Wycombe

Saturday 21^st November

English Championship

Watford v Scunthorpe

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

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

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

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

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

My selection: Watford to beat Scunthorpe

Best odds available: 5/6 with Victor Chandler

English Championship

Ipswich Town v Sheffield Wednesday

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

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

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

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

My selection: Ipswich to beat Sheffield Wednesday

Best odds available: Evens with several bookmakers including Skybet

English League 1

Millwall v Wycombe

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

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

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

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

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

Best odds available: 13/10 at Sportingbet

Good lucky and Happy punting

Saturday 14^th November (12.05)

English League 1

Huddersfield v Wycombe Wanderers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My selections: Huddersfield to score in both halves against Wycombe

Best odds available: 5/6 with William Hilll

Huddersfield (-1) to beat Wycombe

Best odds available: 13/10 available with Bet365

Walsall v Stockport County

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

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

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

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

My selection: Walsall to beat Stockport

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

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  

The latest saga at Newcastle just keeps rolling on, writes Ascotphill. With El Tel now no longer in the running, Newcastle have now taken on ex crazy-gang member Joe Kinnear.

Kinnear, above, who last managed Nottingham Forest back in 2004 has been out of the limelight since then. With the ever decreasing number of loyal Newcastle fans turning up to watch; come 5pm they may be crying in their Newcastle Brown Ale. Blackburn look far too good for them, take the value bet with Sky bet at 15/8 to secure three points.

A lucky 15, i.e. 15 bets on the above four may give you a bit of Saturday entertainment and two winners will get back most of your stake. Good Luck and stay lucky.