West Ham

The current Premier League relegation market looks pretty straightforward. West Ham are on their way down and are likely to be joined by Wolves and Wigan, both of whom are also odds-on to be playing Championship football next season.

Case closed? You have to be kidding if previous seasons have taught us anything. The race for survival carries more twists and turns than a Dan Brown novel and it’s fair to say that at least nine teams can be relegated from the Premier League and that’s discounting Aston Villa (12/1 bet365), Stoke City (20/1 William Hill) and Everton (33/1 William Hill).

West Ham are clearly in trouble and it’s something of a surprise to find Avram Grant still in a position at Upton Park. It’s getting pretty critical for the Hammers in terms of a points shortage, with bet365 now offering a best price 1/2 that the east London team fail to make it out of the bottom three come the end of the season.

Not that people will be wading in at that price considering they will have five months to wait for any profit, although there could be some merit in the 10/1 with Blue Square that Blackburn Rovers pay the price for a strange decision this week.

The Lancashire club have recently been taken over by a company called Venky’s, an Indian firm that specialises in chicken. However, there was nothing cowardly about their decision to depose Sam Allardyce as manager, although Harry Redknapp is among those who thinks that the sacking could end in tears.

Perhaps we will only start to see how good a job Allardyce was doing over the next few weeks and months, with Blackburn’s game against West Ham on Saturday being an opportunity for the Hammers to break their duck on the road and haul their opponents into a relegation scrap.

Wolves’ 1-0 win over Birmingham last Sunday means that they are within touching distance of safety and you sense that there’s a great team spirit at Molineux, something which helped them stay in the Premier League last season. Skybet offer odds of 10/11 for those that think a lack of quality will ultimately be their downfall and they have a big match coming up on Sunday.

West Brom have an opportunity to plunge their rivals into deeper trouble and it’s amazing that the Baggies are now as big as 7/1 (bet365) to be relegated considering they were odds-on at the start of the season. 22 points from 17 matches is a decent return and they are six better off than lowly Wigan, who have to be on anyone’s shortlist for the drop.

The Latics weren’t far away from danger last term and just three victories from seventeen this term have the alarm bells ringing. The bookies have 8/11 (William Hill) that Roberto Martinez’s team are playing Championship football next season.

Blackpool have looked anything but relegation candidates this season and they continue to prove they are no flash in the pan after a hard-earned 1-0 win at Stoke last weekend. Many people’s certainties to be relegated have 22 points from 16 games, an average which will be more than enough to keep them afloat. The Tangerines are 7/4 (William Hill) to go down.

West Ham United v Manchester United Betting Tip & Odds: An away win banker here? There is a gulf in class between the two teams, even though United won’t bother sending their strongest side to Upton Park. There’s really not much need to. The Hammers will give a spirited display no doubt, but the extra quality level that United can produce will win them this game. It is just by a matter of how many really, as United have a good recent record against the Hammers. Manchester United/Manchester United Halftime/Fulltime bet 2/1 at Blue Square

West Ham United to win: 3/4 at Totesport
Draw: 57/20 at Bodog
Manchester United to win: 9/2 at SkyBet

Carling Cup Match Preview: Manchester United laid down a huge marker to their rivals in the Premier League on the weekend, firing seven goals past Blackburn. It’s unlikely that it will be the same team that takes to the field at West Ham for this Carling Cup quarter final match, as boss Alex Ferguson will no doubt ring the changes. With such a variety of attacking options available to him, this is the perfect opportunity to give starts to the likes of Javier Hernandez and Federico Macheda. The central defensive pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic will probably also get the chance to have a rest, not that they had a lot to do on the weekend against Blackburn. United are the defending champions, and how much will it mean to them to defend their title? If they can do it with a second string team, then all the better for Alex Ferguson, who has a lot bigger fish to fry than this. So don’t expect a strong Manchester United side for this one, but nonetheless, it really should be strong enough. But, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City falling by the wayside early in the competition, the road has pretty much been left open for them. Realistically the only challenge to the Red Devils in their quest to defend the Carling Cup, will be Arsenal. So will a much changed team have a big influence on the football betting for this one?

Not a great deal really. But there are some considerations to be factored into all this. Manchester United have found wins on the road hard to come by in the Premier League this season, and that was with stronger teams than which will take to the field on Tuesday night. West Ham are also unbeaten in their last three matches at home as well. However, while the depth of the Manchester United squad really is not as good as one would expect it to be, it has still shown that old United magic of pulling through even when they have looked down and out. Fergie will field players who are fighting for starting places at the club, and that should be enough incentive for these fringe players likes Chris Smalling who will get the chance to start in defence again. The other big factor is looking at the level of opposition here. West Ham are not going to be able to cope with that extra touch of quality, and it may only take a flash of genius here and there from United to win this one, without breaking too much of a sweat. That is the difference between a top side and struggling one at this level. They are both Premier League teams, but divisions apart in truth. United won 3-0 against West Ham at the start of the season in the League, and have now hit 10 goals in their last three matches against the Hammers.

West Ham received a boost on the weekend, when they managed to pick up their second victory of the Premier League season, as they bottom side club took a vital three points off Wigan. Boss Avram Grant is a man under pressure though, and the Hammers look odds on favourites to be playing Championship football next season. The quality is not there, neither up front or at the back, but they do have pretty much a full squad to pick from, including Kieron Dyer, who is looking hopeful for a place in the team. Although they have been going badly in the Premier League, a loss against a side of Manchester United fringe players would be just as demoralising for the West Ham fans. West Ham need to be better than that, but neither form nor stats are really on their side. Even though the Hammers really do have a pretty good home record against Manchester United (West Ham have won 45% of home matches against Manchester United) recent form needs to be looked at primarily. They have lost in their last six matches against Manchester United, and not only that, the Hammers have failed to score against United in the last five games also. Manchester United are unbeaten this season in all competitions and it is likely to stay that way as well after Tuesday night’s game at Upton Park. United have a good recent history in the Carling Cup, and they should be well on their way to the final after this.

Last 5 Head to head
Manchester United 3, West Ham 0
Manchester United 3, West Ham 0
West Ham United 0, Manchester United 4
West Ham United 0, Manchester United 1
Manchester United 2, West Ham United 0

Online Bookmaker BetFred have targeted Liverpool’s David Ngog for their Last Goalscorer Special for Liverpool v West Ham match on the weekend. The Bonus King as they are known as, are offering refunds for all losing bets placed on the First and Last Goalscorer markets, along with correct scores and Scorecast bets, up to the value of £200. That is some nice insurance if your betting party on the Liverpool v West Ham Barclays Premier clash gets spoiled by N’Gog scoring the final goal of the game. This is quite a crucial match for both sides now, and Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is feeling aggrieved after Captain Steven Gerrard picked up an injury in England’s friendly defeat against France in the week. The one worrying statistic for Liverpool during their woes this season, is that all but one of their league goals have either been scored by, or created by Gerrard or Fernando Torres. That is it. No-one else is chipping in offensively, and now with Gerrard expected to be on the sidelines for the next month, Liverpool’s creative output has essentially been cut in half. More than ever Liverpool now need Fernando Torres, and someone to start showing up in the middle of the park, where the bulk of Liverpool’s problems are.

Perhaps a little disconcertingly, is that Christian Poulsen is being touted to do the Gerrard role, and the summer signing has showed little so far, other than a penchant for playing the ball sideways. Liverpool may just have lost their heartbeat, and going into the match without a win in two games, Liverpool badly need some inspiration. They may be saved by the quality of opposition they face on Saturday though, as West Ham are still rooted at the bottom of the Barclays Premier League with just one win so far this season under Avram Grant. Neither side are lighting up the goal scoring charts, with Liverpool hitting just 13 and West Ham 11 so far this season. The Hammers haven’t won since September when they beat Tottenham, but after going on a streak of four straight defeats at the start of the season, it hasn’t been all that bad really. Out of their subsequent nine matches, they have only lost two. Along with that solitary win, that has left the Hammers with six drawn matches out of nine games, and they are currently on a three game drawing streak. Is it worth a punt in your football betting for Liverpool v West Ham? BetFred are offering 3/1 on the outright draw for the match, so it doesn’t seem as if it is out of the question. A Liverpool home win will fetch you 8/15 at BetFred, and an unlikely West Ham win is out at 6/1 with the bookmaker. The Hammers have a poor record at Anfield, not winning a match there since the 60’s. In Premier League fixtures there, they have only hit four goals themselves, so don’t expect a goal fest at Anfield on Saturday!

Remember to check out the Correct Score, Scorecast and First/Last Goalscorer markets for this one at BetFred, as there is some coverage with their money back special. It may well be worth a good punt on Fernando Torres for example in any scoring market(Torres is 5 goals in 4 matches against West Ham), or from the visitors, the two P’s Piquionne and Parker have delivered the biggest threats in front of goal. Check out BetFred today, and take advantage of their £50 welcome offer for new customers. This generous offers comes a free matched first bet on a new account, and that gives you a lot to work with in order to try and boost your profits!

It is always a problem of time when it comes to managers holding on to their jobs. There has to be bad teams in the Premier League, and those in charge at the bottom dwelling clubs will be nervous about their next paycheck than others. However, with so much expectation around, and so much demand for success, even a failure to live up to expectations in the middle of the table can cost you your job. Look at Liverpool’s Roy Hodgson. The Reds aren’t going to get relegated, but they aren’t good enough to get back into the big four. Look at Man City’s Roberto Mancini, fourth in the league and yet still the outright favourite to be out of a job first as the weight of expectation looks to have gotten the better of him. He we take a look over the football betting list of candidates, as to who the Next Manager to Leave Post will be.

Roberto Mancini: 13/8 at William Hill

The knives are still out for Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini at the moment, as the bookies still have him down as favourite to be the next manager to leave his post. His cause won’t have been helped by two consecutive 0-0 draws, which pretty much sum up how cautious a side they are. Manchester City really missed a chance to get one over on rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford recently, and the reason why they didn’t is because they were not brave enough. All through the season, Mancini has taken a cautious approach to games, and while that’s been great for their defensive record, their goal scoring, despite spending big in the summer on a wealth of talent has been pitiful really. That is what has gotten them into trouble, despite sitting fourth in the Premier League. Mancini is a man under pressure. Mancini is a man who has won just once in their last five league games. Is he the next to go?

Avram Grant: 2/1 at Paddy Power

When you are looking for a next manager to sack, you generally swing your eyes down towards the bottom of the table, where the worst teams are. For that, you are then looking at West Ham and Avram Grant. After clinging onto their Premier League lives with their fingernails at the end of last season, with just one win in thirteen matches of the new season, the Hammers are looking set to play Championship football next year. Will a change of manager make a difference? Time surely must be running out on Avram Grant, with West Ham already five points adrift from safety at the bottom of the table. How much time will he be given?

Roy Hodgson: 6/1 at SkyBet

Things were starting to look up when they sunk Premier League Champions Chelsea at Anfield, but when you turn around and draw with Wigan and then lose to Stoke, you have be left wondering. Liverpool’s little burst of form, winning three matches in a row, fired them into relative mid table safety. But their inability to extend their good run, which can only knock confidence, will hurt them. The appointment of Roy Hodgson was questionable in the first place. He is a fixer, a man to take something bad and make them respectable. Liverpool fans want more than to be respectable, they want to be feared, they want to see some silverware heading to Anfield. It’s not going to happen under Hodgson this year, and strangely enough, Damien Comolli, who was brought in as Director of Football, have said that they are under no pressure to buy in the January transfer window. That will have Liverpool fans pulling their hair out. How long will Hodgson last?

Ian Holloway: 12/1 at Paddy Power

After a strong start to the season, Blackpool are finding wins hard to come by. What makes Holloway, who is always entertaining at press conferences, such a viable prospect, is that he is likely to up and leave. He has threatened to quit if the league fine Blackpool for fielding a side which had 10 changes in it from the previous match, against Aston Villa. They supposedly did it, as there was a much more winnable match coming up against West Ham a few days later. Blackpool have been battling and entertaining, but there are signs that they will struggle to keep their status in the Premier League. Will the board want to freshen things up to try and change that, or will Holloway walk away?

Roberto Martinez: 16/1 at Paddy Power

Poor old Wigan. A couple of seasons ago you would have looked at them and saw a good mid table team. Not so much now, and they are rightly being tipped to go down. They have been short on class all year, and even though Martinez is an exciting manager, he hasn’t got a lot to work with at the moment. They may just be ok in the end, as they just had a torrid start to the season. They seem to have gotten over that, losing just two of their last eight, so promising signs are ahead. They’ll probably stick with him for the season at least. Should be a little more secure than others on the list.

Chris Hughton: 16/1 at SkyBet

Well, Newcastle have certainly been enjoying their share of the headlines on their return to the Premier League, and that is understandable. They are up to eighth in the league, and have striker Andy Carroll making his full England debut. You would think it’s not all bad up north, right? Wrong. He has been under immense pressure right from the word go, and the club want to ensure that they stay in the Premier League. There are hints that he may just not last the season, and may just butt heads with the club. That will be unfortunate as he has done nothing short of a brilliant job. Likely to last a little longer than some of the above, so would be unlikely to be the first.

Saturday, October 30th: A nice London derby to get the football betting going on Saturday’s Premier League fixtures. While title rivals Manchester United have a tough match against Tottenham, Arsenal will be pretty relaxed about this one. The Gunners are going well at the moment, highlighted by their superb demolition of Manchester City last weekend at Eastlands. That put an end their critics, after they lost two in a row (against West Brom and then Chelsea) and has kept them in a strong position. It’s been a different story of the season for West Ham who are rooted to the bottom of the league with just win to their name so far. The Hammers did a good job of holding Arsenal to a draw last season at home, but at the Emirates, Arsenal won comfortably, and that has largely been the story between these two sides. Arsenal have a commanding 46% win percentage against West Ham when playing at home, with West Ham picking up just 26% of the wins. Goal counts are naturally in the Gunner’s favour here, having score a bout a third more goals than West Ham in their meetings at Arsenal. In the overall head to head record, no surprises that Arsenal dominate there as well against West Ham, and as if the Arsenal v West Ham betting needed any more of a fillip, then the head to head stats read 52 wins for Arsenal, 33 for West Ham and 38 drawn matches. This could be a real Halloween horror show for the Hammers, and betting is all about Arsenal here, who are strong favourites at the bookmakers. The outright Arsenal win doesn’t bring great results naturally, so it’s a good chance to look at an Asian Handicap. Arsenal -2 Asian Handicap is around the Evens line at Victor Chandler and that is a good place to start. A West Ham +1.75 is 47/40 at Bet365, if you think the Hammers can hang on and not get overran. This should be an easy three points for the Gunners, so browse on below for some of the best Arsenal v West Ham betting odds available.

Arsenal v West Ham Betting Odds

Arsenal to win: 1/5 at BetFred
Draw: 6/1 at SkyBet
West Ham to win: 16/1 at Boylesports

Online Bookmaker Promotion: Stan James are offering cash back on all goal scoring markets for all football matches covered by goalscorer markets in their Sportsbook. If a match ends in 0-0 and you have placed a bet on any listed goalscorer market for that match, Stan James will pay out a refund as a free bet for the value of your lost stake. This is pretty nice coverage, and you can top off the offer by getting a free £25 bet when you sign up with this highly recommended online bookmaker.

Arsenal v West Ham Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Arsenal 2, West Ham 0
West Ham 2, Arsenal 2
Arsenal 0, West Ham 0
West Ham 0, Arsenal 2
Arsenal 2, West Ham 0

Arsenal have a 75% win percentage at home in the league this season
West Ham have a 0% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Arsenal have scored 14 goals, and conceded 5 at home
West Ham have scored 2 and conceded 8 goals in their away matches

Arsenal have scored the bulk of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
West Ham have scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket

Arsenal have opened the scoring in 55% of their matches
West Ham have scored first in 33% of their matches

Arsenal average 3.50 goals per match at home this season
West Ham average 0.50 goals per match away from home this season

Arsenal 2010/11 top scorer: Walcott, Nasri, 4
West Ham 2010/11 top scorer: Piquionne, Parker, Noble, 2

Arsenal injuries/suspensions: Almunia, Vermaelen, Van Persie, Frimpong, Ramsey
West Ham injuries/suspensions: Upson, Hitzlsperger, Edgar, Collison, Hines, Kurucz

Arsenal 2010/11 Season Form: P9 W5 D2 L2 GF21 GA10 Pts 19 (2nd)
West Ham 2010/11 Season Form: P9 W1 D3 L5 GF7 GA17 Pts 6 (20th)

