St Johnstone

Saturday 20^th March

English Premier League

Wigan v Burnley

Seems like every week there is a massive game at the bottom of the Premier League and this weekend is no different as Burnley make the short trip to the DW Stadium to take on Wigan.

Roberto Martinez is known for being a manager who likes to play attractive football and his Swansea team were prolific goalscorers, a team which included some fantastic footballers. His summer switch to Wigan, however, has witnessed a switch in his ethos, basically because he’s been forced to. He’s at a club who will perennially struggle in the top league and as such will have to battle. He has opted to go one up for most of their games recently and have decided to pack the midfield, especially away from home. Hugo Rodallega had led the line pretty well, and got the winning goal against Liverpool a fortnight ago. He’s been ably supported by James McCarthy and Charles N’Zogbia, two players who love getting forward and have proven to be real goal threats. Their most recent home game was a 2-1 defeat to 4^th placed chasing Aston Villa in midweek. It was a very close encounter and could easily have went either way, Wigan were probably unlucky losers and deserved a draw at least.

Burnley are losing ground fast on the pack above them after some crucial defeats in recent weeks. They lost to Portsmouth at home, which was followed by an expected defeat at the Emirates. Their two most recent games were home matches against Stoke and Wolves – they only managed a solitary point from these games which was surely a crushing blow for Brian Laws and his side. Owen Coyle had the same problems Laws has had on the road, i.e. no wins and losing a lot of goals, but his home form was so much better and it’s hard to see where Burnley will pick up the required points from in the coming weeks. They’ve not won a match since the beginning of February, which was in turn, their first success since the end of October. That makes it just one win in 14 league games, it really is a horrendous record and the only surprise is that they’re not cast adrift even more.

These sides met at Turf Moor back in October and Wigan notched a rare away success with a 2-1 victory. Martinez may have to do without one of his better players tomorrow however, with N’Zogbia really struggling after getting taken off in midweek. He was replaced by January signing Victor Moses so it’s likely he’ll get the nod again should the winger not make it. Moses has found the step up from Championship football to the Premier League, pretty hard thus far so if he does play tomorrow he must impress. Burnley will go with 2 from 3 upfront, with Steven Fletcher, David Nugent and Martin Paterson all looking to start. They must be tighter at the back though if they are to have any chance of winning tomorrow, they’ve lost an early goal far too many times in recent games which leaves them with an uphill battle, one they’ve lost many times before.

I think Wigan are decent at home whilst Burnley are terrible away so with that in mind, I think Wigan will do the double over the Lancashire rivals. They’ve shown against Liverpool and Villa that they’re a better side than their league position shows so I’m hoping they have the belief to continue this tomorrow.

My selection: Wigan to beat Burnley at a best priced 4/5 available with Skybet

Scottish Premier League

Celtic v St Johnstone

The league looks to be long gone for Celtic so some would argue that this is a dead rubber with St Johnstone safe from relegation – Celtic do not play meaningless games.

Tony Mowbray has been under huge amounts of pressure since becoming Celtic manager back in June, and that pressure has only increased in recent weeks as his side languish 13 points behind leaders, and arch rivals, Rangers. His main problem has been trying to find a settled 11 and his strongest possible side. There have been massive changes in the 9 months he’s been in charge and with a load of injuries as well, it’s not completely Mowbray’s fault. He was left with a stale side, a stale club infact, but he rejected the chance to overhaul the playing squad in the summer transfer window, choosing to see what he had to play with before chopping and changing in January – the gamble has not paid off. Since bringing in 8 new players 2 months ago, Celtic have won 5, lost 2 and drawn 1, with two of those wins coming in the Scottish Cup.

St Johnstone have had a fantastic season so far on their return to the SPL. Derek McInnes and his side won in midweek to move to within 3 points of the top six, with 2 games in hand. It’s a remarkable achievement for a newly promoted side and the most impressive thing is they’ve done it playing really attractive football. They have scored the 3^rd most goals in the league which is superb considering they have more potent attacks than clubs such as Hibs, Dundee United and Hearts. They still, however, have a negative goal difference as they have conceded 46 goals already this season. McInnes deserves huge credit for his style of play and also because he’s not made massive changes to the side that won promotion. He has brought in some new players over the season but he has, in the main, stayed loyal to those that put in all the hard work last season.

These sides have already met twice this season with Celtic coming out victorious on both occasions. They were 5-2 victors back in August at Parkhead and won 4-1 in Perth in January. Marc Antoine Fortune has enjoyed both games as the striker has scored four goals in total against the Super J’s. He’s proved really hard to handle for their defenders with his power and pace upfront. I expect Celtic to win and win comfortably but St Johnstone will create chances and it should be another open game. Robbie Keane has scored Celtic’s first goal in 3 of the last 4 Celtic’s games as well as claiming a hat-trick last time out. He’s in excellent form and won’t be far away from the scoresheet tomorrow.

My selection:  Marc Antoine Fortune to score anytime at a best priced 5/4 available with Bet365

                            Robbie Keane to score 1^st at a best priced 7/2 available with Bet365

                            Over 3.5 goals at a best priced 11/8 available with Boylesports

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

 Saturday 19^th December

Scottish Premier League

St Johnstone v St Mirren

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

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

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

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

My selection: St Mirren to beat St Johnstone

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

English League 1

Norwich v Huddersfield

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

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

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

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

My selection:  Norwich to beat Huddersfield

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

Sunday 20^th December

Scottish Premier League

Hearts v Celtic

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

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

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

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

My selection: Celtic to beat Hearts

Best odds available: 4/6 available with Totesport

Good Luck and Merry Christmas

Saturday 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