Welcome to the Predictorship’s latest innovation - Prediction of the Season. Think Match of the Day’s Goal of the Month competition minus Gary Lineker’s words of wisdom - “All you have to do is vote for your favourite” - and a lovely piece of incidental music (e.g. The Life of Riley).
Please vote for your favourite prediction of the first 12 weeks by leaving a reply to this post. It couldn’t be simpler, and you don’t even have to give a reason. The three predictions with the most votes will go through to the Prediction of the Season final, featuring approximately 10 selections made during the whole of the 2006-2007 season.
Sorry - no tickets to a Premiership match of your choice, no luxury hotel accommodation and no spending money to the predictor who agrees with the PPP (Predictorship Prediction Panel).
Get voting now - there are only 12 weeks until you’ll have to do it all again …
1. MARK YOUNG: SCOTLAND 6-0 FAROE ISLANDS (WEEK 2)
Scotland were expected to defeat the mighty Faroe Islanders in this Euro 2008 qualifier, but who’d have thought the goal-shy Scots would run riot and score a hatful? Mark Young, actually.
2. NEIL HAYES: ARSENAL 1-1 MIDDLESBROUGH (WEEK 3)
Middlesbrough should have been walloped at the impressive Emirates Stadium, but Arsenal have struggled to make their new home a fortress. Neil’s crystal ball was on splendid form here, and he repeated the trick in week 10 with his second unique score of the season - Arsenal 1 Everton 1.
3. JILL TAYLOR: WEST HAM 0-2 NEWCASTLE (WEEK 4)
The Hammers, complete with Tevez and Mascherano, had narrowly lost to Liverpool and drawn with Villa when they encountered Newcastle, who had lost miserably away to Villa and at home to Fulham. There was no method to Jill’s madness - except for the fact that she always predicts 2-0 scorelines.
4. NICOLA SAVAGE: READING 1-1 MANCHESTER UNITED (WEEK 5)
On the back of two successive wins, newly-promoted Reading hosted Manchester United, still fuming after defeat to Arsenal. Reading should have been the whipping boys. They weren’t, and Nicola was the sole predictor to reap the rewards. And tasty they were too.
5. NORMAN NO MATES: ENGLAND 0-0 MACEDONIA (WEEK 7)
It turned out to be one of the most depressing spectacles in the history of English football. If we’d consulted Norman before kick-off, we wouldn’t have wasted 90 minutes of our lives watching it.
6. PATRICK BEVILACQUA: WIGAN 3-2 CHARLTON (WEEK 12)
The Predictorship Prediction Panel always appreciates predictors who correctly predict high-scoring games and Patrick went out on a limb to conjure up this beauty. Before the fixture, Wigan had only hit the back of the net sporadically (ignoring the demolition of Manchester City) and Charlton had netted just once in three games. It was almost a miracle it ended 3-2.
Note: Only unique predictions are eligible. All of the above were the only correct score predictions for the games shown. So, for example, you’d be a bit gutted if you predicted Manchester United 0 Charlton 7, along with at least one other player, and the game in question ended Manchester United 0 Charlton 7. No match ball, no recognition, early bath.
I’ll keep this brief, this week was rubbish. I won absolutely nothing. £20 down the khazi. In fact it’s been a poor week for football, from my point of view: saw Ipswich lose at home to Sheffield Wednesday, lost £20, let in 10 goals whilst playing for the HIT Entertainment 5-a-side team and watched England throw away a friendly match against Holland. Still, mustn’t grumble – I’m still £29 up overall. I’ve decided not to be quite so mathematical about it all next time and use the Force, that sort of thing…
Put an end to hours of deliberation, consideration and procrastination with this essential guide to what you should be predicting each week for the Premiership’s 20 clubs. Put the following into practice and rise like a phoenix to the top of the league in no time at all. If you are not entirely satisfied with this service, be sure to return to your chosen method of predicting within 28 days. This does not affect your legal rights. So let’s make a start with …
ARSENAL
Forget “1-0 to the Arsenal”: they’ve had three 1-1 draws and three 3-0 wins at home this season. Despite their unpredictable away form (Manchester City - lost, Manchester United - won, Reading - thrashed), always go for a win unless they’re playing Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United (despite what it says above). Seriously consider increasing the margin of victory if Henry is “on fire”.
ASTON VILLA
Rock solid under Martin O’Neill. Five 1-1 draws - including away at Chelsea and Arsenal - and only beaten by Liverpool so far this season. Draws are unfashionable in the Predictorship but a guaranteed success with the Villa, re-christened TBICAB (work it out!) by “Baggies Boy” Mark Young. Food for thought: they’ve also achieved three 2-0 home wins this term. Hmmm.
BLACKBURN
The first of the Premiership’s “who cares?” teams. The Rovers never seem to win but are always there or thereabouts in mid-table. Did they really walk away with the Premiership title in 1994-95? Never plump for a win, home or away, unless they’re facing a team below them in the table. Even then, Robbie Savage is likely to throw a wobbler and get sent off, so err on the side of caution.
