FEELING BLUE? The future looks pretty bleak for Bobby and his silly scarf

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The sack race is one of the few races nobody wants to win. It’s up there with the race to the front of the Paddy Power canteen queue on mushroom pie day. Christmas is just around the corner and there’s a few chairmen with itchy fingers looking across at the managerial guillotine.

Roberto Di Matteo and Mark Hughes have already had the boot from the men in charge and now the sack race is heating up again. Roberto Mancini has come under big pressure after City were about as useful as a 20p coin in Europe, and then Manchester United crossed town to end their unbeaten home run. We talk to Mark Ogden, the Northern football correspondent from the Daily Telegraph, as City travel to Newcastle with the real risk of falling nine points off the pace by Saturday evening.

It certainly isn’t all rainbows and lollipops in Sunderland either despite Martin O’Neill’s men thumping Reading 3-0. The Black Cats are just one point above the drop zone and face Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool before January 2nd. The Christmas period doesn’t look too much fun if you’re a Mackem.

Martin McFadden joins the show from A Love Supreme to declare his faith in the manager and tell us his wishlist for the transfer window. After winning just three of their 16 games this season Sunderland fans aren’t in the best spirits so we tried to cheer Martin up with a bucket-load of ‘fun Sunderland stats’ about a range of things from a rope factory, a stained-glass window and the Wear bridge. then it all gets a bit depressing again when we talk about their impending trip to Old Trafford.

Listen out for a smoking-hot 10/1 treble, the smartest place to put your pennies this weekend and the usual weekly cocktail of useless stats and misplaced faith in backing Southampton.

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: Newcastle v Man City
  
• Betting: Man United v Sunderland
• Betting: Premier League coupon
• Betting: The sack race

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

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A CITY DIVIDED: Will the red of United or the blue of City come out on top on Sunday?

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Manchester United are top of the league but defensively they are as flimsy than an IKEA flat-pack built without the instructions. They visit the champions Manchester City on Sunday in what, for dramatic purposes, we are dubbing a title-deciding six-pointer.

Seven times in the league this season Manchester United have fallen behind only to go on to win but they’ve conceded 21 goals in just 15 games. The last time United’s defence was conceding this many goals per game was in the 1978/79 season when they finished ninth and Chelsea got relegated.

What can be done to tighten up United’s back line? Can they go on to win the title by simply outscoring everybody else? One man who might have the answers is former Manchester United centre-back Gary Pallister.

Gary joins the lads on the Padcast to explain how he’d tighten up United’s back line and what Ferguson needs to do in order to solve their defensive problems.

Pally’s relationship with Steve Bruce at the heart of United’s defence is considered as one of the best centre-back pairings to grace the Premier League so he knows a thing or two about keeping clean sheets. Pally has three key steps to sorting out Fergie’s problems:

• Pick a number one keeper
• Practice defending set-pieces over and over again
• Wrap Nemanja Vidic in cotton wool to stop him getting injured

The United legend tells the lads who he think should replace Fergie when the manager eventually retires, which of the City forwards he’d prefer to play against and how the Manchester City fans should be patient with Roberto Mancini even if the Champions get beat on Sunday afternoon.

Plus we’ve got the usual host of overly ambitious tips for the weekend’s matches and some crazy news from the world of sport.

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: Manchester City v Manchester United
  
• Betting: Premier League coupon

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

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NO MORE BOING-BOING BAGGIES: Steve Clarke has got West Brom playing some stunning football

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The 3-1 defeat away to Swansea may be seen by many as the result that signals the end of West Brom’s incredible run. The Baggies have been in irresistable form that sees them up to fourth in the Premier League and the Padcast lads aren’t writing them off just yet.

‘There are fans in their sixties, seventies and beyond that are genuinely comparing this team to the side of the late 1970s. These lads might not be as good as that, they were a phenomenal team, but it’s the first time since then that West Brom have had a Premier League team that can go to your Old Traffords and get a result’.

Chris Lepkowski from the Birmingham Mail is just one of the many West Brom fans that are bouncing off the walls following the Baggies unbelievable start to the season. But he isn’t at all surprised.

He joins the lads on the Padcast this week to tell us why we shouldn’t be shocked to see West Brom near the top of the table and how Steve Clarke’s tactics, training routines and team selection have got West Brom into the Champions League places.

Is he dreaming of Europe next season? Quite possibly. With comparisons being drawn to Newcastle’s unbelievable year last season Chris keeps a certain realism in his expectations for what is still to come.

Aside from the West Brom love-in we talk Harry Redknapp and the probable relegation of QPR, Barry Lenihan is back in the studio with his latest whacky news from around the world and we bring you a bucket-load of tips for the weekend including a stunning 11/2 treble.

