The Cards Column Tips: MD8 Player Cards, Team Bookings and Referee Data

This week’s Card Column brings you all the latest referee data, appointments and three of my favourite card-related punts across the markets.

Well, it was another quiet weekend for the officials, wasn’t it? Simon Hooper was busy, while VAR Darren England had a lapse in the Premier League, and now both are given some time off.

Can we follow on from last week’s 4/1 winner as Destiny Udogie was booked in that chaotic game between Spurs and Liverpool? Our expert, Matt Kirby, is back again for another instalment of your favourite weekly bookings-related offering.

• Sheffield Wednesday vs Huddersfield: Both Teams to Receive 2+ Cards
• Millwall vs Hull: Ryan Leonard To Be Booked
• Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest: Over 2 Nottingham Forest Cards

Odds via bet365 as at 12:00, October 5th, 2023. Odds may now differ.

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The Data from the Premier League and the Championship: Team Bookings and Referee Data

The big Premier League game sees last season’s title rivals Arsenal and Man City go toe-to-toe at the Emirates, with Michael Oliver appointed to oversee proceedings. There’s also a top-flight debut for Sam Barrott, who continues his rise through the ranks – he’s at the Cottage.

In the Championship, James Linington takes charge of Friday night’s Midlands derby between Birmingham and West Brom. Card-happy Matt Donohue has the Yorkshire derby as Huddersfield travel to Sheffield Wednesday. While there’s a second Championship game for Lewis Smith – his debut came on the final day of last season.

The Data from League One and League Two: Team Bookings and Referee Data

Select Group 2 official Bobby Madley returns to action at Fratton Park, where unbeaten Portsmouth host Port Vale. There are games for two officials who rank highly for cards per 90, with Ed Duckworth (7 CPG) and Simon Mather (6.7 CPG) in action. Yet Ollie Yates (2.7 CPG) is at the other end of the spectrum and is in charge of Crawley v Wrexham.

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Sheffield Wednesday vs Huddersfield: A fiery Yorkshire derby

England, Championship, Saturday, October 7th, 15:00 (UK)

Darren Moore got Sheffield Wednesday promoted back to the Championship, but on Saturday afternoon, he’ll be in the away dugout as he takes his new side to Hillsborough.

And after Xisco Munoz was sacked on Wednesday, is there a chance that the man Moore replaced, Neil Warnock, could rock up in Sheffield?

With the Owls winless after 10 games and the Terriers having only won twice, it’s not too soon to suggest that this could be a six-point scrap, which makes me believe we should get plenty of cards.

Wednesday have seen 25 cautions in their 10 games, with only five teams seeing more. The Owls have seen 2+ cards in eight of those league matches, including four of five on home turf. Plus, they top the charts in the second tier for fouls committed per 90 at 14.9.

Huddersfield haven’t collected as many cards but have seen 2+ in five games, including in their trips to Middlesbrough and Coventry – both games saw three Terriers players booked.

I’m always quite keen to back cards when I see that Matt Donohue has the whistle. Of the regular Select Group 2 officials, Donohue averages 25.6 fouls per game – only Jeremy Simpson gives more free kicks (26.2).

Donohue also ranks fourth for yellows (30) at 4.3 per 90, which includes dishing out 2+ cards to both sides on three occasions. He also hit that mark during his only EFL Cup tie, where he showed a 3-4 split as Bournemouth won at Swansea.

The referee has already taken charge of one fixture from either side this season, with his Owls game seeing him caution three of their players at Hull. So, there’s a good chance he does similar here. With him showing five or more cards in four of his last six matches in all comps, there has to be a feeling the cards will come when the tempers rise.

• Selection: Both Teams to Receive 2+ Cards
• Best Odds: 2.10
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 7/10

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Ryan Leonard To Be Booked: Lion Leonard to show claws

England, Championship, Saturday, October 7th, 15:00 (UK)

Now, when it comes to picking out a player to be booked, there’s got to be some meat on the bones regarding the price – and I feel there’s plenty to tuck into here.

Hull have made a bright start to the season but slipped to their first defeat in eight during the week after a 3-0 defeat at Ipswich. The Tigers visit the Den, with Millwall just two points behind despite the pressure on Gary Rowett after some poor performances and the way they ended the last campaign.

Roared on by the home crowd, the Lions are likely to get stuck into this one after Tuesday’s win at Plymouth to boost confidence, but the fans patience may get tested, with Hull likely to see plenty of the ball.

The Tigers average 55.3% compared to Millwall’s 42.7%, so I can see this panning out with plenty of possession for the visitors.

So far, Hull players have been fouled 155 times – that’s 22 more than any other Championship side. While Millwall rank third for fouls committed (136). Therefore, Hull seeing the ball will draw plenty of fouls.

Turn the clock back a couple of weeks to where I tipped Stoke’s Ben Wilmot to be carded against Hull with the Tigers drawing plenty of cautions from opposition centre-halves. That has to be an angle here once again.

Hull’s opponents have picked up 2+ cards in nine of their 10 league games, with plenty of them defenders.

Within the Millwall ranks, Zian Flemming and Jake Cooper have both committed the most fouls (13), but Ryan Leonard’s price catches the eye.

Leonard picked up his first caution in midweek and has already given away 11 free kicks. He’s committed 2+ fouls in four of his seven starts, while he caught the eye for the way he tried to handle Leeds’ Wilfried Gnoto a few weeks back – a game he somehow escaped sanction.

Tim Robinson is in charge and deals with cards. The now SG1 referee has dished out 4+ cards in four of his five league outings, so gives me confidence there should be a few here.

Cooper is 4.00 on bet365 for a card, which looks fair, given his three cautions from 13 fouls. But the right-sided Leonard is chalked up at 6.00, which looks the way to go, with the likes of Scott Twine, Jaden Philogene Bidace and Adama Traore all likely to drift into his channel during the 90 minutes.

• Selection: Ryan Leonard to be booked
• Best Odds: 6.00
• Bookmaker: Bet365
• Stake: 5/10

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Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest: Cautions When Travelling

England, Premier League, Saturday, October 7th, 17:30 (UK)

The late top-flight game from the Premier League is where this week’s final bet comes from, and it focuses on the visitors – Nottingham Forest.

Steve Cooper’s side have picked up plenty of cards, especially on the road, so take that trend to continue with over two Forest cards at 1.80.

The Tricky Trees away games have seen them collect match card totals of 2, 6, 4 & 7, while they even saw 4 in last weekend’s home draw to Brentford.

Only Spurs have seen more cautions than Forest so far this season, plus they’ve already had two players dismissed, including Joe Worrall at Old Trafford.

What helps the case for Forest cards is that only three teams have drawn more free kicks than Crystal Palace’s 84. While the Eagles have the most-fouled player in the division in Jordan Ayew.

Palace’s opponents have seen at least three cards in five of their seven league games, including two of three here at Selhurst Park.

And add into the mix referee Craig Pawson, then we look to have a solid angle. Pawson’s four Premier League games have seen 24 yellows and one red. His last three top-flight outings have seen 7, 8 & 9 yellows, so he’s not afraid to dish them out.

When you look at how many of those cautions have gone to players on the away side, you’ll see 4, 5 & 4. Given his tendency to book a few away players, then some might like the 3.00 on over 3 Forest cards, but I’ll take the more reserved approach.

• Selection: Over 2 Nottingham Forest cards
• Best Odds: 1.80
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 7/10

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