BOLTON
Big Sam has two aces up his sizeable sleeves: Kevin Davies, the most boring, no nonsense striker in the league, and El-Hadji Diouf, the dirtiest, saliva-shedding thug in the footballing world, and it’s beyond comprehension how they always seem to strike when Bolton need them most. Good for a goal or two against any team outside the “big four”, they’ve yet to score more than two goals in a game and have only conceded more than two against Manchester United. You do the maths.
CHARLTON
Ripe for relegation. Bent (of the Darren variety) is always likely to stick one in the back of the net sooner or later, but if you award their opponents at least one more goal than them (increase the margin when they play away) you won’t be too far wide of the uprights. Five points from the last 60 away from home says it all. Reliably pathetic after Christmas.
CHELSEA
The most despised team in the Premiership should collect three points every week, which makes Lampard and Co. a delight for predictors across the globe. What will it be this week? 2-0, 3-0, maybe 4-0? They’ve already conceded six goals this season, so if you’re feeling bold why not credit an opposition defender with getting up at the back stick and nodding one home. No? 2-0 it is then.
EVERTON
Solid like Aston Villa, so 1-1 - especially away from home - is a good bet. They’ll never leak too many goals and will occasionally give their Merseyside rivals Liverpool a good tonking. Have just started losing 1-0. With Tim Cahill injured and Andy Johnson unable to hit a banjo with a barn door (as they don’t say anywhere), Everton will be brought to you today by the numbers “0″ and “1″.
FULHAM
Unglamorous and nearly impossible to predict from week to week. Your guess is as good as mine.
LIVERPOOL
This season has been one of underachievement so far, as losses to Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal and the worst away record in the league prove. Still, if you’re vying for the Predictorship title it’s best not to take any risks, so go for a shaky win unless they’re entertaining any of the above-mentioned giants. You might want to think again if Gerrard is injured, suspended or “not up for it” or Crouch is taking on the appearance of a daddy long legs in a soapy bath.
MANCHESTER CITY
Personally, you’d have to pay me to watch City. Three 0-0 home draws, seven goals all season (just three away from Manchester) and not a lot of talent. Joey Barton’s bare-faced cheek was the most exciting thing to happen to City since Stuart Pearce introduced mascot “Beanie” to the touchline.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Just do the sensible thing: 3-1, home or away, unless they’re playing Chelsea (predict a narrow win for the Reds), Arsenal (2-0 at a stroll - ignore this season) or Liverpool (1-0 or 2-0). When Rooney fully regains his scoring touch, expect some vidiprinter-busting scores like 5, 6 and 7 (seven). Will you have the balls to follow suit and bag a prediction of the week?
MIDDLESBROUGH
Another of the “who cares?” brigade. “Talent” like Mark Viduka, Yakubu Aiyegbeni and, er, Massimo Maccarone should produce a hatful of goals whatever the opposition, but the ‘Boro have netted more than once in only one game since the start of September and have been humiliated by relegation candidates Watford and Sheffield United in the process. Not as good as you think they are.
NEWCASTLE
They’ve neither scored nor conceded more than two goals in any of their 12 league outings so far and are prone to 2-0 away defeats. With Shearer retired, you know exactly what to do.
PORTSMOUTH
Nwankwo Kanu (excuse my Nigerian) has turned into a gangly-legged hitman and predicting threes and fours for Harry’s mob is not as absurd as it once was. Beaten at home just once this campaign. Throw caution to the swirling south coast breeze if you can’t make up your mind, but remember a ceremonial thrashing at the hands of a big club might never be far away.
READING
Leaking goals home and away of late, and scoring a few too, so let your imagination run wild.
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Like Newcastle, the Blades tend not to concede or score more than two in any given 90-minute period, despite Neil Warnock’s insistence on all-out attack with some, all or fewer of the dozen strikers at his disposal. Embarrassed a gaggle of Premiership clubs in Cup competitions in recent years but can’t cut the mustard in the top flight. Be adventurous and predict 0-0 at Bramall Lane.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
The first three games of the season sum up these underachievers: Bolton - lost 2-0 (away), Sheffield United - won 2-0 (home), Everton - lost 2-0 (home). Quite literally unpredictable. Clues: four games without a goal earlier in the season and never more than two a game, with or without England reject Defoe. Take this information, do your homework and try to fathom them out.
WATFORD
Marlon King is on the treatment table and out for the season, which will give you an excuse to predict heavy defeats away from home without feeling guilty or being answerable to Predictorship chairman David Roberts. One win and six draws (three of them goalless) so far this season.
WEST HAM
When you’ve stopped chuckling at the absurdity of signing two Argentinian “world-beaters” who have done nothing to turn the bubble-blowing Hammers into a half decent club, consider this: three wins, two 1-1 draws, seven defeats and six blanks. Yawn. Now start chuckling again.
WIGAN
Arguably the most boring team in the Premiership, although disposing of Charlton in a five-goal thriller last time out and thrashing Manchester City 4-0 could be a sign of better times ahead. 1-0, home or away, will do nicely when they take on teams below them in the table.
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Copyright 2005-2006 F.C. Camena.
ca·me·na n. A tactical system of football/ soccer characterized by extreme fighting spirit, impassioned defense, opportunistic attacking, and a proclivity for profanity-laden orations regarding the competency and/ or partiality of match officials.
Dudes who are kind of crap at soccer but enjoy the TV shows, video games, and funny accents.
