Premiership Football Preview w/e 20th/21st January 2007

The View From Below

The January transfer window is two-thirds expired and some clubs are exhibiting manic tendencies in their desperation to improve, especially those near the foot of the Premiership where financial panic has gripped the boardrooms.

Watford are not one of them. They give the impression of having accepted that their fate is already sealed with a swift return to the Coca Cola Championship. Selling their up-and-coming (for he is no more than that) winger/striker Ashley Young for a stupendous sum of nearly £8,000,000 upfront (with more to come on performances) to Aston Villa is great business. That money, along with the £27,000,000 or so that the bottom team will receive from the Premier League at the end of the season should bode well for the Hornets and enable them to build a strong side in next year's Championship. Watford are one for the future.

Compare and contrast to Charlton and West Ham, who are in panic mode. Charlton demonstrated their anxiety in the crazy manager dealings of recent weeks. Revolving manager doors do not make for a settled side. West Ham meanwhile are still in spasms from the crushing 6-0 defeat at Reading and the generally poor run of form they are in. The new owners must be aghast at their purchase and could not have taken seriously at the time the prospect of relegation. Now, they are splashing cash with abandon, or attempting to given that most the overpriced offers they are making are not being met with success, bar Luis Boa Morte.

Aston Villa are another club with a wealthy new owner who has seen the fortunes of his purchase reverse into decline. Villa were riding high when he bought in, and now they are in danger of landing in a dogfight. Cue the ridiculous outlay for Ashley Young.

Another club in trouble but at least carrying on in dignity is Wigan Athletic. They desperately need a win, or even a draw, after a series of defeats has left them with a foot dangling above the trap door.

This Saturday, those clubs at the foot face some tasks. In a true fixture coincidence the Ashley Young parties face each other at Villa Park on Saturday. The home team are a best 8/13 at Ladbrokes while Watford are a backable 5/1 with VC Bet. However, the draw at 13/5 seems the more realistic outcome with value odds. Bet365 and VC Bet offer this.

West Ham have a trip to Newcastle to ponder. Normally this would be described as "tricky" but when a Coca Cola Championship side wins there by 5-1 in the FA Cup in the same week with the side likely to face West Ham, you have second thoughts. However, remember that confidence and form is everything. Birmingham may be from a lower league but they have bags of confidence and lead their division. West Ham have bags of nerves while Glenn Roeder will be seeking more from his beleaguered Magpies. Paddy Power have the Toon Army at even money, so the value isn't great but it is hard to see West Ham winning judging by their ineptitude at the Madejski three weeks ago in their last away fixture. Optimistic Hammers might like the 12/5 on the draw at Bet365.

Charlton travel to Portsmouth seemingly a lost cause. Alan Pardew has yet to effect a change in fortunes of a side with little confidence. Fratton Park is the last place sides like this want to go to. I'm no fan of odds-on bets but the 4/7 about Pompey seems about right at Bet365 and Ladbrokes. Better value is perhaps the 17/10 on Pompey on the handicaps at Bet365. A two goal win or better secures this.

Wigan have a tight-looking match at home to Everton on Sunday. The latter are useful but in sketchy form at the moment so maybe this will be the day Wigan nick a much needed win at home and odds of 6/4 are generally available with the bookmakers listed on the right of this page. Everton followers might like the 9/4 at VC Bet but they need to step it up a bit.

The full programme for the weekend's Premiership is (3pm unless stated):

Saturday 20th January
Aston Villa v Watford
Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool v Chelsea, 12.45pm
Manchester City v Blackburn Rovers, 5.15pm
Middlesbrough v Bolton Wanderers
Newcastle United v West Ham United
Portsmouth v Charlton Athletic
Reading v Sheffield United

Sunday 21st January
Arsenal v Manchester United, 4.00pm
Wigan Athletic v Everton, 1.30pm

For full odds on these, click on your chosen bookmakers from our list on the right for special deals.

Ed note: Try the free £25 bet at Blue Square when you open a new account

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