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Connect Four: Almost as much fun as being a Newcastle United fan
The last day of term. A time to bring in board games and ease yourself gently into the summer holidays.
For Terry O’Connor, however, there’s still serious business to be taken care of: Kicked Upstairs’ final Premier League predictions of the season.
And if you think he’s taking it easy, just wait until you hear what he has to say about John Terry…
This week, Terry O’Connor, one of our resident football experts, gives his view on the weekend’s Premier League fixtures…
Aston Villa vs Chelsea
Aston Villa to win
Everything Paul Lambert has been trying to do at Villa seems to have finally come together, they are scoring goals from all over the park and with the possibility of silverware next week Rafa will rest the key players and give a run out to the Chelsea second stringers like Terry and Benayoun. Plus a goal for Benteke will only help to increase how much they get for him from Chelsea in the summer.
Stoke vs Tottenham
Tottenham to win
Spurs will keep their top 4 ambition alive for one more week, while Pulis’s boys have improved greatly over the last few games and unfortunately failing a couple of miracles, they will be polluting the Premier League for yet another season.
Everton vs West Ham
Head: Everton to Win
Heart: Draw
Absolutely bloody typical, Moyes goes to Man U and we have to play Everton in his last home game before departing for Old Trafford. It’s a no brainer; they will lift to give him a rousing send-off, while Baines and Fellaini should be putting in performances to convince him to take them to Man U with him. Although Fat Sam is well motivated for this fixture, he is so livid that he didn’t get the call to replace SAF that he ate the plastic turrets that reside outside the Boleyn Ground.
Fulham vs Liverpool
Liverpool to win
Fulham’s season has already ended and if Wigan hadn’t lost to Swansea on Monday they would have been my third choice to go down. Brendon Rogers’s team is playing well and despite the lacklustre derby last week his players will be hungry to gobble up the goals that Suarez usually eats up.
Norwich vs West Bromwich Albion
Draw
My dream scenario for this game is that WBA are a goal up at half time, prompting a slightly sloshed Delia Smith to once again decide to take to the pitch to rouse the home fans from their slumber, however, this time fellow Norwich board member Stephen Fry realises her intentions and wishing to save the celebrity Chef from further embarrassment he intervenes to do the job himself. Microphone in hand he says to the Carrow Road faithful “Come on dearies let’s have a touch more ardour and vivacity! Where might you all be at the present time?”
Queens Park Rangers vs Newcastle
QPR to win (a wishful thinking bet)
Surely at some point the agents and managers of the QPR players will tell them that if they don’t start making some effort at resembling professional footballers they will never play at this level again? If Wigan can pull off a fourth sequel to the Great Escape, the Toon are my pick to take their place, we should have known that it is the way of this shambolic mess of a club that a good season last year guaranteed a stinker in the league this.
Sunderland vs Southampton
Draw
The Premier League needs Paolo DiCanio with no Joe Kineer, Ian Holloway or Gordon Strachan who else will be able to balance out Steve “the boring bastard” Bruce? If Sunderland actually had a single player left who knew how to score goals then I would tip them for the win, but as it is the best they will be able to muster against a Southampton side who are one point above them.
Manchester United v Swansea
Manchester United to win
With Swansea safe in the middle of the table and The SCUM having wrapped up the title early doors this was a pointless match that only served for the Old Trafford fans to celebrate their season. Until Fergie decided to call it quits and turn this into his final home game, so the reds will do it for Old Red Nose and see him off with a solid win. Rooney to score in “Fergie Time” to spark pandemonium.
Arsenal v Wigan
Arsenal to win
For 2 very simple reasons:
Reading vs Manchester City
Reading to win
I hate it when the FA Cup final is played before the last round of league games, it should be the final match of the English footballing calendar, it should be the pinnacle of the season. The media goes on and on about the prestige of the cup being diminished, for most fans this is not true, but the FA is doing everything it can to reduce the value of such a brilliant tournament. City to suffer a cup hangover after having thumped Wigan.
In a Premier League predictions first, this week we have an anonymous guest predictor. We’re not sure of his/her identity as the predictions arrived in a blank envelope this morning. We’re not even sure why our masked friend contacted us at all, to be honest. But never look a gift horse in the mouth and all that…
Man City vs. West Ham
Man City to win
Come the end of the season, Big Sam will no doubt lie back on his deck chair outside Casa St James in Marbella sipping on a stawberry margarita and reflecting on a job well done. Roberto Mancini, on the other hand will be pacing around his Italian castle (allow me some creative license here while I adjust my balaclava) wondering where it all went wrong whilst pondering new and inventive ways of blaming it on Joe Hart. On Saturday, though, West Ham, with nothing really to play for, are travelling to the home of a Man City side burning with anger after losing to a late Spurs comeback on Sunday and then losing the Premier League trophy to their devilish rivals the next day. The Hammers are going to get a whupping.
Everton vs. Fulham
Draw
Everton have won their have won five of their last six home games and Fulham haven’t won away in four. Everton are better than Fulham and still have something to play for. But Fulham have got Berbatov so it will be 2-2.
Southampton vs. West Brom
Southampton to win
Southampton are in fine form and face a West Brom who are bit like a Sunday hangover, Saturday night was great and although they feel dreadful now, at least it’s Sunday so it doesn’t matter too much. Unfortunately, Monday is looming.
Stoke vs. Norwich
Draw
Just bleugh.
Wigan vs. Tottenham
Spurs to win
I was talking to a Spurs fan this morning who sounded understandably nervous about the possibility of Villas Boass impressive first season in charge failing a the final hurdle to result in Champions League football. Personally, I see Spurs getting there in the end, mainly due to Arsenal’s enduring ability to self-destruct. Wigan will give Spurs a good fight but it won’t be enough.
Newcastle vs. Liverpool
Newcastle have disappointed this season, flirting with with relegation in the style of Beatrix getting it on with her local drug dealer after boarding school for a bit before Mummy and Daddy pick her up and put her straight. Liverpool, on the other hand are simply mediocre + Suarez. I fancy them to win this though.
Reading vs. QPR
Reading to win
Both sides are doomed but Reading are less likely to give up with the writing on the wall and should make home advantage count.
Chelsea vs. Swansea
Chelsea to win
Everybody loves Swansea at the moment, myself included, but Chelsea need to win this if they’re going to squeeze into the Champions League places. A nervy encounter will be settled by a piece of Juan Mata genius with the clock ticking.
Arsenal vs. Man Utd
Man Utd to win
A few years ago, this would have been one of the games of the season. Now it’s more of a means of judging how far Arsenal have fallen behind. Even though the newly elected champions don’t need to win this, there’s little doubt that Ferguson will quite enjoy sending the Gunners sliding towards the Europa League.
Aston Villa vs. Sunderland
Aston Villa come into this with more of a desperate need for a win after Paolo Di Canio’s impressive start in the North East. I would like to see Aston Villa stay up so I’m going to let my cold, bitter heart rule my head and go for a Villa win.
In the third of our Champions League punt series, Prague-based football writer Sam Beckwith argues that Mourinho’s men are the Real deal.
“QPR? They’re even worse than us!”
It’s predictions time once again and this week we’re delighted to welcome Jamie Allen as our guest predictor. Jamie runs The Playmaker, a blog with an emphasis on in-depth football articles. While we’re here, we strongly suggest that you check out his fantastic recent piece on Deportivo La Coruna. When you’ve done that, go and talk football with him on Twitter.
Go to Jamie’s BuddyBet profile to bet against his predictions.
He won it eventually.
In the second of our Champions League punt series, Australian football expert Terry O’Connor gives his view on which team will be crowned champions of Europe in May.
You can bet against Terry by clicking on the ‘bet me’ button.
It’s that joyous time of the week again where the weekend is within touching distance and the pub lunch is booked. It’s also predictions time and we have an exciting weekend of football ahead. This week our guest predictor is Archie Rhind-Tutt. Archie runs the Gone With The Rhind blog that focuses on the Premier League as well as German football. He also writes about German football for the Bundesliga Lounge and Football Fan Cast. Be sure to follow him on Twitter.
Is it Dortmund’s time again?
So who do you think is a nailed on cert to win the 2012/13 Champions League? We’ve asked some of our favourite football writers to give their views on which team will be dancing around jubilantly on the Wembley pitch in May.
