22 sport Friday, January 15, 2010 D SOCCER PREMIER LEAGUE THE TIPSTERMetros betting expert looks ahead to whats worth a flutter in the sporting world over the next few days BET OF THE WEEK Niko Kranjcar is a general 9/4 to score at any time for Spurs at home to Hull City. D ARK days at Anfield after their abysmal home FA Cup exit to Reading. Star players Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun are all injured for tomorrows trip to Stoke and will not be back for some time while Rafa Benitez is still in charge. Still, the good news is that Alberto Aquilani is nearing full fitness. Stoke are 3/1 with Paddy Power to pile more misery on Rafas rabble by sending them to another defeat and Benitez is just 4/5 with Sky Bet to last the season as Liverpool manager. There is already a market on the next permanent boss at Anfield with Victor Chandler making Kenny Dalglish the 3/1 favourite. Newcastle know that sentiment does not go a long way in football and Roy Hodgson, at 16/1 with Sky Bet, would be the wise choice. Worst bet of the week is the 4/9 with Paddy Power for Torres to be at Liverpool next season. He could be sold in the summer as the Reds attempt to cover the financial cost of failing to qualify for the Champions League. Meanwhile, snap up expekt.coms 7/4 on Birmingham to win at troubled Pompey. oooo ROGER FEDERER is ready to win his fourth Australian Open and prove he is still the best in the business in Melbourne over the next fortnight. The Swiss genius has won the tournament three times and is in great shape after enjoying his new role as a dad. He is apparently more relaxed than he has been for some time and is ready to justify his role as tournament favourite at 3/1 with Victor Chandler. Justine Henin took the womens crown back in 2004 and is an intriguing prospect at 9/2 with Totesport to claim her tenth Grand Slam title. ooo THE Arizona Cardinals are 5/2 with Paddy Power to follow their NFL playoff triumph over the Green Bay Packers by winning at fancied New Orleans. The Birds and quarterback Kurt Warner were in record breaking form during last weekends 51-45 win over Green Bay, while New Orleans ended the regular season struggling to maintain their early form. Kop out: Torres could leave Anfield King Kenny: Dalglish to take over? Transfer talk New Bolton boss Owen Coyle insists he does not have to move on Gary Cahill to free up transfer funds. Cahill, 24, has been linked to the likes of Arsenal as he tries to land a place in englands world Cup squad. But Coyle said: I dont have to sell anyone to generate a transfer budget. I believe Gary, if he shows the qualities he has, can make the squad for the world Cup. Thats personal motivation for him. He is a top player and hopefully we will see him at his very best. No pressure on Bolton to sell key man Cahill Lucas is let go to Galatasaray EVERTON defender Lucas Neill will join Galatasaray after tomorrows Premier League match against Manchester City. The 31-year-old agreed a one- year deal with Everton in September after his contract at West Ham expired in the summer. The Australian has made 15 appearances for David Moyes men before the club accepted the Turkish sides 750,000 offer. HAmBurG defender Guy Demel claims he is wanted by Sunderland and one other english club. The 28-year-old Ivory Coast international also insists he has interest from AC milan. o TOTTENHAM could be first in line for Legia Warsaw goalkeeper Jan Mucha, who was also said to be interesting Stoke. o Wanted: Cahill For a round-up of the latest transfer stories and rumours, go to metro.co.uk/football On your bike, Rafa Benitez must go, insists Liverpool legend Whelan FORMER Liverpool captain Ronnie Whelan has called for the club to sack manager Rafael Benitez. Pressure on the Spaniard increased this week after the Reds were dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship strugglers Reading in a third-round replay at Anfield. Liverpool were one of the pre- season favourites for the Premier League title but have slipped out of contention and also exited both the Champions League and Carling Cup. AndWhelan, who played 493 games for the Reds and captained them in their 1989 FA Cup final win, believes the team now needs new direction. The way Liverpool have been play- ing is not good. They have lost ten of the last 20 games, said the former Republic of Ireland midfielder. [Benitez] should have gone a long time ago. They have got to do it now. Do they bring in someone until the end of the season? Kenny Dalglish is back at the club. Could he do it until the end of the season and see what happens? Another former Liverpool player, Jason McAteer, feels his old club can have no excuses for their latest emb- arrassment. Reading needed a late penalty to claim an equaliser but went on to secure a deserved 2-1 victory thanks to Shane Longs dramatic extra-time header. And McAteer added: Sometimes you just cannot defend that kind of performance. It was poor. Liverpool just didnt really create anything and the better team won on the night. McAteer fears for the team with Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard facing spells out injured. He said: You just look around the team and when those two are not there, who is going to create that bit of magic? Where is that bit of leadership and quality? We cant blame off-field turmoil, says Carragher JAMIE CARRAGHER has said sorry to Liverpool fans for the clubs FA Cup humiliation. But the former England defender has insisted off-field turmoil at Anfield is not an excuse for the teams poor performances. Wednesdays 2-1 Cup defeat by Reading was just another blow in a shattering season that has seen disquiet on and off the pitch. Carragher said: It was a very bad night for Liverpool and we cant disguise that, we know we had to do more against a side from a lower league. We have to apologise for the way we performed. But the stuff that goes on off the field has got nothing to do with it. I dont think so anyway. If you say it has, you are only making excuses. Whatever goes on behind the scenes, we have got to do our own job. By Mark Curtis 8million Potential income from the FA Cup lost by Liverpool after their third-round exit. Last years winners Chelsea made 5m from the Cup in TV and prize money, plus around 3m in matchday takings. Vicious cycle: Rafael Benitez is under pressure Picture: Medium/Empics Metro Heralds new betting expert looks ahead to whats worth a sporting flutter over the weekend index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html