Tag Archives: target

Reading target capital gains

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Reading rescued a late point against Stoke City on their return to the Premier League on Saturday but face an altogether different challenge against FA Cup and Champions League winners Chelsea on Wednesday.

Adam Federici guaranteed himself an appearance on a Christmas blooper DVD when he gifted the Potters the lead but Adam Le Fondre spared his blushes with a late penalty.

It was a fair result and no more than Brian McDermott’s newcomers deserved for a late onslaught, while Tony Pulis must have felt he’d had his pocket picked.

Stoke had been the better side for the majority of the game but nerves may have got the better of Reading. They will need to improve for a tough assignment in west London, and difficult first road trip against Chelsea, who are quoted by Totesport the 9/2 third favourites in the Premier League outright betting.

Roberto Di Matteo’s men pulled off a job-done, 2-0 away win at Wigan at the weekend in which they mustered just three shots on target, while new signing Eden Hazard caught the eye.

The DW Stadium encounter highlighted potential flaws at the back and suggestions Chelsea’s defenders do not enjoy players running at them, while Fernando Torres might have made the game more comfortable.

The last time the two sides met was in 2008 when the Blues pulled off a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge thanks to a Michael Ballack goal, so there is little to go on here in terms of recent history and the personnel have changed markedly for both sides.

Chelsea will be confident of a first win on home soil this season and this is reflected in the price of 1/4 in the match betting, with the draw quoted 9/2 and the Royals priced up the 12/1 rags.

Torres had an effort cleared off the line at Wigan and might have won his side a penalty on another day. The Spain striker is the 3/1 favourite in the First and Last Goalscorer market and 8/11 Anytime to open his account for the season.

Another option here would be to go split stakes on the 1-0 (13/2) and 2-0 (11/2) correct score outcomes, working on the theory McDermott might look to flood his midfield and stifle Chelsea.

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Russia target winning start

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On the opening day of the European Championship, one of the competition’s dark horses, Russia, will be looking to get off to a strong start with a win over the Czech Republic (Russia 11/10, draw 9/4, Czech Republic 14/5).

Friday’s encounter in Group A (10/1 to produce the tournament winner) should be an edgy encounter with neither side wanting to come away from the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw with nothing, in what is set to be a highly competitive group which also includes co-hosts Poland and Euro 2004 winners Greece.

Russia are sweating on the fitness of their first choice goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, who is hoping to recover in time from a knee injury for the clash on Friday, with Vyacheslav Malafeev waiting in the wings as a replacement.

The Russians, under former Rangers boss Dick Advocaat, have been on a decent run of late and will take plenty of confidence from their last outing when they took apart Italy to beat the Azzurri 3-0.

Led by playmaker Andrey Arshavin, Russia managed to reach the semi-finals of the competition four years ago and will be tough prospect for any team in the tournament this time around.

It’s the Czech Republic who are first up to take on Advocaat’s men and they will be hoping their standout players come to the fore in this summer.

The Czechs certainly have a strong spine to their side, with Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech set for a busy tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Cech was instrumental in helping the Blues win an elusive Champions League title this season and the 30-year-old will have to use that experience to help grind out results for the Czechs.

In the heart of midfield Tomas Rosicky will be an influential figure and expect plenty of the play to go through the Arsenal man, who has come on leaps and bounds this season at the Emirates to become an important player for the Gunners.

The 31-year-old has highlighted his club team-mate Arshavin as the major threat to his side for Friday’s encounter and believes his players will be looking to give the playmaker as little time as possible.

Rosicky will also be hoping to link up with former Liverpool striker Milan Baros (15/2 first goalscorer), who can still be a threat at this level and will hope to cause the Russian defence plenty of problems at the Municipal Stadium.

It’s a very hard opening game for the Czech Republic, who will be up against it against a Russian side who will be brimming with confidence following that comprehensive win against the Italians.

Russia should come out the stronger of the two teams and claim the three points in this encounter, but expect a tightly fought contest between two sides who have a good chance of finishing first and second in this competitive group (9/2 Group A highest scoring group).

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Italy target pre-Euros lift

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Italy take on fellow Euro 2012 qualifiers Russia in an international friendly on Friday night as the Azzurri look to get in shape for the summer’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Once the powerhouses of European football, Italy now sit in the shadows of the likes of Spain and Germany, so what chances of success do they have this summer? (Italy 14/1 – Euro 2012 Outright)

Cesare Prandelli’s side won their group to make it to Euro 2012 but it was not without a few dodgy moments, the goalless draw with Northern Ireland and only a 1-0 win over the Faroe Islands raised a few eyebrows and let’s not forget the Serbia game, where they were awarded a 3-0 win after the opposition fans rioted.

They take on Russia on Friday night and will be looking for a real confidence boost on the eve of the tournament, especially vital as their scheduled friendly with Luxembourg in Parma on Tuesday was cancelled due to the earthquake near the region earlier that day. (Italy 23/20, draw 21/10, Russia 9/4 – 90 Minutes)

Dick Advocaat’s Russia are going to be no push-overs and are themselves preparing for Poland and Ukraine, with the Dutchman’s side built on a solid defensive unit and that is exemplified by the fact that – bar their 6-0 win over Andorra – they scored only 11 goals in nine qualifying games.

The Group A side possess talent like Andrey Arshavin, Alan Dzagoev and Roman Pavlyuchenko, so Italy cannot under-estimate them as they look to get their camp in order before starting their Euro 2012 campaign against defending champions Spain on June 10th. (Spain 4/5, draw 12/5, Italy 10/3 – 90 Minutes)

Italy are traditionally strong in defence and their narrow formation, which Prandelli usually packs with four central midfielders, means they retain possession well. But it is up-front where things could go well, or very wrong, for the Italians this summer.

Antonio Cassano is just back after having heart surgery in November and he led the way during qualifying and then there is the wildcard that is Mario Balotelli, who looks likely to play a lead role after being given the number nine shirt.

The Manchester City man, who this week vowed to walk off the pitch if he suffers racist abuse, was recently left out by Prandelli but the boss now claims the trust for forward “100%”. With veteran forward Antonio Di Natale, Fabio Borini and Sebastian Giovinco the other options, Italy need Balotelli to have a big tournament.

Italy have the hardest start possible against the defending European and World champions Spain, but following that they should fancy their chances against fellow Group C sides Croatia and the Republic of Ireland.

But they could run into the Spanish again at the quarter-finals and that looks about the level Italian fans should expect to see their side progress this summer. (2/1 Quarter-Finals – Italy Stage of Elimination)

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Whites target Bluebirds revenge

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Sunday’s only clash in the npower Championship throws up what will undoubtedly be a fiery encounter between Leeds United and Cardiff City at Elland Road (Leeds 11/10, draw 9/4, Cardiff 2/1).

There is certainly no love lost between these two rivals and Leeds will be looking for payback after they suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Bluebirds on home soil last season.

The Whites have come on a long way since that sorry night at Elland Road and now look to have established themselves as one of the tougher sides to beat in the Championship.

Leeds failed to spend big money in the summer transfer window unlike other teams, with the likes of West Ham United and Leicester City splashing the cash.

However players have come to the fore and one man in particular will be looking to prove a point on Sunday.

Scotland international Ross McCormack (5/1 first goalscorer) was seen as surplus to requirements by Cardiff before he was snapped up by Leeds, and since making a slow start to life in West Yorkshire, has become the club’s top goalscorer this season.

The former Motherwell striker has been a threat throughout the Championship campaign so far and will be desperate to add to his tally against the Bluebirds.

Other players who have pushed on for the Whites have come from the club’s academy as Tom Lees and Aidy White have become mainstays in the side under manager Simon Grayson this season.

Leeds go into this on the back of a defeat to Birmingham in midweek but there will still be plenty of confidence in the ranks.

However in Cardiff they come up against a side who have been a bogie team for the Whites over the years.

Leeds have not beaten the Welsh outfit since the 1984/1985 season and the Bluebirds go into this game in a tidy bit of form.

A City win on Sunday would give them three victories in just over week, after they picked up three points against Barnsley last weekend and beat Burnley in midweek to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.

Cardiff may be without their own Scottish striker Kenny Miller, who required 20 stitches after his collision with his own team-mate Ben Turner.

However manager Malky Mackay still has the services of Welsh striker Rob Earnshaw (6/1 first goalscorer), who will be a player that Leeds need to be wary of on Sunday.

This is a close game to call considering the form of both teams and the high quality of personnel on both sides.

However Leeds have only lost one game at home in the Championship so far and will be fired up for this one with that 4-0 defeat in the back of their minds.

The Whites should scrape this one but expect plenty of goals between these two attacking sides, as Leeds hope to end their long wait for a win over the battling Bluebirds.

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Preston target great escape

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Preston North End produced one of the shocks of the season on Saturday as they beat high flying Swansea 2-1 at Deepdale to keep the dreams of Championship survival alive.

Manager Phil Brown and his side will take plenty of confidence from the win but they will now have to turn their attentions to Tuesday night’s clash against Reading at the Madejski Stadium (Reading 4/7, draw 13/5, Preston 5/1 in the match betting).

The Lilywhites sit eight points off safety in the Championship table, with a game in hand over Crystal Palace who sit in 21st place, and have 24 points to play for between now and the rest of the season with Preston hoping to perform a miracle and avoid the drop into League One.

Brown is one of the best managers to have in this position, as he has experience of relegation dogfights after he helped Hull City avoid the drop from the Premier League in 2009.

Preston have started to get a decent run of results in the Championship and they are currently on a three-game winning streak, since they were beaten by Leeds United 2-1 in a disappointing performance from Brown’s side.

Wins over Scunthorpe United, Coventry and Swansea have boosted confidence at Deepdale and they will be looking to pick up more points against play-off chasing sides.

Reading (4/1 to win promotion) currently find themselves in sixth spot having gone on an eight game unbeaten run in the Championship.

Striker Shane Long has been in fine form for the Royals and his brace was enough to give his side a 2-0 victory over Portsmouth on Saturday.

With Nottingham Forest losing to Leeds on the weekend, a win for Reading on Tuesday would give them a three-point lead over the play-off chasing pack.

The Berkshire club have two big games against fellow play-off contenders Leeds and Forest to look forward to but they won’t be able to take Preston lightly in a league as unpredictable as the Championship.

Reading manager Brian McDermott has really lifted the mood at the Madejski Stadium and confidence is high amongst the players.

Preston will be desperate to continue their three-game winning streak but they will have to improve their away form as they have only won three games on the road this season.

Reading are favourites going into this game but with Brown and his players battling for their lives at the bottom of the table, they might bag all three points on Tuesday night.

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Hammers target cup cheer

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West Ham United and Birmingham City meet at Upton Park to kick off the first-leg ties of the Carling Cup semi-finals this week, with the opportunity to set up a trip to Wembley offering a welcome distraction for the relegation-threatened Hammers.

Avram Grant’s future at the Irons helm remains in major doubt, although a 2-0 FA Cup third-round win over Barnsley eased the pressure on the Israeli for the time being.

An optimistic note can also be struck by his side’s progress to the last four of the Carling Cup, with a 4-0 Boleyn Ground demolition of Manchester United in the last round the major highlight. Grant’s men have also seen off Stoke City and Sunderland on their way to the semis.

However, West Ham are the outsiders to reach Wembley (evens for the tie) in a tie given extra spice by the former owner of the Blues, Davids Gold and Sullivan, having taken charge of the claret and blues.

City head to the capital as slight outsiders to win on the night (Birmingham 23/10 – match betting), but they are expected to edge out their London rivals to reach a first final since their heartbreaking penalty shoot-out loss to Liverpool in 2001.

Much of their strength is derived from a resolute back four in which both Roger Johnson and Scott Dann have been mooted as possible England calls, but goals remain hard to come by for Alex McLeish’s side and the Scot may be tempted to draft in striker Matt Derbyshire, who netted twice in a 4-1 weekend FA Cup win over Millwall.

Wednesday evening sees Championship strugglers Ipswich Town play host to Arsenal in a tie which is seen by most tipsters as a one-horse race.

The hosts, who axed manager Roy Keane last week and drafted in Paul Jewell as a replacement, were thumped 7-0 at Chelsea in the FA Cup third round at the weekend, while their league form has seen them win just once in nine games to plunge down the Championship table.

They have also scored a mere one goal in their last five games and Town’s dreadful recent form is reflected heavily in the match odds, which see the Gunners as overwhelming favourites for victory in East Anglia (Ipswich 15/2 – match betting).

Arsene Wenger’s men have their eyes on bigger prizes this season but having gone five years without a trophy, the chance of booking a Wembley final should be very tempting.

Town fans will be doom-laden when confronted by the fact that the Gunners have sailed through to the semis by despatching Wigan Athletic, Newcastle United and north London rivals Spurs, who scored the only goals that Arsenal have conceded in the competition this season.

