S.P.Read Esq: Stoke City v Man U
Our daily columnist and pundit S.P. Read Esq. looks ahead to the Premier League game on Boxing Day between STOKE CITY v MAN U and finds the best opportunities available on Star Spreads, the home of sports spread betting.
Enjoy the wine, a mince pie and goodbye.
As warm-hearted Christmas messages go, I don’t think the Queen has too much to worry about and Louis Van Gaal has certainly done a great audition for scrooge.
His pre-Christmas press conference was positively barmy with pressure showing more than the tills at Sainsburys on Christmas Eve. The fact that a certain Mr Mourinho is widely being touted as his successor has hardly given Van Haal much festive spirit. In fact, does he know it’s Christmas at all ??
Expectations run high at Old Trafford and Man U’s performance this season isn’t actually that bad when viewed through a wide angled lens. Fifth in the table, three points behind arch rivals City is hardly cataclysmic ahead of the Christmas period and certainly nowhere near Chelsea meltdown proportions. But, as often is the case in football, you’re only as good as your last game…. let’s be generous and say six games. It’s six games with out a win for Man U and, most crushing of all, they’ve met defeats in their last two Premier League matches against relegation candidates Bournemouth and Man U.
Van Haal will certainly be hoping his players don’t over indulge in mince pies and wine as they are first up on Boxing Day with a potentially tough game at the Britannia (12.45pm, SKY).
The game finished 1-1 last season and Stoke come into this year’s renewal on the back of a good run of three wins from their last six Premier League games including home victories over Chelsea and Man City so Man U are unlikely to hold too much fear.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes said “I have been asked whether this is a good time to play them but I am always wary of that because these type of clubs more often than not bounce back emphatically. The players there are representing a global brand and the players have a responsibility to produce the goods more often than not, so they will be desperate to get back on track at the weekend.”
Stoke are sure to be a huge challenge and I am a seller of Man U supremacy on Star Spreads.
Stoke City v Man Utd
Premier League
12:45 Sky Sports 1 / Sky Sports 1 HD
HEAD TO HEAD RECORD
(Maximum 10 matches)
Jan 2015 PREMIER Stoke 1-1 Man Utd
Dec 2014 PREMIER Man Utd 2-1 Stoke
Feb 2014 PREMIER Stoke 2-1 Man Utd
Dec 2013 CAPITAL ONE Stoke 0-2 Man Utd
Oct 2013 PREMIER Man Utd 3-2 Stoke
Apr 2013 PREMIER Stoke 0-2 Man Utd
Oct 2012 PREMIER Man Utd 4-2 Stoke
Jan 2012 PREMIER Man Utd 2-0 Stoke
Sep 2011 PREMIER Stoke 1-1 Man Utd
Jan 2011 PREMIER Man Utd 2-1 Stoke
Big race on Boxing Day is the King George at Kempton and it looks a vintage renewal. Nine runners are set to go to post including Silviniaco Conti who bids for a hat-trick in the race. Repeat winners have a great record in the race (Long Run, Kauto Star, Desert Orchid in recent memory) so Silviniaco has to be respected but this might be the year for Cue Card to gain his revenge. Cue Card was simply brilliant at Haydock beating Silviniaco Conti by seven lengths (could easily have been much more) and it might just be that everything has now aligned for Cue Card to finally come good on King George day. Don Cossack and Vautour represent a formidable Irish challenge.
I backed Cue Card at big odds when he won the Festival bumper in 2010 so am staying loyal with my old friend with a buy on the Star Spreads race index market at 17. Chronic after-timing I know, I have duly sentenced myself to another turkey sandwich…..
CLICK FOR STOKE CITY v MAN U MARKETS ON STAR SPREADS
RECOMMENDED BETS (scale 1-100 points)
SELL MAN U / STOKE supremacy for 50 points at around 0.1 with STAR SPREADS
BUY CUE CARD on the race index for 10 points at around 17 with STAR SPREADS
- Any spread prices quoted are indicative and as always prices are subject to fluctuation.
- Please note the opinion, views and forecasts above are of the author and not of Star Spreads.
