Monte's Multiple: Keane to set Ipswich on the right track

Monte's Multiple / Jaymes Monte / 10 August 2009 / Leave a Comment

Keane has lost the beard and regained his sanity, he now goes in search of Ipswich's first win of the season.

Back Ipswich to beat Shrewsbury @ [2.0]
Back Karlovic to beat Haas @ [2.0]
Back Somerset to beat Gloucestershire @ [1.6]
£10 Treble @ [6.4]

Jaymes Monte thinks Keane's a born winner, Karlovic's serve can dominate Haas and Somerset are the team to follow...

Haircuts and sportsmen are rarely brought up together in serious conversation, unless of course you are trying to explain to your missus that Beckham's latest mohican/dreadlock/corn-rolls look wouldn't suit you.

But recent years have seen the odd related topic rear its shaven head. There was the case of Adebayor whose goals began to dry up at the same time as his barber was sweeping up his flowing locks from the cutting room floor. Roy Keane's beard growth had a direct correlation with the deterioration of his sanity at Sunderland, and now Mitchell Johnson's buzz-cut seems to have restored his status as a top class bowler.

Personally I'm a Dave the Barber kind of man but if this trend continues I may have to start looking down other avenues to get my mullet trimmed.

Whilst you're deliberating where to get your next haircut, have a look at this stylish treble....

Bet 1: Football - Carling Cup

The mental state of the East Anglian football fan took a real battering this weekend. Norwich were first up, and all their early season optimism was wiped out in one swift, humiliating and crushing 7-1 defeat at the hands of Colchester.

Then neighbouring Ipswich took centre stage and were duly humbled by two Clinton Morrison goals and a 2-1 defeat at Coventry on Sunday. It is early days to question Roy Keane's credentials but there were signs that promotion may not be such an easy task second time around.

Keane wasn't one for taking the cup competitions serious when he was at Sunderland, often tinkering with his team selection and never making it to the business end of a tournament. But he knows the importance of getting a first win on the board and this midweek trip to Shrewsbury's New Meadow provides the perfect opportunity.

He may make one or two changes to his preferred starting line up but the man is a winner and whatever team he sends out onto the pitch will be fully focussed on the task ahead. The two division gap between the clubs alone means the [2.0] available looks great value to me.

Selection: Back Ipswich to beat Shrewsbury @ [2.0]

Bet 2: Tennis - Rogers Cup

Tennis' big boys are back on the main stage after a prolonged break following the conclusion of Wimbledon. Much of the talk this week will surround the fitness (or lack of it) of the Spaniard Rafael Nadal, and that very subject has provided Andy Murray with the opportunity to enter unchartered water for a British tennis player.

Some big performances from Murray over the next couple of weeks could see him leap frog Nadal into the World number two spot. But as ever, we need to look away from the highly ranked players in the early rounds to find a bit of value.

The big serving Ivo Karlovic takes on the German Tommy Haas in the first round on Tuesday. Haas had a sparkling few weeks on the grass winning in Halle then reaching the semi-final at Wimbledon but Karlovic's monster serves will get the better of him here.

It took another two tie breaks for Andy Roddick to dislodge the Croatian last week but he didn't drop a set in either of his first and second round matches. He has a 4-1 head to head advantage over his opponent - who has yet to reach the highs of his grass court successes on the hard court - and looks well set to make it 5-1.

Selection: Back Ivo Karlovic to beat Tommy Haas @ [2.0]

Bet 3: Cricket - Pro40 Division One

Gloucestershire felt the full wrath of Luke Wright's bat last week as he hit 95 runs off 62 balls to guide Sussex to a 9 wicket victory with more than 13 overs remaining. It was a humiliating defeat for the side whose chosen suffix is Gladiators and was a performance more akin to Wolf from the TV show than the Oscar winning performance of Russell Crowe.

Somerset (Sabres) are the visitors on Thursday and with Justin Langer and Marcus Trescothick available for selection there will be no rest for the Gloucestershire attack. Somerset have a Twenty20 finals day coming up at the weekend and will be all too aware of the importance of going to Lord's on top of their game and on the back of a win.

This is an ideal opportunity to jump on the bandwagon of a team who are in full flow and have their sights firmly focused on the task ahead

Selection: Back Somerset to beat Gloucestershire @ [1.6]