Some expert advice for the weekend’s activities from Sporting Index
In case you hadn’t noticed, all the cool kids are making their ritual viewing of Soccer Saturday a little more interesting with the help of spread betting. Our friends at Sporting Index are the go-to-guys for this money making art, and they have kindly provided previews of two of this weekend’s big clashes…
Stoke/ Manchester Utd
The Red Devils follow their derby triumph with a trip to the Britannia Stadium, where the Potters lost just four games last season. The comparisons drawn between Stoke’s home and Burnley’s Turf Moor are extremely welcome to sellers of United’s win index spread, as the Clarets, of course, defeated United there earlier in the season. Spread punters who followed the progress of Tony Pulis’s first top-flight season will remember, however, that United were one of the several clubs to leave the Britannia with three points, thanks only to a late Carlos Tevez goal. Chelsea are the only other member of the Big Four to play there so far this season and also required a last gasp winner. Buyers of the time of the last match goal will hope for a similar spread make-up on Saturday.
Fulham/ Arsenal
Due to their demolition jobs on Everton, Portsmouth and Wigan
Will you be watching the Three Lions go Dutch tomorrow?
With the exception of “injured” self defence expert Steven Gerrard, Fabio Capello’s England squad travelled to Amsterdam today to prepare for tomorrow night’s friendly with The Netherlands.
Understandably, several Premier League managers are less than delighted that a full programme of international fixtures has been scheduled just three days before the start of the Premier League season: Roy Hodgson and Martin O’Neill have vented their fears, and brand new Black Cat Steve Bruce has gone as far as saying there shouldn’t be any international friendlies at all:
“I’ve never known anything like it before. I don’t know why there are internationals scheduled this week.
“I’m baffled and it really is total nonsense. International friendlies should be banned anyway.”
The managers clearly aren’t impressed by this friendly, and it’s unlikely that the players are savouring a pan-European trip for a meaningless game just hours before the start of a new season. But is the game actually of any interest to fans? Are you keen to see the Three Lions get some vital practise before September’s crunch tie with Croatia, or would you rather be watching Coronation Street/ Midsomer Murders/ whatever crap ITV show on a Wednesday?
Let us know your thoughts below…
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The games that have made this season worth watching
Now that Manchester Utd have pretty much put the final nail in the coffin of the 2008/09 Premier League title race, it’s high time that we start peddling out some end of season lists. Accordingly, here is a top ten of the campaign’s most entertaining matches, which somehow includes a game involving West Brom…
#10: West Brom 3 - 2 West Ham, 13th September
Gianfranco Zola must have been wondering what he’d signed himself up for, watching his first West Ham game from the stands before taking over as manager. A game with a neutral-baiting mix of awful defending and open attacking play, both teams managed to lose their lead twice before an 83rd minute West Brom counter attack saw Chris Brunt sprint free of the Hammers’ defence and clinically place one inside the far post.
#9: Fulham 0 - 0 Sunderland, 18th October
Sunderland’s early visit to Craven Cottage should go down as the best goalless game of the season. Fulham’s goalmouth literally took a battering. Kieron Richardson, taking time off from his usual job of lying on a physio’s table somewhere, had his 25-yard free-kick bounce between the posts twice (before having another free-kick goal disallowed) and Djibril Cisse’s rasping long ranger was saved by the crossbar. However, the Cottagers created their own opportunities in the back-and-forth battle, with Zoltan Gera having a shot cleared off the line from Pascal Chimbonda before spurning his team’s best chance with a Carragher-esque air kick.
The scenario: You’re the manager of a Premier League team, and you’re allowed to strengthen your squad by signing just one player in the January transfer window. But you can only choose someone from Woy Hodgson’s improved squad - so who do you pick?
Your options: Woy the Boy has cannily ditched some of the journeymen so mysteriously favoured by Lawrie Sanchez. Jimmy Bullard, Brede Hangeland, Andy Johnson and Clint Dempsey should all be on your shortlist.
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