Ten goals scored in three ties also show that the Arsenal attack is having few problems in firing in the Carling Cup, even though Wenger continues to use the competition as something of an avenue for experimentation.

With a place in the final seemingly certain, Wenger may be tempted to field a full-strength team in the home second leg, but whatever side takes the field at Portman Road it should still be more than enough to see off a downbeat Town outfit.

The only note of caution for Arsenal comes with the knowledge that new Tractor Boys boss Jewell masterminded Wigan’s shock semi-final success over the Gunners in 2005-06.

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Trio target Premier League

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Trying to call who will win promotion from the Championship this season is a bit of a lottery again this season – as it has been in past campaigns.

Teams’ stock will rise and fall throughout the season, however there are a few teams that have shown the potential to reach the top flight.

A club whose stock has dropped in recent weeks, though, is Queens Park Rangers (4/9 to win promotion).

Neil Warnock’s side went the first 19 games of the campaign without defeat and shot to the top of the Championship table.

However, recent defeats at the hands of Watford and Leeds United have got Rangers on a slide and with a difficult game against Swansea on Boxing Day they could go yet another game without a win.

Much of their success this season has been founded around the talented Adel Taarabt who has been one of the players of the Championship so far.

This is both a blessing and a curse for Rangers as teams have learned to neutralise Taarabt which in recent weeks has led to defeats.

QPR are still serious title challengers as having gone so long without defeat who says they cannot do it again and ease themselves into the Premier League?

A team that were early title favourites this season were Cardiff City (3/4 to win promotion).

The Welsh side have only managed one win in their last seven league clashes which is clearly not title-winning form.

However, the Bluebirds have played some of the best football in the league this season and, despite their poor run, still sit in third place in the Championship.

Cardiff boast the top goal scorer in the league in the shape of the now-capped England international Jay Bothroyd.

The former Arsenal Academy player has 13 goals in the league but has been on a dry spell having dealt with injuries.

The Bluebirds team suffered heartbreak in the play-off final last season as they lost to Blackpool, but they have not let that affect them and they are still a favourite to win promotion this term.

A club that know all about play-off heartbreak in recent years is Leeds United (3/1 to win promotion).

The Whites started the season hoping to consolidate a place in the second tier after three years languishing in League One.

Manager Simon Grayson and others at Elland Road would maintain that is still their primary goal, however after a nine-game unbeaten streak and a rise into the automatic promotion positions, their targets may have changed.

Leeds have struggled defensively for much of this season but the introduction of Andy O’Brien from Bolton Wanderers has been one of their best loan deals in years.

The Whites have an abundance of attacking talent with the likes of Luciano Becchio, Max Gradel, Robert Snodgrass, Davide Somma, Ross McCormack and Billy Paynter on board.

Grayson’s side have a big four games coming up as they take on Leicester City, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Cardiff.

The Leeds boss has stated that the club will be taking stock after those matches that come in quick succession over the busy Christmas period.

If the West Yorkshire can maintain their form they might have a chance of being in the running for a return to the top flight.

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Milner sets City honours target

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New Manchester City signing James Milner has revealed that manager Roberto Mancini has told him to be prepared to win the Premier League this season (City 8/1 Premier League – outright).

The England international finally completed his protracted move to Eastlands late on Wednesday after a summer of speculation which has dominated the back pages.

The 24-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the mega-rich club after his reported £24million transfer was completed, a move which saw Stephen Ireland go the other way and join Aston Villa (11/8 – 90 minutes v Rapid Vienna).

The former Leeds and Newcastle midfielder becomes City’s sixth major signing of the summer with Jerome Boateng, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Aleksandar Kolarov and Mario Balottelli having already completed multi-million pound moves to Eastlands.

Milner is likely to have a real battle on his hands to secure a regular starting sport in Mancini’s side, despite having been a vital cog in the Villa machine for the past two years.

However, Milner is adaptable and is able to play anywhere in midfield having featured for Villa and Newcastle out wide and in the centre of the park.

Milner insists the best is yet to come from him and believes this move will stand him a good chance of securing trophies for years to come, including his ultimate goal, the Premier League.

“It didn’t take too much selling by the boss when you see the players who are already here and the plans for the club,” he told City’s official website.

“The last thing he said to me was ‘be ready for the next game’, and then he said ‘be ready to win the Premier League’, and that’s my ultimate aim – that’s what I want to do and why I’m here.

“I’m ambitious and I want to win trophies here. I believe this is a great place to do that and I believe we will do it. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.”

Having only completed his move late on Wednesday Milner will play no part in City’s Europa League play-off clash with FC Timisoara (4/1 – 90 minutes v City) with the rest of the team having flown out to Romania the same day.

Milner is more likely to make his debut in the massive game against Liverpool at Eastlands on Monday night, when City will be looking to lay down a marker against one of their top-four rivals.

Thursday’s European game represents more of a distraction for City than anything else with the club’s owners keen for them to at least secure Champions League football this season.

Even a weakened side City should have too much firepower for their opponents, especially since Timisoara have struggled in recent European outings, scoring nine goals in their last 15 matches.

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Trotters target goal machine

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Bolton Wanderers star Ivan KlasnicBolton are 4/1 to be relegated from the Premier League next season but Ivan Klasnic could get them the goals to ensure that this is not the case if he re-signs from Nantes.

The Croatian impressed while on loan with the Trotters last season and managed to chip in with eight goals despite struggling with injury.

Klasnic has an eye for goal and Wanderers boss Owen Coyle would love to get him back on board if a deal can be hammered out with Nantes and the player.

The French club are happy to let him leave on another season-long loan deal but want Bolton to pay his wages, which are said to be as high as £60,000 a week.

Bolton want Nantes to foot some of the bill and unless a compromise can be reached, the deal will not happen.

“I have said all along that if we can get something sorted financially with Ivan, then I would love to have him back at the football club,” Coyle revealed.

“But finance does play a part – and without getting into the bits and pieces, he’s on a fantastic contract at his club. That’s the only thing standing in our way, nothing else.

“I think Ivan is a top class player who will score goals in my team. But if it’s too rich for the football club, it’s too rich.”

Strikers who can score goals in the Premier League are a rare commodity and Coyle has so far struggled to find one at the right price, meaning he has turned his attentions back to Klasnic.

The Croatian has already proven himself and if Coyle is not careful he could lose the player to a Premier League rival. Most clubs are in the hunt for a new striker with Blackburn, Birmingham and Newcastle in particular all keen to strengthen.

Coyle wants to move Bolton on to the next level and a top 10 finish (10/3) is not out of the question if he can get the right striker on board, and Klasnic could be that man.

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Inter target Benitez

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Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has revealed that the Italian giants are looking at Rafa Benitez (Liverpool 10/1 to win the Premier League) to be their next manager.

Moratti is currently scouting for a replacement for Jose Mourinho and the former Liverpool boss is being heavily linked with the job at the San Siro.

Benitez left the manager’s position at Anfield on Thursday and was reportedly given a £6m compensation package after his side were unable to qualify for the Champions League.

According to Moratti, talks with the former Valencia manager could happen as soon as next week.

He said:  “I can only speak highly of him, because he is very talented.

“It’s true, we are leaning towards Benitez and in the next few days we’ll decide.”

Inter did the treble last season after winning the domestic cup, Serie A and the Champions League, beating Bayern Munich in the final.

Moratti will be looking for a manager who can continue the success that the club experienced under Mourinho, who has taken the job at Spanish giants Real Madrid.

He said: “I know Benitez has a good record against Jose Mourinho, I think he’s beaten him five times.

“That’s a sign he does his research, works well and above all does not get the big games wrong.

“It is also important that he has already made his mark in Europe. We want to achieve more in this area,” he added.

Meanwhile Liverpool are looking to fill the role left by Benitez, with a number of big names being linked with the job at Anfield.

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has declared his interest in the job after revealing he has been a lifelong fan of the club. Eriksson is 11/1 to be the next Permanent Liverpool manager.

Tottenham gaffer Harry Redknapp (9/1) has also been linked with the Merseyside club but is unlikely to leave the London club after helping the side reach Champions League qualification ahead of Liverpool.

Roy Hodgson (9/4f) is a likely candidate for the job, having helped Fulham reach the Europa League final. He has been linked with a move to a bigger club since the end of the domestic season.

Whoever takes over at Anfield will need to try and keep hold of the club’s top players as captain Steven Gerrard and prolific goalscorer Fernando Torres (14/1 to be top goalscorer at the World Cup) have been linked with moves to other clubs.

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