6-5 Germany are hungry for revenge

FABIO Capello, take a bow. Not only have you done what I considered impossible by turning England into a winning team, but you have shown by your recent actions that you are happy to stand up to the top Premier League managers who clearly consider the national side something to be tolerated rather than encouraged.

Libel laws prohibit me from saying what I really think about the stance of some Premier League clubs, so I shall merely quote you a few prices issued by the bookmakers regarding star England players who will be missing, presumed injured, from tonight’s friendly in Germany.

For example, Steven Gerrard is 8-15 to miss tonight’s game yet feature for Liverpool against Fulham on Saturday.

Frank Lampard, who is definitely out tonight, is 1-6 to recover in time for Chelsea’s clash with Newcastle the same day.

And Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand - who pulled out of the England squad on Sunday - are 1-10 to play some part in United’s game at Aston Villa this weekend.

Capello is not happy and the likes of Fergie, Scolari and Benitez know it.

And they must also know that England, without their big players, have little or no chance of winning in Berlin tonight.

“Friendly” is hardly a term which can be applied to a Germany-England showdown.

The rivalry between the two nations is long-standing and intense and the fact that our boys bashed the Germans 5-1 the last time we were over there in 2001 will ensure that the home side will be going flat out for revenge. The German public will demand nothing less.

Capello, on the other hand, treats friendlies for what they are. You only have to look at his England record to understand that the only games which matter to the hard-line Italian are World Cup and – when he gets that far – European Championship matches.

So there is only one logical conclusion to be drawn from tonight’s encounter - a German win at 6-5.

England are 13-5, with the draw at 9-4, neither quote making any appeal, while the leading four players in the first-scorer betting are German, headed by Miroslav Klose at 6-1.

SCOTLAND’S clash with Argentina has raked up the festering animosity between the host country’s assistant manager, Terry Butcher, and the man he holds responsible for cheating England out of the 1986 World Cup finals - Diego Maradona.

The Argentinian genius’s “Hand Of God” goal which ultimately dispatched England is notorious in football folklore and Butcher has never been one for taking any notice of Maradona’s subsequent platitudes.

Maradona, a controversial choice as new Argentina boss, will be firmly in Butcher’s sights tonight, but it’s hard to see a nation boasting so many world-class players being seriously troubled by a side with Scotland’s limitations.

The hosts are 11-2 to win this game, a huge price for a home country, while Argentina are 4-6 to win, with the draw second favourite at 9-4.

ENGLAND’S cricketers have been swotted aside by India – and Yuvraj Singh in particular – in the first two one-day internationals and, with five games remaining, are out to 9-1 to win the seven-match series.

The home side are 1-16 to clinch the series, which is not surprising given their early dominance, and 2-5 shots to win the third game in Kanpur tomorrow.

England are 2-1, which is about right, but a better bet may be 8-1 about Andrew Flintoff being the top batsman for the tourists.

Fred already has a century to his name on this tour and shaped well with 43 in the second ODI on Monday.

He bats at five in the one-day team - much higher than he has been doing in the last few years - and, as such, should be a shorter price by my reckoning.

I CANNOT stand ITV’s “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here”, but the show from Down Under continues to draw in the viewers, so what do I know?

Well, I can report that Eastenders actor Joe Swash is the early market leader to win the whole shebang at 2-1, with former police chief Brian Paddick and ex-MP and TV presenter Robert Kilroy-Silk 3-1 joint-favourites to be the first person evicted.

JOHN Sergeant continues to cling on to his place in Strictly Comes Dancing, much to the annoyance of those who backed latest casualty Cheri Lunghi, who did a sterling job for the 50-somethings and displayed a magnificent pair of legs in the process.

Political commentator Sergeant is 5-4 to be chucked out this week and I think that represents top value.

Surely, with only seven dancers remaining, the public cannot rescue him any longer. Don’t forget that if he finishes in the bottom two, then the judges will kick him off the show.

THERE is unease in X Factor favourite Diana Vickers, who is out to 7-4 to triumph as support continues to come in for Eoghan Quigg (3-1), Alexandra Burke (4-1) and JLS (5-1).

As I can’t stand the sight of Simon Cowell (who is clearly in love with himself), I don’t watch the show and am unable to give my opinion on the respective merits of the various artistes.

But it seems that, on betting activity alone, Mr Quigg is the one with the momentum as the competition builds to its conclusion.

RECOMMENDATIONS: German to beat England tonight, 6-5 (Boylesports, Betfred, Skybet); Andrew Flintoff to be top England batsman v India in tomorrow’s third one-day international, 8-1 (Ladbrokes); John Sergeant to be evicted from SCD this weekend, 5-4 (Paddy Power).