Arsenal v West Ham Betting Tip: Arsenal to win by 2 Goals for 3/1 at Bet365

Arsenal Betting:

Are the three points already on the board for the home side? This is pretty much top versus bottom, and it’ll be worth looking at a couple of prime betting indicators for this match, which have happened this season. Both Manchester United and Chelsea have put three goals past West Ham, and you would have to look at them conceding heavily against Arsenal. Arsenal are the second highest top goal scorers in the Premier League, West Ham are the joint lowest. Look at the stats above to see the difference in goal scoring averages for the home and away team, and it all just adds up to a big Arsenal win. They have been good this season, and that has largely been helped by Tomas Vermaelen in the back ground, which has given them some presence there, some stability to go forward. However, he’s struggling with injury, so Arsenal are not at their strongest, but against West Ham it shouldn’t play too big a part. For all their issues over goalkeeping, and not having a world class player between the sticks, Lukasz Fabianski is actually looking full of confidence since Almunia went down with injury. That was one of their biggest weakness, and if he lives up to potential, then Arsenal will only get stronger. In the midfield, much has been made of the impact that Jack Wilshere has been having, but Samir Nasri has really shown up this season and is becoming crucial to the Gunners. Just like Fabregas, he has incredible vision and technical ability, and that gives Arsenal a wealth of attacking midfield options. They are not at full strength yet, because they are missing Robin Van Persie, but Marouane Chamakh is proving to be a very good signing at the moment. The return to fitness of Nicklas Bendtner is also a huge boost. Then you finish off the list with names like Andrey Arshavin, Theo Walcott and Carlos Vela and you see goals galore. While United and Spurs will be taking points off each other in some fashion, this is a great opportunity for Arsenal to take a firmer grip on second place in the league. Talking up the players they have, Chamakh is 4/1 at Bet365 as First Goalscorer. Looking at a Correct Score bet Arsenal 2-0 for 6/1 at William Hill is decent, but could it be too conservative? Arsenal to win by 2 Goals is 3/1 at Bet365, while Arsenal to win by 3 goals or more is 11/8 at SkyBet. Plenty of goal scoring market options here to chose from. Your football betting for Arsenal v West Ham should be all about the winning margin for the Gunners.

West Ham Betting:

This looks to be a bit of a thankless task for Avram Grant and the Hammers. They are prime relegation candidates at the moment, and look to be in a serious mire. They have been beating comfortably by both Manchester United and Chelsea this season, and going to the Emirates won’t instil much confidence in their fans about picking up points to help them get out of the relegation zone. What really can the Hammers expect to get out of this? Even a Draw/Draw halftime/fulltime bet is out at 10/1 at Totesport, simply because the visitors are expected to get hammered (pun intended). There is a decent West Ham +2.5 Asian Handicap for 23/20 at Victor Chandler, which means that you’ll win if the Hammers don’t lose by more than two goals. That looks a decent return as they haven’t really been torn apart by Arsenal in recent times, they have just struggled to pick up victories. You have to go back to 2000/01 to find a winning margin of three goals for Arsenal in the league against West Ham. That’s a great stat to look at for your football betting strategy on this one. There are clear problems for West Ham, in that they don’t have the ability up front to score heavily, and their defence really is not up to par. If Matthew Upson sits this one out as well through injury, then they are going to be in for a busy afternoon.

