Category Archives: news-t

Gerrard key to Anfield hopes

Posted on by
Reply

After the latest international break, the Premier League returns this weekend with a number of fascinating fixtures – none more than clash between Liverpool and Manchester United.

Sparks always fly when the old rivals meet and there have been three sendings off in the last three meetings, so expect more fireworks at Anfield this Saturday.

Liverpool v Man Utd (12:45)

The home side have won the last three meetings at Anfield, including a 3-1 success last year thanks a hat-trick from Dirk Kuyt. Prior to that, United had won 1-0 in the two previous seasons and, as ever, it looks a difficult one to call.

The midfield could be the key to success, in what is likely to be a physical encounter. United’s new set-up in the middle of the park has impressed so far this term, with Anderson taking a staring role.

Liverpool, on the other hand, have frequently shuffled their pack in the midfield, some times with success and at other times, like at Tottenham, they have been over-run.

But the likely return of Steven Gerrard could prove a crucial factor in favour of Kenny Dalglish’s men.

Suggested Bet: Draw H/T / Liverpool F/T @ 5/1

Man City v Aston Villa (3pm)

Two unbeaten teams meet at Eastlands and it seems likely that something will give, as Roberto Mancini’s men look to close the gap on city rivals United.

Carlos Tevez may have returned after his club suspension this week, but his presence is unlikely to have any detrimental effect on City who will be missing Sergio Aguero.

The home side have won all three of their home matches this term and Villa have lost on their last five trips to City – enough said!

Suggested Bet: City to win @ 4/11

Norwich v Swansea (3pm)

Two newly-promoted teams go head-to-head at Carrow Road and both have shown that they are capable of staying up this season.

A win here for either team could prove crucial, even at this early stage, for their hopes.

The Canaries have won one, drawn one, lost one on home soil this term, while Swansea have lost all three of their away games.

Those fixtures were though at Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City and they are good enough to get something from this game.

Norwich won this game 2-0 last season, but Brendan Rodgers’ squad is a stronger unit now.

Suggested Bet: Draw @ 9/4

QPR v Blackburn (3pm)

Neil Warnock’s side have already proven to be the most unpredictable team in the top flight so far, while Blackburn have, at times, looked the weakest.

Sandwiched inbetween a 4-0 home defeat to Bolton and 6-0 thrashing at Fulham, the R’s have picked up eight points and looked an improving side.

Meanwhile, Rovers have picked up just one point from three away games and are relying heavily on Yakubu to deliver the goals to keep them up.

Suggested Bet: DJ Campbell to score at anytime @ 13/8

Stoke v Fulham (3pm)

The Cottagers collected a shock win at the Britannia Stadium last season and go into this clash in good form.

A 6-0 win over QPR will have boosted confidence in the Fulham camp and the return to form and fitness of Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora is massive.

Stoke are unbeaten at home and that includes the visits of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Tony Pulis’ men will have welcomed the international break, with their hectic schedule, and may prove too strong for the visitors.

Suggested Bet: Stoke to win @ 6/5

Wigan v Bolton (3pm)

This is normally a tight local derby and following disappointing starts to the season from both clubs, expect more of the same on Saturday.

Wanderers have not won at the DW Stadium since 2007 and the last four league meetings have produced just two goals.

The first goal, if there is one, is likely to prove crucial in this clash.

Suggested Bet: 1-1 Draw @ 11/2

Chelsea v Everton (5:30pm)

Everton have been stewing over the Merseyside derby defeat for a fortnight and so expect them to respond with a big performance at Stamford Bridge.

David Moyes’ men are unbeaten in their last six matches with Chelsea and will feel they can take something from this game – especially with Jack Rodwell available.

Chelsea will face their toughest home test of the season to date and although they appear to have plenty of goals in them, they will miss the suspended Fernando Torres.

Suggested Bet: Draw @ 7/2

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Saints look for Rams raid

Posted on by
Reply

Bet on the ChampionshipThe Championship returns following a two-week international break with a new man at the helm of Nottingham Forest and a big game just across the East Midlands as third-placed Derby County entertain table-topping Southampton at Pride Park.

Derby v Southampton (3pm)

There is only one place to start when previewing the big games in the Championship as the Rams look to halt the Saints’ march and bounce back from the 4-0 drubbing at rivals Leicester last time out.

A win for Nigel Clough’s men will move them level on points with the visitors and, as only Burnley have picked up three points at Pride Park this term; they will hope to come out on top.

However, Nigel Adkins’ side have taken to life back in the Championship like a duck to water and they will be confident of defeating the Rams.

But looking at the Saints’ form, it is St Mary’s where they have secured most of their 22 points with no away win in the league – two defeats and a draw – since putting five past Ipswich on August 16.

It is set to be a tight game and it is difficult to see either coming out on top here.

Prediction: Draw @ 12/5
Value Bet: Derby/ Draw HT/FT @ 12/1.

Middlesbrough v Millwall (3pm)

Second-placed Boro remain unbeaten from their opening 10 league matches this season, albeit they have drawn their last three matches 0-0, which suggests that the efforts of their defence is not being reciprocated by the strikers.

However, Boro did face big-spending Ipswich and Leicester at the Riverside and travelled to Reading in those matches and should have at least come away with three points against the Royals.

Tony Mowbray picked up the manager of the month award for September for his impressive work on a shoe-string budget at Boro so he will hope the jinx does not strike when Kenny Jackett’s second-bottom Lions arrive on Saturday.

Millwall are stuck in a rut at the moment and arrive looking to prevent a fourth straight defeat.

It looks like a home banker on paper, especially as Millwall have only scored seven goals all season and they are up against the stingiest defence in the league, Boro, who have only let in five.

But Boro have only scored once in four matches and have only one win from five at the Riverside so far. And, with Patrick Agyemang arriving on loan from QPR to boost Millwall’s forward line, the outcome might not be a foregone conclusion.

Prediction: Draw @ 5/2
Value Bet: 1-1 Correct Score @ 6/1.

West Ham v Blackpool (3pm)

Sam Allardyce’s Hammers will be looking to get back to winning ways at Upton Park after a point from their last two games and they face a Blackpool side that dropped out of the Premier League with them at the end of last season.

It has not been plain-sailing for the Hammers on home soil as they have only managed two wins from five and suffered two defeats.

Ian Holloway’s Tangerines have not won on the road since the opening match of the season at Hull, but come into this one boosted by a 5-0 home win against Bristol City.

Another game between two decent sides and, again, it is hard to pick a winner but the Hammers should just have the edge.

Prediction: Home Win @ 5/6
Value Bet: Carew 1st Goal West Ham 2-1 Scorecast @ 28/1.

Brighton v Hull (5.30pm)

If this fixture had popped up just over a fortnight ago you would have put your hat on a home win for the Seagulls who were flying at their new Amex Stadium.

However, Gus Poyet’s men have since suffered a bout of stage fright in front of their own fans with Leeds snatching a last-gasp equaliser in a 3-3 thriller before rivals Crystal Palace romped to a 3-1 win a few days later.

They then lost 3-1 at Ipswich and the signs are that the wheels have come off Albion’s bandwagon which looked set to roll on in the Championship following promotion from League One.

Hull, on the other hand, are now level on points with Brighton in sixth spot after accruing 13 points from a six-match unbeaten run and Nigel Pearson’s men will look to make it a magnificent seven this weekend.

Prediction: Away Win @ 5/2
Value Bet: Draw/ Hull HT/FT @ 13/2.

Coventry v Nottingham Forest (3pm)

All eyes will be on the Ricoh Arena on Saturday as Steve Cotterill will take command of Nottingham Forest following his Friday morning defection from Championship rivals Portsmouth.

Cotterill replaces Steve McClaren after the former England boss? dismal spell at the City Ground ended after a 3-1 home defeat against Birmingham on October 2.

