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Premier League Betting: The last day is the new cup final

Frank Gregan is as excited by the last day of this Premier League season as he was by the FA Cup third round draw when he was just a slip of a lad. But how do the protagonists feel. Frank tries to give us a glance at Avram's Sunday.

Traditionally, the first Saturday in January was every football fans favourite day; the third round of the FA Cup. It's no longer just the younger generation that scoff at that idea, the final Sunday of the Premier League season is now the day that everybody looks forward to. This Sunday promises to be one of the most dramatic days of all time with not only the title up for grabs but a UEFA spot and the relegation issues all going down to the wire. It will be great fun for the neutrals, nerve jangling for the supporters of the clubs involved and heart attack inducing for the managers! The coolest participants in all of this will be the players because they have only one thing to worry about.

The players will have to be focussed on doing their jobs and getting their result right. That leadership and directive will come from the manager. He will be emphasising to his players that they cannot influence any game other than the one that they are playing in. The players will still hear the roars and groans from their own supporters as they react to incidents in other games. The manager will be telling them to block it out, focus 100% on what they have to achieve and the rest will take care of itself. It is distracting to hear roars and chants that have nothing to do with the action on your pitch but you have to ignore it. How? Well, let's see if I can convince you.

Imagine playing centre back for Chelsea on Sunday in the featured radio game at Stamford Bridge and you are leading Bolton 1-0. Man United are level at Wigan and there is a quarter of an hour left, you are fifteen minutes from the Premier League title. The radio reporter says "There is a penalty at Wigan....." a huge intake of breath goes all around the ground...."who has it gone to?....here's Mike Ingham..." A total silence descends. "Drama here at the JJB as Wigan have been awarded a penalty for Ferdinands' reckless challenge on Valencia" the Stamford Bridge crowd goes mental, more noise than has greeted any home goal all season. You have Avram Grant's words ringing in your ears, "stay focussed" but you know something massive must have happened at Wigan.

"Up steps Marlon King to give Wigan the lead, and oh my goodness, he's missed it! It's hit the outside of the post and gone wide!" The biggest groan you have ever heard is emitted by your own supporters, "what on earth is going on?" you think. You turn to your centre back partner, John Terry and say, "what was that all about?" Before he can answer Bolton go from back to front quickly and Kevin Davies gets in behind you and because your head is 200 miles up North he slots the ball past Cech for the equaliser. Your team has just lost the Premier League because you were worrying about something you could not control instead of ensuring that you did your job!

Managers are different. Invariably they will insist on knowing what is going on elsewhere. Again, focus will be the key. Grant will only want to know what is happening at Wigan and Ferguson likewise at Chelsea. As well as the media links both clubs will have a representative at each others' game with a specific responsibility to keep briefing the man who briefs the Gaffer. It is of course not only the score, it is the flow of the game which can result in a subsequent turnaround if one of them gets it wrong tactically. Imagine, one minute left plus stoppages, Chelsea drawing but on top, Man United losing. Grant issues instructions to keep the ball in the corner and run the clock down. Ballack and Lampard shield it well and take a few knocks in the process. United have a corner and throw everybody including Van de Sar up and get the equaliser. There will only be one question asked of Avram Grant after the game, "Why did you not go for the win whilst you were on top?" The correct answer is of course "my hindsight specs weren't working too well!"

It is truly going to be a Super Sunday and I cannot wait. I'll be laying United at Wigan at odds of [1.27] because I think that is way too short and there has to be a twist in the tale along the way. If it is level with a half an hour to go or at anytime Wigan get a lead, I'll probably jump ship and back United if they get to [2.0] or better. I'm looking for value in the relegation stakes too, I've done very well in that market, particularly recommending Reading when they were as big as [7.4]. I'm going to stick to my guns and lay Birmingham at [1.16]. I know that both Reading and Fulham are considered to have easy games on Sunday (Pompey distracted by the FA Cup and all that) but it seldom pans out that way. I just think [1.16] is very short and that I should be able to back them at much better odds at some stage in play.