Hamilton

Saturday 4^th March

English Premier League

Fulham v Blackburn Rovers

 Mark Hughes faces another one of his former clubs a week on from visiting the City of Manchester Stadium as Blackburn Rovers travel to Craven Cottage tomorrow.

Fulham have been this season’s draw specialists with 14 to their name already. There are two ways of looking at it; one would be the fact they are hard to beat and do not lose many games, whilst the other viewpoint is that they struggle to win games. Either or, the end result is the same, a low points total which means they are still in contention for the drop. In recent weeks there have been signs of improvement, however, as the Cottagers have remained unbeaten through a difficult set of fixtures against Aston Villa and Manchester City away, as well as Newcastle and Chelsea at home. Hughes would have been frustrated that his side never came away with more than six points from those games as Fulham missed a last minute penalty against Chelsea which would have won them all three points. As well as not losing many games (just eight from 28 games) they also have one of the best defensive records in the league. Their total of 28 goals conceded is only bettered by the top four sides in the division, which certainly shows where their main strengths lie.

Blackburn Rovers currently sit bottom of the form table in the Premier League with just one win from their last six matches. It’s testing times for their new boss Stewart Kean who was a surprise appointment when getting the job before Christmas. If history tells us anything in football it’s that new owners, especially one’s pumping millions into a club, are not the most patient of folk. Kean will be only too well aware of this and will be under no illusions as to what needs to change if he wishes to lead Rovers in the Premier League next season. Like Fulham, Rovers are very much involved in the relegation dogfight as the season moves into its final quarter. It’s been on their travels where Blackburn have really struggled as well as they have lost 10 of their 14 matches on the road – only Wolves have lost more games away from home in the league. They have, in actual fact, lost eight of their last nine games in all competitions away from home.

Fulham are beginning to get their key players back, Bobby Zamora withstanding, Hughes now has more depth to his squad then he has since taking the job. They have more goal scoring options which can only be a good thing as they fight against the drop. Zoltan Gera, Moussa Dembele, Andy Johnson and Eidur Gudjohnsen really need to start taking more responsibility when on the park and chip in with more goals to support top scorer Clint Dempsey. Rovers also have a plethora of options going forward but few of them chip in with enough goals to move Blackburn away from danger. When your top scorer is only on five goals, you need to worry.

Fulham have only lost three games at home all season, and whilst they have only won five, they remain strong opponents and difficult to get the better off at the Cottage. Their wins have also come against sides in and around them or below them in the table. With Rovers on such a bad run of form on the road, I fancy Fulham to take a big step to Premier League safety tomorrow.

My Selection: Fulham to beat Blackburn Rovers

Best odds available: 3/4 available with Paddypower

English Premier League

Newcastle United v Everton

Everton have to pick themselves up after being knocked out of the FA Cup by reading as Newcastle will prove stern opposition tomorrow as they get back to league business.

Life after Andy Carroll has been nothing but eventful at St James’ Park. The comeback from 4-0 down against Arsenal was unarguably the most entertaining and one of the all time greatest matches in Premier League history whilst they have gone four games unbeaten since losing to Fulham at the beginning of February. Alan Pardew will no doubt be pleased by the resilience shown by his players in the midst of a lot of media attention and fans criticism for the sale of their former number 9 to Liverpool on the last day of the January transfer window. One man who has certainly stepped up to the plate is Leon Best. Hardly given a chance since his move to the club over a year ago, Best has done well since coming into the team as a regular starter in January. He has scored five goals in nine league games including a hat trick against West Ham. Although not completely safe from relegation, Newcastle are still in a comfortable enough position heading into the latter months of the season. In ninth position with 36 points, another couple of wins should see them safe for another season and a chance to spend the £35m burning a hole in Mike Ashley’s pocket.

Everton have been this season’s biggest enigma by far and must be a source of great frustration for their manager Davie Moyes. Their season could be summed up by their FA Cup exploits in recent weeks. Despite knocking out Chelsea in replay on penalties, and looking every inch potential winners of the competition, they undone all their hard work during the week as they were knocked out by Championship side Reading at Goodison Park. So many times this season, you expect them to kick on and put together a strong run of form like they have in previous season, only for them to hit a brick wall. It’s the main reason as to why they are fighting against relegation as opposed to challenging for a European place. Moyes has openly admitted that he is disappointed with the lack of consistency and will demand that he and the supporters get a big performance tomorrow after the disappointment of midweek.

For me, Newcastle still lack some firepower upfront. As well as Best has done since taking over Carroll’s mantle, he’s still very much a novice at this level. Kevin Nolan remains a threat, especially at set-pieces but they can’t continue to rely on the former Bolton man for goals. Everton do a much better job of sharing goals around the side. Three players have scored at least five league goals this season with Tim Cahill their top scorer with 9 to his name, despite missing a month due to the Asian Cup.

Aside from losing 2-0 to Bolton in February, Everton have done relatively well on the road recently. A narrow defeat to Arsenal was preceded by a very good derby draw with Liverpool. Their most recent away game was in the FA Cup replay at Stamford Bridge where they acquitted themselves really well. I like the balance Everton have, especially away from home. I also believe Moyes is an excellent manager and his players will be desperate to prove something to him after Tuesday night. Although you have to have a bit of faith and go against the form table a little, I think Everton are attractively priced to win all three points tomorrow.

My Selection: Everton to beat Newcastle United

Best odds available:  15/8 available with Victor Chandler

Scottish Premier League

Celtic v Hamilton

After an eventful Old Firm Scottish Cup replay, Celtic return to league action against Hamilton on Saturday hoping to stretch their league at the top of the table.

Three sending offs, fisticuffs in the tunnel, arguments between both benches…just another derby day in Glasgow. That was the case on Wednesday as Celtic kept their treble bid alive after defeating arch rivals Rangers 1-0 at Celtic Park. Neil Lennon’s side had been in tremendous form before crashing to a 2-0 defeat against Motherwell last Sunday. They responded with Wednesday success but know that the most important prize of all remains the SPL Championship. Currently five points clear but having played two more games than Rangers, anything but a win would be unwelcome, if not disastrous at this stage of the season. 10 wins from 14 home matches is good form but it certainly needs to continue with 11 games of the season left.

Hamilton are in big danger of being cast adrift of the rest at the bottom of the table Seven points behind and on level games with St Mirren, things look bleak for Billy Reid and his players. With just two wins all season, and none of those at home, it doesn’t take Columbo to see where they have to improve. You can sympathise with Reid and his plight as he has had to sell off his best players to doting admirers in recent seasons. James McCarthy, James MacArthur and Brian Easton have all left for England and have yet to be replaced with any real quality. Alex Neil is also a big miss as the captain has been injured for much of the season. All things considered, however, they don’t score enough goals, they concede too many and they are lacking in quality – there usually is only one outcome for those sort of traits.

Celtic have a big squad at their disposal and have the luxury of making changes ahead of tomorrow’s game. Anthony Stokes is likely to come back into the side after missing out on Wednesday, whilst Joe Ledley and Fraser Forster should also return after missing out through suspension. Stokes is the key one however as he is Celtic’s top scorer and the one capable of scoring from any situation. He has already netted against Hamilton this season and having not scored since the middle of February, will be keen to add to his tally of 12 league goals. Celtic have an exemplary home record against Hamilton in the Premier League having won four from four with 13 goals scored and just one conceded. I expect this to continue tomorrow.

My Selection: Celtic (-2) to beat Hamilton at a best priced 9/5 available with Coral

Anthony Stokes to score and Celtic to win available at a best priced 5/6 available with 888Sport

Saturday 30^th October

English Premier League

Everton v Stoke City – Betting Preview

Everton and Stoke are level on points going in to tomorrow’s match at Goodison, so both sides will be desperate for points in an attempt to climb the table.

Everton are notoriously slow starters to their league campaigns and this season was no different. Without a win in the league until the start of October, Davie Moyes’ side are now unbeaten in their last three league games, amassing seven points. The last three games have been difficult fixtures away to Birmingham and Spurs, as well as the derby match at home to Liverpool. What Everton have done differently is play in a more attacking manner with an out and out centre forward. Yakubu has acted as a target upfront in recent games and although not scoring, he’s bringing others into the game, being a nuisance and causing havoc for centre halves. Before he was deployed as a sole strike, Moyes tended to go with Tim Cahill as the furthest man up the park. His strength is coming from deep and arriving late into the box from midfield, which he has been doing to great effect in the last month.

Tony Pulis has done a remarkable job since returning to Stoke City for the second stint as manager in 2006. He, and the club, are now embarking on their third consecutive season in England’s top flight after comfortably securing their status in the league for the previous two seasons. This season has witnessed Stoke being a bit more adventurous both on and off the park. Kenwyne Jones was added to the squad for a club record £8m during the summer, whilst other new additions included Jonathan Walters from Ipswich, Jermaine Pennant from Real Zaragoza and arguably their most surprising signing, Eidur Gudjohnsen on loan from Monaco. Their points total is probably a bit less than their performances have deserved with 10 points from nine games. Their away record boasts one win and three defeats, with their sole success being a victory over Newcastle at the end of September.

Everton will be hoping Mikel Arteta has recovered from the injury which forced him out of last week’s draw at White Hart Lane. The Spaniard is arguably the Toffee’s most important player and when on form, is as good as anyone else in the Premier League. Stoke have doubts over both Jones and Pennant for tomorrow’s match. Both have been shrewd signings up until this point so Pulis will be desperate for them to make the trip North.

Stoke have not recorded a win of any kind over Everton for 28 years, whilst it’s been even longer since they were victorious at Goodison Park. Everton have won four of the last five meetings when they have been at home and with the run of form of late, added to their well known reputation as being a ‘streak team’, I believe they will have more than enough to see of tomorrow’ visitors.

My selection: Everton to beat Stoke City

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

Scottish Premier League

Motherwell v Hamilton – Betting Preview

For those unaware, Motherwell and Hamilton have a fierce rivalry in Scottish football so tomorrow’s match at Fir Park has all the hallmarks of being a battle more than anything else.

Craig Brown has done a fantastic job since taking over the Motherwell manager’s role at Christmas last season; leading them from a relegation struggle to currently sitting in clear third place heading into November. Brown has only ever managed one side in Scottish football (20 years ago) before taking the hot seat at Fir Park in December 2009, so it was something of a risk for him to be given the reins at a club who had serious problems last term. He has, however, rebuilt an ailing side with a lot of younger and inexperienced players. One such addition is Nick Blackman who is on loan for the season from Blackburn Rovers. Just 22, Blackman has been a real gem of a signing with four goals already to his name. He’s linked up well with both John Sutton and Jamie Murphy, both of whom have benefited from the attributes that Blackman brings to the side with his pace, power and strength.

Hamilton have had to contend with the sale of their key players over the last couple of years. The likes of James McCarthy, James McArthur and Brian Easton have all departed for the English Premier League. Their loss has also been added to with injuries to Alex Neil and Mark McLaughlin, experienced campaigners who form the backbone of Accies team. Despite those losses and absences, Billy Reid has managed to keep his side competitive and in the SPL since 2008. This season has very much followed the previous one’s in terms of points and position in the table with six points out of a possible 27, and rooted to second point, just a point of bottom place. That being said, some of their performances have been pretty decent. They went ahead against Parkhead, lost out to Rangers in the very last minute and were 2-0 up away to St Mirren before only leaving with a point. Silly individual mistakes added to a lack of concentration are costly ingredients which Reid will have to expel from his players if they wish to survive in the SPL for another reason.

