Back to the daily grind...

After a well earned weeks holiday I am back this week to hopefully continue my stellar run of profit in the past few posts. I would have brought some tips to you from afar last week, but with the hotel looking for about £5 for an hours internet use I decided against it I'm afraid. I'm sure you coped without me though.

Last weekends football certainly made everyone who wasn't already sit up and take notice of Man City's title challenge this year. I have been saying for weeks now that Man Utd's squad has been vastly over-rated by people who should know a whole lot better and City have made it clear to all there are some glaring weaknesses. The defence first off is looking as bad as it has for a long time now. Rio looks shot to bits and with Vidic also still recovering it leaves them short at centre half and forced to play the enduringly rubbish Jonny Evans. With Pat Evra also looking a shadow of his former self at left back it does not bode well. I wont go into central midfield as that has been covered in great deal elsewhere. City have looked irresistible at times in both matches this week. David Silva is showing that Spain currently has a monopoly on diminutive playmakers and along with Sergio Aguero they are the 2 true world class players in the Premier League. Possibly joined by Rooney when he's in a golden patch.

Music comes from Tim Barry with Thing Of The Past.

Back to the tipping now. I'm already pretty confident about a couple of these!

Norwich v Blackburn, Saturday 1500

Norwich and their manager Paul Lambert will be looking to continue their climb up the table by getting a home win against a dreadful Blackburn side. The Canaries were again very impressive against Liverpool at Anfield last weekend and were unlucky to only leave with a point in the end from what I saw. Whilst many were quick to write them off due to a complete lack of experience at Premier League level they have instead thrived. Lambert was quoted as looking for players with points to prove and noone typifies that more than strikers Steve Morison and Grant Holt. Both have spent a lot of time at either League 2 or Conference level and come to the top division later in their careers. With players like Elliot Bennet and Anthony Pilkington also hungry to prove they belong they are looking a decent side. Blackburn continue to look like a team heading towards the Championship and sadly it is entirely the fault of the owners and manager. Steve Kean is not a manager, and his recent press conferences have made him also look a bit ridiculous. It is all very well defending your players, but not completely when they've been hopeless. And the owners must share the blame for both appointing him and then continuing to let him make a mess of the club. Back Norwich at 2.05 with Boylesports.

Man City v Wolves, Saturday 1500

A repeat of the midweek Carling Cup clash in this fixture, although I would expect a few different faces. Man City changed all eleven players before running out 5-2 winners in the week and I would expect at least seven or eight regulars to return to add to Mick McCarthy's misery. City were passing and moving with fantastic ease in both wins this week and I would expect them to continue those sort of performances for a little while yet. The Carlos Tevez affair seems to have made Mancini look an even better manager and the players seem to be fully behind him. The rotation that he is afforded by such an impressive squad is also keeping the players on their toes knowing that one poor performance will give someone else a chance. Wolves started the season promisingly before fading badly in the last few weeks. They did leave a lot of regulars out in midweek also, but I struggle to see any way for them to get anything other than a humping in this one. Back Man City To Win Both Halves at 2.1 with Paddy Power.

Villarreal v Rayo Vallecano, Saturday 1700

This is a must bet for me this week! I've always been a big fan of the way Villarreal have played football all the way back to Manuel Pellegrini and Juan Riquelme. They imported South American players who went on to play some fantastic stuff and give the big boys in Spain a fright on more than one occasion. However comma since the appointment of Pellegrini old assistant Juan Carlos Garrido they have been steadily declining. They have lost some brilliant players like Santi Cazorla to Malaga and Nilmar to a lengthy injury. And now to add to the list Guiseppe Rossi has been ruled out for around 6 months after tearing his ACL in the week. They have no supply to the forwards and now no forwards either. Rayo are one of the most passionate sets of fans in La Liga and always take a large away following to every match. They come into this match off the back of two impressive victories away at Betis and at home to Malaga. They look to be hitting their stride after a slow start and will fancy their chances here. Back Rayo and the Draw Double Chance at a massive 1.96 at Ladbrokes.

Sporting Gijon v Athletic Bilbao, Sunday 1100

The early kick off on Sunday in La Liga has two sides coming into some form meeting at Gijon. Bilbao made the bold decision over the summer to try something completely new in terms of philosophy and appointed Marcelo Bielsa as manager. They have traditionally always produced good players, but the style of football has always been hard and almost English. They relied on an impressive home record a lot and looked for European pushes every now and again. Bielsa is not a man to hump long balls at a target man all game. He has tried to get players like Munain, Gurpegui and Javi Martinez to play their way around the pitch and it is now looking much better. They had a very good win at home to Atletico Madrid last night with a 3-0 win and Fenrnando Llorente grabbing a brace. Gijon have also seemed to turn a corner after sacking boss Preciado. They backed up a win over newly promoted Granada at home last weekend with a very good away victory over Mallorca on Wednesday night. I see this as two sides looking for another win to continue their runs and I think it could be a cracking fixture. Back over 2.5 Goals at 2.1 with Stan James.

Schalke v Hoffenheim, Saturday 1430

First tip from the Bundesliga is from a match between high-flying Schalke and mid-table Hoffenheim. After shooting through the lower leagues and leading the Bundesliga at Christmas in their first season Hoffenheim have settled back into an upper mid-table outfit. This season goals seem to have been hard to come by for them, especially away from home. They have only scored 13 in 10 matches, which is quite low for the Bundesliga. They also have a record of won two and lost 3 away from home, with the wins coming against newly promoted Augsburg and a struggling Mainz outfit. They have been neaten in their last two away matches by both Stuttgart and Koln without scoring in the process. Schalke currently sit in third position in the table having begun fantastically before settling into more realistic form of late. They lost their last home match in a bad tempered affair to Kaiserslautern when they really should have won, but have won the other three from their last four. I would back them to get back on track here. Back Schalke at 2.0 with William Hill.

Wolfsburg v Hertha Berlin, Saturday 1430

This match sees two sides separated by a single position meeting. Both sit in mid-table, but it is their respective home and away records that make this one appeal. Wolfsburg have won three and only lost one at home this season and have won all of the last three at home too. They haven't scored many, only five, but have ground the victories out by virtue of a tight defence that has only conceded three at home all season. Hertha have played five away from Berlin and have won one, drawn two and lost two. They have done this whilst conceding ten and scoring six. They do seem to be something of a cavalier outfit and if Wolfsburg can repel them they should be able to get the goal or two to win this match. Back Wolfsburg at 2.3 with William Hill.

Ankaragucu v Istanbul BB, Sunday 1700

First Turkish tip sees a horrendous Ankara side hosting in-form Istanbul BB on Sunday afternoon. Ankara currently sit bottom of the SuperLig with one point from eight matches. They have been wretched in every single match bar the draw and fully deserve their position in the table. They were beaten 2-0 by both newly promoted Orduspor and also ten man Manisaspor this week. Istanbul BB did relatively well last season on the back of some fine home form. They currently stand unbeaten at home from four matches this season too and are riding high in third position. They may well fade away, but currently they're going well. They have not won in their last two matches, with results of a draw and a loss, but I think they can get back on track by beating a doomed Ankara side. Back Istanbul BB at 2.3 with Stan James.

Gaziantepspor v Trabzonspor, Saturday 1700

This one is a bit more of a long shot than the rest of my bets, but one I have a decent feeling about. Gaziantepspor put together a great run last season by being tough to beat at home and also made the final of the Turkish Cup because of the same reason. This season has not started as they would have hoped, but they are now unbeaten in their last four matches including a draw with Besiktas and an amazing 4-2 win against Galatasaray away during the week. Trabzonspor are unbeaten away from home so far, but have drawn three of their four away matches. They will also be likely to have a eye on the winnable match in the Champions League in the week at home to CSKA Moscow. They rely heavily on striker Yilmaz as noone else really chips in with enough goals and I would not be hugely surprised if he was keeping his powder dry for the Russians. I would back Gaziantepspor Draw No Bet at 2.1 with Paddy Power.

The weekend starts here...

Welcome back to the world of tipping after a weeks break for me. I've never been a fan of betting on international football outside of the actual major tournaments and have not done well at it to compound my misery. I have therefore imposed a ban on myself and took a weeks sabbatical to have a break from betting and recharge for this week, hopefully we'll all see the benefits!

As I keep reminding anyone that will listen, I've been in nothing less than great form of late. I've been over 20% profit for all of the last 4 weeks and this has given me some increased spends as well as as a bit of leeway from my projected target of 10% for the whole season. This is a challenging target as most bookmakers will aim for a 6-7% profit and they have teams of people to give them the best shot, but one that I think is definitely possible. The most important thing, and a solid life lesson too, is to make sure you always learn from your mistakes/losses. I backed Arsenal on the first weekend as around 2.0 away at Newcastle would have been a great price in recent years and has since been made to look an accurate reflection. Therefore, I am now a lot less likely to back the Gunners, unless the price is way off. The other lesson is to pick your bets carefully. Don't feel like you need to stick to the English leagues, they often represent the worst chances of success. If you take the time to research other European leagues in decent depth you are probably a step ahead of many bookmakers. Anyway, sermon over for now.

Music this week comes from another recent discovery, The Copyrights with Button Smasher.

Liverpool v Man Utd, Saturday 1245

Probably the biggest match of the whole weekend is also the first up in the Premier League. Man Utd travel to Anfield to try to beat Kenny Dalglish for the first time in the league in 5 attempts under his management. Obviously this stat is largely irrelevant as 4 of those were with completely different sides, but I thought I'd throw it in there. Liverpool have started the season ok, with Luis Suarez looking a class act and Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing also looking solid acquisitions. However comma Andy Carroll looks horrendously off the pace and Jordan Henderson seems to be living up to most observers suggestion that he was a £5million at best. The problem also comes in the fact Carroll scored in last weeks Merseyside derby and will therefore expect to keep his place, possibly to the detriment of successful tactics. He and Suarez have still struck up no understanding at all and the way to dominate Man Utd is still in midfield for me. They are still weak in the centre of the park and a 5 man midfield supporting Suarez would be my choice. United have looked good in attack with Nani, Young and Rooney linking superbly at times and scoring plenty of goals. As mentioned though, the midfield is still weak and the defence has looked at sixes and sevens all too often already. Liverpool's price is tightening all the time, but they still must be backed for me. Back Liverpool Draw No Bet at 2.22 on Betfair before the price goes.

Norwich v Swansea, Saturday 1500

Two of the newly promoted sides clash at Carrow Road on Saturday and both have already impressed in patches this season. Norwich have looked a physically more impressive side with the likes of Richie De Laet and the behemoth Grant Holt in the side giving them a certain presence. They also have plenty of guile from Wes Hoolahan when he gets match time to provide an extra dimension to their play. They have been in a very good run recently that was brought to an end by a not at all shameful 0-2 reverse at Old Trafford. They more than held their own for large periods though and could have scored on a couple of occasions. And that is where the problems lie for both sides. Swansea have played some lovely stuff leading to goal, but Danny Graham (similarly Grant Holt), will never be Premier League quality strikers. It is often said the higher up the leagues you go the less chances you get to score, and these boys look like the chances are no longer enough for them. All being said I would expect Norwich to get back to winning ways in front of an always passionate home crowd. Back Norwich at 2.25 with Betfred.

Getafe v Villarreal, Saturday 1700

In recent years Villarreal have risen from mediocrity to regular Champions League participants due to a healthy cash injection and good management. They have a reputation for delivering results in style and with plenty of goals to boot, with doses of South American flair thrown in. Sadly, towards the end of last season this started to look less and less likely to continue. They have not had a playmaker now since Pellegrini departed and only Nilmar has really supplied regular touches of class. His form has nosedived in the last 3 months and it has really hurt the side. Guiseppe Rossi is a poacher primarily and with no supply he is very unlikely to create an awful lot for himself. All of this has added up to a solitary win so far in La Liga and a disturbing lack of goals. Getafe have never been accused of being entertaining apart from a brief spell under Michael Laudrup. They are a team that likes to keep it tight and hope to nick the odd goal, a bit like Bolton under Allardyce years ago. They have a tiny budget and are dwarfed in the supporter stakes by the much larger Madrid sides of Real Madrid and Atletico as well as even Rayo Vallecano. The fact they continue to compete in La Liga is testament to good management. I see this one as being a cagey affair. Back Under 2 Goals at 2.37 with Bet365.

Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen , Saturday 1430

Now to my weekly Monchengladbach bet! They have not let me down yet this season and continue to eke out 1-0 wins with some regularity. The appointment of Lucien Favre as manager has led to a much more robust side and one that is perfectly comfortable defending a lead. They currently sit third in the Bundesliga and look good to continue the run until injuries or suspensions take a toll on a relatively small squad. They did lose their last match 1-0 away at Freiburg, but are currently unbeaten at home and have only conceded 2 goals in 4 home matches. Leverkusen have been up and down so far already. They sit in mid table at this early stage and I would still expect them to push for Europe again this year. They have managed to lose 4-1 one week and win 4-1 the next and that sums up the sort of campaign they are having. They have scored goals, but also conceded and if Monchen can get ahead I would fancy them to hold on for another tight win. Back Borussia Monchengladback at 2.75 with Coral.

Cesena v Fiorentina, Sunday 1130

If you can be bothered to get up early on a Sunday then you will these days be treated to the new early kick offs Serie A introduced last season. Sadly a lot of these matches have led to dull games that have reinforced stereotypes about Serie A that have always put off the casual football watcher. It seems that the early start has an effect on the players who often take a while to get going and can lead to casual looking lay at times. Cesena currently sit joint bottom of the table with only one draw to show for their five matches. They have only scored 2 in those games as well as conceding 7. Fiorentina sit in mid table mediocrity at this early stage as they have for much of the last 2 seasons. They still have the odd good player like Jovetic, Vargas and Montolivo, but they lack players around them to elevate them to better things. They have so far played two away matches conceding 2 whilst failing to score. This match has all the makings of a horrendous watch! Back the Draw at 2.2 at William Hill.

Lazio v Roma, Sunday 1945

The Eternal City derby takes place in the prime Sunday evening slot and should be volatile as ever. It is a designated Lazio match at the Stadio Olimpico and Roma are also missing local boy and talisman Francesco Totti according to the media and the man himself. The two sides sit level on 8 points in the table at present and have both looked good and poor in equal parts. Roma have been a lot more cavalier as was expected under new manager Luis Enrique who was brought in from Barcelona in something of an experiment to see if a more Spanish approach can be successful in Italy. So far it has had mixed results. But, it is very early stages and a lot of new players were brought in who need to acclimatise and get used to each other. Lazio kept together a very solid squad from last season and added Djibril Cisse's pace as well as Miroslav Klose's know how to their options. These two have looked like adding something extra to the side and the Brazilian Hernanes has also impressed again for them in a deep lying playmaker role. He is still somehow not making the Brazil squad so should be fully rested for this match. Roma also have an appalling recent record in derby matches to add to reasons to oppose them. Back Lazio at 2.62 with Victor Chandler.

Orduspor v Eskisehirspor, Saturday 1300

Newly promoted Orduspor host last season surprise package Eskisehirspor in the early match in the Super Lig this weekend. Eskisehir started the season very well with triumph over Besiktas at home in their first match followed by thrashing Sivasspor 4-0 away in their second performance. Since then though they have drawn at home with Gencerbirligi and lost to both Galatasaray and Trabzonspor. Whilst losing to Gala and Trabzon is no great surprise it is the fact they have now failed to score in three games that worries most. It was their achilles heal last season and looks to have continued to be a problem. Orduspor sit one place above them in the table having so far been undefeated in two home matches. They seem to be built as a tight, compact side who's aim is firstly not to concede and then to try and snatch a goal. They could capitalise against a thoroughly out of form Eski here. Back Orduspor at 2.4 with Stan James.

Gencerbirligi v Antalyaspor, Sunday 1300

The first Super Lig match on Sunday has another newly promoted side as hosts, this time with Gencerbirligi entertaining Antalyaspor. Neither side has stared the season particularly well and both will probably see this as a winnable match and one to push them further away from the bottom of the table. Gencer are actually unbeaten at home and have found points much harder to come by on their travels. This is a fairly common phenomenon in my experience of Turkish football, and minor leagues in general. The travelling is normally not exactly in luxury and money dictates no long stays to get used to your surroundings at all. Antalyaspor are currently higher in the table, but have played five matches including four against some of the weakest opposition in the league, in my opinion. And they haven't done that well against them either. I think their league position is something of a misnomer and would expect Gencer to give them a much better match than they have had so far except in their loss to Besiktas. Back Gencerbirligi at 2.5 with Stan James.