The Coral Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday is traditionally the first chance of the flat season to see the classic generation up against the older horses but there is no 3 year old in the line up this time. Instead the interest comes from seeing Europe's top middle distance horse in last year's Derby & Arc hero Workforce against the best Australia has to offer in So You Think, now with Aidan O'Brien and top English filly Snow Fairy.
Workforce was last seen winning the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard stakes over the same course and distance at the end of May, and although not having to run to the same level as when winning Group Ones last year it was a satisfactory return to action. The horse is able to quicken and clearly stays well as shown when winning the Arc in soft ground over a mile and a half, with a pacemaker in the field his trainer Sir Michael Stoute is clearly hoping to dictate the pace and get the tactics right to suit Workforce. The biggest worry surrounding Workforce isn't his ability or even rivals but instead his trainer's poor run of form which now stretches 19 days and 31 raced horses without a winner, this probably shows the lack of quality the stable has in the 3 year old division than any real illness problems.
So You Think was all the rage in the Prince of Wales at Royal Ascot but was beaten by Godolphin's Rewilding in a race subsequently dominated by headlines of Frankie Dettori's whip use. So You Think had been incredibly impressive in Australia last year and in its two races in Ireland this year however it should be noted that the middle distance division in Australia is nowhere near as celebrated as the sprint division and the opposition in Ireland was meek. Aidan O'Brien blamed himself for the loss noting that he didn't have the horse spot on but with 2 races under the belt that seems unlikely and more likely is the fact that after Coolmore paid $25m Australian for a majority interest they couldn't admit the horse was beaten by a mere good horse in Rewilding due to potential stud value plummeting.
Workforce's stable mate Confront is a likely pacemaker but neither he or the likeable Sri Putra are likely to have the class to trouble the top 2, however if Snow Fairy was fully fit and ran to her best she could provide an upset. It is worrying that she was due to run last weekend in the Pretty Polly stakes at the Curragh and it can prove tricky to keep horses ticking over once they've been aimed at a different race.
Looking at the line of form Workforce & So You Think have with Rewilding suggests that Workforce has a few pounds in hand over his Antipodean rival and although the stable form is a real concern it should be remembered that the horse runs the race not the trainer. At odds of 15/8 versus So You think at a shade of odds on, the value bet is to side with the proven Workforce in a race that is likely to be run to suit with a pacemaker and proven stayer in Snow Fairy taking part.
Selection: Workforce at 15/8 and bigger (various firms)
Powell
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Monday, 27 June 2011
England vs Sri Lanka ODI Series
Tuesday sees the start of the ODI series between England and Sri Lanka and gives us several betting angles to take on the series as a whole.
Although England won the recent rain affected Test series 1-0 that is likely to have less relevance than Saturday’s pointer in the T20 at Bristol which proves a slightly better indicator when it comes to the 50 over format. There Sri Lanka easily prevailed in a 9 wicket thumping and have had similar success in the past with a 10 wicket win in the recent World Cup quarter final and a 5-0 ODI series win when last in England.
Sri Lanka also have the individuals to make a difference with two top 10 ICC ranked batsmen (Dilshan and Sangakkara, 3rd & 5th respectively) versus England who just having the impressive Jonathan Trott in 8th. Although Graeme Swann (ranked 4th in World) is probably the outstanding bowler in the match up, in terms of strength in depth Sri Lanka again have the edge with Mendis and Kulasekara ranked 9th & 10th plus arguably their best bowler Malinga not even in the top 10. Whereas England’s bowlers behind Swann either lack consistency, fitness or current form and could struggle to take enough wickets to put the Sri Lankans under real pressure.
It therefore seems that we have a betting mismatch, England do have home advantage but if this were a neutral ground series we would expect to see Sri Lanka as slight favourites, therefore playing at home should shift this closer to 50/50. Instead current best odds are showing England as 8/11 favourites and Sri Lanka at 6/4, therefore take advantage and side with Sri Lanka from a pure value perspective.
Other popular markets are the Top Batsman and Bowler and there are some decent bets to be had here too.
Malinga ‘the Slinga’ is coming off taking the most wickets in a single IPL season and has retired from Test cricket which means he should be coming here fresher than some others. With previous form against England (13 wickets in last series) he should outperform the rest of the efficient although not spectacular bowling unit. Another advantage is that he bowls at the death and in the batting power plays leading to potential cheap wickets – 15/8 is available as top Sri Lankan bowler.
The Top England Batsman market is arguably a tight affair with a strong batting line up in reasonable form; arguments can be made for all of the frontrunners. Alistair Cook is arguably England’s best Test batsman with an excellent Ashes series behind him but there are still questions surrounding his ability to score quickly enough for the one day game and has the added burden of captaincy to carry. Batting lower down the order harms Bell’s and Morgan’s chances of being able to kick on with larger scores and Ian Bell seems to have a particular problem in converting opportunities into centuries (18 ODI 50s but just 1 ton plus). Kevin Pietersen is a mercurial talent and can rattle off quick scores and once in form tends to be red hot, if he gets going he could easily outscore the other runners by a margin. Jonathan Trott is machine-like in any form of the cricket with 11 50s in just 25 ODIs and a batting average of 55.65 versus Pietersen’s 40.98. Both are priced up similarly with Pietersen at a general best price of 4/1 and Trott available at Stan James at 9/2. Trott is available as short as 100/30 joint favourite in some places and the 9/2 is too tempting to miss out on.
Finally it should be noted that with a comprehensive 4-1 series win (or better) Sri Lanka have the opportunity to move 2nd in the ICC ODI rankings. Both the 4-1 and 5-0 series wins are worth small wagers with the whitewash available at best price of 33/1 and the 4-1 at 11/2.
Selections:
Series Outright: Sri Lanka 6/4 (Sportingbet & Victor Chandler)
Top Sri Lankan Series Bowler: Lasith Malinga 15/8 (Sportingbet)
Top England Series Batsman: Jonathan Trott 9/2 (Stan James)
Sri Lanka to win series 4-1 at 11/2 (Bet365 & Coral)
Sri Lanka to win series 5-0 at 33/1 (Victor Chandler & Boylesports)
Kumarbaz
Although England won the recent rain affected Test series 1-0 that is likely to have less relevance than Saturday’s pointer in the T20 at Bristol which proves a slightly better indicator when it comes to the 50 over format. There Sri Lanka easily prevailed in a 9 wicket thumping and have had similar success in the past with a 10 wicket win in the recent World Cup quarter final and a 5-0 ODI series win when last in England.
