Monthly Archives: December 2011

Новогодний салют от Ковальчука и Малкина! Учтет ли «Манчестер Сити» ошибки «Манчестер Юнайтед»?

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Хоккей. НХЛ.

Нью-Джерси Девилс – Питсбург Пингвинс. Прежде всего, хочу поздравить всех читателей нашего блога с наступающим 2012 годом, PIT Crosby slide 1 300x200 Новогодний салют от Ковальчука и Малкина! Учтет ли «Манчестер Сити» ошибки «Манчестер Юнайтед»? и хочу верить, что племена Майа ошиблись, и он не станет для нас последним.

Для жителей центрального региона России начало этого матча совпадет с боем курантов, так что для тех кому «новогодние шоу» порядком надоели, предлагается прекрасная альтернатива:  противостояние Ильи Ковальчука и Евгения Малкина – как главное новогоднее блюдо. И пускай Сидни Кросби не может и по сей день помогать своим партнерам, команда из города сталелитейщиков выступает вполне успешно.

К сожалению для болельщиков «пингвинов» 1.74, возвращение Сида вновь отложено на неопределенный срок. Не хочется верить, что после прошлогоднего сотрясения мозга его карьера может пойти по «дороге Эрика Линдроса». Одна отрада, что Евгений Малкин набирает очки в девяти матчах подряд, а в недавней игре против «Виннипега» он и вовсе «феерил», так что не все так плохо в «пингвиньем королевстве».

Для «Нью-Джерси» 2.15 это важный матч с точки зрения турнирных перспектив – в данный момент они делят 6-ю и 10-ю строчку. Матч может получиться результативным, так как нападение команд в этом сезоне играет лучше, чем оборона.

Футбол. Чемпионат Англии. Премьер-лига.

Сандерденд – Манчестер Сити. Что бы мы делали без английской Премьер-лиги!? Ну кто еще из европейских футбольных чемпионатов будет радовать нас даже первого января!? Вот и на этот раз, проснувшись во второй половине дня и выйдя назад к остаткам праздничного стола, мы обнаружим, что миллионеры из города Манчестер по полной программе отрабатывают свои зарплаты.

Как мне кажется, многое в английском чемпионате может решиться не в очной встрече «Сити» 1.53 с «МЮ», а именно в таких матчах с «Сандерлендами» 6.50 или «Блэкбернами». Как «МЮ» мучился с командой, занимающей 20-е место в таблице, так и «МС» никто не даст спокойной жизни на выезде.

Тренер «Сити» Роберто Манчини накануне дал большое интервью, где сообщил, что Тевес может покинуть команду в течение десяти дней, а Де Росси стал бы идеальным усилением. Не прошли журналисты и тему курения Марио Балотелли, на что тренер сказал, что он не является его отцом.

От себя я бы заметил так – пока итальянец показывает удобоваримый уровень футбола, он может хоть на голове ходить в свободное от работы время. С учетом потери очков со стороны «МЮ», «горожане» приложат максимум усилий, чтобы победить в этой встрече.

Related posts:

  1. Эндрю Кэрролл в составе «Ливерпуля» против «Ньюкасла». Семин на подъеме, следующий – Овечкин? Футбол. Англия. Премьер-лига. Ливерпуль – Ньюкасл. Футболисты из города «Битлз»…
  2. «Арсенал» ждет «пробуждения» Андрея Аршавина. «Манчестер Сити» пока опасается только «Манчестер Юнайтед». Футбол. Чемпионат Англии. Премьер-лига. Астон Вилла – Арсенал. В начале…
  3. Павел Дацюк скрестит клюшки с Евгением Малкиным! Илья Ковальчук попытается усмирить «пантер». Александр Овечкин в поисках себя… Хоккей. НХЛ Питсбург Пингвинс – Детройт Ред Уингс. Эти коллективы…

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A quiet before a storm

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There is no let-up in the Premier League over the next few days with the games coming thick and fast and there are two matches coming up on New Year’s Day, as West Brom host Everton before Sunderland entertain Manchester City.

West Bromwich Albion v Everton 1230pm

The action gets underway at The Hawthorns on Sunday in what has the feel of a ‘quiet before the storm’ scenario given the respective goalscoring records of the two sides in action.

West Brom have picked up seven points in their last three games with wins at Blackburn and Newcastle consolidated by holding Man City to a goalless draw last time out.

That run has pushed Roy Hodgson’s men up to ninth in the table but they have enjoyed greater success on their travels, picking up twice as many points.

Goals have been a distinct problem at the Hawthorns as West Brom are the worst home scorers in the division, having managed just seven in nine games in front of their own fans.

Everton have also had their own problems finding the back of the net with just nine scored on their travels, making this game look far from a goal-fest, although the Toffees will take confidence from the fact they have only let in five goals in the last seven games.

The Baggies are the slight 13/8 favourites in the match betting with David Moyes men priced at 7/4 but a draw could be the way to go in this one – and that is on offer at 9/4 – while backing No Goalscorer at 15/2 certainly looks good value.

Sunderland v Manchester City 3pm

Martin O’Neill has made an instant impact since taking over the Black Cats’ hotseat losing just one of his opening four games, winning two and unfortunate to pick up just one point last time out against Everton.

Sunderland have pulled four points clear from the relegation zone going into the weekend’s fixtures but are far from safe and look set to face a barrage from the free-scoring Citizens, still smarting from being held to a goalless draw at the Hawthorns which allowed neighbours United to join them at the summit.

Roberto Mancini’s men have banged in 25 goals on their travels and will be looking for more, particularly with the home side having fitness concerns over defenders Kieran Richardson, Phil Bardsley and Titus Bramble.

By contrast, Mancini has virtually a fully fit squad to choose from with Micah Richards and Aleksandar Kolarov available once more, so the City boss can juggle his star-studded squad to bounce back from the West Brom disappointment.

Edin Dzeko is back to full fitness and looks a good shout at 4/1 to add to his 10 goals with the first on Sunday, with the club’s leading goalscorer Sergio Aguero the 10/3 favourite to open the scoring.

With games coming up against Liverpool and Manchester United it is hard to see anything other than an away win, 8/15 in the match betting, while 10/11 on City/City in the Half-time/Full-time market offers a greater return.

Those perhaps still drunk from the previous night’s celebrations can get 6/1 on a Sunderland win – which would only be a fifth in 2011 – and 3/1 on the draw.

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Wolves to end 2011 on a high

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While most of us have lost track of the days over the Christmas period, New Year’s Eve falls on a Saturday this year, and as such there is a bumper day of Premier League action to look forward to. We look at the three best bets that could have you cracking open the champagne a bit before midnight.

Chelsea v Aston Villa 3pm

The Blues will be glad to see the back of 2011 after 12 months full of disappointments and realisations that their squad of superstars are starting to look a bit over the hill. Andre Villas-Boas is trying to change all that but so far has found it tough going. Boxing Day’s 1-1 draw with Fulham effectively ended their title challenge, according to the Portuguese coach, in a move which looks like a bit of reverse psychology. Villas-Boas will hope his team responds to the challenge against Aston Villa, a game that might prove tougher than they expect.

Villa fans have also had to endure a torrid 2011 and will no doubt head to Stamford Bridge full of trepidation about what is to come. No doubt Alex McLeish will set his team up to be tough to beat, as he did at Stoke on Boxing Day when they managed to keep the Potters at bay. As such a win for Villa seems highly unlikely but a draw might not be beyond the realms of possibility. The draw is priced at 4/1, a good looking bet when you consider Chelsea’s last three games have ended 1-1.

This game is likely to be a low scoring affair and with Chelsea struggling to find the back of the net it could be another long afternoon for the Blues faithful.

Bolton v Wolves 3pm

2012 is likely to bring heartache for one, if not both, of these clubs as they battle against the drop. We might be in December but the result of this clash at the Reebok Stadium could go a long way to deciding who splits their year between the Premier League and the Championship.

Bolton fans will have been bitterly disappointed with their display against Newcastle after the win against Blackburn. The news that Gary Cahill is off to Chelsea is only likely to darken the mood at the Reebok Stadium heading into the new year. The Trotters have won once and lost eight of their nine games at home this season and there is already an air of inevitability regarding relegation at the Reebok Stadium it seems.

Wolves will be seen as very beatable by Owen Coyle but are likely to prove a tough nut to crack given their great rearguard display in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Tuesday. Five points from the last five matches might not be anything to shout about but at least it shows a bit of progress. Wolves are 23/10 to win at Bolton, a decent price in a game which is likely to be a tight affair.

Wolves might never have won at the Reebok Stadium but even with history on their side it just looks like being one of those seasons for Coyle and co.

Norwich v Fulham 3pm

Mid-table mediocrity beckons for these two teams in 2012, something the Canaries will be delighted about given that this time two years ago they had just moved into the top two in League One. Norwich have managed to continue that winning feeling that has surrounded Carrow Road in the last two years and have been the surprise package in the Premier League this season.

Paul Lambert’s men might have been outclassed by Tottenham on Tuesday but will have expected that given the quality they have. It’s games like this one against Fulham they will have targeted to take three points from.  They have already won four games at home this season and with Fulham perennial strugglers on the road the omens look good for Norwich.

Fulham impressed against Chelsea on Boxing Day but will admit that if it hadn’t been for keeper David Stockdale things could have been different. All does not seem well at Craven Cottage, with reports of manager Martin Jol falling out with players continuing to surface. Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora didn’t even feature at Stamford Bridge and until Jol can make the squad his own the Cottagers are likely to be a mixed bag.

A Norwich win is 13/8, with the draw on offer at 9/4 and Fulham at 7/4. We fancy Norwich to rack up yet another win and keep the good times rolling into the new year.

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Эндрю Кэрролл в составе «Ливерпуля» против «Ньюкасла». Семин на подъеме, следующий – Овечкин?

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Футбол. Англия. Премьер-лига.

Ливерпуль – Ньюкасл. Футболисты из города «Битлз» в последних двух матчах быстрее потеряли четыре, нежели приобрелиGerrard behind 1 300x200 Эндрю Кэрролл в составе «Ливерпуля» против «Ньюкасла». Семин на подъеме, следующий – Овечкин? два очка. Ничейные результаты с «Блэкберном» и «Уиганом» не порадовали Кенни Далглиша, но что поделать – это «боксинг дэйс».

Эндрю Кэрролл выйдет на поле против своей бывшей команды. К его счастью, это произойдет на поле стадиона «Энфилд», а не на поле «Ньюкасла». Эндрю забивал в последний раз еще в октябре, и наверняка на этот матч у него будет особый настрой, так как забить своей бывшей команде – это особое удовольствие.

Кенни Далглиш на все лады расхваливает физическую  форму Стивена Джерарда, который впервые за долгие месяцы залечил все свои травмы. Пожалуй, именно в возвращении капитана и кроется шанс на усиление игры «красных» 1.57. Тем более, что о Луисе Суаресе им придется забыть на длительный срок. Пересказывать историю их конфликта с Патрисом Эвра я не буду.

«Ньюкасл» 6.00 «тихим сапом» подобрался на расстояние в одну победу до места в Лиге Чемпионов. «Сороки», которые со времен Алана Ширера уже и забыли о таком турнире, прекрасно выступают в новогодней части чемпионата. Особенно в их составе выделяется сенегалец Демба Ба, который сейчас с 14-ю мячами уступает лидерство в списке бомбардиров Робину ван Перси. Как бы этот форвард не пошел «дорогой Кэрролла» по окончании сезона.

Хоккей. НХЛ

Вашингтон Кэпиталс – Баффало Сейбрс. В Северной Америке есть понятие «бэк ту бэк» матчей – это когда игры с одним и тем же соперником происходят подряд и получается «мини плей-офф». «Баффало» и «Вашингтон» встречаются друг с другом транзитом через одну встречу. В предыдущем поединке победили хоккеисты «Баффало», теперь у «Вашингтона» есть возможность отыграться.

В последней игре с «Рейнджерс» на поле блистал Александр Семин, который отметился дублем и стал «второй звездой» дня. Дэйл Хантер заявил, что Александр прирожденный снайпер, и также отметил, что в прошедшей встрече он прекрасно отработал в защите. Об Александре Овечкине такого не скажешь, так как в оборонительных действиях форвард несилен. И если Илья Ковальчук в «Нью-Джерси» начал прибавлять в этом компоненте, то Александр даже при острых ситуациях у своих ворот выглядит статистом.

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Tricky NYE test for Hammers

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Saturday sees the final round of Championship matches of 2011 and the sides jostling for position at the top of the table will all be desperate to end the year on a high. We’ll take a look at four key games and try to pick a winner or two (West Ham 6/4 – Championship Outright).

Derby County v West Ham United

The doom and gloom of last season’s relegation now looks to be a thing of the past as the Hammers are sitting pretty in second place in the Championship table with an excellent chance of returning to the top flight at the first attempt.

A win at Pride Park will mean they will probably begin 2012 in the second automatic promotion spot behind Southampton and with it all to play for over the second half of the campaign.

But Sam Allardyce’s men have not been at their best over the past five games with two wins, one draw and two defeats and so Derby can use that as motivation.

They have been good on their travels, however, with seven wins away from Upton Park already and will look to turn over a Derby side who are stuck right in the middle of the chasing pack in 14th spot with 31 points.

The league is so congested that just six points separate sixth from 16th and so any of the sides, Derby included, could make a run for the play-offs next year.

Nigel Clough’s side have also taken seven points from a possible 15 but have won their last two at home and the hard-fought 1-0 victory over Leeds last time out proves that they can mix it with the top teams on their day.

Allardyce is a canny manager and will probably see this as tough encounter and it would be no surprise to see the sides share the points on Saturday.

Odds: Derby 11/4, West Ham Evens, draw 12/5

Middlesbrough v Peterborough

Whatever happens against Posh, Boro will be in the top three at the turn of the year and that is an amazing feat considering how many points they have thrown away at home, with late goals haunting them all season.

Tony Mowbray’s charges have won only five games at the Riverside, with six draws, and it is their away form that has kept them flying high with seven wins on the road this term.

But they face Darren Ferguson’s charges on Teesside in this one and will want to make it three straight victories on their own patch after beating both Brighton and Hull 1-0.

The Boro have won their last four and the confidence and crowds appear to be returning to the former top-flight side and they should be able to take care of a Peterborough side who have already lost six times away from home this term.

The sides drew 1-1 at London Road back in November and, after losing a couple of close ones, last season’s League One play-off winners have taken seven out of nine points and will be looking to make it three successive wins on Saturday.

Fergie’s men do score goals away from home but Boro have conceded just nine at home in the first half of the campaign and so it looks set to be a tight encounter, with a narrow home victory the verdict.

Odds: Middlesbrough 4/6, Peterborough 4/1, draw 11/4

Nottingham Forest v Cardiff City

Cardiff have suffered more than their fair share of play-off heartache in recent seasons but continue to challenge at the right end of the table as they head into the weekend’s clash at the City Ground.

The Bluebirds’ long-suffering fans look set for another roller-coaster ride up to and into the play-offs and they will want to take something from their final encounter of the year to set them up for next year’s promotion push.

Recent form has been mixed and they have failed to win any of the past three matches, but 1-0 victories over Birmingham and Forest just a few weeks ago have kept them in the top four.

Malky Mackay’s men are the draw specialists away from home with seven already but they will have three points on their mind when they face a Forest outfit devoid of confidence and staring up at the majority of the Championship sides.

The East Midlanders have not won in six attempts and have taken just one point from a possible 18 since beating Ipswich 3-2 on November 19 and are currently 22nd out of the 24 teams in the standings.

Steve Cotterill’s men have lost their last three home games and have never really recovered from the 4-0 thumping they received at the hands of Leeds United.

Cardiff may have only won three times away from home but they are tipped to add to that tally this weekend.

Odds: Forest 7/4, Cardiff 8/5, draw 11/5

Burnley v Hull

Hull are one of the form teams in the division with four successive wins before coming unstuck late on at Middlesbrough last time out.

They have garnered 39 points from their first 23 games and sit comfortably in the play-off zone as 2012 approaches.

It has been case of all or nothing for Nick Barmby’s side this season with 12 wins, eight defeats and only three draws to date – all away from home.

So the likelihood is that they will head over the Pennines in search of all three points to keep up their momentum and they will face a Burnley side who have not enjoyed the best of times at Turf Moor this season.

The home fans have witnessed just four wins, with five defeats, and it is the six wins on their travels that has kept Eddie Howe’s men in the top half of the table.

Scoring goals at home has not been a problem for the Clarets with 21 strikes already but they have let in 15 and that is something Barmby will have taken note of ahead of the match.

Hull do not score many away from their own patch and so this one has all the makings of a draw.

Odds: Burnley 11/8, Hull 9/4, draw 23/10

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Saints to clip Robins’ wings

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Southampton take on Bristol City on Friday knowing that any result other than a defeat will see them start the New Year top of the Championship table. But Saints will be looking for all three points against a side struggling at the wrong end of the table and  will they get them? (Southampton 4/9, Bristol City 7/1, draw 3/1 Match Prices).

Southampton have not sampled life in the Premier League for more than six years and there have been plenty of low points since relegation at the end of the 2004-2005 campaign after 27 years of top-flight football.

But things are now very much on the up and Nigel Adkins appears to have assembled a squad capable of returning to the promised land (Southampton 6/4 Championship Outright).

Whether they could stay there is another matter and a debate for another day, as Saints welcome the west country side to St Mary’s Stadium to try and add another three points to their impressive tally of 47.

The odds on a Southampton win reflect their dominance at home this season with just two points dropped to date and there seems no reason to suggest that their unbeaten record on the south coast will go on Friday evening.

If they avoid defeat it will mean that Saints have gone an entire calendar year unbeaten at home and that is a statistic that deserves to see the club return to the top tier of English football.

But City fans can take some heart from the fact that Adkins’ charges have not been in the best of form of late with just one win from their past four games, with Doncaster beating them at the Keepmoat Stadium and Blackpool spoiling their perfect home record with a 2-2 draw on December 10.

But it is still an ominous home record and, with Bristol hovering just above the relegation zone, Derek McInnes‘ side will have it all to do.

One positive for City is the fact that they have taken more points on the road this term than at Ashton Gate with three wins and three draws away from home already.

However, they have not won in five games with just two points out of a possible 15 from a 2-2 draw with Watford and a goalless draw at home to Nottingham Forest.

Indeed the last time the City fans celebrated a win was against Friday’s opponents, following a 2-0 victory over Southampton in Bristol on November 26.

That seems like a long time ago in football terms but at least the City players know that they can beat the table-toppers if they play to their potential.

A few Robins’ stars have been bullish about their chances of turning Southampton over with defender Lewin Nyatanga confident that they can do the double over the 1976 FA Cup winners.

But he and his fellow members of the rearguard will have to stop a rampant Saints side who have already scored 30 goals at home this term.

City have only scored 21 goals all season and 12 have come away from home and with uncertainty surrounding the future of top-scorer Nicky Maynard, it is unclear where the goals will come from on Friday night.

McInnes has defended the former Crewe Alexander man, who looks set to leave in the January transfer window, but it is open to question whether his head will be right for a game of this magnitude, given the fact that his own supporters have started to turn against him.

But City need him to play and to be on top of his game to have any chance of getting anything out of this one.

In terms of team news for Saints, Richard Chaplow looks set to miss the clash after picking up a knee injury in training while Steve De Ridder may keep his place in the Southampton side.

The heart says that the Robins might spring a surprise and take all three points but the head is definitively going to overrule and suggest that this will be a comfortable home win by at least two clear goals.

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Friday night football picks

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There are a host of football games on Friday night and further down the ladder there are half a dozen games across League One and League Two – so here’s a guide to those games taking place (totesport – Friday’s picks).

Npower League One
Huddersfield v Carlisle

Huddersfield suffered two losses in a row, to Charlton and Bournemouth, earlier in December as their 43-game unbeaten league record came to an end. It was always going to be difficult for Lee Clark’s men to bounce back but a morale-boosting 4-4 draw away to Sheffield Wednesday and a win over Chesterfield means they are getting back to their best. Carlisle themselves are sitting only three places behind and are unbeaten in three games, but expect Huddersfield to be too strong.

Prediction: Huddersfield to win @ 4/6

Tranmere v Bury

Tranmere saw their Boxing Day game with Rochdale postponed due to structural damage at Prenton Park, but hopefully they will be able to play on Friday. On the pitch, it has been eight games without a win and they welcome a Bury side that are great on their travels – winning six and drawing one on the road this season. It could mean more misery for Les Parry’s team.

Prediction: Bury to win @ 9/4

Npower League Two
Cheltenham v Rotherham

Cheltenham are riding high in the league and it has been only one defeat in their last six games, and three wins and a draw in their last four home matches. With only two home defeats and a mere six goals conceded on their home patch Cheltenham are consistent, which cannot be said of Rotherham of late.

Prediction: Cheltenham to win @ evens

Crawley Town v Barnet

Crawley sit at the top of League Two and face the perennial strugglers from North London. Even though Steve Evan’s men lost at home to Gillingham you should not expect Barnet to pull off a big shock as Crawley look for momentum to boost their push to League One.

Prediction: Crawley to win @ 4/11

Dag & Red v Gillingham

It is now five home defeats in a row for poor Dagenham and Redbridge, which has left them sitting level on points with the bottom two of Northampton and Plymouth. Confidence is low and they welcome a Gills team who thrashed Bristol Rovers and won away at league leaders Crawley in their last two games. All the signs point to a miserable end of 2011 for John Still’s team.

Prediction: Gillingham to win @ 21/20

Hereford v Accrington Stanley

It is eight games without a win for Hereford and only two points taken in that stage, and they really need to stop losing leads and start picking up points at Edgar Street. They welcome an Accrington side who have only won twice on the road all season – and those two wins have come in December. Stanley have drawn seven of their 11 matches away from home and this could be magical number 12.

Prediction: Draw @ 12/5

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Dalglish puts faith in Carroll

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Bet on the Premier LeagueLiverpool manager Kenny Dalglish looks set to turn to struggling striker Andy Carroll for goals for the Premier League clash with Newcastle United on Friday (Liverpool 4/7 draw 3/1 Newcastle United 11/2 – match prices).

The 22-year-old has the perfect opportunity to kick-start his career at the Merseyside club and who better to do it against than his former employers.

Carroll (4/1 first goalscorer) has struggled to find the back of the net since his £35m move from St James’ Park almost 11 months ago, with only two goals in the top flight this season.

The England international has been giving the backing of Dalglish, after he saw yet more opportunities go wide of the mark or saved during the 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day.

With the Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez set to miss Friday’s clash with the Magpies due to a suspension for his gesture to the crowd during another Liverpool draw against Fulham, Carroll is set to take a leading role against his former club at Anfield.

Reds skipper Steve Gerrard also featured against Rovers on Monday and is likely to play some part against the Magpies, as Dalglish looks to ease the key midfielder back into regular football.

As for Newcastle, after a stuttering couple of weeks they got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Premier League strugglers Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium on Boxing Day.

Once again it was that man Demba Ba (8/1 first goalscorer) who got himself on the score-sheet, as the Senegalese striker continues his superb season for Newcastle following his move from West Ham in the summer.

The 26-year-old could be the signing of the season, having joined the Magpies on a free deal, he has put away most of the chances presented to him and Liverpool will have to be wary of the goal-machine.

Another man who impressed during the victory over the Trotters was the Frenchman Hatem Ben Arfa (10/3 – Anytime Scorer), who found himself on the score-sheet with a wonderful finish.

The 24-year-old made a slow start to life at St James’ Park having suffered a broken tibia and fibula in one of his first games for the club, after being on the wrong end of a tackle from Manchester City’s Nigel De Jong.

However, manager Alan Pardew will be delighted to see the player coming back to full fitness and he will be another the threat the Reds will have to be alert to.

Liverpool and Newcastle sit in sixth and seventh place in the Premier League table respectively and there certainly is not too much between these two teams.

The Reds have tended to raise their game for the bigger fixtures in the top flight this season and struggled against the supposed lesser teams.

This is certainly a big game for both clubs as they hope to contend for European football next season.

Liverpool are likely to raise their game but this contest pits together two attacking football sides so expect goals but a stalemate at the final whistle.

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Saints top the class at half-term

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The Championship reached its halfway point on Boxing Day with Southampton leading the race after starting where they left off in League One last term, pre-season favourites West Ham occupy the second automatic spot, while Middlesbrough are the surprise package so far. Looking ahead to the next 23 fixtures it will be a difficult task to determine which clubs will stay the distance. However, we will endeavour to look at who could be on their way to the promise land of the Premier League by next May.

Southampton have done fantastically well, particularly at St Mary’s where they have collected 34 points from a possible 36 to date and that is where their automatic promotion (6/4 Championship Outright) aspirations will lie.

There was a hint that Nigel Adkins’ men could be on the slide in recent weeks as their 100 per cent home record went following a 2-2 draw with Blackpool, while they lost 1-0 away to struggling Doncaster.

But they got back on track on Boxing Day with a home victory against Crystal Palace and lead the table by three points from West Ham and Middlesbrough.

The Saints’ away form needs some improvement, but as long as they keep performing on home soil and with the prospect of January investment on the cards, they should have enough to make it back-to-back promotions.

Sam Allardyce’s West Ham were the pre-season promotion favourites and have just about lived up to that billing in the first half of the season (6/4 Outright Winners).

Ironically it is the Londoners’ away form – seven wins and just two defeats from 12 games – which has played a big part in their haul of 44 points.

The Hammers’ have been rocked by a recent injury crisis as Matt Taylor, Sam Baldock, Winston Reid, Abdoulaye Faye, David Bentley and Guy Demel are all currently sidelined with various problems.

However, if they can turn Upton Park into a fortress in the New Year, Big Sam’s squad is oozing with Premier League players and are still a good bet to lift the title.

Tony Mowbray has had a massive impact at the Riverside Stadium, having turned last season’s relegation candidates Middlesbrough into potential promotion material (8/1 Outright).

The Teesside-born tactician has even worked on a restricted budget, having slashed the wage bill last summer, but is still managing to work wonders with a squad that is short on numbers.

Boro are currently the form team of the Championship having won their last four successive games and not only sit level on points with second-placed West Ham, but are eight points clear of Blackpool – who sit outside the final play-off spot.

Boro are hard to beat, but have only just started to grind out home wins after drawing too many matches at the Riverside earlier in the campaign. That could be a crucial trait to have acquired as the season progresses, but January could potentially upset the apple-cart.

Skipper Matthew Bates could be sold to avoid him leaving on a Bosman free transfer next summer, while the influential Rhys Williams is bound to attract some of the Premier League vultures.

If Mowbray can keep the duo on board and possibly add to his attacking options where Boro are still short on numbers, then many will be backing him to get the club back into the big time.

Elsewhere, Cardiff (14/1 Outright) have remained a consistent side in the Championship despite the summer upheaval with Malky Mackay replacing Dave Jones and look good for at least a play-off place, while Hull have not been too badly affected by Nigel Pearson’s departure back to Leicester as Nicky Barmby has been pulling results and performances out of the bag.

Reading have shaken off the hangover from last season’s play-off final heart-break to surge up the table and into the play-off places in recent weeks, so are also worthy of consideration.

Blackpool and Leeds remain on the fringes but are lacking consistency at the moment, while Leicester under new boss Pearson have the resources to bring in new faces next month and are only five points off a play-off spot.

Dark horses to make a surge are Ipswich Town (6/1 Outright). Paul Jewell was potentially 45 minutes away from the sack, with his side trailing Barnsley 2-0 at Oakwell earlier this month.

However, the Tractor boys’, who boast an impressive squad packed with experience, stormed back after half time to win 5-3 and have since defeated Derby and drawn at Leicester.

Ipswich are currently 19th and nine points off the top-six but with 23 more games to play, they could soon to motor up the table between now and the season-finale on April 28.

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Овечкин и Ковальчук должны выводить свои команды в «плей-офф»! Крис Пол и Блэйк Гриффин – новая эра «Лос-Анджелес Клипперс»!

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Хоккей. НХЛ

Вашингтон Кэпиталс –Нью-Йорк Рейнджерс. После тяжелого старта «Кэпиталс» начал возвращаться к жизни, и пускай ни о NJ Devils Brodeur above 1 300x207 Овечкин и Ковальчук должны выводить свои команды в «плей офф»! Крис Пол и Блэйк Гриффин – новая эра «Лос Анджелес Клипперс»!какой приличной победной серии речи не идет, но столичные хоккеисты хотя бы появились на отдалении от зоны плей-офф.

Хозяин клуба Тед Леонсис уверен, что Александр Овечкин преодолеет тот спад, который из ниоткуда взялся в этом сезоне. Он также уверен в том, что «Вашингтон» 1.88 стал сильнее по сравнению с прошлым сезоном. Мне так не кажется, но я, собственно говоря, и не владелец «Вашингтон Кэпиталс».

Сам Овечкин ссылается на то, что его очень хорошо изучили и перед каждым матчем соперники разбирают его игру. Здесь, как мне кажется, Александр лукавит, так как играет он в лиге уже не первый и даже не второй сезоны, и до этого ничего не мешало ему находится в первой пятерке бомбардиров. Сейчас Александр «обитает» в восьмом десятке, все наперебой рассказывают о прекрасной физической форме форварда, но как мне кажется, именно в промахах во время предсезонной подготовки и стоит искать причину такого результата.

Нью-Джерси Девилс – Баффало Сейбрс. Команды добираются до экватора чемпионата и можно делать предварительные выводы. «Дьяволы», просевшие на старте, достаточно быстро выправили положение и уже довольно уверенно занимают место в зоне «плей-офф».

Питер ДеБур тренер «Нью-Джерси» 1.73 считает, что его команда часто сама себе создает проблемы, а потом их героически преодолевает. Вот и последние две встречи с «Каролиной» и «Вашингтоном» стали тому подтверждением. В матче с командой Овечкина «дьяволы» длительное время отыгрывались, но в итоге победили по буллитам, а вот в игре с «ураганами» ошибка Ильи Ковальчука, который забил гол в собственные ворота, стала «смертельной».

Баскетбол. НБА

Сан-Антонио Сперс – Лос-Анджелес Клипперс. Еще в прошлом сезоне вывеска этого матча не сулила ничего интересного зрителям, можно было до игры предположить, что с вероятностью в 99% на своем поле победят «шпоры».

Но в этом году «стараниями» Дэвида Стерна все резко изменилось. Пара игроков в лице Криса Пола и Блэйка Гриффина способна творить чудеса на поле, а такой человек как Чонси Биллапс со своим опытом может закрыть не только позицию разыгрывающего.

«Сан-Антонио» в этом году очень похож на «Бостон Селтикс». В таком составе они начинают последний поход за титулом. Как этот «поход» выдержат колени Данкана, мы узнаем уже очень скоро.

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