My Predictions for the 2018/19 Football Season and the Betting Odds!

Vanarama National League:

Winners: Salford City 2/1 (11/10 for promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Chesterfield 5/1 (10/1 to win the National League title)

Dark Horses: Dover Athletic, Leyton Orient, and Hartlepool United

Relegation: Gateshead 11/10, Braintree Town 7/4 and Maidstone United 2/1, Eastleigh 15/4


# Betway odds correct at time of writing.

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Sky Bet League Two:

Winners:  Notts County 13/2

Automatic Promotion: MK Dons (7/1 to win League Two and 15/8 to win promotion) and Lincoln City (8/1 to win League Two and 11/4 to win promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Mansfield 12/1, Swindon Town 14/1, Northampton Town 14/1 or Cambridge United 18/1

League Two Promotion Straight Forecast: (1st) Notts County and (2nd) MK Dons 40/1 and Notts County (1st) and Lincoln (2nd) 40/1

Dark Horses: Stevenage and Port Vale

Relegation: Morecambe 7/2 and Oldham 11/1 (Also in the relegation mix Yeovil Town 7/2 and Forest Green Rovers 7/1)

Top Scorers: John Akinde (Lincoln) 9/1, Kristian Dennis (Notts County) 10/1, Kieran Agard (MK Dons) 14/1, Ricky Miller (Port Vale) 20/1, James Norwood 25/1 (Tranmere), Jermaine Beckford (Bury) 25/1

Players to Watch:, Filipe Morais (Crawley Town), Antoine Semeny and Tyreeq Bakinson (both Newport County), Idris Kanu (Port Vale), Tyler Walker (Mansfield), Immanuelson Duku (Cheltenham), George Williams (Forest Green), Steven Alzate (Swindon)


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 places

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Sky Bet League One:

Winners: Barnsley 17/2

Runners-up: Portsmouth (14/1 to win League One, 9/2 to win promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Sunderland 9/1, Luton 12/1, Coventry 18/1 or Southend 20/1

League One Promotion Straight Forecast: (1st) Barnsley and (2nd) Portsmouth 66/1

Dark Horses: Scunthorpe and Charlton

Relegation: Accrington Stanley 13/8, Wycombe 3/2 Gillingham 9/5, Walsall 2/1 and (Also in the relegation mix Blackpool 7/2 and Rochdale 9/2)

Top Scorers: Brett Pitman (Portsmouth) 7/1, Tom Bradshaw (Barnsley) 9/1, Danny Hylton (Luton) 10/1, Liam Boyce (Burton Albion) 22/1, Ched Evans (Fleetwood) 28/1, Jamie Mackie (Oxford) 66/1

Players to Watch: Reise Allassani (Coventry), Jon McLaughlin (Sunderland), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth), Luke Garbutt (Oxford), Liam Lindsay (Barnsley), Sherwin Seedorf (Bradford City), Jorge Grant (Luton Town), Liam Boyce (Burton Albion), Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (Scunthorpe), Luke Hyam (Southend)


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 place

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Sky Bet Championship:

Winners: Middlesbrough 17/2

Runner-up: Stoke (11/2 to win the Championship, 7/4 for promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: West Brom 11/1, Nottingham Forest 12/1, Derby County 14/1 or Brentford 14/1

Championship Promotion Straight Forecast: (1st) Middlesbrough and (2nd) Stoke City 50/1

Dark Horses: Preston North End and Leeds

Relegation: Bolton 6/5, Hull 7/2, and QPR 9/2 (Also in the relegation mix Rotherham 6/5, Reading 4/1 and Birmingham 11/2)

Top Scorers: Benik Afobe (Stoke City) 8/1, Jay Rodriguez (West Brom) 10/1, Britt Assombalonga (Middlesbrough) 12/1, Matěj Vydra (Derby) 14/1, Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa) 20/1, Jack Marriott (Derby) 22/1, Mo Eisa (Bristol City) 66/1

Players to Watch: Adama Traoré (Middlesbrough), Harry Wilson and Mason Mount (both Derby), Lewis Baker (Leeds), Nick Powell (Wigan), Sam Johnstone and Harvey Barnes (both West Brom), Ryan Woods (Brentford), Ben Woodburn (Sheffield United), Bradley Dack (Blackburn) and Mo Eisa (Bristol City)


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 places

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Premier League:

Winners: Manchester City 8/11

Runners-up: Liverpool (4/1 to win the Premier League)

Europe (Champions League qualification): Tottenham and Manchester United

Europe (Europa League qualification): Chelsea and Arsenal

Premier League Straight Forecast: (1st) Manchester City and (2nd) Liverpool 3/1

Combination Quadcast (To all finish in Top 4): Man City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Man Utd 7/2

Not to finish Top 4: Arsenal 4/9 and Chelsea 11/10

Premier League Winner and Top Goalscorer: Man City and Harry Kane 4/1

Player of the Year: Leroy Sane 20/1

Young Player of the Year: Jordon Pickford  N/A

Dark Horses: Fulham, Southampton and Wolves

Relegation: Cardiff 8/13, Huddersfield 6/5 and Watford 15/8

Premier League Relegation Treble: Cardiff, Huddersfield and Watford all to be relegated 20/1

Top scorers: Harry Kane 5/2, Mohamed Salah 5/1, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 6/1 Romelu Lukaku 7/1, Sergio Aguero 8/1, Gabriel Jesus 12/1, Alexandre Lacazette 20/1, Roberto Firmino 28/1 e/w, Jamie Vardy 33/1 e/w, Cenk Tosun 50/1 e/w, Christian Benteke 66/1 e/w, Aleksandar Mitrovic 100/1 e/w, Naby Keita 100/1 e/w

Players to Watch: James Maddison (Leicester), Max Meyer and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (both Crystal Palace), Ryan Sessegnon and Andre Schurrle (both Fulham), Bernd Leno (Arsenal), Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho and Naby Keita (all Liverpool), Kenedy (Newcastle), Jorginho and Callum Hudson-Odoi (both Chelsea), João Moutinho and Rúben Neves (both Wolves), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)

1st Manager to Leave Post: Javi Gracia (Watford) 8/1 or Marco Silva (Everton) 20/1


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 places

My Predictions for the 2017/18 Football Season and the Betting Odds!

National League:

Winners: Tranmere Rovers 11/4

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Dagenham and Redbridge 9/2

Dark Horses: Wrexham and Aldershot


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.

