Beer Fund Raising : 29 - 30 Sep 2007

For some strange reason, my strategy from past few seasons has fallen flat and this prompts a serious rethink on how to go about generating moolah or I would die of thirst. Beer!!!.....give me beer!!!

And CowboyCaleb has been hao-lianing that he has been pretty successful on his wager front. TMD... I hate you!! Die die die!! *stab stab stab*

Anyway, the Serie A has been pretty claypottish for me this season as I will be suspending all bets on the Italian side for now until my Serie A strategy has been recalibrated. Surprisingly, the Spanish Liga is now back in my favour after having banish it from bets last season. Sigh... the round of the football on an uneven pitch. Can't keep it straight.

As for Roy Keane, I was thinking how difficult can 15 points be? Well, it is starting to show as Keane is scraping one point after another game after game if he is lucky. Will there be enough games to get 8 more points to beat Wanker McCarthy?

Anyway, looking at this week's game, I doubt if Keane can get anything from his fellow ex-team mate Mark Hughes as Sunderland play host to Blackburn Rovers.

I expect a Blackburn win here although I won't be placing any wager on this game as the probability of a draw is pretty significant too. Another point for Sunderland? Don't know. Don't care.

Click here to find out how the Wanker Points Index came about.

Saturday's Picks:

• Chelsea - Give 1.50 ball (Lose)
  
• Liverpool - Give 1.00 ball (Draw)
  
• Bolton - Even ball (Draw)
  
  
• AS Roma - Give 0.25 ball (Testing theory only)
  
  
• Barcelona - Give 1.25 ball (Win)
  

Sunday's Picks

• Everton - Give 0.75 ball (Win)
  
  
• Juventus - Give 0.50 ball (Testing theory only)
  
  

HUAT AH!!!

Result This Week : 2 - 2 - 1

Result This Season: 16.0 - 5 - 17.5 = 1.5 DOWN as at 30 Sep 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.

Weekend Outlook (29 Sep 2007)

Birmingham City vs Manchester United

"...From the game stats (Carling Cup ManUtd vs Coventry), it is evident that our next generation of players are still not quite ready for the big time..."

- JayWalk, 29 Sep 2007

It's a pity to see Mourinho go in this fashion. It was as if Chelsea was discarding him as if he was a dud, a non-performer, a jiak-liao-bee. Perhaps the management did not recognise the fact that it was he, the Special One, and only he was solely responsible for transforming a mediocre club to that of a powerhouse overnight. Did all the trophies just fall from the sky out of nowhere?

I feel sorry for Avram Grant, for he was handled the Poison Chalice if for a moment , anyone think that the Israeli, without any proper qualification, can fill the shoes left behind by Mourinho? I wouldn't even dare to call it wishful optimism. I call it lunatic hallucination.

Speaking of lack of qualifications, I agree with Sir Alex that we should not allow Grant to manage Chelsea without an UEFA Pro license. Why should Chelsea be granted special dispensation? They should have thought this through prior to their knee-jerk sacking. Shouldn't there be a price to pay for a rash and foolish decision?

We have come a long way to break the race from that of a 2-horse (ManUtd & Arsenal), then 3 (ManUtd, Arsenal & Liverpool) to that of a 4-horse (ManUtd, Arsenal, Liverpool & Chelsea) race. Now we are probably back to 3 and I am sure you would agree that we have taken a step backwards? With Mourinho gone, I would expect Chelsea to sink back to mid-table and I guarantee you a mass exodus of players in the summer would ensued. Get ready for some exciting shopping spree next Summer.

Strangely how this season is more about the managers than about the players. This is the problem with too much money, resulting in the top brass, with absolutely no fooball technical know-how, interfering with how a manager should do his job. Heck, even Michael Jackson is doing better as management at Exeter City than the dumbasses at Spurs!

I hate to see Martin Jol go as he is so close to breaking into the Top4 (even easier now that Chelsea is spiraling into the abyss), albeit a spate of bad luck in recent weeks. Perhaps if the Brass Monkeys were to get off his back, he would be able to better focus on doing his job? If Jol goes, Spurs is gone and even relegated. Berbatov would be kicking his own ass for staying put. Perhaps he thought League Championship trumps Premier League, of which the former has the word "Championship"? Then again, fret not for smart guy should have a relegation escape clause in his contract if, Spurs were to go down, albeit unlikely.

Anyway, enough of that and let's talk about our disastrous midweek. Granted that it's the Carling Cup and meant for the ManUtd kiddies to run about, I hate to lose so early in the tournament as I would have preferred to get in a few more opportunities to blood this youngsters. Losing so early also means having to wait till FA Cup before these understudies get another shot on the field.

Oh yah. It sucks to lose at Old Trafford too.

From the game stats, it is evident that our next generation of players are still not quite ready for the big time. Playing at home against a lower league First XI and yet we failed to dominate the game. We lost control of the game and paid the price of 2 goals.

Much work to do, we have.

JayWalk The Talk: Just as mid-week European matches have a tendency to derail one of the big boy teams, the same goes for the lower clubs when it comes to domestic cup ties as they have a tendency to play their full squad rather than their B teams as per normal big boys' practice.

Well, the exception this time round was Birmingham as Steve Bruce rested quite a number of key players ahead of this massive clash against his former teacher. Unfortunately, like his former boss, Bruce's side also suffered elimination via a 0-3 loss to another of Fergie's former prodigy, Mark Hughes.

Fletcher, Park, Silvestre and Foster are still out. Neville and Hargreaves are back in training but I doubt if they will feature today for they are still quite a distance away from full match fitness. Last week's goal scorer Saha is set to start from the bench to make way for Tevez and Rooney both of whom were well rest ahead of today's game.

On the Brummies side, Oubina and Forssell are out for the latter has to undergo a hernia operation and may be out of action for the next 4 to 6 weeks.

JayWalk The Walk: Bookies are making ManUtd give up a 1-ball handicap and a 1.95 decimal odds to overcome it. Fair odds in my opinion this time but my advice to those who are punting on ManUtd, do so earlier as I forsee the odds jumping in Birmingham's favour as we approaches kick-off.

Under any other day, I would have punt for a ManUtd win. No question about it. However, given that we will be hosting AS Roma in the coming midweek, I am not so sure. Had it been any other team, I wouldn't be as worried but AS Roma is a team with an axe to grind after we decimated them 7-0 last season.

I am sure they will not let this lie down so easily and so I expect AS Roma to come into the game as if it is the ECL final.

From another angle, history and tradition speak volumes as Fergie has a knack of beating (well... most of the time) former Red Devils, namely messrs Bruce, Robson, McClaren, Keane, Strachan, Macari, Coppell and Hughes. I hope to add Ince to the list some day too.

Also, it's been 29 years since Birmingham defeated ManUtd and I forsee Birmingham struggle to even scrape a draw. Problem is that ManUtd aren't firing all cylinders in the scoring department and the 1-ball handicap may be a challenge to win some money for beer. Sure, we beat Chelsea 2-0 last week but it was only because we were playing against a headless chicken and yah... Saha cheated the penalty. Heck, even Birmingham scored more goals than us.

To bet or not to bet, that is the question. I don't forsee anybody getting anything out of this game for I think this would be a 1-goal margin victory, either 1-0 or 2-1 in favour of the Red Devils. The "cup half-full" side would view this as risk free since money will come back anyway, should my prediction holds true.

My style is I don't punt on time wasters. Portsmouth and Everton look to be better punts for me this week.

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.

SPUG EPL Prediction League (29 - 30 September 2007)

These are the games that are picked for prediction.

EPL13: SAT 29/09 Wigan Athletic vs Liverpool at 10:00pm SIN/HKT

EPL14: SUN 30/09 Everton vs Middlesbrough at 11:00pm SIN/HKT


Good luck.

Midweek Outlook (26 Sep 2007)

Manchester United vs Coventry City

"For some reason, i really dont understand why Rooney is so desperate to play in the Carling Cup..."

-Gary, 26/09/2007

I thought my eyes is playing tricks on me when i saw the stats. Edwin van der Sar didnt make any saves at all in the game. He is a spectator throughout the game. He could have an afternoon tea with Jose Mourinho while the game was in progress. Chelsea never really attack in the game, and Man Utd was the one that is doing all the attacking. I think Chelsea will become a medicore team till another high-reputation coach come in. Reports have name Jurgen Klinsmen, Guus Hiddink and Marco van Basten to manage Chelsea. Any one saw Saha's penalty conversion? He is a left footer and will stand on the right before placing his shot to the left. I could only recall he miss quite alot of penalty because it's too predictable. But against Chelsea, he stand in the middle before he kick right in the middle. Finally Man Utd won the game with more than a goal. Ryan Giggs assist for Carlos Tevez to open his scoring was a beauty and out of the blue. Oh well, time to move on, Chelsea.

Time for the 3rd competition, the Carling Cup where lower leagues teams are out to make a killing to the top teams in the Premier Leauge. Opposition for the 3rd round is Coventry City. It been a long time since i heard them. But they are doing quite well in the Championship, lavishing in the 8th place in the table. And this is also the time for Fergie to unleash his second stringers.

For some reason, i really dont understand why Rooney is so desperate to play in the Carling Cup when he can have some rest on his recent recovered broken toe. To get match fitness? To get a goal? What other reasons beside these two??

Coventry's Team News: Michael Hughes, Robert Page and Kevin Kyle all ruled out. Meanwhile, David McNamee, Colin Hawkins and Julian Gray are also struggling to prove their fitness.

Man Utd's Team News: Gerard Pique, Jonny Evans, Dong Fangzhuo and Tomasz Kuzczak are expected to play. We could also see Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson to be play in some part of the game.

Odds and Analysis: When i see the odds of 1.75 at 2, i have two minds over it, either it will clear half or wont clear at all. Too risky. Not safe. Sit at home and see the action on the television can liao or better still, go and sleep.

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 LeagueResults 22 - 23 Sep 2007

A lot of 6 points this weekend as Mourinho's departure made Game 2 a whole lot easier to prediction. Limyengchuan was right to observe the lack of amendment after the Mourihno news was released. I for one was away from internet connection to actually make the effort to change.

And rightly so for paying to price of 3 points lost as I would have gunned for a 1-0 victory.

Anyway, congrats to all the 6 pointers and especially cool402 and necroastr for jumping to the top to co-lead the table.

It is a tight race right now with 14 people within the 10-point radius.

Let's see if we have a new pole leader next week.

Good luck.

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 (23 Sep 2007)

Manchester United vs Chelsea

"Chelsea is a team without its head now."

-Gary, 23/09/2007

Look like this match review is overshadowed by the most shocking event in soccer history - Mourinho have left Chelsea. But still have to complete the blog with starter, main course and desert. Ex-Sporting player, Ronaldo score yet another only goal in the starting Champions League game. And we still have 7 points to go before we reach the target to qualify the next stage. But all credit to Edwin van der Sar for making 3 vital saves to take all 3 points from Sporting.

Well, the main story will of course be Mourinho and Chelsea. I think the relationship between Mourinho and Roman started to strain when they won the 2nd English Premier League. At that time, Roman decided to tighten the wallet and decided to splurge on an A380 and his new girlfriend. Not only that, he sign the then best striker, Andriy Shevchenko for 30 million pounds and German midfield general, Michael Ballack for free. But Mourinho dont want these players. To me, they are prima donnas to the team. Roman want the Champions League trophy desperately, but Mourinho knows the exact problem of the team but Roman turns a deaf ear. What an ignorant chairman!!

Now Mourinho is gone, Chelsea is a team without its head now. He deflect all the pressure and the build up to any of the big match to himself, rather to the team. He blames everyone but himself when he lose a match. The record of 66 home win matches look shaky right now. I, for one, will definitely miss Mourinho's way of interacting with the press. He looks so colourful, He upped the competition between Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool. He turn Chelsea into a "Big Four" team. Fergie and Arsene salute Mourinho for the challenges and rivalry that he have presented to them when he arrived on English soil 3 years ago. Well, if i continue, it is endless and so the list goes on.

Man Utd's Team News: Gary Neville, Park Ji Sung, Mikael Silvestre and Owen Hargreaves are still out. Wayne Rooney was a starter in the Lisbon match and last for 1 hour. He is likely to partner Tevez against Chelsea.

Chelsea's Team News: Drogba, Pizzaro, Lampard, Ballack, Wayne Bridge and Ricardo Carvalho are still recovering from injuries. They have not won the last 3 matches.

Odds and Analysis: Handicap of -0.5 at 2, i going for Man Utd to take full advantage of a dsyfunctional Chelsea right now.

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.

Beer Fund Raising : 22 - 23 Sep 2007

Just when I swore off punting on midweek games, I played on facebook without money on the midweek ECL matches (16 matches in all) and I got 13 correct.

@#$^$%#@$#!$!!!!!!!

So how? To bet or not to bet, that is the @#$$#^%#%#@!!!!! question.

KNN, why life must be so difficult? Dilemma dilemma.......

Anyway, looking back at the weekend, the bookies were having a good time laughing their way to the bank as most of the big teams stumbled. On one hand, there was the back-to-back Euro2008 commitments and on the other hand there is the ECL opener up ahead.

Saturday was a complete wipe out and I was lucky to escape all square capturing 2 games in 4 the day after.

On the Roy Keane front, congratulations on a beautiful win against Reading last week. As such wanker points index now stands at 7 which is just 1 short of the halfway mark at a point where we are just past the 1/8 mark of the season.

Well done! Perhaps mission accomplished even before Christmas? I will be rooting for the fiery Irish on this one.

Suck eggs! McCarthy!

Click here to find out how the Wanker Points Index came about.

Saturday's Picks:

• Liverpool -Give 1.75 ball (Lost)
  
• Man City -Even (Draw)
  
  
• AC Milan - Give 1.50 ball (Lost)
  
  
• Espanyol - Eat 0.25 ball (Lost)
• Barcelona -Give 0.75 ball (Won 1/2)
  

Sunday's Picks

• Spurs -Even (Draw)
  
  
• Real Madrid -Give 0.75 ball (Lost)
• Bilbao +0.25 (Won)
  
  

HUAT AH!!!

Result This Week : 1.5 - 2 - 4

Result This Season: 14.0 - 3 - 16.5 = 2.5 DOWN as at 23 Sep 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 (20 Sep 2007)

Sporting Lisbon vs Manchester United

"Match official in charge of this game is the 12th player in Sporting Lisbon.."

- Gary, 19/9/2007

Anyone who saw Everton's game will be staring in disbelief that Man Utd had scored a goal. When Vidic scored the goal, no one in the stadium was celebrating. The goal seem to be out of the blue, yet no one was celebrating. Even the commentator was monotonous in the celebration.

The only incident that really caught my attention was Ronaldo's dive in the penalty box. And my verdict, i think Ronaldo is kana targeted by the referees liao. And in a way, his bet with Fergie for scoring 20 goals is a sure-lose bet, hence next season, we might even see a new look Ronaldo, botak. Isnt Man Utd team famous for botak players?

Now news have been reported that Rooney demanded to play in the Everton's game. And got a backlash from Fergie. However he was in the travelling party to Portugal. Fergie knows that Rooney's injuries cannot be rushed back as it might have a long term problem in the future. But the young kid must have too much blood gushing to his brain that he cant think properly.

So now we heading to the Champions League proper where Fergie target 10 points to qualify for the next round irregardless of the standings. I think history will be repeated like last season where Man Utd won the first 2 games, drawing the 3rd game before losing 2 games and qualifying the next round with a 3-1 win at Benfica. Can Man Utd qualify with 2 games to spare, so that other fringe players can have match fitness in order to prepare for the hectic schedules in the Christmas and New Year period? I doubt so.

Sporting's Team News: Pedro Silva and Derlei are out with long term knee injuries.

Man Utd's Team News: It's a big blow for Mikael Silvestre as he is out of the season. Gary Neville and Owen Hargreaves are also doubtful. Rooney is determined to play in this match. But i foresee he will come on as a sub rather than in starting 11.

Odds and Analysis: Match official in charge of this game is the 12th player in Sporting Lisbon. He is none other than Herbert Fandel. Whenever he officiates any Man Utd games in Champions League, Man Utd didnt win any game. With handicap of 0.5 at 2.075, i would advise to avoid this match.

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 22 - 23 Sep 2007

Ok, don't let Game EPL11's timing fooled you. It is still a Saturday game except that it kicks off at our midnight which is technically a Sunday.

Anyway, we have selected a Manchester double bill this weekend and I avoided picking games where only one of the two sides is involved in the European campaign as ECL kicks off this midweek.

As such, Liverpool vs Birmingham and Arsenal vs Derby are out of contention as I forsee everybody prediction a home win for either of the fixtures. If Liverpool or Arsenal are to play away instead, I may just consider picking them. Alas, this is not to be and as such, I take the battle of the new managers Sanchez vs Eriksson for Saturday's game.

And for Sunday, it is pretty no-brainer as ManUtd takes on Chelsea at Old Trafford. A misfiring club against an injury plagued one. Who is going to take the 3 points or will it be a point apiece?

In the mean time, let see your predictions.

EPL11: SUN 23/09 Fulham vs Manchester City at 12:10am SIN/HKT

EPL12: SUN 23/09 Manchester United vs Chelsea at 09:55pm SIN/HKT

Good luck and good game!!

SPUG EPL Prediction LeagueResults 15 - 16 Sep 2007

Is it me or is this season trickier than past few seasons? With the Euro2008 games tighter than usual, we see the usual powerhouses struggle as underdogs like Scotland scalping them in the process. As a result, players from France, Italy, England and Spain expectedly found themselves more depleted than usual coming into the weekend, much to the delight of the lower teams. Clubs like Blackburn and Portsmouth both of whom managed to escape pretty much unscathed by taking advantage of the lack of fresh leg in their respective opponent's squad list.

Anyway, crash632 gets to keep his pole position but not without dropping points. Necroastr has had a great weekend leapfrogging me to 2nd. Best performer would be Beaver21 who skyrocketed with 8 points.

Sheena's is sliding down for missing last week's prediction.

You snooze. You lose.

This game is designed to reward participation as points maybe awarded via goal bonus even if you get the outcome wrong.

Hopefully, she will be back next week.

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.

Beer Fund Raising : 15 - 16 Sep 2007

One thing I learned last week is not to be itchy fingers and still to your original game plan of focusing on EPL, Serie A and La Liga.

I tried my luck with the Euro 2008 games and got taken to the cleaners right away.

Crap.

As I have mentioned in my earlier entry, I am staying away from EPL for this Saturday at the very least. This week's picks will be very conservative as there are too many unknown variables.

Anyway, I am hoping Keane to pick up 3 wanker points today.

Originally, I thought 15 wanker points... hmm.... how difficult can it be to beat?

Well, look at where Sunderland is now after 4 games.

Hmm......

Click here to find out how the Wanker Points Index came about.

Saturday's Picks:

• EPL - No Pick.
  
  
• AC Milan - Give 1.00 ball. (Lose)
• Lazio - Give 0.75 ball. (Lose)
  
  
• Real Madrid - Give 1.50 Ball (Just testing hunch only).
  
• Valencia - Give 1.00 Ball (Just testing hunch only).

Sunday's Picks

• Aston Villa Eat 0.25 ball (Lose)
  
  
• Inter Milan Give 1.5 ball (Win)
  
• Juventus Give 1.25 ball (Lose)
  
• AS Roma Give 0.75 ball (Win)
  

Huat ah!

Result This Week : 2-0-4

Result This Season: 12.5-1-12.5 = EVEN as at 16 Sep 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.

Weekend Outlook (15 Sep 2007)

Everton vs Manchester United

"...My feel is that we have a good midfield, a good forward but a bad connection between the two departments. Perhaps the rapport is lacking?..."

- JayWalk, 15 Sep 2007

ManUtd is starting to look like a Chelsea outfit of late where millions were splashed to bring in top names only to etch a goal here and a goal there. Clean sheets if we are lucky.

Question is, is this the ManUtd that we have come to love? Personally for me, leaking goals is a lesser sin than not scoring. I will take a 4-3 win over a 1-0 one any day, any place.

The stats has been consistent over the past few games that I have been monitoring. We are very strong in midfield to the extend of dominating and controlling the game. Yet, the 3-point conversion, just doesn't flow in as smoothly as the numbers are pointing.

What are we not doing right here?

For some reason, we just couldn't get the goals. Look at the strikers and you would agree that we have some real quality players like Rooney and Ronaldo. Tevez come aboard with a lot of fanfare but I am not as impressed as I was with him when he was with West Ham. Tevez seems contented to fall a little behind and be the No.2 striker, preferring to play provider than poacher.

Then in midfield, we have the evergreen Giggs and Scholes. Carrick and Fletcher are turning out pretty well. Nani and Anderson are still unproven, but we only need 4 to fill in the midfield, right?

My feel is that we have a good midfield, a good forward but a bad connection between the two departments. Perhaps the rapport is lacking?

We need to get this sorted quickly.

JayWalk The Talk: The more a team have European internationals, the bigger the headache coming into this week's games. Especially if you are one of the smaller clubs with a lesser squad depth like Blackburn, ManCity or Bolton.

We have our usual injuries namely, Foster, Park, Giggs, Neville, Hargreaves (we should have bought him a season later when he is better recovered), Fletcher and O'Shea of whom the latter is definitely set to miss his 200th start for the Red Devils.

On a brighter note, we welcome the return of Ronaldo, having completed his 3-game suspension and Rooney back from foot fracture. Rumour has it that even though Rooney is available, Fergie may save him until the ECL opener away at Sport Lisbon in midweek. I disagree on the grounds that this coming week will be a very challenging one for us with Chelsea looming after Sporting Lisbon. Rooney need to get back to match fitness with every opportunity he can get from hereon now. So perhaps the dynamic R&R duo back in front with Tevez dropping slight behind?

Oh yah. I am also happy to announce Sir Alex Ferguson will also be available for the game as he appears to escape unscathed after having been allegedly kicked in the nuts. Sorry.... couldn't resist that one.

On the Everton side, Howard is doubtful with a fractured finger sustained during USA's friendly against Brazil. Stubbs, Vaughan, Cahill and Turner are also out of action but the biggest setback for Moyes would be that of Gravesen and Yobo who are at time of this article, still doubtful.

However, watch out for Andy Johnson and Yakubu to wreck havoc. We may need Phil Neville to bail us out again.

JayWalk The Walk: Handicap odds is ManUtd to give between 0.50 and 0.75-ball. I have been monitoring ManUtd's decimal odds for the past 12 hours and it is inching towards 0.75-ball handicap at 2.000.

What that means is that too many people are buying ManUtd to win that the bookies have to adjust the odds down in the hope to get more people to punt on Everton.

So does that mean ManUtd are a sure winner? MatchPoll says 71.6% towards an away win but it is kinda hard to say. For one very good reason, ManUtd is not any ordinary team in the sense that whatever odds the bookie throw up, you will still have a shitload of people taking ManUtd, regardless.

Verdict? Having won 12 of the last 15 top flight games at Goodison Park, I am inclined to punt a ManUtd win. However with handicap at 0.75 and the ManUtd still yet to sort out the scoring glitch, it seems like a waste of time and unwanted risk to play ManUtd today.

Besides, with the two Euro2008 as well as U-21 qualifiers over midweek, we are not expecting many fresh legs on the 10 pitches. As such, I am staying away from all the EPL games this week.

However, Serie A is worth a look though.

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.

SPUG EPL Prediction LeagueMatch Weekend 15 - 16 Sep 2007

We are back after a week's break to make way for Euro2008 as well as the Euro U21 qualifiers. I think this weekend's fixture will be less predictable as many have committed players for these international fixtures over the weekend as well as the coming midweek as of this post.

ihawk98 and I have avoided the big teams as we felt that their vast depth in strength would not throw a big enough spanner in the works. Instead, we pick the more fragile teams where the misfiring of one key player can, more often than not, bring down an entire team's performance.

EPL09: SAT 15/09 West Ham United vs Middlesbrough at 09:55pm SIN/HKT

EPL10: SUN 16/09 Manchester City vs Aston Villa at 10:55pm SIN/HKT

Good luck and good game!!

Beer Fund Raising : 08 - 09 Sep 2007

It's Euro 2008 weekend as the relevant domestic league make way for it. To be honest, I haven't the faintest clue with regards to Euro national fixture but the itchy fingers in me decide to pick a couple of team for the heck of it.

Saturday's Picks:

• Wales - Eat 1.25 ball (Lost)
  
• Spain - Give 1.50 ball (Lost)

Wish me luck!

Result This Week : 0-0-2 <--- Haiz.... me and my itchy fingers. Bad fingers! Bad!

Result This Season: 10.5-1-8.5 = 2-UP as at 09 Sep 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 08 - 09 Sep 2007

No prediction league game this weekend as EPL breaks for Euro 2008 Qualifier.

We will resume next week and so do come back here around Monday or Tuesday when ihawk98 releases the next 2 games for us to predict.

See you then.

SPUG EPL Prediction LeagueResults 01 - 02 Sep 2007

Well, Apollo broke duck this weekend and could have gotten a nice 5-pointer if not for a leaky Spurs defense. However, it is KingMeng who stole the show this weekend with a 8-point haul and leap frogged with into joint 5th spot from 17th. Well done!

Bad news for the rest of us as crash632 is the other 6-pointer as he pulls 5 points clear from the nearest challenger, whom Sheena herself is barely a point ahead of Necroastr and myself

We'll how it goes next week.

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.

Beer Fund Raising : 01 - 02 Sep 2007

Roy Keane is heading back to Old Trafford this weekend and it akin to Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader facing up to Obiwan Kenobi at the Death Star in Star Wars IV. The only difference is that the odds are in favour of the teacher rather than the prodigy this time round. As for Mick "Ja Ja Binks" McCarthy? Well, he is still very much a wanker in my books, wherever he is now.

Speaking of wanker, we all recall the incident where Keane called his then Irish gaffer "a liar... and a wanker" and most likely justified as Mick McCarthy has the dubious honour of being the manager in EPL history to score the fewest points in a single season. 15 points in total.

Well, the time has come for Keane is a manager himself and coincidentally Sunderland as well. I have set up the Keano Wanker Index to see if Keane is able to break the 15-point mark.

Not a tall order in my opinion but one can't tell for sure until the points are in the bag. The score currently stands at 4 and we wonder if Keane is able to take anything home this weekend?

Saturday's Picks:

• Liverpool - Give 1.75 ball (Win)
  
• Man Utd - Give 1.75 ball (Lose)
  
• West Ham - Eat 0.25 ball (Win)
• Newcastle - Give 0.75 ball (Win 1/2)

Sunday's Picks

• Arsenal - Give 1 ball (Win)
  
• Lazio - Eat 0.25 ball (Win 1/2)

WOOT!

Result This Week : 4-0-1

Result This Season: 10.5-1-6.5 = 4-UP as at 02 Sep 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.

Weekend Outlook (1Sep 2007)

Manchester United vs Sunderland

"No Rooney and Ronaldo, how to clear handicap??"

-Gary, 01/09/07

Some sidetracks before going into the game: A warm farewell to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for retiring from football due to injuries. Dubbed as "Baby-faced Assassin" and Fergie's "Substitute from Hell", His name will be entered in the history books of Man Utd. He will be best remembered for the toe-poke goal that won the Champions League in 1999. He will also be remembered the 4 goals in 12 minutes against Nottingham Forest. He never once complained about the lack of first team football despite injuries or other team-mates on form. And now, he will continue to serve Man Utd as an Ambassador and a valuable coach.

Last game against Tottenham, i have to admit that we robbed them 3 points. At one point in time, Man Utd's defenders got a lapse in concentration that Berbatov nearly score. The players are frustrated that there is still no goals coming in though a solitary goal from Paul Scholes in the Portsmouth's game was not enough. Rio Ferdinand was going forward than to stay behind and defend. What the hell. Before this game, Man Utd have an unwanted record of having the lowest place in the standings and the worst start of a defending champion. Luckily Nani saved Man Utd's blushes by a wonder strike. It was a relief that Man Utd finally got a win and climb up the table.

Sunderland is next. A goal glut? I doubt so. With Roy Keane at the helm, and Craig Gordon, a promising young goalkeeper, i dont think Man Utd can win by 2 goals or more. This season stats have shown that Sunderland have concede an average of 1.75 goals with the most from an unlikely source - Wigan.

Last season when i spoke of Sunderland, i rated them quite highly. But i think they are making me to eat my words. I dont see them to fight for relegation, neither are they for any honours, but a respectable table standing.

Another thing i notice is that, Roy Keane dont buy players from aboard. Either he buy players that are previously or from Man Utd, or players that ply their trade from the lower divisions of England, Scotland league and Ireland league. Oh well.

Sunderland Team News: Dean Whitehead is a big loss for them as he is out of six months with a knee injury. Carlos Edward and Kieron Richardson are doubtful due to hamstring and back problems respectively. Ex-Man Utd player, Andy Cole is not match fit.

Man Utd Team News: Louis Saha is in contention, the bench at the very least. Anderson could make his debut. Ronaldo is in the last of his suspension. Gary Neville, Park, Rooney are out with injuries.

Handicap and Analysis: No Rooney and Ronaldo, how to clear handicap?? Somemore Craig Gordon is not old, neither is his reflexes are slow. The last time Sunderland came to Old Trafford, the handicap was 2.25. And the final scoreline: 0-0. Though that match got Sunderland relegated, but Man Utd couldnt win the title.

The handicap now is 1.75. And im not going to take Man Utd to clear the handicap. Im gonna to eat it.

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.