The New Year started strongly with red type selection winners at odds of circa 2.50 and 4.50 and our new "blue type" suggestions providing winners at odds of 2.25 and 18.0 (yes, 17-1 +) and that was from just eight Premier League games previewed.

If you would like to take a look at the new format, please email me at gowi8@btinternet.com , a much quieter day today, but a very busy weekend ahead with four newsletters scheduled over Saturday and Sunday.  Having said that, there are basic notes for one of today's FA Cup ties below......

I do believe that the Cardiff City- Colchester United fixture should provide some entertainment. City should have a post season push as a priority, but I suspect they are not quite up to that and therefore, should be loooking to go as far as possible in this competition and what they really need, is to keep the supporters on their side and after a 0-0 draw with struggling Rotherham United, followed by conceding seven goals on home soil to Brentford and Watford, the City faithful (pictured) have had very little to cheer about over the last month. They have one or two players carrying knocks and a couple of others who are on their way out of the club, with boss Russell Slade looking to make the most of his first transfer window at the club, so we are bound to see some rotation, but with no league game for eight days, there is absolutely no reason for the hosts not to give their best, there can be no excuses and this is an expensively assembled squad, of , at least on paper, Championship +quality, who are playing a cash strapped League 1 team, struggling to stay out of the fourth tier.

United are four points from safety, but we have seen an increase in performance levels from them over recent weeks, they have tightened up defensively and have been creating more offensively than basic results suggest.They have posted consecutive 0-0 draws on the road, after allowing 19 goals in their previous six away starts, it has to be said that Yeovil Town and Crawley Town are not the strongest of opponents, but a point from each was the least the U's deserved , they hit the woodwork FOUR times in the latter and are not a defensively minded team.

City have conceded in eight of their last nine home wins, with four ending 2-1 and four 3-1 and I suspect we will similar this evening, both to score (odds too low for my taste) and when the dust has settled, a home win. The best combined odds for a 2-1/3-1 home win work out at circa 5.30 and look decent value, but officially, I will opt for 1.25 units "over" 3 goals 2.16 asian line/Sportmarket.

Cup games are not league fixtures, he said, stating the obvious, but both teams have tended to be vulnerable when the other is strong and that offers plenty of "in running" options. City are 6-2 (goals scored- conceded) between the 16th-30th minute, when United are 1-11 in all games. The hosts are 2-8 through the last ten minutes, with only Fulham having a worst Championship record through this period, Colchester are 7-5 on the road through the last 30 minutes, which is a very solid stat for a bottom two team.

Good Luck.