Here are my Super 6 Predictions, which should perhaps serve as a guide of what scores not to predict as this year they have not been terribly fruitful (outside of one week when I nailed 3 in one go)
Birmingham 2 - 1 Fulham
Burnley 1 - 0 Aston Villa
Chelsea 7 - 0 Wolves
Hull 2 - 1 West Ham
Sunderland 1 - 2 Arsenal
Barnsley 2 - 2 Cardiff
Good luck!
21 Nov 2009
FIFA get something right...
The latest FIFA rannkings are out and, as predicted, France and Portugal replaced England and Argentina in the top seven, owing to their UEFA play-offs
However, FIFA are actually being fair about this and it will be the October 2009 rankings that will be used for the seeds (although FIFA may use some other criteria as well)
This means that the top seven ranked teams considered will be:
Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England
England's Euro 2008 failure may impact on them, but surely the French, with their truly awful Euro 2008 performance, won't get a spot either
We shall find out on 2nd December...
However, FIFA are actually being fair about this and it will be the October 2009 rankings that will be used for the seeds (although FIFA may use some other criteria as well)
The detailed criteria to determine the seeded teams for the Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ will be confirmed at the next meeting of the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup™ in Cape Town on 2 December 2009 (and announced at a press conference following the meeting).
If the criteria to determine the seeded teams were to include, as in the past, the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, then it would be the October 2009 edition of this ranking which would be considered, and this for sporting reasons. In fact, using the November 2009 edition would create an uneven situation, specifically for the European Zone, where the play-offs involving the eight best runners-up led to an imbalance in the number of qualification matches played between the teams.
This means that the top seven ranked teams considered will be:
Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England
England's Euro 2008 failure may impact on them, but surely the French, with their truly awful Euro 2008 performance, won't get a spot either
We shall find out on 2nd December...
19 Nov 2009
Anger on the Internet
In a rather unprecedented move the BBC have set up a live chat solely so we can all whinge about the Ireland robbery, technically a foreign country (yet whose citizens have certain special benefits here) but it's aroused the Brits considerably, 15,000 votes cast already (the referee and Henry getting most of the flak)
The feeling is strong, there's no doubt it was wrong - but FIFA won't do a thing, they've got their top ten nation and that's all that matters - so you may as well go and let off steam
I was barely walking when it happened and the Hand of God still gets to me, so welcome to the club boys
The feeling is strong, there's no doubt it was wrong - but FIFA won't do a thing, they've got their top ten nation and that's all that matters - so you may as well go and let off steam
I was barely walking when it happened and the Hand of God still gets to me, so welcome to the club boys
18 Nov 2009
Ireland robbed by ghost of Maradona
Ireland, after having outplayed France and beat them at home, have been robbed by a ridiculous handball by Thierry Henry in extra time, France head to the world cup as cheats
A truly shocking turn of events - I thought we were better than that these days? What with four officials and all, I have yet to see it myself - but the BBC say it was blatant and I'll look for a video to put up
Edit: Here's the video - he's even keeping it in play with his hand - France should've had their top striker sent off before a penalty shoot out and instead they go the world cup...C'est la vie
Seriously - how can they allow such an injustice to go unchecked? It's blatant, everyone was aware of it as it happened, this isn't 1986 anymore
In other news Portugal did qualify, as I expected...
But Russia and Ukraine both surprisingly went down - Greece claimed the only goal of the two-leg tie to sink Ukraine in Kiev, and Slovenia beat a deflated Russia 2-2 on away goals
In Africa, Algeria triumphed in the deciding play off in Sudan
Slovenia were the only unseeded team to qualify from the UEFA play-offs
So much for Hiddink...
The final spot is fairly benign, between Uruguay and Costa Rica - Uruguay lead 1-0 and are at home - perhaps Costa Rica will tie it and Uruguay will throw the ball into the net in ET?
This is a travesty - I just don't understand how they can allow this to stand - it's only 15 minutes of extra time anyway...just call a penalty shoot-out!
A truly shocking turn of events - I thought we were better than that these days? What with four officials and all, I have yet to see it myself - but the BBC say it was blatant and I'll look for a video to put up
Edit: Here's the video - he's even keeping it in play with his hand - France should've had their top striker sent off before a penalty shoot out and instead they go the world cup...C'est la vie
Seriously - how can they allow such an injustice to go unchecked? It's blatant, everyone was aware of it as it happened, this isn't 1986 anymore
In other news Portugal did qualify, as I expected...
But Russia and Ukraine both surprisingly went down - Greece claimed the only goal of the two-leg tie to sink Ukraine in Kiev, and Slovenia beat a deflated Russia 2-2 on away goals
In Africa, Algeria triumphed in the deciding play off in Sudan
Slovenia were the only unseeded team to qualify from the UEFA play-offs
So much for Hiddink...
The final spot is fairly benign, between Uruguay and Costa Rica - Uruguay lead 1-0 and are at home - perhaps Costa Rica will tie it and Uruguay will throw the ball into the net in ET?
This is a travesty - I just don't understand how they can allow this to stand - it's only 15 minutes of extra time anyway...just call a penalty shoot-out!
Stop jinxing it!
Alistair Magowan at the BBC has done a feature on Portugal (or rather, Ronaldo) missing out on the world cup
We do not need you to start jabbering away about this when they have a one goal lead already! Focus on it if they actually aren't going, don't tempt fate!
I'm practically in tears here...
Three words: Suck it up
*They'll qualify...go bet on it now
We do not need you to start jabbering away about this when they have a one goal lead already! Focus on it if they actually aren't going, don't tempt fate!
And according to former Portuguese midfielder Paulo Sousa... it would be huge blow for every fan not to witness Ronaldo at his peak.
"A World Cup would not be the same without Portugal not only for the country but for football fans all over the world," he told BBC Sport.
I'm practically in tears here...
Three words: Suck it up
*They'll qualify...go bet on it now
17 Nov 2009
What Ever Happened To Applying A Cold Wet Sponge?
I chortled my sizable behind off when I heard this news on the radio this morning.
Robin Van Persie (RVP) is off to see a specialist about his ankle injury that is keeping him on the sidelines until Christmas. It isn't the bloke in America that Shearer, Owen and Hargreaves flew off to see, and he isn't in Harley Street.... In fact, he, is a she. In fact it is the not so well known Mariana Kovacevic from Serbia.
Theres more.
RVP on Sky Sports:
Robin Van Persie (RVP) is off to see a specialist about his ankle injury that is keeping him on the sidelines until Christmas. It isn't the bloke in America that Shearer, Owen and Hargreaves flew off to see, and he isn't in Harley Street.... In fact, he, is a she. In fact it is the not so well known Mariana Kovacevic from Serbia.
Theres more.
RVP on Sky Sports:
"I will fly to the Balkans to meet with a female doctor who helped [PSV Eindhoven midfielder] Danko Lazovic.
"She is vague about her methods, but I know she massages you using fluid from a placenta.
"I am going to try. It cannot hurt and if it helps, it helps.
"I have been in contact with Arsenal physiotherapists and they have let me do it."
Pardon, could you say that again please?
"placenta"
OK great; thought that's what was said, just checking...
Perhaps Arsene Wenger's ever decreasing average squad age has pushed an old man like Van Persie to drastic measures and the mere mention of placenta fluids got RVP all excited. Or, perhaps RVP has sussed that the older a person gets, the less they smell like an infant to Wenger; and ipsofacto the less likely you are to be included in the current Arsenal squad? A little Placenta fluid could add years onto his Arsenal career.
Run it off lad!!
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Fergie forced to speak to BBC? Not on your life
The Premier League have just agreed new rules that will require managers to speak to television rights holders (no doubt for extra cash) from next season (2010/11)
This, of course, means that Fergie will have to speak to the BBC in post-match interviews, as well as the written press, whom he has also boycotted for seven years, giving almost all of his screen time to the club's in-house MUTV channel
Now, knowing the famously stubborn soon-to-be-68-year-old do you think he will be going near the BBC? In 2007 he was pretty clear about never going back there
So, I ask - is this finally Fergie's final season? It's been on the cards for years, but will he, now surely at the end of his career, be forced back to the 'arrogant' BBC by the club for only a few years? Or will he bother with the sliding scale penalties, or will he just take his retirement?
I'd be doing the latter, not that I personally like being told who I have to talk to
So, money on Fergie retiring methinks
And yes this will also apply to Big Sam and 'Arry
This, of course, means that Fergie will have to speak to the BBC in post-match interviews, as well as the written press, whom he has also boycotted for seven years, giving almost all of his screen time to the club's in-house MUTV channel
Now, knowing the famously stubborn soon-to-be-68-year-old do you think he will be going near the BBC? In 2007 he was pretty clear about never going back there
So, I ask - is this finally Fergie's final season? It's been on the cards for years, but will he, now surely at the end of his career, be forced back to the 'arrogant' BBC by the club for only a few years? Or will he bother with the sliding scale penalties, or will he just take his retirement?
I'd be doing the latter, not that I personally like being told who I have to talk to
So, money on Fergie retiring methinks
And yes this will also apply to Big Sam and 'Arry
13 Nov 2009
Nine spots left
And so we approach the end of World Cup qualifying, within the next five or six days we shall have all our teams settled and ready for the big draw on 4th December, in which we will all moan about getting Sweden...again
All eyes (in Europe at least) are on Portugal, facing plucky Bosnia without their precious Ronaldo, among others - there probably wasn't a worse team for them to face, so perhaps a little justice has been served after FIFA's decision to seed the teams at the eleventh hour
There is much hope being placed on Bosnia's shoulders - who come into the play-offs having scored eight more goals than Portugal and matching them for points, despite having had to compete with Spain and Turkey while Portugal faced Denmark and Sweden, qualifying by only one point
Nevertheless, Portugal will go into this game as 1/2 favourites (although I might point out that they were also favourites for the group - that was a nice big profit) - Bosnia are at 7/1 and the draw is 10/3 - quite tasty if you ask me, but I don't wish to tempt fate
The other big game in Europe is Ireland v France - lots of home nation support for both the Irish to qualify for their fourth world cup appearance and for the dismal French to miss out on a major tournament for once - France are slight favourites at 6/4, but Trapattoni's Ireland, who are undefeated in qualifying, have shown that they can be a match for the likes of Italy, so they can certainly do the same for an undeserving French side - this may come down to away goals
Might it be worth a sneaky 5/2 on Ireland to qualify, or 13/5 on Bosnia?
In somewhat less interesting news, Russia play Slovenia and Greece play Ukraine, looks like a lot of the Eastern European landmass will be getting representation next year
Further afield Costa Rica, now on their third consecutive finals appearance, battle it out against whiney bitches Uruguay, the bookies can't tell them apart - but I would have to say that at home Costa Rica are pretty good
The other intercontinental play-off will be over first - being in New Zealand and the first leg already having been tied at 0-0 (in the desert as Ryan Nelson put it) - I've already mentioned this, but the sheer concept of New Zealand going to the world cup is mind-boggling - should they beat Bahrain they will have their tickets
Honestly, Ireland have to navigate Italy and Bulgaria, and then defeat France, New Zealand basically get a free ride to a play-off in which they face Bahrain for a place in the finals...
The remaining three spots are in Africa, to be played tomorrow afternoon
In group A, Cameroon head to bottom-placed Morrocco with a one-point lead over Gabon, who will be in Togo
In group B, Tunisia hold a two-point lead over Nigeria, both will be away, facing Mozambique and Kenya respectively
In group C, it all comes down to Egypt v Algeria - Algeria hold a three point lead, so Egypt need to win by three goals or more to qualify (two goals would mean a play-off)
And that's it, it'll all be over for seven months
Or until we all start theorising about the seedings...
Update: New Zealand are in the world cup for the first time since 1982 after a 1-0 victory over Bahrain - they will possibly be the lowest ranked team to enter, I wouldn't normally be interested, but then it's not normally a country I've been to
All eyes (in Europe at least) are on Portugal, facing plucky Bosnia without their precious Ronaldo, among others - there probably wasn't a worse team for them to face, so perhaps a little justice has been served after FIFA's decision to seed the teams at the eleventh hour
There is much hope being placed on Bosnia's shoulders - who come into the play-offs having scored eight more goals than Portugal and matching them for points, despite having had to compete with Spain and Turkey while Portugal faced Denmark and Sweden, qualifying by only one point
Nevertheless, Portugal will go into this game as 1/2 favourites (although I might point out that they were also favourites for the group - that was a nice big profit) - Bosnia are at 7/1 and the draw is 10/3 - quite tasty if you ask me, but I don't wish to tempt fate
The other big game in Europe is Ireland v France - lots of home nation support for both the Irish to qualify for their fourth world cup appearance and for the dismal French to miss out on a major tournament for once - France are slight favourites at 6/4, but Trapattoni's Ireland, who are undefeated in qualifying, have shown that they can be a match for the likes of Italy, so they can certainly do the same for an undeserving French side - this may come down to away goals
Might it be worth a sneaky 5/2 on Ireland to qualify, or 13/5 on Bosnia?
In somewhat less interesting news, Russia play Slovenia and Greece play Ukraine, looks like a lot of the Eastern European landmass will be getting representation next year
Further afield Costa Rica, now on their third consecutive finals appearance, battle it out against whiney bitches Uruguay, the bookies can't tell them apart - but I would have to say that at home Costa Rica are pretty good
The other intercontinental play-off will be over first - being in New Zealand and the first leg already having been tied at 0-0 (in the desert as Ryan Nelson put it) - I've already mentioned this, but the sheer concept of New Zealand going to the world cup is mind-boggling - should they beat Bahrain they will have their tickets
Honestly, Ireland have to navigate Italy and Bulgaria, and then defeat France, New Zealand basically get a free ride to a play-off in which they face Bahrain for a place in the finals...
The remaining three spots are in Africa, to be played tomorrow afternoon
In group A, Cameroon head to bottom-placed Morrocco with a one-point lead over Gabon, who will be in Togo
In group B, Tunisia hold a two-point lead over Nigeria, both will be away, facing Mozambique and Kenya respectively
In group C, it all comes down to Egypt v Algeria - Algeria hold a three point lead, so Egypt need to win by three goals or more to qualify (two goals would mean a play-off)
And that's it, it'll all be over for seven months
Or until we all start theorising about the seedings...
Update: New Zealand are in the world cup for the first time since 1982 after a 1-0 victory over Bahrain - they will possibly be the lowest ranked team to enter, I wouldn't normally be interested, but then it's not normally a country I've been to
12 Nov 2009
Why Is Nani So Crap At Football?
I made it up for the Blackburn game recently, and it was the first live game I have been to where Nani got a start.
He is a frustrating player to watch!
Thankfully, I am not alone in my assessment of Nani, and a section of the crowd nearby frequently sang "you'll never be Ronaldo" whenever he copped hold of the ball. Obertan, (like Michael Owen) was granted standing ovations when they replaced struggling 1st teamers mid-way through the second half.
Anyway, I just spotted this over on The Bun, it seems Nani thinks he's crap because Sir Alex has mismanaged him....
Bwahahahahahah! Not only can he not control a football, it seems he can not control his verbal diarohea. Sir Alex has an exempluary record in bringing through youngsters and making them superstars, perhaps Nani, the problem lies a little closer to home.
Nani has not lived up to his potential, and looks no better today than he did when he first arrived. Christiano grabbed his chance and eventually learned that just looking good and having a few tricks is not what makes a good footballer. Man Utd do have some creativity and penetration problems at the moment, which will not resolve itself. I was hoping that Nani would get a run this year and that he would come good, but it just is not happening for him. Time to look elsewhere, and soon because United are not well stocked on [young] creative midfielders.
He is a frustrating player to watch!
Thankfully, I am not alone in my assessment of Nani, and a section of the crowd nearby frequently sang "you'll never be Ronaldo" whenever he copped hold of the ball. Obertan, (like Michael Owen) was granted standing ovations when they replaced struggling 1st teamers mid-way through the second half.
Anyway, I just spotted this over on The Bun, it seems Nani thinks he's crap because Sir Alex has mismanaged him....
Bwahahahahahah! Not only can he not control a football, it seems he can not control his verbal diarohea. Sir Alex has an exempluary record in bringing through youngsters and making them superstars, perhaps Nani, the problem lies a little closer to home.
Nani has not lived up to his potential, and looks no better today than he did when he first arrived. Christiano grabbed his chance and eventually learned that just looking good and having a few tricks is not what makes a good footballer. Man Utd do have some creativity and penetration problems at the moment, which will not resolve itself. I was hoping that Nani would get a run this year and that he would come good, but it just is not happening for him. Time to look elsewhere, and soon because United are not well stocked on [young] creative midfielders.
11 Nov 2009
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