u1905068

Leeds 2 @ 2.37
10 simple

I'm going to try out a new option for this Season 2.  It's mainly to provide an exit route for those who like to play half bank bets and who get stuck on a losing run, so that you can avoid the creeping death of penny bets in the latter weeks of the comp if you wish.  Once your bank drops below £10 you may select to go 'All In' instead of Half Bank, if you wish.  If you do go All In and your bet loses you will be out of the competition and will need to reapply when the next season starts, you will lose your guaranteed spot.
I've amended the Rules in the first post.
Players can stake up to 50% of their current bank in any one week until their bank drops to £10. Once the bank drops to £10 or lower, the players stake must be either half bank or 'All in'. The player will be eliminated if an 'All in' bet loses. Hopefully it will work ok but if anyone spots a major flaw in this please post a comment in the odds thread (as this one is locked).

Lightweights!  We might as well press on with a perfectly usable set of fixtures. I'll "tag" the remaining rabble to see if we can get a consensus.
What do we say; @Paperclip @Astleavista @u1905068 @Mitchell Hart @Dramfech @Dallimann @Dean77 @daisychain @Hotpotklonk @Balearic_Beats @adamross @Gazza's United @mickyftm32 @Skittle @Alastair @avongirl
 

Many thanks @Fader for running the competition, big shoutout for the enourmous amount of work!
Congrats to the winner too! 

Many thanks @Fader for running the competition, big shoutout for the enourmous amount of work!
Congrats to the winner too! 

The 2022 World Cup starts on November 20th and concludes with the Final on the 18th December
The Punters Lounge will award cash prizes totalling £200 via Paypal.
First £80
Second £60
Third £40
Fourth £20
* Deadline for any entries therefore is 4pm on November 20th *
** If any multiple registrations are found to try and manipulate the competition, they will not receive any prizes **
Format
1) Entrants will be required to predict the Correct Score of the 48 group matches
2) Players will also nominate four teams from the competition in order of their main fancy being the No 1 choice
Scoring
In the group matches, by predicting a correct score you are in effect forecasting 3 main outcomes :
: - the actual result, whether or not both teams will score and if the game has under or over 2.5 goals
Points will be awarded as follows for all the 48 group matches :
3pts for the correct result of the game (1, X, 2)
1pt for correctly predicting if both teams score (or not)
1pt for correctly predicting under or over 2.5 goals
1pt BONUS for every correct score predicted
E.G,
Prediction 2-1 - actual result 3-0 = score 4pts (3pts for home win, 1pt for over 2.5)
Prediction 0-0 - actual result 0-1 = score 2pts (1pt for under 2.5, 1pt for both teams to score? No!)
Prediction 3-1 - actual result 4-2 = score 5pts (3pts for home win, 1pt over 2.5, 1pt both teams to score? Yes!)
Prediction 1-3 - actual result 1-3 = score 6pts (3pts for away win, 1pt over 2.5. 1pts both teams to score? Yes!, 1pt correct score)
Knock Out Phase
5pts if any of your nominated teams win their group
5pts if any of your nominated teams win a Last 16 match
5pts if any of your nominated teams win a Last 8 match
5pts if any of your nominated teams win a Semi Final match
5pts if any of your nominated teams wins the World Cup
BONUS 5pts if your number 1 team nominated team wins the World Cup
Any ties will be decided by how many correct scores predicted, then how many top 4 teams nominated correctly
Rules
Please post the matches in the order given in the selection thread, easy just to copy and paste.
If games are out of order they may be miscalculated.  Please use the format given
All predictions must be in the same post (before deadline)
Only 1 entry accepted per member, any duplicate entries will not count towards prizes.
No editing of posts, once you have posted your predictions they will be transferred to the master sheet so I will NOT see any edits.
Any mistakes contact me by PM or post on the forum (i.e, if you have missed a game out)
Latest table will be published on a regular basis through the tournament
ENTER HERE - 
 

Barcelona win (1.55)
West Ham win (1.53)
18.22pts

Fulham vs Bornemouth over 2.5 ,  22.34pts at @1.80

West Ham win @ 1.75
£21.34

West Ham win (1) at 1.91
26.88pts please

Barcelona @1.80
Tottenham Over 2.5 @1.61
 
11 double please

Everton vs Liverpool
The Premier League waits for no-one (except the person in charge of giving the green light to start kick-off when he adverts have drawn to a close) and the games are back in full force this weekend after a midweek schedule. It's a barn-stormer to kick start proceedings too with the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at 12:30pm BST on Saturday afternoon from Goodison Park.
Everton are doing as poorly as a lot of people predicted this season. Frank Lampard hasn't really been able to silence his critics with the club failing to win any of their opening 5 league games leaving them down in 17th position. The only positive is that they have actually drawn 3 of those league games. The Toffees did do well on transfer deadline day though bringing in midfield duo James Garner and Idrissa Gueye from Manchester United and PSG respectively. Neal Maupay could be in line to make his debut too. It's three 1-1 draws on the bounce for Everton and they could draw four league games in a row for the first time since 2012. There is a risk that Everton could fail to win any of their opening 3 home league games of a season for the first time since 2014/15. It also doesn't bode well that Lampard has lost each one of his four league meetings with Jurgen Klopp. You may remember that touchline barney they had a couple of seasons ago when Lampard was in charge at Chelsea.
Liverpool will be pleased that their slow start to the season appears to be behind them now. Klopp's men are in 6th place but still 7 points off the pace of the league leaders Arsenal. The Reds have yet to win on their travels in the league this season which is a big shift from the away form they finished last season with which consisted of winning 7 of their last 8 away league games. The last time Liverpool failed to win any of their opening 3 away league matches of a season was back in 2010. Liverpool have managed to score in 52 of their previous 53 league matches. There is a chance for Darwin Nunez to make a bit of club history in this game by becoming the first Liverpool player to score in both of their first two away league games since Jan Molby managed it back in 1992. If you're looking for an anytime scorer bet then Mohamed Salah has scored 3 of his 4 goals against Everton at this stadium.
It makes for pretty grim reading when you see that Everton have only managed to win 1 of their last 23 league games against Liverpool. The two teams are in two completely different places right now. Liverpool are also unbeaten in their last 11 away league trips to Goodison Park. It's also worth noting this fixture has seen a record-breaking 22 red cards shown down the years. Away win and a home team red... let's do it!
Liverpool HT/FT @ 2.14 with SBK
Total Cards Over 4.5 @ 2.20 with BetVictor

Aston Villa vs Manchester City
The final game of the day on Saturday in the Premier League is the 5:30pm BST kick-off between a struggling Aston Villa and reigning champions Manchester City at Villa Park. It was the home team who briefly looked like they might spoil City's title party at the end of last season but they couldn't hold out. Can they go one step better on home turf this time around and put an early dent in the visitors' title defence?
Aston Villa have experienced a tricky start to the season so far. Fans' patience with Steve Gerrard is waning after they managed just 1 win from their opening 5 league games leaving the club in 19th position in the table. The Lions have now lost 3 league games on the bounce and the double signing of Leander Dendoncker and Jan Bednarek on transfer deadline day has hardly got the supporters buzzing. Does it also suggest a lack of confidence from the owners in Gerrard that his spending was restricted on the final day of the window? A loss here would see Villa lose 5 of their first 6 league games of a top flight season for the first time since 1986/87. The team have already lost 13 league games in 2022. Only Everton have lost more. It's also just 3 wins from their last 16 league games under Gerrard. It also doesn't help the pessimism that the Villans have lost 15 of their previous 16 matches played against the reigning champions in the top division.
Manchester City once again showed in midweek how destructive and ruthless they can be with the 6-0 win over newly promoted Nottingham Forest at home. Another hat-trick from star striker Erling Haaland also showed his danger in and around the 6-yard box. The Norwegian international now has 9 league goals already and is proving to be the missing piece that Pep Guardiola craved. The Citizens have scored 19 goals after 5 league games and it's their highest tally after that many games in a Premier League season. The team are 2nd in the league and only 2 points behind league leaders Arsenal. They have the opportunity to score 2 or more goals in a 15th consecutive league game here which would equal the Premier League record set by Liverpool back in 2019. It's now 20 away league games undefeated for City so all the statistics are pointing towards one outcome here.
OK, hands up if you're putting Haaland as your captain again for this game after his midweek performance but also half expect Pep to screw you over by starting him on the bench? Hopefully, because Haaland was hauled off early in midweek that was with an eye on him starting and with Kevin De Bruyne starting on the bench in midweek I assume he'll start which is the lethal combination no Premier League defence wants to see. I can see City running riot against a Villa team who are suffering right now.
Manchester City HT/FT @ 2.00 with Bet365
Manchester City -1 @ 1.91 with Coral

Manchester United vs Arsenal
Undoubtedly, the biggest game of the weekend in the Premier League is the 4:30pm BST kick-off on Sunday between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford. This fixture is packed with classic moments of a rivalry packed with vitriol, quality, and intensity. These two teams experienced contrasting starts to the season but with both now seemingly in fine fettle entering this game it has the potential to be a firecracker like the encounters of old.
Manchester United were looking like a troubled side after two league games but after some personnel changes and tweaks to his system it seems that Erik ten Hag is moving the team in the right direction. The Red Devils have now picked up three wins on the bounce to move up to 5th in the table and just 6 points behind their opponents for this game and league leaders Arsenal. The club made the decision to splash out £82 million on Brazilian attacker Antony from Ajax at the end of the transfer window and it's hoped that along with Casemiro those two signings can help propel the club further up the table. Cristiano Ronaldo could be a leftfield pick for anytime scorer. He might not be flavour of the month with ten Hag but he has scored 7 goals in his last 8 matches against Arsenal. The ominous news is that United have lost their last 3 league games played on a Sunday. It's their worst run of results on a Sunday since 1990.
Arsenal come into this game as the early season league leaders with 15 points from their 5 league games and boasting a 100% record. It hasn't all been straightforward but Mikel Arteta's men look like genuine title contenders right now. Can they keep it up? The Gunners have won their first 5 league games for the first time since the 2004/05 season. They ended up finishing 2nd place that time around. They haven't won their first 6 league games in a season since 1947/48. There is also the opportunity for Arsenal to keep a clean sheet in each of their first 3 away league games for just the second time in their history. The only other time that achievement was recorded was back in 1995/96. The team are now on a 6-game winning run including the back-end of last season and if they win here it'll be the first time they have won their opening 3 away league matches to a season since 2013/14.
Head-to-head stats over recent meetings do favour Arsenal with Manchester United only picking up 1 win in their last 8 meetings. However, that was a 3-2 win at home last season. Arsenal have only managed to earn 1 win in their last 15 league visits to Old Trafford and they have lost away against United in the Premier League more times than against any other club. I'm expecting a thriller here and I wouldn't be surprised if it went back and forth before ending in a score draw.
Draw @ 3.60 with SpreadEx
BTTS @ 1.63 with SBK

Liverpool (1) at 1.10
Arsenal vs Fulham (Over 2.5) at 1.50
20pts please

Wolves vs Newcastle
The second 2pm BST kick-off on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League is the clash between Wolves and Newcastle at Molineux. The home team are still striving to pick up their first league win of the season and they'll be hoping to do it against a visiting side that are yet to taste defeat this campaign. Will the result follow expectation or will we see the current form trend bucked?
Wolves have had what can only be described as a slow start to their season. Bruno Lage's men were asleep for a large part of the summer transfer window but it appears someone has put a penny in the meter and kickstarted the recruitment campaign at the 11th hour. Wanderers have struggled in the league. A disappointing 2-1 loss away to Leeds was followed up by a frustrating 0-0 draw at home to Fulham. The 1-0 loss away to Tottenham was more encouraging but still saw them take 0 points from the game. The 2-1 win at home to Championship club Preston in the EFL Cup 2nd Round in midweek gave them a taste of victory but will they carry that confidence into this match? Striker Raul Jimenez played and scored in that cup game so can he solve the team's impotency problem up front? It is now 10 league games without a win for Wolves though. 
Newcastle showed signs of their true potential in the 3-3 draw with reigning champions Manchester City last week. Eddie Howe's side were 3-1 up at one point and looked irresistible on home turf. The Magpies are in 10th position after picking up a 2-0 win at home to Nottingham Forest and earning a 0-0 draw away to Brighton before that City result last weekend. The team have a chance to go their first 4 league games undefeated for the first time since 2011/12. Only Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham have earned more league points in 2022 than Newcastle. If you want a shout for anytime scorer then striker Chris Wood has bagged 6 goals in 8 Premier League appearances against Wolves and he's likely to be given a start with Callum Wilson ruled out through injury.
It's interesting to read that this fixture has finished with a 1-1 score-line in three of the last four seasons at this ground. I have a feeling we could see a similar outcome here. I always feel Newcastle are missing a key factor when Wilson doesn't play and I'm still not sold on Wolves finishing their chances. I think both sides would probably take a draw as well so a low-scoring draw seems like a fair shout in what could be a tense affair.
Draw @ 3.30 with Unibet
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.75 with SBK

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham
The last game of the weekend in the Premier League will see newly promoted Nottingham Forest welcome Champions League qualification hopefuls Tottenham to the City Ground for a 4:30pm BST kick-off on Sunday afternoon. This is set to be an enthralling encounter with the home team showing they are a force to be reckoned with on home turf as they take on one of the big guns of the top flight.
Nottingham Forest might well have been favourites to be relegated before the season started but heavy spending mixed with a confident squad and a competent manager can be a successful mix at this level. The Tricky Trees started with an underwhelming 2-0 loss away to Newcastle before a superb 1-0 win at home against West Ham. The 1-1 draw away to Everton last week showed that the team perhaps needs to be a little more streetwise on their travels but the 3-0 win away to League Two club Grimsby in the EFL Cup 2nd Round made it 3 games undefeated for the East Midlands club. It's now 8 wins at home in a row for Forest showing how key the City Ground could be for their survival this season. The team have also only conceded 7 goals in their last 16 league games at this venue. There is an opportunity for history to be made here with Forest in line to win their first two back-to-back home league games in the top flight for the first time since 1984.
Tottenham are looking very useful indeed this season with Antonio Conte's men remaining unbeaten for their first 3 league games of the season. Spurs started their season with a resounding 4-1 win at home to Southampton before a resilient 2-2 draw away to rivals Chelsea and a narrow 1-0 win at home to Wolves. Harry Kane is now only 2 goals away from moving up to 3rd place in the all-time scorers charts for the Premier League. Tottenham managed to keep a clean sheet in all six league games against newly promoted opposition last season. Conte himself has only lost 1 of his 17 league games played against newly promoted teams in the Premier League. A victory here would see them keep the pressure on their rivals Arsenal at the top end of the table.
It's surprising to read that Nottingham Forest have actually won 6 of the previous 10 league encounters between these two teams but you have to fancy Tottenham to get something here. Conte, as a manager, appears to instil a sense of resoluteness and courage in his teams that allows them to go into hostile environments and remain unfazed. I have no doubt that Forest will be a difficult team to play at the City Ground but I can see Tottenham coming away with a clean sheet win.
Tottenham to Win to Nil @ 2.60 with BetVictor
Anytime Scorer: Harry Kane @ 2.00 with Bet365

Would you believe that they even gave me a £5 free bet via their free 'Scratch Of The Day' promotion if I bet £10 on football today!
So I end up with a minimum £7.50 profit plus another £5 to bet with.
Small potatoes I know, but every little helps!

If you have a William Hill account, they are offering 'EPIC ODDS' of evens on a goal being scored in the Villa/Everton game tomorrow. According to Hills, the original/true odds were 1/16 (not convinced about that myself, but no matter).
Maximum stake is £10.
If you stick said tenner on it, then bet £2.50 on 'no goalscorer' @7-1, you are guaranteed a return of £20 for your £12.50 outlay. 

Also, there is of course an outside chance of getting a £40 return, if the game finishes 1-0 via an own goal.

OK, so there it is, my 1-20 of the 2022/23 Premier League predicted final table. Just to summarise, I've gone for...
1st: Manchester City
2nd: Liverpool
3rd: Tottenham
4th: Arsenal
5th: Chelsea
6th: Manchester United
7th: Newcastle
8th: West Ham
9th: Crystal Palace
10th: Leicester
11th: Brighton
12th: Aston Villa
13th: Southampton
14th: Everton
15th: Wolves
16th: Fulham
17th: Brentford
-------------------------------------------------
18th: Nottingham Forest
19th: Leeds
20th: Bournemouth
What are your final table predictions for this upcoming season? Post yours below so we can see what you think! 

Reading vs Cardiff
The opening weekend of Championship did not disappoint and we are back again for the second round of games with the optimism that we will see another batch of terrific matches across all 12 fixtures this week. My preview this week focuses on Reading versus Cardiff as two of last season's relegation battlers go head-to-head after contrasting fortunes on the first weekend of games. It's a 3pm BST kick-off on Saturday afternoon from the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Reading are one of the teams I have tipped to struggle this season and I have to say that the 1-0 loss they suffered to Blackpool away in their first league game of the season did little to change my mind. An early opening goal by defender Callum Connolly was enough to separate the sides and even though the Royals put in a late flurry of pressure they never really looked like getting back into the game against an underwhelming Tangerines side. It was a game that saw head coach Paul Ince set his side up with a very negative 5-4-1 line-up and the early goal meant Ince's game plan was immediately thrown out of the window. Ince was quick to bemoan his team's lack of depth and warned that it could take a month or so for this current squad to gel. Ominous sides already for a club many are expecting could struggle to stay in the Championship this season.
Cardiff enjoyed a contrasting opening day with a pleasing 1-0 win at home against recently relegated Norwich. Steve Morison has spent the summer overhauling his squad on a very limited budget with the majority of signings coming in on free transfers. One of those signings being central midfielder Romaine Sawyers who scored the winning goal. It was a breath-taking display from the Bluebirds who are clearly still suffering from teething problems with this new passing style under Morison and a distinct lack of threat in the final third. The signing of Tottenham striker Kion Etete is hoped to address that to some extent and the loan signing of Jaden Philogene-Bidace will add further attacking flair to the side. Overall, the cohesion, work rate, composure, and spirit of the team was better than many of us Cardiff fans expected for the opening game. Yes, it wasn't a perfect display but it certainly boosted my hopes that maybe, just maybe, we could be dark horses for the play-offs this season.
I backed Cardiff to get the win last weekend and I'm going to put my faith in Morison's team once again here. I genuinely think Reading are in trouble this season and I think Ince could be one of the first managers to go in this division this season. He's already openly pointing out issues with his squad, he showed a very negative attitude with his tactics, and it feels like damage limitation already. Cardiff, on the other hand, appear full of self-belief, fight, and ambition. I'll be disappointed if Cardiff don't win this one and if we get clinical in the final third I could see us sticking 2 or 3 on the hosts if we get going. I will remain cautious in these early games though and back the draw no bet because the Championship is a cruel mistress at the best of times!
Cardiff Draw No Bet @ 2.07 with Unibet
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.67 with SBK

National League This season sees the shortest price favourites that I can remember for the National League in the shape of Wrexham and they clearly deserve to be at the head of the market as they have the best team in the division and one that wouldn't look out of place in League 1. They haven't been as busy in the transfer market as I thought they would be, but it wouldn't surprise me if more players did arrive before the end of August. At the time I thought they paid enough money for Ollie Palmer from AFC Wimbledon, but he managed to score 15 goals after he joined which was a staggering return from just 22 games. Alongside Mullin they had a great front two and if both stay fit you have to think they will be looking at the possibility of scoring 50 goals between them. I have little doubt they have the best squad in the division, but what they don't have in my view is the best manager. Phil Parkinson was found wanting last season for me and I do think if they win the title it will be despite his abilities as a manager. The hope for Wrexham fans is that either that happens or that Parkinson has learnt from his first season in charge. Early in the season they struggled at home and were superb away, but that switched towards the end of the season and they put in some poor performances on their travels which cost them the title. If they can iron those issues out then they probably walk away with the title, but things are rarely that easy in the National League. Ultimately though I do think they are the most likely team to win the title, but I just can't back them at 6/4 as I would ideally want 5/2 at least. What I wouldn't mind happening is them having a poorer than hoped for start to the season and then he gets the sack and they get someone better in as happened at Stockport last season. Then would be the time to back them, but really it's hard to see them ever getting to decent price. They are one for any multi's you are going to do, but as I a single I just think they are too short.   Notts County are next in the betting as they look to get out of the league at the third time of asking after losing in the play-offs the last couple of seasons. I was a bit surprised to see Ian Burchnall leave to go to Forest Green Rovers because I didn't think he did a great job at County. They were never really in title contention at any stage although at the end they were only 6 points behind Wrexham. I think they have taken a bit of a risk going with Luke Williams as manager (or head coach as they like to describe the role). As I say every season you need a manager who knows the league to win the league and Williams has no experience at all of Non-League football. It was suggested that County tried to get the Altrincham manager Phil Parkinson in, but he turned them down. I'm sure it will a manager with no Non-League experience will win the league at some point, but I certainly don't think it is factored into their odds. Signings wise it has been an interesting summer as they have started to look at Step 2 having snapped up two Gateshead strikers and a couple from Kidderminster. The scouting website Wyscout covered Step 2 for the first-time last season and it wouldn't surprise me if that information coming available has led to them looking downwards for players. If Macauley Langstaff and Cedwyn Scott can replicate the success they had at Gateshead last season then that will put County right in the mix, but whilst Gateshead were a step above their rivals last year, it was a weak division, and they will face much stronger defences this time around. They should be good for the play-offs again, but I think they will fall short of the title again with Williams being a big risk for me.   I better be careful what I say about what James Rowe did to get himself sacked from Chesterfield, but if that hadn't happened and Tshimanga doesn't get injured then I think they would have won the league last season because they were so far clear of Stockport and Wrexham. However Rowe left and not long after than Tshimanga had a season ending injury against Weymouth. Paul Cook proved to be a shocking choice of manager and as much as injuries didn't help his cause he looked clueless as manager. In the end they were lucky to even reach the play-offs and whilst he is manager of Chesterfield I couldn't possibly back them for the league. There has been a big turnover in playing staff and to be fair they have got a decent squad again. The key thing for them though is how well Tshimanga has recovered from his major injury and he hasn't featured in pre-season which suggests he won't be ready for the start of the season. He was looking good for 40 goals last season which would have been a staggering effort and clearly any team who have a striker scoring that many is going to go close. If he struggles though or if he leaves then I don't think they will get close to winning the title and it wouldn't surprise me if Cook isn't manager come the end of the season. What I will say though is there is no excuses now for Cook as he has the team he wants now and maybe he will prove me wrong.   The next team in the betting are Solihull who had a stunning season to finish 3rd under Neil Ardley. I wasn't sure he was the right man for the job when they hired him, but he did a better job than he had done with Notts County the previous season. At the time I thought they should choose Mark Yates who did very well as a temporary manager the season before, but Yates went back to Stourbridge and had a disastrous time of things and got sacked! Amazing how football works sometimes. I was really impressed with them last season and it should be remembered that they finished just 1 point behind Wrexham in the end. Now losing play-off finalists don't have a great record the following season and their can be a hangover for sure. I don't think that will happen here though and I think Solihull have done great business over the summer. First, keeping Joe Sbarra was a very pleasant surprise for them and then they picked Josh Kelly last week from Maidenhead which was a good move (he chose them over Southend). They might just be capable of over turning the losing play-off finalists stat.   Halifax overachieved again last season under Pete Wild and to get them to the play-offs was a superb effort. He's gone now though as has quite a few key players from that side and I just can't have them at all. They can't keep overachieving and I reckon they might even end up in a relegation battle. Dagenham & Redbridge had a great start to the season, but then flattered to deceive a bit and I'm just not sure McMahon is the man to kick them onto the next step and get them in the play-offs. It would surprise me if they finished just outside them again. Torquay could be interesting. Gary Johnson is one of the best managers in the league and they were hampered massively by the fact the play-off final was so close to the start of the season. They've lost some key players, but Johnson knows what it takes to build a good team at this level and whilst they look no more than fairly priced, they could well end up in the play-offs if Johnson has got it right again.   I don't fancy either of the relegated sides at this stage. Oldham look like they will be taken over which will help them, but Sheridan didn't exactly do much as Chesterfield manager so his experience at this level isn't great. They look under priced to me. Scunthorpe look in a right mess and if there was relegation betting available, I would be putting them up as a bet. Another team who I think would be final to go down is Yeovil. If your manager is leaving to go to Woking, then that doesn't say a great deal about the sort of budget that is available. I'm not sure about Chris Hargreaves as manager. He didn't do that well when he managed before and wen I listen to him on BT Sport's coverage of the league he doesn't strike me as someone who would make a great manager. I don't think they have done great business and I think they will struggle.   Boreham Wood suffered badly from injuries around the time they played Everton in the FA Cup and that hindered them badly in the final months of the season. They managed to go from title contenders to missing out on the play-offs. Luke Garrard is one of the best managers in the league and whilst he stays, I can see them always being in the mix for the play-offs.    I think Southend could be in for a very good season. I like the set-up behind the scenes and having John Still and Darren Currie involved is a big plus for me. Their involvement helped turn things around for them massively after the disaster that was Phil Brown. Still knows this level like the back of his hand and I think he's recruited well. You have to think that if the current set-up had been in place a year ago then they would have been play-off contenders so there should be improvement to come and with the new signings they look a much stronger side as well.   Those teams make up the top half of the betting and whilst Wrexham might well end up winning it like I say they are for multi bets only. For me, the value is with Solihull Moors. I would make them 2nd favourites based on the squad they have, and I just really liked the way they went about things last season. Given how strongly they finished the campaign you would hope that despite losing the play-off final they can kick on this season and at the very least finish in the top 3 again. I am also going to back Southend. I have a small doubt if they can make the step up to title contenders, but they have a strong squad and they are over priced for me.   There are two more teams I want to add from the bottom half of the betting. First of all I really don't get the price of Woking. Like I mention above they were able to get Darren Sarll from Yeovil last season and that more me said a lot about their ambition. I put them up last season as I thought they were way overpriced, and they got some huge victories early on. It sort of went wrong after that though and it cost Alan Dowson his job. I think Sarll was a good choice of manager and I think they have done some very good business over the summer. I just can't make them 50/1 shots and I would love a match bet with them at Yeovil at the very least! The other team I like at a big price is York. Now clearly going from National League North Play-Off winners to National League champions is going to be some feat, but they have been taken over and they seem to have a bit of money to spend based on their summer signings. It was a big surprise that Chesterfield let Alex Whittle go and the fact York managed to sign him up was a big sign to their chances. What I also like is the fact they have a league winner as their manager in the shape of John Askey. How on earth he got Macclesfield to win the title I will never know, but it is probably the best managerial performance at this level since I started betting on it in the 07/08 season. I could see them surprising a few people and am happy to have a small bet on them.   The top goalscorer market was especially painful last year given Tshimanga should have been a winning 40/1 bet. This season he is just 9/1 which probably isn't a bad price, but as I mention above it looks like he is missing the start of the season and it might take him a bit of time to get up to speed. He could be worth chancing at bigger odds once he returns to full strength. Last season's winner Paul Mullin heads the betting, but for me the value lies with his strike partner Ollie Palmer. As I point out above, he had an amazing scoring record after he moved to Wrexham from AFC Wimbledon and you have to think that if he had been there all season, he would have outscored Mullin. On that basis I am happy to have a small interest in Palmer e/w.   Solihull Moors 1pt e/w @ 11/1 with Bet365 Southend 0.75pts e/w 22/1 with Skybet Woking 0.25pts e/w @ 61/1 with Skybet and 50/1 everywhere else (sadly the 80/1 with Paddy Power and Betfair is win only) York 0.25pts e/w @ 40/1 with everyone Ollie Palmer to be top goalscorer 0.5pts e/w @ 16/1 with Bet365

Cardiff vs Norwich
Ah, can you feel that? The fresh sense of optimism and excitement ahead of the new Championship season. I hope you all enjoyed the team-by-team Championship preview. We now get to stop the talking and see how each club is walking in this opening weekend of action. My first preview is my own Cardiff versus Norwich at the Cardiff City Stadium in a 3pm BST kick-off. I will be attending the game and hoping we get off to a brilliant start but who knows?
Cardiff have gone through a big summer of upheaval with a lot of high-earning deadwood released and new talent brought in on a limited budget. I'm not going to lie, the fans are absolutely buzzing with the business Steve Morison and his team have done this season. A lot of fans were sceptical when we lost the likes of Will Vaulks, Aden Flint, Marlon Pack, Josh Murphy, and Alex Smithies on free transfers. It's a lot of Championship experience. However, the arrivals have been unreal both in terms of potential and experience. The Bluebirds have signed 11 players on permanent deals including Ollie Tanner, Ryan Allsop, Jamilu Collins, Andy Rinomhota, Romaine Sawyers, and Sheyi Ojo plus the two loan signings of Cedric Kipre and Jaden Philogene-Bidace. The extension of Joe Ralls contract was also a bonus. Pre-season has been against limited opposition but the team have gone undefeated and the initial signs are encouraging. It's not far off being a sell out for this game and there is undoubtedly a feeling that Morison had a free hit last season but this is his team now so there's no excuses. Pundits may be writing us off as a low mid-table team but the target within the club and amongst the supporters is certainly a top half finish at least.
Norwich are once again back in the Championship and they are being tipped by many, including myself, to win the Championship title again... just as they have done on the last two occasions that they have been playing at this level. The big difference this time around is that they have Dean Smith at the helm and not Daniel Farke. The Canaries have tried to stick with the winning formula of previous Championship campaigns by largely retaining the squad they held from the previous season but they have had to endure a couple of departures including Christoph Zimmermann and Pierre Lees-Melou. Brazilian Gabriel Sara has been signed on in a hope to add some creative flair to the final third but it's a big gamble for a player who has never played outside of Brazil. The loan signing of Newcastle's central midfielder Isaac Hayden is also a big statement by a team that clearly have an immediate return to the Premier League on their mind. It's also easy to forget that Smith himself has vast experience of managing at this level during his time with both Brentford and Aston Villa. He did in fact earn promotion to the top flight from this division with the latter of those two.
I'm expecting a thrilling game here. Cardiff will be unrecognisable to rival fans who still think we're going to be playing a one-dimensional hoof ball style of football. I can assure you those days are long gone. The fluidity of our play is still lacking at times but that is understandable given the team has only just been constructed this summer. We won't hold back against Norwich. Morison has made it clear in pre-season that we're going out to win every game. Norwich will come into this game believing they should take all 3 points. Their fans aren't happy though and the central midfield area is still a niggling issue for them. Interestingly, our central midfield is arguably our strongest area now and that could be where the game is won and lost on Saturday. Given the odds on offer and the level of unpredictability surrounding Cardiff right now I think we are certainly worth taking a chance on.
Cardiff Draw No Bet @ 2.30 with Unibet
BTTS @ 1.88 with SBK

Watford v Sheffield United Under 2.5 Goals
A tough game to call as Watford have a new manager and have lost several key players since being relegated and will need time to settle into the division whilst Sheffield United had a disappointing end to the season which ultimately cost them a play off place. 
Neither side have given a lot of clues as to what to expect in their pre-season games with Watford winning 1 in 5 and United 2 in 5.
I am going for under 2.5 goals for a similar reason as my previous tip. Opening games of the season are hard to predict and tend to be tight affairs, a point highlighted by the fact that of the previous 11 games played in round 1 only 1 game Hull's 2-1 win against Bristol City went over 2.5 goals. Head-to-Head supports under 2.5 goals with 7of the last 10 meetings between the two teams recording under 2.5 goals. 

Manager Name : David Oliver
Team Name : Amics d'Eric Djemba