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Ole Gunner Solskar holds the another European Cup before his testimonial

There will be fond memories of Ole Gunner Solskar around the Premier League grounds but his type of player is increasingly out of fashion. The title race for 2008/9 will be decided in midfield. As ever Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson was ahead of the game when he signed first Michael Carrick from Spurs and then Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich to bring steel and guile into his midfield. It was a move that others have followed. Felipe Scolari brought in Deco to bring some zip and flair to Chelsea and has refused to let Frank Lampard go. Arsene Wenger’s only major purchase so far was to bring in Sami Nasri to compliment Cesc Fabregas in midfield. It seems after a summer of yes and no, that Rafa Benitez will get Gareth Barry to bring muscle to the Anfield army. Juande Ramos has offloaded centreforwards in favour of a dynamic midfield of Luka Modric and David Bentley. In fact all the big money has been on midfielders which means it is going to be tight in the centre circle in upcoming matches…or perhaps it is a defensive mindset that says that only teams with quality in midfield will have the vision to outwit strong defences, so it is safer to buy proven middle men than to play against them?

Stamford Bridge. Didier Droga looks set to stay at Chelsea on a £130,000 a week after Felipe Scolari insisted the big Ivorian striker had to stay at the club for the rest of his season. The deal for 30 year old Drogba is for four years, so in 2012 Chelsea could be the pensioners again. But as the Sun put it a Drog is for Life.

Bet on Chelsea to win Premiership

Crystal ball time. The first Saturday of the football season is the hardest weekend to call. Last season was last season, everyone is pumped up, some fitter than others, the sun is shining and it is all very unfootballing, unseasonal and so are the odds. There are historically two things to watch out for if we are going make money betting on football matches this season. This weekend because there is no form at all to go on, it is probably the least predictable of any weekend to come. For the last couple of years you could have kept yourself in beer and sandals by doing a double on Chelsea and Manchester United each week A double at £10 would return £17.20, make it a triple with Liverpool would return £29.74 and pop in Arsenal for a quad and your money might harvest £36.28. That may be a bold bet for a first Staturday.

 The other unknown is what kind of season is it going to be in terms of goals scored. Towards the end of last season Aston Villa were popping goals in for fun. Is that the way to go? Portsmouth have invested in a very sharp looking new attack with Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch and reportedly Shaun Wright Phillips on his way and he could make a differernce. United reputedly have a £20million bid in for Spurs Dimitri Berbatov possibly, surely, only if Cristiano Ronaldo is off to the Madristas. Otherwise a forward line of Berbatov, Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez could be falling over each other like drunken ballerinas to actually put the ball in the net? Too much artistry, perhaps or maybe the master Scottish plan is to withdraw Rooney into mdifield, though probably not as far as full back. Nor has Felipe Scolari as yet shown his hand although for sure he must conclude that the only area of genuine improvement he might bring to Stamford Bridge would be on the wings…that is if he has not got so many fullbacks flying up and down the touchline he does not need anymore wingers?

It is interesting that Chelsea play Portsmouth on the first day of the season. A Pompey victory is beautiful odds of 8/1 and maybe it could be that Chelsea are well up themselves coping with some fancy Brazilian system while Harry Redknapp’s boys do the basics and steal it. The end of Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten home run might be just the kind of cathartic, purging experience to launch a new era and genuine attack minded football on all fronts. Look what happened to them at Barnsley in the FA Cup last winter. Hardly looked back.

Another curious tie is the mystery of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal hosting an optimistic West Bromwhich Albion. Is there maybe a draw in this for the Baggies? 9/2 are tempting numbers. 11/1 for a win sounds a little far fetched but any more departures from north London and it could all go boing boing boing.

Aston Villa host Manchester City which says goals if Mark Hughes new striker Jo is as good as reports and City sprung up the league apace in the sunshine last year.

Bolton could destroy Stoke, Hull might surprise Fulham but there is nothing in the astrology that says the Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle can get anything at Manchester United.

Tottenham have a nasty game at Middlesbrough and don’t appear to currently have a forward line or certainly in terms of the rumour mill they have all been sold. Juande Ramos is too shrewd for that to happen, so probably too earkly to bet. Liverpool won’t like a trip to Roy Keane’s Sunderland either and in a reverse sense the West Ham Academy of Footballing Arts won’t get any bursaries out of Steve Bruce’s Wigan who finished very strong last term.  

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Couldn’t resist this one from Felipe Scolari’s entertaining first press conference at Chelsea, where if nothing else it looks like it is going to be a fun ride for the next few months for all onlookers. Probably he was just saying two more questions…na, carse he wazzzn’t

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Felipe Scolari opened the transfer wheeling dealing bagging his Portugese general Deco for the Stamford Bridge from Barcelona. The 30-year old-could do what Cesc Fabregas does for Arsenal and probably signals Frank Lampard’s departure to his old boss Jose Mourinho at Internazionale Milan. The fee is reported to be £7.9million.

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There was a rumour flashing around Spain that Chelsea were going to pay €50million  euros for Real Madrid right back Sergio Ramos. This was not a rumour, it was a joke. Chelsea’s right back position has become the most vexed and agitated position in Premiership football transfers. If you play right back and you have not had a trial for Chelsea, you might want to think about another career.

You would not want to bet on who Felipe Scolari might start the season with. He even played Paulo Ferreira at left back for Portugal, so by that logic Chelsea have three lefts backs. Also it seems plain that shelling out £16million on the lightning fast Portugese right back Jose Boswinga - right - may have been an introducer for Scolari and Kenyon some months before the deal was done for the Brazilian to come to Stamford Bridge. Bosinga is going to have to be pretty special. Chelsea also bought a mysterious Serbian in the January window Branislav Ivanovic from Moscow who has not surfaced despite nearly £10million of cash swapping hands. But is he a right back? For that matter is Micheal Essien who played there at the end of the season a right back – not when Cristian Ronaldo is playing he should not be. And not when Chelsea value his strength in midfield.

In all over the last couple of years Chelsea have been through more than 10 players all of whom most other teams in the world would be quite relaxed about. But not Chelsea. Nor is it that right back is the most glamorous position in the team. Nor is it that the Chelsea defence is so leaky that it needs urgent plugging.

Khaled Boularhouz was good enough to play right back for Holland in their scintillating team and where he looked a shade clumsy he held his own in a down to earth sort of guy way. Chelsea are still paying his wages in Spain. Another ex-Chelsea full back who turned up for national duty with Italy was Cristian Panucci who played under Ranieri, although he never settled and scuttled back to Rome sharpish.  Juliano Belletti was good enough for Barcelona, and good enough to score the goal that beat Liverpool in the Champions League Final. Admittedly, he is on the old side and so was probably a short term bet, but if they had wanted youth why sell Glen Johnson to Portsmouth. He was exciting to watch going forward and there were more fullbacks to teach him how to defend at this club than anywhere else.

.And then the current incumbent or not is Paolo Ferreira about whom Jose Mourinho once said no one could tackle better, true enough when tackled. Less so when he misses. But he has been given a long term five year contract. And he likes to have an easy life.

The season kicks off at noon on August 16 and the bookies already have the first odds up for Premiership 2008/9 and for the first round of matches on that Saturday.

The betting says that all three promoted teams West Brom, Hull and Stoke will go straight down again. Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United remain favourites for a re-run of last season edging out Felipe Scolari’s Chelsea. The bigger surprise is perhaps Newcastle to finish sixth. There is a lot of shifting and changing in the sports betting numbers to come, but you can get your bets in early here. For this seeason there is even a book on who will get relegated!!! It’s here. Arsenal are 1499/1!

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