Monthly Archives: August 2011

Owls eye Seasiders shock

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There have been plenty of upsets in the first round of the Carling Cup so far and Thursday throws up the opportunity for one more, as League One outfit Sheffield Wednesday host Championship side Blackpool at Hillsborough (Sheff Wed 8/5, draw 12/5, Blackpool 13/8).

With Derby County losing out to Shrewsbury, Barnet beating Portsmouth and Coventry going down at Bury to name but a few, there are a number of Championship clubs who have suffered a cup shock.

The Owls will be hoping they can be the next side to cause an upset in this upcoming Yorkshire-Lancashire derby.

Wednesday got their League One campaign off to a decent start with a 2-0 victory over a side from the other side of the Pennines in the form of Rochdale at Hillsborough on Saturday.

Manager Gary Megson will be pleased with his side’s start to the league campaign and will be looking for a similar performance against the Tangerines.

Megson’s men will be aided by their latest signing Chris O’Grady who has joined from Rochdale with enough time to be eligible for the Carling Cup tie.

The likes of Daniel Jones, James O’Connor and Jon Otsemobor are all set to feature against Blackpool, as the Owls boss hopes to look at different options at this early stage of the season.

As for the Seasiders, they too made a great start to their league campaign with a strong away victory against Hull City at the KC Stadium on Friday in the season curtain-raiser.

Tangerines boss Ian Holloway was delighted to get his side’s season off to a winning start thanks to a superb goal from striker Gary Taylor-Fletcher (8/1 First Goalscorer).

Blackpool have been guilty of conceding goals in the League Cup, as they have conceded nine goals in their last three games in the competition.

What will also give Wednesday hope will be the fact their opponents have been knocked out four times in their last eight appearances in the first round of the tournament.

The big question will be whether Holloway decides to make wholesale changes from the side that won in East Yorkshire last week.

With the likes of Kevin Phillips (6/1 First Goalscorer) up front alongside Taylor-Fletcher and Barry Ferguson bossing play in the middle, Blackpool’s strongest XI would be clear favourites to beat the Owls.

However, Holloway is likely to make some changes to the side, which will give Wednesday hope of causing an upset.

With Megson’s side looking strong on the first day of the season they may well cause another upset against a Blackpool side who have been guilty of some poor performances in this competition.

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The Final Countdown

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The new Premier League season is just a matter of days away and that means it’s time to finalise your Fantasy Football team in order to take the competition to the cleaners (Manchester United – 13/8f – Premier League Outright 2011/12).

Picking your XI is not exactly a science, but it’s not far off the mark to suggest it’s probably one of your most important tasks this week in order to hit the ground running and set the early pace.

So who should you go with?  Allow us to suggest five star men who we feel will not let you down from the word go.

Safe Pair of Hands

Whatever people say, football is all about goals – scoring them and keeping them out. All that fancy-Dan stuff has secured Arsenal absolutely nothing for over half a decade in the Premier League.

Barcelona may well have swept all before them but that’s in La Liga which is a two-horse race and underlined by the fact third favourites this term, Valencia, are available at 50/1. So you’re going to need a safe pair of hands.

We’d love to go with Liverpool stopper Pepe Reina, however counting against him is a defence which is far from convincing so it’s got to be fellow Spaniard David De Gea at Manchester United.

Fair enough he conceded two against Manchester City in the Community Shield and doesn’t appear to understand too much English at this point, but rest assured United have the best defenders in the Premier League to protect him.

Fergie will also have him working flat-out on the lingo when he’s not rolling around in the mud on the training paddock.

Defensive Rock

While keeping goals out is the name of the game for keepers, defenders who weigh in with the odd strike or two are worth their weight in gold.

We can’t think of too many defenders who take set-pieces these days like Roberto Carlos, so it’s all about the men who get on the end of free-kicks and corners.

Step forward Tottenham’s William Gallas ,who may have drawn a blank last season, but who can get amongst it this term as 11/4 shots Spurs chase a return to the top four.

Midfield Dynamos

There are two men we’re looking for in the middle of the park – the kind of guys who drive you on from box to box where the game is won and lost.

For us, Spurs ace Gareth Bale is a no-brainer although he has a lot to live up to if he is going to repeat last season’s heroics.

But hopefully he will do and also provide the ammunition for Gallas to maraud forward for dead-ball situations.

We’re also going to go with Manchester United’s Nani who has stepped out of the shadows and is long overdue a big season for a Red Devils side which is arguably much stronger than last year’s vintage.

Hot Shot

Your main man up front is your talisman, the player who can get away with 89 minutes of dross if he comes up with a winner out of nothing.

Of course, he’s going to need decent service – see the inclusions of Bale and Nani – and we think someone like Liverpool’s Luis Suarez fits the bill.

However, he may not be quite ready for the big kick off after winning the Copa America earlier in the summer, so we need to look elsewhere.

Carlos Tevez, Fernando Torres and Dimitar Berbatov all have pedigree and are  – or were – worth well over £100m between them, however for differing reasons we have some reservations.

So the man we’ll take is Aston Villa’s Darren Bent, who has more than proven himself over the years and is guaranteed to start for Alex McLeish’s men.

Bent can be backed at 12/1 to finish the 2011/12 season as top scorer.

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Carling Cup Preview

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The first round of the Carling Cup gets underway this week and there are two stand-out fixtures on Tuesday evening which sees local bragging rights up for grabs in addition to a place in round two as Leeds host Bradford and Nottingham Forest and Notts County go head-to-head at the City Ground.

Leeds United v Bradford City (7.45pm)

The West Yorkshire rivals will meet at Elland Road with Simon Grayson’s Whites hot favourites to progress given that they boast Championship status, while the Bantams are languishing in League Two these days.

Despite being near neighbours the two sides have only met on 13 previous occasions and Tuesday’s match will be the second League Cup clash, with Harry Kewell’s goal sealing a narrow third-round win the last time out.

Leeds have won the last four games between the two sides in all competitions with the most recent coming in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy during the 2008/09 season when goals from Andy Robinson and Luciano Becchio secured a 2-1 success (7/1 – 2-1 Correct Score).

Leeds will have an extra incentive to secure a 10th win against Bradford on Tuesday after their lacklustre start to the season on Saturday when they went down 3-1 at Championship new boys Southampton.

However, Bradford boss Peter Jackson is determined to engineer a Cup upset (11/2 – Bradford Away 90 Minutes) to provide his players with a  springboard after they also lost their opening league game – 2-1 against Aldershot at Valley Parade.

City have only defeated Leeds once in their 13 meetings so far and that was after extra time in a Full Members’ Cup encounter way back in the 1986/87 season.

However, on the prospect of making it two, Jackson said: “It’s a big ask because they’re two divisions away and have spent millions on their team. I’ve got young kids that were free transfers – but we’ll go there with no fear.

“The pressure’s on them to do it but it’s important we go there and compete. There will be a shock in the Carling Cup and why not at Elland Road?”

We expect the Bantams to put up a good fight in this eagerly-awaited encounter, but with a crowd of over 20,000 expected – and the majority cheering on the Whites of Leeds – expect the hosts to edge through.

Prediction: Leeds Home 90 Minutes @ 4/9
Value Bet: Leeds 3-1 Correct Score @ 10/1

Nottingham Forest v Notts County (7.45pm)

Another huge derby encounter at the City Ground sees Steve McClaren’s Forest face Martin Allen’s Magpies in the two sides’ first meeting on the Red side of the River Trent since a Stan Collymore goal sealed a league win for Forest in October 1993.

Championship side Forest will hope home advantage will count in their favour – especially as their only other League Cup meeting ended in a 4-0 win (22/1 – Correct Score) at the City Ground back in October 1977.

Forest have also won four of their last five home games against County, with the other being a 1-1 draw (13/2 – Correct Score) in 1991/92.

However, Forest go into the game having been frustrated by Barnsley in their Championship curtain-raiser on Saturday with McClaren even admitting following the goalless draw that he does not yet have the attack in place to mount a promotion push.

Dutch winger Wesley Verhoek from ADO Den Haag and West Brom forward Ishmael Miller are set to come in, but Forest will struggle to get them on board in time for this game.

The Magpies are flying high after opening their League One campaign with a 3-0 win at Carlisle United and Allen feels he has assembled a squad that could banish the memory of last season’s relegation battle.

“There is a great team spirit here and that’s very pleasing,” he told BBC Radio Nottingham.

And as County bid for a first win on their rivals’ soil (9/2 – Away 90 Minutes) since a 2-0 success in January 1982, Allen played down their chances while the loss of striker Lee Hughes to a slight ankle knock could end any hopes they might have had of winning the tie.

“We’ll go over there to try to enjoy the occasion. It will be a hell of a shock if we were to get something,” Allen said.

Had Hughes been involved we could have predicted a tight game with the potential of an upset, but Forest should have enough to get through.

Prediction: Forest Home 90 Minutes @ 4/7
Value Bet: Forest 1-0 Correct Score @ 6/1

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Lessons learned from the weekend

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It was a jam packed weekend of sport as the same old names and the same old faces dominated the headlines.
Sunday saw the curtain raiser to the Premier League season and Manchester United got the better of their ‘noisy neighbours’ Manchester City with a 3-2 victory in a thrilling Community Shield clash at Wembley.

United found themselves 2-0 down, despite dominating much of the possession and the early chances against the Blues.

However, not for the first time, the Red Devils showed why they have been so successful for so long by having that never-say-die attitude to score three goals and take yet more silverware back with them to Old Trafford.

United (7/4 Premier League 2011/2012 outright) have shown that once again they will be the side to beat in the Premier League this season and it will be down to the likes of City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal to do their best to stop them making it league title number 20.

In golf Adam Scott (22/1 USPGA Championship Outright) dominated in Ohio to win the WGC Bridgestone Invitational ahead of the final major of the season.

The Australian kept cool and calm down the back nine, as he finished on 17-under-par to win the last event before the USPGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club this week.

From a British perspective, it was pleasing to see the likes of Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy do so well on the Firestone Country Club course.

World number one Donald finished second at the event and has continued the fine form that took him to the top of the rankings earlier this year.

Westwood and McIlroy also enjoyed decent rounds and all three players should go into this week’s major full of confidence.

It was the same old story with the Leeds Rhinos, as they booked their place in the Challenge Cup final after a narrow 10-8 victory over Castleford Tigers on Sunday.

The go-to-guys for Leeds (11/4 Challenge Cup outright) once again came to the fore as they came up against a spirited Tigers side who almost clinched a surprise victory at the Keepmoat Stadium.

If Rangi Chase had slotted that drop goal in the dying moments it would be Castleford who would be looking forward to a date at Wembley with Wigan Warriors in the Challenge Cup final.

However, it was the likes of Rob Burrow and Jamie Peacock who were able to set up field position in time added on, as Danny McGuire was taken down with a high tackle, before Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield slotted the pressure penalty goal to seal the win.

Even though this has been somewhat of a transitional season for the Rhinos, this weekend showed they still have what it takes to win big games under pressure.

In a weekend with all the old names taking the limelight, it was refreshing to see a new name burst on to the international scene in rugby union as Manu Tuilagi’s debut against Wales gave England (12/1 World Cup 2011 outright) fans plenty to cheer about.

The Leicester Tigers centre showed why he is seen as such an exciting prospect following an impressive season in the Aviva Premiership.

Judging by his performance in England’s 23-19 victory at Twickenham on Saturday, Tuilagi has one foot on that plane to New Zealand, as head-coach Martin Johnson hopes to lead his country to a second World Cup title.

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5 Championship players to watch

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Bet on the ChampionshipAfter the opening weekend of the Championship season, punters will already have made notes on which teams look like promotion and relegation candidates. We’ve decided to take a look at some of the players who could have a big season in the English second tier.

1) Michael Chopra (Ipswich)

A brace on his debut for Ipswich (12/1 Championship Outright) showed once again that the former Newcastle frontman is one of the best finishers in the division. The 27-year-old has been a prolific goalscorer at this level, consistently finding his name at the top of the scoring charts.

A transfer fee of £1.5million looks a good deal for a proven goal poacher and the Tractorboys indicated that they could be a threat this season with an impressive 3-0 success at Bristol City on the opening day. Paul Jewell’s men now have back-to-back home league fixtures and will have their sights set on an unbeaten August.

2) Matt Mills (Leicester)

The Foxes have spent big this summer with a number of new faces arriving at the club, but Matt Mills looks the best of the arrivals. The former Reading centre-back made an instant impact in the opening day win at Coventry, with Leicester (7/2f for promotion) keeping an impressive clean sheet and limiting the Sky Blues to half chances.

With many Championship teams looking leaky at the back, a solid defensive foundation could prove vital in Leicester’s push for the Premier League.

3) Luke Varney (Portsmouth)

A goal on his debut highlighted Varney’s likely importance to Pompey this season, with the forward salvaging a late draw at Middlesbrough. The ex-Crewe man showed his quality in the top flight whilst on loan at Blackpool last term and he will surely cause defences problems this season.

Steve Cotterill was delighted with the £750,000 capture of Varney and the 28-year-old could prove a crucial addition to a squad that may challenge for a play-off spot.

4) Adam Lallana (Southampton)

The England Under-21 international is looking to take the next step in his career and the way he tore into Leeds on the opening day suggests he will be a star of the Championship this term.

Lallana scored the second goal in a 3-1 success and with fears that Alex Chamberlain may leave in the summer transfer window, he could have a major role to play for the Saints.

5) Anthony Gerrard (Cardiff)

The Liverpudlian has been given a second chance at Cardiff (14/1 Championship Outright) following the arrival of Malky Mackay and he has the desire to play at the top level. The cousin of Liverpool star Steven spent much of last season on loan at Hull City, after falling out of favour under Dave Jones.

The 25-year-old showed in his time with the Tigers that he is commanding at this level and should be key for Cardiff this season. Gerrard and co started solidly as well with a 0-1 win at West Ham on Sunday.

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Community Shield Preview

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Premier League champions Manchester United and FA Cup winners Manchester City will contest Sunday’s Community Shield at Wembley. The season’s curtain-raiser usually attracts considerable interest but, with the rivalry between the two clubs heightened by City’s spending, this could be a feisty affair (United 11/8, City 21/10, draw 23/20 – Match Betting 90 Mins).

United looked to be in a real battle with Chelsea for last season’s Premier League title but the Blues’ mid-season slump meant further glory to the red half of Manchester as they claimed the trophy by nine points.

City hung around the title race for a while but were unable to sustain a challenge, finishing third to secure Champions League football, but they did manage to win the FA Cup.

And so the two north-west rivals will welcome in the new campaign in north London and showcase some of the fresh talent they have acquired over the summer months.

Roberto Mancini has strengthened his ranks with the likes of Sergio Aguero, Stefan Savic and Gael Clichy, with at least one other player expected to arrive at Eastlands before the end of August.

Sir Alex Ferguson has also dipped into the club’s coffers, with Ashley Young, Phil Jones and goalkeeper David De Gea all on board.

Fergie has already made it clear that he feels United’s ‘noisy neighbours’ will challenge for the title this year and believes that is could be a a six-way race for the top-four places, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs all expected to feature at the business end (United 7/4 – Premier League Outright).

While Sunday’s clash means little in terms of what might happen over the course of the next nine months, there is always the Manchester bragging rights to think of and the fact that both clubs will want to put down a marker for the start of the season.

United are the ultimate professional club and will see the match as an opportunity to let everyone at the City of Manchester Stadium know that they are still the top dogs, while Roberto Mancini would love to get the season under way with a victory, just to confirm what Ferguson thinks – that they are here to stay.

It is arguable that City might still not yet be a settled enough squad to win the title and question marks remain about the strikers, with likes of Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko yet to fulfil their potential and the future of Carlos Tevez up in the air.

But Aguero could be a star for the Blues and he will be a popular scorer among the City faithful should he net on his debut – probably from the bench.

United can no longer call on the services of Paul Scholes in midfield, while Edwin van der Sar has hung up his gloves and so De Gea will be looking to impress on his Red Devils’ bow.

Jones will add steel to an already strong defence and, with Rio Ferdinand hopefully over his injury problems, the United rearguard looks in good shape.

The attacking side of Ferguson’s outfit has been boosted by the arrival of Young from Aston Villa and, if Wayne Rooney can avoid last season’s controversies, then things look rosy, with Dimitar Berbatov still very much part of the club’s plans despite rumours of a summer exit.

Javier Hernandez will play no part this weekend as he continues to recover from concussion but the Mexican looks set to light up England’s top division once again this season.

The 2011/12 Premier League season has been tipped to be one of the most exciting and open for years. The hope is that Sunday’s encounter at headquarters can be a forerunner of things to come.

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Bluebirds hope for flying start

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The Championship appears as if it could be the league to watch this season with a number of sides vying for promotion. Two of the more fancied sides face off on Sunday with West Ham (4/1 Championship outright) hosting Cardiff in what could be an explosive match.

After a hugely disappointing time last term which saw them relegated from the Premier League, the Hammers will be aiming to get off to a flying start as they look to return to the top-flight at the first attempt.

Many fans were disappointed in the manner in which the team went down, complaining that the side appeared as if they didn’t care about playing for the club. The majority blamed coach Avram Grant for their lack of motivation and the Israeli was relieved of his duties after the Irons were relegated in their penultimate fixture at Wigan.

Grant was replaced by former Bolton boss Sam Allardyce, who some fans believed should have been appointed last season following his sacking from Blackburn, and ‘Big Sam’ will make sure his players are fired up for their opening match of the season (West Ham 4/5 to beat Cardiff).

Supporters suggested the team lacked leadership throughout last season but Allardyce immediately addressed this problem by bringing in Kevin Nolan from another of his former sides, Newcastle. Nolan played under the manager at the Reebok and was immediately installed as skipper upon his arrival after being one of the stand-out players for Newcastle last term and he will be looking to make a major impact on his Upton Park debut.

Cardiff (4/1 to be promoted) will also have high hopes of promotion this season, though, after once again falling short in the play-offs last term. The Bluebirds have had a difficult summer and the club’s financial troubles have hampered their progress in the transfer market with a number of key players leaving on free transfers.

The Welsh side were taken over by a Malaysian consortium in May and the new owners appear to be keen to avoid repeating the mistakes of the previous regime at the Cardiff City stadium.

They have made a number of shrewd signings with former Rangers striker Kenny Miller (12/1 Championship top scorer) the stand-out name. Miller left Ibrox in January but had an unhappy time playing at Turkish side Bursaspor before returning to the UK. Now many are predicting he could be one of the stars of the season.

He is likely to be joined up front by Robert Earnshaw (9/4 to score anytime at Upton Park), who returns to the club he grew up at, and the duo could prove a potent combination this term as the club look to finally break into the Premier League.

The match has all the potential to be an opening-weekend classic with both sides looking to play open and entertaining football.

‘However, the pair of Miller and Earnshaw could expose the Hammers’ defensive frailties, meaning Malky Mackay’s side might just sneak the points to dampen the summer optimism currently pervading Upton Park.

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Hammers hope for quick PL return

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Rovers manager Sam AllardyceThe Championship is back with the new campaign starting on Friday night when Blackpool travel to Hull. The 2011/12 season looks like it could be one of the tightest in history and a number of sides will fancy their chances of making it to the promised land of the Premier League with recently-relegated West Ham (4/1 outright) among the favourites to return to the top flight.

The Hammers experienced a nightmare season last year. After a disappointing start to the campaign they never really looked like they had the mentality to stay in the Premier League.

The Upton Park side were constantly criticised for seemingly wasting their obvious talent and former boss Avram Grant was seen by many as the reason for their consistently flat performance.

However, Sam Allardyce in now in charge at the club and if there’s one thing ‘Big Sam’ knows how to do, it’s motivate his sides.

The former Bolton boss has also invested wisely bringing in the likes of Matt Taylor and Kevin Nolan and the squad is now arguably stronger than last term. He will be confident he can return the east London club back to the Premier League at the first attempt and not many would bet against him.

Leicester (9/2 outright) will be another club looking for promotion after a summer that has seen them spend heavily and bring in a number of established stars as they look to return to the top flight for the first time since 2004.

Sven-Goran Eriksson took over the side midway through last season and nearly took them to the play-offs after an appalling start. One Foxes player to look out for is one of Sven’s former starlets at Manchester City, Michael Johnson, who has signed on at the King Power stadium on-loan and will be looking to reinvigorate his career after a terrible run of injuries.

A fully-fit Johnson has the ability to play at the very top level and he’ll be looking at this season as a chance to gain first-team football and rebuild his reputation.

Nottingham Forest fans will be hoping their side can finally fulfil their potential after falling short in the play-offs for the last two seasons. Steve McClaren has been installed in charge at the City Ground and will be looking to succeed where predecessor Billy Davies failed and inspire his side to take the next step.

They’ll be looking to the likes of Dexter Blackstock (40/1 top scorer) to fire them to glory and this season could finally be their year to make a return to the top flight.

Finally one team who could be the surprise package of the season is newly-promoted Southampton, who will be hoping their young squad can take them back to the top flight for the first time since 2004. Saints have invested well during the summer and have managed to bring in influential midfielder Jack Cork from Chelsea.

However, their most important piece of transfer business was keeping young winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He could be one of the stars of the season if he can hit the heights of last term.

Whatever happens, the Championship always provides excitement so strap yourself in and get ready for yet another rollercoaster season in the Football League.

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Brown to lead Preston to top end

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The start of the League One campaign is on the horizon and it promises to be a tight affair, with several big clubs battling to get back into the second tier of English football. Preston, Sheffield United and Scunthorpe will join the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield and Charlton in trying to find a place in the Championship. Here’s who we think will enjoy success this term…..

Phil Brown failed to pull off the great escape and keep Preston (7/1 League One Outright) in the Championship last season, but there were shoots of recovery and that is likely to continue this campaign. They may have lost winger Keith Tracey, but the experience of the returning Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle and Ian Ashbee could be key. Expect North End to be up and around the top six for the majority of the season.

Huddersfield (11/8 to win promotion) have seen some of the squad that reached the play-off final last season move on, with the likes of Anthony Pilkington and Lee Peltier departing. But Lee Clark has some excellent youngsters breaking through and the loan addition of Hull defender Liam Cooper will keep them solid at the back.

No team in the league has been busier in the transfer window than Charlton (18/1 League One Handicap +4), with at least 12 additions to the ranks and as many departures. Former Bournemouth man Danny Hollands looks a decent capture although the large number of squad changes means Chris Powell will need time to gel things together.

There was shock throughout the football pundits at Sheffield United’s relegation last term, but despite their slip into the third tier, Blades fans have reason to be optimistic. Their youngsters reached the FA Youth Cup final for the first time in their history last season, with some real talent coming through the ranks at Bramall Lane. Young striker Danny Philliskirk, signed from Chelsea, is one to watch out for this season (Season Match Bet – Preston 4/5, Sheff Utd Evs).

Wednesday, meanwhile, have not been able to bring in as many players as they would have hoped. David Prutton and Julian Bennett will add more steel to the Owls, but there will be major pressure on Gary Megson to deliver the goods, with promotion their only target.

Three decent summer captures, Niall McGinn from Celtic, Clayton Donaldson (20/1 League One Top Goalscorer) from Crewe and Jonathon Douglas from Swindon, have strengthened a Brentford squad that finished 11th last season. Uwe Rosler is looking forward to his first season as a manager in England and the German will feel the play-offs are a realistic target.

An outside bet for a decent season are Notts County (10/1 to win promotion), under the solid stewardship of Martin Allen. They managed to survive in League One after Allen’s late season appointment and the former Barnet and Brentford boss will have set his sights on big improvements this term.

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British trio looking good

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The domestic season is still to begin in England but the preliminary rounds of the Europa League are well underway as Stoke, Fulham and Hearts all hope to book their place in the final play-off stage of the competition on Thursday.

All three British sides left in have a realistic chance of going through and here we preview their respective third-round, second-leg ties.

Hajduk Split v Stoke (agg 0-1)

The Potters’ first foray into Europe for 37 years ended in a narrow win in the first leg against the Croatian outfit thanks to Jon Walters’ early goal at what was a rocking Britannia Stadium last week.

Tony Pulis’ side wasted several good chances to extend their lead in the tie and, while they would have wanted more goals to take to Split, Stoke remain in pole position to make it through.

However, they are sure to be tested by their opponents on Thursday in front of what is expected to be a hostile home following. Pulis is likely to go with a defensive-minded formation but if any side can go and shut up shop and kill a game then it’s the Potters.

Go with 0-0 at 7/1 – just enough to extend their European adventure for at least two more games.

Fulham v RNK Split (agg 0-0)

Fulham have had it relatively easy in the Europa League so far but will have been disappointed to have come away from Croatia – against the lesser-known Split outfit – without a victory.

A goalless draw away in Europe is always viewed as a decent result, however, and, like Stoke, the Cottagers are in a good position to advance into the play-offs ahead of the second leg in London.

Martin Jol set his stall out in this competition in the early qualifying round against Northern Irish minnows Crusaders when he named a surprisingly strong side – despite the fact it was mid-July – and he is obviously keen to do well in the tournament after taking over from Mark Hughes this summer.

The likes of Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora and recent signing John Arne Riise all started in the first leg and they will again be charged with disposing of RNK this time around. Expect a fairly comfortable home win here with 4-0 to the Cottagers at 15/2 representing good value.

Hearts v Paksi (agg 1-1)

Hearts gave themselves every chance of securing a play-off spot with a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Hungary last week against the relatively unknown Paksi, who certainly punched above their weight last season when finishing second in the Hungarian league to earn a shot at the Europa League.

The first leg was generally controlled by the Jambos but, after falling behind against the run of play, they failed to find enough to come back and win. However, an away goal and a score-draw is always welcome in Europe so expect the SPL side to have too much for Paksi in Edinburgh.

Hearts have been in the news this week when Jim Jefferies became the latest managerial casualty of controversial ‘hands-on’ owner Vladimir Romanov. And, despite the off-field shenanigans proving to be a distraction in the past, these latest developments are unlikely to affect them too much for the second leg and a handsome Hearts win looks on the cards for new man in charge Paulo Sergio (Hearts 23/20 – HT/FT).

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