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Sky Bet League Two:

Winners: Luton Town 6/1

Automatic Promotion: Mansfield (9/2 to win League Two and 11/10 to win promotion) and Exeter (16/1 to win League Two and 10/3 to win promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Lincoln City 12/1, Exeter 14/1 or Swindon Town 14/1

League Two Promotion Straight Forecast: Luton (1st) and Mansfield (2nd) 40/1 and Luton (1st) and Exeter (2nd) 100/1

Dark Horses: Crewe, Accrington Stanley and Colchester

Relegation: Morecambe 15/8 and Crawley 3/1

Top Scorers: James Collins (Luton) 8/1, John Akinde (Barnet) 9/1, Danny Hylton (Luton) 10/1, Matthew Godden (Stevenage) 12/1, Marc McNulty (Coventry) 14/1, Chris Porter (Crewe) 16/1, Matt Green (Lincoln) 16/1, Reuben Reid (Exeter) 20/1 e/w, Chris O'Grady (Chesterfield) 50/1 e/w

Players to Watch: Michael Bostwick (Lincoln), Jack Grimmer (Coventry), George Cooper (Crewe), Donal McDermott (Swindon), Luke Croll (Exeter) and Liam Noble (Forest Green)


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 places

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Sky Bet League One:

Winners: Wigan Athletic 7/1

Runners-up: Blackburn Rovers (4/1 to win League One, Evens to win promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: MK Dons 12/1, Bradford 14/1, Oxford United or 14/1 Southend 16/1

League One Promotion Straight Forecast: Wigan (1st) and Blackburn (2nd) 40/1

Dark Horses: Bury and Fleetwood Town

Relegation: Oldham 11/8, Gillingham 13/8, AFC Wimbledon 10/3 and Walsall 5/2

Top Scorers: Danny Graham (Blackburn) 10/1, Will Grigg (Wigan) 12/1, Omar Bogle (Wigan) 12/1, Brett Pitman (Portsmouth) 14/1, Jermaine Beckford (Bury) 20/1 e/w

Players to Watch: Conor McAleny (Fleetwood), Dominic Poleon (Bradford), Nick Powell (Wigan), Bradley Dack and Ben Gladwin (both Blackburn), Michael Kightly (Southend), Jay Dasilva (Charlton) and Ethan Ebanks-Landell (MK Dons)


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 place

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Sky Bet Championship:

Winners: Middlesbrough 6/1

Runner-up: Wolvehampton Wanderers (9/1 to win the Championship, 10/3 for promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Fulham 10/1, Sheffield Wednesday 11/1, Norwich 11/1 or Derby 12/1

Championship Promotion Straight Forecast: Middlesbrough (1st) and Wolves (2nd) 66/1

Dark Horses: Brentford and Cardiff

Relegation: Burton Albion 13/8, Ipswich Town 5/2, and Sunderland 11/1 (Also in the relegation mix Bolton 15/8)

Top Scorers: Britt Assombalonga (Middlesbrough) 8/1, Jonathan Kodjia (Aston Villa) 9/1, Chris Wood (Leeds) 9/1, Scott Hogan (Aston Villa) 16/1 e/w, Famara Diédhiou (Bristol City) 20/1 e/w, Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) 40/1 e/w, Frazier Campbell (Hull) 50/1 e/w, Neal Maupay (Brentford) 50/1 e/w, Adam Armstrong (Bolton) 66/1 e/w

Players to Watch: Ashley Fletcher (Middlesbrough), Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon (both Fulham), Tom Huddlestone (Derby), Ruben Neves and Willy Boly (both Wolves), George Boyd (Sheff Wed), Michael Hector (Hull), Angus Gunn and Harrison Reed (both Norwich), Ike Ugbo (Barnsley), Lee Tomlin and Kenneth Zohore (both Cardiff), Jota and Ollie Watkins (both Brentford)(Brentford)


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 places

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Premier League:

Winners: Manchester City 7/4

Runners-up: Manchester United (7/2 to win the Premier League)

Europe (Champions League qualification): Chelsea and Liverpool

Europe (Europa League qualification: Tottenham and Everton

Premier League Top 3 Exact Order: Man City, Man Utd Chelsea 22/1

Not to finish Top 4: Arsenal 10/11

Premier League Winner and Top Goalscorer: Man City and Harry Kane 11/1

Player of the Year: Paul Pogba 10/1

Young Player of the Year: Jordon Pickford 16/1

Dark Horses: Leicester and Crystal Palace

Relegation: Huddersfield 2/3 Brighton 5/4 and Swansea 9/4

Premier League Relegation Treble: Swansea, Brighton and Huddersfield all to be relegated 28/1

Top scorers: Hary Kane 3/1, Romelu Lukak 7/2, Sergio Aguero 7/1, Gabriel Jesus 9/1, Alexandre Lacazette 10/1, Michy Batshuayi 33/1 e/w, Kelechi Iheanacho 33/1 e/w, Javier Hernandez 33/1 e/w, Jermain Defoe 50/1 e/w

Players to Watch: Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Crystal Palace), Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominic Solanke (both Liverpool), Ben Chilwell and Harry Maguire (both Leicester), Connor Mahoney (Bournemouth), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke), Anthony Knockaert (Brighton), Benjamin Mendy and Gabriel Jesus (both Manchester City), Tammy Abraham (Swansea), Will Hughes (Watford) Sandro Ramirez and Michael Keane (both Everton)

1st Manager to Leave Post: Marco Silva (Watford) 10/1 or Mauricio Pellegrino (Southampton) 18/1

# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 places

My Predictions for the 2016/17 Football Season and the Betting Odds

National League:

Winners: Tranmere Rovers 6/1

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Lincoln City 14/1


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.

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Sky Bet League Two:

Winners: Plymouth Argyle 3/1

Runners-up: Portsmouth (4/1 to win League Two and Evens to win promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Doncaster Rovers 10/1, Luton Town 11/1, Leyton Orient 11/1 or Carlisle 14/1

Dark Horses: Cheltenham, Colchester and Mansfield

Relegation: Newport 3/1 and Crawley 3/1

Top Scorers: John Akinde (Barnet) 11/1, Andy Williams (Doncaster) 11/1 or Pádraig Amond 20/1 e/w (Hartlepool)

Players to Watch: Dan Holman (Cheltenham), Joe Pigott (Cambridge), Ben Davies (Grimsby), Carl Baker (Portsmouth), Tommy Rowe (Doncaster), Jake Gray (Luton) and Jay Simpson (Leyton Orient)


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 places

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Sky Bet League One:

Winners: Sheffield United 5/1

Runners-up: Millwall (10/1 to win League One, 3/1 to win promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Charlton 12/1, MK Dons 12/1, Bradford 12/1 or Scunthorpe 14/1

Dark Horses: Chesterfield, AFC Wimbledon and Port Vale

Relegation: Oldham 6/4, Bury 9/4 and Southend 11/4

Top Scorers: Billy Sharp (Sheffield Utd) 6/1, Lee Gregory (Millwall) 8/1, Nicky Ajose (Charlton) 8/1, Matt Taylor (Bristol Rovers) 12/1, Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe) 12/1 or Kane Hemmings (Oxford Utd) 16/1 e/w

Players to Watch: Che Adams (Sheffield Utd), Gregg Wylde (Millwall), Lyle Taylor (AFC Wimbledon), Jerome Binnom-Williams (Peterborough) and Harry Beautyman (Northampton)


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 place

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Sky Bet Championship:

Winners: Norwich City 9/1

Runner-up: Newcastle Utd (7/4 to win the Championship, 4/7 for promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Derby 9/1, Brighton 11/1, Sheffield Wednesday 11/1 or Reading 22/1

Dark Horses: Bristol City and Birmingham

Relegation: Rotherham 13/8, Barnsley 11/4 and Blackburn 4/1

Top Scorers: Ross McCormack (Aston Villa) 10/1, Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle) 12/1, Glenn Murray (Brighton) 16/1 e/w, Britt Assombalonga (Nottingham Forest) 20/1 e/w, Gary Hooper (Sheffield Wed), 25/1 e/w or Steven Fletcher (Sheffield Wed) 25/1 e/w

Players to Watch: Kieran Agard and Jonathan Kodjia (Bristol City), Scott Hogan (Brentford), Sam Mantom (Scunthorpe), Will Hughes (Derby County), Tom Bradshaw (Barnsley) and Kemar Roofe (Leeds Utd)


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 places

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Barclays Premier League:

Winners: Chelsea 5/1

Runners-up: Manchester City

Europe (Champions League qualification): Manchester United and Liverpool

Premier League Top 4 Exact Order: Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool 200/1

Premier League Top 4 Any Order: Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool 9/1

Premier League Winner and Top Goalscorer: Chelsea and Aguero 28/1

Dark Horses: Watford and Bournemouth

Relegation: Hull City 4/6, West Brom 9/4 and Sunderland 5/2

Premier League Relegation Treble: Hull, West Brom and Sunderland all to be relegated 40/1

Top scorers: Sergio Aguero 7/2, Zlatan Ibrahimovic 9/1, Jamie Vardy 14/1 e/w, Michy Batshuayi 14/1 e/w and Daniel Sturridge 20/1 e/w

Players to Watch: Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace), Joe Allen (Stoke), Andre Gray (Burnley), Ahmed Musa (Leicester), Calum Wilson and Nathan Aké (Bournemouth), Viktor Fischer (Middlesbrough), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United), Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Southampton)

1st Manager to Leave: Francesco Guidolin (Swansea) 5/1

LMA Manager of the Year: Antonio Conte (Chelsea) 7/1 or Slaven Billic (West Ham) 16/1


# Sky Bet odds correct at time of writing.
* Each Way: 1/4 for first 4 places

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Predictions for the 2015/16 Football Season and the Betting Odds.

Sky Bet League Two:

Winners: Leyton Orient 12/1

Runners-up: Oxford (8/1 to win League Two, 13/8 to win promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Portsmouth 9/1, Luton Town 10/1, Plymouth 16/1 or Cambridge 14/1

Dark Horses: Exeter City

Relegation: Newport 4/1 and Crawley 11/2

Top Scorer: John Akinde (Barnet) 20/1

Players to Watch: Lee Holmes (Exeter), Ben Kennedy (Stevenage), John Akinde (Barnet)


# Sky bet odds correct at time of writing.

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Sky Bet League One:

Winners: Sheffield United 9/2

Runners-up: Barnsley (16/1 to win League One, 5/1 to win promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Bradford 12/1, Peterborough 14/1 Fleetwood 18/1, or Scunthorpe 18/1

Dark Horses: Bury and Gillingham

Relegation: Crewe 4/5, Colchester Evens, Walsall 9/2 and Port Vale 3/2

Top Scorer: Leon Clarke (Bury) 18/1 or Ian Henderson (Rochdale) 12/1

Players to Watch: Jack Collison (Peterborough) Jobi McAnuff (Leyton Orient), Paul Anderson (Bradford), Jimmy Ryan (Fleetwood), Marley Watkins (Barnsley)


# Sky bet odds correct at time of writing.

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Sky Bet Championship:

Winners: Middlesbrough 5/1

Runner-up: Derby (6/1 to win the Championship, 7/4 for promotion)

Promotion by winning the Play-offs: Hull 9/1, Burnley 11/1, Wolves 11/1 and Fulham 28/1

Dark Horses: Bristol City

Relegation: Rotherham 11/8, Huddersfield 4/1 and Preston 5/1

Top Scorer: Benik Afobe (Wolves) 10/1, Chris Martin (Derby) 10/1, Daryl Murphy (Ipswich) 12/1

Players to Watch: Tom Ince (Derby), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), David McGoldrick (Ipswich), Chris Wood (Leeds)


# Sky bet odds correct at time of writing.

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Barclays Premier League:

Winners: Chelsea 13/8

Runners-up: Arsenal

Europe (Champions League qualification): Tottenham and Manchester City

Dark Horses: Stoke City and Crystal Palace

Relegation: Sunderland 15/8, Leicester 3/1 and Watford 8/13

Top scorers: Christian Benteke 16/1, Daniel Sturridge 11/2 e/w and Romelu Lukaku 10/1 e/w

Players to Watch: Memphis Depay (Man Utd), Troy Deeney (Watford), Aleksandar Mitrović (Newcastle), Dimitri Payet (West Ham), Matt Richie (Bournemouth), Yohan Cabaye (C.Palace) and Bojan Krkić (Stoke)


# Sky bet odds correct at time of writing.

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Crystal Palace - A Football Club in Crisis? Betting News on the next Palace Manager

Have the wheels well and truly come off at Selhurst Park or are current events part of a bizarre plan to give the other 19 teams in the Premier League a head start before 'The Eagles' go on a six month unbeaten run and challenge the big boys at the top of the league!

Sadly I and almost every Palace fan knows this season was almost over before it began. From the euphoria of a play-off final win at Wembley on 27th May, a chaotic summer took its toll on the South London club as they huffed and puffed, wheeled and dealed and ultimately failed to build a solid foundation for this forthcoming season.

Palace brought in players in abundance but mostly very average players and tried to knit a rather complicated pattern and following promotion to the 'top flight' in its current guise prove the critics wrong and stay there for more than a token one season for the first time in the Club's history.

To add into the equation the 25 man squad rule (youngsters aside) some somewhat mystifying questions were left unanswered and disharmony began to set in among the players. The squad that basically got us to the Premier League was to a certain degree broken up! The likes of Ramage, Garvan and Dobbie, instrumental in our promotion were left out, Moritz just left and Zaha is now bench warming at Old Trafford. Palace hitman Glenn Murray is still a long way off first-team action following knee surgery in May and no target man of his stature was brought in to replace him. Club captain Paddy McCarthy was included in the squad although he hasn't kicked a ball in anger for around 18 months. In addition no defensive coach was appointed.

As a result what palace fans feared has become reality. Eight games in and three points from a possible 24 has left the club second from bottom of the league table. A squad that has been chopped and changed far too regularly has mustered a paltry two goals conceded 13 in a run of five straight defeats, culminating in Monday's 4-1 home defeat by Fulham.

Desire, total commitment and enthusiasm are what you always get from Ian Holloway and he did a great job in leading Palace up in his first season but was he really up to the job?

After the opening day defeat to Spurs care of a dubious penalty decision, Holloway nearly blew a gasket and was ultimately fined and given a touchline ban for his reaction. I expected Holloway to galvanise the troops following the Spurs game, and that he and the players would come out with all guns blazing as they visited Stoke in the league and then Bristol City in the League Cup.
However a rather uncharacteristic spineless and soulless couple of performances (bar the first 45mins at the Britannia Stadium) were the tip of the iceberg as Palace stumbled like a naive bunch of newborns to adapt to the league and each other. Sure the guns were blazing but heads were all over the place and Palace were firing blanks! Also the usual effervescence wasn't there from the 'gaffer.' Perhaps it was all getting too much for the Bristolian. He looked like a man who'd worked himself to the bone all summer, was mentally fatigued, stressed and fresh out of new ideas.

The outcome was somewhat inevitable although it has left opinions divided amongst the fans. Holloway and Palace parted company this week and now Crystal Palace face league leaders Arsenal tomorrow lunchtime, both managerless and rudderless.

So who are the available targets to take up the managerial role, which to be fair is by any standards one of epic proportions! Palace need a man with experience, who commands respect, who can take charge of a dressing room that already seems fractured, who can get the best out of some pretty average players, play a system that suits the squad, someone that will help shore up the defence and be creative going forward, even if it is not pretty to watch and ultimately grind out results.
Crystal Palace FC at the moment is not a place for the feint hearted, so I suggest the new gaffer is mentally strong, someone who is prepared to role up his sleeves, be proactive and who can motivate a group of players who currently come across as disillusioned and lost in the headlights and he needs to do it fast.........no easy job by any means with Palace already 1/10 shots to be relegated!

According to the bookmakers the front running candidates are as follows:


Tony Pulis:
The 55 year-old Welshman took his first steps into management at Bournemouth in 1992, where he was a player/coach and then Harry Redknapp's assistant. He then took control when Redknapp left the club. He then went on to Gillingham before leaving in 1999 after a dispute with chairman Paul Scally. Pulis then had unsuccessful spells at Bristol City and Portsmouth before being appointed manager of Stoke City in 2002. He was sacked by Stoke in 2005 only to return a year later. His left Stoke in May 2013 following a falling out with chairman Peter Coates.

Management Style: Pulis has a reputation within the game for achieving solid results on small budgets and also maintains the proud record of never being relegated as a manager. Throughout his managerial career Pulis has used the long ball style of play.

Betting News: Pulis can be backed at 10/11 with Bet365 and most firms but 11/10 with Coral to be the next Palace boss.


Avram Grant:
Grant has spent the majority of his career coaching and managing in Israel, and also managing the Israeli national team for four years.
Grant moved to England in 2006 to become Technical Director of Portsmouth before being appointed Director of football at Chelsea in July 2007. Two months later, in September 2007, following the departure of José Mourinho, Grant was appointed manager of Chelsea. Despite steering the team into the Champions League final, the League Cup final and contesting the Premier League title to the last day, his contract was terminated at the end of the season. Grant returned to Portsmouth as Director of football in October 2009, and was made manager the following month. After the club's relegation to the Championship Grant resigned and, on 3rd June 2010, was appointed as manager of West Ham United, a role he held up until 15th May 2011, when he was sacked after the club was relegated to the Football League Championship. On 13th January 2012, Avram Grant was named the new manager of Partizan Belgrade. After guiding Partizan to their fifth consecutive Serbian championship, Grant resigned on 14th May 2012.

Management Style: Grant is known in Israel for giving a chance to young players in almost every club he coached. Grant is considered one of the most successful Israeli coaches. He has a reputation of a lucky winner in Israel, which caused the invention of the frequently used humorous term 'Hatachat shel Avram'. This means 'Avram's Ass,' a reference to the allegedly large amount of luck Grant enjoyed during the 2006 World Cup campaign

Betting News: William Hill go 4/1 for Grant to become the next Palace manager. Bet365 are as big as 10/1 on 'Avarm's Ass' to be next in the Palace hot seat!


Gianfranco Zola:
The 47 year-old Italian had a decorated playing career both in Italy and in England with Chelsea. He also won 35 caps for the Italian national team. He began his managerial career with the Italian U-21s before taking over at West Ham United in the Premier League in September 2008. On 11th May 2010, two days after the end of the 2009–10 season, West Ham announced the termination of Zola's contract with immediate effect. Avram Grant was announced as his successor on 3rd June 2010. He has been in charge of Watford since July 2012. In his first season, Zola led Watford to 3rd place and a play-off position, which then saw them progress to the final at Wembley. There, they lost 1-0 ironically to Crystal Palace.

Management Style: Zola likes his sides to play with a flair and has also received praise for integrating more youth products when manager of West Ham's first team.

Betting News: Zola is 9/1 with Paddy Power to take over at Selhurst Park, although Betfred go 25/1 on the same outcome.


Martin O'Neill:
The 61 year-old Northern Irishman began his managerial career in 1987 with Grantham Town. He went onto manage Wycombe Wanderers, Norwich City, Leicester City, Celtic, Aston Villa and Sunderland. He guided Leicester City to the Football League Cup final three times, in which he was twice victorious, in 1997 and 2000. In his time as Celtic manager between 2000 and 2005, he led the club to three Scottish Premier League titles and the 2003 UEFA Cup Final in Seville. O'Neill was sacked by Sunderland on 30th March 2013 after an eight-game run of five losses and three draws, leaving the team one point above the Premier League relegation zone with seven games left to play in the season. Overall Martin O'Neill has a 51% win ratio over his whole managerial career.

Management Style: O’Neill’s public image, though, is that of a nice guy and his management style has been built on inspiring his players, especially in the early days when, with his energy and enthusiasm. He worked wonders, often with decidedly ordinary individuals and teams. He is not one to doubt his own abilities.

Betting News: O'Neill is as short as 2/1 with Coral and as big as 4/1 with Boylesports to become Palace's next manager.


Chris Coleman, Neil Warnock, Alan Curbishly and Tony Popovic are also fancied candidates for the vacancy.

# Prices correct at time of going to press.

A front row ticket to The Circus. Charlton v Palace tonight. The facts and the betting!

Tonight sees a unique derby match at The Valley where Dougie Freedman takes his Crystal Palace side on a short trip to a local circus, where they have not won so much as a donkey ride for sixteen years. This however is not Merseyside, Glasgow, Sheffield or The Black Country because but this is no ordinary derby, this a South London derby where the rivalry is predominately one-sided!

Charlton Athletic hate Crystal Palace, the football club and of course that includes the fans of the club. Nothing strikingly unusual about one club and its fans disliking another club, other than that we as Palace fans care little about what goes on in London, SE7, as our true disdain surrounds a football club some sixty miles away on the East Sussex coast.

It’s fair to say that there is history between the clubs, most recently Charlton sent Palace reeling out of the top flight on the last day of the season back in 2005, but the damage had been done many weeks and matches prior to the lights being turned out on Crystal Palace’s last taste of top flight football. Charlton celebrated the relegation of Palace on that infamous last day of the season as if they themselves were celebrating a big fat gypsy wedding. The Clowns as they are affectionately nicknamed by the Palace fans’ have hit a few highs and plenty of lows in recent years, culminating in a fall from grace which ended up with Clowntown (an area of London with the postcode SE7 twinned with.......well absolutely nobody) being visited by such footballing giants as Scunthorpe and Hartlepool in the third tier of English football, (no disrespect whatsoever is meant to either The Irons or The Monkey Hangers or their fans in this piece).

Then unlike a phoenix rising from the ashes, and more like a bunch of red nosed buffoons in wigs, baggy trousers and face paint Charlton Football Club and their fickle fans pulled together and managed to rescue a semblance of respectability, by regaining their Championship status this season, after three seasons in the wilderness.

I have never known a football club like Charlton to want a rivalry with a fellow club who only on the basis of geography happen to reside close by, whilst their neighbours simply do not feel the same. For Palace, a match against the Clowns is just another league fixture, and for Crystal Palace and their fans it is the opportunity to win a match, as with any match, every week of the season. The notoriously loud Crystal  Palace fans will turn up in their numbers on the day and win, lose or draw they will sing for 90 minutes to show the pride and passion and absolute love they have for their club, no matter what!

Palace and Charlton are bordered by another South London club, in Millwall, all three of whom now ply their trade in the second tier of the English game and some sizeable Premier League London based giants such as Arsenal, Chelsea and  Tottenham, whilst we are also surrounded by some other novelty clubs in areas such as West London, East London, Hertfordshire and Kent.

Palace have a rivalry with Brighton that is as animated as any footballing rivalry in the Country, and probably the most unusual of its kind, because if you are not a fan of either team it is very unlikely that you will understand the history and subsequent loathing that the fans of these two clubs have for each other. It is indeed a truly intense and fierce rivalry and the game that both sets of fans look for the moment the fixture lists are released. If as a fan of football you want to understand better what fuelled the Palace v Brighton hostility then do please read this article.

As for Charlton, well they are looking forward to this evening’s game under floodlights like a rabbit about to pass a row of six snarling caged greyhounds before the traps fly open. This is their Cup Final! For Palace fans it’s another game with three points at stake and some clown and traveller based banter to occupy the moment, but bragging rights......well we’re just not interested!

Palace fans love their club, the owners, the management team and the players. To Palace fans, the players must play for the crest on the front of the shirt first and foremost. Any name on the back of the shirt will not break or divide the unyielding united front amongst the fans. The players know this, they play their hearts out for the name on the front of the shirt, because the name on the back can easily be replaced. At Palace we believe in the players under the stewardship of Dougie Freedman, because we have a boss who is a Crystal Palace playing legend and knows how much the club needs the fans and the fans need the club.

Charlton currently have an ex-player as their manager, and I have great respect for him, but I bleed red and blue and 3,000 Palace fans on Friday night will I believe out-sing a stadium where they will be outnumbered in the region of 6 to 1. Come what may after tonight’s match, believe me, this is just the undercard. Come the 1st December and the 17th March, as Palace fans this is when the main event truly takes centre stage!

Bring on Brighton!

Betting Preview:
Charlton win: Evens (Coral and Ladbrokes).
C.Palace win: 33/10 (BetVictor).
Match Drawn: 5/2 (Betfred, Paddy Power and Totesport).

First Goalscorer:
B. Wright-Phillips 6/1 (Paddy Power and William Hill), D. Goodwillie 9/1 (Bet365), G.Murray 10/1 (BetVictor and William Hill), O.Garvan 14/1 (Ladbrokes and Coral), A. Moritz 16/1 (Bet365 and Blue Square).

Correct Score:
Charlton win 1-0 13/2 (Bet Victor), Palace win 2-1 12/1 (Hills, Betfred and Coral) Draw 0-0 10/1 (Ladbrokes).

# Odds correct at time of going to press.
For more odds go to Oddschecker

The 2011 FIFA Under 17's World Cup Final

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This Sunday the 2011 Under 17's World Cup Final takes place between Mexico and Uruguay.

Tournament hosts Mexico dominated Group A, winning all three of their games against North Korea, eventual group runners-up Congo and the Netherlands, scoring eight goals in the process. Next they despatched of Central American rivals Panama 2-0, setting up a quarter-final tie with France which they narrowly edged 2-1.

After their stunning 3-2 victory over Germany in the semi-final the Mexicans now move on to the final of the tournament at the Estadio Azteca on the 10th July, where they will meet Uruguay, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the other semi-final.

One of the biggest stars for the El Tri Under-17 team is striker Carlos Fierro, who plays for Club Deportivo Guadalajara, of the Mexican First Division - the parent club of Chivas USA. He's Mexico's leading scorer with four goals.

Arguably, El Tri's most gifted player has been the young man who flanks Fierro on the left, Giovanni Casillas. He has two goals and his been instrumental in others. Like Fierro, he also plays for Club Deportivo Guadalajara.

Mexican midfielder Julio Gomez is the only player in coach Raul Gutierrez’s squad to have already played in Mexico’s top flight. His last minute winner against Germany - a dazzling overhead kick will go down in the legend and lore of Mexican football and the U-17 World Cup.

Gomez said: "Just thinking about playing in front of a full Estadio Azteca makes me extremely happy, because it means we’ve managed to reach the final." He added, "It’s a reward for all our efforts, but we’re not finished yet. We’ve got one more very tough match against an opponent we know well (Uruguay). They beat us 6-2 in the last friendly we played together, so this could be sweet revenge."

Mexico are a best priced 6/5 with Paddy Power, Betfred and William Hill to win the final in 90 minutes, and 8/11 with Betfred to lift the trophy.

Uruguay coach Fabian Coito’s side booked a place in their first-ever final of a FIFA Under-17 World Cup with a 3-0 win over South American neighbours and arch-rivals Brazil in Guadalajara in Thursday's semi-final.

Uruguay's attacking plans may have worked out perfectly so far, but the foundation for their exploits at Mexico 2011 has been their miserly defence, which has let in just three goals in six games.

In the group stages Uruguay recorded victories over Rwanda and Canada 1-0 and 3-0 respectively, but lost 2-0 to England in their final group game having already qualified for the second stage before they took to the field.
Next up for Uruguay were Congo and the South Americans had to come from a goal behind to edge out the African Congo 2-1 and book their passage into the quarter-finals.

Uruguay secured their place in the semi-final round of the FIFA U-17 World Cup with a comprehensive 2-0 quarter-final win over Asian side Uzbekistan in Monterrey.

Their collective determination and opportunism is a hallmark of Fabian Coito’s spirited side, whose run to Sunday’s showpiece match has been founded on teamwork rather than individual brilliance - teamwork encapsulated by the contribution of squad members such as Guillermo Mendez and San Martin.

Uruguay are a best priced 12/5 with Bet365 to win in 90 minutes and are even money with Betfred to lift the trophy.

Mendez said after his sides thrilling semi-final victory over Germany: "This team always battles hard and gives everything it’s got. And we do that because we know what this jersey means. Now we’re on the way to the final."

One of the most impressive aspects of Uruguay’s relentless advance to Sunday’s showdown with Mexico at the Azteca is that is has been achieved despite a troublesome knee-injury to their star asset Juan Cruz Mascia. Despite his absence from the front line for their quarter-final against Uzbekistan and the semi-final with Brazil, Coito’s charges still managed to rack up five goals, conceding none in the process.

With Mascia sidelined, the attacking burden has been shared. Santiago Charamoni and Rodrigo Aguirre were the men on target against the Uzbeks, while Elbio Alvarez struck from the spot to set 'Los Charrúas' on the road to victory over Brazil.

Mendez concluded: "There’s no such thing as pressure as far as I’m concerned. When I’m out there I try to get on with my job, which is to play football. I don’t pay much attention to what’s going on off the pitch or in the stands."

Given the cacophony of noise that the Mexico fans are sure to serve up at the Azteca on Sunday, that approach looks to be a sensible one.

My Tip of the Weekend:

In what I expect to be be a closely fought affair I fancy Mexico to win the final by the odd goal, particularly as they are playing in front of their own fans. Mexico to win 2-1 is a best priced 8/1 with Paddy Power, Betfred and William Hill, and looks a value bet.
If you think the game will go beyond the 90 minutes, Paddy Power are offering odds of 9/2 on the final being won on a penalty shoot-out.

Sunday 10th July: The 2011 FIFA Under 17's World Cup Final - Uruguay v Mexico, Aztec Stadium, Mexico City, kick-off 00.00 BST, live on British Eurosport 1, ESPNU, Galavision and SBS One Australia.

Spain face Swiss challenge in Euro U21's Final - Betting News with Betfred

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Spain have looked virtually unbeatable at times in the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championships, but came within a whisker of elimination in Wednesday's semi-final against Belarus.

Having rescued victory from the jaws of defeat, their last gasp comeback against Belarus has taken them to within 90 minutes of another Under-21 title, but they face an impressive Switzerland team on Saturday evening, playing in their first final, having been semi-finalists in 2002.

The Spanish, European Under-21 champions in 1986 and 1998 have been praised from all sides for their football so far – which is reminiscent of their senior team's brand of play that took them to World Cup glory last summer.

Spain are odds of 4/6 to win in 90 minutes but might not have everything their own way against Switzerland though. The Swiss have emerged victorious from all four matches in Jutland and, perhaps more impressively, the Group A victors have yet to concede a goal.

The football experts believe Spain will lift the trophy, and in Adrián López of Deportivo de La Coruña, Spain have a striker in a rich vein of form, and with five tournament goals to his name already, he will seriously test the so far watertight Swiss defence!

Spain needed an 89th-minute equaliser from Adrián against Belarus to take the match into extra-time, before the same player headed them in front and Barcelona striker Jeffren Suárez clinched the win, as they failed to hit the same heights showed earlier in the tournament.

In the other semi-final the Swiss too needed extra-time to clinch a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic, thanks to a winner from FC Zürich forward Admir Mehmedi.

There is no doubt the two best sides in the tournament have made it into the final of the European under-21 Championships and it promises to be a great meeting between two in-form sides.

Spain have been most people's favourites to win the tournament ever since a ball was kicked, but they showed against England and Belarus they can struggle to break down organised defences, and they looked a little tired in their semi-final.

They will not have everything their own way in the final against a strong Switzerland side that are big outsiders and football odds of 9/2 for a Swiss win in normal time reflect this.

Swiss fans and punters looking for inspiration and a possible upset on Saturday need only to cast their minds back 12 months ago when the senior Swiss side caused a major shock at the World Cup, beating Spain in their opening game group game.

My Tip of the Weekend:

Spain should be too strong for Switzerland but there will not be many goals in the game, with a 1-0 win to the Spaniards looking good at 5/1 with Betfred.
For those of you who feel this final could go beyond the 90 minutes, you can get 5/1 also on the game to be both a draw at half-time and at full-time.

Saturday 25th June: Spain U21's v Switzerland U21's, Aarhus Stadium, Aarhus, kick-off 19.45 BST, live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Psycho's boys kick-off 2011 Euro dream versus Spain - Betting News with Betfred

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The youngsters of England face a formidable challenge in their opening UEFA European under-21 Championship group game, when they face the World Cup holders next generation of starlets, in the shape of Spain.

Stuart Pearce led the England under-21s to the final in 2009, going one step further than their semi-final defeat in the 2007 tournament, and will without doubt be looking to win this competition which begins this weekend in Denmark.

The man known as 'Psycho' has admitted he has used the 2009 campaign in Sweden as the blueprint for this tournament, though much of the build-up was overshadowed by the 'will-he, won't-he' dilemma involving the call-up of Jack Wilshere.

In the end Pearce decided not to call on the Arsenal midfielder, and despite the loss of Kieran Gibbs, Micah Richards and Andrew Carroll through injury, he still has a strong squad at his disposal. Some of his under-21 stars could look to use this tournament to impress in the wake of the England senior teams recent dismal performance against Switzerland.

England face Spain in their opening European under-21 Championship match and their opponents are even money to win the game, something most football experts agree with.

If you look through the Spain under-21 squad it is filled with talented youngsters, some who already have experience of playing on the world stage, and it is no surprise to see them as pre-tournament favourites. They are priced at 7/4 to lift the trophy with Betfred.

Head coach Luis Milla can call upon the likes of the talented Barcelona pair Thiago Alcántara and Bojan Krkic, Valencia's Juan Manuel Mata, Athletic Bilbao's Javi Martínez and goalkeeper and Manchester United target David de Gea - so they are understandably well fancied by many to replicate their senior team, and secure the UEFA European under-21 trophy.

Danny Rose and Daniel Sturridge got the goals to give England a 2-0 win over Denmark in their final warm-up game and those two, along with the likes of Manchester United duo Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley, will be Pearce's danger men as they hunt for the win - priced at football odds of 9/4.

England have a lot of young talent within their squad, and if they can play to their full potential there is a real chances that they could go all the way in Denmark.
They are definitely in the tougher of the two groups, but if they can qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament they are in with a real chance - whatever happens they should certainly go further than the senior team did at last summers World Cup!

My Tip of the Weekend:

No one would be surprised if Spain prove to be too strong for England, but the opening match of any tournament is often a cagey affair and a draw at 9/4 looks a safe bet, with a 1-1 scoreline a 5/1 shot.
Take the 5/1 before a ball is kicked on the Czech Republic to be surprise winners of the tournament. They had an outstanding qualifying campaign, topping their group with 22 points from a possible 24, before thrashing Greece 5-0 in the play-offs.(Greece topped their own qualifying group with England as runners-up).

Sunday 12th June: Spain U21's v England U21's, Herning Stadium, kick-off 19.45, live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Blackpool have hardest task on epic final day - Betting News with Betfred

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It has been a massive season for Blackpool and they now have to do things the hard way as they travel to Manchester United on the final day of the season.

Ian Holloway's side have been the entertainers of the Premier League since their promotion last year, and have received rave reviews from the football world for their adventurous, attacking style of play.
However things have been tough for the Tangerines since the turn of the year, and they are 9/2 with Betfred to record a shock victory at United on Sunday.

They now sit in the bottom three on goal difference, knowing a win is vital if they wish to retain their Premier League status, but United are unbeaten at home this season, dropping just two points out of a possible 54 at home, and will be keen to give the Old Trafford faithful a tremendous send-off as they celebrate winning their record 19th league title.

There are numerous permutations surrounding the final weekend of the season and any two teams from five could be relegated depending on results elsewhere.

A point could be enough for Blackpool (and it is 10/3 the draw at fortress Old Trafford), if Birmingham lose at Tottenham, and/or Wolves lose at home to Blackburn by two goals or more. Should Wolves beat Blackburn then only an 'unexpected' Blackpool victory would see them overtake Rovers.

The Premier League betting odds understandably favour Blackpool to be relegated as have the toughest final game against United, and Betfred go 4/11 that they will be plying their trade in The Championship next season.

What must worry fans of the Seasiders is they have a notoriously leaky defence and travel to a United side capable of scoring a hat-ful, even if Sir Alex Ferguson decides to put out a weakened side with one eye on the Champions League final next week.

Even if Ferguson leaves out some of his star names then those that take to the field will be out to impress the Scotsman, and show him why they deserve a place in the Champions League final squad - so it could be a long old afternoon for Blackpool.

Alex McLeish's Birmingham side are 5/1 to win at White Hart Lane and 8/13 to be relegated in the Premier League betting, but The Blues have been on a shocking run of form of late, recording just two wins in their last twelve league games!

The other team in the relegation mix that we have not yet mentioned are Wigan, who travel to Stoke in their final fixture of the campaign. The Latics have the same number of points as Blackpool but an inferior goal difference than all of their relegation rivals, albeit a marginal one.

It would be close to a a miracle if Blackpool survive – but Ian Holloway is without doubt the man you would most want in charge of a team in a relegation dogfight on the last day of the season.

It has been a breath of fresh air having the Seasiders in the Premier League, but they look set to be one-season wonders but their fans will have been left with some unforgettable memories.

My Tip of the Weekend:

Expect wins for United (4/7), Spurs (4/7), Wigan (17/10) and Wolves (6/5) in the vital games, which would see Birmingham and Blackpool join West Ham in dropping down to the Championship.

Sunday 22nd May:

Manchester Utd v Blackpool, kick-off 4pm, live on Sky Sports 1.
Tottenham v Birmingham City, kick-off 4pm, live on Sky Sports 2.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Clash of the Titans at Old Trafford - Betting News with Betfred

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It has been billed from all quarters as potentially the Premier League title-deciding game of the season, so let's hope Manchester United versus Chelsea is an exciting encounter that lives up to all the pre-match hype.

On countless occasions, the most-hyped Premier League matches tend to disappoint, but when these two sides met at Stamford Bridge back on the 1st March, it was a classic!

The Champions League games failed to match these heights, but the fate of this particular game is very much in Chelsea's hands, as it is they who need to come out fighting and take all three points, if they want to keep their back-to-back title ambitions alive. The Premier League betting makes the Londoner's 9/4 to win the game.

A few months ago Chelsea were on course to drop 18 points behind their Manchester rivals, when they went 1-0 down to United at Stamford Bridge, but they came back to win that game 2-1, and it immediately boosted the confidence around the club, and they have been in sparkling form ever since.

Having taken 25 points from a possible 27 available, the Blues' are snapping at the heels of United, knowing a win at Old Trafford on Sunday and they can draw level with their rivals - and that is something that looked a long shot back in February when they were still in their slump.

If Chelsea can hit top spot with two games remaining the impetus would be with them, but United always manage to step up in the important matches and that is why they cannot be discounted, especially at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are 5/4 to win the match and 2/9 to win the Premier League with Betfred.

Most tipsters in the Premier League title race make United favourites to regain the title, particularly as Ferguson's men have the luxury of knowing a draw on Sunday will be good enough to keep them three points clear, with just a couple of games to play.

Chelsea captain John Terry reckons he "always believed" they could get back into the title race, but they are still outsiders to win the title as United have looked fairly solid, if not setting the world on fire, for many months now.

Chelsea, who are 3/1 to win the title, managed to win this fixture at Old Trafford last season, and the England defender reckons there is "no reason" why they cannot go on and repeat that feat again, and put the outcome of the Premier League title race firmly in their own hands!

My Tip of the Week:

Expect Chelsea to go hell for leather for the win, but United should manage 'their usual trick' and get the goals to hold their rivals. A draw is priced at 23/10, but a 2-2 scoreline also looks appealing at 14/1.
Meanwhile United's on-fire Mexican striker Javie Hernandez is 6/4 to score at anytime in the match, and add to his 19 goals already this season.

Sunday 8th May: Manchester United v Chelsea, kick-off 4.10pm, live on Sky Sports1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Tale of Two Woes at the Reebok - Betting News with Betfred

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It is a clash of two wounded animals on Sunday in the Premier League as Bolton look to bounce back from their FA Cup humiliation at the hands of Stoke, and Arsenal will be out to make amends for dropped points at Spurs in midweek.

Many Bolton fans, especially the thousands that travelled to Wembley, expected the Trotters to beat the Potters and make it to the FA Cup final. That 5-0 semi-final defeat must have hurt and it even led Bolton captain Kevin Davies to admit he was "ashamed and embarrassed" by the performance.

With seemingly little to play for over the remaining games, as Bolton are safe from relegation and too far away to challenge for a place in Europe, it would be understandable if they took their foot off the gas.

But Owen Coyle is an ambitious and ferocious manager who will have been bitterly upset with the Stoke result, so you can be left in no doubt his side will be fired up when Arsenal arrive at the Reebok Stadium on Sunday and the Premier League best odds make the Trotters 4/1 to win the game.

The Gunners have also had a disappointing week, after conceding a late-late penalty to draw with Liverpool last Sunday, and then surrendering a two-goal lead at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night. Arsenal got just two points from those two games when it could easily have been six, and their title hopes could have gone up in smoke as a result.

Those looking to bet on Premier League weekend games should remember this:

Arsenal have dominated this fixture in recent season and you have to go back to November 2006 for the last time Bolton managed to beat the North London side, with the travelling team 8/11 to win again.

Both managers (Wenger and Coyle) will use their recent results as motivation to go for the win, but Arsenal could enter this fixture with some trepidation, as anymore dropped points will almost certainly spell the end of any lingering title dreams they may have.

My Tip of the Week:

Arsenal look good to score a couple of goals, so 7/1 for either a 2-0 or 2-1 win to the Gunners looks a good shout.
Robin Van Persie is in a rich vein of form since his return from injury, and he is a tempting 11/10 to score at anytime.

Sunday 24th April: Bolton v Arsenal, kick-off 4pm, live on Sky Sports1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Battle of the Strikers on the Cards at Anfield - Betting News with Betfred

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It is a clash of two teams aiming high and somewhat underachieving when Liverpool take on Manchester City on Monday night at Anfield.

Roberto Mancini's side had Premier League title aspirations, but are looking off the pace although they still look set for a respectable top four finish. They also have a Manchester derby to look forward to on the 16th April - the prize, a place in this seasons FA Cup final.

Both are something Liverpool fans would sell their souls to the devil for this season, but another season of Thursday night Channel Five action in the Europa League seems the best they can hope for.

Kenny Dalglish has been dealt a triple blow this week after defenders Daniel Agger and Glen Johnson were injured at The Hawthorns last weekend.

Centre-back Agger picked up a knee problem that has ended his season, while Johnson injured his hamstring, sidelining the right-back out for at least a month.

To add to Dalglish's woes it has been confirmed that captain Steven Gerrard has been ruled out for the rest of the season after failing to fully recover following a groin operation.

The absence of that trio comes at the worst possible time for 'The Reds' in their chase for a Europa League spot, as they take on the multi-million pound attacking talent City (15/8 to win the game, 11/5 the draw) have at their disposal.

Liverpool (6/4 to win the game with Betfred) have only lost twice at Anfield this season and need to bounce back from that 2-1 defeat at West Brom last weekend.

Their home form has been the backbone of their campaign and will remain key if they are to make up the five-point gap they have to fifth-placed Tottenham and the weekend Premier League betting suggests this will be a massive game.

Last time out in their 5-0 thrashing of Sunderland, Roberto Mancini named Adam Johnson, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez (11/2 to be first goal scorer) in his attacking line-up, and even had the luxury of Edin Dzeko and Shaun Wright-Philips on the bench.

The side now look solid Premier League tips for a top four finish, and if results go their way they could even end up the season as Premier League runners-up.

With Liverpool's new strike force of Andy Carroll (11/2 to score the first goal) and Luis Suarez, along with City's forward prowess, it has all the makings of goalscoring bonanza!

My Tip of the Week:

This should be an action-packed game between two attacking sides, so the 11/10 with Betfred for there to be over 2.5 goals in the game looks like a good option, while the 11/8 for Luis Suarez to score at anytime is also appealing.

Monday 11th April: Liverpool v Manchester City, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Scotland ready for the Samba attack - Betting News with Betfred

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With international football taking place this weekend and early next week, anyone looking to bet on a Premier League game,will have to hang fire for another week before they can have a flutter.

However, there is still plenty of football around for punters to get their teeth into, including an intriguing match which is set to take place in London on Sunday afternoon.

Scotland face Brazil at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and, for the first time in a while, there are not too many shocks in the Scottish squad.

Despite missing a few senior players Scotland coach Craig Levein otherwise has as strong a squad as is available to pick from, and I'm sure every one of his players will be eager to prove themselves when the hordes of Scotland fans descend on London for their teams clash with the 'Samba-Boys.'

Scotland are priced at 8/1 to secure an unlikely victory with the football odds compilers.

Darren Fletcher, Steven Naismith and Phil Bardsley definitely miss out, all through injury while Celtic skipper Scott Brown is also a slight doubt, although he did travel to the squad's five-day gathering in La Manga this week.

The absence of Naismith leaves Scotland light on forward options for Sunday's friendly, and whilst not normally blessed with world-class strikers, Kenny Miller (8/1 to be first goal scorer) is the only out and out forward in the squad with genuine international experience. Miller will be making his 53rd appearance in a Scotland jersey when he lines up against Brazil.

One thing that could play into Scotland's hands is the fact that Brazil coach Mano Menezes is not using this fixture as a warm-up for the important Copa America tournament in July.

Instead he is planning to use Sunday's game to identify players he could use for the 2012 London Olympics, meaning the Brazil squad is full of younger faces, but they still remain 4/11 favourites to win the clash.

That does not mean the 'Samba-Boys' squad is below par, with players such as Lucio, Maicon and Daniel Alves among their defensive options.

It is in midfield and attack that coach Menezes is likely to be more experimental. Scotland fans are likely to be glad the big-name duo of Alexandre Pato and Nilmar are struggling with injuries, while Pato's Milan club-mate Robinho seems to have fallen out of favour with Menezes.

Menezes has also resisted the temptation of recalling former Barcelona forward Ronaldhino, who was widely being tipped for a recall to the squad. However 21-year-old Leandro Damiao, who has scored 13 goals this year for Internacional, and has yet to earn an international cap, may well get his chance!

My Tip of the Week:

Brazil should undoubtedly prove too strong, so it is a case of predicting a winning score. 14/1 with Betfred for either a 4-0 or 4-1 Brazil win seems a fair price for a game that should be blessed with goals galore. For the 'Bravehearts' out there Betfred go 10/3 on the double result being a draw at half-time and Brazil at full-time.

Sunday 27th March: Scotland v Brazil, kick-off 2pm, live on ITV1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Stoke out for revenge against West Ham - FA Cup Betting News with Betfred

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West Ham United have turned things around in recent weeks, and they will be looking to replicate their recent Premier League form when they meet Stoke City in an intriguing FA Cup quarter-final tie this Sunday, but the hosts could be out for revenge.

The Hammers steamrollered Stoke 3-0 at Upton Park last weekend, in a Premier League fixture thanks to goals from Demba Ba, Manuel da Costa and Thomas Hitzlsperger and anyone making football predictions may fancy The Hammers to do the business once more.

But it could be a lot different in the FA Cup as the Brittania Stadium is a notoriously difficult place to win at, and West Ham have been fragile on the road this term, with just two league wins all season.

The football odds compilers make Stoke 11/10 to win the cup tie, and it's worth noting The Potters have yet to lose in front of their home fans since the turn of the year. In 2011 they have won three and drawn one of four Premier League games at the Brittania Stadium, but their away form not unlike that of West Ham's has been pretty dire, and that could go some way to explaining the recent rout at Upton Park.

Tony Pulis has already confirmed that Thomas Sorensen will play in goal and he could make a number of other changes for the FA Cup clash, which could make 13/5 for a West Ham victory look somewhat more tempting.

Up until a few weeks ago, it was West Ham's cup successes that had helped to save Avram Grant from the 'revolving door.' However the London side are facing a huge relegation battle, and there is always the fear the FA Cup can be more of a distraction than a blessing.

West Ham's defence has looked suspect on several occasions this season. That coupled with the loud Staffordshire home support, a big powerful Stoke attack and those legendary Rory Delap long throws will test West Ham's resilience to the core.

Stoke star Glenn Whelan reckons the crowd could be the preverbial 12th man for City, and help give them an edge to exact some measure of revenge on the Hammers for the league result.

He told BBC Radio Stoke: "We're on our home patch, that's where we're solid and hopefully that's what we'll be on Sunday.
If we can get right at them in the first five or ten minutes, I'm sure the crowd will be right behind us."

The resurgence at West Ham means they are now a vastly superior team to the one they were only a few months ago when they recorded a 1-1 draw at the Brittania Stadium thanks to a goal from, who else, their captain and talisman Scott Parker.

This is the second successive weekend that these clubs are meeting, and the fourth time they will have locked horns this season. Stoke are yet to win!

But a wounded Stoke are going to be a dangerous animal, and one the travelling Hammers need to ensure they don't take lightly.

My Tip of the Week:

Stoke look like they are going to be too strong for West Ham, but it should be a tight game unlike the Upton Park clash. With this in mind, odds of 2/1 for under 1.5 goals in the game looks a good bet.
I also fancy Stoke's fit again Matthew Etherington to get on the scoresheet against his former club. He is 10/1 to be first goalscorer and 11/4 to score at anytime with Betfred.

Sunday 27th March: Stoke City v West Ham, kick-off 2pm, live on ITV1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Wembley beckons, but who will prevail? - Betting News with Betfred

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It is the first domestic cup final of the English season on Sunday and Birmingham City will be out to upset the strongly fancied Arsenal, and give their fans something to really cheer about.

For Blues fans it has been an indifferent season, but the cup competitions have given them cause for enjoyment. Getting to a Wembley final is a major boost for any side, and provides them with some relief from the weekly rigours of a season long battle to avoid relegation, but the football betting market makes them outsiders at 6/1 to win the trophy in 90 minutes, or 11/4 to lift the trophy.

Arsenal fans will see this Carling Cup final as a great chance to end five long years without a trophy – a fact that Manchester United and Chelsea fans laud over them every season.

The loss of Theo Walcott to injury along with serious concerns over the fitness of skipper Cesc Fabregas, sustained in Arsenal's midweek win over Stoke, is without a doubt a massive blow to the Gunners, but there is no doubting their attacking qualities even without them.

It could be a question of what side Arsene Wenger puts out at Wembley, as in recent seasons he has stuck with youth for the Carling Cup.

With so many games coming thick and fast for the Gunners, Wenger could be tempted to rest one or two of his star players, and thus give the Blues a real fighting chance of lifting their first major trophy since the League Cup in 1963. However, Arsenal remain strong 8/15 favourites to prevail.

For Birmingham, goalscoring has been their problem all season, and they brought in the experienced Obafemi Martins on loan during the January transfer window, in an attempt to solve that problem.

But Alex McLeish's trump card at Wembley could be the giant Serbian striker Nikola Zigic, who is 9/1 in the football odds to score the first goal of the game.

It has been well known for years that Arsenal struggle against balls put into the box and with an inexperienced keeper between the sticks then the 6ft 8in striker could pose massive problems.

My Tip of the Weekend:

Birmingham have a real cup pedigree about them this season and they could get one over on an Arsenal side who are facing a hectic schedule. There is a lot of pressure on Wenger and his players to deliver a first trophy since the FA Cup in 2005, and with the Club chasing honours in three other competitions, a combination of fatigue and expectation may well may play a factor on Sunday. A 1-0 win for the Blues priced at 12/1 with Betfred looks a value bet.

Sunday 27th February: Arsenal v Birmingham, kick-off 4pm, live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)