Tuesday, December 28, 2010

TUESDAY .... DONS TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR DESTINY


DIVISION 1
MK DONS - BOURNEMOUTH

Dons have now put in three pretty dire performances, conceding 10 goals and failing to collect a point. However, unlike any other team in this position, they will probably have benefitted from a break and the 17 days since their last start, has enabled them to get Baldock, Chadwick, Leven and O'Hanlon fit and all four will return today. Only one of those losses was here at Stadium MK, where the very big pitch suits the home team, something we have discussed before and I am prepared to write off that 4-1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday as the visitors were on fire at the time and actually scored from the only four chances they created and with a much stronger line up today, I feel that the real Dons might put in an appearance. Visitors have only played twice in the last six weeks or so, losing both and looking lost without McQuoid, who has left to join Millwall, this was something we talked about before their match with Notts County and I feel that the Cherries are going to have a tough few weeks of adjustment. Bad feeling left from the first game, when Dons felt agrieved by the referee who showed seven yellow and one red card, most to the DonS in a fiery encounter, big match for the home side, who sit both four points off the playoffs and also the drop zone, with a nice sequence of fixtures after this, next eight are all against bottom half teams, including four of the bottom five, this is a chance to get their season back on track.

MK Dons -0.25 2.23

EPL
WEST HAM UNITED- EVERTON

Hammers did us a favour on Boxing Day, coming back from a goal down to put three past Fulham, however, they were pinned back for the first 30 minutes and could easily have been 2-3 down by that time. They do have goals in them now that most of the squad is fit and have scored 12 in their last six, with 5 from 6 at home ending "over". With Everton seemingly far happier on the road, having scored in their last seven away starts and being unbeaten in seven and scoring 2 or more in four of those, including in a famous win at Eastlands and only coming up short in trips to Chelsea andTottenham, which both ended 1-1, goals are surely on the cards today. Toffees have a fine recent record here scoring 2+ on their last four visits to Upton Park and given the Hammers defensive frailities, a repeat is in the offering, especially with Arteta and Pienaar now available.

"Over" 2.5 goals 2.11

Everton to score "over" 1.5 goals 2.25 + ... up to 2.375 on offer

Good Luck.

Monday, December 27, 2010

MONDAY ....


EPL

ARSENAL- CHELSEA

Big and really only game of the day, with a massive worldwide television audience waiting to see some fireworks. The visitors have traditionally dominated this match up, winning the last five meetings and losing just twice in 18 matches. I suspect we might see a return to the real Chelsea today, Terry and Essien should now be very close to full fitness after recently returning from injury, Frank Lampard makes his long awaited return today and Didier Drogba, despite missing a penalty at Spurs as time expired, has scored in his last two league starts and is clearly returning to his imperious best. The Ivory Coast superstar loves to play against the Gunners, scoring 13 goals in 11 starts and two substitute apperances against the North London club and with that penalty miss troubling him for the last 15 days, he is sure to be very hungry to make amends this afternoon. Unlike many other big name EPL players he is one that tends to turn it on for the big games and I will take him to add to that impressive record in a game where we are likely to see goals , hosts have just one clean sheet in 8 starts, Chelsea one in 11 and with two or more in 6 from 7 outings against Arsenal. With goals on the cards, he is the most likely contributor.

Didier Drogba to score at anytime.... 2.70 + .... 2.80 on the exchanges at present and up to 3.0 in a place.

Good Luck.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

SATURDAY ....


EPL
BIRMINGHAM CITY - NEWCASTLE UNITED

We have talked before about Birmingham and that their impressive looking home record is a little misleading, they have dodged any number of bullets at St Andrews, especially recently, when they collected four points from games against Tottenham and Chelsea, both of which they could/should have lost by at least two goals. They have conceded in 4 of their last 5 starts here, the only clean sheet coming in that Chelsea fixture when the visitors created some 30 attempts on goal. So, I do not think they are quite as strong as their basic record suggests, but what cannot be disputed is that they have great heart and will battle for the full 90 minutes.

Newcastle made a fine start under new boss Alan Pardew, putting three past Liverpool and I suspect that his team will not yet completely abandon their attacking principles on the road, a policy that has seen them earn a couple of famous wins ( Arsenal and Chelsea in the cup), yet get hammered in trips to Bolton and WBA, it is very much a case of feast or famine for the Magpies. Away from home they have scored in their last 7 starts and conceded 14 in six, home and away they are "over" in 11 from 14. I feel goals are on the cards again today and expect both teams to contribute, that is normally the case when these two meet, both scoring in the last four meetings and two of the last four match ups here have ended 2-2, which is my idea of the scoreline today. Tough holiday programme ahead for both, so neither will want to leave empty handed and preferably with all three points.

"over" 2.5 goals 2.17

Good luck.