Sri Lanka also have the individuals to make a difference with two top 10 ICC ranked batsmen (Dilshan and Sangakkara, 3rd & 5th respectively) versus England who just having the impressive Jonathan Trott in 8th. Although Graeme Swann (ranked 4th in World) is probably the outstanding bowler in the match up, in terms of strength in depth Sri Lanka again have the edge with Mendis and Kulasekara ranked 9th & 10th plus arguably their best bowler Malinga not even in the top 10. Whereas England’s bowlers behind Swann either lack consistency, fitness or current form and could struggle to take enough wickets to put the Sri Lankans under real pressure.
It therefore seems that we have a betting mismatch, England do have home advantage but if this were a neutral ground series we would expect to see Sri Lanka as slight favourites, therefore playing at home should shift this closer to 50/50. Instead current best odds are showing England as 8/11 favourites and Sri Lanka at 6/4, therefore take advantage and side with Sri Lanka from a pure value perspective.
Other popular markets are the Top Batsman and Bowler and there are some decent bets to be had here too.
Malinga ‘the Slinga’ is coming off taking the most wickets in a single IPL season and has retired from Test cricket which means he should be coming here fresher than some others. With previous form against England (13 wickets in last series) he should outperform the rest of the efficient although not spectacular bowling unit. Another advantage is that he bowls at the death and in the batting power plays leading to potential cheap wickets – 15/8 is available as top Sri Lankan bowler.
The Top England Batsman market is arguably a tight affair with a strong batting line up in reasonable form; arguments can be made for all of the frontrunners. Alistair Cook is arguably England’s best Test batsman with an excellent Ashes series behind him but there are still questions surrounding his ability to score quickly enough for the one day game and has the added burden of captaincy to carry. Batting lower down the order harms Bell’s and Morgan’s chances of being able to kick on with larger scores and Ian Bell seems to have a particular problem in converting opportunities into centuries (18 ODI 50s but just 1 ton plus). Kevin Pietersen is a mercurial talent and can rattle off quick scores and once in form tends to be red hot, if he gets going he could easily outscore the other runners by a margin. Jonathan Trott is machine-like in any form of the cricket with 11 50s in just 25 ODIs and a batting average of 55.65 versus Pietersen’s 40.98. Both are priced up similarly with Pietersen at a general best price of 4/1 and Trott available at Stan James at 9/2. Trott is available as short as 100/30 joint favourite in some places and the 9/2 is too tempting to miss out on.
Finally it should be noted that with a comprehensive 4-1 series win (or better) Sri Lanka have the opportunity to move 2nd in the ICC ODI rankings. Both the 4-1 and 5-0 series wins are worth small wagers with the whitewash available at best price of 33/1 and the 4-1 at 11/2.
Selections:
Series Outright: Sri Lanka 6/4 (Sportingbet & Victor Chandler)
Top Sri Lankan Series Bowler: Lasith Malinga 15/8 (Sportingbet)
Top England Series Batsman: Jonathan Trott 9/2 (Stan James)
Sri Lanka to win series 4-1 at 11/2 (Bet365 & Coral)
Sri Lanka to win series 5-0 at 33/1 (Victor Chandler & Boylesports)
Kumarbaz
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Bouncing through to the quarters
Monday sees the start of the fourth round at Wimbledon and the final 16 players in both gender's championships. The nature of tennis matches, with there being only 2 possible winners, means that there are often cramped odds available and realistically only big hitters can take advantage - however if you can combine several winners even smaller punters can enjoy a payday. We're going to try to find these selections today.
Starting off with Djokovic to beat Michael Llodra at 1/12 should give a winning start - Djokovic has only lost one game (in the French Open semi-final) all year and isn't about to lose to doubles specialist and World 35 Llodra.
Next up and Feliciano Lopez is a very fair price at 1/3 to beat Lukasz Kubot. Lopez is a two time quarter finalist at Wimbledon as is ranked 37 versus Kubot at 93.
Last year's losing finalist Thomas Berdych is our final male selection and is taken to beat the American Mardy Fish. Mardy Fish is a hard court specialist and won his 3rd round match after Robin Haase retired, Berdych meanwhile looked in good form winning in straight sets - 4/9 are the odds.
Caroline Wozniacki is the women's number 1 and odds of 1/4 indicate the dominance that she should have over Dominika Cibulkova the current world 23. Wozniacki has never been past the 4th round before but this should be her 1st time, her counter attacking style should see her win points both with and against the serve with regularity.
Petra Kvitova is a player on the up on her highest ranking of 8th in the world and was a semi finalist last year, she is likely to prove a tough match for anyone this time round - her unlucky opponent here is Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer. This is Wickmayer's first time past the 2nd round, she had a good 2-1 victory over Kuznetsova last time and won't go down without a fight but the potential of Kvitova is much more and Wickmayer may well be the 1st of 4 opponents to fall by Kvitova's hand in the coming week. Kvitova at 1/3 and we fancy her to do it in straight sets at 5/6.
If we combine these morsels (minus the Kvitova 2-0) we get a tasty bet paying odds of around 5/2 with Boylesports.
Selections:
Djokovic to beat Llodra - 1/12
Lopez to beat Kubot - 1/3
Berdych to beat Fish - 4/9
Wozniacki to beat Cibulkova - 1/4
Kvitova to beat Wickmayer - 1/3
(Above combined pays £34.77 to a £10 outlay)
Kvitova to beat Wickmayer 2-0 - 5/6
likebuyingmoney (admin)
Starting off with Djokovic to beat Michael Llodra at 1/12 should give a winning start - Djokovic has only lost one game (in the French Open semi-final) all year and isn't about to lose to doubles specialist and World 35 Llodra.
Next up and Feliciano Lopez is a very fair price at 1/3 to beat Lukasz Kubot. Lopez is a two time quarter finalist at Wimbledon as is ranked 37 versus Kubot at 93.
Last year's losing finalist Thomas Berdych is our final male selection and is taken to beat the American Mardy Fish. Mardy Fish is a hard court specialist and won his 3rd round match after Robin Haase retired, Berdych meanwhile looked in good form winning in straight sets - 4/9 are the odds.
Caroline Wozniacki is the women's number 1 and odds of 1/4 indicate the dominance that she should have over Dominika Cibulkova the current world 23. Wozniacki has never been past the 4th round before but this should be her 1st time, her counter attacking style should see her win points both with and against the serve with regularity.
Petra Kvitova is a player on the up on her highest ranking of 8th in the world and was a semi finalist last year, she is likely to prove a tough match for anyone this time round - her unlucky opponent here is Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer. This is Wickmayer's first time past the 2nd round, she had a good 2-1 victory over Kuznetsova last time and won't go down without a fight but the potential of Kvitova is much more and Wickmayer may well be the 1st of 4 opponents to fall by Kvitova's hand in the coming week. Kvitova at 1/3 and we fancy her to do it in straight sets at 5/6.
If we combine these morsels (minus the Kvitova 2-0) we get a tasty bet paying odds of around 5/2 with Boylesports.
Selections:
Djokovic to beat Llodra - 1/12
Lopez to beat Kubot - 1/3
Berdych to beat Fish - 4/9
Wozniacki to beat Cibulkova - 1/4
Kvitova to beat Wickmayer - 1/3
(Above combined pays £34.77 to a £10 outlay)
Kvitova to beat Wickmayer 2-0 - 5/6
likebuyingmoney (admin)
Friday, 24 June 2011
Showdown at 'Noon'
Sometimes as punters we like to complicate things - trying to find something to beat an odds on shot or searching for potential handicap blots. However there are other times when the best approach to finding value (and finding value is always the key) is simply to find a selection that is much better than the opposition. That is exactly what we can find at the Curragh on Saturday in the filly Midday in the Pretty Polly stakes at 3.35.
Midday is the best middle distance filly around and 1 mile 2 furlongs on rain softened ground should see her in her best light - odds of 8/11 are more than generous and she should give little worry to backers.
The only realistic challenger to Midday's supremacy in the division is Snow Fairy and is in opposition today. Snow Fairy received weight and a beating by Midday in last year's Yorkshire Oaks and although undertaking a successful foreign Winter campaign (won in Japan and the Hong Kong Cup) she hasn't been seen since December and this is a tough ask off level weights.
Sunday sees the Irish Derby and Carlton House should prove popular in the betting, the Queen's horse went off 5/2 favourite for the English equivalent and had a somewhat troubled passage yet still finished a creditable 3rd. Aiden O'Brien's Treasure beach finished a place in front that day under a good ride and could do the same again.
However rather than picking a winner I'd rather lay Carlton House at short odds of anything 11/8 (2.4) and shorter on Betfair. The colt doesn't appear to have a turn of foot quite good enough to get out of trouble and there is potential for plenty of that on Sunday even though there are only 8 runners. Of the 8, four are saddled by O'Brien in assorted Coolmore colours, all have realistic chances and I can't see a jockey politely allowing Ryan Moore & Carlton House out to have a run if they happen to have him boxed in against the rail. Even with a clear run there is little reason to suggest 'the House' should be such a short price, Treasure Beach's run at Epsom was no fluke and the galloping track at the Curragh should suit the Galileo colt's running style.
In the preceding race our Royal Ascot selection for the King's Stand runs and may be able to recoup our losses. Arctic is up against the in form Inxile and if odds of 6/1 or bigger are available take them - Arctic should strip fitter for the Ascot run and will appreciate any ease in the ground.
Selections:
Saturday 3.35 Curragh - Back Midday at 8/11
Sunday 3.50 Curragh - Lay Carlton House at 11/8 (2.4) & shorter
Sunday 3.10 Curragh - Back Arctic at 6/1+
Kumarbaz
Midday is the best middle distance filly around and 1 mile 2 furlongs on rain softened ground should see her in her best light - odds of 8/11 are more than generous and she should give little worry to backers.
The only realistic challenger to Midday's supremacy in the division is Snow Fairy and is in opposition today. Snow Fairy received weight and a beating by Midday in last year's Yorkshire Oaks and although undertaking a successful foreign Winter campaign (won in Japan and the Hong Kong Cup) she hasn't been seen since December and this is a tough ask off level weights.
Sunday sees the Irish Derby and Carlton House should prove popular in the betting, the Queen's horse went off 5/2 favourite for the English equivalent and had a somewhat troubled passage yet still finished a creditable 3rd. Aiden O'Brien's Treasure beach finished a place in front that day under a good ride and could do the same again.
However rather than picking a winner I'd rather lay Carlton House at short odds of anything 11/8 (2.4) and shorter on Betfair. The colt doesn't appear to have a turn of foot quite good enough to get out of trouble and there is potential for plenty of that on Sunday even though there are only 8 runners. Of the 8, four are saddled by O'Brien in assorted Coolmore colours, all have realistic chances and I can't see a jockey politely allowing Ryan Moore & Carlton House out to have a run if they happen to have him boxed in against the rail. Even with a clear run there is little reason to suggest 'the House' should be such a short price, Treasure Beach's run at Epsom was no fluke and the galloping track at the Curragh should suit the Galileo colt's running style.
In the preceding race our Royal Ascot selection for the King's Stand runs and may be able to recoup our losses. Arctic is up against the in form Inxile and if odds of 6/1 or bigger are available take them - Arctic should strip fitter for the Ascot run and will appreciate any ease in the ground.
Selections:
Saturday 3.35 Curragh - Back Midday at 8/11
Sunday 3.50 Curragh - Lay Carlton House at 11/8 (2.4) & shorter
Sunday 3.10 Curragh - Back Arctic at 6/1+
Kumarbaz
Thursday, 23 June 2011
European GP - Valencia (24th - 26th June)
One thing is for certain. This weekend's European GP in Valencia is unlikely to be as eventful and exciting as the previous instalment in Montreal. You won't get any bookmaker giving you odds on that. Nor should you be seeking them, to be honest.
What can we expect as the F1 circus heads to Europe? We could well see McLaren match Red Bull in terms of race pace once again as the circuits share some similarities and Woking's finest are showing improvement but we expect Championship leader Sebastian Vettel to once again lead the way in qualifying, although short odds 8/13 he's too good for anyone right now.
Fernando Alonso has been talking up his chances this week and he will be strong at one of his two home races. Back him for at least a points finish (1/6) and even a podium (4/6) looks a strong possibility, particularly as he is coming off a rare DNF in Canada - he is nothing if not consistent and will be one to watch. He will feel that a repeat of Monaco is more likely than Canada - and so do we.
Renault have brought a new rear wing to Europe and they believe it will bring with it an improvement in performance. With both Nick Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov now settled into the team and driving well without pulling up too many trees, we're recommending that you take the 7/5 on offer with bwin for a double points finish, particularly if they show good pace in the early practice sessions.
One more thing to look out for, particularly if the weather is changeable, is the price of Felipe Massa. He is a huge price to win (anything from around 20/1 to 50/1, which given the car he is in and his performance in Canada, is too high) and might be worth a punt which you can lay off during the race should he start mixing it with the leaders and his odds start to come in. A word of warning, however. we tried this a couple of seasons ago in Bahrain and he immediately spun off.
Selections -
Back Vettel to take pole at 8/13 3pts
Back Alonso to take a podium at 4/6 2.5pts
Back both Renaults to claim points at 7/5 2pts
Back Massa to win (anything from 20/1 - 50/1) but look to lay this off in-running or even after qualifying if he performs well 1pt
John Pennington of http://www.thelunchwatchman.com/ writes for www.likebuyingmoney.blogspot.com
What can we expect as the F1 circus heads to Europe? We could well see McLaren match Red Bull in terms of race pace once again as the circuits share some similarities and Woking's finest are showing improvement but we expect Championship leader Sebastian Vettel to once again lead the way in qualifying, although short odds 8/13 he's too good for anyone right now.
Fernando Alonso has been talking up his chances this week and he will be strong at one of his two home races. Back him for at least a points finish (1/6) and even a podium (4/6) looks a strong possibility, particularly as he is coming off a rare DNF in Canada - he is nothing if not consistent and will be one to watch. He will feel that a repeat of Monaco is more likely than Canada - and so do we.
Renault have brought a new rear wing to Europe and they believe it will bring with it an improvement in performance. With both Nick Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov now settled into the team and driving well without pulling up too many trees, we're recommending that you take the 7/5 on offer with bwin for a double points finish, particularly if they show good pace in the early practice sessions.
One more thing to look out for, particularly if the weather is changeable, is the price of Felipe Massa. He is a huge price to win (anything from around 20/1 to 50/1, which given the car he is in and his performance in Canada, is too high) and might be worth a punt which you can lay off during the race should he start mixing it with the leaders and his odds start to come in. A word of warning, however. we tried this a couple of seasons ago in Bahrain and he immediately spun off.
Selections -
Back Vettel to take pole at 8/13 3pts
Back Alonso to take a podium at 4/6 2.5pts
Back both Renaults to claim points at 7/5 2pts
Back Massa to win (anything from 20/1 - 50/1) but look to lay this off in-running or even after qualifying if he performs well 1pt
John Pennington of http://www.thelunchwatchman.com/ writes for www.likebuyingmoney.blogspot.com
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Soderling and Hewitt to serve up a treat
The remainder of the round 2 matches will be played tomorrow (Thursday). SW19 will be entertained by Serena Willaims, Roger Federer, Caroline Wozniacki and Robin Soderling.
Our first pick of the day is former world number 5 Fernando Gonzalez, the Chilean, making his way back up the World rankings following surgery on a hip and knee injury is pitted against South African Rik de Voest. Olympic medalist Gonzalez should prove too much for the 31 year old right handed player who is yet to reach the third round of any major tournament.
Our next choice is Melinda Czink. Czink dumped 10th seed Samantha Stosur out of the first round in straight sets, she is drawn against Anastasiya Yakimova of the Belarus in round 2. Czink, a former World top 40 player, was impressive in the dispatching of Stosur conceding just 7 games. We think she'll have too much for Yakimova who has previously fallen at this hurdle five times.
World Number 20 Shuai Peng meets British number 1 Elena Baltacha, both players have modest records at Wimbledon and will see this as a perfect opportunity to progress. Peng has previously beaten a selection of the worlds top females and should beat Ukrainian born Baltacha even with the majority of the crowd against her, Peng finally broke into the world top 20 after an impressive run in the 2011 French Open - a tournament she had to retire from through illness when facing reigning champion Francesca Schivone.
The Serbian and former World number 5 Ana Ivanovic faces 28 year old Greek player Eleni Daniilidou. A semi finalist back in 2007 Ivanovic comes into the tournament on the back off some poor form having only reached round three in her previous 5 tournaments. Daniilidou a former top 20 ranked player has enough to cause Ivanovic problems. We think that Ivanovic will eventually win the match however the Greek can certainly take a set.
Lleyton Hewitt, former World number 1 and 2002 Wimbledon winner plays fifth seed, Swede Robin Soderling in one of the games of the day, the pairing is the first match on centre court. Soderling comes into the tournament off of the back of 3 2011 tour titles and a quarter final defeat to the eventual French Open winner Rafael Nadal. Hewitt however withdrew from the Roland Garros tournament and expects to have to play with 'unrelenting' foot pain. We are expecting a close encounter with the eventual winner likely to face Bernard Tomic in round 3.
A 16 year old Tomic rejected the opportuinty to practice with Hewitt during 2009's Wimbledon much to the disbelief of Hewitt and his physio, Tomic's then trainer Rudy Sopko claimed that Hewitt was 'not good enough', since the spat the pair have shown little sign of reconcilliation and Hewitt will want to progress to prove a point against the now 18 year old. Despite a potential fairytale story for Hewitt, Soderling's form and ability and the question marks over Hewitt's fitness should see the Swede progress to round 3.
Selection -
Back Fernando Gonzalez to beat Rik de Voest at 4/9 3pts
Back Melinda Czink to beat Anastasiya Yakimova at 8/13 3pts
Back Shuai Peng to beat Elena Baltacha at 8/15 3pts
Back Ana Ivanovic to beat Eleni Daniilidou 2-1 at 4/1 1pt
Back Robin Soderling to beat Lleyton Hewitt at 3/10 3pts
Back Robin Soderling to beat Lleyton Hewitt 3-1 at 13/5 1.5pts
Back Bernard Tomic to beat Igor Andreev at 1/2 4pts
likebuyingmoney
Our first pick of the day is former world number 5 Fernando Gonzalez, the Chilean, making his way back up the World rankings following surgery on a hip and knee injury is pitted against South African Rik de Voest. Olympic medalist Gonzalez should prove too much for the 31 year old right handed player who is yet to reach the third round of any major tournament.
Our next choice is Melinda Czink. Czink dumped 10th seed Samantha Stosur out of the first round in straight sets, she is drawn against Anastasiya Yakimova of the Belarus in round 2. Czink, a former World top 40 player, was impressive in the dispatching of Stosur conceding just 7 games. We think she'll have too much for Yakimova who has previously fallen at this hurdle five times.
World Number 20 Shuai Peng meets British number 1 Elena Baltacha, both players have modest records at Wimbledon and will see this as a perfect opportunity to progress. Peng has previously beaten a selection of the worlds top females and should beat Ukrainian born Baltacha even with the majority of the crowd against her, Peng finally broke into the world top 20 after an impressive run in the 2011 French Open - a tournament she had to retire from through illness when facing reigning champion Francesca Schivone.
