, replaced by Elephant Man Iain Dowie. How did Altidore get on? 1 league goal, 1 red card

Liverpool
What I Said: There is an over-riding feeling that last season was their best chance to win the league in many years. And they blew it. Now with Xabi Alonso departed, and doubts over the strength in depth in attack, if injuries affect Torres and Gerrard, they could lose touch with the lead
What Actually Happened: 7th place is most definitely out of touch with the lead. By all accounts, a dreadful season for the bin dippers. A revamp of the squad appears necessary, regardless of who the manager is come August

Manchester City
What I Said: They have spent money as if it is going out of fashion, although their bid for the Death Star looks likely to fail. If Mark Hughes can get his team set up the way he wants, then anywhere from 7th upwards should be considered a success
What Actually Happened: Finished 5th. Lost 3 derbies in injury time. Hughes got the sack just before Christmas, for falling short of the club's stated projected points tally of 70. Lost 3 derbies in injury time. Brought in Roberto Mancini, who seemed awfully keen on playing 3 defensive midfielders. Lost 3 derbies in injury time. Ended the season on 67 points. Did I mention that they lost 3 derbies in injury time?

Shifty's Premier League Season Review Part 2

Blackburn Rovers
What I Said: Didn't lose many games, playing a "pragmatic" style. If they can find a regular source of goals, mid-table beckons. Sam Allardyce's side have alos finished bottom of the disciplinary table in 4 of the last 5 seasons
What Actually Happened: Finished 10th, despite not having a single player reach double figures in the league. Even more surprisingly, though, they finished 8th in the disciplinary table. 2 fewer yellow cards and, if Fulham beat Atletico Madrid tomorrow night, they'd be in the Europa League!

Birmingham City
What I Said: Expect low-scoring, binary games. If they can keep a few clean sheets, they look the best-placed of the newly-promoted teams to stay up
What Actually Happened: Stayed up comfortably in 9th, after a 15-match unbeaten run during the winter. 20 of 38 games saw under 2.5 goals, with Joe Hart in goals keeping 10 clean sheets (Maik Taylor managed one against Man Citeh). Ran out of steam a bit near the end of the season, though- Alex Mcleish will need to strengthen in order to avoid the onset of Second-Season syndrome

Bolton Wanderers
What I Said: Should be safe from relegation, but hard to see them challenging for a top 10 place. Ho hum
What Actually Happened: Finished 14th after an unremarkable season. Ho hum

Burnley
What I Said: Much will depend on whether their veterans can cope with the demands of the Premier League. Any side travelling to Turf Moor not fully on their game can expect to be turned over- expect some open games, with over 2.5 goals a bet to be considered
What Actually Happened: 24 defeats from 38 games tells us that their veterans did not cope, depsite some early-season scalps being claimed at Turf Moor. 23 of 38 games saw over 2.5 goals

Chelsea
What I Said: Expect either the Premier League title, the Champions League, or Ancelotti to be sacked
What Actually Happened: Premier League title was won, Jose Mourinho came back to send them meekly out of the Champions League, and Ancelotti's job looks safe as. An ageing squad will need a bit of refreshing in order to challenge again, though. Any new signings should introduce John Terry to their wives with extreme caution

Everton
What I Said: They may struggle to match last season's 5th place without 1 or 2 additions, but should be close to that position. European success is the one thing lacking from David Moyes' CV if he is to be considered a credible successor to Sir Alex Ferguson
What Actually Happened: An atrocious start (losing 6-1 at home to Arsenal, going on 66-1) and rotten luck with injuries hampered Everton's start to the season, but a strong second half of the season saw them finish 8th- if Fulham win the Europa League, then they will qualify for the Europa League through the Fair Play League. You heard it here first. Look up the Premier League disciplinary table.

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....

Weekend Betting Review

Here's how my tips for y'all got on this weekend:

Wolves v Blackburn 0-0: 1 unit returns 0
Wolves v Blackburn under 2.5 goals @ 4/7: 1 unit returns 1.57
Sunderland to Beat Hull @ 9/4: 1 unit returns 3.25
Darren Bent 1st goalscorer @ 9/2: 1 unit returns 5.5
St Mirren v Kilmarnock under 2.5 goals @ 4/7: 1 unit returns 1.57
Aston Villa to beat Birmingham City @ 8/13: 1 unit returns 1.62
Burnley v Liverpool over 2.5 goals @ 4/6: 1 unit return 1.67

Total outlay: 7 units
Total return: 15.18 units
Total profit: 8.18 units
Return on investment: 216.857%