Showing posts with label Point. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Point. Show all posts
Friday, September 6, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Manchester United go to Arsenal with a point to make ahead of title defence
"Before the worries of next term, United still have four more games to play this year – with Chelsea’s record points tally of 95 in sight."
With Chelsea's Premier League record in sight, Sir Alex Ferguson won't go on easy on the Gunners - but he's got work to do to keep the pack at bay next season, writes Hannah Duncan.
With Manchester United having sealed their 20th top-flight title last night - and Sir Alex Ferguson's 13th league crown - it might seem daft to ask where the club goes next.
But, although they have won the title at a canter with just four Premier League defeats all season, there is one big question that seems to produce conflicting answers. Is this really one of the strongest United squads in recent times? Or is that everyone else in the league was weaker?
There's no doubting over the summer that Chelsea and Manchester City will bolster their playing staff with big-money acquisitions, with certainly the former - and possibly the latter - also bringing in a fresh manager with fresh ideas (or maybe even an old face).
Rafael Benitez is an enormous outside bet at 34.033/1 to remain at Stamford Bridge next term, and for many Chelsea fans even those odds aren't long enough.
So with changes afoot elsewhere, Fergie and the United board can't rest on their laurels.
Paul Scholes, having not been seen since January, may well retire for a second time this summer and Ryan Giggs, while being instrumental in their 3-0 win over Aston Villa to clinch the title, isn't getting any younger.
There's also talk that Javier Hernandez could seek pastures new for guaranteed first-team football, while Rio Ferdinand's injuries could finally catch up with him. And there are still question marks over the (admittedly improving) David De Gea.
Radamel Falcao is the latest in a string of names to be linked with a summer move to Old Trafford, which if they pulled it off, would certainly help keep Chelsea at bay.
United have also been linked with a long-anticipated move for Borussia Dortmund hitman Robert Lewandowski, who they tried to sign last summer.
They are two big names which would certainly do no harm in the Old Trafford dressing room. But whether signing either or both would spell the end for Wayne Rooney's United career, or enable him to play more frequently in a deeper role - in which he has flourished - remains to be seen.
While strengthening their attack wouldn't hurt, goalscoring hasn't been a problem for United this season. But their defence, particularly at the start of the season, has looked very shaky at times.
Of course they can blame injuries, with Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Jonny Evans all missing periods of the campaign. But that would be papering over the cracks, and that's not Fergie's style.
The Scot said last night - possibly in a moment clouded by euphoria and champagne - that Phil Jones could be the club's greatest ever player. Well he's good, but he's got some stiff competition.
And with him only really being utilised at centre-back in an emergency, the former Blackburn man isn't about to solve their defensive concerns any time soon.
Centre-half is certainly an area Ferguson will need to address in the summer and it wouldn't be surprising if he plumped for a new goalkeeper too.
As much as De Gea has improved on his turbulent debut season, he still has too many flappy moments - and Ferguson hasn't won 13 league titles by being sentimental.
But before the worries of next term, United still have four more games to play this year - with Chelsea's record points tally of 95 in sight.
They begin their latest challenge with a tough trip to Arsenal on Sunday - where Robin van Persie could be afforded a guard of honour, along with his title-winning team-mates.
That alone is bound to spur on the Gunners, who are 2.245/4 favourites to beat Manchester United, with the draw looking a good outside bet at 3.65n/a.
But while Ferguson may not view records in the same manner as a manager such as Jose Mourinho, he'll demand his players carry out a professional job for the rest of the campaign and send out a message to those eyeing up the Premier League title next year.
Recommended Bet
Manchester United to draw with Arsenal @ 3.65n/a
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Saturday, March 9, 2013
Cross-Sport Multiple: Saints to steal a point
"With both teams anxious not to lose to a relegation rival, a draw is the likeliest outcome here."
Andrew Hughes thinks Southampton can hold Norwich to a draw and help land a Saturday cross-sport multiple in the process.
Betfair now gives you the facility to mix and match your multiples across a huge range of sports and markets with the easy-to-use betslip and so each weekend I've been putting together a cross-sport treble with the aim of showing the way to maximise your profits.
Bet 1: Back Norwich to draw with Southampton at 3.259/4
Five points separate these teams in the Premier League table, and neither are safe from relegation. Norwich have games against three of the bottom four to come, so have plenty of opportunities, but Southampton are in a precarious position. Defeat to QPR last time was a setback, and with their next two fixtures against Chelsea and Liverpool, they could easily slip into the bottom three by Easter.
On the plus side, their recent away form isn't too bad, including a victory at Aston Villa, a draw at Chelsea and a creditable 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford. They've also drawn four of their last seven games away from St Mary's.
Norwich's home record is pretty good too, with their only defeats in the Premier League coming against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, although they have drawn three of the last four at home. With both teams anxious not to lose to a relegation rival, a draw is the likeliest outcome here.
Bet 2: Back Wales to beat Scotland at 1.444/9
Scotland have surprised a few people in this year's Six Nations campaign. They outplayed traditional wooden spoon rivals Italy at Murrayfield in their second game, then came up with a titanic defensive performance to deny Ireland last time.
But they won't be making it three out of three on Saturday. The Welsh got off to a slow start in their opener against the Irish, but they fought back well in the second half, then carried that determination over to their next fixtures, in Paris and Rome. Their victories over France and Italy were not pretty, but they have restored confidence, and have even given Wales an outside chance of retaining their title.
Scotland will defend as though their lives depended on it, but Wales have enough creativity to find a way through, and their back row can cause havoc amongst a Scottish side that has sometimes looked disorganised at the breakdown.
Bet 3: Back Rigadin De Beauchene in the Sandown 2:40 at 3.02/1
This three mile handicap chase is a modest affair and offers a good opportunity for Rigadin De Beauchene to pick up his second race of 2013.
Venetia Williams' eight-year-old has improved significantly in his second season over fences, winning a Grade Three at Warwick in January, and finishing second in the Grand National Trial at Haydock last month. He obviously stays further than this three miles, but the soft going will be in his favour.
On paper, his main rival appears to be the Paul Nicholls entry There's No Panic, but he hasn't been that impressive this season and may be better going left-handed. Soll is dropping back in class and could be a threat, but he had a hard race in the Welsh National and was beaten a long way. Back Rigadin De Beauchene to prevail.
Total Odds for this multiple: 14.04n/a Remember, multiple prices are based on our Fixed Odds product, so any winnings are exempt from commission.
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Tuesday, March 13, 2012
GSOP Event #12: Pot Limit Not a Betfair Strong Point
Grand Series of Poker VIII 
/ Matthew Pitt / 12 March 2012 / Leave a Comment 
/ Matthew Pitt / 12 March 2012 / Leave a Comment Pot Limit Hold'em
Although I am not personally a fan of Pot Limit Hold'em I love the idea of one rebuy and one add-on formats so please Betfair Poker add some more of these to the regular schedules
It appears that in Team Betfair circles there is a big thumbs up for Pot Limit Omaha but a resounding chorus of boos and hisses for the same betting structure when applied to Texas Hold'em. Why? Divert your eyes downwards to find out.
Event #12: $100+$8 Pot Limit Hold'em 1r1a $50,000 Guaranteed
Although I am not personally a fan of Pot Limit Hold'em I love the idea of one rebuy and one add-on formats so please Betfair Poker add some more of these to the regular schedules. The reason I like them is the fact they help increase the prize pools and allow you to loosen up a tad without having to have a gigantic bankroll to rebuy a dozen times. Anyway, more on that later, let's get down to the action or should I saw lack of it.
I wish you guys could see my Holdem Manager database to see the cards I was being dealt early on, they were ridiculous to say the least. We started with Js5h, 7s5h, Qd7h, Qh5s, 3s3h, Ts6d, Jh5d, Jh4h, Tc8s, Qd2h, 8c3h, 7c2h, 6c6d, Kd2h and 6s2s! Amazing. I then picked up QdQc, raised and picked up the blinds to start the ball of crap cards rolling again.
I'd lost a coupled of 150-200 chip pots trying to get creative but it looked like another early bath was on the cards until I picked up KdKs during the 50/100 level. BobbyJ4 opened to 300 from under the gun, one player folded before tiltnogood8 three-bet to 699. Another player folded before I shoved for 1,935 in total. BobbyJ4 then re-shoved for 5,785 and when tiltnogood8 folded I found myself up against pocket queens. A ten-high board was enough to see me scoop the pot.
Although things weren't going my way I decided to add-on during the break which is why I was able to donate 8,143 chips to my opponent during the 300/600 level. The action folded to Sircall in the butoff and he made it 1,200 to play. I was on the button and three-bet to 3,480 then called off my 4,663 remaining chips when Sircall essentially shoved on me. My 8s8c were ever so slightly ahead of the Ah9h of villain but I don't win flips and didn't win this one either as the board ran out Jh-Jd-10d-Ad-Kh to bust me out in 160/297. Meh.
It appears that PLHE is not the forte of my fellow Betfair players either because only three of us made it into the money places. Toots2_x finished in 40th, Doobs faired a little better busting in 24th whilst Mulegrynet's tournament came to an abrupt end in 14th place. Still over $1,700 won so not all lost by any means. Well done everyone who cashed!
Event #12 in numbers
Total entrants: 297
Total prize pool: $72,100
Total Team Betfair entrants: 44
Total Team Betfair cashes: 3
Total Team Betfair prize money: $1,711.05
Mini-GSOP Event #12: $10+$1 Pot Limit Hold'em 1r1a $10,000 Guaranteed
This particular event was one of the worst I had played in, not because of the format or anything like that but the fact I lasted exactly 37 hands despite rebuying! Yes I suck.
I'd already won a couple of little pots (before I rebought) so was seated with 2,600 chips when I picked up jacks in middle position. The UTG+1 player min-raised and I opted to call. I should possible have raised but whatever, I called. Gairy87, on the cutoff, also called and it was three ways to the 7s-7d-2h flop. UTG+1 checked, I bet 145 into the 225 pot and Gairy87 raised to 345. Our friend folded and it was no heads-up to the 6d turn. I now checked, villain bet just 165 into 915 and I called bringing us to the Ks turn. I checked again and villain bet again, setting the price at 555. I remember saying to myself that he had to have typed that amount in deliberately but I couldn't fathom out what it meant. It wasn't a king that's for sure. I opted to call and wasn't shown a king instead I got to see 9h7h for trip sevens. Ah, that makes sense!
I topped up my stack with some more chips and got back trying to find a hand. The blinds were 50/100 when I next got involved, making it 245 to play with my Ah6h from middle position. Everyone folded to the delightfully named CalzonePizza in the small blind and he called. We shared a flop reading 3h-7h-Jd and when my doughy friend checked to me I continued with a 300 bet into 590 only to see him suddenly check-raise to 800. Now here I should probably call and re-evaluate on the turn but that isn't fun is it? No it isn't, so I put in a raise myself, this one to 2,990. Have that! CalzonePizza did not take after his namesake and fold instead he shoved for 3,242 in total with ace-jack and I obviously called and even more obviously missed my flush.
The Pizza then busted me three hands later when I got the rest of my chips in with sevens to his eights and I couldn't find a third seven on the five community cards. Another finish outside the money for me, 361/412. Time for bed for Pudding.
Like the bigger GSOP Event #12 only a select few managed to make it into the money, four in total. PapAmericano made it into the money places yet again finishing in 59th place and he was joined by robmug (51st), dukeboy10 (19th) and a big shout out to 586527 who reached the final table before being eliminated in fifth for $520.19.
Mini-GSOP Event #12 in numbers
Total entrants: 412
Total prize pool: $10,000
Total Team Betfair entrants: 52
Total Team Betfair cashes: 4
Total Team Betfair prize money: $675.23
So by the time the dust had settled on the 12th events the figures looked a little something like this. In the GSOP Betfair players have cashed a total of 307 times winning $415,046.38 in the process whilst the mini-GSOPers have cashed 338 times for combined winnings of $32,216.73.
At this year's World Series of Poker Phil Hellmuth seemed to have a unique and rather unwanted ability to finish as runner-up in some big events. At this year's Grand Series of Poker (GSOP) a number of Team Betfair players...
From time to time poker players, for some unknown reason, love to start with shallow stacks and move all-in like crazy horses just for the laugh. Poker players especially like to do this when they can rebuy and try to...
One of my favourite poker tournament formats is one played to No Limit Hold'em rules with a deep stacked structure and has tons of money money in the prizepool so surely Event #9 of the Grand Series of Poker (GSOP)...
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Lee Dixon: A point apiece at Anfield
Premier League / Lee Dixon / 06 February 2012 / Leave a Comment 
Danger man. Gareth Bale needs to be monitored closely.
"They’ve (Liverpool) beaten the big guns in both Cup competitions as well as in the league, yet found it hard to beat the seemingly easier teams, more often than not, at home."
Spurs are the better side at the moment but home advantage should provide a good leveller again and the smart money is on a result that would please both managers. A draw it is, says Lee Dixon.
Before a ball had been kicked in anger, many were predicting that it would be Liverpool who would improve significantly on last year's finish (sixth) and that Spurs would probably finish in a very similar position to last year's fifth. But here we are, almost exactly two thirds into the season and it's Tottenham who have made all the progress, sitting pretty in third, not yet out of the title race and looking good for a Champions League place at the very least. As for Liverpool, they've had a strange sort of season. Steven Gerrard has been out injured for most of it; they lost the grossly under-rated Lucas to injury; Andy Carroll has spent most of the time on the bench; and other big money signings like Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson are yet to find their best form. They've beaten the big guns in both Cup competitions as well as in the league, yet found it hard to beat the seemingly easier teams, more often than not, at home.
A win here for either side would be a huge boost, no doubt about that.
One of the keys to this match will be how much Gareth Bale sees of the ball. If he receives it in space and has a chance to run at defenders at pace, Liverpool could be in all sorts of trouble. Goals, crosses, cards, penalties, they all come into the equation. Bale is often accused of not performing often enough: looking brilliant one day and mediocre the next. But every time I've seen him play live this season he's been very impressive. Not quite good enough to have got my vote for Player Of The Season - the Betfair market has got that one right with David Silva very much the front-runner - but pretty good nonetheless.
This is a really tough match to call. A case could be made for Liverpool given that they were excellent away at Wolves in midweek and very professional in knocking Manchester United out of the FA Cup the weekend before last. The fact that they're one of only two sides who are unbeaten at home in the league seems to suggest they're very unlikely to get beat here.
As for Spurs, well I've touched already on the fact that they've been much the better team this campaign and got a monkey off their backs when a comfortable 2-0 win at Anfield last season ended a run of 16 Premier League away games at Liverpool without a victory (Opta). They've also lost just twice in their last ten away matches so the stats support the premise that losing here would be going against the grain.
We profited from backing the draw in Chelsea v Manchester United because we felt that the away side was the better team but that home advantage would provide a good leveller for Chelsea. I'm not sure many would have imagined the match would have panned out the way it did but the reasoning behind the bet was right and we should take the same approach again here. Back the stalemate at [3.55].
One of the ongoing debates this season has been around what Liverpool's best XI is. Glen Johnson, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and Jose Enrique would be my defenders. Lucas has been sorely missed because Liverpool don't really have anyone with those exact same characteristics in their squad but Steven Gerrard's return gives them some proper steel in the heart of midfield. I like Craig Bellamy out wide and even though he's been a little inconsistent, I think Charlie Adam's range of passing makes him an automatic choice, too. Luis Suarez is their best attacking player and his return from suspension is massive to Liverpool. But beyond that it's hard to say who should play and where and perhaps therein lies one of Liverpool's problems.
