English League 1

Friday 2^nd April

English League 1

Tranmere Rovers v Norwich City

Norwich can take another massive step towards the automatic promotion and the League 1 title with a win on Good Friday away at relegation threatened Tranmere.

Tranmere have struggled for much of the season thanks to the disastrous appointment of John Barnes as manager last summer. After a run of horrendous results, Barnes was sacked to be replaced by the club’s physio Les Parry. His appointment saw an upturn in results and for a while it looked as though they’d be comfortable from relegation. However 1 win in their last 6 games have seen them slip back down the table and back into the final relegation spot. Their destiny is still very much in their own hands however as they have a game in hand so they know what it will take to stay in the division.

Norwich managed to score in the 90^th minute last week to defeat Leeds 1-0 at Carrow road in what has surely sealed their return to the Championship at the first time of asking. They are now 11 points clear of last weeks opponents with 8 games to go. Paul Lambert will never admit to it being over until it’s mathematically impossible for them to be caught but it looks all but over. Should they win tonight they will be on course to clinch promotion with 3 more victories and would remain in the hunt for a staggering 100 points. It is a phenomenal achievement for Lambert in his first season as boss of what is still a very big club in England.

Norwich have won on their last 3 visits to Prenton Park and the odds are very much stacked in their favour to make it 4 in a row. Tranmere’s only win in 6 attempts was against mid-table Southampton back at the start of last month. They have since lost to an out of form Leeds and also to Brighton. Norwich have only lost one away game in the league since the middle of October, and with Chris Martin, Wes Hoolahan and Grant Holt all available, I expect them to take another big step towards their ultimate aim of promotion with their 6^th win from their last 7.

My selection: Norwich City to beat Tranmere at a best priced 3/4 available with Totesport

Saturday 3^rd April

English Premier League

Manchester United v Chelsea

A massive game by anyone’s definition as the top two in the Premier League meet at Old Trafford with Chelsea looking to topple league leaders Manchester United.

All the talk this week has been about the injury to Wayne Rooney which rules the inform striker out for at least the next fortnight, possibly longer. It’s a monumental blow to Sir Alex Ferguson as Rooney has taken on the lead mans role since Ronaldo’s summer departure to Real Madrid. His loss will no doubt hamper United’s surge for 4 league titles in a row, and the Champions league, but it’s a long way from ending it. Many people forget the quality of Dimitar Berbatov who will come in to replace Rooney. The Bulgarian is a huge talent and has got 12 league goals himself, so although he may not be in the same form as Rooney, he will feel he has something to prove and will be determined to take his chance now Rooney is injured.

Chelsea will be able to call upon their star striker Didier Drogba despite the hitman missing last weeks 7-1 win over Aston Villa with an injury scare. He will no doubt be restored to the starting line-up despite that fabulous win last weekend. He will be Chelsea’s biggest threat and will surely be up for the game after disappointing in Chelsea’s most recent big match – at home to Inter in the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti’s side have hit back in recent weeks after their European exit and then dropping points at Ewood Park in a 1-1 draw. They have since hit 12 goals in 2 games taking maximum points along the way. Key to this resurgence in form has been Frank Lampard with the midfielder notching 6 goals in two games. He has had a quiet season by his own high standards but he could be hitting form at just the right moment.

Ferguson is likely to go with Berbatov upfront himself, supported by Nani on one side and Antonio Valenica on the other. It’s a formation which has served United very well in recent years and it’s one which I think will suit Berbatov’s style of play. United will look to get the ball wide and get balls into the box for their striker who will thrive on the service. Anything he won’t be able to get on goal, he will be looking to lay back to the likes of Darren Fletcher and whoever else will play in the advanced midfield role, either Paul Scholes or Park Ji Sung. Chelsea on the other hand will probably go with a front 3 of Drogba, Nicholas Anelka and Florent Malouda. Between them they have over 50 goals in the league already this season so will pose a huge threat to a United defence which looked shaky in their 2-1 loss to Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

It really is an intriguing match which could go either way, especially with Rooney absent. From a betting perspective there are plenty of attractive propositions away from the outcome of the match itself as I think it’s too close to call. I’ve picked out 3 bets which I think are good value and suit the type of game as well as what is at stake.

My selections: Both teams to score at a best priced 5/6 available with Betfred

Paulo Ferreira to be booked at a best priced 9/ 2 available at Skybet

Manchester United to have over 6 corners at a best priced EVENS available with Paddypower

Good Luck and have an enjoyable holiday weekend

Saturday 27^th March

English League 1

Norwich City v Leeds United

The big match in the football league this weekend takes place at Carrow Road as top of the table Norwich entertain Leeds who occupy the other automatic promotion spot in League 1.

I’ve spoken about how well Paul Lambert has done since taking the reigns in August. His side have been in scintillating form since he took over and they’re currently 8 points clear of tomorrow’s opponents. They’ve won more games than anyone else in the league, they’ve score more goals than anyone in the league, they have the most home wins and the most away wins, and no other team has lost fewer games than any other team in the league. Norwich look to be nigh on certainties to go straight back up to the Championship but will want to do it in style. Their home form is staggering under Lambert with 14 wins from 17 and a 44 points from a possible 51 at Carrow Road. Only Southampton have managed to come away with all 3 points since the Scot took over, and it was probably the worst Norwich have played under Lambert. Key to their amazing form has been the trio of Wes Hoolahan, Chris Martin and Grant Holt. The 3 of them have terrorised league 1 defences all season and have 47 goals between them in the league alone. It equates to near enough 2 thirds of Norwich’s goals in the league and it’s no surprise that they have played in every game possible when available.

Leeds started the season flying and found themselves on top for nearly all of the first half of the season. Simon Grayson’s men steamrolled their way to the top of league 1 and were well clear of the chasing pack coming into January. They have tailed off massively of late, however, and now have a massive fight on their hands to secure automatic promotion. Their most recent match was at home to fellow promotion hopefuls Millwall which ended 2-0 to the away side and was very one sided. Leeds looked jaded, completely lack in ideas and a team that’s low in confidence. That’s not surprising when you analyse their recent form. Since knocking Manchester United out of the FA Cup in January, the Elland road side have won 3 of 14 league games. It’s a staggering run of form from a side who were coasting earlier in the season. Goals have dramatically dried up as well in that time as they’ve only managed to score 17 times in that run of games, an average of just over 1 per game whereas their season average before that was well over 2. Jermaine Beckford is once again their leading goalscorer but mystery surrounds his absence from Monday night’s team. The striker was said to have strained a hamstring in the warm up but reports have emerged that he has had a bust up with Grayson and stormed out of the ground before the Millwall game.

Norwich have faired pretty well against their nearest challengers, especially at home. They have beaten Millwall, Huddersfield and Swindon, scoring 6 and conceding 0, and drew 2-2 with Charlton last year. Leeds on the other hand have a relatively poor away record when up against the sides vying for promotion. They have already lost away to Millwall, Swindon and Southampton, perhaps more importantly, 2 of these defeats have came in the last 6 weeks.

Leeds will find it even more difficult with the news that Patrick Kisnorbo is out for the rest of the season which could prove to be a massive loss as the defender has been a crucial player all season long, and is arguably their best defender. His loss could be compounded with the continued absence of Beckford who may miss out again. Norwich on the other hand have all their key personnel fit and available for the top of the table clash.

The Canaries have been impressive any time I’ve seen them this season and they look to be getting stronger as the season goes on. There is a real sense of unity and togetherness surrounding the club which Lambert must take huge credit for. Holt is still banging in the goals and he will relish the thought of coming up against a weak and fragile Leeds side who looked absolutely toothless on Monday night. A win will basically ensure a return to the Championship and could all but seal the league title – it’s one I think they’ll get.

My selection: Norwich to beat Leeds at a best priced 21/20 available at Betfred

Premier League

Wolves v Everton

Both sides are coming off excellent midweek victories so Molineux should play host to an entertaining game as Everton travel to the Midlands to take on Wolves.

 Mick McCarthy was ecstatic after his side came out on top in the big relegation battled at Upton Park as his side won 3-1 and all but ensured their stay in the Premier League for another season. It was Wolves’ 3^rd away game in succession and they managed to take 7 points from them – a superb accomplishment for any side, let alone one who were written off earlier in the season. They’ve done it by playing some really good football as well and central to these impressive performances was Kevin Doyle. The Irishman has been a brilliant buy for McCarthy as he has led the line very well, especially in recent weeks. He got his reward with the opening goal in the win over West Ham, it was his 7^th league goal of the campaign, not prolific by any means, but he has a habit of scoring important goals.

Everton are on a sensational run of form at present which culminated in a powerful 2-0 win over Man City away from home. They totally bossed the side who were put together for hundreds of millions, dominating them on their own ground. Davie Moyes would never say it but he must still harbor faint hopes of challenging for 4^th and the final Champions League spot. If it hadn’t of been for a dreadful start to their season, they would surely be in pole position for the European spots as opposed to playing catch up now. They have only suffered two defeats in their last 17 games, an astonishing run of form for such a small squad. Mikel Arteta has been a driving force in recent weeks since his return from injury and the Spaniard is definitely making up for lost time. He has scored 4 goals in his last 4 games and has a massive say in any game at the moment.

Wolves will be on a high after their recent form but McCarthy will be making sure they don’t get carried away with themselves and will no doubt keep faith with the same starting XI that has served him well over the last 5 weeks. He will attempt to play the same counter attacking football his side have deployed of late with the expectation that Everton will come and force the issue.

Everton would be a match for any side in the division at this point and to find them odds against facing a side in the bottom half of the table looks to be value – away win.

My selection: Everton to beat Wolves at a best priced 11/10 available with Stan James

Scottish Premier League

Dundee United v Motherwell

Dundee United knock Rangers out of the Scottish cup during the midweek and will be looking to follow up that result with another victory over an improving Motherwell.

A last minute David Robertson goal ended Rangers’ treble ambitions and put United through to a Scottish Cup semi final with Raith Rovers. It was nothing more than they deserved and in truth, it should have been more comfortable. It’s been a productive season for United thus far as they are currently 3^rd in the table and occupying the Europa League spot. From their last 6 home games they have won 3, drawn 1 and lost the other 2, so it’s been pretty erratic.

Motherwell have been transformed under the stewardship of Craig Brown. The former Scotland boss has steadied the ship since taking over in December. They are without defeat in the league in 2010. It’s a run of form which has catapulted them into contention for 3^rd place as they are level on points with tomorrow’s opponents although they have played a game more. It makes the match even more interesting and it’s one which Motherwell must get something from if they are to chase United down.

Brown is an excellent tactician at this level and he will look to exploit United’s tiredness after their massive effort during the week. He will look to keep it tight for much of the game, trying to hit them on the break with the pace of Jamie Murphy upfront. An away win would put Motherwell into 3^rd courtesy of a better goal difference and they will be desperate for it. A draw would not be catastrophic but United have been susceptible to a lack of consistency before and Motherwell have won on their last two visits to Tannadice so at the odds, an away win is very appealing.

My selection: Motherwell to beat Dundee United at best priced 16/5 with Skybet

Saturday 13^th March

English Championship

Ipswich Town v Scunthorpe United

These sides meet for the 2^nd time in the league within a month and both are still on the hunt for the points which will keep them in the Championship.

Roy Keane has made a somewhat underwhelming start to his reign as Ipswich boss. The former Sunderland manager too charge of his first full season in August and harboured realistic dreams of being promoted to the Premier League. He signed some good players and used his contacts to bring in guys who have played at the top level over the last few years. Those dreams of being promoted and ambitions of playing at the top level come August of this year, however, have quickly disappeared and Keane and his men now find themselves locked in a tight relegation battle. Before Tuesday’s home win over Cardiff, Town were 1 point off the relegation zone so the 3 points gained in midweek have given them some breathing space. Ipswich’s main problem is the number of draws they have accumulated, especially at home. They’ve drawn 10 of their 17 league games at Portman Road, losing just 2. They’re obviously hard to beat but they quite clearly also have problems scoring goals. For a side which can boast attackers such as Jon Walters, Pablo Counago, David Healy and Darryl Murphy, 19 goals in 17 home league games is not good enough.

Scunthorpe find themselves below tomorrow’s opponents in the table and right in the mix of the relegation scrap. Nigel Adkins’ men average the 2^nd highest average for goals per game, with 3 goals per game. The statistic is dampened somewhat when you look at their goals against column, especially away from home. The Irons have the worst away defensive record in the Championship, conceding 7 more goals than the 2^nd worst, Watford, with 38. It works out conceding, on average, more than 2 goals a game, so their problems clearly lie at the back end of the pitch. They have managed 3 wins on the road thus far but have lost 11, the 3^rd least in the league. They have lost their last 3 on the road after managing back to back successes away to Derby and QPR. Scunthorpe have only won once since their win at QPR, a 2-1 victory at home to Barnsley in the middle of February. 3 out of their next 4 games are against sides in and around them so they are entering a crucial period of the season and one which they simply must collect points in. Tomorrow’s visit to Ipswich is arguably the hardest of the relegation battles they’ll face so any result will surely be a bonus.

Ipswich have not lost in the league at home since September when a 4-0 mauling to Newcastle served as a wake-up call to Keane who has adopted a slightly more conservative approach. They have won 5 and drawn 5 of their last 10 at Portman Road which is more than decent for a side who were struggling for form. As well as Cardiff, Ipswich have seen off an inform Coventry side and promotion chasing Blackpool, so they are more than capable of holding their own. A key player in their recent good form at Portman Road has been Darryl Murphy. The Irishman is on loan from Sunderland until the end of the season and he’s been the difference in recent games. Murphy has had a point to prove after being left out in the cold by Steve Bruce so the loan move has given him a chance to score goals on a regular basis and he’s done that. He’s notched 5 in 8, including both goals in the win over Cardiff. He’s formed a decent partnership with David Healy, also on loan from Sunderland, and the two have certainly provided Town with more cutting edge up top.

Scunthorpe have not played since the 27^th of February so it will be interesting to see the effect that has had on the players. Adkins is likely to go with Gary Hooper and Paul Hayes in attack once again as the two have 18 between them and are arguably Scunny’s most important players. Playing both, however, can leave them exposed at the back and could possibly explain why they lose so many goals.

I don’t think anyone can argue that Ipswich have the better players but that is often not enough a lot of the time. Roy Keane was faced with moulding these players into a unit and to play as a team. There are some signs that he is achieving this at long last and as such I think they’ll go on from their win on Tuesday, where they bossed a Cardiff side in the play-off picture, and make it back to back home wins.

My selection: Ipswich to beat Scunthorpe at a best priced 8/11 available with Betfred

English Championship

Leicester City v Cardiff City

A match at the opposite end of the table this time as 5^th placed Leicester entertains 6^th placed Cardiff at the Walkers Stadium.

Nigel Pearson has done a remarkable job with Leicester in their first season back in the Championship since winning promotion last season. They sit comfortable in the playoff zone and are on real good run at the moment. They have lost just once in their last 9 with the defeat coming in their most recent game away to Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday. With regards to their home form they have lost just 3 games all season and won 9 of their 17 home matches. They’ve not lost a league game at the Walkers since the beginning of December, winning 5 and drawing 3 of their last 8. Their most recent home game saw an excellent 3-0 win over rivals Nottingham Forest two weeks ago. It’s a win which will have galvanised the team after losing top scorer Matty Fryatt to injury at the beginning of last month.

Cardiff have and indifferent 2010 thus far, with 4 wins, 4 defeats and 3 draws from their 11 league games. They have had to contend with a whole host of problems off field from high court appearances for missed tax payments, through to a catalogue of injuries to high profile, and important players. It has been seen them lose 3 of their last 4 in the league and only 1 goal scored in those 4 games. They turned in arguably their worst performance of the season on Tuesday night in the aforementioned loss to Ipswich. It was a weak, timid display and it infuriated Dave Jones.

The Foxes will be boosted by the loan signing of James Vaughn from Everton on an initial 1 month loan. The young striker has found games hard to come by for the Toffee’s this season but he has undoubted quality and could prove to be a shrewd signing by Pearson for the next few games at least. The bluebirds may be able to call on three players who are recovering for injury. Stephen McPhail, Mark Kennedy and most importantly, Peter Wittingham, are all close to comebacks. Wittingham especially has been a big miss as he’s the league’s top scorer and is also extremely creative. He could return but his sharpness may not be a 100% so it will be interesting to see if he starts the game.

It’s a big match for the promotion picture and one that both sides will be desperate for the win with so many sides bunched up from 7^th to 12^th looking for a way into the play-off zone. Leicester have not lost in the league at home this year and they had an emphatic win over Forest last time out. They are a very disciplined side and are excellent on the break. Cardiff like to play football so there is a chance they’ll set up to win the game which will allow space for the home side to exploit. A win will give them a big advantage in their quest for promotion and I think they can get it.

My selection: Leicester to beat Cardiff at a best priced 11/10 available with Skybet

English League 1

Millwall v Charlton

The New Den will play host to a London derby tomorrow as Millwall battle fellow promotion hopeful’s Charlton.

Kenny Jackett has got his Millwall side hitting top form at the best possible time. They are on a run of 8 wins in their last 10 games which has seen them rise to 5^th in the table and with a 4 point cushion over 7^th placed Huddersfield. Their home form has been excellent all season with 12 wins, 4 draws and just the 1 defeat from their 17 home games thus far. Their solitary loss came back in November and it was a game I tipped them to win comfortably. They lost 2-0 to a Wycombe side who have been in the drop zone all season long. It’s been the sole blip on an otherwise fantastic home record. Their record at home against sides in the playoff picture also reads well. They have defeated Leeds, Colchester, MK Dons, Huddersfield and most recently, Norwich.

Charlton started the season so well and were candidates to win the league let alone gain promotion. Things have tailed off a little, however, and they find themselves closer to 7^th than they do 1st. Things have picked up again and they go into tomorrow’s match having won their last two games, one at home and one away. They wins have come against inferior opposition however, in the shape of Southend and Stockport. They weren’t very impressive in either of the games but they got the points and at this stage, that’s all that matters.

Neil Harris and Steve Morrison have formed an exciting partnership for Millwall in recent weeks and are on form heading into Saturday. Between them they have 24 goals in total 6 in the last 3 matches. They will prove a handful tomorrow and it will be a real test for a Charlton defence who have only kept one clean sheet in their last 15 games.

It’s hard to see past Millwall with such a good home record, they’re in excellent form at the minute and they have proven they are capable of beating the best in the league at home. Charlton are not at their best at this moment in time which is what edges it in the home sides favour for me.

My selection: Millwall to beat Charlton at a best priced 13/10 available with Coral 

Apologies for the late post, I was holding off as much as possible to see which games will survive the horrific weather conditions in the country today.

 Saturday 19^th December

Scottish Premier League

St Johnstone v St Mirren

Gus McPherson takes his St Mirren side to MacDiarmid Park to take on St Johnstone in a match that will give the victors some much needed breathing space at the foot of the table.

The home side have earned many plaudits from other clubs managers and supporters for their exciting approach to the game. They have the 5^th highest goals for in the league which is no mean feat for a side who have just been promoted to the top league in Scotland. They have, however, conceded the most amount of goals in the league, with 29, 4 more than any other team. Their cause is not likely to be helped today with Derek McInnes’ missing at least 7 players for today’s match. One of those who is definitely out of the game is Collin Samuel. The striker is not only his teams top scorer, he’s also arguably their most important player. He leads the line well and gives them the option to go in behind with his pace.

St Mirren have struggled for wins off late, with none in their last 6 league matches. It’s a bit of surprise that they have struggled as much lately, especially after comfortable wins over Hearts and Falkirk in October. They have missed their talisman Andy Dorman in recent weeks as the Welsh International has picked up a long term injury. His absence has taken away a lot of the creativity from the St Mirren side. The emphasis for McPherson’s side is now more on getting the ball up earlier to their physical strikers, Michael Higdon and Billy Mehmet. Both were troublesome for the Falkirk defence last week, with the former netting a spectacular goal in the 1-1 draw.

The spoils were shared when these sides last met back in September. The parks were far better than what they are now, the players were fresher and there was still a surprise element to St Johnstone’s style of play. 3 month’s on, the parks are beginning to cut up, the  squads are  suffering from injuries and suspension and there is the suspicion that other teams are becoming wise to McInnes’ tactics. This is highlighted by a defeat to Kilmarnock in their last home match. Killie, much like St Mirren, were coming off the back of a poor run of form and their style of play is very similar to that of Gus McPherson’s side. With that in mind, and with the amount of key players the home side are missing, I just feel that St Mirren have the knack of winning against teams in and around them, especially when they’re not playing too well.

My selection: St Mirren to beat St Johnstone

Best odds available: 9/4 available with several bookmakers including Coral

English League 1

Norwich v Huddersfield

A match between these two sides at this time of year has all the makings of a Christmas cracker as Paul Lambert’s 3^rd placed City play host to 5^th placed Town.

Paul Lambert has transformed the fortunes of the Carrow road side since his appointment in August. He has got the team playing exciting and productive football which has catapulted them up the league table, sitting comfortably within the play-off positions and with a real chance of automatic promotion. He has built his side around his captain, Grant Holt. The prolific striker has already notched 13 goals this season since his move from Shrewsbury in the summer. It’s not just goals which Holt brings to the side; he is an excellent team player. He holds the ball up, he links up well with the midfield and is always willing to work back to help out his defenders. His performances, coupled with the consistent displays by his team-mates, have resulted in only 1 defeat in 16 league matches. This is a staggering run of form at any time in any league, but it’s even more impressive when it’s a new manager in such a fiercely competitive league.

I’ve previewed Huddersfield several times already this season so I think we all know what I think of them. I am a big fan of their attacking philosophy both home and away and I fully expect them to be in the promotion shake-up at the end of the season. Lee Clark will know that these games will be the true test of how far his team has come this season as Norwich have only lost 1 game at home all season, and that was under former manager Bryan Gunn. Town have let themselves down on the road this season, picking up just 8 points from a possible 30. They will know that they have to improve on their travels, sooner rather than later.

Having watched both sides on a couple of occasions this term, I think this will be an open match with more than a couple of goals and both sides scoring. The managers are attacking by nature and set their teams up to win games. Huddersfield showed a couple of weeks ago when drawing 2-2 at Elland Road that they are able to give anyone a game, home or away. Norwich, however, are very strong at home and I just think that Holt and Chris Martin will pose too much of a threat to a porous Huddersfield defence.

My selection:  Norwich to beat Huddersfield

Best odds available: 11/10 available with several bookmakers including Bet365

Sunday 20^th December

Scottish Premier League

Hearts v Celtic

This fixture has proved to be problematic for Celtic in recent times as they never get it easy when travelling to Tynecastle to take on suspension and injury ravaged Hearts.

Hearts have had a disastrous start to the season and currently find themselves in 8^th position, 6 points off of the bottom and 20 points off top spot. Their discipline has once again let them down, especially recently. They have had 3 red cards in the last 4 matches which has been extremely detrimental to their fortunes and results. They have only picked up 1 win in 9 league games which is basically relegation form in any league. For tomorrow’s match, they will be missing Ian Black and Suso Santana who are both suspended whilst Christian Nade is also set to miss out due to injury. This will likely mean a start for fit again Calum Elliot upfront which will mean even more reliance on their midfielders to get forward in support.

Celtic have turned their season around in recent weeks with 5 games unbeaten and some very encouraging performances in the process. 3 home wins in a row was followed by a come from behind victory away to Motherwell and then most recently on Thursday night, they secured a morale boosting 3-3 draw in Europe, despite being 3-0 down inside 20 minutes. In all 5 of these matches they have demonstrated a strong resolve as well as a will to win which was sadly lacking in some games at the start of the season. A lot of this will be down to a settled team, especially in the centre of the pitch. Marc Crosas has formed a very decent partnership with Landry N’Guemo in midfield whilst Gary Caldwell and Glenn Loovens are settled at the back as are Scott McDonald and Girgios Samaras upfront. This consistency has meant more impressive performances and improved confidence in the side. One man pushing for a start is Marc-Antoine Fortune. The £3.8m striker has scored 3 in his last 2 so will be hoping to dislodge Samaras, especially as the Greek is struggling with injury.

These games are very competitive and the midfield will play a big part for both sides. Aiden McGeady, despite being in danger of missing the derby match in January, will most likely play and he is in excellent form. He creates chances and has added goals in recent months, with 5 already in the league. Hearts have been very poor of late, but it would not be a surprise to anyone if they turn in a strong performance tomorrow. Even still, Celtic are in good form and will always score goals, with their increased confidence and key players finding form, I fancy them to win tomorrow.

My selection: Celtic to beat Hearts

Best odds available: 4/6 available with Totesport

Good Luck and Merry Christmas

Saturday 12^th December

English Championship

Watford v Derby County

Derby look to end their awful run of form on the road but they’ll find it extremely difficult to get anything from Watford who have now won their last four matches at Vicarage Road.

Watford continued their recent run of good form at home with a convincing, but hard fought, victory over London rivals QPR on Monday night. Despite going a goal behind early on, Malky MacKay’s side stuck to playing their football and got their rewards with three well worked goals against a good Rangers’ side. Tom Cleverley was again at the heart of everything that was good about the Hornets’ play and he’ll be the biggest threat to Derby tomorrow afternoon. His loan deal from Man United has been extended and he’ll now finish the season with the Championship side which will be a huge boost for everyone at the club.

Derby have failed to score in their last 5 away matches, but have still managed to pick up a couple of draws in that run of games. They are by far the lowest scorers away from home in the league with a measly 5 so Nigel Clough has attempted to make them harder to beat on the road because of this. They got a good point in midweek when travelling north to Preston but they are also a side lacking confidence so they should find Watford a different proposition altogether.

Watford will be hoping that the Henri Lansbury, the young midfielder on loan from Arsenal, will be fit to play after missing Monday’s victory. He has an excellent understanding with Cleverley and their styles of play complement each other. Derby will have to do without Dean Leacock who was injured in the stalemate with Preston which will mean a reshuffle at the back and this could be their downfall as he’s looked impressive of late, as well as being the organiser at the back.

Derby have struggled against the better sides in the league all season long. Nearly all their victories have come against sides in and around them at the foot of the table so I don’t hold out much hope for them tomorrow, home win.

My selection: Watford to beat Derby County

Best odds available: 19/20 available with several bookmakers including Victor Chandler

English Premier League

Manchester United v Aston Villa

8 points and 3 places separate these sides in the current Premier League as Martin O’Neill’s pretenders travel to the reigning Champions, Manchester United.

Man United’s defensive problems have been well documented of late and it’s a case of everybody rolling their sleeves up and mucking in while their recognised defenders sit out through injury. This has been the case for the likes of Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick. Both of whom are superb midfielders but they have also proven themselves to be adept at playing centre half in the last couple of matches. They get some respite this week though with the likely return of Nemanja Vidic who has got over his flu bug. He should be a certainty to return to the line-up. United will be looking to Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs to provide the spark going forward as both were at the centre of everything last weekend at Upton Park. They have an understanding which makes them almost impossible to stop when both are on form.

Aston Villa have won two and drawn two of their last 4 matches so come into this match in decent enough form but most of those games and points have come at Villa Park. Their away form is patchy this season with 2 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats. It’s not the worst record by any means, but they have dropped some silly points on the road already, especially against West Ham and Wolves. They only picked up 1 point from these games and both were games where they should have won as they were on top for long spells and their quality was far higher. They do score goals on the road though and they’ll feel they can cause United’s makeshift defence problems, especially in the air with either Emile Heskey or John Carew partnering Gabby Agbonlahor upfront.

It’s hard to see anything but a United win in this match as they are beginning to hit form and scoring goals from all over the park. Michael Owen has staked his claim for a starting spot with his midweek hat-trick but it doesn’t matter who plays, they’ll create a plethora of chances throughout the game. Their patched up side will also have its biggest test with Villa in good scoring form as well and capable of scoring goals from a variety of positions. With this in mind I fancy over 2 goals as well as the home win.

My selection: Manchester United to beat Aston Villa – 1/2 available at William Hill

Other selection: Over 2 goals – 4/5 available with Skybet

English League one

Huddersfield v Gillingham

Notoriously poor travellers Gillingham travel to a side who have not been beaten at home all season in the shape of Huddersfield.

I’ve previewed Huddersfield already this term and they haven’t changed much since then. They score an incredible amount of goals at home and they tend to win most of these games. 7 points from a possible 9 in their last 3 home games, with 11 goals scored and 4 conceded in that time. They dropped points in their last home match however when drawing 3-3 with lowly Tranmere which was a surprise considering how efficient the Terriers have been at home.

Gillingham have it all to do if they are to get anything other than a hiding tomorrow. They have a solitary point from their 10 away matches and have conceded 24 goals on the road, scoring just 7. It’s horrific reading for a team who are so hard to beat at their own place. They have already lost to Leeds United, Southampton and MK Dons away from home, by at least 2 goals as well. They also have to do without key defender Josh Gowling which will leave them even more vulnerable at the back.

Huddersfield are one of the best sides in League 1 and must be the most free flowing, attacking team in the division at home. They score goals for fun and always look to attack no matter who they are playing, emphasised by their 2-2  draw with top of the table Leeds at Elland Road last weekend. The more cautious amongst us may wish to take the 1/2 for a home win but I’m taking a slightly riskier bet and taking the home side to be winning at half time and full time as well as Huddersfield minus a goal.

My selections: Huddersfield to be winning at HT/FT – available at 6/5 with Coral

                              Huddersfield (-1) to beat Gillingham – available at 5/4 with Bluesquare

Saturday 21^st November

English Championship

Watford v Scunthorpe

Watford, who currently sit in 12^th position, entertain a Scunthorpe side who are battling to avoid relegation and have lost their last 3 matches in the league.

Malky Mackay had a big turnaround of players during the summer months and opted to, as many managers do, to go with mostly younger players with a sprinkling of experienced players thrown in to nurture the fresh talent. Two players who have grabbed a lot of the headlines since moving to Vicarage Road are Henri Lansbury from Arsenal and Tom Cleverley from Manchester United. Both youngsters are initially on loan until January and have really struck up an exciting partnership in the Hornets midfield. Cleverley has 6 goals to his name whilst Lansbury has scored twice. Their performances this season have earned them call-up’s to the Under 21’s. Another player who joined during the summer was Danny Graham from Carlisle. The striker gives Watford a focal point upfront and his presence and ability to hold the ball up brings the likes of Cleverley and Lansbury into play, as well as wide man Don Cowie.

I previewed Scunthorpe’s last match which was also on the road against my selection Blackpool. I highlighted their weaknesses before that match and having seen the highlights from the game, they’re still suffering from a lack of quality and this level and making basic errors in defence. A plus point for them since that match is the return of star man Gary Hooper. The influential striker is back to full fitness and will return upfront alongside Paul Hayes. Hooper has 5 goals and is joint top scorer with Grant McCann so his return to the side is a big plus. A big negative for Scunny however, is the absence of goalkeeper Joe Murphy who is suspended after being sent off against Blackpool. He has been an ever present virtually for his 3 years at the club so it’s difficult to imagine anything else other than this having a negative impact on Nigel Adkins’ side. Josh Lillis will deputise for Murphy and it will be interesting to see how the youngster handles the occasion tomorrow afternoon as it will be only his 4^th start in the league in nearly 4 seasons.

When I previewed the Blackpool – Scunthorpe match I picked out Ben Burgess as one of the home side’s key men as he will take the brunt of challenges and enable the better footballers in his side to play. The exact same applies here with Danny Graham. He will go toe to toe with Scunthorpe captain Rob Jones who is their best defender but this will mean there will be space freed up for Cowie, Lansbury and Cleverley. I just don’t think Scunthorpe’s defence is good enough to cope with that trio, especially if, as I suspect, Graham occupies Jones.

Watford have won their last two games at home, playing some lovely football as well. They annihilated Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 before easily dispatching Preston in their last match, 2-0. Scunthorpe have now lost 6 of their 8 away matches and I can’t see any other course of events tomorrow, other than for that figure increasing to 7.

My selection: Watford to beat Scunthorpe

Best odds available: 5/6 with Victor Chandler

English Championship

Ipswich Town v Sheffield Wednesday

We stay in the Championship for the 2^nd match-up of the week as Roy Keane’s improving Ipswich side take on struggling Sheffield Wednesday in a match both sides will be keen to pick up 3 points to move up the table.

It took 15 games for Ipswich to record their first win of the season which was a surprise to many considering they were favourites with some bookies at the start of the season. Their major problem thus far has been the amount of draws they have accumulated as opposed to losing too many games. They have lost just one more than Cardiff who sit 3^rd in the table but they have drawn 9 times which is the joint highest in the English Leagues. They are currently unbeaten in 5 and that run has included games against the likes of Swansea and Watford. Their attacking options are good with Carlos Edwards and Grant Leadbitter brought in from Sunderland strengthening the midfield and a crop of strikers including Jon Walters, Jon Stead and Tamas Priskin.  They are, however, rather lightweight at the back and have yet to find a settled back four. This is emphasised in the goals conceded column where they have allowed 11 goals in 8 home games and kept only 2 clean sheets all season.

Sheffield Wednesday are falling fast under Brian Laws with only 1 win in their last 7 matches and no away win in the league since the end of August. They have had to contend with a lot of injuries however and an unsettled side rarely leads to positive results. Aside from former Town players Tommy Miller, Laws has a fully fit squad to choose from going into tomorrow evening’s match so there will be no excuse if they turn in another poor performance. Wednesday’s inability to come back after going a goal down is a major problem. They have failed to win any match after going behind and have only managed to secure a point on two occasions. It’s a real problem for Laws and it was noticeable against Watford that the heads went down as soon as they went 3-1 down right at the start of the 2^nd half.

Ipswich, I believe, are in a false position. Their squad is a lot stronger than the current table suggests so I don’t think we can pay too much attention to that at the moment. Keane has a vision for this side and if you watch and listen to him in interviews he’s not panicking one bit. They have not lost a match in over a month, and whilst winning only once, they are improving game on game. Both sides are near to full strength and with that in mind, I feel the home side have the better squad of players as well as being the inform side so it’s an easy decision for me, home win!

My selection: Ipswich to beat Sheffield Wednesday

Best odds available: Evens with several bookmakers including Skybet

English League 1

Millwall v Wycombe

For the 2^nd week in a row I’m previewing a Wycombe Wanderers match, this time, they’re on their travels once again this time facing Millwall at the New Den.

Kenny Jackett’s Millwall side are in 7^th place in League 1, 2 points outside the play-off positions. They are unbeaten in 7 in the league, winning 4 and are unbeaten at home all season and have the 2^nd best defensive record in the league. Their star men thus far have been James Henry, on loan from Reading, and veteran striker Neil Harris, who is incidentally 12 years Henry’s senior. Millwall start the season in a relatively slow fashion but much of that was down to a plethora of injuries to important players. Paul Robinson, Darren Ward and Zak Whitbread have all been missing for most of the season, with Whitbread still absent. Their return to the side has saw a change in results and more consistent performances.

I’m pleased to say that both my bets involving Wycombe came in last week and both came in rather easily. They were destroyed 6-0 by a rampant Huddersfield side who are one place above Wycombe’s opponent’s tomorrow afternoon. Gary Waddock’s charges also played their FA Cup replay midweek and duly lost 2-0 away to Brighton. There will come a time when the manager changes his attacking philosophy, there simply has to. It’s refreshing to see a manager set out his team to win no matter what the game but to do that there must be a sizeable amount of quality to play with and I don’t think Wycombe have enough quality to take games to the likes of Millwall and Huddersfield.

It will come as no surprise to discover that I am siding with the home side this week. It’s not only a lack of quality in the Wycombe ranks, but also the fact they’ll be playing their 3^rd away match inside a week. That is a lot to ask of any team, and considering they have failed to win a match on the road all season, it’s too much to ask of Wycombe. I’m going for Millwall minus a goal at rather generous 11/8.

My selection: Millwall (-1) to beat Wycombe Wanderers

Best odds available: 13/10 at Sportingbet

Good lucky and Happy punting

Saturday 14^th November (12.05)

English League 1

Huddersfield v Wycombe Wanderers

As there is no Premier League or Championship matches this week we delve into League 1 for our first selection of the week as promotion hopefuls Huddersfield entertain bottom of the table Wanderers in the lunchtime kick off live on Sky Sports.

‘Field’s manager Lee Clark strengthened his pack throughout the summer knowing that big things were expected of his side after their strong end to last season. Amongst his signings were Jordan Rhodes, a young striker who plied his trade with Brentford last season. Rhodes has made the step up remarkably well, scoring 9 goals already this term. He has been ably assisted by Theo Robinsons who joined from Southend and has 5 goals to his name this season. Their partnership upfront has been the cornerstone for Huddersfield’s strong current form which has seen them win 4 of their last 5 games, scoring 16 goals in the process.

Wycombe find themselves cast adrift at the foot of the table, with 1 league win all season and on to their 2^nd manager of the season with Gary Waddock taking over from Peter Taylor. Wanderers main problem before the change in manager was their inability to score goals. Waddock has attempted to rectify that problem and in their last 5 matches in all competitions, they have scored 10 which is a massive improvement. The problem now lies in trying to keep them out at the back, in the same run of games they have shipped 13 which has meant results have not improved drastically. It’s no surprise that they have become more entertaining to watch under Waddock who has a reputation for neglecting the defensive record in favour of his teams going out for the win. It was the same when he was Aldershot manager and it has carried over to his new job.

Huddersfield have been particularly impressive at home this term, unbeaten on their own patch with 5 wins and 2 draws from their 7 league matches, scoring 20 and conceding a measly 3 goals at home all season. Wycombe’s away form is the polar opposite, no wins from 7 and just a total of 3 points on the road all season.

Leeds look likely to runaway with the League 1 Championship this term so it’s a fight for the 2^nd automatic promotion spot and the 4 play-off places. 9 points currently separate the faltering Charlton in 2^nd place and Oldham in 13^th. That gap is next to nothing in this league and Huddersfield will know that they must keep winning to remain in the promotion picture, especially these matches which are at home against struggling opposition. They have had no problems of late achieving this feat with Brentford and Exeter brushed aside with considerable ease.

Waddock looks incapable of changing his style and attacking nature, so with that in mind I’m going to select a couple of bets in favour of the home side in this match. First off, Huddersfield have scored in both halves of their matches at home in 4 of their wins. That bet is a 5/6 chance with William Hill. The other bet I like is Huddersfield on the handicap minus a goal.

They have dismantled the last 3 visitors to their stadium and I can see this being a similar story tomorrow.

My selections: Huddersfield to score in both halves against Wycombe

Best odds available: 5/6 with William Hilll

Huddersfield (-1) to beat Wycombe

Best odds available: 13/10 available with Bet365

Walsall v Stockport County

Another match up in League 1 see’s inform Walsall at home to struggling Stockport County who are in desperate trouble at the wrong end of the table with 3 points from their last 6 games.

Walsall have improved of late and find themselves well in the promotion picture in League 1, just 4 points of the last play-off position. Chris Hutchings brought in 10 players over the summer, with 5 going out. Two of these players are veterans of the lower leagues, Darren Byfield and Steve Jones. The attackers have a total of 9 goals between them this season whilst Jones has scored in each of his last 3 matches. They have been hard to beat at the Bescott, losing only once in the league, however up until the last month, their problem was drawing too many games at home. 4 of their 7 home games have resulted in stalemates this season but their last 3 home games; they have accumulated 7 points from a possible 9.  

Stockport have had massive financial problems to deal with over the last year and it’s been no surprise that these problems have transcended on to the playing and coaching staff resulting in County losing more matches than they’ve been winning. The biggest surprise has actually been that there is currently 3 teams below them in the league, even with Southampton’s 10 points deduction. There has been no less than 16 player departures in the last year with 7 new arrivals in that time .There was no other option available other than to drastically slash the wage bill and the task facing manager Gary Ablett is an unenviable one. They started the season in an adequate fashion with 4 defeats from their opening 11 matches in all competitions. The problem has been with such a small squad, injuries, suspensions and player fatigue hurts even more. Their last 6 league matches have been damaging with 5 defeats from 6, their only success coming against a side below them in the league, Tranmere Rovers.

Walsall have found the knack of turning draws into wins at home whilst Stockport are finding it hard to cope with the demands of Cup football mixed with league matches. With that in mind and the fact Steve Jones is in such good form for the home side means I’m siding with Walsall.

My selection: Walsall to beat Stockport

Best odds available: 5/6 with several bookmakers including Bluesquare

Saturday 10^th October

English League 1

Carlisle v Norwich City

Norwich will be looking to make it 4 straight wins in all competitions when they travel north to take on a Carlisle side who haven’t picked up a league victory since the 5^th of September.

Paul Lambert has had a positive impact since replacing Bryan Gunn as Norwich manager back in August. Incidentally, it was Lambert’s former side, Colchester, who caused Gunn’s sacking when his Canaries side lost 7-1 to them on the opening day of the season. Since Lambert’s arrival, City have climbed the table and currently find themselves in 7^th position, 1 place and 2 points outside of the play-off picture. They have won their last two matches in the league, both at home, by a four goal margin each time. Their last two away matches have been against strong home sides in the shape of Gillingham and MK Dons. The former resulted in a stalemate in a match Norwich may feel they should have taken all 3 points whilst they will also feel aggrieved at not taking something from MK Dons in a match they dominated for large spells.

Carlisle United have found life difficult in the league this year managing only two victories from their 11 matches this far. Their home form, normally quite strong, has let them down with only one win from 5 games whilst losing 3 of those. They have lost to pretty weak sides all in all, Brentford, Exeter and Brighton are not great by any stretch of the imagination and are teams who are likely to be at the same end of the league as Carlisle come the end of the season. Their only success was against the hapless Tranmere who have been brushed aside by most teams already this season whilst they picked up a credible draw with Southampton.

Norwich will be hoping their top scorer and captain Grant Holt is fit enough to start tomorrow as he is instrumental in Lambert’s style of play. The former Celtic and Dortmund midfielder likes his teams to get the ball wide and whip crosses into the box for the target man so Holt’s fitness is key to this game. If, as expected, he does play, I think Carlisle’s defence is in for a very difficult 90 minutes. A big blow to Norwich will be the absence of Stephen Hughes who is on international duty with Scotland. Darrel Russell may well come in to replace Hughes.

Carlisle will be desperate to pick up their first 3 points in more than a month tomorrow and may take some comfort from the fact that their opponents have only notched one victory on the road in the league this term. That statistic, however, is deceptive as Lambert wasn’t in place for one of their two away defeats and his side have shown a big improvement on their travels. With Grant Holt in excellent form I just think Norwich’s attacking flair will be too much and see them home rather comfortably in the end.

My selection: Norwich City to beat Carlisle United

Best odds available: 11/8 available with several bookmakers including bet365

English League 2

Bradford City v Crewe Alexandra

A local derby of sorts with Yorkshire meeting Lancashire at Valley Parade as Dario Gradi takes his troops to face Stuart McCall’s Bradford.

Bradford City had a poor start to the league campaign losing 5-0 to Notts County before dropping a further 5 points in their next two matches. It wasn’t until an extraordinary match at Cheltenham that they picked up their first 3 points of the season winning 5-4. Since then, the Bantams have not looked back and have remained unbeaten since. In this run they have won 4 and drawn 4 which has seen them climb the table to 9^th position, 3 points off 7^th place. Their home form looks patchy when you look at their season stats but when you focus on their last 3 home games it looks a lot more positive with 2 wins and a draw with only one goal conceded. They may not have been playing the strongest away sides but they have been despatched with considerable ease.

Crewe have found things a little tough going since their relegation to England’s 4^th flight of league football. They started the season reasonably well with 4 league victories from their opening half dozen matches. They have, however, lost their last 5 matches in the league which meant that their former manager lost his job as a consequence. Dario Gradi has since taken over again but even his return could not halt the clubs fortunes as Crewe lost out by the odd goal in five last week at home to Rotherham.

Bradford’s upsurge in form cannot be put down to any one great player, it’s been a genuine team effort. Players like Rehman, Williams and O’Brien have provided a solid platform at the back for the likes of Osborne, Evans and Flynn to go forward with a bit of intent at the other end of the park.

Bradford have won 4 of the last 5 rounds of this fixture but did lose the last time these sides met at Valley Parade. Crewe will come out to attack as they only know how to play one way so I expect goals tomorrow. So as well as advising a bet on Bradford to continue their good form and take all 3 points I think the more than two goals bet is also a very decent shout.

My selections: Bradford to beat Crewe

Best odds available: 10/11 with several bookmakers including Coral

Other selections: More than two goals in the same game

Best odds available: 4/5 with PaddyPower.

Saturday 3^rd October

English Premier League

Burnley v Birmingham City

A meeting of two promoted sides at Turf Moor also see’s two young Scottish managers clash when Owen Coyle’s Burnley take on Alex McLeish’s Birmingham.

Burnley have been your stereotypical Jekyll and Hyde side this term with 3 wins and 4 defeats from their opening 7 matches. All 3 of their wins have come at home in pretty convincing and impressive fashion. They have got the better of Everton and Sunderland, both of whom occupy top 10 places whilst their most notable victory came in August when they defeated Champions and current league leaders, Manchester United. Their away form, however, is far less impressive. In their 4 matches on the road they have yet to gain a point, conceded 14 goals and have a 0 in the goals for column. Granted, these games have been against strong home sides including Liverpool and Tottenham, but it must already be a cause for concern for Coyle.

Birmingham have been a lot less entertaining than tomorrows opponents but that may not be a bad thing in the long run. The blues have conceded 6 goals in their 7 matches which is pretty good going for a side in the lower reaches of the league. The problem is at the other end of the pitch as they have only managed to breach the opposition’s defences 4 times in the same number of games. McLeish will not be overly disappointed with a total of 7 points at this stage but will be looking for his team to create more chances and score more goals, especially against teams who are likely to be in and around them come the end of the season.

Both sides have not had their problems to seek in terms of injuries even at this early stage of the season. The Clarets will be without influential striker Martin Paterson again tomorrow as well as a creative spark in the middle of the park, Chris McCann. Both have been very good for Burnley but Coyle believes he has the squad in place to deal with such absences. Birmingham will be without their Ecuadorian striker Christian Benitez who has flown home for personal reasons. They may have James McFadden back from injury which would be a big boost for McLeish who is desperate for some spark upfront.

I don’t think there will be a massive amount of points between these two sides come May, but at the same time, I can’t see both being relegated. Burnley will really need to improve their away form to stay up whilst tomorrow’s visitors will have to start scoring more goals. Burnley have a knack of sneaking victories at home in close fought encounters. Steven Fletcher leads the line will and will no doubt be ably supported by recent recruit David Nugent. I expect another close game tomorrow but think Owen Coyle’s men will come out of it with all 3 points to maintain their 100% home record this season.

My selection: Burnley to beat Birmingham

Best odds available: 13/10 available with Betfred

English League 1

Leeds United v Charlton Athletic

A massive game in League 1 on Saturday see’s top of the table Leeds entertain 2^nd place Charlton, a match which would have been in the Premiership 3 or 4 years ago.

Leeds head into this match still unbeaten after 10 games with 8 victories and 2 stalemates. They have finally got to grips with life in League 1 and got a balance between playing home and away. Their home record for the last two seasons has been impressive to say the least but they have always been let down by their form on the road. Simon Grayson, in his first full season as manager, has addressed that problem by making them harder to beat and this has been reflected in their results. United have an identical record both home and away with 4 wins and a draw apiece.

Charlton started the season on fire with 6 straight wins in the league. Since then, however, they have struggled and have only managed to secure maximum points in 1 of their last 4 matches. That was against Exeter last weekend but since then, they have suffered a heavy defeat away to Colchester during a midweek round of fixtures. Charlton’s problem may be that they rely a lot on young, emerging talent. They have experienced pro’s as well, of course they do, but their key players in key positions are experiencing this sort of football for the first time. When I say that, I mean football at the top end of the league. For the last few seasons Charlton have found themselves at the bottom end scrapping for points whereas now, they are one of the major scalps in league 1 which means other teams tend to raise their game against them.

I’ve spoken before about where Leeds’ quality lies – their strikers. Jermaine Beckford has the perfect foil in the shape of Lucciano Becchio. The Argentinean does a lot of the dirty work for his strike partner who is left to score the vital goals. However it is not just the strikers who have came to the fore this term, United’s midfield has also chipped in with much needed goals and just as important, assists. Bradley Johnson and Robert Snodgrass have been in scintillating form this early in the season. Johnson has already notched 5 goals whilst Snodgrass has just been called up to the Scotland squad for an upcoming friendly.

Two midweek matches are hard at the best of times so when both matches are away from home it makes it even more difficult. Charlton went down with a whimper on Tuesday and it strikes me as a tired performance due to the aforementioned reasons added to the fact that Phil Parkinson is working with a pretty small squad.

Leeds have only dropped two points at home this term and I can’t see them dropping further points tomorrow.

My selection: Leeds to beat Charlton

Best odds available: 10/11 available with several bookmakers including Bet365

Jermaine Beckford also has a habit of scoring in big games at Elland Road so the striker looks a decent bet at the same price to add to his 7 goals.

Other selections: Jermaine Beckford to score at anytime

Best odds available: 10/11 available with Paddypower

Good Luck and Happy Punting

International weeks tend to limit the number of games which possess a bit of value and this weekend is absolutely no different. I’ve scoured the League 1 and 2 fixtures in England, as well as the World Cup 2010 qualifiers and I can’t see too many, if any, games which represent a good bet at decent odds.

Instead of my usual method of selecting two singles, I’ve gone for the slightly riskier option and put forward two selections which I will be backing in a double. As ever, these selections are put forward after a long drawn out process of analysis, discussion with fellow punters and gut instinct. The fact I am putting these selections in a double is only advice and how you bet is, of course, completely up to you.

Saturday 5^th September

English League 2

Notts County v Burton Albion

We head to Meadow Lane for the first selection where Burton Albion travel to Notts County looking to be the first League 2 side to score at the Lane this season.

Notts County are the most talked about club outside of the English Premier League so far this season after their high profile takeover which has resulted in the hiring of f former English Manager, Sven Goran Eriksson as director of football, as well as the signing of current English internationalist, Sol Campbell. The man responsible for this, and with the deep pockets, is Peter Trembling. The new County chairman headed a Middle Eastern consortium in the summer and has taken no time at all to restoring the feel good factor around the oldest club in English league football. As well as the high profile signing of Campbell, County have purchased Lee Hughes from Oldham, Kasper Schmeichel from Man City and Johnny Jackson from Coventry. All three are capable at playing at higher levels and will prove to be shrewd acquisitions by manager Tony McParland.

 Burton have gone about their business far quieter than tomorrow’s opposition but find themselves on the same number of points after 5 games. Albion find themselves in League football for the first ever time after earning promotion from the Conference last season. Their manager, Paul Peschisolido, will be well pleased with his sides start to the season but will not be getting carried away. Their 3 victories thus far have came against lesser sides than they’ll face tomorrow. They have, however, won 3 of their last 4 matches and will be high on confidence when they come face to face with their biggest challenge of the season so far.

Campbell is still a couple of weeks from fitness and won’t take any part for the home side tomorrow. They are expected to field on loan winger Matt Ritchie who joined from Premiership strugglers Portsmouth on Tuesday. Albion will again be without their influential captain Aaron Webster who has only just returned to training after injury.

County have been a Jekyll and Hide side with regards to their results. They have won both home games very comfortably whilst losing two of their three matches on the road. Their home form has been scintillating with 8 goals scored in two games and none conceded. Albion have won one and lost one on the road. Their defeat is more telling as it was against another of the better sides in the league, Shrewsbury who, incidentally, are also notoriously strong on their own patch.

I expect County to have too much firepower for their visitors tomorrow. Hughes, Jackson and Karl Hawley have all scored already this season and will be a test for the best sides in this league. I fancy County to take all three points.

My selection: Notts County to beat Burton Albion

Best odds available: 8/15 with several bookmakers including Ladbrokes

World Cup 2010

Qualifying Group 3

Kick off 19.30

Northern Ireland know that qualification is in their own hands as they head to Poland in what will be a crucial and vital match which will go some way to deciding which of these sides will be in South Africa next summer.

Poland will be out to avenge their 3-2 defeat at Windsor Park back in March when their goalkeeper, Artur Boruc, was at fault for a couple of the goals, including an embarrassing fresh air swipe at a back pass. The Polish FA have reacted to this defeat by moving the match away from the initial stadium choosing to play in Silesian Stadium in the city of Chorzow. The Poles currently sit 3 points behind tomorrow night’s opponents and a further 2 points behind group leaders Slovakia. They have, however, played a game less than Northern Ireland so should they win, will be level on points going into their final two qualifiers.

Nigel Worthington and his squad have impressed everyone with their resoluteness, fighting spirit as well as a touch of ability. 13 points from their first 7 matches is not a bad return and has provided them with a platform to go on from to reach what would be their first World Cup since 1986. Worthington has been telling the press this week that they still have a lot of work to do and will require a minimum of 7 points from their last 3 matches. Should they achieve this it will be no mean feat as the Irish will face arguably the three toughest sides in the group. After they play Poland they take on the group leaders at home before finishing up with a very tricky away tie in Prague against the Czech Republic.

Poland are likely to hand a recall to Boruc after he was dropped from the team following his high profile errors in Belfast. The controversial keeper has been in outstanding form for his club side Celtic this season and will be determined to put right his previous errors. The away side will have their leading all time scorer David Healey in attack with one of Kyle Lafferty or Martin Paterson partnering him in attack. The Irish will be without influential midfielder Chris Brunt because of injury and Martin Baird at the back who misses out due to suspension.

Poland are unbeaten at home in group 3 so far with two wins and a draw from their previous games. They are notoriously strong at home and if they want to be in competitive action in 9 months time they will have to continue their impressive home form by taking all 3 points tomorrow night. I expect a tight game full of tension and few goals. I think home advantage will end up being vital and think Poland will just edge it in the end.

My selection: Poland to beat Northern Ireland

Best odds available: 4/7 with several bookmakers including Coral

As I said at the start of my article, I will be playing these selections in a double tomorrow. The best accumulative price for such a bet is 2.41 which works out at between 11/8 and 6/4. You can get this price with several bookmakers including Ladbrokes.

Good Luck and Happy Punting