Premiership Title Race - Liverpool Fall at First Hurdle
At the start of the 2006/2007 Premiership season many pundits predicted that the Premiership title race would be between four teams: Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. Now the league is at the quarter mark has one of the contenders already fallen at the first hurdle? During the summer Liverpool assembled one of their strongest squads in a long time. They purchased Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt (from Feyenoord) and Craig Bellamy (from Blackburn) to complement Peter Crouch and Robbie Fowler. In midfield Mark Gonzalez returned back from loan to compete with Harry kewell on the left wing and Jermaine Pennant arrived from Liverpool to add more competition on the flanks. Benitez also strengthened his defence with the capture of Gabriel Paletta and Fábio Aurélio. On paper Liverpool have a very strong squad which can compete with the likes of Chelsea, Mancheter United and Arsenal for the Premiership title. Things have not gone according to plan for Liverpool and they now find themselves 11 points off the pace. So what has gone wrong with Rafa's Liverpool so earliy in the season? You can not blame injuries or lack of strength-in-depth for Liverpool's faltering as mentioned above they have only strengthened their squad this summer and have no major injury concerns. There are two main factors which have contributed to Liverpool falling at the first hurdle of the Premiership race. In my opinion these two factors are Liverpool's poor form away from Anfield and Rafa's constent need to rotate his squad. Liverpool's recent form at Anfield has reminded many pundits that the stadium used to be a fortress. That is evident this season as Liverpool remain unbeaten at home with wins over West Ham (2-1), Newcastle (2-0) and Spurs (3-0) and one draw against Blackburn (1-1). Why can Liverpool not transfer this form away from Anfield? Liverpool have one of the worst away records this season as they have only picked up one point and that was during a 1-1 draw on the opening day against Sheff Utd. That result has been followed with convincing defeats at the hands of Everton (3-0), Chelsea (1-0), Bolton (2-0) and Man Utd (2-0). The statistics away from home look very worrying for manager Rafa Benitez as they have only managed to score one goal and that was on the opening day against newly promoted Sheff Utd. Some of the same problems from last season seem to exist despite Rafa assembling an expensive squad. Pundits last season suggested Liverpool did not challenge as much as they should have done as they did not have an out-and-out goal scorer. Que the arrival of Dirk Kuyt who has scored 71 goals in his last three Eredivise seasons, making him one of Europe's most prolific strikers. Kuyt will struggle to continue his amazing scoring record due to Liverpools second factor - Rafa's rotation system. Any player at any football level needs a good run in the team to produce his best form and become consistent. It is a well know fact that a settled starting XI is more productive then one which is changing each week. You only need to look at the success over the past decade of Manchester United to see this and now Chelsea are applying the same logic. So why does Rafa Benitez decide to change his starting XI each week? Is it due to the fact he wants to keep his squad happy or does he want to keep his player fresh by giving them a break? I think those two questions only play a minor part in the answer. In my opinion the real answer is that Rafa does not know his strongest starting XI. If you ask any Liverpool fan or neutral for that matter they would be able to rattle off similar starting XI's. Rafa Benitez needs a settled starting XI that plays with each other week in week out. That way he will be able to get the best out of his players as they will start to develop an undestading of each other. That is the only way you will see Dirk Kuyt hit 20 plus goals a season and see Liverpool's form away from Anfield pick-up. Is it two late for Rafa to address these two factors though? Liverpool are already a 11 points behind Chelsea and Manchester United and seem to have a massive hurdle to climb. I can see Liverpool picking up slightly but unless Rafa's addresses his squad rotation system and Liverpool's away form then they will not be entering the title race. In my opinion Arsenal should win their game in hand leaving them only two points behind Manchester United and Chelsea. That means it will only be a three horse race this season as Liverpool seem to have fallen at the first hurlde at the quarter mark. Only a brave Liverpool fan or gambler would be willing to take the odds of 100/1 for Liverpool to claim their first title since 1990.
Other Betting System Articles
How To Play Online Slot Machines Slot machines are the absolute most popular games played in casinos today. They are so fun and exciting; it is no wonder that they account for over two-thirds of all the casinos profit every year. People like the solitude of playing on their own and slot machines are not difficult to use. Nearly everyone can operate a slot machine and they do no ...The Best Tip on Playing Texas Hold em Online Are you ready to start winning more online Texas hold em tournaments? Do you get sick of losing when you know you should be winning? Do you want the best tip on playing Texas Hold em online?I have been playing Texas hold em online for years and I am very successful in the tournaments I enter. Enough about me, though, you care about y ...Check the Details: Betting Online When searching for an online gambling site do not overlook the obvious. The best place to find information on a site that you are considering is on the actual site itself. A lot of people overlook this and try to venture out to other sites to find reviews. This is fine, but you definitely want to check with the actual site that you are consideri ...Play Craps Online – Fast, Easy, Fun & Great Odds Playing craps online is fast moving fun and exciting game, with surprisingly good odds for a game of chance and the house edge is far less than in roulette for example.Many novice players are put off playing craps online, as it appears to be complicated the reality however is craps is actually an easy game play.So let’s look at how ...Unusual Types of Sports Betting You probably know that you can go online to participate in betting on sports like baseball, basketball and football. Almost all sports betting websites offer opportunities to wager on the outcome of these major types of games. However, if major sports aren't your favorite--or if you're interested in expanding your betting activities--you may wan ...How to Enjoy a Vacation at the Casino Everyone needs some time away to rest and recuperate. People do this to get away from a demanding job or for the person to be able to spend some time with the family. There are a lot of places to go to do this such as the beach and the wilderness. Another good place worth going to is the casino.The best and known gambling place in the wor ...Oklahoma Casinos The state of Oklahoma is widely known for the outdoor recreation and recreational activities it can offer residents and visitors. The state boasts beautiful lakes, mountains and camping areas as well as first-class museums and cultural events. Oklahoma is rich with culture, too. With several Native American reservations, the State of Oklahoma is ...Getting the Lay of the Land with Online Poker Games When you are playing your regular Friday night poker game with the guys, you can depend on watching your buddy’s face and catching those “tells” that give hints into what he is holding in his hand. With online poker games however, you don’t have that face-to-face interaction. It takes time, but you can eventually figure out what hands your onlin ...Rhode Island Casinos Rhode Island is a coastal state that is home to two major casinos. Rhode Island casinos are known for their video lottery terminal or VLT's that are very popular with casino guests. The two casinos, Lincoln Park and Newport Grand are both open to gamblers over the age of 18. Rhode Island casinos offer a great get away for vacation or a weekend o ...The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living It’s arrival day. I just flew into Las Vegas from the East Coast. You’ll soon find out that the traveling is exhausting and seemingly never-ending. You often forget what day it is, let alone the month, and on more than one occasion, I’ve forgotten what city I’m in. The first thing you need to do is buy in to the tournament. A typical major ...Mississippi Casinos There are many casinos located in Mississippi, and which differ from place to place. Let us look at some differentiations about these casinos in the state of Mississippi.The casinos near the beach are heavily priced owing to their location. Casinos situated near the beach have many attractions, since many tourists visit beaches for relaxa ...Do You Want to Beat the Slots? Read These Important Facts Every day I get email from "experts" that want to sell me their system describing how I too can beat the slots. Some even suggest that I could easily make $1,000 per day. Well, I would love to make $1,000 per day playing the slots, but they are all scams to sell you worthless information. Sure, you "could" easily make $1,000 per day, but … yo ...The Joys Of Playing Internet Poker I started playing poker on the internet about six months ago and I must say I absolutely love it.I had had no real interest in poker until I watched it at a friends house on satellite TV. The tournament was the World Series of Poker and my friend who was a huge fan of poker was explaining the rules as I was watching.Over the next f ...Football Betting Secrets: Making Money From The Weather Sports Betting on the NFL and college football is a national pastime. Every week millions of dollars are bet on the home town favorites with local bookies. People bet even more money with online sports book agencies. Even the major news services publish all the betting stats. If you're going to bet money on games, you might as well be as informe ...Online Gambling Paves the Way Often times, online gambling is responsible for the interest that is taken up in certain games. Take poker for example. When the craze hit a couple of years back, most people were playing with friends or in actual land based casinos. And then the online gambling world took note of this, and companies started to open up online poker boards. T ...Stay Sane At The Casino You may have been playing at a table where everything appears to be going according to plan. All of a sudden, someone walks up to the table and does something so stupid it messes up the game for everyone.In these situations it is important to keep a cool head and concentrate on your own game. You may be unfortunate enough to play with som ...Sports Betting Affiliates Online betting has become a big industry. Everyday people log on to place wagers on the outcome of upcoming sports tournaments like baseball, basketball, football, soccer or horseracing. Online gaming has become one of the Internet's fastest growing business areas with a very high rate of profitability. Sports betting affiliate programs are gro ...Tips On Gambling On Greyhounds Do you like to gamble on the greyhounds? Do you enjoy a night out at the dogs but are not really sure how to read the form? Are you looking for some advice about how to bet on the greyhounds? In this article I give advice on how I go about successfully betting at the greyhounds and about what some of the form quotes mean.I have been enjoy ...A Preview of July's UK Horse Racing The quirks of the racing calendar have nudged Newcastle’s Northumberland Plate into the first day of July and there cannot be a better way to begin the month’s racing. Few staying handicaps are as fiercely contested as the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’ and this year’s race is no exception to that familiar rule.Anyone thinking of having a bet in this g ...How To Win With Online Sports Betting To win with sports betting online, you have to bet. Take a chance! If you can do this, you are on your way to winning. Study all the teams, bet, and hope the favor falls with you. Sports’ betting online is like anything you do, it is a gamble. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you do not. You have to have faith in whoever you are betting on or go ...Stag Weekend in Budapest - the Thrill of Horse Racing Budapest, with its perfect blend of eastern and western cultures, is the best locale for a stag weekend. Referred to as the “Paris of the East”, this stag weekend venue will provide you with all that you can ask for - beautiful landscapes and undulating hills on one side, and shops, restaurants, markets and exciting nightlife on the other. The P ...States Lottery Basics For those who dream of quitting their jobs and being independently wealthy, the lottery is an affordable way to take some chances and move toward a goal. Lotteries have been a great support to those aspiring to be great through the stroke of luck. The lotteries have been a source of income to the people who believe that the lady luck is on their ...The History of Craps The history of Craps dates back to a dice game called Hazard, which dates back to Bernard de Mandeville in New Orleans in 1813. Hazard is thought to be a descendant of Azzahr, meaning ‘the die’-a game played by Arabs.The game evolved as it traveled from the Arab countries to France and then England. By the early 1700s, formal rules for Ha ...Using Arbitrage Trading to Make Money From Home In today’s world anymore you need to work two jobs. You need a part time job, and a full time job. The problem with this though is that it doesn’t allow you to have much time to do the things we should really be doing in life. Spending time with our kids, taking family vacations, buying a new home or car, and so much more. If you are anything li ...Gambling Stories 101 A win at a gambling table can be fun narrating. The gambling is being popularized by word-of-mouth technique as there are many who have such success stories to share with the aspirants. These can be real fun but one has to actually win for getting started with such a story. Winning is not always easy. But experienced gamers do observe a lot and ...Online Poker Site With all the stress and responsibilities of our lives, sometimes it can be tough to find the time for a little fun and socialization. You may miss the old days when all you and your friends had to do at night was sit around and play poker. With an online poker site, you can have that fun back without neglecting your responsibilities at home. You ...Six Advantages of Online Sports Betting Today millions of people log online to conduct their sports betting. Billions of dollars are wagered each year. There are many benefits to sports betting that can only be found online. The following are six of the top advantages to sbetting online.One of the greatest advantages is convenience. Using the internet, you can place a bet any t ...The Casino Consultant Saves the Day Can you imagine a better job then being a casino consultant? For a person who is caught up in the ever growing fascination with gambling and related gaming then this type of job is as good if not better then being right there in the pit. The dealer deals and the cashier makes change but when you’re in the consulting business you have your hands ...Play Let It Ride Poker and Win! Let it Ride poker is a variant poker game that uses the poker hand ranking, but that is about all from the original game.Since it’s a game of negative expectation, you have to play correctly to trim the house’s odds. This article is all about how to play let it ride poker and win as well as have some fun.The gamePlaying let ...League One Betting Review - 22 January 2006 League One has a new leader in Colchester United who are now favourites at 4/1. The U’s maintained their fine home form at odds of 4/6 but needed two goals from Richard Garcia to cancel out a Michael Husbands penalty for Port Vale.Swansea City were fully expected, at 8/13 to beat Hartlepool United who are facing a realistic threat of rele ...
| 