The Own Goal – The Gurgler’s UK Football Weekly

No EPL or Championship this week, but that doesn’t stop the EPL hogging all the limelight with the drama over the manager’s job at Liverpool. The Anfield club finally tired of minimal results and continual attempts to claim rebuilding or unlucky on the day. Truth be told Suarez made him look good at Liverpool and Swansea’s players and setup made him look good there. Gary Monk has arguably done a better job at Swansea.

Former Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp arrives, and hopefully he will bring a bit of swagger to Liverpool and be more successful than the previous German manager in the EPL Felix Magarth. The news has kept Liverpool top of the press for the last week, and they will be hoping the German can take them to the top of another ladder.

Also in the market for a manager is Sunderland, but unlike the Liverpool job, who attracted names like Klopp and Ancelotti, no one seems to really want the job. Current favourite is Sam Allardyce who will be hoping his zero relegation record helps him secure the job. Sunderland will eye that zero relegation with glee, as currently they are playing to the standard of a midfield Championship team.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE – LEAGUES ONE AND TWO TOP DOG

Enough of the big boys, just like the greyhounds during the Australian horse flu epidemic last decade, it’s time for Leagues One and Two to be the big dogs for a weekend.

League One’s top six continues to be filled by the unfancied, obscure and battlers. The Gurgler likes that very much, and who wouldn’t be happy with a team like Burton Albion at the top. Fill the rest of the placings with Walsall, Bury, Gillingham and Rochdale and you have a heady mix. Only Coventry in fifth could be classed as a bigger club although with their issues of finance and home grounds, life hasn’t been easy. Sheffield United are the big club, and they lie seventh, but that tag leads to teams playing their best against them, and as a result have lost (4) nearly as many as they have won (5).

Big movers are Bury who have now won 6 games in a row and have landed in the top 6. Worst run is Fleetwood whose form of 4 straight losses cost their manager his job, although Oldham also haven’t won in 9, but have a few draws for solace.

League Two has some familiar names up the top, and between the top four in Plymouth, Wycombe, Leyton Orient and Portsmouth there’s loads of experience further up the football pyramid, and your likely league winner. We say Wycombe as we have money on it at $21.

Big mover is Luton Town who have finally awoken with four straight wins after flirting with the relegation zone not too many weeks ago. 10th will do for now. Stevenage have the worst recent record with four losses in a row and are only a few points out of relegation. It will remain to be seen if Teddy Sherringham’s name will save him where otherwise they would remove the boss.

HIGHLIGHTS
L1 – WALSALL v BURTON – Top of the table clash. Hard to believe this would involve these teams at start of the year.
L1 – BURY v WIGAN – Bury 6 wins straight v former FA Cup winners unbeaten in four.
L1 – SHEFFIELD UTD v ROCHDALE – 7th v 6th – both teams equal on just about everything – is this the game where the Blades finally go on a run to get out of the third tier.
L2 – YEOVIL v DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE – 3rd last v 2nd last – a loss hands whichever side a bottom two spot.

BEST BET MULTIS

LEAGUE ONE – $1 for $82
OLDHAM to beat Scunthorpe
SHEFFIELD UNITED to beat Rochdale
COVENTRY to beat Fleetwood
GILLINGHAM to beat Chesterfield
SHREWSBURY to beat Colchester

LEAGUE TWO – $1 for $30
LUTON to beat York
EXETER to beat Stevenage
LEYTON ORIENT to beat Crawley
NORTHAMPTON to beat Hartlepool
CAMBRIDGE to beat Portsmouth

NON LEAGUE DAY

The English Football system take full advantage of the lack of EPL and Championship with their annual Non League Day where football fans of the wealthier and more famous clubs are encouraged to go to a game of Non football League this Saturday with various specials and tempters to try and woo the discerning football fan.

As we can’t get to a game due to the 14 hour flight and costs involved, we thought it’s time to have a quick look and bet of the Non League National League League system.

The National League formerly known as the Conference Premier is a division that is full of hopeful up and comers or purgatory for ex Football League teams after relegation from League Two. Sometimes like in the case of Kidderminster and Wrexham they never make it back. Teams like Boston and Rusden and Diamonds disappeared all together.

Top o the Non League is Forest Green Rovers, who opened up their season with a longer winning streak than any league above them with nine straight wins. Recent form has been poor but enough to keep them first. Former League teams Cheltenham and Wrexham are in the top 6, but are surrounded by up and comers Woking, Gateshead and Eastleigh.

Below the National League is another two leagues split into North and South who fight for two spots each to go up to the National League and a step closer to the big time. The North and South usually feature some of the more exotic names, but are worth keeping an eye on for when the lower rounds of the FA Cup comes to town. Value to be had.

Since we’re here, why not a Non League multi from the National League.

NON LEAGUE MULTI – $1 for $18
MACCLESFIELD to beat Kidderminster
LINCOLN to beat Chester
TRANMERE to beat Eastleigh
ALDERSHOT to beat Altrincham
FOREST GREEN to beat Guiseley

CATCH UP WITH NATIONAL LEAGUE TABLES

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH

NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH