Mindfulness

Luton
The little train that could is up next in my predictions for the Championship. Luton shocked the division by reaching the Championship play-off semi-finals last season. Full credit must go to manager Nathan Jones for steering the team up that high in the table. He managed to do it using some shrewd acquisitions in the summer transfer window whilst also maximising the potential of the players already at the team. The signings of Henri Lansbury, Allan Campbell, and Amari'i Bell were particularly impressive. Jones will need the same level of nous in the transfer market if his team is to repeat the feat of last season.
It wasn't the best start to the summer with the news that key centre back Kal Naismith was joining Bristol City on a free transfer but that's been the extent of the big exits so far. The club have managed to keep the likes of James Bree, Harry Cornick, and Elijah Adebayo. Jones has also moved quick to add striker Carlton Morris from Barnsley for £1.8 million (does this suggest Adebayo is on his way?) with the likes of Alfie Doughty from Stoke, Cauley Woodrow from Barnsley, Matt Macey from Hibernian, and Luke Freeman from Sheffield United all also coming in.
Personally, I think maintaining the services of Adebayo and Campbell will be crucial if Luton want to remain a top table team but I'm not sure they can. Jones clearly has a knack of getting the best out of this group of players. It's a similar situation to the one Eddie Howe enjoyed at Bournemouth by making a success of an unfancied team on a limited budget. Can he work miracles again this season? I have no doubt Luton won't be in the relegation mix but finishing top half again is a tall order. They benefited from a lot of teams that had been expecting to be in the play-off mix having poor seasons last year and I think they might find it tougher to compete this season. Maybe my prediction is a bit harsh but you do feel Luton are constantly fighting against the side due to their lack of financial backing.
Final Position: 14th

Sunderland
The biggest soap opera in the Football League over the past 5 years is back in the Championship this season after Sunderland secured promotion from League One via the play-offs last season. Former Norwich and Preston manager Alex Neil was the man brought in to replace Lee Johnson back in February and it was a shrewd appointment that paid off. The Black Cats finished in 5th place but navigated their way past Sheffield Wednesday by a 2-1 score on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals before sweeping aside Wycombe with a 2-0 win in the final.
Many have said that the Tyne and Wear side have been a giant in the third tier and that promotion back to the Championship was needed as soon as possible. That mission has been accomplished and there is optimism around the club once again. Neil has done a fantastic job since coming into the club. The team appears ready-made for the second tier now. Striker Ross Stewart bagged 24 league goals last season and provided the club can keep him he should have what it takes to make the step up and score goals in the Championship. A midfield consisting of the likes of Elliot Embleton, Alex Pritchard, and Lynden Gooch plus a back-line including Bailey Wright, Callum Doyle, and Dennis Cirkin is solid enough for this level. That's even before we consider the new arrivals of centre back pair Daniel Ballard and Aji Alese, and right winger Jack Clarke.
There is a general feeling about the Sunderland fans that the team is back on an upward trajectory after years of turmoil that were very publicly played out thanks to the Sunderland 'Til I Die documentary series on Netflix. In Neil, Sunderland have an ideal gaffer to tackle this season in the Championship as a newly promoted club. I can still see why the fans have concerns about the lack of quality in depth up top. A lot depends on the fitness and ability of Stewart to adapt to this level. Nathan Broadhead hit double figures last season but he can't do the same role Stewart does if Stewart is ruled out or struggles for form. I certainly can't see Sunderland going back down and if they make the right signings between now and the start of the season then there's no reason they can't finish even higher than this prediction.
Final Position: 15th

