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London Stadium vs Wembley Stadium

As Spurs prepare to move into their new stadium, which looks set to be even more impressive than the London Stadium and the Emirates Stadium, they have had to play their home games at Wembley, which in itself is known as being a great stadium.

Having moved into their new stadium back in 2016, West Ham have struggled to produce the kind of football the owners were hoping for. However the football betting odds on Paddy Power have changed thanks to the introduction of David Moyes and some fantastic results, including a win over defending champions Chelsea and a draw with Arsenal.

As the two London clubs prepare to face off against each other in the New Year, we compare their two stadiums and the price it is costing fans for all of the basics in our infographic below.

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Premier League Success

Since the Premier League’s inception in 1992, millions of pounds have been spent on players alone in order for clubs to attempt to improve their side and have a shot at winning the title. In the past few season, the introduction of ‘tycoon’ owners and new TV deals mean that multi-million deals are now the norm. Anyone who gets their football betting tips from Betfair will know that the footballing landscape is change quickly.

Nowadays, there is often talk about a team ‘buying the league’ if they spend huge amounts of money. In theory, the team that spends the most money should win the league. In the past few years, the large sums of money every team has got means that it is basically an even playing field in terms of transfers. However, if we look back to the start of the Premier League where money didn’t have a huge impact on the game, we can make a conclusion whether the amount of money spent has an impact on whether a team wins the league.

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Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United - cheap at twice the price?

Selling a player before buying them back at double the initial price once they’ve gotten significantly older is, it must be said, not considered to be a sound business plan. It’s the situation Manchester United will be in should they opt to finance a £150m move for Cristiano Ronaldo this summer. Yet as with the Paul Pogba deal, there’s a little bit more to it than that.

Politicians who talk of the ‘magic money tree’ and it’s lack of, well, existence, are misinformed - at least if they’re talking about Premier League clubs. The amount of riches on offer in England’s top flight are so vast, and seemingly so secure and guaranteed to rise, that clubs can find a way to finance pretty much whatever they want to do. 

The radio phone-ins over the matter are pretty amusing. It’s odd to see taxi drivers and sales assistants furiously phone up TalkSPORT to insist that £150m is far too much, but £130m might seem like a good price. You’ll certainly have to find good ways to make money from home to get near that level of financial acumen. The figures being dealt with are so far out of the bounds of conception, and so downright normal to Premier League clubs today, that the exact price isn’t worth obsessing over. Instead, it’s worth looking at what you’re actually getting for that outlay.

So far, newly-enriched Premier League clubs have decided to use the money by inflating player prices by about 300% - a player that might have cost £8m in 2012 will now set you back the guts of £30m. An £80m warchest would’ve seen a team looking to go up several gears in recent years - today, it’s pretty much par for the course among anybody.

The problem is that football clubs are businesses, and they view their players as assets. And footballers are pretty much the most insecure assets imaginable. They deteriorate and age rapidly. They are susceptible to loss of form or inability to fit into a new club or league. They can get horrific injuries at any time. Unless, of course, they are Cristiano Ronaldo.

That fact is the simple reason why even such an astronomical deal for an ageing player remains good value. Ronaldo is old, but he has if anything improved his game. He has never suffered a single significant injury or trough in form since emerging as a world-class player. He has already shown his brilliance in the Premier League. And he has already played, and succeeded, under the team and manager in question.

The alternative, of course, is that United can spend it elsewhere. But on what? £50m these days, a third of the fee, will get you three big risks, and on probably higher wages. It might not buy you a player who will take the team up a level, or will be feared to such an extent that opposition teams obsess over stopping them and leave gaps elsewhere. It certainly won’t buy you players whose form and fitness can be as good as guaranteed. £150m will, however. It might just be time to crack open the piggy bank.

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Can Tottenham finally become Champions next season?

Tottenham may have run a good campaign, but it’s another nearly season for them. The only positive this time from their failure was that, at long last, they managed to finish above Arsenal. St Totteringham’s day was not forthcoming.

However, in the past, Spurs have bizarrely tended to follow up strong seasons with austerity and/or wastefulness in the transfer market. This year looks like it could be worryingly similar - the title is in striking distance, and yet there have been relatively few big names linked to Mauricio Pochettino’s men, who could be just one or two right signings away from being the strongest team in the country.

Spurs are fourth favourites for the title, with the current Champions Chelsea in third place - click here to see the full list of odds. With some astute signings, however, they could certainly move into even better contention than that.

Of course, keeping the team together itself will be an achievement. That there have been no serious rumours suggesting Manchester United, Manchester City or Chelsea are about to steal away Harry Kane is a sign of their great progress - five or six years ago, he’d surely have been stolen away by their more illustrious rivals. And there’s no doubt that Pochettino’s men play as a unit perhaps more than any of their other challengers. 

But keeping the team together isn’t going to be enough. At a time when the whole league seems to lack star quality in the form of truly talismanic, dangerous players that have dominated the English game in recent years, everybody else is making major moves. 

The good news is that if that does still exist in England, it probably exists at Tottenham Hotspur, and their deadly Kane-Alli central attacking duo. Yet United will be hoping it comes to Old Trafford with the settling of Paul Pogba as well as the potential arrival of more attacking reinforcements. City are making similarly exciting moves. And then, of course, there’s a way needed to stop the blue wall of death that is Chelsea.

Spurs’ team is strong enough to challenge next year regardless of whether reinforcements are forthcoming or not. But the lack of spending in this window might not be sensible - it could lead to a seriously missed opportunity. Outspent by their rivals before and likely to be again, Spurs have relied on poor buys from their rivals. They can’t rely on it forever.

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Has Jose Mourinho been a failure at Manchester United?

Jose Mourinho’s appointment at Manchester United seemed to be long overdue. The obvious choice to replace Sir Alex Ferguson, the Portuguese manager was nonetheless overlooked in favour of the disastrous David Moyes. Louis Van Gaal promised much, but delivered little. And finally, the saviour arrived.

Backing in the transfer market followed, too. Paul Pogba was signed for a record fee, and in came Eric Bailly and Henrik Mkhitaryan to further strengthen the side. Yet despite those additions, United have been a huge disappointment under Mourinho - inconsistent throughout the season and followed up with a late collapse, leaving them needing to win the Europa League to qualify for next season’s Champions League. The odds on that might be good - as you can find on w88 - but it’s far from ideal for a team of United’s stature.

The misuse of Pogba has been a factor, and although the Frenchman hasn’t been as bad as many have claimed, he’s not lived up to his transfer fee either. The team have struggled for goals, and the lack of a settled defence has cost them at the other end.

Mourinho might be able to point to a relatively weak squad, but he’s spent a lot of money, and the point of his coaching style is to be able to get the best out of players rather than simply buy the league. It seems likely that Mourinho will have to commit to a complete rebuild of the squad to achieve his goals.

But is it worth it? Is Mourinho past it? The success of United’s transfer dealings was, surprisingly considering the results were so poor, a major benefit to the season. Pogba will surely improve, Bailly has looked excellent and Mkhitaryan has shown glimpses of excellence.

United will need more, however. Antoin Griezmann is likely to move to Old Trafford in the summer, but a new defence is more desperately needed - leaving United with serious work to do.

There’s no doubt that Mourinho has performed poorly in his first season. But if united want to build the strongest team available to them, then he can certainly be ready to get the best from them.

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5 Footballers Who Took Horse Racing More Seriously Than Their Careers

It’s not unheard of for football players to dip into a completely different sport when they retire from the game they love. Some retired footballers choose to play golf in their spare time whereas others much prefer to buy a racing horse to become competitive. Even past managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson own race horses and he did part own Rock of Gibraltar who ended up being the horse of the year way back in 2002. Many footballers have a soft spot for horse racing, but there are only a few that own competitive horses and spend most of their time at horse racing events around the world.

Michael Owen

One of the most popular English football players to dip into the horse racing industry is Michael Owen. Michael likely quit football not only because he was injury prone, but also because he wanted to spend more time at the races watching his horses in action. He was a good striker in his heyday and he isn’t bad at buying horses to win big racing events either. He has had a love for horse racing for years and when he was injured it was often reported that he would rather spend his time at the races than watching one of the many teams he played for in action.

Thomas Muller

The German international hasn’t retired from the game just yet but he has always been very open when it comes to his love for horses. His wife is a professional show jumper and even though most of the horses he owns compete in show jumping competitions, he still has horses that race for him. Thomas Muller even owns his own training yard for horses which just goes to show how much he is willing to invest in his horse racing hobby.

Sergio Ramos

Another player that still hasn’t retired from the game is Spanish international Sergio Ramos. Sergio currently plays for Real Madrid and is still very much at the top of his game, but that doesn’t stop him from going to the races to watch some of the horses he owns in action. Sergio even owns his own stud farm so he can breed horses to sell or enter races later in their careers.

Diego Maradona

The Argentinian isn’t the most well-liked man in England for good reason, but that still doesn’t stop him from going to racing events in the UK whenever time permits. Diego part-owned several horses in the 1990s when he was playing for his boyhood club Boca Juniors, and to this day still owns competitive horses in his home country.

Claudio Pizarro

Claudio Pizarro owns more than 50 race horses in Argentina and his home country in Peru. He is a Werder Bremen footballer that has a huge love for horses both on and off the track. If you are an avid football fan you will also know who the fiery Joey Barton is, and sources suggest that both he and Claudio part-owned a horse named Crying Lightning. It’s not certain how the relationship between the pair was formed but it’s a relationship that has worked dividends for their horse racing partnership.

Claudio Pizarro has said that he also bets on horse racing events but only with small stakes. If you fancy a bet on the horse racing there is no better event to do it on than the 2017 Opening Day of the Grand National betting at William Hill. The Grand National offers entertainment for both lovers of horse racing and the people who just like a flutter, and this event promises to throw up a few surprises.

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Manchester United need a spine in more ways than one

José Mourinho must be tearing his hair out. Manchester United, upon his arrival, possessed the sort of squad which can hold clubs back for years. Highly-paid past-it players, a complete lack of commanding defenders, the whole place stuffed with mediocrity and all of the promising youngsters but one too young for inclusion. And then, of course, there was Wayne Rooney, a unique problem which nobody has been able to solve ever since David Moyes neglected to finish Alex Ferguson's artful parting set-up.

So, United need a rebuild. To those who've been able to get Manchester United tickets this season, that much is clear, and José Mourinho wisely began with the core of his team. He already had a world-class goalkeeper. To this he added a physically dominant, composed centre-back. Then he added one of the greatest midfielders in the world, young and with limitless potential, and one of the greatest strikers in the world, a staunchly reliable veteran. It was the perfect move.

Of course, United's Gang of Four weren't enough to carry the team, and it showed. But over time, Mourinho worked on his less able players. He figured out - after many disastrous experiments - how to use Marouane Fellaini. He turned Ander Herrera into a stellar defensive midfielder. He made Antonio Valencia look solid, managed to get Phil Jones working again, used Michael Carrick wisely and belatedly decided to play Henrik Mkhitaryan. At the same time, he identified those who weren't good enough, freezing out Bastian Schweinsteiger, dropping Morgan Schneiderlin, and reducing Wayne Rooney's pitch time. 

And it got results. United embarked on an excellent run - the problem was, so did everybody else. And then came a game against Liverpool, where some old frailties emerged. Michael Carrick had been missing, and United couldn't get into the swing of things. Mourinho responded with an excellent substitution, and United were transformed and went on to dominate the game. They scraped a 1-1 draw.

Even if you have Aces, you're not guaranteed to win the hand. No team can win every game, no matter how well they play, and United just needed to take it on the chin and move on. Unfortunately, they've completely failed to do so. The team now suddenly looks bereft of all confidence and has completely fallen out of any optimistic title talk since that draw. One poor game has reset things to square one.

One thing is for sure - when Mourinho goes shopping in the summer, he'll be looking to add to that spine. But it'll need to be a mental one, too - the team is desperately lacking the kind of leadership offered in the past, as every manager has discovered since Ferguson (who, even in his latter-day suspicion of big dressing room characters, always had dependable stalwarts like Nemanja Vidic to rely on.) David Moyes and Louis van Gaal both suffered for it - Mourinho will have to find some from somewhere, if he hopes to complete his job.

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Reasons to date a football player

Why do they call football the beautiful game? Because it’s so elegantly simple and yet so difficult to achieve greatness? No, not even close. It’s the beautiful game because of the players. Footballers are special – not only are they some of the best athletes in the world but they are the cream of the crop in many other ways. You would be a fool not to date one. So here is our list of reasons to date a footballer, inspired by the hilarious reasons we found on Date an Athlete.

1) You will travel the world

They say that football is the language of the world. It’s a sport that every country has some (if not huge) following in, because it is so beautifully simple to play. Brazil, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Italy – these are a small number of glorious and stunning locations that footballers famously come from and travel to in their career, and you can be a part of that! Every season they travel throughout not only the country but all over the world looking to become the best team. Ever wanted to set foot on the sunny beaches of Barcelona? Or experience the cultural finery of Milan in all its splendour? Date a footballer, and you’ll be sure to go there soon!

2) They’re in great shape

Have you ever tried sprinting for 90 minutes straight? Doesn’t sound like a walk in the park does it - and you would be right! That means footballers are the peak of human athleticism in terms of endurance and strength. Sometimes they even have to play 2 or even 3 times a week! As a result they are always filled with energy and keen to do fun activities – they love nothing more than adventure! Did you notice the tall, chiselled person at the bar the other night? That was probably a footballer! If it’s looks you’re into, then look no further than a football player.

3) They love good food

Yes, football players are in great shape because they exercise a lot. But – that’s not the only secret to their godly physique. Football players all love good food, because diet is such an important part of their routine and essential in fuelling their career. Want to stay in, watch a movie and make a lovely home-cooked meal? No need to convince a footballer. They’ll do the cooking, and they’ll love doing it! How about going out for a special meal? You’ll be treated to the most elegant and sophisticated restaurant in town, because you can’t put a price on good eating! If you want to date a footballer make sure your own cooking game is high though, because they’ll want someone with good skills who can feed them the delicious meals they are used to!

4) Great teamwork and communication

The key to any great team is working together with your fellow players and communicating with them. Football is no different, and that’s what makes these players, who are some of the best athletes in the world, the top-performing talents around. They are great listeners, always willing to lend you an ear and hear you out, because that’s a huge part of the work they do in their careers. If you ever have an argument it won’t last long. Footballers know how to get to the heart of the issue, understand and resolve it. They want nothing more than to be in harmony with the people in their lives, whether that’s their teammates, coach, or you. The best communicators are said to be the best players, so the higher quality the team they play for, the more you know they are a great catch.

5) They make big bucks

It is no secret that footballers earn a lot of money. A LOT of money. The average wage of a player in the Premier League is a whopping £2.4 million… That’s quite a tidy sum indeed! If you date a footballer one thing will be for sure, you won’t have any money issues! That’s what they are paid to be the best athletes in the world. So, if you want to live the high life, be taken to the fanciest restaurants, live in the largest house and drive the nicest car – your best bet is a footballer.

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Why Gareth Bale is the world’s most expensive player

Gareth Bale’s new deal at Real Madrid made him the highest-paid player in the world, and might have drawn a few questions. Was he really worth it? A player many Madridistas haven’t taken to, who hasn’t shown quite the same quality or consistency as the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? How could he be worth it?

With Bale now earning a reported £350,000 a week, it's fair to say a life of fast cars, expensive holidays and no deposit casinos awaits him, not to mention ludicrous hairstyles. And the simple truth is, that whether he deserves every penny or not, it certainly makes sense for Real Madrid to pay him the amount.

The facts are that Real Madrid are getting what they pay for. Few would argue that Bale is the best player in the world - the endless conflict between Ronaldo and Messi is likely to rage on for another few years yet, despite the former’s advancing years. But the question is, what happens after you’ve locked down a player of that calibre.

A problem for super-rich clubs is that the available group of elite players - the one below Messi and Ronaldo, who belong in their own god-tier - is small. A handful of players populate it, and are usually well-locked down by their clubs. Gareth Bale is one such player, and since this tier will always be in the highest demand from the world’s top clubs, it makes sense for security.

Uniquely to Bale, however, he has remained in this group for a very long time. Others have come and gone - Mesut Ozil was once there, and is once more, but had a long run of lesser form. Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez - all have flickered in and out of this class of player, never staying for long. The only other two players who have remained at that level are Luis Suarez and Neymar - so you begin to see Real Madrid’s problem.

Bale might not be worth his deal in raw terms of whether his wage should make him the best player in the world. But that’s not how football or money works - he’s probably Real Madrid’s most valuable asset, and being British, is a lot more likely to be tempted to a return to England by the vast riches available there. Tying him down makes sense, no matter what the price. He is, without question, worth it.

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Jose Mourinho’s pragmatism at Manchester United

When José Mourinho took over at Old Trafford, by far the biggest reservation from Manchester United fans was over his attacking philosophy. A major discussion when the Portuguese manager was linked to the post before, there were several schools of thought when he finally took the job.

After the tedium of the Louis van Gaal era, United fans wanted a change, yet were also more susceptible to some pragmatism - even Mourinho would look like Zdenek Zeman after the unbelievable dourness of the Dutchman’s reign. Yet how important that was, after years of underachievement in tandem, fell to the wayside. Mourinho was a winner. That was all that mattered.

Against Liverpool, United gave a defensive masterclass, but showed a ludicrous amount of respect to a team they should be comfortably superior to. United had no intention of trying to score a goal in the first half, and formed a compact square to defend their goal, kicking anything that approached. It seemed to work.

Yet the defensive-mindedness has been overstated. United clearly came out trying to win in the second half, although failed to create too many serious chances, the 0-0 result a fair reflection of the game. Another time, they might have stolen it - although equally, Mourinho’s men were dependent on a couple of heroic saves from David de Gea to keep the scores level.

There is pragmatism, of course, and there is simply admitting that United do not have the ability to outplay Liverpool at home. They are the same beast, but very different images. United have hardly been invincible, and still lack a performance under Mourinho that sends a message that they are serious title contenders. By accepting a point at Anfield, another chance to deliver such a display has passed them by, and their odds to be champions have taken another hit - go here to find Premier League odds and a free offers bet when you join.

Critics point out that Alex Ferguson was similarly dour in his tactical approach at United. Yet this is wrong on two levels - Ferguson only became so in his dotage, his earlier years full of thrilling, exhilarating football. And United fans were hardly ignorant of this at the time - many pointed it out in his later years, bemoaning the dull football that the team played in Europe and away in the Premier League, even while it was proving to be absurdly successful around 2007-11.

Mourinho has not been so successful thus far, and has not even truly got his team playing at the sum of their parts, let alone far beyond it as Ferguson so often did in his latter years. Pragmatism is a price worth paying for trophies for many fans. For fourth place and an outside chance of a domestic cup, it’s not so sure.

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Antonio Conte - Suffering from his own expectations?

Last year, a combination of José Mourinho’s meltdown and some shocking transfer activity left Chelsea in a pretty terrible position. The wealth of the super clubs usually makes any setbacks extremely short lived, but in this case, Chelsea looked to be well out of it, in a position that could take a few years to fix.

Enter Antonio Conte.

Conte seemed to be the right man to turn to, someone with experience in leading and sustaining a team of comparable size in his spell at Juventus, and with a reputation for defensive solidity that was half earned and half extrapolated from his nationality. At the start of the season, it seemed to work - he kept up the pace with Manchester City and Manchester United, the two title favourites. Since then though, things haven’t gone exactly to plan.

