TacticalBet - The England's Dream Team

With the English football team being talked about as in decline, and nobody quite sure who will be managing or playing for the national team this summer at Euro 2012, TacticalBet's decided to run a feature on who England's all-time best 11 has been. From any time span, any candidate will be considered.

Here's how the selection process will work :

We'll reveal the side position by position each few days, logically starting with the goalkeeper working up toward the forwards. The team will line up in a 4-4-2, as traditional as it gets. It'll be done by suggestions from you, the readers, and you can get involved either on here, or by reaching us at our Twitter page. Just search @TacticalBet and you'll find us. You can leave a comment with your suggestion, or get to us at any appropriate way!

So, first up the goalkeepers. Who do you think is the best we've ever had between the sticks? Gordon Banks, Peter Shilton, David Seaman? It's up to you, get involved! In a few days time we'll assess the opinions and let you know just who was England's best number 1.

HA

TacticalBet's Analysis : Has 'Sparky' Lost His Spark?

Mark Hughes has enjoyed a hugely successful career to date, both as a player - winning 2 Premierships and 4 FA Cups - and latterly as a manager with the Welsh national team, Blackburn and Manchester City. Yet, after an un-inspiring season in charge of Fulham which ended in an acrimonious exit, and now struggling to ignite a QPR survival bid, is he starting to struggle as a manager?

In a four year spell at Blackburn in the top flight Hughes earned a 43% win record, exceptionally high for a club of Blackburn's stature, and took them as far as the last 32 in the UEFA Cup, and also an FA Cup run which saw them miss out on a place in the final only in extra-time, to Chelsea. Following this, the man affectionately known as 'Sparky' joined newly funded Man City, and despite being sacked he left with a credible record in charge, winning nearly half his games in charge in an 18 month tenure. So, upon joining Fulham at the start of the last campaign, everybody had high hopes for the club with a manager intend on proving what he'd already shown was exactly what he was capable of, and more. Where did it all go wrong? At Fulham Hughes never settled, drawing more games than he won. Although they did finish 8th, it was by no means a great season, yet the foundations were laid for an improvement and a push on towards the continental places. He verbally agreed to sign a contract extension, but bizarrely left under a week later meaning he'd been at Craven Cottage just 11 months. This, it appears, is the main turning point in both his abilities, and his reputation. After being branded a 'flop' and a 'strange man' by Fulham chairman Al-Fayed, there was much talk that Hughes would fail to land another top job.

So, last month he returned to management, signing a two and a half year contract to manage in London again, this time for Queens Park Rangers. Despite a string of signings, QPR have really struggled under Hughes. While England international Bobby Zamora was a coup for him, a lack of discipline including two first half red cards, along with a equally alarming lack of midfield creativity, means Rangers are just outside the relegation places with just only 12 games remaining. It is clear that Hughes has dropped a significant level, a slow decline which peaked at him chasing the Champions League with Man City, to fighting relegation with QPR. Hughes must arrest this slide, rediscover his 'spark' or he could well find himself a Championship manager come the end of the season, or worse still out of a job.

HA

Carling Cup Preview - Liverpool vs Cardiff

The first trophy of the football season will be won on Sunday at Wembley, but who will follow in Birmingham's footsteps and claim Carling Cup glory? Last time around, it was the Midlanders who stole the show in a shock win over Arsenal, but can Cardiff do the same this year against Liverpool? The Bluebirds are up against it, but you can never be sure on these occasions.

Odds :

Liverpool - 1.5

Cardiff - 10.5

Draw (90 mins) - 5

First Goal :

Cardiff - 3.9

Liverpool - 1.28

0-0 - 12

Kenny Dalglish's men are hot favorites, and rightly so. They've seen off Chelsea and Man City en-route to the final, whearas Cardiff's hardest assignments have been Blackburn and then an all Championship 1/2 final against Crystal Palace - which they won in a dramatic penalty shootout. You can't rule out the Welsh side, but caution tells us to predict a Liverpool win here. You can follow the game live on BBC, and we'll be back with a match report online by Monday morning.

TB's Prediction - Liverpool 2-0 Cardiff

HA

England vs Wales - Prediction

After a week's break, the RBS 6 nations returns and England are preparing themselves to face Wales at Twickenham. The two sides both have 100% records so far in the competition, so it's sure to be a fiercely contesting game. The match kicks off on Saturday 25th of February, at 16-00.

Odds :

England - 2.66

Wales - 1.69

Draw - 27

Winning Margin :

England + 12.5 - 8.6

England - 12.5 - 3.45

Wales + 12.5 - 3.95

Wales - 12.5 - 2.8

To Score :

Ashton - 3.7

Foden - 6.2

Farrell - 9.2

Halfpenny - 4.4

Davies - 4.4

Warburton - 9.6

TacticalBet's prediction - Wales to win it, but by less than 12.5. It'll be a tight affair and both sides will feel confident of victory. There won't be many tries, but you can usually back Wales to cross the white-line and that should be enough to see them home on English soil.

HA

The FA Cup with Budweiser - Odds

After another exciting weekend in the FA Cup it's now onto the quarter final stage, with the draw being done earlier today. Before the games can be played though there are two replays to get through, Stevenage earning a trip to White Hart Lane after frustrating Spurs in a 0-0, and Chelsea face a testing trip to St Andrews after they stuttered to a 1-1 draw against Birmingham on Saturday lunch-time.

These results have had a significant impact on the odds for the Cup, but just who is the favourite now?

Tottenham 3.75

Liverpool 3.75

Chelsea 5.5

Everton 8.4

Sunderland 10.5

Stoke 26

Bolton 42

Birmingham 50

Leicester 62

Stevenage 350

Despite facing a replay, Harry Redknapp's men are still favourites for glory, alongside Liverpool who thumped Brighton 6-1 today to earn their place in the next round. Perhaps these lower odds also reflects that they both have home ties to look forward to now, Liverpool hosting Stoke and Tottenham or Stevenage with Bolton. Chelsea's odds are in recognition of the way that they face a tricky replay against Birmingham who are on a 14 game unbeaten streak, although should they navigate that on the 6th of March they could be made favourites, seeing as they have another Championship side in Leicester lying in wait. The all Premiership affair at Goodison Park gives one of Everton or Sunderland the chance to go to Wembley, and Everton are shorter odds that O'Neil's men to taste success. This is mostly down to home advantage, but both sides are in good form so are threats in this competition.

TacticalBet's prediction would be Liverpool - Kenny Dalglish's has got his side working well in the cup competitions this season, and a home tie to Stoke will only heighten the excitement on Merseyside. However, with there were shocks in this round, and there is sure to be in the next round.

HA