England - Premier League
Previous review:
Pre-season
Chelsea were
1.8 to retain the Premiership, now Paddy Power bookmaker have already paid
out on them winning! Arsenal and Manchester United
both seem to have been fading over the past year, leaving a gap for a resurgent
Liverpool team to fill? Tottenham are performing well and are even pushing for a
top 5 finish.
Betting on Chelsea won't yield
massive returns at current odds-on prices, so for other possibilities Bethawk
suggests: Spurs to win the FA Cup -
14/1 each-way with Ladbrokes.
Current Tip (10 November 05): Owen
top scorer each-way 3 places 14/1 with
PaddyPower.
Previous Bethawk bet suggestions
(pre-season). Middlesboro +32 points in the Premiership Handicap market with
Betfair
(odds of 21), Liverpool top 3 finish at 3.35, also with
Betfair,
Rooney Top Scorer 15.0 (each-way 4 places) at
Totesport.
For betting on European leagues, remember that the bookies consistently
consider the bigger teams as favourites, despite the relative strengths of
their opposition. If you study the leagues in detail then you'll find ways
to get an edge on the bookmaker.
Spain - Primera Liga
Previous review:
Barcelona are now less than
Evens to retain La Liga title, with Real Madrid
close behind. El Real have made some more 'galactic' signings, possibly Robinho
and Baptista. Can they
get anywhere near Barça, especially with their new signing Van Bommel? Valencia have
reshuffled their side and could be a decent each-way bet.
Current Tip (10 November 05):
Barcelona to win La Liga
1.7
with Betfair.
Pre-Season Tips: Valencia @ 15.0
to win with
Parbet (to be laid off if their odds fall), Baptista e/w Top Goalscorer (no
prices yet). NB. Valencia were 7.5 in October.
Italy - Serie A
Previous review: The trio of Juventus, Inter and
Milan should dominate the Serie A season once more, with Inter likely to remain
contenders throughout the whole season. Betting reflects this, with Milan at
2.5
(Stan James), Juventus pulling ahead again, now at
1.83 and
Inter have now drifted to
10.0.
Pre-Season
Tip - Inter each-way,
8/1.
Germany - Bundesliga
Previous review:
Bayern Munich will be pursuing a 19th
title, having dominated German football for a while. The challengers are getting
closer with Schalke 04 providing the best effort last year. Werder Bremen and Hertha Berlin should be worth
watching, and Hamburg have signed Van der Vaart which should give them a boost.
German football in general should increase in quality this year in the run up to
the World Cup 2006.
See a pre-season review from StanJames here.
Current Tip (10 November 05): Both
Werder Bremen and Hamburg have been performing well - small stakes
each-way on these teams, 9/1 and 16/1 respectively with
StanJames.
Pre-Season Tips:
Schalke are a good each-way bet, 7.5 at Sportingbet.
Netherlands - Eredivisie
Previous review:
PSV appear to be in their own Eredivisie.
It will be interesting to see how they do after losing a couple of major players
over the summer. Ajax have been inconsistent - performing better in the
Champions League than domestically. AZ are still a team to look out for as
their good UEFA Cup form also continues, and Feyenoord are much more
consistent recently.
Current Tip (10 November 05): PSV to
win the league,
1.57 with
Blue Square.
France - Le Championnat
In-depth review from
StanJames.........
The Stan James French Le
Championnat 2005/2006 Preview
(Pre-Season)
Lyon 11/8
Last Season: 1st
Ave. Attendance: 37,510
Well there is not much you can say
about Lyon’s dominance of French football. They will be going for their
fifth successive Title and with Gerard Houllier in charge they have a
top class coach to make it happen. One thing that could impact on them
would be the loss of midfielder Michael Essien. If he goes to Chelsea
then Lyon will undoubtedly miss him but they’ll have a tremendous kitty
available to reinforce. They have already signed Pedretti from Marseille
to strengthen the middle of the park and if Essien was to stay then they
will probably be too good for the rest once again. Even without him,
they’ll be a considerable force once again.
Monaco 10/3
Last Season: 3rd
Ave. Attendance: 11,775
Didier Deschamps has been busy in the marketplace
strengthening their midfield but the worry for Monaco will be in attack.
If they lose Emmanuel Abedayor they could struggle, as they have
released a lot of forwards in the summer already. They are a strong club
though and they always seem to have money to spend to keep their
position in the upper echelons of French football.
