[Serie A > October 6/7]

Re: Serie A > October 6/7

I would tend to agree on Atalanta having seen that team news. A front line for Roma of Totti, Destro and Osvaldo looks full of goals and they should be able to exploit Atalanta’s weaknesses. Bologna are interesting me quite a lot now, with the Bologna over 0.5 goals at the forefront of my thinking. That’s at a very decent 1.91 at Coral. We saw against Inter, that whilst Fiorentina have gifted players on the ball the defensive ability of the midfield is lacking. They really struggled in that game when players like Cassano and Coutinho were dropping a bit deeper to pick up the ball and then running at them. No-one of the 3 centre mids were particularly aware of who was where and none looked particularly eager to track back. Bologna have in Diamanti a player is capable of doing this and with Kone and Guarante as well they have midfielders who are willing to go forward with the ball. I can see them causing problems with this type of play, and Romulo who should be as a converted defender the best defensively of the midfield three is struggling with fitness and may miss out. Rodriguez the centre back who has been an ever present up to now is suspended, with Savic likely to come in. Having seen him play for Man City a couple of times last season, I feel he is still quite raw and an experienced duo of Gilardino and Diamanti could cause him some problems if they can isolate him. Haven’t taken this yet, but will update if I do.

The more I think about this the more I like it. They are not a team that goes that defensive on the road, and under Pioli last season I think they scored in 12 out of the 16 away games they had under him. Whilst things have been reversed a little this season, I'm not sure how they failed to score against Siena, when they had so many decent chances and they did bag three at the Olimpico against Roma. I also believe that they will go to 3-5-2 in this match, as they do for many of the bigger games. Its a positive move in my eyes if they do, as it should allow them to match Fiorentina in midfield, giving a greater chance to win the ball and attack with numbers when they get it. I do feel that with the quality Bologna have in this area that the Fiorentina midfield could be overawed a little if they do look to break quickly. As well as Romulo being a doubt, Fiorentina may be without Pizzaro too as he hasn't trained over the last 2 days which would be a blow to their ability to keep the ball. Bologna over 0.5 goals 1.91 at Coral (1.5 /10 units) :hope

[Serie A > October 6/7]

Re: Serie A > October 6/7 I would tend to agree on Atalanta having seen that team news. A front line for Roma of Totti, Destro and Osvaldo looks full of goals and they should be able to exploit Atalanta’s weaknesses. Bologna are interesting me quite a lot now, with the Bologna over 0.5 goals at the forefront of my thinking. That’s at a very decent 1.91 at Coral. We saw against Inter, that whilst Fiorentina have gifted players on the ball the defensive ability of the midfield is lacking. They really struggled in that game when players like Cassano and Coutinho were dropping a bit deeper to pick up the ball and then running at them. No-one of the 3 centre mids were particularly aware of who was where and none looked particularly eager to track back. Bologna have in Diamanti a player is capable of doing this and with Kone and Guarante as well they have midfielders who are willing to go forward with the ball. I can see them causing problems with this type of play, and Romulo who should be as a converted defender the best defensively of the midfield three is struggling with fitness and may miss out. Rodriguez the centre back who has been an ever present up to now is suspended, with Savic likely to come in. Having seen him play for Man City a couple of times last season, I feel he is still quite raw and an experienced duo of Gilardino and Diamanti could cause him some problems if they can isolate him. Haven’t taken this yet, but will update if I do.

[Serie A > October 6/7]

Re: Serie A > October 6/7 Think I will take Juve on the outright, not amazing odds or anything like that but I’m confident that they’ll get the job done against Siena. There is some talk of rotation but the squad is strong enough to still be competitive and I’m not overly convinced that they will rotate as much as is being suggested. Having played on Tuesday evening in the CL, the players should be well rested before Sundays match and with an international break coming up after this one, I can’t see much need to overdo things rotation wise. With Bonnuci out I doubt they will make other changes to defence and maybe Vidal may get a break but can’t see much sense in doing much more than that. Certainly with Napoli facing a tricky test against Udinese this weekend, this time is a good chance to put some daylight between them as we head into the break. It’s also likely given the high standards he has set that Conte will want to see a reaction to the Shaktar game, where they were pulled apart at times by the Ukrainian team. That must have been the first game in a while where Juve have been dominated in possession (Shaktar had 60%+), and he’ll want his team to get back to their usual way of playing. So a Juve team with only a few changes should be more than enough to get a win against a poor Siena side. As I said in my earlier post, Siena lack energy and for me it’s unlikely that they will press Juve to much on the ball. They’ll sit back and hope for the best but I can’t see the defence being good enough to hold out all game. They are also without D’Agostino who is perhaps there most controlled player in midfield. He would have given them a bit more time on the ball when they get it, and is usually involved in most of their counter attacks and set pieces. He’ll be missed by this Siena team and another blow to the quality of the side. Juve to win 1.57 at Bet Victor (6 / 10 units) I see that Ultravires has metioned the Roma vs Atalanta game, and I’ll be interested to hear your views on in it. Certainly on a value basis the fact that Atalanta are at 7.0’s jumps out. The same applies to Bologna and Udinese to an extent as well. This is a tough league and I don’t think there is too many circumstances where a team at the level of any of those three is justified to be at such high odds, although I haven’t checked team news so I may be missing something.

[Group A > 4 October (Anzhi, Liverpool. Udinese, Young Boys)]

Re: Group A > 4 October (Anzhi, Liverpool. Udinese, Young Boys) Great picks Hebert. I couldn't believe how crazy the prices on Udinese got over the last few hours before kick off. Saw them at 7.0 on betvictor mid afternoon.

Well I’m not going to wait around any longer as the price is falling a little bit on this already and is more likely to continue doing so than anything else. So I will take; Liverpool vs Udinese – Udinese +1AH 1.76 at Bet Victor (3 / 10 units) See previous posts for reasoning.

:ok +2.28 units for me.

[Serie A > October 6/7]

Re: Serie A > October 6/7 Crikey, I don’t what everyone else thinks, but this is a tough looking card for me. I think Juve, possibly on a handicap are the only major bet at the front of my mind. As I’ve said before I really don’t think Siena are that great, nowhere near as good as recent results would suggest. They really lack energy all of the pitch, particularly in midfield which is something you wouldn’t expect from a Cosmi side. Against Juve they’ll be chasing the ball most of the game and with no one to consistently close players down, I think Juve will get enough time and space to work their magic. Assuming there is no major injury concerns (Bonnuci we know is suspended) highlighted in the next few days for Juve I’ll be looking to back them some way. Catania at home against Parma also holds my interest a little. Parma are no great shakes and whilst the loss to Bologna last weekend was a poor one for Catania, there home form is usually pretty strong (they’ve already taken 7 points from 3 games this season) and has been the key base for their campaigns over the last few years. They will however miss Spolli in defence, who’s been a key player for them for a number of seasons now, something which minimises my interest a little for this one. Other than that there isn’t much that takes my fancy. I felt that Cagliari were a bit long when the odds came out and in most places they’ve lengthened a little following the sacking of their manager, but the fact that they do have a new manager is strong enough reason to avoid, as the new man Pulga may be looking to implement new tactics or change personel. The same applies to Chievo, where I did feel Samp were a little long previously but have now shortened, and are still likely to be missing Poli and Eder may also be out as well. After todays win and on the back of improved performances in the last 2 or 3 games, I think AC Milan are looking in good shape to get a result in the derby, however I tend to avoid such games and probably won’t get involved.

[Group A > 4 October (Anzhi, Liverpool. Udinese, Young Boys)]

Re: Group A > 4 October (Anzhi, Liverpool. Udinese, Young Boys) Well I’m not going to wait around any longer as the price is falling a little bit on this already and is more likely to continue doing so than anything else. So I will take; Liverpool vs Udinese – Udinese +1AH 1.76 at Bet Victor (3 / 10 units) See previous posts for reasoning.

[Group F > 4 October (AIK Solna, Dnipro, Napoli, PSV)]

Re: Group F > 4 October (AIK Solna, Dnipro, Napoli, PSV) Well despite the likelihood that there will be plenty of changes, Napoli have named a strong squad with all the major players bar Maggio in it. That hasn't really had much effect on the odds and indeed the biggest prices are beginning to fall. Whilst the +0.5AH is worth considering, I was hoping to hold out for a higher asian line to offer a bit of protection if PSV sneak it. They are generally quite strong at home in Europe, unbeaten in 20 games I think. Think I will wait this one out until nearer kick off and hope for some late price rises on Napoli. Napoli squad is confirmed as; GK; De Sanctis, Rosati, Crispino, DF: Aronica, Cannavaro, Campagnaro, Fernandez, Uvini, MF: Behrami, Donadel, Dossena, Dzemaili, El Kaddouri, Inler, Mesto, Zuniga, ST: Cavani, Insigne, Pandev, Vargas.

[Group A > 4 October (Anzhi, Liverpool. Udinese, Young Boys)]

Re: Group A > 4 October (Anzhi, Liverpool. Udinese, Young Boys) Surely its unlikely that any of those three will start (with maybe the exception of Sahin). I've not heard much team news yet but looking at the match vs Young Boys and the tough game they've have against Stoke at the weekend, i would expect a mix of young players & reserves. At a guess it's probably likely to be something similar to; Jones Wisdom Coates Carragher Robinson Henderson, Shelvey, Suso Assaidi, Pacheo, Downing The likes of Sterling, Sahin and maybe even Joe Cole and Enrique may make the bench but there is no way that i'd back that team at such low odds. Still its worth waiting for more informed news rather than just speculating. One thing I do know is that Basta won't be travelling with Udinese squad, however everyone else does and on paper its a decent squad and Guidolin should field a competitive team. For info that squad is; Goalkeepers: 1. Brkic, 25. Padelli, 93. Pawlowski. Defenders: 27. Armero, 17. Benatia, 48. Berra, 16. Coda, 5. Danilo, 11. Domizzi, 75. Heurtaux, 26. Pasquale. Midfielders: 7. Badu, 6. Faraoni, 21. Lazzari, 37. Pereyra, 66. Pinzi, 88. Willians. Forwards: 31. Fabbrini, 10. Di Natale, 13. Ranegie.  

[Group F > 4 October (AIK Solna, Dnipro, Napoli, PSV)]

Re: Group F > 4 October (AIK Solna, Dnipro, Napoli, PSV) Well the latest speculation is that as with the opening match against AIK, Napoli may well rest a number of players, with up to 8 or 9 of the first 11 missing out. However this isn’t necessary a bad thing and whilst in normal circumstances a rotation like this would lead to consideration of PSV, the Napoli team will still be pretty strong and will be a tough opponent for PSV. Hopefully the odds on Napoli may rise once squads are announced, and if the likes of Cavani, Maggio and co are left out. I saw plenty of the Napoli vs AIK game and whilst it’s hard to judge against such poor opponents, the Napoli team looked very well balanced, if a little tired towards the end. Starting at the back, they’ll keep De Sanctis between the sticks and will partner Cannavaro or Gamberini with Aronica and Fernandez. That will give a solid trio with players who featured heavily in Napoli’s European run last season. Midfield is also looking solid, and whilst they’ll lack the flair of Hamsik, they will still be resolute with the likes of Dzemeli, Dossena and Mesto in there. Upfront is probably the strongest area for this team, and if they can get the ball to either Insigne or Vargas then these two can create something out of nothing and will be a nightmare for the defences to track with their running and skill. If the price does as I hope and rise a little then there should be some decent + handicap options to consider.

[Group A > 4 October (Anzhi, Liverpool. Udinese, Young Boys)]

Re: Group A > 4 October (Anzhi, Liverpool. Udinese, Young Boys) At the moment, the Udinese +1AH is interesting me here. Despite losing a number of players over the last couple of seasons they remain a very difficult team to beat. Guidolin has a team full of hardworking players, who whilst lacking creativity all know their roles and are very disciplined on and off the ball. Whilst performances haven’t been great in the opening weeks of the season they’ve still grinded out 6 draws and win in the opening 9 games. The two losses were a tad unfortunate as well, with a late deflected Jovetic goal getting Fiorentina back into the game on the opening weekend of the season and they had the keeper sent off after 12 minutes against Juve and with 11 men I’m sure they would not have lost so heavily. Indeed they’ve drawn all three European ties against Braga (twice) and Anzhi, both strong opposition. The later match against Anzhi highlighted the desire they do have to perform well this competition, as they fought to the end and fielded a strong team and bench. They’ll want to do the same again on Thursday, and I would expect the likes of Basta, Dommizzi, Di Natalie & Armero who have all been out the team for one reason or another recently to be involved. If Liverpool look like they may field a weakened team, with younger players or reserve players then I’d fancy Udinese to be able to frustrate and dominate them a little physically. Obviously that remains to be seen but if it is the case then the price on Udinese at 6+ seems a little long.

[Serie A - September 29-30]

Re: Serie A - September 29-30 I think you're right to be honest. I'm probably basing my opinion of Fiorentina too much on the one game vs Juve, and whilst that was exceptional they are a still a new team in terms of players, tactics and manager. It remains to be seen whether then can get the consistency of performance thats required to take points of two big teams in a week.

[Serie A - September 29-30]

Re: Serie A - September 29-30

Whilst I wait for team news in the Milan game, here's my other picks so far for this weekends actions. Lazio vs Siena – Lazio -0.5AH 1.68 at Bet Victor ( 6 /10 units) :ok Sampdoria vs Napoli – Napoli -0.25AH 1.85 at Bet Victor ( 4 / 10 units) :ok

A couple of winners here and +7.5 units profit. I've still got quite a bit of interest in Fiorentina tonight. Whilst Inter haven't been awful this season, things still don't look as fluid as they can be and in the matches i've seen them they've often made mistakes with the ball, to often giving it away and not taking control of matches either. If they continue like that tonight then Fiorentina that could really trouble them. They are already very comfortable on the ball, excellent with it against Juve, and if Inter dont have the ball they'll find it very difficult to get into this game. Goal scoring will always been a problem without an out and out striker in the first 11, but they should have enough of the ball in this match to trouble Inter's dodgy-ish defence. Certainly if they do move to a back 3 as speculated then this could cause Inter more problems. It didn't really really work for them last season. Any thoughts?

[Serie A - September 29-30]

Re: Serie A - September 29-30 The price on Genoa is very interesting. Seems to have been gradually rising over the last few days and now sits at 4.0+. I'm not going to put anything on them as i'm happy with the bets i've already placed here but the +handicaps could be worth a look on Genoa. Without Di Natalie, who has been left out the squad you would feel that they will struggle to get goals. Its a tough ask for Ranegie and Barretto to come in and form an instant partnership. There is also a lack of goals from elsewhere in the team, with only Basta looking confident in getting forward so far this season. Maybe Udinese could sneak a goal but with the firepower they've got upfront you would imagine that Genoa could do the same. Particularly against a defence still missing Dommizzi. The only concern that you would have in this one would be the midfield match ups. Genoa can sometimes be a bit lightweight defensivly in the middle of the park as the likes of Jankovic and Merkel are great going forward but not so good at the defensive side of things. However the signs are promising for this one, I its likely that neither of those two will start and the manager Di Canio may well convert Antonelli into a central midfielder for this game, playing along the tough Seymour and all action Kucka. I'm not sure whether the long term plan for Antonelli is in this position but his ability to put in challenges and scrap for the ball should be welcomed by Genoa's midfield in this game. That does mean that may lose some attacking spark without Merkel or Jankovic in the team but I would still fancy them to at least match Udinese in this one.

[Serie A - September 29-30]

Re: Serie A - September 29-30 Whilst I wait for team news in the Milan game, here's my other picks so far for this weekends actions. Lazio vs Siena – Lazio -0.5AH 1.68 at Bet Victor ( 6 /10 units) I’ve already touched on this match previously, and I still feel that Siena’s recent run is not an accurate reflection on how they have been playing. They were poor against Bologna and I don’t know how they came out with the win. The goal was a massive piece of luck with that deflection off Antonsson, and the Bologna GK didn’t have a save to make until the 88 minutes. It was a performance mostly devoid of any creativity, and they were out bossed in the middle of the park by Bologna, allowing the away team to control the game. They looked knackered as well, and having a day less to prepare for this game than Lazio could prove problematic for them. Lazio whilst stuttering of late have still generally impressed so far this season. They look a much more solid team than under Reja last year, the defence is looking less calamitous and I’m liking the way they line up in midfield. Similar to Bologna they should have enough about them in that area of pitch to control the game and with Klose & Hernanes up top they should be able to get a goal or two to seal the win. Sampdoria vs Napoli – Napoli -0.25AH 1.85 at Bet Victor ( 4 / 10 units) I do just feel that the injuries and suspensions that Samp have will make it hard for them to get points in this one. They’ve got Poli, Maresca and Tissone out in midfield, all players that have featured heavily so far this season. Poli especially is a huge loss, he’s a great passer of the ball and calm in possession and Sampdoria don’t really have a replacement for him. Obiang still does a good job breaking up play, but without that control of the ball I think they’ll struggle to get any rhythm going in this game and may be limited in how much they get the ball forward. Even if they can get it forward they’ll still struggle to hold on to it without either the suspended Maxi Lopez or the injured Nicola Pozzi. All three of the potential strike force Eder, Estergarribia and Soriano are all more support strikers than out and out strikers and I can’t see them threatening aerially or in behind the Napoli defence. In comparison to Sampdoria, Napoli have virtually no injury or suspension concerns so we’ll see a very strong Napoli team. They’ve started the season well, and whilst historically they don’t always excel on the road, they’ve done well this season with a win at Palermo and the draw last weekend at Catania, in a match they really should have won. You can see that they are really determined to have a better title challenege this season and Mazzari has refrained from any annoying rotation up until now. Having missed the chance to pick up three points in that Catania game, he won’t want to miss this chance of an away win against a weakened Samp team.

[Serie A - September 29-30]

Re: Serie A - September 29-30 Seems we've got two threads on the go at the moment, could we get merge? Anyway i'm still undecided on Milan and will wait for official team news. Gazzetta seem to be suggesting that they may rotate a little, with Mexes, Montolivo and Urby all left out. I would have concerns over midfield particularly if the later two are left out as it would lack any creative spark. As for my other possible picks, i've ruled Palermo out but everything else still interests me. Just a matter of finding the best options.

[Serie A - September 29-30]

Re: Serie A - September 29-30 Some cracking matches to look forward to this weekend with Juve vs Roma on Saturday and Inter vs Fiorentina on Sunday night. Betting wise a number of matches interest this weekend; Parma vs Milan – I’ll be interested to hear what others think about Milan here because to me they seem a little too long. This is mainly based on my opinions on Parma who I think are a distinctly average team and for me don’t seem to have either the players or the tactics to frustrate Milan as the likes of Sampdoria or Atalanta have. They are not over defensive and won’t sit too deep, but are not that dynamic going forward either and the Milan defence may be in for a slighty easier night. They do have a bit of pace but don’t use as effectively as they could and I think Belfodil is out for this one (as well as Valdes, who is another key creative player for them). They created very little against Fiorentina, with the exception of two penalty kicks and their best opportunities against Genoa, and indeed their goal came from set pieces rather than open play. Milan still have their problems, but confidence will be building up after the win midweek. Things are still not brilliant and overall they don’t have a team anywhere near good enough to challenge for the league but they look a little better than a few weeks ago. The defence is looking more solid, with De Sciglio impressing at right back and at the moment looking like a better option than Abate. Whilst I don’t rate Bonera too much, he has a decent partnership with Mexes and they’ve had 2 clean sheets together in the last 2 games. In front of them the return of Montolivo has helped bring a bit of dynamism to the central midfield area and they still have great pace upfront with Urby and El Sha. I’m surprised I’m saying this but not having Boateng in the team is helping as well. Whenever he was on the pitch in the early season he seemed to have all the responsibility to attack and often wasted possession trying to score 25 yard screamers. Things are slightly more cohesive without him at the moment, and I’ll be surprised to see him start this one. Milan DNB could be a possible play here then. Lazio vs Siena – price may be a little low at the moment but if it can get a little higher I may well play Lazio here. Hopefully with Siena currently winning tonight, people might get on them in the belief they are a good team, when really they aren’t. They’ve been very lucky in the last 3 matches. Against Udinese they were 2-0 down in 5 minutes but got lucky with a red card (and Guidolin got sent to the stand aswell) and were able to get back into the game. The performance against Inter was alright but Inter wasted so many chances, and were undone by their own defensive frailities rather than Siena’s attacking nous. Tonights performance has been poor too, don’t know how they are winning this. They look tired (and will have a days less rest than Lazio for this one) and so short of ideas. Usually with Cosmi teams you expect a lot of running and desire to get forward but they just don’t have the players capable of this and so have had to become more orthodox and defensive. I’m not sure this suits the managers style and there have been bossed by Bologna who have wasted a number of chances. With the midfield that Lazio has, combining a good mix of skill and work rate you’d fancy them to do similar and dominate and you wouldn’t expect Klose or Hernanes to be so wasteful in front of goals. This could be an ideal game for Lazio to recapture their from earlier in the season. Those two are the ones I have the most interest in, but there are others that remain in consideration. Palermo have been playing alright in the last couple of games and really should have picked up points from both these games. The had the better chances than Atalanta in that match but fell asleep in the last minute from a set piece and against Pescara they missed so many great chances (Hernandez being mostly responsible) within the first 30 minutes and should have been a couple of goals ahead before the sending off. Cheivo on the road are not the most adventurous team which will come as a relief to a defence in transition. If they have a lot of the ball I’ve seen enough from them upfront in the last couple of games to believe that they will get chances and eventually something has got to go in surely. At 2.4 there may be options to back Palermo in this one. I’m not overly keen in backing Napoli away from home after last weekends stalemate but Sampdoria do have a few injury problems to contend with this weekend with make them look a weaker side than earlier in the season. Without Poli there is a lack of control on the ball in midfield and they will also miss the suspended Maresca. Obieng is a tough cookie but the rest of the midfield doesn’t interest me that much. Without Lopez or Pozzi to spear the attack, they will depend on the inexperienced Icardi. The attack may be hard working but maybe doesn’t have any particular goal threats. Napoli are already looking very strong this season and very consistent in performances. Defensively they look good and are creating a lot of chances in all their games. There seems to be a real belief about them at the moment and they should be looking to capitalise on the issues Samp have. Finally if Fiorentina can repeat the performance they put in vs Juve then at 3/1 they are much too long. That performance was excellent in my eyes, they controlled and passed the ball well and didn’t get overawed by their opponents. The lack of an out and out striker is an issue and means they won’t score bucket loads but Jovetic is a huge threat and Lljaic despite the diving impressed me against Juve. The only question here is whether they can maintain these levels, and on first review performance away from home don’t seem to have been as good as those at the Artemino Franchi. Certainly against Parma they were not as fluid.

[Serie A - September 29-30]

[TABLE=class: couponTable, width: 617] [TR] [TH=class: firstColumn, align: left]Saturday 29 September 2012[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Draw[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0, bgcolor: #F0F0F0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn, align: left]Parma v AC Milan (17:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.3[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.4[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.46[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]100.37 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn, align: left]Juventus v AS Roma (19:45 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]1.68[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]4.33[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]5.25[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]101.65 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR] [TH] [/TH] [TH=class: firstColumn, align: left]Sunday 30 September 2012[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Draw[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0, bgcolor: #F0F0F0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn, align: left]Udinese v Genoa (11:30 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.65[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]4.33[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]100.48 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn, align: left]Atalanta v Torino (14:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.2[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.3[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]4[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]100.76 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0, bgcolor: #F0F0F0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn, align: left]Bologna v Catania (14:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.48[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.3[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.3[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]100.93 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn, align: left]Cagliari v Pescara (14:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]1.8[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.75[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]5.5[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]100.40 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0, bgcolor: #F0F0F0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn, align: left]Lazio v Siena (14:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]1.66[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.85[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]6.9[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]100.47 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn, align: left]Palermo v Chievo (14:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.38[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.3[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.6[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]100.10 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0, bgcolor: #F0F0F0] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn, align: left]Sampdoria v Napoli (14:00 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.75[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.45[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.28[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]99.51 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD=align: center][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn, align: left]Internazionale v Fiorentina (19:45 BST)[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]2.17[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.45[/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd, align: center]3.9[/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp, align: center]100.71 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

[Serie A - September 25-27]

Re: Serie A - September 25-27

Torino vs Udinese – Udinese +0.5AH 1.73 at Bet Victor (3 / 10 units) :ok Pescara vs Palermo – over 2.5 goals 2.0 at Ladbrokes ( 2 /10 units):\

Small profit at least, on whats been a generally tough midweek round. Disappointed with the Pescara game, red card ruined any chance of overs. It was looking optimistic until then, an open game and both teams creating chances. Generally however feel I've got a good gage for teams now, so might start with some bigger stakes from the weekend onwards, although I haven't actually looked at the fixtures yet.

[Capital One Cup 25/26 September]

Re: Capital One Cup 25/26 September

I’m going to be joining all you West Brom backers tonight. With the news of Liverpools heavy rotation and a squad full of youngsters, West Brom do look still a tad long at 15/8. They seem to be taking the cup a bit more seriously than their opposition tonight, and previously I’ve heard Clarke talk about wanting to have a good run in this competition and they should field a strong team with maybe just 3-4 changes I would imagine. Don't forget they've already beaten a full strength Liverpool comfortably this season. West Brom +0.25AH 1.78 at Bet365 (3 / 10 units)

-3 units for the day, -1.9 for the round.

[Capital One Cup 25/26 September]

Re: Capital One Cup 25/26 September I’m going to be joining all you West Brom backers tonight. With the news of Liverpools heavy rotation and a squad full of youngsters, West Brom do look still a tad long at 15/8. They seem to be taking the cup a bit more seriously than their opposition tonight, and previously I’ve heard Clarke talk about wanting to have a good run in this competition and they should field a strong team with maybe just 3-4 changes I would imagine. Don't forget they've already beaten a full strength Liverpool comfortably this season. West Brom +0.25AH 1.78 at Bet365 (3 / 10 units)

[Capital One Cup 25/26 September]

Re: Capital One Cup 25/26 September Excellent work by blackcrow tonight, just the Everton result taking away his full house.

To follow up on my previous post, I’ll be taking small punts on; Sunderland -0.5AH 2.23 at Bet Victor (2.5 / 10 units) :ok Sheffield Wednesday +0.75AH 1.91 at Bet Victor ( 2 / 10 units) :\

Mixed results but the main bet won, so +1.1 units for the evening. Shame I decided not to bother backing Wigan. West Brom is looking like the only possible play for me tomorrow.

[Serie B > September 25]

Re: Serie B > September 25 Excellent again Azzurini. Great write ups and great picks. I'm almost always happy to follow your selections.

[Serie A - September 25-27]

Re: Serie A - September 25-27 Not much more to add to my earlier thoughts and the excellent write ups by others. I’ll be taking these two bets tomorrow. Still considering Genoa, but not as confident in them as these other two. They have a couple of doubts in defence, as has been mentioned previously their defence isn’t as strong as attack and could be exploited if they have to make more adjustments. Torino vs Udinese – Udinese +0.5AH 1.73 at Bet Victor (3 / 10 units) To summise Torino don’t have the firepower to overly trouble this solid Udinese defence. Therefore the away side should have a degree of control and will look to sneak a win. Basta is back for them, and that combined with an injury to Massielo at left back for Torino may prove the key here. Price is excellent as well. Pescara vs Palermo – over 2.5 goals 2.0 at Ladbrokes ( 2 /10 units) Two sides needing a win, both with better attacks than defences and this could create an exciting and open game. See my previous post for more reasoning. I’ve heard that Diamanti may be out for Bologna on Thursday. If that’s the case I’ll be wary of backing them against Siena. He would have caused Siena all kinds of problems playing in the space between defence & midfield that Siena so often vacate when attacking. My guess is that Pioli may push Taider further forward but he doesn’t possess the same ability to carry the ball forward so directly and quickly that Diamanti does.

[Serie A - September 25-27]

Re: Serie A - September 25-27

Are you talking about Serse Cosmi? I think he displayed a great coaching style. He's fiery' date=' but he did VERY well with Perugia in 2000's and brought Genoa back to Serie-A. He also orbited star players like Materazzi, Grosso, Liverani, and Milito. He should've evolved to a bigger figure had Gaucci cared more about the club and not dragged them to deep sh!t and gave him career stability in the past. The likes of Walter Mazzari with (Sampdoria then Napoli) and Francesco Guidolin with (Bologna then Udinese) are at the same level as his experience and charm.[/quote'] Yeah Cosmi, but it was more a reflection on his tactics and results, than the man himself. Clearly he has a decent history in the game, you rarely get to manage at this level without past success elsewhere and is understandably much loved for his quirky ways. However the performances of his teams are quite erratic, i've seen them be dominated for much of the match by Torino on opening day, but then looking pretty solid against Inter last weekend. It was the same with Leece last year where he would get results in the bigger games but not do much against smaller opposition. I think his style of play is very difficult for the players to maintain over long periods and so they'll struggle to get a run of good results, which could well be the case again this week. Good luck to the Juve backers tonight.

[Capital One Cup 25/26 September]

Re: Capital One Cup 25/26 September To follow up on my previous post, I’ll be taking small punts on; Sunderland -0.5AH 2.23 at Bet Victor (2.5 / 10 units) As discussed O’Neill is someone who takes this competition seriously and all signs so far point to the likelihood of him putting out a very strong team as he did in the last round. Whilst MK Dons are decent team themselves, they are going to miss Bullard probably there most experienced player at this level, and will find it hard to match a strong Sunderland side over the 90 minutes. Sheffield Wednesday +0.75AH 1.91 at Bet Victor ( 2 / 10 units) As expected there is a strong suggestion that Adkins will play a mix of reserve and youth players for this one and its clear that understandably he doesn’t really care too much about this competition. Whilst Wednesday are likely to shake things up a little I think they are the team with the greater desire to go further in this competition and they may well be looking to build a bit of form back up after a run of defeats. As the win over Fulham showed they are still able to mix it with Prem sides even when they make a few changes to the first 11. As for Wednesday nights action, I’m in agreement that West Brom look a good price. I may well take them on the 0AH or similar. They’ve already beaten Liverpools first 11 at home this season, and if we assume Rodgers is likely to make some changes then they would be confident of a repeat performance. I also feel the QPR are a good price, as whilst they will rest players, so will Reading and they have a much stronger set of players in reserve than the opposition. Whilst the odds are low, Spurs at 1.50 may we worth considering depending on what the team news is. I reckon AVB may take the cups seriously this season (he’s already played a strong team in the Europa League) as there is nothing like some early silverware to keep the fans of your back.