Season-long Bets

First Manager To Go
Backed Allardyce, £2 @ 25/1 with Paddy Power. Allardyce was instated by Shepherd who was now gone and seems to becoming increasingly frustrated at lack of transfer activity under Ashley's regime. Talk today in the tabloids that he has only £10m to spend (including wages!) and that Ashley wants Keegan back at Newcastle as Director of Football.
15 August added: Jol @ 20/1 with PP. 2 defeats to start the season, and after the money he has spent, Spurs will have to start producing something soon. I can smell the "taken club as far as I can" statements already! PP seem slow to respond here: Ladbrokes have him at 7/1 and he is the new favourite on BF @ 4.30.

Prem Top Scorer
Arsenal's £16m new boy da Silva @ 20/1 ew (Coral, better prices are avlbl elsewhere!) - great goalscoring record in and for Croatia, can't see Wenger paying so much for someone who he doesn't think is capable of leading his line (Francis Jeffers anyone?).

Newcastle's £0m newboy, Mark Viduka @ 33/1 ew (Bet Fred) - finished jt 4th last season with 14 goals despite starting only 22 games for mediocre Boro. Will more than likely be the main man at SJP this season, with the futures of both Owen and Martins doubtful.

£1.50 on each, e/w (as it was all I had left in my accounts!)

Added:
(15th July) Dean Ashton @ 66/1 £1 e/w (Hills). Back from injury and could the main man at West Ham next season with Tevez likely on his way before the season starts.
(29th July) Luke Moore @ 150/1 50p e/w (Stan James). Scores goals when he plays. Banging them in pre-season for Villa (4 goals in 2 games) and though last season was blighted by injury, he managed 4 goals in 7 starts. Interesting to see what happens if he gets a run of games at the start of the season.

Prem Relegation
Some outsiders backed for the drop, £5 on each:
Reading @ 8.00 (Hills) Looking to see if they suffer from second season syndrome a la Ipswich and Wigan in recent seasons. (First 5 fixtures: Man U away, Chelsea home, Everton home, Bolton away, West Ham home)
Middlesbrough @ 8.00 (expekt) were close enough the drop last season and will miss Viduka's goals; Yakubu likely on his way; Schwarzer may also leave. If injury-prone Woodgate goes missing they are in deep trouble. Southgate proved little so far as manager. (Blackburn H, Wigan A, Fulham A, Newcastle H, Birmingham H)
Sunderland @ 5.5 (unmatched on Betfair) other promoted sides Derby and Birmingham are at 1.6 and 2.26 respectively. Roy Keane factor is pushing Sunderlands price way up. (Spurs H, Birmingham A, Wigan A, Liverpool H, Man U A)
update: mackems comedy pre-season means no luck in getting matched yet. They play Juve soon and hopefully a positive result there will see the price bumped up. Otherwise will try to get matched @ ~5.0 before season KO.
update: was not matched before the KO. Sunderland now up to 5.5 after opening day win at home to Spurs, but I will not be on this. NO BET.