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Euro 2008 Betting: Are England wasting their time this week?

November 14th, 2007

Here’s the latest insight into  Euro 2008 Qualifier bets from top Handicap sportsbook, PinnacleSports.com. (And another excuse for a gratuitous pic of David Beckham without a shirt on for the ladies ;-))

Euro 2008 Betting – Is England’s Game in Austria a Pointless Exercise?

Steve McLaren has two games in the space of five days which could well be his last as manager of the national side. On Friday, England play Austria in Vienna for what should have been a dress-rehearsal for a potential fixture for the Euro 2008 finals. Instead it looks like being a useful run-out for the co-hosts, while for England a meaningless friendly, ahead of what seems the inevitable failure to qualify for next summer’s main event.

Against all logic, McLaren is maintaining a positive outlook, hoping that Russia drop points against Israel or Andorra; or that Croatia lose in Macedonia. Either scenario would promote England’s final group E game at home to the Croats on Wednesday to a qualification decider. The complex situation in Group E is mirrored in several of the eight qualifying sections, where the final picture will only be clear after the completion of the fixtures on both Saturday and Wednesday. It promises to be an exciting few days of international football, and PinnacleSports.com will be offering unbeatable Euro 2008 betting odds, betting many games to less than 102%, which gives bettors up to 60% better odds.

Beckham Likely to Start for Meaningless Waltz in Vienna

Steve McLaren recently flew out to the States to watch David Beckham in a charity game, giving the biggest hint that Becks is still part of his thinking, for however long Macca stays in charge of the England side. Beckham’s domestic season is over, with the LA Galaxy failing to make the MLS play-offs, but McLaren has made his feelings clear that should Russia fail to beat Israel, turning England’s final game against Croatia into an all-or-nothing decider, he wants ‘big game’ players on the team-sheet.

There are plenty of ‘ifs?’ and with such uncertainty clouding the situation it may be hard for England to concentrate on the game in Vienna. Ashley Cole is another player who is likely to get game time following injury, but McLaren must do without several first choice players, such as Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, and he has given strong hints that goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, has run out of chances, and will be replaced by Aston Villa’s, Scott Carson.

For Austria this is an important part of the build-up to their co-hosting of next year’s event. No-one sees them as credible challengers, so to a certain extent the pressure is off coach, Josef Hickersberger, but host countries are always lifted by territorial advantage, and Austria have set themselves the goal of at least progressing to the knock-out stages. Their recent results suggest that it is a widely optimistic target, winning just one of their last ten games against what can generously be called ‘mediocre’ opposition.

Hickersberger has nowhere near the depth of quality available to Steve McLaren, but his side should rise to the occasion for what is an eagerly anticipated friendly given the context, while England may struggle to shake off the disappointment of the decisive recent defeat in Moscow. PinnacleSports.com make England slight favourites on their Asian Handicap, priced 1.800 (-0.5) with Austria 2.150 (+0.5).

>>Check out the latest online sportsbook review on PinnacleSports.com here at BookieLabRat.com. 

Entry Filed under: European Football,Sports Betting