A heavy defeat to Arsenal looks like the latest evidence that this Chelsea side simply aren’t going to be in the title conversation later on in the year, particularly following a home defeat to a Liverpool side that were facing similar problems at the end of last season. Suddenly Chelsea look fragile and beatable again, and the fans returned to their hotels near Stamford Bridge wondering when they would get their aura back.

Conte might get some of the blame for this. But fans should remember how low the expectations were before. In the new-look world of Premier League riches being far more evenly distributed, it’s much harder to predict what will happen, and to tell the difference between a purple patch and a team showing title-winning potential. The result is that knee-jerk opinions are formed quicker than ever, and Conte’s Chelsea were suddenly cast as title contenders.

In the current environment, a top four finish should be seen as a great success for Conte, a solid platform on which to assemble a serious challenge in the coming year or two. Unfortunately for the Italian, right now he’s been a victim of his own success. That sort of thing just happens a lot more quickly now.

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The Spurs vs The Reds: Time to End Draws in a Victory

It‘s time for some good old English football again! While the season of 16/17 has only advanced to its third week in the Premier League, we’ve already seen some pretty brilliant matches, and this week is not going to be an exception. Liverpool is meeting Tottenham – and that’s the kind of a game nobody is really neutral about.

Last season, both of the matches that these two played ended in draws, but can we expect the same result this time around, too? According to the UK-licensed bookie TonyBet, the Spurs are a fair bit more likely to clock in a second victory in a row – the odds for their win are at 13/10 as opposed to 41/20 that Liverpool got.

The problem that the Reds seem to be having so far is their defence being a bit off. They managed to score four goals against Arsenal on the opening night, but they let three slip – and then last week against Burnley was pretty miserable, with Liverpool losing at 0:2, and to the newly-promoted team at that. Now their attack is pretty great, and if you include the Football League Cup, Klopp’s boys managed no less than nine goals in just three games.

While Tottenham has just one win so far too, they haven’t lost a game, either. The Everton meet ended in a single-goal draw, but then the following match against Crystal Palace ended in a successful 1:0. Even though the sample size is admittedly small, so far it looks like the Spurs have got a tight defence, but their offense could use some improving. Still, it could come as a strong point against the Reds who are weaker in this particular spot.

It’s only Week 3, but of course Liverpool has got quite a few injuries – that was a common theme last season and it continues this year, too. Loris Karius, Mamadou Sakho, and Lucas Leiva remain on the benches for this week, too, however, we may see Joel Matip’s first Premier League start, and Mane should be good to go, too.

Tottenham is still dealing with Hugo Lloris being injured and Mousa Dembele still suspended – however, it seems like their situation is a bit better when it comes to potential rotation abilities. In any case, it seems like it will come down to how strong they will defend against Liverpool, because it’s a bit unlikely they would manage to outscore them in a tight race.

While we didn’t see an impressive defence so far from Liverpool, they will no doubt be working at that, too – and it could help them beat Tottenham. Then again, the Spurs seem to be playing pretty well so far, so the one thing that we can really presume is that this is going to be one heck of a clash. Let’s crack a beer open and watch the lads run!

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Will José Mourinho have the guts to drop Wayne Rooney?

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Wayne Rooney’s inconsistency and decline that began with an ankle injury against Bayern Munich in 2010 has long been slowing Manchester United down, costing them points and games. Alex Ferguson saw this, and upon his departure, duly shoved United’s star player over a cliff, ready for David Moyes to simply finish the job. But Moyes instead offered a helping hand, and the rest, as we know, is history. Rooney is still here, still playing atrociously, and still starting every game, despite the addition of two world-class attackers, the presence of two young prodigies up front and the signing of Henrik Mkhitaryan.One wonders what exactly Rooney has had on all of his managers to render himself undroppable. Perhaps it’s simply his presence in the dressing room and fury at not playing every minute of every game, but his continued selection has gotten past a joke. Woeful against Bournemouth and Southampton, and doing more to break up United’s play than any opposition defender, it's hard to see where he fits into a team so blessed with gifted attacking stars. Manchester United face Hull next, one of the biggest basket cases in the league, but a team who have also picked up a shock two wins out of two so far. They may provide a stern test, but if Rooney cannot perform against the likes of Bournemouth and Hull, it's surely time for him to go. United are clear favourites to win the game, and second favourites for the title, on https://matchbook.com after all.United will hope that they haven't missed their moment. Rooney is unlikely to take a colossal wage cut, and he simply isn't good enough to play for any club in Europe that could afford him. Which leaves two options - China and the MLS.A move across the Atlantic had been touted very recently in the press, with Rooney at least still a recognisable name and hugely marketable, although the same can be said for plenty of other alternatives who haven't suffered such an alarming decline. The Chinese link seems questionable - Rooney going out wouldn't look like a marquee, star player choosing to play in the league. It would instead look like what it would be, a fading, desperate star forced out of his club and going to the only place that would take him.Yet somehow, José Mourinho has to find a way. He might start by actually dropping him, something that seemed beyond David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. With Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrik Mkhitaryan, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, united are unlikely to miss him. And can Rooney really be so popular in the dressing room, after so many outgoing and incoming transfers, when he's undeservedly occupying a space that another player could be filling?United have looked very good so far in their two Premier League games against Bournemouth and Southampton. Yet Wayne Rooney has not, and if United are to build upon their early promise into the season and against better sides, they'll need to solve the Rooney question. Under threat from both club and country, it might not be too soon to be able to move him on. But in order to do that, they might have to give him a little nudge. It will be very interesting to see how long Rooney can survive under such a perfectionist manager.

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Relaxation Day - 9 Ways Your Other Half Can Relax While You Watch The Football

Relaxation Day - 9 Ways Your Other Half Can Relax While You Watch The Football by Jacamo.co.uk

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Could Eric Bailly be Manchester United’s most important signing?

Manchester United might have signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrik Mkhitaryan, and (probably) Paul Pogba, but it’s no secret that the team with the best defence wins the league far more often than the team that scores the most goals.

When José Mourinho arrived, he inherited a team that had a very solid defensive record under Louis van Gaal, yet they could hardly be said to have had the strongest back five. Instead, United’s defensive record was built on an extremely negative way of playing, the price of which was poor football and a lack of goals. The actual defence consisted of a world-class goalkeeper, Daley Blind (a converted midfielder), the inconsistent Chris Smalling, and youngsters who weren’t quite ready for the step up or a winger in Antonio Valencia. It was a mess, and whenever United tried to get forward and left their defence even slightly exposed, chaos was the usual result.

If Mourinho wants to win the Premier League title with United, the odds are not exactly in his favour - take a look on monsterbet.co.uk. But the first thing he’ll need to do is to fix a leaky defence. The return of Luke Shaw will be a big boost for United, but Eric Bailly has been the signing Mourinho has chosen to hold things together. It seemed like a big ask of a relatively young player with little Premier League experience, but in the Community Shield, the defender showed that he might just have what it takes.

The return of genuine pace and physicality to United’s backline is one obvious boost achieved by Bailly, but crucially, he knew how to use it. Alex Ferguson signed Jaap Stam for his ability to defend in one-on-one situations, a sign of how everything at the club at the time was geared towards facilitating attacking play. Mourinho may have done something similar with Bailly - even up against Jamie Vardy, he looked supremely cool and confident, able to use his pace to keep up with any attacker, while calmly exerting his strength to force them off the ball.

In the end, Bailly was awarded the Man of the Match award from United supporters for his efforts. It wasn’t a perfect display - there were moments when he struggled to deal with high balls, or let players in rather than stopping them early, although his subsequent reactions more than made up for it. Bailly might need a solid, no-nonsense partner to be part of a truly great defence, just as Rio Ferdinand needed Nemanja Vidic. But for now, he should be a huge upgrade in United’s defence at a time when great centre-backs are harder than ever to come by.

[surrealfootball]

Can Paul Pogba help Manchester United to the title?

Paul Pogba's signing might be great for Manchester United, but from one aspect at least, it's going to go down as one of the worst pieces of business ever. A player let go for - essentially - nothing being bought back a few years later for a world record fee. Whichever way you spin it, it's not a good look, and puts some serious questions over Alex Ferguson's judgement in his latter years at Old Trafford. But going against that poor judgement is just what José Mourinho is doing, not merely with Pogba, but with all of his signings. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Eric Bailly have helped to repair the spine of the team that has been neglected for years under both Ferguson, David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. Paul Pogba, and if the rumours are true, Blaise Matuidi, would complete that work and give United the strongest midfield in the league, along with a truly world-class striker and a repaired defence (to go, of course, with their already superb goalkeeper.) All of these might not be a recipe for instant success, but they'll transform United into a team that won't have to worry about being hamstrung by the deficiencies in their squad as they have been in the past. For a club that's been prepared to spend so much, and relies so much on its image, their squads have now, for a long, long time, been composed of makeshift lineups with few real stars. The existence of Anthony Martial and the rise of Marcus Rashford are an added bonus for Mourinho too. Betting on the Premier League champions would soon see the smart customer switch their bets and joining bonuses to United if they were able to pull it off. The end of the Ferguson era saw thin squads being held together by one man's genius, a feat that was hardly going to be replicated by David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. But now, United have the world-class manager and are building a world-class squad to go along with it. Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have struggled for an effective spine of their team and been unable to cement a solid run of seasons and real challenges every year together as a result. Manchester United are now throwing down the gauntlet, and it'll be up to their rivals to match them.

[surrealfootball]

What is a Both Teams to Score Bet?

As the season is about to start, most football fans are impatiently waiting to get another dose of quality football and place some bets at their favorite bookmaker. Fortunately for us, we live in a time where betting has never been easier, as there is a wide selection of world-class betting sites, each offering their own mobile platforms to make the process as easy as possible for all interested punters.

The two major choices everyone has when it comes to betting is either the bookmakers who focus on betting only, or online casinos that have branched into sport bets. But whether you’ll choose to go to your favorite bookmaker, or you’ll be attracted by the unique attributes of Mr Green casino, it all comes down to one thing – choosing your favorite bet type.

One of the most popular bets during the past couple of years has been the Both Teams to Score bet, which although is simple to understand can often confuse the inexperienced punter. So, for the sake of saving yourself from getting frustrated out of a good bet, let’s take a look at what exactly is this bet type:

What is a Both Teams to Score Bet?

The Both Teams to Score bet is probably the second most popular bet (right next to the standard 1x2 bet) and the primary reason for this is that it’s very easy to understand, though it might not always be easy to win.

The bet is just what it says it is, i.e. you are betting on whether both teams in a match will score a goal. For example, if you wanted to place a bet on an upcoming Premier League match and you go to your favorite bookmaker, you will find that you have two options: either you bet on Yes and win the bet when both teams score at least one goal, regardless of the final result, or you bet on No and win the bet if the result is 0-0; as simple as that. On the other hand, the standard 1x2 bet lets you bet on either the first (1) or second team (2) to win, or the match to end in a draw (X).

And just like other bet types, Both Teams to Score bets can also be accumulated, meaning that you can make a selection of several matches and place Yes or No bets for each match, thus increasing your final profit but slightly reducing your chances of winning the ticket - unless you are really good at predicting the outcomes.  

What Are the Odds?

Depending on the teams themselves, the odds will either be the same for both Yes and No or they will be different, in accordance with the predicted tactics for each team. For example, if you were betting on two teams whose strengths in attacking and defense are very similar, you will find that both the Yes and No bets will have the same odds, which would normally be 10/11. Similarly, if you have two teams who are great at defense but neither has their focus on attacks, you will see that the Yes odds would be higher and somewhere around the 8/11 mark, while the No odds will be lower and somewhere around 10/11.

The Bottom Line

Both Teams to Score bets are fairly easy to understand, but that doesn’t make them surer than other betting types around. For those who know the teams well and continuously follow their progress, the bet can be a fairly safer choice than betting on the exact score or the 1x2 bets, but the final outcome can never be predicted with the utmost precision, as there will always be a number of factors involved.