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Stop! Hammer Time!

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West Ham and Blackpool meet at Wembley on Saturday in a game dubbed the richest match in football. But who will be celebrating the cash bonanza of a return to the Premier League?

The prize for the winners of the Championship play-off semi-final is not just a spot in the Premier League but also an estimated cash windfall of around £60million.

Both these clubs know all about the riches on offer in England’s top flight having suffered the agony of relegation last season. Both will be equally desperate to make an instant return with victory at Wembley.

Ian Holloway’s men will be able to draw on the memory of their recent play-off victory over Cardiff in 2010. West Ham, meanwhile, have mixed memories of the play-offs, having lost to Crystal Palace in 2004 but then beating Preston a year later.

For West Ham, a spot in the play-offs was a consolation prize after missing out on automatic promotion.

Sam Allardyce’s men were widely tipped to go up automatically at the start of the season, but despite consistently flirting with the top two a failure to convert draws into wins saw them fall behind Reading and Southampton.

Blackpool boss Holloway admitted he found relegation on the final day of last season hard to take, but despite losing the likes of Charlie Adam and David Vaughan, the astute purchases of Barry Ferguson and Kevin Phillips allowed them to rebuild and mount a sustained play-off challenge.

The Hammers begin the game as 20/21 favourites to win in 90 minutes, with Blackpool priced at 11/4. Given play-off finals are often tight and tense affairs, do not rule out the prospect of extra time, with the draw after 90 minutes priced at 13/5.

West Ham’s favouritism appears justified, given they are unbeaten in their last eight matches, winning six of those. In the play-off semi-final they breezed past Cardiff 5-0 on aggregate.

But Blackpool are hardly out-of-form, without defeat in nine games, though four of those are draws. However, in their two league encounters with Blackpool the Londoners have triumphed handsomely, winning 4-0 at Upton Park in October and 4-1 at Bloomfield Road in February.

If the play-offs are all about peaking at the right moment, West Ham have timed things perfectly. With 160 goals scored between the two sides in the regular season, penalty-box action should also be guaranteed at Wembley.

Blackpool in particular are known for their swashbuckling brand of attacking football, but West Ham have plenty of firepower themselves and will look to exploit any gaps at the back.

Backing over 2.5 goals at 5/6 should produce a return while brave punters could get hefty odds of 11/1 for six goals or more.

Carlton Cole is West Ham’s top scorer this season with 14 goals and his odds of 11/2 to score first here shouldn’t be ignored, nor should Kevin Nolan’s odds of 7/1 given the former Bolton man has hit 13 already from midfield this campaign.

For Blackpool it’s all about Kevin Phillips. The 38-year-old just keeps on going and his odds of 8/1 to score first, adding to his 17 goals already this season, should also be considered.

It has been 41 years, though, since Blackpool last beat West Ham and all the signs here suggest that wait will go on. A goal-filled 3-2 victory for the Hammers will leave their supporters blowing bubbles down Wembley Way and should send punters home happy too given that scorecast is priced at a tasty 25/1.

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Boca liking the Copa

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With the domestic football season in the UK all but over it is time to turn our attention elsewhere. In South America, the Copa Libertadores has reached the quarter-final stage and there are plenty of big names left in it. Boca Juniors and Santos are in action on Thursday night/Friday morning as we look ahead to what should be two corking quarters.

For those unfamiliar with the Copa, it is basically the South American equivalent of the Champions League, with 32 teams split into eight groups from which the top two advance. This year has already seen some big name casualties, with Brazilian giants Flamengo and last year’s finalists Penarol having made early exits.

The first legs of two quarter-finals have already taken place with both matches finishing in draws. The all Brazilian affair between Vasco de Gama and Corinthians ended goalless in Rio de Janeiro with the weather hampering both teams.

The second quarter saw Universidad Chile grab a 1-1 draw away from home against Paraguay’s Libertad.  The next two matches are also likely to be cagey but more intriguing for the neutral.

Boca Juniors v Fluminense 11.45pm BST

These two giants of Brazilian and Argentinian football respectively meet at La Bombonera in the first leg of their clash on Thursday night in what should be the more intriguing off the two quarter finals. Boca and Fluminense were in the same group together this year – the Rio outfit winning five of their six matches as they finished in top spot.

