The obstacle Man United must overcome to make history

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Manchester United remain marginal favourites to win their 19th league title next season despite losing Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. To confirm their place as the country’s most successful side in history, they must become the first English team to win four successive titles. How hard can it be?

FOURTH SEASON SYNDROME

Huddersfield (1926-27)
The first ever team to win three successive top-flight titles were toppled by Newcastle when they attempted to win a fourth in 1926-27. The Terriers started poorly, winning just three of their first 12 games but by March they were joint-top. Newcastle had a better goal average and a game in hand but Jack Chaplin’s side were in a good position - they still had to play Newcastle and in the previous three seasons they had saved their best form for the final stages of the season. However, they won just three of their final 11 games and lost 1-0 at Newcastle, meaning they finished the campaign five points behind the Magpies in second. Huddersfield haven’t won the title since.

Arsenal (1935-36)
Herbert Chapman won the first two of Huddersfield’s three straight titles and tragically died while on course to deliver the second of Arsenal’s trio. They sealed the second under Joe Shaw and then the third under George Allison but were slow out of the blocks in season four. A good run in late 1935 saw

Posted: July 10th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 1 Comment

Real Madrid’s spending spree fails to impress the bookies

Barcelona remain title favourites despite Kaka and Ronaldo deals

Real Madrid look set to break the world transfer record twice in one month but the arrival of a new wave of galacticos hasn’t intimidated Barcelona.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta taunted their rivals earlier this week by claiming to be “trebly calm” and the bookmakers agree that there is no need for the reigning champions to get flustered.

Paddy Power price Barcelona as 4/5 favourites to retain the title next season, with Real Madrid not too far behind on 5/4. La Liga trends support those odds: Barcelona haven’t had a single season of isolated domestic

Posted: June 12th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Will Chelsea be able to finish the job in Turin?

Juventus/Chelsea, 7.45pm, ITV4, Free Bets, Best Odds

Only 58% of teams who win the home leg of a Champions League knockout clash 1-0 have progressed to the next round, meaning that Juventus are priced far too high at 3/1 with 888sport to qualify. But while the hosts may offer good value, is Guus Hiddink’s honeymoon period really going to end in the worst way imaginable? Here are all the key statistics:

THE FORM GUIDE
Chelsea have won six successive games since sacking Luiz Felipe Scolari. The wins since Hiddink took charge have come by narrow margins though, with three of the last five finishing 1-0, one ending 2-1 and the other being their 2-0 triumph away to Coventry at the weekend. Since losing the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Juventus have beaten both Napoli and Torino 1-0 in Serie A. However, a reasonably weakened Bianconeri side lost 2-1 away to Lazio last week in their Coppa Italia semi-final.

CHELSEA IN ITALY
The Blues hadn’t played away to Italian opposition for five seasons before their 3-1 defeat to Roma in November. What made the manner of the loss even more surprising was that their previous match in Italy had been played at the same ground and they had thrashed Lazio 4-0 on that occasion. Chelsea have made five trips to Italy in the Premier League era and have a mixed record: winning one, drawing two and losing two.

JUVENTUS AGAINST ENGLISH OPPOSITION

Posted: March 10th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Counter argument: five reasons why Chelsea won’t beat CFR Cluj

Chelsea/CFR Cluj, 7.45pm, ITV1, Best Odds, Free Bets

Chelsea could be eliminated from the Champions League tonight if they fail to beat Cluj and Bordeaux win away to Roma but nobody is really expecting that to happen. The general consensus is that even if Chelsea slip up, Roma will bail them out. However, the draw still seems ridiculously overpriced at 9.2 with Betfair (the away win is 27), so here are five reasons why Chelsea could stumble tonight:

1. Chelsea have gone three home games without a win and have only won one of their last five at Stamford Bridge.

2. The two sides drew when they met in Romania two months ago. Cluj won 2-1 away to group leaders Roma earlier this season and were only beaten by an own goal in Bordeaux.

Posted: December 9th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

It was a strong European week for chickendinner

Six out of seven correct calls = big winnings

Filippo Inzaghi’s late equaliser against Portsmouth helped complete a profitable week for chickendinner after we tipped Pompey and AC Milan to draw. This meant that, even though our Spurs prediction was wrong, if you put £10 on each of our three UEFA Cup predictions you would have made a £41 profit.

This followed on from our Champions League success where we backed wins for Arsenal and Liverpool, revealed that Chelsea would have to settle for a draw in Bordeaux and tipped another goalless draw between Villarreal and Manchester United.

Posted: November 28th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Why Chelsea may have to settle for a draw in Bordeaux

Bordeaux/Chelsea, 7.45pm, Sky Sports Xtra, Best Odds, Free Bets

Luiz Felipe Scolari showed his first signs of anger yesterday when questioned about Didier Drogba’s meeting with an Inter Milan director, which prompted the Chelsea boss to assure everyone that he doesn’t sleep with the Ivory Coast striker. Defeat in Rome three weeks ago means this group is wide open. Victory assures Chelsea of qualification to the knockout stages but anything else could prove disastrous for the Blues. Unfortunately for them they are coming up against a side with one of the best home records in Europe:

CHELSEA’S INVERSE AWAY RECORD
While Chelsea only have a 43% home win record in the league this season, they have a 100% one in Europe but their away form also works in reverse in the Champions League. Whereas the Blues have won every domestic away game this season, it is a year on Friday since Chelsea last won on the road in Europe (against Rosenborg) and they have taken just one point from two away games so far this season.

DOING THE DOUBLE

Posted: November 26th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment