Route One's Daily Football News Round-Up - 2/10/2012

We find the latest football news stories making the headlines, so you don’t have to.

Pic Courtesy of the Bleacher Report

Sir Alex Ferguson has defended Nani after further accusations of the Portuguese winger being a consistent ‘simulator’.

He was criticised again following the Red Devils’ defeat against Tottenham on Saturday evening. But Sir Alex gave those allegations short shrift.

"As a subject it is not worth going down,” he said.

“We have known for quite a few years there are plenty of players diving and, you have to say, particularly foreign players. 

"Nani is not the type to dive. He has never been that type of player." 

United are set to be without four key players for tonight’s Champions League tie at CFR Cluj.

Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs are both suffering from illness, and have not been risked for the trip to Romania. 

Antonio Valencia missed the game against Spurs, and still hasn’t recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out, whilst Paul Scholes played 90 minutes in that game and the 37-year-old has been rested.

Meanwhile, QPR remain anchored to the foot of the Premier League table after being beaten 2-1 by West Ham last night.

Matt Jarvis gave the Hammers a dream start after three minutes, and Ricardo Vaz Te doubled the lead shortly before half-time.

The Hoops rallied after the break, and Adel Taraabt soon reduced the deficit. But it was not to be, and to rub salt into the wounds Samba Diakite was sent off late on after picking up a second yellow card. 

In a feisty encounter, West Ham received EIGHT bookings, and are likely to be fined up to £25k as a result of their ill-discipline.

Jimmy Bullard has announced his retirement from professional football.

The 33-year-old has suffered terrible luck with injuries in his career, including two cruciate knee injuries. And the former Wigan, Fulham and Hull City man has decided to call it a day.

"My old knee injury has never allowed me to get back to where I want to be as a football player," he said.

Bullard had signed a deal with MK Dons, and made three appearances this season.

While one midfielder bows out another makes his comeback, as Jack Wilshere had his first taste of football in over a year yesterday.

The 21-year-old played for an hour in Arsenal’s Development Team’s fixture against West Brom, as he makes his latest step on the road to recovery following an ankle injury.

 “I’m shattered,” was all he could say, in news that will delight Arsenal and England fans alike.

The Daily Football News Round-Up

He does look quite sad here

Enjoy our quick round-up of the football news stories making waves across the globe.

Spanish sources have claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo is unhappy at Real Madrid, which has alerted the attention of both Manchester clubs and french big spenders PSG.

Ronaldo scored twice in Madrid’s win over Granada at the weekend, but failed to celebrate with any pomp or vigour.

Afterwards, he is reported to have said: “I am sad and the people at the club know about it. It’s about professional issues. I can’t say any more.”

Meanwhile, Ashley Cole will miss England’s first World Cup Qualifying match against Moldova this Friday through injury.

The Chelsea lothario picked up an ankle knock in Friday’s Super Cup humbling against Atletico Madrid. Everton’s Leighton Baines is tipped to deputise. 

Joining Cole on the sidelines will be Andy Carroll, who tweaked a hamstring on his West Ham debut on Saturday, but there was good news for John Terry, who was able to take part in full training despite having been troubled by a neck injury recently.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has been given a two-match touchline ban for tickling the arm of an Assistant Referee.

The silver-haired assassin did not contest the FA’s misconduct charge, after he was rapped for stroking Peter Kirkup for awarding opponents Tottenham a throw-in. 

Pardew will miss the Magpies’ away fixture at Everton and the home tie against Norwich City. Assistant boss John Carver is expected to take charge.

Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg have forked out an incredible £64 million for the double signing of Hulk and Axel Witsel.

Hulk, the beefy Porto winger, was tipped to join Chelsea this summer, but after the window closed the Russian side quickly swooped with a £32 million deal. Creative midfielder Witsel joins from Benfica for a similar fee.

Wolves have terminated the contract of their Assistant Manager Terry Connor with immediate effect.

Connor had a stint in charge of the West Midlands club at the tail-end of last season, picking up only four points from 13 games in charge. He’s been moved aside following the appointment of new manager Stale Solbakken.

