Evening. (insert excuse for lack of activity on this blog here)
Yesterday, I decided to study County keeper Michael Fraser's distribution, and also to have a look specifically at County's shooting. I'll return to the shooting later, but firstly Fraser's distribution.The basic results are that, of the 24 times Fraser played the ball, he managed to find a team-mate just 5 times (I intend to have the graphic showing this online tomorrow). This gives Fraser a pass completion figure of just 20.83%. It's probably slightly unfair to level that exclusively as a criticism of Fraser, and it should also be noted that he kept a clean sheet and dealt competently with then somewhat stifled Partick Thistle threat, most notably a flying save late on to deny David Rowson what would have been a rather ill-deserved equaliser for Thistle.
It should be noted that Fraser's cause wasn't helped by the fact that many of his goal kicks and passes were directed at Michael Gardyne who, for all his technical ability, is always going to struggle to compete aerially. Compare and contrast this with the game away to Dundee 3 weeks ago, where the more physically imposing Sam Morrow was in the team instead, and able to retain the ball far more often.
The nature of Fraser's distribution is also worthy of comment. Apart from 6 occasions where he had to leave his goal, either in anticipation of forthcoming danger or to take a free-kick, all his kicks were straight down the middle, aiming for 1 of the 2 frontmen. It seems County this season are not for building from the back, or at least not involving Fraser- there were, interestingly, a couple of excellent transitions from defence to offence ending in shots on goal which completely bypassed Fraser. While it sounds churlish to be finding fault with a team unbeaten in 10 league games and top of the league, should County be denied the services of both Morrow and Colin McMenamin, they are going to have real issues with ball retention in the attacking 3rd of the park. But we'll worry about that another day
Showing posts with label Ross County. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ross County. Show all posts
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Friday, 26 November 2010
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"
Friday, 19 November 2010
Shifty and Graeme's (and Danny and Rory's) Latest Big Blog Adventure
Saturday 6th November 2010, Falkirk v Ross County
12:10pm
Graeme, Danny and Rory arrive in Falkirk, at Falkirk Grahamston station, conveniently situated in the centre of the town, and within walking distance of the imaginatively-named Falkirk Stadium. Shifty, however, due to Scotrail engineering works, ends up at Falkirk High station, which is on the other side of town, and therefore has to make a 20-minute cross-town trek to meet up with his chums. Why does a town the size of Falkirk need 2 railway stations anyway?
12:30
The group meet up in the Behind the Wall pub, and the first round of pints are ordered. The group notice that the pub are running a bus to the game, and then back to the pub afterwards, for free for anyone buying drinks. After some deilberation, the group decide to take up this offer of a free lift to the game.
12:50
Danny suggests a game- 20 questions, with the subject matter being obscure SPL and EPL players from the mid-1990s onwards. Classic names such as Hicham Zerouali, Theo Snelders, Billy Dodds and Mickael Silvestre all come up. The group also reminisce about the time when Shifty remarked that a particularly depressed-looking Davie Weir, immediately after one of Rangers' Champions League shellackings, looked like "his wife just died". NB: This is of course untrue. Mrs Weir met her maker throwing herself infront of the king's horse in the derby
13:20
Another drinking game. Name the ground, and if you've been there, take a drink. As the group are all fairly well-travelled, this didn't last long.
13:40
The pub have the Bolton v Tottenham game on. With Bolton winning 3-0, Harry Redknapp's face looks even more hangdog than usual. During the 2nd half, the group all put £1 in a "corner kitty", and every time there is a corner in the match, the kitty moves to the next person. Graeme eventually claims the £4 jackpot
14:20
The bus arrives, and the group head off to the match. Shifty gets heckled for wearing his County top
14:40
The group arrive at the ground and make their way around to the away end, to join a travelling County support of about 200, among them an old boy in a rastafarian hat
15:00
The match kicks off, with Graeme having used his corner kitty jackpot to get the 50-50 tickets in
15:15
Some choice chants are forthcoming: "Referee, ya balloon!", followed by the excellent "Referee, you're about as much use as Anne Frank's drumkit" (Copyright Danny, 2010)
15:27
GOOOAALLL! 1-0 County, Andy Barrowman after some sexual work from Iain Vigurs. Jose Mourinho is said to be monitoring his progress
15:45
Half-time, County deservedly 1-0 up, and playing with some style and panache too. The half-time queue for pies as quite big, though, with only 2 folk serving. By the time the group get to the front, all the pies are gone, meaning Rory has to munch on a jumbo hotdog. This lack of pies leads to some frustration among the more senile members of the travelling support
16:00
The 2nd half kicks off as the group get their munch from the kiosk
16:30
County still leading 1-0 but having to absorb some pressure, although the Staggies do look threatening on the counter-attack. Graeme, while checking other scores on his phone, happens to notice that Celtic are running up a cricket score against Aberdeen
16:50
Peep-peep! Full time 1-0 County. A bully result. The group begin the walk back into town
17:20
The group pitch up in Sportsters, in the town centre, and pints are ordered. Shifty is told to remove his County top. What sort of sports bar doesn't allow its patrons to wear sports kit?
The group find a table next to a PC, and much laughs are had when they find that the most visited website on it is bebo
18:00
The group move on to another pub, the Scotia. Again, Shifty is asked to remove his County top, but the locals are more friendly here, and the group have another pint before heading off home.
20:00
The group arrive back at their own pads, and find that, after all attending County games, home and away, for many moons, they have been dismissed as a "notable fanny element" on the County forum. Happy days
12:10pm
Graeme, Danny and Rory arrive in Falkirk, at Falkirk Grahamston station, conveniently situated in the centre of the town, and within walking distance of the imaginatively-named Falkirk Stadium. Shifty, however, due to Scotrail engineering works, ends up at Falkirk High station, which is on the other side of town, and therefore has to make a 20-minute cross-town trek to meet up with his chums. Why does a town the size of Falkirk need 2 railway stations anyway?
12:30
The group meet up in the Behind the Wall pub, and the first round of pints are ordered. The group notice that the pub are running a bus to the game, and then back to the pub afterwards, for free for anyone buying drinks. After some deilberation, the group decide to take up this offer of a free lift to the game.
12:50
Danny suggests a game- 20 questions, with the subject matter being obscure SPL and EPL players from the mid-1990s onwards. Classic names such as Hicham Zerouali, Theo Snelders, Billy Dodds and Mickael Silvestre all come up. The group also reminisce about the time when Shifty remarked that a particularly depressed-looking Davie Weir, immediately after one of Rangers' Champions League shellackings, looked like "his wife just died". NB: This is of course untrue. Mrs Weir met her maker throwing herself infront of the king's horse in the derby
13:20
Another drinking game. Name the ground, and if you've been there, take a drink. As the group are all fairly well-travelled, this didn't last long.
13:40
The pub have the Bolton v Tottenham game on. With Bolton winning 3-0, Harry Redknapp's face looks even more hangdog than usual. During the 2nd half, the group all put £1 in a "corner kitty", and every time there is a corner in the match, the kitty moves to the next person. Graeme eventually claims the £4 jackpot
14:20
The bus arrives, and the group head off to the match. Shifty gets heckled for wearing his County top
14:40
The group arrive at the ground and make their way around to the away end, to join a travelling County support of about 200, among them an old boy in a rastafarian hat
15:00
The match kicks off, with Graeme having used his corner kitty jackpot to get the 50-50 tickets in
15:15
Some choice chants are forthcoming: "Referee, ya balloon!", followed by the excellent "Referee, you're about as much use as Anne Frank's drumkit" (Copyright Danny, 2010)
15:27
GOOOAALLL! 1-0 County, Andy Barrowman after some sexual work from Iain Vigurs. Jose Mourinho is said to be monitoring his progress
15:45
Half-time, County deservedly 1-0 up, and playing with some style and panache too. The half-time queue for pies as quite big, though, with only 2 folk serving. By the time the group get to the front, all the pies are gone, meaning Rory has to munch on a jumbo hotdog. This lack of pies leads to some frustration among the more senile members of the travelling support
16:00
The 2nd half kicks off as the group get their munch from the kiosk
16:30
County still leading 1-0 but having to absorb some pressure, although the Staggies do look threatening on the counter-attack. Graeme, while checking other scores on his phone, happens to notice that Celtic are running up a cricket score against Aberdeen
16:50
Peep-peep! Full time 1-0 County. A bully result. The group begin the walk back into town
17:20
The group pitch up in Sportsters, in the town centre, and pints are ordered. Shifty is told to remove his County top. What sort of sports bar doesn't allow its patrons to wear sports kit?
The group find a table next to a PC, and much laughs are had when they find that the most visited website on it is bebo
18:00
The group move on to another pub, the Scotia. Again, Shifty is asked to remove his County top, but the locals are more friendly here, and the group have another pint before heading off home.
20:00
The group arrive back at their own pads, and find that, after all attending County games, home and away, for many moons, they have been dismissed as a "notable fanny element" on the County forum. Happy days
Friday, 15 October 2010
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:
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
Monday, 14 June 2010
Shifty's End of Season Awards in association with Morningwood Industries
The rumours, speculation, and provocative texts from former Serbian Under-21 international Scott Djukic can now stop. The votes have been counted and verified, it's time to announce the winners of Shifty's End of Season Awards:
Player of the Year:
The majority of the voting panel went for Lionel Messi, with honourable mentions for Kevin Nolan, Wayne Rooney, Diego Milito and Richard Brittain. Shifty's rapid recovery from a broken metatarsal also gets a mention
Goal of the Season:
Plenty of suggestions for this award, ranging from Arjen Robben's millimetre-perfect volley for Bayern Munchen against Man Utd, Benjamin Huggel putting a beautiful finish (in off the underside of the bar is to goalscoring what the reacharound is to foreplay) to a fantastic team move, Karim Benzema finishing after that backheel from Guti, Duda from Malaga scoring direct from a corner (I thought it was just me who could do that) and numerous other golazos! from La Liga. But this award has to go to Steven Craig's goal for Ross County against Celtic in the Scottish Cup Semi Final, as it's the goal that the majority voted for. You see, at ShiftysLastWord, we give the people what they want, unlike the Scottish PFA. You won't see us fixing the result of a vote just so an Old Firm player can win. This blog tries to keep the sweary words on here to a minimum, but in the case of the Scottish PFA ignoring the results of the fans' poll in their goal of the season awards to give the award to an Old Firm player, we feel the following is justified:
FRASER WISHART IS A HORSE'S ARSE
Gaffer of the Season:
Derek Adams. Youngest ever manager to lead his side to a Scottish Cup Final- he will one day manage a much bigger club than Ross County
Best-Dressed Man of the Season:
Derek Adams was again the front-runner for this award for sartorial excellence. But after receiving a recommendation from former Serbian Under-21 international Scott Djukic, another candidate entered the running. And, for having the audacity to, in amongst thousands of orange boiler suit-clad Dutch supporters and kilted Scotland fans, wear a suit, and at the Scottish Cup Final opt for the classic kilt-and-County top look, Shifty's taking this award for himself
The How Is He Still Being Paid to Play Professional Football Award
Many contenders here, among them half the Aberdeen team, Joey Barton and Ross Tokely. Michael Carrick was a front runner, but his form only really suffered after his disastrous stint as a centre-back, so this award goes to a player who was truly rotten, the French Charlie Adam, Jerome Rothen
Moment of the Season
Many of the judging panel put forward Steven Craig's goal, but having already given Craig goal of the season, methinks we need to give the award to someone else. As mentioned before, Wayne Rooney has had a magnificent season, one of the high points coming back in January. Carling Cup Semi-Final, 2nd Leg. A pulsating Manchester derby was set to go to extra time, until Ryan Giggs swung a cross over from the right. Up leapt the boy Rooney infront of the Stretford End and BANG! Some of the judging panel were at the game, and experienced what was by far the best atmosphere at Old Trafford for many, many years. The blue-blooded noisy neighbours had been well and truly silenced. Fook off back to Stockport
Stat of the Season
From the Sids 2010: In Feburary, Catalan hospitals reported a 45% increase in the birthrate- exactly 9 months after Andres Iniesta's last-minute goal that took Barcelona into the Champions League Final
Player of the Year:
The majority of the voting panel went for Lionel Messi, with honourable mentions for Kevin Nolan, Wayne Rooney, Diego Milito and Richard Brittain. Shifty's rapid recovery from a broken metatarsal also gets a mention
Goal of the Season:
Plenty of suggestions for this award, ranging from Arjen Robben's millimetre-perfect volley for Bayern Munchen against Man Utd, Benjamin Huggel putting a beautiful finish (in off the underside of the bar is to goalscoring what the reacharound is to foreplay) to a fantastic team move, Karim Benzema finishing after that backheel from Guti, Duda from Malaga scoring direct from a corner (I thought it was just me who could do that) and numerous other golazos! from La Liga. But this award has to go to Steven Craig's goal for Ross County against Celtic in the Scottish Cup Semi Final, as it's the goal that the majority voted for. You see, at ShiftysLastWord, we give the people what they want, unlike the Scottish PFA. You won't see us fixing the result of a vote just so an Old Firm player can win. This blog tries to keep the sweary words on here to a minimum, but in the case of the Scottish PFA ignoring the results of the fans' poll in their goal of the season awards to give the award to an Old Firm player, we feel the following is justified:
FRASER WISHART IS A HORSE'S ARSE
Gaffer of the Season:
Derek Adams. Youngest ever manager to lead his side to a Scottish Cup Final- he will one day manage a much bigger club than Ross County
Best-Dressed Man of the Season:
Derek Adams was again the front-runner for this award for sartorial excellence. But after receiving a recommendation from former Serbian Under-21 international Scott Djukic, another candidate entered the running. And, for having the audacity to, in amongst thousands of orange boiler suit-clad Dutch supporters and kilted Scotland fans, wear a suit, and at the Scottish Cup Final opt for the classic kilt-and-County top look, Shifty's taking this award for himself
The How Is He Still Being Paid to Play Professional Football Award
Many contenders here, among them half the Aberdeen team, Joey Barton and Ross Tokely. Michael Carrick was a front runner, but his form only really suffered after his disastrous stint as a centre-back, so this award goes to a player who was truly rotten, the French Charlie Adam, Jerome Rothen
Moment of the Season
Many of the judging panel put forward Steven Craig's goal, but having already given Craig goal of the season, methinks we need to give the award to someone else. As mentioned before, Wayne Rooney has had a magnificent season, one of the high points coming back in January. Carling Cup Semi-Final, 2nd Leg. A pulsating Manchester derby was set to go to extra time, until Ryan Giggs swung a cross over from the right. Up leapt the boy Rooney infront of the Stretford End and BANG! Some of the judging panel were at the game, and experienced what was by far the best atmosphere at Old Trafford for many, many years. The blue-blooded noisy neighbours had been well and truly silenced. Fook off back to Stockport
Stat of the Season
From the Sids 2010: In Feburary, Catalan hospitals reported a 45% increase in the birthrate- exactly 9 months after Andres Iniesta's last-minute goal that took Barcelona into the Champions League Final
Friday, 9 April 2010
Shifty's Grand National Preview Part 4 of 4
Well, I've given y'all a look at a few of the runners- here are my own bets that I've got on for the Grand National tomorrow. How much you take these into consideration is up to yourself, especially considering my record (Bets placed: 9. Bets won: 0. Bets lost: 9) at Cheltenham:
Eric's Charm each way (I seem to have a knack of picking horses who finish 2nd, so I'm going each-way on these first 4). 40/1 William Hill
Don't Push It each way. 20/1 William Hill
Madison du Berlais (a horse that this writer has had success backing before) each way. 50/1 William Hill
Mon Mome each way. 12/1 William Hill
Also, Beat the Boys is 100/1. Ross County to beat Celtic tomorrow are 10/1. A double of these 2, this writer has £2 on. Potential return: £2,222. Mon the County!
Eric's Charm each way (I seem to have a knack of picking horses who finish 2nd, so I'm going each-way on these first 4). 40/1 William Hill
Don't Push It each way. 20/1 William Hill
Madison du Berlais (a horse that this writer has had success backing before) each way. 50/1 William Hill
Mon Mome each way. 12/1 William Hill
Also, Beat the Boys is 100/1. Ross County to beat Celtic tomorrow are 10/1. A double of these 2, this writer has £2 on. Potential return: £2,222. Mon the County!
Celtic v Ross County, Saturday 10th April
Part 4 of the Grand National Preview will follow tonight
My Thoughts
For Celtic, the Scottish Cup represents their only realistic chance of a trophy this season, and (the final Old Firm derby of the season aside) perhaps the only chance for Neil Lennon to stake his claim for the manager's job on a permanent basis. For Derek Adams' fine young Ross County side, this is surely the biggest game in their 81-year history. County are probably now just too far back to realistically be in with a chance of winning the 1st Division this season, but this has still been a memorable campaign for the Staggies, with the quarter-final victory over Hibs among the highlights. For Celtic, this has been a miserable campaign, with only the temporary signing of Robbie Keane providing them with any joy (and, no doubt, some healthy merchandise sales)
The Verdict
Now, the verdict in this one has been causing this writer much trepidation. Despite Celtic being in a higher league than County, recently their performances have been poor- they were unconvincing in victories over Kilmarnock and Hibs, and then there's the results "achieved" under Tony Mowbray. County's recent form has generally been not bad, not great- of their last 4 games, they've won 1, lost 1 and drawn 2. It should be noted, though, that County's form going into the games against Hibs wasn't brilliant, and yet the Staggies progressed (with a few late goals thrown in. Bear that in mind after 75 minutes). Celtic's Scottish Cup record is good (they've won it 4 times this millennium, and plenty of times before then), especially when compared with County, who before this season had never been beyond the last 16, but their defence has been particularly unconvincing of late, with Robbie Keane being relied on to get them out of trouble. This could be a close one
The Bet
90 minutes at Easter Road couldn't separate County and Hibs, and it took until the 90th minute for Scott Boyd to score the winner in the replay- it's not beyond County to force extra time here. Therefore, the draw at 11/2 with William Hill looks great value. The same bookmakers also offer odds on County's free-kick expert left-back Scott Morrison to score anytime of 66/1, as well as a wee special double with the Grand National: County to win and Beat the Boys to win the Grand National: £5 would net you £5,555. Tempting
My Thoughts
For Celtic, the Scottish Cup represents their only realistic chance of a trophy this season, and (the final Old Firm derby of the season aside) perhaps the only chance for Neil Lennon to stake his claim for the manager's job on a permanent basis. For Derek Adams' fine young Ross County side, this is surely the biggest game in their 81-year history. County are probably now just too far back to realistically be in with a chance of winning the 1st Division this season, but this has still been a memorable campaign for the Staggies, with the quarter-final victory over Hibs among the highlights. For Celtic, this has been a miserable campaign, with only the temporary signing of Robbie Keane providing them with any joy (and, no doubt, some healthy merchandise sales)
The Verdict
Now, the verdict in this one has been causing this writer much trepidation. Despite Celtic being in a higher league than County, recently their performances have been poor- they were unconvincing in victories over Kilmarnock and Hibs, and then there's the results "achieved" under Tony Mowbray. County's recent form has generally been not bad, not great- of their last 4 games, they've won 1, lost 1 and drawn 2. It should be noted, though, that County's form going into the games against Hibs wasn't brilliant, and yet the Staggies progressed (with a few late goals thrown in. Bear that in mind after 75 minutes). Celtic's Scottish Cup record is good (they've won it 4 times this millennium, and plenty of times before then), especially when compared with County, who before this season had never been beyond the last 16, but their defence has been particularly unconvincing of late, with Robbie Keane being relied on to get them out of trouble. This could be a close one
The Bet
90 minutes at Easter Road couldn't separate County and Hibs, and it took until the 90th minute for Scott Boyd to score the winner in the replay- it's not beyond County to force extra time here. Therefore, the draw at 11/2 with William Hill looks great value. The same bookmakers also offer odds on County's free-kick expert left-back Scott Morrison to score anytime of 66/1, as well as a wee special double with the Grand National: County to win and Beat the Boys to win the Grand National: £5 would net you £5,555. Tempting
Friday, 26 March 2010
The Return of Graeme's Silly Bet
After months of sporadic posting I am back to post a stupid bet the day before for the first time in ages.
Agreeing with Shifty's last post, this season has been far harder to predict. Personally, I have only broken even and that is purely down to laying matches at huge potential risk to my bank balance.
On a positive note, this season has seen the rise of the mighty Ross County as exemplified by a mention on the Guardian Football Weekly podcast (32:30 minutes in).
So let's take stock. The Premier League, which teams are going down, and in what order are the top teams going to be found come May?
After at least half an hour looking at the relevant fixtures this evening on the BBC Sport website I can say with real confidence that Portsmouth are going to be relegated. I really hope that muppet with the bell finds something else to do with himself if his team have to sell their ground to make way for a new car park or Tesco.
However, every other place in the division is up for grabs. Relegation it seems is going to claim 2 out of Hull, Burnley and West Ham, big cheers for Mick McCarthy (Shifty's tip for the next Celtic manager) for showing how practice can make perfect in how to keep a newly promoted side up. Well done Wolves, you are nearly there.
To win the title however, and indeed the top 8, it is much harder to call the final line up. So here goes:
1. Manchester United (only if Rooney stays healthy)
2. Arsenal
3. Chelsea
4. Everton (what am I thinking, but they have the easiest run in)
5. Tottenham
6. Liverpool
7. Manchester City
8. Aston Villa
In other leagues, specifically the Irn Bru First Division, if the mighty County can beat Dundee at home and ICT Scum midweek the club are in pole position to win the league. This is unbelievable. I, like most other Ross County fans, am positively creaming my pants over this whole scenario.
The third league being looked at is possibly the most interesting. The Irn Bru EPL, run courtesy of the Premier League, is my fantasy football league and the race for 4th place is between Shifty and Graeme's sides as we enter the final phase of the season. Anyone can still join, just go to fantasy.premierleague.com and the code for my league is 498115-112179.
Silly tip for Saturday? Hearts and Kilmarnock double. £5 on, and who cares about the odds. It would be funny for the Old Firm to both lose twice in a row
Agreeing with Shifty's last post, this season has been far harder to predict. Personally, I have only broken even and that is purely down to laying matches at huge potential risk to my bank balance.
On a positive note, this season has seen the rise of the mighty Ross County as exemplified by a mention on the Guardian Football Weekly podcast (32:30 minutes in).
So let's take stock. The Premier League, which teams are going down, and in what order are the top teams going to be found come May?
After at least half an hour looking at the relevant fixtures this evening on the BBC Sport website I can say with real confidence that Portsmouth are going to be relegated. I really hope that muppet with the bell finds something else to do with himself if his team have to sell their ground to make way for a new car park or Tesco.
However, every other place in the division is up for grabs. Relegation it seems is going to claim 2 out of Hull, Burnley and West Ham, big cheers for Mick McCarthy (Shifty's tip for the next Celtic manager) for showing how practice can make perfect in how to keep a newly promoted side up. Well done Wolves, you are nearly there.
To win the title however, and indeed the top 8, it is much harder to call the final line up. So here goes:
1. Manchester United (only if Rooney stays healthy)
2. Arsenal
3. Chelsea
4. Everton (what am I thinking, but they have the easiest run in)
5. Tottenham
6. Liverpool
7. Manchester City
8. Aston Villa
In other leagues, specifically the Irn Bru First Division, if the mighty County can beat Dundee at home and ICT Scum midweek the club are in pole position to win the league. This is unbelievable. I, like most other Ross County fans, am positively creaming my pants over this whole scenario.
The third league being looked at is possibly the most interesting. The Irn Bru EPL, run courtesy of the Premier League, is my fantasy football league and the race for 4th place is between Shifty and Graeme's sides as we enter the final phase of the season. Anyone can still join, just go to fantasy.premierleague.com and the code for my league is 498115-112179.
Silly tip for Saturday? Hearts and Kilmarnock double. £5 on, and who cares about the odds. It would be funny for the Old Firm to both lose twice in a row
Saturday, 30 January 2010
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
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
Friday, 6 November 2009
Ross County v Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Saturday 7th November
My Thoughts
You put your left hand in.....
Without doubt the biggest game of this weekend, and arguably the biggest of County's season so far. The Staggies go into this Highland Derby off the back of last week's 2-0 defeat away at Queen of the South, while the Caravan Dwellers from the Ferry cross the Kessock Bridge following a 4-1 victory at home to Morton last Saturday. The two sides' managers have had somewhat different modes of preparation for this game this week: while County boss Derek Adams will have been working with his players and on his team line-up and strategy for Saturday, Terry Butcher was doing punditry work for STV (a curious fact about Scottish Television's production of Champions League coverage is that it features only one Scotsman in County fan Rob Maclean) during their coverage of Lyon v liverpool, and had to stumble his way through talking about a team he clearly knew nothing about, who were playing Lyon that night.
The Verdict
These two sides have met twice so far, with both games played (1 league, 1 ALBA Cup) at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. Both sides have won 1 game each, with County triumphing 3-1 in August's league encounter. Regarding team news, County are likely to go with 1 or 2 from Paul Di Giacomo, Steven Craig and Garry Wood in attack, depending on whether Derek Adams decides on a 4-4-2 diamond or a 4-4-1-1 formation. As for Caley Thistle, I haven't bothered to read an Inverness Courier this week, so haven't a clue who's in and out. Either way, this writer predicts a tight, scrappy game- typical Highland derby stuff. Expect Steven Watt, Stuart Kettlewell and Scott Morrison in particular to attempt some potentially disfiguring challenges. On that front, Caley's Ross Tokely surely needs no introduction.
The Bet
Last weekend aside, County have been in good form this season, and can be backed to win outright at 9/5 with bet365. 'Mon the Staggies
You put your left hand in.....
Without doubt the biggest game of this weekend, and arguably the biggest of County's season so far. The Staggies go into this Highland Derby off the back of last week's 2-0 defeat away at Queen of the South, while the Caravan Dwellers from the Ferry cross the Kessock Bridge following a 4-1 victory at home to Morton last Saturday. The two sides' managers have had somewhat different modes of preparation for this game this week: while County boss Derek Adams will have been working with his players and on his team line-up and strategy for Saturday, Terry Butcher was doing punditry work for STV (a curious fact about Scottish Television's production of Champions League coverage is that it features only one Scotsman in County fan Rob Maclean) during their coverage of Lyon v liverpool, and had to stumble his way through talking about a team he clearly knew nothing about, who were playing Lyon that night.
The Verdict
These two sides have met twice so far, with both games played (1 league, 1 ALBA Cup) at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. Both sides have won 1 game each, with County triumphing 3-1 in August's league encounter. Regarding team news, County are likely to go with 1 or 2 from Paul Di Giacomo, Steven Craig and Garry Wood in attack, depending on whether Derek Adams decides on a 4-4-2 diamond or a 4-4-1-1 formation. As for Caley Thistle, I haven't bothered to read an Inverness Courier this week, so haven't a clue who's in and out. Either way, this writer predicts a tight, scrappy game- typical Highland derby stuff. Expect Steven Watt, Stuart Kettlewell and Scott Morrison in particular to attempt some potentially disfiguring challenges. On that front, Caley's Ross Tokely surely needs no introduction.
The Bet
Last weekend aside, County have been in good form this season, and can be backed to win outright at 9/5 with bet365. 'Mon the Staggies
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