Reuters Insider - Sports Spread: Man Utd can't lose four in a row...can they?

Sir Shadi Lal Enterprises

09/01/2014 18:42

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 Source:             Thomson Reuters                                   
                                                                       
 Description:        Manchester United have lost three times in a week 
                     for the first time since 1992. Find out the odds  
                     on that becoming four in a row, plus a look at the 
                     other big weekend Premier League games.           
 
 
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Transcript (May be auto-generated)

 Well you have to go back to 1996 for the last time three successive losses put 
Manchester United in such a perilous position. That season though also saw them 
go on a 14-match unbeaten run to seal the title. Is such a silver lining 
possible for much maligned new manager David Moyes? With me for this week's 
Sports Spread is betting expert Nigel Seeley. Nigel, thanks for joining us this 
week. United in 1996 won the title. Any chance they can do that this season? 
What's the problem there with the club, do you think? Well there's absolutely no
chance they can do that. I mean, there's a lot of teams that are around a lot 
better than Manchester United. I think the problem is that they're an aging 
squad. 

I think Sir Alex Ferguson walked out the right time. And I think they've got the
wrong man. I've said from day one we've been on this show since the start of the
season, I always thought he's the wrong man in the job. He's never had Champions
League football. He's never dealt with the egos of the players they have there. 
And I think it's a very tough act to follow from somebody like Alex Ferguson. I 
mean you go on about Manchester United, they have had this run before, but 
they've never been champions of England before. Other managers have come in when
they were languishing at the foot of the table with no- sort of away for a long 
time. So I think they're actually a team that are actually punching above their 
weight. I think they're a lot worse than what they are. I think they're seventh 
in the table but I think they're a mid table side at best. And I think just 
because they're Manchester United, I think some of the players won't get 
anywhere near the first four to win the Premier League's first eleven at the 
moment at all. We're looking at some of the stats, Moyes has got a better record
than the likes of Matt Busby and Ron Atkinson when he's been in charge for the 
first 32 games. Do you think they should give him more time? Well they will give
him more time because they haven't even spent any money yet. Once they spend 
money and once he's bought his own players in and if he's got the similar 
results he has now, he's a goner. The trouble is then a point I made just 
previous there, they weren't champions of England then, so the expectation 
wasn't so high. When Ron Atkinson took over they hadn't won a league title for 
20-odd years. So Matt Busby coming, Tom Docherty coming when they were the 
league division two side, only one tie, a championship tie. I think he's 
rightfully getting criticism because this is the same squad that won this league
by 12 points last season. Something has definitely gone wrong and I do think 
that the playing does lobby the manager, because I've had friends of mine who've
known David Moyes who've worked with him at Everton. He said he's one of the 
worst Man managers in the world. They were with Wayne Rooney at a young age and 
he's come in to address some of the biggest egos and some off the biggest 
players and they're not performing for him. And when you look around and he's 
struggling and they see him and his right hand. And I think the biggest 
disappointment, the biggest problem for me he made was he never kept somebody 
who worked with Sir Alex Ferguson before. He never kept them any of them at the 
side, he never kept any of those veterans. He brought his own people in and I 
think that's going to be his downfall. Well let's look ahead to the game of the 
weekend. They play Swansea. 

Again, Swansea beat them last week in the FA Cup at Old Trafford. Same fixture 
again this week. Will it be the same result or something different? Let's take a
look at the odds. The thing is you got to look at back here is that when they 
played in the FA Cup last week, you got to back Swansea at 7/1. The only caption
there is 11/2. Some bookmakers still have 7/1 Swansea. Now this isn't just a 
freak result. They've already been beaten four times already at home this 
season. So, and Swansea have nothing to fear. I mean it's all about team news. 
This is the crucial thing about football betting, it's the crucial thing about 
Manchester United. If Wayne Rooney plays or Robin van Persie plays, they've got 
a chance. If those two don't feature, I don't think they could win. If you look 
at Hernandez though and how he's performed, he's not good enough for me. 
Hernandez is an impact player. And I think Swansea got absolutely no fear 
whatsoever. So I wouldn't be rushing about Manchester United at 1/2. How come 
they will still be 1/2? I don't think there's much between these two teams, but 
they do have Rooney and they do have van Persie. If those two play, Man United 
will win. If they don't play, then Swansea will win, simple as that because they
are Manchester United football cup at the moment, Wayne Rooney and Robin van 
Persie. Well things, they're looking a bit better on the blue side of 
Manchester, aren't they? City, they bought a really strong squad over the 
summer, perhaps what United didn't do. Because if they're good enough to compete
with the best in Europe, let alone the Premier League, are they rightly 
favorites do you think now for the Premier League? There's no doubt about it. 
Their squad is absolutely exceptional. 

The problem is their away form, it's been their big sort of Achilles heel. But 
they put that right now. They won their last three away games. So yes, I think 
they are the early favorites. They are the only team in the Premier League that 
could go on a 10-match winning run I believe if they really gel, then they could
end up winning this league by 10-15 points if it all goes for them. They've 
shored up. They're leaky a little bit on the back. They've got goals with them 
every time they play. And I think they've solved their goalkeeping crisis. Joe 
Hart is now establishing himself back at number one. I think they're the worthy 
favorites. 

But I just think that if they're involved in this Champions League, I think that
might take precedence over the league form. So in a funny way, if they go out 
there, Champions League, I can see them winning the Premier League by 10 points.
If they're still in it and they knocked Barcelona out and they're into the last 
eight and they're in the semifinal and final, I still think that might suffer 
their league form. Let's take a look at the game at the weekend. They play 
Newcastle. Newcastle, one of the form teams at the start of the season. They 
dropped away a little bit more recently. How do you see this one going? Well I 
mean last time they played- whenever they play these two sides there's always 
goals. That's the first thing to look at. So it's all about the goal markets for
me. I think Manchester City are 8/13 to win this game. They're odds-on aways, so
you really wouldn't want to back odds on aways on the Premier League. I don't 
backing odds on aways especially Manchester City odds on aways. They have shored
up. They have won their last three games but they've conceded in every one of 
those games. I think the marquee may be over 2.5 goals. I can see both teams 
scoring. In Remy they've got Newcastle, got a forward. Man City always throw in 
a goal on away from home. The trouble is they just can score three or four 
whenever they want. So first goalscorer Negredo fresh from the back of a hat 
trick, Toure will he play, won't he play is the big question there. And there's 
rumors that Aguero might feature coming off the bench. So I think Negredo is the
worthy favorite. I do think the best bet for me though is over 2.5 goals. If I 
was looking for a small wager, I'd probably back 3/1 to Manchester City. I think
there could be a decent bet. But 8/13 Manchester, they should