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Right Said Fred: Talking betting with Betfred boss Fred Done

It was fantastic to see City make it into the final of the Champions League for the first time in their history.

No one is happier than the Abu Dhabi owners who have done so much to put the Blues right at the top of the world game.

It is what they demanded of manager Pep Guardiola – and he’s one match from delivering if he can triumph in Istanbul on May 29.

Guardiola did it his way   against PSG in the two-leg semi final 4-1 aggregate win with no recognised strikers starting - and boosted by the excellent form of 20 year old Phil Foden from Stockport who is rapidly emerging as the most valuable young player in the world.

He is already light years ahead of  Raheem Sterling who he’s replaced in the team basically because of his ability to make a final killer ball – and never waste possession.

Foden is that good I’d even suggest he’s the first name on Guardiola’s team sheet nowadays – ahead of even Kevin De Bruyne.

Riyad Mahrez was the two goal hero on Tuesday. He’s also become a key part of Guardiola’s team giving balance and a constant wide threat.

The owners just like the much-maligned Glazers at my club United know they still have to work at rebuilding trust with fans after supporting the closed shop European Super League.

But Guardiola and his supreme team have done all they can to switch attention to what is happening on the pitch with an amazing treble still very much on the cards.          

Talking of Super Leagues well the original and best RL’s  Betfred Super League got a tremendous shot in the arm with the debut of Greg Inglis for Warrington!

It’s not just me saying that either, for rival coaches Steve Price and Tony Smith were united in their praise for the Aussie legend after he played a key part in Warrington’s thumping 50-26 triumph over Hull KR at the Halliwell Jones on Saturday.

Former Wolves boss Smith joked that while he wished Inglis hadn’t shown his substantial skills against them, the signing of the 34-year-old is good for the sport as a whole.

He even went as far as to say that Inglis is one of the best rugby league players he’s ever seen.

Speaking himself after the game, Inglis himself reckoned he was below par and only a ‘four or five out of 10’ in the first half of his debut – while, ominously for other teams in the Betfred Super League, he gave himself just a seven for his second half performance.

I hope lots of my customers backed Inglis to score on his debut – and we have him at a tempting 12/1 to open the scoring when the Wire take on Catalans Dragons in the Betfred Challenge Cup quarter-final at Headingley on Friday.

We have Catalans talisman Sam Tomkins 14/1 to score first in the last eight tie while Toby King, who went over the line after just ten minutes against HKR, is the same price as Inglis at 12/1.

Wolves are 1/2 favourites to win the match on Friday and 4/1 to go all the way and win the final on July 17.

St Helens are favourites of course, at 9/4, ahead of Wigan at 7/2, Castleford 13/2, Hull FC 7/1, Catalans 10/1 and Huddersfield 14/1 – while my hometown club Salford are the rank outsiders at 16/1.

The quarter-finals on Friday and Saturday, with the likes of Inglis in action, gives our sport a brilliant opportunity to showcase itself in front of both the Sky and BBC cameras.

Meanwhile my first love United will be looking to stroll into the final of the Europa League on Thursday having beat Roma 6-2 in the first-leg of the semi-final last week.

It was arguably the best performance by the Reds this season which now means we can afford to give some players a vital rest ahead of the busy run-in to the end of the season.

United are 10/11 to win  with Roma 11/4 – while the draw is 3/1.

Edinson Cavani, who must be the most intelligent striker in the Premier League with his extraordinary movement, is 4/1 with us to score first.

Marcus Rashford is available at 6/1. He’s due a goal, so that is tempting.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Reds are 1/2 favourites to lift the Europa League trophy in Gdansk, with Villarreal and Arsenal 7/2 shots – while guess what, Roma can be backed at 150/1!

 

CONGRATULATIONS to a fellow  United fan who is  celebrating a hat-trick of big wins at Betfred.

 The 28-year-old health worker, who is a regular at the Betfred shop on Manchester Road, Bradford, won £12,000 after betting £40 that both teams would score in TEN matches at the weekend.

He said: “I spent 15 minutes or so looking through all the matches before making my selections. My thinking was that you tend to get a lot more goals around this time of the year, with teams either going for it at the top and bottom of the various divisions or having nothing to play for.”

It’s the third time just this year that he’s won big on our popular Goals Galore coupon having won £1,400 from a £50 bet and £3,500 from £20 earlier in the year.

He added: “How did I celebrate? Well, I haven’t had much time having worked so much during the pandemic, but I have treated myself to a couple of new shirts and a pair of jeans.

“I do consider myself blessed. I got engaged six months ago and all this money from the three wins can go towards the reception.”

The shift worker was spot on in his prediction that both teams would score in the games between Luton-Middlesbrough, Norwich-Reading, Wimbledon-Portsmouth, Burton-Gillingham, MK Dons-Fleetwood, Wigan-Hull, Swindon-Ipswich, Bolton-Exeter, Carlisle-Leyton Orient and Crawley-Stevenage.

It's great  he’s putting his new found wealth to good use - and I hope that the wedding is a grand affair.

IF United are able to keep Cavani at the club for another year then I reckon us Reds have a cracking chance of winning the Premier League, or at least giving City a good run for their money, NEXT season.

 United are 6/1 with us to lift the title in 2022 – the same price as Liverpool. But both are behind champions elect City, who are 4/6 favourites to do it again next year.

Chelsea, who have stepped up massively since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, are available at 13/2 – while both Leicester and Spurs are 40/1 shots. 

If you did a straw poll of the world’s top centre forwards, I bet Cavani, with his outstanding movement and instincts, would be right up there with the likes of Harry Kane and Erling Haaland.

I’m not saying Ole Gunnar Solskjaer shouldn’t splash the cash this summer, as he most certainly need to in order to be competing at the very top where we belong, but it will only be positive if Cavani does stay at Old Trafford.

At 34 years of age, he wouldn’t be expected to play every week – but he could do as Eric Cantona did and help all those emerging young talents we have at the club.

 

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