Arsenal v West Ham Football Betting Prediction: Home win

A Football Betting Guide to West Ham (Back to Football Betting Guide Intro) Online Bookmaker Free Bet Promotion: Ladbrokes, who are one of the most famous and trusted UK high street bookmakers, offer a free £10 bet on new accounts. The online bookmaker will match your first bet on a new account up to that value, giving you a nice little bonus with which to do your football betting. Along with a fresh new look to their website, Ladbrokes are very good for betting odds and football promotions. Football Betting Prediction: Relegation Battle Premier League Start: Aston Villa 3, West Ham 0 The Strengths: If West Ham do avoid relegation then it will be down to Avram Grant. Why? Because the quality of the squad is questionable at best. Grant has already added some new faces to the squad, with Tal Ben Haim, Frederic Piquionne, Pablo Barrera and Thomas Hitzlsperger. They aren’t names which are going to elevate the Hammers into any contention for a European place, but West Ham do need a big overhaul and things like that take time. There are still rumours of there being interest in brining David Beckham back to England, but it is unlikely to happen. So, instead of looking too far up the table, they must remain concerned over the threat of relegation. Scott Parker is one of the few strengths in the squad from the perspective of star quality players, but you can add into that Carlton Cole, who will be called upon again to bear the weight of the goal scoring responsibilities. Cole is a good talent now and for the future, and he has been attracting offers from Liverpool for his services. Just as West Ham kept Parker, they need to keep Cole too and try and build a better squad around them. The fans must be very restless at Upton Park and understandably. It must be hard seeing the likes of London rivals Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal all playing at the top level of the game, and being unable to match them. There is much work to be done at West Ham, but if sacrificing a little bit of flair for some good honest down to earth work secures their Premier League status for a bit longer than so be it. Grant is the key man in the whole set up and will need his man management skills to keep moral high. The Weaknesses: Really one of the teams beginning with the letter W which could find themselves in relegation trouble. There is a lot of work to do at West Ham, who got rid of Gianfranco Zola, and hired ex-Chelsea boss Avram Grant. Grant took Portsmouth to the FA Cup final last season, but could of course do nothing for the troubles the club had at the foot of the Premier League. So West Ham will be looking for more stability and this will be a real test of what Grant can do. It is a long way from the star studded side of Chelsea, and far from the hopeless conditions at Portsmouth, but Grant could just tighten things up at West Ham. The style may not be great, but they have been quite resistant in approaches for midfielder Scott Parker, who had an outstanding season last year. Tottenham have been hungry for him, but the club have insisted that he stay, regardless of the money being thrown at them. That is a good sign for stability, and sticking with one of the few strengths they have. It will be tough season for Rob Green who has lost his place in the England squad after his howler at the World Cup, and he is bound to be nervy. Striker Benni McCarthy, who has really failed to impress for the club is another negative, after being told to lose weight. South African McCarthy missed out on the World Cup because he was too heavy. If he doesn’t shape up, then West Ham will have lost a lot of money on him. There is just the feeling that there is not enough quality in the squad in order for them to survive, and they will attract a lot of relegation football betting. Betting Home. Their best chances of picking up points with the rowdy Hammers fans behind the team. Every point will be vital for the Hammers this year, and as long as they can hold up their end at home, they should be just ok. They only had a 37% win percentage at home though, picking up just seven victories. The trouble for the Hammers though is that they scored thirty goals at home, but conceded 29, which is a terrible defensive record on your home pitch. Not sure if there is going to be too much improvement over that this season, so look for good away team bets when West Ham are at home. They will probably struggle again. Betting Away. Struggled badly last year on the road where they only had one win and twelve defeats. They scored just seventeen goals on the road, and again the lack of balance in the team showed. The defence is nowhere near strong enough and there is not enough firepower up front. Perhaps Avram Grant can find a better balance in the way the team approach matches, but they have to be sitting as one of the strong relegation candidates and their poor away record won’t help them. They will find life hard on the road again this year, just as they did on the opening day. Expect big losses for them on their travels in your football betting strategy. West Ham Best Betting Stat: Again, because they had a woeful defence, there was around 60% of Over 2.5 goal games which West Ham played in. You can expect more of that this season. West Ham Best Football Betting Odds: West Ham Relegation: 9/2 at Ladbrokes Robert Green Club After Summer Transfer Window: Arsenal: 9/2 at SkyBet Schalke 04: 5/1 at SkyBet Scott Parker Club After Summer Transfer Window: Tottenham: 7/4 at SkyBet Liverpool: 4/1 at SkyBet Season Points Under 40: 6/4 at Victor Chandler Top Goal Scorer: Carlton Cole: 11/8 at Victor Chandler Frederic Piquionne: 10/3 at Victor Chandler Alessandro Diamanti: 10/3 at Victor Chandler

More betting information:
On line Betting

With the 2010/11 Premier League football betting scene on the near horizon, there are still plenty of chances to fine tune your new enthusiasm for the new domestic season with club friendly matches. The Premier League sides are quite active at the moment, even if naturally it won’t be the main starting elevens. With tours going on in the State, across Europe and on the domestic front, there is plenty of football betting to get your teeth into. Here is a list of the forthcoming club friendly matches and best odds to satiate your online football betting cravings.

Beckham to return to England? Milner in Villa stalemate while Hughes to take charge at Fulham

Will David Beckham end up in the Premier League? He is wanted by London side West Ham, and the MLS LA Galaxy star is promising to give the club a decision soon according to reports, although conflicting reports say that he has not even been contacted by them. Beckham, who missed out on England’s 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign through an Achilles injury is expected to be back in training in late August with the galaxy. But there are rumours that Beckham would like to finish his career back in the UK. If he was to put pen to paper at Upton Park, then a move wouldn’t be secured until January. Beckham would finish the season with the MLS side, and then look to move abroad at the start of the year, as he has done on loan with AC Milan the past couple of season. West Ham boss Avram Grant is also supposedly targeting Michael Owen and Marseille’s Laurent Bonnart as well in order to boost their chances of not getting drawn into a relegation battle.  West Ham co-owner David Gold seems to be the one throwing fuel on this rumour, while a spokesman for Becks pretty much says its pie in the sky. For a club perceived as struggling, West Ham are certainly embroiled in plenty of rumours. They have rejected a large offer from Europe-bound Tottenham for midfielder Scott Parker, but there are hints that Spurs will be back with an improved offer. Tottenham are 5/6 at SkyBet to land Parker, while Liverpool are priced just behind them at 9/4 at SkyBet to snap him up. Tottenham also want Craig Bellamy from big spenders Manchester City. Something of a surprising favourite odds price is for Tottenham to be 9th or lower for 3/1 at SkyBet come Christmas. After a good season last year by finishing fourth, perhaps there are doubts of whether they can back it up.

Manchester City, who are being linked with just about every name which comes on the transfer market, looks set to have to won the battle for young Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli. There have been an array of conflicting stories about the promising youngster and where his future may lie, but it looks as if City may just have gotten their man to add to their summer spending. Mark Hughes looks set to become Roy Hodgson’s successor at Fulham. After failing to land Martin Jol from Ajax, they have had to seek alternatives. That means that he would probably enter the race to sign Craig Bellamy, after managing him at Manchester City last year. Tottenham are still favourite to get him at a price of 4/9 at SkyBet, with Fulham to be his new club is priced 2/1 at SkyBet. Mark Hughes looks set to take the helm at Craven Cottage, but the same was said about Martin Jol recently. It’s unlikely that there will be any hiccups in this deal though as Hughes is currently unemployed, and it is expected that he will bring in his own backroom staff as well. What that means for coach and stand-in boss at the moment Ray Lewington, as he could find himself out of work. You may be able to grab a price on Hughes at BetFair, or one of the main rivals for the managerial position, but this looks to be a done deal. Meanwhile Bobby Zamora can be taken at a decent price of 11/10 at SkyBet to be Fulham’s top Goalscorer next season.

Both Chelsea and Manchester United have been told that they can have some money to spend in order to boost their squad. In the case of United, there are enough funds in the kitty to finance the move of one world class name apparently. For Chelsea, they are keen on finalising a deal for Benfica midfielder Ramires, and they could be in a three way battle with United and Arsenal for the services of impressive Ghana midfielder Anthony Annan. Chelsea’s Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho reportedly wants away from Stamford Bridge, but only to join up with former boss Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.  As for Arsenal, who never really make big splashes and transfer headlines, they will be without the services of Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner for the start of the season, as the striker is still struggling with a groin injury. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is still refusing to budge over the transfer sage surrounding Spain’s Cesc Fabregas. Fabregas is wanted by Barcelona, but Arsenal won’t even sit down at the negotiation table to discuss a deal. Barcelona are priced at 6/4 at SkyBet to land him, compared to around 10/21 at BetFair for him to stay a Gunner. Former Arsenal star Sol Campbell has signed for Premier League returnee’s Newcastle.