Motherwell have won two and drawn one of their last three home games, whilst their only defeat in the last eight games in all competitions was away to Rangers. They are in good form and they are difficult to beat. ‘Well also have the edge on their opponents in the derby games in recent years at Fir Park with 4 wins from their last 5 in all competitions. I think there will be goals in tomorrow’s game as Hamilton have managed to score at Parkhead and at home to Rangers, and both teams have scored in the last 6 matches involving Hamilton. I also believe Motherwell have the ammunition to gain all three points however, in their attempt to solidify third position.

My selection: Motherwell to beat Hamilton at a best priced 5/6 available with Victor Chandler

                           Both teams to score at a best priced 4/5 available with Stan James

Saturday 28^th August

English Championship

Millwall v Coventry City

Millwall will be looking to put last week’s disappointing defeat away to Leeds behind them when they entertain unbeaten Coventry City at home tomorrow.

Kenny Jackett has worked wonders since taking over the reigns as Millwall boss at the tail end of 2007. He stabilised the club before pushing for promotion and, after a couple of near misses, eventually succeeded last season when they defeated Swindon in the play-off final at Wembley. They have had a good start as well to life in the Championship, after thrashings of Bristol City and Hull. Their only blot thus far has been last week’s loss to Leeds at Elland Road. It was a strange match as the visitors took the lead despite being 2^nd best for much of the game. Leeds dominated for long spells and the result was fair at the end of the day. However, as good sides tend to do, the Lions recovered during the week with a win at home to Middlesbrough in the League cup. It was as comfortable a 2-1 victory as your likely to see and further enhanced the reputation of the New Den as being something of a fortress.

Coventry City have made an even better start to the new season under new manager Aidy Boothroyd. The former Watford manager has been a breath of fresh air for the midlands club and there is a genuine belief that the club can move forward and challenge for promotion this season. Home wins against Portsmouth and Derby, either side of a well earned draw away to Watford, have set the tone and standard for the weeks ahead. Saturday is expected to be their hardest test of the season to date and it will be a good yardstick to how far they have come as there have been many false dawns of late for the blue’s faithful. Indeed, at the exact same point as this last season, City had 7 points from their first 3 league games before going on to lose their next 2. That was ultimately another disappointing season so the players should be under no illusions as to what a good start counts for if it’s no followed through.

Millwall have a very similar squad of players available to them this season that they had last. A couple of loan signings in the shape of Darren Carter and Kevin Lisbie, who know the league well, are the only notable additions to the squad. This is endemic of what Jackett is all about. He needs to be able to trust his players and usually goes with experience. One player that was a possible exception to the rule is Steve Morison. The Welsh striker came from non-league football last season to star in League 1. He has carried on where he left off and his form this season has earned him a call up to the Welsh side where he made his debut earlier this month. It’s been a proper rags to riches story and Jackett and the Millwall fans will be hoping there is a few more chapters to be written.

Coventry have been busier during the summer than tomorrows opponents. They have strengthened their squad with the purchases of Lee Carsley, Clive Platt, Lukas Jutkiewicz and Gary McSheffrey. Two of those 4 have previously played with the club, and at a higher level than the Championship, so they understand the demands of the club and the expectation level from the fans. One player that could be added to that list is Marlon King. The disgraced footballer has recently been released from Prison for indecent assault of a woman. Boothroyd, who had him at Watford, is said to be keen on linking up with him again and a deal is close.   

I previewed several Millwall matches last season and heralded their strength as being how good they are at home. They have continued that form with 2 wins from 2 and looked excellent against Hull a couple of weeks ago. They were once again very strong during the week against big spending ‘Boro. Coventry have started pretty well too, and currently sit above Millwall by a point. However, they have not had any serious tests thus far. Portsmouth, Watford and Derby are not the strongest of sides, and in their only other match, they were soundly beaten by Morecambe in the League cup. I think Millwall’s style of play and their directness will be too much tomorrow afternoon and fully expect a home win.

My selection: Millwall to beat Coventry

Best odds available: 20/21 available with a couple of bookmakers including Victor Chandler

Scottish Premier League

Inverness Caley Thistle v Hamilton

A clash of two sides who are expected to make up the numbers in the SPL’s bottom 6 by many, but Caley Thistle and Hamilton have surprised many before so an interesting clash awaits at Caledonian Stadium.

Terry Butcher and his players managed to bounce straight back from relegation at the first time of asking. A strong second half of the season in the First division last term, entitled the highlanders to another crack at the SPL. Much like Millwall, ICT have went about their business pretty quietly and kept much of the same squad as they had for their promotion campaign. It has served them pretty well so far as they held their own against Celtic on the opening day of the season, narrowly losing 1-0, before a fantastic 4-0 away success against Dundee United last weekend. They followed this up with a comfortable 3-0 League cup win over Peterhead in midweek. Butcher will be delighted with the start but he knows there is a long way to go and will be demanding his team to be focused from the off tomorrow.

Hamilton were previewed last week and fortunately for us, not so for them, they came through with a pitiful home performance against Hearts. They were well and truly trounced for the second week in a row in the league and also conceded 4 without reply for the second week running. It’s dark times at the moment for Billy Reid as he also witnessed his side go out the League cup in midweek to 1^st division Raith Rovers. It was always going to be difficult start with the games they had in the league added to the turnover of players in the summer, but they have had no encouragement that thing will get better with their performances so far.

Inverness have a goalscorer in Adam Rooney who has netted 4 in all competitions so far. His two against Dundee United last season will give him the confidence boost he needed to prove he can cut it in the SPL after finishing top scorer last season in the league below. Hamilton, on the other hand, do not have anybody at this moment in time who will put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis. They lost Marc-Antoine Curier during the summer and as yet, he’s not been replaced. That is the difference at this level.

Hamilton were toothless last week and completely played into Hearts’ hands by playing 3 at the back. There’s a very good reason as to why that system has become null and void in world football as it’s so easy to counter against. Caley Thistle will have received a boost after last week’s result and performance, and with confidence being a lot at this level, I can see them getting their first home win of the season and heaping yet more sorrow on the visitors.

My selection: Inverness to beat Hamilton

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

First up, I can only apologise for last week’s dismal previews and advice. Unfortunately, the start of the season can throw results like that up. Hopefully I can point towards a couple of winners this time around.

Saturday 21^st August

English Championship

Burnley v Leicester

Both Leicester and Burnley harbour genuine hopes of being in the promotion mix up come the end of the season so tomorrow’s fixture at Turf Moor should give an indication of how far both sides are away from challenging.

After a pretty horrific second half of the season last term, Burnley and Brian Laws have made a quick start to this one with 4 points from 6. It’s an impressive opening considering they have played Nottingham Forest and Ipswich, two of the better sides in the division. Despite being in the bottom 3 for most of their debut season in the Premier League, the Clarets kept up a decent home record with 7 wins and 5 draws so they know how to win games at home. That being said however, most of this wins were under the stewardship of Owen Coyle and were aided by the likes of Steven Fletcher and Robbie Blake, all 3 have since departed. Laws has sought to replace the goals of Fletcher and creativity of Blake by bringing in Chris Iwelumo and Ross Wallace. Both are experienced and proven quality at Championship level.

It was a close season of upheaval for Leicester as they lost manager Nigel Pearson to Hull, replacing him with Paulo Sousa, on to his 3^rd Championship club in a couple of seasons, who will no doubt bring his own brand of football to the Walkers Stadium in time. Sousa was in charge of Swansea last season and they were renowned for their lack of goals and mean defence. His new side have not quite adjusted to this style as they have scored 6 goals and conceded the same amount in their 3 competitive matches to date. One player Sousa probably thought he wouldn’t be working with is DJ Campbell. The striker was on loan at Blackpool last season, helping them win promotion. He was expected to seal a permanent move over the summer but the clubs could not agree a fee and he finds himself playing in the 2^nd tier for another season.

Burnley have one of the best squads at this level with several influential attacking players. As well as Wallace and Fletcher, the likes of Chris Eagles, Martin Paterson and Wade Elliot would get into most sides in the league and they will need to keep them fit if they wish to return straightaway to the top flight. Their opening day win over Forest showed a mentality that was sadly lacking last year. Despite being on the back foot for a lot of the match, they stuck in and held on to their lead to gain all 3 points. The same mentality was evident once again last weekend when they went down to 10 men and lost a goal in the last minute only to equalise in injury time to remain unbeaten.

Leicester will be slightly disappointed with their start after such a good season in their return to the Championship. An opening day loss to Crystal Palace was followed up by a goalless draw at home to big spending Middlesbrough. Sousa would have been happy to rack up their first point of the season but they dominated the game and should have won the game, especially with chances missed in the first half.

Laws has done a good job in replacing key personnel with seasoned, Championship professionals. He will know that if they are to stand any chance of promotion, his side will need to make Turf Moor a fortress, and that they will have to win the majority of games against fellow promotion candidates. Their opponents tomorrow will no doubt be hard to beat, but you get the feeling that they are still finding their feet under the new manager. Star striker Matty Fryatt returned from a long term injury against Palace but he was only a sub last week.

With this in mind, and the fact Burnley have a good record over Leicester over the years leads me to think that Brian Laws and his charges will be celebrating another home win tomorrow evening.

My selection: Burnley to beat Leicester City

Best odds available: 11/10 available at Bet365

Scottish Premier League

Hamilton v Hearts (12.00)

It’s little surprise that ESPN have snapped this fixture up to screen live tomorrow as games between Hearts and Hamilton, especially at New Douglas Park, are very entertaining.

Billy Reid had the chance to jump ship and become the new Swansea manager during the summer but he decided to stay loyal to Hamilton and try and keep them in the SPL for the 3^rd consecutive season. He will have to do without several players from last season’s squad however, including their key man, James McArthur. The little midfielder has joined James McCarthy at Wigan and it will be interesting to see how the Accies cope without him. Gary McDonald from Aberdeen was brought in to replace him whilst the likes of Jack Ross and Gavin Skelton have also been added to the ranks.

Jim Jefferies begins his first full season in charge in his second stint at Hearts manager. Jefferies replaced Czaba Lazlo, leaving Kilmarnock in the process, to steady the ship at a club where he enjoyed great success in his first spell. Over the summer he has attempted to bolster his attacking options with the signings of Steven Elliot and most notably, Kevin Kyle. Both strikers played together at Sunderland before moving in opposite directions. Elliot pottered around several Championship clubs whilst Kyle became a pivotal player for Kilmarnock under Jefferies. Calum Elliot, already at the club, clearly sensed competition for his jersey and notched last week at home to St Johnstone.

Hamilton had a dreadful start to the season as they were trounced 4-0 away to Aberdeen. The score slightly flattered the home side in the sense that 3 of the goals came from the penalty spot but it didn’t mask the fact that Hamilton looked slow at the back and toothless upfront. Hearts should have got the better of St Johnstone but only ended up with a solitary point.

Billy Reid had the best intentions when deciding to stay on as manager, and the loyalty is refreshing to see in this day and age, but it may well be misplaced. The loss of key players over the last year or so may well take its toll this season, and I believe the away side to be very good value to get the better of a poor Hamilton.

Kevin Kyle is likely to play from the start for the first time tomorrow and he will be a real handful for a shaky Accies backline. He was a real thorn in their side whilst at Killie and I expect him to pick up where he left off tomorrow.

My selections: Hearts to beat Hamilton

Best odds available: 8/5 available with William Hill

Kevin Kyle to score first at a best priced 8/1 available with Bet365

Britain’s Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton have been given a boost ahead of the Spanish Grand prix, with news that the recent changes made to their McLaren cars will make them faster. Despite leading the Drivers Championship, defending champion Jenson Button has not made it to the front row of the grid so far, and neither has his team mate former F1 champion Lewis Hamilton. The significant upgrades which the team have made, should go someway to changing that statistic at the Spanish Grand Prix on the weekend. The changes to the car have been new wings on both the front and the back, and apparently is a big change in the design of the car. It has all been done to try and gain an extra advantage for the McLaren drivers for the season.

McLaren are leading the constructors’ championship despite having to scrap for results from beyond the front row. While their consistency and performance have been impressive in the races so far, with Button leading the way, they have not managed to compete in qualifying attempts to reach pole position. Both Ferrari and Red Bull have definitely had the upper hand over the McLarens during qualifying, with Red Bull teams notably putting the McLarens in their place. Unfortunately the Red Bull team has not had the same reliability as the McLarens, else they would be stronger challengers right now. For the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona is one of those tracks in the Formula One calendar, which does not afford the drivers much room for manoeuvre in terms of overtaking. Therefore, there will be definite advantage for the two drivers who get their noses in front during qualification and start from the front row of the grid. The changes to the McLarens have been made with this in mind.

Jenson Button did not have the greatest winter testing time, but has shown his hunger and ability again this year, by winning two out of the four races so far. He leads the Drivers Championship by ten points over Germany’s Nico Rosberg in his Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton, without a win so far, is not far behind, as he and Fernando Alonso are tied in third place, just one point behind Rosberg. So at this early stage of the season, the title is wide open, but as largely expected, the McLarens, Ferrari and Red Bull’s have been dominating things, with the exception of the marked improvement in Rosberg with his Mercedes. From his lower starting positions, Button has upset the odds in betting on Formula One races this season, as he has not been at short odds for any of them.

After all the hype about his return, German Formula One legend Michael Schumacher has yet to make any real impression on the season, although people involved in the sport are still expecting him to come good. He has picked up just ten points in the four races so far, a shadow of what his team mate Rosberg is doing. While there have never been any doubts over his ability, there were questions as to whether or not Schumi would be able to stand up to the physical demands of the sport over his younger competitors. It will be hard to pull out predictions for the Barcelona race itself for Formula One betting purposes until the dust settles for qualification places. The two McLarens of Button and Hamilton have not qualified higher than fourth, a position which could cost either of them dearly in the tight Spanish Grand Prix race. Overtaking chances will be few and far between, and there is only one scheduled stop for tires during the race.

Spanish Grand Prix Outright
Sebastian Vettel: 12/5 at BetFred
Fernando Alonso: 7/2 at Bet365
Lewis Hamilton: 4/1 at SkyBet
Jenson Button: 9/1 at SportingBet
Mark Webber: 10/1 at BetFred
Nico Rosberg: 14/1 at William Hill
Felipe Massa: 18/1 at SportingBet
Michael Schumacher: 20/1 at Bet365

Formula One Drivers Championship Outright Betting
Sebastian Vettel: 7/4 at Bwin
Fernando Alonso: 10/3 at Boylesports
Lewis Hamilton: 15/4 at SportingBet
Jenson Button: 7/1 at 888Sport
Nico Rosberg: 20/1 at BetFred
Felipe Massa: 25/1 at Boylesports

Saturday 26^th December

English Premier League

Sunderland v Everton

David Moyes takes his Everton side, on a run of 3 successive league draws, to the Stadium of Light to take on a Sunderland side who haven’t won since their impressive victory over Arsenal back in November.

Steve Bruce’s summer arrival, alongside some big investment from a new chairman, brought increased expectation to the North-east club. Things looked to be heading in the right direction with star signing Darren Bent scoring goals aplenty, excellent results over Liverpool, Manchester United and the aforementioned Arsenal game, as well as sell-out crowds for home matches. The past month or so however, has not been as positive. They have lost four out of 5 with their only respite coming against bottom dogs Portsmouth in a 1-1 draw at home. This dip in form may have coincided with the injury to Lee Cattermole. The energetic midfielder was a key player in the early part of the season for Bruce’s side and was pivotal to their style of play, especially at home where they rely on their midfielders getting close to the opposition and stifling their creative players. He has recently returned to the starting line-up but even his inclusion on Saturday couldn’t prevent Sunderland from slipping to another defeat away to Man City. Sunderland also look to be missing Craig Gordon. The influential Scottish goalkeeper broke his arm against Spurs at White Hart Lane in November and since his absence from the side, the team has shipped 9 goals in 6 matches, keeping only one clean sheet in process.

Everton have had a poor first half to the season by their own high standards set in previous seasons. Much was  expected from Moyes side after finishing 5^th last season and with the influx of players such as Johnny Heitinga, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Sylvain Distin. These signings were coupled with the retention of Brazilian striker Jo on loan for another season and the impending return of Yakubu from a long term injury. Despite all this, they find themselves at the wrong end of the table, a mere 3 points off 18^th place. A lot of this has been down to horrendous injuries to key players which has meant that Moyes has had to chop and change for much of the season. For much of the season they lacked a creative spark in the middle of the park with both Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar missing most of the season. The latter is now back fit and has played in the last 3 league matches which has saw a dramatic improvement in terms of chances made and goals scored. They have managed 6 in 3 games, gaining draws in all of these matches against 3 sides in top form. Draws with Birmingham, Chelsea and Spurs may just be what they need to kick-start their season.

It could be argued that this match is destined to end in a draw as both sides have only won one game apiece in their last nine fixtures. I believe Everton are gathering a bit of momentum however and with their injuries beginning to clear and key personnel playing more regularly they are due a victory. They have had a tough run of fixtures of late yet are unbeaten in 3. An away match over the Christmas period is right up Davie Moyes’ alley. They defeated Middlesbrough last Boxing day at the Riverside and I firmly believe they are capable of returning from the North East with 3 points once again. Everton have also won on their last 4 visits to the Stadium of Light.

My selection: Everton to beat Sunderland

Best odds available: 11/5 available with Victor Chandler

English Championship

Sheffield Wednesday v Newcastle United (12.45)

A meeting of two sides who are experiencing completely different fortunes at this moment in time as league leaders Newcastle make a short trip to the steel city to take on beleaguered Wednesday at Hillsborough.

Sheffield Wednesday are currently in the process of looking for a new manager after sacking Brian Laws earlier this month. His removal as manager has not done much to the performances on the park as the Owl’s were comfortably beaten on Saturday by Swansea at home. There seems to be a real lack of quality at the club at the moment which is surprising considering the heroes the Wednesday fans used to have not so long ago. There doesn’t seem to be anyone willing to take responsibility on the field which is a sad indictment for such an illustrious and successful club. As well as a lack of genuine quality at the club, there is immense fear and the confidence must be at an all time low. They have not won a match since October, lost their last 6 in the league and currently sit 3^rd bottom. It’s an unenviable task facing the new manager whoever it may be.

Newcastle on the other hand are absolutely flying at the minute. Chris Houghton’s men have stretched their lead to 10 points at the top of the table and are currently on a run of 9 games unbeaten, a run in which they have won 8. They are proving to be far too good for most of the other teams in the league and it may even be a record points haul if they continue in their current form. Key to their success this season has been Kevin Nolan. The former Bolton captain has been a rock in centre of midfield and has also popped up with vital goals in games which the Magpies have not been playing well. He has an influence in the team which gets the most out of players around him. He’s the clubs top scorer with 9 and has been a virtual ever present, missing just the two games all season. The midfield in general is extremely strong with Jonas Gutierrez (an Argentine regular), Alan Smith and Danny Guthrie all comfortably capable of playing in the Premier League. Upfront they are beginning to get it right as well with the return of Shola Ameobi back from injury and scoring at the weekend. His partnership with Marlon Harewood, although not the most prolific, will be troublesome for teams in the division as they never stop all game and will create plenty of space for the midfield to take advantage of.

  It’s one of these games which looks cut and dried and although football is never cut and dry, this is probably one of the closest you’ll get. I can’t see many sides stopping the Geordie Juggernaut the way they are going and I especially can’t see hapless Wednesday doing it. Newcastle are a standout 5/6 with Victor Chandler.

My selection: Newcastle to beat Sheffield Wednesday

Best odds available: 5/6 available with Victor Chandler

Scottish Premier League

Celtic v Hamilton

Celtic look to put the disappointment of their weekend loss to Hearts behind them when they welcome Billy Reid’s Hamilton to Parkhead on Boxing Day.

I previewed the trip to Tynecastle on my last blog so there’s nothing much new to report. Celtic still suffer from the same old failings at the back whilst they are still creating a plethora of chances at the other end but failing to take the majority of them. Another calamitous lapse in concentration from a central defender, this time Glenn Loovens, resulted in a penalty and a red card for fellow centre half, Gary Caldwell. Despite being down to 10 men for much of the game, Celtic were still way ahead in terms of quality, creating chances and playing the better football. It’s difficult to stress how far ahead they are of the likes of Hearts, Dundee United and Motherwell, especially when the results are so close and when they drop points to these teams but the crux of the matter is they are a lot, lot better than these kind of teams, well they are going forward. There is a lack of leadership at the back and players are not taking responsibility for their actions, especially at cross balls.

Hamilton never played at the weekend due to the blizzards on the West coast on Saturday so will be eager to go. They are coming into this match having won their last two and with only one defeat in their last 6 so confidence should be high. Reid has found a settled team for the first time this season in the last couple of months which has helped dramatically, especially in midfield. Captain Alex Neil has made a big difference on his return from injury whilst the two James’, MacArthur and Wesolowski have struck up a good partnership just infront him Neil.  It will come as no surprise to note that Billy Reid’s men will come to Parkhead to try and frustrate Celtic with a strict 4-5-1 formation with little adventure likely. Their plan will be to keep it tight until half time and get the home fans on their hero’s backs.

Celtic have won every meeting between these sides since Hamilton’s promotion last season. Their matches at New Douglas Park have been far closer than the ones at Parkhead. Hamilton’s last two visits to the East End of Glasgow have witnessed two comfortable 4-0 wins for the home side and I do not envisage anything different come Saturday. Celtic have created a barrow load of chances in nearly all of their matches under Mowbray and it really is a matter of time before they win by 5, 6 or 7. They are 4 points and 9 goals worse off than top of the table Rangers so know that Saturday is a perfect chance to go about mending those differences.

My selections: Celtic (-2) to beat Hamilton at a best priced 13/8 with Skybet

Celtic to win both halves at a best priced 6/4 with Skybet

Marc Antoine Fortune to score anytime and Celtic to win at a best priced 11/8 with Boylesports

Saturday 17^th January

English Premiership

Blackburn Rovers v Newcastle United

Blackburn find themselves at the wrong end of the Premiership and need points desperately. Newcastle seemed to be getting their act together towards the end of last year with victories over Aston Villa and Spurs. Since their victory over Spurs however, they have failed to win any of their following 5 matches, losing 3 of these. One of the key factors of their recent poor run is the absence of key players such as Martins, Beye, Ameobi and Taylor who were all excellent in their decent run during November and December. It is expected that only Steven Taylor has a chance of returning tomorrow which means manager Joe Kinnear goes to Lancashire with another depleted squad.

Rovers are undefeated in the 4 matches that new manager, Sam Allardyce, has presided over. Two of these have resulted in comfortable wins over Stoke and Blyth Spartans in the FA cup. The other two games were games which they should have won. They had several good chances away to Sunderland and should have taken at least one of them, whilst they were cruising at 2-0 up at home to Man City before self-destructing and conceding two goals in the last couple of minutes.

Much talked about striker Roque Santa Cruz returns to the squad for the first time under Allardyce’s reign as does influential midfielder, David Dunn. As I have mentioned already, Newcastle will be without a whole host of players. Apart from those already listed, Geremi, Jose Enrique, Alan Smith and Mark Viduka.

As well as needing the points to get out of the relegation zone, ‘Fat Sam’ will be keen to get one over his former club. It is clear he is still bitter about his hasty departure last season and his relationship with Magpies owner, Mike Ashley, was never the best to begin with so we can safely assume that he does not think a great deal of his former boss.

The key to this game will be how well Newcastle’s defence plays against a talented array of Blackburn strikers. Cruz, Benny McCarthy, Jason Roberts and Matty Derbyshire all have claims of starting tomorrow afternoon. Whoever plays, they will certainly test a leaky Newcastle defence.

Sam Allardyce knows they have to pick up wins soon, especially against sides in and around them. With the two sides experiencing differing injury lists, I feel the home side will just edge a tense 90 minutes.

My selection: Blackburn to beat Newcastle.

The best price available for a Blackburn win is 11/10 available with several bookmakers including William Hill

English Championship

Sheffield Wednesday v Charlton Athletic

I went against Wednesday last week but I am going to side with them this weekend. A lot can change in football in seven days and that has certainly been the case for the home side. A new chairman, the return of a fans favourite, ticket prices slashed, a couple of new players and a couple of players back from injury and things are all rosy in the Owl’s garden again.

Charlton won their first match in an age in their FA cup replay midweek against an equally hapless Norwich side. They have, by all accounts, been playing some good stuff recently without being able to put the ball in the back of the net. It’s a strange on as Andy Gray is a good striker at this level and has a proven track record.

Recent recruit Tom Soares will bolster their midfield and give them a bit of steel in the middle of the park. Their problems, however, lie at the back. They have the 2^nd worst defensive record in the league having conceded 47, 20 of these coming on their travels. Charlton have only won once away from home all season losing 9, including their last 3.

Wednesday have a decent enough home record winning 7, drawing 4 and losing only two games. They will be cheered on by a bumper home crowd and manager Brian Laws has stated that there is a feel good factor about the club again.

My selection: Sheffield Wednesday to beat Charlton

The best price available for a Sheffield Wednesday is 5/6 with several bookmakers including betfred

Scottish Premier League

Hamilton v Inverness Caley Thistle

This is the proverbial relegation 6 pointer in tomorrow’s SPL match at New Douglas Park. The visitors have been on a treacherous run of late, losing their last 6 league matches. They gained their first win in 7, in all competitions, last weekend against 1^st division side, and poor travelers, Partick Thistle.

Hamilton have been relatively impressive in their debut season in the SPL. They managed to pick up a couple of early wins which set them on their way and after a sticky few months, seem to be returning to their early season form. They have picked up maximum points from their last 3 home fixtures with victories over Aberdeen, Motherwell and Kilmarnock. What is even more remarkable is the fact they did not concede in any of these matches, racking up 5 goals at the other end.

Star striker and top scorer, Richard Offiong, will miss tomorrows match due to suspension. They will miss his work-rate, running and goal threat, but manager Billy Reid has recently acquired Paul McGowan from league leaders Celtic, on loan. The young lad has been champing at the bit for first team football and will be looking to prove himself if he gets the nod tomorrow.

ICT fans have been unhappy to the say the least with manager Craig Brewster and his tactics this season. They have vented their frustration at several matches and the highland club is not a happy place to be at the moment. They themselves have brought in a couple of reinforcements with one of them, Felipe Morais, scoring twice on his debut. Having seen a fair bit of him during his time at Hibs, he is a fair weather player. When things are going his way he’s a decent player, when defenders get in his face and things start to go wrong, he is worse than a man down.

Hamilton have several exciting youngsters who have been thriving on their return to Scotland’s top flight. McCarthy and MacArthur have been nothing short of excellent this season and will be looking to help continue their sides recent good form at NDP to increase the gap between themselves and the bottom club.

My selection: Hamilton to beat Inverness Caley Thistle

The best price available for a Hamilton win is 6/5 available with a couple of bookmakers including bet365

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Arsenal vs Manchester United

12.45 Saturday 8^th November

One of the biggest fixtures in the English calendar takes places this weekend at the Emirates Stadium. The home side are coming off the back of several poor results including a defeat to newly promoted Stoke last weekend. The defeat was made even worse with strikers Robin Van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor being sent off and injured respectively meaning both are absent this weekend. They also may be missing captain William Gallas and winger Theo Walcott, both of whom are rated 50/50.

United had the luxury of leaving £100m worth of talent on their bench in their Champions League match away to Scottish Champions Celtic on Wednesday night with this match in mind. That alone signals Manager, Alex Ferguson’s intentions which could spell bad news for the home side. Man U have been in excellent form of late having won 6 of their last 7 EPL matches scoring aplenty.

Having already lost to Liverpool and drawn at Chelsea, United have to stamp their authority on this title race and make a mark against another of the top 4. To do this, they must win at the Emirates for the first time. A last minute equalizer from Gallas prevented them taking all 3 points in this fixture last season but that was when Arsenal were going exceptionally well.

The loss of midfield anchor Flamini cannot be under-estimated. Cesc Fabregas does not look the same player he was last year and their defence and goalkeeper looks extremely vulnerable, especially against a physical approach. United’s strikers, Rooney and Berbatov can mix it up with the best of them and when you add Vidic, Ferdinand and Ronaldo to the mix, set pieces could pose a major problem for them tomorrow.

My selection: Manchester United to beat Arsenal

The best price available for a United win is 7/5 which is 7/5 with willhill.com

Sheffield Wednesday vs Doncaster Rovers

15.00 Saturday 8^th November

Both sides come into this match looking for the win for very different reasons. The away side are rock bottom of the Championship having only won 2 matches all season and are desperate for victory in order to halt a run of 11 games without a win, whilst Wednesday have stuttered of late having beaten arch rivals United at home. Since then they have drew 1 and lost 3.

Saturday gives the home side a chance to add to their impressive home record. They have lost only one of their seven home games this term which see’s them 5 points out the play-off places. Manager Brian Laws can call upon a near full strength squad with only two absentees compared to 9 players missing only a couple of weeks ago.

Doncaster, by all accounts, have playing good football since their promotion but just lack the cutting edge at this level which is why they are where they are.  Good football is all well and good but you can only win matches by scoring goals and with only 7 scored in the league all season, it’s clear to see Doncaster do not have the required quality for the Championship. Their strikers will not get it any easier this weekend with Sheffield Wednesday having the joint second best home defensive record in the league.

Wednesday also have the edge in the head to head, in two previous matches they have won both with Donny failing to even register a solitary goal.

My selection: Sheffield Wednesday to beat Doncaster Rovers

The best price available for Sheffield Wednesday to win is 5/6 which you can get at StanJames and betdirect

Hamilton vs Falkirk

15.00 Saturday 8^th November

Hamilton started the season with two wins out of two, since then they have only registered a single success which see’s them propping up the SPL after the first round of games. Falkirk on the other hand started really slowly, failing to win in the league until the 5^th time of asking. Since then they have collect another 8 points from a possible 18. It’s not excellent form by any stretch of the imagination but in that time they have only lost twice and both could easily have ended up in a Falkirk victory.

The two sides have already met this season, Falkirk ran out easy 4-1 winners at the Falkirk Stadium. That match was less than two months ago and since then, it’s not got much better for Hamilton, they have lost their following 5 fixtures scoring only twice and conceding 13.

Falkirk have proven quality at this level in the shape of Steve Lovell, Neil McCann, Burton O’Brien and Jackie McNamara added with excellent young players with the likes of Patrick Cregg, Darren Barr and Scott Arfield all impressing this season. Hamilton could welcome back captain Mark McLaughlin this weekend which should help bolster a porous defence, whether it will be enough to help them pick up anything is a different matter.

Falkirk manager, John Hughes has been quoted this week as saying he is pleased with his players and they way they have been both training and playing in recent weeks. This is a guide in itself as Hughes is famous for coming out and lambasting his players when he thinks they are not putting the effort in.

The away side were being tipped to challenge for a top 6 place this season and they can certainly still achieve that. However, if they wish to do so they have to start picking up more points away from home and they will not get a better opportunity than this match. In 5 previous away meetings at Hamilton, Falkirk have won 3 and drew 1.

My Selection:  Falkirk to beat Hamilton

The best price available for a Falkirk win is 8/5 with several bookmakers, including Ladbrokes.

The rubber on the tyres of Lewis Hamilton‘s Mercedes McLaren has barely cooled but layers are already on the starting grid for the 2009 Formula One World Drivers Championship with the 23-year-old Stevenage speed demon a best-priced 2-1 to retain his title with Coral and Betfred.

Hamilton could, of course, be already chasing a hat-trick had things gone his way last year and is fully deserving of the plaudits that have come his way. Coral make Hamilton a 25-1 chance to beat Michael Schumacher’s record of 13 wins in a season at some stage of his career, with the same firm offering 50-1 for the 23-year-old to overtake the German’s seven world titles. But are we all not jumping the gun, or the chequered flag, a little here?

What punters have to take into account is that regulations, following a period of relative stability, are facing a major overhaul next year and there’s no guarantee teams that have dominated Formula One in recent seasons will necessarily be at the forefront of the action in 2009. Ferrari, for example, have already admitted they are behind schedule with regards to the new KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) that will enable cars to transfer additional power to aid overtaking, while aerodynamic changes are always a little hit and miss in the early stages of the season.

According to test driver Christian Klien, that certainly isn’t the case at BMW Sauber, however. Early testing has gone well and the Swiss-based team have an exciting prospect in their number one car in Robert Kubica. It’s sometimes overlooked that the Pole is only a year older than Lewis Hamilton and has an equally impressive CV, having served his apprenticeship in Formula Three before winning the Formula Renault World Series in 2005. Kubica finished sixth in the Formula One World Championship in his debut season and fourth this year having made the front of the grid three times and winning in Canada in June. Should his team get off to a flying start as expected next year, the 12-1 Paddy Power are offering for Kubica to make it third-time lucky will look very generous (Skybet rate him an 11-2 chance) as his team is only a best 4-1 to win the Constructors Championship.