First up is Chris Boothroyd whose blog – The Czech Up – provides a unique insight into football in the Czech Republic. If you disagree with Chris’ prediction, you can accept his challenge by clicking on the ‘Bet Me’ button. Make sure you let him know all about it on Twitter!
UEFA’s self styled road to London continues in earnest and for a handful of clubs the illuminated arch of Wembley stadium is appearing on the horizon. But who’ll lift the trophy in May?
In arguably the surprise of the first-leg games Bayern Munich dominated Juventus and made Antonio Conte’s side look thoroughly average in the process. Alongside the Bavarian outfit stand Real Madrid who prevailed over Galatasaray 3-0 at the Bernabéu. Only cataclysmic failures will see these two fail to make the final four and that won’t happen.
Elsewhere things become a little less clear: Paris Saint-Germain stunned many with a deserved draw against Barcelona in Paris. Barcelona are vulnerable at the back and with Zlatan Ibrahimović PSG have somebody who could cut through any opposing defence with sumptuous and graceful ease. Barcelona don’t know how to sit back and conserve a lead and PSG need to get on the score-sheet so there will be goals and in any fire fight, I’d back Barcelona, even with their obvious weaknesses.
The neutrals, television stations and commercial parties will all be hoping that London gets to host an El Clásico on May 25th and as much as a mouth watering-prospect that is I doubt that they will get their wishes: when it’s all said and done, with a bit of luck and a few games of football that will live long in the memory, Dortmund will win their second Champions League this term.
Yes, they have been rather lacklustre in defence of their Bundesliga crown and have been clearly second best to Bayern Munich, but they are the only undefeated side left in the competition. Over recent years they have shown their class to win back-to-back league titles in Germany and have improved on the continental stage no end.
Ponder over the potential match-ups and there is little to choose from between Madrid, Bayern and Barcelona. Madrid and Bayern have the functionality and brilliance to defeat anybody, Barcelona have the football to mesmerise everybody, we know Barcelona and Madrid can beat each other and between Madrid/Barcelona and Bayern you might as well flip a coin. The cycle continues towards infinity as paper covers rock which blunts scissors that cut paper. The wildcard, the great unknown, the team that can and I’m predicting will turn over the apple cart, is Dortmund.
They may have been lacklustre domestically but so have Real Madrid, like Mourinho’s side the only thing they are playing for now is Champions League glory.
Just like their Catalan counterparts they do look a little suspect defensively, a by-product of their offensive nature, but unlike Barcelona they haven’t creaked or slipped to defeat. When they’ve conceded they’ve either matched or blown away their foes, something which nobody else can comfortably claim maybe with the exception of Real Madrid, a side which Dortmund are unbeaten against this campaign.
Both Dortmund and Madrid were involved in the ‘Group of Death’ which also featured brief cameos from Manchester City and Ajax, a quartet that the German side topped, taking four points off the Madrid giants which was so nearly six until old-boy Mesit Özil grabbed an eighty-ninth minute equaliser for Real.
At this stage of the competition it’s strange that Borussia are still considered fourth favourite at the moment when you take into consideration their domestic form in the past three years and their results in Europe thus far. They’ve had Jose’s number (a feat which the Manchester clubs and Barcelona can’t boast this season), been strong against Bayern and if any side is going to beat Barcelona at ‘the beautiful game’ it will be them.
But Klopp is managing a bunch of kids and players devoid of experience at the highest level you might claim. Well, you’re right, there’s no denying that. But you need a certain kind of intestinal fortitude to overturn a two-goal deficit in stoppage time. For those that watched, followed or listened to the game against Malaga you will know that this Dortmund side did the impossible. It is a side full of natural born winners and they’ve only got one trophy left to win.
It won’t be the tale of Villanova’s emotional return, Mourinho’s Madrid swansong or Heynckes double, but instead we’ll all be talking about Jurgen Klopp leading Borussia Dortmund to the top of European football and a chorus of ‘Tor! Tor! Tor’! will be echoing in our ears
West Bromwich Albion
This week, James has taken it upon himself to try to better Nicol Hay’s unprecedented score of 8/10 correct predictions from last weekend. If you disagree with his uneducated guesses, take his cash by betting against him using the ‘bet me’ buttons.
Looking to top James’s selection, Prague-based football writer Sam Beckwith picks five particularly fine volleyed goals: