Will Liverpool be relegated? – Will Rooney really leave?

After last weeks poor show in the Merseyside Derby and another lacklustre performance away to Napoli – I have to say they aren’t.  This sentiment was echoed by ‘GOD’, Robbie Fowler, after the Everton game – stating that the Leeds side that were relegated are better than the current Liverpool side.  We have seen some decent activity in the ‘Next Liverpool Manager Market’ this week – following Frank Rijkard’s departure from Galatassary – he was cut to odds on favourite (2/5) to take the helm from Roy Hodgson.  I think this is a bad shout – why would we want him?  He has no understanding of the English game – if NESV are going to change the manager I believe they need to act now – and Martin O’Neil is the best man – and at 9/1 is easy to back.

Liverpool host Blackburn Rovers on Sunday and at 4/6 are not easy to back – Big Sam always puts out a feisty strong side and I am expecting a draw from this match – which can be backed at 13/5 with Paddy Power.

As for Wayne Rooney – the ginger haired, toad faced Oga can leave Man Utd for all I care.  His on pitch performances since March and conduct of his private life in the last few weeks lead me to ponder why Capello picks him for England?  I think the best move for him, is pack his bags and head off to Sunny Spain - where the locals will refer to him as ‘Coño de Ginger’ or ‘Shrek Rojo’!

Last weeks punts did not provide a profit – much to my dismay.  As stated Liverpool let the football accumulator down – Gitano Hernando came just out of the places in 4^th in the 3.00 at Newmarket – London Irish & Clermont let the Rugby Acca down as well.  This weekend we have the Korean Grand Prix, Aviva Premiership, full domestic football action plus the Rugby League gets under way.

Football acca

QPR – 1/1

CHELSEA – 1/7

NORWICH – 10/11

MAN CITY – 11/8

BRIGHTON – 1/2

£10 wins you £155

Rugby League

New Zealand to win the Handicap - 14pts or more @ 10/11

Horses

I am sticking with Kieran Fallon this week and his ride in the 14.55 Group 1 at Doncaster on Saturday – he is partnering an unbeaten Brian Meehan 2 year old called ‘TITUS MILLS’.  Widely available at 8/1 with Ladbrokes and even bigger on Betfair – he is a sound each way chance.

I am sticking with Mark Webber for the F1 this weekend – he has been driving well all season and his qualifying was superb on Thursday – and is easy to back to stretch his lead – 7/2.

Weekly Round up - I don’t claim to be Paul the Octopus!! 

In last weeks bets we came a close 2^nd – but no cigar.  The Friday Football Double fell with the second selection, Rep of Ireland unable to beat a weakened Russian side – after the Czech Rep got us off to a winning start by beating Scotland.

The horse racing tips performed well but did not produce a profit – 3.05 Taajub trailed off in the closing stages but the NB tip of Bewitched won easily at 6/1.  The Fonz in the 3.40 could only finish 10^th of 19 – after being sent off as favourite.  The trio was completed with Paunasias coming in 2^nd in the 4.15 at 9/1.

And finally Mark Webber came a close 2^nd in the Grand Prix behind his team mate Sebastian Vettel.

Win’s for Northampton & London Irish got the Heineken Cup action under way – The Exiles have been cut from 80/1 to 40/1 for the trophy – do you think Ladbrokes read the blog??

So some positives to be taken into this week – fingers crossed we can get a couple of winners to bring up a profit.

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The Premier League is back!!   Liverpool, with some new owners at the helm will be trying to transform their season – and using their high profile Derby day to do so.  Call it ‘blind optimism’ but I will be backing Liverpool at 2/1 at Ladbrokes or 12/5 on Betfair.  If Roy Hodgson can not gee the dressing room up for this one then he has to go.  The score-line of 2–1 looks appealing with 10/1 offered by Ladbrokes or 12/1 on Betfair.  Steven Gerrard to score the first goal is a 7/1 option.  As a combo 50/1!! 