Hull
Undoubtedly, the toughest team to predict this season in the Championship is Hull. It's been a huge summer of change for the Tigers and with manager Shota Arveladze seemingly showing signs that he is adapting to life in the second tier of English football is there a chance we could see the club celebrating progression rather than regression? The new Turkish owners might have brought their own controversies with them but Hull fans will simply be delighted that Assem Allam is a name of the past. That in itself has brought a new level of optimism to the club.
Last season, the team ended up in a disappointing 19th position but that was mainly due to the awful start the team endured under former gaffer Grant McCann of just 2 wins in their first 16 league games. The arrival of Arveladze in January slightly improved things but this will be the former Georgia international's chance to make this squad his own. No excuses now. Well, OK, they do have the excuse of losing three key players in Keane Lewis-Potter, George Honeyman, and Tom Eaves but when you look at the players that have been brought in you can see Arveladze isn't messing about. Central midfielder Jean Michael Seri really shouldn't be playing in the Championship but here he is! The likes of Tobias Figueiredo, Ozan Tufan, and Oscar Estupinan are calculated risks who could improve the overall quality of the squad.
The jury is still out on Arveladze but it's not been a disaster so far. He's slowly assembling his own squad. Yes, it might be coming at a cost of big names but the hope is that the funds from those sales can be re-invested in other areas. The return of striker Fenerbahce striker Allahyar Sayyadmanesh on a permanent signing after his loan spell last season is an interesting one. A few Hull fans are tipping him to have a big season to replace the league goals lost through the sale of Lewis-Potter. More additions are needed if Hull are to even think about pushing into the top half of the table but it does seem like they're making the right kind of moves and moving in the right direction again under the Acun Ilicali ownership.
Final Position: 16th

Blackburn
It wasn't that long ago that I was picking Blackburn as my dark horses for the Championship play-offs but a lot can change in the space of a year or two. Despite former manager Tony Mowbray working miracles with a very limited set of resources the ex-West Brom gaffer has now been relieved of his duties and replaced by the wildcard of former Danish international Jon Dahl Tomasson. The former Newcastle and Feyenoord striker has a mixed CV in football management so far having done well at Dutch club Excelsior before a rather shambolic stint with Roda JC before then moving on to enjoy two Allsvenskan titles with Swedish club Malmo.
I'm not sure if anybody properly briefed Tomasson on the job at hand though. He comes into this role with a squad that is in serious need of attention. A number of experienced players have departed the club for little to no money including Bradley Johnson, Ryan Nyambe, Joe Rothwell, and Darragh Lenihan. At the time of writing this, Tomasson is still yet to really dip his toes into the transfer market water. Young winger Ethan Walker has arrived from Preston but it's not the sort of signing that will have the Rovers fans sitting up and thinking that a play-off charge is on the horizon. You could argue that the fact Tomasson has managed to hold onto top scorer Ben Brereton Diaz makes this summer a success already but will he still be here come September after the window has shut?
There is no denying that this squad needs serious additions and quickly. The new season starts in just a couple of weeks and Tomasson only has 20 first team players on the books right now with just two senior goalkeepers. The fans are already expressing frustration at the lack of financial backing Tomasson has received and Tomasson himself is making spiky comments during press conferences that are hinting at his frustration. It obviously depends what business Tomasson can get done between now and the transfer deadline but any team leaving their signings this late in the window are playing catch-up and usually have problems. The longer this summer goes without Blackburn improving their squad, the more generous this predictions begins to feel.
Final Position: 17th

Wigan
This next pick might surprise a few people for different reasons and I think the fact this Wigan side divides opinion so much is exactly why this prediction will draw so much controversy. Manager Leam Richardson deserves a lot of credit for turning around this team that had looked like they might be at risk of falling down the league system after their relegation from the Championship back in 2019/20. The club were forced to sell a number of key assets that summer including top scorer Kieffer Moore, centre back Leon Balogun, starlet Joe Gelhardt, creative midfielder Josh Windass, and right back Jamal Lowe amongst others. What a turnaround it's been for the Latics who stormed to the League 1 title last season.
It's ironic that the constricted situation with the purse strings at the club means that Richardson is largely having to keep faith with the squad that sealed the top spot in the third tier last season. Are they good enough to take the step up to the Championship? Striker Will Keane scored 27 goals in all competitions last season so they'll be expecting him to hit double figures at least this season. The squad also boasts a wealth of Championship experience in the form of Joe Bennett, James McClean, and Graeme Shinnie. So those old heads will help with the transition.
Unfortunately, I think that a few additions are still needed if this Wigan team is to avoid being drawn into a relegation battle. Squad depth is lacking and the team's poor end to last season, despite them winning the title, of just 1 win from their last 6 league games, means they come into this campaign slightly short of momentum. I think they have enough to stay up and it all seems quite rosy with the fans suggesting there is a feel good factor around the club right now. If you have a united team and supporters that are backing them then that's half the battle won for newly promoted teams.
Final Position: 18th

Huddersfield
How can a team come so close to reaching the Premier League and then end up being tipped to finish just above the Championship relegation zone the following season? Well, Huddersfield are my tip to show you how. I'm sorry, @Kenton Schweppes, you know I've always been a fan of your lads but I do worry for you this season. The unexpected departure of head coach Carlos Corberan left the fans and players in shock. It's alleged he had a bust-up with owner Dean Hoyle but whatever the reason for his exit he's been replaced by the inexperienced Danny Schofield.
It's a disconcerting time to be a Terriers fan. The club were left in the lurch by former owner Phil Hodgkinson who failed to deliver on the investment he promised to bring into the club. Despite that, Huddersfield finished in 3rd position last season and lost 1-0 in the play-off final to Nottingham Forest. The good news is that Huddersfield have mainly kept the crux of that squad together. The bad news is that a lot of the players were Corberan signings or players that Corberan had managed to get the best out of. The likes of Naby Sarr, Pipa, and Alex Vallejo have all left the club but will only be seen as squad depth disappearing. I'm led to believe that Schofield doesn't exactly have a big budget to play with due to financial fair play so it's no surprise that the additions so far have been limited to the free signings of Connor Mahoney from Millwall, Will Boyle from Cheltenham, Kyle Hudlin from Solihull Moors, and David Kasumu from MK Dons. Not exactly signings that suggest a club philosophy of wanting to build on the success of last season.
My big concern here is the fact that Huddersfield are taking their chance with a young head coach who has next to no experience at this level with a very restricted budget and a squad that has a previous manager's philosophy stapled into their mindset. It feels like a perfect storm that could lead to disaster and there was even a part of me thinking that this prediction is generous. Retaining keeper Lee Nicholls has been key but with speculation that Harry Toffolo and Lewis O'Brien could both be on their way out, is that enough?
Final Position: 19th

Bristol City
Trouble could be abound for another team that flirted with the lower end of the table in the Championship last season. Bristol City fans will no doubt come for me for putting them down this low but I look at how they performed under Nigel Pearson last year and I don't see any real evidence to suggest things will be any better this coming season. In fact, I think they could well end up worse off than the 17th place finish of last season when they owed a lot to the 22 league goals scored by striker Andreas Weimann. It was also just 1 loss from their last 6 league games that kept them away from the drop zone.
The Robins have chosen to largely keep faith with the squad of players they had last season. Pearson does have a tidy blend of youth and experience but is he the right man to nurture that combination? Players such as Weimann, Chris Martin, Jay Dasilva, and Tomas Kalas are experienced heads at this level and when you see that they have some top young talents including Antoine Semenyo, Alex Scott, and Han-Noah Massengo then you can see why their fans would be optimistic. The issue for City remains partly that it's now been a long time since Pearson's managerial approach was a success. The former Sheffield Wednesday centre back hasn't earned a win percentage higher than 33% at any club he's managed since 2015. The squad is also in dire need of increasing its strength in depth. You look beyond the starting XI for City and it becomes very thread bare with a lot of responsibility falling on the younger players. That's a dangerous game to play in this division.
To be fair, the signings of defensive duo Kane Wilson and Kal Naismith from Forest Green Rovers and Luton respectively show that Pearson is attempting to address the problem of defensive frailties. The gaffer won't want to see the team concede 77 goals across the league season again because that would put a lot of pressure on Weimann and Martin to do the business at the other end of the pitch again to keep them safe. On the positive front, there have been no real big departures from Ashton Gate with the only two high-profile exits being Callum O'Dowda and Kasey Palmer but the supporters don't seem overly bothered by their departures. Still, I think this City team just hasn't re-enforced enough and don't possess the sort of manager that will keep his composure when things get tough.
Final Position: 20th

Blackpool
One team I feel could really suffer a drop down the table from last season is Blackpool. The departure of last season's head coach Neil Critchley to take up the assistant manager role at Aston Villa is a gut-wrenching blow for the progression of the club. Critchley had worked wonders with the team on a budget making full use of his contacts within the academy system at Premier League level. This current squad was very much one crafted by Critchley and you can't help but feel that there's nobody out there that could get as much out of these players as he has done. Even then, the club still finished in 16th place last season despite their very encouraging start to the campaign.
Former Lincoln and Oxford gaffer Michael Appleton has been charged with the task of continuing Critchley's fine work but it's already been an appointment that has divided fan opinion. There is no denying that Appleton worked wonders at Oxford and Lincoln but his time at his other clubs including Blackburn, Portsmouth, and, of course, Blackpool saw him struggle to get his win rate over 27%. Maybe he's simply one of those managers that struggles to adapt to the second tier and above? Either way, it's a hell of a big risk from owner Simon Sadler to bring in Appleton. Especially given he holds the record for the shortest reign of any Blackpool manager at just 11 league games.
The managerial change issue aside, you have to also consider that even though the Seasiders possess some decent talent for this level with the likes of Josh Bowler, Kenny Dougall, and Marvin Ekpiteta there is a serious need for investment if the team wants to avoid being dragged into a relegation dog fight. In fact, the only reason I have Blackpool finishing outside the bottom three is simply because I feel off-field issues and appalling management behind the scenes at Reading and Birmingham will prevent that. I really wouldn't be surprised if the Appleton appointment ends badly though. The loan signings of Reece James and Oliver Casey have done little to change my mind on that.
Final Position: 21st

Birmingham
It's a very tough one to call at the bottom of the Championship table with a number of clubs not being in a very fit state entering this new season. The issues at Birmingham have been going on for longer than most of us can remember and these continued last season with the team finishing the campaign down in 20th place. The Blues were arguably saved from a drop down to League One by the points deductions to Peterborough and Derby. It was head coach Lee Bowyer who suffered the consequences with the owners replacing him with former Kidderminster Harriers and QPR head coach John Eustace. It's a big gamble call but as the years gone by are showing it's not the choice of manager that's the problem. It's the ownership.
Eustace has already seen an overhaul of playing staff at the club with the exit door being shown to the likes of Fran Villalba, Ivan Sanchez, Kristian Pedersen, Ivan Sunjic, and Jeremie Bela. Onel Hernandez also returned to his parent club Norwich after the expiration of his loan spell. Eustace has since worked hard to bring in new faces on a very limited budget with the duo of Dion Sanderson and Przemyslaw Placheta arriving on loan deals from Wolves and Norwich respectively. This is a Birmingham squad that needs more than that though. Retaining last season's top scorer Scott Hogan is a big positive but he needs to score more if he wants to help keep the club up.
This does remain a Birmingham side that boasts experience at this level. The likes of Neil Etheridge, Harlee Dean, Marc Roberts, George Friend, Maxime Colin, Gary Gardner, Troy Deeney, and Lukas Jutkiewicz have all been around the block but they are also on the wrong side of 30 years old. It's a situation that sums up the club as a whole. An ageing unit that is suffering from a lack of investment and enterprise whilst being on the decline. I just don't think this squad is good enough to stay up right now and that opinion won't change unless they take full advantage of the loan market.
Final Position: 22nd

Reading
This might be a controversial one given the fact Reading have been a long stay team in the Championship but you do get the feeling things have been slowly unravelling for a numbers of years at the Berkshire club. Firstly, I want to point out that despite my banter with Reading fans about my dislike for their club I do think they deserve credit for the approach they are adopting to encourage £20 maximum ticket prices for away fans in the Championship this season. It's a fantastic proposal and I'm delighted that Cardiff have entered into an agreement to reciprocate the deal. Secondly, I still think this could be a very hard season for the club this season.
Paul Ince is the main the owners have decided to hand the reigns too for this season. The former MK Dons gaffer did enough to keep the team in the second tier last season and he did surprise some people by ensuring his time in charge as interim head coach wasn't a complete disaster given his previous experience in management so far. However, last season did end on a sour note with the team losing their last 3 league games of the season without scoring a goal. The team have also seen a large number of first team players depart the club on a free in order for the club to cut costs. These include Josh Laurent, Michael Morrison, Andy Rinomhota, John Swift, Alen Halilovic, and Orjan Nyland. Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater and Watford midfielder Tom Dele-Bashiru also returned to their parent clubs at the end of their loan spells. Even with all those players and more, the Royals still only finished in 21st place last season.
The good news for Reading fans is that they have retained a number of quality Championship players in Liam Moore, Andy Yiadom, Baba Rahman, Tom Holmes, and Ovie Ejaria. Is it enough though? Rumours are circulating about the potential departures of strikers Lucas Joao and George Puscas. Arrivals are few and far between with Tom Ince joining his dad from Stoke on a free. Joe Lumley has come in on loan from Middlesbrough. The loan signing of Newcastle central midfielder Jeff Hendrick is a potential life saver but he can't do it all on his own. It just all feels a little underwhelming. I don't think things are very smooth behind the scenes and I don't think they have the right manager at the helm to dig them out of this hole. There is little money available to spend to improve the squad and it appears that they've already missed out on a number of their free transfer targets. I fear this could be the season Reading drop down to League One.
Final Position: 23rd

Rotherham
OK, so the first team up are the side that finished 2nd in League One last season with an impressive 90 points. Paul Warne undoubtedly did a fantastic job of getting his team back into the second tier of English football via automatic promotion. The 25 goals scored by striker Michael Smith across all competitions was a big reason for that but the undoubted main quality in this Millers side is their defensive stability.
The Yorkshire club only conceded 33 goals in 46 league games last season. Viktor Johansson was a safe pair of hands in goal and the back-line including the likes of Michael Ihiekwe, Wes Harding, Richard Wood, and Rarmani Edmonds-Green ensured that clean sheets were earned regularly last season in the league. It also helped that Warne knew his team had a scoring threat from midfield with Daniel Barlaser and Ben Wiles scoring 9 and 10 goals respectively across all competitions. Another striker in Freddie Ladapo also scored 15 goals in all competitions.
You would argue that the combination of a resolute back-line, creative midfield, and potent scoring attack was a decent formula for Championship football. Unfortunately, Rotherham have had to deal with a number of those key players departing. The duo of Ihiekwe and Smith have left the club for League One local rivals Sheffield Wednesday and Ladapo has moved to another League One outfit in Ipswich on a free. The arrivals of Conor Washington from Charlton and Tom Eaves from Hull hardly bring proven goal scoring experience over recent years at this level and I think the loss of Ihiekwe in particular will really hurt Rotherham's defensive resilience. Can the signings of Peter Kioso from Luton, Cohen Bramall from Lincoln, Jamie McCart from St Johnstone, and Cameron Humphreys from Wulte Zaregem counter that? Or is it too much change in one fell swoop? I fear it could be a long and difficult season for Warne's side.
Final Position: 24th

Hi @Mindfulness,
Yes, we are aware of this issue. Apologies for the inconvenience and hopefully we will have it sorted as soon as possible.
Cheers!
Steve

If you are new to reading this thread then a couple of years ago I decided to do a Road to the Cheltenham Foxhunter thread given all the various Cheltenham pieces never mention the contest. It has proved popular and it is back again as we build up to the race. It is later than usual this season for a couple of reasons. First of all bookies have been very slow to price the race up and secondly not too much has happened especially this side of the Irish sea.
To start with I have written about every horse who has been priced up so far and added a couple that aren’t, but that are being targeted at the race. Hopefully you will find this useful and as always I will update as and when.
Billaway – Not surprisingly the current favourite to finally get his head in front at Cheltenham and I have a feeling at this stage he might just well do it. Having said that his current price is no value and his nonappearance so far this season is a concern. He was entered in the opening Irish hunter chase of the season at Fairyhouse, but didn’t run and then didn’t even get an entry at Down Royal on Boxing Day. Both those things make me think he is injured at the moment or at the very least recovering from an injury. As always with horses being aimed at this race we rarely hear anything about their well being and until we see him on a racecourse I wouldn’t be backing him.
Bob And Co – Obviously wont be seen until hunter chases start up in this country and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he followed the same route as last season when he won at Haydock prior to going to Cheltenham.
Porlock Bay – Last year’s winner wasn’t seen again after that success and he made his seasonal reappearance at Chaddesley Corbett over Christmas. He finished 2nd to Premier Magic that day beaten a length in the end, but Will Biddick said after the race that he left plenty to work on and that he was working back from Cheltenham. The fact he was beaten doesn’t make me think that he couldn’t hold on to his crown in March as I do think he will improve a lot for race. Reading between the lines of what Will said after the race he clearly thought Porlock Bay would beat Premier Magic should they take each other on again and I agree with him. I wouldn’t want to back him yet, but at the same time I would have him in single figures rather than the 12/1 he is with Bet365. He looks set to run again this month in either a hunter chase or a point as his final prep for Cheltenham. Premier Magic isn’t priced up yet, but it did sound like he would be going to Cheltenham as well. He’s a good horse and Bradley Gibbs mentioned he had improved from last season. I do think he was the fitter horse at Chaddesley rather than being the better horse.
Latenightpass – As short as 8/1 with Paddy Power and Betfair, but connections have said they will skip Cheltenham and aim him at Aintree instead which seems sensible and they have two other horses to target at the race anyway.
Staker Wallace – 4th and 3rd in the last two runnings and could still have improvement to come. Has yet to be seen so far this season. Paddy Power and Betfair go 7s which is closer to the price I would have him at rather than the 20/1 Unibet have put him in at.
Mighty Stowaway – Already run 7 times between October and the end of December and he’s won 2 points and head heated in another. He was 3rd behind Vaucelet at Fairyhouse in November and it is hard to see on what he has shown so far this season how he is going to improve on his well beaten 6th at Cheltenham last year.
Lord Schnitzel – Was pulled up at the 2020 Festival in the Novice Handicap Chase off 139 and didn’t so a great deal after that. He change trainers last summer and started off by finishing 5th in a Kilbeggan maiden hurdle, before finishing 2nd in his 1st point in September. Since then he has thrived as he won 3 points on the bounce before trouncing his rivals in a maiden hunter chase at Limerick over Christmas. That was an impressive performance and it will be interesting to see what he does in a stronger race, but his trainer said after the race that they may skip Cheltenham and go to Aintree instead.
Winged Leader – Surprised to see him in the beating to be honest as I’d be surprised if he ran, but dead heated with Mighty Stowaway in his only run so far this season. Just struggle to see how he would find the improvement needed to play a part if he did travel.
It Came To Pass – Was a well beaten 7th last year after beating Billaway by 10L in 2020. Has run in 3 points this season so far and after being stuffed in the first of them finished a close 2nd next time before beating Killultagh Vic by a couple of lengths on Sunday. For a novice riders race it was a decent heat, but at this stage I find it hard to see him getting close to his 2020 effort.
Killultagh Vic – Speaking of Killultagh Vic he is also priced up and it was back in 2015 that he landed the Martin Pipe. Obviously has the back class, but he’s now 13 and given he’s been beaten in 2 points this season as well as one last season he will probably do well to qualify for the race let alone win it.
Cloudy Tuesday – Is unexposed and easily won a hunter chase at Thurles last March, before pulling up at Fairyhouse. This season he beat It Came To Pass first up, but was then 2nd to Mighty Stowaway last month and he would need to find improvement to play a part at Cheltenham.
Another Venture – Nicky Henderson doesn’t send too many hunter chasing, but he mentioned that this horse had been purchased to go hunter chasing under his assistant George Daly. George rode him at Cheltenham at the November meeting and ran well enough to finish 3rd albeit 16L behind the winner. In all honestly I think the only reason he has been priced up is because of who he is trained by as his previous rules form wouldn’t be good enough to win this, but he does look capable of winning hunter chases during the season.
Vaucelet – Had Premier Magic and Fumet d’Oudairies behind him win when landing the John Corbet Cup at Stratford last season and he did it will that day on only his 5th start. He returned this term to win a point by 30L before landing the first hunter chase of the season at Fairyhouse. I thought he still looked green that day and it made me think that this season’s Cheltenham Festival might be a year to soon for him. He then went to Down Royal on Boxing Day in a race he really ought to have been good enough to win, but he was only 3rd in the end. He was making hard work of it, but coming to 2 out I thought he was going to win given how well he stays. I was disappointed that he didn’t keep finding at that point and that he faded into 3rd. Some might say that the trip was too short, but for me the trip didn’t get him beat. It will be interesting to see what he does next time, but if he were mine I wouldn’t send him to Cheltenham this season and I think they would be better allowing him some more time. Dorking Cock won that Down Royal contest and he got up to a rating of 129 when trained over here by Tom Lacey. He was a surprise winner at Down Royal and he wouldn’t be good enough for this based on what he had done previously, but he’s only had 17 starts so maybe there is more to come. He’s not in the betting at the moment, but the 2nd home Er Dancer is. He had won a couple of points prior to Down Royal and it does seem like he’s found some improvement this season. He ran like he needed further and could possibly be interesting if the improvement continues.
Fumet d’Oudairies – An incredible buy at just £800 given he is 5 from 6 in points and he has won a couple of hunter chases. I thought he was impressive at Leicester and Cheltenham although they were over 2m4f and 2m respectively and he was only 2nd to Vaucelet at Stratford and that would lead me to think he might struggle to stay in this. He returned on New Years Eve where he had a very easy task at Horseheath under his new jockey Gina Andrews as her brother has now gone pro. I’d want to see him prove he can stay this far under rules and Gina is likely to have a tricky choice to make as the yard have another contender.
Dubai Quest – That other horse is Dubai Quest and at this stage I would favour him over his stablemate. Apart from when he fell on his debut for the yard he has won his other 6 starts for them including bolting up in a hunter chase at Fakenham last February. His only other start last season was a point win at Maisemore. This season he returned in what will probably be the hottest Ladies Open we see all season at Chaddesley Corbett which he won well beating Tango de Juilley and Red Indian. I think it’s seriously good form and connections suggested the hunter chase at Wetherby next month would be used as his Cheltenham prep. He’s not priced up yet, but he ought to be.
Highway Jewel – You may remember that I tipped her up at 66/1 last year only for the trainer to forget to enter her! She has been put in the betting at 20/1 with Bet365 this time around and she has yet to run this season. I think she is better than her stablemate Premier Magic and she would be my pick of the Gibbs runners. I can’t wait to see her back in action.

