Saturday

Saturday 28th May 2011

Champions League Final 2011

Barcelona v Manchester United (in London)

The biggest match in club football takes place at Wembley on Saturday as Spanish Champions Barcelona take on the Premier League winners Manchester United – a repeat of the 2009 final in Rome.

Barcelona secured their third successive Spanish league title two weeks ago, once again ruling over their arch-rivals Real Madrid. Pep Guardiola is on course to become the most successful ever manager in the Nou Camp hotseat with a flood of trophies already secured in his three seasons in charge. He is looking to win his second Champions League title in three years after winning his first in 2009 against tomorrow’s opponents. He boasts an amazing record which is even more staggering considering he has been up against the biggest club in the World who also happen to be the richest club in the World as well. His side lost just two games all season showing immense consistency and it’s all the more impressive when you consider who little he changes his side throughout the season. More often than not it’s the same 13 or 14 players who mostly play in the starting XI. At the centre of it all is of course, little Lionel Messi, the petite winger is easily the best player in the World today and at the age of 23 is only going to get better. So often the matchwinner, Messi was at his inspirational best when he scored both goals in the first leg of the semi-final against Real, in Madrid. He will be looking to add to his 11 goals in the competition this season despite already having secured the top scorer award.

United regained the Premier League from Chelsea this season rather comfortably in the end. All season long critics have looked to downplay the quality in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side saying that the competition is not up to much and they have won the league by default. Well said critics are the same one’s who preach about the Premier League being the best league in European football. No matter what way you look at it, United are Champions again, for a record 19th time, and are through to their third Champions League final in four seasons, a tremendous feat. They will be looking to right the wrongs of two years ago when they were outplayed by a rampant Barca side. Ferguson always maintains that his side never got the rub of the green that night but it was evident that there was a gulf in class between the two teams. Man U have had a relatively straightforward passage to this stage, and a slightly easier one than that of tomorrow’s opponents. They were far too good for Schalke in the semi-finals whilst they were easily the better and more commanding side against Chelsea in the quarter finals.

Messi will obviously be key to Barca’s chances, as he always is. But the match was won in midfield two season’s ago as Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta produced a midfield masterclass and totally outplayed Carrick and Anderson who lined up for United. Giggs will play instead of Anderson tomorrow whilst Carrick has been in super form recently to will be looking to make amends for his no-show in Rome.

It really is a terrific match-up, the two most entertaining and effective sides in this season’s Champions League going at it against each other. The old fox Ferguson against the rising great Guardiola. Messi v Vidic. Rooney v Puyol. Everything is in place for a magnificent spectacle.

I simply cannot see by a Barcelona victory tomorrow, they are that good. They are not unbeatable but they are as close to as it you’ll get it at the moment. The Spanish League has been a much stronger competition this season than the Premier League in my opinion. Providing United play their own game, I just feel they will leave too much space at the back and through midfield.

My Selection: Barcelona to beat Manchester United

Best odds available:

Please check back tomorrow evening for further previews for both the League One and Championship Play-off final

21/20 available with Betfred

Saturday 27^th February

English Premier League

Birmingham City v Wigan Athletic

Birmingham have stuttered of late after a fantastic run of games unbeaten so they will be determined to get back on track and to winning ways when they host Wigan at St Andrews.

Alex McLeish has worked wonders with his Birmingham side after winning promotion to the top flight last season. He bought shrewdly with the acquisitions of Scott Dann, Roger Johnson, Christian Benitez and Barry Ferguson all coming in during the summer transfer window. All 4 have been exceptional for the most part and played a huge part in City’s 15 match unbeaten run earlier in the season. These 4, along with Joe Hart, Lee Bowyer and Cameron Jerome have built an excellent spine down the centre of the side which has made them resilient, hard to beat and disciplined. Their strength is shown with them having the joint best home defensive record in the league, losing just 8 goals in 13 matches thus far, which has resulted in them losing only 2 at St Andrews. Their record against sides below them in the table at home has been good, with wins over Wolves, West Ham, Blackburn, Sunderland and Portsmouth already. Bolton are the only team currently below Brum who have escaped with all 3 points – it took a late goal for this to occur.

Wigan are still in the thick of a relegation battle after going on a run of 6 games without a win in the league. Roberto Martinez’s side suffered a heavy defeat in their most recent game against Tottenham at home. The first goal in a 3-0 reverse was blatantly offside but it shouldn’t mask the fact that Wigan offered nothing in an attacking sense and looked decidedly weak, slow and cumbersome at the back. Unsurprisingly the have only scored 3 goals in their last 6 matches which doesn’t bode well for Saturday as they were playing against far weaker defences than the only they’ll be up against at St Andrews. Part of Martinez’s problems have been the lack of goals but the main problem is their porous defence. Wigan have the 2^nd worst away defence in the Premier League, the only above them in this table is Burnley who haven’t won away from home all season. Wigan’s away record isn’t too bad for a team fighting relegation as they have been victorious 3 times on the road already this season. Their wins have come against Wolves, Aston Villa and Burnley. The win over Villa was a freak result in the sense that it was the opening day of the season and they have never looked like emulating such a win again.

McLeish’s side are so good at frustrating the bigger teams so it will be interesting to see if they adapt this style of play and take the game to the visitors. If they do change and be more expansive, it could mean they leave space for the likes of Hugo Rodallega and Charles N’Zogbia. I think McLeish is too canny for that and he’ll stick to his side strengths of having two compact units of 4 and trying to hit the away side on the break using the pace of Benitez and Jerome. Both players should relish the prospect of playing against Gary Caldwell and Titus Bramble. Both are very awkward when up against pace and power in my opinion, especially Caldwell. The Scottish international is a good reader of the game and his distribution isn’t the worst but he’s not physical enough for a centre half which could prove to be Wigan’s downfall come the end of the season.

Birmingham have won both games against Wigan at St Andrews in recent years and they will have targeted this match as one where they can get back to winning ways. They’ve not lost a home game since that defeat to Bolton back in September and I can’t see a poor Wigan side altering that statistic come 5pm on Saturday. Birmingham will be pushing for their best finish in the league for a long time and I think they’ll get another 3 points in this fixture.

My selection: Birmingham to beat Wigan

Best odds available: Evens available with Betfred

English Premier League

Burnley v Portsmouth

It will be Premier League first on Saturday when Burnley take on the first top flight side in England to go into administration – Portsmouth.

Brian Laws took the reigns from Owen Coyle in January and has tasted victory once thus far – a 2-1 win over West Ham in their last home match. For all their failings on the road (and there have been many) their home form is still more than decent with 6 wins and 4 draws from the 12 games played at Turf Moor this season. The only team to beat them at home, other than Wigan, were Chelsea at the end of last month, and even that was a close run thing. They are most definitely difficult to beat on their own patch. They are also beginning to get key players back at the right stage of the season with Martin Paterson returning last week and Steven Caldwell also getting back to fitness.

Portsmouth have had a disastrous season already and it’s set to get worse tomorrow (Friday) when they officially enter administration and automatically incur a 9 point penalty deduction. They’re already 7 points adrift at the bottom so when the penalty is incurred they are as good as relegated. It’s a shame for the players, supporters and the likes of Avram Grant who have done nothing to deserve such problems, but for the likes of Peter Storrie and the multiple owners who have tried to make a quick buck and totally mis-managed the finances of the  club in the last few years, it’s nothing more than justice. You simply can’t break the rules so extremely and expect to get away with it in the long run. They’ll go down because they deserve to. On the field Pompey have 1 win and 10 defeats from 13 away games and have lost 7 of their last 8 away league games.

Laws and Burnley are running out of games between now and the end of the season and they know that Saturday’s game is a must win if they are to survive their maiden season in the Premier League. Home games will be vital in their bid, especially home games against sides in and around their own position in the league. Pompey are the only side below them in the league at this point but it’s not all bad, only 4 points separate 7 positions and a win on Saturday could arguably see the Claret’s move to 14^th providing other results go their way,

You expect nothing else other than Portsmouth to give 100% on Saturday as they have done in every match this season, but the hype, attention and scandal surrounding the club at this moment is bound to have an affect. They have struggled on the road for the whole season and as I have already proven, Turf Moor isn’t the easiest of hunting grounds.

Burnley need the points more and I think their desire will prove to be too much for a club in crisis.

My selection: Burnley to beat Portsmouth

Best odds available: 6/5 available once again with Betfred

Sunday 28^th February

Scottish Premier League

Rangers v Celtic

It’s derby weekend once again in Glasgow when Celtic travel across the city to take on their bitter city rivals at Ibrox.

Rangers go into the match with a 7 point lead, a game in hand an 20 goals better off in terms of goal difference. The league really is theirs to throwaway and it will be a surprise if they don’t make it back to back league championships in May. Their team is not the greatest to watch, they don’t play free flowing football but their style of play is effective. They have a strong goalkeeper and defence, a hard working midfield and a good partnership upfront with Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd. They are undefeated at home this season and have already defeated Celtic in the league earlier this season – a 2-1 win back in October. Manager Walter Smith is likely to have a fully fit squad to choose from with Allan McGregor likely to take his place in goals despite being assaulted last Saturday in Glasgow. Smith will more than likely line up 4-4-2 and try to overpower Celtic using Lee McCulloch and Kevin Thompson as his midfield partnership.

Celtic are massive underdogs in the league but anything can happen in this fixture as we all know. They have played Rangers off the park twice already but only have a single point to show for their efforts. The last match between these two was the most one sided game I’ve watched in a long time – if it a was a boxing match it would have been stopped at half time. With a mix of shocking refereeing and some horrible finishing from Celtic, the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Celtic have failed to record back to back wins in the league since the beginning of December which is a damning statistic only made worse hen you consider it’s against teams such as Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Falkirk. Tony Mowbray knows his side are in last chance saloon on Sunday and it’s up to them whether they take it or not.

Marc Antoine Fortune has been a big player for Celtic of late and his performance in the last game against Rangers was excellent. He dominated both of their centre halves and they couldn’t cope with his pace and power. His partner that day was Giorgios Samaras who missed a glut of glorious chances which were created because Fortune pulled the defence all over the place. On Sunday his partner will be Robbie Keane so it’s a massive difference in terms of quality, ability and bottle. Keane has done it all throughout his career and he will be desperate to score for his beloved Celt’s at Ibrox, providing of cours it is in a Celtic win.

Celtic are due a victory over Rangers but I normally refrain from betting on the outcome of these games because they are so hard to predict. I think the 9/4 on offer for an away win is too big as I strongly believe that Celtic have far more quality in their ranks, so I wouldn’t put anyone off backing them. The bet I will advise is for Keane to score at anytime. Fortune will do a lot of the ‘ugly work’ for his strike partner and Keane’s movement and quick thinking should seem him have at least a couple of good chances. He’s also scored in his last two games for Celtic so the signs are there that he is hitting top form as he get’s his sharpness.

My selection: Robbie Keane to score at anytime

Best odds available: 21/10 available with PaddyPower

KTF

Saturday 7^th November

English Championship

Blackpool v Scunthorpe

Both Blackpool and Scunthorpe were expected to struggle at the wrong end of the table by many at the start of the season. Whilst it looks like being the case for the away side, it has been the polar opposite thus far for Ian Holloway’s tangerines.

Blackpool currently sit in 7^th position in the Championship, level on points with 6^th placed QPR and just 6 points off top. Their lofty position is mainly due to their excellent record at Bloomfield Road. Holloway has turned their home ground into something of a fortress this season with 5 wins from their 7 games, drawing the other two. Their unbeaten record is made to look even more impressive when you take into account some of the names that have tried and failed to take all 3 points home with them. Newcastle and Sheffield United were brushed aside whilst Cardiff did better than most and left with a point. Their defensive record at home has been nothing short of incredible. They have conceded just two goals this season – only Newcastle and Cardiff have managed to breach the home rearguard.

Scunthorpe came straight back up last season after suffering relegation in 2008. They were considered to be relegation candidates straight from the beginning and although they currently sit 5 points off of 22^nd, their poor form on the road looks likely to drag them down into a dogfight later in the season. Like Blackpool, they have performed better at home with 13 of their 17 points coming at Glanford Park. Nigel Adkins’ side have lost their last their last 3 away matches in the league, with defeats coming against Nottingham Forest, Plymouth and most recently Peterborough. With the exception of Forest, these are defeats against sides below them in the table which makes them all them more worrying.

Blackpool have strengthened considerably during the close season with a host of new arrivals already impressing. They managed to make last year’s loan signing of Charlie Adam from Rangers permanent whilst they also brought in Jason Euell, Hameur Bouazza and Jay Emmanuel –Thomas who has impressed since joining on loan from Arsenal. These players, along with David Vaughn, make up a potent, and vibrant, midfield and attack so it’s no surprise the problems they have caused other teams, especially at home. All 5 should be fit, ready and free of suspension to take their place tomorrow afternoon. As for Scunthorpe, they will be without their talismanic striker Gary Hooper who will miss the match through illness, this is a massive blow to United as he is their joint top scorer and also is vital to the way Adkins sets his side up.

A player I’ve not mentioned yet is Blackpool’s Ben Burgess. The Irish striker may not be everyone’s cup of tea and can be frustrating when he’s not on his game. However, I think he’s been very impressive for ‘Pool this term and his link up play allows the like of Adam and Bouazza to get into the box to create and score goals. Whoever he’s partnered with tomorrow, whether it be Euell, Brett Ormerod or on his own, he’ll be a constant pain for Scunny’s defence, especially their massive centre half Rob Jones. This will be a key battle in tomorrow’s match.

Blackpool may well be punching above their weight this season, whether they do so for the entire 46 games remains to be seen. I think their midfield and attacking options will be far too much for Scunthorpe who have already proven to be weak and feeble on the road.