Here at Route One we try to keep you abreast of all the latest football news around the globe, so keep your peepers peeled.

Tips & Tits: The Premier League Weekend Betting Preview (Part 1)

The latest football betting odds for this weekend’s Premier League games – here at Route One we try and find the very best value for our readers. Oh, and we thought we'd throw a few lovely ladies in for good measure. Enjoy!

*this week’s lady theme is: Female Sports Broadcasters*

Saturday September 1^st (Kick Off: 12:45PM)

West Ham v Fulham

Sara Carbonero - A Tasty Dish (That's a Pasta joke)

Big Sam’s Hammers have had a mixed start to the season, with one win and one loss in two games about as mixed as you can get. Fulham - on the other hand - have delighted their fans, banging in five against Norwich on the opening day and even having the temerity to bag two at Old Trafford last week, despite a 3-2 loss. 

The comings and goings of Friday’s transfer deadline day will have some impact on the outcome of all of this weekend’s games you’d have to say. Fulham boss Martin Jol may have lost Moussa Dembele, but he has been very canny in bringing in Dimitar ‘brilliant player when he can be arsed’ Berbatov. West Ham, on the other hand, have been worryingly quiet.

The Verdict: A lively match to kick off the televised football weekend this one. The Fulham win (15/8, Paddy Power) looks pretty promising to us, with a 2-1 scoreline priced nicely at 14/1 with Paddy.

Saturday September 1^st (Kick Off: 3PM)

Swansea v Sunderland

Georgie Thompson - Tidy

It’s fair to say that everyone outside of Wales has been taken aback by the amazing August that Swansea have enjoyed. Three games (in all competitions), three wins, eleven goals scored and just one conceded. Michael Laudrup has taken to English Football Management like Prince Harry to Jagermeister.

Sunderland meanwhile had to suffer the ignominy of having their match against Reading abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch. In August, for Pete’s sake. The Black Cats did enjoy a straightforward victory over Morecambe in midweek however, with new boy Adam Johnson in particular looking sharp. Probably because he’s had his chains removed.

The Verdict: A tough one to call this we reckon. Following their cracking start, do Swansea start as favourites? And if so, can they cope with the pressure? We fancy a draw here (9/4, Blue Square), with both teams to score at 4/5 with Blue Square again.

Tottenham v Norwich

Having been booed off against WBA in their previous game, the pressure is slowly but surely beginning to mount on poor old AVB already. He’ll b hoping that recent signings Emmanuel Adebayor and Moussa Dembele will add a bit of spark to his Spurs team.

Inez Sainz - Bumbelieveable

Norwich are OK at home but do struggle on their travels. Many observers have suggested that the Canaries lack the steel and organisation imparted on them by former boss Paul Lambert. Expect Chris Hughton’s steady start at Carrow Road to continue.

The Verdict: Tottenham can be backed at a universal 2/5, but there’s no value in that so instead have a look at the Tottenham (-1) Goal Handicap, which is slated at Evens at Paddy Power. And why not plump for Emmanuel Adebayor to turn in a dream debut by scoring first (7/2, Sporting Bet).

West Brom v Everton

Two more sides who have – to an extent – outperformed expectations thus far. West Brom have taken four points from their two games, including last week’s classic smash and grab at White Hart Lane.

Mirella Grisales - Latino Heat

And David Moyes has done it again at Everton: on a limited budget, he’s moved a couple out, brought a couple in, and created a solid side that is tough to beat. THAT Monday night defeat of Manchester United will linger in Toffees hearts for years to come.

The Verdict: This one has got draw written all over it - which is OK, as that is priced at a handsome 12/5 at William Hill. And if you’re laying an accumulator, stick down the Under 2.5 Goals which is available at attractive prices everywhere (Sporting Bet, 8/11).

Wigan v Stoke

Wigan are continuing to earn themselves the nickname of ‘the Unbackables’. Capable of mastery one week and misery the next, Roberto Martinez’s men are about as attractive to bet on as a White Christmas. Avoid.

Charlotte Jackson - Looking for Luxembourg

Stoke meanwhile continue to pedal their ‘unique’ brand of anti-football up and down the country. Decent at home, beatable away, Tony Pulis’s men give their all for the cause.

The Verdict: To be honest, here at Route One we advise extreme caution when eyeing this one up on your coupons. All three results are a distinct possibility. Blue Square have priced Stoke at 23/10 which is just about the best value on offer. If you’re having a Draw Acca (11/5 everywhere), maybe stick this one down.

The Weekend Preview – Value Bets in the Premier League and Beyond (Part 1)

*All odds courtesy of William Hill and Sporting Bet*

Saturday, August 25 (Kick Off 12:45PM)

Swansea v West Ham

Swansea will be looking to build on their 5-0 demolition of QPR in Gameweek 1 as they take their season’s bow at the Liberty Stadium. They will be hoping for a repeat performance of last weekend, where the midfield guild of Michu and Jonathan De Guzman combined with the pace and trickery of Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge.

Expect West Ham to put up a better fight than their London counterparts though. Last season they were better on their travels than on home turf, and the Hammers are – technically - unbeaten in 10 games. They are compact, hard to break down, and will play mostly on the counter attack against the Swans.

The Verdict: We fancy Swansea will sneak a narrow win (21/10), and the odds for Under 1.5 Goals (23/10) look great value. This looks like a coupon buster though, so steer clear if you are plotting an accumulator.

Saturday, August 25 (Kick Off 3PM)

Aston Villa v Everton

Already there are grumbles of discontent at Villa Park, with a seeming lack of transfer activity thus far, as well as a poor run of form spanning back to the end of last season. The Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert will be pinning his hopes on fit again striker Darren Bent to fire his side into some kind of form.

Everton meanwhile will be on Cloud Nine following their hard-fought 1-0 win over Manchester United on Monday night. David Moyes has done what David Moyes always does – put together a squad that is tough, battle-hardened and hard to beat. They now have a potent goal threat too, in the shape of gangly Croat Nikica Jelavic.

The Verdict: We can imagine this game following a very similar pattern to the Swansea v West Ham game earlier in the day. This time though, we’re predicting an away win (29/20) but again we’re looking at a low-scoring affair, with Under 1.5 Goals priced at 21/10 with Sporting Bet.

Man Utd v Fulham 

Sir Alex Ferguson was left to rue his side’s lack of attacking threat in the loss at Goodison Park, which is ironic considering the wealth of attacking options at his disposal. Another concern is in defence, where injury continues to plague his side. 

Fortunately, his side have an exceptional record against Fulham at Old Trafford, who usually get a good spanking there. Martin Jol’s men come into this game though full of confidence, following their 5-0 rout of Norwich last time out.

The Verdict: United will be looking to bounce back from their Evertonian humbling, and with Sir Alex expected to pick both Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie in his starting eleven, things could get messy.

We really liked the look of Shinji Kagawa last week, the Japanese international looks tailor-made for the Premiership. He is 2/1 to Score Anytime with William Hill, and a final score of 3-1 is nicely priced at 10/1, which is worth a cheap single bet in its own right.

Norwich v QPR

What an interesting encounter this could be. Both teams got thumped 5-0 last week, so will have been working hard in training on tightening up their back lines (oooh matron!). QPR have had all hands on deck this week bringing in defensive reinforcements too, although at the time of writing only Ricardo Carvalho looks likely to be signed in time.

We do worry for Norwich a bit. They are a decent side at Carrow Road, which is probably due to the 20,000 East Anglians’ vocal support. But Second Season Syndrome can hit hard, particularly when a lack of fresh faces have been brought in.

The Verdict: We are backing an Away Win for Mark Hughes’s men, which is generously priced at 2/1 with SB. Whatever your predilection you can expect goals – and the 4-5 Goal Band (13/5) looks as enticing as a night on the tiles with Beyonce.

Stay tuned for Part 2 for our look at the best football betting value this weekend.