Anytime Scorers – The Best Value

There are a couple of players I’ve looked at to find the best value anytime scorer bets for this weekend’s Barclays Premier League action, and to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. They’re only recommended should the players listed start the game. So, who are they?

M. Diame (Hull)       – 5     games - 4 goals – 5/1

F. Lampard (M.City) – 2(3) games – 2 goals – 7/4

N. Chadli (Tott)       – 7      games – 4 goals – 13/5

S. Coleman (Eve)    – 4(1) games – 2 goals – 7/1

 

 

Others to consider are.....

 

C. Eriksen (Tott)         - 8 games     - 3 goals

S. Naismith (Eve)       - 7(1) games - 4 goals

M. Schneiderlin (Sou) - 8 games      - 3 goals

N. Dyer (Swa)           - 8 games       - 3 goals

Saturday’s Racing Action - Key Stats

There’s plenty of quality racing to get stuck into this Saturday, with two Group 3’s and a Listed race from Newbury, Graded races from Aintree and Chepstow, and the final Group 1 of the flat season from Doncaster, to name just a few. So, any help picking out the winners is certainly going to be a god-send, and hopefully the stats below can help bring home a few winners, on what will prove to be a tough day for the punters, no doubt.

A P McCoy returns from injury at Chepstow and has two rides booked for owner J P McManus. Before injury, McCoy had won 4 of his last 5 rides – 80% - He will partner Son Du Berlais for Nicky Henderson in the Persian War Novices' Hurdle (3:35) – 13/8 (bet365) and Regal Encore for Anthony Honeyball in the Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle (4:10) – 3/1 (Paddy Power).

 

Jockey, Charles Bishop, shows a profit of £80.81 (from £1 stakes) when riding for Mick Channon this season. He rides Lackaday in the 2:10 at Doncaster – 40/1 (bet365).

 

Leighton Aspell has a strike rate of 67% when riding for trainer, Emma Lavelle at Chepstow. He takes the ride on Casino Markets in the 1:55 – 3.45 (betfair exchange).

 

Staying at Chepstow, Paul John has a strike rate of 100% when riding for Victor Dartnall. He takes the ride on Shammick Boy. Trainer, Dartnall also has a 60% strike rate in the last fortnight, with 3 wins from 5 – 11/1 (bet365).

 

Silvestre De Sousa and William Haggas combination shows an impressive 37% strike rate (profit £38.69) – De Sousa rides Battalion in the 2:20 at Newbury – 5/1 (Paddy Power).

 

Tony Hamilton has a strike rate of 45% when riding for owner Cheveley Park Stud. Hamilton partners Dutch Courage in the 4:40 at Newbury – 17/2 (William Hill).

Mario Balotelli – Is his time up at Liverpool already!?

It’s fair to say it’s not been the best of starts for Italy’s ‘flamboyant’ striker, Mario Balotelli, and his Liverpool career. A total of ten games so far, and says it all when he has more yellow cards than goals, though surprisingly, no red cards as yet. Of course, it’s still early days, and you can’t always judge a player on 10 games, but this is Balotelli.

Watching the games he’s played of late, he looks disinterested, selfish, and stewing on the mistake he’s made in joining Liverpool. Probably because Brendan Rogers won’t be taking any shit from him, and he’s not thought of as ‘the main man’ at the club. Who knows what goes through this man’s mind. It’s disappointing when a player has the potential to be one of the best, but can’t be bothered to put in the effort to get there, and only try when they feel like it. They don’t deserve to be at these high-profile clubs.

And it’s not just on the field Balotelli makes talking points, where this week, he angered manager Brendan Rogers for his half-time shirt-swap with Real Madrid’s Pepe, and then it emerged Greater Manchester police are investigating claims the Liverpool striker ‘threatened’ a woman who was taking pictures of his Ferrari, in the Whythenshawe area of Manchester, on Thursday. He just can’t help himself, always has to get involved.

So, it begs the question; is his time up already? I believe it probably is, even this early, and if he’s not loaned out as early as the January transfer window, he’ll certainly be gone in summer I’m sure. The longer he goes without scoring the more frustrated he’ll become, which inevitably will lead to a red card, or him being sat on the subs bench, and you know he won’t stand for that. Liverpool and Brendan Rogers won’t stand for his on and off-field antics, which will happen, he won’t change, and you can already see the plans being sorted to get rid, and bring in a more suited player to Liverpool’s proud culture.

Only making an effort and scoring goals can change the boards mind, and I don’t see that happening.

So the search for Suarez’s replacement goes on.