http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?fid4ct=18280 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 11:32:03 EDT Tue, 09 Nov 2010 11:31:29 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss RapidFeeds v0.1 -- http://www.rapidfeeds.com sportingways.com NEW ~ Check out Doug Martin's first Championship predictions and correct scores for this weekend's fixtures covering Saturday 06th to Sunday 07th November 2010. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5647213 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5647213 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 07:30:00 EDT Wolves played really well to beat Manchester City last Saturday 2-1. The victory wasn’t enough to take them out of the relegation places but it gave them some bloody hope that they will climb to safety. They might have trouble in this game though. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5645486 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5645486 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:24:00 EDT Inter won away at Genoa at the weekend to go second in the table behind Lazio who also won. Inter are 4 points behind Lazio but I still think that Inter will retain their title. In Europe they are unbeaten in their 3 games with two wins & a draw in Holland against FC Twente. Inter should qualify from this group & it is between Spurs & FC Twente as to who qualifies with them. Because of this it is vital that spurs avoid defeat in this game which I think they will but I don’t think they will have enough to win as Inter I think are a better side http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5637276 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5637276 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:14:00 EDT Bolton are having a much better season than Liverpool & lie in 8th place. They have only lost once so far this season & that was at Arsenal. They beat Stoke in their last home game 2-1 for their first home win of the season after drawing with Fulham, Manchester United & Birmingham in their previous home games. Away they have won at West Ham & drawn at Wigan, WBA & Aston Villa. There record so far this season proves that they are difficult to beat & this is why I can’t see Liverpool winning this fixture. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5627524 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5627524 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:29:00 EDT City are going well & their fans must be laughing at what is going on at Old Trafford. I really can see City finishing above United this season. City won their third game on the trot by winning 3-2 at Blackpool last Sunday. They are now second in the table behind Chelsea by only two points. It’s looking interesting at the top. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5614233 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5614233 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:38:00 EDT Chelsea are still top of the Premiership after a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa on Saturday. Their lead has however been cut by two points because both Manchester City & Arsenal both won. I suspect this won’t bother Chelsea too much. They now play their third Champions League game after winning the first two. They have a difficult game away to Spartak Moscow on the ground where they lost the Champions League final to Manchester United in 2007. Hopefully they will come away with better memories of Moscow after this game. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5603472 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5603472 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:11:00 EDT West Brom of course won their last away game at Arsenal 3-2. This result has made a lot of people sit up & take note Albion, me included. On the other side of the coin to that great win at Arsenal Albion are the only side to lose to Liverpool this season but to be fair it was albinos third game of the season & they have since improved. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5597129 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5597129 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 08:38:00 EDT This could be a tougher game for England then most people are thinking. Both sides have won all their games but because Montenegro have played one more game than England they sit on top of the group. They have won all their games 1-0, their latest victory being over Switzerland on Friday night at home. Their two previous victories were against Wales at home & Bulgaria away. For a country of only 650,000 this is fantastic. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5586625 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5586625 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 08:16:00 EDT Scotland got a last minute goal in the 5th minute of time added on (Injury time to me & you) to beat Liechtenstein 2-1. This was not an impressive performance but three points is three points. They have four points in group "I" after drawing their first game way 0-0. They now face a Czech side who lost 1-0 at home to Lithuania in their last game which was a very poor result for them. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5575322 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5575322 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:53:00 EDT Fulham are still proving hard to beat under Mark Hughes. They continued their unbeaten run with a 0-0 draw at home to Everton last Saturday. The point I have to make though is that Fulham have only won the one game, against Wolves at home. They will obviously lose at some point & I feel that will be in this game. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5560934 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5560934 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 05:09:00 EDT Arsenal won their first champions league game easily against Braga when they won 6-0. I predicted this but not by the margin they won. Arsenal are in a very weak Champions League group & should qualify without too much trouble. Partizan won their domestic Serbian league last season, hence their second appearance in the Champions League. Their first was in 2003/04 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5549561 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5549561 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:08:00 EDT Bolton have had a good start & have only lost the one game, that being at Arsenal two weeks ago. They drew at Aston Villa last Saturday coming from behind to draw 1-1. At home they have drawn with Fulham 0-0 & Birmingham 2-2. I know that Manchester United have four points away from home in their draws at Fulham & Everton but I really can’t see them dropping points in this game. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5541451 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5541451 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:19:00 EDT This is Bremen’s sixth appearance in the Champions league. They have reached the last 16 on several occasions. In 2004/05 season they were knocked out 10-2 on aggregate by French side Olympique Lyonnais. The following year they again reached the last 16 but put up a much better show bowing out on the away goals rule to Juventus (4-4 on agg). This therefore I think will be a very hard game for Spurs & I think they will lose. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5510493 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5510493 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EDT Newcastle drew at Wolves 1-1 two weeks ago to follow up their great 6-0 win against Aston Villa the game before. They should win this game against a Blackpool side who have made a mixed start in their first season back in the top flight since the early 1970’s. Both sides played each other last season of course in the championship & if my memory serves me right Newcastle lost at Blackpool but won the home game. Blackpool drew 2-2 at home with Fulham in their last game which was a bit of a disappointment for them as they had come from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 but got pegged back late on by a Fulham goal. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5501873 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5501873 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:50:00 EDT cotland started with a 0-0 draw on Friday night. To be fair to Scotland their opponents decided to go for a draw from the first whistle & Scotland were simply not good enough it seems to break them down. They now face Liechtenstein at home in a game they should win & to be honest they need to. Liechtenstein lost their first group game 4-0 at home to World & European champions Spain. Liechtenstein didn’t play their first competitive game until 1981. Their history is not too good. They have never qualified for a tournament or even come close but they have improved in recent years since their first competitive win in 1998 against http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5493155 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5493155 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:59:00 EDT England won their last game, 2-1 against Hungary at Wembley. The big surprise was the crowd. 60 plus thousand & after the worst World cup performance in living memory. The team do not deserve that support. They now face Bulgaria in their first European Championship Qualifier. Last Time England played Bulgaria was in the Qualifiers for Euro 2000 when under Kevin Keegan England beat Bulgaria 3-1 at home & drew 1-1 away. England were poor that year as well. Since Bulgaria reached the semi finals of the 1994 World cup when they famously beat Germany 2-1 in the Quarter Finals they have not faired well http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5486460 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5486460 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:10:00 EDT Wolves have started the season well. They followed up their 2-1 win against Stoke by drawing at Everton 1-1. They have a tough fixture this Saturday as they face a Newcastle side who recovered well from losing at Manchester United to thrash Aston Villa 6-0. How they managed that I still can’t work out. Anyway, Wolves away should be a difficult game for them & I can see them winning. Wolves as I have said previously should stay up but Newcastle’s season is anybody’s guess? Shouldn’t go down after the 6-0 win on Sunday that’s for sure. I reckon that Newcastle will win this game http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5475548 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5475548 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:37:00 EDT Wolves had a good start to the season by beating Stoke 2-1 on Saturday which was a good result as Stoke are a difficult side to play against, well apart from when they play away against Chelsea. Wolves drew this fixture last season 1-1 which was a good point for them. Wolves away form last season wasn’t too bad with wins at Spurs, Burnley, Wigan & West Ham. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5456222 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5456222 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:45:00 EDT Bolton should do better under Owen Coyle this season. They did well to pull clear of the relegation zone last season & stay up. At least they will be playing better football than they were under Gary Megson. They face on the opening day a Fulham side who will be gutted that they have lost their manager Roy Hodgson who steered them to two to half finishes in the league & of course The Europa cup final where they were very unlucky to lose to a late goal. Fulham’s way form was not good last season & if my memory serves me right they only won one game & that was at Portsmouth on the opening day of the season. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5438451 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5438451 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:29:00 EDT Rotherham came an easy forth in the final Division 4, err, 2 table while Dagenham just sneaked in on the last day to the playoffs with a win at already relegated Darlington. They made up for the lateness of their playoff confirmation by thrashing poor old Morecombe 6-0 at home in the 1st leg. They eventually went through 7-2 on aggregate. Dagenham have only been in the League 3 seasons, this being their third season. They struggled in their first season but improved last season & only just missed out on a playoff place with defeat to Shrewsbury Town on the last day of the season. This season they have of course gone one better http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5182277 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5182277 Wed, 26 May 2010 08:20:00 EDT Onto the Game e & the last time England played Japan they won 2-1at Wembley in 1995. I can’t see England playing a full strength side as they will be trying a few more players like they did on Monday as it is the last chance for the manager to see some players “Live” before he announces his full squad for the finals themselves which are only a couple of weeks away now. This means a lot of work for myself as I will be doing every game. Japan have also qualified for the World cup finals in South Africa but I don’t think they will go very far. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5182275 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5182275 Wed, 26 May 2010 08:18:00 EDT The Wembley pitch must be saying to itself, “Oh no not another game”. England are now playing Mexico in the first of their pre world Cup warm up games. England won their last game 3-1 against Egypt after coming from 1-0 down at half time to win. Mexico have won their last three games & are unbeaten in their last 5 but they played weak teams so the unbeaten run doesn’t count for much in my opinion. England last played Mexico in a friendly eight years ago at Derby’s Pride park Stadium & won easily 4-0. The only competitive game between the two sides was in the 1966 world cup when England ran out 2-0 winners. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5174352 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5174352 Sun, 23 May 2010 12:48:00 EDT I did pretty well in the Premiership as I correctly predicted that Chelsea would win the Title & Manchester United would come runners up. Liverpool’s demise caught me & just about everyone else out as they could only finish 7th. Spurs were the side who took advantage of their demise. In the relegation fight I correctly predicted two out of the three that went down. The side that caught me out were Portsmouth who of course came bottom because of a points deduction brought about by appalling mismanagement. I suspect that not many people will have predicted Portsmouth’s demise either. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5162488 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5162488 Wed, 19 May 2010 09:50:00 EDT Bayern Munich are in their first final since 1999 when they famously lost to two very late Manchester United goals & I mean late. Bayern clinched the German League last weekend so it looks like both sides will be Champions of their domestic leagues when they play the final. Bayern have won the trophy 4 times, the last being in 2001 when they beat Spanish side Valencia on penalties. Inter have won it twice, both in the 1960’s & in fact this is their first final appearance since 1972. They have however won the UEFA Cup three times since that 1972 defeat. I think that Inter will win this game mainly because of Jose Mourinho’s tactical know how, especially in this years run to the final where he has out thought several teams, most notably Chelsea & Barcelona. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5139797 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5139797 Thu, 13 May 2010 11:25:00 EDT Chelsea won the title as you all know on Sunday by beating hapless Wigan 8-0. This was the 4th time this season in the League that they had beat someone by seven goals. They now face a Portsmouth side who finished bottom by some distance which wasn’t helped by their points deduction. They have only managed 7 League wins all season yet in the Cup they have been a different side beating (in Order) Coventry after a replay, Sunderland, Southampton, Birmingham & Spurs. I have predicted Portsmouth to lose every single FA Cup tie they have played this season & every single time they have proved me wrong. They are the first side since Brighton in 1982 to reach the Cup final having being relegated. Let’s hope that Portsmouth don’t do what Brighton did & lose the Final 4-0 after a replay. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5139387 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5139387 Thu, 13 May 2010 08:05:00 EDT I don’t think even Fulham know how they have managed to get to their first final of any description let alone a European final since 1975 when they lost the FA Cup Final as a second Division side to West Ham. Fulham started of their European run in July when they knocked out Lithuanian side FK Vetra. Since then they have knocked out Italian giants Juventus, UEFA Cup Holders Shakhtar Donetsk, German Champions of last season Wolfsburg, & of course Hamburg who would have been playing the final on their own ground if they had beat Fulham in the Semi Finals. Fulham also had to get through a difficult group stage where they had to play Italian side AS Roma who are neck & neck with Inter Milan in the battle for The Italian Title http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5136399 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5136399 Wed, 12 May 2010 06:28:00 EDT Chelsea should secure the title by winning this very winnable game against Wigan. In the return fixture before Christmas Wigan inflicted on Chelsea their first defeat of the season by beating them 3-1. I really can’t see a repeat of that scoreline in this game. Chelsea made sure of keeping the title in their own hands by beating Liverpool away 2-0 as I predicted. United kept themselves in the race by winning at Sunderland. Chelsea’s home form this season has been very good with only the one defeat to Manchester City & only one draw against Everton. They have also had some big wins http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5124250 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5124250 Thu, 06 May 2010 14:49:00 EDT Stoke & Fulham have both had a good season with both finishing safely in mid table. Fulham have gone one better than Stoke in reaching the UEFA Cup Final, which is a fantastic achievement as it is their first appearance in Europe (I think). They now face Atletico Madrid in the final who beat Liverpool in their Semi final on the away goals rule. Fulham recovered well from their semi final win over Hamburg last Sunday to beat West Ham 3-2 on Sunday (as I predicted). It was a good game, which is also what I predicted. West were already safe & that must have helped towards the entertainment value. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5121008 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5121008 Wed, 05 May 2010 08:26:00 EDT Burnley are down as I predicted at the start of the season. I get no pleasure in being proved correct by Brian Laws taking them down as I have said he would on numerous occasions. The short sited approach by Burnley’s board in his appointment has cost the club dear. I will be hoped that they bounce back. They suffered another bad defeat last Sunday, this time at home to Liverpool 4-0 as I had predicted. They have only won two games under Brian laws management one of which was a 4-1 win at Hull which more or less dragged Hull down with them. They now face a Birmingham side who will be smarting at their 1-0 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5107182 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5107182 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:57:00 EDT City's draw and Tottenham's defeat earlier in the day at Old Trafford opened the way for Aston Villa and, to a lesser extent, Liverpool to continue the four-way race for a Premier League 'top four finish' and Champions League qualification. Tottenham are the Evens favourites with City now at 6/4 - both clubs have an extra game in hand over Aston Villa (11/2) and outsiders Liverpool (16/1). http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5099043 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5099043 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EDT Chelsea lost at Spurs last Saturday which has allowed Manchester United back into the title race as they are now only the one point behind Chelsea now. That 2-1 victory at Old Trafford by Chelsea is now looking very vital. Chelsea now meet a Stoke side who they have beaten twice already this season. They won 2-1 at Stoke in the League & of course beat Stoke in the FA Cup Quarter Finals as well. Stoke lost at home to Bolton last Saturday which suggests that they have taken their foot off the pedal since they confirmed their stay in the Premiership for another season. Chelsea as their manager has said need to keep their heads as the title is still in their own hands http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5087263 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5087263 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:11:00 EDT I think Wayne