Another Monday morning…or not…

I was not around to watch any of last weekend’s matches and only got to see a couple that were replayed during the week so this set of circumstances, coupled with Villa’s awful result at Stoke resulted in a no-show by me for the Monday morning ramble…My apologies…I’ll be there next week…

Claret & Light Blue v Lawro of the B.B.C

Predictions: August 30-31, 2008

Arsenal v Newcastle        Lawro: 2-1         C & LB: 2-0

Bolton v WBA                Lawro: 2-0         C & LB: 2-0

Everton v Portsmouth        Lawro: 1-0         C & LB: 1-1

Hull v Wigan                Lawro: 1-1         C & LB: 1-2

M’bro; v Stoke                Lawro: 2-0         C & LB: 3-1

West Ham v Blackburn        Lawro: 2-2         C & LB: 1-1

Villa v Liverpool            Lawro: 2-1         C & LB: 2-1

Chelsea v Spurs             Lawro: 2-0            C & LB: 2-1

Sunderland v  Man City        Lawro: 2-1        C & LB: 2-1

After the first two weeks (20 games) the overall scores are:
Claret & Light Blue 12 correct results / 3 correct scores
Lawro of the BBC     9  correct results / 1 correct score

Claret & Light Blue v Lawro of the BBC

Another good week for yours truly with 6 results correctly predicted and two correct scores…Meanwhile the clearly overpaid Lawro of the BBC had just 3 correct results and one correct score…

After two weeks and twenjty games the standings are…

C & LB                 12 Correct Scores and 3 Correct Results

Lawro                    9 Correct Scores and 1 Correct Score

Claret & Light Blue v “Lawro of the B.B.C. – Predictions: August 23rd – 25th

Blackburn v Hull Lawro: 2-1 C & LB: 2-0

Liverpool v M’bro Lawro: 2-1 C & LB: 2-1

Newcastle v Bolton Lawro: 2-0 C & LB: 2-0

Stoke v Villa Lawro: 1-1 C & LB: 1-2

Spurs v Sunderland Lawro: 2-1 C & LB: 2-0

WBA V Everton Lawro: 2-2 C & LB: 1-2

Fulham v Arsenal Lawro: 0-2 C & LB: 1-2

Wigan v Chelsea Lawro: 0-2 C & LB: 0-2

Mna City v West Ham Lawro: 1-2 C & LB: 2-1

Portsmouth v Man U Lawro: 1-1 C & LB: 1-2

After 10 games the overall scores are:
Claret & Light Blue 6 correct results / 1 correct score
Lawro of the BBC 6 correct results / 0 correct scores

As I wait for my half-time curry, chips, and a pint…

Derby, I like; too bad about the manager…

Paul “Big mouth” Jewel, current manager of Derby County, had this to say during his teams awful season in the Premiership last year…”The pain we are suffering now, I will repay next season with promotion. I have managed in the Championship for four seasons and been promoted twice and finished seventh once, so I am very confident we will get promoted.”
Jewell took Bradford into the top flight in 1998 and repeated the trick with Wigan in 2005.
He is anxious to put last season behind him and try to bring the same success to Derby.
“We have got 19,000 season ticket holders for this season,” Jewell added. “All I can say to them is that we will get promoted this year. I am not going to hide behind anything, the results have been rubbish since I have been here.”

He’ll get no argument from me. Let’s not forget that he took over at Derby in November and, although it was not “his team”, he was in at the helm of a side that steadily got worse if anything. This season they have lost one and drawn one of their first two games. I have always liked the club, ever since the Clough and Taylor sides of the early 70’s which were the Midlands’ most entertaining and successful team. I wish them well but I am no fan of Jewel and have a sneaking feeling that to return to the top flight they may have to wait until he is no longer in charge…

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What was that England performance all about on Wednesday? Pathetic. We have a major problem with Capello’s current goalkeeping choices, the full backs are average at best, the midfield was poor (but at least capable of much better), and what on earth is Heskey doing back on the international scene?…I could go on in more detail but why?…It’s 42 years of hurt with no end in sight…

Claret & Light Blue vs “Lawro” of the B.B.C. – August 17th, 2008

So Week 1 is in the books and I have taken a slight lead over Lawro of the BBC with my one correct score – the West Ham 2-1 win over Wigan…Otherwise we both did quite well with six of the ten games’ results correctly predicted by both of us…
After 10 games the overall scores are:

Claret & Light Blue 6 correct results / 1 correct score
Lawro of the BBC 6 correct results / 0 correct scores

Another Monday Morning – August 17th, 2008

Another Monday morning…
Well not quite just “another Monday” as it’s the first one of the 2008-09 season and nothing can really be said about what will happen the rest of the season despite Chelsea already being crowned champions by many – which may happen but the headlines to this point have been nothing short of ridiculous    . Perhaps it sells newspapers in S.W.6?…
Anyway I managed to watch several matches over the weekend and here are some of my brief observations…
Bolton 3    Stoke 1…Not a particularly good game with Stoke” doing a Bolton” with their long-ball game and Bolton playing some decent stuff on the ground against the struggling newcomers.  These are the games Bolton must win if they are to survive and they did so quite comfortably…
Middlesbro’ 2    Tottenham 1…Southgate’s lads played with a lot of determination and no shortage of skill whilst Spurs were poor and their new signings, particularly Modric and Bentley in the middle, just didn’t show up. If Berbatov leaves, as is very likely, then I cannot see where the goals needed to push them into the top six will come from. Borough might do quite well, I feel, but their away form will be crucial  if they hope to finish in the top half – and first up it’s a trip to Anfield!…
West Ham 2    Wigan 1…Another mediocre match with neither team showing any improvement on last year. It’s early days of course but these two are not going to push for any Euro spots and will consider mid-table a decent enough season…
Sunderland 0    Liverpool 1…Liverpool were much the better team although Sunderland probably think they deserved a point. Torres’ goal was superb and despite all the efforts put out by Keane’s team their was a big difference in class as will be seen by the final league standings…
Villa 4    Man City 2…A fine display by O’Neil’s men but the score line at  4-1 was a little flattering. Ashley Young was always dangerous, Petrov very solid in front of the back four, and the two new fullbacks had useful debuts in front of the very capable Friedel. Agbonlahor seemed a little out of sorts and then he scores three in seven minutes – I’m still not sure what sort of season he will have. If Barry stays, and I don’t think anyone knows at this stage one way or another, then Villa have got a good side that will push for the top spots just below the Big 4…
Man U 1    Newcastle 1…A disjointed Man U performance against a surprisingly resilient Newcastle team. I particularly enjoyed seeing Rio Ferdinand getting into it with Ryan Giggs, and his foul-mouthed tirade – “pass the f*ckin’ ball…pass the f*ckin’ ball”, summed up Fergie’s team’s day…Having said that, I wouldn’t want to play them next week – good luck Pompey!
Chelsea 4        Portsmouth 0…A very good performance by Chelsea against a strangely subdued Portsmouth. David James was very unconvincing for the xth time in his career and the whole side looked poor. This will obviously change but their efforts certainly helped Chelsea look as good as they did – or are The Pensioners that good?…

That’s it for now,  I’ll be back on a little later in the week for a bit of this, that, and the other…
Claret & Light Blue and enjoying the runners-up spot for now!

Two Top Tens…

As a brief insight which may explain some of my comments within these pages, I thought I’d share the teams who, currently (’cause this can change), make my Top Tens of both My Most Disliked Teams and My Least Disliked Teams. Obviously, being a true Villan, I don’t really like anyone else but if Villa cannot win  the Cup in my lifetime then I’m not completely opposed to one of the teams on the second list below doing so. It should go without saying that I wish for nothing except ill-fortune for all those teams on the first list…

Ten Most Disliked…

1. BlueNoses – no change there then..

2. Liverpool – that’s what living in a country valley with three football fans, all Red Scouse, will do for you…Benitez and the “Red Media” also helped them get 2nd on this list…

3. Chelsea – that’s what will happen as a result of being behind the bar in a city pub where loads of new, loud, Chelsea fans watch their new team…

4. Man U – you know the reasons…

5. Tottenham – ’cause they’ve done virtually nothing for 40 years yet the press and media think they have…Crap fans too…

6. W.B.A. – owning a bar with a Baggies fan will do this…

7. Newcastle – see 5. Also repeatedly being told the oft-repeated lie that they have “the world’s best fans” is very annoying…

8. The Arse -  – good to watch; horrible to listen to the excuses when they lose…

9. West Ham – cos’ they apparently play the “West Ham way” which I haven’t actually seen them do since 1973 or so…

10. All other teams Villa play and do not beat (on a week-to-week basis)…

Ten Least Dilsiked:

1.Oxford Utd – spent formative summers (‘64-67′) in Oxford with my Auntie Rose and Uncle Sid…

2.Walsall – despite the 70-71 and 71-72 seasons, most Villa fans’ favorite lovable loser/underdog

3.Derby – thanks to the early Clough and Taylor days; most entertaining team on A.T.V.’s Star Soccer…

4.Hereford – my cousins live there and their second team is Villa; Hereford 2-1 Newcastle 1972…

5.Hartlepool – Monkey hangers; can’t imagine living there – must be tough..

6.Burnley – can’t work out why – claret and blue kit?…

7.Shrewsbury – farmer fans but in the lovely county of Shropshire (not Norfolk); excellent pies…

8.Notts County – one of the original 12; oldest club; Laurie Sirrel – ugliest manager ever…

9.Accrington Stanley – for the fans who suffered for so long…

10.Whoever Brian Little is managing – so I suppose that’s Wrexham for now…

Claret & Light Blue v “Lawro” of The B.B.C. – Predictions: August 16th/17th, 2008

It’s that time again and no doubt “Lawro” has does his homework as he begins his defence of the title he won narrowly last season. I’ve been studying too so hopefully I’ll give him a run for his vast amount of money!…Here are our predictions for the first week of the 2008-09 season – Lawro’s first

Arsenal v WBA – 2-0 / 3-0

Bolton v Stoke – 1-1 / 1-0

Everton v Blackburn – 2-0 / 2-0

Hull v Fulham – 1-0 / 1-1

M’bro’ v Spurs -  1-0 / 1-1

West Ham v Wigan – 2-0 / 2-1

Sunderland v Liverpool – 1-1 / 1-2

Chelsea v Portsmouth – 2-0 / 2-1

Villa v Man City – 2-0 / 2-0

Man U v Newcastle – 2-0 / 2-0

2008-09 Premiership Preview

With the first matches just days away, I thought it was time to offer my prognostications for the 2008-09 Premiership season. This is not to be taken all the way to the bank (as if?) and with another three weeks before the transfer deadline hits there will no doubt be many pivotal signings made between now and that time. However, perhaps these will balance out between the teams and what I pick now will hardly change by September. We shall see…Whatever, I’m doing it anyway…(Final predicted 08-09 finish in brackets)

It’s hard to think that anyone will break the oft-mentioned stranglehold of The Big Four at the top of the league. The usual pretenders no doubt think they have a chance but in reality, over the 38 (not 39 thank god!) games, this will not happen and the top teams’ strength in depth plus overall superior quality will surely mean they finish one through four once again…ad nauseum.

With that being said I think perhaps one significant change within that group will occur – Liverpool (2nd) usurping Chelsea (3rd) as the runner-up to Man U. (1st). Benitez has improved his squad yet again (and needs to have early season success if his own position is not to come under threat) and with Torres and Keane perhaps being the most successful partnership in the league and Barry joining Gerrard in the middle, I see them slipping past Chelsea, who with a new manager and few new signings, may be in a transition period. It’s hard to go against Man U to win it all and even though at the time of writing they have yet to sign the extra forward they need, I cannot see them failing to do so and once again being the team to beat. As for Arsenal (4th), once more they will play lots of good football but I cannot see their young-ish team finishing above these other three.

Now to the interesting part of of The Premiership – The Battle for 5th (Premiership ‘B’ if you like)…Several teams have made efforts in the off-season to improve their squads, some more successfully than others, and it would appear that this “battle’ will be very close. Everton (7th) claimed 5th last season but with little movement in the transfer market to this point they may well slip a little despite the continued excellent leadership of David Moyes…To be replaced by, dare I say it, Aston Villa (5th)…Martin O’Neill, a very shrewd and smart manager, I must say, has made a number of excellent signings, particularly in defense with Friedel in goal (one of the division’s best and now backed up by the U.S.A.’s young Guzan), two England full-backs in Luke Young and Shorey, and just yesterday, the young Spanish star and player of the year in Scotland (so what, you may say) Carlos Cuellar. Add Steve Sidwell in the middle and probably a couple of more signings with the Gareth Barry money (if the end of this long-running saga ever happens), and you have a very solid squad – certainly one that will be up there challenging for the European spots next May…

Other teams in this group will be Tottenham (6th) who may well be 5th best on paper but this is Tottenham remember- perennial underachievers; Man City (9th) will slip a little but not much if their off-field problems do not interfere too much, not to mention that they had a great start last season and will probably not repeat this; Portsmouth (8th) under the excellent tutelage of Harry Redknapp and following some very good signings should hold steady; and perhaps Blackburn (11th) but I do think they will slip to mid-table as Paul Ince struggles to learn the managerial ropes at the top level…

The Rovers will probably settle in mid-table with the likes of Newcastle (10th) – with Keegan’s job under threat if they have a bad start; West Ham (13th) who may slip into the dogfight to avoid relegation with Curbishley also in the hot seat, and Middlesbro (12th), where my mate Gareth Southgate continues to do a very solid, if unspectacular, job…

The remaining teams – those that struggled last season along with the newly promoted trio, will be fighting for Premiership survival. Of this group, Roy Hodgson has done the most work in the transfer market, he needed to, and I think his Fulham (14th) will do relatively well. I hate to say it but Steve Bruce seems to have his Wigan (15th) players believing in him (for now) and even without the help of their awful pitch (surely it’s been re-laid) they will survive; and then there is Roy Keane’s Sunderland (16th) who will earn enough points at home in The Stadium of Good Fortune to once again survive…

The bottom four are going to find points very hard to come by. I’ve never been an admirer of Bolton’s (18th) Gary Megson, and think he should be plying his trade in the lower divisions – which he probably will be doing next year as The Wanderers go down. His former team, West Brom (17th), were the class of The Championship last year, playing some very nice football, and I believe this will give them just enough to survive this time round. The bottom two spots will go to Stoke ((19th) and Hull City (20th), with one or both of them breaking the lowest point total as the gap between the top and bottom becomes bigger than ever…

So, there you have it. I’m confident that many of these selections will be somewhat accurate – not because of my miraculous insights but due to the fact that the Premiership has become that predictable. However, there are always one or two surprises with a couple of teams either having surprisingly good (Pompey last year) or disappointingly bad seasons (Spurs) …I’m really looking forward to it, particularly that “battle” just below the Top Four and, if nothing else, I’m quietly confident of beating the B.B.C.’s Mark Lawrenson (“Lawro”) in our Weekly Result Prediction Challenge…

Claret & Light Blue and thanking you all for your continued support for this blog…