Five reasons why it’s not worth backing Manchester City to be the best of the rest

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chickendinner aren’t stupid enough to say that Man City have no chance of a top-five finish - after all they could have Robinho, Samuel Eto’o and Carlos Tevez up-front. They should have challenged for fifth last year though but ended up closer to West Brom than Arsenal, so the odds of 5/4 with Bet365 on them being best of the rest this season seem far too short. Here’s why we think you’d be better off backing Everton or maybe even Spurs:

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1. Manchester City are still yet to finish any higher than eighth in the Premier League, a feat they achieved under Stuart Pearce in 2004-05.

2. Since Blackburn’s title win in 1994-95, just four sides have ended the season as the best of the rest: Newcastle, Leeds, Tottenham and Everton. Spurs and Everton are the only two to have done it in the last five years.

Posted: July 9th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 6 Comments

Five stats about tonight’s Euro Under-21 Championship Final

Germany/England, 7.45pm, Sky Sports 1, Best Odds, Free Bets

Stuart Pearce is the 4/1 favourite to succeed Fabio Capello as England manager and tonight he can prove his credentials by guiding the Young Lions to their first trophy since 1984. To do so he will have to conquer Germany, who were a thorn in Psycho’s side throughout his playing career. However, at Under-21 level, England have a much better record against them:

1. There have been three occasions under the current format where two teams from the same group have met in the final and on two of those, the side who came second - in this case Germany - triumphed.

2. Germany have never previously won the competition but have - either as East or West - lost in the final four times, including a 1974 defeat to Hungary when it was still an Under-23 competition.

Posted: June 29th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment