Gotta love Liverpool supporters

.... You have to laugh at the Liverpool supporters. They couldn't wait to put the boot in Chelsea after they won at Stanford Bridge over the weekend.

Here were 2 great chirps which I picked up over Facebook.

Jamie Carragher has been remanded in custody by London’s Metro Police pending a bail hearing. CCTV appears to show the Liverpool vice captain walking around with 50m million pounds worth of Roman Abramovic’s property in his pocket for over an hour.

or

Fernando proved he’s not a red, Torres, Torres!! The money went right to his head, Torres, Torres!! Go to Chelsea ruin your life, we hope John Terry fucks your wife, Fernando Torres, Judas in Disguise!!

Sunday FA Cup picks

Hhhhmmm well Leeds didn't do me any favours yesterday by drawing with Arsenal and then Middlesbrough managed to disappoint. Oh well win some lose some.

Today the really big game will be the match up between Manchester United and Liverpool. I'm not buying that Dalglish will provide the turnaround even though it offers a ray of light to the Liverpool fans. My calls are pretty straight-forward this Sunday:

United to beat Liverpool
Chelsea to beat Ipswich
Manchester City to beat Leicester (although this one makes me nervous)
Spurs to beat Charlton

and then for good measure South Africa to beat India in the first T20 cricket fixture.

Don't forget - if you haven't opened an sports betting account you can open one at Sportingbet or Voltbet.com and be betting from as little as R5 a punt!.

Happy punting.

English Premiership punts

Some big games tonight in the English Premiership and all eyes are going to be on the Arsenal versus Manchester City fixture.

In all honesty I have no idea how to call this fixture so I am steering clear of taking a punt on it.

I have split my bets over a Yankee combination of the following results:

Blackburn to beat Liverpool
Aston Villa to beat Sunderland
Newcastle to beat West Ham
Chelsea to beat Wolves

Was tempted to include Spurs to beat Everton but chickened out with Everton having home ground advantage...

Saturday soccer punts!

So another weekend of football is here before things start winding down for the festive season. A last chance to make a few bucks.

I finally got around to open an account with Voltbet.com and was surfing around for something which offered a bit of value for punters.

The only international soccer bet which really jumps out at me is Spurs playing host to Chelsea and favouring the home side for a win.

Chelsea are going through a shocking run of form and just don't look like a team which is gelling. Spurs on the other hand appear to be riding high on self belief.

Voltbet are offering me 18/10 on Spurs which I think are tasty odds.

On the domestic front I am backing Kaizer Chiefs to beat Free State Stars but I think it should be a really entertaining game.

Happy punting.

English Premiership is here!

Well the English Premiership is finally back in action this weekend and we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the betting especially with some world cup performances still fresh in our minds:

Chelsea and Manchester United remain the favorites and big-spending Man city are also proving surprisingly popular despite an average 2009 season.

Here is the pre-season betting as listed on World Sports Betting:

Premiership selections

Some VERY interesting match-ups this weekend with all eyes on the Chelsea vs Manchester United fixture probably going to be a humdinger and in all likelihood a decider for the Premiership. With Rooney not expected to take the field its got to be in Chelseas favour.

Our other left field pick is that Birmingham will beat Liverpool...

Our picks for the weekend

• Chelsea to beat Manchester United (2-0/3-0 with Anelka as the first goalscorer)


• Arsenal to beat Wolves (3-0)


• Aston Villa to beat Bolton (2-0 with Milner as first goal-scorer)


• Portsmouth vs Blackburn - No prediction


• Hull to beat Stoke (1-0)


• Spurs to beat Sunderland - 2-0 / 3-0


• Man City to beat Burnley - (3-0)


• Birmingham to beat Liverpool


• Fulham to beat Wigan - 1-0


• Everton to beat West Ham - 2-0 / 3-0

Happy punting!

Planning to take a punt this weekend?

BWIN Sports Betting & Gaming Click Here

Chelsea got lucky

Aston Villa had Chelsea on the run for probably 90% of that game…

….the only time they had any kind of let-up was when they caught their breath while Jon Carew was taking the penalty!

