Bolton Wanderers

Saturday 15^th January

English Premier League

Stoke City v Bolton Wanderers

Stoke and Bolton have had to deal with some unfair criticism during their Premier League tenure, but both have had a good first half to the season and will look to continue it at the Britannia tomorrow.

Tony Pulis’ side has been battered from pillar to post ever since they were promoted to England’s top flight for their style of play. Critics have attempted to downplay their incredible achievements by branding them too physical and even setting out to injure other opponents. Such claims are downright ridiculous and it’s a credit to Pulis who has gone about his business in a quiet and dignified manner. His side are currently enjoying their third consecutive season in the Premier League and they’re comfortably set in mid-table as we approach the second half of the campaign. Occupying 11^th spot in the table, Stoke are six points off the relegation zone but also the same number of points from the final European spot. A key difference in their performance this season as opposed to the previous two, as that they have accrued more points on the road. Normally so strong at home, the Potters have won three games away already, just one fewer than their whole total of last season and one more than their debut year.

Owen Coyle has enjoyed the exact opposite reaction from pundits than his opponent tomorrow. Journalists and colleagues alike have praised his brand of football and lauded him for turning Bolton into a football playing side. For years Wanderers were criticised for being too physical, like Stoke, and for playing route one football, like Stoke. Sam Allardyce’s sides always had a touch of quality about them with the likes of Jay Jay Okocha and Youri Djorkaeff pulling the strings so the criticism was very unfair. It was slightly more understandable when Gary Megson had the manager’s job as his sides tended to be far more reserved and disciplined with little flexibility. Coyle has transformed that viewpoint however and his midfield is much more dynamic with creativity in abundance. Having played one more game than tomorrows opponents, Bolton find themselves three points better off, despite having won just one in their last six league games.

Stoke have completed the permanent transfer of Jermaine Pennant from Real Zaragoza as they look to finish in the top half of the table for the first time since their return. The winger had been in excellent form during his loan spell and linked up really well with the likes of Tuncay, Ricardo Fuller and Kenwyne Jones. More than that, however, he provided a real balance with Matty Etherington on the left wing. Bolton also have a number of player who have been a real threat going forward this season. Aside from Kevin Davies, Johan Elmander, Stuart Holden and Lee Chung-Yong have been a menace for Premier League defences. Coyle will have to do without Lee, however, as he is on International duty with South Korea in the Asian cup.

Bolton are currently experiencing their leanest run of the season with just four points from a possible 18. Their away form has also been very poor of late as they have lost their last four on the road scoring just one goal. Stoke know that they can bully teams at home with their physicality and their ability to hem teams in with their style of play. Whether that’s possible against Bolton, a strong team themselves, remains to be seen. However with the form Bolton are in on the road, and the fact Stoke brushed aside Everton last time out, I fancy the home side to edge this.

My Selection: Stoke City to beat Bolton

Best odds available: 6/5 available with Boylesports

English Championship

Nottingham Forest v Portsmouth

Nottingham Forest put their incredible home record on the line again with Portsmouth the latest side attempting to leave the City Ground with all three points.

Billy Davies has overseen a fantastic run of 31 Championship games unbeaten at home which is the envy of all of his rivals. This league is notoriously difficult to get out of and one of the most important ingredients for doing is a strong home record. Davies, who has already been promoted with Forest’s arch rivals Derby, knows that there are obviously other things needed, but will be especially pleased with how difficult it is to come to the City Ground these days. Six wins and six draws already this term, Forest are beginning to put a run together which would see them challenge the teams above them in the hunt for promotion. One defeat in nine has saw them rise to seventh in the table just a couple of points behind Watford with a game in hand.

Portsmouth have had a pretty normal season compared to last year and Steve Cotterill has used this to his advantage by steering Pompey clear of any real danger of relegation. Currently in 18^th position and five points clear of the final relegation spot, 2011 will hopefully, for Pompey supporters, see a fresh start for the club after all their recent problems, on and off the park. Working with such a small squad is never easy so Cotterill and his players have to be commended for their performance thus far. A key player for them has been Liam Lawrence as the experienced midfielder has brought some much needed quality and composure to the South coast club. Having already chipped in with seven league goals, his involvement between now and the end of the season is vital if the club are to consolidate and move forward. He was a doubt earlier on in the week but should be fit to take his place on Saturday.

The visitors have failed to win a game in their last five in all competitions. They were also soundly beaten last time out in the FA Cup away to Brighton. Forest, who were victorious in the cup, have Marcus Tudgay available again whilst captain Paul McKenna will also return. Pompey will have to do without Dave Kitson and Greg Halford.  Both will be missed as they provide both experience and quality.

With such a threadbare squad, lessened even more with injuries, Portsmouth have it all to do, especially as they have to travel to a ground where no visiting side has left with three points for over a year. Forest are hitting form just at the right time and they should account for tomorrow’s opponents as they continue their quest for promotion to the Premier League.

My Selections: Nottingham Forest to beat Portsmouth

Best odds available: 8/11 available with Betfred

Scottish Premier League

Aberdeen v St Mirren

Amazingly just one points separate’s Aberdeen and St Mirren as we approach February but that’s the case as the two meet at Pittodrie tomorrow.

Craig Brown has had an immediate effect since becoming Aberdeen boss at the end of 2010. Before that, Aberdeen were enduring a horrific season under former manager Mark McGhee which culminated in seven straight defeats. Brown has came in from Motherwell, with his assistant Archie Knox, and instilled some much needed organisation and discipline within the squad. He has sought to strengthen the squad with the introduction of David McNamee at full back and Nick Blackman upfront. Blackman was on loan at Motherwell for the first half of the season, he impressed with 10 goals so it was natural Brown would be interested in him again at his new employers. The former Scotland manager has used his lengthy list of contacts to further bolster his squad with Fulham midfielder Robert Milsom joining until the end of the season as well.

Danny Lennon’s first season managing at this level has been one of inconsistency and frustration. St Mirren continue to struggle at the wrong end of the table, where they are just four points off bottom, and fail to turn good performances into points. Lennon doesn’t have the resources available to him that Brown will at Aberdeen, but even still, he will be annoyed with the amount of missed chances taken by his misfiring strikers. All of this was highlighted last week in the Scottish Cup as they were held to a goalless draw at home to second division Peterhead.

Aberdeen, on the other hand, ran riot against lower league opposition in the cup hitting East Fife for six. The man who got a hat-trick that day, Chris McGuire, is bang in form and enjoying a new lease of life under his new manager. St Mirren can take solace from the fact that they won last time out on the road against Inverness. They are actually unbeaten in the last three on the road which should provide some encouragement.

If this match took place a month ago then I believe it would have a very different complexion on it. Aberdeen were struggling whilst St Mirren were putting a run of form together. However it’s not and with Brown having such a positive impact up North, I feel the value is definitely with the home side tomorrow.

My Selection: Aberdeen to beat St Mirren

Best odds available: 10/11 available with William Hill

Sunday 12^th December

English Premier League

Bolton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers

It’s derby day at the Reebok Stadium as high flying Bolton entertain a Blackburn side managed by Sam Allardyce who oversaw a very successful spell whilst in charge of Wanderers.

When previewing Bolton’s home match against Newcastle last month, I spoke about how much an influence Owen Coyle’s style of football and innovative methods have turned round the fortunes of a club going stale. His positivity, forward thinking and general enthusiasm for the game has been the key factor in Bolton’s excellent start to the season. Sitting in 6^th placed, ahead of illustrious clubs such as Liverpool, Everton and Aston Villa, and just a couple of wins off a Champions League position, it really is a stark contrast from where they were this time last season under Gary Megson. Heading into the festive period on the back of just one defeat in six, confidence is high amongst the players and fans. Their run of games between now and the New Year may have looked quite daunting in previous years, but they should hold no fears for a vastly improved side. Tomorrow’s match may well set the tone for the future games as not only is it a derby, but also because they lost last time out so it will be a test as to how they can recover from that.

Sam Allardyce will be no stranger to his surroundings tomorrow as he spent eight years as manager of Bolton. Winning promotion and establishing the club as a Premier League side was no mean feat when you consider the resources he had to work with compared to others. There are similarities to his approach with Blackburn now as there was to when he was Bolton boss. He prefers the one striker up top with players around him and also seems to be willing to mix some industry with invention. Labelled a long ball manager for much of his career, he has never bothered with criticism from various sources. It’s unfair to say that his success is based purely on brute strength. At Bolton he had several creative players and Blackburn is no different. The likes of David Dunn, Morten Gamst Pedersen and El Hadji Diouf are very good footballers and provide Rovers with a spark. Of course this is balanced out with some real fighters and grafters but they’re still a decent enough football side and that’s backed up with the fact there’s been 29 goals in the last 9 games involving them.

These derbies are normally blood and thunder affairs but there is reason to think that this may not be the case tomorrow. Bolton have transformed their style of play this season whilst Blackburn have been much more expansive in recent weeks. Blackburn have a fantastic record over their neighbours in recent years as they have not tasted defeat to Bolton since 2006. The last time they lost at the Reebok was more than 10 years ago. It’s a staggering record but one I wouldn’t get too hung up on.

I have been very impressed with Bolton throughout the season, even last week when beaten by Man City they tried to create and never resorted to long ball tactics. They can, if they wish, mix it with physical sides though which they will need to do tomorrow. Kevin Davies and Johan Elmander are in excellent form and both will prove to be a real handful for the Rovers defence who have conceded too many of late. It is because of that I am going to side with the home side.

My Selection: Bolton to beat Blackburn

Best odds available: 11/10 available with Paddy Power

There’s no denying the two most popular teams to back for the first round of Premier League fixtures this weekend. Indeed, the bookmakers will be glad that Chelsea are playing on Saturday and Manchester United are featuring on Monday, which might prevent as many people placing doubles compared to them playing on the same day.

Although the Premier League champions are 1/6 with bet365 to beat West Brom and the Red Devils are 1/4 with bet365 to beat Newcastle, there are likely to be some big wagers on the ‘Big Two’ as punters look to get off to a winning start against the bookmakers.

It’s possible that there will be a big gamble on Liverpool when they take on Arsenal this Sunday. The Reds are currently 7/5 with Ladbrokes, although the signing of Christian Poulsen and the midweek England form of Steven Gerrard might see plenty of money coming for the Reds. In addition, Arsenal have several players out injured and they might not be able to field Cesc Fabregas or Robin Van Persie. That’s why Paddy Power  have pushed them out to 2/1.

There have been some interesting stories in the press this week, with many media outlets claiming that Blackpool manager Ian Holloway had fallen out with chairman Karl Oyston, something which has been swiftly denied. However, the lack of transfer activity on the part of the Tangerines has caused a reasonable plunge on Wigan ahead of Saturday’s match and they are 5/6 (William Hill) to get off to a winning start.

Meanwhile, Martin O’Neill’s resignation as Aston Villa manager has seen Kevin MacDonald take temporary charge and also seen the Villans drifting to win their opener against West Ham. Two weeks ago, you would only have seen odds-on quotes about the Midlands team, although the departure of their manager and best player (James Milner) means that Stan James are happy to quote 21/20 while there is 11/10 available on betfair. West Ham are 3/1 (Ladbrokes) to win the game and the 2/1 (Paddy Power) about the Hammers on the Draw No Bet market looks appetising.

Many people are getting excited about Everton’s chances this season, with the Toffees managing to keep hold of important players such as Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar. When Arteta plays, the team simply achieve better results and David Moyes will be expecting to enjoy a winning start when his team being their campaign at Blackburn. Ladbrokes quote 6/4 that the visitors come away with the points and they will be boosted by Marouane Fellaini’s return from injury.

Perhaps the best bet of the weekend is Bolton Wanderers to beat Fulham, something that’s on offer at 13/10 with Paddy Power. The Trotters are looking rejuvenated under Owen Coyle and the signing of Martin Petrov is a sound one. With Chung Yong Lee looking sharp for South Korea in the World Cup, they can make short work of a Cottagers team who are adjusting to life under Mark Hughes.

There are three things certain in life: death, taxes and a Premier League manager being relieved of his duties before the end of the season. There were surprisingly few sackings last season as clubs looked for continuity in the English top flight, although the bookies will be expecting to price up this market several times as the campaign progresses.

It’s no surprise to see Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton feature as favourite (11/2 Ladbrokes) across the board, despite leading the Magpies to the Championship title last season. Indeed, he’s as short as 4/1 with William Hill to win this unwanted race and will come under pressure if the north-east club don’t get off to a fast start.

However, you might think that the board will stick with someone who couldn’t have done any better last term and there are more viable candidates. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens at Manchester City with such high expectations from the club’s owners and Roberto Mancini is as short as 4/1 (Paddy Power) to be axed first. However, you can currently get 7/1 with Ladbrokes if you think the Italian might suffer a similar fate to Mark Hughes last term.

Roberto Martinez struggled to keep Wigan afloat in the Premier League last season and there are many people (myself included) who think that the Spaniard’s tactical approach is not particularly effective when it comes to survival in the top flight. William Hill go 7/1 that he wins this unwanted Sack Race, while Mick McCarthy (14/1 William Hill) is another man likely to be feeling the pressure if Wolves get off to a slow start.

It’s interesting to note that there’s a big disparity between odds when it comes to Owen Coyle. The Scot left Burnley for Bolton last season and the supporters will be expecting him to steer Wanderers towards mid-table and beyond. However, the signing of Martin Petrov might not prevent them from floundering again and totesport’s 22/1 about him being the next Premier League manager out of a job looks like a big price. Ladbrokes go just 10/1 – perhaps they know something!

Alex Ferguson (80/1 totesport) and Arsene Wenger (66/1 Paddy Power) look to be among the untouchables and they will probably choose to stand down at the end of a season rather than halfway through a campaign. Carlo Ancelotti (40/1 totesport) is probably slightly less safe, although the most attractive outsider is Martin O’Neill (16/1 William Hill) who has regularly been linked with a departure from Villa Park. Perhaps the Irishman might feel that he’s taken the club as far as  possible this season, while the potential departures of Luke Young and James Milner could push him over the edge.

Sam Allardyce (16/1 Paddy Power), Steve Bruce (16/1 totesport) and Avram Grant (25/1 William Hill) have managed several clubs between them in the Premier League, although they seem to have the backing of their respective chairmen.

Saturday 24^th April

English Premier League

Bolton Wanderers v Portsmouth

I normally avoid matches where there is nothing up for grabs but I’ll break with tradition as an all but safe Bolton host already relegated Portsmouth at the Reebok.

Owen Coyle’s appointment in January has paid off for Bolton as the former Burnley manager has guided his new club to safety with a couple of games to spare. He’s not done much in the way of changing things from his predecessor but what he has done has significantly improved them. The loan signings of Jack Wilshere and Vladimir Weiss have been shrewd acquisitions and enhanced the quality in the squad. Their form, however, has not be excellent or consistent, it’s been patchy and they’ve basically done enough to survive but no more. If Hull or West Ham had put together any sort of run of form then Bolton would still be in danger of the drop. Last weeks 2-1 over Stoke was a big win and has given them a breathing space they’ve never really had throughout the season. What Coyle has done, however, has improved their home form and they are now a stronger team when playing at the Reebok. Before Man United and Aston Villa won in recent weeks, Bolton had went on a 6 match unbeaten home run. They’ll be looking to recapture that kind of form as soon as possible.

It’s been another turbulent week for Portsmouth and things just seem to be unravelling even more so for the South coast club. Reports suggest that their debt owed is upwards of £120m whilst they have been banned from playing in the Europa League next season despite qualifying through their exploits in this season’s FA Cup. It is a massive blow for the club as a whole. The players, fans and management will not get a chance to play in Europe whilst the money men won’t be able to recoup some much needed finances from the games. Avram Grant will again contend with a plethora of injuries when picking a side tomorrow afternoon. He will be unable to select the likes of Jamie O’Hara, Nadir Belhadj, Tal Ben Haim, Danny Webber or Herman Hreidarsson.  Four of those players would almost certainly have started if Grant went with his strongest XI so their absence cannot be underestimated.

Bolton are not mathematically save but realistically, they are. One more win, however, would see them over the line. Owen Coyle will know he has a massive re-building job on his hands over the summer and as such, the current crop of players will be playing for their futures at the club. They will be determined to prove to the manager that they are capable of playing for Bolton and the only way to do that is by winning games between now and the end of the season. Portsmouth have been a level behind most of the other clubs in the league this season even when they were full strength. Now they’re not and their eyes are obviously looking ahead to the FA Cup final, you just wonder what motivation they have going into tomorrow’s match. One argument could be that they’re playing for final places but I think it’s obvious that Grant knows who he wishes to play against Chelsea on May 16^th. With that in mind, I think Bolton’s determination and desire will be greater and even at the prohibitive odds, I’ll take them to win.

My selection: Bolton to beat Portsmouth at a best priced 4/7 available with Betfred

English League 2

Morecambe v Dagenham and Redbridge

If my first game previewed this week is rather meaningless, the second one is anything but. Both Morecambe and Dagenham have big hopes and chances of securing a play-off spot and class tomorrow afternoon.

Morecambe have put together a strong run of form at the right time, especially their home form. They have won 6 of their last 7 at home, drawing the other match. During that run of form they have defeated Rotherham and Port Vale, two sides who sit above them in the table, as well as gaining maximum points against sides fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table. Their home form for much of the season has been strong as they have only lost 3 games at Christie Park all season long. It’s been the catalyst for their chances of finishing in the play-off’s. They will have to do without their top scorer Phil Jevons for tomorrow’s crunch math. The striker is out with an injury so it looks as though veteran striker Paul Mullin will have to lead the line. Mullin has scored in 2 of his sides last 3 home games so although Jevons will be missed; they have another striker in form.

Dagenham and Redbridge are currently occupying one of the spots tomorrow’s opponents want. John Still’s side have been consistent for much of the season and like Morecambe, most of their points have came at home. The Daggers have only won 4 games on the road this season so they’ll know that they have to up their game if they wish to take anything from tomorrow’s match. Their 4 wins have came against sides below them in the table bar one, their most recent win against Aldershot. Despite their lack of away wins, they’ve only lost one match on the road in their last 8 games which is pretty decent going in such a competitive league. Still also has the benefit of being able to name the same side once again which is a great boost as continuity at this time of the season is precious.

I think there will be goals tomorrow as both sides tend to concede and also score plenty as well. With everything that is at stake and with both sides in good form heading into the match, it’s hard to call a winner. Instead I’ll have a play on the goals markets.

My selections: Over 2.5 goals at a best priced 5/6 with Bodog

                            Paul Mullin to score anytime at a best priced 2/1 available at Bet365

Chelsea vs Bolton Premier League Betting Preview: After losing ground to London rivals in the race for the Barclays Premier League, Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has been using mind games ahead of Bolton’s visit to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. After his Wayne Rooney-less side had only managed a 0-0 draw at Blackburn on Sunday, Ferguson said that Chelsea could expect an easy game against Bolton, which riled Bolton boss Owen Coyle a little bit. This appears to be some kind of backhanded dig by Ferguson to get struggling Bolton geared up for the visit to Chelsea, possibly in the hope that Owen Coyle can do the Red Devils a huge favour. Chelsea go into Tuesday’s fixture, one point ahead of United, with a game in hand over them. It was only a couple of weeks ago, that it was United holding a four points lead over the London club, but there has been a dramatic turn around in fortunes.

Ever since Chelsea were dumped out of the Champions League, they have found their best domestic form again, which included a 7-1 league thrashing of top six side Aston Villa, and progress to the final of the FA Cup, where they will start as favourites against Portsmouth. After Tuesday, both Manchester United and Chelsea will have only four games remaining in the season, and every match, every point is crucial. While Chelsea’s from has picked up, Manchester United have been stuttering in their charge, suffering defeat against Chelsea in the league, going out of the Champions League to Bayern Munich, and then failing to beat Blackburn. Those five points lost in the league, have hurt them, and even Arsenal could leap frog the Red Devils into second place if they win their game in hand. Now the title looks as if it is Chelsea’s to lose, and they would appear to be a banker at home against Bolton.

Bolton are probably just far enough from the relegation zone to be safe, but the buffer is only five points unless they pick up any more on Tuesday night in this tough fixture. Bolton however, in stark contrast to Chelsea, who have netted 19 times in their last five league matches, have finished goalless in four of their last five matches. Chelsea also netted four unanswered goals against Bolton when they visited the Reebok Stadium earlier in the season. While looking on paper to be a comfortable victory for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, there will still be work to do, and nerves could play their part. Ancelotti looks to rest some players, with Nicolas Anelka coming into the side for Didier Drogba, and Michael Ballack starting in place of Portuguese midfielder Deco. There is a lot of history for Bolton to overcome if they are going to ease any hints of relegation from this match.

Bolton have failed to beat Chelsea in the last twelve encounters in the league, and Chelsea have only dropped four points at home all season. The Blues have netted fifty-two times at Stamford Bridge in just 16 games, giving them an average of 3.25 goals per home game. Bolton are averaging less than one goal a game away from home this season. That is the gulf in class between the two teams, and gives a fair reflection of what might happen in the Barclays Premier League fixture on Tuesday. Bolton are on a three game losing streak without having scored a goal, and the signs look pretty ominous for the Trotters as they go to Stamford Bridge against title chasing Chelsea.

Chelsea v Bolton Betting Stats

Last 5 head to head
Bolton 0, Chelsea 4
Chelsea 4, Botlon0
Chelsea 4, Bolton 3
Bolton 0, Chelsea 2
Chelsea 1, Bolton 1

Last 5 Match Goals
Chelsea: 19 For, 4 Against
Bolton: 4 For, 11 Against

Last 10 Match Form
Chelsea: W6, D2, L2
Bolton: W3, D1, L6

Win Percentage
Chelsea have an 87.5 win percentage at home
Bolton have an 18/8 win percentage away from home

Match Prices
Chelsea to win: 1/6 at BetFred
Draw: 29/4 at Bwin
Bolton to win: 20/1 at SkyBet

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: Chances are that Chelsea are going to score goals. They have put 10 goals past Aston Villa alone in recent games, and that is against one of the best defensive sides in the league. It is not often that you will find such good prices on the difference of two goals on a match, but here is the perfect chance. The match could be all about how many goals Bolton could restrict Chelsea to, and looking at the stats, Chelsea have scored four past them in the last three encounters. There is the capacity there for it to happen again. So if you think it will, then you’ll be better off backing Chelsea around a -2 which is 3/4 at Bet365. On the other hand, if you think that Bolton can hang on to at least not lose by more than two goals (in which case you’d get a stake refund on) Bolton +2 Asian Handicap: 6/5 at Paddy Power.

Saturday 6^th March

English Premier League

Arsenal v Burnley

4 weeks ago there were Arsenal fans calling for their manager’s head after back to back defeats against Manchester United and Chelsea – 1 month on they go into tomorrow’s match at home to Burnley with a chance to go top of the table.

Since losing to Chelsea at the beginning of February, Arsenal have won 3 league games in a row. When you consider they were well adrift of top of the league, it doesn’t sound like the sort of form to catapult them back into the title race, yet, with both sides above them dropping crucial points of late, it has. They are 3 points behind Chelsea and two points off of 2^nd placed United. Last weekend’s victory over Stoke at the Britannia was a key win considering they have lost on their two most recent visits and also because of the horrendous injury suffered by Aaron Ramsey. The last time such an event occurred in a match involving Arsenal, they crumbled and dropped points before their whole title push caved in on them. There definitely seems to be a more steely resolve about the team from the Emirates this time around and they old saying goes that any experience is good experiences, certainly rings true here.

Burnley lost a massive game in their bid to avoid the drop last Saturday at home to Portsmouth. I foolishly tipped the Clarets to get all 3 points. What I didn’t legislate for was their captain for the day, Clarke Carlisle, giving away two penalties in absurd circumstances. Pompey may have missed the first but they capitalised on the 2^nd and as such went on to bag all 3 points. Steven Fletcher missed a big chance at 1-1 and you wonder whether their season will turn on that glaring miss. Their away form is well documented as being horrendous and easily the worst in the league so it’s hard to hold much optimism for them when they head south tomorrow. Their last 8 league games away from home have ended in defeat with an aggregate score of 24-5. All 5 of their goals in that run have come in two games, against West Ham and Aston Villa – they’ve lost 5 goals in each of these games. In total they have scored 10 goals on the road but they’ve only managed to score in 4 of their 14 away games this term which suggests they do not have enough quality in the final third when they go away. 1 point from a possible 42 is treacherous form and is basically the reason they are where they are.

I’ve never been a big fan of his, but Nicklas Bendtner has made a big difference to Arsenal since returning from injury last month. He provides a focal point up top which they’ve missed since Robin Van Persie got a serious knee injury in November. Andrei Arshavin and Eduardo have tried to fill the void but their diminutive size and qualities are best utilised elsewhere and when they have someone to feed off of. Bendtner has now notched 2 in 2 for Arsenal and also scored for Denmark during the week. He takes a lot of the battering from the opposition’s defenders allowing the likes of Arshavin, Samir Nasri, Fabregas and Theo Walcott to take advantage of the space he creates. He’ll be a massive player for the Gunners between now and May and will prove very troublesome for the Burnley defenders tomorrow.

The 1/7 generally available for an Arsenal win is measly, quite rightly, so it pays to look elsewhere for a bet in this fixture. I’ve picked out 3 which I believe to be value with the first one being Arsenal to win both halves. The home side will be determined to carry on the feel good factor after last week’s win so are sure to come out firing. They are masters at taking goals off weak defences at home and I expect nothing less tomorrow. Another bet I like is for Bendtner to score during the 90 minutes. The Dane is quick, powerful, direct and most importantly, on form. He’ll relish the chance to go up against the worst defence in the league and as he’ll play as Arsenal’s lone striker, can be expected to get more than a few opportunities tomorrow. The third and final bet I like is for the first booking of the game to come in the first 15 minutes of the match. Arsene Wenger has not stopped talking about the rough treatment giving to his players of late and the home crowd will be at the referee from the start to clamp down on anything untoward from the Burnley players. Referees tend to be a bit more lenient early on in games nowadays but I think Arsenal will come roaring out the traps and expect Burnley to be a yard short against superior quality. With that in mind, an early booking is not unthinkable.

My selections:  Arsenal to win both halves against Burnley at a best priced Evens with Paddy Power

                             Nicklas Bendtner to score at anytime at a best priced 5/4 with Bet65

The first booking of the match to come between 0-15 minutes – Best price 15/2 with William Hill

English Premier League

West Ham United v Bolton Wanderers

It’s another big clash at the bottom of the table as Owen Coyle leads his Bolton charges to London to take on West Ham at Upton Park.

I’ve made no secret of my admiration for how Gianfranco Zola set’s his side up to play so it will come as no surprise to see them previewed again. West Ham have managed to give themselves some breathing space in the battle against the drop with only 2 defeats in their last 7 league games. It’s a run which has seen them rise to 13^th but they’re still only 3 points above 18^th placed Hull City. As ever, it is likely going to be their home form which will keep them in the division if they survive. They’re undefeated in their last 5 home games with 3 wins and two draws, conceding only 1 goal during that time. They’re proving to be tough to breakdown infront of their home fans and Robert Green has been in fantastic form in goals for them – which he was rewarded for with 90 minutes for England in midweek. Matthew Upson was also playing in that match and his return from injury has coincided with the Hammers being more resolute. It’s upfront, however, where you win games and Carlton Cole’s presence has helped massively of late. He scored against Hull in the last home match and looks like being the catalyst for the rest of the season.

Bolton have improved their football considerably since Coyle took charge in January but they are still perilously close to the relegation zone. Last weekend’s win over Wolves at home was a huge relief as they had went 6 league games without even scoring. It’s obviously where their problems lie so Coyle has attempted to be more attacking in midfield to aid his non-scoring strikers. Jack Wilshere was brought in on loan from Arsenal and he’s made a difference out wide whilst he has went 4-4-2 as opposed to the bewildering formations used under previous manager Gary Megson. They look more of a threat when in possession as to only really looking like scoring from set pieces beforehand. As a result of this however it does leave them more open at the back. They’ve conceded 14 goals in 9 league games under Coyle which has to improve between now and the end of the season if they wish to remain in the Premier League.

Bolton’s record at Upton Park is not terrible with 2 wins and 2 draws from their last 9 visits. It may not sound impressive but it’s a decent record for a side who have a lot more restrictions in terms of money. You just wonder where Bolton’s goals are going to come from on Saturday. Zat Knight scored their winner last weekend whilst their strikers continued to be wasteful infront of goal. West Ham will be up for the fight at set pieces and are a relatively big side with Upson, Cole, Tompkins and Mido all likely to stand up to the physical battle.

In terms of the home side, they’ll look to Cole to get the better of Knight and Sam Ricketts. Both are decent enough defenders but Cole has a point to prove in order to book his seat for South Africa. Bolton would have targeted last week’s game at home to Wolves as a must win whilst tomorrow’s is probably a must not lose for the away side. West Ham, however, know that their home form is good and also realise that a win will take them 4 points clear of tomorrow’s opponents. It’s a big incentive for Zola and his troops and one I think they’ll use to their advantage.

My selection: West Ham to beat Bolton at a best priced 5/6 available with Stan James

While it’s clear that In-Play betting is becoming increasingly popular with customers, there are still many of us that like to place antepost bets either before or during the start of the football season. While a bet on a live game is often settled within minutes, a long-term bet means that you can enjoy your wager over the course of the season, before eventually it’s settled as a winner or loser by May.

There are still several issues to be decided in the Premier League, with the winner likely to come from a select group of two teams. Despite talk of Liverpool and Manchester City mounting a challenge this term, they are 100/1 (Sporting Bet) and 33/1 (Paddy Power) respectively to finish top of the pile. In addition, many people have started to write off Arsenal (for the second time this season) after the Gunners lost 3-1 at home to Manchester United on Sunday. Arsene Wenger’s team are now out to 10/1 with Sky Bet to win their first title since 2004, although it appears that they might not have enough quality.

Which leaves us with Chelsea and Manchester United. The Blues have been trading at odds-on for most of the season and the Blues are still available at a best price 5/6 (bet365), despite drawing with Hull on Tuesday. Carlo Ancelotti’s team still have to visit Old Trafford this season, something which might convince many that the Red Devils are clearly the value bet at 6/4 (Ladbrokes). With United having an easy match against Portsmouth on Saturday and Chelsea entertaining Arsenal on Sunday, it could be all change at the top.

While only three teams can possibly win the Premier League, it’s fair to say that eleven sides could be relegated this term. Some shrewd punters were backing Portsmouth at fancy odds of 5/1 before the season started, although their financial state and bad opening results saw Pompey quickly start trading at odds-on. It seems implausible that they are going to get out of the bottom three by the end of the season, although Coral and Victor Chandler are still prepared to offer odds of 1/5.

If Avram Grant’s team are doomed, then every other team will believe that they can escape the drop. Indeed, Hull City didn’t look like a team destined for the drop when drawing with Chelsea on Tuesday and Coral have eased the Tigers to 8/11 on their relegation market. Phil Brown’s team never give up and actually have form at the KC Stadium which might allow them to survive. Burnley are the same price (8/11 bet365) to return to the Championship next term, with the Clarets sinking like a stone in previous months. You could have backed them at around 4/1 when they had a bright opening to the campaign, although they need some inspiration from somewhere.

Wolves (11/8 Ladbrokes), Bolton (7/2 William Hill), Wigan (5/1 Ladbrokes) and West Ham (6/1 Stan James) are definitely too close to the bottom of the league for comfort, with the Hammers a surprisingly big price purely because they have new owners who have drafted in Benni McCarthy and Mido. It promises to be a scrap to the death at the wrong end of the Premier League table.

While it’s only possible for three sides to go down this term, it’s difficult to predict the trio that will be playing in the Championship next season. As always, there are far more teams scrapping at the foot of the Premier League than contesting matters at the top of the table, with over half the division only two defeats away from trouble.

Portsmouth are clearly in pole position to fall through the top flight trapdoor and the bookmakers were cutting the odds on the Hampshire club before a ball had been kicked. Although the club are in the hands of new owners and cashflow was originally attributed to the player wages not being paid on time, it now appears as though money’s too tight to mention and Pompey are no bigger than 4/11 (Coral) to be relegated. Avram Grant has his hands tied as far as signing new players is concerned and the current squad don’t seem good enough.

However, it’s tougher to choose the two that might join them in England’s second division next term. Hull City have been odds-on for the drop since the season began and the Tigers currently trade at 4/6 (bet365) despite their 0-0 draw at Tottenham on Saturday. This result came about through an inspired goalkeeping display from Boaz Myhill and the keeper can’t be expected heroics like this every match! The other team now priced at odds-on is Burnley (5/6 Paddy Power), despite an impressive performance at Old Trafford at the weekend. Brian Laws seemed to inspire his new side and they could have been ahead against the champions had they taken their chances.

Indeed, the Clarets’ price has shortened in the past fortnight, with Ladbrokes offering a stand-out 11/10 on them being relegated a fortnight ago. This is mainly to do with the exit of Owen Coyle to Bolton, although the Scot’s managerial debut saw the Trotters lose 2-0 to Arsenal. They face the same opponents at the Emirates on Wednesday and it’s something of a surprise to see 3/1 available at bet365 that Wanderers go down. After all, they occupy nineteenth place for a reason and Coyle might not have money to spend in January.

Not these are the only four teams in danger of the drop! Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking very shaky and Victor Chandler’s 11/8 looks like an interesting price about Mick McCarthy’s team. After all, they were pretty shabby when losing 2-0 at home to Wigan and they don’t seem to have the requisite quality to do anything than hover above the drop zone. Perhaps Sky Bet are closer to the mark with their 4/5 quote about a team who have scored just seventeen goals in twenty-one games.

It’s a battle that looks set to go down to the wire and we might expect West Ham to be one of the teams scrapping for survival. The Hammers are due to be acquired by new owners during January, although it doesn’t appear as though this will happen in time to enable Gianfranco Zola to ease the severe injury crisis that affects the club. Stan James offer an attractive 4/1 about the London side dropping down, although they did deliver a gutsy display to draw 0-0 at Villa Park.

Wigan (13/2 bet365), Blackburn (11/1 Victor Chandler), Stoke City (14/1 Ladbrokes) and even Sunderland (25/1 Coral) aren’t totally safe yet, especially with the Black Cats now just four points off the drop zone after their 7-2 drubbing at Chelsea.

RELEGATION
Portsmouth 4/11 (Coral)
Hull City 4/6 (bet365)
Burnley 5/6 (Paddy Power)
Wolves 11/8 (Victor Chandler)
Bolton 3/1 (bet365)
West Ham 4/1 (Stan James)
Wigan 13/2 (bet365)
Blackburn 11/1 (Victor Chandler)
Stoke City 14/1 (Ladbrokes)
Sunderland 25/1 (Coral)

Next Bolton Wanderers Manager

As Bolton head into the new year as a relegation occupier, the fans appear to have gotten their own way as those high and mighty at Bolton swiftly gave Gary Megson the boot this morning, leaving the club without a manager ahead of their FA Cup clash with Lincoln City on Saturday.

The Bolton fans, who have been unhappy with Megson’s arrival since day one, won’t be at all surprised with his departure but more relieved as Megson’s unattractive style and tactics has never gone down well with the fans in his two year tenure at the club. Bolton’s failure to hold onto a 2-0 lead against Hull City on Tuesday night, combined with Gary Megson’s decision to substitute the scorer of Bolton’s opening goal, Ivan Klasnic, led to disgruntled fans leaving The Reebok early, and it appeared the disappointing draw with Hull was the last straw as the club aim to get out of the predicament they are in before the January transfer market kicks into life.

With an old departure comes a fresh face but who will take over the reigns at Bolton? For now, Chris Evans (Not the annoying ginger DJ but the Bolton Assistant Manager) and Steve Wigley, will take charge in the meantime until a permanent manager is found. However, it didn’t take some bookies long to open up the ‘Next permanent Bolton manager’ market and we already have a frontrunner in Paul Jewell (5.00 Coral), although former Man City manager, Mark Hughes, has been hotly tipped to jump straight back into management but we don’t see that happening any time soon, especially not at a club such as Bolton Wanderers as that would be one mighty fall from grace after spending gazillions at Man City.

Instead, someone like Gareth Southgate at 17/1 with various bookmakers, seems a more than reasonable punt in what is basically the managerial version of ‘finding a needle in a haystack’. Southgate has expressed his desire to return to management on several occasions since his sacking from Middlesborough just a mere few months ago. I’m not sure if Southgate’s style of management will suit Bolton but he will have January to pick a few of his own providing Bolton hand him a half-decent kitty.

Another who will attract a fair few wagers is Alan Curbishley. The former; Charlton Athletic & West Ham manager has now been out of managerial work for some time now, nearly two years in fact, and I could actually see Curbishley on the Bolton touchline. He has relegation stricken club experience after tough spells with Charlton & West Ham, and he was even linked to the England post before Steve McClaren flopped for us instead, so he’s clearly a wanted man.

Also, Darren Ferguson maybe interested in an instant return to management if the call does arrive after the son of Man Utd legend, Sir Alex Ferguson, was controversially sacked by Peterborough in November, despite leading the club to back-to-back promotions from League 2 up to The Championship. Bolton, though, is a big step up for him but he would certainly thrive on such a challenge after leaving Peterborough on bitter terms, and we’re quite confident he would accept the post, but we aren’t sure if the Bolton board would be interested in his services just yet.

There are a whole host of former managers being linked with the vacant post and a whole host more will come soon enough. However, we advise caution as there is always someone who knows a little something and the market can become distorted very quickly. Also, be careful of any loose information. Bookies will jump on an excuse to dramatically lower the price of a possible manager just to entice punters and get them excited. Some common sense and know-how is required in this sort of market.

Our Proposals:

Gareth Southgate (Our more fancied selection) – 17/1 SkyBet

Alan Curbishley – 10/1 WilliamHill

Darren Ferguson – 9/1 BlueSquare

Next Permanent Bolton Manager:

Paul Jewell – 4/1 Coral

Peter Reid – 6/1 VCbet

Mark Hughes – 13/2 BlueSquare

Darren Ferguson – 9/1 BlueSquare

Alen Curbishley – 10/1 WilliamHill

Gareth Southgate – 17/1 SkyBet

Alan Pardew – 16/1 Boylesports

Alan Irvine – 25/1 Coral

Steve Coppell – 25/1 SkyBet

Steve McClaren – 25/1 BetFred

Steve Wigley – 25/1 SkyBet

(There are plenty of others – Too many!)