Capello leaves England no better than he found it
Soccer Betting Lines
02/08/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The appointment of Fabio Capello as manager of England's national team in December 2007 was supposed to be a step in the right direction following the disappointing 18-months that Steve McClaren spent at the helm.
Yet on Wednesday, when Capello handed his resignation to the Football Association following a disagreement over John Terry being stripped of his captaincy, the Italian left the team in virtually the same state that he found it.
Under McClaren, England failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championships and was clearly in need of the type of manager who could restore confidence in the national team, which had been missing for years.
Enter Capello, a no nonsense Italian who had a history of success with some of the world's biggest clubs and who was expected to bring a fresh approach to the job.
In stints with AC Milan, Real Madrid, Roma and Juventus, Capello captured nine league titles and one Champions League crown, and the hope was that some of his winning pedigree would rub off on an England side in desperate need of some good results.
Yet Capello never really managed to take what many viewed as a talented but underachieving side much further than his predecessor.
The team that he inherited was filled with big-name players who had a history of success in the Premier League, like Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney among others.
Yet it was a mystery as to why the Three Lions had come up short time and again when the stakes were highest.
Capello's first big test came at the 2010 World Cup, and it was a performance that England fans are still doing their best to erase from memory.
England was handed a soft draw with the United States, Slovenia and Algeria in its group, yet somehow managed to only finish second behind the Americans.
It was an uninspired effort in the group stage to be kind, and England was soon on a plane back home after a 4-1 thumping at the hands of Germany in the second round.
Issues with goalkeeping, the inconsistency of star players like Rooney and an overall surprisingly poor level of play were to blame for yet another poor showing on the big stage.
Had Capello been relieved of his duties at that point, the decision probably wouldn't have been met with heavy resistance, but he was given another chance to get things right as he signed a new contract which ran through Euro 2012.
England's qualifying campaign for Euro 2012 saw the team finish six points clear at the top of its group, but despite a favorable draw in the competition that includes France, Sweden and the Ukraine in Group D, it's hard to see England being a major threat.
And maybe that's why Capello took such a surprisingly strong stance on the issue of Terry being stripped of the captain's armband by the FA.
At 65, it might just be easier to fade into the background and let someone else take the heat for another tournament that saw England come away empty- handed.
Whomever takes the reigns from Capello will be facing essentially the same challenges he did when he inherited the team from McClaren.
A roster filled with aging stars who have never quite been able to come together as a cohesive unit and play up to their potential.
The new boss must find a way to transition from players like Lampard, Gerrard, Terry and Rio Ferdinand to the next generation of English talent, something Capello wasn't able to accomplish during his tenure.
In the end, Capello's time in charge of England will not be remembered in the most favorable light.
His challenge of the FA ending in much the same way as his bid to bring titles to England.
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<< Capello walks away from England post
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Football Association confirmed on
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was announced that J
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Hallandale Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A field of six three-year-olds have
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Barry Bonds Watch: Giants Slugger Says He'll Be Back
With only 21 home runs standing between him and Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds is indeed planning on coming back for more in 2007. At least, that's what his agent told the Los Angeles Times.
"Barry's going to play in 2007," Jeff Borris of Beverly Hills Sports Council told the Times on Tuesday. "I've had many discussions with Barry and he's going to play. My intentions are to see to it he's in a big-league uniform next season. Those are my marching orders."
Contract negotiations could get started as early as next week. Let's see which team has the deeper pockets. Will MLB baseball betting lines despite allegations of steroid use? Bet On It at www.MySportsbook.com .
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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
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