Monday, December 13, 2010

PRINCE NAS TO LAY CLAIMS TO CROWN ............


EPL

MANCHESTER UNITED - ARSENAL

Should Arsene Wenger feel the need to further motivate his troops this evening, he only needs to post Patrice Evra's ill advised comments that Arsenal were not a threat and no more than a "training centre", to the dressing room wall. I think that at least subconsiously, he and United as a whole are worried about the increased threat this season from both Arsenal and City and such comments can only serve to fire up the visitors.

It is true that Arsenal have not won a trophy since 2005 or on the road at Old Trafford since 2006, but only Ipswich and then West Ham or Birmingham stand between the London club and a Carling Cup win, which is nice to have on standby and can claim five away wins already this season, including a 3-0 thumping of the other Manchester club, which stands testament to this being a far more robust and perhaps mentally stronger Arsenal team and one more likely to challenge for the title. They have tended to go into these crunch games under pressure in recent seasons, but that is not really the case this time round in my opinion, they sit top of the table, with a trophy awaiting and can forget about europe for a month or two. In Samir Nasri they have a developing superstar who has thrilled the EPL in the last 12 months and a largely injury free Gunners are going to get stronger not only season by season, or month to month, but week by week.

United, aside from a capitulation by a Blackburn side they always defeat, have laboured through their last eight fixtures and do not look the force of old, there has been a virus at OT in the last week and at least a couple of first teamers have been affected, not quite sure of the extent of that, but it is hardly a positive. I sense a big night for Arsenal and with United having already drawn 47% of all EPL fixtures, I am happy to get a half goal handicap start.

Arsenal +0.5 2.0 .

Good Luck.

Friday, December 10, 2010

FRIDAY ..............


CHAMPIONSHIP

SWANSEA CITY - MILLWALL

I fancy that this will develop into a very tight encounter between two evenly matched teams. Hosts have had the better of the campaign so far, but I saw and was impressed by Millwall earlier in the season, immediately after which they went on the skids a bit, however, boss Kenny Jackett knows how to compete at this level and got busy in the transfer market and with signings like Puncheon, Andrew, McQuoid, Lisbie and Shittu has added to his options with a mixture of talent, youth and experience. The Lions are now three starts unbeaten, collecting seven points and a hat-trick of clean sheets in the process. The first four named newbies give Millwall an increased offensive threat and with the evergreen Neil Harris on the sidelines and top striker Steve Morison back amongst the goals with a brace last time out, his first in five outings, I really feel that the Lions are a team to keep on the right side of in the coming months. I like Morison a lot, his work ethic is fantastic and he will get goals at any level and having some classy providers around him will only help his tally in the weeks to come. Jackett spent a largely successful three years at Swansea and will be ultra keen to get a result tonight as he was not entirely fairly treated towards the end of his reign in south Wales.

Hosts play some very nice stuff, but often take a very long time to get from box to box, playing one sideways pass too many in the process.They do have a big incentive tonight, in that three points would take them above their biggest rival Cardiff and up into second spot. However,City have looked a little fragile defensively recently and dodged plenty of bullets at Ipswich last weekend and Millwall poise much more of a goalscoring threat than Roy Keane's men, they have seemed happier on the road at times and even with Gary Monk returning to the centre of defence tonight, which will give them a more solid look at the back, I can still see these two teams cancelling each other out. I was very close to opting for the draw selection, especially as these two have played nine evening games between them this season without a win under floodlights, but just feel that if anyone is going to steal the points, that it might be the visitors with their more direct style, so, Millwall plus the handicap.

Millwall +0.75 1.98

Good Luck.

Saturday, December 04, 2010

SPURS TO KEEP HARRY HAPPY ............


EPL

BIRMINGHAM CITY - TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

I rate Tottenham much the superior of these two and make them my strongest bet of the day. To my eyes Birmingham have regressed quite a lot this season and in recent starts at St Andrews they have been riding their luck big time and their "strong" home record is something of a misnomer. In their last four outings at home they have beaten Chelsea and Aston Villa, depite being outplayed in both and losing the attempts on goal count by a combined 41-6 (!) and drawing with both West Ham, who dominated the first half and should have been four up at the break and third tier Brentford, needing an injury time equaliser to take the match into extra time. They had failed to score in three of their four home starts prior to that and are clearly not the force on home soil they were last season. The Villa game was played Wednesday, whilst Spurs have had a very rare free midweek and been able to focus fully on this fixture, hosts are a hard working team, who rely on their fitness to put opponents under pressure, so to my mind, the recovery time here is key. Big game for Spurs who are scoring for fun ( 12 in their last 4) and face massive rivals Chelsea next week in a crunch fixture, they are desperate for the three points today and should collect them.

Tottenham -0.25 1.82 .


Good Luck.