I think they'll go 4-4-2 here tonight and I'm not expecting a repeat of yesterday with the floodgates opening in terms of goals. Spurs' defence is somewhat under-rated and they don't concede many themselves so unders is quite a confident selection at [1.99]. Those who are already on the draw may not want to double up on 1-1 at [7.8] but that would be my idea of the most likely scoreline.
Only Kenny Dalglish knows whether he intends to hand Luis Suarez a start tonight. But whether he does or doesn't, I think Andy Carroll may well keep his place in the team. In truth he hasn't made the best of his chance whilst the Uruguyan has been out suspended but he did score away at Wolves and that may have just been the goal he needed to get his confidence back. It's not my strongest bet of the night but if he does start, a quote of [10.0] about him may look pretty big once the game is under way.
2 pts Back the draw at [3.55]
2 pts Back under 2.5 goals @ [1.98]
1 pt Back 1-1 at [7.8]
1 pt Back Andy Carroll to be first goalscorer at [10.0]
They may have taken just a point, but it was the manner of Manchester United's comeback that should warn Man City that the title race is still wide open. Ralph Ellis reviews the weekend action....
The matches involving the Premier League's three newest clubs - QPR, Swansea and Norwich - presented opportunities to land large sums on Betfair this weekend......
Magnificent Wayne Rooney scores a brace and inspires champions to come from 3-0 down to draw with Chelsea. Overs backers are smiling too......
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Lee Dixon: Defoe can help Spurs to a point at the Etihad Stadium
Premier League / Lee Dixon / 21 January 2012 / Leave a Comment 
Jermain Defoe doing what Jermain Defoe does best
"Spurs have a good record against City though with Opta revealing the Lilywhites have suffered just five defeats in the last 29 league matches between the two sides."
This is a huge match in the title race whichever way you look at it. Spurs are more than capable of denying Manchester City a point and keeping the title race wide open, says Lee Dixon.
With half of the season gone not many would have expected this to have been a match between two title contenders. There will be those who think that Spurs won't be able to keep going like they have been (for whatever reason) but whilst they're still within touching distance of the pace-setters, we can't rule them out. And if Spurs can't quite keep up till the bitter end, at the very least they'll have a say in who does win it as a result of their matches against Manchester City and United.
Managers will tell you that it's 1-0 away wins that win you leagues, not 5-0 drubbings. What they mean is that securing three points when you're not playing that well is the quality of champions. City's win at Wigan was a case in point. They created a fair few chances but there wasn't a huge amount of fluency in their passing and in the end it was a couple of really good saves from Joe Hart that secured the points. That and the fact that his players did a good job of defending their lead in a pragmatic way rather than going in search of more goals. That gameplan doesn't always work of course but on this occasion it did.
Spurs' chances of contending for the title were dealt a huge blow last Saturday with a disappointing home draw against Wolves, but those results are going to happen from time to time when you're not scoring enough goals. In recent matches they scored just one, or occasionally two, and defended very well. But if you go a goal behind you need to be able to go up a couple of gears if you want to win the league title. How many times have we seen Manchester United over the years stage comebacks after going behind?
Neither side is necessarily at their best just now though it's perfectly understandable that City are slight odds-on to win this game. Spurs have a good record against City though with Opta revealing the Lilywhites have suffered just five defeats in the last 29 league matches between the two sides. They've also lost just one of their last nine away matches - and that in controversial fashion at Stoke - and will be desperate to avenge that thrashing at the Lane earlier on in the season. My money is on the draw at [3.85].
A tough market to call. Spurs have kept just the one clean sheet in their last eight games away from home (Opta) so I don't think there's much chance of another against the league leaders. But it's not inconceivable that they'll concede just the one, whereas I've already touched on the fact they're not scoring too many themselves. The best way to play this is to back unders at [2.16] at the off and lay off your bet if there aren't any goals in the first 20 minutes. There may end up being three goals in the match but it may take a while for them to come.
Emmanuel Adebayor is unavailable for this match because of the terms of his loan to Spurs. That may actually not be a bad thing for Harry Redknapp. Firstly because he hasn't been in great form recently and secondly because he's a temperamental character who has been known to get a bit over-excited in matches against teams he used to play for. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8252803.stm OK, admittedly he's still a City player, but you know what I mean. Either way, it makes Redknapp's life pretty simple when it comes to picking his striker and Jermain Defoe is almost certain to get a game at last.
There's been speculation Defoe may want to move on given that at this stage of his career he wants to be starting every week, especially with a major championship coming up in the summer. It may be just that - speculation - but Defoe obviously feels he should be playing more. This is a good chance to prove he deserves more game time for the rest of the season and there's no reason why Defoe can't go out and do what he does best. Back him to find the net at any time.
1 pt Back the draw @ [3.85]
1 pt Back-to-lay under 2.5 goals @ [2.16]
Back Jermain Defoe to score at anytime @ [4.5]
Michael Cox says:
Harry Redknapp isn't regarded as the league's most astute tactician, but he'll be well aware that Manchester City have often struggled this season against sides that defend deep before playing on the break - Napoli were a good example, as more recently, were Sunderland.
With that in mind, and without Emmanuel Adebayor, I expect Jermain Defoe to start upfront because of his pace. But I think he might be closely supported by Gareth Bale, who is increasingly playing through the middle and is therefore more of a goalscoring threat himself. Few players are as devastating on the break, so I'm surprised to see Bale at [15.0] to open the scoring.
Back Gareth Bale to be first goalscorer @ [15.0]
Gareth Purnell is not convinced by the market's assumption that we are in for a minor goal-fest when Manchester City face Tottenham on Sunday afternoon - read on to find out why...
Sir Alex Ferguson has tried various approaches at the Emirates in recent years with various degrees of success. Michael Cox ponders the recent history of the fixture and how that will shape Manchester United's tactics here....
It's their home form that's the problem and this away trip to the Reebok Stadium should suit Liverpool just fine. A low-scoring win for the away team looks the bet with Craig Bellamy being the one to break the deadlock,...
Monday, March 21, 2011
Premier League Talking Point: Villa for the drop?
Premier League / Richard Aikman / 20 March 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Gerard Houllier's team could well be dragged into the relegation reckoning
"Blackpool can’t defend for toffee and have mustered just five points from their last six matches, but how can they be [2.28] to get relegated when Villa – against whom they drew 1-1 recently – are [8.2]?"
The number of teams who are still unable to take their Premier League status for granted is a testament to the drama of the top flight, says Richard Aikman. Could a long odds candidate yet be be dragged into the relegation reckoning?
If the Premier League is not the best league in Europe in terms of quality it is certainly one of the most compelling. There are few championships in which the big guns can so regularly be toppled by the sides battling against relegation and in which, with eight games to go, over half of the division is still not technically safe from the drop.
Wolves were bottom of the league when they ended Manchester United's unbeaten record last month and they are still third from bottom despite collecting 11 points from their last six matches. In fact, it seems that no matter how well Wolves play there seems to be a force-field keeping them penned back in the bottom three. They can, however, take comfort from the trust of Betfair punters, who believe Mick McCarthy's men - at [3.25] to go down - will stay up.
West Bromwich Albion, meanwhile, have mustered seven points in the same timeframe, are unbeaten under Roy Hodgson and came within a whisker of completing the double over Arsenal yesterday. Yet the Baggies are hovering just a point above the trapdoor and rated even more likely relegation fodder than their Midlands rivals [3.05].
Despite beating Birmingham 2-1 on Saturday, and finding themselves within three points of 13th-placed Blackburn Rovers, rock-bottom Wigan are odds-on [1.45] to be playing Championship football next season, with the Blues [2.76] set for both the Europa League and the English second-tier next season.
Birmingham have been unfortunate with injuries of late. The loss of James McFadden and Scott Dann has hit them particularly hard this season but few tears will be shed outside of England's second city if the Blues do take a tumble. They are, at times, unwatchable. The purchase of Nikola Zigic tells you everything you need to know about Alex McLeish's gameplan, which largely consists of packing the midfield with warhorses and hoping for the big Serb or a central defender to get on the end of a set-piece. ESPN's interview with Alexander Hleb earlier this season was a telling insight into how desperate he was finding the football at St Andrews' ("Our game is kick and rush and fight and this is not the game I like. It's difficult, sometimes you don't take the ball for five minutes because... [looks up at imaginary long balls going to and fro overhead]."
McLeish's approach is in marked contrast to Ian Holloway's and, if there is any justice in this game, Blackpool will be around to entertain us again next season. But justice and football are seldom the best of bedfellows, as evidenced by Blackburn Rovers' last-gasp equaliser at Ewood Park, courtesy of a hail mary into the penalty area, a poor clearance and a deflected header into the net. The Seasiders, like Rovers, West Brom and Aston Villa have 33 points from 30 matches and yet they are rated the side most likely to go down [2.28] after Wigan.
Admittedly, Blackpool can't defend for toffee and have mustered just five points from their last six matches, but how can they be [2.28] to get relegated when Villa - against whom they drew 1-1 recently - are [8.2]? Part of the reason Blackpool have struggled recently is because their standout player this season, Charlie Adam, missed the Wolves and Chelsea matches through suspension, while DJ Campbell - who had scored seven goals in 11 matches before getting sent off at Molineux - has also been sorely missed.
Furthermore Blackpool have five home matches left to play and they will surely get points against Wigan, Newcastle and Stoke. In fact, you couldn't rule out a result against the Gunners based on the way are playing just now.
Villa, meanwhile, seem to have escaped most people's relegation reckoning because they are, well, Aston Villa. Apparently, they have enough established names (Darren Bent, Stewart Downing, Ashley Young) to get them out of trouble. But if that were the case they wouldn't be where they are now, would they? Gerard Houllier's side have managed just one win and a draw from their last six matches in all competitions and lost their last three matches in succession.
Houllier took a gamble by essentially forfeiting their FA Cup fifth round stage and it has backfired. Admittedly, the Frenchman has had injuries to contend with and the City and Bolton reverses were hardly unexpected, but the crowd have now turned on a side whose January signings Jean Makoun, Kyle Walker and Darren Bent need time to adapt. But time is running out.
With the exception of their next match - Everton away - and their last two - Arsenal (away), Liverpool (home), Villa have a relatively benign run-in on paper. But they will be playing against sides who are themselves scrapping for survival (Newcastle, West Ham, Stoke, West Brom and Wigan). Should they lose to an improving Everton side on April 2, which I wouldn't bet against, four successive defeats would exacerbate an already fragile mental environment at the club, where reports of in-fighting between coaches and players has been the only mark of consistency.
January signings make the difference as Chelsea and Liverpool continue their excellent form with wins over Manchester City and Sunderland respectively......
Berbatov's late strike steals late win for United as Arsenal drop points and last gasp strikes fire relegation fight......
Feizal Rahman selects the best bets as the richest clubs in England go head to head. Top Stat: Manchester City are unbeaten in their last eight league visits to the capital...
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Premier League Talking Point: Why Fergie still has lots to learn about tact
Premier League / Richard Aikman / 06 March 2011 / Leave a Comment A law unto himself?
"Ferguson clearly feels that he can bring his own pressure to bear on the appointment of referees by speaking out."
Sir Alex is up to his old tricks - lambasting referees in order to divert attention from his team, trying to influence officials and shunning the media - but Richard Aikman wants to know if the powers will stand up to the Manchester United manager or do sweet FA...
We all know that football managers are biased. They will inevitably view the performances of match officials through one eye, because their livelihood can hinge on the decision of the men in black, or green or whatever colour it is they wear these days.
They certainly don't wear red. Not as far as Arsene Wenger is concerned anyway. The Arsenal manager labeled Anthony Taylor's decision to rule out Andrey Arshavin's goal for a non-existent offside on Saturday as "disgusting" and "disappointing" but at least he had the good grace to say, "What can we do about it? We must take it on the chin". As a result of that decision - and Arsenal's poor finishing - the Gunners are now three points behind Manchester United and out to [3.8] form [2.72] to win the title.
Blackburn boss Steve Kean was also restrained - unlike his players - when discussing the contentious late penalty that condemned his side to a 3-2 defeat at Fulham, admitting that "technically, he [referee Mark Clattenburg] is probably right that there was a bit of contact. But if that happens you would have to give ten penalties a match." As a result of that decision - and Rovers' bad defending - Blackburn are now just two points above the relegation zone and [4.8] to go down. Kean's response was disgruntled, but dignified.
Sir Alex Ferguson, on the other hand has shown no such tact. He is up on his latest FA charge for questioning the integrity of referee Martin Atkinson, after he awarded Chelsea a soft penalty against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge and sent off Nemanja Vidic for repetitive fouling. "You hope you get a strong referee in games like this," said Ferguson. "It was a major game for both clubs. You want a fair referee - or a strong referee, anyway - and we didn't get that. I don't know why he has got the game. I must say, when I saw who the referee was I did fear it. I feared the worst." As a result of Atkinson's display, and United's poor finishing, the Red Devils's odds lengthened to [1.78], though they are now [1.56] following Arsenal's stalemate with Sunderland.
The first thing to say about Ferguson's comments is that he contends that a match like Chelsea v United should be treated differently to any other match, which is a flagrant insult to other clubs. He also clearly feels that he can bring his own pressure to bear on the appointment of referees by speaking out.
Of course, the main reason behind Ferguson's comments was to divert attention away from his side's unexpected defeat - an age-old technique that has become his trademark. He feels that he can get away with it too because he has been slapped on the wrist so many times that he has become a law unto himself.
Ferguson had every right to be frustrated. David Luiz could have been dismissed for his foul on Wayne Rooney, but the 69-year-old's reaction to the foul was risible when you consider that Rooney should not have been playing in the first place after elbowing Wigan's James McCarthy the previous Saturday. The former Aberdeen manager even suggested the incident would result in the press "raising a campaign to get [Rooney] hung or electrocuted" - yet another example of Ferguson pressurising the notoriously weak FA into doing nothing about the incident.
So it will be interesting to see how the FA reacts to Ferguson's decision to appeal his charge for his Atkinson outburst. According to reports, the Scotsman has rejected legal advice to accept the charge - which would have resulted in a three-match touchline ban, starting with today's trip to Anfield. By doing so he could receive an extended suspension for repeat offending and wasting everyone's time.
But Ferguson knows that the FA is loath to alienate him and he has calculated that when the hearing takes place (probably 25 March) his side will have already played Liverpool, Arsenal (FA Cup) and Bolton anyway, by which time they might have built up enough leeway to cope with the absence of their magus from winable games against West Ham (a), Fulham (h), Newcastle (a) and Everton (h).
The next fixture in the calendar after that is Arsenal (h) in the league and it will be interesting to see whether or not the FA stands up to Ferguson by invoking its right to extend his punishment to a five-match ban.
With perfect timing Kenny Dalglish has waded into the debate. "It is impossible for officials not to make mistakes," he said. "But there is a respect campaign in football and I want to know whether we are going to be the only ones who adhere to it." In other words, are you going to act or do sweet FA?
It will be interesting to see what Ferguson does in the unlikely event that the FA does mete out a five-match ban. Maybe he'll refuse to talk to them. After all, he's not talking to the BBC and he's not talking to MUTV. He's probably not even talking to his wife at the moment. But then how will he exert any influence with the hairdryer turned off?
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