Rooney not playing the full 90 minutes at Old Trafford was a blow to United as well of course the sending off which seemed a bit harsh. Swings & roundabouts. Bayern warmed up for this semi against Lyon with a 7-0 thrashing of luckless Hanover at the weekend. That result leaves them top by just the two points from Schalke who also won at the weekend 3-1. Lyon of course knocked out fellow French side Bordeaux in the last round but it was close. They eventually won 3-2 overall. Lyon managed a 2-2 draw away at same side Bordeaux at the weekend but are third in the table some 9 points behind Marseille who are looking good for their first title in a while http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5084764 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5084764 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:15:00 EDT One thing is for sure - Lionel Messi will not be scoring four goals tonight (or in the second leg). The Inter defence looks a lot stronger than the Arsenal one on paper and Mourinho is certainly more gifted than Arsene Wenger in his ability to see things going wrong in matches and react to the benefit of his side. It's likely that 'the Special One' will already have something in line for Messi, which may give other players a bit of freedom. Until his wonder strike from the half-way line in La Liga last week, Pedro has been an unsung hero at Camp Nou. He already has three goals in this Champions League campaign and can be backed at a http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5084411 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5084411 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:47:00 EDT Chelsea with the help of the ref took a giant leap towards their third title under the Russian mafia since they took over. This season will probably be Terry & co’s swansong & to be honest I can see them claiming the double. The title is now in Chelsea’s hands now that United have dropped points at Blackburn & at home to themselves. The defeat to Inter in the Champions League seems to have given Chelsea that extra lift to go on and win the title. As I predicted they beat Aston Villa to reach their third cup final on the trot which I think http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5065692 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5065692 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:17:00 EDT On the back page of the Racing Post chief football writer Mark Langdon describes the clubs as 'worlds apart' - and he is a Tottenham fan. In all fairness, despite their poor record in this fixture, Tottenham have very rarely under-performed to the extent they did at the Emirates earlier in the season. The 3-0 win for Arsenal without breaking sweat was a source of extreme frustration for the Tottenham fans who thought their players did not put in the required effort. Harry Redknapp will have spent the best part of the five months since that game drumming into his side the effort required to stop goals like Cesc Fabregas' waltz through the midfield http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5062393 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5062393 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:04:00 EDT This is a very important game for West Ham & one they need to win. They managed a very useful draw at Everton on Sunday last in a 2-2 draw that stopped a run of defeats. They are still 4th from bottom in the table but have gained a point on Hull because they lost at Stoke on the Saturday. Still very tight down at the bottom though. Sunderland played very well in beating Spurs 3-1 last Saturday & to be honest the score line should have been more in Sunderland’s favor. Sunderland have a very poor away record which was proved by their 3-0 defeat at Liverpool in their last away game. Despite their bad http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5050734 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5050734 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 09:28:00 EDT On paper this game is a no brainer to predict as Portsmouth are bottom of the Premiership & heading towards the delights of Championship football. This sounds like I am making fun of the second tier but I am not as I feel in a lot of ways it is better than the Premiership. Portsmouth could only draw 0-0 at home to midtable Blackburn on Saturday who have a very bad away record this season. Despite their dreadful season in the league Portsmouth have somehow had a great run in the FA Cup beating Coventry (after a replay), Sunderland, Southampton (away) & Birmingham. Unlike Aston Villa, Chelsea & Spurs (who I have a 100% correct Prediction rate this season in the FA Cup) http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5050663 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5050663 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 08:41:00 EDT City bounced back from a couple of shaky results to beat Wigan 3-1 on Monday night (Just as I predicted). They are now only two points behind Spurs in 5th place. Should be an interesting battle for 4th place right to the end of the season. City now face a Burnley side who are looking more doomed by the week. They lost at home to their fierce rivals Blackburn last Sunday & I am afraid to say rather easily. This is what you get if you appoint a manager that is crap. Burnley have only won once under Brian laws, against West Ham at home. Their good home form has now begun to desert them as they have lost at Home to Portsmouth & Blackburn in recent weeks http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5034994 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5034994 Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:06:00 EDT Arsenal dropped two very bad points on Saturday at Birmingham in a 1-1 draw. I don’t think it will be of any consolation to them that both Chelsea & Manchester United drew at Birmingham earlier in the season. In the last round they thrashed Porto at home after the referee had handed them a 2-1 defeat in the first leg. What surprised me was that some sections of the media were saying that Arsenal would have trouble over the two legs while completely ignoring the fact that Porto are having a bad season domestically for the first time in some years. Could it be that they were hyping up Porto’s chances for the TV? http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5030235 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5030235 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:25:00 EDT West ham are in trouble as their 3-1 home defeat in midweek to Wolves proved. They have now lost 5 games on the bounce. This is a shame as they are a proper club even if like most over clubs they abuse their fan support by charging too much for admission. To say that West Ham need a win is an understatement. They are 4th from bottom & if it wasn’t for the inability of the sides below them to take advantage of their bad run then they would be in the bottom three already. They face a Stoke side who have had a good season but http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5017124 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5017124 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:50:00 EDT As I predicted these two sides to draw in the first place & Spurs to win the replay I can’t really change my mind now can I? So I won’t. Spurs had a good away win at Stoke on Saturday by winning 2-1. Probably their best away result this season apart from their 3-0 defeat at Arsenal. Ha,ha. As already mentioned Spurs are 4th in the table but could drop to 5th if Manchester City beat Everton on Wednesday. Spurs must be second favourites behind Chelsea for the FA Cup & to be honest I would like them to win it, in fact anybody bar Chelsea really. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5012005 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5012005 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:38:00 EDT Even though Villa came from 2-0 down to draw with Wolves at home on Saturday they will be disappointed not to have picked up all three points in their quest to come forth at the end of the season. Villa are 7th, 5 points behind Spurs in 4th place but they do have a game in hand, i.e., this game against Sunderland. If Villa win this game they will leapfrog above Liverpool & go equal with Manchester City on points, so it’s all to play for tomorrow night. Sunderland have rediscovered how to win again & beat Birmingham 3-1 on Saturday http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5011847 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=5011847 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:55:00 EDT Villa closed the gap on Manchester City in sixth place to just the one point by winning at Wigan on Tuesday night. They are now only three points behind Spurs in 4th place and are right back in the running for a 4th place finish. Villa are having a very good season having reached the League cup final & are still of course in the FA Cup with a Semi final place at Wembley to come. Villa have a good home record having only lost twice at home this season to wigan on the opening day & http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4997877 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4997877 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:31:00 EDT Wolves were a tad unlucky against Manchester United on Saturday in only losing 1-0 to a late Paul Scholes goal. Such is life at the bottom when you are struggling to stay up. Prior to that they lost a massive six pointer 1-0 at Bolton so they really could do with a result in this game. They won the reverse fixture 2-0 earlier in the season & a similar result in this game will be very welcome. Burnley should have beaten Stoke as I predicted on Wednesday night but despite that I http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4980862 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4980862 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:24:00 EDT Wolves are just above the drop zone & so won’t be too pleased that they have to play Manchester United. Last time these sides played this fixture Wolves won 1-0. United failed to win the Premiership that year. Let’s hope for a similar result but I must stress the word “Hope”. United won at Wembley on Sunday against Aston Villa in the League Cup Final in another classic example of the Referee helping Manchester as much as possible. United beat West Ham in their last game before that 3-0 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4959339 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4959339 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:16:00 EDT Manchester United - Aston Villa: (Sunday February 28th 3pm): Aston Villa are having a good season & they have proved this by reaching the League Cup Final. They are also battling for 4th place in the premiership & are also still in the FA Cup not withstanding an FA Cup replay against Crystal Palace which they should win. Manchester United are also battling on several fronts. They are second in the table & are still in the Champions League after a great 3-2 away win against AC Milan which should take them into the Quarter Finals. It is only a http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4948163 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4948163 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:19:00 EDT Last week was a very good week as I correctly predicted 8 out of 10 results & 1 Correct score. The correct score was Stoke winning 2-1 at Portsmouth which was only their second away win of the season. The only two results that didn’t go my way were Manchester United losing 3-1 at Everton (ha,ha) even though I had suspected a shock as I had predicted a draw. The only other result to not go my way was Manchester City drawing with Liverpool 0-0 after I had predicted that City would win. 8 out of ten helps my average to creep towards my season high of 57%. The average is now 53% over the season. Not bad. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4948162 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4948162 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:16:00 EDT Everton have slowly improved in the last two months & proved that with victory over Chelsea in their last league game. They followed that up with victory over Sporting Lisbon in their UEFA Cup tie on Tuesday by two goals to one. They could however, regret conceding a late penalty come the end of the second leg. Everton lost easily at Old Trafford in the reverse fixture earlier in the season. They will be looking for a reversal of fortune in Saturday’s game & I think they are more than capable of getting a result. Manchester United drew their last http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4935494 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4935494 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:10:00 EDT Bolton are in danger of getting relegated as are Wigan & this makes this match a right relegation battle. Wigan are slightly better off as they are 16th but only two points better off than Bolton. Bolton drew at home with Spurs in the Cup 1-1 on Sunday, which in it self is not a bad result. I suspect they will lose the replay but more important to them is staying up. The same applies for Wigan & this is what makes http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4923883 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4923883 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:13:00 EDT Arsenal got themselves back in the title race with a 1-0 win against Liverpool last week. They are still outsiders for the title but the way Chelsea & Manchester United keep dropping points you never know. Arsenal are out of the FA Cup, beaten 3-1 at Stoke in the 4th round. This could be a really difficult two legs for Arsenal but Porto are struggling this year in their domestic league. They could only draw 0-0 away at second from bottom Lexioes on Saturday, a bad result that http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4923812 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4923812 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EDT Arsenal are now more or less out of the running for the Premiership title after losing on Sunday to Chelsea 2-0 (as I Predicted). This was their second defeat on the trot after losing at home to Manchester United 3-1 the previous week. They should finish in third place ahead of Liverpool. They are five points ahead of them but a victory in this game will open up a eight point lead over them. Liverpool have somehow managed to turn their league form around by climbing to forth place. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4902634 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4902634 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:27:00 EDT Manchester United have returned to form which I find bloody depressing. They had a great 3-1 win at Arsenal on Sunday which in my mind makes the title race a two horse race between Chelsea & Manchester United. United are now only 1 point behind Chelsea but Chelsea play their game in hand away to Hull on Tuesday which I expect them to win. Portsmouth are five points adrift at the bottom of the table after losing at Manchester City 2-0 on Sunday. Their off the http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4887964 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4887964 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:54:00 EDT Both clubs need a win for slightly different reasons. Villa drew at home with arsenal on Wednesday 0-0, which in itself was not a bad result but as they have now not won for league games it has to be seen as two points dropped. While Villa are doing well in the domestic cups they might be getting distracted in terms of their push for a top four finish. This is a shame as this season is a great opportunity for them to finish http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4878398 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4878398 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 06:27:00 EDT Having gone top of the table for the first time this season you would think that Arsenal would have been ready for Stoke away on Sunday? No chance. A very bad 3-1 defeat resulted in some strange team selections by the Arsenal manager but to be honest I don’t blame him as the Way Stoke play he probably didn’t want half his team out with long term injuries. Villa had a very straight forward victory over Brighton on Saturday to book themselves a place in the 5th round of http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4862230 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4862230 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:49:00 EDT Chelsea are on a bit of a wobble but they are still top thanks to a narrow home win over Portsmouth in midweek. They needed that victory as they had dropped two points at home to Everton last Saturday & the week before had lost 2-1 away at Manchester City. They are still top mainly because Manchester United lost at home to Aston Villa. West Ham are still in the relegation places having lost their http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4722939 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4722939 Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:35:00 EDT As we all know Liverpool are in freefall but I think their manager is doing a great Job. Keep him there, please. Liverpool could only manage a draw a average Blackburn last time out & this result sums up their season so far, i.e., crap. They lost at home in the week to Fiorentina 2-1 to confirm their rapid decline in not only Europe but the Premiership as well. Liverpool are looking very much like they won’t make a UEFA Cup place let alone a Champions League one. Arsenal also lost in http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4674482 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4674482 Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:09:00 EDT Arsenal should have won the away fixture a couple of weeks ago & were sloppy in conceding a late goal to draw 1-1. On Saturday Arsenal beat Spurs 3-0 to continue their great form at home. They have now won nine games in all competitions at home out of err, nine games. So what chance do AZ stand of getting a result in this game? None I would say. Their home form over the years in Europe might be excellent but they are only average at best away, so an easy home win for the Gunners. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4419861 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4419861 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EDT Last week I said that Manchester City would win easily against Fulham, I also said that Sunderland would win at Birmingham. How little do I know. This time I am going to stick my neck out & predict that Manchester City will beat Birmingham & beat them well. Birmingham are a poor side & I am hoping that their new owners see common sense & get rid of their manager before he takes them down to the championship (Division 2 to most of us). A home win for the proper team in Manchester. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4408209 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4408209 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:28:00 EDT Wolves had a dreadful result last week against Portsmouth & I can see that result affecting their morale. Everton meanwhile drew with Stoke at home. I can’t really see Wolves getting a result out of this fixture especially as Everton are on a good run at present being unbeaten in their last 6 (four in the League) & only losing 1 of their last eight (in all competitions) . Wolves have managed only two league wins so far & http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4346655 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4346655 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:05:00 EDT This is the big one in group 8. Italy only need a draw in this game to guarantee qualification. The republic are almost assured of second place & therefore a Play-off spot as they only have Cyprus to play after this game. I correctly guessed that Ireland would draw in Italy earlier in the campaign and I think this game will again be a draw which will be enough for both sides, providing that Cyprus don’t upset the apple cart on the Wednesday. As to weather the Republic will qualify http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4310980 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4310980 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:18:00 EDT Arsenal won 2-0 in midweek in the Champions League at home. This followed their away win at Fulham last Saturday in which they owed their victory to some great goalkeeping. At home Arsenal are very strong and are beating sides with ease, 4-0 against Wigan & 4-1 against Portsmouth proves this. Blackburn had a good victory against Aston Villa last Saturday but their away form has been disappointing so far. They haven't won away yet... http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4286507 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4286507 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:43:00 EDT Last weekends premiership predictions went well (again). I got three out of five result predictions right and one score prediction correct (Chelsea's 2-1 win at Stoke) out of those three. The correct results were for Liverpool against Burnley, Aston Villa's win at Birmingham & of course Chelsea's win at Stoke. Not as good as the 100% I had for the previous weekend in terms of Correct results but hey who's complaining. (you at the back stop complaining). This week I have decided http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4191008 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4191008 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:44:00 EDT Stoke have started off this season where they finished last season, i.e., difficult to beat at home & picking up the odd point away from home. They have already beaten Burnley & Sunderland at home as well as getting a draw at Birmingham City. As they have only lost the one game (a 4-0 thumping at Liverpool) this has put them in the dizzy position of 4th in the table. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4166521 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4166521 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:29:00 EDT Slovenia are third in their world cup group behind Poland & Northern Ireland on 11 points. In their last game they beat San Marino 5-0 to record their third biggest ever win. As Poland beat the same opposition 10-0 earlier in the group this does not represent much. However, they only lost 1-0 to Northern Ireland in their previous game so I expect England to take a while to break them down. In fact I can see this game being closer than some people might be predicting. Slovenia are a difficult side to play against & just because they are a http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4143641 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4143641 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:27:00 EDT I have included a preview of Tottenham's game against Birmingham because of their fantastic start to the season. They have won all three league games as well as a five one thrashing of Doncaster in the league cup on Wednesday night. Spurs are playing good football which is more than can be said for Birmingham. They have yet to score a goal from open play in their three league games so far. They only goal being a late penalty against Portsmouth. No wonder their home gates are http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4107916 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4107916 Sat, 29 Aug 2009 08:42:00 EDT Wigan had a good win at Aston Villa on the opening day but messed up at home to Wolves on Tuesday night by losing 1-0. This was a bit of a shock result for me as I didn't see Wolves getting anything from that game. Manchester United meanwhile will have played at Burnley on Wednesday night (a game I expect them to http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4052840 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4052840 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:08:00 EDT Everton did well last season to reach the cup final & finish a strong fifth ahead of Aston Villa who at one point had looked like coming forth ahead of Arsenal. This season will be hard for Everton to repeat, such is the demands of the Premiership (Can I call it the 1st Division? – “NO” – Ed). Arsenal had a poor start http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4036992 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4036992 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:53:00 EDT No escape for Hull City this season I’m afraid. They were very lucky to stay up last season after ending the season in freefall but in my opinion deserved a second chance after their fantastic start. Can’t say I will miss Phil Brown’s smugness or his silly beard though. I just can’t see Burnley or Wolves having enough to http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4036991 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4036991 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:54:00 EDT I’m afraid it’s goodbye to Barnsley (who were very close to going down last season), Scunthorpe & Blackpool. Both Scunthorpe & Blackpool are punching above their weight. Blackpool have done well to stay up the last couple of seasons but this season time will catch up with them. Scunthorpe did well to bounce back to the http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4036990 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4036990 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:55:00 EDT In the relegation battle I feel that Swindon have been in decline for some years now & they will go down like a lead brick. Exeter like Hereford last season will find two promotions in quick succession too much and fall straight back down taking Carlisle & Brighton with them. That is very hard on Brighton as they have http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4036989 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4036989 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:55:00 EDT Down at the Bottom I’m afraid its goodbye to Accrington who simply don’t get the gates & therefore the revenue to compete at this level. A shame as they are a famous old name. Morecambe are having the same problem but are moving to a new ground for the start of the 2010/11 season. This should help their bank balance http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4036987 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4036987 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:56:00 EDT I’m afraid that Chester will be lucky to survive the season at all let alone stay in the Conference with a -35 point deduction. This is evil. The club will be killed off by the point deduction. Where is the logic in that? Salisbury are in financial trouble & they will be saying goodbye to the conference as well after three seasons & it also goodbye to Eastbourne & Gray’s Athletic. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4036986 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4036986 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:57:00 EDT Fulham have not won at Stamford Bridge for a long time, in fact not since the Premiership was formed in 1992. They have managed a couple of draws there though. I predict a draw this time as even though Chelsea are on a good run at present (as are Fulham), they are virtually out of the title race, so their concentration has switched to Europe http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3584109 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3584109 Fri, 01 May 2009 06:51:00 EDT unbelievably Referee Howard Webb gave a penalty. It was the turning point, not only in the game but also in the Premiership as well. Manchester United went on to win 5-2 but there is little doubt that in my mind (and most others) that Manchester United would not have gone onto win the game without this dreadful decision http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3576063 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3576063 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:08:00 EDT It seems apt at this time on the 20th anniversary of the “Hillsborough Disaster” to be discussing safe standing at football matches. The fact is that there is safe standing at football matches, just not in the Premiership & Championship, well apart from Cardiff City, who are moving to a new ground http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3559199 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3559199 Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:55:00 EDT In 1986 I travelled by train to watch Wolves play Tranmere Rovers in a forth Division game at Molineux, Wolves home ground. The whole day cost me around £12, which included train ticket, ground admission (we paid on the day at the turnstiles in those days), programme & food. I might have brought some fags http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3559182 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3559182 Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:06:00 EDT For 27 years I have followed and watched My Football team. I now fear that is about to end. York City have ironically reached Wembley in the FA Trophy but are staring relegation in the face after losing at Gray’s Athletic one nil last Saturday (4th April) with a pathetic performance even by recent standards http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3546811 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3546811 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:25:00 EDT In December 1986 I travelled from York to watch Newcastle play Nottingham Forest in a 1st Division Game. I had never been to Newcastle’s ground before nor had I seen either team play before but the main reason I was going to the game was to see “Brain Clough’s” Nottingham Forest play. I went into the ground early and stood on the terrace under their old main stand http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3541239 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3541239 Sat, 11 Apr 2009 09:04:00 EDT My Earliest memory of a football match on TV is the 1976 FA Cup Final in which Second Division Southampton and a Bobby Stokes goal beat Hot Favourites Manchester United one nil. I remember watching the game with my father and him being pleased with the outcome because Southampton http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3522456 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3522456 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:27:00 EDT The biggest problem for England is the press. A small handful of journalists who make out that they represent the country’s football supporters with their appalling and bias reporting. They expect England to win every game 5-0 and play like the Brazil of 1970 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3497046 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3497046 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:57:00 EDT Next Sat (28th March) England play at Wembley against Slovakia in a friendly match. This game is obviously being played in preparation for the World cup qualifier against Ukraine the following Wednesday. I expect England to win both games http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3497003 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3497003 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:03:00 EDT expect Arsenal to beat Hull City at home in their delayed Quarter final tie. Hull are having a very bad second half to the season & until they won at Fulham last week had not won since mid December when they beat Middlesbrough and look http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493684 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493684 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:22:00 EDT Four of these clubs (Half of those left) are from England. This means that the spending power of the Premiership is far greater than the other European leagues and not as some journalists would have you believe because English clubs are simply better http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493683 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493683 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:21:00 EDT I think Ajax will play and beat Galatasaray in the final. My reasons for this are because Ajax are not having a good season in the league and are 14 points behind leaders AZ Alkmaar in third place but in Europe they have been playing better http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493678 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493678 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:04:00 EDT Way back in August I submitted an article for my predictions for the forthcoming season. As we approach the finishing line I thought it might be interesting to see how my predictions are shaping up or not as the case might be. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493668 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493668 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:48:00 EDT Arsenal can feel themselves very hard done by last season.. They were beaten by Liverpool in the champions league by the referee’s penalty decisions and they would have won the Premiership if not for the injury to Eduardo http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493667 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493667 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:48:00 EDT Sheffield United won one award last season, "The worst managerial appointment of the season award". This cost them at least a playoff place. Due to a great run in they only just missed a playoff place http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493665 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493665 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:48:00 EDT Leeds United and their large support will win this division with ease I feel. If they don’t then they will still be moaning about the fifteen point deduction last season which cost them promotion. http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493661 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493661 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:48:00 EDT Bradford City improved in the second half of last season and coupled with a manager who actually shares the passion of the fans I think they will go up. Also a great idea of the club to have such cheap season tickets http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493659 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493659 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:48:00 EDT Cambridge United will be one of a handful of ex league clubs that will be vying for promotion back to the league. 5th division anyone? Cambridge will pip the others after last years heartbreak in the playoffs http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493657 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493657 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 08:48:00 EDT Arsenal can feel themselves very hard done by last season.. They were beaten by Liverpool in the champions league by the referee’s penalty decisions and they would have won the Premiership if not for the injury to Eduardo. The loss of several players will harm their chances http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493646 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=3493646 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 08:48:00 EDT