Forest conceded eight goals in two matches before the break and they have won just twice all season so Cotterill has his work cut out to turn things around.

Coventry are also struggling this season and sit one point and one place below Forest ahead of this game. With no wins in five, the Sky Blues have drawn most of their home games so far this season and it looks like a fourth stale-mate is on the cards on Saturday.

Prediction: Draw @ 9/4
Value Bet: Draw 2-2 Correct Score @ 14/10/11.

In Saturday’s other games, Cotterill’s former club Pompey host a Barnsley side that has yet to lose on the road so far this season.

However, it would not be a surprise if caretakers Stuart Gray and Guy Whittingham guide the south coast side to three points (Evens Home Win) in the 5.20pm kick-off.

Cardiff and Ipswich, who are just outside the play-off places at this moment in time, meet at the Cardiff City Stadium. The South Wales side are strong at home while Paul Jewell’s Tractor Boys have improved dramatically in recent weeks so expect a close-fought battle (12/5 Draw) in that one.

Burnley and Reading are stuck together in mid-table after inconsistent starts to the campaign and another draw (23/10) is on the cards at Turf Moor, while Watford, with new loan signing Michael Kightly on board, should just edge out (5/4 Home Win) a much-improved Crystal Palace side at Vicarage Road.

Finally, it would not be a surprise if managerless bottom club Bristol City, who sacked boss Keith Millen over the international break following a 5-0 defeat at Blackpool, pick up a first home win (6/4) of the season against Darren Ferguson’s Peterborough.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Whites set for Rovers return

Posted on by
Reply

Leeds United boss Simon GraysonHaving beaten Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium already this season, Leeds United will be full of confidence going into Friday night’s Yorkshire derby in the Championship (Doncaster 2/1, draw 9/4, Leeds 11/8).

It was two goals from Honduran international Ramon Nunez which gave the Whites the 2-1 win in the Carling Cup over Rovers back in August and boss Simon Grayson will be looking for a similar result in the league.

Leeds regularly find themselves behind in matches and it was James Hayter (7/1 first goalscorer) who gave Doncaster the lead after just two minutes in the League Cup clash.

But as regularly as they find themselves behind, the Whites usually get themselves back into games and it was two fine strikes from Nunez that put Leeds through to the next round of the competition, where they were humbled by old rivals Manchester United at Elland Road.

After a slow start to the season, Grayson’s side have started to climb their way up the Championship table and are unbeaten in their last four outings.

What was a rarity in their last game was the fact Leeds were able to keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over Portsmouth at Elland Road.

A centre-back partnership of Darren O’Dea and Tom Lees, who has put pen to paper on a new long-term deal with the club, looked like a strong combination and could leave Australia international Patrick Kisnorbo on the bench for the short trip to Doncaster.

Leeds also have in their ranks the league’s joint highest goalscorer in Ross McCormack (11/2 first goalscorer) and he will once again be a threat, especially if he gets partnered by Argentine striker Luciano Becchio, who is closing in on a place in the starting line-up after a long spell on the injury list.

As for Doncaster, they have been buoyed since the arrival of Dean Saunders as manager – going unbeaten in their last three outings – with two wins against Crystal Palace and Peterborough.

Rovers have some new-found confidence under the former Wales international and would love to end their 60-year spell without a win against Leeds in the league.

Doncaster will be boosted by the arrival of England one-cap-wonder Chris Kirkland, who could make his debut in goal following a loan move from Wigan Athletic this week.

Leeds (6/1 Championship promotion) are the highest of the four clubs left in the Championship without an away win and should have ended that run, after they found themselves 2-0 up against Brighton in their last game on the road, only to draw the contest 3-3.

The fact the Whites have been less than convincing away from home will give hope to Doncaster, who will look to cause the new-look Leeds defence problems.

