Thursday, December 30, 2010

Less Darting Around Please!

Well it had to happen at some stage in December I suppose. My first loss of the month came in the darts. Paul Nicholson losing to that tart Peter Wright. Its an amazing game really is the darts because if you're not hitting the doubles then it really doesn't matter what else you do. Nicholson comfortably outscored Wright all match but was just atrocious when it came to the doubles. Strange really for a man who likes to think he is at his best when he is under pressure. Afraid not Paul!! Perhaps the Aussies getting spanked in Melbourne was on his mind although I dont really understand all this Nicholson is a dirty Aussie talk, whenever I hear him speak I just hear a Geordie.... Answers on the back of a post card to that one! Whitlock, now there's a proper Aussie!

So damage control was required and there is nowhere else to turn to then good old reliable football. I didnt chase as such as the tactics remained the same, just upped the stakes a bit to boost the winnings and get myself in profit again. Correct score on l'arse chelsea worked a treat and then it was match odds after that in the other matches. Thankfully managed to avoid the carnage at Anfield. Wouldnt touch a Liverpool match with a barge pole. Shocking to watch as well. The brum equaliser against utd was a bit of a sickener, handball, offside, Rio fouled.... Was strange how Bowyer wasnt tracked and had so much space that late in the game though. And VDS didnt exactly throw himself in the way of it did he?? Anyway, 3 points in the early kick off on Saturday would be a good tonic to cure the blues. Im also enjoying picking up a few quid here and there on Spurs particularly at White Harte Lane. Just good to watch and seem to deliver nearly all the time. No major stakes but just tipping along.

So unless I dabble in the darts again, thats it for December and the year. Im sure every gambler is starting the New Year with the same aspirations of having a good one and making it count etc. I suppose I'll be no different really. I'd like to wish fellow bloggers/gamblers a happy new year. After all, we're all in the same boat so we might as well try and keep each other going instead of joining the "I told you so" army. They have plenty of members already thanks very much! As Churchill once said, continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential. Slightly corny I know but it keeps me going through the day job and the gambling! Have a great 2011 everyone! Cheers! Enda


Sunday, December 26, 2010

St. Stephens Day

Happy St Stephens Day everyone and hopefully the xmas was good to everyone! Its looking like I'm going to make it through the dreaded December in profit. Update since the last post is below. Again I've not been risking too much but I feel like Im in good form going into the new year.

The only real blemish was Fulham earlier but if you told me that I would have a loss and still end the day in profit then I would take that all day long. Fulham really not in good shape at the moment. I actually think West Ham can stay up but signing Sidwell could be a sign that they're going to lose Parker and then they would be in bother. Utd just keep on delivering so was happy to risk a few bob on them today. Loving the form of Anderson in particular. Always rated him very highly and if you compare his performances to his Brazilian colleagues Ramires and Lucas then I definitely know which one I would be picking but I'm always biased. My old man walked in the door today and said that Newstalk 107 said Utd had signed Ashley Young!? Hasn't been a mention of it anywhere else all day so either Newstalk are the only news source in the world that knows this or the old man is starting to lose his marbles... A tiny win on Anderlecht rounded off the day. Never really dabble in the Belgian stuff but there you go!

Plenty more matches to keep us going over the next few days. Hopefully everyone is getting on grand and Happy Christmas and New Year. Lets hope a few winners come our way. Good luck everyone! Sláinte!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Balance

Its been a quiet enough 7 or days so. I spent last weekend in Carlow. Was able to pull off a couple of bets on Saturday but on Sunday I was stranded, helpless, nothing could be done. No laptop. No computer. I have a phone that doesn't accept betfair mobile. I'm not sure I've ever felt as frustrated. I suppose when you do the majority of your betting at the weekend and then something pops up its just a right pain in the ass. I think Im pretty good at balancing this stuff and the rest of my life but Sunday left me really pissed off. It wasn't so much that I was missing out on a good day of betting but I think my frustration is that everything feels very slow at the moment. I've spoken a bit over the last couple of weeks of my fear surrounding doing my conkers in December and perhaps it's affecting my mindset. Still though, winners are coming so its not too hard to complain.... Would love to take this thing to the next level. I suppose its good to develop a certain level of fear. There was a time where I could lose a hell of alot and just sleep like a baby!! I dont want to be that guy who is always pissed off when  he cant bet though, particularly when Im spending time with someone important.

Anyway, enough of the serious chat! Chelsea still cant buy a win. Oh its so delightful. But what was even more pleasing was seeing some Liverpool supporters on the Betfair forum looking forward to tearing Newcastle a new one on Saturday evening because Woy has the team playing well, Lucas is now world class, Meireles is settling in and Torres looking sharp. Just the 3-1 to the toon then! Its always tough to assess how teams with a new manager are going to play so thats why I stayed away from match odds.

Was looking forward to the match on Monday all day. Really didnt fancy Arsenal getting anything better than a draw and was super confident laying them. Thought they were really poor against Partizan last Wednesday and lets face it, they've lost to Newcastle and West Brom at home this season. Title contenders?? Get fourth and they will be doing well. And Wenger blaming the pitch capped off a very happy evening. A proper handbag so he is.

Just sort of tipped along for the last few nights. Nothing major at all but it was something. Not sure how the weekend is shaping up. Could end up being away again! Would love to see the Espanyol Barca match, even if I dont get to bet. Will be a good un! Hopefully everyone is looking forward to the Christmas. Good luck!

Monday, December 13, 2010

A Brief History of Carlos Tevez

A Brief History Of Carlos Tevez
The boy's got form...

Boca Juniors (2001-2004)
Tevez forces his way out of the club claiming that the press intrusion in Argentina is too much for him and his family and the club aren't doing enough to support him. Public bust-up with manager also ensues.

Claims he loves the club and supporters, and always will.

Time at club: Two-and-a-half seasons.

Corinthians (2005-2006)
Tevez forces his way out of the club, going on strike, after arguments - some physical - with teammates, the head coach and the club president.

Claims he loves the club and supporters, and always will.

Time at club: One season.

West Ham (2006-2007)
Tevez almost immediately falls out with the manager and players. Storms off and threatens to go on strike after being substituted. Goes AWOL to Argentina at one point.

Claims he loves the club and supporters, and always will.

Time at club: One season.

Manchester United (2007-2009)
Tevez complains of being fatigued and overplayed in his first season. In his second, he complains of being underplayed - drama queening it every time he's taken off - managing just five goals, despite playing more minutes than the league's third top scorer Fernando Torres. Parting shot of "I'll scream in Ferguson's face when I score against them".

Claims he loves the club and supporters, and always will.

Time at club: Two seasons.

Manchester City (2009-????)
Tevez is tired, homesick, wants to retire, takes time off to see his daughter and is caught on camera spending that time allegedly banging his mistress (the actual banging remains unphotographed), feels there's too much greed in football despite being the highest-paid player in Britain, hates football in general yet throws a wobbly every time he's taken off, wants his old life back, hates the club executives, claims that he would like to punch his young teammates and finally hands in a transfer request.

Claims he loves the club and supporters, and always will.

Time at club: One-and-a-half seasons so far, some of it begrudgingly.

Who would sign him now?

Source: Football365.com

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Steady

Steady if slightly unspectacular progress over the last 3 days. Still, winning is winning. I have very big concerns betting on the last round of champions league matches because some teams have nothing to play for. I was surprised with the strength of some of the lineups though. Barcelona aside, there was no ridiculously under strength lineups and they still won anyway!

Lets start at Monday because the finish to the Porto game was slightly comical. Porto were 1.15 pre match and despite not playing well and getting a very dodgy penalty in their favour, went 1-0 up and were 1.07 for the whole second half. Setubal always looked like they had a bit of a comeback in them though and with 2 minutes to go they rightfully get a penalty! Cue the celebrations from the Porto layers. Setubal lad steps up and smashes the pen in the top corner and the ref makes him take it again because he said he didnt blow his whistle!!! Second time around, the poor lad looks like he's about to shit his pants and we all know whats going to happen... The lad steps up and calmy proceeds to smash the pen into row Z!! Oh dear. My money was safe before this happened but heartache for the porto layers and there were a few on the betfair forum seething over the refs decision to make him retake. It can be a cruel game sometimes (dont know if Im talking about gambling, football or both!) Certainly dodgy refereeing to say the least, not so much the retake but the penalty Porto got was very very soft. I do rate Porto extremely highly though and they have played some top stuff this season. 10.5 to win the europa league?? Im extremely tempted. Certainly better value than Man City at 6!!

Tuesday and Wednesday went off without too much hassle. Liked the utd lineup but only got involved in the second half. Disappointed that Valencia didnt put out a more attacking team. Thought Soldado and Aduriz would start together. I think they were happy not to lose and utd were happy to top the group. The beautiful thing for Valencia is they dont have to worry about Barca or Real so finishing second is no bother to them.

Yesterday was very quiet because I went out after work, shite night and all. Managed to win a tenner though! Is it wrong to be sitting there with a pint in your hand thinking "I could be betting if I was at home!" Is that when you've gone to the dark side?? I dont think so! Good luck everyone! Cheers.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

More Satisfaction

Very happy with how today went. Really wasn't sure where I was going to win a few quid but everything came together nicely. When you back Djokovic and Monfils breaks his own racquet off his foot while attempting a stupid shot, you know its going to be a decent day. Monfils has got all the talent in the world but he's just a nutter isnt he? Gets carried away with his own flashes of brilliance. Broke Nole twice in the third set and was broken back straight away. A very weak performance. I was delighted to see Troicki beat Llodra. He has been very solid the last few months but there was alot of pressure on him once he was picked ahead of Janko. The biggest match in his career and he really delivered. Great stuff.

Had to do a bit of hunting in Italy today to find a few quid. I dont particularly enjoy Serie A but thankfully things went well. Correct score in Fiorentina match and then match odds for Juventes. Both came off. Delightful. Also thought West Ham were too short against an in form Sunderland. West Ham havent won away from home in over 12 months according to sky?? They were around 4.6-4.7ish and were layed accordingly. Maybe an over reaction to beating utd in the cup but just couldn't see them winning today.

So a nice weekend overall winning over 200. Matches on for the next 3 days as well so hopefully I can keep things moving nicely. We'll see what happens. Good luck everyone! :)

Satisfactory Saturday

First betting day of the dreaded December and things went fine actually. The Barcelona scheduling completely caught me out though. They couldnt fly down to Osasuna because of the strike so then they had to take the bus. Then they thought the game was cancelled. I check flashscore.com and it says the game is on Sunday instead so thats fine. I play around with the AC Milan match while Barca win 3-0! Ouch. Should have been paying better attention really shouldnt I???

Chelsea match was pleasing for 2 reasons. I won and they didnt! Yahoo. They really cant buy a win at the moment. Have to feel a bit for those using the "back Chelsea every week" strategy. Same shit every season with them. Perfect set of fixtures to start them off, they go a few points clear and everyone says they cant be caught! As someone smarter than myself once said, Chelsea in "getting giddy" shocker.... They only have to play Spurs and Utd next! Scenes. Pleasing. Very. 

Its a shame the Utd game was called off. The evening game always fits perfectly  between the 3 o clock matches and then the night Spanish matches. There was nothing to fill that gap yesterday although I was busy but still.... I expected a response from Real after the Barca thumping so had no real worries there. Valencia are just decent, nothing more. Im actually surprised they have had such a good season after selling Villa and Silva. Soldado and Aduriz looking like clever signings. Will be interesting to see how they get on at OT on Tuesday..

Nothing really appeals to me today at all. I think Djokovic will beat Monfils but I've no real confidence in my tennis betting at the moment. Havent done any since the US Open. I think I will play correct score with Sunderland and maybe the Fiorentina match. But Im not looking forward to it. Maybe take the day off altogether or just bide my time and see what happens???  I just dont know. It is December after all! Not the time to be engaging in arse clownery for the sake of it... Good luck everyone





Wednesday, December 1, 2010

December Conundrum and Blog Comments

Well El Classico went to plan from a punting perspective to make it a happy birthday indeed! Netted 25 from correct score and 12 from match odds. Didnt expect 5-0 though. Crazy scenes. Certainly as good a performance as you will see from any team this season. Simply majestic. Madrid couldnt get a kick. If Barca had been able to play like that against a 10 man Inter last season then they would still be European champions, no question. Have to credit how well Inter defended on the night though.

So we're into December, the last month of 2010. Is anyone else feeling a little weary? Hand shaking when they're entering the amount they're going to stake on a match on betfair? Got that rotten feeling in your stomach when a bet is matched? Heart racing faster than it usually does? The fear that this time you are going to do your conkers?? No, me neither.... It is a dangerous time. Coming close to xmas you want to do well and you want to finish the year on a high and there just seems to be so many matches on. It would be a right pain to make a balls of things this month of all months. I think the key for me is not trying to do too much. Just pick a strategy for a match and stick with it. Dont go looking elsewhere, dont look at the other markets, dont try and bet on many matches at once and I should be ok. If a loss happens it happens, sometimes its unavoidable and thats the game but as long as Im happy that I did the right thing then I can live with it and move on to better days. The race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong but time and chance happens to them all. Lowering my stakes has helped me look for a bit more value but I still have that temptation to go bigger again and to really go down swinging. How thin the line is between bravery and stupidity.

Another thing I'd like to mention is that on my post "7 days in the sun" 4 people left comments that I didnt respond to until now. I am completely 100% sorry. I think if someone has made the effort to comment the least a blogger can do is respond. I didnt see them until today. The comments were mainly about adding their blogs on my blogroll - which I have done, how things went with the older lady - suberb, and that they enjoy reading the blog - thanking you very much. Hope somebody gets a bit of entertainment from the thing.  I dont think I'll never have the discipline to be a pro or an expert at this thing but as long as somebody enjoys reading and i dont go bankrupt we'll keep plugging away! Cheers and as usual, good luck everyone.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Happy Birthday!

Well, how are you? Well? Good. Now lets carry on. 22 today, a grand age. Its been a really crazy few weeks on all fronts and I dont really know where to begin.. Lets start with the gambling as thats really what the blog is here for..

After looking like things were settling down on the match odds front, its all of a sudden become shocks galore again. Bar United and of course the top 2 in Spain there isnt really anyone you can hang your hat on. Spurs at the Lane have also been good to me. Mostly I've been playing around with correct score. I feel like I can make bigger winnings on match odds as the last week would show but I feel correct score is safer and more reliable so Im trying to combine the two the best I can. Flexibility is the key and I always feel that if I have 2 strategies that Im confident with, I only need to time them correctly. Or even combine them in the same match if Im feeling flirtatious! Confidence is pretty good at the moment and hopefully a good december can set me up to hit the new year in very good form. I've also started lowering my stakes while still making a decent profit so thats another important step I think. I always used to be one of these people who thought you have to bet really big to make a decent profit but Im now risking only a third of what I used to and still hit around 300 this week so I cant really ask for much more than that. I havent had a look around the other blogs to see how others are getting on but hopefully nobody is doing their conkers this close to xmas. I imagine the new year brings renewed optimism for gamblers who have had a tough run.... I know I've certainly had the same thoughts only to have a stinking January....

Now then, onto Ireland, just the 85 billion to borrow so it is. Its tough to actually take in everything thats going on. Im not big into politics but the realisation of how fucked this country is has finally started to sink in for me. The announcement of saving 15 billion last week hasnt gone down too well but I actually dont have too many arguements on whats been proposed. Cutting the minimum wage by a euro isn't ideal but we have one of the highest minimum wages in europe anyway. Certainly no harm in cutting all these resource teachers either. What do they actually do??? In fact teachers should be hit harder imo.... What other profession do you walk into after 3 years in college and start earning around 30k??? There should be a scale surely?? And teachers that are just subbing earn just as much! The corporation tax had to stay the same otherwise we would be in even bigger trouble. Anyway, Im no expert on these things but we will never see the likes of the Celtic Tiger again. A shame I was a bit too young to make hay but at least I didn't end up with some ridiculous mortgage or something like that. I have my car and for now I have my job. Cant complain too much.

Personal life is going pretty good too but it can be tough to balance everything. In the past I've just chosen sports and gambling over everything and theres no craic to that really. Dublin has evened things up on that front although there are times when you're out and you think of a match that you could be making potential winnings on. Just have to try really hard and not focus on something that could be happening and look at what is happening. Whats happening tonight is El Classico! Cant wait. Leaning towards Barca on this one as they're really looking in the mood and Madrid away from home in the league have done just about enough in their matches. They're definitely a different team under Jose though and I love the fact that he has got a settled starting 11 that he never changes unless necessary. Might play correct score tonight.Good luck everyone!


Thursday, November 4, 2010

7 Days in The Sun

Been a mad 7 days really. My intention was to work back slowly picking up a tenner here or there but thats not really how it goes is it?? As I've said on numerous occasions, Im happy with my strategies and have full belief in them and I will put my money where my mouth is (most of the time!!). The key for me is to not get over confident and then end up chasing a stupid loss! You've heard it all before folks!

I didnt really plan to be so aggressive but I was just happy with the way the fixtures fell and confidence just kept growing. Similar to my last post, its important to build on this. It reminds me of a line out of the sun screen song, "don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s." The week has gone well but whats done is done, time to look ahead.

I said in my last post that I didnt fancy Utd but once I saw the starting 11 I was very happy to get involved. Not a great night for the ABU's was it?? Utd still unbeaten this season, virtually assured of CL qualification and there couldnt have been three worse scorers for the bitters: Fletcher (only in the side because he's scottish and fergies lovechild), Obertan (Bordeaux reject) and Bebe (homeless dude). Dear oh dear, what do the ABU's do now?? Rooney shags grannies will be their most intellectual respsonse.... Sneaked 15 on the Barca match as well. Pleasing scenes all round.

Not sure I'll be able to bet much on Saturday as I have arranged a meet up with a female.... I have somewhat of a confession to make... Like Wayne I'm intrigued by the older lady. Young ones are just so full of shit and Im sick of their fucking mind games. So I've managed to arrange this meet up with an older one. Not too old as I dont want someone who has some wear and tear to them... Still not 100% sure it will go ahead as she's having doubts but like Del Boy says "Play it cool Trigg my son, you know what I mean? Play it cool." But if it does go ahead and things go well then it will definitely be something that is crossed off my bucket list! Interesting times. Oh and working 9-5:30 is shit. Already I feel institutionalised! Good luck everyone!

Cheers!

  







Monday, November 1, 2010

Now is the time!

Finally I have a weekend where I brought home the bacon! Feels like ages since I've delivered. I've probably had more profitable weekends but this was very satisfying indeed. A combination of essentially my 3 strategies (backing, laying and correct score) all coming good just when I needed them the most.

I've been in this position before where I've had a decent run and to see all my profits pissed away soon after so Im not doing backflips or running around the appartment naked screaming "Im the King" just yet because gambling always comes back to bite you in the ass when you think you're on top of it. I've had to learn that the hard way so many times its untrue. But I've given myself a platform and something to build on.

Make no mistake about it, as Denman pointed out in one of my previous posts, now is the time to be trying to make money on football. For the second week in a row, an 8 fold of Utd, Chelsea, l'arse, Liverpool, Barca, Real, Porto and Benfica would have landed! Obviously its not just as simple as backing the favourites every week and sitting back to count your winnings but teams are becoming far more reliable now and you also have form stats to work with now. Bilbao are also looking very strong at home. Always entertaining matches there. Cant see them hanging on to Llorente for much longer. A big bid will come from somewhere in Januart or the Summer and that will be that. Was a bit surprised that Real Salt Lake lost the first leg of their play off on Saturday night. Cant remember the last time they have lost a match. They're usually very reliable. Lucky for me I wasnt involved. Next week could be a different story.

Bayern also may have kickstarted their season on Friday night. They really had no other option. Im still not going to be piling into them just yet as without Ribery and Robben they're still likely to frustrate but signs of improvement at least.

I dont know how to play the next couple of nights of Champions League. I have that feeling that Utd will send out a weakish team and doing that in Turkey albeit against a poor Bursaspor could still be risky. May have to look elsewhere. Barca and Valencia look tempting. We'll see what happens. Lets hope the next post is more good news! Good luck!

Cheers!


Thursday, October 28, 2010

And We're Back

I think that when you have a small break away that you cant go hell for leather on your first few bets otherwise you can do your nuts in and have no bank left!! The Carling Cup usually doesnt interest me from a betting perspective but after Wengers comments last night about him feeling the pressure about needing to win a trophy I had to get involved.

Didnt bet big with this one obviously because after all its still the Carling Cup and it is l'arse! I hope utd and arsenal can avoid each other until the final. Nobody else of note is left. Well Aston Villa but you wouldnt fancy them over the two legs against Utd or Arsenal.

Looking forward to the weekend already. Alot of matches to potentially make a profit on. Does anyone else find that when they're not involved for a couple of weeks they look at matches and think, shit I could have made a profit on that! Like last weekend, Chelsea, Utd, Arsenal, Barca, Real, Benfica, Porto all win. Even Liverpool managed to sneak a win!! This week now they'll probably all go back to muggery! Ha! Still looking forward to it though!



Monday, October 25, 2010

Apologies

Sorry folks. Been very quiet the past couple of weeks. Obviously when a betting blog all of a sudden goes quiet the initial thought is, oh dear the blogger has done his conkers and thats the end of that. Thats not the case here thankfully. I've moved into a new appartment in Dublin so with rent, deposit and the general time and expense involved with a move, gambling just hasnt been possible. I am glad to say that we'll be getting back on the horse next weekend so Im looking forward to getting back in the game.

I think the blog has been interesting so far. Its a fair representation of what most gamblers go through imo. Really good runs, over confidence, bad loss, work hard to win it back, bad loss again, anger for being such a tit! Im happy enough with my football strategies and will continue with them for now. Im also thinking of doing a 100 to ??? challenge alongside my normal betting just to see what happens. Could be fun. We'll see.

I think football is calming down alot now. Barca and Madrid winning at a canter now in Spain. The traditional big 4 in england all winning this week. Benfica are winning again relatively comfortably in Portugal. Italy is a bit more open but Inter will win the league this year. The challengers just arent up to scratch. I find Germany tough to play with. Bayern just cant seem to get going at all. When they do I'll be happy to throw a few euro at them but they're just not looking like going on a run at the moment. Another 0-0 on Friday night.

So anyway exciting times! And speaking of apologies, I think the whole Rooney episode was just shambolic. The statement on Wednesday was a "fuck you" to the supporters, the current squad and the future of the club as well as the manager. Now on Friday its the greatest club in the world. What a dick. I would have been happy to see him move on tbh if thats how he felt. His form has been atrocious anyway. Even in his MUTV interview on Friday he still didnt apologise to the fans. Anyway, he's staying for now. Should stick the granny shagger out on the left again when he returns to fitness. See how he likes that. Hernandez has more goals in him than Rooney anyway imo! I cant get this stupid tune out of my head! Good luck everyone!

Cheers!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Thats a bit better

After my last post I was thinking that I want to make a bit more than 22 quid over the international period so I decided to step it up a bit. Nothing major but just work a little harder to find some wins. Just because Im working doesnt mean I cant still go for it! Im trying not to get too negative either.

I felt that the correct score market was the best way to go on the france match on saturday. Can never be to sure on match odds because of the young french side and the dodgy romanians. Im really getting fond of the correct score market. I can see myself going there alot more in the future. Match odds can just piss you off sometimes!

So onto last night then. So many matches to choose from. Even more than Saturday. I already decided on Monday night that I was going to lay Ireland. I was just too tempted. Got lucky in the end to be fair but you take your chances and I'll get my share of bad luck along the way. I wasnt too worried about the early Irish goal. Was always confident they would concede. But if Keane scores that penalty before half time, I think we hold out for the win. Dont think Slovakia had a second in them. Just one of those things. I bet on Ireland not to win and we didnt....

Made a bit of extra quid on Spain and Portugal as well. Bit of a shock Scotland pulling it back to 2-2 but Spain got the job done in the end. Portugal were very comfortable. A satisfying night in all. 3 bets 3 wins. So I've made €273 in my bets since moving up here. Very happy with that considering I've only had international football to play with and I've been here 10 days! Looking forward to really going for it at the weekend. Lots of football on so lets hope for more wins. Good luck.

Cheers!





Saturday, October 9, 2010

The working world....

Christ working is a pain in the arse. I mean it really is. You know the way in about a boy, hugh grants character says: I would work but I wouldnt have time to do anything else. How right he was. Finding Dublin alright. Theres a pretty good buzz around the city but theres alot of beggers as well. Never got them in galway. Every small street and every atm there is somebody holding a cup wanting a few quid. Its a bit depressing sometimes but thats the way it is. 50 minutes in and out on the bus is a bit annoying but im looking for somewhere along the luas line so hopefully that shit will be over soon and i wont have to get up at quarter to 7 and come home 13 hours later.... Might still have to though. Balls...

The job is ok... Still dont really know what im at so im very weary. Marketing executive for a software company that provides reference data distribution products to financial institutions??? Jaysus!! And everyone there is in their late 30's or early 40's so I look well out of place. A 21 year old bullshitter with a shirt and tie who constantly goes to the kitchen to top up his coffee cup. Oh I can tell they're thinking "who the fuck is this chancer??" The CEO likes me though. Thats the main thing. Once I have him on my side Im laughing. His office is looking right out onto my desk so Im really having to pretend to look busy for 9 hours a day. And nobody leaves at half 5. Not one person. So then I cant leave at half 5!! These software dudes are really into their work. All in their own little world. Ah I'll get used to the place.

There really was nothing to bet on this week was there?? Certainly not from a football perspective. And when there was, every fecking match was on at the same time or overlapping. Thats the problem with the euro qualifiers. You're going to miss out on some matches that you could make a winning on. Oh I miss the world cup qualifying schedule. Sexy so it was. You'd start with Asia in the morning or maybe Australia. Then the euro ones go right through the day and were all spaced out nicely. Then at night you'd have south america. A good 16 hour orgy of football at least. Perfect. The only money i made was 22 quid on spain. Ah I'll take it. Even if i was sitting at home in front of the laptop all day I wouldnt have won much more. I would kill for a good weekend of betting right now but it will have to wait until next week! More euro qualifiers coming up as well so hopefully i can find another few quid to sneak into the old back pocket. Dublin is so bloody expensive. In Galway I would always hand in a fiver for my pint and wait for my change. In Dublin I handed in my fiver and the barman looked at me as if I had aids or something. Paying more than a fiver for a pint?? Feck off. Back to Galway tonight for a 21st. Stone walls and the grass is green! Yes that will do nicely. Do I dare have a flutter on the darts?? We'll see. Good luck everyone.

Cheers




Sunday, October 3, 2010

New blog objective

Well, today is the first full day in dublin so celebrated as usual by trading football! Wahey!! In all seriousness, the objective of the blog has changed slightly. We'll call the last 5 weeks a trial run but we're now into real stuff. The move to dublin means I will actually have to pay for everything rather than just being a leech at home. I will have to take a serious look at the gambling and see if it is beneficial while working at the same time. If not, then a decision will have to be made but today went fine.

Think I combined my 2 main football strategies well today. Played correct score on the Chelsea match and then match odds on the 2 spanish matches. No alarms thankfully. Bit of a surprise that Barcelona didnt win but they havent really been themselves this season. Pep says he thinks they're playing better than ever but he seriously cant believe that? 70% possession in the first half and 1-1 at half time? If Barca were really on it the match would have been out of sight by the time Mallorca managed to sneak one. Seems strange to start with Mach and Keita in midfield at home to a side that are set up to take the draw. I suppose with Xavi out there werent many other options. It just didnt look right. That puts alot of pressure on Iniesta. Villa being suspended as well doesnt help matters. Ah sure, they'll click again at some point, hopefully....

On to the second spanish match and Madrid are starting to look a little more impressive. An early goal always helps in a match like that an it was just a cakewalk in the end. It didnt really teach us anything more about madrid or the mourinho project. It could work out very nicely for the special one. If barca continue to struggle then who knows what could happen. If it was the last 2 seasons, he would have had no chance. Luck of a black cat that lad. He is fecking entertaining though. I'll give him that.

So the new job tomorrow. Christ I dont know what Im at. Not a clue. Lets hope it goes smoothly and its a bit of craic as well. Excited but worried at the same time. Just like gambling so! Another step to the top or a complete disaster?? Ah well, lets just enjoy the ride and see what happens. Good luck.

Cheers.



Friday, October 1, 2010

Dublin awaits!

Happy enough to continue the fightback. I always feel like i can pick out where to make a few quid in the champions league but its all about getting the job done rather than just saying it.

Barca Kazan match was up and down. Barca should have gone ahead a few times then give away a pen. They get a pen of their own in the second half and look like they're going to go on and win it but Rubin should have actually snuck it in the end. Was happy to get out with my 20 euro profit. Then on to Valencia Utd...

Interesting that alot of "experts" said utd didnt play well. I think if you examine the second half the main points would be a good save when berba was through 1 on 1, Chicharito hitting the post and Chicharito scoring.... I may be biased but clear cut Valencia chances were few and far between. They looked threatening and sent in alot of good crosses but I thought Rio and Vidic dealt with everything reasonably well. Perfect away performance?? Defend well and sneak it at the end?? It beats being 1-3 up and conceding twice in the last minute. Anyway, another 30 gained so thanks for coming!

Decided to be slightly more aggressive last night in the second match. Nothing major but managed to win 48 on the correct score market in the city juve game. Something I definitely want to try more and more of. Had a small lay of liverpool earlier in the day. How could I not? Atrocious team. Only thing better than seeing another dire Liverpool performance is winning a few bob on it.

Had my first tennis bet today as well since the US Open. In Rafas last 9 matches I've won money on 8 of them! Oh how I love the bull! It was handy just finding an extra few quid from somewhere apart from football. Was only 9 euro but still, a win is a win. Im having trouble uploading screen shots lately but I'll give a weekly one on Sunday hopefully!

So Im heading to Dublin tomorrow and starting work on Monday! Scary indeed. Potentially life changing. The job worries me alot because what the company does is so bloody complicated! Anyway, time to grab the bull by the horns and go for it! Im not sure what implications this will have on the gambling. Have never had to pay rent before or anything like that. Obviously things wont be the same as they were when I was in college. Staying up until all hours betting on Copa Libertadores and tennis. Good times. Maybe the best of times, but they couldnt last forever. The thing thats going in my favour is that football is my main sport of choice for betting and it fits nicely around the working mans schedule! I will probably have to apply a bit more care to my bets if Im fighting for my life! We'll see. I wouldnt mind a day out in the trading rooms either. Supposed to be very swish indeed.

Im living with my sister for the first week or two until I find somewhere closer to work. Thats not ideal either but its the way it is. Im working just off St Stephens Green so if anybody knows a good place to look they can let me know! I'll miss Galway. Its not perfect by any means but it is home and always will be. Although a change of scenery could lead to greater things. These are interesting times! Good luck everyone.

Cheers!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Road to recovery....??

I've had 3 bets since Saturdays disaster. Won 113 on the Bolton Man Utd match (thought it was 117 in my last post), 40 on Villarreal Malaga match last night and 50 on Chelsea tonight. Looks like the comeback is on!

Thats pretty good going though. €203 in 3 bets. I'll take that all day long. Didnt have to do anything stupid either. Everything  went nice and smoothly. Malaga were actually the better side in the second half last night even though they were down to ten men. I like watching Villarreal matches alot. Always seems to be goals or at least a good open match. Its interesting how a goal fest in the first half of a match never seems to lead to a barrage of goals in the second half. You'd think last night that at 2-3 at half time and Malaga down to 10 that more goals would follow. I feel sorry for the poor bastard out there that ploughed into over 5.5 goals at half time. We've all been there. Its not fun. I think people are better off laying 0-0 at half time if the first half was goaless rather than assuming that an open first half leads to an open second half. I dont know. Its a strategy that I've thought about many times but Im just too busy focusing on match odds. Maybe I'll run a trial on it and see what happens.

So anyway, on to Chelsea tonight. Had no problem going against Marseille. I genuinely believe that the French sides are among the weakest in the champions league compared to Spain, England, Germany, Italy and Portugal.  Both French sides were beaten tonight incidentally. Its just a very poor league at the moment. Chelsea drifted 7-8 ticks overnight for some reason and Marseille came in from 11.5 to 9.2. I can only think that people were concerned with no Lampard and Drogba but Malouda and Essien have been the standouts for Chelsea this season and as long as they were both playing I was happy. I also believe Anelka is better with no Drogba but Im sure many people have differing opinions. I must admit, I never used to get all the Michael Essien hype. Always thought he was a handy player, nothing more. But I have been unbelievably impressed with him this season. Chelsea are just better when he's there. Ancelottis decision to release so many midfielders in the summer is starting to make sense now. Carlo knew! Still think there is too much premature ejaculation regarding Chelseas start to the league though!

Funny how l'arse and Madrid both find victories tonight! Oh where oh where was that on Saturday?? Bunch of feckers. The joys of gambling! I also seem to have a few more followers!! 8 in total although I accidentally became a follower of myself so its only really 7! I tried to undo it but cant. Ah well, if you're not going to love yourself then who are you gonna love?? Cheers to mets for the comment on the last post as well. Always nice when someone else gets involved on the blog and to get a bit of feedback. Dont be shy folks. All the best and good luck.

Cheers!

Monday, September 27, 2010

A Real pain in l'arse

Christ, Saturday was a nightmare. Worst day for the blog I think. Sigh! I decided to change strategy and become more aggressive and I picked the wrong weekend to do it!

It started off ok. Played with the correct score market on the city match and won about 80 but after that everything went tits up. I was getting edgy by the end of last week because I felt that I wasnt progressing as fast as I maybe should be so I wanted to change that on Saturday. I just became to stupid and aggressive. Not the first time its happened. Will it be the last??? Arsenal let me down badly. Like what can you do?? All contingency plans go out the window when a team goes 0-2 down in about a minute. Then I decided to chase huge with Real Madrid and that was that! It was like watching the old batman with all those words appearing on the screen: CRASH, BANG, WALLOP, KAPOW!!

Everytime I've lost a bet on the blog I've asked myself the same thing. Would I place that bet again in the same situtation?? The answer has always been yes but on Saturday night after assessing things it really was a poor performance. An Arsenal side with no Fab, RVP, Theo and Wilshere only on the bench against a WBA side in good form. Poor bet! And also the Almunia factor has to be taken on board when examining l'arse. A Madrid side who have been very unconvincing away from home against a Levante side who were always going to battle for their lives when the big boys came to town. Another really poor bet.

I decided to go back to the tried and trusteed tactics on Sunday and won 117 on the Utd Bolton match. It just goes to show, if it aint broke.... I really shouldnt have tried to force things. Everything was going well. Let myself down badly and really have to start basically from scratch again.

Anyway, its times like this that the blog is for. Its easy to sing when you're winning. Look at me Im great!! But when you become a royal fuck up its tougher to talk but the lessons have to be learnt and losses have to be looked at. This is my last week in Galway before moving to dublin. It will be the biggest dose of reality that I will get in my life but I'll talk more about it before the big move.

So anyway, very disappointed but have to get back on the horse. The blog high was about 1800 and the lowest was down about 300-400. Im up about 300 now so we're not going to panic or blame our luck. You cant change tactics and increase stakes at the same time and expect to come out the other side a richer man. Things take time. Experimentation needs smaller betting before you can really go for it. Unfortunately I've had to learn that the hard way. Good luck!

Cheers!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Taking it easy

Im still in my sort of relax and take it easy betting mood. Its  nice. I havent had the time to stay at home and bet, hence theres alot less daily activity.

A very small win on porto on monday night followed by a small win with Real tonight. Im surprised I havent bet on more porto matches to be honest. Got involved with them on a weekly basis last season. I said in my second or third post of the blog that porto would have a great season! Its strange that I could see they were going to do well but havent put my money where my mouth is! Usually im good at doing that! Strange one. One of the reasons has been that porto matches have clashed with other matches i've been betting on which is always a pain in the ass.

It was a strangeish market actually. Nacional had lost their last 2, porto won every game this season, porto won there 0-4 last season and were 1.5 an hour before kick off. Porto name their strongest side and drift to 1.6 by kick off?? Answers on the back of a postcard to that one. They won 2-0 comfortably and also missed a penalty.... Sometimes I just dont get the way a market reacts. Anyway, won a whopping 10 euro! Happy days.

Had to go out for dinner tonight so a small bet on madrid before i left. Came back and saw they won 3-0 and there was 3 red cards in the match. Dont know what happened and dont really care. Add another 28 euro to that profit column please.

So the blog is now sitting on a profit of €1400. Pleasing scenes. Still under a month old. Christ, if fed had beaten djoker in the semi i could be over 3k! How thin that line is when you're in a mode of what essentially is kamikaze betting. Things have been alot more relaxed since the US Open ended. Lower liability, more planned betting and just alot less stress. Im really enjoying the way things are going at the moment. Lets hope it can continue! Good luck everyone!

Cheers!



Sunday, September 19, 2010

Tipping along nicely

A solid weekend by all accounts. Made 200 over Saturday and Sunday and the most liability I had on any bet was around the 200ish mark so that was satisfying in itself. Im managing to avoid doing stupid things at the moment. I was sitting there at half time of the chelsea match looking at the over 4.5 market. The match was 4-0 at half time and over 4.5 was 1.05/1.06 and I was just thinking, no way do I need the stress of hoping for another goal. There were times when I would have thrown hundreds at something like that. Not today. Im sticking strictly to match odds for the moment and will continue to do so as long as it keeps going well.


Started with the Bayern match yesterday and went from there. Bayern really are struggling at the moment but if somebody had been looking to land a 0-0 for the weekend then I hope they went for this match. Hardly a surprise. This fixture was 0-0 last season and Koln said they were coming for the same again this season so they were layed accordingly! And 0-0 it finished! Didnt fancy any of the 3pm premier league matches. They all looked a bit dodgy. Then on to the Arsenal match and the Madrid match after that. No real scary moments in those. The Bent goal didnt affect me at all although its good to see Wenger always having a moan. The Madrid match was nervy at times but felt I had control of the situation but its easy to say that after the event!


Then it was on to more of the same again today really. A lay of liverpool. They are gash at the moment. Absolute gash. Has Torres ever looked less interested?? And Maxi is dogshit. Poulsen looks like another poor acquisition and Raul Meireles looks like he'll nick the wheels off your car when you're in to do the shopping. Insane that they even managed to get it back to 2-2! Anyway, berbs made sure justice was done. A cracking hat trick by all accounts. The defensive mistakes are still a concern. What was Evans thinking to go sliding in on Torres in those conditions?? Then the shite wall for the Gerrard free kick. 2 shambolic pieces of defending. Have to laugh at Gerrard kissing the camera again. May as well kiss it son, cos you wont be kissing any trophies! Anyway, a win in the barca match capped off a relaxing weekend really! A far cry from the madness of the US Open! Still miss it though! Watched the tennis today as well. Fair play to Serbia! Janko and Nole getting wins today to beat the Czech Republic 3-2. Think they'll give the french a decent game in the final but I think the french will win it.


Not really sure what the plan is for this week. Carling Cup?? Hmmm, no thanks! Could be a very quiet week but thats no harm! As I said a few days ago, we're tipping along nicely so there's no need to go looking for trouble. €1361 is the profit for the blog and its not even a month old so Im happy for now!


On a final note, its not often that a comment on the betfair forum makes me laugh out loud but I thought that this one was a beauty from Reaseheath:


think Berba got a bit distracted when he got the gig doing the voiceovers for those comparethemarket.com adverts but seems to have adjusted to both roles now

Cheers!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Random

Ok, so I got the McNulty hissyfit out of my system. I dont have anything against the guy but he's just becoming another utd bashing journalist with too much time on his hands. Come on Phil, give us something interesting to read you tart!

Anyway, after strangely not having a bet wednesday, I was starting to wonder what was wrong?? Confidence just felt a little low. I was looking at the matches and seeing the potential pitfalls rather than the potential winnings which is a bit strange for me. Anyway, decided to play around a bit on thursday. I cant tell you how weary I am of the Europa League though. You really have to know where teams stand with it before you start piling in. Some teams make it their main priority for the season, others just couldnt give a rats ass. From my previous experiences with the europa league, you get far more goals than champions league matches so thats something to think about for the future. We had 78 goals in 24 matches on Thursday night with only one 0-0. I started off by taking it easy with the Juventes match. But nothing is straightforward with Juve these days! Go 0-2 down, go ahead 3-2 and concede with the last kick of the game! Second 3-3 in 4 days for Juve at home! Anyway, made a  profit so cant complain. Made a small bit on the liverpool match after that. Christ, watching a whole liverpool match. Its painful.

Then decided to dabble in MLS for the first time on the blog. I watch alot of MLS without betting too much but the confidence was up a bit. Wasnt risking anywhere near what I risk on matches at the weekend but another small win. It all adds up! Dallas would have actually won the game easily if they hadnt the man sent off imo. Red Bulls are poor, particularly their defense. They just let players coast past them. They're not too bad attacking but Henry really couldnt give a shit. Angel the main threat and he actually looks like he cares. I dont mind MLS. They did ok to get the draw, even if it came from an og. The matches are entertaining in their own way but everything is just so American. If you were to close your eyes and just listen to the commentary you would think its NFL thats on. But it is watchable, particularly when Real Salt Lake play.

Then tonight I had a small bet in the under 17 womens match between Japan and Ireland! Random! Bet came in as well. Europa League, MLS and Womens under 17's in the space of 24 hours! Crazy scenes!

Dont know what the plan for tomorrow is. I have to work all day so could well miss out on a good few matches which is a shame but hopefully I can get involved in the Spanish matches in the evening and maybe the Arsenal match. We'll see how the mood is tomorrow! Dont want to go looking for trouble either. Sunday looks like a belter of a punting day as well and the blog is in good profit so I dont need to rush things.

Cheers!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Thanks Phil!

No bets tonight but I'd like to thank Phil Mcnulty for proving my point! I said yesterday that he would have an article about fergies team selection and liverpools number 1 fan delivered today!

Still waiting on your match reports from Liverpools loss at Eastlands and the dire performance at Birmingham Phil......

Cheers!

Dull stuff

The Open has been over for a day and already Im missing the late nights! More importantly, what a dull match that was at Old Trafford this evening. Utd backers must have heart failure when they saw the team sheet. I think everybody has to learn the hard way that waiting for team news before having a bet is imperative. Last year I layed Besiktas at Old Trafford before waiting for the team news. Fergie puts out a carling cup lineup, Besiktas win 1-0 and Im left feeling like a knob!

Today was very strange though. Lets take everything into consideration. Utd had a poor last few minutes on the saturday lunchtime game. Nobody talks about the importance on bouncing back in the next match more than fergie. Also, utd dont play again until Sunday which gives the team 5 days rest. It was the first group game of a new champions league campaign. It was against Rangers, a club that treated fergie like shite when he played for them because he married a catholic girl. Why not go all out???  Win the early group games and then tinker once you've qualified?? Win the home games at least. I just dont know. Some of the media will have a field day. Im expecting a Phil McNulty article tomorrow on fergies arrogance. McNulty, a liverpool fan, never seems to comment on his own teams limp displays. Thats strange. Anyway, it appears that it was a blunder by fergie whichever way you want to look at it. I thought the team selection was ok. However, with Berba in the form of his utd career surely he has to keep on getting picked. Scholes cant play every match we know that. Carricks injured and Ando not match fit so a midfield of Gibson and Fletcher was the way it had to be. Rooney still way out of sorts as well. Was just one of those nights. Everything just felt off. Absoloutely gutted for Valencia. Looked like nothing happened but if you watch the replay his ankle is just barely hanging off his foot. Out for the season. Heartbreaking. But the player utd always miss most when he isnt there is Evra. I've said it to whoever listens to my nonsensical ramblings on a number of occasions. Leave Evra out and utd will struggle. Anyway, hindsight is a beautiful thing. Lets hope for more exciting matches ahead!! Madrid Ajax tomorrow?? Oh dear god yes. Cue 0-0....

So from a betting perspective there were decisions to be made. My approach through the world cup was when I didnt fancy match odds that I would lay in the correct score market. That wasnt an option tonight because a team coming to play for a draw can go either way. A lay of rangers was really the only thing that I could come up with. Ah ya, its taking the easy way out but what else could I do?? They were always just going to play for the draw and I didnt have enough faith in utd to get the job done. Scoles, Berba and Nani werent even on the bench. There was nobody to save your bacon tonight if the first 11 didnt fire. The odds were a bit dire on laying rangers but I felt it was a winner and was willing to take that risk. Its not the way to go all the time obviously but tonight it was and thankfully it came in. You actually would have gotten worse odds on laying 0-0 rather than laying rangers which i thought was a bit odd. Rangers were always going to set up with a 9-1 formation so you would expect the odds to be higher on them rather than a 0-0?? More chance of a 0-0 rather than a Rangers win??? Yes?? No?? Maybe so?? I'll leave that for the regular 0-0 layers to decide. I layed 0-0 a few times in the world cup and thankfully it came off every time i did. Its one of those bets though isnt it?? Just looks so easy. Yes, I only need a goal. Yup somebody will definitely score.  Easy! But the main issue I have with it is when to decide to get out?? Because you only need that one goal to go in the chances are you're going to wait it out! And then, inevitably a 0-0 will find you. Although its a beautiful thing when that goal does come. Market suspends. Net bulges. The nervousness turns to elation. The bet cant lose. Onwards and upwards. Everyones a winner baby thats the truth! If only it could be that simple. More football tomorrow. Good luck to us all!

Cheers!



Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Bye bye US Open

Well thats it. The end to 2 weeks of late nights, ups and downs and a few mini heart attacks along the way. This US Open was a hell of a ride and I have no regrets. I see it as my last tennis hurrah before I enter the working world. Realistically, once I start working, the days of betting on matches of a slam all day every day will be over so I definitely didnt hold back on this one.

It was a strange weekend overall. So many gubbings in the football it was untrue. Barcelona losing 2-0 to Hercules?? Also carnage at goodison with the 2 late goals. I was delighted Saturday evening to be up 140 considering many would have had done their conkers by that stage. Unfortunately the day didnt finish so well losing 1k in the fed djoker match. Absoloutely no complaints at all. Yes, I expected Fed to serve much better than 53% on first serves and make alot less than 66 unforced errors but the fact of the matter is I could have traded out and I didnt. But, he takes one of those two match points and its party time. It would be nice to never lose a bet and never make a mistake but life isnt like that. Its amazing how thin the line is between success and nowhere. Then on to Sunday and there really wasnt anything on at all. Managed to make 25 on the liverpool brum match somehow but that was that.

Didnt bet as big on the final today but delighted to make 190ish on Rafa and saw history being made in the process. Love the bull. Great man to have on your side when you need a bit of a bounce back after a dodgy weekend. Should go down as the greatest ever surely. The grand slam at 24. 9 majors already. Epic. The secret to his new serve is down below!

So what can I take from this US Open?? An overall profit of 249.13.... Its ok considering the time and effort put in but the fact that I was 1200 down after 3 days makes the profit far more satisfying. I just couldnt end the Open on those terms after 3 days! No way! At least it shows I can definitely fight because I was really in the shitter after the Wednesday of week 1. Fed losing hurt the profit big time but I got that far by taking risks so I was never going to hold back. He who dares....

Its a tough situation I have going on with tennis. The best way to describe it is.... Well think of football as my reliable wife. She'll always be there. Fits nicely into my schedule. Doesnt make a nuisance of herself and will be there for the rest of my days having my back. Then there's tennis. My mistress. Gives me unbelievable amounts of joy but alos leaves me feeling like a right dick at times. The problem with a mistress is she's not convenient, shes risky, she's expensive in the long term and you never really learn from your mistakes in time enough to avoid eventually being caught. I definitely need a change of tactics anyway. Probably just green out and call it a day. I get myself into positions to lock in a profit but let the bet ride. It will just hurt ya too much. Another thing is, tennis comes along in these bursts and I just become this tennis adrenaline junkie trying to make a profit in as many matches as possible before the tournie runs out and it clouds the decision making process. At least I get some time off before deciding the best way forward. Only really davies cup coming up and not sure I've much interest in getting involved. As I've said, I'll look back on the open positively. I proved that I could fight back from a bad position so now just need to focus on preserving profits when Im in a good position. Was a hell of a ride!

So its back to football for now. Ah yes. Thats better. Champions league tomorrow night to focus on. Will get involved in Utd Rangers, just dont know how yet. Was looking back and the overall profit for the blog now stands at 1072.33 after just over 3 weeks. Feels like I've been talking nonsense for longer to be honest! Nah, Im happy with that for now. Was down about 400 at one stage so things are on the up. Just keep avoiding the gubbings and we'll be fine. Im enjoying it and I hope my 2 followers are too! Ha! Definitely puts things into perspective when you have to think and talk about them after rather than using the magic memory delete button. Lets hope we can keep it going. All the best.

Cheers!






Saturday, September 11, 2010

Weekend is here

Was a quiet enough night. Will be good to get an earlyish night ahead of a busy day of sport tomorrow. Thought I'd try and find some groove on the football as I've been in tennis mode for nearly two weeks but it didnt go according to plan.

Ended up losing 50 on the benfica match. They really are a poor outfit at the moment. I thought their win 2 weeks ago would have been the start of a good run but it appears not. Last season they had the "we'll score more than you approach" which is fine but after losing Ramires and Di Maria in the Summer they're not scoring enough and still conceding too much. Their keeper Cesar is an absolute liability to begin with. He was dropped after a dreadful start to the season only for his replacement to get sent off in the next match so he's back in for now. Just looks clueless when dealing with a cross of any kind and constantly parries shots into the path of incoming strikers. What a tit. Was at fault for that second goal tonight imo. They're also lacking creativity at the moment. Coentrao looks like the only player capable of creating anything but even when he does the chances arent being put away. Its an attractive strikeforce on paper: Cardozo, Saviola and Aimar but its just not happening at the moment. Already its looking like Porto are going to cruise to the title. Strange thing to say when we're only in the fourth week of the portugese league. Anyway, we'll see what happens. Staying away from Benfica matches looks the safest option for the future.

So it was back to tennis to make a profit for the day. I didnt fancy anything on the first match. Wanted to see how the conditions were and Woz has had it extremely handy in this tournament so far. Fair play to Vera though. Looking very cool at the moment and played very well tonight. Was a comfortable win in the end actually. I said the last day Woz doesnt make many mistakes but she was a bit all over the place today. Still only 20 though and will have her day in the future. No doubt about that. Decided to be patient for the second match. Ended up having 100 on Kim at 1.63. Cant risk the same amounts I do on the men because lets face it, you're not depending on one person to play better than the other. In the WTA you're depending on one player to play less shit than the other so having a 1k liability in that scenario is not fun. Also in a 3 set match, the market can get away from you very quickly and the matches arent even as good to watch.

I just felt Kim had more control of what was happening and has been more impressive in the previous rounds. Everything looks so awkward with Venus and lots of things have to click for her serve to work. She cant rely on it like Serena can. Dumping the backhand into the net has been a regular occurrence throughout this tournament as well and we saw it again tonight. The tiebreak in the second was crucial. Venus on the first 2 points of her serve throwing in 2 double faults! Classic! When you oppose somebody and they do that in an important tiebreak it just feels like Christmas. Kim still had her dodgy moments in the third but she's one of the best players on tour to put them out of her mind and keep going for her shots. Love it! Always nice to get a day back in profit when you've had a loss. Something satisfying about it! There doesnt seem to be much love lost between Kim and Venus though. She didnt even look at Venus when they shook hands at the end. Usually Kim is all kisses to her opponent. Maybe she doesnt enjoy the fact that a man like Venus has made a living off playing womens tennis...

Backed The Bull last night as well after Nandos first service game. I just felt the windy conditions were going to affect him too much. Wasnt feeling to smug when Nando went 4-2 ahead but as the set went on Rafa got better and better. I was surprised it took him that long. He usually gets to grip with windy conditions straight away. Loved the Rafa service game at 2-4 down though. Threw in a few come ons and fist pumps from nowhere. They were completely needless but definitely raised his intensity and he broke next game! From there on it was just complete dominance. I love it when a plan comes together. Youzhny up next tomorrow?? Christ 1.08 is short. I've never ever liked Youzhny though. Looks like the type of guy who would screw your girlfriend and then put a recording of it on the internet.... From a tennis perspective he has a quality backhand but you have to feel Rafa is good enough and will be able to tactically win the battle, not like stan who would come to the net against the Youzhny backhand. Idiot. Youzhny has dropped 5 sets on his way to the semis. Rafa had dropped SERVE once... Still though. 1.08 is short!! Lets hope for drift tomorrow.

Not going into the weekend with much football confidence so! A few iffy fixtures tomorrow as well, particularly after the international break. Chelsea away to West Ham, Utd away to Everton. Barca short against Hercules! It feels like a day that could go either way. Lots to ponder. Anyway, enjoy the Friday Feeling!

Cheers!


Thursday, September 9, 2010

More late nights

Completely lost all awareness of night and day now. Love it though. Staying up until all hours betting on tennis. Its what its all about. Will miss it when the open is over. Staying up late with nothing to do. Starting to run out of matches as well. Wouldnt be surprised if I dont end up betting tomorrow. Will be working when Stan Youz starts and Im not thrilled with the odds being offered on Rafa. Anyway, we'll see what happens. No point betting just for the sake of it. Tempting to keep going because the last 7 days have been epic. Lots of football on at the weekend to look forward to so no need to rush into anything for the next couple of days.

Another profitable night in which I made over 200. Pretty good going I think. As I said, we're running out of matches fast. The unbelievably windy conditions made everything a little more uncomfortable from a punting perspective. No problems opposing Monfils though. Djoker in a nice groove his last few matches and Gael is just a clown. As talented as anyone out there but just pathetic really. He just seems so desperate to get the crowd on his side that what is actually going on is insignificant. Im probably being too blunt here but its just how I feel about the guy. Wasting his talent. Anyway, credit Djoker, played the conditions better and was always in charge of the rallies. Comfortable evening for him and his backers thankfully!

The Woz match was interesting. I like her game. Its watertight. Very few errors and can pick her winners at the right time. Makes less mistakes than her opponent and in the WTA thats good enough. Odds were woeful though. I expected drift because I thought the conditions would even up the match and thats what happened in the second set but a Cibulkova error was always around the corner. She played some cracking points though.  Was a much better match than the dogshit that the four ladies produced last night. Even better considering the wind.

So 2/2 and on to Fed. Just couldnt back him pre match. I was so tempted. Was on my mind all day. But the French Open was still in my memory. I really had to see which Soderling turned up before doing anything stupid.  As I said before, Soda is just a player that has screwed me royally in the past. I actually think he played a better first set than fed. The ump screwed him out of a break point early on but I always felt it was even. Was reading on bbc there about a fed masterclass and all that but Soderling just played awful on the big points and thats what it came down to. I suppose thats the game really. But Fed broken 3 times in the match by a statistically poor returner?? Was more of a Swedish choker masterclass rather than a Fed masterclass imo.  Can Nole and Nadal hold their nerve better than the sod?? I'd say so. I think I'd still give Nadal the outright edge from what I've seen. How much did the Ferrer win take out of Verdasco?? Surely that has something to do with the short price on the bull tomorrow... Spanish Bull V Swiss Goat is very much on for Sunday.

Will be great to get back to football at the weekend. Will be a culture shock! Football has always been my main focus. The blog has basically been a tennis blog so far but thats just because of the Open. I dont get the big wins on football though. Usually just happy to tip along at a nice pace. The tennis is where I really let loose. It can be tough to balance the two. More than happy with the way things are going at the moment. Feel like doing the dance below??

Cheers!








Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The run continues

Was a bit concerned after the Stan win that I might get a bit carried away with things and end up losing but thankfully the last 2 days have been pretty steady.

A great nights tennis last night. Well from the mens side anyway. The women were just completely gash. Double faults, errors and breaks of serve galore. Was a bit painful to watch actually. Managed to win on Venus but it was uneasy viewing. But screw it. I'd rather a player plays poorly and still wins rather than playing well and losing.

Backed Rafa last night as well. Alright the odds were really poor but I was happy enough to take them. Feliciano just isnt in the right decade though is he?? The hair. The headband. The clothes that dont look like they fit. The state of that backhand. The serve volleying. Just the whole show. He looked clueless last night tbh. I just never know what the gameplan is with Lopez. Plan A go out and serve well. Plan B go out and serve even better. Maybe he should write some tactics out on a page and have a look at them after the warm up for the match like Monfils does. Not that it would help him of course. 23rd seed?? Laughable tbh. It showed his coach after 3 games. The guy looked ready to cry. I think the Spaniards are in awe of Rafa anyway. Whens the last time any of them have given him a decent match?? And no, Lopez beating Rafa at Queens most certainly doesnt count. Probably Verdasco at Oz 09?? Anyway thats who's up next. Cracking match with Ferrer. 2-0 down and he turns his cap backwards and starts absoloutely pelting the ball. Oh Nando you are a rebel. Great stuff though. Back to the wall. Might as well let loose and go all out instead of playing emmmmm dropshots (are you listening Murray??)

Hopefully a Rafa Fed final awaits. Im really hoping for it. Rafa has stepped it up really well and the ball is just pinging off Feds racquet. Soderling tonight for Fed though. It was be just like that Swedish bastard to mess things up. Soderling for me is just a jinx. When I oppose him he plays like god. When I back him he plays like a tart. Act accordingly tonight please Robin.

Im happy with things at the moment. Obviously have to make the most of a grandslam while its here. Body clock is all over the place but Im making the right decisions at the moment so thats pleasing. Won on the scotland match as welll. Wasnt too fussed about the late winner. A draw would have done anyway. Poor old Pepe Reina. Gets a start for Spain last night and then has a mare. Awwww. Well thats what you get for celebrating winning the World Cup like a mad man when you have contributed approximately 0 minutes in the whole tournament. Go shine your head you tit. Wont be starting for Spain again for quite a while. Anyway, not to worry, the europa league awaits.....