SPUG EPL Prediction LeagueMatch Weekend 01 - 02 Sep 2007

EPL07: SAT 01/09 Fulham vs Tottenham Hotspur at 10:00pm SIN/HKT

EPL08: SUN 02/09 Blackburn Rovers vs Manchester City at 10:00pm SIN/HKT

Good Luck and Good Game!

SPUG EPL Prediction LeagueResults 25 - 26 Aug 2007

We welcome back Apollo to the new season but unfortunately he wasn't able to break duck this week. Better luck next week.

Newcomer drvynum did slightly better with 4 points. Welcome!

Looks like beginner's luck ran out for Sheena as she gave up her pole position to crash632 with a brilliant 8-point haul this week. Well done!


Housekeeping Notes:

All of this season's tables will be kept in Flickr's photoset. Click Here.


For last season's, Click Here.


SPUG EPL Prediction League "Perfect Score" Hall Of Fame
Perfect Score = 2 correct-score predictions in a single weekend and hence the award of the full 10 points.

1) Nobody yet but soon!

Scoring System
3-Points for a correct outcome (Win, Lose or Draw)
1-point each for correct score on each side.

Double Entry
Later submission shall override earlier submission.

Penalty
No points for submission after kick-off. (Disqualification)

SPUG Blackout
The SPUG EPL Prediction League will be played here but if in the event Blogger/Blogspot servers go down, we will automatically carry on the league over to my personal blog at http://jaywalk.blog-city.com. Please bookmark this or at the very least stay in touch with one of us as we will also be helping all stay in the loop via the various channels like MSN, Skype, email, etc.

Prediction League Past Winners
Copa America 2004 - WeiMeng
EPL 2004/2005 - Friday13
EPL 2005/2006 - ianrush
World Cup 2006 - EdwinSng
EPL 2006/2007 - Voxeros

As usual:

1) If you have spotted a mistake, please let me know where and what so that I can amend them accordingly.
2) Please check your scores for accuracy as soon as possible before I update the table during the next round of scores. Once the table has been updated, the old table will be overwritten.
3) In case you are still seeing the old table even if I have announced a new update, please refresh your browser to reload the table.

Weekend Outlook (26 Aug 2007)

Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

"...Fergie doesn't need a striker - we need the players we have, to do what they're paid for..."

- Gav, Member of BBC 606 Forum, 23 Aug 2007

Both managers are facing some kind of a crisis as they are both staring down their worst possible starts in the barrel, since the inauguration of the EPL. Strangely, despite being in the same boat, the fate awaits each of them is vastly different.

We all know that Fergie is going to be fine, except grumbles and grouses, should we failed to score a victory again. While Jol is going through a Fergie deja-vu moment.

A throw back to the November of 1989 where the banner "Three years of excuses and it's still crap. Ta ra Fergie" was unfurled at Old Trafford after being sent into a spiral with a 1-5 defeat at the hands of ManCity, two months before. Perhaps the banner has since handed over to Spurs and replaced Fergie's name with that of Jol?

By the way, as a trivia, Fergie went on a 8-game winless streak thereafter and was 1 FA Cup away from being sacked. Fortunately, we won the FA Cup against Crystal Palace albeit via a replay and subsequently embarked on what it is now known as the ManUtd Dynasty of the Modern Era.

The way I see it, to sack a manager after a mere 4 to 5 games is just plain stupid. Bringing a team to success takes time to nurture before one can shape the team into a formidable force. Martin Jol, in my opinion, has done a great job for Spurs, securing back-to-back 5th spots over the past 2 seasons.

Shouldn't that count for something? I must say I am very impressed with what Jol has done for the club in the summer but surely a spate of just 4 bad games cannot be grounds for the sack, right?

From good buy to good bye. It is a tad short. No?

Now, we don't see this happening to Fergie, do we? Why is that? Simply because we have over the years learned to put our faith in Fergie to deliver us to the promise land. In all of his 21 years with us, how many times have we doubted him and only to have him proved us wrong? Does McGrath, Whiteside, Ince, Kanchelskis, Stam, van Nistelrooy and Beckham ring a bell? You can add Heinze to the list next week as well.

Problem for Spurs is this. How do you keep faith with one manager if you keep changing them all the time? From the time the EPL was inaugurated, 13 nametags has since graced the manager's door. If there is anyone who ought to be sacked, it should to be the idiot who couldn't land a suitable manager the first 12 times.

Ok. Enough of that and let's talk about the previous game. One thing is for sure, we are able to create all the chances that we need but somehow, we just can't put the ball into the net. We doubled ManCity in both shots-attempted and shots-on-goal and yet we are at the losing end of a 1-0 scoreline. Someone please throw an elephant off a cliff with a rope tying the free-falling animal on one end and my balls on the other.

Granted, we did not have the services of the dynamic duo Rooney and Ronaldo but surely the club is more that just the two of them? And now there is the rumour that Fergie is out doing some last minute shopping for an emergency striker or two. Gav from the BBC 606 Forum was absolute spot-on when he said "...Fergie doesn't need a striker - we need the players we have, to do what they're paid for..."

Perhaps we forgot that last season, we were the club with the most number of different players getting on the scoresheet? We do not necessarily need strikers to get us the goals as we have proven to be able to score from anywhere.

We just need to score. Somebody! Anybody! Just put the damn bladdy ball in! Dammit!

JayWalk The Talk: The list of players unavailable looks pretty extensive on both ends. On our side, Neville continues to be absent with Brown covering his position. I am not sure about Hargreaves though some say that he is good enough to join up with Fletcher, Carrick and Scholes in the middle. Up front, we don't have a choice as Rooney has a broken foot, Solksjaer has a broken knee and Ronaldo is still on suspension. Saha may have recovered but I doubt if Fergie would give him the full 90 minutes right away. Perhaps Giggs to play slightly behind Tevez? South American import Anderson should start from the sub's bench while Nani may get a start depending on how Fergie wants to deploy Hargreaves.

On the Spurs side, Berbatov is out leaving Keane to partner Bent. However, given the latter is still 50-50, expect Jol to put Defoe on standby alert. Jenas should be delighted to get a start today at the expense of Lennon and Tainio. On the back 4, big trouble is brewing as King, Kaboul, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lee and Bale are all unavailable. Lonely Robinson is definitely going to be the goalie but after the howler against Germany, I wonder if that has any psychological repercussion? Don't be surprised if ManUtd starts looping crossing on Sunday.

JayWalk The Walk: Here's the situation and it is not going to be good news for the Lilywhites.

We have history on our side given that Spurs has not only never won at Old Trafford since EPL, they have lost the last 3 consecutive visits.

Midfield-to-midfield, we certainly hold the upper hand here but things are pretty equal up front (for us) on account of the fact that we don't have strikers to take advantage of their lack of defenders.

Bookies give ManUtd a 2.10 decimal odds to clear the 1-ball handicap. What the speculation means is that when the goal tap opens for ManUtd, will it gush or will it merely trickle?

Verdict? I think we should continue to sit out this game until ManUtd has proven to be able to deliver the goals. While I think that we should be able to take our first victory here, it should be by a 1-goal margin which essentially means that you get nothing out of this bet, after risking the wager. Still, one can see this from another angle in the sense that we won't lose this handicap as winning by one goal is more or less in the cards. Glass half empty or half full? Take your pick.

On another note: There may be a possibility that Jol may just be able to finish 4th at the end of the season. With the probe of Liverpool breaching EPL rules, pertaining to the approach of Heinze, punishment may be meted out by the FA if Liverpool were to found guilty of wrong doing. Other than a fine, points deduction may be a possibility as well. Even if Spurs do not win enough points on their own, they may just end up to be the biggest beneficiary should a point-deduction punishment be handed out to Liverpool.

Whatever it may be, que sera sera. The threat to boot Jol if Spurs don't climb to 4th spot within the next 6 games has certainly soured everything for the gaffer. Expect Jol to quit the club at the end of the season, even if Spurs managed to clinch 4th position or better.

Disclaimer: The above views are purely my own two-cents' worth. In other words, I cannot and will not guarantee that my predictions are accurate. If you want to bet on the game, do so at your own risk. Also, please bet responsibly and within your means regardless of how "sure thing" that game may appear to be. As the old saying goes, "The Ball Is Round". Good luck.

Beer Fund Raising : 25 - 26 Aug 2007

With the Serie A and Primera Liga finally kicking off this weekend, I am happy to see the European football leagues kicking into full gear finally!

Well, the good news is that I will have more than the miserable 10 games from EPL to choose from but the bad news hor, I see Serie A's games on Saturday hor, nothing catches my eye leh. Perhaps better luck on Sunday.

As for Primera Liga or La Liga, whichever you prefer to call it, no punts yet as I need to continue to monitor them until a more distinct pattern can be spotted. As such, while I may place my predictions on the Spanish League, there will not be any money involved. Just merely a testbed for my hunches.

Saturday's Picks:

• Liverpool - Give 0.75 ball (Win)
  
• Aston Villa - Give 0.75 ball (Win 1/2)
  
• Reading - Eat 0.25 ball (Lose)
  
• Chelsea - Give 1.25 ball (Lose 1/2)
• No Serie A picks.
  
  
• Sevilla - Give 1.00 ball <-- Just testing my hunch only

Sunday's Picks

• No EPL Picks
  
  
• AC Milan - Give 0.75 ball (Win)
• Inter Milan - Give 1.25 ball (Lose)
  
  
• Osasuna - Eat 0.25 ball <-- Just testing my hunch only
• Deportivo - Give 0.75 ball <-- Just testing my hunch only
• Barcelona - Give 1 .00 ball <-- Just testing my hunch only

1-2-3 HUAT AH!

Result This Week : 2.5-0-2.5

Result This Season: 6.5-1-5.5 = 1-UP as at 26 Aug 2007

Disclaimer: This is merely to log my own results. You are welcome to follow if you like but I must warn you that you bear your own winnings or losses, whatever the outcome. I have nothing to do with your bets. Please bet responsibly and within your means. There is no absolute sure thing in football betting. If you can't afford to lose, then don't bet.

SPUG EPL Prediction LeagueMatch Weekend 25 - 26 Aug 2007

This Saturday we pick the ManUtd slayer, ManCity to face up against Arsenal. A season ago and this match would have been one-sided with everybody punting on Arsenal. However, Arsenal, like ManUtd, is having a shaky start only to draw with Blackburn Rovers last weekend. Match this up against an in-form (or even beginner's luck) Thaksin Brigade. I believe that the predictions would be evenly spread out across the board.

Speaking of predictions being evenly spread, while the big game was supposed to be the ManUtd vs Spurs game, we have decided to go for a game where the two teams are even more closely matched. Hence for Sunday, we picked the Boro vs Newcastle game.

Good luck everybody!

EPL05: SAT 25/08 Arsenal vs Manchester City at 10:00pm SIN/HKT

EPL06: SUN 26/08 Middlesbrough vs Newcastle United at 08:30pm SIN/HKT

Good luck and good game!!

SPUG EPL Prediction LeagueResults 18 - 19 Aug 2007

We almost have our first Perfect 10 this week if not for the fact that ianrush's beloved Liverpool gifting away a penalty, only for Lampard to tuck it away.

Sheena, too came close but her chances were up in smoke when Portsmouth score one goal more than she would like but the 5 points from the Liverpool-Chelsea draw pulls her away from the pack with an early 4-point lead. Well done!

We also welcome Jiahao to the game despite coming on a week late. Still, it is hardly any damage as he quickly got off the bottom with a 4-point haul this week.

Tip for the newbie. As you can see from Beaver21's example in the last game, if you missed the submission deadline for the first matchday, you can still come on and submit the prediction for the second match as long as the second match has not kick off. Better to miss one game than to miss two.

Housekeeping Notes:

All of this season's tables will be kept in Flickr's photoset. Click Here.

For last season's, Click Here.


SPUG EPL Prediction League "Perfect Score" Hall Of Fame
Perfect Score = 2 correct-score predictions in a single weekend and hence the award of the full 10 points.

1) Nobody yet but soon!

Scoring System
3-Points for a correct outcome (Win, Lose or Draw)
1-point each for correct score on each side.

Double Entry
Later submission shall override earlier submission.

Penalty
No points for submission after kick-off. (Disqualification)

SPUG Blackout
The SPUG EPL Prediction League will be played here but if in the event Blogger/Blogspot servers go down, we will automatically carry on the league over to my personal blog at http://jaywalk.blog-city.com. Please bookmark this or at the very least stay in touch with one of us as we will also be helping all stay in the loop via the various channels like MSN, Skype, email, etc.

Prediction League Past Winners
Copa America 2004 - WeiMeng
EPL 2004/2005 - Friday13
EPL 2005/2006 - ianrush
World Cup 2006 - EdwinSng
EPL 2006/2007 - Voxeros

As usual:

1) If you have spotted a mistake, please let me know where and what so that I can amend them accordingly.
2) Please check your scores for accuracy as soon as possible before I update the table during the next round of scores. Once the table has been updated, the old table will be overwritten.
3) In case you are still seeing the old table even if I have announced a new update, please refresh your browser to reload the table.

Weekend Outlook (19 Aug 2007)

Manchester City vs Manchester United

"...forgot about the game, lost the hunger that got you the Rolex, the cars, the mansion..."

- Keane: The Autobiography. (2002)

Over 50 million pounds Sterling and all we managed is 21 shots on goal, out of 46 attempts and ONE MISERABLE GOAL????!!

WTF??

Perhaps we "forgot about the game, lost the hunger that got you the Rolex, the cars, the mansion" all over again? Chelsea lost the title to us last season by a mere 6 points. We are now into the 3rd match of the season and we are almost there already with a 4-point deficit.

We had a 21-to-7 shots and a 12-to-6 shots on goal record against Portsmouth and yet the score was 1-1 with a 3-match suspension for Ronaldo. Certainly not the best of starts for us this season.

Some may say that we were unlucky to have David James at the top of his game. I say enough of the excuses already. Goalies are always put at a slight disadvantages in football as goals are more entertaining to watch than saves. Hence, over the years, we developed faster balls and wider goal posts. So don't go shifting the blame to an excellent keeper when the game was designed to fail the goalie.

This coming 148th Manchester league derby cannot come at a worse time when we were dropping points so readily. Derbies have always been a hard game to predict even if the respective standards of both teams may be vastly different. Today is a game between 2nd placed and 12th placed and strangely it is the Red-half at the bottom-half while the Blue-half finds themselves in an unfamiliar position near the top of the table.

Sven Eriksson really that good meh?

JayWalk The Talk: Warrants for the arrest of Thaksin and Mrs Thaksin are out in Thailand. How would that impact ManCity? On the pitch, probably nothing but off the pitch may be a big storm brewing. Supposed if the Thai courts were to order an asset freeze, does that include ManCity? Will the UK government cooperate with their Thai counterparts?

Coming back to the game at hand, Eriksson has a full squad to pick from and will continue to use Kasper Schmeichel in between the sticks. Do you know that the Great Dane Peter Schmeichel is the father of Kasper Schemichel? Fortunately for us, Kasper is still a rookie and a Great Dane, he is not. Not yet.

Isaksson will be the only casualty on the ManCity list.

The casualty list on ManUtd side however, is less than cheerful as we add Rooney to the list of Neville, Park, Hargreaves, Saha, Dong, Foster and Anderson. Oh yes, don't expect Heinze to feature as well as his loyalty is still in doubt ahead of the panel hearing on Monday.

Tevez is set to start in place of Rooney but who is going to fill in for Ronaldo? Problem is that nobody could tell me if Ronaldo is a midfielder or a striker. The line seems to be quite fuzzy in this aspect. Perhaps Nani to boost the midfield and Solksjaer to partner Tevez? I hope Fergie won't put O'Shea up front a second time.

JayWalk The Walk: Even though it is very early in the season but it is a bad sign when ESPN featured a poll asking if ManUtd has blown the title defence already. Given that 65% out of 91,000+ respondents said "No", it is quite worrying to have to see this type of question when we are barely one week into the season.

Geez....

Anyway, when you thought ManUtd buang-ed twice in the row, you'd think that the bookies would ease up the pedal on ManUtd. But nooooo, despite playing away to a some-what rejuvenated ManCity, ManUtd still have to give up a 0.5-ball handicap and a even-stevens decimal odds of 1.95 to clear.

Eriksson and Fergie were never on good terms given the tussle of players caught in between the Country-vs-Club row over the years when the Swede was England manager. The last time of any significance both manager met as opposing team gaffers was the UEFA Super Cup in 1999 where Eriksson's Lazio (UEFA Cup Champions) beat us (ECL Champions) 1-0, courtesy of a 35th minute Marcelo Salas goal. Still it was 8 years ago and a different team than today's. Besides, the UEFA Super Cup was never a major event since it is held in the summer where teams are still on their summer break.

We have the edge in terms of stability as Eriksson is the 12th ManCity manager during Fergie's single 21-year reign. This shall be Eriksson's maiden Manchester Derby and his inexperience in this aspect will cost him dearly.

Verdict? I would go for ManUtd, had they opened the season strongly. Unfortunately, they are sizzling as fearsome as a damp sparkler. I am going to sit out this game on account of the fact that ManUtd has lost 3 consecutive Asian Handicaps. You may wanna take a look at the Goals-Over/Under for ManUtd has had 5 in a row already at "Under".

I see a draw here. 1-1 perhaps?

Disclaimer: The above views are purely my own two-cents' worth. In other words, I cannot and will not guarantee that my predictions are accurate. If you want to bet on the game, do so at your own risk. Also, please bet responsibly and within your means regardless of how "sure thing" that game may appear to be. As the old saying goes, "The Ball Is Round". Good luck.

Beer Fund Raising : 18 - 19 Aug 2007

Ok, so it was a disastrous start to the season but it's not like I haven't been there , done that before. With 38 games in a season and multiply it by 30 matches each week for EPL, Serie A and La Liga, this is merely the start of a long marathon.

While I was able to escape All-Square in terms of wagering, it still suck to only get 2 rights and 3 wrongs. Would have felt better had it been the other way round.

Red flags were all around mid-week and I was right on the money (or in this case no-money) to avoid the minefield. Looks like the bookies are out to take our money as much and as early as possible. Non-refundable bookie deposit? Sheesh!

Saturday's Picks:

• Portsmouth - Give 0.5 ball (Win)
  
• Everton - Even ball (Lose)
  
• Tottenham Hotspur - Give 1.0 ball (Win)

Sunday's Picks

• Chelsea - Even ball (Draw)
  

No claypot, please!

Result This Week : 2-1-1

Result This Season: 4-1-3 = 1-UP as at 19 Aug 2007

Disclaimer: This is merely to log my own results. You are welcome to follow if you like but I must warn you that you bear your own winnings or losses, whatever the outcome. I have nothing to do with your bets. Please bet responsibly and within your means. There is no absolute sure thing in football betting. If you can't afford to lose, then don't bet.

Midweek Outlook (15 Aug 2007)

Portsmouth vs Manchester United

"All in all, Fergie shot himself in the foot.. again!!"

-Gary, 15/08/07

The match against Reading have more bad than good in it. First, no strikers in the sub bench and Fergie use John O'Shea as a striker when Rooney injured. Second, Rooney is out for 2 months with a hairline fracture, thus the partnership with Tevez have to put on hold. Third, despite a huge possession of 72%, Man Utd couldnt convert the chances to goals. With only 9 shots on goal, Man Utd have obviously left their scoring boots in the dressing room given that the match was play at Old Trafford. And lastly, i suspect Reading might be a bogey team for us in the future seasons. All in all, Fergie shot himself in the foot.. again!!

I wonder why Fergie have not learnt the lesson of last season? Man Utd draw 1-1 with Reading away, and fought a 3-2 winner at home. With no new signings on the pitch, Man Utd look complacent with the exception of the last 15 minutes of the match.

And why use John O'Shea as a striker? Just because last season his shots on goals was a better ratio is to the more established strikers like Drogba, Bent, Keane or even Defoe? Or is because he scored the winner against Liverpool in the dying minutes? Or is it because he scored against Everton to stage a fightback and win the match? How about asking him to score against Portsmouth as well since he did last season?

But fret not, is just the first game of the season, Man Utd didnt concede any goals though they could only got a point whereas Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool laboured to an odd-goal winner.

Now with Rooney, Saha and Solskjaer on the treatment room, Carlos Tevez will feature in the Portsmouth game. Confirm plus guarantee chop chop. Latest news is that Saha and Solskjaer have started training.

Man Utd's Team News: Rooney, Saha, Solskjaer, Neville, Park, Owen are out. Look like Fergie hands are tied and hence likely to give Nani and Anderson some match fitness. Paul Scholes is still looking for his goal as Man Utd's outright top scorer in Premier League. Wes Brown will continue in his right back role for Neville.

Portsmouth's Team News: Andy O'Brien have just signed for Bolton. Portsmouth have a full squad to choose from. Only Niko Kranjcar and Linvoy Primus are unavailable. I have not see anything yet from John Utaka as i only know he was brought from Rennes for 7 million Sterling pounds. Hopefully Man Utd's defenders do not take him too lightly.

Odds and Analysis: The handicap odds of -1 drop to -0.75 at 1.9. I say go for it. Man Utd need the win. But be warn, you might only win half of it. Good luck.

Disclaimer: This review is entirely on my own views and opinion. I didn’t point a gun at you to ask you to follow. If you want to bet on this game, do so at your own risk. Pls bet within limits. Good luck.

SPUG EPL Prediction LeagueMatch Weekend 18 - 19 Aug 2007

Ok, so I have had a dismal week in the opening round but fret not, this is merely the start and I am only off by a mere 4 points. We have seen people catching up from 20+ points behind and so there is never a doubtful moment if anyone of us are in trouble now. Too early lah.

As for the rest of the people joining on from this week, easy to catch up at this stage and so do not let this prevent you from jumping aboard.

This Sunday's game will be a cracker as Chelsea visits Anfield. I supposed most would only put in their predictions after observing the outcome of this midweek's game.

Let's get it on!

EPL03: SAT 18/08 Portsmouth vs Bolton Wanderers at 07:45pm SIN/HKT

EPL04: SUN 19/08 Liverpool vs Chelsea at 10:55pm SIN/HKT

Good luck and good game!!

SPUG EPL Prediction LeagueResults 11 - 12 Aug 2007

Welcome back to another season of the EPL as both ManUtd and myself kicked off to a horrendous start.

A good turnout this season with 20 players, more as we move along as latecomers are pretty common here.

A warm welcome to newbies like Cowboy, blackpuffer, KingMeng and Sheena. Welcome!

Congrats however to Sheena for being joint leader on her maiden attempt at this game with 5 points together with veterans edwinsng and necroastr. Bah... beginner's luck.

As for the rest of us, don't worry, the season is long as this is not only a test of predictive skills but also stamina. We have see over the last season the pole position changing hands many times. Perhaps it is like musical chairs or passing the parcel. You have to be in THE seat when the music stops. Until then, we just have to keep shuffling.

Housekeeping Notes:

All of this season's tables will be kept in Flickr's photoset. Click Here.

For last season's, Click Here.


SPUG EPL Prediction League "Perfect Score" Hall Of Fame
Perfect Score = 2 correct-score predictions in a single weekend and hence the award of the full 10 points.

1) Nobody yet but soon!

Scoring System
3-Points for a correct outcome (Win, Lose or Draw)
1-point each for correct score on each side.

Double Entry
Later submission shall override earlier submission.

Penalty
No points for submission after kick-off. (Disqualification)

SPUG Blackout
The SPUG EPL Prediction League will be played here but if in the event Blogger/Blogspot servers go down, we will automatically carry on the league over to my personal blog at http://jaywalk.blog-city.com. Please bookmark this or at the very least stay in touch with one of us as we will also be helping all stay in the loop via the various channels like MSN, Skype, email, etc.

Prediction League Past Winners
Copa America 2004 - WeiMeng
EPL 2004/2005 - Friday13
EPL 2005/2006 - ianrush
World Cup 2006 - EdwinSng
EPL 2006/2007 - Voxeros

As usual:

1) If you have spotted a mistake, please let me know where and what so that I can amend them accordingly.
2) Please check your scores for accuracy as soon as possible before I update the table during the next round of scores. Once the table has been updated, the old table will be overwritten.
3) In case you are still seeing the old table even if I have announced a new update, please refresh your browser to reload the table.

Weekend Outlook (12 Aug 2007)

Manchester United vs Reading

"...It (ManUtd's current squad) looks top-heavy like a massive body builder with mosquito legs..."

- JayWalk, 11 Aug 2007

Hi and welcome to a brand new season of European football and after months of cold turkey, I am raring to go!

Usually, I would start this off with a quick review of the previous game but given that the last game was played quite long ago (Community Shield and pre-season friendlies don't count as games proper), I decided to use this space to share something interesting.

I would like to introduce to you one of ManUtd's latest signings. It's not Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson nor Tevez but 9 year-old Rhain Davies.

If we can't buy Ronaldihno, we will make one ourselves! Check out the Youtube clip on this little lad. Reuters have an article covering this boy as well. (Click Here). Future is bright for this kid. We will see him on the pitch in less than 10 years. Mark my words!

Anyway, we welcome Carlos Tevez to Old Trafford who only just cleared all paperwork with the FA and is now 100% ManUtd. Again, I have my doubts on South American ManUtd players but I do hope to be proven wrong even though Heinze is still buzzing like an annoying fly. No Heinze on the team lineup for now. *swat*

The 50 million shopping spree came to me as a surprise as I totally did not expect that. That is just Fergie's way of telling us not to rest on our laurels just because we won the league title. Mind you, it was 1 miserable title after 3 years of wilderness. Fergie is making sure that we are going to hang on to the trophy for as long as we can. Hopefully an ECL trophy as well for good measure.

I see 2 potential problems with our current situation. Yes, we are beefy but a tad unbalance. We have strong midfield and attack but I see us still lacking in the back especially when Heinze wants out. It looks top-heavy like a massive body builder with mosquito legs.

Another problem is that while we may have a lot of good players to pick for each match, we can only pick 11 to go onto the pitch at one time. It is not like the strong players go for the Starting XI while the weaker one are contented to wait for the opportunity on the bench. Mind you, these are all super talented players and so who would want to warm the bench?

At the end of the day, we are going to get resentment from the players for not getting enough first team action. Let us not forget that this breeds the opportunity for leeching players who don't play but still get a fat paycheck every week.

Has Chelsea not taught us anything?

JayWalk The Talk: Paul Scholes is sure to start today and the chase for the elusive goal to be ManUtd's outright top scorer of Premier League goals continues. Ryan Giggs would also relish the chance to bang in a couple of goals too, to earn his centenary of career league goals.

Sickbay-wise, Park, Foster, Dong, Saha O'Shea and Neville are still out. Even so, we are still overflowing not only the Start XI but also the subs' bench as well. As a result, I see Ferdinand (150th Premier League game) partnering Vidic holding the back with Silvestre and Brown at the flanks, pushing slight forward to join Scholes, Giggs (or Fletcher) and Carrick in the midfield. Up front, we have Rooney and Ronaldo to provide the firepower with Van dar Sar (100th ManUtd game) holding the fort.

As much excitement as we have of our new signings, I doubt if any of the new signings will feature. It's like not putting the new fishes straight into the aquarium when you bring them back home from the pet store. Word has it, Nani would probably be the only one to feature but the bench is probably his best bet, joining Chris Eagles and if we are like 3-0 up or better, we'd be sure to see them come on for a run-in.

On the side of the Coppell boys, Sidwell has gone to Chelsea and the bunch of Messrs. Cox, Mate, Brown, Little, Lita and Sonko won't be available as a result of injury. Not good when you are traveling to Manchester for the opening game. Not good.

JayWalk The Walk: The good news is that ManUtd opens the season at home and we have not been defeated on our first game of the season in the last 11 except 1 (2004 defeat to Chelsea). The bad news is that as a result, bookies put ManUtd to give 1.75 ball handicap and a decimal odds of 1.975 to beat it.

Also, in the last 4 match-ups against Reading, 2 were draws and we did not win the other 2 by 2 goals or more.

Verdict: ManUtd win is for sure but the handicap odds suck. A 2-goal victory only yield half a win. Not worth punting unless bookie revising the odds down to 1.5 (or even 1.25) ball.

Disclaimer: The above views are purely my own two-cents' worth. In other words, I cannot and will not guarantee that my predictions are accurate. If you want to bet on the game, do so at your own risk. Also, please bet responsibly and within your means regardless of how "sure thing" that game may appear to be. As the old saying goes, "The Ball Is Round". Good luck.

Beer Fund Raising : 11 - 12 Aug 2007

KingMeng beat me to this when he opened his "Bettor's Journal" during the Asian Cup tournament while I held out until the various European campaigns to open.

This week marks the start of the English Premier League only as the Italian Serie A and Spanish Primera Liga only come on in a fortnight's time.

Anyway, this column will be a regular feature from now on and like KingMeng, this is merely to log my own results. You are welcome to follow if you like but I must warn you that you bear your own winnings or losses, whatever the outcome. I have nothing to do with your bets.

Not say I point gun at your head right?

Saturday's Picks:

• Portsmouth - Give 0.25 ball (Lose 1/2)
  
• Blackburn Rovers - Even ball (Win)
  
• Manchester City - Eat 0.50 ball (Win)
  

Sunday's Picks

• Arsenal - Give 1.25 ball (Lose 1/2)
  
• Chelsea - Give 1.50 ball (Lose)
  

Wish me luck!

Result This Week : EVEN

Result This Season: 2-0-2 = EVEN

Disclaimer: This is merely to log my own results. You are welcome to follow if you like but I must warn you that you bear your own winnings or losses, whatever the outcome. I have nothing to do with your bets. Please bet responsibly and within your means. There is no absolute sure thing in football betting. If you can't afford to lose, then don't bet.

EPL Preview 2007/2008 (Part 4 of 4)

Reading - If Reading can pull off another excellent season, Steve Coppell will be added to my list of managers that I admire which currently stands at three. Granted that they don't bring in the trophies like Fergie, Mourinho, Benitez or Wenger, but the achievements they reach with the type of resources they are getting, even the Big 4 gaffers would accord them the respect that they so rightly deserve.

Reading could have gotten a spot in the UEFA Cup tournament if not for the 2 disaster results in the final 2 matches of the season. A shock defeat at the hands of bottom dwellers Watford and a 3-3 draw with Blackburn Rovers on the final day saw their Euro dreams dashed to pieces. Real heart-breaking drama.

Enough about the spilled milk as a new dawn has arrived. Expect Reading to start of the season from the wrong side of the table as they open the season against ManUtd at Old Trafford, followed by hosting Chelsea, just 3 days later. Still, better to get these big matches out of the way as (1) they have a better chance against these 2 big boys early in the season before they (the big boys) find their groove and kick into gear and (2) clearing them early ensures no disruption to the momentum, should they find themselves surfing on the crest of a winning streak.

In my opinion, Coppell made a mistake spending a bit too conservatively on new players having brought in only 2 players and losing Sidwell to Chelsea in the process. Given that they don't have any worries about players being Euro cup-tied or what-not, The Royals have a good 20 days to open up the chequebook and bring in reinforcements.

Otherwise, I can bet you that they will be desperate by the time the next transfer window in January 2008 opens. By then, it may be too little, too late.

Perhaps Reading's Achilles' Heel would be their lack of depth in the squad. An injury to any player is likely to have a great impact on the team's performance on the pitch. Coppell better pray that his players stay healthy or have a miracle physio on board.

Verdict: Top half of the table but their lack of depth would count against them dearly as they will be written off as UEFA Cup spot contenders as early as Christmas.


Sunderland - Roy Keane, the prodigy of Brian Clough, one of the greatest manager in English football history. The latter being a stickler for discipline has obviously rubbed some of that values on Keane and quickly established himself into the good books of Fergie until his final days at ManUtd. Even when he has retired from the pitch, the disciplinarian streak remained when he left late-comers as punishment for their tardiness.

I personally supported Keane during the "Saipan Incident" just before the 2002 World Cup and fully agreed the Mick McCarthy was a "liar... ...and a f*cking wanker". Before anyone disagree with me here, let me ask you this. Who was the Sunderland manager who finish the season with an all time Premiership low of a mere 15 points? I rest my case. Anyone who finishes with only 15 points for an entire season deserved to be called a "liar... ...and a f*cking wanker".

When Keane took over last season, Sunderland were in the relegation zone of the League Championship. At the end of that very same season, they were the Division Champions. You have got to respect him for that achievement. Keane's record after managing 42 games is 26 wins, 9 draws and 7 defeats (Win% = 61.90%).

Player to watch at Sunderland? None. Watching the gaffer in action is good enough. I look forward to the Fergie-Keane reunion. Granted that both parted under acrimonious circumstances, I believed Fergie is still very fond of Keane. I won't be surprised Fergie takes him under his tutelage and groom him to be his successor as the next ManUtd manager.

Verdict: Probably bottom-half finish but certainly no danger of relegation and definitely finish the season with more than 15 wanker points.


Tottenham Hotspur - The Lilywhites have a Royal Flush on hand. We have Robbie Keane (10), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Jack), Dimitar Berbatov (Queen), Ledley King (King) and No.1 Shirt Paul Robinson (Ace). Ok ok... that was corny but damn, it was stuck in my head for the past week and I was just dying to get it out. Unfortunately, Tottenham Hotspur starts with a "T" and I am doing this review alphabetically. =P

The biggest problem with Spurs is the quality of managers in the past. They haven't had a good one in the last 20 years. Fortunately, Spurs' fortunes is about to turn has Martin Jol has proven to be by far the best manager in the past 20 years, second only to David Pleat in terms of Win% but the latter's cannot be counted on account of the fact that he was only a caretaker manager in 1998, 2001 and again in 2003.

This will be the 4th season under Martin Jol of which he finished 9th, 5th then 5th. Some of the harsher critics are calling for his blood as Jol is still trophy-less and still unable to break into the Top 4. This is where I would come to Jol's defense as I think it is not because Spurs under Jol is not good but rather the Top 4 in the past few years are just too strong. Good news is the Jol's efforts are not in vain as he has been steadily closing the gap. By far, this would be the season the Jol will get closest to the Holy Grail of the No.4 spot and if the planets aligned properly, Tottehnham Hotspur may even nick that spot away from Arsenal, whom the latter is deemed to be the weakest in years as well as among the Top 4. What sweeter than one-up over Spurs' greatest rival?

With the influx of players during the summer, Jol has thrown down the gauntlet at Wenger sounding his intention to replace Arsenal as the 4th member of the Top 4.

All eyes continue to be on Berbatov who, much to the fans' relief, stayed on at White Hart Lane. His brilliant partnership with Keane will be the critical factor to Spurs' success this season. That means that Jermaine Defoe is likely to be available on the transfer market pretty soon.

Verdict: Could this be the year for Martin Jol to finally break into the Top 4? I am afraid not as Arsenal, even without Henry, is still a tad ahead of Spurs. So a No.5 spot for Spurs for the 3rd season running albeit the gap to the No.4 spot will be even closer than before. Perhaps one more season is needed?


West Ham United - The Hammers narrowly escaped relegation with a dodgy victory over Premiership Champions ManUtd. Many speculative fingers pointed towards the special friendship between Fergie and Curbs.

West Ham came into last season with a lot of excitement with the introduction of Tevez and Mascherano. Unfortunately, both failed to fizzle until almost to the end of the season before Tevez showed some sparkle and Mascherano left the building. Even so, it proved to be pointless as Tevez is set to be a ManUtd player by end of August. Granted that West Ham may be able to pocket 2 million pounds Sterling from the Tevez transfer, they nevertheless are still 3.5 million pounds Sterling in the red after being fined 5.5 million pound Sterling by the FA, for transfer discrepancies over these two South American players.

This has not been a proud moment in West Ham history and Alan Curbishley would be more than eager to put that all behind. Curbishley, in my opinion, is a very talented manager and I am sure, he would be able to put in great strides within the club despite needing to clear a lot of deadwood in the locker room.

I look forward to see Ljunberg, Bellamy and Parker as a Hammer. While they may be discards from their previous clubs, they nevertheless still have a good number of years in them and should be able to stir some waves on the pitch.

Verdict: Chairman Magnusson may be looking for a place in the UEFA Cup spot but I think the bloke has been standing in the sun for a tad too long. Curbishley may be good but not THAT good. Survival in the Premiership is expected but bottom half is as good as they are going to get for this season. No chance of relegation as I have already earmarked 3 clubs worse than West Ham.



Wigan Athletic - Chris Hutchings is the new Latics gaffer and he is the manager in the entire Premiership that I am most confident of. I am most confident that he will be the first manager to get the sack before the season is over.

Last season was a heart breaker to see Paul Jewell leave after rescuing Wigan on the very last day. A bit of a deja vu when he heroically led Bradford City to beat Liverpool 1-0 on the final day of the 1999/2000 season, ensuring the club's survival in the top flight for another season. Jewell also resigned shortly after that.

We will see 7 new faces this season as Hutchings is on a do-or-die mission. Sadly, a Karang Guni expert in the likes of Curbishley, Allardyce and Redknapp, he is not. I don't have much confidence in any of the new signings contributing anything positive to the club.

Titus Bramble for his "defensive expertise"? BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!! *snort*

Watch out for new signing Jason Koumas for he is expected to be the club's top scorer. Then again, 10 goals for the entire season is enough to be top scorer at Wigan liao. *shakes head*

Verdict: Bradford survived that memorable season only to go down the next. History will repeat itself as pundits says a 4 in 5 chance for Wigan to be relegated. However, it won't be in last place that is already specially reserved for Derby County. Don't expect to see them back anytime soon either.

EPL Preview 2007/2008 (Part 3 of 4)

Manchester City - Sawadee-krup from the city of Manchester as the blue half has added a pinch of Thai spices into the recipe. Do goto "TomYam Half Of Manchester". Definitely good for a light chuckle.

Between Carson Yeung and Thaksin Shinawatra, I think the ex-Thai PM has gotten the better team to invest in. On paper, Sven Eriksson has definitely a far superior resumé then Steve Bruce. However, given the disastrous track record managing the England team, I do have some reservations over the Swede's true ability.

If Eriksson is really that good as the FA has hoped for when they offered him the England Manager contract, the Swede will be raring to go from Match Day 01 to prove his critics wrong and to redeem himself. Even if his motivation is not for the team's but for his own selfish reasons, it doesn't matter so long as he ring in the points. Much work is needed to salvage the tatters of his reputation.

Anyway, I am glad they got rid of Joey Barton. Violence and ill discipline has no place in the beautiful game. As for inbound players, Eriksson has signed up 7 names so far but all have yet to be tested in the English game. Should they come off as hits, then perhaps a new perspective of the Swede's capability is in order here.

Who to watch out for in ManCity? Surprisingly, it is Thaksin "Frank" Shinawatra. Frank as the fans kept thinking of him as Sinatra. Shinawatra, Sinatra, geddit? Geddit? Right now, Thaksin is riding on the "innocent-until-proven-guilty" ticket as investigations on his corruption charges back home are still ongoing.

What if Thaksin is found guilty at the end of the day? Funds frozen? Warrant for arrest? Assets seized? What fate would lie ahead of Manchester City, should the unfortunate happen?

Stay tuned.

Verdict: Undoubtedly, a top half finish but probably lack the finesse to gain an UEFA Cup spot on Eriksson's first attempt and rightly so as foreseen by Thaksin as he gave the manager 2 years to achieve that, rather than setting it as an immediate goal.


Manchester United - It is ironic that the past 3 seasons when we failed to capture the Premiership title, we spent modestly on new players. Yet, when we finally did recapture the title, we plonked 50 million pounds Sterling into the transfer market.

Perhaps, this is Fergie's determination to want to capture the ECL for the second time while defending the Premiership title. Perhaps yet another treble? Or *gasp!* Grand Slam?

Anyway, I have my doubts on Hargreaves and the 17 million price tag that came along with it. Is he really that good to justify the money? Admittedly, Bundesliga has never been a strong area for me and so I can't really pass judgment on him yet. I guess we would just have to see how it goes as the season progresses. A bit of a deja vu when we brought in Carrick last season.

Another player that I have my doubt is Tevez. Fortunately, it is pre-season now and distractions like this are certainly not welcome. It looks as if the entire club is bending over backwards just to bring in the Argentinian. For a club that is always club above player, this little saga just leaves me scratching my head in bafflement. Our past experience has taught us the South Americans do not stay long at Old Trafford. Look at Veron, Keblerson and soon to be out-the-door Heinze.

I wondered about Nani and Anderson too.

Speaking of Heinze, I think Fergie should let him go. There is no point keeping him around when his heart is no longer with us. If Liverpool wants him, let them have him. We can afford to lose him as Evra is a much better player in the same position. I doubt if there is anything to worry about Heinze scoring the winning goal against us in a Kop shirt. He will be another Phil Neville in a blue shirt. No worries there.

As a whole, the team is strong in all departments but I feel that our defense is a little thin. We will be relying on Vidic and Ferdinand to hold the fort and I am thinking Skipper Gary Neville is ready to hand over his armband for good. As long as we stay free of injuries, we should be ok. Problem is, as we have witnessed last season, this is something that nobody can foresee.

I guess we just have to keep our fingers crossed.

Verdict: We should be able to defend the title this season. However, I fear if Fergie were to be too obsessed with the ECL, like Benitez, that we may end up shooting ourselves in the foot and hand over the Premiership trophy to Chelsea all gift wrapped and ribbons.


Middlesbrough - Boro is by far the most painful team to watch. One word to describe them. Boring. They might as well be renamed as MiddlesBoring.

While the club has enough to stay in the top flight for years to come, I am secretly wishing for them to go down in order to make way for a more exciting team to come up and take its place.

Viduka has left and a good decision at that to save whatever career he has left. Goalie Schwarzer also look certain to leave the club and Boro will really in big trouble should that happens, for over the years, it has been countless times where Schwarzer single handedly saved Boro's ass from one embarrassing defeat after another.

As for Abel Xavier? Good riddance to bad garbage.

A lot of buzz surrounding the arrival of Jonathan Woodgate. Seriously, I don't see how good this player is as he has spent more time in the sick bay then actually on the field. After being shipped out by Leeds following his guilty conviction of affray on an Asian student, he spend a lot of time off the field injured while at Newcastle, then at Real Madrid. The way I see it, he is a liability to the team who will be paying for his wages and medical bill while getting nothing in return. Michael Owen will be my other example but I will come to that when I cover Newcastle.

Verdict: Bottom-half of the table after a successful fight to stay off relegation. Dang.


Newcastle United - Attention on Deck! Big Sam in da house! Things are finally turning around for the Geordies with the arrival of Sam Allardyce. One of my 3 most admired gaffers with the other two namely Harry Redknapp and Alan Curbishley. It is not that Glen Roeder is bad but just that he has done all he could for the club but still not quite enough.

One of the problem with Newcastle last season was that the club was cursed with injury after injury. The biggest ticketed injury would be none other than Michael Owen. Other notable names would be Martins, Dyer, Duff and most recently Given.

Still, Newcastle could have done better last season if not for their constant failings away from St James' Park winning just 3, drawing 7 and losing 9 of their away games. That alone attributed to their failure to secure a place in the UEFA Cup tournament.

One thing I like about Big Sam is his no-nonsense approach. Either the player get with the program or get out. Simple as that. No third option. Hence, the disposal of Captain Scott Parker to West Ham with Dyer not far behind though not West Ham as previously thought to be.

On the inbound side, expect lots of goals from Newcastle this season as they welcome Mark Viduka and Alan Smith. Watch out for these two and if they are able to gel well with each other, they would form a very deadly strikeforce.

On another note, if I could have a word with Big Sam, I would recommend that he sells Owen while he is still able to get some money out of him. Like I said earlier, Owen is another Woodgate. A liability.

Verdict: Like I said, Newcastle needs to improve their away form if they hope to get back to the glory days of ol'. With Allardyce at the helm, I have every confidence that the Toon Army would succeed. As to how I would place them at the end of the season, I am guessing them to park behind Tottenham Hotspur at 6th and a UEFA Cup place to boot. Carling Cup and/or FA Cup success is also a likely possibility.


Portsmouth - What does the group of names of Campbell, Lua Lua, James, Kanu, Traore, Lauren and Distin tell you? You'd be right if you realise that there were all discards from their previous employers.

In a way, Redknapp is like a Karang Guni man but an astute one at that. While the entire squad's total value may only be a fraction of say, Chelsea or ManUtd, it was something short of a miracle to see them climb to as high as second in the league table during the early part of last season. Such is the magic of Harry "Potter" Redknapp.

Part of Portsmouth's success was their excellent goalkeeper, David "Not So Calamity Liao" James, and his record number of clean sheets. Unfortunately, Pompey ran out of steam towards the end of the season and started sliding and conceding goals en route to finish in 9th spot. Defense coach Tony Adams has a lot of work cut out for him this season for as great a goalkeeper can be, goals will still be leaked if the defenders don't pull their act together. More often than not have we see unnecessary goals as a result of the goalkeeper being played out by his own defenders' folly.

I applaud Redknapp's (and Coppell's) decision not to take part in the Inter-Toto Cup to try to get in on the UEFA Cup action. Drawing lessons in the past from Leeds United, Everton and Ipswich Town, if the club does not have the resources to play in Europe (without undermining own domestic form), it is better to just focus on the domestic league and slowly build it up rather then trying to figure it out en route, after jumping in the deep end first.

In football, when you jump into the deep end right away, you drown. Period.

Redknapp knows what he is doing and more important where the boundaries are as far as the limits of his club currently is at. From the looks of his signings this season, it looks like Redknapp is finally ready for Portsmouth to make the push this season.

Watch for Nugent and Utaka to beef up the squad and Kanu continue to score for fun. In case you are wondering what happened to Andy Cole, his contract has been canceled after a dismal showing last season. Time to call it a day for the ex-ManUtd striker.


Verdict: Don't expect another surprising surge to the top like last season. That was a fluke. Instead, watch Redknapp launch a steady charge towards an UEFA Cup spot. Looks like the chase for the second UEFA Cup spot will be much more intense than before. Watch for it, the real race this season would probably be for the 6th spot (or 7th or even 8th if one of the higher placed clubs were to win the Carling Cup or FA Cup).

EPL Preview 2007/2008 (Part 2 of 4)

Chelsea - Chelsea's big money strategy has finally crumbled proving that you can't buy footballing success with money and money alone. Shevchenko and Ballack have both proven to be duds alone with a few other players that were bought but never did get to fully utilise. A big waste of transfer dollars, not that it matters to Abramovich anyway. Still it is the principle of the matter where you are supposed to get what you are paying for. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case with the lone exception of Drogba.

The problem with Chelsea is that money drop from trees or so that's what all the players in the squad thinks. Some are genuinely interested in playing good football in a big club, the rest like Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Carlton Cole, Damien Duff, Hernan Crespo, Geremi, SW-Phillips and Scott Parker, just to name a few(!), are just there to money grab. This season, let's add Tal Ben Haim and Sidwell to the list.

Then there is also the bickering between Mourinho and his Russian employer. Granted that saga had simmered down significantly, it is still far from being resolved, if at all possible. The way I see it, it is merely swept under the carpet, out of sight, out of mind, until it blows up one day in a mushroom cloud Hiroshima-style. Mark my words, it is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off any time, given the volatility of the "Special One". In short, while Mourinho almost quitted and the end of last season, I think his depature is just a season away should, the Blues fail to recapture the league title, if not earlier.

Drogba was their talisman from last season but given that the African Nations Cup is due in January 2008, Mourinho would no doubt have started preparations ahead the manpower shortage crunch, at a time where the club would begin their title assault having passed the season's midway point.

I don't expect Shevchenko and Ballack to show any improvement this year. Just look at ManUtd's Carrick who took half a season to assimilate which was already deemed unacceptable by his price tag. Fortunately, he redeemed himself with a stellar showing in the later half of last season. Players of their calibre will continue to be a flop if they are unable to sizzle after one whole season. Not saying that they are bad but merely unable to adapt to the English game.

Anyway, player to watch out for here is Malouda whom had made me sit up and taken a second look during the Community Shield match. This one's got potential for greatness.

Verdict: I think Chelsea's chances of winning the Premiership title this season is 1 to ManUtd's 3. Another year of playing the bridesmaid and quite possibly a new manager next season.


Derby County - We haven't seen The Rams since they went down in 2002. Anyone still remember the Fabrizio "La Silver Fox" Ravenelli?

Anyway, given that they have been promoted back to the top flight in very unconvincing fashion, I doubt if there are able to stay afloat at the end of the season. I think by Christmas time, they should be dead and buried.

Gaffer Billy Davies is not of Premiership calibre and neither is any of their players. Sure, they may scalp a few in the opening games of the season, that's only because none of the teams in the top flight has encountered them in the last 5 years. So a shock defeat by any of the big boys would be that of the element of surprise rather than due to technical inferiority. By mid-season, all the teams would have wisen up to Derby's little bag of limited tricks and you can be pretty safe to bet against The Rams in the 1x2 categories, albeit with close to pathetic odds. Still, it could serve as a good multiplier in parlays.

No particular player to look out for here but I do recommend that you watch the entire team as a whole for there aren't going to be around next season.

Verdict: Not only am I 100% sure that they will be relelgated, I foresee them occupying the cellar as well.


Everton - What Everton achieved last season is commendable as they have a UEFA Cup spot well earned. Problem with them is depth, or rather the lack of it. This as evident when they ended up in mid-table back in 2005/2006 season. The very same season that saw them compete in the ECL. A season later and they clinch the UEFA Cup spot with a solid consolidation of the 6th spot.

In a nutshell, it means that Everton does not have enough ammo to fuel both European and domestic competitions at the same time. It has to be one or the other. Moyes lack the resources to do both and it seems that his board of management has not learn the lesson from past seasons as new signings ahead of this season seemed pretty scarce for a team that is about to embark on a European campaign.

Moyes is right in releasing Beattie as the prolific ex-Sunderland striker has seen the last of his best days a long time ago. All eyes will be surprisingly on Arteta and not Andy Johnson, given the latter will be the one to provide all, if not most of the goals. So what is so special about Arteta? The reason is simple. Johnson cannot go the full nine yards alone. The support from Arteta will prove to be crucial for Johnson's success.

Verdict: Back to mid-table as the strain from European commitment will continue to sabotage their domestic efforts. Time to open up that cheque book and quick before the transfer window closes on 31 Aug 2007.


Fulham - Chris Coleman was shown the door last season and it wasn't because he was a bad manager. It is just that after so many seasons dating back from player to player-manager to manager, he simply ran out of ideas to take the team forward.

I don't think we would see him out of a job for long as I fancy him doing well in the League Championships and bringing the team up to the Premier League. Yeah, I think he'd be good at that.

New gaffer came highly recommended as the ex-Northern Ireland manager, Lawrie Sanchez quickly opened the cheque book to the sum of 20.5 million pounds Sterling and snap up 9 new players for the season. An interesting fact would be 4 of the 9 are Northern Ireland internationals which indicates to me that Sanchez here know what he is buying and quite an advantage here in the sense that he has been working with them collectively for quite some time before coming to Fulham. On the same token, theses guys have already played together for a while which means that they are able to hit the ground running. Certainly a wise shortcut in the process of assimilation and adaptation.

I will be watching Northern Ireland Captain Aaron Hughes whom I'd bet Sanchez will be relying on him pretty much to lead the band of Northern Irish brothers on the pitch. Don't be surprised that Hughes will start wearing the Fulham Skipper's armband pretty soon too.

Verdict: Definitely a much better showing than last season. While would probably still end up in the lower half but unlikely to have to battle against relegation this time round.


Liverpool - 43 million pounds Sterling were spent bringing in top-classed players and I am less worried for Liverpool for the manager is Benitez and not Houllier, whom the latter was famous for buying expensive garbage.

This summer also see a massive housekeeping job as we see the disposal of Bellamy, Garcia, Dudek, Cisse, Zenden, Fowler and Pongolle<--(FINALLY!!!). Benitez is a good manager but not without a flaw. His only weakness is his over-emphasis on the European campaign which has seen him won the Super Cup, the ECL as well as the UEFA Cup. However, had the UEFA not bend the rules at the last minute for the ECL winner to retain an automatic berth in next season's ECL, Liverpool would have been kicked to the UEFA Cup tournament in 2006, after Liverpool finished the 2004/2005 season in 5th spot, albeit winning the ECL for the 5th time. I have to give Benitez credit for doing much better in the European competitions than any of the English clubs. Yes, it is all good to be winning the top European honours and all but he has to understand that only a good domestic placing will secure a spot in the next season's ECL. It would be foolish to rely on winning the ECL everytime to get a spot in next season's tournament. Fortunately, with the strength and depth of the squad, I don't see them out of the top 4 this season. Problem is that Liverpool has yet to overcome the problem of taking points away from the top clubs and that alone is enough to strike Liverpool off the title challenge, behind Chelsea and ManUtd. All eyes will be on Torres but I would choose to keep my eye on Crouch and Kuyt instead. Torres has never been a proven scorer in La Liga. 19 was his best tally so far in the past 6 seasons and that came in 2003/2004. Between Kuyt and Crouch, I pick the latter to be the weaker of the 2 and should Torres proved to be a hit, Crouch will be looking to warm the bench for most of the season. Anyone in the transfer market for Crouch? Watch the classifieds in the coming Summer of 2008. Verdict: I think it will be a neck and neck race with Arsenal to the 3rd spot but I pip Liverpool to have the slight edge over the Gunners. Also, I foresee Liverpool picking up a trophy somewhere, be it the Carling Cup or FA Cup or the ECL (for the 6th time!). Just not the Premiership trophy.

EPL Preview 2007/2008 (Part 1 of 4)

Welcome back to the new season of the English Premier League as I will be doing a short write up of each team and give my prediction as to where each would end up at the end of the season.

Without further ado, let's go.

Arsenal - Arsene Wenger days are numbered and it's not because his job is on the line. Rather, by his actions and decisions over the past couple of seasons, I can tell that Wenger is ready to call it a day and move on. It could be upwards into higher management, a seat on the board perhaps? Or maybe promoted to Technical Director. Either that or leave London for newer pastures, managing another club or another country.

When we see Bergkamp, Ljunberg, Viera, Pires, Campbell and finally Henry leaving, you know that a new dawn has arrived. A new generation of Gunners is in the process of taking over but unfortunately, this has taken Wenger much longer than he has expected. Experiments with Antonio Reyes, Baptista and Jeffers have failed and Wenger is having a hard time building a good enough team before handing over to the next gaffer. Such is the epitome of professionalism

This season, we will be keeping an eye on Rosicky, Da Silva as well as the partnership of Van Persie & Adebayor. The latter pair will be the second generation of Bergkamp & Kanu.

Between the two, I like Adebayor but I can't say the same as much for the young Dutch striker as he pales in comparison with Bergkamp during the latter's heyday. For one, the young Van Persie lacks the masterclass of his predecessor. Alas Van Persie is still young and has a long way to go to curb his tendency to dive. His incessant whining has also got to stop.

Verdict: No way near the title challenge but nevertheless a Top 4 spot with Tottenham Hotspur hot on the tail.


Aston Villa - Gone are the days where Aston Villa were a force to be reckoned with in the European arena. Remember soccer greats like Peter Withe, Gordon Cowans, Andy Gray and David Platt?

Unfortunately, the current state of Aston Villa is in shambles after mismanagement by the likes of John Gregory and David O'Leary. The recent installation of Martin O'Neill was deemed as the coming of the savior but unfortunately, there is only so much you can do with the current mediocre state of the squad.

A piece of turd even under the most masterful of skill will still remain a piece of turd, albeit a nicer looking one.

Keep a lookout for the relegation-clause pair of Reo-Coker and Harewood from West Ham United. Hopefully, with their recent experience fighting relegation, they would be able to inject some freshness and urgency into a sluggish squad that has stayed in mid-table for far too long.

Angel was right in leaving the club or the disease of stagnation would infect him as well.

Verdict: Bottom half at best. If Aston Villa secures a European spot next season (not via the cup tournaments), it would be a miracle and I will have to call the gaffer St Martin from thereon.


Birmingham City - I don't think Steve Bruce will stay in the top flight very long as I see a squad that may be very good at League Championship level but certain far short of Premiership calibre.

I have never liked Steve Bruce even though he is an old boy of the Red Devil as I have yet to forgive him for the shabby treatment of Crystal Palace. The man has no honour and a mercenary at best.

The only name worth mentioning here would be that of Mikael Forssell but other than that, the team look like a sinker.

Verdict: Looks like Carson Yeung picked the wrong team to sink (no pun intended) his money. I do hope to see more Asian players in the EPL but I think the Chinese can start from the League Championship as I forsee the Brummies heading straight down at the end of the season.


Blackburn Rovers - Mark Hughes did good last season by finishing with 52 points and narrowly missing a place in the UEFA Cup at the final moments of the season. Still their chances to UEFA Cup still look pretty good by way of the Inter-Toto Cup as they just demolished Lithuanian side, FK Vetra by an impressive 6-0 aggregate over 2 legs. Granted that only get them to the second qualify round, I have every confidents in the Rovers to win that and advance to the first round proper of the UEFA Cup.

I expect Blackburn to continue to improve over last season but wondered if commitment to the European campaign would undermine their league efforts. Unlike the seasoned clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal and ManUtd, many clubs have faltered when the additional fixtures from the Euro competitions stretched their respective resources too thin.

Hughes will be looking ward to welcoming back Savage to provide support to McCarthy and Pedersen. As much as I disapprove of Savage's rough play which at times proved vindictive and risking injuring his fellow professionals, you have to give him credit for his spirit on the pitch. Something that Aston Villa seriously needs before they start decaying into relegation fighters.

Verdict: Easily a top-half finish and a shot again at the UEFA Cup spot. While I would be rooting for them to get within the top 6, I think this season will see them miss the UEFA Cup narrowly again.



Bolton Wanderers - Sam Allardyce and Sammy Lee are like Twiddle-Dee and Twiddle-Dum. Both Big Sam and Little Sam are spitting image of each other. Both are round in shape, sport suits and most uncannily, the mobile phone earpiece (with the microphone sticking forward) taped to the ear during games.

Things must have been bad for Allardyce to have quitted the team 2 games before the end of last season, instead of seeing the season out. I feel sorry for Lee as he just inherited a team with a UEFA Cup spot and no credible managerial experience. While he may be very competent in the backroom all thanks to his apprenticeship under Liverpool Souness, Evans, Houllier and Eriksson, his assistant mangerial appointment behind Allardyce at the Reebok Stadium as close as he got to the touch line.

Bolton's good showing of a 7th placing last season is going to be as good as Bolton will ever get, given their calibre and Lee is now taking over the reins of a team that has just peaked. The only way is down for Bolton and it looks like Lee is going to be the fall guy for the start of Bolton's decline. Expect Sammy Lee to be among the favourites as the first manager to be axed this season.

Nicolas Anelka is the only notable name here and in a way I am glad to see him matured into a stellar striker. This in comparison to the whiny prima donna brat day at Arsenal. Unfortunately for him, he has passed his prime by the time he realised his wayward behavior. I just wish a few more good years for him before he fades into oblivion. Such a pity considering that he could have evolved into a great player. No luck there.

Verdict: Bottom-half finish or a mid-table placing at best. Bolton's success is all attributed to the mangerial prowess of Sam Allardyce. Big Sam gone is like Harry Potter losing his wand. Hong kan liao.

SPUG EPL Prediction LeagueMatch Weekend 11 - 12 Aug 2007

Welcome one and all to another season of the SPUG EPL Prediction League. As usual, there will be one match selected per matchday courtesy of ihawk98.

The change this season is that we SCV will be doing the game telecast instead of the usual ESPN or StarSports. In any case, I shall leave the games picking to ihawk98 who shall do the honours.

First up, we have Sam Allardyce heading back to the Reebok Stadium but as the manager of the visiting team. Expect a vociferous welcome for the Big Sam as that open the season.

Sunday will be a tricky game for Steve Coppell to return to his alma mata, Old Trafford as Reading will be taking on a star-studded cast of Manchester United, whom already have a trophy in the bag after winning last week's Community Shield.

Let's GO!

p.s. Please spread the word around as many would have forgotten about the league after such a long break. Hope to see everybody back!

EPL01: SAT 11/08 Bolton Wanderers vs Newcastle United at 10:00pm SIN/HKT

EPL02: SUN 12/08 Manchester United vs Reading at 11:00pm SIN/HKT

Good luck and good game!!

SPUG EPL Prediction League 2007/2008

Hope everyone is well rested from last season and raring for another go with the new season.

Do help to spread the word around and hopefully we can get a good turnout for a fun new season.

As for the newbies who are joining us for the first time, do take some time to browse through the archives to see and understand how the game is played. Who knows, you may even figure out our various strategies.

Actually, come to think of it, it's very easy to play. Feel free to ask anyone of us here. We'd be glad to help you.

As for the rest, the scoring system remains unchanged with:

3-Points for a correct outcome
1-point each for correct score on each side.

Without fail, I shall be the incumbent scorekeeper while ihawk98 and cool402 will be assisting with the picking of the games as well as the basic housekeeping from time to time.

Note: Can we get Weimeng back to do the HOF? I kinda missed having 2 contests going on concurrently.

SPUG EPL Prediction League "Perfect Score" Hall Of Fame
Perfect Score = 2 correct-score predictions in a single weekend and hence the award of the full 10 points.

Prediction League Past Winners
Copa America 2004 - WeiMeng
EPL 2004/2005 - Friday13
EPL 2005/2006 - ianrush
World Cup 2006 - EdwinSng
EPL 2006/2007 - Voxeros

Scoring System
3-Points for a correct outcome (Win, Lose or Draw)
1-point each for correct score on each side.

Double Entry
Later submission shall override earlier submission.

Penalty
Submissions after kick-off will not be admissible. (Disqualification)

League Blackout
The SPUG EPL Prediction League will be played here but if in the event Blogger/Blogspot servers go down, we will automatically carry on the league over to my personal blog at http://jaywalk.blog-city.com. Please bookmark this or at the very least stay in touch with one of us as we will also be helping all stay in the loop via the various channels like MSN, Skype, email, etc.

As usual:
1) If a mistake has been spotted, please let me know where and what so that I can amend them accordingly.
2) Please check your scores for accuracy as soon as possible before I update the table during the next round of scores.
3) In case you are still seeing the old table even if I have announced a new update, please refresh your browser to reload the table.

Cheers.

Season Opener 07/08: Community Shield

Community Shield
Manchester United vs Chelsea

"Fergie is going to change his favorite formation of 4-4-2 to a more attacking formation of 4-3-3.With Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo, eyes confirm starstuck liao."

- Gary, 04/08/07

Welcome to the new season with the curtain-raiser of the Community Shield match between Man Utd and Chelsea. I think no one is able to bear the off-season with weekends no soccer matches to see. Who would have predicted that Brazil and Iraq will be the winners of Copa America and Asian Cup respectively?

The fact that EPL is the most exciting league to watch is not uncalled for, as multi-national players gel as a team, and to win the fans. The league is getting harder to play as EPL have conquer the transfer market from all over the world, not just Europe.

The Community Shield is a repeat of last season's FA Cup Final. But with new signings, formation and injuries, history will find it very hard to repeat. In this curtain raiser, Man Utd and Chelsea have squared off 2 times since 1997 with each team win apiece. If this match goes to penalties, go for Man Utd. Ha ha, Wiki it and you will know why. But i doubt it will go to penalties.

With the new players signed so swiftly without battling an eyelid in the early weeks of the close season, all eyes will be on Carlos Tevez as he is signed just recently. And Fergie is going to change his favorite formation of 4-4-2 to a more attacking formation of 4-3-3. With Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo, eyes confirm starstuck liao.

Man Utd's Team News: Gary Neville, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Park Ji Sung are long term absentees. Paul Scholes, Owen Hargreaves, Louis Saha are out with injuries. Anderson, a new signing from Porto wont be featured. As for Nani, i expecting a second half cameo. Tevez will be in time for the League opener against Reading.

Chelsea's Team News: Wayne Bridge, Micheal Ballack are out of the game with injuries. Madrid-bound Robben is a doubt for the game. New signings like Steve Sidwell, Tal Ben Haim, Claudio Pizarro, Florent Malouda will be given a chance to feature.

Odds and Analysis: Level ball at 1.9, Man Utd are slight favourites in this match. Starting of the season, it is very hard to see their real strength. No bet for me.

With the new season starting in a week away, Starhub have announced a new soccer channel just for EPL 24 hours a day. And more matches are expected to shown live. Ihawk and I are still waiting for Voxeros confirmation about how the Prediction League is going to be, either we stick with the current 2 matches with 1 on Sat and 1 on Sun. Or the new one where we have 6 live matches to predict. Ha ha ha.

Disclaimer: This review is entirely on my own views and opinion. I didn’t point a gun at you to ask you to follow. If you want to bet on this game, do so at your own risk. Pls bet within limits. Good luck.