However, Leeds looked much stronger at the back against Pompey and, with the attacking threats of Robert Snodgrass, Becchio and McCormack in their ranks, they should make the trip back across Yorkshire with all three points.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Irish eyes are smiling

Posted on by
Reply

The luck of the Irish came to the fore on Thursday as Giovanni Trapattoni’s Republic of Ireland side were drawn to play Estonia in a Euro 2012 qualification two-legged play-off in November.

Ireland were one of the seeded sides when the draw was made in Krakow earlier on Thursday, but could have been handed more testing opposition in the shape of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Turkey or Montenegro, who finished runners up to England in their qualification group.

However, the draw was kind as they were handed a winnable tie against the small Baltic nation, who have never played at a major tournament and reached their first ever qualification play-off courtesy of second spot in Group C – a massive 10 points behind winners Italy.

Trapattoni, who watched his side make their sixth play-offs after a narrow 2-1 win against Armenia on Tuesday secured second spot behind Russia in Group B, paid full respect to Estonia but must feel confident that he will lead the Irish to their first European Championships since Germany in 1988 (4/11 To Qualify).

Focusing on being drawn away in the first leg, which will be played on November 11 or 12 ahead of the home leg at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on November 15, the Italian said: “It is extremely positive for Ireland that we will play the first leg away.

“We should not underestimate our opposition, or any team, including Estonia.

“To have made it through to the play-off, they must have quality and mental fortitude.”

Tarmo Ruutli’s Estonia (2/1 To Qualify) appeared overjoyed to just reach the play-offs so will not be expecting much from the two games.

However, following two wins against Northern Ireland during the group qualification programme, they could stun the Irish if complacency creeps into Trapattoni’s squad.

Ireland will be hit by the loss of star striker Kevin Doyle for at least the first leg of the play-offs following his red card against Armenia on Tuesday.

However, former striker John Aldridge is in no doubt that Shane Long will step into his shoes and help fire Ireland through what he feels is “the easiest draw” they could have got.

“Shane Long has done really well when he has deputised for either Robbie (Keane) or Kevin so it’s a great opportunity for him,” he said.

History is also on Ireland’s side ahead of the games as they defeated Estonia 2-0 home and away during qualification for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

Looking at the rest of the draw, it easy to see why pulling Estonia out of the hat is deemed as a good thing for the Republic.

Croatia (4/6 To Qualify) were drawn out to face Turkey (11/10) with an away-day first leg, the Czech Republic will take on Montenegro, who held England to two draws in qualifying, while Portugal (2/5) were paired up against Bosnia-Herzegovina (7/4) in arguably the tastiest of the four head-to-heads.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Teams await Euros play-off fate

Posted on by
Reply

Giovanni Trapattoni’s Republic of Ireland are among eight sides who, after competing in qualifiers spread across two years, have nudged one step closer towards next summer’s European Championships by finishing second in their respective groups to enter the play-offs.

The draw to will take place in Krakow on Tuesday, with the four winners joining co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, holders Spain, Germany, Russia, Italy, France, Holland, Greece, England, Denmark and Sweden at next summer’s football showpiece.

The draw will be seeded, meaning those with the four best national team coefficients will not play against each other. Here is a closer look at the teams involved:

The seeded sides:

Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo and co will be disappointed to be in the play-offs after losing a ‘winner-takes-all’ contest with Denmark at the top of Group H. Nicklas Bendtner grabbed the winner in Copenhagen to send Denmark through automatically, meaning Paulo Bento’s men (33/1 World Cup 2014 outright) had to be satisfied with second spot.

They have a fine record, though, at European Championships with one semi-final and two quarter-final appearances in the last four tournaments, as well as being runners-up when hosting the tournament in 2004. Definitely one for the others to avoid in Thursday’s draw.

Republic Of Ireland

Trapattoni’s men (80/1 Euro 2012 outright) beat Armenia 2-1 in a nervy encounter in Dublin this week to ensure they took second place behind winners Russia in Group B.

They received a pre-draw boost by being named as seeds, meaning they avoid the likes of Portugal and Croatia. Irish hearts still carry with them a burning sense of injustice after Thierry Henry’s handball helped France knock the Irish out of the World Cup play-offs two years ago.

That determination to right the wrongs of that night in the Stade De France should see them home – just.

Croatia

Four years ago Croatia (50/1 Euro 2012 outright) revelled in being the masters of Steve McClaren’s downfall at a soggy Wembley.

However, after losing in the quarter-finals at Euro 2008 on penalties to Turkey, Slaven Bilic’s men didn’t even make the 2010 World Cup, with England gaining revenge by beating them twice in qualifying. Bilic was expected to resign after that disappointment but he has stayed on and guided them to second place in Group F, behind shock winners Greece.

Czech Republic

Michal Bilek’s men broke Scottish hearts by beating Lithuania 4-1 on Tuesday and ensuring it was they and not Craig Levein’s side who went through to the play-offs.

They will be hoping to continue their record of qualifying for every European Championships since gaining independence in 1992. They were memorable runners-up in England in 1996 and reached the semi-finals in 2004 – losing to the eventual winners on both occasions – but are perhaps considered the weakest of the four seeded teams (66/1 Euro 2012 outright).

The unseeded sides:

Turkey

Irish fans will be nervously hoping they are not paired with Guus Hiddink’s Turkey (80/1 World Cup 2014 outright).

Unpredictable and volatile – especially at home – their recent performances in major tournaments suggest you can never be quite sure what you are going to get.

After failing to qualify for Euro 2004 they went all the way to the semi-finals in 2008. They also reached the last four at World Cup 2002, but have failed to even reach the finals since.

Montenegro

England fans will be familiar with Branko Branovic’s men after seeing their side fail to beat them in both meetings in qualifying Group G.

A water-tight defence proved to be the backbone of their success as Montenegro (125/1 Euro 2012 outright) conceded just seven goals in seven qualifying games.

However, they only scored seven too, meaning the pressure will be on the likes of Fiorentina’s Stevan Jovetic and Juventus’ Mirko Vucinic to score the goals required to see them through.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

The eastern European theme continues with Bosnia (80/1 Euro 2012 outright) looking to reach their first-ever major tournament.

They have gone agonisingly close on previous occasions, just one goal prevented them from nudging past Denmark to qualify for Euro 2004, before losing to Portugal 2-0 on aggregate in the play-offs for World Cup 2010.

You get the impression that it will not be too long before they go one better and make a major finals for the first time. They certainly shouldn’t be discounted here.

Estonia

When Estonia were drawn with Italy, Serbia and Slovenia in Euro 2012 qualifying Group C, few would have predicted their presence in Thursday’s play-off draw.

But while Tarmo Rüütli’s men were beating Northern Ireland 2-1 in their final qualifying match, Serbia were losing in Slovenia, meaning the small Baltic nation had reached their first ever qualification play-off. You get the impression they are just happy to be there, meaning they should not provide too much opposition for the seeded sides.

However, the pressure of expectation can do strange things, meaning Estonia (400-1 Euro 2012 outright) can play with a freedom knowing they have nothing to lose.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Tough night for home nations

Posted on by
Reply

While Wales and Northern Ireland don’t have much to play for on Tuesday night there is still plenty on the line for Scotland as their hopes of Euro 2012 qualification go right to the wire. However, the Scots face perhaps the trickiest test of the three home nations as they have to go to Spain looking to get a result, while Wales head to Bulgaria and Northern Ireland visit Italy.

Spain v Scotland (7:45pm)

We better start with the game that matters first, the Scots needing to match or better the result the Czech Republic achieve against Lithuania to reach the play-offs.

Craig Levein’s side are in pole position for second spot after an unconvincing 1-0 win over Liechtenstein on Saturday night but will be up against it in Alicante.

The Spaniards might have already secured top spot in Group I and be planning to rest a number of star players but they are still the world and European champions, if Scotland fans needed reminding.

The chance for some of Vincente Del Bosque’s lesser known players to stake a claim for a regular starting berth could spell trouble for Scotland’s injury-ravaged squad.

Levein could well be without Kenny Miller for the clash due to a groin injury, while Barry Bannan, Craig Mackail-Smith and Darren Fletcher all face late fitness tests.

Heartbreak has normally been in store for the Scots in these must-win qualifying games and against Spain its tough to see anything other than a result which will leave them without a summer of international football to look forward.

Match Bet – Draw HT/Spain FT  @ 9/2

Bulgaria v Wales (7:05pm)

Having started their campaign so poorly who would have thought Wales would head into their last game with a chance of finishing a respectable third in Group G.

The Welsh lost their first four matches before mounting a revival under Gary Speed, albeit too little too late in terms of qualifying for Euro 2012.

Under Speed Wales have improved dramatically, beating Montenegro and Switzerland and putting in a good shift against England in their last three games.

In Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey Wales have two of the hottest prospects in European football, while Jack Collison, Joe Ledley and Ashley Williams have all shown recently they can cut it on the international stage.

They head to Bulgaria to face a team really out of sorts and looking for a pick-me-up to avoid finishing bottom of Group G.

Lothar Matthaus has left his role as Bulgaria coach and the team are in desperate need of a new manager based on their shambolic showing in the 3-0 friendly defeat to Ukraine on Friday. Bulgaria look ripr for the picking so a rare away win could be on the cards for Wales.

Match Bet – Wales to win @ 3/1

Italy v Northern Ireland (7:45pm)

Much like Bulgaria Northern Ireland are in the midst of their own managerial crisis after Nigel Worthington confirmed his departure from the national set-up.

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for the Irish since the 4-0 win over the Faroe Islands in August, a result which left them in with a shout of reaching Euro 2012. They have since lost their last three qualifiers and have nothing to play for when they head to Pescara.

Worthington’s last game in charge could be a messy one as he has already lost a whole host of players to injury, including Chris Brunt, Sammy Clingan, Lee Camp, Grant McCann and Kyle Laffery. It could be a baptism of fire for some of Northern Ireland’s youngsters as they face an improving Italy side.

Cesare Prandelli has already helped Italy cruise through to the Euro 2012 finals and much like Spanish counterpart Del Bosque, the game with Northern Ireland is a chance to try out some young talent.

No matter who Prandelli puts out expect there to be a few goals and a comfortable win for the Italians.

Match Bet – Italy 3-0 @ 6/1

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Five automatic places on offer

Posted on by
Reply

Five automatic Euro 2012 finals berths, including four for group winners, and the race for places in the play-off draw will be settled on Tuesday when the nine groups conclude a final round of fixtures.

England made it through to Poland and Ukraine next summer with a 2-2 draw against Montenegro in Group G and will join reigning European and world champions Spain, as well as Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, in the automatic places.

The race is on for other nations to book their places at next summer’s showpiece tournament on what promises to be a night of nerves and drama.

Group A:

Belgium must match or better Turkey’s result against Azerbaijan when they take on group winners Germany to secure a play-off berth. If they end level, Turkey have the superior head-to-head.

Group B:

Russia only need a point at home to Andorra to make sure of top spot even if Republic of Ireland beat Armenia, who cannot qualify automatically. Even if Russia lose, they could still be best runners-up.

Group C:

Estonia moved into second place on Friday with a 2-1 win over Northern Ireland, who are now eliminated, but have now completed their fixtures so Serbia can still snatch the play-off position by winning in Slovenia.

Group D:

The Paris showdown between leaders France and Bosnia and Herzegovina will decide this group, so the nation which loses this encounter will be in the play-offs.

Group E

Victory for Sweden over the already-qualified Netherlands would mean automatic qualification as best runners-up.

Group F

A draw for Greece in Georgia would ensure the leaders first place regardless of Croatia’s result against Latvia – but the Croats still have the possibility of finishing as best runners-up on goal difference with victory, depending on results elsewhere.

Group G

England secured qualification with a 2-2 draw and Montenegro guaranteed a first-ever play-off because Switzerland lost to Wales.

Group H

Denmark must beat Portugal in Copenhagen to win the group having lost away in Porto and Norway face Cyprus with a hope of second place on goal difference should the Danes win.

Group I

The Czech Republic, with a better head-to-head record, could secure a play-off berth by picking up more points in Lithuania than Scotland manage away to already-qualified Spain.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

England to sneak it in Norway

Posted on by
Reply

After Fabio Capello led his team to qualification for Euro 2012 on Friday, it’s his assistant Stuart Pearce’s turn on Monday as his under-21s travel to Oslo to face their Norwegian counterparts (England 7/10 to win).

The last time the two teams met was in the summer when England came out 2-0 victors in Southampton as they prepared for their ill-fated Euro 2011 campaign and they’ll be looking for a similar result this time around.

Pearce’s youngsters will go into the game in fine spirits after their superb 3-0 win in Iceland on Thursday and know an away victory in Norway could go a long way to them qualifying for the European Championships to be held in Israel in 2013.

The star of the show last time out was undoubtedly Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who after a good start to his Emirates career netted a hat-trick to seal the victory. Much is expected of the youngster who is still only 18 and he’ll be looking to make a big impact once again after it was mooted he could be called-up to the full squad if he continues to impress.

The one downside of England’s win on Thursday was the number of injuries picked-up and the likes of Martin Kelly and Nathan Delfouneso have all been ruled out of Monday’s clash.

However, this only means another player will get a chance and it’s more than likely that West Brom youngster Craig Dawson will be drafted into the centre of defence in Kelly’s absence and he’ll be looking to make a big impact after being left on the bench in Reykjavik. Dawson is a powerful player so look out for him in the air, especially from set pieces.

However, Norway (16/5 to win) have more than enough ability to trouble the Young Lions and will be excited about the prospect of causing what would be a major shock.

Pivotal to them will be Manchester United youngster Joshua King, who is currently on loan at German side Borussia Mönchengladbach. King is certainly one to look out for and his pace and movement can cause even the best defences problems.

Another man to look out for is Celtic defender Thomas Rogne who many believe will go on to be one of Europe’s top centre-backs. Tall and elegant, Rogne makes defending look easy and the England forwards will certainly have trouble getting past him.

Another thing to mention is the pitch. Monday’s clash will be the first time England have played on an artificial 4G pitch and this could cause them a number of problems. The slickness of the surface could take them a while to adjust to which may let the Norwegians in early on and could present them with an uphill challenge (Norway 13/2 to be leading at half-time and go onto win).

The game has all the ingredients of a classic but I feel that England’s greater quality should just see them shade it but it’ll be tight (England 5/1 to win 1-0).

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Magpies hunt down promotion

Posted on by
Reply

Notts County boss Martin Allen has transformed his side around from a struggling club at the foot end of the table last season into a promotion chasing team this time around. They take on Hartlepool at Meadow Lane on Sunday and should be backed at Evs to continue their fine start to the season with three points.

Although they have lost their opening two games in October, Allen did pick up the manager of the month award in League One, as a reward for his side’s run in September. The curse of the award seems to have taken its toll on the opening results in the new month.

The two results won’t concern Allen too much, and he will see them as a mini blip as he challenges his players to go on winning run once again.

The Magpies were boosted with the news that Lee Hughes has signed an extension to his contract at the club. The former West Brom man has been critical to their rise from League Two strugglers in recent years. Take Hughes to score the first goal in the game at 9/2.

Hughes is one of the leading strikers in this division and always a handful for the opposition defence. He has been so successful at this level over the past couple of season that his goal celebration has become a big hit in these quarters.

Notts County have won four of their last five games in front of their home crowd, and that’s one of the key reasons to why they are currently ninth in the League One table, just one point outside the play-off zone.

It must be said that Hartlepool have had a solid start to their campaign and sit just one place above their opponents going into their game.

However, their recent run of fixtures have been kind to them, and they can expect things to become a lot tougher in the near future.

Coach Mick Wadsworth has refused to talk about promotion, and he is probably wise to do so because they are punching above their weight at the moment.

Their latest result was a 1-0 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday. The start of a tough run of fixtures.

Pools are without an obvious leading striker, like Hughes, who is capable of scoring 15 goals this season. They lacked quality in front of goal last weekend against the Owls.

Notts County are a high scoring side and the visitors will have to score at least twice if they are going to get something from the game on Sunday afternoon.

Take the 2-1 scoreline in favour of Notts County for your correct score selection at 8/1.

Three points on Sunday will keep the Magpies on track for a push for at least the play-offs this season. They struggled last season following promotion into the league, financial problems being their biggest Achilles heels. However, they now know what is required as they look for a return back into the second flight on English football.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.

Scotland to keep slim Euro hope alive

Posted on by
Reply

craig leveinScotland face Liechtenstein in their penultimate qualifying game for Euro 2012 knowing they need a win to keep their slim chances of reaching the tournament still alive – if only for a few days.

Craig Levein’s side sit third in the Group I and two points behind the Czech Republic – who face Spain on Friday night – and know they need four points from their final two qualification matches to stand a chance of making the play-offs.

The Scottish boss knows they face Spain in their final game so is not thinking about that and instead concentrating on the task in hand, making sure they get the result they need against the international minnows of Liechtenstein.

It took a 97th-minute header from Stephen McManus to beat Saturday’s opponents at Hampden Park but Scotland (2/7 to win – Match Betting) should take some confidence from the fact they remain in contention to get a play-off spot thanks to a win over Lithuania last time out.

While Scotland are strong at Hampden Park, the same cannot be said of their performances on their travels as they have failed to win either of their two matches on the road so far, going down 1-0 to the Czechs and drawing 0-0 with Lithuania in Kaunas.

Given that it would take a big challenge for Scotland to beat Liechtenstein (9/1 to win , 9/2 draw – Match Betting) on Saturday and then go on to get the point they need away at Spain on October 11th, provided the Czechs have not already sewn up second place before the final game, albeit with an unlikely win over Spain and a Liechtenstein surprise.

The first thing to concentrate on for Scotland is beating Liechtenstein, and their hopes have received a big boost with the shock return of captain Darren Fletcher. The Manchester United man had been expected to miss the game through tonsillitis, but had been pencilled in to possibly face Spain.

However, the skipper is set to meet up with the squad at their training base in Switzerland and Levein admits he will play on Saturday “if the medical team gives him the thumbs up”.

More good news for Scotland is that striker Kenny Miller (3/1 First Goalscorer) is likely to play in Vaduz as he has recovered quicker than expected from a groin problem. The presence of those two players will be huge for Scotland as Fletcher controls the midfield and Miller is the one proven international goal scorer in the squad.

Craig Mackail-Smith, David Goodwillie and Steven Naismith are the other attacking options if he does not make it, but none of those trio are really proven on the international stage and Miller has shown over the years he can lead the line on his own and get goals – he scored one and set up the other against the Czechs at Hampden Park.

The trio of Alan Hutton, Graham Dorrans and Barry Robson have all returned to training and are likely to be named to face Liechtenstein as Levein seems set to name a strong line-up for this crucial clash.

For the hosts there are concerns over top goalscorer Mario Frick, while they are without midfielder Franz Burgmeier – who has experience of British football during a spell with English side Darlington – due to suspension.

Even the staunchest of Scotland fans are likely to be confident of getting a result on Saturday and they need goals to really boost the confidence ahead of a massive game with Spain. It is still a long shot for the Scots to make Euro 2012 but if they are to go out, they are sure to go out fighting.

Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.