Here is our guide to the Premier League runners and riders for a top four finish, top goalscorer and first managerial sacking, plus a little Route One special.
Top 4 Finish
The top four can be purged from six in our opinion. Both
Manchester clubs are in, Chelsea are in, and then it’s a North London showdown between Spurs and Arsenal for
the coveted fourth spot.
It’s a tough one to call – at Tottenham you’ve got a good,
solid squad, with a new gaffer in charge in the form of Andres Villas-Boas, who
will be desperate to prove his doubters wrong. Unfortunately, at the time of
writing, he has only one recognised striker on the books in Jermain Defoe, so
he needs to get the cheque book out one would suggest.
The Gooners, on the other hand, are - for the first time in
a long time – blessed with an armoury of attacking talent. Alongside Robin Van Persie should he stay, are
new signings Lukas Podolski – who tends to score regularly for club and
country, plus Oliver Giroud, the latest addition to Arsene Wenger’s French
battalion. Add in to the mix the explosive talents of Santi
Cazorla, and for once Arsene has spent – and spent well.
The Verdict: For
fans of a bit of value, Spurs are 2/1 with
William Hill. But for purveyors of the smart money, pop down to Paddy Power for
a quick lay on Arsenal (10/11).
Top Goalscorer
This coupon is always worth a cheeky punt on – with such an
open field there really is some great value to be had. A lot may centre around
RVP’s final destination – should he stay at Arsenal, he will be surrounded by a
new wave of creative talent (Cazorla, Podolski etc), so expect another prolific season from the 10/1 priced Dutchman.
Another name in the frame could well be Fernando Torres (10/1, Ladbrokes). The Spaniard is set
to start the season as Chelsea’s main man, following the departure of Didier
Drogba. So expect him to be the spearhead in Roberto Di Matteo’s preferred 4-2-3-1
formation. With the likes of Juan Mata, Frank Lampard, Ramires and Sturridge around,
this could well be the season that El Nino rediscovers his goal-den touch (boom
boom).
Two others that are certainly worth a cheeky fiver are
Papiss Cisse (20/1, William Hill)
and Jermain Defoe (40/1, Paddy
Power). Newcastle’s Ivorian loved his first season in the Premier League,
banging in goals left, right and centre. Goalscoring looks so natural to Cisse
that it would be hard to see him fall
foul of the dreaded Second Season Syndrome.
Defoe, on the other hand, will benefit from a change in guv’nor
at White Hart Lane. Harry Redknapp obviously didn’t fancy the pint sized
marksmen, but with Emmanuel Adebayor returning to his parent club Man City and
Louis Saha being released, Defoe finds himself as automatic first choice unless
new signings are made. His goal scoring record has never been in doubt, so
expect some net busting from the wee man.
First Managerial
Sacking
As ever, the vultures will start circling around October
time, so it’s crucial that results keep those pesky birds of prey at bay.
Expect the spotlight to fall on two novices of Premier
League management: Michael Laudrup and Steve
Clarke. Laudrup has had a mixed career in management as it is, but replacing Brendan
Rodgers is a massive task. He will continue the Swans’ passing philosophy -
which is to his credit – but Swansea will be missing the goals of Gylfi
Sigurdsson and quite the guile of Joe Allen. A few disastrous early results and the great
Dane could be joining the queue down the Job Centre.
His appointment at West Bromwich Albion is Clarke’s first as
a manager, although he does boast an enviable reputation as an exceptional
coach following stints at Chelsea and Liverpool. That will count for nothing
though as he looks to maintain the decent job performed by Roy Hodgson. Another
one who will be looking over his shoulder if the Baggies endure a tough
autumn...
A bet of real value could be Roberto Di Matteo being the
first to get his marching orders. This sounds madness in the light of his
achievements of last campaign, but his employer is renowned for his lack of
patience, and there is a theory known as the ‘Caretaker Effect’. This concept
revolves around the notion that nine times out of ten the good work performed
by a caretaker gaffer will often come undone when they are given the gig on a
permanent basis.
The Verdict: It’s
a bit of a long shot, but pop down your local bookies or scout around online
for odds on Roberto Di Matteo to be the first managerial sacking of the season
– especially with Harry Redknapp currently signing on and looking for work.
Route One Special: QPR for a top ten finish (9/4, William Hill). Just wait and see.
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