Right Said Fred: Talking betting with Betfred boss Fred Done

Betfred have cut the odds on United doing what some would say was the impossible - and winning the Champions League.

We're now 14/1 from 16/1 for the Reds to win the richest prize in club football. 

That's because they are top of their European  group after the workmanlike first win at Villarreal under caretaker boss Michael Carrick. 

But ahead of Sunday's much tougher encounter at Chelsea, United are 100/1 for the Premier League title.

It shows how alarming was the drop in form for my team under Ole Gunnnar Solskjaer for a couple months ago they were 5/1.

At this key stage of the season with the January transfer window looming, Betfred have City 8/11 favourites for the title with Chelsea 5/2 while Liverpool are at 9/2.

The money is clearly on those three with the Reds and West Ham next up as 100/1 shots!

There remains  one question on the lips of all football fans Pep namely who will replace Solskjaer at Old Trafford? Pep Guardiola would be my choice. 

But even me, an eternal optimist, just can’t see him switching from City for the United hot seat. 

Let me dream for a moment about how the football landscape would look  today if kingmaker  Sir Alex Ferguson had secured the Blues’ highly successful boss as his successor. 

Anyway back to reality, and the here and now … we Reds need a new boss.

While Norwegian Solskjaer was hanging on to his job following the disgraceful defeats to Liverpool and the Blues,  it was put to me that United as one of the richest clubs in the world need a top six manager.

And as the Watford debacle proved beyond doubt Solskjaer wasn’t one of those. To lose heavily to  half-decent teams like Liverpool and City is one thing but to Watford is off the scale – and it was  obvious to everyone a change was needed.  

We’ve had plenty of bets on Brendan Rodgers taking over – and Betfred have the Leicester manager at 7/2 second favourite behind clear 4/9 favourite Mauricio Pochettino 

But you know what - if we can’t have Pep or Mauricio I’d have a punt on Unai Emery, the former Arsenal manager now with Tuesday's Champions League opponents Villarreal. 

Betfred have Spaniard Emery, who has the potential to break into the top-six world bosses, available at 66/1. There is a big problem appointing Argentine Pochettino, who would be right up there on my shortlist, in that he's under contract at PSG.

 Still the domino effect might be activated and France's top club could hire out of work  Zinedine Zidane (5/1 to takeover at United)....leaving Poch free to join us.

And don't forget if caretaker Michael Carrick can make something of a fist of what must be the toughest job in the world game, he’s right up there at 7/2 with Betfred.

Zidane took over a great team in Madrid and it is one thing in Solskjaer’s favour that he was left a right mess to work with by Jose Mourinho. He basically took the team as far as he could and came up short tactically and in his man-management style.

It is odd how dire some of our players have been performing of late notably  Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes – and even odder that our best player at Watford was Donny van de Beek, the Dutchman largely ignored by Solskjaer who only played half a game.

One point I do want to make is you cannot blame the Glazers. The controversial American owners who would probably admit they are not football experts have provided vast transfer  funds for Ole – and the backup staff to help him build this now fast fading squad. 

The bottom line is that if these so-called star players at United were managed by Messrs Guardiola, Klopp or Tuchel we’d be fighting for the Premier League title – and not struggling to stay in contention 12 points behind Tuchel’s Chelsea in eighth place.

It’s proved a real family affair for a Betfred winner who pocketed £75,000 from a 50p wager on the Irish Lotto.

The 40-year-old mother-of-two, from Leicester, stuck with the numbers – 6, 7, 18, 32 and 37 – that she’s been using for 20 years, which saw her win the jackpot, which by coincidence is slightly more than she and her husband owe on their mortgage, which is now being paid off.

The lucky numbers were picked based on the house numbers of her and her family members – with number 6 for her brother-in-law’s home, 7 for their old address, 18 for her mother’s, 32 for her current address and 37 for the in-laws’.

She said: “It’s amazing that we’ve won so much from such a small stake. We’re absolutely chuffed at this life-changing amount of money.

“We’ve been using these numbers for 20 years, with the minimum stake of 50p.

“We’ve already been in touch with the mortgage company and found out we owe £74,000 which is now going to be paid off. With the remaining thousand we’ll treat our children and have a very nice Christmas. 

“We’ll have more money to spend now, with us not having a mortgage to pay off, and no doubt will be off on holiday in the New Year, probably to our favourite place, Turkey.”

Congratulations to this loyal customer who has well and truly picked my pocket. 

It’s fantastic that she has won such a life-changing amount for less than the price of my daily newspaper.