WE’RE ALL ART
Spaniard 1/5 for Arsenal job
MIKEL Arteta has gone 1/ 5 ( from 1/ 3) to be named next permanent manager of Arsenal at BetVictor with Unai Emery of PSG and Sevilla fame taking his turn to be second favourite at 4/ 1.
Massimo Allegri and Brendan Rodgers are 12/ 1 but the betting – at the time of writing – suggests the Gunners will announce early next week that their former midfielder will be their next manager.
Markets
What would concern me if I were a Gooner would be how they can attract the top players without Champions League football next term? It seems a tall order.
I was looking at a number of transfer markets at BetVictor and the only player of any note that Arsenal are the shortest priced to sign is – wait for it James Tarkowski of Burnley at 4/ 1.
They badly need a new goalkeeper I would suggest but Stoke’s Jack Butland is 1/ 2 to join Liverpool and 10/ 1 at BetVictor to join Arsenal. Other potential targets and odds include: Richarlison 6/1 Abdoulaye Doucoure 4/1 Wilfried Ndidi 12/ 1 Jamaal Lascelles 12/1 Riyad Mahrez 10/1 Ousmane Dembele 6/ 1 Thomas Lemar 8/ 1 Leon Bailey 4/ 1
Fine players all but I would suggest the Gunners need a marquee signing to appease their supporters – if not I honestly believe they will continue to lose ground against the rest of the Big Six.
We now know the makeup of Gareth Southgate’s 23man squad for next month’s World Cup in Russia but who do you think will be given the captain’s armband for the opening game against Tunisia?
I have always felt that Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson is the one natural leader in the squad who is guaranteed a starting place and the fact that Southgate swerved the decision midweek suggests to me that if Henderson comes out of the Champions League unscathed he will be skipper.
Henderson has been as big as 8/ 1 to be the England captain for their opening game but remains the 7/ 4 second fav at BetVictor with Harry Kane 1/ 2 and Eric Dier (?) 6/ 1.
Terrific
If Kane were going to be Southgate’s captain, why would he not announce it earlier in the week?
I hope I am not putting one and one together and making three but I think that 7/ 4 for Henderson is a terrific price. At Market Rasen this afternoon, I expect to see the mare Song Saa return to form having found three miles on soft ground a bridge too far at Perth last month.
The mare has bits of form at this two- and- a- half- mile trip on good ground to suggest she might be well- treated, but Zamparelli ( 4.20) looked one to follow over fences when scoring at Stratford last time and is taken to defy an 11lbs rise in the weights for the Skeltons’ who remain in top form. I’m looking forward to the 1st Test between England and Pakistan and the 9/ 2 for the visitors is surely too big with the weather set fair and the draw, seemingly, out of the equation.
The tourists can certainly bowl and England’s batting was fragile down under in the winter.
Skipper Joe Root will bat at three in the absence of James Vince although you get the impression he would prefer to come in at four.
The domestic football season may have concluded yesterday but what a summer of sport we have to look forward to.