The Serbian and former World number 5 Ana Ivanovic faces 28 year old Greek player Eleni Daniilidou. A semi finalist back in 2007 Ivanovic comes into the tournament on the back off some poor form having only reached round three in her previous 5 tournaments. Daniilidou a former top 20 ranked player has enough to cause Ivanovic problems. We think that Ivanovic will eventually win the match however the Greek can certainly take a set.
Lleyton Hewitt, former World number 1 and 2002 Wimbledon winner plays fifth seed, Swede Robin Soderling in one of the games of the day, the pairing is the first match on centre court. Soderling comes into the tournament off of the back of 3 2011 tour titles and a quarter final defeat to the eventual French Open winner Rafael Nadal. Hewitt however withdrew from the Roland Garros tournament and expects to have to play with 'unrelenting' foot pain. We are expecting a close encounter with the eventual winner likely to face Bernard Tomic in round 3.
A 16 year old Tomic rejected the opportuinty to practice with Hewitt during 2009's Wimbledon much to the disbelief of Hewitt and his physio, Tomic's then trainer Rudy Sopko claimed that Hewitt was 'not good enough', since the spat the pair have shown little sign of reconcilliation and Hewitt will want to progress to prove a point against the now 18 year old. Despite a potential fairytale story for Hewitt, Soderling's form and ability and the question marks over Hewitt's fitness should see the Swede progress to round 3.
Selection -
Back Fernando Gonzalez to beat Rik de Voest at 4/9 3pts
Back Melinda Czink to beat Anastasiya Yakimova at 8/13 3pts
Back Shuai Peng to beat Elena Baltacha at 8/15 3pts
Back Ana Ivanovic to beat Eleni Daniilidou 2-1 at 4/1 1pt
Back Robin Soderling to beat Lleyton Hewitt at 3/10 3pts
Back Robin Soderling to beat Lleyton Hewitt 3-1 at 13/5 1.5pts
Back Bernard Tomic to beat Igor Andreev at 1/2 4pts
likebuyingmoney
Monday, 20 June 2011
Wimbledon Day Two 'dedeuced'
1/100, 1/66, 1/50. Just not worth backing. They are the odds offered in these first couple of rounds at Wimbledon in some instances such is the gulf between the worlds elite and the 'also rans'. Set, total game, correct match score and total game betting offer 'value' backers with some solace.
Looking beyond the matches involving the likely winners of both the men's and women's tournament however does offer some value in the match markets. We've studied the form and history to come up with our selections for day two of Wimbledon seeking to find a range options for you to back.
The winner of the match between Adrian Mannarino and Irishman Conor Niland will face Swiss supermo Roger Federer in round two. Mannarino goes into the contest as favourite and should have too much for the World Number 184 from Limerick.
World Number 21 Nikolay Davydenko seems overpriced (7/5) against the 18 year old Bernard Tomic. Davydenko is far better on other surfaces however the 5 ft 10 Russian should provide tough opposition to Tomic who exited in the first round 12 months ago.
Bulgarian Number 1 woman Tsvetana Pironkova looks a huge price against 18 year old Italian Camila Giorgi (177 in the World Rankings). We think the Plovdiv based player should win this contest in straight sets. Klara Zakapolova also beats Emily Webley-Smith 2-0. The Czech player reached round four last year and will be looking to dispatch Webley-Smith (ranked 247) comfortably.
Selections -
Back Adrian Mannarino to beat Conor Niland at 2/5 3pts
Back Nikolay Davydenko to beat Bernard Tomic at 7/5 1.5pts
Back Marcos Baghdatis to beat James Blake 3-1 at 2/1 2pts
Back Ivan Dodig to beat Ryan Harrison at 4/9 2pts
Back Tsvetana Pironkova to beat Camila Giorgi at 4/9 3.5pts
Back Tsvetana Pironkova to beat Camila Giorgi 2-0 at Evens 2pts
Back Klara Zakopalova to beat Emily Webley-Smith at 2/9 4pts
Back Klara Zakopalova to beat Emily Webley-Smith 2-0 at 8/15 2.5pts
El Jugador
Looking beyond the matches involving the likely winners of both the men's and women's tournament however does offer some value in the match markets. We've studied the form and history to come up with our selections for day two of Wimbledon seeking to find a range options for you to back.
The winner of the match between Adrian Mannarino and Irishman Conor Niland will face Swiss supermo Roger Federer in round two. Mannarino goes into the contest as favourite and should have too much for the World Number 184 from Limerick.
World Number 21 Nikolay Davydenko seems overpriced (7/5) against the 18 year old Bernard Tomic. Davydenko is far better on other surfaces however the 5 ft 10 Russian should provide tough opposition to Tomic who exited in the first round 12 months ago.
Bulgarian Number 1 woman Tsvetana Pironkova looks a huge price against 18 year old Italian Camila Giorgi (177 in the World Rankings). We think the Plovdiv based player should win this contest in straight sets. Klara Zakapolova also beats Emily Webley-Smith 2-0. The Czech player reached round four last year and will be looking to dispatch Webley-Smith (ranked 247) comfortably.
Selections -
Back Adrian Mannarino to beat Conor Niland at 2/5 3pts
Back Nikolay Davydenko to beat Bernard Tomic at 7/5 1.5pts
Back Marcos Baghdatis to beat James Blake 3-1 at 2/1 2pts
Back Ivan Dodig to beat Ryan Harrison at 4/9 2pts
Back Tsvetana Pironkova to beat Camila Giorgi at 4/9 3.5pts
Back Tsvetana Pironkova to beat Camila Giorgi 2-0 at Evens 2pts
Back Klara Zakopalova to beat Emily Webley-Smith at 2/9 4pts
Back Klara Zakopalova to beat Emily Webley-Smith 2-0 at 8/15 2.5pts
El Jugador
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Battle of Viborg: Pearce’s men must win
Stuart Pearce’s under 21 side know that they must win against the Czech Republic on Sunday evening to avoid an early tournament exit in the European Under 21 tournament in Denmark. England have opened up their campaign with successive draws against Spain and Ukraine. The Czech’s meanwhile beat Ukraine but lost last time out 2-0 to Spain, a game in which they very much looked second best.
England are boosted with the news that both towering defender Chris Smalling and midfielder Henri Landsbury are fit to play. There are rumours about changes to the starting XI, pundits are calling for the inclusion of Swansea flyer Scott Sinclair and Bolton defensive midfielder Fabrice Muamba to fill the holding midfield role that captain Michael Mancienne has flattered to deceive in during the opening two matches.
The Czech side were many people’s choice to go well during the tournament and that could very much still happen. The Czech coach, Jakob Davolil has himself hinted at changes to his team that did so well in qualifying for the competition. Ex Tottenham and Southampton striker Tomas Pekhart bagged 9 goals in qualifying but is yet to find the net in Denmark, Libor Kozak, who plays his club football for Lazio is the likely beneficiary. Midfielder Lukas Maracek has also been told that he’ll be given his first start of the tournament.
The Czech Republic have managed just 5 shots on target in the first two matches added to England’s impressive defensive options and the Czech don’t seemingly pose too much threat in the final third. During qualification they notched an impressive 25 goals, however 13 of these came against minnows San Marino. England have conceded the solitary goal in the competition and they, through Danny Welbeck, have scored just one goal.
It’s clear that England do have the quality throughout the squad to score goals Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge, and Scott Sinclair all had fantastic seasons domestically and if Pearce is brave enough to start them all then England can take the game to their Czech counterparts.
Selection –
Back England at 6/5 2.5pts
Back England win to nil at 5/2 1.5pts
Back Scott Sinclair to score at any time at 4/1 1pt
Back England 2-0 at 11/1 0.5pts
Kumarbaz
England are boosted with the news that both towering defender Chris Smalling and midfielder Henri Landsbury are fit to play. There are rumours about changes to the starting XI, pundits are calling for the inclusion of Swansea flyer Scott Sinclair and Bolton defensive midfielder Fabrice Muamba to fill the holding midfield role that captain Michael Mancienne has flattered to deceive in during the opening two matches.
The Czech side were many people’s choice to go well during the tournament and that could very much still happen. The Czech coach, Jakob Davolil has himself hinted at changes to his team that did so well in qualifying for the competition. Ex Tottenham and Southampton striker Tomas Pekhart bagged 9 goals in qualifying but is yet to find the net in Denmark, Libor Kozak, who plays his club football for Lazio is the likely beneficiary. Midfielder Lukas Maracek has also been told that he’ll be given his first start of the tournament.
The Czech Republic have managed just 5 shots on target in the first two matches added to England’s impressive defensive options and the Czech don’t seemingly pose too much threat in the final third. During qualification they notched an impressive 25 goals, however 13 of these came against minnows San Marino. England have conceded the solitary goal in the competition and they, through Danny Welbeck, have scored just one goal.
It’s clear that England do have the quality throughout the squad to score goals Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge, and Scott Sinclair all had fantastic seasons domestically and if Pearce is brave enough to start them all then England can take the game to their Czech counterparts.
Selection –
Back England at 6/5 2.5pts
Back England win to nil at 5/2 1.5pts
Back Scott Sinclair to score at any time at 4/1 1pt
Back England 2-0 at 11/1 0.5pts
Kumarbaz
Saturday, 18 June 2011
The eagerly awaited bout: The Hayemaker vs Dr Steelhammer
The much anticipated world heavyweight unification bout between David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko takes place at The Imtech Arena, Hamburg in a fortnight (2nd July). Haye, who has 25 wins from 26 professional fights, impressively defeated (on points) giant Russian Nikolay Valuev in 2009 to earn the right to hold the WBA belt whilst the 35 year old Ukrainian Klitschko is undefeated since 2004, currently holds the WBO and IBF belts.
A plethora of public rows and broken promises have added to theatre around the fight, which has been some two years in the making. The pair finally signed contracts confirming one of the most eagerly anticipated fights in March 2011.
Unpicking the contest and potential betting opportunities isn’t that straight forward. Klitschko currently finds himself odds-on and there may be money to be made in the method of victory market.
Haye’s speed and athleticism around the ring is second to none, attributed in the main to his earlier days as a cruiserweight, his trainer Adam Booth suggests that Haye will fight differently to his previous bouts. A back foot approach against Valuev was much to the discredit of some boxing critics; however it’s unlikely to be for any boxing writers benefit in a change of style. The recently interviewed Booth has stated that Haye’s strategy will be ‘like nothing the Klitschko camp had seen before’. A cautious yet aggressive style, particularly in the early rounds, is what’s predicted from Haye’s corner, Haye himself has said he thinks Klitschko’s chin is vulnerable which he’ll certainly target throughout the contest.
Both camps and individual fighters believe the other has weaknesses that they can expose. Haye’s punch resistance will be seriously tested by the man nicknamed Dr Steelhammer. The power Klitschko possesses and speed for a heavyweight has been unseen by Haye. Klitschko too has never fought anyone as quick on their feet as Haye, if his strategy works Haye could cause the 6ft 6 Ukrainian issues. Whichever man lands the first meaningful punches stands a great chance of going on to be the victor.
Klitschko hasn’t KO’d any of his opponents in the last 4 years within 6 rounds, add this fact to Haye’s undeniable athleticism the Ukrainian has his work cut out, if either man is to win by KO, the latter rounds are likely to be where it happens. Haye has proven against Valuez (12 rounds) and more recently against John Ruiz (9 rounds) he’s capable of boxing at the business end of the fight. Odds currently available on the fight going the distance stand at 5/2 suggesting this one will be determined within 12 rounds.
Selection –
Back Wladimir Klitschko outright winner at 8/13 3pts
Back Wladimir Klitschko to win by KO, TKO or Disqualification at 13/10 2.5pts
Back Wladimir Klitschko to win in Round 8 at 22/1 0.5pts
Back Wladimir Klitschko to win in Round 9 at 25/1 0.5pts
Back David Haye to win in Round 9 at 33/1 0.5pts
Back David Haye to win in Round 10 at 33/1 0.5pts
El Jugador
Friday, 17 June 2011
Golden Jubilee - Saturday 18th June - Royal Ascot
The final day of Royal Ascot sees the fifth leg of the Global Sprint Challenge in the 6 furlong Golden Jubilee Stakes and a more British & Irish affair than Tuesday's King's Stand with Australian sprinter Star Witness & French trained Amico Fritz the only non-Irish foreign raiders.
Star Witness has some form in softish conditions and ran well to finish 2nd in the King's Stand, if further improvement comes from that run then the current odds of 5/1 look fair. Of the British horses Bated Breath is probably the horse most open to improvement being a lightly raced 4 year old with a top trainer in Roger Charlton and the right jockey to hold him up for a late challenge in Richard Hughes. If the ground were to be on the quick side of good Bated Breath would be our automatic suggestion especially at generous odds of around 7/1, however he does seem the type to be suited by really quick ground and this race is maybe not the one to go to war with him.
Dalghar was in the hands of French trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre up until this season when he was transferred over to Andrew Balding in the colours of new owners. Being a half brother to two of the last 20 years' most outstanding middle distance colts in Daylami & Dalakhani wouldn't instantly lead you to believe that 6 furlongs was Dalghar's ideal distance. However after competing at the highest level at a mile, up against Goldikova (by the same sire, Anabaa, as Dalghar) & Paco Boy it was clear he wasn't quite lasting out over that distance. Dalghar travels well in his races and will be one of the few to genuinely relish the underfoot conditions and that could be decisive. Since final declarations were made the price of Dalghar has been shortening and is down to 10/1 in places today, this is still value but try to get the 12/1 on offer for a really outstanding price.
Selection: Dalghar 10/1+
Kumarbaz
Star Witness has some form in softish conditions and ran well to finish 2nd in the King's Stand, if further improvement comes from that run then the current odds of 5/1 look fair. Of the British horses Bated Breath is probably the horse most open to improvement being a lightly raced 4 year old with a top trainer in Roger Charlton and the right jockey to hold him up for a late challenge in Richard Hughes. If the ground were to be on the quick side of good Bated Breath would be our automatic suggestion especially at generous odds of around 7/1, however he does seem the type to be suited by really quick ground and this race is maybe not the one to go to war with him.
Dalghar was in the hands of French trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre up until this season when he was transferred over to Andrew Balding in the colours of new owners. Being a half brother to two of the last 20 years' most outstanding middle distance colts in Daylami & Dalakhani wouldn't instantly lead you to believe that 6 furlongs was Dalghar's ideal distance. However after competing at the highest level at a mile, up against Goldikova (by the same sire, Anabaa, as Dalghar) & Paco Boy it was clear he wasn't quite lasting out over that distance. Dalghar travels well in his races and will be one of the few to genuinely relish the underfoot conditions and that could be decisive. Since final declarations were made the price of Dalghar has been shortening and is down to 10/1 in places today, this is still value but try to get the 12/1 on offer for a really outstanding price.
Selection: Dalghar 10/1+
Kumarbaz
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Li Na to make a 'racket' at SW19
On the 20th June the first ball will be served in earnest in the 125th Wimbledon Championships. The title of Women’s Singles Champion looks wide open, current odds show that that the eight most likely women to succeed are priced up between 9/2 and 16/1 suggesting fierce competition at The All England Lawn Tennis Club.
The 21st Century has been dominated by the Williams sisters; Venus and Serena have racked up 8 of the 10 available ladies singles titles since 2000, only Russian Maria Sharapova (2004) and the now retired Amelie Mauresmo (2006) have been able to break the sisters’ resolve. With Serena having played very little tennis in the past 12 months due to her being on her ‘death bed’ (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/13755914.stm) and Venus struggling to fend off Andrea Petkovic in the first round of the Aegon International it suggests maybe to find this year’s winner you have to look beyond the American pair.
As well as the Williams sisters, strong cases can be made for Sharapova, Wozniacki and 21 year old Czech player Kvitova but we like World Number 4 Li Na. The Chinese 29 year old comes into the Championships in good form and has a decent record against the majority of her rivals (some of her most impressive tennis came when defeating both Kvitova and Sharapova in the 2011 French Open).
One player we suggest to avoid backing is Belgian Kim Clijsters. Clijsters has never reached the final of the Women’s singles at SW19, and she’s recently back from an injury that kept her out for two months. This Championship may come too soon for the current World number 2 as she regains full fitness. Clijsters hasn’t warmed up well for the tournament suffering defeat to world number 82 Romina Oprandi at the Unicef Open earlier today.
Our selections –
Lay Kim Clijsters outright winner (15.0) 1.5pt
Lay Kim Clijsters vs top 32 seeds (variable odds) 1 pt
Lay Kim Clijsters vs top 32 seeds (variable odds) 1 pt
Back Li Na (9.0) and Petra Kvitova (12.5) each 0.5pt
El Jugador
Friday, 10 June 2011
King's Stand Stakes - Tuesday 14th June - Royal Ascot
Tuesday sees the 4th leg of the Global Sprint Challenge and the 5 furlong King's Stand Stakes is a truly global affair with Australian horses taking 3 of the last 5 runnings and the French bred Equiano winning in 2008 and last year in 2010. American trainers Wes Ward and Todd Pletcher run Holiday For Kitten and Bridgetown respectively and we also see the 2nd appearance on British turf of the 'Budapest Bullet' - Hungarian winning machine Overdose. The British horses aren't putting up the strongest resistance with Kingsgate Native the best proven, although the filly Astrophysical Jet looked highly promising last year and could still be open to some improvement.
Our selection isn't homegrown, however we also don't need to travel too far - just across the Irish Sea where we find the highest rated horse in the field according to the official British Handicapper, rated one pound superior to Kingsgate Native but at quadruple the price. Tracey Collins' 4 year old Arctic was highly promising as a 2 year old with 3 victories including a Listed race and as a wide margin winner of a Group 3. Arctic only made it to the track 3 times last season but came a close enough 5th in France's premier sprint the Prix de L'Abbaye on its 2nd start. With some rain forecast to continue through to Monday over Ascot the ground on Tuesday could be very slightly on the slow side of good which would very much suit the selection and be against the Australian and US raiders.
Arctic may need the run and if conditions are getting towards firm ground he may end up as an also ran but the current odds available (40/1 with the bookmakers & 70/1+ on Betfair) make this a risk worth taking especially as these odds could end up much shorter if the rain keeps coming.
Selection: Arctic each way 40/1+
Kumarbaz
Our selection isn't homegrown, however we also don't need to travel too far - just across the Irish Sea where we find the highest rated horse in the field according to the official British Handicapper, rated one pound superior to Kingsgate Native but at quadruple the price. Tracey Collins' 4 year old Arctic was highly promising as a 2 year old with 3 victories including a Listed race and as a wide margin winner of a Group 3. Arctic only made it to the track 3 times last season but came a close enough 5th in France's premier sprint the Prix de L'Abbaye on its 2nd start. With some rain forecast to continue through to Monday over Ascot the ground on Tuesday could be very slightly on the slow side of good which would very much suit the selection and be against the Australian and US raiders.
Arctic may need the run and if conditions are getting towards firm ground he may end up as an also ran but the current odds available (40/1 with the bookmakers & 70/1+ on Betfair) make this a risk worth taking especially as these odds could end up much shorter if the rain keeps coming.
Selection: Arctic each way 40/1+
Kumarbaz
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Taunton offers T20 ‘Ton Tempter’
As one of the smallest first class cricket grounds in the world Somerset’s County Ground frequently serves up high scoring matches, particularly when it comes to the short form of the game. Paddy Power are offering 10/1 in T20 matches that a ton is scored in a specified match by either side, if this is going to happen then Taunton will most likely be the setting.
There are six more opportunities for a Somerset batsman, or for that matter one of their opponents to top three figures. Somerset’s only home T20 match this season saw the West Country outfit reach 235/5 with a plucky Middlesex response of 195/9, a clear indication that there’s plenty of chance for the batsmen to significantly up their average.
Somerset boast some of the most attacking talent in England, Marcus Trescothick, Craig Keiswetter, Peter Trego, James Hildreth and local lad Jos Buttler have all excelled in this competition before. The inclusion of the mercurial talent of South African Roelof Van der Merwe (51 from 22 balls vs Middlesex) adds to Somerset’s batting prowess.
So far a 92, 89 and 86 have been individually scored at other grounds this season had these ‘knocks’ have happened at Taunton the likelihood, due to the size of the ground, would have resulted in a hundred being scored.
This is one certainly to keep an eye on. Somerset play Kent tomorrow (10th June) and then host another 4 teams throughout June prior to a final group match against arch rivals Gloucestershire who have played three and lost three so far in the 2011 competition. Perhaps they serve up the best opportunity for a ton to be scored.
The only negative with such a bet is the British weather – probably best to ensure a full match is likely before placing any bets, if you can be patient enough to wait for the toss I’d also suggest getting on this bet when Somerset are batting first. Along the same lines it is suggested to keep an eye out on the prices offered in-play when chasing 200+ down, regularly this is overpriced and offers punters a chance to clean up.
El Jugador
There are six more opportunities for a Somerset batsman, or for that matter one of their opponents to top three figures. Somerset’s only home T20 match this season saw the West Country outfit reach 235/5 with a plucky Middlesex response of 195/9, a clear indication that there’s plenty of chance for the batsmen to significantly up their average.
Somerset boast some of the most attacking talent in England, Marcus Trescothick, Craig Keiswetter, Peter Trego, James Hildreth and local lad Jos Buttler have all excelled in this competition before. The inclusion of the mercurial talent of South African Roelof Van der Merwe (51 from 22 balls vs Middlesex) adds to Somerset’s batting prowess.
So far a 92, 89 and 86 have been individually scored at other grounds this season had these ‘knocks’ have happened at Taunton the likelihood, due to the size of the ground, would have resulted in a hundred being scored.
This is one certainly to keep an eye on. Somerset play Kent tomorrow (10th June) and then host another 4 teams throughout June prior to a final group match against arch rivals Gloucestershire who have played three and lost three so far in the 2011 competition. Perhaps they serve up the best opportunity for a ton to be scored.
The only negative with such a bet is the British weather – probably best to ensure a full match is likely before placing any bets, if you can be patient enough to wait for the toss I’d also suggest getting on this bet when Somerset are batting first. Along the same lines it is suggested to keep an eye out on the prices offered in-play when chasing 200+ down, regularly this is overpriced and offers punters a chance to clean up.
Selection – An individual ton to be scored in the T20 competition when Somerset are playing at Taunton (and batting first if possible). Available at around 10/1 with Paddy Power. 1 Pt stake.
El Jugador
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
2011/12 Early Football Handicap Selections
League - Championship
Selection - Derby County
Why? Underachieved in 2010/11 and avaliable at 50/1 antepost to win the league this term suggests a large points handicap for the Rams.
Notoriously in the Championship anyone can beat anyone and next season should be no different. Derby Chairman Andrew Appleby has said he'll back Clough Jnr during the summer months, so much so that if season ticket holders not happy with the summer signings they can request their money back if incomings fail to excite. Derby have moved quicker than most and already secured the services of Chris Maguire, Theo Robinson, Craig Bryson and 'keeper Frank Fielding and rumoured to be signing Jason Shackell and striker Nathan Tyson (nearly a done deal) from rivals Nottm Forest already look to have a good foundation to amass an impressive points haul next term.
Robbie Savage has now retired and although a permenant fixture when fit throughout 10/11 Derby may benefit from his exit. A change in style and pace in the centre of the park should add to their attacking options which last season was one dimensional to say the least.
Lastly, with the boards backing Clough knows he needs to deliver. He can't and won't except anything but success come August.
League - League 2
Selection - Oxford
Why? Last season saw Oxford play some of the most exciting football in League 2, thier problem was at the back where they leaked goals all to easily. Like Derby, Oxford have moved quickly to do their summer business and have already signed 6 players.
Amongst them the old heads of defenders Michael Duberry and Tony Capaldi. Although their best days may now be behind them these two are more than capable than helping Oxford to a lofty place in League 2. Capaldi comes with an incredible throw which offers Oxford further attacking options.
Games against Everton and Birmingham in pre-season will show just how good this squad is.
Points/Prices on 2011/12 handicaps are currently not available - watch this space for updates nearer the beginning of the season.
El Jugador
Selection - Derby County
Why? Underachieved in 2010/11 and avaliable at 50/1 antepost to win the league this term suggests a large points handicap for the Rams.
Notoriously in the Championship anyone can beat anyone and next season should be no different. Derby Chairman Andrew Appleby has said he'll back Clough Jnr during the summer months, so much so that if season ticket holders not happy with the summer signings they can request their money back if incomings fail to excite. Derby have moved quicker than most and already secured the services of Chris Maguire, Theo Robinson, Craig Bryson and 'keeper Frank Fielding and rumoured to be signing Jason Shackell and striker Nathan Tyson (nearly a done deal) from rivals Nottm Forest already look to have a good foundation to amass an impressive points haul next term.
Robbie Savage has now retired and although a permenant fixture when fit throughout 10/11 Derby may benefit from his exit. A change in style and pace in the centre of the park should add to their attacking options which last season was one dimensional to say the least.
Lastly, with the boards backing Clough knows he needs to deliver. He can't and won't except anything but success come August.
League - League 2
Selection - Oxford
Why? Last season saw Oxford play some of the most exciting football in League 2, thier problem was at the back where they leaked goals all to easily. Like Derby, Oxford have moved quickly to do their summer business and have already signed 6 players.
Amongst them the old heads of defenders Michael Duberry and Tony Capaldi. Although their best days may now be behind them these two are more than capable than helping Oxford to a lofty place in League 2. Capaldi comes with an incredible throw which offers Oxford further attacking options.
Games against Everton and Birmingham in pre-season will show just how good this squad is.
Points/Prices on 2011/12 handicaps are currently not available - watch this space for updates nearer the beginning of the season.
El Jugador
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)