Sky Sports News will have its hype-o-meter set to frenzy as the transfer window edges towards its 11 o’clock deadline on Monday night.

Anyone that looks vaguely like a football reporter will be told to dust down their suits and hang around grounds to watch cars drive in and out and try and make it sound interesting.

Players no-one has previously ever heard of will suddenly become the new saviours while former heroes will become turncoats over night.

It’s all a bit daft but keeps up the interest after a few fairly nondescript opening weeks of action.

The first big clash of the season saw Man Utd and Chelsea bore out a 0-0 stalemate.

At least I kept myself entertained at half-time trying to make new sentences out of the one-in-three words I could understand from Jamie Carragher.

Jose Mourinho may be a great manager but even he’ll have to admit the “no natural centre forward” formation at Old Trafford wasn’t his finest hour.

David Moyes is also desperate for a creative spark in the middle and I’ll be amazed if Utd don’t pull off a big transfer coup at the eleventh hour.

Over at West Ham we need to ship out a bit of dead wood before any new faces come in.

Getting Andy Carroll to actually kick a ball in anger would be a bonus as well.

But even without the big man leading the line the Irons look to have too much for a limited Stoke side and should be the first leg of a winning double.

The second leg is Man Utd to win away at Liverpool at 7/4.

You have to snap Utd up at nearly 2/1 at Anfield and the double pays 9/2 which looks a decent price to get us back into credit for the season.

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Running Total for all bets this season to a £10 stake:   £-20.00