Neil

Bale has been excellent since coming on.

It is. Already put some on because it's guaranteed to shorten before then. Same with the Arsenal bets for Monday.

Given Mourinho's admission of wanting to rotate his squad (as well as injuries picked up) on Sunday, Liverpool -1 @ 11/5 looks appealing. (Stanjames)

It's a total sham, as we all knew. Viva la corrupcion.

"It’s very difficult to play a football match where only one team wants to play, very difficult. A match is about two teams playing. This match was only one team playing and another team not." - Jose Mourinho, Jan 2014, after drawing 0-0 with West Ham.

Seriously David, you make a lot of money on a great anti-Bayern bet recently as it was actually well thought out, then spunk money on such ridiculous pro-Jose bets just because you love Mourinho. Fuck me, man.

Can't see much value in the main markets, so only one bet for me, and a speculative one at that. Costa to score from outside the area @ 20/1

Cech; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry, Cole; Luiz, Mikel; Ramires, Lampard, Willian; Torres. Courtois, Godín, Filipe Luís, Juanfran, Miranda, Mario Suárez, Koke, Raúl García, Gabi, Diego, Costa

Where did you find that out? Was after a website for similar stats. Cheers for the info though, does add some context to it - albeit I still think 20/1 is too long and worth a couple of quid.

Err, is this a misprint? http://www.betvictor.com/sports/en/football/coupons/100/130873010/486252500/0/0/PE/0/0/0/0/0 Diego Costa to score a header - 20/1.

He's 13/8 Betvictor regardless.

He says in a thread about betting. Soz, know what you mean. Couldn't help but think in Ian W terms - some teams will win, some teams will lose, results will change over time quite unpredictably.

Not keen at all on Atletico at odds on, 17/20 is too short. 13/8 Costa anytime is probably a fair price as opposed to being particularly great value. In a game that is very likely to be tight and short on goals, I'd say that's right on the money. Struggling to see too much value but will keep looking. Would be great if against all logic this is a 4-3 or something. Paddy Power - money back on usual markets if it ends a draw.

Moyes in.

Is that right? So what were his successful achievements as the Everton manager? Ah howay man, wait for Ronaldo to log on again. Everton went about 5 transfer windows without spending any money whatsoever and he still had them top-6. And he actually appeared to have some involvement in signing the players and developing them. Players like Cahill, Arteta, Piennar, Baines, Fellaini etc. It's incredible how much people have forgotten in less than 12 months, aye Moyes didn't seem the natural choice for Man Utd at the time but most felt he was deserving of a shot at it, due to the excellent job he'd done at Everton. The only reason I wouldn't necessarily want Moyes here is Hatem Ben Arfa, and Neil's accounts on how Moyes isn't the biggest fan of flair. But since that ship has most likely sailed already, why the hell not. One thing I do know is I certainly don't think he would be ostracised to the extent he is now, nowhere near. Makes absolutely no sense and it isn't to anyone's benefit.

This season, if nothing else, highlights what an incredible manager Fergie was. He consistently got average players playing well above themselves and there's probably no greater quality in a manager than that.

Jesus. Then who the next day? Doubt it'll be an improvement on Jesus. Unless.....

That statement in relation to Moyes couldn't be more wrong. He has a naturally cautious outlook, that's true. What you've glossed over (or probably haven't even considered) is the fact he developed our football year on year and got us playing consistently good stuff, even if it wasn't always thrilling. That statement in bold, man. Absolute corker. To describe him as an infinite improvement on Pardew isn't doing the situation justice. His Manu team have been shit for the most part but the way people are going on they were playing Pulis Stoke / West Ham fato style football. From what I have seen the style they have played this season hasn't been that different to Fergie's, it just didn't get anywhere near the standard we know and expect. Some people appear to be expecting them to be some cavalier you score 4 we score 5 team after an absolutely awful summer of recruitment and a squad of players who are mostly past it/past caring or very average. It's the mentality. I don't think Ferguson was bothered about beautiful football as such, what he was bothered about was his team being on the front foot and getting at the opponents, regardless of who they were. This is where Moyes falls down.

Absolutely incredible. Judging Moyes on one season makes you no better than the arseholes who bring up Pardew finishing 5th. Not many people are judging Moyes on one season, he was at Everton a long time. They played pretty dogged football for most of that time, although to be fair, they looked good last season. His failure at Man U though has shown his limitations. Football has moved on, and so have Everton. That's what we need to do as well. We played pretty dogged football at the start of his tenure because of the incredible amount of shite we had on our books. He took a team which regularly included Big Dunc, Marcus Bent, Carsley, Kilbane, Pistone, Weir and Stubbs (to name just a few) to 4th. Did we play pretty football? Occasionally, not regularly. And it was exactly the right thing to do given we didn't have a pot to piss in and were stuck with generally poor players. He then recognised that if we were to progress - or even maintain our standards in the face of several teams with infinitely superior spending power - we need to buy better footballers but smartly, with Pienaar and Arteta being the 2 prime examples. This pattern continued as the years went by, albeit we were again limited due to a distinct lack of funds. It's not just last season we started playing better, we've been improving aesthetically for the past 6 or 7 years. His problem, as was the case throughout his time here, was his mentality. His actual acquisitions improved in terms of footballing quality and we more regularly played better football, but in the crunch moments he was let down by a lack of bottle and having to settle for 1 point when we should have got 3. This is what Martinez has changed. I think Moyes would be a good appointment for you, if that does transpire. He's obviously a million times better than Pardew and I'm pretty confident he'd get you challenging for the European positions. While I wouldn't expect people to be lining the streets in celebration upon his hypothetical appointment, the question you have to ask yourself is who better would you realistically get in this summer? Your assertion that football has moved on is a bit OTT but I can see what you're getting at; but that's all well and good in an idealist world. I think Moyes would represent a very good move, if he were interested.

That statement in relation to Moyes couldn't be more wrong. He has a naturally cautious outlook, that's true. What you've glossed over (or probably haven't even considered) is the fact he developed our football year on year and got us playing consistently good stuff, even if it wasn't always thrilling. That statement in bold, man. Absolute corker. To describe him as an infinite improvement on Pardew isn't doing the situation justice.

West Brom have been absolutely terrible this 2nd half. No fight whatsoever, made it ridiculously comfortable for Man City.

What a fucking goal.

Mate, it was a 5/1 shot and seems you got a decent amount of value from. Odds shouldn't have been so long so keep exploiting that value and long-term you're going to win. Plus IIRC weren't Stabaek pretty fortunate a couple of weeks ago when they won away?

1-1 Braintree.

So you all seem pretty insistent you'll get arseholed at Arsenal. Arsenalholed hahahahaha. Anyway, in which case, does Arsenal -1 @ 20/21 (Boylesports) Arsenal HT/FT @ 10/11 (Boylesports and PP) Arsenal to win to nil @ 13/10 (Boylesports and PP) Arsenal over 2.5 team goals @ 6/4 (Stanjames) tempt anyone?