Derby “saviour” narrowly avoids a fine for parading excessively showy motor
As a team desperately attempting to claw back some dignity from this season by at least finishing with points in double figures, times are hard at Derby County. Things weren’t helped this week when their preening new midfielder Robbie Savage rolled up to training in his brand new £160k Mercedes. Players and staff who face cutbacks and unemployment in the coming months as Derby return to a Championship budget failed to gasp in wonder at Savage’s good fortune.
When Sunderland were relegated in 2003, Michael Gray was stripped of two weeks’ wages and the captaincy after showing up to training in a Ferrari. Surprisingly, Savage, who also owns a Bentley, a Range Rover and a Lamborghini, has escaped criticism for his grotesque, loads-a-money gesture
Nailbiting Prem makes Shakespeare look short on drama
So, here we are on the threshold of that vital part of the season traditionally known as “March”, the month when Sir Alex Ferguson claims he starts looking at the table to see where his team is. When he finds them he’ll fall off his throne, not just because United are NOT TOP, but because the entire division, with the exception of two clubs, is stripped to the waist and grappling away in an 18-team cage fight. Derby’s season is done, and the mid-table is made up of just one side - Spurs - and they’ve already got something to polish. Everyone else is either in the race for Europe or the scrap to avoid relegation. Which means that we are witnessing possibly the best Premier League season ever, with every fixture supercharged with significance. When the pressure’s on, footballers do funny things (viz William Gallas), which provides lots of succulent opportunities for punters. To partake, don’t forget to use our odds comparison service to find the best prices and open an account. And get onto our brand new stats centre to do your research. Then hopefully you’ll reach the end of the month full of the joys of spring, and not, like Newcastle, staring your worst nightmare full in the face. For if March is the month of drama, April is the month of horror.
Weekend betting statistics
* Seven of the last ten fixtures between Bolton and Liverpool have finished 1-0.
Mikel Arteta’s lady could cost Everton the Champions League
Good news for Liverpool fans - if there’s any sense of harmony in the world, Everton will take fifth place at the end of this season. Mikel Arteta’s better half Lorena Bernal, you see, has just finished fifth in NutsMagazine’s prestigious ‘100 Sexiest Footballer’s Wives’ poll. And if a comparison with a pseudo-porn weekly rag isn’t enough of a Da Vinci Code-style pattern to predict the league, then I simply don’t know what is.
Match of the Day’s sourest pundit has managed to raise himself again from his weary, seen-it-all-before slouch to post his predictions for the weekend’s Premier League games on the BBC. Say what you like about the saracastic old moaner, he does some pretty fancy work when it comes to picking winners. This week he nailed seven of the ten games.
This week he’s going for Sunderland to win at Derby, United at Fulham, Chelsea at West Ham and Liverpool at Bolton; City to beat Wigan and Boro to beat Reading, then Arsenal/Villa; Birmingham/Tottenham, Newcastle/Blackburn and Everton/Pompey to end in draws.
I’m going Sunderland to win at Derby, United to win at Fulham, West Ham to beat Chelsea (what with Chelsea all stirred up and all), Liverpool to win at Bolton, City over Wigan, Boro/Reading draw, Arsenal over Villa, Birmingham over Tottenham, Blackburn over Newcastle, Everton over Pompey.
Fancy having a crack at Lawro? Knock yourself out below. (And don’t forget to use our fancy new Stats Centre to help you.)
As recently as Wednesday, newspapers (and websites) were reporting that following Chelsea’s inquest into how they ended up with losers’ medals on Sunday, Roman Abramovich concluded that they needed to buy themselves some Kaka.
Unfortunately for them, the only Kaka worth buying has just committed himself to Milan for another five years. Young “Richy”, already the world’s most generously salaried player, has no doubt pushed his earnings even closer to where his best friend Jesus lives by signing a new contract this week.
If Chelsea think they might get a shot at him at some point after June 30, 2013, then they should think again, because Milan don’t have any plans to set him free even then.
Following the Galaxy’s underwhelming performance in the Pan-Pacific Championships, David Beckham’s blog is full of grumblings about rustiness and double training sessions . The team will be playing FC Seoul in Korea today, and as a precursor to the event Mr B gave us all a visual reflection on what his move to America has done for his career.
The Prem stars most likely to devalue your property
Living next door to a footballer, you’d undoubtedly have the luxury of living in a huge pre-fab mansion in a sleepy gated community. But sharing a living space with the Premier League’s finest could make your free time miserable.
One of my flatmates at university, for example, lived next door to Beckhingham Palace in Bishops Stortford, Herts. The huge gardens meant his house was probably several miles from the Beckhams’ lavish pile, but he constantly complained of the paparazzi blocking his driveway, ruining his view, stepping on his peacocks etc.
There are plenty of Premiership stars who would make worse neighbours than the Beckhams - so get voting on your neighbour from hell, or suggest another in the comments section.
Ashley Cole was training with Chelsea yesterday, and was repeatedly scratching himself with the ferocity of a flea-ridden Rottweiler. What on earth could he have been doing to cause irritation in that area?
This Sunday, Liverpool will get the chance to climb back into the top four when they visit the Reebok Stadium. The Champions League spot, however, will only be secure for a matter of hours, as Everton are favourites to beat Portsmouth later in the afternoon.
Scottish Premier League
Hibernian/ Celtic (Setanta Sports 1, 12.30pm)
Premier League
Manchester City/ Wigan Athletic (Setanta Sports 1, 5.15pm)
La Liga
Recreativo/ Real Madrid (Sky Sports Xtra, 7.30pm)
