July 2008

"Giggs. Still Giggs. Still Giggs. Brilliant!"

Mike Norman / 31 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Loved by the reds, feared by the blues, Ryan Giggs is going to be running down the wing for some time yet, says Mike Norman....Read more »

Fabregas, Walcott and Denilson must step up after exits

Nik Wardle / 30 July 2008 / Leave a comment

The Gunners meet Stuttgart tonight in a friendly which could reveal much about Arsene Wenger's plans for the new season, says Nik Wardle....Read more »

Back Page Betting: Keane's conversion rate will make him a hit at Anfield

Ralph Ellis / 30 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Ralph Ellis is confounded by Robbie Keane's doubters. The Irishman's stats are consistently strong, and if he continues in the same vein at his new club this could be the year when Liverpool finally mount a serious title challenge....Read more »

Bhoy Keane might leave Liverpool light

Dan Fitch / 30 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Dan Fitch bids farewell to a Spurs favourite and wonders how many boyhoods one man can have....Read more »

Keane looking forward to new chapter with boyhood idols

maxliu / 29 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Robbie Keane completes his acrimonious move to Liverpool where he is looking forward to linking up with Fernando Torres....Read more »

Premier League Bragging Rights: Will Arsenal finish above Liverpool or can Benitez engineer a strong league performance?

Mike Norman / 29 July 2008 / Leave a comment

With Man Utd and Chelsea likely to dominate the title race again this season, perennial Premier League bridesmaids Arsenal and Liverpool could find themselves in a scrap for third place. Sounds like a match bet is on the cards for...Read more »

Back Page Betting: Scolari fires early broadside in the annual battle of wits

Ralph Ellis / 28 July 2008 / Leave a comment

If there were any nervous Chelsea fans out there worried that Big Phil would be bullied by Sir Alex Ferguson (which we seriously doubt), any fears were somewhat put to rest this week as he responded confidently to Fergy's claim...Read more »

Pre-Season Friendly Betting: Norwich v Tottenham

Nik Wardle / 27 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Will Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane make an apperance at Carrow Road? The friendly matches are starting to come thick and fast....Read more »

Finished at 30? Age is nothing but a number:

Alsy / 26 July 2008 / Leave a comment

This week Sir Alex Ferguson said that an ageing Chelsea squad would struggle to emulate their achievements of recent years. But, says Alistair Morgan, plenty of players are showing that age is not what it used to be....Read more »

Premier League Relegation Market: Dalek going down?

Mike Norman / 24 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Mike Norman gives a rundown of the teams he tips to struggle this season and says Roy Hodgson will be urging his players to "exterminate" their relegation fears....Read more »

More Lampard, more Drogba, more squalor, less love

Dan Fitch / 24 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Whilst Frank Lamapard dithers and demands crazy money, Didier Drogba has been busy removing his number from the New Hampshire phone book....Read more »

Managerial Change Market: Expect the unexpected and trust nobody

Frank Gregan / 24 July 2008 / Leave a comment

The merry-go-round's turns are difficult to predict but looking beyond the weaker teams to find trigger-happy chairman may give the best clues as to who's for the chop, says Frank Gregan....Read more »

Serie A Betting: Special One's Inter may take time

Alsy / 23 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Of the two Milan giants, Alister Morgan believes the Rossoneri will have the most successful season....Read more »

Premiership Betting: Torres favourite for top scorer

Andrew French / 22 July 2008 / Leave a comment

With many of the market leaders linked with moves away from the Premier League could an outsider stake a claim for the golden boot?...Read more »

Transfer Betting: Have Spurs seen the back of Berbatov?

Joe Dyer / 22 July 2008 / Leave a comment

And for that matter, is Ronaldo Bernabeu-bound? Keane going to Anfield? Lampard headed to the San Siro? Transfer betting comes to Betfair......Read more »

Transitional Chelsea will miss the man they named a position after

Ralph Ellis / 22 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Ralph Ellis reckons Chelsea might be feeling blue at the departure of Mr Noemi Lenoir....Read more »

Premier League Bragging Rights: Tottenham to beat Everton in the battle for fifth?

Mike Norman / 21 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Betfair currently have a wide range of 'Season Match Bets' in which punters must simply back one team to finish above another after 38 gruelling Premiership matches. Over the next few weeks I will be previewing some of these match...Read more »

Referees must earn respect but so must players, managers and fans

Alsy / 18 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Alister Morgan is perplexed by the decisions of some limelight hogging men in black. But, as the Premiership's global audience grows, the spotlight will be on us all....Read more »

Southampton v Celtic: Strachan back at St Mary's for pre-season test.

Nik Wardle / 17 July 2008 / Leave a comment

The signs are that Celtic are taking Claus Lundekvam's testimonial seriously as Gordon Strachan returns to the club he took to the FA Cup final....Read more »

Premiership Betting: King, Neville and Bojinov amongst the walking wounded gearing up for the new season

Dan Fitch / 17 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Dan "The Betting Man" Fitch moans about his latest "sporting" injury but spares a thought for real footballers and real injuries as the season approaches. How his beloved Spurs could do with a fit Ledley King......Read more »

After the pies and pina coladas: An insider's take on preseason

Frank Gregan / 17 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Pre-season is a time for camaraderie, pranks and vomiting over advertising hoarding. But it's vital to make a good start and Frank Gregan knows who he expects to be top come the end of August....Read more »

Back Page Betting: What a fine mess Gareth Barry has got himself into

Ralph Ellis / 17 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Ralph Ellis talks us through the Gareth Barry saga which tells us as much about Martin O'Neill as it does about Barry himself. But to what extent has all this commotion affected Aston Villa's chances against Odense in the Intertoto...Read more »

Steve Sidwell will be hungry for success with Villa

Mike Norman / 17 July 2008 / Leave a comment

The midfielder is keen to put his Chelsea nightmare behind him and, under the guidance of Martin O'Neil, could drive Villa forward this season, says Mike Norman....Read more »

"Player Power" in an age where contracts mean very little

Mike Norman / 15 July 2008 / 1 Comments

In a month where Lampard, Barry and Ronaldo have all openly expressed a desire to move on from their clubs, "Mystical" Mike Norman asks the question of whether its club or player that really holds the power...Read more »

Bradford and Shrewsbury will be up there at the business end of things in League Two

David Artell / 15 July 2008 / Leave a comment

David Artell of Morecambe Town tells us about any comings and goings at his club and gives us some insight into who can achieve promotion from League Two...Read more »

Carlos Queiroz and getting the big decisions right

Jamie "The Pacman" Pacheco / 13 July 2008 / 1 Comments

Jamie "The Pacman" Pacheco discusses the factors that led to Carlos Queiroz walking out on Man Utd to become the manager of Portugal and how important it is to get such decisons right......Read more »

Best is yet to come says new Portsmouth signing Crouch

maxliu / 11 July 2008 / Leave a comment

The England man believes he can strike up a devastating partnership with Jermaine Defoe as Redknapp hails Portsmouth progress...Read more »

My summer holidays (if you could call them that) by David Artell

David Artell / 11 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Morecambe defender David Artell updates us on what he's been up to over the summer including a trip to Menorca, a night out in a comedy club owned by the stars of Phoenix Nights and plenty of hard graft on...Read more »

Cash Harry is a tale of two wingers

Frank Gregan / 10 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Two of the finest left wingers of their generation had the opportunity to play for England but instead opted for other nations. The first is obvious, Ryan Giggs, the second takes a little more thought....Read more »

Premiership Betting: Crouch could unsteady the ship at Portsmouth

Dan Fitch / 10 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Liverpool will miss the big man more than Rafael Benitez might think and his arrival at Fratton Park may unbalance Portsmouth says Dan Fitch....Read more »

Premiership Betting: Six Premiership youngsters who could do big things this season

Alsy / 09 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Alister Morgan uncovers four reasons for British optimism, a potential playmate for Fabregas and hopefully not the new Roque Junior....Read more »

How Large do we go on Little this year?

Gary Boswell / 08 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Gary Boswell wecomes the arrival of Brian Little to non-league football at Wrexham with open arms. But what's the deal when it comes to betting on them?...Read more »

Back Page Betting: Real won't part with money until Ronaldo is completely fit again

Ralph Ellis / 07 July 2008 / Leave a comment

From the column that told you to back Rafael Nadal for Wimbledon at [4.7] during the first few days of the Artois tournament, and then tipped Venus Williams at [6.8] in the first week at SW19, comes another guaranteed money...Read more »

Premier League 2008/09: Can the Spiderman weave some magic for the Geordies?

Mike Norman / 06 July 2008 / 1 Comments

Mike Norman rates the latest spate of signings to the Premier League gravy train......Read more »

Championship Betting: Early thoughts on the race for Premiership promotion

Ralph Ellis / 04 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Ralph Ellis takes an early look at who is in contention for promotion to the Premiership as the squads of the main contenders begin to take shape...Read more »

The role parents have to play in a child's "footballing education"

Mike Norman / 04 July 2008 / Leave a comment

"Mystical" Mike Norman looks at the role parents play as kids develop from loving to play the game into looking to make a career out of it. Decisions need to be made and back-up plans need to be in place...Read more »

Even without Ronaldo you would be unwise to bet against Manchester United

Alsy / 03 July 2008 / Leave a comment

If the Portugese gets his dream move United will endure but others must step up if they are to prevail, says Alister Morgan...Read more »

New MK Dons manager Di Matteo says football is the fire inside him

maxliu / 03 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Football is in the Italian's blood and he wants to take MK Dons higher....Read more »

Obscene fees involved as the big guns begin to make their moves in the transfer market

Frank Gregan / 03 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Legendary non-league manager Frank Gregan raises his eyebrows at the numbers involved as Deco signs for Chelsea and Ronaldo and Berbatov look likely to move. Then there's the small matter of a cracking bet involving Chelsea....Read more »

Premiership Betting: Comfortably dumb English fans head smack into new season

Dan Fitch / 02 July 2008 / Leave a comment

Within 15 minutes of Iker Casillas lifting the European Championship trophy, Dan Fitch was scouring the internet for news of pre-season friendlies...Read more »

Premiership betting: Expansion is essential for Everton to go to the next level

Paul Moon / 02 July 2008 / Leave a comment

We know who will fill the top four places in this year's Premiership but who will finish fifth? Will any team be able to close the gap or will it lengthen?...Read more »

Back Page Betting: Lampard purchase at a snip can help Inter conquer Europe

Ralph Ellis / 02 July 2008 / Leave a comment

The Special One is about to work his first piece of magic at Inter Milan. Some time in the next week or so he will complete the signing of Frank Lampard for a fee of about £7million....Read more »

Everton a cracking bet to be top of the Premiership pile come the end of August

Mike Norman / 01 July 2008 / Leave a comment

If you're trying to bet on who will be top of the Premiership table come the 31st August, who better to listen to than the man they call "Mystical" Mike Norman?...Read more »