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Gers ready for Malmo mission

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After their shock 1-0 first-leg defeat at Ibrox last week, Rangers head into their Champions League third round qualifying clash against Malmo hoping to overturn the deficit against the Swedish outfit on Wednesday night (Malmo 7/4, draw 9/4, Rangers 5/4).

There were few who expected Malmo to come away from Glasgow with an advantage, but Gers fans were once again ruing the name Larsson, as Daniel Larsson’s first-half goal was enough to give the Scandinavian side the narrow win.

Rangers had their chances in the first leg, with Scotland international Steven Naismith (5/1 first goalscorer) missing two gilt-edged chances to give the SPL champions a goal to take to Sweden.

The attacking midfielder has scored two already this season but could have had plenty more, with chances also going begging against Hearts on the opening day.

A goal against St Johnstone last weekend will not have done the 24-year-old’s confidence any harm ahead of this crucial Champions League qualifier, with the outcome potentially having a huge effect on Rangers’ season.

The money from the lucrative European competition is irreplaceable, especially for a club in the financial position that Rangers finds itself in these days.

It’s been a slow start for manager Ally McCoist at Ibrox after waiting till his third game in charge to secure a victory for the Old Firm outfit.

Now the former assistant manager to Walter Smith will have to continue his steep learning curve, as his side go into their uphill battle against Malmo.

The club which brought current AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic through their ranks as a youngster will have been delighted with their success in the first leg and have an important away goal to protect at the Swedbank Stadion.

Malmo are ninth in the Allsvenskan and have found the Champions League a welcomed distraction from their under-par domestic form.

However, the Himmelsblatt or Sky Blues will have their 24,000-seater stadium to themselves on Wednesday, with Rangers (5/4 SPL 2011/2012 outright) having their fans banned for the European clash following problems with reported sectarian chants in the Champions League last season, so the home side will be a tough nut to crack on Wednesday in front of a passionate home support.

Gers always have a strong following whenever they play abroad and McCoist and his men may well miss their travelling fans, on what will be a difficult night for the side, as they hope to find the form that brought them success last term.

Malmo did not just produce a smash and grab performance in the first leg and they tested Scotland goalkeeper Allan McGregor on a few occasions with only decent saves from the Gers No.1 keeping his side in the tie.

Brazilian centre-forward Wilton Figueiredo was a constant threat at Ibrox and could have had a couple of goals of his own, were it not for McGregor.

So, all things considered, it will be a tough task for Rangers to overturn the deficit but, man for man, the SPL champions do have a stronger squad than the Swedish outfit – if they perform to their best.

Malmo proved they fully deserve to be at this stage of qualification but, with Rangers showing promising signs of improvement against St Johnstone, McCoist’s men might just sneak their way into the group stage with an away win of their own in Sweden – although the smart money might be on them doing it via extra time.

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Trouble in Toon?

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With under a fortnight to go until the new Premier League season gets underway Newcastle appear to be doing their best to create more problems for themselves than any of their top-flight rivals could ever dream of as skipper Kevin Nolan has been jettisoned to West Ham, Jose Enrique wants out and Joey Barton is being given a free ticket out of Toon.

Newcastle are no strangers to pressing the self-destruct button, going back to the cruel axing of the late, great Sir Bobby Robson seven years ago as he was replaced by Graeme Souness who only managed to take the club further away from the higher echelons of the Premier League.

Following the alienation of club legend Kevin Keegan a couple of years later and the subsequent relegation in 2008, they finally managed to get on track as Chris Hughton guided the Magpies back to the top flight at the first attempt in May 2009.

However, the Tynesiders, led by the controversial owner Mike Ashley, started their new destabilising process last winter when the extremely popular Hughton was harshly dismissed to be replaced by Alan Pardew, whose appointment left the Toon Army faithful hugely under-whelmed.

Within a month star striker Andy Carroll was sold off to Liverpool for £35million during the January transfer window.

The remaining players brushed off that exit as they comfortably got over the end-of-season finishing line in a creditable mid-table spot – albeit surrendering their status as the north east’s top dog to Sunderland (Newcastle 11/8, Sunderland 4/7 – Season Match Bets) courtesy of a final-day, three-goal giveaway against West Brom.

Over the summer the club decided to let Nolan join former Toon boss Sam Allardyce at relegated West Ham and full-back Enrique has made no secret of his desire to leave the Geordies for pastures new, which has only served to inflame the relationship between the fans and the club’s hierarchy.

Disgruntled at goings on behind the scenes, controversial midfielder Barton hit out at the board on his Twitter account for turning Newcastle into a selling club that is not capable of securing a top-six finish (Newcastle 12/1 – Premier League Without Top 6).

And before he could make an announcement over his future at 4pm on Monday, the club stole his thunder by confirming that he is available on a free transfer.

Barton’s impending loss will leave a huge void in the middle of the park, while Alan Smith has also been told he is free to leave if a suitable offer comes in.

That means Pardew’s summer arrivals will be under immediate pressure to adapt to the pace and style of English football as soon as the first ball is kicked against Arsenal (Newcastle 13/5, Arsenal 5/6, Draw 12/5 – 90 Minutes) at St James’ Park on August 13.

Winger Sylvain Marveaux has joined from Rennes, while former Lille man Yohan Cabaye will be tasked with filling the gap left by Nolan in the middle of the park.

Both are highly rated, but the French Ligue 1 and the Premier League are two very different animals and how Newcastle fare could well hinge on how quickly the new boys settle in.

It is not all negative news, though, as Demba Ba (33/1 – Premier League Top Goalscorer) – who impressed with seven goals in 10 starts for a struggling West Ham side last term – has arrived to try and take over from Carroll, while the impressive Hatem Ben Arfa should soon be fit after missing the majority of last season with a broken leg.

Defender Steven Taylor has enjoyed a good pre-season after working his way back to full fitness and is looking at the new season positively.

He said: “I think it’s a completely new team. You’ll see a different style and a different way of playing.

“They’ve excited me. The new players look fantastic – their technique is phenomenal.

“Next year we’ll be just as strong as a unit.”

However, Newcastle#s shift in direction seems to be too much too soon and is similar to what Gareth Southgate tried at Middlesbrough in the summer of 2008 when he allowed the likes of George Boateng and Mark Viduka to depart and brought in French midfielder Didier Digard and Dutch striker Marvin Emnes.

Digard proved to be an injury-prone flop, while Emnes has taken several seasons to find his feet in the English game and in the meantime Boro went from a mid-table Premier League side to a struggling Championship side over the following three seasons.

Could the same fate which blighted the Teessiders await them in seasons to come? (6/1 – Relegation).

Newcastle’s future appears to be at a crossroads at this moment in time with the potential to go either way in the new season and there should be plenty of interest in how their fortunes will pan out.

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Danes face Greek Euro exit

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After a superb opening to the Champions League qualifying round last week, the competition carries on this week with four matches on Tuesday, as club’s look to take their final chance to seal a place in Europe’s most lucrative club competition.

The most eye catching tie sees Danish side Odense BK travel to face Greek giants Panathinaikos with the tie evenly balanced at 1-1, after a hotly contested first leg in Denmark.

The game will be staged in the Olympic Stadium (Panathinaikos 4/6, Draw 5/2, Odense 10/3 – Match Betting) and the home side will be looking to use the intimidating atmosphere often created by their raucous fans to their advantage, as they attempt to qualify for the competition they finished runners-up in 1971.

Panathinaikos managed to reach the last 16 in the 2008-09 season and have Champions League pedigree, but have never really fulfilled their potential on the big stage. The Greek Champions (Panathinaikos/Panathinaikos 6/4 – HT/FT Betting) have a number of names that maybe familiar to English fans and lookout for, amongst others, former Liverpool winger Sebastian Leto. The Argentine arrived at Anfield as a youngster but never really adapted to life in the North West. However, he has excelled in Greece and after scoring his side’s goal in the first leg, will be looking for a big performance in the match to show he can do it on the big stage.

However, Panathinaikos’ main man is Greek youngster Sotiris Ninis who on his day can trouble any defence in Europe. The winger has long been touted as the future of Greek football and has been linked with a number of top clubs in the past, with Inter Milan reportedly tracking his progress. Ninis has the ability to unlock any defence and like Leto, maybe looking at the match as a springboard to bigger things.

Panathinaikos may have young talent, but Odense are also a club on the up although they have created a reputation for themselves as the nearly side, after finishing runners-up in the league in the last three seasons. They’ll be hoping the curse doesn’t strike again and will be looking to get off to a fast start in what could be the biggest game of their season.

Henrik Clausen’s side will be looking to their star man Peter Utaka, brother of former Porstmouth man John, to fire them through. Utaka is another man that Premier League clubs have been looking at and he will be hoping to make an impact on the game after a quiet first leg.

Another name English fans may notice is that of former Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba. The Cameroon international was billed as the next Roy Keane when he arrived at Old Trafford in 2003, but his career hasn’t quite turned out as planned and he has become somewhat of a journeyman. However, on his day he still has the tenacity and talent to dominate games and could be a key man if selected.

Odense will have high hopes ahead of the game and you never quite know what you’re going to get from Panathinaikos (13/2 – 2-0 Correct Score Betting). However, the Greek side should have more than enough to come through and will be looking to lay down a marker for the group stages by putting in a strong performance on Tuesday.

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Swans to top new boys

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The Premier League title race attracts the most attention going into every new campaign, but there is always plenty of interest in the three new boys and, as the new season is under a fortnight away, we will take a look at the chances of QPR, Norwich and Swansea and who will finish top of the new boys’ class.

QPR

Neil Warnock’s side comfortably won the Championship title with 88 points, having spent most of last season in the top position.

However, their promotion was shrouded in controversy when they had to wait for confirmation of their Premier League place following fears of points being deducted over rule breaches regarding the signing of Alejandro Faurlin.

Warnock spent the first half of the summer wondering if he would be replaced despite his excellent work at Loftus Road, while, at the time of writing, the R’s will go into their first Premier League season in 15 years with Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd on board, while Danny Gabbidon and Kieron Dyer have joined on free transfers.

That will disappoint many fans given that the club were being linked with the likes of Peter Crouch and Niko Kranjcar earlier in the summer, while the prospect of talisman Adel Taarabt (80/1 Top Goalscorer) departing before a ball is kicked will not help matters.

Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City are all on the R’s fixture list in the first eight games and that could see them fighting against the drop almost immediately (13/2 To Finish Bottom).

NORWICH

Paul Lambert has performed wonders at Carrow Road since taking over in 2009. The League One title was then followed last season by automatic promotion to the Premier League as they became the first team since Manchester City 11 years earlier to achieve that feat.

The key to the Canaries’ success was their excellent strike rate with 83 goals scored, while Lambert has moved to strengthen that department in the close-season with the arrival of James Vaughan and Steve Morison from Everton and Millwall respectively.

Midfielders Elliott Bennett, Bradley Johnson and Anthony Pilkington and defensive duo Ritchie De Laet and Kyle Naughton have also been brought in by a busy Lambert.

The squad is in place but the new signings all have a similar trait in that they all lack Premier League experience and that could work against them when the going gets tough – as it inevitably will – during the course of the season.

Many feel Norwich have bought wisely as they appear to expect relegation and, in that respect, their wage bill and finances will not take a battering by the loss of TV money which would accompany the drop back down to the Championship next May.

I see the Canaries as a side that will perform similar to Blackpool by exciting Premier League fans with their attacking play and goal-filled games, but they are set to fall short over 38 matches (8/13 Relegation).

SWANSEA

The Championship play-off winners were billed as the best footballing team in the Championship last season as Brendan Rodgers guided the South Wales side to the English top-flight for the first time in just under 30 years in his first season at the Liberty Stadium.

The Swans were worthy of their 4-2 play-off final success against Reading as they finished third in the table after 46 games.

However, the loss of keeper Dorus De Vries and Darren Pratley did not help Rodgers’ plans, but he remedied things by bringing in Benfica’s reserve goalkeeper Jose Moreira, Tottenham defender Steven Caulker has arrived on loan and Newcastle’s Wayne Routledge is due to join in a £2milion deal.

The strike-force has been beefed up with last season’s top Championship hitman Danny Graham joining from Watford and Middlesbrough forward Leroy Lita set to follow.

Both players have some Premier League experience – albeit limited – with Middlesbrough and Reading respectively, but they are capable of chipping in with some vital goals.

The Swans may be favourites for the drop (8/15 Relegation) but their passing style and strong home form is likely to see them do well at the Liberty Stadium and they could well be the surprise package in the new season, much like Hull City back in the 2008-09 campaign (11/8 To Stay Up).

Prediction Swansea Top Promoted Team @ 11/4

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SPL preview – Saturday

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There are four SPL matches on Saturday afternoon with Rangers kicking off proceedings at lunchtime against St Johnstone. The Gers have yet to win a game this season so can they break their duck at the weekend?

St Johnstone v Rangers

The defending champions made a nervy start to their SPL campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Hearts last Saturday as Ally McCoist got his managerial career up and running with the Glasgow giants.

And the former Rangers striker will have to lift his men as they also suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Malmo in the first leg of their Champions League qualifying clash and will not exactly be brimming with confidence for the trip to McDiarmid Park.

It is hardly the start that the new manager wanted but he will not panic at this early stage of the campaign.

Romania international defender Dorin Goian has been cleared to play after penning a three-year deal at Ibrox and should come straight into the side but skipper David Weir misses the visit to Saints with a hamstring problem and has also been rated doubtful for the trip to Sweden.

Saints drew a blank with Aberdeen in their season-opener at Pittodrie but are tipped to cause the champions some problems on Saturday (Rangers 8/15, Saints 11/2, draw 3/1)

Inverness CT v Hibernian

Inverness sit bottom of the SPL table after the opening weekend of matches courtesy of their 3-0 reverse to Motherwell at Fir Park.

But things could have been different as they struck the woodwork twice in the first period before Well took control of the match.

But they are now back at home and face a Hibs side who are also looking for their first point of the season after going down 2-0 at home to Celtic.

Reinforcements have arrived in the form of Owain Tudur Jones and Thomas Piermayr and both could make their debuts after completing their moves to the club earlier this week.

Aaron Doran is doubtful but may be on the bench while Hibs will be without Martin Scott for the clash at the Caledonia Stadium.

Sean O’Hanlon suffered a broken toe in Tuesday night’s friendly defeat at Blackpool but may well play some part in the match.

This one looks set to be tight and draw is predicted (ICT 11/8, Hibs 2/1, draw 23/10).

Kilmarnock v Motherwell

Well sit proudly at the top of the table after their first match but will find a trip to Rugby Park a different proposition.

They looked in decent form with a 3-0 victory over Caley while Killie began their campaign with a 1-1 draw at Dundee United.

Kenny Shiels is still looking for his first win as the permanent Kilmarnock manager and he admits that he is still undecided on his best starting XI.

Left-back Rory McKeown netted from 30 yards on his senior debut to open Killie’s account this term and looks set to play a big part this season despite his tender years.

Danny Buijs and Paul Heffernan have recovered from injury and are in the Kilmarnock squad for the first time this season while goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola is also back in contention.

Motherwell have Ross Forbes back after serving a one-match ban but he may well be on the bench as Stuart McCall keeps faith with the players who got the season off to a solid start (Killie 11/8, Motherwell 2/1, draw 23/10)

St Mirren v Aberdeen

Both sides drew their opening fixture and will be looking to go one better this time out.

Neither side were able to find the back of the net last time out and so surely something has to give in this one.

The Dons welcome back Rory McArdle after a shoulder problem, while Chris Clark could well play despite having a knee problem.

But Ryan Jack is suspended for the clash after being red-carded in the goalless draw against St Johnstone.

The Buddies have an unchanged squad for the clash with goalkeeper Graeme Smith out for at least another 10 days and Aaron Mooy’s back keeping him on the sidelines.

Form is hard to gauge at this early stage of the season and this one looks too tight to call (Saints & Dons 13/8, draw 23/10).

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Aguero for golden boot ?

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Totesport have installed new £35m striker Sergio Aguero at 12/1 to follow in Carlos Tevez’s footsteps at Manchester City and be the Premier League Top Goalscorer 2011/12.

Aguero completed his transfer from Atletico Madrid to the big-spending Manchester club today and revealed he is relishing the new challenge of playing in the English top flight.

The Argentina hitman boasts a slightly better goalscoring ratio than the man he has been signed to replace, who shared the Premier League golden boot with Manchester United’s Dimitar Berbatov last season.

Aguero’s record of 138 goals in 320 games works out at 0.43 goals per game while Tevez (8/1), four years older than his international colleague, has scored 163 times in 390 games at 0.42 goals per game.

These statitistics come from both players’ respective careers in European football, during which Tevez spent more than half a season on the bench at Manchester United.

But they are remarkably similar when you compare their best goalscoring seasons – 27 goals in 41 games for Aguero at 0.66 goals per game during last season against 29 goals in 42 games at 0.69 goals per game during Tevez’s first season at Manchester City.

All in all 12/1 looks to be good value when you consider that there are five strikers rated as shorter prices by Totesport – including Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez (17/2) – who has just been ruled out for three weeks with concussion.

Wayne Rooney (8/1) is the current joint favourite in the market with Tevez, whose position at the Etihad Stadium appears untenable.

Fernando Torres and Robin van Persie (both 9/1) are natural goalscorers who have had injury problems in the last couple of seasons, bu who could go on long scoring runs if they get the expected service at Chelsea and Arsenal respectively.

But Liverpool’s Luis Suarez (12/1) could be the player to top them all next season if he settles into Kenny Dalglish’s new system at Liverpool.

The Uruguayan star, signed from Ajax in January, scored 49 goals in all competitions in 2009-10 and has just finished as joint-second top scorer at the Copa America.

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Early start for Carling new boys

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The new Football League campaign has not yet started but League Two new boys Crawley Town and AFC Wimbledon have been called back early on Friday evening to scrap it out for a place in the first round of the Carling Cup.

The preliminary round has been hastily arranged in order to allow Carling Cup holders and newly-relegated Championship side Birmingham to start in the third round because of their Europa League commitments.

The Conference Premier champions Crawley have been handed home advantage at Broadfield Road and they will fancy their chances of progression into a tasty clash with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on August 8 in the first round proper should they go through.

However, AFC Wimbledon – a club spawned from the 1988 FA Cup winners after they upped sticks and moved to Milton Keynes – will want to mark their first ever match as a Football League club with a win (7/2 Away Win 90 Minutes) some 34 years after the original side entered the league.

Wimbledon entered the league via a play-off win against Luton Town, while Crawley were a Football League side in waiting last term as they romped to the title.

Boss Steve Evans is boosted by the fact that, with the exception of skipper Pablo Mills, who recently underwent an operation on his ankle, and Jamie Day, who is still recovering from injury, Crawley have a full strength squad to pick from for the tie.

Six players could make their debuts and Evans is looking for his men to send out a strong message to their League Two rivals through this match.

Crawley go into the match on the back of a good run from the end of last season with four wins and two draws in their last six while they defeated AFC Wimbledon 3-1 (12/1 Correct Score) in the Conference game at the same venue last term.

AFC Wimbledon have problems in the treatment room as new captain Jamie Stuart and midfielder Lee Minshull are struggling with respective back and dead leg problems, while defender Mat Mitchel-King is out with glandular fever and fellow new signings Gareth Gwillim and Charles Ademeno are doubts with respective shoulder and heel injuries.

They also go into the clash against their rivals in good form with a record of four wins and two draws from their last six games.

However, with a slightly stronger side and home advantage afforded to Crawley Town it is difficult to see any other outcome than a victory for the Reds.

Prediction: Crawley To Win 90 Minutes @ 8/13
Value bet: Crawley To Win 2-1 Correct Score @ 7/1

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Stoke and Fulham do Splits

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Thursday throws up Europa League qualifying action as three British teams get ready for tricky tests against teams from the continent as they look to keep the dream alive.

Stoke City are preparing for the start of what they hope will be a long and successful European journey when they face Hadjuk Split at the Britannia Stadium (Stoke 1/2, draw 13/5, Hadjuk 9/2).

This will be the first European tie for the Potters since 1974 and the Staffordshire club have come a long way in those 37 years.

Now heading into their fourth season in the top flight, Stoke have established themselves as a Premier League side under their manager Tony Pulis.

What has stopped the club from dropping down into the Championship has been their impressive home form at the Britannia, where even the Premier League’s top clubs don’t like to play.

With loud passionate fans who get behind their players this will be an intimidating atmosphere for their Croatian opponents.

Hadjuk have just got their domestic season off and running and sit in fourth place in the table after a victory on the first day of the campaign.

They will be looking to go back to Poljud Stadium with something to play for but the Potters, backed by their home fans, should take a lead to Croatia.

Fulham also have Croatian opposition on their hands when they travel to the Park Mladezi Stadium to take on RNK Split (RNK Split 5/1,draw 13/5, Fulham 1/3).

The Cottagers have already got their competitive season underway after seeing off Crusaders and NSI Runavik in earlier rounds, so they are getting used to these European nights.

Fulham have added to their squad this summer as they look to have another successful season in the Premier League and Europe.

Former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise is one of the latest players to sign for the London club and his experience will be invaluable for this away trip.

Manager Martin Jol knows what these nights are all about and Fulham will be happy to be level pegging when they head back to Craven Cottage.

Edinburgh outfit Hearts get their Europa League campaign off and running when they travel to Hungary to take on Paks at the Stadion PSE (Pak 8/5, draw 11/5, Hearts 7/5).

However, they will do so without the aid of Andy Webster and Mehdi Taouil, who are out through injury, while David Obua is a doubt as he is currently dealing with passport issues.

The Uganda international, who scored against SPL champions Rangers on the opening day of the domestic season, is frantically trying to sort his papers so he can play in Hungary.

After what looks like a promising start to the season with the draw at Ibrox, Hearts will be full of confidence they can get a result against Paks.

The SPL side have had a tendency to come unstuck against continental sides, however they might just nick an away victory in this one.

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Championship trio stand out

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The new football season is set to get underway in just over a week’s time as the Football League sides start a week earlier than the top flight and in the Championship it will see another intriguing nine months of battling to reach the cash-rich promised land that is the Premier League.

The three teams that drop out of the Premier League – West Ham, Blackpool and Birmingham – are usually billed as favourites to make an instant return, but on this occasion I can’t see that being the case as only Sam Allardyce’s Hammers look like having the capabilities of winning the title.

In addition to the east Londoners, it is former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Leicester City and Nottingham Forest, managed by the Swede’s one-time assistant and Three Lions successor Steve McClaren, who are the three clubs standing out, while there are two dark horses in Derby and newly-promoted Brighton as potential winners in the race for Championship glory.

West Ham

The Hammers appear the most likely to charge back to the top table of English football (9/2 Championship Outright).

Big Sam has already made a great acquisition in persuading Kevin Nolan to drop down from playing in the Premier League with Newcastle to help the promotion push, while he has so far retained most of his top players, including Scott Parker, Carlton Cole and Rob Green.

It seems unlikely all three will still be at Upton Park come the closure of the transfer window, but if Allardyce can make a few more additions and keep players such as Frederic Piquionne (12/1 Top Goalscorer), who is capable of scoring 20 Championship goals, it would be hard to back against them.

Leicester

While West Ham have a squad littered with quality Premier League-standard players, Foxes boss Eriksson has assembled a squad of players full of top Championship players with vast experience of playing in second tier of English football – just like Neil Warnock did at QPR last year – and that could give them the edge.

Republic of Ireland defender Sean St Ledger, one-time England striker David Nugent and highly-rated Reading centre-back Matt Mills have joined other new faces such as Lee Peltier, Kasper Schmeichel and Neil Danns at the Walkers Stadium and there could be more in the door before September 1.

Following the spending spree, Eriksson has made no secret of the club’s ultimate aim this coming season.

He said: “Our ambition to reach the Premier League (6/4 Promotion) is being underlined each day and the owners’ vision and commitment is first class.”

Nottingham Forest

McClaren’s arrival at the City Ground has breathed a new lease of life into Forest (3/1 Promotion) – a side that flirted with promotion for several years under Billy Davies but failed to ever negotiate their way through the lottery of the play-offs.

McClaren has no experience at Championship level which works against him – as it did for Gordon Strachan at his former club Middlesbrough when they were the favourites for the title a year ago only to struggle badly and the Scot jumped ship by the end of October.

However, while Strachan’s gamble on Scottish Premier League players being able to cut the mustard in the Championship backfired to an extent, McClaren has been wiser in bringing in players with experience of second-tier football such former Forest man Andy Reid, Fulham midfielder Jonathan Greening and 35-year-old ex-Holland international George Boateng.

The latter two plied their trade under McClaren a the Riverside during his stint as Boro boss so he will know exactly what he is bringing to the club and I fancy Forest to do well under his leadership.

Dark Horses

Brighton romped to the League One title last term and made an immediate statement by beating off some bigger guns to the signing of striker Craig Mackail-Smith (14/1 Top Goalscorer).

They arrive in the Championship at the same time as moving into their brand-new stadium with a good young manager in Gus Poyet at the helm and a side buzzing from last season’s impressive run.

You only have to take a look at how well Norwich did by securing two successive promotions to know that, while it is a rare a feat, it can be achieved, and the Seagulls definitely have the potential (6/1 Promotion).

Nigel Clough has also been a busy man at Derby this summer with virtually a new team of players moving to Pride Park as the club’s owners show ambition and their confidence in the manager to get things right after several uneventful seasons at the East Midlands outfit.

Providing the new faces can all gel quickly then I could quite easily see the Rams, who are 14/1 shots, making a charge for a promotion spot.

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Ferguson foiled in search

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Manchester United supporters are likely to take a dim view of Sir Alex Ferguson’s admission that the “type” of world-class midfielder needed to fill the void created by Paul Scholes is “not available” (Man United 7/4 – Premier League 2011/12 Outright).

It means United will set off in pursuit of a record 20th domestic title without one of Luka Modric and Samir Nasri of Tottenham and Arsenal respectively, as well as top summer target Wesley Sneijder from Internazionale (West Brom 9/2, draw 11/4, Man United 1/2 – match prices).

The news will disappoint the match-going Stretford End faithful desperate to be moved out of their seats akin to when a flash and young Cristiano Ronaldo first lit up Old Trafford on his debut against Bolton close to a decade ago.

It will also mean United will almost certainly be caught short when it comes to closing the gap on Barcelona at Europe’s top table (Barcelona 2/1 – Champions League 2011/12 Outright).

Ferguson explained: “We lost five players in their 30s this summer. That helped finance the three younger players – Ashley Young, Phil Jones and David de Gea – I have brought to the club.”

He added: “At this moment, I can’t see another addition. The type of player we might have been looking for is not available. I am happy with the players I have got at this moment in time.”

United were humbled by the all-conquering Catalans for the second time in three seasons in May in the final of Europe’s elite club competition. It was a one-sided game in which Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs, Antonio Valencia and Ji-Sung Park were cruelly exposed.

How Ferguson would have loved for Scholes at his peak to have squared up against Camp Nou maestro Xavi – and it is the gap he leaves which is certain to cause the game’s longest-serving manager his biggest headache.

Players of Scholes’ undisputed class are once-in-a-generation types, which makes the fact that Ferguson is now likely to close the purse strings – with options available – all the more frustrating.

Modric, Nasri and Sneijder are all game-breakers with the rare talent of controlling matches at the highest level in a role which Scholes mastered with distinction.

All three would surely have surely flourished at the peak of their careers under Ferguson’s stewardship, in the same way Eric Cantona needed a stage to showcase his talents.

The Scot has made no secret of his frustration that United have not won more Champions League trophies – and without a creative lynchpin, the wait could go on.

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