Category Archives: News

Who’s up for the drop?

on November 20, 2018 None comments

The Premier League season is now in full swing and no surprises that defending champions Manchester City and Liverpool sit at the head of the table. They have squads stacked with talent so are expected to fight it out for the title until the end of the season. But what about the other end of the Premier League table? Which clubs are looking most likely for the drop even at this early stage?

Typically each season the newly promoted clubs start as the favourites for the drop and it was a similar story on https://www.betfair.com/exchange/plus/football/today. Wolves, however, have started with high expectations following their dominant campaign in the Championship last season that saw them runaway with the title. Money has been pumped into the club and they now have a very exciting squad on their hands with expectations growing with each positive result. You only have to look at what can be done in a similar scenario such as at Leicester.

It will be a huge shock were Wolves to face the drop and it is difficult to call at present. Newcastle, Burnley and Fulham are all potential sides who are in danger of the drop looking at the current odds at Betfair. Fulham are 2/1 as they sit near the bottom of the table with just one victory from their opening seven fixtures. Burnley have started slowly with just two victories and are 15/8 for the drop. They achieved incredible things last season so possibly came in to this season with expectations too high but it would still come as a surprise if they were to be relegated this season.

Newcastle are one of three sides yet to win a Premier League game this season. They continue to struggle with the troubles of ownership so is it just a matter of time before they face the drop? Betfair make them 7/4 to do so. A club of Newcastle’s size with their incredible fan base need to remain in the Premier League so they need to find a way out of their troubles and find their form again on the pitch.

As things stand there are two sides who have an ominous task on their hands in order to remain in the league. They are Huddersfield Town and Cardiff City. Both sit at the bottom of the table without a victory as pressure continues to pile on both clubs. Huddersfield at present are 1/3 to face the drop and with just three points at present you can see why. They have had a difficult run of fixtures to start the season,with heavy defeats to the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, so it could just be matter of time before their fortunes change.. Huddersfield now have a run of fixtures that includes several of teams around them in the table so it will become much clearer where they stand. They must begin to pick up points before the pressure continues to pile on the squad.

The favourites to go down at present are Cardiff City who also have just two points following the opening seven fixtures. They had started the season as the favourites to face the drop following their promotion back to the Premier League, with their odds now as short as 1/5 with Betfair.They are really struggling for goals which is resulting in their failure to pick up points. They are another side to face heavy defeats against Chelsea and Manchester City. They now have a run of fixtures that includes tough games against both Liverpool and Leicester City. At present it looks like it is going to take a miracle for Cardiff City to extend their stay in the Premier League to next season.

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4 Transfer Gambles Taken by Premier League Clubs This Summer

on August 4, 2018 None comments

Another summer of big spending in the Premier League means inevitably means there will be transfer successes and flops.

As teams try to improve their lot or replace players that have left for new pastures, there are always risks attached with bringing in fresh faces. Some new arrivals may start out well and then tail off or take a while to bed in.
Which clubs look to have done risky deals and who are the players they have taken a punt on? We look at four examples as the 2018/19 season kicks off…

Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)

You might think describing a former PFA Player of the Year in Riyad Mahrez as a risky signing for reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, who are hot football betting favourites to retain their title at 4/6 with bet365, is bold. Ask yourself this, though; was it worth paying £60 million for the Algeria international when it’s going to take a lot for him just to break into the Etihad XI?

Money is no object for the mega-rich Middle Eastern owners of City, so Pep Guardiola has extra depth in attacking areas where there is already so much talent at his disposal. Mahrez may regret leaving Leicester City – who are certainly weakened without him – especially if he ends up on the bench at his new club, because the likes of Kevin De Buryne, Leroy Sane, David Silva and Raheem Sterling continue to perform.

Max Meyer( Crystal Palace)

As a highly-rated Schalke academy graduate, Max Meyer let his contract expire at the Gelsenkirchen club and left the Bundesliga this summer joining Crystal Palace on a free. Reports claim Meyer is on massive wages of £170,000 per week for his three-year contract at Selhurst Park which, although good for him and seemingly a coup for Roy Hodgson, is worth closer inspection.

Why haven’t the top clubs around Europe signed this midfield player who has been so promising since breaking through as a teenager ar Schalke? Meyer has scored just one Bundesliga goal in the last two seasons and made three assists, so should we believe the hype? It’s actually a monster gamble from the Eagles and veteran manager Hodgson.

Richarlison (Everton)

There’s no doubt new Everton boss Marco Silva brought the best out of top Brazilian prospect Richarlison in his debut Premier League campaign last season before Watford sacked him. The Toffees’ interest in the Portuguese coach seem to destabilise everything at Vicarage Road, however, when Ronald Koeman was axed on Merseyside last autumn.

Richarlison played every league game for the Hornets, but scored all five of his league goals (and made all but one of as many assists) in the first 13 matches of the season. That means he simply wasn’t doing it on the pitch for two-thirds of the campaign and Everton, who signed him in a deal potentially worth £50,000,000 and are chasing a top-six finish at 7/2, cannot afford to carry passengers on the wing.

Jack Wilshere (West Ham)

Anyone who has paid attention to the Premier League in recent years knows why this is risky. Jack Wilshere’s career has been hampered by injuries; so, even though he left Arsenal for London rivals West Ham on a free transfer, he’ll always have fitness question marks hanging over him.

What new Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini has to do is get the England midfielder to put a run of games together. If he can keep Wilshere off the treatment table and in his XI, then this could be a great signing, but doing that is far easier said than done, so this is a definite gamble.

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Wolves Are Heading To The Premier League With Big Ambitions

on May 4, 2018 None comments

Wolverhampton Wanderers are on their way back to the Premier League, with Nuno Espirito Santo delivering promotion in his first year in English football. The Molineux outfit blitzed their way to the Championship title with three games to spare and are now gearing themselves up for a return to the top flight.

There is certainly a different feel around Molineux when compared to other promoted teams, with Wolves’ ambitious owners, Fosun, Nuno and his magnificent playing squad seeing the sky as the limit. Unlike many that earn promotion to the Premier League, survival will not be Wolves’ biggest aim – they will be aiming for the top half, with European football even on some people’s agenda.

That belief has come right from the top, with Wolves’ owners and the controversial Jorge Mendes, getting some of Europe’s finest young talent in alongside an inspiring young coach in Nuno.

The squad assembled at Molineux is perhaps the best the Championship has ever seen, with some experienced players like John Ruddy, Ryan Bennett and Danny Batth brought to a different level by the likes of Willy Boly, Helder Costa, Diogo Jota and, most of all, Ruben Neves.

Neves is the key that holds Wolves together, as he has shown all season. The 21-year-old midfielder, who cost Wolves a staggering £15.8m last summer, is going to be itching to get amongst the Premier League’s best and show his qualities, hopefully on the back of a successful World Cup.

Such is Neves’ talent, the likelihood is we will see him featuring in Portugal’s squad in Russia this summer, with the midfielder looking to help Cristiano Ronaldo and co, currently priced at 25/1 to win the World Cup with bet365’s international football betting market, back up the Euro 2016 they collected against the odds.

There is no doubt that Neves, formerly of Porto, has what it takes to play in an elite Premier League side, along with a number of his other teammates. They have shown an expansive style in the Championship this season, which has been combined with some gutsy defensive displays, notably when down to nine-men against Middlesbrough over the Easter period.

It is that mix of performances that will allow Wolves to compete in the Premier League, and also their ambitious owners, who it is impossible not to mention again. Over the last 18 months, they have gone big in the transfer window, bringing the likes of Neves, Helder Costa and Diogo Jota in, and it is likely we will see more big money spent in the coming summer.

Wolves are enjoying their moment, and rightly so, with the 2017/18 season one to remember. But now, focus will be slowly turning to the Premier League and an exciting journey that lies ahead.

Some of next season’s rivals will already be looking to get to that famous 40-point mark and guarantee safety, but that won’t be the case at Molineux. We might not have any real indication of the makeup of Wolves’ squad heading into the 2018/19 campaign, but one thing can be guaranteed, Nuno’s side will not be settling for 17th – they will want to make a lasting impression on the top flight.

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The 2018 Championship promotion race is on!

on January 14, 2018 None comments

Having lost just three league encounters during the 2017-18 campaign so far, Wolverhampton Wanderers have already made a positive start to 2018, opening the New Year with a convincing 3-0 victory against Brentford at the Molineux Stadium. Extending their lead at the top of the Championship to an impressive 12 points, the side managed by Nuno Espirito Santo are beginning to run away with the title race.

After extending their unbeaten run to twelve games, ahead of the fixture away at Barnsley on 13th January, it’s no wonder that that Championship betting odds mark Wolves as 1/20 favourites for the title, and 1/200 certainties for promotion to the Premier League. Boasting a much greater goal difference than any other team in the English second tier with +30 already, they practically have one hand on the Championship trophy already.


Nevertheless, there remains fierce competition amongst the chasing pack, in the battle for second position and automatic promotion, with Derby County mounting a serious charge to reach the Premier League this season, having finished the 2016-17 campaign in a disappointing 9th position. Gary Rowett’s side were unbeaten throughout December 2017 and started 2018 with a 1-1 draw against Sheffield United on New Year’s Day.

One of the early season favourites for promotion, Cardiff City struggled in December 2017 and slipped to a fourth consecutive defeat in their first Championship fixture of 2018, suffering a 2-1 away defeat at QPR. Their boss Neil Warnock will need to use every ounce of his vast managerial experience to turn things around, and quickly, if his side are to avoid missing out on promotion again, because their current position in the play-off zone is by no means guaranteed.


Riding high in the Championship table and exceeding all expectations are Bristol City, who have also been exceptional in the EFL Cup this season in their march to the semi-finals, eliminating several Premier League sides along the way; including a stunning victory against Manchester United. However, cup success may have also taken their eye off the ball in the league, having ended 2017 with a home defeat against Championship leaders, Wolves, then opening 2018 with a dismal 5-0 thrashing suffered away at Aston Villa.

Indeed, that convincing win for Aston Villa was an important return to form for the side managed by Steve Bruce, pushing them back into the play-off zone and restoring much needed faith in the bid to bounce straight back to the Premier League. December 2017 was a month to forget, with just one win in six games, and if they’re to achieve their objective, improved consistency will be required in the second half of the campaign.


Holding out in 6th position and the final play-off spot at the start of 2018, are Leeds United, who started the campaign superbly with a run of seven games unbeaten, but hit a disastrous run of form through between the end of September and the start of November, with seven defeats in nine encounters. December was positive, with four wins on the spin, but once again the doubts have returned, especially after the embarrassing 2-1 FA Cup defeat against Newport County, who are struggling for survival in League Two.

Outside the play-off zone, there are plenty of teams ready to pounce. Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, Preston, and even Fulham in 10th position at the start of 2018, are all within a couple of wins of rising amongst the top-six teams in the Championship. Indeed, between Derby County in 2nd position and Fulham, there’s only a difference of 10 points. That might seem like a wide margin at first glance, but with 60 points still to play for, the race for promotion remains completely wide open.

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Enjoy Online Gambling & Stay Safe with Proper Online Banking Methods

on December 3, 2015 None comments

The genre of gambling is not just confined to the land based casinos and with the introduction of technology, gambling has been taken to a whole new paradigm. With online gambling the entire industry has experienced major expansions and in this regard online gambling definitely leads the show.

However, the risk of losing money in online gambling looms large primarily because of some fraudulent casinos that indulges in unfair activities. The lack of proper knowledge about safe banking methods in online gambling also has its share in the havoc played against you.

Majority of online casinos don’t accept credit cards for receiving payment and in this regard adhering to the online payment modes is a better option. You can also do safe transactions through various trusted online brokers. Additionally, it’s the duty of the online casinos to keep an eye on the online payment methods opted by individual customers.

Amex (American Express) offers a safe and secure online payment platform and is used widely across US. It’s also valid in few other countries and is a reliable source for quick and safe online transactions. You just have to enter the card details and your payment is made safely.

Neteller is another very reliable e-wallet used for online transactions globally. Another name that you can trust among e-wallet types is the MoneyBookers. With more than 5 million users,this brand specializes in offering instant money transfer online and their registration process is very easy and hassle free. No fees is charged for withdrawing money and for deposits a nominal 50 Euros is all that you pay.  EcoCard, an electronic replica of a normal debit card, allows speedy online money transactions.

All these banking methods feature high security services and so your chances of losing money to unfair online gambling institutions are minimized to a greater extent. However, before you take the final plunge it’s important that you must do proper research about the different online banking methods that are guaranteed to render safe transaction services. Most people end up in trouble with the payments because they are ignorant of the safe methods as well as the trusted casinos that guarantee to keep their deposits safe and secured.

 

 

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