Turning Bad Into Good

I started today with a cock-up ( nothing new there ). Despite a couple of harshly learnt lessons about backing teams on the weekend following Champions League action, I placed a lay of FC Moscow for their away game at CSKA Moscow in the Luzhniki Stadium, scene of Wednesday’s contest between CSKA and Manchester United. The lay was based upon CSKA’s recent home record, but they were ripped apart by the away side, who scored three times in the first half. All red taken at 0-2, I caught a point made by the commentator on the live pictures feed, who noted that CSKA’s performance was probably caused by having played on the artificial surface on Wednesday. He believed that the surface took more out of players than grass, and that a longer recovery period than four days was required.

So on to the follow-up. A lay of Manchester United. Bullseye. Ok, it was only a small bet, but I do get great satisfaction from a smart win, often much more than from a more lucrative but obvious selection.

My best bet of the day? No, that was the lay of Arsenal at 1-2 about three minutes before the West Ham equaliser to red up at (£5) after an initial back of the favourites which I foolishly failed to green up.

I ended the day with a decent profit but, not for the first time, what could have a cracking day was hijacked by red cards. I had to set-off plenty of potential profit following three sendings off ( for Hamburg, Club Brugge and Livorno ). Bloody refs.