Posts Tagged ‘Lt’
United to loan out youngsters
Some of Manchester United talented bunch of youngsters will be sent out on loan this season. Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverly are two who will be loaned out to gain first team experience.
A number of lower Premiership clubs will be after the two players. Welbeck spent a short spell at Preston last season before he suffered an injury. He scored twice in his five games under Ferguson junior.
Cleverly has had loans at Leicester and last season at Watford. He was voted Watford’s player of the year at the end of the last campaign. Watford were understandably keen to take Cleverly again. Ferguson thinks that both players need to be playing in the top flight at this stage in their career’s to continue their development.
Newcastle have shown an interest in midfielder Cleverly, as they look to prove Premier league outright betting wrong and assemble a squad capable of competing in this league.
Welbeck is being chased by a host of clubs, Blackpool look to be leading the pack. They would promise Welbeck a regular starting spot. Ian Holloway’s men who are favourite for the drop according to the football betting odds have resorted to giving Francis Jeffers a trail in their search for a striker.
Welbeck has looked dangerous in the Carling Cup games he has played for United and scored a delicious lob on his Preston debut.
Other player who may be given a chance of gaining some league experience elsewhere may be Mame Biram Diouf and Gabriel Oberton. Senegalese striker Diouf was signed last season from Molde. French winger Oberton has been linked with a loan move to Rangers. Both have been used on United pre-season tour on the States, meaning both may be kept at Old Trafford and given some playing time there.
Tags: Ascii, Biram, Cambria, Carling Cup, Cup Games, Diouf, Div, Family Auto, Five Games, Font Definitions, Font Format, Football Betting Odds, Footer, Last Campaign, League Experience, Lt, Manchester United, Molde, Mso, Oberton, Old Trafford, Orphan, Paper Source, Pitch, Playing Time, Premiership Clubs, Props, Sans Serif, Senegalese, Style Definitions, Style Name, Style Type, Talented Bunch, Team Experience, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Watford, Welbeck, Winger, Youngsters
From back-up to Leed
With Jermaine Beckford leaving for Everton, the race was on for Leeds to replace the striker. Not the easiest job when you take into account Beckford’s 72 goals in 126 appearances for the Yorkshire side.
Billy Paynter was brought in on a free transfer from Swindon. Although Paynter scored 29 goals last term, he is more of a target man than an out and out goal scorer. Championship betting suggests that Lucciano Becchio won’t get 30 goals in a season but he will work all day to supply other people.
Many players have been mentioned in the press, to replace 30 goal Beckford. Billy Sharp, Leroy Lita and Gary Hooper have all been linked. Hooper, who enters the last year of his Scunthorpe contract this season, has been linked with Leeds for over a year. Celtic, Burnley and Middlesbrough are all supposedly in the hunt for the 22 year old. Scunthorpe are apparently asking for £3 million for Hooper, which may be too steep for Leeds. Chairman Ken Bates isn’t renowned for splashing the cash.
Leeds manager Simon Grayson might be confident enough in what he has already to impact on the Championship and even Carling Cup betting.
American striker Mike Grella, has been used sparingly by Grayson over the past couple of season. It’s been reported that many in the Leeds squad view him as their most skilful player. He has looked promising whenever he has been used and this could be a big season for Grella.
Perhaps the most promising find of last season was South African forward Davide Somma. After signing for Leeds in September 2009, he joined Chesterfield on loan before injury cut his spell short. He was then sent to Lincoln at then end of last season to gain more Football League experience. During his 14 games at Lincoln he scored 9 times. The quality, as well as quantity of the goals impressed Grayson enough, persuading him to hand Somma a one year extention to his current deal.
In Beckford’s early Leeds career, he spent time on loan in a lower division. When he returned from a successful spell at Scunthorpe, he brought that confidence back to Leeds and became an Elland Road hero. Many in West Yorkshire will be hoping Somma follows suite.
Tags: Ascii, Burnley, Cambria, Carling Cup, Div, Family Auto, Font Definitions, Font Format, Football League, Footer, Gary Hooper, Goal Scorer, Grayson, Ken Bates, League Experience, Leeds, Leroy Lita, Lincoln, Lt, Middlesbrough, Mike Grella, Mso, Orphan, Paper Source, Paynter, Pitch, Props, Sans Serif, Signature, Somma, Striker, Style Definitions, Style Name, Style Type, Swindon, Target Man, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Yorkshire, Yorkshire Side
International friendly round-up - Africa
There is certainly no danger of the African teams peaking ahead of this summer’s finals. All six of the CAF qualifiers were in recent friendly action, but only one, Nigeria, were victorious. It now appears even more unlikely that the maiden African finals will be graced by a winner from the home continent.
Cote d’Ivoire, perhaps the likeliest African contenders with world cup 2010 betting odds, are in something approaching disarray. The managerial merry-go-round continues, Vahid Halilhodzic being sacked after a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
Sven Goran Eriksson and Guus Hiddink are in the frame to lead the team in South Africa, but a brand new coach, regardless of his pedigree, is not an ideal scenario. A 2-0 defeat by South Korea at Loftus Road did not help preparation.
Ghana wasted a one goal advantage in Bosnia-Hercegovina to lose 2-1. Sulley Muntari scored the Black Stars’ goal. Algeria continued their poor run of form, losing comprehensively 3-0 to Serbia.
Cameroon and South Africa both secured draw, but the former’s goalless stalemate in Italy represents a far better result than the hosts’ uninspiring 1-1 draw with Namibia. A second half equaliser from Katlego Mphela did little to ease the fears that the home nation will struggle in the summer.
Nigeria were impressive 5-2 winners over Congo, a result notable for the two debut goals by Osas Idehen. The Super Eagles have made a good start under Lars Lagerback, who is on a short-term contract similar to the one Cote d’Ivoire hope to secure with Hiddink or Eriksson.
Nigeria have no more friendlies scheduled ahead of the finals, so the wily Swedish coach will need to work quickly to gel his new charges into a team capable of upsetting some World Cup bets and making a good impression.
Tags: Africa Cup Of Nations, Ascii, Betting Odds, Black Stars, Cambria, Disarray, Div, Equaliser, Font Definitions, Font Format, Footer, Goal Advantage, Guus Hiddink, Hercegovina, Home Continent, Home Nation, Lars Lagerback, Lt, Mso, Orphan, Osas, Panose, Paper Source, Pitch, Props, Sans Serif, Signature, South Korea, Stalemate, Style Definitions, Style Name, Style Type, Sulley Muntari, Swedish Coach, Term Contract, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Vahid Halilhodzic, World Cup 2010, World Cup Bets
English teams regain Eurovision
This might be the season that an English team finally wins the Europa League. There have been only three Premier League finalists in the UEFA Cup since English teams returned to Europe, with Liverpool’s victory in 2001 the first in the competition since Tottenham Hotspur’s in 1984.
An English champion in the first season – in the year of the 2010 Football world cup - of the Europa League would be appropriate. Spurs won the first ever UEFA Cup in 1972, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final, and whilst it might be too much to expect both Liverpool and Fulham to go all the way, both teams have a good chance of glory.
English teams have struggled in the UEFA Cup recently due to their inexperience in Europe. The so-called big four monopolise the Champions League places to such an extent that no one else gets the chance to regularly sample continental football, because the battle for fifth and sixth places in the league is so competitive.
Liverpool’s presence in the event his term has changed that. They know how to win in Europe and their Champions League pedigree, combined with a recent upturn in domestic form, makes them worthy favourites. Steven Gerrard’s improving form should help favour England’s World Cup Betting Odds too.
Fulham do not have the same European experience, but their impressive victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 32 proves they can compete at this level. No one gets an easy game at Crave Cottage, so Juventus must be on their guard in the last 16.
Everton missed out after a late collapse at Sporting Lisbon, robbing the competition of the prospect of a Merseyside derby at some stage, but the Toffees neighbours will not be bothered – Liverpool know they cannot look down on the importance of any trophy at the moment and that the Europa League is there for the taking.
Tags: Ascii, Cambria, Champions League, Div, Donetsk, English Champion, European Experience, Eurovision, Everton, Font Definitions, Font Format, Football World Cup, Footer, Fulham, Good Chance, Impressive Victory, Inexperience, Lt, Merseyside Derby, Mso, Orphan, Panose, Paper Source, Pitch, Premier League, Props, Sans Serif, Sporting Lisbon, Steven Gerrard, Style Definitions, Style Name, Style Type, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Tottenham Hotspur, Uefa Cup, Upturn, Wanderers, World Cup Betting Odds
Chelsea shorten for FA Cup glory
Chelsea are the hot 5/4 favourites to retain the FA Cup after being drawn at home again in the quarter-finals. They top the list when it comes to Odds FA Cup experts produce and will take some stopping.
The Blues defeated Cardiff 4-1 at Stamford Bridge in the fifth round and have been rewarded for their efforts with another home tie - against either Manchester City (8/1) or Stoke (25/1) who will replay at The Britannia Stadium.
Chelsea have edged out Watford and Cardiff on home soil and saw off Preston in the fourth round away from the King’s Road, but they will now have to topple Premier League opposition to reach the semi-finals. Carlo Ancelotti’s men still look primed for more cup glory and have shortened up to repeat last year’s heroics with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United already out of the tournament.
Tottenham are the 11/2 second favourites after battling out a 1-1 draw at Bolton (50/1) and now face a replay at White Hart Lane to determine who will take on Fulham (14/1) at Craven Cottage. FA Cup Match Betting certainly expects Harry Redknapp’s men to progress though.
Financially-stricken Portsmouth (16/1) are well placed to repeat their FA Cup success of 2008 and face Birmingham (11/1) at Fratton Park for a place in the last four.
Pompey will be desperate for cup success in a bid to ease their cash problems on the south coast and they could still become the first team in history to win the prestigious tournament and be relegated in the same season.
Reading (80/1) and West Brom (33/1) face a replay at The Hawthorns to determine who will take on Aston Villa or Crystal Palace (66/1), who will also replay at Villa Park. Villa are 6/1 third favourites to get their hands on the trophy they last won in 1957.
Tags: Ascii, Aston Villa, Britannia Stadium, Cambria, Carlo Ancelotti, Craven Cottage, Crystal Palace, Cup Glory, Cup Success, Div, Font Definitions, Font Format, Harry Redknapp, Hawthorns, Heroics, Home Soil, Home Tie, Lt, Manchester City, Mso, Orphan, Panose, Pitch, Pompey, Prestigious Tournament, Priority, Props, Quarter Finals, Sans Serif, Span, Stamford Bridge, Style Definitions, Style Type, Text Decoration, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Villa Park, West Brom, White Hart Lane