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ALI'S BIG MATCH PREVIEW - MIDDLESBROUGH v BIRMINGHAM CITY 1-9-07
Alastair Brownlee
Boro go into tomorrow's visit of Birmingham City with a growing sense of optimism as the new season is starting to take shape.
Carling Cup progress and four points from the last available six in the Premier League are indications that things are starting to move in the right direction. Let's also not forget the instant impact made by Mido, who seems destined to not only score goals but also become a real talisman for the team and the fans.
The return to form of Fabio Rochemback has also been a major plus and if the Brazilian can maintain the level of performance we saw against Newcastle and Northampton then he could have a huge influence on the season. Rochemback's ability has never been in question and I remember after we signed him on deadline day in August 2005 a radio colleague on Merseyside called to say what a good signing we had made. He remembered Rochemback playing for Barcelona at Anfield and he put in such a memorable performance that even the home fans applauded him.
Sadly that type of display has been seen on far too few occasions at the Riverside and at one stage it seemed more likely that the number 10 would be moving on, possibly to Benfica. But his spectacular free kick in this week's Carling Cup tie and his midfield partnership with Julio Arca against Newcastle hold out hope that he might yet rediscover his best form on Teesside.
By his own admission, as a new manager Gareth Southgate did not get the best out of Rochemback last season but he never lost faith in the Brazilian's ability and pairing him with Arca could be a masterstroke.Looking back on that thirty-yard free kick against Northampton it seems that Rochemback went against instructions in shooting for goal.
After the match I caught up with Andrew Taylor who said that Rocky was asked by the coaching staff in training not to shoot but to put free kicks into the box for the strikers.
When Boro won the free kick in the second half Taylor asked Rochemback who he was going to pick out in the penalty area. The answer: "I am going to score!".
The Brazilian is a popular figure in the dressing room and let's hope that he has turned the corner in his Boro career.
On Saturday Franck Queudrue and Stuart Parnaby will be returning to the Riverside.
Franck, of course, received a terrific ovation when he came on as a substitute for Fulham in the final game of last season but this will be Parnaby's first return.
Stuart spent seven years at the Boro, graduating from the Academy managed so well by his father, Dave.The defender made 73 starts for Boro but it would have been many more had it not been for injury.
My favourite memory of Parnaby in a Boro shirt was in the match against Bolton on 26 March 2006.
It had not only been the usual physical battle with Wanderers but it had also been a feast of goals. With time running out and the score tied at 3-3 it looked a certain draw.
Then in front of the New Holgate End we scored with the final kick of the match. As usual I went wild with delight but also had a double check to confirm the scorer.
It was only when I saw Dave Parnaby punching the air in delight that I realised that it was the most unlikely of scorers - his son!!!
Stuart arrives with a Birmingham side who also made Cup progress in midweek when they knocked Hereford out of the Carling Cup. Last Saturday the Blues recorded their first Premier League win of the season with a 2-1 victory at Derby.
The danger man could be Gary McSheffrey who ended his goal drought in midweek and was a tough opponent two seasons ago when part of a Coventry side that took Boro to an FA Cup replay.
As I put this preview together it seems likely that deadline day will see the arrival of Gary O'Neil from Portsmouth.
The former England under-21 international has played over 150 games for Pompey since signing as a trainee in 1999.
At just 24 he has plenty to offer and would, in my opinion, be a terrific signing.
I will be at the Riverside tomorrow providing updates for Century fm and then back with Bernie on Simply Red Sunday from 11 until 1pm.
Special guests this week include Heine Otto, Gary Parkinson and my boyhood hero," King John" Hickton.
It is going to be a busy weekend as I will also be filming my report on the match for Tyne Tees, which will form part of North East Tonight on Monday.
Lets go for another Boro win and Rocky to land the knock out blow!!!!!
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A GUARANTEED PROFIT OF AT LEAST £43.26 ON THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
Did you know that it is possible to win money on Wednesday evening's Champions League Final clash between Manchester United and Chelsea, whatever the result?
The game kicks off at 7.45pm UK Time and we can guarantee you a profit of at least £43.26, whatever the result of the match. All you have to do is follow the simple instructions below and then sit back and enjoy the game. At full-time (ninety minutes), you will be at least £43.26 better off, whatever the result of the match.
We must point out that if you want to take this bet, you should do it now because if the odds change, then the figures here will be invalidated. If they have changed, let us know and we will rework the bet for you.
You can still do this if you have a Betfair account but your overall profit will be reduced by £25.00 as you won't receive the £25.00 cashback as an existing account holder.
If you are unsure about this bet, you are most welcome to call us on 01642 223229 and we will help you as much as we can.
We're going to lay out a total of £79.00 on the Champions League Final and we will collect £122.26 if Chelsea win, £125.00 if Manchester United win and £124.00 if it's a draw. That's a minimum profit of 54%, a much higher interest rate than you will get in any high street bank.
Here's how it's done. Just follow these simple instructions.
1. Open an account with Coral. It is really important that you enter the bonus code of CORALTD when prompted. This is to ensure that you receive your bonus.
Open an account with Betfair. It is really important that you enter the promotional code of BFB425 when prompted. This is to ensure that you receive your bonus.
Open an account with Extrabet
 .
This shouldn't take you any longer than a few minutes.
2. Make the following deposits into your new accounts.
Deposit £23.00 into your new Coral account.
Deposit £31.00 into your new Betfair account.
Deposit £25.00 into your Extrabet account.
3. Now make the following bets.
Place £23.00 on the draw at 3.00 (2/1) with Coral.
Coral will now add a £10.00 bonus to your account. Place this on Chelsea as well. You will now have £33.00 riding on Chelsea.
Back Chelsea with £31.00 at 3.25 (9/4) (or higher if available) with Betfair.
Place £25.00 on Manchester United at 2.50 (6/4) with Extrabet .
Extrabet match your first bet up to £25 so you will now have £50.00 riding on Manchester United.
The £25.00 matched bet will not show in your account but you can read all about how it works on the Extrabet site. It's the purple box that says '£25 FREE BET FOR NEW CUSTOMERS' on the top right hand side. Click here to visit the Extrabet site.
If you are unsure about placing these bets, please feel free to mail us or call us on 01642 223229 and we will talk you through it, no problem at all. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
You have temporarily laid out a total of £79.00 on the Champions League Final. I stress, temporarily... Now sit back, crack a beer open and enjoy the match.
4. Here's what happens at the end of the game. All winnings are paid out on the ninety minute result.
If it's a draw, you collect £124.00. That's £99.00 from Coral plus a £25.00 cashback from Betfair.
If Chelsea win, you collect £122.26. That's £97.26 from Betfair plus a £25.00 cashback from Betfair.
If Manchester United win you collect £125.00. That's £100.00 from Extrabet plus a £25.00 cashback from Betfair.
5. This means that the worst case scenario on the Manchester United v Chelsea match is Chelsea win and you make £43.26 profit. However, if it's a draw you make £45.00 and if Manchester United win you make £46.00. That's a minimum profit of 54%, a much better rate of interest that you would get at any high street bank or building society.
6. It is absolutely vital that you click on the links on this page to open the accounts with the two bookies and enter the correct bonus codes or you may not qualify for the bonuses.
Also, before you place your bets, you should check that the odds haven't changed. If they have, let us know by mail or phone us on 01642 223229 and we will rework the bet for you.
Please feel free to contact us or phone us on 01642 223229 if you have any questions at all about this bet and we will help you as much as we can.
Please note that the bonuses are valid for new customers only so if you already have an account with one or more of the bookies we are using, you won't be able to do this. If that is the case, mail us or phone us on 01642 223229 and we'll create an alternative bet for you using different bookies.
This method of betting was used very successfully during the 2006 World Cup and you can read all about how it was done right here.
We guarantee this bet
It's understandable that some people will not believe that it is possible to do this. "What's the catch?" I hear you asking. My answer to that question is that we have been publishing arbitrage bets for four seasons now and literally hundreds of people have profited from following the advice on these pages.
Only twice has our refund guarantee been triggered and that was when we did all the figures wrong and sent refunds out to those who had followed our advice and made a small loss.
Our refund guarantee works like this. If this bet doesn't work like we say it will and you end up out of pocket, we will refund your losses. Simple as that.
That means that you simply cannot lose on this, whatever happens and even if we messed up the numbers.
The only stipulation here is that you must click on the links on this page to be eligible for the refund guarantee, not that you'll be needing to claim anyway. Just enjoy the profit and stay posted for many more of these throughout the season.
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