Mcleish sacked by Villa

Time to go

Alex Mcleish's sacking has been coming since the day of his appointment. The man never really had a chance. I am by no means a Mcleish supporter as I do question why he took the job. 

To be honest the man deserved the sack. Aston Villa have been so poor this season. The only won 7 games out of 38. They limped their way to Premier League Survival by boring teams and amassing a staggering 17 draws. They survived by two points. In truth Aston Villa deserved to go down. They never showed any fight or will. The lack of quality was staggering. 

Key signings such as Charles N'Zogbia were a disaster as Villa failed to improve on last seasons poor display. Mcleish never seemed to have the backing of the players or the fans and when this is the case you have no chance. The key for Villa now is who do they replace him with?

They have said that they want a 'vibrant' manager. Someone with new ideas an reinvigorate the club. Currently SkyBet have Norwich boss Paul Lambert as the favourite. Lambert has done a magnificent job at Norwich in the past three years. He would be a great appointment although why would he leave Norwich for Villa. Norwich have a better squad and probably better finances. I think it would be mad to leave Norwich for Aston Villa at this moment in time. This can be said for another candidate that of Roberto Martinez (5/1 SkyBet). To be fait it would be seen as a step up for him to go to Villa. Although I doubt he will see the appeal. Martinez is holding out for a big job it seems and he seems to be waiting for that job. 

Villa Park bound? 

The problem for Villa is that not I really do not see who they are going get. No top manager will want to go there. The likes of Claudio Ranieri and Rafa Benitez have been linked however I cannot see either of them happening. If I was putting money on it I would back them to go and get Gus Poyet (20/1 SkyBet) from Brighton. He fits their bill. He is young, up and coming and will have new ideas for the club. Personally I do not think he would be successfull however do think that this is the way they will go. 

Weekend Tips

Bore draw predicted at Brighton's Amex Stadium 

Well the last two weeks have brought me little joy as winners seem very hard to come by. This week is extremely tough. In the football it is getting to the end of the season and so strange results are happening as teams are fighting for their lives. As a result when looking through the fixtures it is tough to pick. Although one game has draw written all over it. I few weeks ago I tipped Birmingham/ Middlesborough to be a draw and ended up 3-0 to Birmingham however this week I am sure this one will be a draw. Gus Poyet's Brighton and Middlesborough both score nor let in many goals. As a result I think it will be either 0-0, 1-0, 0-1 or 1-1. Also will both sides seeking promotion and play-offs there is so much on this one that a draw is a logical result. I feel neither will go for the win. Therefore 12-5 (SkyBet) the draw is well worth a punt and is my bet of the day. A longshot is that of Manchester City/Sunderland. I have a feeling this one will not be as straight forward as many are suggesting. At 14-1 (SkyBet) Sunderland are a great price and worth a gamble. The rails I feel are coming off at City and Sunderland is a team no one wants to play.

On the horses it is the beginning of the flat-season and so no real form to go on and many unknowns being seen for the first time. As with last week I will leave the horses alone as just sit and watch.  However if you are betting on the horses the stand out is My Boy Bill in the @Doncaster. At 10-1 with SkyBet is is well worth a go. I expect some big winners on the horses. Also when in doubt stick with the old timers such as Kyllachy Star and The Cheka as they are over run during the season however here is their first outing so maybe worth a few pounds each-way. Also a winning fro me is that of Artic Cosmos, so superior to the small field in the 2.20 at Kempton and for me a cert short price winner.

Football:
Bet of the game: Brighton/ Middlesborough draw @12/5 (SkyBet)

Longshot: Sunderland to beat Manchester City at 14/1

Horse Racing:
Each-Way- 3.50@Doncaster- My Boy Bill @10/1 (SkyBet)
Win- 2.20@Kempton- Artic Cosmos @5/4 (SkyBet)

Rugby League:
Wigan, Saints, Leeds treble @8-1 (SkyBet)

Good luck with all your bets. Hopefully I have predicts some wins here.