Wolverhampton Wanderers V Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur -0 AH @ 1.76 Betvictor
The Tottenham price has drifted to the point where it's getting a little silly now. Pochettino's side are clearly a level above Wolves but the markets are pricing the away side as if they're a fading force in English football?!?!
As @thfc has mentioned; Spurs see the return of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen and this will add another dimension to their attacking play. Alli in particular looked very dangerous when he came on against Man City and will look to exploit any spaces in Wolves backline, a backline I am still unconvinced by.
We must give credit to Wolves as they are well drilled, cohesive and play as a team. They are a midtable EPL side and will probably avoid the relegation dog fight this season. Despite this, they have a poor chance conversion rate and lack ruthless forwards for EPL level. Key attacking metrics rate Spurs over half a goal better than Wolves here. ELO ratings have the away team at just over a quarter of a goal ahead but we must bear in mind the recent absence of Alli and Eriksen, Tottenham's attacking performance is surely better when those two play.
Spurs with full draw cover @ 1.7 and above is worth backing in my view.
I'm feeling quietly confident about Spurs going to Wolves and winning, and think odds around 2.25 are fair. Wolves have hit a bit of a wobble and in my opinion have been overrated by the bookies all season. They don't score many, so one goal could well be enough to get the win. Alli and Eriksen getting back to full fitness means spurs will be close to full strength for perhaps the first time this season.
Incidentally, this will be spurs 7th PL away game of the season. They've won 5 and lost 1 (Watford). They are playing better away than at home at the moment and after the cup win against west ham, I think they will be full of confidence going into this one.
Without being too morbid, could this be a good time for Cardiff to be playing Leicester? Some of the Leicester players must have struggled with training this week with all the distractions, plus there is supposedly some discontent with Vardy. Cardiff have started scoring recently so it certainly wouldn't surprise me if they managed to win this one.
Georgia v Gibraltar Gibraltar will lose this game, doubt if Georgia will score more than 4 though, defensive sides struggle to attack on masse but the Gibraltar defence - especially the goalkeeper - are of poor standard and the worst in this competition. They are decent going forward though and will attack at every opportunity - another reason they have conceded so many goals in this comp, they try to score unlike San Marino and Andorra (away at least) who just sit in and press in their defensive third. Gibraltar have scored against Scotland and Poland away and very nearly against Ireland away too so I don't think it is beyond them to score here, 4.0 looks too good to pass up. Over 2.5 Goals and BTS - 4.0 - bet365 - 2 Points Switzerland v San Marino The banker of the round. No chance at all Switzerland won't score at least 3 with the players they have, San Marino haven't improved much. Only get nervous if they get a set piece in the Switzerland half which will happen probably 3 or 4 times, Switzerland haven't qualified yet so need to win the game. Over 2.5 Goals and BTS (No) - 1.30 - bet365 - 20 Points Croatia v Bulgaria Bulgaria are fairly hopeless, already out of the competition they have rotated the squad quite a lot. 6 of the starters from the last match against Italy haven't been called up (1 is suspended) especially in defence they look light on experience. Popov their best attacking player has been declared fit to play which is a bonus but they have been really struggling to score goals. Croatia have to win this game - simple as that, in a right scrap to qualify. Mandzukic is injured so Kalinic will come in, he has been doing well for Fiorentina so that isn't much of a negative. Modric, Rakitic, Kovacic, Perisic will all start. Probably not worth it at current odds, best to look at it in-play. Croatia -1.0AH - 1.65 - bet365 - 4 Points
Dortmund travel to Saloniki witout 5 important players. Hummels, Sokratis, Aubameyang, Gündogan and Kagawa. So both central Defenders and the best in form players Gündogan and Aubameyang are not playing. Also Dortmund important game then Sunday against Bayern Munich.PAOK a good home team and think they will playing for a win. Also Dortmund last games, with many mistakes in Defensive and also without there 2 Defenders. For me here: PAOK or X @ 2.80 2/10 Unibet Both 2 Score - Yes @ 1.80 5/10 bet365
This game just screams GOALS! Arsenal will be their fluent attacking self leaving space at the back. Leicester seem to be loving their comebacks under The Tinker Man himself. You could be forgiven for backing both Over on the goals and both teams to score as it just looks a nailed on cert in my eyes. 1.69 on BTTS at 10bet looks just the job.
Something about Valencia just doesn't seem quite right just yet. They've got out of jail a couple of times this season, with average performances.
Granada will go there and no doubt be defending and trying to hit on the break, but I guess with not too much energy. Try their luck at set pieces on hope to get lucky.
Neither team inspires me, and I can see this being a tough grind of a match with goals at a premium.
Bournemouth V Sunderland
Sunderland +1.0 @ 1.751 Matchbook > 5% BR
This is clearly an important game for both clubs as you would feel they are directly competing with each other to avoid relegation come the end of the season. For Bournemouth this is the kind of home game they should be looking to take maximum points from if they wish to stay in the EPL while Sunderland can’t really afford to loose to a direct rival. The pressure will be on both teams for this encounter.
Bournemouth have struggled to adapt to life in the premier league so far and Eddie Howe’s 4-4-2 module has only really proved effective against a very narrow West Ham team thus far. Bournemouth are not so creative through the centre of the park in the absence of key central midfielder Harry Arter. They are still dangerous from wide positions with the system they play but they currently lack the full range of attacking dynamics seen during their championship winning campaign. The injuries to Tyrone Mings and particularly Max Gradel are also problematic for Eddie Howe’s team. Gradel was a real threat on the left flank and this allowed more space for Matt Ritchie on the right as opposition teams would find it difficult to handle both these threats at the same time. Now Gradel is out of the equation, opposition defenses can concentrate their efforts on Ritchie who will now often find himself double marked in games, limiting his attacking threat. Bournemouth can still utilize Marc Pugh on the left wing, he knows the system well and can perform to a decent standard at this level but Bournemouth’s options are now starting to look limited when attacking from wide positions. Upfront Bournemouth have decent options with the likes of Callum Wilson and Glenn Murray but Howe has so far struggled to effectively integrate one of his forwards in the all important second striker role. Howe has often deployed a 4-4-1-1 this season in an attempt to prevent his central midfielders from being overrun in a 4-4-2. The second striker role in a 4-4-1-1 is really a specialist position, Josh King has given it a good go, some would prefer Lee Tomlin there but so far you would have to say it is a problem area for them.
I also remain unconvinced by Bournemouth’s centre-back pairing at this level. Steve Cook and Tommy Elphick are generally robust and strong in the air (despite Bournemouth being terrible at defending set-pieces so far this season) but neither are particularly good at defending against players with pace and skill, attributes they will have to face in an improving Sunderland side this Saturday.
I watched Sunderland against Tottenham at the weekend and I thought Dick Advocaat’s side put in a very good performance and really deserved something from the contest. The back four of Jones, O’Shea, Kaboul and van Aanholt looked more assured and generally the team played with a lot more heart and aggression than in earlier rounds. The most encouraging aspect was the front three which not only has real balance with the addition of Borini on the left side but also genuine threat now that Lens and Defoe are really starting to link up well. After a poor start, Sunderland are starting to improve and look more effective as a unit. We should still expect them to be in a relegation dogfight over the course of the season but in my view they have a fair chance of survival if Advocaat can maintain the spirit level of his players.
So what are the risks? It’s a high pressure game and we can’t be sure of the approach either side will take given the importance of the contest. Logic and reason can go out the window in 6 pointers just as they do with local derbies so even big AH lines can struggle to provide a safety net wide enough to cover the outcomes in these situations.
Despite this, I don’t think Sunderland should be available on such a big line here. +1.0 looks generous given the current performance levels of the two teams so I will get behind the away side here.
Palermo V Carpi
Carpi +1.0 @ 1.917 Matchbook > 5% BR
Palermo have registered consecutive 1-0 victories in the opening 2 game weeks of the new campaign and this may go some way to explaining the pricing of their match with Carpi. For me, Palermo are a ‘hard to beat’ team under the stewardship of coach Giuseppe Iachini. They have a strong spine with the likes of GK Sorrentino, CB Gonzalez, CM Rigoni and SS Vazquez. Generally speaking, Palermo are a well drilled team with a good mentality, this has allowed them to capitalize early doors this season with victories over scaffold opponents. Despite the positives, we must also understand that Palermo are not particularly prolific with the offensive side of their game. The departures of Paulo Dybala and Andrea Belotti has left them light upfront and as a consequence I do not see the Sicilians running up cricket scores anytime soon. Veteran centre-forward Alberto Gilardino will probably make his debut for the club against Carpi, a good signing in my view but one which was desperately needed given the lack of viable options upfront for Iachini.
Carpi have shown glimpses of what they can do at this level in their opening two games. They came unstuck against a very offensive Sampdoria side but looked a lot more organized in a narrow home defeat to Inter Milan (a team which is also struggling with the offensive phase of the game). You would feel that Fabrizio Castori’s side can take confidence from the clash with the nerazzurri, Carpi are not the finished article yet but I don’t think they are too far away from registering their first positive result of the campaign.
Carpi and Palermo both tend to deploy a similar module: 3-5-1-1 / 3-5-2. Neither side retain the ball particularly well so I wouldn’t expect either to really dominate possession over the course of this contest. As a consequence, Carpi will probably face less pressure in the balance of play compared to their opening two matches. Looking at how the two teams usually setup, I do not see a significant tactical advantage for Palermo in this game.
Clearly Palermo are the better developed side overall and are rightly favorites for this game but to have Carpi on such a big line is a little excessive in my view. The biancorossi are not far away from being competitive at this level and I feel this contest maybe an opportunity for them to pickup their first positive result of the campaign. The generous +1.0 line gives us nice coverage so I will get behind Carpi here, maybe they will surprise the markets.
Leicester City- Aston Villa
City have been proving fun to watch, they have yet to keep a cleansheet, or taste defeat, scoring 12 goals themselves , Villa are struggling defensively, conceding 11 in their last four EPL away starts, that includes a 1-0 win at Bournemouth, where they should have conceded at least twice, they also shipped three at home to League 2 Notts County in the Capital One Cup and two at Villa Park to Sunderland and Tim Sherwood has a big ask sorting out his backline. He is a very offensive minded coach anyway and always wants to play on the front foot, it was always going to be tough to replace Christian Benteke, but his team have been creating chances and pose a big aerial threat especially through Rudi Gestede and the crosses of left-back Jordan Amavi and the same is also true of the Foxes who have scored a EPL high three headed goals and Villa showed a weak spot in defending crosses/corners versus Crystal Palace. Therefore, we can surely look for both to be getting the ball into the box at every opportunity and as quickly as possible and neither team looks likely to keep a clean sheet.
I can actually see improvement in Villa and when Amavi and Leandro Bacuna do not go quite so gung-ho on the flanks , or get protection, they will look more solid and Sherwood is looking to address this with a change in formation ( but been unable to work on it over the break, with key players away on international duty) and whilst I see the visitors having more than a 20% (5.0) chance of winning this, they are another team who will probably be stronger in 3-4 weeks time. For today, I suspect they will need to score at least once and probably twice to get something out of this, both to score looks solid, but 1.80 is way too short for me, so .....
over 2.75 goals 2.19 asian line/Sportmarket will be my pick and a 2-2 draw my suggestion for any adventurous minded readers.
Been off betting for a while due to restrictions that are being made here in Portugal regarding betting (licensing processes are currently undergoing here), but would like to express my point of view regarding my team's Sporting Portugal match against CSKA Moscow.
Sporting Portugal has a big addition for this season: Jorge Jesus. Yes, that manager. After 6 years in big rivals SL Benfica, where he won 3 championships, 4 league cups, 1 Portugal Cup, 1 Supercup and 2 EL finals, a shock move during the pre-season from Sporting Portugal happened.
Sporting got some players during the pre-season that will definitely be important players during the season, such as Aquilani, João Pereira and Bryan Ruiz. Other players such as Teofilo Gutierrez and Naldo will also play a role during this season. The objective is to be champion after 14 years of second and third places (and sometimes, even below!)
Sporting already won the Supercup against SL Benfica (1-0), where they did a very dominant exhibition against big rivals. We had a few troubles in winning against CD Tondela's (2-1) defensive approach, but their goal was irregular and we just missed too much on the first half (we could have been winning 3-0 by the end of it, honestly).
Saw CSKA against Spartak Moscow and they looked very dangerous on the counter. Musa and Doumbia are fast-paced and will definitely cause havoc should Sporting defense be unfocused for a while. Their defensive line is very experienced but seemed to lack pace, and Mário Fernandes leaves a lot of space behind when going up, and Sporting will definitely exploit that.
I'm really surprised at the Overs here. 2.2 is just too much for two teams that care a lot about attack. Sure, CSKA has only conceded once in the Russian League but have conceded 4 goals against Sparta Prague, an average teams in CL standards and scored 5. Moreover, I rate Sporting Portugal highly defensively, Jorge Jesus really knows how to organize his teams defensively but it is a high-risk offside trap approach. I can see Musa and Doumbia having 1/2 chances of avoiding the offside trap and maybe scoring. We could definifely see overs here but I'm concerned that a 2-0 or 1-1 is very possible as well.
But, if there is one team to score twice here, it is Sporting Portugal. While lacking finishing at certain times during a match, we are looking very impressive on attack and I expect them to hit the gas right at the start (João Mário, Sporting player at the press conference, hinted on that) and to score once or twice against a CSKA that does not look like the team of playing defensively ir order to give a big mental advantage. Even though if that does not happen, I expect Sporting to definitely score at least once during the match, and maybe twice...
Therefore, Over 1.5 Sporting Portugal Team Goals @ 2.25 (William Hill) is a great odd and I would definitely give it a go if I could.
Re: Ligue 2 Preview 2014/15
Part 4 - in the hunt for promotion
LE HAVRE
GK and defence
Starting in between the sticks will be Abdoulaye Diallo, on loan from Rennes. He did an ok job for them during the 2nd half of last season, but he’s nothing special. Backup is a concern for Havre, it’ll either be Pierre Bois or the recently signed Stephen Milosavljevic. Both are young and inexperienced. In front of the keeper, Havre at least have one of the best looking defences in the ligue. They have a ton of options available to them at the back, including a mixture of established players and promising youngsters. Zargo Toure and Maxime Le Marchand are the first choice CB pairing and this looks very formidable. At RB Jordan Ikoko will probably start, although a couple of others might push him. Ikoko is on loan from PSG and big things are expected of him in the future. On the left, Jerome Mombris was a revelation last season and will hope to maintain his level once again. Le Havre have loads of backup options. Steven Fortes signed from Arles and he’s another who looks set to have a promising future. Evene Cyriaque Louvion isn’t the worst option in the world and would be a regular starter for a number of Ligue 2 teams! If they had a top class GK I would rate this defence 10/10, but its still very impressive.
Rating 9/10
Midfield
Havre look alright in this department but could do with a bit of extra quality. They have a lot of defensive type midfielders in their squad, but lack some creativity. Romain Saiss and Distel Zola look set to start for them in the middle of the park. Both are good ball winners and tough physical players. Jean Pascal Fontaine and Sebastien Flochon are their other options, but neither is anything special. Le Havre definitely lack a star player in midfield and now that Walid Mesloub has gone, they definitely lack a central playmaker. Depth is pretty good, a number of defenders are capable of playing in midfield if required. They could be hard to break down centrally but it looks to me like there’s a few midfields better than this one in Ligue 2.
Rating 7/10
Attack
The aforementioned Walid Mesloub has transferred to Lorient and he’ll be missed. Mesloub weighed in with 7 goals and 9 assists last season and will be difficult to replace. A lot now rests on the shoulders of left winger Alexandre Bonnet, who might be asked to play in a more central role this season. Bonnet is their standout player in attack, although they do have some good options on both wings. Le Bihan, Malfleury, Manzala and the newly arrived Ludovic Gamboa are all fairly decent. Havre won’t have too many problems supplying good crosses, the big question is who is going to get on the end of them? They lack a really good striker who can get them 15+ goals in a season. Possible options include Yohann Riviere who had big injury problems last season, Moussa Sao who struggled to adapt in his first campaign for the club, or youngsters such as Lys Mousset, who are promising, but raw. Le Bihan is actually projected to start upfront, but he’s much better as a winger and has never been a natural striker. There are strong rumours that Le Havre will sign an established striker before the end of the transfer window. If they could bring in a quality player then this attack force would look much better. For now, it’s above average, but nothing too special.
Rating 7/10
Coaching & other factors
Eric Mombaerts was close to the sack at one stage last season but their form improved and he’s been kept on as coach this summer. He has a lot of experience and is very good at managing youngsters, something which is pretty important when in control at a club like Le Havre. But at times last season Mombaerts looked clueless and lacked ideas. This is a concern because more is expected of this supposed ‘elite’ level coach. Their home record was distinctly average and Le Stade Oceanne hasn’t become a fortress since they moved to their new home a couple of years ago. The big positive was that they looked like one of the best away teams last season, despite only ending up with the 9th best record. Le Havre are perfectly set up on the road with their quick counter attacks. Overall I think Mombaerts is an asset for them, but he needs to sharpen up his tactics this season, especially at home.
Overall conclusion
On paper, Le Havre look set to challenge for promotion. But I said that at the start of last season and arguably they had an even better squad at their disposal back then. They might just lack a couple of pieces that will stop them going up. Lack of creativity in the middle coupled with the lack of a proven quality goalscorer could be their downfall. The other problem is that this team seems to have no ambition sometimes. They’ve always been a ‘selling’ club and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they shipped some guys out in January. They could potentially lose assets because they never seem to try and hold onto players. They finished 12th last season and an improvement on that spot is very likely, but quite how high they can go remains to be seen. It’s possible they could reach the podium but it’s more likely a few factors will prevent them from fulfilling their true potential and they’ll fall short.
MEATMAN PREDICTION -5th
NANCY
GK and defence
Nancy uncovered an absolute gem of a keeper last season thanks to the emergence of Paul Nardi. In fact, he was so impressive that Monaco actually bought him this summer for £3 million. However, he’s been loaned back for a year which is a massive boost. Nardi will be one of the best keepers in the ligue, although he’s still young and will sometimes make the occasional rookie error. In front of him, the first choice back four is possibly the best quartet in the ligue. Their CB pairing of Joel Sami and Francois Bellugou is very formidable, whilst Joffrey Cuffaut on the right hand side is another quality option. Vincent Muratori is the starting LB and another with loads of experience. The worry for Nancy is they lack serious depth should injuries or suspensions kick in. They will rely on youngsters such as Badilla, Amadou and Lenglet to fill in if required. Newly signed Fabrice Ehret (also a winger) would at least be decent cover on the left if Muratori got injured. The good news is that the aforementioned first choice back four are extremely durable and not the type of players who will go down with injury often. You never know, but it’s fairly unlikely more than one of them will be missing for any match. That would be fine because they can carry one player in this defence, such is the overall strength of it.
Rating 9/10
Midfield
This is the area where I have most concern regarding Nancy. They’ve lost Thomas Ayasse and Thomas Mangani – a couple of rather unspectacular but dependable players. At Ligue 2 level both are fairly useful and nice to have around either as a first choice or backup option. I think they’ll lack steel and physicality in the middle of the park this season unless reinforcements are brought in. Lossemy Karaboue is a very versatile player but currently projected to start at CM. He’s probably better suited out wide or in an advanced role, he’s more of a creative type, not so good as a ball winner. Remi Walter will likely be their first choice defensive midfielder. He’s a promising talent but only 19 years old and a bit raw for a team with promotion aspirations. Maybe Nancy will bring in some more midfielders before the end of the transfer window. They certainly need to, because right now they lack overall quality and depth.
Rating 6/10
Attack
Nancy don’t have an awful lot of depth in attack, but the weapons they have available to them are of substantial quality. First mention has to go to their star player, Jeff Louis. He took the ligue by storm after the winter break last year and was clearly the best player in the whole division from January – May. I’m surprised they’ve managed to keep him, a number of Ligue 1 clubs were sniffing around. If he could stay, it’d be fantastic news for Nancy. In my opinion he’ll be the best player in Ligue 2, as long as he stays fit and doesn’t let any off field issues distract him. He’s quite simply a pure stud and a fantastic number 10. I would back him to deliver at least 20 goals and assists (combined). The problem is he probably will depart either this window, or in the winter. This season it looks like Nancy will actually have a decent striker ahead of him on the field. They have signed Maurice Dale from Arles, a much better option than the departing Benjamin Jeannot. Dale should be able to score at least 10 goals as long as he gets the right service. Another option upfront for them is old legend Mustapha Hadji who returns to the club. He’s 34 now, so no spring chicken but he has great technical skill and at Ligue 2 level still might have a lot to give. Unfortunately, Nancy also lack depth upfront and this could be a problem because Louis, Hadji and Dale are all big injury risks. But simply because of the presence of a star player like Louis (for now), this offence has to be rated highly.
Rating 9/10
Coaching & other factors
One of Nancy’s biggest assets is their coach Pablo Correa. He took over last season and despite inheriting a fairly poor squad, nearly managed to mastermind an immediate promotion. For them to finish 4th was definitely a very creditable achievement. He’s probably the best coach in Ligue 2 this season so that has to be a factor to consider. He will get the very best out of his players and ultimately that could be the difference between something like 3rd and 4th. Nancy play on an artificial surface so in theory should have an extra advantage at home. This hasn’t always been the case in recent years but Correa has also proven himself to be a very good road manager. They won’t have to rely on having an amazing home record because it’s likely they’ll pick up quite a few points on their travels.
Overall conclusion
When at full strength, the Nancy first choice XI will be one of the best in the ligue. If they can avoid injuries to key players then they’ll have a great chance of launching a promotion bid. However, if you scratch the surface its obvious they lack quality depth and backup options aren’t up to the standard required. They might be able to cope for small periods but if they suffer prolonged absences to important individuals they they’ll be in a sticky situation. At least they have a very good coach in charge who will get the absolute maximum out of the team. It also helps that they are an ambitious club and actually want to get promoted! They will definitely be a team in the mixer and the extra edge of having Pablo Correa as coach might just be the key difference come the end of the season. If they went up, I really wouldn’t be surprised, but the only reason I’m predicting them 4th is because of the aforementioned slight lack of depth, There also the strong possibility that they could end up selling someone good (ie Louis) which would harm them.
MEATMAN PREDICTION – 4th
BREST
GK and defence
Presuming they manage to keep everyone, Brest look pretty good at at the back. Alexis Thebaux is their no1 GK and at this level he’s fine. Johan Hartock will probably be warming the bench and he’s generally ok. Brest have a number of solid defenders such as Moimbe, Falette, Martial and Traore. A new addition is RB Stephane Tritz who has experience at this level and should go ok. In the 2nd half of last season they were very hard to break down and this backline is capable of being very solid indeed. There have been some rumours that guys like Martial and Moimble might leave before the end of the summer, but right now I see no issue with the Brest defence, they wont concede many.
Rating 9/10
Midfield
Likewise in the middle of the park, Brestois look to be in good shape. They have strong duoof physical defensive midfielders – Perez & Ramare. Adding to this lineup is Malian Cheick Doumbia & Jason Ranneaud from lower Ligue Lyon-Duchere. Of course, Brest’s main man in central areas is Bruno Grougi. Many would class him as an attacker but he does sometimes operate as a deep lying playmaker. Grougi is really good at delivering set pieces and a key heartbeat in the Brest team. They look to have plenty of depth in the middle of the park and this feels like a really stable area for them.
Rating 8/10
Attack
Brest have lost left winger Benoit Lesoimier and right winger/striker Jonathan Ayite, but perhaps neither will be missed that much. When on form, both of those players were capable of changing games but injuries never seemed to be on their side. The amount of games that each missed, especially Ayite was ridiculous. Brest can now move on with some (hopefully) less brittle players capable of playing 30+ games a season. They have signed two wingers, Cuvillier and Belghazouani. These are a couple of additions I like. Cuvillier is proven quality at Ligue 2 level and weighed in with a lot of assists for Nancy last season, whilst the pace of Belghazouani can never be underestimated. Brest have one very good striker in Nicolas Verdier who is capable of scoring 15+ goals with the right service. There is talk he might leave before the end of the summer though and it’s imperative he stays. Alexandre Alphonse could become useful if he can stay injury free for once. At full strength, this’ll be a decent attack. They even have Gaetan Laborde on loan from Bordeaux to add some extra depth, and it’s possible he might push for a starting spot.
Rating 8/10
Coaching & other factors
Brest have the experienced Alex Dupont in charge and he’s a great fit for this club.In the past he’s obtained promotion with Brest, and back then he had even less quality to work with. Dupont is a naturally defensive manager, but proven at getting results. It might not be pretty, but his methods can be effective. Dupont isn’t just completely defensive though and does like to employ counter attacking tactics on the road. Brest will be effective on their travels this season, hard to penetrate but dangerous on the break. Historically, they’ve always been strong at home too. Brest is an awful place for anyone to visit in the middle of winter, when the pitch is all cut up and conditions horrible. They will have an advantage in front of their own fans, especially in the 2nd half of the season, because they’ll know how to play best on their likely poor quality surface.
Overall conclusion
Brest ended last season really well. From the start of February until the final round, they only lost two games (against Metz and Caen, both of whom got promoted). So clearly they ended incredibly hot and are likely to start this season with some momentum. Not too much has changed within the squad so this sort of form should be fairly easy to maintain. It was never going to be easy for them to settle down immediately following relegation, but I feel this season they can get right back into the promotion mixer. They won’t be the greatest team to watch in terms of entertainment, but I expect them to be really effective & hard to beat. They’ll be awkward opponents and I can’t see them losing many matches. Lack of goals due to negative tactics is perhaps the only slight worry, but with such good all round strength the Brittany outfit are a prime candidate to finish on the podium.
MEATMAN PREDICTION -3rd
TROYES
GK and defence
The one question mark for Troyes at the back is actually in goal. They signed Denis Petric last season but he was a bust for half of the year, not performing very well. He’s expected to be their no1 GK this season, but Franck Grandel and Mathieu Dreyer will push him close. Neither is that good, although Petric has potential if he can regain his old form. The ESTAC backline wasn’t that tight last season, but on paper it’s one of the best in the ligue. Maxime Collin is one of the top fullbacks around, whilst Lionel Carole complements him well on the other side. In the middle N’Diaye, Saunier and Ricon are all solid options. They have signed Mory Kone from Parma who might feature, whilst even the experienced Florian Jarjat can do a half decent job when required. I would expect their defensive stats to improve this season because the quality is there on paper. A number of their defenders are known to regularly get injured though, so keeping everyone fit would help.
Rating 8/10
Midfield
This is an area where Troyes have reinforced because they were too lightwright last season. They’ve signed Thomas Ayasse from Nancy who will bring some steel to the side, whilst talented youngster Jessy Pi comes from Monaco on a season long loan. Big things are expected of Pi in the future and its possible he could thrive at Ligue 2 level. Of course, they still have the legendary Benjamin Nivet in their ranks. At 37 years old, it’s debatable how much more he’s got left in the tank, but you can’t deny his technical skill. Troyes have other options such as Quentin Othon, Jimmy Cabot and Khassa Camara, and they’ll also have Thiago Xavier available once he’s recovered from an ACL injury. As the season progresses, this midfield should go from strength to strength and I really like the look of it.
Rating 9.5/10
Attack
Troyes will be led in attack by star striker Ghislain Gimbert, one of the top marksman in Ligue 2. He scored 14 goals in just 25 appearances last season and only injury prevented him from playing more games. I expect him to threaten the 20 goal barrier this year providing he stays fit. Troyes will hope that young starlet Corentin Jean can finally come of age this year too. Everyone knows he’s got a massive future ahead of him, could this be the season he breaks through in a big way? On the wings, Troyes have great options. The likes of Fahid Ben Khalfallah, Yoann Court, Stephane Darbion can all supply some great crosses, and the likes of Cabot, Jean and Nivet can all play out wide if needed as well. It’s difficult to find a weakness in this Troyes attack. Some might argue they could do with having another proven quality striker alongside Gimbert, but that would only be necessary if he went down injured for a long time.
Rating 9/10
Coaching & other factors
Jean Marc Furlan remains in charge and he’s one of the most attack minded coaches in Ligue 2. His philosophy is to play nice attractive football, even if it costs them decent results at times. He came under fire last season in some games when they just fell asleep defensively, but he’s maintained that he’ll keep playing an attacking system this campaign. Troyes are usually a very strong home team and their pitch is one of the best in the division, always immaculately maintained and suits their fluid passing ‘on the deck’ sort of style. However, they are known for having problems on the road, especially during the winter on poor pitches at difficult locations. So this team won’t always enjoy travelling, but you can bank on them having one of the best home records in the ligue.
Overall conclusion
Troyes have one of the best squads in Ligue 2 and really should manage to obtain promotion this season. The club has been very settled during the summer and everybody knows each other really well. For one reason or another, things just didn’t work out for them last year. Maybe it was a relegation hangover or the Coupe de La Ligue semi final run, but basically they underachieved. This time around I’d expect them to strongly compete though, and only defensive issues could potentially cost them. Troyes will play just like Caen did last season and rely on their attack force to propel them towards Ligue 1. It’s likely ESTAC will be the highest scoring team in the division but they will also lose some stupid games away from home in which they dominate etc. So perhaps that sort of thing might cost them winning the title, but it’d be a surprise if they didn’t end up on the podium.
MEATMAN PREDICTION – 2nd
ANGERS
GK and defence
Angers have finally parted ways with dinosaur Gregory Malicki. I have no idea why they stuck with such an old keeper for the last few seasons because he was a clear weak link at times. Replacing him is Ludovic Butelle from Arles who’ll be an immediate upgrade. Angers have also upgraded their defence by signing Algerian Antar Yahia. I don’t know an awful lot about him, but this guy captained Algeria in the 2010 world cup and obtained over 50 caps for his country. Still only 32 years old, he’ll surely be one of the better defenders at this level of football. Khalifa Traore and Loic Guillon are a couple of other new additions who should be ok. Angers found some real gems last season in the form of Arnold Bouka Moutou and Romain Thomas. There’s no doubt that Moutou is one of the best left backs in Ligue 2 and if Thomas continues his form of last year, they should be formidable at the back. Angers are well set in defence and have loads of cover and depth should injuries kick in. Finally, they’ve gotten rid of the horrendous Jeremy Henin who was a liability at times, losing Djibril Konate isn’t that bad either because he was getting too old and slow. If everyone stays fit this’ll be one of the strongest defences in the ligue.
Rating 9/10
Midfield
They remain unchanged in the middle of the park with no significant arrivals or departures. When at full strength it looks just as formidable as the defence. With the likes of Auriac, Keita, Manceau and Frikeche, Angers have plenty of proven quality and options in the middle. They will sometimes play in a 4-4-2 formation and have wide midfielders who are capable of playing in a deeper role too. Once again, depth is vast and the coach has a number of possibilities at his disposal. You could argue that they lack a ‘star’ man in midfield, but when Auraic and Keita are on top form, both are capable of being superb. There’s not a lot more I can add here really, this just looks like really strong midfield to me.
Rating 9/10
Attack
Angers have lost 11 goal man Mohamed Yattara but I think they’ll be able to make up for that by scoring more collective teams goals. Jonathan Kodjia performed well at Caen last season and is a decent addition, whilst Abdoul Camara could be useful at Ligue 2 level following a move from Sochaux. Angers have loads of wingers and striker options. The likes of Ayari (although he is out injured until November), Boufal, Eudeline, plus a couple of others can all be great on their day. Once again, you could say that they lack a ‘star’ individual in this area of the field, but perhaps its not a necessity. Everyone will play their part and I’m sure players will be rotated a lot, which could be a real asset as the season progresses. Angers will definitely create chances and score goals, especially as they regularly employ positive tactics.
Rating 8/10
Coaching and other factors
This will be Stephane Moulin’s 4th season in charge. He’s led them to 11th, 5th and 9th placed finishes, very respectable numbers for a club like Angers. Moulin is a good coach and it’ll help Angers to have maintained stability in this department. They have performed well both at home and away during Moulin’s reign. His counter attacking style can be very effective on the road. They are well supported at home, although Angers do have a reputation for choking in big fixtures and never seem to play that well on TV. This could be a coaching or mental issue, I’m not sure, but it seems they often crack when the limelight is on them. Team spirit is often very good at Angers and everyone seems to play for each other.
Overall conclusion
Angers have come close to promotion in each of the last two seasons. Last year they blew a great chance but only won 2 of their last 14 matches! It seems they always falter around January/February time each season following a hot start. But there were reasons this happened last year. Firstly, their injury luck was ridiculous. Throughout the whole campaign they missed so many guys at regular intervals. I don’t think they managed to name their best XI in any match! This eventually caught up with them and around Feb/March all of the players were tired and fatigued. I have no doubt that if they can just keep the squad reasonably fit this year, at the very least they’ll obtain promotion. Angers have a great looking balanced squad with loads of depth, they don’t have any real weak areas on the field! They also have a massive hunger to succeed following close misses in recent years. Don’t underestimate the power of this motivation! Often the big failure of talented squads at this level is that they don’t care (example Lens last season). Angers WILL care though and they could actually walk away with the division this year IMO. The rest of the field is fairly weak and they have a great chance to take advantage. They will learn from their past mistakes and this time ensure they get over the line.
MEATMAN PREDICTION – 1st
Elfsborg (Swe) - Odd (Nor)
This game will be played Borås Arena . Both teams use artificial grass at home.
Scandinavian derby today ,and expected a great game. Elfsorg is in 4th place with 31 points in Allsvenskan after 16 games, but have a game in hand .In Europa league they eliminate danish team Randers after 120 minutes draw won in extra time 1-0 goal from S. Lundevall in 94min,and also LAhti winning 5-0 at home and 2-2 in Finland . They are unbeaten at home this season.
Missing for hosts are defenders J. Manns 6/0 ,D. Mobaeck 0/0, and midfielder E. Bajrami 0/0 all injured!
Odd is in 7th place in Tippeligaen with 25 points. After eliminate Sheriff winning 0-3 away and 0-0 at home they also won twice over Shamrock Rovers 0-2 away and 2-1 in Norway. In tippeligaen won last round over Start 3-2 in 92 minute a goal by R. Zekhnini .
Injured for Odd is striker F. Johnsen 9/2 .
I think this will be a difficult away game for Odd,head coach of Elfsborg, Magnus Haglund has been on Lillestrøm squad for many years and knows very well Norwegian football ,and i still believe this first game Elfsborg will be clear favorites to win the game.
Home win 1.94 @ Tempobet 8/10 Good Luck!
Zacharael reacted to Mindfulness in Premier League Predictions > Nov 3rd - 5th