Fluminense won in Buenos Aires but Boca got their revenge by defeating Abel Braga’s team on their own patch. While it’s tough to judge Fluminense’s form outside of the Libertadores as they are still going through the regional competitions in Brazil, they are unbeaten in five on their travels. However, they will be without some big name players against Boca, with Wellington, Fred, Deco, Diguinho and Valencia all out.

Boca have injury problems of their own, although not as extensive, with Pablo Ledesma, Leandro Somoza and Santiago Silva all absent. Los Xeneizes have been good at home recently but were frustrated by Velez Sarsfield on Sunday and will need to up their ideas if they are to break down Fluminense.

The Chocolate Box is bound to be bouncing on Thursday and Boca should have the edge, though, in a tight first leg given all Fluminense’s injury problems.

Boca are 7/10 for the win, with the draw priced at 23/10 and Fluminense 18/5.

Velez Sarsfield v Santos 2am BST

As defending champions and with Brazilian superstar Neymar flying right now, Santos should cruise through this quarter-final tie, especially with the second leg at home.

While the Sao Paulo outfit lost the first leg of their last-16 tie with Bolivar 2-1, they did show their class with an 8-0 win at home in the second leg.

Santos look more tactical astute than they were this time 12 months ago, their mauling at the hands of Barcelona in the Club World Cup obviously taught them a valuable lesson. The Peixe are far from just a one man team either, with Alan Kardec, Arouca and Elano all threats.

Standing in their way are Velez, the winner’s of last year’s Clasura in Argentina. The Buenos Aires outfit have made a strong start to the season and are currently five points off top spot in their domestic leage.

However, it has been Velez’s away form which have served them well recently and at El Fortín they are winless in the last seven.

As a result, Santos to win the first leg at 9/5 could be the way to go, with Velez 13/10 and the draw 21/10.

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What next for Liverpool?

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Liverpool decided to axe club legend Kenny Dalglish after just 18 months in charge on Wednesday and talk immediately turned to who will replace him as manager at Anfield?

Some may say the decision to sack the Scot was a harsh one, given that he led his beloved Reds to the FA Cup final having already securing the Carling Cup, but ultimately results in the Premier League did not meet expectations and whoever comes in will have to hit the ground running next season.

There are plenty of names flying about already but Liverpool may choose to take their time in order to make the best-possible appointment and here are our thoughts on the three early favourites to take charge at Anfield.

Andre Villas-Boas – 2/1

The Portuguese tactician lasted just nine months at Chelsea and will be desperate for a speedy return to management.  Villas-Boas, or AVB as he came to be known as in the press, was a target for Liverpool before he joined Chelsea but as a free agent he may appeal to the Anfield hierarchy perhaps keen to recruit on the cheap.

For:

Villas-Boas is a free agent and as such the club won’t have to pay any compensation to secure him as manager. The 37-year-old managed Portuguese side Porto for just one year but led them to four trophies, including the Europa League and the league title – with Porto undefeated in the Portuguese league for the entirety of the campaign. Villas-Boas is the youngest manager ever to win a European competition and will have the hunger to succeed after his struggles at Stamford Bridge.

Against:

There is no getting away from the fact Villas-Boas failed to impress at Chelsea.  Rumours suggested he couldn’t control, or had lost control of, the dressing room and the fact that Roberto Di Matteo managed to turn things around at the Blues so quickly after his departure will certainly raise questions as to whether he has what it takes to manage big players with big egos and succeed in the Premier League.

Roberto Martinez – 4/1

The current Wigan boss worked miracles at the DW Stadium this season to drag the Latics away from the drop zone.  The Spaniard also enjoyed a successful spell as manager of Swansea and Martinez is the second favourite to replace Dalglish.

For:

Martinez led Wigan to safety against all odds this season, picking up improbable wins over Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool along the way, and the Latics played an attractive brand of football too. Martinez is a manager who likes to play a free-flowing passing game, something the owners will want while he also has a decent record in the transfer market, having signed the likes of Victor Moses, Mohammed Diame and Ali Al-Habsi during his time as Latics boss.

Against:

Martinez may have led Wigan to safety but he was also the manager who led them into danger in the first place. The Latics struggled until the closing stages of the campaign and at one point many expected the Spaniard to be axed by Wigan chairman Dave Whelan.

It is easier to close the gap at the bottom than it is at the top and a late surge up the table won’t be enough for the Liverpool faithful. Martinez also has no experience of European football as a manager but does have five years experience as a boss.

Brendan Rodgers – 5/1

The current Swansea boss comfortably led the Welsh side to safety in their debut Premier League campaign. When it seemed as if Harry Redknapp was set to take charge of England, Rodgers was immediately highlighted as a potential successor at Spurs. Swansea were never really involved in the relegation battle, despite being tipped by many to drop straight back down to the Championship, and were hailed for their attacking, attractive brand of football.

For:

The former Watford and Reading boss has a great record in the transfer market as well as on the pitch, having picked up the likes of Scott Sinclair, Michel Vorm and Danny Graham for the Swans. Swansea had a formidable record at the Liberty Stadium and their home form was key to their survival, and with Liverpool’s form at Anfield considered a major factor in Dalglish’s exit, it comes as little surprise that Rodgers has been tipped to take charge at Anfield.

Against:

A big stumbling block is his lack of experience. He has overseen just one campaign in the Premier League, with the rest of his managerial experience coming at Championship level.  Rodgers has never managed in European competition and has been a manager for just four years, with spells at Watford and Reading before he joined Swansea.

The Others:

Former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez still lives on Merseyside, is currently without a club and is seeking a return to management. The Spaniard can be backed at 10/1 to be given another chance at Anfield and has made it clear in the past he would relish a return to take charge of the Reds.

Former Barcelona and current Saudi Arabia boss Frank Rijkaard is 8/1, as is former England boss Fabio Capello. Some outsiders include Fulham boss Martin Jol, priced at 50/1, while Pep Guardiola, who stepped down as manager of Barcelona at the end of the season, is an unlikely 33/1 to succeed Dalglish.

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Hodgson reveals his Euro squad

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There are plenty of talking points thrown up by Roy Hodgson’s first England squad after the new Three Lions boss named his 23-man party for the upcoming European Championship – for which his side are priced at 10/1 to win.

In fairness to Fabio Capello’s successor, he has had very little time to prepare for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine with his commitment to West Brom not officially over until last Sunday, and he had previously suggested he was largely going to stick with experienced England performers.

With that in mind, there were just two new faces in the squad but there are surely plenty of questions over why some of the players that are set to take their place on the plane next month have made it – with England’s campaign set to get underway on June 11 (England 13/8 to win Group D).

There are just two warm-up games before then for Hodgson, who also confirmed Steven Gerrard will be captain, to finalise his plans – so taking a look at the squad, let’s start with the supposed ‘big calls’.

Rio Ferdinand was probably the biggest absentee and perhaps it was no surprise, given his recent fitness history and the fact that even his manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, had doubted whether he could play games in quick succession.

Still, he would have provided plenty of experience but every footballer has his lovers and haters, and there will be those who believe his best days are very much behind him.

However, John Terry has been included and there will be more doubters about him given his form, discipline issues, the fact that an impending trial forced the previous manager to step down as well as the fact that he has been there and definitely not done it – at the World Cup in 2010.

Barcelona actually looked less likely to score when he had been sent off, while his obvious inability to handle Andy Carroll in both the FA Cup final and subsequent 4-1 drubbing at Anfield led to Hodgson actually including the Liverpool striker – who had almost been a laughing stock in the previous nine months following his £35m move from Newcastle.

What makes the Carroll selection all the more surprising is the fact that he is one of only four strikers. With Wayne Rooney suspended for the first two group games, Jermain Defoe – who has not played a competitive match for England since September 2010 – and Danny Welbeck the others, Hodgson could end up being caught short up front.

Peter Crouch has never done anything wrong for England, in fact he has done a lot right with a fantastic goal ratio for the national side, while there is no place (not so surprising) for the second highest English scorer in the Premier League this season – Grant Holt.

Norwich City, though, can celebrate the call-up of John Ruddy, who has been rewarded for his fine season with the Canaries with his first international recognition.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also wins his first call-up for the impact, albeit limited, he has made for Arsenal this season but little can be said of the impact of Stewart Downing and Theo Walcott (of late), who did make the squad, when Aaron Lennon and Adam Johnson did not.

Kyle Walker has enjoyed a superb season for Spurs but is carrying an injury, although how the versatile Micah Richards has been overlooked is a mystery.

It is, of course, a ‘poisoned chalice’, the England manager’s job, because whoever is in charge is never going to please everyone all the time – in some manager’s cases, any of the time.

The proof is in the pudding, though, and Hodgson will have more idea of the capability of his squad following the first match of the tournament against France (France 13/8, Draw 11/5, England 11/8 Match Betting).

With games against Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine to follow, England will hope that the inclusion of Rooney will amount to more than one game with the Three Lions 6/4 to be eliminated at the Group Stage. Hodgson may already have his doubters but this squad should have enough to at least make it past the first stage. After that, it’s anyone’s guess.

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Torquay must come out firing

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Cheltenham Town put one foot in the door of the League Two play-off final with a 2-0 win over Torquay in the first leg but now they have to finish the job at Plainmoor on Thursday night (Cheltenham 6/4, Torquay 9/1 – League Two Promotion 2011/12 Outright).

Goals in each half at Whaddon Road from Jermaine McGlashan and Ben Burgess ensured the Robins head down to the south west with a two-goal cushion, but they cannot simply turn up and dream of Wembley as Torquay will be up for this game – they have to be or any hopes they have of promotion will be quickly dashed.

Torquay (21/20 to win – 90 Minutes) have been struggling for form drastically over recent weeks and the first-leg loss means they come into this must-win game without a victory in six matches – indeed their last win was on April 6 and since then it’s been three wins and three losses.

That poor run ensured Martin Ling’s side missed out on automatic promotion on the final day of the regular season and confidence must have ebbed away even further after the first leg.

Goals are going to be the order of the day for the Gulls but they have to do it without their Player of the Year and leading scorer Rene Howe, as the 14-goal striker limped out of the first leg with a hamstring injury and he will miss the Plainmoor game – and it’s also likely he will miss out on Wembley if the Gulls do pull off the improbable.

Taiwo Atieno (6/1 – First Goalscorer) was the man that replaced him in the first leg and will lead the line at Plainmoor but, with only six league goals to his name all campaign, he doesn’t offer quite the potent threat that Howe would.

Club captain Lee Mansell and Danny Stevens are second and third in the top scorers’ list with 11 and eight goals respectively for the Gulls, so they might need to add to their tally to get Torquay through.

For Cheltenham boss Mark Yates it could be decision time. The 4-4-2 they played in the first leg worked perfectly, so he must choose whether to stick with that or the 4-5-1 that has been used bu the Robins on their travels through the regular season.

However, they do not boast an impressive away record and its seven losses from their last eight away from Whaddon Road – something which must spur on Torquay and their fans.

It is three wins in a row for Cheltenham (13/5 to win, draw 12/5 – 90 Minutes) and they boast a good play-off pedigree, with two previous end-of-season campaigns seeing promotion each and every time.

The boss could select on-loan Everton star Luke Garbutt after he missed the first match while, in what could be a real boost, Burgess is fine to play after needing stitches to a head wound at the weekend.

To some degree the first leg advantage, coupled with Torquay’s recent form, means a trip Wembley is Cheltenham’s to lose. The Robins should have enough to hold on a rampaging Gulls outfit, but if the home side manage to get an early goal it will be squeaky-bum time for those away fans and Plainmoor will be rocking.

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Crewe to survive Southend test

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Attention on Wednesday turns to the League Two semi-final play-off at Roots Hall in an evenly-poised tie with Crewe and Southend both just 90 minutes away from Wembley.

Cheltenham are the current 6/4 favourites for promotion having established a 2-0 first-leg lead from their semi-final with Torquay, with Crewe on offer at 2/1 and Southend at 13/5 to triumph at Wembley.

This tie is finely poised with Crewe holding a slender one-goal advantage following the clash at Alexandra Stadium on Saturday with centre-half Adam Dugdale proving perhaps an unlikely matchwinner – heading home Ashley Westwood’s free kick early in the second period.

The betting suggesting that Southend are certainly not out of it, though, with the Shrimpers hosting the second leg on Wednesday as 10/11 match favourites, with the draw priced at 12/5 while Crewe can be backed at 3/1 to make it a double success.

Of course a draw will suffice for the Railwaymen, which places all the pressure on the Blues, especially as they also only missed out on automatic promotion by a solitary point.

There was 11 points separating these two sides in the regular season so a lot may depend on how Paul Sturrock’s men cope with expectation and pressure – and maybe any nervous tension that transmits from the crowd, if the Seasiders fail to get in front early.

Southend do have a decent record at Roots Hall without being spectacular – they suffered five defeats in front of their own fans during the regular season, while they were also held six times.

Crewe went into the play-offs on the back of a 16-match unbeaten run – seven wins and nine draws – with Southend the last team to beat them, winning 1-0 at Roots Hall at the start of February.

Whether much can be read into that is open to question – Southend also won 3-1 at Crewe earlier in the season and look what happened at the weekend – but it is certainly something that Sturrock’s men can take into the game.

Bilel Mohsni scored the winner in this fixture earlier in the season and certainly looked as though he can cause Crewe plenty of problems in the first leg. He can be backed at 6/1 to be the First/Last Goalscorer and 13/8 Anytime, although on-loan signing Freddy Eastwood leads both markets.

However, Crewe have made themselves hard to beat on the road of late and are unbeaten in seven and, although five of those have been in draws, Alex have taken a point from trips to promoted Crawley and fellow play-off contender Torquay.

Steve Davis’s men have tended to spread the goals around this season with Nick Powell leading the scoring markets for Crewe at 6/1 First/last and 13/8 Anytime – perhaps providing a bit more value elsewhere with Byron Moore on offer at 8/1 and 9/4, while first-leg hero Dugdale is available at 33/1 and 10/1.

All the pressure is on Southend for this one but they perhaps enjoyed better success on the road this term, and in-form Crewe can secure the necessary result to book their Wembley date.

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Hodgson faces squad dilemmas

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Roy Hodgson will name his squad for England’s Euro 2012 bid on Wednesday and he is likely to face several dilemmas, particularly in defence and attack, before being able to identify the players he feels will fire the Three Lions to glory (10/1 Outright) in Poland and Ukraine.

Starting at the back and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is the only man for the job between the sticks, while Robert Green and Scott Carson have been the only other back-ups due to the dearth of talent available and Ben Foster’s steadfast refusal to come out of retirement.

However, Norwich City’s John Ruddy has been in inspirational form this past season and we feel he deserves a chance ahead of Carson, who Hodgson allowed to leave the Hawthorns for a move to Turkey 12 months ago.

Hodgson’s first big job will be selecting the right men to shut out foreign opposition, starting with a huge game against France on June 11 (England 11/8, France 13/8, Draw 11/5 90 Minutes).

The first names on the squad list in previous years have been former skipper John Terry and Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand, who have struck up a strong central defensive partnership for past managers and have over 150 caps between them.

But with the duo at odds over Terry’s upcoming summer trial for allegedly racially abusing the latter’s brother, Hodgson might feel an alternative selection will be the safer option.

If he goes with Terry, who is younger and is arguably more reliable in terms of fitness than Ferdinand, then the obvious choice of partner would be his Chelsea team-mate Gary Cahill.

The duo have played well together in the heart of the Blues’ defence and Cahill has already shown he has the capabilities to be a success against top opposition after helping shut-out Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge last month.

If Hodgson feels Terry’s involvement could divide the squad, then Ferdinand could be the man he pins his hopes on for the finals.

With his Manchester United team-mate Chris Smalling ruled out due to injury, Hodgson could see Manchester City stopper Joleon Lescott as the man who would be ideally suited to Ferdinand.

The duo would complement each other well being a right-foot and left-foot combination and that could work well in the finals.

We expect Ferdinand’s United team-mate Phil Jones to be involved given the youngster’s impressive first season at Old Trafford and his ability to operate at right-back, centre-back or in a defensive midfield role.

However, Jones is more likely to watch from the sidelines as Tottenham’s Kyle Walker is the man to get the nod at right-back with Liverpool’s more experienced Glen Johnson breathing down his neck.

But the fact Johnson has been moved to a left-back role by Reds boss Kenny Dalglish means PFA Young Player of the Year, Walker, has been the best player in that position over the past season and deserves his chance.

Hodgson’s other problem centres on which strikers he will take to the finals given that his options have been depleted due to injury and suspension.

He has already intimated that Wayne Rooney (40/1 Top Goalscorer) will travel despite being banned for the opening two matches against France and Sweden.

Darren Bent is adamant that he will be fit despite being ruled out of Aston Villa’s season with ruptured ankle ligaments since February.

However, we feels it would be too risky to take the forward as a lack of match fitness will work against him when England need their players firing on all cylinders.

Therefore Danny Welbeck is the man who Hodgson will almost certainly give the nod to given the fact he has played the majority of the season alongside Rooney at United which will work in his favour when looking towards the knockout stage (England 13/8 Group D Winner).

Another alternative to Bent would be Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe, who has struggled for game time under Harry Redknapp this season, but always manages to get goals whenever he is pitched into the Three Lions’ team.

Chelsea’s Darren Sturridge is another possibility, but he seemed to drift off the radar in the closing months of the campaign and might well miss the boat.

The fourth striker berth will be a straight fight between three target men – Liverpool’s Andy Carroll, Stoke’s Peter Crouch and Norwich City hitman Grant Holt.

Holt’s 17 goals for the Canaries this past season have led to calls for his inclusion, while Crouch has a fantastic scoring record for England and his presence terrifies continental defenders which is why he would have been a definite selection.

However, £35million hitman Carroll has forced his way to the front of the queue having finished the season strongly, in particular with his recent goalscoring substitute performance in the FA Cup final.

The former Newcastle man has struggled since making the move to Anfield in January 2011, but the signs are he is rediscovering his best form again and that could be timed to perfection for England.

A wildcard pick would be to take Arsenal youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to the finals.

He is an unknown quantity to opposition managers and players and could have a big impact in the finals akin to Paul Gascoigne in the 1990 World Cup and Rooney in Euro 2004.

Although Hodgson could be put off by the fact Theo Walcott was surprisingly taken to the 2006 World Cup by Sven Goran-Eriksson but then did not play a single minute with many feeling he wasted a squad place.

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Terriers’ nerve to be tested

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The focus on Tuesday will turn to the League One play-off semi-final second leg at the Galpharm Stadium as Huddersfield host MK Dons, with the winner’s final opponent already confirmed by kick off.

The Terriers seemingly have one foot at Wembley following a 2-0 win in the first leg on Saturday and they have been installed as the even-money favourites to earn promotion.

Those odds may change in time, with the other semi-final taking place on Monday night, with Sheffield United currently next best in the outright betting at 7/4, Stevenage Borough on offer at 9/2 with the Dons available at 16/1.

Simon Grayson’s men deserved their success at the weekend and have been installed as the 6/5 favourites in the match betting, with Tuesday’s visitors priced at 7/2 and the draw at 12/5.

It may seem strange to see Huddersfield at odds against, particularly after their efforts at Stadium: MK, as well as boasting an impressive home record during the season.

The Terriers only lost three matches at the Galpharm during the campaign, while they conceded a miserly 19 goals – the division’s joint second-best home defensive record.

There will of course be some who see value in the 6/5 but the fact is that Grayson’s men do not have to win the tie to book their place at Wembley on May 26.

A lot may depend on how Karl Robinson’s team approaches the game and of course if they manage to score the first goal – and the rookie boss is certainly making the right noises as far as his club’s fans are concerned.

The Dons have a more-than-decent away record as well with just five defeats on the road as well as 10 wins, which is only bettered by the top three in League One.

The Dons also shared a 1-1 draw at the Galpharm earlier in the season and should not be ruled out at the prices – even though a 1-1 draw at home during the regular season counted for little at the weekend.

Jordan Rhodes put the Terriers on the road to victory in the first leg and it is no surprise that the 36-goal hitman is the 7/2 favourite to open the scoring again, while he is odds on at 4/5 to get on the scoresheet during the match.

Keeping the Scottish international quiet will be key to the Dons’ hopes but what may be music to the ears of the underdogs is that Huddersfield have a history of failing to cope with a bit of pressure.

The Terriers have dropped 28 points from winning positions during the current campaign and, with a two-goal advantage, any concession could see Grayson’s men retreat into their shells to protect what they hold.

Of course, things do not necessarily have to pan out like that but the Dons look good value to win on the night and put Huddersfield’s nerves to the test.

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Blades look bound for Wembley

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The League One play-offs continue on Monday and Sheffield United are strong 10/11 favourites to beat Stevenage and book a place at Wembley, as Danny Wilson’s men look to follow city rivals Wednesday into the Championship.

After a goalless draw in the first leg at Broadhall Way, the Blades – backed by a big home crowd at Bramall Lane – will be confident of beating a team that finished 17 points behind them in the table.

Sheffield United collected 90 points in the regular season, which would in any other year would have seen them gain automatic promotion, but the form of the top two condemed them to the lottery of the play-offs.

The loss of leading scorer Ched Evans has been a major blow to their hopes of clinching the third promotion place, but they have been boosted by the return to fitness of Richard Cresswell (5/1 – First Goalscorer), who made a late appearance off the bench in the first match.

Cresswell, who has 10 goals this term, has the experience as well as the quality at League One level to cause plenty of problems for the Stevenage backline, with the former Wednesday striker expected to partner Chris Porter up front.

The Blades have lost just three times at home this season – the last of those a 3-2 reverse to Oldham at the start of March – but there are some reasons for the visitors to be optimistic of pulling off a shock.

Gary Smith’s side drew 2-2 at Bramall Lane and were a matter of moments away from three points before a late equaliser from United (4/6 – To Score The First Goal).

Wilson’s men have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven home games and although Stevenage drew a blank in the first leg, there will be more gaps on Monday as the Blades go for goals.

The Boro (16/1 – To Win From Behind) have have lost just one of their last five away games, and their last two results away from Broadhall Way have seen them draw at Bramall Lane and win 6-0 at Yeovil.

Sheffield United, though, have both the physical presence and overall ability to see off their opponents and, if so, take their place at Wembley as favourites to secure a place in the Championship next season.

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Youngsters to star at Euro 2012

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Following the conclusion of possibly the most exciting Premier League season ever, we now switch our attention to this summer’s European Championships in Poland and Ukraine where the likes of Robin van Persie (9/1 – Tournament Top Goalscorer Outright), David Silva and Wayne Rooney will all be flying the flag for their respective nations.

However, these tournaments often produce surprises and it’s not always the big names that come to the fore. Over the last few years we’ve seen the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrey Arshavin and Arjen Robben all come of age at the Euros and there are a number of Premier League youngsters who could announced themselves to the footballing world this summer.

The first one to look out for is Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny who is expected to be between the sticks for co-hosts Poland (3/1 to win Group A).

After years of struggling to find a first-class stopper, the Gunners were forced to take a punt on youngster Szczesny and it’s certainly a gamble that has paid off and he’s now undoubtedly the club’s number one.

He has also recently established himself in the international side and his country’s performances will have a lot to do with how he deals with their opponents’ attacking threats.

Real Madrid are rumoured to be keeping an eye on the confident 22-year-old and a string of strong showings in the summer will only help to raise his profile.

Another Arsenal player who could make a big impact is controversial striker Nicklas Bendtner who will lead Denmark’s (12/1 to win Group B) line as they look to progress from Group B.

Whether you love him or hate him, there is no doubt that Bendtner is a talent and he always seems to produce his best on the bigger stages. The 24-year-old has also said that after spending the season on loan at Sunderland, he will never play for the Gunners again meaning he’ll have something to play for as he’ll want to impress.

Despite all his doubters, the Copenhagen-born star does have fans within the game and some good displays in the summer, could persuade one of Europe’s top sides to sign him.

Group C’s Premier League-based player to watch has to be Sunderland and Republic of Ireland (11/1 to win Group C) winger James McLean who, after coming from nowhere this season, will have no fear when it comes to facing Europe’s top nations.

McLean was unknown until Martin O’Neill took over at the Stadium of Light in December but has since established himself in the Black Cats side with a series of dazzling displays.

In this era of patient build-up and intricate passing, the 23-year-old is a totally different animal and his direct running and pace may cause some huge problems, as his trickery could open up teams from the start while his pace could expose tired defences if he’s used as an impact sub.

In Group D there are a number of youngsters to pick from but out of all of them Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck (66/1 – Tournament Top Goalscorer) looks as if he could have a massive tournament.

For years the 21-year-old has been tipped for the top and now looks to be fulfilling the promise after establishing himself in the United first team.

With team-mate Rooney suspended for the first two matches, Welbeck could get the nod to lead the line for the Three Lions and he’ll be confident that he has the ability to fire them to the knockout stages.

With the dual capabilities of being able to both hold the ball up and run in behind, the youngster can cause problems to any defence and this summer could see him emerge as one of the biggest names in the game.

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