Multi-league accumulator

Liverpool – 2/1

Chelsea – 4/5

Spurs – 7/4

Ipswich – 4/5

Cardiff – 4/7

Rangers – 2/5

£1 = £58.8

We have plenty of Rugby action this weekend as the Heineken Cup 2^nd Round matches are on Friday, Saturday & Sunday.  I know English sides do not traditionally perform away from home but I am backing a four away team Accumulator to come in:

London Irish to bt The Ospreys – 8/5

Northampton to bt Edinburgh – 4/7

Toulouse to bt Newport Gwent Dragons – 2/7

Clermont Auvergne to bt Racing Metro – 5/6

£1 Acca wins £9.60

Newmarket is blessed with some superb Group 1 races on its Saturday card.  With limited reading done into the card – the stand out horse for me is GITANO HERNANDO in the 3.00.  Kieren Fallon has ridden him three times and has three wins to his name – a cracking price SP of 15/2 should be snapped up – back him e/w.

This is my first attempt at blogging so please bear with me…………here goes -

What a nail biter we had at Celtic Manor on Monday.  I couldn’t see it being so close after the near clean sweep on Sunday in the rain delayed four balls and foursomes – I was so glad that Monty had the foresight to place G Mac as our anchor in the singles!! 

 G Mac showed his true class and produced the goods when it really mattered.  Although the Europeans were clear favourites at the start of the week, the Americans looked good value in running (at 200/1) and I backed them for a small sum of £10 – I successfully laid the bet just after Ricky Fowler holed his fourth birdie in a row (at 20/1) getting my £10 back.  In the end my heart was cheering for Europe but my wallet was screaming for Hunter Mahan to overturn the deficit so I could scoop £1700!! 

Anyway that was last week and we must look forward to what opportunities we are blessed with this weekend……… we have European Championship Qualification Football & The Heineken Cup begins and sees SIX English sides in action!! 

For the football CZECH REPUBLIC at home to Scotland (8/11) and the REPUBLIC OF IRELAND should see off a much weakened Russian side at (7/4) they should start us off nicely with £47.50 from a £10 stake.

After perusing the Ante Post market nothing really stands out as good value – apart from the ridiculous 80/1 that London Irish are priced up at!  Pool 3 is the ‘Group of Death’ with Jonny Wilkinson’s Toulon, Munster & the Ospreys all featuring.  The Exiles are a 9/1 shot to win the group but I feel they have enough quality to push further and I rate them as a good priced outsider for the trophy.  My pick for the Heineken Cup is Northampton – last years only English Quarter Finalists are good value at 16/1 and should be backed.

Other picks that might tempt you are Alessana Tuilagi for top try scorer at 40/1 – Leicester’s Pool 5 doesn’t look to be too strong and he scores a lot of points for them.  Yannick Jauzion the Toulouse Centre is an even bigger 50/1 and both can backed e/w for ¼ the odds to 4 places!!  Again my choice will be Northampton’s Chris Ashton who is priced at 16/1.

Ascot is the pick of this weekends race meets – with some great racing in store.

The two stand out races are the 3.05 Bengough Stakes (Group 3) and the 3.40 Ladbrokes.com Stakes (Heritage Handicap).  BEWITCHED under Johnnie Murtagh looks a fair price at 10/1 but my first selection is TAAJUB, who has performed well in all starts this season – finishing in the first two in all!  He is available at 8/1 and I think he will end his run of three 2^nd places.

THE FONZ ran well at Ascot last time for Sir Michael Stoute and will be in the top three in the betting by the off (around 3/1) in the 3.40.   Pausanias is 6/1 for Richard Hannon in the 4.15 and makes up a nice e/w Patent.

Sunday sees The Singapore Grand Prix – with Lewis Hamilton pressing really hard for points.  I can see him ending up the same as his last two races - over-cooking it and crashing out!  I’ll be backing my favoured driver, the current title leader Mark Webber to stretch his advantage and claim the chequered flag – he is a very appealing 4/1 with VC.