With just a few days to go until Boro's first match in the Championship, Paddy Power have generously created a range of markets looking at how Boro's season is likely to unfold.
Wasting no time with pleasantries, the Irish firm want to know when we think Boro will lose their first league match...
If you think we are going to lose the first match against Sheffield United on Friday, its 13/5, the Swansea match is 21/10, Scunthorpe 6/1, Doncaster 16/1, Bristol City 5/1 and Ipswich 12/1.
Those who think Boro can hang on until the 7th league game or after can get odds of 10/3.
After a pre-season campaign which started well but tailed off towards the end (who says Boro aren't consistent?!) We need to establish ourselves as a force in this new league.
I would like to think we will win our first game on the road and Paddy Power are giving odds of 11/8 to beat Swansea or 8/1 to beat Sheff Wed the week after.
But if you are not convinced you can go for the 7th league game or after at 12/1.
If relegation from the Premier League wasn't enough for Gibson to lose faith in Southgate I'm not sure what would be, so rightly or wrongly I think it is a pretty safe bet that Gareth Southgate will remain Boro's manager for the foreseeable future.
Paddy Power have the Gate at 8/11 to keep his job and evens to be one of the great unemployed by May.
There is also David Wheater to be in England's World Cup 2010 Squad at 13/2.
After a severe dose of second season sydrome last campaign, and an injury requiring an operation this summer Wheater will want to prove his worth to his beloved Boro and attempt to get back into the England fold with commanding performances at club level.
On the other hand, he has still yet to earn a senior cap and it will be harder for him to catch Capello's eye against the likes of Plymouth!
Plus, of course, he is far from the only English centre back available for selection.
A slightly more palatable market is Boro to have a better away record than their home record at 5/1. The Riverside Stadium has never been a fortress and away wins would fall in line with Boro's tendency to do things the hard way.
In the early part of last season Boro's pacy players relished counter-attack and were better at it away from home. However we only managed two wins and two draws away from home last season.
You can also get 20/1 for Boro to score the least goals in the league. This is not unreasonable given our penchant for strikers who can't score and midfielders who won't, but equally we have dropped down a division and brought in a proven goalscorer at this level in Leroy Lita. Adam Johnson, Jeremie Aliadiere, Marvin Emnes, Jonathan Franks, Gary O'Neil, Josh Walker, Didier Digard, Arca and if Alves doesn't start scoring soon he may have to go into hiding.
Add to that the fact that Rhys Williams managed four in four in pre-season despite, or perhaps because of, being played out of position.
The Paddy Power have Boro as evens to finish above Newcastle.
Now, let's look at this sensibly. At the time of writing Newcastle have no permanent manager, no chairman, are 'looking for a buyer' and have lost all three of their strikers. Mark Viduka is a free agent, Martins has joined German Champions Wolfsburg and Owen has of course accepted the lifebelt thrown to him by Man United. But there's always Smith...
Oh yes and Stephen Taylor has told his team mates not to come back unless they are fully committed - that will leave them with ooo about three footballers and Joey Barton.
I realise that Boro have 'lost' Mido - although 'thrown out' would probably be more accurate, and that Tuncay will be gone before a ball is kicked this season but at least we have a United front in Gibson and Southgate and haven't been hammered 6-1 by a lower league team in pre-season, on the contrary, we remain unbeaten.
But if you think the Toon Army are going to march to success behind their fearless leader (assuming they can find and/or hold on to one) then its 8/11 for Newcastle to finish ahead of Boro.
If you are feeling really confident there's also the option of backing Boro to remain unbeaten against the Magpies in the league at 11/8.
On the other hand if you are in the eternally pessimistic Boro camp and therefore think we are doomed to keep falling, you can take the 33/1 odds of us being relegated.
Boro's odds of keeping more than 14.5 clean sheets in the League are 5/6. Then again Boro's odds of keeping less than 14.5 clean sheets are also 5/6.
Last season we (that'll be Brad with a smidgen of help from Ross Turnbull then) managed a rather dismal seven clean sheets, four of them in or almost in a row. But this is the Championship and we have alleged clean sheet specialist Danny Coyne, and goalkeeping starlet Jason Steele to keep Brad right...
For all you sunny side up types there are a host of 'happy' markets such as Boro at 4/5 to concede less than 20 league goals at home - not bad when you consider the strength and depth of our defence (when fit) Odds of 7/1 to reach the FA Cup Quarter Finals and 30/1 to make it to the Carling Cup final.
If you think Boro can add to our silverware with a newer Carling Cup then its 80/1 while automatic promotion by finishing in the top two is 3/1.
You can also go for Boro finishing in the top six at 8/13.
Open an account at Paddy Power and you will match your first bet with a bonus of up to £25. Click here to open an account.
First published on www.ComeOnBoro.com on 5/8/2009
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