I thought Villa played well, kept Chelsea thinking hard about where goals 5, 6 and 7 were going to come from.

Before Chelsea fans get all excited, its part of a well thought out Villa plan to lull The Blues into a state of cockiness so when we play them in the FA Cup semi-final on 10 April. Then we will have our revenge.

Plus we also now know that their keeper is weak against penalties.

Like Julius Malema and his mines story I remain ever-confident!

Predictions for the season

By Tom Mallows

The waiting is over, are you ready?

The 2009/10 season is upon and with the World Cup at the end of it it promises to be an exciting year. But what will happen in the Premier League? Well I'm going to get my crystal ball out and make a few bold (if almost certainly inaccurate) predictions:

First off I reckon Burnley and Wolves will stay up. Burnley have an excellent manager in Owen Coyle who I believe has a David Moyesesque ability of getting the best out of his players. They have a small squad so injuries could prove crucial but I believe they will do enough. Wolves are reaping the rewards for being patient with boss Mick McCarthy. He has built this side slowly over the past 3-4 years, bringing youngsters in and seeing them develop. After missing out on the playoffs last year previous regimes would have got rid, but by giving McCarthy the time to build a side they will be ok this season.

Players to watch:
Burnley's Chris Eagles and Wade Elliot
Wolves' Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Michael Kightly.

The sack race:
Paul Hart. He is on to a loser with crisis club Pompey who are rapidly becoming the new Leeds. I reckon he will be gone by October but whoever comes in will not have enough to save them.

Relegation

They will be joined by Hull and Birmingham. The Tigers collapsed spectacularly last year and I believe that poor form ill continue now the novelty of the Premier League has worn off. Birmingham I feel are still haunted by relegations past and are desperate to lose that yo-yo club tag. But I have to say I have been under whelmed by the players they have brought in so far and fear for Boss Alex McCleish, Another one who could be gone before the clocks go back.

Surprise package - al la Fulham last season.

Hmmm I'm going for West Ham. They have not spent a lot of money but Zola comes across as an astute coach and with the benefit of a full pre-season with his players, I believe they can push for a Europa League spot.

Get those passports ready
The usual suspects will again buzz around the top six. I feel Spurs will do better this year after the nightmare start last time round. Villa will continue to improve and Everton will be as consistent as ever, though doubts remain over the depth of their squad, especially with the extra games in the Europa league this season. However the trump card is Man City who I believe will join the pack but fall just short of a Champions League spot this time round.
5th City
6th Everton
7th Villa
8th Spurs

Champions?
Well I feel Arsenal will just be happy to maintain that flow of Champions League cash and bag 4th. Liverpool I don't feel have strengthened their squad enough and still rely too heavily on Torres and Gerrard. If either of them gets injured I don't feel they have enough back up. Man United also have had a 40 goal hole blasted into their side with the departures of Tevez and Ronaldso. Owen Obertan and Valencia are good, but not good enough to make up the gap. Second place for me. That leaves Chelsea, who would have made a decent fist of things last season if it wasn't for that nightmare winter under Scolari. Ancelotti seems like a canny boss who should get the best out of his talented, if aging players. They are my tip for the top.

1st Chelsea
2ndMan United
3rdLiverpool
4th Arsenal

Agree? disagree? Please leave your comments below, all I can say is my predictions last year proved wildly wrong so you have every right to question my guesses this time round!

Weekend English Premiership predictions

From The Betting Hub blog

The eagerly anticipated start of the new season of the English Premiership is here and it is being viewed as potentially one of the most open in many years.

Chelsea and Manchester United are viewed as the favourites but neither side appears to have the same quality and "steel" they have had in previous years.

These are our picks and our recommended score margins in brackets for todays fixtures:

Chelsea vs Hull - Chelsea win (2-0, 4-0)
Aston Villa vs Wigan - Villa win (2-0)
Blackburn vs. Man City - Draw (1-1)
Portsmouth vs Fulham - Draw (0-0)
Stoke vs Burnley - Stoke win (2-0, 2-1)
Wolves vs West Ham - West Ham win (0-1)
Bolton vs Sunderland - Sunderland win (0-1)
Everton vs Arsenal - Everton win (1-0, 2-0, 2-1)

And for Sunday
Manchester United vs. Birmingham - Man Utd win (2-0, 3-0)
Tottenham vs. Liverpool - Tottenham win (1-0, 2-1)

Happy hunting punters!

English Premiership - Outright

The English Premiership kicks off next weekend and the following odds on offer from World Sports Betting to win the league outright:

• Chelsea - 2/1
• Manchester United - 2/1
• Liverpool - 3/1
• Arsenal - 8/1
• Manchester City - 10/1
• Tottenham - 100/1
• Everton - 200/1
• Aston Villa - 200/1

Yeah I am a little biased toward Aston Villa Must say that I am very surprised that shorter odds weren't offered for either Villa or Everton and I reckon they don't present the worst value around.

The league I think is going to be far more open than people have given consideration to and while I don't have the highest expectations around for them to actually win the league, I think that these odds are various generous.

I put a few bucks down on each of them.

If you can’t beat them, join em?

By Tom Mallows

So the first major transfer of the summer has been completed - in double quick time. I have to admit I thought the Gareth Barry saga would drag out across another close-season, but I suppose when you are offered 100k a week it won’t take you long to make up your mind.

The Barry move is only to be the start of a summer of lavish spending from Man City who have had a wallet full of Arab cash burning a hole in their pocket since last September.

But opinion appears to be divided as to whether what they are doing is good for football. On one hand people would like to see the top four face competition. The same four teams have comfortably shared the same spots in the Premier League table in the past few years to the detriment of the league. Any club who is looking to challenge that exclusive club should be applauded.

Recent financial results have shown the worryingly high level of debt the top four carry and if the Champions League umbilical cord was snatched away from them it would be interesting to see whether they could survive. Some would be happy to see them pay for their irresponsible fiscal policy.

But on the other hand is City’s lavish, some say reckless, spending just adding to the problem? Some of the fees they have spent – or are prepared to spend – are beyond the reaches of many small countries let alone football clubs.

If, for example, City oust Arsenal from that top four spot, hooray! Someone different people will say. But what then? City will just become the another one of the villainous ‘big four’ selfishly hogging the Champions League honey pot and buying whoever they want – another Chelsea in other words. Is that good for the Premier League?

We need to curb this cycle of reckless, obscene spending not add to it before it spirals out of control. The more clubs who gamble with big money the harder they will fall when things go wrong – imagine Leeds and times it by ten.

What happens if owners get bored and decided to call their money in? After all football clubs appear to be the latest fashion accessory at the moment, but don’t forget things go out of fashion.

We need to get back to the old adages of hard work, organisation and good skillful management. Otherwise the so-called ‘best league in the world’ will be decided purely on the size of your wallet, if that is not already the case!

Big Finals

Two big finals this week and

Barcelona / Manchester United
The Barcelona vs. Manchester United final has certainly stirred up football fans across the World Wide Web.

It's been interesting to go from site to site reading the different comments and its
amazing how there doesn't seem to be an "under-dog" in this match-up. These two sides, while having contrasting styles of play are hugely competitive and it should be a humdinger of a final.

I backed Barcelona to win either 2-0 or 2-1 but I don't have any real loyalty on the line here so I'll sit back and let the respective fans scrap it out.

Chelsea / Everton
There is no question who the under-dog is in this game and I got some pretty handy odds backing Everton for this final.

After Villa got knocked out I have tentatively switched my allegiance (for this trophy only!) to Everton so hope they give Chelsea a bit of a surprise...

Best club side at the mo...

The Champions League is supposed to answer the question of which side is currently the greatest club competing in Europe at the moment.

Obviously everyone has their own favourite who they believe is the best side, but last nights round made for some seriously interesting viewing.

Chelsea beat Liverpool at Anfield - 1-3 - big result
Barcelona thumped Bayern Munich - 4-0

On top of that, you had the gutsy performance out of Porto to hold Manchester United 2-2 at Old Trafford and definately playing from a strong position going into their home round...

Any thoughts on which is the best club side at the moment and why?

MON's Chelsea Shock

Martin O'Neill never envisaged dramatic changes at Chelsea as he disconsolately trudged off the Stamford Bridge pitch in October 2008.

Villa were well beaten by Big Phil Scolari's highly-polished Blues side that day.

Yet four months later there was a major upheaval in west London as Scolari was replaced by Guus Hiddink.

MON said: "The really interesting thing for me is that Chelsea are the only side who have really outplayed us this season.

"That doesn't seem that long ago - yet they have had a change of manager in that time.

"Who would have thought that would have happened.

"Chelsea played excellently on that particular day and you would never would have foreseen the problems they have encountered.

"To now be two points ahead of them is great testament to our side.

"In reality, I don't think they have been as bad as people have made them out to be. I think it is a perception thing.

"They have won trophies over the past few years and now it feels like they have slipped up a little bit and allowed teams to get much closer to them.

"I think Villa striving to get up that table is the only real change though."

Source: http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk

C'mon Villa from your number 1 SA fan....

Sports Trader picks

The English Premiership is really starting to get exciting and some big name fixtures on the cards:

Sports Trader makes its picks for the weekends fixtures.

Saturday 21 February
Aston Villa v Chelsea - Draw
Stoke v Portsmouth - Stoke win
Arsenal v Sunderland - Arsenal win
Bolton v West Ham - West Ham win
Middlesbrough v Wigan - Middlesbrough win
Man Utd v Blackburn - Manchester United win

The Aston Villa vs Chelsea fixture is the pick of the Saturday fixtures. We're calling a draw here which might irritate the Chelsea fans but we think it's a fair call.

Sunday 22 February
Fulham v West Brom - Draw
Liverpool v Man City - Draw
Newcastle v Everton - Everton win

Man City have the capacity to surprise and we think they are going to surprise Liverpool at Anfield this weekend.

Everton are on hot form and they should be able to put one over Newcastle.

Monday 23 February
Hull v Tottenham - Tottenham win

Tottenham are back in the game and should be able to beat Hull even away from home...

Torres sinks Chelsea...

From the Liverpool FC official commentary....

Fernando Torres struck a last-gasp double to claim a sensational 2-0 victory for Liverpool against 10-man Chelsea.

The Reds produced a dominant second-half display against the Blues and deservedly claimed the three points when El Nino grabbed his first Anfield goals of the season on 89 and 94 minutes.

It means Rafael Benitez's men move up to second place in the table and are now two points behind leaders Man United who still have a game in hand.

The Reds had gone into the match with the Londoners hoping to send out a message that they were still very much a part of the title race.

Vice Captain Jamie Carragher had urged his teammates to make a statement of their intent and they duly set about making life uncomfortable for Luiz Felipe Scolari's men.

A lightning break after just 60 seconds almost provided the perfect start but for once Steven Gerrard failed to make the most of an opening on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area.

Amidst the backdrop of snowfall both sides showed a keen appetite for the contest and in the early exchanges there were some thunderous challenges, but little in the way of actual attempts at goal.

Xabi Alonso went some way to altering that stat with a stinging 25 yarder that Petr Cech managed to tip over the bar at full stretch, but it remained an evenly matched contest throughout the half.

The Reds looked the more likely to make a breakthrough with a series of long range efforts that will have caused some concern for the visitors, particularly when Javier Mascherano's thunderbolt was spilled by Cech. Sadly for Rafa and co there was no red shirt close enough to take advantage.

The game needed a goal and it could so easily have arrived on the half hour mark when Jamie Carragher crossed from the right for Torres, but the Spaniard's turn and shot was brilliantly blocked by a Chelsea defender.

As the half finally came to close the Reds could claim to have edged it and with a touch of luck they could have gone in ahead.

Albert Riera evaded two challenges and forced a smart save out of Cech with Ashley Cole lucky to see the rebound smash off his knee and wide of the far post.

A second-half onslaught at the Kop end was the order of the day and Dirk Kuyt went close to an immediate breakthrough when he stabbed an effort wide following Alex's mistake.

Mascherano then floated a pass to Gerrard inside the area but despite a superb knockdown from the skipper, Torres saw his goal-bound effort well blocked.

The Reds were turning the screw and could easily have been awarded a penalty on 56 minutes when John Terry appeared to bring down Kuyt, but referee Mike Riley refused to point to the spot.

Tensions were reaching fever pitch and Liverpool were handed a huge advantage just shy of the hour mark when Frank Lampard was shown a straight red card for a high tackle of Alonso.

The dismissal inspired a crescendo of noise inside Anfield with the Reds surging forward to chants of 'attack, attack; attack, attack, attack'.

Gerrard saw his free-kick deflected to safety by the Chelsea wall and Mascherano headed Carragher's cross just over before Alonso's curler cannoned off back off the crossbar.

The home side were camped inside the Chelsea half and must have thought they had finally scored on 72 minutes. A corner from the right fell at the feet of Torres and as the striker turned he unleashed a fizzing effort at goal that was somehow hacked clear on the line.

Substitute Yossi Benayoun twice came close late on before El Nino saved the day with a sublime near post header from Fabio Aurelio's pinpoint cross.

And it got better four minutes into injury-time when the Spaniard lashed home the loose ball after Benayoun was challenged in the penalty area.

It means Liverpool have completed their first league double over Chelsea since 1990 - the last time they won the title.

Premiership predictions

Another weekend of the Premiership is here and things are getting really exciting at the top of the table.

Sports Trader makes its Premiership predictions.

The Chelsea / Liverpool clash is being dubbed as the "Make or Break" fixture - particularly for Liverpool - but we've got some interest in the Manchester United / Everton fixture which we believe could surprise....

Saturday fixtures:

Bolton v Tottenham - Draw
Middlesbrough v Blackburn - Middlesbrough win
Fulham v Portsmouth - Fulham Win
Arsenal v West Ham - Arsenal win
Hull v West Brom - Hull win
Aston Villa v Wigan - Villa win
Man Utd v Everton - Draw

Sunday fixture:
Chelsea / Liverpool - Chelsea win

We're looking for a draw in the Manchester United / Everton fixture and that would throw the championship wide open.

If Liverpool go down and the rest of our fixtures play out correctly, the Premiership will read as follows:

1. Manchester United - 51 points (23 games)
2. Chelsea - 51 points (24 games)
3. Aston Villa - 50 points (24 games)
4. Liverpool - 48 points (24 games)
5. Arsenal - 45 points (24 games)

Helluva interesting table if it plays out like this....

Premiership picks

Another round of the Premier League is here and Sports Trader makes their picks for the weekend.

Some interesting match ups but few more exciting than the Man Utd clash with Chelsea.

The only real "bogey" fixture would appear to be Stoke vs. Liverpool on Saturday. Stoke surprised Arsenal not so long ago and there is a lot of pressure on Rafa to make sure his side doesn't drop points here.

Saturday
Aston Villa v West Brom - Villa win
Newcastle v West Ham - Newcastle win
Arsenal v Bolton - Arsenal win
Portsmouth v Man City - Draw
Everton v Hull - Everton win
Middlesbrough v Sunderland - Middlesbrough win
Fulham v Blackburn - Draw
Stoke v Liverpool - Draw

Sunday
Wigan v Tottenham - Wigan win
Man Utd v Chelsea - Man Utd win

While Man Utd got a surprise at Derby, we're backing them to win. Neither Ferguson nor the Old Trafford faithful will tolerate anything but a win here and Scolari's side is going to battle to keep his side on top of their game here.

'We need that kind of focus in every game'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger chats to the media and fans after upsetting Chelsea at Stanford Bridge

On the importance of the win…
"It is a massive win for us because we recently lost two games unexpectedly, and to lose today would have put us 13 points adrift of Chelsea; that would have been too much. It was a test of character and we came here maybe without the needed level of confidence but we showed from the start that we have character and I think we were a bit unlucky to be behind at half-time.

"In the second half we slowly moved on top and started to win the fight in the middle of the park. From then when we had the ball we looked as though we could be dangerous. So I am very, very happy to now, after beating Manchester United, we beat Chelsea and I believe that brings us back. It is still far but not impossible. I have an intelligent team, a talented one, but we want to come back with humility and work hard. We have learned that we need that kind of focus in every game no matter who you play."