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: Premier League coupon

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

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ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: Roman offers a up a celebratory fist-bump after axing Di Matteo

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Roberto Di Matteo was brutally sacked by Roman Abramovich this morning and quicker than you can make a ‘fat Spanish waiter’ joke Rafa Benitez has taken the hot seat until the end of the season.

The Guardian’s football reporter Dominic Fifield is on this week’s Padcast to throw his opinion into the mix following the brutal sacking of RDM and the future for Rafa. Bobby won an FA Cup, a Champions League and was top of the table less than a month ago, but it couldn’t save him. What can the man with the terrible goatee do to keep the boss happy?

Di Matteo became the latest victim of Roman Abramovich’s brutal regime and was the eight Chelsea manager to get the boot since 2004. The Blues have spent £69million on dismissing managers in the last eight years which could have bought them four Zlatan Ibrahimovics and had a bit of loose change to boot.

Was it right to get rid of RDM after a couple of bad results?

There’s every chance Roberto Mancini will be behind him in the queue at the job centre if Manchester City don’t start picking up results as managerial silly season begins. We look at the big Premier League game of the weekend and the New Kids on the Blog pick out their best tips of the weekend.

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: Next Chelsea manager
• Betting: Chelsea v Manchester City
• Betting: Premier League coupon

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

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Donegal GAA Senior football manager and 2012 All-Ireland winner Jim McGuinness but you might now him as the man the song ‘Jimmy’s winning matches’ is all about. The anthem has over 750,000 views on Youtube and was heard up and down the country for most of the summer.

Now he has joined Celtic as a performance consultant in a completely new role in a different sport all together. McGuinness will be joining the Hoops to help the development of young players, but what will he be bringing to the club?

Chris McNulty is the sports writer for the Donegal News and joins the lads on the Padcast to explain what a good appointment this is for Neil Lennon’s squad and how the success McGuinness had in GAA can translate to football. Chris has worked with McGuinness for several years and explains what kind of manager he is and how his relationship with young players is second-to-none.

With Barry Lenihan still on International duty, Josh and Ciaran go through some of the week’s stranger stories from the world of sport and look ahead to the big North London Derby on Saturday between Arsenal and Tottenham.

Last week the New Kids on the Blog nailed a whopping 14/1 four-fold and they’re back with an even more adventurous 70/1 acca for this weekend’s action.

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: How many trophies will Celtic win?
  
• Betting: Arsenal v Tottenham
• Betting: Premier League coupon

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

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TWO IN A ROW: David Pipe thinks Grands Crus can win the top trainer a second Paddy Power Gold Cup

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UK trainer David Pipe had an astonishing meeting at Cheltenham last year as he won the Paddy Power Gold Cup with Great Endeavour. The top trainer also had a three-timer on the opening day of the meeting and had a storming three days for the Pond House stables.

David Pipe exclusively tells the Paddy Power Blog team why he thinks Feltham Novices’ Chase winner, Grands Crus can record him another success in the Paddy Power Gold Cup on Saturday. He picks apart the race itself, looking at who the main threats are in the field and how the two-and-a-half miles might be run.

Not only that but Pipe gives us his best bets for the weekend and highlights his key runners across the meeting.

• Paddy Power Gold Cup preview
• Betting: Paddy Power Gold Cup

LOST WITHOUT YOU: Liverpool would be bottom of the league if it wasn’t for Suarez

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After 10 games in charge in his first season Brendan Rodgers has 11 points. At the same stage in their first respective seasons, Kenny Dalglish had 18, Roy Hodgson had 12 and Rafa Benitez had 12. Is it squeaky bum time on Merseyside?

Anfield legend Jason McAteer thinks Rodgers just needs time. The former Liverpool midfield joins the lads on the Padcast to talk about how Rodgers is revolutionising the reds with the style of football he is playing and the youth he is bringing through the squad. We talk about Liverpool’s chances ahead of the big clash with Chelsea on Sunday and McAteer tells us how important Luis Suarez is and how the issue of only having one fit striker has to be addressed in January – possibly with Theo Walcott or David Villa?

Suarez has either scored or assisted 80 per cent of Liverpool’s goals this season and without him the reds would sit bottom of the Premier League. McAteer gives us his insight on what makes Suarez a Kop hero.

We also have some more bananas stories from around the world from Barry Lenihan and the New Kids On The Blog give us a whopping 14/1 Premier League four-fold.

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: Chelsea v Liverpool
  
• Betting: Premier League coupon

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

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WE 8-2 BE REMINDED: Last year’s game brings back bad memories for Arsenal fans

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The Daily Telegraph’s Northern football correspondent and Padcast favourite Mark Ogden is back on the show to look ahead to the big Saturday afternoon clash when Arsenal take on Manchester United.

Last year’s game will go down as one of the best if you’re a United fan as the reds romped to an 8-2 victory with Wayne Rooney netting a hatrick in front of a delirious home crowd. With both teams conceding and scoring goals for fun this season what are the chances we will see another goal-fest on Saturday?

Arsenal haven’t won a game at Old Trafford since 2006 and Mark can’t see that changing this weekend. Robin Van Persie is bound to get a hostile reception from the away end but the Padcast lads won’t be surprised if he is on the scoresheet against his former club.

If Robin Van Persie scores the last goal of the game Paddy Power will refund all losing first goalscorer, last goalscorer,correct score and scorecast single bets on this match.

In an attempt to expand your music knowledge and help you win some cash at the weekend we have a brand new tipping feature called New Kids On The Blog. We’ve been talking to the lads from the Paddy Power Blog and got their naps ahead of the weekend’s Premier League action.

Throw in your usual mix of barmy stories from the world of sport and our verdict on football’s biggest talking points and you have yourself another Padcast extravaganza.

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: Manchester United v Arsenal
• Betting: Premier League coupon

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

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EUROPE’S LEADING CHARGE: St Nicholas Abbey heads the market for the Breeders Cup turf race

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The Breeders’ Cup is one of the richest two-day horse racing events in the sport with a staggering $25.5 million up for grabs across 15 incredible races. This year’s racing on Friday, November 2 and Saturday, November 3 at Santa Anita, Los Angeles, will have no shortage of drama as the European horses travel over the pond to try to upset the Americans and win a lucrative pot.

The Aidan O’Brien trained duo of St Nicholas Abbey and Excelebration are Europe’s leading hopes and head the markets for the turf race and the mile race respectively.

Paddy Power’s head of racing Paddy Desmond dropped into the Padcast studio to give his thoughts on the four top races of the meeting and explains where the value lies in the betting.

Paddy gives a trader’s insight into the leading contenders in the big races as some of the best Group One horses in the world prepare to go head to head in Santa Anita in California.

Paddy Desmond’s tips

• Breeders Cup Turf: St Nicholas Abbey 3/1
• Breeders Cup Classic: Game On Dude 7/4
• Breeders Cup Mile: Wise Dan 11/4
• Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf: Ridasiyna 7/2

PEA-SY DOES IT: The ‘Little Pea’ Javier Hernandez scored a brace in Europe

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Manchester United haven’t won a Premier League game at Stamford Bridge in the last decade but former defender Gary Pallister thinks that will all change on Super Sunday.

The United legend is backing the reds to beat Chelsea and fancies Javier Hernandez to play a major role in the capital. Pally tears into United’s defensive weaknesses and explains what is going wrong at the back for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

With the main man Ciaran O’Raghallaigh crying in the corner of a Barcelona pub after watching his beloved Celtic get beat, Josh Powell and Barry Lenihan are flying solo. Ciaran drops us a line from Spain to mostly sulk about the result but also talk a little bit about the Hoops chances of qualifying.

But from then on it’s all fun and games as the lads take a look at the recent form in the Merseyside derby and pick out two massive Premier League trebles at a tasty 11/2 and a monster 7/1.

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: Chelsea v Manchester United
  
• Betting: Everton v Liverpool
• Betting: Premier League coupon

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

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BY GEORGE: Could Samaras be the key to Celtic’s success in the Nou Camp?

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This is a very special edition of the Padcast we’re naming The Hoopcast. The lads are joined by Brian Gilmore of the fans group ‘The Celtic Underground’ to look ahead to Celtic’s daunting trip to the Nou Camp.

Celtic are a whopping 25/1 to come back from Spain with three points and it would be fair to say not many Hoops fans are expecting to beat the four-time European champions. Barcelona are quite possibly the best club side of our generation but are the odds of 1/12 for a Barca victory disrespectful to the Scottish champions?

The Bhoys have travelled to the Nou Camp three times since 2004 drawing twice and losing 1-0 on their most recent visit in 2008. It is by no means a terrible record at the home of the Catalan giants.

The lads in the studio are hoping that Celtic can take confidence from their 3-2 away win against Spartak Moscow and they believe Georgios Smamaras could be the key to undue the Barcelona back line.

Is it more hope than logic?

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: Barcelona v Celtic
• Betting: Champions League coupon

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

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THE BIG ENEMY: Pardew and O’Neill are no strangers to the passion of the Tyne-Wear Derby

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Crunching tackles, miss-timed lunges and off-the-ball handbags. This sounds like just an average Padcast but this week it’s a whole lot more with two monster derbies coming up this weekend.

Newcastle legend Mick Martin joins the lads to talk about Newcastle’s chances as the Toon Army head up to Sunderland in what Mick describes as ‘The country’s best derby game’.

The former Magpies captain doesn’t believe any other derby comes close to the passion and rivalry in the North-East and says that Martin O’Neill’s side should fear the Mackem Slayer Shola Ameobi.

Not only is he a hero on Tyneside but Mick Martin works as an Ireland scout and has had plenty of dealings with the man at the eye of the storm Giovanni Trapattoni. He tells us why Trap should be in charge of the Irish team and what the future holds for the nation.

We take some time to look ahead to Chelsea’s visit to Spurs where AVB will be hoping to get one over on his former employers and Barry Lenihan hits us with some mega stats from the Capital.

Best of all, last week we tipped up a phenomenal six-fold! We’re back with some more blinding tips this week as thankfully, we have the Premier League back in our lives.

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: Tottenham v Chelsea
• Betting: Sunderland v Newcastle
• Betting: Premier League coupon

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

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IRISH EYES AREN’T SMILING: We expect more pain for the boys in green when Germany visit

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International week is upon us which means there’ll be plenty of bobbins teams performing in competitive action on Friday night including San Marino, Cyprus and Ireland.

The boys in green face a tough test as Germany come to the Aviva but the Padcast panel are confident that Trap’s army can come away with a result (well Ciaran is anyway). We discuss whether Ireland have any chance of pulling out a result against one of the world’s best sides and we play a game called ‘decipher what Marco Tardelli is saying’.

The Daily Telegraph’s Mark Ogden joins the Padcast to discuss how many England are going to thump past San Marino. Mark is going for a very optimistic nine, and has a feeling Wayne Rooney will bang in a few.

San Marino really are the worst team in the world. It’s like asking Manchester United to play someone from the seventh tier of English football, they really are minnows.

There’s a lot of people in the England squad with points to prove and to be blunt, San Marino are rubbish. The three lions will get eight or nine on Friday night.

The Padcast lads take a look elsewhere through the 27 fixtures and pick out some of the best bets ahead of this round of qualifiers including a tasty 10/1 double and for favourite backers there a barmy odds-on sixfold.

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: England v San Marino
• Betting: Ireland v Germany
• Betting: International long coupon

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

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BATTLE OF THE NORTH: Matches between Newcastle and Manchester United can often get quite tasty

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Games between Newcastle and Manchester United tend to produce plenty of drama with 31 goals in the last 10 Premier League clashes between them. Lee Ryder from the Newcastle Chronicle joins the Padcast to discuss everything on Tyneside including Alan Pardew’s bananas eight-year deal stretching to 2020. The Newcastle United journalist also explains why this is the second-biggest game for Newcastle fans, just behind the derby with Sunderland.

The Magpies haven’t lost in the last three Premier League games against Manchester United but Lee is not confident going into the weekend. He’s worried about Newcastle’s defence but Sir Alex Ferguson has defensive worries of his own. Demba Ba had a field day against Rio Ferdinand in this corresponding fixture last year and the Premier League’s top goalscorer will be looking to add to his account.

The Paddy Power Blog is expecting goals galore on Sunday and we pick out our favourite first goalscorer bets for the big game as well as trying to convince Lee that Newcastle represent plenty of value.

We also bring you the, ahem, ‘best’ tips for this weekend’s Premier League action, we delve into Sunday’s El Clasico and Padcast host Ciaran takes a quick look at the FAI Cup semi-finals, convinced there’s a few pennies to be made.

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: Newcastle v Manchester United
• Betting: Barcelona v Real Madrid
• Betting: Premier League coupon

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

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YOU BEC WE’LL GET PROMOTED: Luciano Becchio has his eyes set on the Premiership

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Only eight years ago Leeds were playing top flight football and it wasn’t long before then when they were in a European semi-final. How the great shall fall. Leeds were financially ruined and plumeted to the third tier of English football but there is a revival in Yorkshire. Leeds are battling for promotion back to the Premier League and their fans think Neil Warnock could be the man to do it.

He might be a love him or hate him figure but he has seven promotions on his CV and knows how to drag a club kicking and screaming into a higher league. We talk to the editor of leedsunited-mad.co.uk to get his thoughts on whether Leeds can make it back to the big time, if Warnock is the right man for the job and investment matters at the club.

Not only that but we try our hardest to find you some winners in this week’s Premier League matches and there’s more loopy stories from the world of football including the ‘fat’ Ronaldo tipping the scales on Brazilian celebratory fit club!

• Padcast host Ciaran O Raghallaigh on Twitter
• Padcast producer Josh Powell on Twitter
• Betting: Championship outright
• Betting: Championship coupon

Direct suggestions for the show, potential guests and compliments/complaints in the comments section below or to thepadcast@paddypower.com or follow us on twitter @paddypowerblog. We’re also on Facebook. If you’re particularly impressed/angered by the show, feel free to express your satisfaction/abhorrence with your friends using the sharing buttons below. That would be belting.

Don’t forget to subscribe in RSS, iTunes by clicking the icons below