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THE BEAN PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW 23-8-06 PART II
Christopher Bean
Hello Chaps and Chapettes and welcome to the second part of the midweek
Bean
Preview. If you read yesterday's column you will know that I got both predictions
right
and one spot-on. Looks like the rust has shaken off and I am shit hot
again!*
*touch wood*
Aston Villa v Reading
Reading make their first top flight away visit in their history, and
head
to Birmingham to play Aston Villa. Martin O'Neill has made a great
start at
Villa, after an impressive 1-1 draw at Arsenal.
Well we all know what Reading got up to on Saturday. After going 2-0
down,
the Royals came back and won 3-2 against Boro. The media have been saying
it
should have ended 3-3, as Mark Viduka's goal was wrongly adjudged to
have
been offside but to be fair Reading deserved the win and should have
hammered us.
I think Aston Villa will win this game because Reading will struggle
to
break Villa down, as Martin O'Neill looks to have organized the defence
very
well. I go for a 2-1 win for the home team.
Prediction - 2-1 to Aston Villa
Best Odds for a 2-1 Villa win - 15/2 with Sporting Odds.
Blackburn v Everton
Don't you just feel sorry for Blackburn? The Premier League continually
appoints Alan Wiley for their matches, which is like the ICC appointing
Darrell Hair for Pakistan's test games. Rovers were defeated 3-0 at
Pompey,
and ended the match with nine men. They are bound to be angry and will
want
to take it out on their north-west rivals Everton.
The Toffee's got off to a winning start this season, but in
controversial
circumstances as they were given a penalty for a man heading the ball
on his
arse. Van der Meyde should be available after being through the
emotional
trauma of his six month old dog been pinched. The dog is now returned and
the
Dutch winger is now relieved. The big puff.
I think this will be an entertaining match with plenty of goals, and I
would
expect Benni McCarthy and Andy Johnson to get on the scoresheet. But
this
match will end in a draw, most likely two goals for either side.
Prediction - 2-2
Bets odds for a 2-2 draw - 14/1 with UK Betting
Charlton v Manchester United
Iain Dowie was given a not so friendly welcome back to the Premiership
as
his Charlton side got thumped off London rivals West Ham. His first
game in
charge at The Valley will not be any easier as the Addicks take on Manchester United.
Fergie's men got off to a flyer on Sunday when they dismantled a poor
looking Fulham team 5-1. Four of the goals came in the opening twenty
minutes, and could easily have turned into a Rugby score if the Red
Devils
did not take their foot off the gas. Wayne 'Shrek' Rooney and Paul
'no-neck'
Scholes start their ludicrous, yet amusing three-match suspensions
tonight.
This will be a tougher game for United, but I think they can out muscle
the
South London team on the night, yet the Carling Cup winners still look
a bit
vulnerable at the back. Therefore I will go for a 2-1 win to United.
Prediction - 2-1 to Manchester United
Best odds for a 2-1 United win - Sporting Odds.
Fulham v Bolton
Christ on a Yamaha, this match is going to be a lesson in 'total
football'
isn't it? I jest of course, as this is bound to be a game of long
balls,
long balls, throw ins and long balls.
Fulham will want to tighten up their leaky defence from Sunday, as they
conceded five goals at the Nike Arena, whereas Big Sam will want to
carry on
from their 2-0 win over Spurs.
This is going to be a boring clusterfuck of a match and does not
interest me
at all, so I will go for a 1-0 win to Fulham, mainly due to the fine
home
record that The Cottagers had last season.
Prediction - 1-0 to Fulham
Best odds for a 1-0 Fulham win - Sporting Odds.
Manchester City v Portsmouth
Stuart Pearce did not have the greatest of starts on Sunday in West
London,
as Chelsea picked his side apart with consummate ease. Physco has been
grumbling the last few months about a lack of passion in the team. Who
can
forget his near emotional breakdown after the Boro game in April? Guts
and
guile need to be implemented soon or City could well be battling
relegation
come April 2007.
If you were at Fratton Park on Saturday, and someone told you that the
same
team narrowly avoided relegation last season you would not have
believed
them. Harry Redknapp has worked wonders since he returned to the Hampshire
club
and could quite easily finish in the top half this season.
With the negativity at the City of Manchester Stadium quite predominant, and
Pompey's confidence building and building you would think it would be a
comfortable away victory for Portsmouth, but I have a gut feeling
(might be
the missus' cooking efforts from last night) that this will be a score
draw.
Prediction - 1-1
Best odds for a 1-1 draw - 11/2 with Coral
Middlesbrough v Chelsea
Oh shit. After our last performance against Reading, the last thing we
need
is a Chelsea team coming to the Riverside who wants to exact revenge
for
when we stuffed them last season. Chelsea coasted to a comfortable 3-0
victory over Manchester City on Sunday, and we could be in for a footballing
lesson.
Boro will be without their summer signing Julio Arca, who fractured his
foot
at the Madjeski Stadium on Saturday. Andrew Taylor is the likely
candidate
to take the Argentinean's place, but we never know with the Boro do we!
Ugo
Ehiogu and Lee Cattermole are both still sidelined.
Chelsea added another player to their squad, with the signing of
Dutch
defender Khalid Boulahrouz. "Cannibal" Khalid has been named in
Chelski's
provisional squad. Peter Cech, Joe Cole, Claude Makelele and Robert
Huth
will definitely miss the trip to the land of the Parmo due to injury,
whilst
Michael "big" Ballack will have a late fitness test.
Even with the champions' extensive injury list, you would fancy them to
obliterate the Boro, but the last time I said that we thumped them 3-0!
So
with that bizarre theory I am going for a 4-0 win for Chelsea, but in
essence it really means a first victory for The Gate!
Prediction - Chelsea to win 4-0
Best odds for a 4-0 Chelsea win - 20/1 with William Hill
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE NEW HOLGATE MESSAGE BOARD
BACK TO CHRIS BEAN INDEX
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