Thursday, November 2, 2006

Razor Nigh Brow

Paul Scholes is generally admired as a footballer, but rarely receives the recognition he deserves as a role model. When Paul was a ginger schoolboy, he didn’t wallow in self pity praying for baldness, he played football with the normal children until he reached a level where Manchester United were prepared to sign him.

Wayne Rooney has also struggled to overcome adversity; he was born in Liverpool. The Roonatic scored a spectacular hat-trick last weekend, which may explain why he’s been walking around with the match ball tucked under his shirt, or so it would appear. United are a shoo-in at 1/3 to see off Pompey at Old Trafford.

Claude Davis allegedly threatened Ade Akinbiyi with a razor this week; how on earth did he persuade Neil Ruddock to leave the pie shop? My mother always said, “Never trust a man whose eyebrows meet in the middle;” all she missed out was the word ‘tubby’. Sheff U have been tonked on their last four trips to Newcastle, back the Toon to dish out a fifth at 5/6.

Sheffield United are the only team in the Premiership to fail to score on the road; even with Titus Bramble in the team, a Newcastle win coupled with a clean sheet should be considered at 15/8.

Kieron Dyer is not a lucky man. After making his 49th comeback from injury, Dyer has been ruled out for another two weeks following a ‘freak’ injury, although the scale of Iain Dowie’s involvement remains unclear. Rossi looks the call at 9/2 to bang in the opener.

Stewart Downing believes he’s been made a scapegoat for England’s poor results. That’s unfair; a goat has a better first touch than the ineffectual Downing. Boro are the weekend nap at 15/8 to see off an outclassed Watford.

Jonathan Woodgate has surprisingly named ‘Grease’ as his favourite film. (I’m guessing Frank Lampard is also a huge fan.) For first goalscorer betting, I’m hopelessly devoted to Euell at 10/1.

Sure, Kieron Dyer is unlucky, but what about me? As a result of missing Match of the Day, I was forced to endure ‘Goals on Sunday’ with Beavis and Butthead. The Sky boys have an annoying habit of referring to Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt as ‘Kout’, which has wreaked havoc with my punning possibilities. I fancy Liverpool to see off Reading at 4/11, but I won’t be tipping a first goalscorer. Thanks Beavis.

When I heard that Rafa was approaching a ton, I assumed he was tapping up Frank Lampard. After tinkering with his team for 99 consecutive games, the Liverpool manager has finally embraced stability; I’ll be embracing the 11/2 about a 2-0 win to the Scousers.

Henri Camara remains steadfast in his belief that Wigan will avoid defeat at the Reebok, and the Camara never lies. Wigan were unbeaten in three games against Bolton last season, they can snatch a point at 12/5.

The Charlton board would be well advised to beg their former manager to return, there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of Curb crawling. Charlton v Man City is as close as you can get to a certain draw without moving to Italy. Get on at 9/4.

Stuart Pearce wants a ‘managerial sacking window’; that would be a pane. There’s been 20 goals in the last 4 matches between the Addicks and City, a small dabble on a 2-2 draw makes economic sense at 14/1.

It’s great to see Joe Cole back to full fitness, anything that moves Downing further from the England team can only be considered an encouraging development. Chelsea will beat up Tottenham at a ridiculous 8/11.

Jose Mourinho has accused Barcelona of promoting a diving culture; it’s great that the former Porto boss and current coach of Robben and Drogba is prepared to make such an honourable stand. Chelsea are available at 7/1 to win 2-0; dive in.

Robbie Savage always receives plenty of abuse when he plays at Villa Park, which is odd, as blondes who go down easily are normally warmly received. Villa have beaten Blackburn 1-0 at home for the past two seasons, there’s no reason why a hat-trick should be denied at 6/1.

Arsene Wenger believes that Theo Walcott is still two years away from being a top class striker. He resisted the temptation to add, “But he’s already better than Heskey.” You’ve got to fancy Arsenal at 8/13 to put an end to the mini Hammer revival.

The Fulham v Everton match is proving a tough nut to crack. Before last week’s fixtures, I’d have put my mortgage on the Coleman taking the points, but Everton’s draw at the Emirates coupled with Fulham’s dismal performance against Wigan has led me to flip like Naomi Campbell. Everton are the shout at 17/10.

I’ve heard it said that the reason why Tim Cahill is so adept at sneaking past defences is because he’s an Australian. Personally, I find that offensive. I’d like to say to all of my Aussie friends, “I’ll have a pint of lager please.” The magnificent Cahill is available at 45/1 to score the only goal of the game; get the drinks in.

This week’s accer is so mature; Alan Pardew is considering playing it up front against Arsenal. Man Utd, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Arsenal and Chelsea are the selections; the payout is a sweet 16/1.



Weekend Betting:

Fulham v Everton Saturday 4th November 12:45 Live on Sky

Fulham 9/5
Draw 9/4
Everton 17/10

Get on: Everton

Match Special:
Everton to win 1-0 7/1

Bolton v Wigan Saturday 4th November 15:00

Bolton 10/11
Draw 12/5
Wigan 4/1

Get on: Draw

Match Special:
Camara to score at any time 5/2

Charlton v Man City Saturday 4th November 15:00

Charlton 13/10
Draw 9/4
Man City 21/10

Get on: Draw

Match Special:
Barton to be booked 7/4

Liverpool v Reading Saturday 4th November 15:00

Liverpool 4/11
Draw 7/2
Reading 17/2

Get on: Liverpool

Match Special:
Kuyt to score the first goal 9/2

Man Utd v Portsmouth Saturday 4th November 15:00

Man Utd 1/3
Draw 4/1
Portsmouth 12/1

Get on: Man Utd

Match Special:
Rooney to score a hat-trick 16/1

Watford v Middlesbrough Saturday 4th November 15:00

Watford 8/5
Draw 9/4
Middlesbrough 15/8

Get on: Middlesbrough

Match Special:
Middlesbrough to win and keep a clean sheet 7/2

Newcastle v Sheff Utd Saturday 4th November 17:15 Live on Premiership Plus

Newcastle 5/6
Draw 12/5
Sheff Utd 4/1

Get on: Newcastle

Match Special:
Newcastle to win 3-0 14/1

West Ham v Arsenal Sunday 5th November 13:30 Live on Sky

West Ham 5/1
Draw 13/5
Arsenal 8/13

Get on: Arsenal

Match Special:
Van Persie to score direct from a free kick 7/1

Aston Villa v Blackburn Sunday 5th November 14:00

Aston Villa 11/10
Draw 9/4
Blackburn 3/1

Get on: Aston Villa

Match Special:
Agbonlahor to score the only goal of the game 33/1

Tottenham v Chelsea Sunday 5th November 16:00 Live on Sky

Tottenham 9/2
Draw 5/2
Chelsea 8/11

Get on: Chelsea

Match Special:
Frank Lampard to score a deflected goal 5/1


Copyright (c) Gerry McDonnell & soccerphile.com


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Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Korean Strugglers Motor To Asian Final

Korean Strugglers Motor To Asian Final

It wasn’t quite the final that the Asian Football Confederation would have had in mind last March as 28 teams from all over the giant continent kicked off the 2006 Asian Champions League.

The final between Syria’s Al Karama and South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, is like FC Copenhagen and Middlesbrough doing battle in the final of UEFA’s equivalent competition. The unfashionable teams meet on November 1 and 8 to battle it out for the continental championship.

An added bonus is that the victorious team will represent Asia a month later at FIFA’s Club World Club Championship. A victory over ten-time Mexican champions Club America would earn either Jeonbuk or Al Karama a semi-final with European champions Barcelona.

Football is nothing if not a funny old game as Jeonbuk have shown this season. The 2005 Korean FA Cup winners wanted to withdraw from the competition in April as parent company Hyundai Motors ordered them to cut costs. With the travel expenses involved in traveling to China, Japan and Vietnam in the first rounds, the Motors fingered the Champions League as an unnecessary drain on resources.

Upon learning of the financial penalty that would incurred upon withdrawal, the team from the medium-sized south-western city of Jeonju changed their plans. According to the laws of football, their progress to the final has since looked increasingly inevitable. That impression has been reinforced a number of times so far in the competition as on four occasions the team has been on the brink of elimination only to progress in dramatic fashion.

After coming back twice to defeat Japanese champions Gamba Osaka, the last game of the group stage saw the Motors trailing at home 1-0 to Dalian Shide with 25 minutes left in a game they had to win.

Three goals in the remaining time sent the Korean team through to the last eight. While the money men may have winced on the sidelines, the diehard fans known as the “Mad Green Boys” were singing and dancing the whole game and not just because they had been promised a new clubhouse if Jeonbuk win the title.

In Asian football, topping a group containing the Chinese and Japanese champions is not to be sneezed at, particularly for a team that has struggled in the domestic 2005 and 2006 K-League campaign. A 3-0 defeat the Sunday prior to the first leg, sent Jeonbuk to the bottom.

Jeonbuk’s Jekyll-and-Hyde season continued. After being treated to many poor and unimaginative displays domestically, the club’s fans had a hard time recognising the aggressive, imaginative and intense football on those Wednesday evenings.

There was too much aggression on show in the first leg of the quarter-final at Shanghai Shenhua as influential midfielders Botti and Kim Hyeung-bom were sent off in the Hongkou Stadium. The Koreans were relieved to head home with just a fine Gao Lin goal separating the two teams. The in-form striker struck again in the second leg and all hope seemed to disappear as Jeonbuk needed three goals to win. They got four though the sending off of Li Weifeng no doubt helped their cause.

Jeonbuk found themselves in the semi-final and pitted against fellow K-Leaguers Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I. The Tigers were strong favourites and it was easy to see why.

After Lee Chun-soo returned from Spain in July 2005, Ulsan steamrolled their way to the title at the end of the year with the winger in excellent form. In August’s East Asian Champions Cup, the team destroyed the Japanese and Chinese title holders with a 6-0 thrashing of Gamba Osaka in Yokohama followed by a 4-0 win over Dalian Shide. The quarter-final of the Champions League brought the supposedly dangerous Saudi Arabian champs to town. However, Al Shabab went back to Riyadh devastated that they had been thrashed 6-0, and relieved that it wasn’t more. The Tigers won 1-0 in the return leg in the Saudi capital and then 3-2 in the first leg of the semi-final at Jeonbuk.

Naturally, with a 3-2 win and home advantage to follow, the smart money was on Ulsan to negotiate the second leg with the minimum of fuss and book a place in the final. Club officials were already talking about the potential scheduling clash of the Club World Championship and the Doha Asian Games.

They needn’t have worried as the usually tight back-line went AWOL twice in the first half to allow two unchallenged Jeonbuk players to head home. With their noses in front, the Motors never looked back. Ulsan had a hatful of chances but the visitors made the trip westwards across the southern half of the Korean peninsula with a 4-1 victory and a place in the final.

Now Jeonbuk are in the final, it is difficult to predict what will happen. The team has come so far against the odds that there is a danger that, with the prize so close, they may fall on their faces.

Don’t bet on it though.

Copyright: John Duerden & Soccerphile

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Thursday, October 26, 2006

Flappy Girth Day To Roo

I’m not obsessed with celebrity, but I feel I have a genuine connection with Paul McCartney. Admittedly, I have no musical talent, and I’d happily kill my own mother for a bacon sandwich; but I know what it’s like to get grief from a legless woman.

Coincidentally, Martin Jol has a lot in common with the former Beatle; they’re only successful thanks to Lennon. With young Aaron back to full fitness, Spurs receive a confident nod at 6/5 to leave Watford with three points.

I’ve seen some tough cookies in my time, but I’ve never seen a man bite into a hammer. Sink your teeth into the 6/1 about Jermain Defoe netting the opener.

Chelsea have travelled to Bramall Lane twice before in the Premiership and lost both times. In my opinion, that stat’s about as useful as Titus Bramble. It’s fair to say that the result of the Sheffield United v Chelsea match is a foregone conclusion; Chelsea are stone cold certainties at 4/11.

I tried replicating the match on a computer game last night, but the PC blew up when Shevchenko shared a pitch with Danny Shittu. The Shevvy looks a racing certainty to score at any time at even money.

Jose Mourinho has been accused of not telling the complete truth this week, which is like accusing a bear of being hairy. With Neil Warnock on the scene, there’s as much chance of it going off on the touchline as there is on the pitch, I’d be lying if I said that the 5/2 for a player or manager to be sent off wasn’t appealing.

Jamie Carragher is having sleepless nights as a result of Liverpool’s poor start to the season; I’m also struggling to get my head down at night. Stevie ‘overdue a transfer request’ Gerrard is apparently unhappy with life under Benitez, the Villa can leave Anfield with a point at 13/5.

Brett Emerton claims that morale at Blackburn is exceptionally high thanks to Robbie Savage's practical jokes. (I particularly like the one where he goes down clutching his face for no apparent reason.) Blackburn will be without the hilarious blonde for the trip to a struggling West Ham; you have to back the Rovers at 9/5.

Arsenal have announced that Cesc Fabregas has signed a new eight year contract; even Jamie Theakston hasn’t been tied up for that long. Everton have been on the end of a few proper spankings at the hands of the Gunners in recent years; Arsenal are the weekend nap at 4/9 to whip them again.

David Moyes would give his right arm to leave the Emirates with a point, but that trade has only ever come off for Heather Mills. The Toffeemen have conceded 26 goals on their last 7 visits to Highbury, a 3-0 win for the Gunners tempts at 9/1.

Man City were absolutely murdered by an average Wigan team last week; Beenie should never have let Pearce pick the team. Ben Thatcher returns to the fold for City, Middlesbrough can snatch a point at a (forearm) smashing 9/4.

Newspapers can often make mistakes. I saw a headline of ‘Heskey scores a wonder goal’ last weekend; of course it should have read, ‘Heskey scores a goal…wonders will never cease’. Fulham v Wigan is a great fixture for trend followers; the team playing at home have won the last eight matches. The Cottagers are over priced at 11/10.

Iain Dowie is like the sun, you should never look directly at him. I’m guessing that the strain must be showing as a result of Charlton’s woeful form, Newcastle are the call at 4/5 to add to Dowie’s season of woe.

Andy Cole has announced that he wishes to be known as ‘Andrew’ from now on. Andy and Kanu are doing incredibly well for Pompey; I find it incredible that they haven’t had a hip replaced. Portsmouth have an easy looking match on paper at home to Reading; I fancy the draw at 12/5 if played on grass.

Coleen McLoughlin deserves a lot of credit; when faced with the mind-bending question of what do you give a man who has everything; she avoided the easy answer of ‘Slim-Fast’. Rooney’s 21st birthday celebrations will not be dampened at the Reebok, Man U will see off the Wanderers at 10/11.

This week’s accer is so cute, Madonna is considering adopting it. Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd, Fulham and Tottenham are the selections, the payout is a curvaceous 14/1.



Weekend Betting:

Sheff Utd v Chelsea Saturday 28th October 12:45 Live on Premiership Plus

Sheff Utd 11/1
Draw 4/1
Chelsea 4/11

Get on: Chelsea

Match Special:
Chelsea to win 2-0 11/2

Arsenal v Everton Saturday 28th October 15:00

Arsenal 4/9
Draw 10/3
Everton 8/1

Get on: Arsenal

Match Special:
Fabregas to score at any time 7/2

Bolton v Man Utd Saturday 28th October 15:00

Bolton 7/2
Draw 23/10
Man Utd 10/11

Get on: Man Utd

Match Special:
Scholes to score with a header 7/1

Fulham v Wigan Saturday 28th October 15:00

Fulham 11/10
Draw 9/4
Wigan 11/4

Get on: Fulham

Match Special:
Fulham to win and keep a clean sheet 12/5

Liverpool v Aston Villa Saturday 28th October 15:00

Liverpool 8/13
Draw 13/5
Aston Villa 11/2

Get on: Draw

Match Special:
Steven Gerrard to be booked 11/4

Portsmouth v Reading Saturday 28th October 15:00

Portsmouth 5/6
Draw 12/5
Reading 7/2

Get on: Draw

Match Special:
No goalscorer in the match 17/2

Watford v Tottenham Saturday 28th October 15:00

Watford 13/5
Draw 23/10
Tottenham 6/5

Get on: Tottenham

Match Special:
Tottenham to score three or more goals 4/1

Newcastle v Charlton Saturday 28th October 17:15 Live on Premiership Plus

Newcastle 4/5
Draw 12/5
Charlton 7/2

Get on: Newcastle

Match Special:
Duff to score the only goal of the game 50/1

West Ham v Blackburn Sunday 29th October 16:00 Live on Sky

West Ham 6/4
Draw 9/4
Blackburn 9/5

Get on: Blackburn

Match Special:
McCarthy to score two or more goals 8/1

Man City v Middlesbrough Monday 30th October 20:00 Live on Sky

Man City 11/8
Draw 9/4
Middlesbrough 2/1

Get on: Draw

Match Special:
Thatcher to be booked 15/8


Copyright (c) Gerry McDonnell & soccerphile.com


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