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

Eight reasons not to back Sea The Stars in the Irish Derby

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Sea The Stars proved us wrong by beating Fame and Glory at Epsom earlier this month but we’re certain that trainer Aidan O’Brien will get revenge at the Curragh on Sunday. Here’s why:

1. Sea The Stars is attempting to complete a 2,000 Guineas, English and Irish Derby treble. The last time such a feat was managed was by Nijinsky way back in 1970.

2. Aidan O’Brien has trained six Irish Derby winners, including each of the last three and he has had 16 placed in the last decade. Second favourite Fame and Glory and Masterofthehorse are among his ten possible entries this year.

3. Four of the last six winners, including each of the last three, were all beaten in the Epsom Derby. Of this year’s entries Fame and Glory, Masterofthehorse, Golden Sword and Gan Amhras ran. Each of the last six Irish Derby winners lost their previous outing.

Posted: June 25th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Royal Ascot: Eight stats about the festival’s opening race

Stoute and bin Suroor’s Queen Anne Stakes duopoly may resume

One of the biggest festivals of the flat racing season gets underway tomorrow with the Queen Anne Stakes, which is finally poised with no overwhelming favourite and three credible contenders. Here are some stats to help you bet on Tuesday’s 2.30pm:

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» 12 of the last 13 winners have been trained by Saeed bin Suroor (seven), Sir Michael Stoute (three) or Aidan O’Brien (two). O’Brien doesn’t have a horse in the race this year, while bin Suroor has favourite Gladiatorus and Alexandros and Stoute has Main Aim.

» Eight-year-olds Cesare and Mac Love are cursed by the fact no horse aged six or older has triumphed since Ardoon in 1976.

» The last two winners have been five-year-olds, with Arabian Gleam the only one in this year’s race, while everyone else except Cesare and Mac Love are four. Four-year-olds have won 14 of the last 17.

Posted: June 15th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Why Man United should win the Manchester derby

Man Utd/Man City, Sun 1.30pm, Sky Spts 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Photo Credit: Dave Thompson/PA Wire

There are plenty of stats which suggest that an upset could be in order on Sunday. Manchester United have won just one of their last four home games against City and just five of their last 14 league clashes with them while the visitors have won three straight league games for the first time all season and have started to remember how to win away from home. But while the pro-City stats show that the bookmakers are being stingy with odds on the home win, here are five reasons why the league leaders should triumph:

1. Manchester United have won 32 of their last 36 home league games, including 15 of the last 16.

2. Manchester City haven’t won four straight top-flight matches since November 1992. On the last two occasions that they have managed three in a row they have lost the fourth. They have also gone 14 games in all competitions without a draw.

Posted: May 8th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Why Stoke will beat Newcastle and all but guarantee survival

Stoke/NUFC, Sat 5.30pm, Setanta Sports 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

With one of the best home records in the top-flight, chickendinner fancy Stoke to make it two losses out of two for Alan Shearer at the generous price of 6/4 with their chairman’s firm Bet365. Here’s why:

1. Excluding the Big Four, no team have picked up more points than Stoke (14) from their last eight league games. Over that same period, Newcastle have taken just six.

2. Stoke are unbeaten at home to sides outside of the top six - winning six and drawing three of their nine encounters.

3. In stark contrast, Newcastle are winless away to sides outside of the bottom six - losing seven and drawing three. They have lost all six against teams placed between 7th and 14th.

4. Middlesbrough and Sunderland have already both fallen to defeat at the Britannia Stadium (both 1-0, which is available at 13/2 generally) so the Potters are looking to complete a North East treble.

5. Newcastle have only won on two of their last twelve trips to Stoke.

Posted: April 9th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Grand National index: All the links you need for the big race

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OUR FAVOURITE FREE BET OFFER (more information here)
Boylesports are paying out six places each-way on the Grand National and are offering a no-strings-attached £20 free bet if you open an account and stake £10 on something.

THE BEST OF THE REST
£20 worth of free bets with Paddy Power, the kings of the money-back special!
£25 free bet with Betfair, who offer the biggest odds on almost everything!
£200 Free Bet Basket with Bet365, who pay out the SP if you take shorter odds!

THE ELIMINATOR
We used a five-step process of elimination to whittle down the contenders until there was just one horse standing: Darkness.

PROFILING THE FIELD
» chickendinner’s preview of this year’s frontrunners (Part One).
» chickendinner’s preview of this year’s frontrunners (Part Two).
» chickendinner’s guide to separating outsiders from no-hopers.

EVERYTHING ELSE
» How to best take advantage of Boylesport’s amazing offer.
» Extrabet.com’s preview of the Grand National spread markets.
» History dictates you should back Irish and avoid the French.
» Betfair make organising a Grand National sweepstake easy.

Posted: April 3rd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment