2008/09 SEASON - WRITERS' PREDICTIONS - PART ONE
Compiled by James Bassett

For Part Two of our predictions for the forthcoming season, click here.

James Bassett (ComeOnBoro’s Style Consultant)

Where will Boro finish?
Thirteenth.

Who will go down?
Stoke, Hull and West Ham. Baggies to finish top-half.

Who will win the title?
Manchester United. Phil Scolari is soon to learn the harsh lesson that you need more than great facial hair to succeed in the Premiership. Just ask Rafa Benitez.

Who will be Boro’s top scorer?
Afonso Alves. With six goals.

Which academy player will have the biggest impact?
Herold Goulon.

************************

Gordon Dalton (Pioneer Of The Anti-Joke)

Where will Boro finish?
Thirteenth. I wish I was joking but I’m not. New midfield, defence still settling in and an unpredictable forward line means another season of transition, with Stewart Downing wrongly attracting all the flack.

Who will go down?
The promoted teams are an obvious choice but Mogga’s WBA have a great chance of staying up. Hull may just surprise everyone, including Boro. So I will go for Stoke, Fulham and West Ham.

Who will win the title?
Ronaldo or no Ronaldo, Manchester United will win again. Chelsea will (hopefully) self-implode as Big Phil comes under media scrutiny and Deco crumbles against Lee Cattermole.

Who will be Boro's top scorer?
We’ll score? Downing if we are struggling, Alves if we are not. If Tuncay can stop aiming for the corner flag he might get ten. Otherwise Southgate will be the top scorer if the girls like his new threads.

Which academy player will have the biggest impact?
Billy Crystal.

************************

Andy Morgan (ComeOnBoro Editor)

Where will Boro finish?
Where do you think? Our rightful position of thirteenth of course!! Our attack/midfield looks better than last season but our goalkeeping situation is a concern. I expect more goals to be scored at either end of the pitch, each cancelling out the other. So thirteenth it is then!!

Who will go down?
Fulham, Hull, Stoke - the last two are almost certainties, which again highlights the massive gap between the Premiership and the Championship. Fulham have been hanging around for ages and I expect little improvement next season, irrespective of Roy Hodgson's managerial abilities.

Who will win the title?
It's hard to see beyond Manchester United. I don't see the moustachioed annoyance doing much at Chelsea.

Who will be Boro's top scorer?
Afonso Alves. Last season he almost became our top scorer, despite only playing a bit-part in the three months he was here. He clearly has the quality and the drive, and now that he has settled, I am expecting big things this campaign.

Which academy player will have the biggest impact?
It's hard to say as this time last year no one had really heard of David Wheater. With a few issues still remaining in midfield, perhaps this is the year for Josh Walker.

Other thoughts
The signing of a goalkeeper is essential to our success next season. Brad Jones was scary at Sunderland and does Ross Turnbull have the experience? If we throw Turnbull into the fray, it could work. He has rarely let the side down when he has played but whether he can be consistent week-in, week-out is another matter. Hopefully, Southgate's talk of giving either Jones or Turnbull a chance is aimed at increasing morale in the squad and preventing the need to look desperate (thus keeping transfer prices low for any new ‘keeper we could bring in). With a month of the transfer window still remaining, it will be interesting to see whether we get any more new signings in.

************************

Luke Raine (Weak At The Knees Over Week On The Tees)

Where will Boro finish?
A top ten finish shouldn’t be out of reach for a younger, improved squad, although a place in Europe via the League will almost certainly be out of reach. Recent Premier League seasons have shown that there isn’t a lot between the teams who finish outside the top six therefore I predict an eighth place finish.

Who will go down?
The enormous increase in television revenue for established Premier League sides has made it more and more difficult for the promoted teams to establish themselves in the division. Because of this, I feel the three promoted teams will go straight back down. West Brom may have made a number of signings and Phil Brown at Hull has been astute in the transfer market, but I believe that these two and Stoke will be playing Championship football again after one season.

Who will win the title?
It is hard to see past Manchester United with or without Ronaldo as they just possess more match winners than their rivals. Chelsea will obviously be close come the end of the season and I do expect Liverpool to improve and put up a real fight for the title.
Manchester United
Liverpool
Chelsea

Who will be Boro's top scorer?
Boro fans saw the impact that Afonso Alves could make towards the end of last season and after a full pre-season under his belt, I expect him to hit the ground running this term. Mido looks in good shape too after a long break but I expect Alves to be leading the charts come May.

Which academy player will have the biggest impact?
Josh Walker has plenty of international experience at a number of levels and has even captained his country, which speaks volumes for the player. Many Boro fans probably haven’t seen much of Walker but he had a successful loan spell at Aberdeen last season, even grabbing a goal against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup.

************************

James Keen (Keen For Deep In My Heart...)

Where will Boro finish?
It could be a turn-key year but then it might not be. Aiming for the top ten is a must but achieving it is something quite different. Probably an eleventh place finish.

Who will go down?
Stoke, Hull and Sunderland. Sunderland probably won’t but I can’t help but predict that they will.

Who will win the title?
Manchester United. With or without Ronaldo they’ll be too good for the rest.

Who will be Boro's top scorer?
Afonso Alves will hit the magical 15-20 bracket this season (League and Cup). Tuncay might bag ten-ish; Aliadiere and Mido will hit six to eight.

Which academy player will have the biggest impact?
I predicted this last year but then he joined Aberdeen. However, I’m going to try him again. Josh Walker looks the part. He is a natural talent with two good feet. His goal for Aberdeen against Bayern Munich was immense! One to watch for certain.

Other thoughts:
I think we’ll have a relatively quiet year, full of youth, pace and thrust, but lacking in experience, the killer instinct and maturity. We might have enough for a cup run, Carling not FA, but balancing that with a drive for the Premiership’s top ten could be too much. A good start is vital but playing Spurs and then Liverpool isn’t exactly ideal. This is the year that last season’s underachieving signings have to make an impact. Time to stand up and be counted Tuncay, Aliadiere, Mido, Alves and O’Neil.

************************

Rich White (Writer Of The Rich White Column)

Where will Boro finish?
Tenth.

Who will go down?
I hate to say it but none of the new boys are staying up. Hull (despite the presence of George!), Stoke and WBA all appear doomed.

Who will win the title?
It will be close. A lot depends on the Ronaldo/Drogba/Lampard/Robinho drama but I think Manchester United will edge it.

Who will be Boro's top scorer?
Alves.

Which academy player will have the biggest impact?
David Wheater.

************************

Tommy Mack (Writer Of Toronto-On-Tees)

Where will Boro finish?
Thirteenth.

Who will go down?
Hull, Stoke and, God willing, Sunderland.

Who will win the title?
Manchester United.

Who will be Boro's top scorer?
Afonso Alves - after a slow start the floodgates will open.

Which academy player will have the biggest impact?
What the heck, in the Canadian spirit of my column I’ll go for the pride of Namao, Alberta: Shaun Saiko.

SEND THIS TO A FRIEND
BACK TO SPECIAL ARTICLES INDEX

A GUARANTEED PROFIT OF AT LEAST £41.19 ON MIDDLESBROUGH v SUNDERLAND

There's a full programme of Premier League fixtures this weekend and did you know that it is possible to win money on Saturday afternoon's Premier League showdown between Middlesbrough and Sunderland, whatever the result?

The game kicks off at 3.00pm UK Time and we can guarantee you a profit of at least £41.19, 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, you will be at least £41.19 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 £67.00 on the Middlesbrough v Sunderland match and we will collect £108.50 if Middlesbrough win, £108.20 if Sunderland win and £108.19 if it is a draw. That's a minimum profit of over 61%, 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 Sky Bet.

Open an account with Betfair. It is really important that you enter the promotional code of FTB125 when prompted. This is to ensure that you receive your bonus.

Open an account with Coral UK. It is really important that you enter the promotional code of CORALTD when prompted. This is to ensure that you receive your bonus.

This shouldn't take you any longer than a few minutes.

2. Make the following deposits into your new accounts.

Deposit £26.00 into your new Sky Bet account.

Deposit £25.00 into your new Betfair account.

Deposit £16.00 into your Coral UK account.

3. Now make the following bets.

Place £25.00 on Middlesbrough at 5/4 with Sky Bet .

Sky Bet will now add a £20.00 free bet to your account. Place this on Middlesbrough as well. You will now have £45.00 riding on Middlesbrough.

Back the draw with £25.00 at 3.45 (or higher if available) with Betfair.

Place £16.00 on Sunderland at 3.20 (11/5) with Coral UK.

Coral UK will now add a £10 bonus to your account. Place this on Sunderland as well. You will now have £26.00 riding on Sunderland.

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 £67.00 on the Middlesbrough v Sunderland match. 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 Middlesbrough win, you collect £108.50. That's £83.50 from Sky Bet plus a £25.00 cashback from Betfair.

If it's a draw, you collect £108.19. That's £83.19 from Betfair plus a £25.00 cashback from Betfair.

If Sunderland win, you collect £108.20. That's £83.20 from Coral UK plus a £25.00 cashback from Betfair.

5. This means that the worst case scenario on the Middlesbrough v Sunderland match is a draw and you make £41.19 profit. However, if Middlesbrough win you make £41.50 profit and if Sunderland win you make £41.20 profit. That's a minimum profit of over 61%, 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 three 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 this is the fifth season that we have been publishing arbitrage bets 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.

 

 

 
   Sitemap || Search Site || Terms and Privacy || Set as Homepage || Bookmark Site
This website designed, maintained and managed by Waking Lion ©2004-2008