The weekend provided us with some thrilling sporting action and some helpful betting clues ahead of some big events over the coming months. Here’s what we think were the key lessons from the last few days…
1) Unreliable England are not contenders
Tiredness was to blame for England’s 2-2 home draw with Switzerland, but it was another sign that all is not well under Fabio Capello. The Italian is planning to leave the post after Euro 2012 (England 8/1 Outright Winners) although several pundits feel his exit should come before the tournament.
England looked solid defensively in World Cup qualifying, but since the debacle in South Africa, too many back-four regulars have looked culpable. Joe Hart looks to have resolved the goalkeeping issue, but you could argue that the defensive faces in front of him need a shake up.
England (1/8 to win Group G) should still qualify for next summer’s tournament, but there will need to be massive strides made between now and then for the Three Lions to pose any threat in Poland and Ukraine.
2) Federer has another Grand Slam in him
Roger Federer went under the radar before the French Open and the Swiss ace almost pulled off a sensational win.
After ending Novak Djokovic’s unbeaten run, Federer came close to toppling Rafael Nadal in the final and showed he can still mix it with the very best as he enters the latter years of his career.
The 29-year-old (9/4 to win Wimbledon 2011) will now look forward to the grass court campaign – his favourite surface – with renewed confidence and will have a 17th Grand Slam title in his sights.
Andre Agassi won one of the four major titles at the age of 32 and Federer has already proven that he has the physical and mental strength to win again – although Djokovic, Nadal and the rest will continue to push him all the way.
3) Stricker is the best from the US
At the age of 44, most golfers may think their best days were behind them and that a Major Championship could be out of their reach – not Steve Stricker!
The American showed he is hitting good form at just the right time, as the world’s top players prepare for the upcoming US Open. Stricker (25/1 to win 2011 US Open) collected a cool $1.1m when claiming victory in the Memorial tournament this weekend, a result that moved him to 11th in the FedEx Cup standings.
The man from Wisconsin is now the top US player in the world rankings, moving ahead of Phil Mickelson into fifth, and his consistently straight ball-hitting must give him a chance at Congressional next week.
4) McIlroy needs more time
Rory McIlroy showed more moments of inspiration in the Memorial event at the weekend, but there are still some concerns that the 22-year-old may need more time to secure a first major title.
Surely it is just a matter of time before the Northern Irishman (11/1 to win The Open Championship) wins one of the ‘Big Four’ tournaments and he says “confidence is high” ahead of next week’s US Open. But an erratic Friday and Saturday in Ohio, couple with his final round blow-up at the Masters, still leads some people to think it won’t be this year.
5) More wins afoot for Carlton House
But for a lost shoe in the closing stages, The Queen could have been celebrating Derby success on Saturday. Carlton House (12/1 to win Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe) was involved in a thrilling finish at Epsom, but had to settle for third behind the eventual winner Pour Moi.
The build-up for the big race was far from ideal, with the three-year-old suffering an ankle strain in the week prior to the race and also being drawn in a wide stall. Jockey Ryan Moore indicated his mount was unlucky and connections have high hopes for the rest of the season.
Want £200 Free? Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.