Liverpool want Stiliyan Petrov from Aston Villa, and this will be a replacement for the departing Javier Mascherano, who wants to join Rafa Benitez at Inter Milan. Mascherano is priced at 1/12 at SkyBet to join Inter Milan at the end of the summer transfer window. Liverpool have also come close to signing Aston Villa’s full back Luke Young, but the player seems to be throwing a spanner in the works by wanting compensation from Villa because he would be on less wages at Anfield. Surprisingly, in football betting, Tottenham are favourites to sign Young at 3/1 with SkyBet, while Liverpool are second favourites at a price of 7/2 at SkyBet, despite looking as if they nearly had his signature. Liverpool, who have began their quest for the Europa League, are priced at 10/1 with Paddy Power to have that European success in the forthcoming year. There have also been whispers that full back Wayne Bridge may be tempted way from Manchester City to join Roy Hodgson at Anfield, and he is priced at 4/6 with SkyBet for that to happen. Man City boss Roberto Mancini has said though that he doesn’t want Bridge to go anywhere.

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill seems to be stuck in a stalemate with England’s James Milner, who is keen to leave the Midlands club in order to head north for Manchester City. The main problem is that City don’t want to pay the sum of what Villa has Milner valued at, but Villa may have to bend if Milner does not want to be at the club any longer. Villa want a staggering £30 million for Milner (more than what Barcelona offered for Cesc Fabregas!), while City won’t budge above £24 million for the midfielder. Likely some compromise will be made, with O’Neill admitting himself that he doesn’t really know if Milner will still be at the club come the start of the season. James Milner is still priced at 1/6 at SkyBet to end up at Manchester City at the start of the new season. That’s compared to 17/12 at BetFair to stay at Villa. The online bookmakers posting football betting odds for the new season, don’t fancy Villa to make much progress from last season, and expect them to be 7th or lower in the league come Christmas at a price of 4/6 at SkyBet. Gaby Agbonlahor represents a decent punt at finishing as top Goalscorer for the club at a price of 6/4 at SkyBet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Which three teams will go down from the top flight this season? No side will be contemplating the possibility of relegation nine months down the line, although there will be three sets of supporters weeping on the terraces come May and the bookmakers are expecting a wide open contest.

Indeed, it was unusual that all Premier League relegation matters were decided before the final round of fixtures last season, with Hull, Burnley and Portsmouth already figuring out the route to Scunthorpe and Doncaster. Blackpool would probably be happy to have a chance of staying up on the final day of the season, with the Tangerines no bigger than 3/10 (Paddy Power) to return from whence they came.

It will be interesting to see how Ian Holloway approaches the top flight matches from a tactical point of view. The seaside club got themselves promoted by playing an attacking brand of football, although the Premier League is an unforgiving division and there needs to be a big improvement defensively.

The same applies to West Brom, who continue to entertain supporters with their style of play, although Roberto Di Matteo will be figuring out how to win ugly in the Premier League. The Midlands club will not be spending big money to stay in the top flight and have truly become a yo-yo club which makes Ladbrokes’ even money about them being relegated an interesting prospect.

Newcastle are the third of the promoted clubs and the Magpies are as big as 7/2 (Sky Bet) to drop back down to the Championship, something which happened two seasons ago. Lessons should have been learnt from that disastrous campaign and the signing of Dan Gosling hints at a brighter future for the well-supported north-east club.

At the time of writing, the two teams that look the best value to be relegated are Wigan (9/4 Victor Chandler) and Fulham (8/1 bet365). The Latics have been treading water in the top flight for the past couple of seasons and a lack of support means that money is scarce to buy new players. The loss of Titus Bramble to Sunderland might be more significant than people think and Roberto Martinez’s adventurous tactics might ultimately prove to be the team’s downfall.

As for the Cottagers, seeing them relegated under Roy Hodgson might have been an unthinkable prospect although they are now desperately seeking a new manager and somebody has some pretty big shoes to fill. It will be interesting to see whether Brede Hangeland, Bobby Zamora and Mark Schwarzer stay at Craven Cottage now that Hodgson has left, especially as Arsenal are reported to be interested in the latter.

There are plenty of other teams trading at single figure odds on the Premier League relegation market and Wolves might not get away with scoring so few goals this time around. Mick McCarthy relies heavily on Kevin Doyle to hold the ball up and punters can get 9/4 with bet365 that Wanderers go down. Their west Midlands rivals Birmingham (7/1 Sporting Bet) should be more comfortable thanks to a solid defence and some money in the coffers if needed.