Yes, Sir Puntalot was right, it was just a temporary measure.
I've been using them since they've returned and I'm glad they're back on the scene. We need the exchanges for there to be a credible and sustainable future for betting in the regulated gambling market.
Matchbook have looked to fill the void left by Pinnacle in the UK gambling market and really punters should be supporting them. They're a decent alternative to Betfair Exchange albeit with less liquid markets. I use both.
It should also be noted that Matchbook have now upgraded customer fund protection to the highest level (for UK and Ireland customers) which puts them on par with Betfair and Smarkets at the time of writing this:
https://smartbettingclub.com/blog/bookmaker-fund-safety-july2021-update/
Money is a vote guys so use Betfair Exchange, Matchbook and Smarkets whenever possible. They're important platforms for people who are serious about betting.
Matchbook also post regular betting discussion videos on their youtube channel so check it out and if you find it helpful don't forget to like, comment and subscribe as it helps them to raise their profile:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TeamMatchbook
Long live the exchanges, long live the lounge.
 
 

Yes, Sir Puntalot was right, it was just a temporary measure.
I've been using them since they've returned and I'm glad they're back on the scene. We need the exchanges for there to be a credible and sustainable future for betting in the regulated gambling market.
Matchbook have looked to fill the void left by Pinnacle in the UK gambling market and really punters should be supporting them. They're a decent alternative to Betfair Exchange albeit with less liquid markets. I use both.
It should also be noted that Matchbook have now upgraded customer fund protection to the highest level (for UK and Ireland customers) which puts them on par with Betfair and Smarkets at the time of writing this:
https://smartbettingclub.com/blog/bookmaker-fund-safety-july2021-update/
Money is a vote guys so use Betfair Exchange, Matchbook and Smarkets whenever possible. They're important platforms for people who are serious about betting.
Matchbook also post regular betting discussion videos on their youtube channel so check it out and if you find it helpful don't forget to like, comment and subscribe as it helps them to raise their profile:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TeamMatchbook
Long live the exchanges, long live the lounge.
 
 

Yes, Sir Puntalot was right, it was just a temporary measure.
I've been using them since they've returned and I'm glad they're back on the scene. We need the exchanges for there to be a credible and sustainable future for betting in the regulated gambling market.
Matchbook have looked to fill the void left by Pinnacle in the UK gambling market and really punters should be supporting them. They're a decent alternative to Betfair Exchange albeit with less liquid markets. I use both.
It should also be noted that Matchbook have now upgraded customer fund protection to the highest level (for UK and Ireland customers) which puts them on par with Betfair and Smarkets at the time of writing this:
https://smartbettingclub.com/blog/bookmaker-fund-safety-july2021-update/
Money is a vote guys so use Betfair Exchange, Matchbook and Smarkets whenever possible. They're important platforms for people who are serious about betting.
Matchbook also post regular betting discussion videos on their youtube channel so check it out and if you find it helpful don't forget to like, comment and subscribe as it helps them to raise their profile:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TeamMatchbook
Long live the exchanges, long live the lounge.
 
 

Atalanta v Fiorentina: 20 points on Vlahovic to score at 27/10 with Uni (11/4 with one firm)
Looks a bit too big to me.

More Buck's and Go On Chez both run at Cartmel tomorrow in the 4.35 and 5.15. Clearly More Buck's isn't going to be the sort of price he was last time, but this does look the perfect chance for him to get his head in front. He was superb at Market Rasen when enjoying himself out in front compared to Stratford when he couldn't make the running. The only concern I have about the race is if Full Spes decides to go off at a fast pace as he has done the last twice. Hopefully connections will change his running style though because he has been beaten easily both times and he steps up in trip so if he goes off that quick he has no chance. Ardera Cross can front run, but he's also stepping up in trip so I can't see him wanting to go off that fast. As long as Full Spes doesn't go blasting off in front though I don't think they will see which way More Buck's goes.    More Buck's @ 6/4 with Bet365 and William Hill   Go On Chez only has Breaking The Ice to beat in my view. Go On Chez has been put up 11lbs after his Uttoxeter win, but I think that is deserved as he did it really well and the front two were well clear of the rest. He has had a win op since then as well. Breaking The Ice is a course and distance winner and he's on a hat-trick after winning at Perth after that. I wouldn't put you off having a small saver on him, but I certainly think there is more to come from Go On Chez.   Go On Chez @ 4/1 with Bet365

Preston North End V Peterborough Utd
Peterborough Utd (DNB) @ 2.56 Betfair (Exchange)
This is a tough game to predict but I feel the odds for the away side are too generous. Preston are under real pressure now. They sit bottom of the division having lost to Huddersfield midweek and cannot really afford to settle for a point this weekend at Deepdale V Peterborough.
The problem for Preston here is that pushing high and going all out for the win will play into Peterborough's hands. We can see from the early rounds that Darren Ferguson's side are dangerous with their counters and frankly they are sharper infront of goal than Preston at this moment in time. The spirit level is also better at Peterborough and they are under less psychological pressure heading into this match.
Yes it's true that Peterborough are a bit of a mad dog side and we still don't quite know what to expect from them. Ian Holloway recently stated that if he could buy a season ticket anywhere this season it would be London Road which tells you a lot about the 'dynamic' nature of Peterborough matches.
Anyway the bottom line is that I think the two teams should be priced a lot closer than what we're currently getting. Peterborough look to be the value play so I will back them in the draw no bet market (asian 0 line is also fine) which is well into odds against territory at the time of writing this.

Preston North End V Peterborough Utd
Peterborough Utd (DNB) @ 2.56 Betfair (Exchange)
This is a tough game to predict but I feel the odds for the away side are too generous. Preston are under real pressure now. They sit bottom of the division having lost to Huddersfield midweek and cannot really afford to settle for a point this weekend at Deepdale V Peterborough.
The problem for Preston here is that pushing high and going all out for the win will play into Peterborough's hands. We can see from the early rounds that Darren Ferguson's side are dangerous with their counters and frankly they are sharper infront of goal than Preston at this moment in time. The spirit level is also better at Peterborough and they are under less psychological pressure heading into this match.
Yes it's true that Peterborough are a bit of a mad dog side and we still don't quite know what to expect from them. Ian Holloway recently stated that if he could buy a season ticket anywhere this season it would be London Road which tells you a lot about the 'dynamic' nature of Peterborough matches.
Anyway the bottom line is that I think the two teams should be priced a lot closer than what we're currently getting. Peterborough look to be the value play so I will back them in the draw no bet market (asian 0 line is also fine) which is well into odds against territory at the time of writing this.

I watched the Derby game and the Posh left back seemed a bit out of his depth.

There have been alleged sightings of Bennett topless and feral in the Brecon Beacons! To be fair, there were stages last season when our defence could have done with Colonel Kurtz in the back-line!

Yeah, disappointed with the draw. Our defending is a real concern. I'm not sure our left wing back position has been the same since Bennett stopped playing there first through injury and then after leaving on a free. Apparently, he's just set up a 6 a side league at the AirDome in Leckwith so he's still living around this area and without a club. Not sure what's going on there but we could really do with him. I still think our central midfield is an issue too. To sum it up, we're playing a formation which should focus on the wing backs and central midfield yet those are our weakest areas in terms of personnel right now.

Be interested to get your thoughts on Cardiff at Peterborough @StevieDay1983, odds for away side correct? Are Cardiff good at attacking down the wings? How do Peterborough cope with physical sides? I don't know much about the championship these days but I'm gonna try and pay closer attention this season.
Also, does anyone else think the Luton price is slightly generous away to Barnsley?
 
 

There is a cheeky round of midweek Championship games coming up and, yes, the ELO ratings are back! Check out the odds and ratings above then give us your predictions for the games over the next couple of days!