European Preview

It is the business end of European competition now and it is do or die. With the first leg over it is now all or nothing and all teams need to set themselves out to win the tie not the match.


Champions League Preview

Inter Milan travel to the Nou Camp with a 3-1 lead to defend from the first leg. Barcelona need to win 2-0 to go through but there is no doubt Inter will be set up to frustrate Barca and hit on the counter the question is can they keep out an irresistible Barca attack?

Lyon host a Bayern Munich team that hold a slender 1-0 lead, Bayern have been regular scores away in the Champions League this season including two at Old Trafford. Will the German team take care of Lyon efficiently?

Lyon to reach the Final – 5/2

Bayern to reach the Final – 1/4

Inter Milan to reach the Final – 4/7

Barcelona to reach the Final – 5/4

Paddy Power is currently running a selection of enhanced odd bets for 4 more days. This week you can get a massive 4/1 on both Robben scoring for Bayern and Messi scoring for Barcelona

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Europa League Preview

There may be no English teams in the Champions League but an all English final is a possibility in the Europa League. Can both Liverpool and Fulham keep the flag flying in Europe?

Liverpool find themselves 1-0 down from the game in Madrid but remain confident that home advantage will see them through. However Atletico have a lot of pace on the counter with the much sought after Aguero available after missing the first game due to suspension.

Fulham face an out of sorts Hamburg who have just sacked their coach after a 5-1 defeat to Wolfsburg. The game is poised at 0-0 giving Fulham the advantage but with a big injury doubt over leading scorer Zamora and a new coach and the final in their home ground Hamburg have a lot to play for.

Liverpool to reach the Final – 11/10

Atletico to reach the Final – 4/6

Fulham to reach the Final – 5/6

Hamburg to reach the Final – 5/6

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Planes, trains and automobiles

It was all about the travel this week. UEFA decided to press ahead with the Champions League and Europa League games even though the planes were still grounded due to the volcanic eruption. This meant the away teams had to travel via whatever means necessary. Left Rafa checks his watch as the train from Runcorn is 10 minutes late

Liverpool and Fulham had the longest trips having to cross to mainland Europe via the channel tunnel. A lot was made of these 12-13 hour journeys but how hard is it sitting on a luxury bus? Sure there is boredom and the potential for muscles to seize up but it’s not exactly the worst thing that could happen. The problem for the clubs was that players are pampered these days and used to their routine so this slight inconvenience of using a bus to travel through Europe was major news. They should try travelling on an overnight bus from Bangkok to Ko Samui!!

Neither team seemed badly affected although both Europa league games were pretty poor, Barca got an unexpected beating off Inter but I don’t think the travel had any real impact on the result, and if it did then Mourinho was taking credit for setting of the volcanic eruption.

All the semi finals in both the Champions League and Europa league are perfectly poised which should make for a great week of European football on TV this week.

Back to domestic matters and it is all about the top of the table on TV this weekend. Spurs travel to Old Trafford to face a United team looking to put pressure on Chelsea with a win taking them 2 points clear, while Spurs will be looking to open a gap of 5 points on Man City in the race for 4th. Spurs however have never won at Old Trafford since the start of the Premier League drawing only 3 times. Therefore this game is either a home banker or it is time for Spurs to break that record, but rest assured it won’t be a draw.

Spurs are 11/2 to win and United are 4/9.

The Saturday evening game see’s Arsenal entertain Man City at the Emirates. Arsenal maybe out of the title race after their shock 3-2 defeat at Wigan but they will still have pride to play for. The Gunners fans might secretly be hoping for a City win as I’m sure they don’t want to see their arch rivals Spurs finish in the top 4.

Man City are 11/4 to win with Arsenal favourites at 10/11, the draw is 12/5.

Sunday see’s Villa, another team with top 4 aspirations take on local rivals Birmingham. Villa are a point behind Man City but have played a game more so really need to win every game to be in with any sort of a chance, however a local derby is never easy and I’m predicting a draw for this one.

The draw is 11/4 with a Villa win being priced at 4/7 and a Birmingham City win at 9/2 .

The final Premier League game of the weekend is Chelsea v Stoke. This may seem like a home banker but with Chelsea seeming to struggle in their last two games a resilient Stoke side could well stifle Chelsea and leave them frustrated. The longer that goes on more the fickle Stamford bridge crowd will get anxious and Chelsea’s’ back. Expect a closely fought game and I am predicting a 1-1 draw.

Chelsea are 1/7 on to win with Stoke a massive 14/1 in a two horse race, the draw is 6/1 .

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The Week Ahead

The weekend has seen another twist in the title race with Manchester United closing the gap to 1 point of Chelsea with 3 games to go. Monday nights game see’s Liverpool take on West Ham that will have more of a bearing on the bottom than the top four.

Title Odds

Chelsea 4/7
Man United  11/8
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Europa League Preview

With no British clubs left in the Champions League the focus switches from a Wednesday night to Thursday with both Liverpool and Fulham in action.

Liverpool travel to Torres’ old club Atletico Madrid without Torres as he is due to undergo surgery on his troublsome knee ligament which could rule him out of the World Cup. This will be no easy game for an out of sorts Reds, especially without Torres. Atletico, with the much sought after Aguero upfront with Diego Forlan will no doubt put pressure on the Liverpool back line and Liverpool would be happy to come away with a draw but I predict a 2-1 win for Atletico.

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Fulham travel to Hamburg, where the final will be played, giving the home team that added impetuous to qualify. Hamburg are currently sitting 7th in the Bundesliga so this should be a close tie. The home support will be key in this one and if Fulham can settle the crowd down they could be in with a shout for a draw. Expect a tough game but a resolute Fulham to come out with a 1-1.

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Yankey Doodle Dandy

Well it is official, George “the worst a club can get" Gillette, and Tom “rhymes with dicks” Hicks are actively seeking to sell Liverpool FC. They have employed Barclays Capital and brought on board Martin Broughton the British Airways chairmen to lead the hunt for new owners.

Broughton, a Chelsea fan, joins the Liverpool board as Chairmen and will work alongside current executives and Chief Executive Christian Purlsow in finding a suitable buyer for the club.

I’m not sure why they need to employ somebody specific to close a deal but I hope it comes off. Gillette and Hicks, just like the Glazers, have saddled two of our most established and famous clubs with millions of pounds worth of debt. A trend I am hoping does not continue.

The problem is the Yanks see a cash rich Premier League, with a worldwide fan base and think they can make a quick buck. They do not understand football or soccer as they call it and they come over here thinking they can operate football clubs like their American Sports franchises. Well that clearly does not work over here and the sooner the cowboys are ran out of town the better.

May I just add a caveat to this, both Sunderland and Aston Villa have American owners who have come in and quietly gone about their business investing in the team but seeking no limelight so I wouldn’t like to tar all the Yanks with the same brush. Let’s just hope that Broughton and Barclays don’t just sell to the highest bidder, which is what the Yanks will want valuing the club at £500million. I hope they do take into consideration the fans and the future of the club when looking for a buyer.

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Webb of Incompetence

Well the FA cup Semi Final weekend was a tale of bad refereeing, a bad pitch and a badly run club making it to the showpiece final.


First up Villa v Chelsea and the mystery crime loving Martin O’ Neil was raging against what can only be described as a mysterious decision or lack of decision from Howard Webb when Abonglahor was bundled over by Obi Mikel early on in the game. O’Neil was also fuming about the John Terry tackle which, from and England fans perspective was criminal and only got Terry a yellow card. Not content on shagging his best mates missus, the lunge on Milner could have ended the in form Villa players season and his chances of a World Cup place, which would have been a travesty as he has been England’s inform player this season.

Terry and his cockatoo hair cut aside, Howard Webb got both decision wrong and not for the first time this season. He is lauded as our best referee and has been chosen, by FIFA, to officiate at this years Wold Cup but personally I am embarrassed that he is classed as our best ref. Webb now believes his own hype and his performances this season have been far from good.

It is easy to slate the ref and often I hate the fact that Sky show a reply over and over and then lambast the ref but these two decisions he had a great view of and in my eyes were no-brainers. His decisions played a pivotal role in the outcome of the match and therefore the team going through to the final, yet he never has to justify his decisions and often (if it is anything like Sunday league) don’t even justify them or explain them to the players.

Why should someone who plays such a pivotal role not have to explain himself to the paying public and players? If a referee came out and explained why he made the call and gave his reasons, it would still be hard to swallow but at least you would understand their thought process. Maybe they don’t do this as they don’t have a thought process when making decisions or The FA are worried they might admit to a mistake or confess to letting JT off cos he has had a rough time of late. I know that in Sunday football that if you get on the right side of the ref you are less likely to get booked.

One day, maybe the media will be allowed access to refs and this then might help them to think about their decisions if they need to explain them after.

Pompey, a club so badly ran that I’ve heard they are enlisting an ex Enron board member to smooth things out, upset the odds by beating Spurs on Sunday. The game was not a classic and on the whole Spurs probably deserved it but that is the magic of the cup. ‘Arry blamed the pitch and it was evident that this Wembley pitch is worse than some Sunday League pitches. Every team that has played on it has said it is not up to scratch and as ‘Arry said, “they wouldn’t let horses race on a surface like that”. Well done to The FA for a great stadium with a shit pitch, only the most important part. Time to sort it out!

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Four gone conclusion

A play on words there as all four of the English clubs are now out of the Champions League. This is the first time since 2003 that there has been no English representation in the Champions League semi final stage and this has lead to the inevitable inquest.


“Man Utd exit highlights Premier League decline” one BBC sport blogger prematurely ejaculates on his blog “Declining Standards” a Sky Sports discussion post has as its title. Needless to say the red top tabloids had the same sensationalist type of headlines and even the BBC Sports editor claims that Barcelona’s Champions League victory last year is the moment the power shifted back to the continent.

I for one am not subscribing to them scriptures and find it indicative of the lazy, sensationalistic journalism that our so called press tend to churn out, not just in sport but across the whole news spectrum. These days if one of the top teams loses 2 games in a row it’s a “crisis” even if a bottom half Premier League team loses 3 or 4 games the press will raise questions over the managers suitability and call for him to get the sack. Personally I hate the fucking press in this country, The Sun and the other shit tabloids epitomise the “dumbing down” of reporting and the fact they over sensationalise every little thing and often contradict themselves week by week sometimes day by day suggest to me my missus could write a better article on football then these twats.

Anyway rant over, I suppose they have to write somet to try and sell papers. One summer doesn’t make a swallow, so they say and one season without a Champions League semi finalist does not mean the Premier League is in decline or our teams are getting weaker.

True Liverpool were very poor but are sat in 6th place in the Premier League this season so there is no reflection on the league there. Arsenal got knocked out by the best football team Europe has probably ever seen, well the best I’ve ever seen anyway, Chelsea limped out against Inter but it was more mind games with Mourinho than ability that cost them. Man United were not outclassed by Bayern it was a poor game in Munich but until Rafael got sent off United were cruising even after that they created the better chances.

This is just a bad season for the Premier League teams and hopefully a wakeup call as we have become complacent about our top teams and the Premier League believing they hype spurted from Sky about the Premier League being the best in the world. Top class football exists in other countries too!

True our top clubs have spent less this year and the spending on the continent has increased compared to previous years and that will have had an impact and as this suggest it is not the Premier League teams in decline but the other teams that are catching up and also learning how to play against Premier League teams, our teams are not getting worse.

Hopefully now there will be less of arrogance about English clubs involvement in the latter stages of the Champions League and more of an acceptance of the ability of very good foreign teams with very astute coaches. Lessons the Champions League pretenders of Spurs, Man City and Villa should be very aware of as there is an assumption from media and fans alike that if one of these teams finish 4th, they will qualify for the Champions League group stages. I for one am not convinced and would not be surprised if we only have 3 teams in this seasons Champions League, unless of course Liverpool can nick 4th spot.

There will be on man who will be pleased at the exit of all 4 of the English clubs and that is UEFA president Michele Platini. A great player but in my opinion a total twat and just like Bayern were “typical Germans” according to Fergie, Platini is typically French.

On a lighter note though ITV commentator Gabriel Clark came out with a classic at the end of the Man United v Bayern game “Ferdinand and Vidic have been penetrated twice tonight” Really Gabriel was that before the match? (above Rio penetrating Vidic)

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Midweek European Action

It might be Tuesday but it feels like a Monday to me. But it is nearly time to knock off and not only am I looking forward to a feast cooked up by my other half but I'm already looking forward to a feast of football.


Before we get on to the mouth-watering main course tonight of Barcelona v Arsenal there is a starter dish of CSKA Moscow v Inter Milan. The game kicks off at 5:30pm on Sky Sports 2 this evening and this is probably going to be a dish best served cold. Now I'm not sure if it is my imagination and I can't be bothered to check the facts but as far as I'm aware pretty much every game held in Russia ends in a draw and expect nothing different this time round. Inter will be wary of the Russian side who can be dangerous when they start playing so expect a tight cagey game with Inter only having a slender 1-0 home leg advantage. A draw for me all the way this one.

Now onto the mouth watering feast that is Barca v Arsenal. The game last week did not disappoint, except it was on ITV, and I expect this one to be even better. No Fabregas for Arsenal is going to make it tough but no Puyol or Pique at the heart of the defence for Barca and no Imbrihimavic up front gives Arsenal a good chance. Expect a right ding dong of a game with a few chances being created. Arsenal are 7-1 to beat Barca tonight, but remember the mighty Liverpool team with Craig Bellamy in it that beat Barca in Camp Nou?? It is hard but not impossible to beat Barca, they are an outstanding team but often over hyped as invincible here in the UK. Personally I'm looking forward to a 2-2 draw and extra time.

I will post again tomorrow previewing Man United v Bayern but if you are looking for a mid week European accumulator then my tip this week for a £700 win off a £10 is below

Barcelona v Arsenal - draw
Manchester United v Bayern Munich - home
Wolfsburg v Fulham - away
Atletico Madrid v Valencia - home

Take a look at the free bets on offer here

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Party Time in the Toon To'neet

As I'm typing this live on BBC2 Nottingham Forest are playing Cardiff and if Forest fails to win then Newcastle will be promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Even if Forest do win, Newcastle only need 1 point at home tonight to Sheffiled United.

Whatever the results tonight it is looking like the Toon Army will be back in the big time next season and having lived in Newcastle I can guarantee it will have been party time in the Toon all day. However one man who might be celebrating but certainly won't be out in his Newcastle shirt, will be Mike Ashley. (Y'aye pet, Ashley gets to know the locals back in 2007, left) The Toon may be going up but after the party tonight all eyes will be on Ashley and what he is going to do with the club.

After pulling the club form the market at the start of this season Newcastle United is now a much more attractive proposition with Premiership status guaranteed and a bumper TV package in place for all Premiership clubs. It remains to be seen what Ashley plans to do, the feeling among the fans is that they would be better off with new owners, but the market has changed and they need to be wary of the cowboy types, like the Americans and Sheiks who I'm sure would see a loyal, passionate, some might say crackers fan base with a 50,000 plus seater stadium a safe place to saddle £ millions of debt.

It will be good to see the Toon Army back in the top flight, for all the over sentimental bullshit that gets wrote about them, they do love their football and the league is all the more colourful for having them in it, I'm sure even Sunderland fans will be looking forward to the derby games again next season.

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Saturday Football Accumulator

Having been predicting the Premier League scores all season on my Fantasy Pemier League game, I decided that I should start putting some real money on the outcomes. Scores are hard to predict but getting 4 out of 10 results right is not as hard.

So I've been putting on a few accumulators, or multiples as they are sometimes known recently and have had a decent run of results. Like any good gambler, I study the form and I have a strategy. Now I know what you're thinking but this is not one of those "guarenteed to win" strategys and I'm not going to ask for $9.99 for my fool proof guide.

It's all about winning big for me, if my potential return is less that £200 or even £300 I'm not interested, as I figure if I stick to £10 bets and accumulators that are going to bag me £300 or more I only need to get 1 in every 30 right to break even. So far I have 3 in 12, you do the math!

Anyway I thought would share the wealth so this is what I'm betting on this Saturday, this cheeky little multiple will get me a cool £729 from a £10 and you can even have a choice of results for one game on Tote Sport. There are loads of online bokkies that offer a free bet based on your intial bet or that will refund your bet if you lose, so if you're interested check out the best offers around

Man Utd v Chelsea - Home Win
Will be a close game with neither team wanting to lose but I expect United to just edge it 2-1

Bolton v Aston Villa - Draw
Bolton have been steadily improving and Villa will be reeling from the thrashing at Stamford Bridge last weekend. I'm going for a 1-1 draw

Sunderland v Spurs - Home Win or Draw
Probably the most controversial choice I'm going Sunderland win but you can go for a draw and get the same odds. Spurs maybe in form but Sunderland is a tough place to go and Darren Bent will have a point to prove.

Bristol City v Nottingham Forest - Away Win
Forest's away form is not the best but Billy Davies knows thta if they are to keep pushing West Brom and Newcastle they need to keep winning and with a play off position pretty secure I'm expecting them to go for it.

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3D Football this weekend

The game of the weekend has to be at Old Trafford, not only is it a top of the table clash but it is also been shown in 3D in selected pubs across the country. Like a few other million people I've seen Avatar in 3D at the pictures and I enjoyed it. I dodged a canister coming straight at me and couldn't resist reaching out to touch the bushes a couple of times.

It was pretty weird though, looking round at everybody in the glasses and I'm pretty sure it will look even weirder in a pub on a Saturday lunch time.
This is the second game Sky have shown in 3D and I didn't watch the Arsenal v Man U game so I'm going to try to catch the game tomorrow with a couple of mates to see what it's like. I will let you know on Sunday, if I'm not too hung-over.
http://3d.sky.com/pubfinder/


This time the guide dogs had to be left outside.
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ESPN's Saturday tea time offering is Burnley v Man Citeh, a North West derby but I can't see anything but a Citeh win, they will leave it late though with a couple of goals in the last quarter of the match, and if you are still looking to watch some more football, you can't go wrong with Barca v Athletico Bilbao on Sky Sports 4 at 7pm. Messi has been in mesmerising form lately and deserves they hype expect a footballing master class with a confident Ibrahimovic leading the line after his two goals against Arsenal.

There is a feast of Scottish football on Easter Sunday with Hibs v Celtic and Aberdeen in action against Kilmarnock. On Sunday an in form Everton welcome West Ham to Goodison Park. Zola maybe smiling again and Goldie looking Dave is chipper West Ham seem to be a team with little confidence and Everton at home are a match for anybody on their day. Expect a comfortable win for Everton 2-0.

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Football on the TV is back!

I know what you’re thinking back??? It’s nearly the end of the season? But I am talking about football on the TV is the site www.footballonthetv.co.uk Started in 2008 we thought it was time for a makeover. We have given the site a new look and feel with improved functionality so all the fixtures will be constantly updated so you will never miss a game. As well as the new functions we have some fantastic new features and team pages, with more to come. To celebrate the launch of our new site we are running an exclusive competition during April for our newsletter subscribers. The lucky winner will get any Premier League or International football shirt of their choice. All you need to do is sign up to the football on thet tv newsletter and you will be entered into the prize draw. You will also receive an email with information on how to boost the number of your entries.  There are some great new features on the site such as the page for the style conscious among you Terrace Fashion and a free football betting page , giving you the best free bet offers from online bookies and a potentially massive multiple bet tip. Check out the site and make sure you join the mailing list for your chance to win a football shirt of your choice.

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