Pages

Friday, May 27, 2011

United on verge of history

43 years after becoming the first English team to win the European Cup Manchester United return to the scene of that triumph – Wembley – in a bid to win the famous trophy for a fourth time.

They may have knocked their fierce rivals Liverpool of their Premier League perch by winning a record 19th title but the Merseyside club's record of five European Cups is one the Red Devils have yet to surpass. United and are hoping Saturday will be another step towards surpassing yet another Liverpool record. Anyone looking to place a Champions League bet will know how tough their quest is though.

They can lift the trophy for a fourth time with a win in London, which would be a second time in four years, and a remarkable third time under Sir Alex Ferguson.
To do that though they will have to overcome arguably one of the all time great sides in European football.

Barcelona, European Champions in 1992, 2006 and 2008, have set new standards when it comes to footballing excellence. Their engine room is drive by two World Cup winners Xavi and Andreas Iniesta while the jewel in the crown is the irrepressible Lionel Messi. The Argentine scored one of the goals of the season in the semi-final against Real Madrid, showing a level of skill, turn of pace not seen since Diego Maradona. Those who bet on Champions League games will know just how good he is.

Barcelona perhaps rightly go into the game as favourites with one of United's main challenges simply working out how get the ball away from the Barca players.

But being the under-dogs is not something that will phase United. This team in particular has become masters at proving doubters wrong this season, digging out result when hope seemed lost. For that reason they can never be counted out at any stage on Saturday.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Soccer World: Will Harry really take over at Chelsea?

With Harry Redknapp having done a fairly decent job at Spurs, many football pundits have now decided that he will be the man to take over the England job after the Euro 2012 tournament.

However, with Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti cruelly yet expectedly sacked yesterday by ruthless owner Roman Abramovich, it has emerged that a shock contender for the Blues managerial job could well be the man from Tottenham. Those who use mobile betting sites will have their doubts though.

After managing to get himself to the position of undisputed media darling, with the Spurs boss now able to get away with murder in front of the Sky TV cameras, Redknapp seems to have found himself as the latest object of attention from Roman Abramovich. Should Redknapp find himself offered the Chelsea job, however, the real question remains as to whether or not it would be sensible for the Tottenham man to take it.

Despite his success at Spurs, Redknapp has failed to ever really be seen as a manger who is capable of controlling big egos as well as having that tactical know-how that makes the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger men who have survived at the top level for so long. Should he go to Chelsea and end up finding himself out of his depth at a club that won't tolerate anything less than total success on all fronts, then he may well find that not only have his chance of being England manager disappeared, but also his chances of ever managing a top club in England again. Anyone who follows the football mobile betting will know this.

However, for any of this to transpire, Harry of course needs first to be asked the question by Roman, and if we are honest, do we really think that is going to happen?

Friday, May 20, 2011

Soccer Players: Team-mates pour praise on Park

When Manchester United line-up against Barcelona next week, the focus will be on how the Premier League champions can keep Lionel Messi from having too much of an impact on proceedings. Many teams have tried and failed to stop the Argentinean from weaving his magic and if United don't manage it, then it is hard to see any other result than a Barca win.

The man that will most likely be handed the job of keeping Messi on a leash will be versatile South Korean Park Ji-sung, who did a sterling job when the two sides met in the 2009 final. Park has once again been one of the first names on Sir Alex Ferguson's big game team-sheets, his tireless attitude making him an integral part of the team's success this season. Those looking at the Champions League specials will no doubt be aware of this.

While the Korean has never been the most high-profile member of the United squad, his efforts haven't gone unnoticed by his team-mates. Left-back Patrice Evra has been glowing in their praise for the effort and dedication Park puts in, claiming the midfielder could be the secret weapon in the bid to silence Messi. Those looking at the Champions League predictions should put some serious thought into that.

"I think Ji is an example to every player. He runs for everyone. Sometimes if I'm tired I know I'll be okay because Ji will run for me," he said.

"I think he's one of the most important players in the team because he doesn't stop running, he can run all day."

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Soccer Games: Wigan need a bit of luck

Wigan Athletic continue to sit in the Premier League relegation places going into the final game of the season, but Tom Cleverley reckons they can be safe after the final ball is kicked.

The on-loan Manchester United midfielder has been a pivotal performer for Roberto Martinez's side during a season of struggle and inconsistency all round at the DW Stadium.

With one game to go they sit second-bottom but only a point from safety, knowing they must beat Stoke in their final game of the season to ensure they avoid relegation from the Premier League and condemn two of Blackburn, Wolves, Birmingham and Blackpool to the Championship. Anyone looking to bet on Premier League games will know just how close the situation is.

Wigan have done themselves a great favour and are currently unbeaten in the last three games, with a win over West Ham last time out enough to send the Hammers down and ensure the Latics are still fighting for their top-flight future.

A win would take Wigan to 42 points and virtually secure their future and Cleverley has called on his team-mate to put in "another good performance" if they wish to avoid dropping out of the league.

"Forty-two points will get us above either Wolves or Blackburn, who play each other, and then Birmingham and Blackpool have both got tough ties away from home," added the midfielder.

"You've got to be very unlucky to go down with 42 points, but all we can do is focus on ourselves and get the three points."

Martinez called for his players to pull off a repeat performance after the West Ham game for what he describes as a "cup final" against Stoke. The football predications suggest they can grab a win.

Wigan could be buoyed by the fact their opponents are on a poor run of form and they will need a massive performance to get all three points and ensure they avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Soccer Games: Birmingham City face up to £90 million game

This week, Birmingham City striker Kevin Phillips described his side's upcoming clash with Tottenham Hotspur as being "a £90 million game" when he equated it to the value of the Championship play-off final. A club coming up into the Premier League can expect significant increases in revenue, and by the same token, a club being relegated from the country's top tier of football can expect to lose out on a similar amount. The West Ham board have already admitted that they will have to sell the majority of their recognised stars to compensate for the massive drop in income when they start next season in the Championship – and that's the sort of fate that City fans simply can't begin to contemplate. Those following the football online betting will be aware just how poor they have been lately.

By the same token, Spurs will be pulling out all the stops to qualify for the Europa League next season ahead of Liverpool, who know that any combination of results that sees them take more points from their game against Aston Villa that Tottenham do against City will allow them to put a tough season behind them in style.

At least Birmingham's fate is in their hands - they will start the day outside the relegation zone, and so long as they at least equal the results of the relegation candidates, they will remain there. There are never any easy games in the Premier League, but fortunately for City consolation can be sought in the fact that Blackpool and Wigan have some of the toughest fixtures of their season - away from home at Manchester United and Stoke respectively. Those placing Premier League bets should bear this in mind.

Next season will see European football brought to St Andrew's following their Carling Cup heroics, and with all due respect to the Championship, it would be a shame to see their adventure unfold in between matches against the likes of Brighton and Doncaster. It's up to Birmingham to ensure that doesn't happen – and McLeish will have to call upon all of his experience – as well as the experience of his players – to prove that their cup heroics turn out to have been more than just an unwelcome distraction from their primary objective when the season began.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Soccer World: West Ham were blowing leads, not bubbles

West Ham United's relegation from the Premier League has been on the cards for some time. This in itself prevents the Hammers' demotion from being a surprise, but a look at the club's squad suggests a bottom placed finished was unexpected and something few predicted at the start of the season.

When Avram Grant replaced Gianfranco Zola as manager in June 2010, optimism at Upton Park was genuine. With a manager owning experience and success in the Premier League, a squad containing England internationals Robert Green, Matthew Upson, Scott Parker and Carlton Cole should surely have been aiming for more than just the narrow survival secured the previous year by Zola. The Premier League odds certainly suggested they should have done better.

The squad has been strengthened over the course of the season – Frederic Piquionne, Thomas Hitzelsperger, Robbie Keane and Wayne Bridge are proven Premier League, Demba Ba a revelation – and it does not suffer in comparison with West Ham's rivals.

It is undeniable that this nucleus of players appears stronger on paper than those at many other clubs, in particular Blackpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic but, as West Ham are apt at proving, this counts for little in the Premier League.

The financial insecurity, injuries, new ownership and mid-season manoeuvrings to replace Grant are strong mitigating circumstances, but West Ham should still have had enough to retain top flight status.

Grant never fixed a defensive fragility that saw the team ship 12 goals in four opening defeats and a propensity for letting leads slip. The decisive defeat at Wigan typified this, taking to 22 the number of points that were lost this season from winning positions.

Whoever replaces the Israeli will not find promotion easy, especially as at will be attempted without Parker and Ba, the two players to have emerged from the wreckage of this season in real credit. The truth is that perhaps Grant and the collection of internationals at his disposal are not as good as we thought.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Soccer World: Potters' hearts broken

Although Stoke are not the prettiest team to watch, and are not exactly everyone's cup of tea when it comes to the manner in which they conduct themselves on the pitch (with Robert Huth not doing them any favours with his elbow early on in the game at the weekend), they certainly had earned the right to get to the final of the FA Cup.

With this in mind, one must take a moment to empathise with Stoke fans, who travelled to Wembley to watch their team fail to turn up and perform in a way they are capable of doing in a showpiece game that they are very unlikely to reach again for a long time. No one made Stoke betting tips to win the cup, but they should have pushed harder.

However, while Stoke may not be heading to another FA Cup final any time soon, it is testament to the progress that the club has achieved that they enjoyed a run in the FA Cup this season and did not see their league form crumble in a way that many other mid-table sides would have suffered. Those following the Premier League betting odds will have been impressed by their efforts.

With Tony Pulis having really brought a sense of belief and confidence to the Stoke squad, he must now show he has real management skills by picking his distraught players back up and getting them to go out and finish a successful season on a high while not allowing themselves to follow in Arsenal's footsteps by falling apart after a Cup final defeat.

