Right Said Fred: Talking Betting With Betfred Boss Fred Done

We are on a roll and I’ve said it before, and I don’t mind repeating myself – England are going to win the World Cup in Qatar.

The way Gareth Southgate has been managing our elite players has been nothing short of sensational.

We have had our problems in camp with two players Ben White and Raheem Sterling having to return due to personal problems and a break in.

But apart from that everything is going swimming for us.

Southgate  no doubt listens to the clamour from the media and pundits alike to make various changes, but our coach makes up his own mind… and so far he’s been spot on.

The huge factor for me in this competition has been his use of substitutes.

The fact is, it is no longer an 11-a-side game but 16-a-side, with Southgate proving himself adept at making changes at just the right time.

Alright, so the goals have come at the perfect time for him – generally just before or after the break – enabling him to get his so-called squad players on the pitch, but his game management has been excellent.

We go into the quarter-final against France on Saturday in a superb position, with our opponents not knowing who we’re going to start and therefore who’s likely to finish the 90 minutes.

Phil Foden, who has been top notch, and Harry Kane, who at last got on the scoresheet against Senegal, are the standout performers for me, alongside Jude Bellingham, who has catapulted himself to arguably the world’s most expensive player behind perhaps Kylian Mbappe.

Who would have thought it would be Jordan Henderson to put England into the lead against Senegal?

Well, one Betfred punter did – and the factory worker from North Manchester also predicted England 3-0, winning £2,820 from his £20 double  at 140/1.

This United supporter is having to explain to his pals why he wrote down other potential first scorer options including Harry Maguire and John Stones ...but eventually went for Liverpool’s skipper!

For the France game at the weekend, Kane is 4/1 at Betfred  to open the scoring, with Marcus Rashford 13/2 – while Bukayo Saka and Foden are both available at 8/1.

Mbappe is, however, the 7/2 favourite, with Giroud – now France’s all-time top goalscorer – an 11/2 shot.

The rapid introduction of Kyle Walker despite his pre-tournament injury woes at City will be key in what I'm sure will be a morale-boosting win against the French.

Their star man Mbappe is faster than Olympic sprinters but Walker is no slouch - and will be vital to stop his quick silver wing play.

With the final eight now settled Brazil remain favourites to be World champs followed by Argentina while France are just ahead of us in fourth place to triumph.

Meanwhile Beth Mead is holding off all comers, including the stars of England’s World Cup campaign  to remain odds-on favourite at Betfred to be crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

 She’s 1/5 to win the public vote on December 21, the results of which will be announced at a glitzy ceremony in Salford Quays, and therefore claim the top individual honour.

The Whitby-born Arsenal striker was the Golden Boot winner and Player of the Tournament when the Lionesses won the Euros in the summer.

She’s the only woman in the top ten of the betting for SPOTY, but will be pressed even  when England  beat France in the World Cup quarter-final  and progress deeper into the competition that culminates with the final on December 18 – three days before the vote to select the 69^th winner of the BBC award.

Ominously for 27-year-old Mead, Bobby Moore became SPOTY in 1966 when captained England to World Cup glory!

Current skipper Harry Kane has been backed into 12/1 second favourite on the back of England’s progress so far in Qatar – while Marcus Rashford, snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan and cricket ace Ben Stokes are all 16/1.

Wythenshawe-born Rashford has shot up the betting – not just for his crusading work that forced a government U-turn on free school meals during the Covid crisis, but for his World Cup goals that have proved beyond doubt that he’s back in world class form.

O’Sullivan’s status comes on the back of him winning a 7^th World Snooker Championship, while Stokes has this week led England to a dramatic Test victory in Pakistan.

Next up, Betfred have another cricketer in Lancashire's Jos Buttler at 20/1 – and Joe Root is a 50/1 shot.

Manchester based heavyweight boxing champ Tyson Fury is 25/1, and two more England World Cup stars Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham – arguably our player of the tournament so far – at 50/1.

The timing of this year’s vote will be crucial, coming just three days after the World Cup final.

Beth Mead has been favourite ever since the success of the Lionesses which gripped the nation.

I’m expecting Bellingham to be shortened sharply if we go on and beat France and progress further in the competition.

It’s warming up to be quite the battle, but remember it is Beth  leading the way, for the Lionesses have actually won their international tournament already.

Finally on a musical note the Christmas Number 1 may not be as big of a thing as it was a decade or so  but one duo are looking to make it FIVE years straight on top of the charts for Christmas Day.

You might not be au fait with LadBaby but they are a YouTube duo who have dominated the charts at Christmas for four years straight. Starting in 2018, they have been top dog with their food-based songs that have raised significant amounts of money for charities. This year nothing has come out as to whether they’ll be going for five on the bounce, but they are still the 4/5 favourites with whatever song they come up with.

Betfred have their top competition as a re-release of a song that is much more of my era. David Baddiel, Frank Skinner & The Lightning Seeds have re-recorded Three Lions with updated lyrics to include the fact that apparently it is coming home for Christmas....and  they are 3/1.

Lewis Capaldi has released the second song from his Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent album and could this song entitled Pointless, which was co-written by Ed Sheeran be a contender? At 10/1 he’s the joint-third favourite along with a very well-known sporting figure…

That person is none other than Tyson Fury. The World Heavyweight Champion fresh off a comprehensive win over Dereck Chisora has recorded his own version of the Neil Diamond hit ‘Sweet Caroline’ and might do better than many think.

Comedian Jason Manford is also a 10/1 shot having released an album full of school assembly songs. The song ‘Assembly Burgers’ is his chosen one in an attempt to make an impact on the Christmas charts.

The likes of Mariah Carey, Wizard and Wham! Have plenty of traction at this time of year thanks to famous Christmas songs but all are considered longshots to top the tree coming in at 33/1 for Mariah and 50/1 for the other two. The Pogues’ famous Christmas hit is 25/1.