The obstacle Man United must overcome to make history

Click here for the latest odds on the new Premier League season

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

Ronaldo’s likely exit opens up title race betting on Betfair

Manchester United drift, Chelsea and Liverpool close the gap

If you still fancy Manchester United to become the first team in English football history to win four successive top-flight titles then this is the time to back them.

The Red Devils’ have gone out from 2.7 to 3.0 on Betfair today after deciding to accept Real Madrid’s £80 million offer for Ronaldo, having been as low as 2.5 before their Champions League final loss to Barcelona.

Chelsea and Liverpool have both had their odds slashed in light of this morning’s events, with the Blues in to 3.55 from 3.8 and the Reds falling to 4.3 from 4.5.

Betfair are best price on Manchester United winning the title next season - click here to claim a free £25 no loss bet when opening an account with them.

Posted: June 11th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Franck Ribery 6/4 to replace Ronaldo at Manchester Utd

Will he form a beautiful partnership with Rooney and Tevez?

chickendinner are hopeful that one of the blandest ever transfer sagas is at last reaching a conclusion now that Manchester United have accepted Real Madrid’s £80 million offer for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The injection of new funds at Old Trafford should enable them to compete with their nouveau-riche rivals Manchester City and with the lengthy Kaka and Gareth Barry sagas also finished, it means that some fresh and exciting transfer stories may finally emerge.

Sky Bet religiously follow every movement made in each transfer window and they anticipate Manchester United moving quickly for Bayern Munich’s

Posted: June 11th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Manchester United can close to within a point of the title

Wigan/Manchester Utd, 8pm, Sky Sports 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Steve Bruce has made his annual “we won’t roll over against Manchester United speech” - a speech he probably wouldn’t have to make if it didn’t keep happening - but to say the bookmakers are unconvinced would be an understatement. With the home win available at 14.5 on Betfair, even the most optimistic of Liverpool fans won’t be holding out too much hope. Here are five stats about tonight’s game:

Click here to claim a £25 no loss bet with Betfair

1. Wigan have lost all eight of their meetings with Manchester United.

2. Steve Bruce’s side have lost just two of their last 12 games at the JJB but have won just two of their last 15 league games.

3. The Latics have taken just one point from their four home games against the top five sides (two points from nine games overall) and they conceded four times against both Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Posted: May 13th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 1 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

Five reasons why Arsenal should beat Man Utd tonight

Arsenal/Manchester United, 7.45pm, ITV1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Arsenal have underperformed in their two previous semi-final matches this season but Arsene Wenger is confident that his side will deliver tonight and the statistics support him. And if Emmanuel Adebayor can keep his head out of the Milanese clouds for just 90 minutes, his partnership with Robin van Persie could make the difference:

Click here to claim a £25 no loss bet when backing Arsenal at 2.92 on Betfair. The Gunners are currently 4.4 to progress.

1. Arsenal have won two and drawn one of their three home games against Manchester United at the Emirates.

2. The Gunners are currently enjoying their best home form of the season having won six straight matches there.

Posted: May 5th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 1 Comment