Will this be the year when England finally deliver?

We’re not convinced. Farewell 44 years of hurt, roll on 48!

This could well prove England’s best chance to win the World Cup in 20 years (we’re too scarred to wonder “what if” about the collapse against Brazil in 2002) but it still looks like they will come up short.

There’s no doubt that the Three Lions have the might coach in Fabio Capello, and for a second it looked like the team wasn’t too shabby either, but events so far this season haven’t been great preparation.

In goal, first-choice David James has been permanently crocked, second-choice Robert Green has endured a blip - his first since joining West Ham in 2006 - and third-choice Ben Foster has been awful.

Birmingham loanee Joe Hart has been the star performer but has just one cap, and if he took the number one jersey would be heading for the World

Posted: January 7th, 2010 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Eight steps to identify this season’s Golden Boot winner

Click here for the latest odds on who will be 2009-10’s top-scorer

The bookmakers seem to agree on who the 15 leading contenders to be next season’s Premier League top-scorer are: Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, Robinho, Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor, Dimitar Berbatov, Jermain Defoe, Carlos Tevez, Andrey Arshavin, Frank Lampard and Roque Santa Cruz. We’ve used some trends to whittle down the 15 and leave one man standing:

Over the last decade Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (2000-01) is the only player to have won it in his first season with a new club.
That rules out: Michael Owen, Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz

The last nine winners were all playing for a Big Four side.
That rules out: Robinho, Jermain Defoe

Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player to have been Premier League top-scorer without always playing as an out-and-out striker.
That rules out: Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Andrey Arshavin

The last British top-scorer was Kevin Phillips in 1999-00.
That rules out: Wayne Rooney

Still standing: Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Robin van

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

USA are 7/2 to win the Confederations Cup after beating Spain’s invincibles

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chickendinner might not understand the purpose of the Confederations Cup but there’s no doubt that the USA have made sure it’s worth watching.

Four days ago they pulled off the six-goal swing needed to qualify from Group B having looking dead and buried and last night T-Ho, JdeM, C-Demp and the gang denied Spain the chance to extend their unbeaten run to 36 games, which would have set a new record in international football.

With Spain applying a lot of pressure, the Americans were still available at evens right before their second goal but memories of the European

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

Spain are 1/12 to win on their Confederations Cup debut

New Zealand aren’t likely to end Spain’s long unbeaten run

Even though we’ve questioned the importance of the Confederations Cup, we’re grateful for any football that we can watch live on TV over these barren months. Here are some statistics on both matches taking place on Sunday:

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South Africa v Iraq
The opening match in this showcase of the world’s greatest footballing nations pits Iraq, who are below Wales in the world rankings and lost 4-0 to Oman earlier this year, against South Africa, who only qualified for the tournament as hosts, have never been past the group stage at the World Cup and failed to qualify for next year’s African Cup of Nations. South Africa have won six of the last seven games that they’ve hosted and home advantage should prove enough to overcome an Iraq side who will be marking the one-year anniversary of their last win on Sunday - 2-1 away to China.

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

Spain are favourites to win the Confederations Cup

Click here for all the latest odds on the 2009 Confederations Cup

Arguably the least prestigious tournament in international football gets going in South Africa this weekend and we still don’t really understand what’s at stake. All the continental champions and the World Cup holders are there but they aren’t fighting to be crowned the best team in the world. In fact, the only country who really stand to benefit are South Africa, who didn’t have to earn their place in the Con Cup and will gain experience of hosting an international tournament ahead of one that actually matters next summer.

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» The Con Cup participants are supposed to be eight of the best teams in the world but the bookmakers clearly don’t see it that way. There is a huge gap between the challengers and the also-rans in the winner’s market betting, with Spain, Brazil and Italy all 7/2 or less while the other five teams - South Africa, Egypt, USA, Iraq and New Zealand - are 20/1 or more.

» The chances of South Africa, Egypt, Iraq and New Zealand are dealt a further blow by the fact that no team from Africa, Asia or Oceania have ever won the tournament. USA won’t be too confident either because the only CONCACAF winners have been Mexico, when they hosted it a decade ago.

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

Slaven Bilic is now odds-on to take charge of Portsmouth

The final remaining Premier League vacancy may soon be filled*

Croatia boss Slaven Bilic is now the 4/5 favourite with Sky Bet to be named Portsmouth’s next manager after his agent confirmed the club had been in contact yesterday.

The prospect of a move increased further today when Andrea Gicic, a Croatian journalist and friend of Bilic, revealed that he would consider doing a Guus Hiddink-style job share until the World Cup qualifiers ended.

The former West Ham and Everton defender is highly-rated in the UK because of his team’s respectable performance at Euro 2008, which they qualified for at England’s expense. The fact that Croatia are struggling to even make the play-offs this time around is apparently irrelevant.

*Technically the Wigan post is still vacant, but it won’t be for long

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