My selection: Blackpool to beat Scunthorpe

Best odds available: 3/4 available with Paddypower

English Premier League

Manchester City v Burnley

Saturday see’s a North West derby between two sides who may be close together geographically, but are miles apart in terms of the current footballing climate in England.

Since Man City were taken over by the Abu Dhabi group in 2008, they have spent an obscene amount of money on a plethora of new players. This season has seen the purchase of players such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez, Kolo Toure and Gareth Barry. All four came from teams who finished higher than City last season so it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to work out why they jumped ship. Hideous financial weight aside, Mark Hughes’ side have had a very decent start to the season, currently occupying 4^th spot and having a game in hand over the top two. They have stuttered of late with 4 draws from their last 4 matches. 3 of these matches were away from home and came against sides who have decent enough home records. Their home form this season has been good with 10 points from a possible 12.

I’ve tipped Burnley before on this blog but it was when they were defending their excellent home record, away from Turf Moor is another matter altogether. They have yet to pick up a single point on their travels losing all 5 matches thus far. They have conceded a massive 17 (joint 2^nd worst in the league) with only a couple of goals managed at the other end – both game against Blackburn incidentally which means they haven’t scored in the other 4. Owen Coyle should be praised for his sides home form but he may also be criticised for employing the same tactics away as he does at home. Their expansive football leaves them wide open for the better sides in the league to cut them open at will when they go visiting.

City will have Adebayor and Toure back fit so Hughes will have a load of options to fill his midfield and attack. I imagine the former Arsenal hitman will return to the starting line-up as they looked rather toothless without him last week. He may be partnered by Craig Bellamy and Tevez in attack with Stephen Ireland pushing for a recall in midfield. Coyle is expected to name the same side that defeated Hull last Saturday.

If Hughes does go with Ireland in midfield it will mean there will be a direct link between the other midfielders and the 3 upfront. This has been missing from City’s play in recent weeks as Ireland has found himself on the bench more often than not. Hughes may look at Burnley’s porous defence and style of play and see it as an ideal opportunity to restore the controversial Irish man to the side.

You won’t get much of a return backing City at 1/3 or so but there are several good value bets elsewhere in this match up. Burnley have lost 4 of their 5 away matches by at least two goals so my main bet in this game is Manchester City -1.

Another bet which caught my eye was for the home side to win both halves tomorrow. After a lacklustre couple of games recently, they’ll be sure to come out firing infront of their own supporters. In order for this bet to be successful they need to beat Burnley in both halves of the match (do not get this bet confused with the half time/full time wager.

My selections: Manchester City (-1) to beat Burnley – available at EVENS with several bookmakers including 888Sport

Manchester City to win both halves tomorrow – available at 5/2 with Skybet

English Premier League

Wolves v Arsenal

Arsenal travel to Wolves on Saturday evening looking to continue their strong start to the season by gaining all 3 points in what is sure to be an interesting and entertaining match.

Wolves foiled my Aston Villa tip a couple of weeks ago and have been stubborn opposition of late with 3 draws in as many matches. Their come from behind draws against Stoke and Villa have been particularly impressive considering the strength of both those sides.

Arsenal have went about their business pretty quietly on the whole considering they have lost to both halves of Manchester already. Despite those defeats they are 3^rd, 5 points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand. They have been particularly strong at home with 5 wins from 5 but the aforementioned losses have been the only times they have left with nothing this season. They have already defeated Everton and Fulham away which are both hard at the best of times whilst they were 2-0 up and coasting at Upton Park last month before a couple of dodgy decisions and before you know it it’s 2-2.

Despite Mick McCarthy’s home side being resilient of late, they have yet to face a team of Arsenal’s class and quality. A 4-1 mauling of AZ in the Champions League midweek is evidence that Arsene Wenger’s side are in top form.

I fully expect Arsenal to collect all 3 points tomorrow but again, you won’t get rich backing them at 2/5. So in order to make the bet a little more interesting I’m taking Robin Van Persie to score at anytime and Arsenal to win. Van Persie has been Arsenal’s go to guy this season and has scored in their last 3 away matches in the league, he has 7 in total this season.

My selection: Arsenal to beat Wolves and Robin Van Persie to score at anytime

Best odds available: 6/4 with several bookmakers including Boylesports

Good luck and happy punting.

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

Saturday 19^th September

Preston North End v Coventry City         

PNE entertain Chris Coleman’s Coventry on Saturday looking to maintain their above average start to the season.

I’ve tipped Preston twice already this season and find myself bored of repeating the reasons as to why I’m tipping them. They’re direct, aggressive approach to the game is very affective, especially against lesser sides in the Championship. Rather than repeat myself, regular readers are able to look back at why I like Alan Irvine’s side and why his tactics will be successful in such a league.

I’ve yet to comment on the away side this season so let’s look a bit more closely at them. Coventry have started the season reasonably well with 11 points from their opening 7 matches. It may not sound or look impressive, but their points haul find themselves in 10^th position just a solitary point outside of the play-off’s. What should be noted is that Coventry have managed to accumulate 8 goals from their first 7 matches. What is even more interesting is the fact that Leon Best and Clinton Morrison have notched 7 of those 8 goals between them, with Martin Crainie getting the other.

Preston’s impressive home record (2 wins and 1 draw from 3) will be halted at some point but I can’t see it being on Saturday. Jon Parkin, Chris Brown and Neil Mellor are very effective at this level and will pose numerous problems for any defence. Coventry have shipped 8 goals thus far and I can see that being added to come Saturday evening.

My selection: Preston to beat Coventry City

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

English Championship

Barnsley v Swansea

Both these sides find themselves at the bottom end of the table after poor starts which has even resulted in Barnsley appointing a new manager in Mark Robins.

Barnsley had a total of 1 point after 6 games under former manager Simon Davey. Their single point came away to Sheffield Wednesday at the beginning of August. As they lost every other game, they sacked Davey and brought in Robins as his replacement. His appointment had an immediate effect on Tuesday night as the Oakwell side notched their maiden victory of the season with a 3-2 success at Derby.

Paulo Sousa’s Swansea are struggling to emulate Roberto Martinez’s Swansea. He may have the same philosophy and thoughts on the game but he has unable, as yet, to translate them on to the park. Sousa has had to contend with injuries and suspension to key players but will have the likes of Gary Monk, Ferrie Bodde and Angel back this week, whether it is enough to stop the slide is another matter. The Swans are suffering a massive hangover after such a good first season in the Championship. The loss of Martinez, as well as Jordi Gomez and Jason Scotland, to Wigan has been monumental.

I highlighted Swansea’s shortcomings last weekend when they face Preston and I feel they’ll fall short once again with a weak backline up against the likes of Andy Gray and Jon Macken. Both strikers are proven at this level and have simply been lacking confidence in recent weeks. Their strength and direct style of play is very similar to North End’s attackers who Swansea failed to deal with. As a result, I think Robins will continue his successful start by guiding his new club to their 2^nd successive 3 points haul.

My Selection: Barnsley to beat Swansea

Best odds available: 6/4 with several bookmakers including  Skybet

Scottish Premier League

Hibernian v St Johnstone

The home side will be looking to make up for a dismal performance last  time out against Hamilton by taking all 3 points at home to newly promoted St Johnstone.

John Hughes had a bright start to his reign as Hibs manager, taking 6 points from his first two matches before being narrowly beaten by Celtic. This makes last Sunday’s defeat at New Douglas park all the more surprising. They were very poor all over the park and never looked liked getting anything from the game.

St Johnstone have started the season in a positive manner with their only defeat coming against the green and white half of Glasgow on the 2^nd day of the season. They may, however, consider themselves to be unfortunate as they have only picked up 3 points. Without a win, their impressive performances against Motherwell, Hearts and St Mirren have all resulted in stalemates which may prove to be their downfall in the long run.

Hibs have talent and quality in abundance. The likes of Derek Riordan, Anthony Stokes and Liam Miller are excellent players at this level. This is highlighted even further by the fact Celtic have had two of them on their books and offered £2m for Stokes 3 years ago. The problem they have, however, is they lack real leadership since the departure of Rob Jones in the summer.

Derek McInnes has adopted an expansive style of football in his first season as SPL manager. If he chooses to go this way on Saturday I can see a home win. The ability of Miller and Riordan allied with Stokes’ pace and strikers instinct should see the home side prevail in an entertaining and attacking match.

My selection: Hibernian to beat St Johnstone

Best odds available: 4/5 with  Bet365

Saturday 14^th September

English Championship

Preston North End v Swansea

The home side have started where they left off last season whilst Saturday’s visitors are still coming to terms with the loss of former manager Roberto Martinez who left for Wigan during the summer.

Preston remain unbeaten after 5 games accumulating a total of 9 points in the process. They find themselves just inside the ridiculously early play-off picture in 6^th position, 4 points of current leaders Newcastle United. As mentioned in a previous article, North End had the most amount of home wins in the division last season and have started in a similar vein. From their 4 home games this term, 2 of which were in the League cup, they have won 3 and drawn 1.

Swansea were a somewhat surprise package when promoted to the Championship a year ago. They were in and around the promotion picture for much of last season only to lose out in the final few weeks of the season. They played an open and expansive style of football under Martinez with the likes of Ferrie Bodde, Jordi Gomez and Jason Scotland flourishing. Gomez and Scotland have since followed Martinez to JJB Stadium whilst Bodde is just coming back from a long term injury.

Preston should be able to welcome back influential defender Youl Mawene from injury whilst manager Alan Irvine will be hoping Sean St Ledger will return from international duty ready to take his place alongside Mawene. Swansea will be hoping to give debut’s to Craig Beattie and Abu Bakr whilst prodigal son Lee Trundle will be looking to start his first game of his 2^nd spell at the Swans after a deadline day move from Bristol City.

As ever with Preston, their strengths will lie upfront with a powerful duo of strikers in Neil Mellor and Jon Parkin. Swansea’s task will be made doubly difficulty with the absence of Gary Monk and Rangel who are both suspended for Saturday’s match. North End will be looking for their creative players such as Ross Wallace and Richard Chaplow to provide a bit of spark and take the game to the visitors. I really fancy Preston to have a good season this term and their home form will be key to that. Paulo Sousa, Swans manager, is still to prove himself adept at this level and I can see him and his side on the wrong end of a defeat on Saturday.

My selection: Preston North End to beat Swansea

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

English League 1

Charlton v Southampton

Four years ago this match was taking place in the Premier League, as it is, Charlton will be entertaining Southampton in the 3^rd tier of English football.

Charlton can boast a 100% record in League 1 so far with 6 wins from their initial half dozen games. They have adapted well to their new league and have been very impressive, especially going forward. They have brushed aside the likes of Walsall, Tranmere and most recently, Brentford. In these last 3 matches they have amassed a total of 8 goals and managed to keep a clean sheet in the same run of games. Phil Parkinson, manager of Charlton, has rejuvenated an ailing club by bringing in experienced faces to mentor and support their prodigious young talent. Deon Burton, Christian Dailly and Miguel Llera have been brought in over the summer. Add their experience to bright, exciting youngsters such as Jay Shelvey, Lloyd Sam and Nick Bailey and you have a more than decent chance of challenging for promotion.

Southampton were relegated along with Saturday’s hosts last season. Their start to this one, however, has been far different to that of Charlton’s. By going into administration they triggered an automatic 10 point deduction meaning they needed 10 points just to be on level par for the season. As yet, they have only managed 4 points, all coming from draws. They still retain several quality players in the shape of Kelvin Davis, Adam Lallana and Marius Saganowski. They have also signed Ricky Lambert from Bristol Rovers who is a prolific goal scorer at this level.   

I watched Charlton’s last match against Brentford and was very impressed with not only their style of play but their control of the football match. Their midfield was particularly good and their wide players, Sam and Bailey, were threats throughout the match – they’ll always create chances. Southampton have proven to be stubborn opponents already this term losing only two of their 6 matches. Both these defeats however have come on the road and they have looked more vulnerable on their travels.

Charlton just look to be on a roll and I can’t see their progress being halted this weekend. I can’t see Southampton edging closer to the level par mark by picking up a point or 3 on Saturday and fully expect Phil Parkinson and his troops to be chalking up another victory and making it a magnificent 7.

My selection: Charlton to beat Southampton.

Best odds available: 8/11 with Coral

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  

Saturday 29^th August

English Premier League

Manchester United v Arsenal

The first match involving two of the ‘big 4’ takes place at Old Trafford on Saturday when Manchester United entertain free-scoring Arsenal in the early evening kick off.

United are notoriously slow starters in the league compared to their nearest rivals, particularly the two London clubs, Chelsea and tomorrow’s visitors, Arsenal. This may be down to the fact that they take on several high profile pre-season fixtures across the globe. The amount of travelling and playing involved is sure to take its toll so early on in the campaign. That said, they have won two o their three league matches thus far, with their only blemish being against newly promoted Burnley, a match they probably should have won.

Arsenal have started this season like a team who mean business. They have won all 4 of their competitive fixtures, 2 in the league and 2 Champions League qualifiers against Celtic, scoring an incredible 15 goals in the process. They have been a delight to watch going forward with the likes of Andrei Arshavin, Robin Van Persie and Eduardo all in scintillating early season form. The biggest plus for Arsene Wenger will be the fact that his team are scoring goals from all over the park. Their 10 SPL goals thus far have been shared around 7 players.

Man United, despite winning the league last season, only managed one victory over the other ‘big 4’ sides. That was against a despondent Chelsea side in January at Old Trafford. Their two matches against Arsenal were disappointing from their point of view, a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates was followed by a dour goalless draw towards of the end of the season.  Sir Alex Ferguson has set out to right this and has made it clear that they must do better in these games if they are to claim their 4^th successive Championship.

United have not had their problems to seek with regards to injuries. They will once again be without Edwin Van Der Sar Rafael de Silva, Rio Ferdinand and Obertan, while Owen Hargreaves remains on the sidelines long term. This will likely mean John O’Shea will revert to right back with Johnny Evans partnering Vidic in the centre of defence. Darren Fletcher should start in midfield alongside Michael Carrick with Ryan Giggs, Antonio Valencia and Nani fighting it out for the two wide positions. Wayne Rooney will partner Ditimar Berbatov in attack.

Arsenal also have their problems with injuries. Star man and Captain, Cesc Fabregas, is definitely out of tomorrow’s game as is Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott. One bit of good news is the return to fitness of Thomas Rosicky. The Czech attacker has not played a competitive match for the Gunners since January 2008 but is in the squad for selection after a pre-season setback – he’s likely to start on the bench however.

There will be many key battles tomorrow evening. One of the more intriguing battles will be Rooney up against Arsenal’s new £10m defender, Thomas Vermaelen. The Belgian stopper has settled into his new club seamlessly. His pace and strength, coupled with his timing in the air, have been noticeable already. He will have his biggest test thus far tomorrow when Rooney, who has 3 goals in as many matches, will look to get at him from the word go. The Man United attacker is relishing being played as an out and out forward again, after so much time spent in the wide areas. He’ll be a constant menace tomorrow and will be looking to add to his 6 career goals against the North London side.

I think Fabregas will be the biggest absentee from either side in this match. His ability on the ball is well publicised, but it’s his ability to get the best out of others around him that goes unnoticed. Arsenal are likely to start with Song, Denilson and Diaby in the middle of the park against United. All 3 are excellent players, but they’re relatively inexperienced and I think Ferguson will use that to his advantage. I fancy United to take all 3 points tomorrow in a match that should be full of incident.

My selection: Manchester United to beat Arsenal

Best odds available: 5/4 with Skybet

English Premier League

Stoke City v Sunderland

 placed Sunderland travel to Stoke City, in 9^th position after 3 games, in a match that is sure to be fiercely competitive at the Britannia Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

Stoke never won many plaudits for their fancy football or flair last season for one simple reason – they didn’t play any. They decided to utilise their strengths and opted for route one football which obviously paid off as they are enjoying their 2^nd successive season in England’s top flight. They turned the Britannia stadium into something of a fortress last term, losing only 4 of their 18 matches played there.

Sunderland are now under the stewardship of Steve Bruce who jumped ship from Wigan in the close season. He has not been afraid to spend as he’s brought in the likes of Darren Bent, Frazier Campbell and Lee Cattermole all signing in multi-million pound deals. He has also retained most of last season’s squad which totally underachieved. The likes of Kieran Richardson, Anton Ferdinand and Kenwyne Jones are all capable of playing in the upper echelons of the Premier league but flattered to deceive last year.

Stoke started where they left off last season with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Burnley. Since then they have picked up a solitary away point from two away games where they faced Liverpool and Birmingham. They looked the better side for long spells at St Andrews and probably should have gained all 3 points.

Sunderland have won 2 of their first 3 matches. Their two wins were against Bolton on the opening day of the season and at home to Blackburn last weekend. They can consider themselves very fortunate to have taken anything from the game let alone the victory. Blackburn dominated the 90 minutes, missing a hatful of chances and had a goal harshly chopped off.

City have been busy this week with the signings of Robert Huth and Tuncay Sanli from Middlesbrough. Huth may go straight into the side tomorrow should Ryan Shawcross fail a fitness test whilst Tuncay may have to settle for a place on the bench. Sunderland are likely to stick with a front two of Bent and Jones with Richardson and Steed Malbranque expected to provide the craft and support to the strikers.

Sunderland’s defenders have struggled with a physical presence this season, most notably against Chelsea in a 3-1 defeat. Didier Drogba bossed the central defenders that night, and although I’m not saying he’s in the same league as Drogba in terms of quality, James Beattie will provide a similar threat, especially in the air. I thought Sunderland looked anything but impressive last weekend whilst you always know what you’re going to get from a Tony Pulis side. For that reason, I am tipping the home side to prevail by the odd goal.

My selection: Stoke City to beat Sunderland

Best odds available: 7/5 with Betfred

Good Luck and Happy Punting

Hi folks. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the start of the new season. It’s been a long, long summer without top flight football and this season promises to be interesting. I hope my previews over the coming months prove insightful, helpful but most of all, profitable.

Saturday 15^th August

Scottish Premier League

Aberdeen v Celtic

Celtic begin their quest to regain the SPL with a visit to Pittodrie to take on Aberdeen. Both clubs have new managers this season so the game promises to be an intriguing one.

Celtic missed out on their 4^th successive league title on the final day of last season, as a result, then manager, Gordon Strachan, resigned paving the way for current incumbent Tony Mowbray to take the reigns. His first task as manager was to get rid of Paul Hartley, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Shunsuke Nakamura (amongst others). Thus far, he has spent shrewdly by acquiring Marco Antoine Fortune, Landry N’Guemo and Danny Fox.

Aberdeen also find themselves with a new manager in the shape of former Motherwell gaffer, Mark McGhee. McGhee, a former player at the club, has had to contend with the departure of several key players, most notably captain Scott Severin and former Celtic player, Jamie Smith. He has recently brought in Jerel Ifil from Swindon Town and hope’s to land a Canadian striker in time for tomorrow’s match.

Both clubs have already played competitive matches this season, despite this being the opening weekend of the league campaign. Aberdeen suffered an embarrassing 8-1 aggregate defeat to Czech Republic side, Sigma, whilst Celtic overcame a first leg reverse against Dynamo Moscow at home, with an excellent display in the Russian capital to advance 2-1 on aggregate. There may have been mitigating circumstances with regards to Aberdeen’s capitulation, such as the lack of defensive cover due to injuries and the team getting to grips with McGhee’s preferred 4-3-3 formation.

Celtic look very impressive in Russia, especially new signings N’Guemo and Fox. Both have added something which has been missing for some time at Celtic, presence in the middle of the park and a proper left back able to get forward in support. Tony Mowbray has already had a major effect on the confidence of the squad with the likes of Donati and Samaras having impressive contributions in the European ties and pre-season matches. Mowbray has also instilled a free flowing and impressive passing game which has been missing at the club for years. Their ability to keep the ball and get forward with a purpose was the biggest factor in Celtic’s Russian success.

Mark McGhee was a leading contender for the Celtic manager’s job according to Scotland’s media. He will want to prove a point of sorts to the Celtic board that they ultimately chose wrong by laying down a marker tomorrow. He’ll have influential defender Zander Diamond available after injury and will hope his presence will shore up the porous defence. Mowbray will have to decide whether or not to give Scotland midfielder Scott Brown a start in place of Donati tomorrow, but it is likely that he will give the starting XI in Moscow another chance to impress.

Pittodrie is never an easy place to get a result, let alone on the first day of the season. However, with confidence high, genuine competition for places and impressive performances thus far, Celtic will be hard to stop tomorrow. Aiden McGeady, Shaun Maloney, Scott McDonald and Fortune should have too much firepower for the Aberdeen defence and I fully expect Tony Mowbray to comfortably collect his first 3 SPL points as Celtic manager.

My selection: Celtic to beat Aberdeen

Best price available: 4/6 with several bookmakers, including Coral

English League 1

Wycombe v Leeds United

Wycombe entertain Leeds in their first home match of the 2009/2010 season, looking for their first points of the new season after an opening away day defeat.

Wycombe gained automatic promotion last season into the 3^rd tier of English league football. Manager Peter Taylor is very experienced and has a vast knowledge of lower league football so will know what to expect this season. However, can the same be said for the majority of their squad? Doubtful! Apart from a few older players in Wanderers’ squad, most of them have not played at this level. This has been highlighted by losing 7 goals in two matches thus far. The club’s 3-2 defeat to Charlton was followed by a 4-0 home thrashing by Peterborough in the Carling cup.

Leeds narrowly missed out on last year’s League 1 play-off final but once again find themselves as favourites for promotion. Simon Grayson has previously won promotion from this division with Blackpool and will be hoping to do likewise in his first full season as boss of the Elland road club. He will have to do so without the services of talismanic teenager, Fabian Delph who was sold to Aston Villa earlier this month, ending months of speculation. One man who is still at the club is Jermaine Beckford. Last season’s top goalscorer is still on the transfer list having not signed a new contract in the summer but found himself on the scoresheet last weekend in United’s 2-1 victory over newly promoted Exeter with a double.

Leeds know the importance of getting points on the board early doors and will be looking to take advantage of Wycombe’s leaky defence. Beckford along with striker partner, Lucciano Becchio will be a handful for the best defenses in this league so Wycombe’s new signing, Michael Duberry, will have to be at his best if his side are to get anything out of the game.

Interestingly enough, this will be the first ever meeting between the two clubs in a competitive match and it is sure to be a feisty and hard fought match. With Leeds’ experience in this division coupled with their excellent attackers, I think they will nick this one but expect it to be close.

My selection: Leeds United to beat Wycombe

Best price available: EVS with several bookmakers including Boylesports

Good Luck and Happy punting