On a slow start...
"In the first-half I think they [Chelsea] started a bit stronger and it took us 15 minutes to get into the game. We were on the back foot and then came slowly in. When we got in we scored an own goal. I had to tell the players to keep the high pace as long as we could because that was when we looked dangerous. I didn’t think we should be concerned by the fact we were trailing, but just to keep the high pace, get closer to their midfield – we had given them too much freedom before – and that changed the game."

On the team's title credentials…
"It is true that we have more regrets this season, but the results show we have the level needed to be there [at the top] but it is up to us in the coming months."

On injuries…
"We have been disturbed by injuries you know, sometimes with nine players out, and that is too many. You can take four or five but nine is too much."

On getting in the right mindset…
"I believe this is part of the learning process, to win when you are not on the edge. You know you will not be is the same mindset every game, but you must learn to win whenever. I have an intelligent group and a young one. When you think you can just turn up and win, it is not good enough."

On the performance of William Gallas…
"I think William was outstanding today, absolutely amazing. He came out of that troublesome period with, for me, a lot of credit. His commitment is fantastic and he was outstanding today, and had already been like that against Kyiv on Tuesday night. It shows he is a fighter."

On partnering Johan Djourou and Gallas in defence…
"I wanted to try that partnership and I believe also Song gives us the stature to defend in the air. Djourou added it too, and we were a bit stronger in the duels and in the air."

On being a threat from high balls…
"We felt in the first half that we could be dangerous in the air because we had some joy with Van Persie winning some balls and of course with a fit Adebayor, he can win in the air against anybody."

On Chelsea's stuttering home form…
"Sometimes it is strange in this game. Remember when we went 49 games unbeaten and then lost, we couldn’t win again for five games. It looks like a sort of charisma goes when you lose a long record. It looks like players have been on top of Mount Everest and then get knocked all the way down, and now you must tell them to climb back up again."
On John Terry's challenge on Bacary Sagna…
"I think it was a bad tackle because he had no chance to get the ball. It was not bad because he had two feet on the ground, a sliding tackle, one that wasn’t intended to hurt Sagna."

On the psychological ramifications of the match…
"I believe the win gives us the belief we can come back [into the title race], but what it does to Chelsea, I don’t know."

Source: Arsenal Media

Champions League Predictions - 25 / 26 November 2008

From the Sports Trader blog

We had an absolute nightmare last time round trying to make some calls on the Champions League fixtures. Hopefully this next round brings a higher success rate.

There are no easy games in Europe at the moment and English clubs have battled. With injuries taking their toll, we're not particularly bullish on their prospects this week either.

Tuesday - 25 November
Zenit St Petersburg v Juventus - Juventus win
AaB v Celtic - Celtic Win
Villarreal v Man Utd - Villareal win
Fiorentina v Lyon - Draw
Bayern Munich v Steaua Bucuresti - Bayern Munich win
Arsenal v Dynamo Kiev - Arsenal draw
Fenerbahce v FC Porto - draw
BATE v Real Madrid - Real Madrid win

Manchester United make an unenviable trip to Villareal minus key marksman Bergatov. With Christiano Ronaldo in doubt, we're betting against them taking anything from this fixture.

Cesc Fabregas takes over the captaincy of Arsenal following William Gallas' indiscretions. With Arsenals' up and down form in the last few weeks, we're not particularly confident in backing them.

Wednesday 26 November
Bordeaux v Chelsea - Draw
CFR Cluj-Napoca v Roma - Roma win
Inter Milan v Panathinaikos - Inter win
Anorthosis Famagusta v Werder Bremen - Werder Bremen win
Shakhtar Donetsk v Basle - Draw
Sporting v Barcelona - Barcelona win
Atletico Madrid v PSV - Atletico Madrid win
Liverpool v Marseille - Draw

Chelsea and Liverpool we've marked down to draw but we're backing the Spanish clubs (Atletico Madrid, and Barcelona) to do the business.

If you are looking for high scoring games, we're recommending you look at the Roma and Inter Milan fixtures...

Good luck punters.