Premier League Football Betting
Preview 2011/12
2011/12 Premier League
Betting Preview from Paddy Power Bookmakers.
Posted by Nick.
2011/12
Premier League Preview
It only seems like five
minutes since Manchester United lifted the Premier League
trophy and we said goodbye to Blackpool, West Ham and
Birmingham City. However, the new season is around the
corner and promises to be another ten months of drama,
excitement and intrigue.
The
contenders
Manchester United equalled
Liverpool’s record of 19 league title wins last
season despite never really hitting the heights of
previous seasons.
However, after investing
over £50 million this summer in three players with an
average age of just 22, the Red Devils have been
installed as the 9/5 favourites.
David de Gea, Ashley Young
and Phil Jones bring both promise and talent to United
and with the likes of Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck and
the experienced Michael Owen set to be given a chance
this season, Sir Alex Ferguson has assembled his
strongest squad in years.
Chelsea remain the most
likely challengers to United and are available at 13/5.
Their biggest signing this summer has been the eye
watering £13 million paid to Porto for young manager
Andre Villas-Boas although they remain in the hunt for
some marquee signings. With an ageing team – Drogba,
Terry, Anelka and Lampard are all the wrong side of 30
– it could be a tricky season for the Blues.
The team most likely to
overcome the United/Chelsea dominance looks to be
Manchester City.
City finished just nine
points adrift of neighbours United last season and had
the meanest defence in the division.
If Roberto Mancini can
shake off his ultra cautious approach to some matches,
City certainly have the personnel capable of challenging
for the title.
The 4/1 (each way 1/3 odds
places 1,2) looks great value.
Can Spurs or Arsenal break
into the top two, or is 5th now their target?
Arsenal fell at the final
hurdle last year and it’s now over six years since
Arsene Wenger’s side last won any silverware.
The signing of Gervinho has
hardly set the pulses racing and the Gunners still look
shaky defensively with a largely untried goalkeeper and
some less than world class centre backs.
Liverpool could well finish
ahead of Arsenal this year after splashing out over £100
million since the start of 2011.
A fit Andy Carroll and Luis
Suarez will provide goals whilst the creativity of
Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam will give Kenny Dalglish
plenty of midfield options.
With no senior left back
and age catching up with Jamie Carragher it could be
their defence that lets them down, but they should
clearly improve on their 2010 showing.
Spurs should complete the
top six although I think their chances of securing
Champions League qualification look slim.
Brad Friedel is a good
signing at the back but without any other major signings
I think they’ll struggle even to replicate their
performance last season.
The
challengers
A couple of sides to watch
out for in the ‘top ten finish’ market are
Stoke City and Sunderland.
With a lack of great
quality outside the top six, it should be a promising
season for the two red and white sides.
Sunderland have been the
most active club in the transfer market this summer,
signing no fewer than nine players.
With proven Premier League
quality arriving in the form of Craig Gardner, John
O’Shea, Sebastian Larsson and Wes Brown and the
exciting signing of Connor Wickham, I expect Steve
Bruce’s side to do well this season.
The 5/6 on a top ten finish
should be snapped up.
Stoke City were a point off
finishing in the top ten last season and once again I
expect Tony Pulis’ side to finish in a comfortable
mid-table position.
The 17/10 on a top ten
finish looks superb value.
Set for the
drop?
Unsurprisingly, the three
promoted teams - Norwich City, Swansea City and QPR
– are the favourites for the drop.
However, it’s worth
remembering that of the last thirty relegations from the
Premier League over the last ten seasons, only 13 have
been of sides promoted the previous campaign.
Promoted sides have
therefore stayed up more often than they have been
relegated over the last decade.
QPR are seen as the most
likely to retain their Premier League status this season,
but with a great home support and excellent young
managers, I wouldn’t be surprised if both Norwich
City and Swansea City avoided the drop this time.
There’s often a
previously mid-table side that are dragged into an
unlikely relegation battle and I think that this
season’s likely strugglers are Blackburn Rovers and
Aston Villa.
Blackburn finished four
points off the drop last season, but much of that was due
to Sam Allardyce’s excellent start.
Steve Kean’s side
struggled, and with little money to invest and the loss
of several players, the 7/2 on Rovers’ relegation
could appear very long by Christmas.
Aston Villa have played in
the top flight every season since the Premier League was
founded but appear to be a team going backwards at a rate
of knots.
Their three best players
have left the club and their manager got their most hated
rivals relegated last time out.
The signing of Shay Given
is a positive one, but I genuinely think that Villa will
struggle this campaign.
It would be a major
surprise if they went down, but we’ve said that
about Manchester City, Newcastle, Leeds and Southampton
over recent seasons.
The 20/1 available is worth
a small investment.
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