Paris St German 6/1
Last Season: 9th
Ave. Attendance: 37,171
The Parisian giants start their campaign in bullish mood.
They think the big time is just around the corner at PSG. The key could
be their coach, Laurent Fournier, who began to mould a team that
could compete after he took over near the end of last season. He’s also
bought wisely in the summer and without the distraction of Europe this
season, they’ll be a lot closer than 9th for sure. The
capture of Bonaventure Kalou from Auxerre was a spectacular coup and the
prospect of him and Pauleta up front makes the mouth water. If these two
hit it off….then look out. Other astute signing make this PSG side a
real force. You should get a run for your money this season….
Marseille 7/1
Last Season: 5th
Ave. Attendance: 52,996
The expectation in Marseille is
always high pre-season…..that’s what they are like in Marseille. Home of
Zinadine Zidane, Michael Platini and Eric Cantona they worship football
and it would be nice to see them get honours this year. Their key man
will be Frank Ribery who at 22 could be anything. If he clicks this
season then he could lead his team to great things. He’s just as likely
to end up in a corner somewhere sulking though……..They have not won a
trophy for 12 years and the natives are getting restless. Marseille is
beginning to find its identity again within France as a vibrant forward
looking city. Don’t be surprised if things take off in the Stade
Velodrome as well. And don’t forget…Marseille are officially the biggest
club in France. A sleeping giant if ever there was one…..
Lille 10/1
Last Season: 2nd
Ave. Attendance: 13,330
Lille were the surprise package
last year, finishing Runners up and earning themselves a European berth.
However it could also be their Achilles heel. They do not have the
finances to compete with the big boys and the rigours of Europe could
have a detrimental effect on their domestic campaign. The loss of
Phillipe Brunel to Sochaux will be significant as he was a pivotal
figure last season for them. They could just struggle this year…..
Auxerre 15/1
Last Season: 8th
Ave. Attendance: 11,373
A great club that struggled last
season, they need to step up a gear to reverse the slide. But this is
easier said than done. Guy Roux their coach has a reputation as manager
who likes to work with young talented teams. In some ways he has no
choice because the funds aren’t always there, but there is no doubt that
he has a real flair for the job in hand. He has a squad full of stars
for the future, but they will probably not be mature and experienced
enough to push the club on to great things just yet. The loss of Kalou
will also leave a big void.
Lens 25/1
Last Season: 7th
Ave. Attendance: 34,964
The key player in Lens chances
this year will be their midfielder Yohan Demont. He has a tremendous
work ethic and is passionate about the club and it’s fans. It’s hard to
see them winning the Title but they could surprise a few people and they
won’t be short on guts. They regularly get attendances well over 35,000
and this will help them cement a title challenge.
Rennes 25/1
Last Season: 4th
Ave. Attendance: 23,426
Alexander Frei was the top scorer in Ligue One last year
and he’s been the reason why the team from Brittany have been so
successful. They finished 4th last year to land a UEFA Cup
spot and it seems that the Swiss star is going to stay and complete the
last year of his contract. With an asset like Frei, Rennes know that
they have a chance of big things. But they are not a big club by any
means and the natural inclination is that think that they’ll struggle
this year. Not because of Frei, but because they have lost influencial
players like Maoulida and Sorlin to Monaco and the team just looks short
on depth……
Nantes 33/1
Last Season: 17th
Ave. Attendance: 30,738
Nantes is a city on the up but their football club had
struggled to survive in the top flight last year. They just managed to
scrape above the relegation zone last season and it is difficult to see
them emulate the exploits of the 2001 Championship winning side. Expect
them to improve over the season, but realistically they cannot
challenge.
St Etienne 50/1
Last Season: 6th
Ave.
Attendance: 29,892
The club returned to former glories when they came 6th
last year, but all the signs are that they will struggle to repeat that
lofty position. A UEFA Cup spot is probably the best that they can
expect, now that the other teams know their strengths and weaknesses.
Bordeaux 66/1
Last Season: 15th
Ave.
Attendance: 23,474
Another club with a proud history
who struggled last year, and it was embarrassing that they had to wait
until the last week to secure a Ligue One berth and avoid the drop. But
they have changed a few faces this year, including the free transfers of
Smicer and Cheyrou from Liverpool, so they will probably do a lot better
this season. A UEFA cup spot at best.
Toulouse 150/1
Last Season: 13th
Ave.
Attendance: 23,340
Of the others, the only club worth
a mention are Toulouse. They have often suffered from the power of their
egg chasing cousins in the region, but there are moves afoot to put the
football team on the map. A whole raft of money has been ploughed into
the club and they have been very busy in the transfer market. They could
easily be the surprise package this year and the potential is obviously
there for all to see. They will be very profitable to back on a week to
week basis as I’m sure they’ll bag some notable scalps along the way.
Bet with
StanJames.
Stan James Bundesliga review (Pre-Season)
Bayern Munich 4/6
Last Season: Champions
Ave Attendance: 53,294
Champions League Price:
16/1
Bayern Munich are the giants of German
football and one of the top ten richest clubs in Europe, but prior to
this season’s Bundesliga they have been fairly quiet in the transfer
market and it’s been a cause of concern for some of their faithful. It
still doesn’t necessarily mean that Bayern will not win another Title,
but the lack of depth in their squad means that they just might struggle
if their injury list gets long. The team though is full of top class
talent and a Champions League spot is the very least that they will
expect.
Schalke 6/1
Last Season: 2nd
Ave Attendance: 61,341
Champions League Price:
33/1
Schalke are a big club, with a
big following and the expectations are high that they will once again
give Bayern a run for their money this season. Their squad is solid,
probably the best they have had for several seasons, and their attack is
full of talent. The key though will be Milan Baros. If they manage to
sign the Czech striker then it could be exactly what Schalke need to
push for the Title. It could be the making of Baros as well, after an
indifferent spell at Anfield, and he’ll strike fear into many a defence.
They will be pushing Bayern all the way as usual.
Werder Bremen 15/2
Last Season: 3rd
Ave
Attendance: 39,853
Champions League Price: 66/1
Bremen have been very active in
the transfer market this summer and all the signs are that this could be
a big season for the club. Their Achilles heel could be the defence as
they have lost their most influencial player, Ismael, and the
replacements seem a little lack-lustre. Their midfield and attack have
always been very good though. The strike force doesn’t have any huge
names in there, but they work hard for each other and talented players
like Zidan could come into their own this season. Shrewd judges say that
Werder Bremen will be strong title contenders this season, but the one
question mark remains as to whether their coach, Schaaf can get the team
to gel quickly enough. If he does then the 15/2 on offer is very
tempting
Hertha Berlin 10/1
Last Season: 4th
Ave. Attendance: 48,486
Hertha Berlin are a interesting proposition. They have
one of the best midfields in the league, and one of the best players in
Marcelinho, and if he stays out of trouble, Hertha could contend. They
do have a few worries though. The club are under enormous financial
strain so they won’t be able to make big signings to give them that
extra push if they need it mid season. The other worry is that the squad
simply lacks the depth of other squads in the Bundesliga, and if
injuries plague them, they could be in big trouble.
Borussia Dortmund 14/1
Last Season: 7th
Ave. Attendance: 77,294
A massive club, who have suffered
from financial troubles in recent years, you get the feeling that if
they can see some stability then they will be up there. They are the
best supported club in the Bundesliga, averaging a staggering 77
thousand. It is only a matter of time before they turn things around,
but it might be too soon this season.
Bayer Leverkusen 14/1
Last Season: 6th
Ave. Attendance: 22,471
Leverkusen aren’t the team they were a few years back,
primarily because they haven’t had the money to spend. But they still
remain a decent outfit when they put out their strongest side. Injuries,
or lack of, will be the key for them. They are well capable of getting
in the top three, but everything will have to go their way. If their
strikeforce of Berbatov and Voronin click again and start bagging goals,
then you could get a real run for your money.
VfB Stuttgart 16/1
Last Season: 5th
Ave. Attendance: 41,367
The problem Stuttgart has this
season is that they have lost several key players, notably Lahm in
defence and Hleb in midfield. Their loss will affect Stuttgart and as
yet they haven’t got anywhere near replacing them. They will probably
delve into the transfer market soon and they still have enough quality
players to mould a side capable of at least a UEFA Cup spot. But at this
point in time the jury is out as to whether they can maintain a serious
challenge. They are capable of getting in the top three, they’ll just
need to get the right people in.
Bet with
StanJames
^top
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See here for a review of the European 2004/5 season
