Latest Opinion

KUMB welcomes aboard online tipster Gerry McDonnell who'll be bringing us his thoughts on the big games each week.

I believe it was the Greek moralist Plutarch who once wrote, “No beast is more Savage than man, when possessed with power answerable to his rage.” He may have been the first great thinker to place the words Savage and Beast in the same sentence, but he certainly will not be the last.

Robbie has not played a game of football for three weeks, yet he still manages to hog all the headlines. John Toshack made the honourable decision to phone Robbie to inform him of his radical policy of only selecting footballers in his next two International squads, to which Robbie responded in a typically disgraceful fashion. He claimed he was about to retire from International football anyway; then slammed the phone down before possibly throwing his dummy out of the caravan.

Blackburn assume that they will benefit in the long term due to Robbie’s childish reaction, but the smarter breed of punter knows that in the short-term, a betting coo awaits. We all know that a wound up Savage is a very dangerous animal, as his attempt to decapitate Ricardo Gardner less than a minute into his Blackburn debut undoubtedly proved. If Savage is confirmed in the starting line-up this Saturday, you must buy the bookings with the spread boys, lay Blackburn on the exchanges and pile into Arsenal minus a goal, a 15/8 shot with Sporting Odds.

Sunday sees two cracking local derbies, Liverpool play Everton in a Champions League decider; while former European Champions Aston Villa make the short trip to Small Heath, to play former Auto Windscreen Shield winners Birmingham City, in what is always a tasty affair.

As always, the Bookmakers create plenty of specials for the big derby matches, and this weekend is no exception. Super Soccer have came up with the following bets, all based on the Beatles, who came second in a recent “What do you associate with Liverpool?” survey. **

“Hey Crude” – Any player to be sent off 11/4
“All my shoving” – Liverpool to have a player sent off 7/1
“A Hard Day's Fight” – Everton to have a player sent off 11/2
“Ticket to Riise” – Riise to be sent off 80/1
“Jay Tripper” – Carragher to be booked 4/1
“Yellow Sub moron” – Any substitute to be booked 9/4
“Love Me Du” – Liverpool to keep a clean sheet 5/4
“All You Need Is Luck” – Liverpool to miss a penalty 14/1
“Penny pain” – Everton to miss a penalty 20/1
“Weir Can Work It Out” – David Weir to score the last goal 40/1
“From Me to Yo” – Yobo to score two or more goals 66/1
“I am the Ig man” – Biscan to score two or more goals 40/1
“I Want To Hold Your Ant” – Nunez to score two or more goals 20/1
“Please please me” – Gerrard to score two or more goals 10/1
“Let It Be” – Bent and Baros both to score 13/2
“Great, raise a freak” – Biscan to score with a header 28/1
“L and a big B” – Luis Garcia and Bent to score with headers 100/1

Cliché watch

What they say:
“Where are you? Let’s be having you?”

What they mean:
“I’m out of wine; I need a commoner to fetch more.”

Going up

Chelsea: William Hill’s 7/2 is now top price about England’s finest winning the Champions League.

Going down

Portsmouth: Pompey are bottom of the recent form table, and with Southampton and Palace playing quite well, you have to find the 10/1 that William Hill offer about a Pompey relegation quite tasty.

Question of the week

“Do they teach you to touch, when you’re growing up at P.S.V.?” - “Sugary Rob” McCaffrey gets personal with Bolo Zenden.

Quote of the week

“Savage has a consistent groin problem at the minute.” - The BBC’s Steve Wilson states the obvious.

What a complete Punt

Southampton: 4/1 is available about a team on the way up against a team on the way down. Get stuck in.

It’s a fourmality

Arsenal; Newcastle; Southampton; Liverpool to draw

The four fold pays a massive 62/1 with Sporting Odds

Special bet of the week

“Barry, Moore, up the Brum” – Gareth Barry and Luke Moore both to score 20/1 @ Super Soccer

Weekend Betting

Blackburn v Arsenal
Saturday 19th March 12.45 Live on P.P.V.
Blackburn 5/1 Boylesports
Draw 5/2 BET 365
Arsenal 4/5 Stan James

Get on: Arsenal

The stats say Blackburn are in excellent form, but a closer inspection reveals that they’ve seen off Norwich, Leicester and Burnley. I’d get 7 points myself. Away win.

Match Special: Arsenal to win by two or more goals 15/8 @ Sporting Odds

Charlton v West Brom
Saturday 19th March 15.00
Charlton 4/6 Stanleybet
Draw 5/2 William Hill
West Brom 9/2 Skybet

Get on: Charlton

You have to go back to 1954 to find the last time West Brom won away at Charlton. Under Bryan “Let’s leave Earny out” Robson, you just can’t see the Baggies breaking that hoodoo.

Match Special: Charlton to score four or more goals 13/2 @ Betfred

Chelsea v Crystal Palace
Saturday 19th March 15.00
Chelsea 1/5 Super Soccer
Draw 5/1 Stan James
Crystal Palace 16/1 UK Betting

Get on: Chelsea

Chelsea have scored 11 goals in their last three matches against Palace; the clever money’s on a 1-0 victory this time around.

Match Special: Chelsea to win 1-0 7/1 @ Coral

Man Utd v Fulham
Saturday 19th March 15.00
Man Utd 2/7 Stan James
Draw 9/2 Bet Direct
Fulham 14/1 Boylesports

Get on: Man Utd

Fulham have an impressive recent record against United; the last three League meetings have seen a Fulham victory, (3-1 at Old Trafford) and two draws. However; the Cottager’s are now 270 minutes without a goal. Home win.

Match Special: Man Utd to keep a clean sheet 4/6 @ Betfred

Portsmouth v Newcastle
Saturday 19th March 15.00
Portsmouth 15/8 UK Betting
Draw 11/5 Super Soccer
Newcastle 6/4 Sporting Odds

Get on: Newcastle

Pompey go into the match having lost their four previous matches; next week, I’ll replace the word four with the word five.

Match Special: Shearer to score a hat-trick 25/1 @ Betfred

Tottenham v Man City
Saturday 19th March 15.00
Tottenham 5/6 William Hill
Draw 12/5 Stanleybet
Man City 10/3 Bet Direct

Get on: Tottenham

Man City’s amazing 4-3 win here is still fresh in the memory; but with Psycho replacing King Kev at the helm, the seven goal thrillers are long gone. Home win.

Match Special: Tottenham to score in both halves 15/8 @ Betfred

Bolton v Norwich
Saturday 19th March 17.15 Live on Sky
Bolton 4/7 William Hill
Draw 13/5 Sporting Odds
Norwich 13/2 Boylesports

Get on: Norwich

Delia Smith and the double! That’s right; Norwich’s foosball team can complete an unlikely double over Bolton.

Match Special: Norwich to win from behind 25/1 @ Betfred

Birmingham v Aston Villa
Sunday 20th March 12.00 Live on P.P.V.
Birmingham 13/10 Stanleybet
Draw 11/5 Coral
Aston Villa 11/5 Boylesports

Get on: Aston Villa

Steve Bruce had to apologise to the Birmingham supporters after their inept display against West Brom two weeks ago. Now facing the biggest team in the Midlands, expect Bruce to be making further excuses come Sunday evening.

Match Special: Villa to score three or more goals 13/2 @ Betfred

Middlesbrough v Southampton
Sunday 20th March 15.00
Middlesbrough 4/5 William Hill
Draw 5/2 BET 365
Southampton 4/1 Boylesports

Get on: Southampton

Boro have played nine League matches this year, and have managed to get three points only once. The Saints look terrific value for a big priced shock.

Match Special: Peter Crouch to score the first goal 8/1 @ BET 365

Liverpool v Everton
Sunday 20th March 16.05 Live on Sky
Liverpool Evs Super Soccer
Draw 9/4 BET 365
Everton 10/3 UK Betting

Get on: Draw

Six of the last 12 derbies played at Anfield have resulted in draws. That 9/4 suddenly looks a little bit big.

Match Special: No Goal Scorer 17/2 @ BET 365

** = If you would like to find out the most popular answer in the “What do you associate with Liverpool?” survey, then please e-mail gerry_mcdonnell@yahoo.co.uk, quoting “Thieving query” in the subject line.

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