FA Cup 2009/2010

English FA Cup 2009/2010

The FA Cup – A competition often regarded as the best domestic tournament on the planet due to it’s sheer mass of audiences from around the globe. The final is the pinnacle of the competition, just like any other, and everyone around the country still left standing, even those not even plying their trade in the football league, can dream of a final date with Wembley on the 15^th of May next year.

The final itself is often made up of two Premiership sides because the gulf in class even between the Championship and the Premiership is vast and often cannot be bridged. However, since the turn of the Millennium, such a feat has been reached, although only two have reached such a height. Cardiff City (200/1 with Bet365 to win outright) and Millwall (1,500/1 with totesport to win outright) are the two teams who have the honour of competing in a final without the Premiership tag, although neither came out on the winning side.

The FA Cup has always been about romance and the potential of David beating Goliath once again. Although David’s victory was a rare sighting, shocks in the FA Cup do actually occur, although in small doses. Last year, though, was relatively shock free with Liverpool being the only exemption after being eliminated at Round 4 by Everton. A team who later went on to reach the final, beating Manchester United along the way.

Be wary, as punters are often left blushing when a shock does occur so be sure to avoid egg on the face. It’s sometimes extremely hard to see one coming but a few signs could be home advantage for the smaller side, condition of the pitch and even TV Coverage, as the small clubs will try their utmost to perform in front of a live audience. Our general rule of thumb is avoid backing against a small fish when playing at home as the support of a capacity home crowd, often combined with live TV Coverage, can lead to high adrenaline levels and big players performances.

Premiership Clubs Outright Odds:

Arsenal – 8/1 Coral 

Aston Villa – 22/1 BetFred

Birmingham City – 100/1 Bet365

Blackburn Rovers – 100/1 Bet365

Bolton Wanderers – 66/1 totesport 

Burnley – 100/1 totesport 

Chelsea – 4/1 SkyBet 

Everton – 22/1 Boylesports 

Fulham – 40/1 SkyBet 

Hull City – 125/1 Bet365 

Liverpool – 13/2 Bet365 

Manchester City – 11/1 BlueSquare 

Manchester United – 9/2 Boylesports 

Portsmouth – 80/1 SkyBet 

Stoke City – 66/1 totesport 

Sunderland – 33/1 SkyBet 

Tottenham Hotspur – 12/1 Bet365 

West Ham United – 66/1 Bet365 

Wigan Athletic – 80/1 Coral 

Wolverhampton Wanderers – 100/1 Coral

Eye-Catchers:

QPR – 200/1 Bet365 

Bristol City – 250/1 Boylesports 

Leeds United – 500/1 SportingBet

Plymouth Argyle – 1,000/1 – Bet365 

Huddersfield Town – 1,500/1 BetFred 

Kettering Town – 5,000/1 PaddyPower 

Barrow – 10,000/1 Bet365

Matt’s Nap: Manchester City to WIN outright – 11/1 Bet365

The richest club on the globe, with the introduction of some new Italian swagger at the helm, will be a force to be reckoned with in this seasons competition. They are a powerhouse up front, with an array of striking talent that some clubs can only dream about, whilst their prolific form at home in the past seasons or so will make them a tough proposition when drawn at home.  

Their performances at home this season would indicate that a decent run in the competition, one that is well overdue at Eastlands, will probably be based upon a favourable draw, one that consists of plenty of home ties. They have so much striking prowess up front that it’s hard to comprehend how any side will stop City from scoring, although on the same token, City’s defence still needs a lot of work.

City are a match for anyone on their draw but a good draw, aided by a couple of generous home ties, should see City delve deeper into the competition than they’ve done in previous seasons.

Value Punt: QPR – 200/1 Bet365

Queens Park Rangers have looked a classy outfit at times this season, especially when playing on the front foot. They have several quality individuals who can skin a defender with ease; Wayne Routledge & Adel Taarabt Rangers’ main play-makers. Both are dangerous with an abundance of pace and skill in their forte. Jay Simpson, an Arsenal loanee, provides QPR with a pacey front outlet while Akos Buzsaky anchors a usually attack minded midfield. They have some tall, robust defenders which should see them through some of the more physical examinations, and a few big displays could see QPR go far this year at huge odds.