Should Stoke end the season in the top half of the table and with a bit more cash to spend on the squad, they will really be able to continue their promising transition from a small club to one that is starting to compete with the big boys for real.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Soccer World: Objectives change for Baggies

West Bromwich Albion have really had a season of two halves and could finish it on a high with a Premier League top ten finish, according to Jonas Olsson.
The Swede has been a stand-out performer for the Baggies this season as they successfully achieved their number one goal of avoiding Premier League relegation in their first season back in the top flight.

Roberto Di Matteo was unlucky to have been sacked as West Brom boss, but Roy Hodgson has been a revelation since he took over at the Hawthorns and those following the Premier League predictions will know this.

Only two defeats in 10 games since the former Fulham and Liverpool boss was placed in charge has seen the Baggies rise comfortably away from the Premier League relegation dogfight and into the relatively dizzy heights of mid-table.

A loss against Wolves last time out was disappointing for the club, but they are only three points away from getting into the top ten and face Everton and Newcastle before the end of the season, games the Premier League betting offers suggest they can win.

Avoiding going straight back down is always the number one objective for any club promoted to the Premier League and Olsson admits that the "big goal for the season" has already been secured, but the defender wants to add some gloss to the season by finishing in that top ten.

The Swede said: "I want a good result against Everton and against Newcastle. We want to finish on a high so we'll feel bad for a few days and then let's make Everton pay for it on Saturday."

Hodgson said after the Wolves defeat that is was poor defending that cost his side, telling the BBC any team has a "mountain to climb" if they defend like his West Brom players did.

He has however hailed the "great fighting spirit" the team have showed during his time in charge and that could play a massive part if they want to break into the Premier League top ten on May 22nd.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Soccer Games: City losing Tevez hope

Manchester City are facing up to the fact that their influential skipper Carlos Tevez's participation in next weekend's FA Cup final is still under some serious doubt. The 27-year old suffered a hamstring injury last month against Liverpool, and it is still very much touch-and-go as to whether the Argentinean will be included in the match-day squad that travel to Wembley on May 14th.

The striker has been told by manager Roberto Mancini that he needs to be back training by the time City take on Spurs next Tuesday if he is to be considered for the season's showpiece against Stoke at Wembley. Tevez will be desperate to play in the cup final, the striker was left out of the Manchester United side that lifted the trophy back in 2009. The City skipper will be doing everything he can this week to make sure he is the one that is handed his club's first major trophy since 1970's European Cup Winners' Cup success. Anyone looking at the Man City vs Stoke betting should keep an eye on Tevez's fitness.

Tevez has made his return to light training, after returning from spending his rehab in Italy, but his manager is still far from certain of having the 22-goal striker available. Mancini maintained he is still hopeful about Tevez but remains realistic regarding what is a delicate injury.

"It is very difficult for him to play against Everton and if he doesn't play against Tottenham, it will be impossible for Carlos to play in the final," he said.
"We have just over a week so we will wait and we hope that he can recover. I think it is 50 per cent at this moment."

If rumours are to be believed, then this could well be Tevez's last chance for success at Eastlands, with the talismanic forward linked to a number of Italian clubs, with Inter apparently leading the race and by the time people start looking at the Euro 2012 betting odds, he may have moved on. The Argentinean tried to engineer a move away from the club earlier in the season and his mind may not have been changed since then. The City fans would certainly be more forgiving should Tevez leave after helping the club into the Champions League and lifting the FA Cup.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Soccer World: Lambert's Canaries flying high

Norwich City achieved the unthinkable as they completed back to back promotions to make a return to the promise land of the Premier League after winning 1-0 to Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

After sitting at the foot of League 1 just 20 months ago after an opening day 7-1 drubbing defeat to local rivals Colchester, the appointment of Paul Lambert, who was the opposition's manager that day, has proved to be the shrewdest piece of business in the club's history. Those who have followed the latest scores will have been impressed by his efforts.

The Scotsman, who won the Champions League in 1997 as a player with Borussia Dortmund, is relatively inexperienced in management, yet he in his own words and that of club owner Delia Smith described the back to back promotions as a 'miracle'.

It is no more than the club, players and manager have deserved, as they have finished the season in tremendous form. They ran away with the league one title last season and have surprised everyone this season with their performances in the Championship. But, despite being in 2nd place on a number of occasions this season, it wasn't until a few weeks ago when people started truly believing they could gain automatic promotion. The closing stages of the season and the race for promotion takes its toll on the players both physically and mentally, and after over achieving for so long no one expected them to not only sustain their momentum, but actually increase it, to eventually fly past the finish line. Livescore football fans will be keen to see them back in the Premier League.

Paul Lambert has proved to be a fine manager as he has made the transition from being on the field to being in the dug-out with ease. It will be interesting to see how Lambert and his team approach the Premier League next season and how they will compete against the best teams and managers in the world.

Ads 468x60px

Shop more chelsea at Bizrate