What are the odds Fraizer Campbell starts England's first Euro 2012 match? Derek McGovern's Bets of the Day

By Derek McGovern in Betting Blog

Published 22:00 23/02/12

Fraizer Campbell has been picked for England and if you think the world’s gone mad, here’s confirmation – it was Stuart Pearce doing the picking.

Pearce has included Robert Green and Scott Carson in his trio of goalkeepers to face Holland, so is clearly doing his best for Comic Relief.

Gareth Barry, Stewart Downing and Adam Johnson are midfielders, much to Dutch relief.

Stand-in boss Pearce said he wants to see if players such as Campbell and Tom Cleverley “are good enough to serve England in the summer”.

You’d have thought Euro 2012 organisers could have hired local waiters.

This is such a poor England squad that for a moment I thought it was Scottish, especially with someone called Fraizer Campbell in it.

Hills offer just 11-8 the boss in charge at the tournament is still a caretaker, which is what they’re calling Pearce – I’d suggest ‘janitor’ is more accurate.

The two Dannys, Sturridge and Welbeck, have performed admirably at Under-21 level, but the older England players would much prefer two other Dannys who performed with distinction in their teens – Lloyd and Behr – on the plane.

Campbell is 6-1 with Hills to start the Euro opener against France, but the same with Ladbrokes just to make the squad.

Hills have prices for a host of players to make or miss the starting line-up.

The 5-4 for Theo Walcott to miss out is buying money.

To start v France (Hills): 4-7 T Walcott (5-4); 5-6 J Terry (5-6); 11-10 D Sturridge (4-6), 11-10 R Ferdinand (4-6); 7-2 T Cleverley (1-6); 4-1 D Welbeck (1-7); 6-1 F Campbell (1-12)

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After a five-month stand-off, Carlos Tevez has apparently called off his feud with Roberto Mancini. He is now in line to play for Manchester City for the first time since he refused to play for them.

It was the little munchkin’s mutiny in Munich that triggered the mayhem.

That night he and City manager Mancini looked so angry in the post-match press conference that David Haye was tempted to intervene.

Bookies reckon it’s now all sweetness and light between the two and Hills earlier this week offered just 7-4 for Tevez to play some part in this weekend’s City v Blackburn clash.

That was a possibility only if he signed for Blackburn.

Mark my four-letter words, this feud ain’t over just yett.

It was Tevez who claimed only a week ago that he’d been treated “like a dog” by Mancini.

In fact when the Italian held out an olive branch, Tevez lifted his leg and peed all over it.

BetVictor offer 2-1 for Tevez to start fewer than four Premier League games between now and the end of his tether – a stonking bet.

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Long gone are the days when pundits hailed the Premier League as the best in the world.

Not even a personal injury lawyer could uphold such a crazy claim.

In a league of leagues we’re probably a couple of places below the Human League.

The Manchester clubs couldn’t get out of the group stages of the Champions League while Arsenal and Chelsea need a miracle (or a change of manager) to make the last eight.

Fergie reckons this year is a blip but forgets Manchester United are the only English team to have gone beyond the last eight over the last three seasons.

It could be, with the two Manchester clubs well ahead, that the Premier League is becoming a sunnier version of the SPL. Sunnier and more sober.

Bet365 offer 12-5 for an English Champions League triumph next season, but go a much more cautious 7-4 that none will win it in the next four seasons.

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BET OF THE DAY

I led a very sheltered life.

I was 18 before I was allowed a full-length mirror.

Get on Kei Nishikori at 6-5 to beat Stanislaw Warrinka in the Buenos Aires tennis.

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