Betting on football is a very lucrative business for the bookmakers simply because predicting results is notoriously difficult. I do not gamble myself and I am invariably wrong when I do guess at the results of games. This often leaves me with egg on my face, which is doubly embarrassing, because I am a practicing vegan!
However, I did take a bit of a gamble when I criticised TV soccer pundit Alan Shearer when he predicted that Swansea would do better than Norwich this season.
The scoreline: "Norwich 3 Swansea 1" at Carrow Road last Saturday appeared to vindicate my optimistic forecast, but it is still early days and a trip to Anfield may provide a reality check for the Canaries and bring about an abrupt end to my fledgling career as a soccer pundit.
All I can say in my defence is: "Didn't the lads do well at Old Trafford, even if they did leave without the point they deserved and would have had if Anthony Pilkington and Steve Morison had been more composed when they had the Manchester United goal at their mercy?"
By bouncing back so emphatically against the Swans, the Canaries - Pilkington and Morison in particular - proved that under Paul Lambert's guidance they are learning fast from their mistakes. This should persuade the pundits, as well as the Canary faithful, to predict that Norwich City will still be in the Premier League next season.
Since I am clearly not a Swan, I just hope I am not sticking my neck out too far with this prediction, when there is still a long way to go...